Ch 100
Noticing the others struggling to tend to their wounds, and realizing that his own health was recovering at a rate of 21 HP every 15 seconds, provided he kept it below 22 points, Matt resolved to take action. He swiftly turned to assist Eleanor, who appeared to be fighting to stay conscious. Her HP had dangerously dwindled from 7 to just 1, and the healing suddenly halted midway. It seemed that his skill had an inbuilt safety mechanism. He observed intently as, with each passing second, more of her wounds began to close up. Finally, Matt felt assured that she had stabilized.
Turning towards the others, Matt disregarded their protests and warnings as he dedicated the next three minutes to healing everyone's injuries with intense concentration. Although this didn't address their low HP issues, it effectively prevented further HP loss due to blood loss, a common problem they had all been experiencing. Matt felt relieved that he only absorbed a fraction of the damage from the wounds they had been grappling with. This was because, much like how regeneration didn't restore HP, taking on an injury didn't involve enduring the action that caused the injury in the first place. If he were to estimate the conversion, Matt suspected he absorbed somewhere between a quarter and a tenth of the total damage.
Even so, by the time he finished, Matt was utterly exhausted and longed for nothing more than a good night's sleep. Unfortunately, that battle was not the final challenge of the dungeon, at least as far as they could tell. It seemed that the exit, previously sealed by solid ice, was now accessible. However, both Emily and Greg were convinced that another trial awaited them beyond the cleared path. Furthermore, there wasn't enough time left before they reached the 25-minute limit for them to fully recover from the recent skirmish. So, Apricity utilized her skill once they were all settled in a stable and comfortable position. As they sat there, catching their breath, they began discussing not only what lay ahead but also life in general.
"You know, even if we don’t make it through this, I'm glad I chose this path," remarked Yumiko, her voice steady but laced with emotion. "I've never been one to surround myself with others, as I always felt I had nothing valuable to contribute. But with all of you, it feels different. Even when I'm just acting as a distraction most of the time, none of you treat me as anything other than a valued member of the team."
"We all have roles to play," Greg responded, nodding with a reassuring smile. "Once we figure out a way for you to have infinite arrows, you’re going to become even more powerful. Archers can be incredibly overpowered in many of the books and games I’ve enjoyed."
"While I must say that this isn’t based on any of the books or games Greg is talking about, I believe all of our paths have the potential for greatness," Emily added thoughtfully. "So, let’s all agree that even if we go our separate ways when we reach Earth, we won’t forget the bonds we’ve forged here."
“Stop making it sound like one of us is going to die,” retorted Zara, rolling her eyes. “Even if we are all split up when we return to Earth, I don’t think any of us intend to just go off on our own. On that note, Matt, you’re responsible for founding a settlement or something.”
“Excuse me?” responded Matt, raising an eyebrow in surprise. “Why would I do something like that?”
“Because if you don’t, Jaelyn will, and she is the last person we think should be in charge of things,” stated Eleanor firmly. “That is unless you want to be worshipped as the savior of mankind—”
“She is going to do that regardless of what Matt says or does,” interjected Emily with a knowing look. “Even if he denounces it, she will just claim that he is too humble to accept the role or something.”
“There is a long time still between now and then, who knows what could change,” countered Greg thoughtfully. “For all we know, the fort fell, and all those that survived its fall are running for their lives and blame us for abandoning them.”
"Nah, after you left without any warning, we made sure to inform everyone that when we reached level 9, we really didn't have any other choice but to leave," stated Rose with a firm nod. "We also shared the location of the tunnels that Kal had guided us to, as a potential refuge in case they needed it. I don't believe many will view our departure as abandoning them to their fate, especially since we helped a few of them power level during those final days as we coordinated our experience gains to level together."
"I am still not understanding why I should build a settlement when I have no plans to stay in one place," Matt remarked, a hint of skepticism in his voice. "Even if I do bring the fort to Earth, I'll just be putting someone else in charge while I go off to do my own thing most of the time."
"That's precisely what you should do," Greg stated firmly. "And as much as I agree she's dangerous, Jaelyn is the perfect candidate to be the one you leave in charge of running it, provided she has managed to get her skills under control by then."
"Maybe then," Matt replied, frowning thoughtfully as he considered the proposition. "You're all just fortunate that I have so many skills that seem to thrive on helping and collaborating with others."
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
"I think that reveals who you truly are beneath the facade you present to the world," commented Apricity thoughtfully. "There's a kindness you conceal beneath your desire for a solitary lifestyle. Otherwise, you would never have kept Bob around for so long."
"I believe it has more to do with Bob's pure nature in this case," replied Yumiko. "Matt isn't one for drama, and Bob is content as long as he's fed and—"
"He's perfect for dealing with rodents," interjected Matt with a slight grin. "Whereas most women I knew would scream if they saw a mouse."
As Matt uttered the word "mouse," Bob perked up, his ears twitching with interest. He glanced around the room before fixing his gaze on Matt, his expression one of mild disappointment. He passed this along in a silent message to Matt's mind.
"Why did you mention a mouse in your pointless chatter? Now I want one."
Matt chuckled heartily while recounting Bob's comment, and they all took their time to catch their breath and recover. Eventually, after they had recuperated as much as possible, Apricity's skill came to an end. This created a tense atmosphere as they stood up and turned toward the door. Matt sensed the anticipation in the air, knowing they were all waiting for him to take the lead. Eleanor and Greg assumed the same positions they had when they first entered the dungeon, ready for whatever lay ahead. As Matt approached the door, he paused for a brief moment, casting a glance at his companions. It was evident that no words were needed; the determination in their eyes was enough. With a deep breath, Matt turned back to the door and opened it, ready to face what awaited them beyond.
This time, there was no ice dome trapping them inside, no blast of cold air; only a feeling of dread washed over them like an unwelcome tide. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Matt ignored the sensation and moved forward into the vast chamber that seemed large enough to accommodate a professional sports stadium. The space appeared empty, save for the imposing stalagmites and stalactites, their icy forms linked together like ancient sentinels guarding the area. If not for the eerie, unnatural light illuminating the chamber, Matt might not have noticed that the two opposing rock formations were encased within the towering pillars of ice, standing like frozen guardians in the vast, echoing expanse.
He was just pondering what role, if any, those formations might play in what they were about to face when the door behind them slammed shut with a resounding thud. Matt spun around to look, just in time to witness it vanish completely as the room's light dimmed, leaving him able to see only about 20 feet around him. With the encroaching darkness came a series of ominous cracking sounds, and suddenly a tremor rippled through the ground. Reacting swiftly, Greg began shooting off fireballs in every direction, their fiery glow casting flickering shadows on the walls.
The light clinging to each fireball did little more than reveal shifting shadows before they struck the pillars of ice encircling them. Nonetheless, Greg maintained the continuous barrage, trying to extend their line of sight. Meanwhile, Apricity became their primary source of information with her enhanced vision in the dungeon. Despite her abilities, she could only report that whatever was approaching was expertly camouflaged, blending seamlessly into the surroundings, making it impossible to get a clear look. She was certain, however, that there were several entities, and they were advancing from every direction.
As the first shards of ice hurtled toward them, Matt feared there might be chaos, but the group remained steadfast as Greg swiftly unleashed fireballs to counter several of the attacks. This revealed more figures encrusted in ice, resembling the stalagmites and stalactites surrounding them. A sudden realization struck Matt as he noticed that many figures possessed features different from those of humans. However, it was Apricity who voiced the question before he could.
“What are those things?” she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity and concern.
“I think they are others who tried and failed to clear this dungeon,” replied Greg, his tone somber. “If we don’t succeed, we might end up just like them.”
“That’s really comforting,” Emily retorted sarcastically. “We have to defeat all those whom the dungeon has bested before us.”
"We need a plan, and fast," called out Matt with urgency in his voice. "There has to be a way for us to beat this challenge."
"We need to find an exit," replied Greg, assessing their options. "Winning this fight should be impossible for anyone who enters here, so the path forward has to be the same as when we broke the rules in the obstacle areas."
"I can use my escape path skill," offered Apricity, her voice tinged with determination. "It doesn’t do anything but show me the best way to escape from my current fight, based on what I've observed from using it."
"Do it," ordered Matt decisively. "Even if it only gives us a direction, that will be huge! Everyone, Apricity is in charge of directing our path. The rest of us need to focus on clearing the way she points out."
With affirmative responses quickly coming in, Apricity utilized her skill and indicated a direction that led them around the pillar, where the door they had entered through had mysteriously vanished. This maneuver allowed them to avoid direct confrontation as they hurriedly moved away. Matt took the lead, with Rose and Zara flanking him to the left and Eleanor and Yumiko to his right, as they pushed back the few attackers they encountered. However, this only resulted in a group of assailants pursuing them closely. Greg, with a determined expression, swiftly handled the situation by unleashing a formidable wave of molten magma that crashed over the pursuers, halting their advance.
Although many of them appeared to have survived the attack, it was sufficient to slow them down and allow Matt’s party to gain more distance. Meanwhile, Greg wore a confident smile as he skillfully countered incoming ice spells with his own powerful magma spells. However, the situation remained unresolved as they continued to blindly search for an exit. After traveling only a few hundred feet, Apricity announced with a hint of frustration that her skill had expired, leaving them no closer to finding a way out.
This meant they were back to square one, as they continued to navigate their path while keeping the frozen corpses at a safe distance. Matt understood they couldn't simply run around aimlessly, so he pondered the best course of action. A part of him felt inclined to rely on his luck stat, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that depending entirely on luck was foolish to the extreme. Nevertheless, as he scanned his surroundings, no other options emerged. Determined, he took charge and began calling out directions, relying solely on his instincts, hoping they would lead them to safety.
