Mad Hatter's Guide to Clearing The Game
Chapter 71: Ch69. Search

Chapter 71: Ch69. Search

Miles stood there, breath still uneven, hands curled into fists as he watched Sarissa with unfiltered frustration. She had dismissed him, belittling Diego’s disappearance, but in the final moments, something shifted in her expression.

A flicker of hesitation, something deeper lurking beneath her cold exterior. But it wasn’t enough.

She turned her back to him as if their conversation was already over.

"You heard me," she said, voice clipped. "Get out of my sight."

Miles felt his pulse hammering in his ears. Every instinct screamed at him to keep pushing, to force her to listen, but the rational part of him knew better. She wasn’t going to help. Not unless she wanted to. And he didn’t have time to play whatever mind game she was trying to pull him into.

Fine. He’d find Diego on his own.

Turning on his heel, he stormed out of the War Room, barely noticing the way the guards outside stiffened at his sudden movement. His blood boiled, and he felt heavier every step as his frustration settled into something colder. More dangerous.

’Useless. I should have known better.’ He bit his lower lip.

The moment he stepped outside, the early morning air did little to cool his temper. The city was waking up around him, players moving about, merchants setting up stalls, adventurers preparing to leave for their daily hunts. But to Miles, it all felt like noise. Disconnected. Irrelevant.

Diego was missing, and he was wasting time.

"Wait." Sarissa’s voice echoed from behind him.

Miles stopped in his tracks, his jaw clenched. He didn’t want to turn around. Didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of knowing she’d gotten under his skin. But when he heard her footsteps approaching, he knew he didn’t have a choice.

Sarissa stepped up beside him, arms crossed, face unreadable. For a long moment, she said nothing, simply watching him, studying him.

"...I’ll look into it." She finally said.

"What?" Miles narrowed his eyes, not trusting her sudden change of heart.

"I said I’ll look into it," she repeated, her tone laced with impatience. "Don’t make me say it again."

"Why? You made it pretty damn clear you don’t care." Miles scoffed.

"I don’t." Sarissa’s expression didn’t change.

"Then why the hell are you—"

"Because you’re annoying." She sighed, tilting her head back slightly as if this was all a grand inconvenience. "And because I don’t like loose ends. Players don’t suddenly disappear without a trace. Even when they die, their bodies remain, and I know Diego wouldn’t be as dense as to wander off without backup... So, I’d rather know what it is than deal with whatever fallout comes next."

Miles wanted to argue, to tell her to screw off, that he didn’t need her help. But he wasn’t an idiot. If Sarissa changed her mind, he wasn’t going to turn that down.

Not when Diego’s life could be on the line.

"...Fine."

"Good. Then let’s move." She nodded once.

The streets felt different now. Not just because Miles was no longer alone in his search, but because the weight of Diego’s absence was starting to sink in. The signs of a battle were still there. Burnt asphalt, shattered pavement, smears of blood leading away from the fight.

Miles crouched near one of the scorch marks, fingertips grazing the ground. It was still warm.

"It’s quite recent." He muttered.

"Goblin shamans. Their magic lingers longer than it should. But they’re not the problem here." Sarissa stood behind him, arms crossed, scanning the area with a practiced eye.

"No shit. But how do we know it was Diego who fought them?" Miles shot her a sharp look.

"Because the fight didn’t end here." Sarissa ignored his jab, kneeling beside him.

"What?" Miles frowned.

"See that? Drag marks. Someone took him." She pointed toward the edge of the bloodstains.

"I didn’t see that before..." Miles’ throat tightened. "You sure?"

"Yes." She said with a neutral expression.

His heart pounded. Someone had taken Diego. But who? And why?

"There’s only one faction in this city that specializes in stealth, and we might have to ask for their help on this." Sarissa straightened, eyes narrowing slightly.

"...The Sakura Guild." Miles stiffened.

Sarissa didn’t respond right away, but the silence was enough of an answer.

Miles clenched his jaw. Shinji.

He did not trust him, and he was sure as hell that Sarissa did not trust him either, but if he was able to help them find Diego...

"Let’s go to him, then."

***

A dull ache pulsed through Diego’s skull as he stirred, his body sluggish and heavy. His fingers twitched against the cold stone beneath him, and as his senses sluggishly returned, so did the pain.

His ribs ached. His limbs felt bruised. Every breath sent a sharp sting through his chest.

"...Finally awake, are we?"

Diego’s blood ran cold. The voice was smooth, confident, laced with amusement.

Shinji.

Diego forced his eyes open, his vision still blurry, but he could make out the figure standing above him. Shinji was smiling down at him, hands casually tucked into the pockets of his pristine coat, as if this was all just another game to him.

"You put up quite the fight," Shinji continued. "A bit reckless, though. You should’ve known better than to take monsters on at night."

Diego tried to push himself up, but his body screamed in protest. His HP was dangerously low. One wrong move and he would be done for.

"What... What do you want?" He managed to croak out.

"Want? Hmm. That’s a tricky one." Shinji tilted his head slightly, as if considering the question. He crouched down so they were eye level, his smirk never wavering.

"But let’s start with this," Shinji said, tapping Diego’s chest lightly. "What do you think your life is worth?"

Diego’s breath hitched.

"You see, I’m in the business of collecting things. And right now, you have something that I want in my collection." Shinji’s smirk widened.

"I don’t have anything..." Diego’s stomach twisted.

"Oh, I’m sure you do." Shinji chuckled. "I heard you and Miles talking, so I know you have information that no other player has. And I want it." He stood, adjusting his coat before stepping back summoning his katana.

"Let’s see what breaks first, if your body or your mind, before you tell me, shall we?"

"Tell you what?." Diego’s heart pounded in his chest.

"What is Wonderland?" Shinji’s voice was calm and indifferent, with the slight hint of a smile underneath it.

And for the first time, true fear took hold of Diego’s heart.