Chapter 259: Calm down mydies.


    ?


    "So, what exactly happened?" I asked, my gaze fixed on the glowing orb hovering in the center of my room. It pulsed gently, shifting through the visible spectrum of light in a mesmerizing dance. "What is this?"


    Cheshire had unceremoniously dragged me here, his usual whimsy ever-present.


    The orb radiated an odd energy-hypnotic yet unnerving-and I couldn''t help but feel like it didn''t belong in my room, or anywhere for that matter.


    Cheshire, with his characteristic grin stered across his face, floatedzily around the room. His amusement was palpable, as if he thrived off my confusion.


    "Ah~ I suppose you only experienced it from the inside," he said, his tone teasing. "So, you aren''t exactly aware of my abilities'' true form~"


    Poof!


    Out of nowhere, his fur-covered hands manifested, eerily human-like save for the faint gleam of his ws.


    With an exaggerated flourish, he began to wave them theatrically around the orb, mimicking the mannerisms of a stereotypical fortune teller.


    "This, dear Riley, is the conceptual form of Wondend~! Beautiful, isn''t it?"


    "This is Wondend?" I repeated, my voice skeptical as my eyes traced the shifting lights.


    Despite myself, I felt an inexplicable pull toward it. The longer I stared, the more it felt as though my entire existence was being drawn in, like a moth to a me.


    FLICK!


    "O-ow!" I groaned, clutching my forehead as a sharp, searing pain jolted me back to reality.


    Cheshire floated closer, his expression a mix of faux innocence and yful malice. "Hm~ I forgot to tell you not to stare too much. Although you aren''t the intended target, the effects of my magic tend to attract the unwilling~"


    I red at him, still rubbing my forehead. "Couldn''t you have held back a bit...?"


    "But I don''t want to~?" he replied with a grin that somehow managed to grow wider.


    This troublesome cat...


    I sighed, exasperated but knowing better than to expect anything resembling remorse from Cheshire.


    Ignoring Cheshire''s antics for now, I shifted my focus back to the orb, careful not to stare at it for too long.


    So, this is Wondend''s true form, huh...


    In the game, and even in my previous encounters with this skill, Wondend was portrayed as a pocket dimension that ensnared opponents.


    I''d never imagined it had a physical manifestation.


    It seemed even mystical magic adhered to certain limits and rules in order to align with thews of this world.


    Though my understanding of mana and magic was akin to that of a novice, I could tell that the mana within the orb wasn''t ordinary.


    It moved in a way that seemed to synchronize and dance with the ambient mana in the air-a bizarre anomaly yet somehow harmonious, as if it belonged.


    The way it worked was probably just as whimsical and cryptic as its caster.


    I tried to piece things together, recalling the game''s descriptions of Wondend.


    It had mentioned a key weakness, and now I thought I might have found it.


    Despite its immense power and the way it radiated with Cheshire''s mystical mana, its physical form looked almost absurdly fragile.


    Brittle, I thought, observing the thin, crystalline exterior of the orb. It seemed like even a child could break it with a single strike.


    "Interesting," I muttered under my breath, my mind racing with possibilities. Could this truly be Wondend''s Achilles'' heel? Or was this fragility yet another illusion, masking a hidden trap?


    Cheshire floated closer, his sharp grin as maddening as ever. "You''re awfully quiet, Riley. I was expecting something a bit grander. Shock? Awe? Maybe a bit of admiration? This might be the first andst time you''ll see a vulnerable side to this great Cheshire, you know~." His furry arms withdrew momentarily, and then, to my dismay, his entire body manifested.


    I winced.


    Honestly, I wished he hadn''t done that.


    Cheshire''s full form was as eerie as it was unsettling-a naked humanoid figurepletely covered in fur, with a feline head and that trademark ear-to-ear grin.


    ''Damn those developers and their love for Lovecraftian horror'' I thought, suppressing a shudder.


    I''d read somewhere that the person behind Cheshire had a particr fascination with grotesque deformities and eldritch designs.


    It seemed all too evident now.


    "You owe me one, Riley-," Cheshire continued, his tone yful yetced with something ufortably close to smugness. He extended his arms wide, and the glowing orb in the room expanded alongside his movements.


    As the orb grew, a projection of light began to emanate from it. Slowly, images of the people trapped inside it came into view.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "If I hadn''te here in time, you wouldn''t even have a room left, you know~?"


    BOOM!!!


    Vzzzz!!!


    SWOOSH!!!


    RUMBLE!!!


    The sounds erupted as the scene within the projection unfolded.


    It disyed a chaotic sh of magic-a maelstrom of destructive spells weaving together in violent beauty.


    Though the disy was only a light-based projection and likely didn''t capture everything happening inside Wondend, it was enough to convey the sheer intensity of the battle.


    Massive explosions of energy collided, while streams of raw mana swirled and shed through the confined space.


    The projection flickered as spells collided with enough force to shake even the fabric of the pocket dimension.


    It was hard to make out specific figures within the chaos, but the destructive power was undeniable.


    The longer I stared at the projections, the more their forms became clear, like puzzles


    snapping into ce.


    Though the images were mostly silhouettes, I could unmistakably tell who the two


    combatants were.


    "Senior Alice... and Snow?" I murmured, my brow furrowing.


    Why were they fighting?


    Senior Alice, with her iconic wide-brimmed witch hat, was soaring on her broom, her magical


    aura ring violently as shemanded her crimson-armored army.


    Spells burst from her fingertips to her wand, saturating the air with chaos as her forces surged


    forward.


    On the other side, Snow stood as cold and unyielding as her name suggested.


    Everything in her path froze solid under her immense power, shards of ice erupting like a


    storm, countering Alice''s relentless assault.


    Despite some subtle differences-almost as though their appearances were slightly warped


    by Wondend''s influence-it was undeniably the two of them.


    "They''ve been going at it for hours now~," Cheshire said, floatingzily beside me.


    His grin stretched wide as always, as though the destruction was his idea of entertainment. "Though it looks like we''ll have a winner soon~."


    I tore my eyes away from the battle, ring at him. "Care to exin what''s going on right


    now?" Thest thing I remembered before everything spiraled into chaos was Snow helping me rx and fell asleep. It had been just the two of us here, right?


    Since when did Senior Alice-and Cheshire, for that matter-join the party?


    Cheshire tilted his head, feigning innocence as he stroked his chin. "You tell me~," he replied, his tone casual but tinged with mock confusion. "You were the one who summoned Master toe here secretly... only for her to find you already entertaining anotherdy~."


    I froze, caught off guard by his usation.


    "I know you''re quite thedy-killer, Riley," Cheshire continued, his now golden eyes narrowing with amusement, "but you really ought to learn how to properly manage your


    harem soon-."


    "Excuse me?"


    Cheshire floated closer, his tone mocking yet somehow pointed, as if he relished dragging me deeper into his web of chaos.


    "I get that you probably wanted to introduce the two and let them get along as fast as possible, it''s a very honest way of doing things, but a somewhat dumb approach no~?" he began, his paw-like hands gesturing dramatically, "At least wait until you''ve made some significant progress with my master first. Oh, and maybe be conscious for the event, hmm~? Why were you even asleep in the first ce?"


    I scowled but didn''t interrupt as he rambled on, his grin never faltering. "And here I thought leaving that wonderful information be was the safer option~," he continued, almost musing to himself. "Maybe I should''ve informed Master beforehand. But then again, all this chaos wouldn''t have happened if I''d told her about your secret rtionship with Snow. That would''ve been such a bummer! Yup, that''s right-this is all


    good-."


    I opened my mouth to retort, but Cheshire''s words kept spilling out like a dam that had long since burst.


    "Master is quite indecisive, you see," he added, his golden eyes narrowing conspiratorially. "She''d probably stop giving a whisker about you once she knew the truth. And that? That can''t happen! Riley. You get me, don''t you?"


    This cat was just spewing nonsense at this point,yering confusion upon irritation. "Anyways!" he chirped, pping his hands together with an almost childlike glee. "Things


    are getting a bit dangerous now, you see, so go and help them calm down, will you~?"


    "Wait, what-"


    Before I could even formte a coherent response, Cheshire snapped his fingers wide.


    The action echoed unnaturally, like the crack of thunder in a sealed room, and the next thing I


    knew, the world shifted violently.


    Colors blurred and twisted, the air thickening around me as I felt my body yanked forward.


    And just like that, I was back inside Cheshire''s fantastical domain. Wondend''s whimsical chaos enveloped me once more, its eerie beauty far less enchanting now that I understood what was happening.


    [Note: Fantastical Cat Cheshire''s authority has been granted to the user!]


    [Note: Mana stabilization underway... mana synergy taking ce]


    [Sessful!]


    [Note: Congrattions! The skill effects of Wondend will now be under the user''s


    authority.]


    [Skill: Wondend (EX)]


    [Effects: Skill: Wondend (EX)]


    [Effects: The user can now create any object, creature, or phenomenon they can imagine, regardless of itsplexity or scale. Existing objects, creatures, or phenomena can now be altered or transformed into something else based on the user''s imagination.]


    [Note: Thews of physics and reality will amodate the user''s creations.] [Note: Skill effectiveness will be reflected upon the user''s will and imagination.] Staring at the descriptions of the skill, I sighed, fully aware of how troublesome things were


    about to get.


    In the distance, the chaotic sh between Snow and Alice raged on, their immense magical energy practically vibrating through Wondend''s surreal air.


    I knew I had to stop them, but...


    Damn it.


    With how hazy and disoriented I felt, this ce might be more dangerous than I initially


    thought.


    Every breath I took felt heavy, and the strange, dreamlike atmosphere of Wondend wasn''t


    helping.


    Cheshire had probably assumed I''d pull off the same power-up asst time-relying on raw


    skill and focus to brute-force my way through.


    But that required constant concentration, something I wasn''t sure I could muster right now with my mind in this fractured state.


    How was I supposed to stop them at this rate?


    I groaned softly as another sharp headache pierced through my skull like a de.


    My vision blurred momentarily, but I forced myself to look forward.


    I tried to focus-to recall that version of myself.


    Not the muddled, half-broken mess I felt like now, but the one who had conquered every


    known possibility.


    The one who had reached the true end of all routes, defying the odds and rewriting the game


    itself.


    [Skill: Archive] → [Activated!]


    The moment the skill activated, rity began to seep into my thoughts.


    Memories of that moment-that me-felt sharper, more vivid, as if I was borrowing strength


    from my own legacy.


    But the skill''s activation didn''t stop the pain coursing through my head, nor the giddy, disorienting dizziness that made each step feel like I was walking on a spinning wheel. Still, I shook my head, willing myself to ignore the chaos in my mind.


    This wasn''t the time for intrusive, unnecessary thoughts to manifest.


    I couldn''t afford to falter.


    But...


    Just as I took a step forward-


    "Papa?"


    A familiar voice rang out, soft and clear, cutting through Wondend''s oppressive hum like a


    bell.


    I froze mid-step, my breath hitching in my throat.


    Slowly, I turned around, and the fragmented memories buried in my mind erupted all at once.


    "L-Luara...?"


    Standing there, her figure half-formed at the moment yet hauntingly familiar....


    My heart lurched painfully in my chest as her voice-so real yet so impossibly distant-spoke


    again.


    "The mana of this ce is quite unstable. How curious-" She tilted her head, her expression


    calm but inquisitive. "Where the heck are we right now, Papa?"


    Fuck me.