Mad Hatter's Guide to Clearing The Game

Chapter 37: Ch35. Meeting

When day broke, Miles and Diego woke up, washed themselves, and had a meager breakfast. While they munched at the [Novice Pack Rations] randomly-flavored crackers, though, Diego broke the silence.

"I went to sleep curious about what you said last night, but... What did you mean by 'you have a plan and a theory about the farming spot?" Diego's voice was slightly muffled by the mouthful of crackers, his expression serious and focused as he looked at the silvery wrap.

"It's rude to eat with your mouth open, Dee. Let alone speak..." Miles scolded. Diego's eyes turned down a little, and Miles continued. "I meant what I meant about what I said. I don't want to give you any false hopes, so how about we talk about it after the meeting?"

"Hm..." Diego nodded. "That's fine by me."

"Dee..." Miles frowned, opening one more wrap, and breaking one cracker in three parts.

"Sorry..." Diego pouted.

"Do you want to come out and try some, Cheshire?" Miles nudged the cat in his mind.

Cheshire materialized from a whirlwind of bright blue sparks, almost making Diego fall back from his chair as he yelped.

"Sure, why not?" Cheshire grinned, looking at Diego. "Good morning, little one. I see you're still on edge with me..." He chuckled.

This time, though, Diego chewed, drank some water from a canteen, and only then spoke.

"I'm sorry, Ches-Chesh..." He mumbled, looking apologetically to the bluish ethereal cat. "Can I call you Chess?" He smiled sheepishly. "It's easier."

"Go ahead, my boy." Miles looked at Cheshire, and it looked like the cat's grin had softened a little bit, although still unnaturally large. "I won't bite or anything, just so you know. I like you."

"Y-you do?" Diego's eyes widened a little. "Thanks... And sorry about being on edge with you... Chess. It's just that it's... Still a little bit too much, you know? I thought Wonderland belonged only to fairy tales..."

Cheshire chuckled, and just shook his head while looking intently at one of the pieces that Miles held between his fingers.

"It's liver..." Miles grimaced. "Personally, I find it disgusting, but I hate wasting food, so, I hope you like it..."

"Hm... Let's hope I do, then." Cheshire frowned, his grin curling downward as he sniffed the cracker. Cheshire's pupil, narrow as slits before, went wide as a single drop of drool went down the corner of his agape mouth. "What... What is this divine smell I'm feeling?" And it chomped on it, almost biting Miles' hand off.

Both Miles and Diego gasped as they saw Cheshire munching on the cracker and swallowing it in less than a second.

"Do you have more of these?" Cheshire's grin became a pout. After a pause, Miles chuckled, and Diego hesitated for a bit, then scratched behind the cat's ears.

"Can you find it through its scent?" Diego smiled sheepishly, summoning all [Novice Pack Rations] from his inventory. "It's... Kind of random, so it's hard for us to know."

Miles' eyes widened in shock as he saw the pile of silver wraps that occupied almost the entire table. A moment later, Cheshire jumped and took a dive into the pile, making him choke on his water as he laughed.

"I guess we have our answer..." Miles laughed at the purring Cheshire, as Diego watched the cat swimming through the silvery pile and grabbing one every once in a while.

After having eaten enough, Cheshire went back into Miles' inventory, leaving him and Diego to go out for the meeting.

As they left the apartment building, the morning light hit them as they saw other players walking in the same direction as them, toward the main square, downtown.

A couple of minutes of walking later, they were almost there. The streets were overly crowded, and Miles felt an inexplicable sense of unease. It was not like there were any monsters lurking around, or at least not that Miles had noticed – he was unsure of his senses now since his perception stat had dropped when he went back to level one, although it was still quite higher than his physical stats.

But the feeling was there, he was sure of it.

Despite the destruction, the main downtown square still held a strange sense of grandeur. It had once been a thriving hub, with towering corporate buildings and bustling streets filled with people. Now, the center of the square was dominated by the ruins of an old monument, its statue long since shattered, leaving behind only a crumbling pedestal.

As they neared the square, Miles took note of the players already gathered, most of them equipped for battle, their eyes sharp with anticipation. Some were powerful players, their armor pieced together from high-level monster drops, their weapons gleaming with enchantments. Others were newer players, clad in scavenged drops, their hands gripping basic weapons with the nervous energy of those who knew they were outmatched but had no other choice.

A group of three heavily armored warriors stood near the monument's ruins, their insignias marking them as members of the Union Guild. One of them, a broad-shouldered man with a scar running down the side of his face, was sharpening a massive great sword, his eyes scanning the crowd. Nearby, a cluster of robed figures whispered among themselves, their staffs adorned with glowing runes. They belonged to the Sakura Guild, known for their specialization in magic, along with their unnaturally sharp Japanese swordsmanship and martial arts.

Miles' eyes flickered toward them, the excitement and anxiety so evident that he could only think that something big was about to happen.

At the heart of the gathering, two figures stood apart from the rest, their mere presence demanding attention.

'Fuck... So that's why I was feeling so uncomfortable...' Miles thought, gritting his teeth. "Dee, why didn't you tell me that she would be here?"

"You probably wouldn't have come, and you can feel it, right?" Diego nudged him with an elbow. "Something big is about to happen."

"Yeah... I can feel it..." Miles retorted, his mood growing darker.

Sarissa Andreadis, the leader of the Union Guild, was a tall young woman with an imposing presence. Red wavy hair, green eyes, freckled white skin, her armor was a mix of plated steel and reinforced leather, adorned with trophies from past battles, from clawed gauntlets to a fur-lined mantle from some great beast.

The insignia of her guild was carved into her breastplate, painted in blood red. Her red hair was pulled into a tight braid, and her sharp, calculating eyes scanned the players with the precision of a battlefield commander.

Beside her stood Hinata Shinji, the enigmatic leader of the Sakura Guild.

Unlike Sarissa, whose strength was apparent at a glance, Shinji carried himself with an effortless grace that made it difficult to pinpoint just how dangerous he truly was. Dressed in a sleek black and violet robe adorned with intricate silver embroidery, he exuded an air of quiet control. His katana, resting against his hip, was sheathed in an obsidian scabbard, the hilt wrapped in dark silk. His jet-black hair fell loosely around his face, partially obscuring his piercing dark brown eyes.

As Miles and Diego drew closer, stopping a few meters from the last line of players, Sarissa stepped forward, her voice cutting through the murmurs of the assembled players like a blade.

Her eyes scanned the crowed, immediately falling on Miles, and with a disdainful expression, she raised her hand, making the murmurs cease as she spoke, her eyes never leaving Miles'.

"You're a disgrace to The Glitch."@@novelbin@@