Mad Hatter's Guide to Clearing The Game
Chapter 80: Ch78. Pain as a teacher (2)

Chapter 80: Ch78. Pain as a teacher (2)

Diego had a bloody smile plastered on his lips as the world above them trembled.

"I... guess... I’ll have to show you... Another time..." He stammered, panting heavily while raising his hand faintly, a small pendant dangling from his broken fingers.

Shinji’s eyes widened for the first time at the sight of the accessory, while a loud bang echoed from somewhere above them.

"You little..." Shinji glared at Diego with an angry grin curling his lips upward, but he had no time to finish his sentence, as the boy in front of him glowed, enveloped in a yellowish light.

However, the gashes that riddles his skin from head to toe did not disappear.

Diego was still bloodied, maimed, and battered. But the strange, almost inhuman smile still lingered on his lips for a few seconds more, his innards feeling like mush as they mended back together through his [Major Healing], while his stamina was replenished ever so slightly.

A moment later, the voice echoed from a distance, but as palpable as if it was there with them.

And Diego knew that Miles was there.

"Step back from him, Shinji... If you don’t want to die."

"I told you he’d come for me..."

Shinji let out a deep sigh, shaking his head.

"Well, well... I guess it can’t be helped now... I’ll see you on the battlefield when the time comes." He murmured, glaring daggers at Diego, even though he had already recomposed his nonchalant expression.

Just a split-second later, he was gone, merging with the darkness around until there was nothing left of him.

Diego let out a shuddering breath as the remnants of Shinji’s presence faded from the chamber. His entire body screamed in protest, his nerves still raw from the relentless cycle of torture and healing. The burning pain, dulled only slightly by the lingering effects of his [Major Healing], which he used to heal just his crumbling bones and internal organs that had left wounded by Shinji’s strange power.

It wasn’t enough to make him feel whole, but it was something.

It was enough for him to, at least, pretend to be fragile in front of Miles. At least for a little while longer.

His fingers trembled as he curled them around the pendant, his breathing ragged.

’This cursed thing...’ He thought, letting out a shaky breath. He couldn’t afford to collapse now.

Not when Miles was here.

The sound of footsteps echoed from above, heavy and deliberate, like a predator descending upon its wounded prey. Dust trickled from the ceiling, disturbed by whatever force had shattered the trapdoor. Diego’s heart pounded against his ribs, anticipation and exhaustion warring within him.

"B-big bro?" He stammered as loud as he could.

Then, in the dim light of the underground chamber, he saw him.

Miles stood at the threshold of the ruined basement, his silhouette cast in eerie shadows by the flickering light overhead. His scythe was held tightly in his hands, its dark surface humming with barely restrained energy.

His coat – sleek, raven-black, and unblemished – draped around him like a second skin, making him look like something out of a nightmare.

And then there was his face, or what Diego could discern of it.

Miles had dismissed [Ender’s Mask], but his expression remained unreadable, indescribable, his eyes flickering between Diego’s battered form and the now-empty space where Shinji had stood moments before.

For a long, stretched-out moment, neither of them spoke through the dead silence of the basement.

"Took you long enough." Diego let out a weak chuckle, his voice hoarse.

Miles exhaled sharply through his nose, stepping into the room. The closer he got, the more Diego could see the subtle tension in his stance, the coiled fury barely contained beneath the surface.

"You look like hell, Dee..." Miles muttered, crouching beside him. His eyes swept over Diego’s wounds with a clinical precision, as if cataloging each injury, each cut and bruise. "He’s gone, isn’t he?"

"Yeah." Diego smirked weakly. "But he couldn’t break me."

Miles’ jaw tightened at that, his fingers twitching at his sides. Then, with slow and deliberate movements, he reached out and placed a hand on Diego’s shoulder. The touch was firm, grounding.

"You did good, Dee," Miles murmured. "You did good."

Diego’s breath hitched, something raw and vulnerable flashing through his eyes.

He had held out.

He had survived. But the weight of it all was crushing him, making his battered body feel even heavier.

Miles looked at him, and even though Diego was not able to perceive his face, he knew that his big brother’s eyes were filled with worry. And that worry broke the shackles that bound something within Diego. His eyes burned, his vision suddenly blurred, and just as quickly as he had built his façade in front of Shinji, it crumbled, allowing tears to wash to blood from his face, his cry echoing through the empty walls of the dark basement.

"Shh, shh. It’s okay now, Dee." Miles caught him in a careful hug. "I’m here now, everything’s alright."

They stood there for a few seconds, in which Miles allowed Diego to let his emotions overflow. However, even Diego had a feeling that it would not last as long as his childish desires wanted to.

"Can you stand?" Miles asked, fondling with his hair.

"I think so." Diego swallowed hard, nodding between sobs.

Miles helped him up, supporting most of his weight as Diego wobbled on unsteady legs. The world spun for a brief second before he steadied himself, gripping onto Miles’ arm for balance.

"We need to move," Miles said. His voice was steady, but Diego could hear the undercurrent of urgency, the slight tinge of restrained anger in it. "Shinji might be gone, but I don’t think this place is safe."

"Then let’s get the hell out of here." Diego gritted his teeth, forcing himself to push past the pain.

Miles nodded once before adjusting his hold on Diego, ensuring that he could move without collapsing. Together, they made their way toward the ruined staircase leading out of the underground chamber.

As they ascended, Diego couldn’t help but steal a glance at Miles. There was something different about him. Something heavier.

It wasn’t just the power he wielded or the confidence in his movements. It was the way he carried himself, the way his voice sounded, with knowledge that hadn’t been there before.

"You figured something out, didn’t you?" Diego hesitated before asking.

"Yeah."

"About Shinji?" Diego frowned.

"Yes, but there’s more." Miles exhaled slowly. "He’s not just a threat because he’s strong and greedy, Dee... He made a deal with something powerful." And after a brief pause, he added. "Something that we’ve never seen before."

"What do you mean?" Diego’s blood ran cold.

"I saw it. When I killed his wraith, gods know how he can summon it, but I felt something... Alien. Like pieces of his memories flooding into my head." Miles’ grip on him tightened slightly.

"And what did you see?" Diego sucked in a sharp breath.

"A monster. Not the kind we’ve fought before... This thing... It’s different. It’s intelligent. And Shinji made a pact with it to unlock his Unique Class." Miles’ expression darkened.

"So, he’s not just strong because of skill... He’s got something backing him up." Diego shivered at the thought.

"Exactly." Miles’ voice was grim. "And if his guild is in on this, then we’re dealing with something a hell of a lot bigger than just a power-hungry player and the [World Quest]."

Diego swallowed the lump in his throat. The realization that Shinji had willingly allied himself with an unknown, higher entity sent a sickening feeling twisting in his gut.

"Then we need to tell Sarissa," Diego muttered. "If the Union Guild isn’t prepared for what’s coming-"

"Sarissa already knows." Miles cut in. "She... Helped me find you. But her guild isn’t prepared for it, and I don’t think they will be."

Diego frowned, but before he could press further, they reached the exit of the ruined building. The moment they stepped outside, the crisp night air hit them like a shock.

Diego sucked in a deep breath, feeling the weight of his captivity begin to ease. He was free.

But something still felt off.

Miles stiffened beside him, his gaze sharp as he scanned the surrounding area.

"Something’s wrong," Miles muttered. "I can feel it."

"Me too." Diego tensed. "Shinji?"

"No. Something else." Miles shook his head.

A sudden chill ran down Diego’s spine, and before he could react, a low, guttural growl echoed from the shadows.

"Big bro..." Diego stammered.

"What?" Miles tensed, lowering his stance.

"I never heard that kind of growl before..."