Ch32. Faint suspicion

Miles felt a shiver run down his spine. It was not just the cold, fetid damp breeze coming from the heart of the sewers, it was the utter exhaustion that felt like every drop of energy had been drained from him as he looked at his stats window with a bewildered expression.

[Name: Miles Thorn]

[Affiliation: None]

[Level: 01]

[Classpect: Harbinger of The End]

[Attributes: Ender's Essence]

[Skills: Weapons Proficiency (Scythe) – Level 03; Resilience – Level 03; Focus – Level 03]

[Strength: 08(+5)]

[Agility: 03(+5)]

[Dexterity: 04(+5)]

[Perception: 10(+5)]

[Intelligence: 15(+5)]

[Inventory: Scorching Rune; Harbinger's Scythe; Ether Teapot; Cheshire's Gleam; Desert Rain; Wonderland's Key; Clockwork Rabbit's Piece – Gear; Clockwork Rabbit's Piece – Core; Clockwork Rabbit's Essence]

[Synergy: Wonderland Madness; God Hunter]

"At least nothing else has changed… And I still have the [Guardian's Pendant] buff..." Miles sighed, leaning his head against the wall.

After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Miles heard a sonorous growl, and Diego stood up with a start.

"What was that?" Diego raised his knives. "Did we not just complete the quest?"

"We did." Miles chuckled faintly. "Do you, by any chance, have anything to eat in your inventory? I kinda… Got too worried about everything else, and forgot to eat. I'm starving…"

Diego looked at Miles with a deadpan expression, then let out a sigh that was half exasperation, half ridiculed amusement, and answered, opening his inventory.

"And then you call me dimwit." He chuckled. "Yes, I do have something to eat, if you don't mind the sorted flavored crackers of the [Novice Ration Pack]."

Miles frowned at Diego, scoffing.

"Of course, I don't mind, but… Isn't your level a bit high for you to cling to Novice's food?" He chuckled.

"Yeah, but…" Diego grimaced as he saw Miles's body tremble with a shaky laugh, making him pout. "What? I like them!"

Miles just shook his head as Diego summoned the silver plastic packs that contained the crackers, opened one, and shoved it into his mouth.

"Oh, I'm not in the mood for sweets in the morning, but this strawberry flavor isn't bad at all." He smiled. "Brings back memories…"

What Miles did not say was that the memories the flavor brought were of struggle, blood, sweat, and tears. But the bitterness of those memories grounded him, and after a few more crackers – blueberry, barbecue, and cheese – he summoned the [Desert Rain].

"Come here, you must be thirsty." He gestured towards Diego, who tilted his head at the cactus. "You'll understand when you see what it does.

Diego's eyes widened in absolute stupefaction as soon as the small torrent of water poured in his open mouth, and Miles explained what the item was about, soon after satiating his own greedy thirst.

After getting enough rest, they walked back to Miles' apartment in heavy silence and sat on the couch, both of them deep in thought.

A while later, Diego broke the silence.

"Any idea of what is resetting your level?" He sighed.

"One." Miles tapped his fingers on the couch's tattered fabric. "But it's only a suspicion for now. I need to run at least a few more tests."

"We're not going out for farming experience points." Diego's voice was eerily serious, his brown eyes shooting glares at Miles. "At least not until you get enough rest to fully recover from whatever happened earlier."

"Your call, boss!" Miles' eyes widened at his friend. "God damnit… So tough you look like a veteran player!" He laughed, holding Diego in a soft headlock and messing with his hair.

"Argh! Stop it! Argh! I yield, I yield!" Diego shouted, laughing.

They ate some more, drank some more, cleaned themselves, and slept. Miles let Diego stay on the bed, while he slept on the couch. When they woke up, the sun was already on its last mile towards the horizon, the sky painted with shades of pink, red, and covering the world with its gradual dark-blue.

***

Diego stepped into the room, freshly cleaned, holding another one of the [Novice Ration Pack] crackers in his hand.

"You were out for hours…" Diego said, tossing the wrapper into the small trash can near the door. "Feeling any better?"

Miles stretched his arms above his head as he sat up on the couch, the stiff cushions groaning in protest. The apartment was quiet, save for the faint hum of the LED lights and the occasional distant roar of a monster outside. He blinked at the fading light filtering through the cracks in the curtains, signaling the day's end.

"A lot." He replied, rolling his shoulders. "The couch is a bit rough, but I needed the rest."

"That's what you get for letting me take the bed." Diego scoffed.

"It's called being an older brother, snothead. Look it up sometime." Miles grinned, leaning back against the couch.

Diego crossed his arms, pouting as he studied his friend. Miles' usual confident demeanor had returned, but there was still an underlying tension in his movements, a shadow of the earlier events lingering just beneath the surface.

"So," Diego broke the silence, taking a seat on the edge of the map table. "What's this suspicion of yours? What's resetting your level?"

Miles sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I think it has something to do with my equipment." He retorted grimly. "I was at level twenty when I came back from… From my hidden quest, but then, I went straight back to one after I sent the equipment back to the inventory. Then, I was at level two, back in the sewers, leveled up to six, and dropped back to one, as soon as I unequipped the items."

"What do you mean, you leveled up from two to six back in the sewers?" Diego grimaced, scratching the back of his head." Weren't you at level one?"

Miles' scratched the back of his head in return, looking at Diego with an inscrutable expression for a few seconds. When he broke the silence, though, there was a strange gleam of bitter nostalgia in his voice as he spoke.

"Well, that's the thing, isn't it?" Miles smiled sheepishly. "Do you want to hear a story?"

Diego tilted his head, nodding.

"But I need you to keep it a secret from the other players, okay?"

He then began telling his friend about his adventures in the ethereal woods, and how it led him to nowhere else than Wonderland.