Mad Hatter's Guide to Clearing The Game
Chapter 98: Ch96. Pain as a teacher (20) - Not just luck

Chapter 98: Ch96. Pain as a teacher (20) - Not just luck

Miles flexed his fingers, rolling his shoulders as his muscles still screamed from the fight with the Scourged. His ribs throbbed, his body felt sluggish, and his face still burned like hell from whatever corrosive sludge had been leaking from the creature. The pain was a stark reminder of how different the beings in The Horizon were from those in his world.

His breathing was uneven, but he had definitely felt it. A shift, however small, in his strength.

Even without the system acknowledging his victory, even with his body aching like hell, something inside him had changed.

The pain was still there.

And yet, he couldn’t deny it. He was hungry for more.

More strength. More power. More survival.

He had won his first fight here. Diego and Mara—hell, even Sarissa—were waiting for him to come back. And he still had to find a way to Wonderland.

So, let the next fight come.

Miles wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to Kurt.

"Hey. Got more of those black pills?"

Kurt, who had been casually leaning against a rusted column, raised an eyebrow. Then, he laughed.

"You sure? You practically inhaled the first one without even asking what it was."

"Yeah, well, considering it kept me from dying, I figured I might as well grab a few more." Miles scowled.

"You don’t even know what you ate, huh?" Kurt tilted his head, amused.

"...Does it matter?" Miles scoffed, but something in Kurt’s tone made his skin crawl for a second.

"It doesn’t, to me." Kurt fished into his coat pocket, pulling out a small vial filled with more of the black orbs. He rolled one between his fingers before tossing it up and catching it effortlessly.

"Although, these aren’t just healing pills, kid," he continued. "They’re called Essence Spheres. A strong concoction of concentrated Revenant blood, distilled into something that will heal you, give you a slight boost—almost like you just killed one of them—without the downside of, y’know, turning into one yourself."

Miles froze.

His stomach twisted, and his eyes darted between the black pill in Kurt’s hand and the spot where the Scourged had disintegrated.

"You... You mean I just ate player’s blood back out there?!"

"Not just any player’s blood." Kurt grinned. "Carefully processed, purified, and crafted by the Luna Sea crafters to ensure it won’t rot your insides or make you grow an extra limb. Most of the time, anyway."

Miles made a strangled noise in the back of his throat, his fingers instinctively reaching into his own mouth like he could somehow pull it back out.

"Relax, you’re fine. See? No tentacles." Kurt barked a laugh.

Miles swore under his breath, wiping his tongue with his sleeve. The idea made his stomach churn.

’Does it make me a... A cannibal?’

Nope. Absolutely not.

He was not taking another one.

"Yeah, no. I’m good. I’ll stick to my own methods from now on." Miles waved a hand dismissively, trying to remain composed as his thoughts became dark, and the [Ether Teapot] materialized from a whirlwind of colorful sparks with its usual flickering glow, steam curling from its spout.

Kurt watched with mild curiosity as Miles poured himself a cup, the faintly glowing liquid swirling inside.

"You really trust this thing?" Kurt mused. "Doesn’t look too helpful from my point of view."

"Never let me down before." Miles said confidently, pouring a cup to himself and lifting it to his lips, taking a deep, steady sip.

He instantly regretted it.

The moment the liquid hit his tongue, something felt wrong.

It was not just the taste, although it was noticeably bitter, almost metallic. It was his body’s reaction to it. A wave of nausea rolled over him, his muscles tensed, and his vision blurred for a split second.

His hands trembled as he lowered the cup.

"What the hell-?"

His limbs suddenly felt weaker, like his own body weight was pressing down on him. His ribs, which had started to feel slightly better, now ached even more. His breathing grew shallow, and an odd, sluggish heat spread through his veins.

His body wasn’t recovering. It was deteriorating.

Miles barely managed to keep himself upright as he gasped, gripping his knee, while Kurt was already watching him with an I told you so expression, his arms crossed.

"Huh. Guess I wasn’t wrong after all."

"Shut up." Miles clenched his teeth.

"I did say the Essence Spheres were a better bet."

"I’m fine."

"Sure. You look fine," Kurt said dryly, watching as Miles forced himself to straighten up. "But I’m guessing that wasn’t the effect you were hoping for."

Miles exhaled sharply through his nose, wiping sweat from his brow. He was fine. At least, he would be.

He still remembered the words of the [Ether Teapot]’s description.

[The Hatter loved having tea with the country’s citizens, and so, after his death, his teapot remained, carrying some of his powers.

The teapot’s contents have the power to achieve random effects on the player. Some good, some bad. Some even miraculous.]

It was just bad luck.

The [Ether Teapot] had always been supposed to be unpredictable. The first time he used it, it had been a lifesaver. It even saved Diego when he needed it most – not to mention granting him a pass to Wonderland.

But he knew, deep down, that each use was a gamble. And this time, he lost.

Kurt sighed, tossing the vial of black pills up and catching it again.

"Look, kid. Your fancy little teapot’s got some serious RNG bullshit going on. But these?" He held up the Essence Spheres. "These works. No gamble. No ’maybe it’ll heal me, maybe it’ll kill me’ nonsense. You take one, you get stronger, you don’t die. Plain and Simple."

Miles glared at the vial like it had personally offended him.

Kurt was not wrong. The smart choice would be to take the Essence Sphere. To stop gambling with his life and take the sure thing. And yet, Miles’ fingers tightened around the teapot.

"... I’m not taking another one." His voice was quiet, but firm.

Kurt’s eyebrow twitched upward.

"Even after that?" He gestured to Miles’ obvious discomfort. "Even after feeling like your insides are getting sandpapered?"

Miles hesitated for only a second before he nodded.

"I’ll trust my Artifact, one more time."

"Suit yourself." Kurt let out an amused huff.

Taking a deep breath, Miles poured another cup from the [Ether Teapot]. The liquid shimmered, still holding that kaleidoscopic glow.

This time, though, when he drank, the taste was different. Smooth, warm, soothing. Like honeyed tea, rich with something he could not quite name.

The moment it hit his stomach, the effect was instantaneous.

A surge of energy coursed through his body, erasing every ache, every weakness, every ounce of exhaustion. His ribs stopped throbbing. His burned skin cooled. His muscles, which had felt sluggish only moments ago, now pulsed with a renewed vitality. Miles exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders.

The tea was not just healing him.

It was empowering him.

His whole body felt... lighter, faster, stronger, even.

"Well, would you look at that..." Kurt whistled. "I’ll be damned..."

Miles flexed his fingers, still feeling the warmth humming beneath his skin as a smile coursed through his lips, a faint understanding dawning on him.

The [Ether Teapot] wasn’t just a gambling artifact. It was something else. Something alive, in its own way. It was not random. It was not just luck.

It was a test, like Wonderland itself.

And it made sense.

The item had been his ever since before he got his [Classpect]. It was tied to Wonderland in ways he still did not understand. And if Wonderland was anything like The Horizon...

Then maybe, just maybe, it was not just an artifact.

"I knew it." Miles grinned.

"Knew what?" Kurt raised an eyebrow.

"That I was right." Miles dusted himself off, standing tall.

"You’re a stubborn little shit, you know that?" Kurt chuckled, shaking his head.

"Yeah, I get that a lot."

"Good. You’ll need it." Kurt grinned back.

Because this was just the beginning.

His little brother was waiting for him, along with Wonderland, and Miles knew that he was going to need every ounce of stubbornness that he had in store.