Hell's Handbook

“Ah, that’s right. You’re betraying them,” said the man with a smile.

But the Mad Hatter shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I’m guilty of a lot of things, and I’m afraid betrayal isn’t even the worst of the lot.”

“The consequences of this particular betrayal are very severe though. You know I will kill them all,” said the man while still smiling.

“I said, it doesn’t matter!” snapped the Mad Hatter. “Second piece of information. Those strange creatures come from a system called The Beginning. It’s created by the gods who went missing from the first cycle, and they made this after going through countless cycles. The controller of this system is the one and only primordial deity that did not get wiped out. Her name is now… Kano Mai.”

“It really was as I had expected. But at the same time, I’m surprised that the ones who went missing from the first cycle actually managed to survive until now and even made a system that can rival Hell’s Handbook. Like I said before, the potential that living creatures have is a really fascinating thing!” said the man as he laughed heartily.

“So, where are they now?” asked the man.

The Mad Hatter shook his head and said, “I am unable to get their precise location. They’re in control of a primordial planet. You know what that is, right?”

“I do indeed. No wonder I’ve not been able to detect them even after so many rounds have passed. A primordial planet still exists… I didn’t even think of that,” said the man. “Is that all the information you have?”

“Yes. And I think even these bits of information would be very important to you,” said the Mad Hatter flatly.

The man nodded and said, “Like you said, this information is indeed very important to me. What would you like in return? I can give you anything.”

“I want to revive a person,” said the Mad Hatter.

“Alice?” The man already knew the answer before the Mad Hatter said it.

“That’s right,” the Mad Hatter nodded. “Looks like you did observe me for a while.”

“Of course. I like interesting lifeforms,” said the man with a chuckle. He then looked at Pinocchio and asked, “What about you, wooden puppet? What do you want?”

“I… I want to revive someone too! My father!” said Pinocchio loudly.

The man nodded slightly, then stretched his arms out as he said, “I will grant your wish!”

A brilliant light flashed between his palms, a white light too bright to look at. Two figures slowly appeared in the bright light, and when the light had faded, a woman with blonde hair and an old man with white hair stood in front of the Mad Hatter and Pinocchio.

“Babbo! Babbo!!” Pinocchio leaped into the old man’s arms and burst into tears.

“What’s wrong, Pinocchio? Did someone bully you?” asked the white haired old man puzzledly. He patted Pinocchio’s little head and smiled as he said, “Don’t cry, don’t cry. Big boys don’t cry so easily.”

At the same time, the Mad Hatter walked toward Alice. He gave her a gentlemanly bow, then smiled and said, “Welcome back, Alice!”

Alice had a confused expression as she looked around her, then asked, “Mad Hatter, I remember I should have… passed away from old age. How… how did I become so young?”

“There’s no need to think too hard about that. In any case, welcome back!” The Mad Hatter was only smiling faintly, but there was excitement and happiness glowing in his eyes.

Alice walked toward him and embraced him, which completely shocked him. The usually flippant Mad Hatter actually started trembling slightly.

After she let go of him, she frowned and said, “Mad Hatter, you had to give up a lot in order for me to be revived, didn’t you?”

“Well, those things… those things don’t matter anymore. As long as you can be revived, everything I’ve given up is worth it,” said the Mad Hatter without hesitation.

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But Alice said, “But… if possible, after I die again, can you promise me that you won’t revive me again?”

“Wh-why?” The Mad Hatter looked confused.

Alice tilted her head like she was thinking, then she smiled and said, “I guess it’s because… my life was already perfect. I had you, I had my friends. I had people who loved me and I had people I loved. I was content with that life, and a life lived without regrets is the perfect life to me. I’m a perfectionist, after all! So, if I had to live all over again, I’m not sure if I could achieve that level of bliss again.”

The Mad Hatter didn’t know what to say. It never crossed his mind that Alice would be so unafraid of death, and that a blissful life was a fortunate one that she was very content with. Not even a god could have reached this point of enlightenment. Or rather, this enlightenment was probably the reason why Alice had failed to become a god.

To Alice, whether she became a god or not wasn’t important. She had been enjoying her life and the people around her.

“Hey… don’t look so upset. Aren’t you happy to see me?” Alice noticed his perplexed expression and patted his shoulder as though she were consoling a child.

The Mad Hatter couldn’t help but break into a smile. This was the Alice he loved! She hadn’t changed a single bit!

“Alright, alright, I’ll forgive you this time. Since I’ve got to live all over again, then I want to live happily!” said Alice as she took the Mad Hatter’s hand in hers. Her perfect smile could melt even the hardest of hearts.

Geppetto knocked on Pinocchio’s head too and said, “You didn’t have to put in so much effort for me too. Aging and dying is just part of life’s natural cycle. Anyone who grows old will and should eventually pass away. There’s no need to fight that.”

“It’s not natural at all! I’ve lived for so long!” Pinocchio retorted indignantly, only for Gepetto to knock him gently on the head again.

“You’ve been blessed by a fairy before, so you’re not human. Of course you’re not like me!” Geppetto chided Pinocchio.

Pinocchio stuck his tongue out cheekily. Even when he was getting scolded by his father, he felt so blessed. He felt even more blessed than when he became a god.

“Alright now, I’ve given you what you wanted. Now, it’s time for you to bring me to the place where the elder gods have gathered,” said the man.

The Mad Hatter nodded and bowed as he said to the man, “O Great One, could you give us a little time to settle them somewhere suitable to live first? They are merely ordinary people and should not be part of this.”

“Sure. I’ll wait here for you.” The man did not seem to be afraid that the Mad Hatter would escape. He was very confident that the Mad Hatter wouldn’t do that.

The Mad Hatter and Pinocchio led Alice and Geppetto out of the temple. Pinocchio asked the Mad Hatter, “Where are we going?”

“We’ll go to that place,” said the Mad Hatter calmly as he threw his hat into the air and leaped in with the other three.

Meanwhile, Su Jin had just finished telling Chu Yi about why he should not attempt becoming a god right now and returned to his own world. Immediately upon arriving home, he sensed the presence of the Mad Hatter and Pinocchio.

And as he had expected, after he opened the door to his house, he spotted the two of them with another man and woman on his couch. He couldn’t help but let out a sigh. Having doors was pointless. Clearly, these people were able to enter his house anytime they liked.

But when he looked more closely at the other two guests, he paused for a moment before saying, “Are you two… Miss Alice and Pinocchio’s father?”

Alice was the first one to leap up from the couch. She said to Su Jin, “Do you know who we are?”

But the Mad Hatter pulled her back and stared at Su Jin in disbelief. “Damn it! You’ve chosen to take that path!”

Su Jin shrugged. “You don’t have to look that surprised.”

The Mad Hatter shook his head and said, “Of course I’m surprised! Not only have you chosen to take that path, but you’ve actually managed to get out of the Grave of the Gods in one piece. You… I don’t even know what to say about you.”

“You can just list every negative adjective in your vocabulary,” said Su Jin with a smile. He poured all four of them tea, then asked, “What brings you here?”

“I was hoping to entrust Alice and Geppetto to you, but now…” The Mad Hatter hesitated, then suddenly smiled and went on, “I guess I’m still going to entrust them to you!”

“Is this some special way of speaking that’s unique to the people from the land of fairytales?” Su Jin couldn’t understand what the Mad Hatter was trying to say.

The Mad Hatter smiled, then said to Alice, “Alice, I need to attend to some matters, so… would it be alright if you stay here for a while?”

Alice looked crestfallen as she clutched the Mad Hatter’s arm and said, “Do you really have to go?”

“I do,” he nodded.

“Alice… Alice will wait for you to come back,” said Alice.

The Mad Hatter nodded. Pinocchio bid farewell to Geppetto as well. They both said goodbye to Su Jin and leaped into the Mad Hatter’s hat before letting Su Jin say anything.