I sat along a tree and looked at Alice who was sleeping beside me. I closed my eyes and turned my head. I listened the cracking of the camp fire and sighed softly.
"Thank you for calming Alice down...She looks at peace and that's all I care about basically." Snow White said and smiled at me. "It is a wonder on how you defeated an Ace and the strongest one at that as well."
"I agree...You are pretty strong for being Unranked..." Suimin said and yawned.
"A good strategy can win any challenge regardless the difficulty. Brains will always beat brawns. Rank means nothing to me especially in my past life when I was alone in the world against the Mafia and Yakuza..." I said.
"Mafia..?" Snow White asked.
"Yakuza..? What's that..?" Suimin asked.
"Ahh I forgot...You all aren't from the same time period. Well to explain, they are very bad people who most of the time do bad things to get what they want...even kill." I said.
"That means you are also a bad person?" Snow White asked.
I chuckled softly and opened my eyes. "Describe your definition of a bad person."
"People who harms for unjust reasons." Snow White said and looked at me.
"That's a good definition. I am indeed a bad person." I said and looked at Snow White.
Snow White stared at me and grew uncomfortable. She looked away from me and cleared her throat. "I mean...you aren't all that bad. You saved me and Alice and basically saved Alice twice."
"Out of the goodness of my heart? No." I said and closed my eyes then lowered my head. "I have a goal of getting out of Wonderland. Like Alice said yesterday...I do not belong here nor do I want to be here. I have no desire to be associated with a child's fairytale."
"This isn't a fairytale." Snow White said.
"This may seem like just a dream...but it is a constant nightmare...A nightmare we can not wake up from until we are truly free from all strife..." Suimin said and looked at Briar.
"Call it whatever you want. My goals are clear..." I said.
Our bracelets beeped.
[Due to the completion of the Challenge, you have been rewarded.]
[Reward: 2 of Hearts]
[Life Force: 11,400]
I looked at my bracelet then closed my eyes. "I'm heading to sleep. It's been a long day.."
"It has.." Snow White said and sighed.
"Yay..~ We can finally sleep..~" Suimin said and got comfortable.
We all went to sleep for the night. The day has been long, but I only expected worse days to come beyond this.
...
...
...
[Life Force -100]
I opened my eyes and noticed I was standing in a random area of the forest. I looked around and noticed four paths. I heard the whispers of the forest and grunted softly then heard beeping.
[Field Effect: Lost Sanity]
I held my head and felt my head throbbing slowly.
"Go left..."
"Go right..."
"Go forth..."
"Turn back..."
I looked around and closed my eyes. I imagined myself on a chess board and then imagined Alice, Snow White, and Suimin on the chess board as well. We were all scattered in this maze. The directions were in were like squares. We could only go left, right, forward, or backwards.
My bracelet began beeping.
[Challenge: Find Your Way]
[Distance From Goal: ???]
[Sanity will decrease by 1% each wrong road taken.]
I looked at the four directions I could go in and closed my eyes again. 'We are all pawns in this situation...It definitely feels like a nightmare. The goal is unclear...we have only 100 chances to reach the goal. The only real challenge is finding out how far the goal is...'
I listened to the voices but only listened the one odd voice.
"Turn...back.."
I opened my eyes and walked along the back path then looked at the distance.
[Distance from Goal: 6000]
'As I suspected...The odd voice gives the right answer...Time to clear this stupid ass challenge.' I thought to myself.
Alice wandered aimlessly and looked around frantically. "Where...Where am I..?"
"Lost..."
"You're lost..."
"Pathetic..."
"The rabbit hole is deep isn't it..?"
"Shut up...Just shut up already!" Alice yelled and held her head panting.
"Bound to your mistakes..."
"Lost in your own misery..."
"Succumb to despair..."
"Never wake up..."
Alice grunted and was losing her sanity even though she wasn't moving.
[Alice's Sanity Decrease by 15%]
[Alice's Sanity: 73%]
Alice heard a giggle and noticed her younger self running across the forest. She followed her younger self and began losing even more sanity.
"Alice! Where are you? You're going the wrong way!"
Alice ignored the voice and noticed her younger self following the White Rabbit. Alice slowed down as she noticed she was in the start of it all. She stopped as she noticed the Queen of Hearts holding the White Rabbit by his ears.
"Do you want to play a game..?"
"Let's play a game..."
"Let's play..."
"Let's play a game..."
[Alice's Sanity Decrease by 20%]
[Alice's Sanity: 52%]
Snow White found Suimin and stopped Suimin from wandering into a random direction. "Briar!"
Suimin looked at Snow White and smiled. "Snow.."
"Where's Leo and Alice?" Snow White asked.
"I dunno...but Alice is in danger so I've been trying to find her. This place is said to be the bane of her existence...the place the White Rabbit was killed.." Suimin said then heard the whispers of the forest.
"Tch...I wish I could go find her, but only having 100 moves...this forest is huge. 100 moves isn't enough to make a risky move. Follow me, I know the exit." Snow White said.
Suimin nodded and followed Snow White.
I had created clones to go into the other three paths, knowing one would be the right path. I...wasn't focused on finding the right path. I was focused on finding Alice.
'With this technique...no matter what path I choose...I don't lose sanity because technically I am not getting answers wrong. Is this cheating? Yes and no...There are no rules saying you can't use clones or any other means of assistance to find the right path...' I thought to myself.
I stopped running and closed my eyes. The clone that has been constantly finding the right path was leaving behind a trail. I noticed Snow White and Suimin headed toward the exit as well while Alice...wasn't even on the board.
I hurried off and followed Alice's last known trails. As I followed her trails, I soon reached Alice. She was staring into nothingness.
"I don't want to play again..." Alice said to herself.
I walked toward Alice and noticed her pale complexion. I heard stomping and noticed the voices went quiet and so did Alice. A monstrous roar was heard and I grunted. A large monstrous white rabbit walked toward us from the shadows. He roared and looked at us drooling. He saw us as his next meal and his red eyes shined brightly. I noticed the Ace Symbol shining on his chest and it matched up with Alice's.
"Alice..! Alice!" I called out to her.
Alice stared at the White Rabbit Monster with fear. She was paralyzed. Her own fears were manifested into reality. "I'm sorry..." She said quivering in fear and sorrow.
"Tch..." I expressed in an annoyed manner. I picked Alice up, bridal style and ran off.
The White Rabbit Monster roared and chased after me.
"Off with his head..."
"Off with his head..."
"Off with his head..."
"Off with his head!"
[Promotion Possible!]
I promoted myself to a Knight and took one step then used a burst of speed to move forward quickly. Alice held onto me tightly and noticed how fast we were moving. The White Rabbit Monster chased after us quickly and roared loudly.
I began to dodge the attacks of the White Rabbit Monster while following the trail my clone left behind. "Hang on!"
I noticed the trees falling to block my path, but began to vault over and slide under the falling trees. I tossed Alice upward then whistled. My horse neighed and jumped up, catching Alice then racing forward.
I threw my cloak off and summoned two lances then twirled them around. The White Rabbit Monster slashed his claws at me, but I parried it and went for the counterattack. I sliced his chest and he let out a pained roar. I slashed in an X motion like Alice did, launching an X shaped cutting wave at the Monster. It hit him then an explosion happened.
I began to hop backwards then ran off quickly. I grunted as I noticed the forest becoming ablaze. 'This maniac Goddess is trying to burn down the forest..!'
Snow White and Suimin noticed a horse running out of the forest with Alice. They noticed I was nowhere to be found.
"That's Leo's steed!" Snow White said.
"Then where is Leo?" Suimin asked and looked at Alice and noticed her mentally drained state.
"I am too weak...I caused this..." Alice said and heard the White Rabbit's roar.
I dodged the spikes that the White Rabbit generated and swung from tree to tree to avoid the fireballs. I landed on the ground then looked around quickly. I noticed a mask appear on the ground then picked it up.
"Kill the White Rabbit..."
"Kill the White Rabbit..."
"Do what the Joker does best..."
"Do or Die...!"
I put on the mask then my eyes shined red. The Joker Symbol shined on my back then I smirked. I looked at the White Rabbit then my cloak flowed as the White Rabbit Monster walked forward.
"Let's dance...Rabbit." I said then dashed forward and launched two lances at the White Rabbit Monster.
He dodged the lances then charged at me and groaned as a third one went through his chest. I used bursts of speed to move around the monster quickly, slashing at him as I moved around him. He roared in pain as I rushed him with onslaughts of strikes.
I appeared in front of the rabbit then changed my Class into Bishop. "I make my own rules...No one is authorized to tell me what to do..."
I summoned a large magic circle then fired a beam of energy at the White Rabbit Monster. The White Rabbit Monster roared and his clock eyes shined then stopped time.
"I'm gonna be late..."
"Don't be late..."
"You can't be late..."
The White Rabbit Monster retreated and hopped away.
Time resumed and the beam shot to the sky. I noticed the White Rabbit Monster was gone. I walked backwards as I noticed the flames growing then I ran off.
Snow White, Suimin, and Alice waited for me. Snow White and Suimin managed to help Alice regain her sanity which caused the White Rabbit Monster to retreat. They noticed the forest was being set ablaze and looked surprised.
"Leo..! He's still in that forest because of me!" Alice yelled then noticed me walking out of the forest. Her eyes widened and she looked at me with disbelief.
I walked toward the three and fell to my knees. I was exhausted, but only happy that I made it out alive.
[Challenge Complete: Found Your Way]
[Reward: Wonder EXP +200]
[Level UP!]
[Wonder Level: 3]
[Bonus: Able to Promote Twice]
Alice looked at me and noticed a Symbol disappearing from my back. 'He's the Joker..? He saved my life...'
I slowly stood up and opened my eyes. "Forestland...Complete..."
Alice continued to stare at me, but decided to keep my rank a secret. "I'm sorry for once again...letting myself to be vulnerable.."
I looked at Alice and closed my eyes, walking off. "That's the first I've ever seen you express emotion since I've met you. You should learn to express them more...maybe your soul wouldn't torment you as much..."
The three women watched me walk off and Snow White and Suimin noticed Alice was just staring at me, but in a manner that showed... respect.
"Listening is an art that requires attention beyond your own self. Listen to your Soul...instead of your heart...it can save your life..."