Ch 70

  Jaelyn seemed to have no response to Matt’s assertion that her ability should enable her to encourage others to develop a healing skill. Taking it a step further, he was essentially suggesting that she could help manifest the skills necessary for survival among those at the fort if she applied herself. However, none of this was explicitly stated as the conversation died there, and before it could resume, Matt announced that he intended to make use of the time they had. With no further warning than to be ready, he spent the rest of the day engaging in combat and dragging monsters back to the group of 21 that had gathered on their side.

  The end result of this was Matt reaching 5,328 experience points, out of the 6,000 needed for reaching level 7. Nevertheless, the real gain for Matt was the point in dexterity that he earned during this time. Still, this came to an end as Mando and Paul returned with six others to inform him that everything was prepared for Matt to head off and heal those who couldn’t be moved. This caused the group with Matt to split up, as all but those who had ventured through the dungeon with him made their way to the fort with the injured who were able to move.

  This had been a point of contention as Elanor had wanted to have as many guards for Matt as possible, but Matt insisted on having only those whom he trusted nearby. In the end, he insisted that only those who had experienced the dungeon with him were trustworthy. Moreover, the plan was to run if anything happened, and having more people wasn’t necessarily beneficial for their goals at that point. After all, it was the healing of those who would be camped outside the fort waiting for him that reassured him nothing was going to happen before that point.

  Upon arriving at the designated location, Matt found six individuals with severe abdominal wounds, their injuries covered with cloth. They were waiting anxiously for help. The only reason any of them were still clinging to life was due to the efforts of the man attending to them—Micha. Micha had acquired the unique ability to sanitize anything, which was crucial, although all the cloths remained bloodstained and the injured only showed faint pulses. Observing the scene, Matt asked Tempormr if his regeneration abilities could manage such grave wounds.

  "Ensure that the cloth is removed completely and forcefully the moment before you heal them, as the wounds can't heal with them in the way. The fresh damage caused by the action will yield the best results. Just ensure that you heal..." Tempormr instructed, providing detailed guidelines on the exact order in which Matt should heal each person.

  As Tempormr continued speaking, Micha approached Matt but remained silent when Matt raised a hand, signaling him to wait until Tempormr finished. Once Tempormr was done, Matt turned to greet Micha.

  "Sorry, I was just considering the best course of action as I assessed their condition. From what I can see, none of them would have survived without your abilities," Matt said.

  "Yes," Micha replied, "while I can only maintain sanitation, without it, the lack of proper materials for bandages would have doomed several more than just these. Still, I fear that in their current state, none of them will ever wake up again."

  "They will live," Matt assured him, "but I'm going to need you to follow my instructions exactly..."

  Matt elaborated on the plan and the directives Tempormr had entrusted to him, confident that they were designed to ensure his survival. Micha had several reservations about certain aspects, but ultimately, he complied, and twelve hours later, Matt had completed his task, weary yet finished. By that time, Greg and the others had already relocated Matt to a new, discreet location out of an abundance of caution. It wasn't until two days later that they returned to the fort.

  At the fort, Matt observed as three days passed with him continually tending to the healing of every possible injury. Simultaneously, tension arose between the fort's residents and those visiting for healing, primarily over the fact that Matt was being compelled to leave. On multiple occasions, individuals tried to persuade him to abandon the agreement, only for Greg to firmly shut down such attempts on Matt's behalf. In truth, only Jaelyn refused to relent in her efforts to make Matt reconsider everything, as she began to realize that if Eleanor chose to leave with Matt, Jaelyn would become the de facto leader, with Steve as her second-in-command. While Matt was too exhausted to notice, others clearly saw the stress this was causing her. Recognizing the need to address the issue, Eleanor convened a meeting with Steve and Jaelyn. Wasting no time on pleasantries, Eleanor went straight to the crux of the matter with her opening words.

  "Jaelyn, you need to calm down. The past few days have felt like the entire fort is on the verge of erupting and turning against those here for healing."

  "Easy for you to say," Jaelyn retorted, "you have an exit strategy right in front of you. Meanwhile, I have to accept the responsibility of taking over leadership when you leave, and I don’t want that. There was a reason why my group had no true leader before coming here."

  "I'm not sure if I am leaving yet," Eleanor stated, her brow furrowed in contemplation. "I'm trying to figure out whether my hesitation is because I know that I don't belong with Matt's group or if it's your influence affecting my decision."

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  "Why can't it be both?" Steve asked, raising an eyebrow. "I think the people who leave with Matt will reveal more than anything about what he truly thinks of the group as a whole."

  "We both know that he won't refuse any of us who were in the dungeon with him, and at least four need to go with him," Eleanor said, shaking her head in disbelief.

  "Yes, but those four don't have to be from just the six of you," Steve countered thoughtfully. "I would go as far as to say that no matter how you look at it, you shouldn't go, considering you were always his second in command when it came to managing the fort. Ask yourself if leaving is what a true leader would do."

  "It's not," Eleanor replied, her voice tinged with frustration. "A leader wouldn't have done what Matt just did either, so the real question is what path do I want to walk? The fort's leader or Matt's minder. Yet, regardless of which path I choose, you two need to be ready to step in if something happens to me."

  "I think I am ready," Steve responded, a hint of confidence in his voice. "It's just that others see me in an awkward position due to how everything has played out so far, and they wouldn't accept me as the fort's leader right now."

  "Which is why Jaelyn has to step up," Eleanor declared, her tone resolute.

  "I am not the type to invest in others," argued Jaelyn, her voice steady and resolute. "I've always treated every interaction between myself and others as an exchange of value that needed to tilt in my direction. From the very moment I arrived in this world, I've been determining the value of each and every person to me, not the group. Yet now, I'm expected to turn that on its head and focus on the good of the group over my own. That is just not who I am."

  "And that is why I feel me leaving might be the best option for everyone," countered Eleanor, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "A true leader has to ask what is best for everyone, and part of me believes that the seven of us all leaving with Matt is what is best, as even now we feel separate from the rest here. Even if one or two of them stay here, my position is based on Matt’s power, and with him gone, it becomes meaningless."

  "Stay and step down when the others call for it," suggested Steve, leaning forward with a hint of urgency in his voice. "That will let you meet up with Matt’s group, as I am sure they will be keeping tabs on us for a few months at the very least. If you let him—"

  "Matt isn’t going to allow for such a plan," interrupted Eleanor, a note of resignation in her voice. "For all we know, he could have left completely a few weeks after walking away from us, as his leveling is sure to increase in pace. A pace that I can’t hope to keep up with should I stay here. No, Matt needs at least five of us to go with him, and while four of us may return, it is entirely possible that none of us will."

  "Let Matt worry about what he needs," countered Steve, his tone firm but understanding. "You should worry about what you need and what path you intend on walking."

  Eleanor frowned as she mulled over what Steve was saying, struggling to find a response. She pondered her desires, realizing that up until now, she had merely been swept along by events and the instinct to survive. She had made Matt the focal point of her survival plans, yet now she saw other possibilities—paths that wouldn't endanger her life as much. However, deep inside, she felt that not following Matt might lead to a lifetime of regret, a missed opportunity to transcend the masses who were solely focused on survival.

  "Talk with the others and figure out what you’re going to do," Steve continued, noticing Eleanor's hesitance. "But keep in mind, you likely won’t be welcomed back if you leave with Matt. Even if you are, don’t expect us to trust you."

  "What would you choose: a chance to cling to the tiger, and if you survive, rise above, or to ride the tortoise and live a long life, but never truly feel alive?" Eleanor asked, trying to convey her inner turmoil. "I don’t know if I can explain it better than that."

  "Yet you ask me to be content with placing the group above myself," retorted Jaelyn, her voice tinged with frustration. "That is rather hypocritical of you, now isn’t it?"

  "Would you risk your life in the same way that following Matt and being left behind would demand?" Eleanor countered. "No, the difference is that you rely on others for your safety, while I am risking myself if I go with Matt. Without these protective walls, which are finally complete thanks to the iron Matt brought back, and even have a few nice buildings, I won't have the same security. Like him, I am willing to give up the bits of comfort we have found here for a chance to reach higher, knowing full well that I might fail to hold on in the end."

  "So, you're saying you're like a fool who enters one of those competitions and turns down a sure thing for a slight chance at something better," replied Jaelyn with a hint of skepticism. "I would have thought your judgment skills were better than that."

  "I'm not just thinking of our time here, but also about what comes after we return to Earth. I am convinced that if he survives, Matt will be a key player. Yet, my gut is screaming at me that, as things are right now, he will squander all of that in his quest to be alone. One thing all of us from Earth should be more than aware of is just how terrible the so-called leaders of many nations were. There were many different reasons and explanations for why that was, and it certainly was a complex topic. Still, I fall into the camp that believes it was because they desired to rule for the power it gave them rather than for the good of others, and they were controlled through corruption."

  "Do you want to use Matt as a figurehead, then?" Steve asked skeptically. "What's next, are we going to start worshiping him?"

  "Why not," Jaelyn replied with a hint of amusement. "With him speaking with his patron, we could view it in the same light as a prophet communicating with their god."

  "We are not starting a cult here," Steve retorted firmly.

  "No, we're just laying the foundations of his legend," Jaelyn explained. "He has already provided enough help and revealed enough information to stay in the good graces of everyone here. If he sends a few more groups our way before he leaves, and we manage to grow to over 1,000 people here, a following could naturally develop back on Earth if he performs a great feat."

  Eleanor felt uneasy at the glint in Jaelyn's eyes as she spoke of this possibility. She was about to call the meeting to a close when Jaelyn's next words made her freeze.

  "Then you could be seen as one of his handmaidens, or even as the head of the order that forms to follow him if you choose to follow after him," Jaelyn suggested, her voice laced with intrigue.