Ch 93
Over the next three days, Matt and the others remained in the level 11 area, using the safe room they had discovered upon reaching it as a base of operations. Their focus was on becoming accustomed to the challenges of fighting while maintaining their HP within what they considered a safe range. Simultaneously, they were adapting to facing monsters that didn't usually go down with a single hit. Although it was only a moderate increase, each day saw them successfully going through more encounters than the day before. However, for Matt, it was the nightly conversations that stood out the most. After spending time with Yumiko, he found himself engaging in deep discussions with Emily, then Apricity, and finally Zara.
Each conversation unfolded uniquely as they each expressed what they desired in a romantic partner. While there were common themes, such as valuing him as a protector due to the uncertainty of the times, none of them believed they could simply rely on him to shield them since they knew he wouldn't always be present. Despite these shared views, it was the differences between them that truly stood out to Matt.
First, Emily desired someone who was at least willing to read a few books that they both agreed upon and could discuss together. She acknowledged that locating books might become more challenging depending on what they discovered upon returning to Earth, but she was even open to self-help or wilderness survival books. The more she elaborated on her passion for reading, the more Matt understood that she cherished all kinds of books. However, she did confess, with a slight blush, that she was as guilty as any woman of indulging in a steamy romance novel from time to time.
With Apricity, Matt initially felt there wasn't much to learn when they began chatting, only to soon realize he shouldn't have made such assumptions. This realization dawned on him when she openly admitted her desire to embrace the role of a traditional housewife. He had always perceived her as someone who sought adventure, and in some ways, he was right, as she found the idea of living the way he did back on Earth exciting. However, she also clarified that while she once expected him to abandon such a lifestyle for the sake of raising children, she now believed it didn't make much of a difference.
This left only Zara, who in many ways offered the greatest surprise for Matt. She expressed her expectation for him to live up to his potential and for her to challenge herself in the same manner. As for what that entailed, she explained that she anticipated him seizing every opportunity available and not shying away when others sought leaders. Of all the requests, this particular one nearly compelled him to proclaim that there was no chance for them to succeed. Yet, the look in her eyes as she conveyed her thoughts evoked a feeling within him. He couldn't quite identify what it was, but it made him feel as though it was urging him to become more than he currently was and to never settle for second place when he knew he could be first. In many respects, it was a call to greatness that he had never experienced before in his life, and he couldn't shake the feeling that perhaps it was a missing piece of his existence.
Matt was still pondering this when he reached level 11 the following day and observed his spirit stat increase by over 80 points. Moments later, he received a notification informing him that his base durability had also increased by a point and that he could now access his base stats through his menu. When he pulled them up, he could only frown at how low they were, with spirit and stamina both sitting at 26, representing his highest stats. After that came durability at 20, followed by strength and dexterity at 18, and mind at 17. He understood that his chosen path significantly influenced the increases in his stats, but he was surprised that a 26 could transform into a 358, even with his bonuses nearly doubling it. As he contemplated this, he wondered what other surprises his evolving stats might hold for him in the future.
Ultimately, Emily asserted that there must be a logarithmic function or some similar operation involved in the process, but she couldn’t pinpoint exactly where it was applied. She confessed that even if she had the numbers in front of her, she would require a calculator, as that was the only method she knew for handling such functions. Even Greg, with his mind stat surpassing 540, could only shrug and acknowledge that although he might be able to sit down and work it out, he didn’t see any practical purpose in doing so. However, he did highlight the fact that it represented another limiting factor in determining how powerful they could all become. According to what Tempormr had shared, they could only increase stats that were both less than half of their highest stat after all calculations and less than the base value of the same stat. This meant that once a stat exceeded a 100% increase, any other stat aiming to reach half of it would need to gain half as much from a boosting bonus to reach its full potential.
Although Matt hadn't reached that milestone yet, both Greg and Eleanor had already surpassed it in their top stats. Nonetheless, Matt believed that everyone was almost certain to achieve it sooner or later, and he pondered whether this was just another method by which the powerful were distinguished from the weak. However, he had no time to fully contemplate this notion, as for the first time since they unlocked HP, his party was en route to an unfamiliar safe room. Their aim was to discover a level 12 area soon, as they were all nearing level 11 and didn't want to settle for earning only half the experience from each battle. Matt also heard from Tempormr once more as he sat down after their story time, but before Rose approached to speak like the others had.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
"It is good to see that you all have taken the time to slow down and adjust to things," Tempormr remarked. "It saves me from feeling the need to guide you at this moment, as you are still quite far from reaching the surface. So, if you would like, I will allow you to ask one question this time."
Matt considered his options carefully before asking, "How can I increase my stats to get the greatest results in the long run?"
"Be lucky. Truly, staying alive and leveling up are the obvious ways power can increase, but it is in luck, charisma, perception, and the seemingly endless array of other stats that can be unlocked where the real power lies. There is even one particularly annoying individual who has developed a hardness stat to such an extent that their skin is unbreakable by normal means. Then there are the events that the system seemingly thrusts you into, which should be a death sentence, but when overcome, allow for quantitative changes that seem impossible. It was through one such event that I gained the power allowing me to survive and grow as powerful as I am now. Once, I was marked for death by someone who, at the time, seemed impossible to even flee from. Yet, that power turned the tables, and it was they who became experience points when we clashed in battle.
"Now, I must cut this short, but what I am saying is that if you simply sit around aimlessly or hide away in some obscure corner of the universe, opportunities will inevitably pass you by. So, take risks, break things, and trust that when the dust finally settles, you will still be standing, alive and kicking. Even if it means that some of those who stand beside you as comrades may not survive the journey. That is the one harsh reality you must accept: following such a path will see many perish, both by your own actions and by the hands of the formidable monsters you will encounter. It won’t be like the dungeon you’re in now, where the system is designed to ease the danger in each area. No, you will find that the greatest threat to those you hold dear comes from others who, like you, are seeking to gain power and dominance over the world around you."
Matt frowned as that was all Tempormr said before his presence vanished, and he noticed time returning to its normal flow as Rose made her way over to join him. Both of them looked nervous as she approached, and upon reaching him, he felt as if she just wanted to run away. This didn’t make any sense when he compared her to the woman he thought he knew. He decided to break the ice.
“I promise that I am not that scary, and tonight isn’t about anything more than understanding each other a bit more,” he said, offering a reassuring smile.
“I am not afraid of you,” replied Rose. “I am just worried about sharing who I was.”
“I couldn’t care less who you were. She doesn’t matter anymore unless you want her to,” Matt responded gently.
“I do, even if she was a failure and never amounted to anything,” Rose confessed. “She was the one who taught me how to fake it, and I feel like that is who you know. Only Eleanor has talked with who I see as the real me since all of this happened, but that needs to change.”
“I don’t think you’ve faked anything,” Matt said with sincerity. “I think you’ve adapted and overcome the challenges before you the best way that you could.”
"Perhaps," conceded Rose, her voice tinged with vulnerability. "But I feel like I've been hiding a side of myself from everyone."
"I feel like everyone has been, after these discussions," admitted Matt, nodding slightly. "Though that might just be because when you're fighting to survive, relationship talk gets avoided as a rule. Unless you're Greg, then you just blurt out your unfiltered desires in such a way that there's no chance of getting what you're after."
Rose chuckled softly, "I could say that in some ways you're doing the same thing. How many times have you professed that you have no interest in a relationship with any of us before we return to Earth, and yet, here we sit."
"So, you're suggesting I should start declaring that only a harem could ever satisfy me, and suddenly all of you would get over me?" Matt quipped, raising an eyebrow.
"No, you have no real hope of such things," Rose warned, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "I would even caution you that you might find me in your bed the same night. That's my problem; I don't know how to resist things I think are good, even when there are obvious red flags that most would see. It's why I'm so desperate for this group to stay together, even if it costs me any chance at attaining personal success in some ways."
"Alright," Matt said thoughtfully. "Then I suppose I should ask you what I've asked all the others, before I forget. What do you want in a romantic partner?"
"I want someone who isn't perfect and doesn't expect me to be perfect either. Someone who can handle my inconsistent nature and help me recognize the dangers I overlook without judging me for them. More than anything, I long for someone who wants to journey through life together, no matter where that path leads us. Honestly, I know that isn't you, as you're destined for far greater things than the rest of us. What I feel for you is akin to what a fan feels for a famous actor. The difference is that I somehow find myself among the cast in your latest production. In my mind, this means that if I played my cards right, I might enjoy a brief fling with you. But that isn't who you are, and even attempting such a thing would be an insult. That's why, if you ever spoke the way Greg does, I would be the first to seize the opportunity, even though part of me knows it would inevitably end in disaster."
