Ch 87

  When Apricity employed her Safe Passage skill, it was puzzling that, despite the fat that the hounds should have assaulted them, no attack occurred as they ventured into the dungeon's tunnels. Just as they were about to proceed further, Greg had a flash of inspiration and suggested they return to the safe room for a moment. Suddenly, Apricity froze, a shiver running down her spine, before shaking her head and expressing a foreboding sense about the idea. Nevertheless, Greg was persistent, and with Matt leading the way, they cautiously made their way back to the safe room. This time, instead of encountering the expected two hounds, they were confronted by four, their eyes glowing menacingly in the dim light.

  Thankfully, Matt was still able to pin down two of the opponents while Apricity and Bob battled fiercely against the other two. However, their adversaries' attack patterns had shifted just enough that all three of them were encountering more difficulty than usual. Nevertheless, with a bit of assistance from Greg, they managed to gain the upper hand and emerge victorious without any major issues. Afterward, they returned to the safe room with looks of concern etched on all their faces, as Greg was the first to speak.

  "Apricity, your skill is to be used as an absolute last resort because it is too uncontrolled. I am not interested in discovering if every spawn point we pass with it will have double the enemies the next time it activates," Greg asserted firmly.

  "I don't know," Matt mused thoughtfully, "I think it could be a great tool for gaining experience at a faster rate. I kind of want to head back out right after we're done healing and see if the hounds respawn early. If they do, we could keep repeating it until her skill ends."

  "What happens if each time we do that, it adds more time before the spawn point is active again?" Greg questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Then we would need to venture all the way to the bats to find a known target to fight."

  "We need to find more monsters to fight, regardless of anything else," Matt argued frustratedly. "I'm getting tired of making only slight progress each day, and if the others show up, I doubt I'll even earn 20 experience points in a day."

  "Yeah, I arrived right around the time you were outgrowing the challenge of fighting those hounds," Greg agreed, nodding thoughtfully. "I suppose losing some progress to test Apricity's skills wouldn't be the worst idea, but don't overdo it or get complacent. We still have no idea what to expect."

  Matt nodded in understanding, and five minutes later, they were back in the dimly lit tunnel. As they prepared to head back, Apricity suddenly got a strong, unsettling feeling. This time it was even worse than before, and she spoke up urgently to stop them from returning to the safe room.

  "No, I can't say exactly what will happen, but we can't head back right now," Apricity warned, her voice filled with concern. "My gut tells me it won't just be four hounds waiting for us."

  "Is there any way we could handle more than four?" Matt asked, glancing at Greg for guidance, his eyes filled with determination and a hint of anxiety.

  "Not easily. In fact, I would say our goal should be to break through and rush back to the safe room if more than four of them appear. If they didn’t have that layer of metal covering their bones, breaking through might be a viable option," explained Greg with a thoughtful expression.

  "What does the metal have to do with our ability to break through?" inquired Apricity, tilting her head slightly.

  "Well," Greg elaborated, "Matt could punch them aside without risking injury. But as it stands, even with his remarkable healing abilities, if he injures himself dealing with the first pair, getting past the others would be risky. Even a slight hesitation from pain could prove too much for us to handle."

  "In other words," Matt summarized, "Greg thinks we might pull through somehow, but there's a real chance that one or more of us could get killed."

  "What if, no matter what we do, the next time we try to go back, the danger that's waiting for us is still there?" Apricity asked, her voice tinged with concern.

  "Then we'll have to face it when the time comes," Matt stated firmly, his eyes resolute. "For now, I think we should just follow your instincts and see where they lead us. We'll deal with any issues on the way back once we return."

  Apricity nodded while Greg sighed as they strolled down a passage they had barely explored the previous day. About an hour after Apricity had used her skill, it ceased to function, prompting Greg to suggest they retrace their steps. Along the way, they encountered some worm-like creatures, each the size of a cat, that spat acid. Fortunately, the creatures' aim was poor, allowing Matt, with support from Greg's magic, to eliminate them with little trouble while the rest of the group stayed safely out of range. Later, they unexpectedly encountered a pair of hounds at a different location than usual. This encounter marked the extent of their battles, as the creatures typically near the safe room did not appear. They eventually sat down to reflect on the insights from their test.

  A few hours later, the hounds returned just as they had anticipated, and they felt confident that they had a solid understanding of the effects of Apricity’s skill. Although a few questions remained, such as what would happen if someone stood still until the effect ended, one thing was certain: as they resumed their exploration, they realized her skill was a double-edged sword. It was excellent for uncovering a path, but they had no control over the direction that path took. Ignoring the predetermined route led to perilous situations, with the level of danger seemingly increasing each time the skill was disregarded.

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  With those thoughts and more on their minds, the four of them spent the rest of the day diligently exploring each and every path leading to the four turns. In doing so, they began to develop a comprehensive map of the surroundings and identified ten monster spawn points. This mapping effort would prove useful, assuming all such points remained as static as they were beginning to believe. Regardless, when they finally returned to the safe room and found Zara, Eleanor, Emily, Yumiko, and Rose all eagerly awaiting their return, they were utterly exhausted from the day's rigorous activities. So much so that when Emily approached and enveloped Matt in a warm hug, he didn’t even pause to think; he simply let it happen, reaching one arm around her to gently pat her on the back. It wasn’t until he felt Zara joining the embrace, her soft floral scent mingling with Emily's, that he realized he might have made a misstep. Thankfully, Eleanor clearing her throat served as a graceful cue to release the hug as she began to speak.

  "I believe a few introductions are in order."

  "Indeed," Greg spoke up before Matt could utter a word, gesturing towards Apricity, "this is Apricity, the very same person Matt mentioned back on the other world. Apricity, these are the women Matt has been collaborating with since this whole situation began."

  "You're terrible, you know that, Greg," Rose chimed in with a playful reprimand. "I was sure Zara, at the very least, was going to stir up some trouble during this meeting, but now you've made it too obvious and easy."

  "I wasn't planning on causing any trouble," Zara interjected defensively. "I just wanted to ask if Matt has kept his promise about waiting until we're back on Earth."

  "He has," Apricity replied with a soft smile. "He insists on nothing more than allowing me to use him as a stuffed animal to ward off a few nightmares, something I'm grateful for as he promised to help me manage them a bit longer."

  "Oh, so is that something you'd be willing to do for any of us, then?" Emily asked, her eyes filled with a mix of hope and challenge. "Because I must admit, the last few days have really taken their toll on us."

  "Yeah, we could definitely use someone to hold onto who would make us feel comfortable," agreed Zara, nodding thoughtfully. "That is, unless there's something more than just a friend helping out another friend going on here."

  "That’s it!” exclaimed Matt. “Eleanor. Figure out who will make Apricity feel the safest and designate them as her snuggle buddy. The rest of you can pair up since there are six women now. Greg, don't even think about saying what I know you're itching to, or I might just turn around and take my chances with the monsters," he added with a glare.

  "Or we could just set up a rotation," suggested Emily with a shrug.

  "No way, that sounds exactly like how I end up with a harem, just like Greg likes to point out," Matt retorted while crossing his arms.

  "How am I supposed to feel safe with a bunch of women that I don’t know?" Apricity argued, frowning as she cast a vulnerable look toward Matt.

  "If that was all it took to get Matt to give us our way, then he would already have a wife," Zara snorted, raising an eyebrow. "So, stop trying to guilt him into giving in."

  "He’s the reason—" Apricity began, her voice tinged with frustration.

  "Don't," Greg cut in sharply before Apricity could offer a retort. "Honestly, all of you should take a step back and consider if this is something you want to show Matt, especially before you have all the information about the current situation."

  "I suppose you're going to fill us in on what we've missed?" pressed Zara, her frustration evident.

  "No, I was going to leave it to Bob over there," Greg replied with a smirk.

  As Greg spoke, he gestured toward Bob, who had completely ignored the commotion around him. Bob, the large bobcat, confidently sauntered over to a spot he had evidently deemed the most comfortable in the safe room and curled up for a nap. This was the first time some of the women even noticed the impressive feline presence. They blinked in surprise, taking a moment to recall Matt mentioning him earlier. Before they could comment on the unusual sight, Greg immediately launched into explaining the current situation to everyone.

  Meanwhile, Matt ambled over to where Bob was lounging, casting an envious glance at the nonchalant bobcat while doing his best to ignore the curious stares directed his way. In moments like these, he yearned for the uncomplicated days before the integration. Yet, Bob seemed to be enjoying the situation, sending Matt images of the women playfully tugging on each of his limbs. Matt snorted, telling Bob to shut up before he threatened to inform the women that Bob was feeling neglected and could use some petting. This prompted Bob to retaliate with mental images of him playfully swiping his claws at them, causing Matt to burst into laughter despite himself.

  Things continued in the same manner until about two hours after they had returned, when the situation finally calmed down. Apricity wasn’t looking too happy, as Zara had ensured she couldn’t escape like Matt had, forcing her to participate in the discussion. By the time they were finally done, Matt had managed to fall asleep on the couch, and Greg quickly settled into a spot next to him, opposite from where Bob was sitting. This strategic positioning ensured that none of them could approach Matt without having to move Greg first, and they all realized this was likely Greg’s intention. They exchanged knowing glances before Eleanor finally spoke, breaking the tense silence that had settled over the room.

  "We need to avoid creating issues where we can.”

  "I'm not sure what you're implying, as there were no issues like this before all of you arrived," Apricity responded with a frown. "So, if the five of you—"

  "See, that's exactly it," interrupted Zara. "There are five of us and only one of you. We each have agreements with each other but none with you. So, if you want to play games, how do you see things playing out?"

  "All of us will lose," Emily interjected before Apricity could reply. "Even if one of us wins a temporary victory, it would still be a loss in the long term. Yes, that means I agree you could ruin any of our chances if you wanted, but we can do the same to you. That is, if Matt is who I think he is."

  "And who is that?" Apricity inquired, raising an eyebrow.

  "In this situation, he is a man who despises the drama of people fighting over trivial matters above all else. He tolerates a bit from us in our efforts to gain his attention, but the moment one of us goes too far, it will be all of us who lose any chance with him. We are fortunate that he doesn't see wanting a relationship with him as a trivial matter."

  Apricity didn't have a rebuttal to that as she glanced at the other five women and sighed, nodding in agreement. They spent the next half hour quietly working to find common ground. By the time they were ready to settle into sleep, Apricity found herself nestled between Zara and Emily. While it wasn't as comforting as using Matt as a pillow, she felt secure enough to drift into a restful sleep, knowing that they were all comrades, in one sense at least.