Chapter 121: A Sacrifice of Sanity

Alice Liddell, her head on the verge of being smashed like a watermelon, suddenly recalled someone: the March Hare.

The Mad Hatter had once mentioned that the March Hare voluntarily helped him shoulder a portion of his madness, aiding him in maintaining his sanity. If this method proved viable…

Alice Liddell immediately abandoned Martha, activating the “Sacrifice” ability of her “Heretic” power, and pointed her hand directly at the Mad Hatter.

‘I willingly offer my sanity to you, to bear this madness for your sake!’ she screamed inwardly, her voice hoarse.

The next moment, a vivid illusion materialized before her eyes.

She perceived a void where the Gate of the Abyss floated ominously before her, opening wide to reveal its depths.

Beyond that colossal gate lay the profound darkness of the Abyss, yet she sensed something stirring within its endless gloom.

She distinctly felt a pair of eyes open there, gazing directly at her.

A bell tolled within her mind, rattling her very sanity. Her remaining consciousness desperately warned her that she absolutely should not look into those eyes; it was a sight that those without proper qualification could never directly behold!

In reality, madness consumed Alice Liddell’s eyes, causing them to become bloodshot and crimson, and she burst into hysterical laughter. Similar to her previous act of sharing the Stigmata with the Queen, her abilities, tainted by the failed Third-Tier “Apostle” advancement, could only bear a fraction of the burden.

Nevertheless, this undeniably helped the Mad Hatter. The madness incurred from using the incomplete “Apostle” power was temporary, its duration dependent on how long the power was wielded. The Mad Hatter’s summoning of the Gate of the Abyss had not been prolonged, and Alice Liddell’s sacrifice significantly shortened his period of frenzy.

The madness largely receded from the Mad Hatter’s eyes, and he finally regained his sanity. The demon claw he had been about to bring down on Alice Liddell’s head abruptly halted.

The first thing the Mad Hatter saw was a frenzied Alice Liddell, activating her “Executioner” ability, brandishing demon claws, and lunging toward him.

In an instant, the Mad Hatter, long accustomed to his own madness, comprehended the entire situation. He extended his own demon claw, seized Alice Liddell by the neck, and pinned her to the ground.

His demon claw was both longer and more powerful than Alice Liddell’s. He effortlessly subdued the struggling Alice Liddell, then lifted a hand to wipe his face.

“Oh dear, that was a close call,” the Mad Hatter murmured to himself.

He had not anticipated Alice Liddell suddenly running to join him. Using the “Apostle” power had been a last resort, and he never imagined it would nearly lead him to kill his own student in his madness.

He should have added another binding contract for himself.

He then noticed Martha lying unconscious on the ground and immediately realized the girl was uncontrollably demonizing due to the side effects of soul consumption.

He began to recall everything that had transpired while he was in his frenzy; his memory had remained functional.

‘This girl, she was brought by Levi, wasn’t she?’

‘So that’s it,’ he immediately understood Alice Liddell’s reason for seeking him out.

This was a wise choice, as reversing such demonization was no difficult feat for him.

He focused his attention on Martha, activating the Fifth-Tier “Devil” power of negation.

This ability allowed a “Devil” to directly negate a beneficial condition or buff on a target. He chose to directly negate the effects of the demonic power Martha had gained by devouring souls.

The carapace quickly peeled away from Martha’s body, dissolving into smoke and vanishing without a trace. Martha’s breathing also became steady.

The Mad Hatter could guess who was responsible for this mischief.

He turned his head. Several corpses lay in the distance, and the Killer… not only hadn’t fled, but was staggering towards him, clutching a wound on his shoulder.

“Your self-awareness is truly astonishing. You didn’t try to escape while I was distracted?” the Mad Hatter called out to the Killer.

He had deliberately left a contract for the Killer, binding himself not to accidentally kill Jack Cage during the chaos. If the Killer had tried to escape and break the contract during the previous battle, he believed his frenzied self would have killed him without a second thought.

However, Alice Liddell’s appearance was an unexpected variable. When he had rushed to attack Alice Liddell in his madness, the Killer should have still had one last chance to attempt an escape.

“I’ve accepted my fate,” the Killer gasped with difficulty, his eyes fixed on the Mad Hatter. “Besides, I have a question for you.”

“Ask away,” the Mad Hatter replied.

“You’ve assassinated Inquisitors, and you’ve retaliated against the Empire before, haven’t you? With your strength, killing a cardinal of the Church or even a member of the imperial family isn’t impossible. Why haven’t you done so?” the Killer questioned, utterly perplexed.

By his own standards, if he possessed half the Third-Tier strength of the Mad Hatter, he would certainly use it to assassinate several important figures of the Empire, or orchestrate a terror attack in a noble-filled district that the entire Empire would never forget, casting a shadow of fear over the nation.

“People always change,” the Mad Hatter responded with a smile.

“Have you become cowardly?” the Killer demanded angrily. In his eyes, the Mad Hatter should have utilized his power more “appropriately.”

“I’ve merely become rational. You cannot understand, nor do I require you to,” the Mad Hatter stated.

‘Explain it to me,’ the Mad Hatter responded simply. He had no intention of explaining much; there was little to say to a dying man.

Alice Liddell gradually ceased her struggles, the madness receding from her eyes. She lay on the ground, gasping for air, gazing blankly at the night sky.

“Welcome back. It’s truly impressive that you thought of such a method,” the Mad Hatter greeted her with a smile, releasing his demon claw.

“Mad Hatter…” Alice Liddell sat up, blinking at him. Then, recalling what had just happened, she immediately frowned in displeasure. “You almost killed me! You scared me so badly I nearly peed myself!”

More precisely, she had already leaked a little.

“My apologies, my apologies. That was my oversight, and I owe you one,” the Mad Hatter said, raising a finger. “I truly didn’t expect you to spontaneously run over and join me.”

“Because I ran into a situation, and I have someone I wanted to ask you to look at—”

Alice Liddell was halfway through her sentence when the Mad Hatter raised a hand to stop her, pointing to Martha nearby. “I’ve already saved the person you brought.”

Alice Liddell observed the now-normal Martha for a long moment before letting out a sigh of relief. “That’s wonderful!”

“It’s you!?” the Killer exclaimed in surprise, staring at Alice Liddell.

He never would have imagined that the prey he had once targeted in the commercial district was actually the witch who had twice thwarted his tea party.

Alice Liddell finally noticed the Killer and turned to the Mad Hatter. “You didn’t just kill him?”

“I need to retrieve my friend’s belongings from him, and I also need to find a way to guide my student,” the Mad Hatter said with a smile, gesturing toward the Killer. “Since you’re here, you can send him off directly.”