Ch 101
As Matt concentrated on following his instincts, they consistently guided him to narrowly avoid colliding headlong with more groups of frozen corpses. This resulted in these corpses joining the group that was trailing behind them, as Greg cast spells to keep them at bay. During this time, Matt observed a variety of creatures, from goblins to cat people, and even some that resembled octopuses. It was evident that the universe hosted far more diverse intelligent species than Matt had ever imagined. Despite this revelation, it didn't alter the reality that they were on the run. He suspected that even with their enhanced stamina potentially allowing them to run a marathon, they would eventually reach a point of exhaustion and run out of steam.
The only question in Matt’s mind was whether they would find an exit before or after the frozen corpses caught up with them. He expected that the corpses wouldn't be so easily restricted. He was just grateful they had had time to recover before entering the chamber they currently found themselves in; otherwise, he doubted they would have lasted as long as they had. Each time they passed a pillar and he didn’t see a door or anything that hinted at an escape route, his worry grew. Part of him wondered if they could simply succeed by having Greg continuously fire off spells as they fled, but he suspected that wouldn’t be a viable option. If the frozen corpses could hide and recover when low on health, their strategy would fail. No, Matt felt that what he was doing was their best option, even though he started to suspect he was merely guiding them in such a way that each group of enemies was narrowly avoided.
Regardless of the actual reality, Matt felt he needed to press on, reasoning that it was better than crashing into a pillar and being caught by their pursuers. Simply put, he didn’t have a better plan, and unless someone else took charge, there was no choice but to continue, so he did. Slowly but surely, a few minutes stretched into ten, ten became twenty, twenty turned into an hour, and one hour became two. By this point, they were encountering only the occasional straggler, while Greg concentrated on deflecting magical attacks from their rear. It was then, at the end of their rope, that Apricity finally called out, her voice tinged with hope.
“I see a door! It’s that way, but it’s covered with ice.”
“Greg, Eleanor, the two of you should rush ahead and see if you can open it,” Matt instructed, quickly shifting his focus away from the door.
“On it,” Greg replied promptly, determination in his voice.
“Apricity, let me know if we start to lose sight of the door,” Matt ordered. “The plan is to circle around to it.”
“Then let me take back over leading,” Apricity suggested, exhaustion creeping into her voice.
“It’s all yours,” Matt agreed, stepping aside to let her guide them.
In an instant, the group divided as Matt concentrated on buying time for Greg and Eleanor to investigate the mysterious door. Simultaneously, he shifted to the rear of the gathering, where Yumiko was focused on intercepting magical attacks, now that Greg had moved on. Fortunately, these attacks had become less frequent as time wore on, and Matt began doing the same, trying to reduce the pressure as much as possible. Between the two of them, they managed to deflect three out of every four attacks that might have struck someone over the next ten minutes. Regrettably, the few attacks that slipped through were enough to deplete the scant reserve of energy that most of them had left. Consequently, Matt instructed Apricity to move toward the door, hoping for the best, as it was only a matter of minutes before they would start experiencing casualties.
The first thing Matt noticed as they approached the door was Eleanor fiercely battling against half a dozen frozen corpses, while Greg concentrated on creating a path. Realizing that time was of the essence, Matt's mind raced as a reckless idea took shape. The only question was whether it could actually work. With determination fueling his every step, he sprinted with all his might. Upon reaching the frozen corpses, Matt launched into an attack, simultaneously issuing a command to Eleanor.
"Don't worry about the consequences," he urged, "just use everything you have to break through the ice."
Eleanor nodded once before turning and wielding her axe with a strength stat of over 500—the highest of anyone in the party. She slammed the axe into the ice next to where Greg was working. The sound of the ice cracking echoed loudly as Greg turned around and began casting another spell. Eleanor's axe struck down a second time, and Matt watched as large chunks of ice tumbled from higher up. Eleanor prepared for another swing while Greg sent his spell upward, deftly redirecting any ice headed towards him and Eleanor to the side, ensuring their safety.
With each swing, more ice began to fall, and by the fifth swing, the rest of the party arrived. Together, they dealt with the frozen corpses once and for all. As they finished, they turned to see countless more approaching, threatening to overwhelm them within seconds. Matt was on the verge of lamenting how close they were to success only to face failure, as he braced himself to charge forward. Just then, Greg's voice cut through the tension.
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"The next attack should open the path. Get ready to move," he commanded with a sense of urgency.
Matt swiftly turned around just in time to witness Eleanor delivering one final, powerful swing of her axe. Meanwhile, Greg was expertly directing a blast of air into the cracks between him and the door, efficiently clearing the entire side of the pillar of ice. Simultaneously, the massive sheet of ice above it was being pushed forward with immense force. Matt could see the strain on Greg's face, knowing he was expending all his energy to maintain his spell for just a few more precious seconds. With urgency in their movements, everyone surged forward to open the door, their breaths visible in the icy air.
Bob was the first to reach the door, wasting no time as he deftly pulled it open with his teeth just as the others began to approach and rush in. Meanwhile, Matt was at the rear of the group and swiftly hoisted Greg over his shoulder, disrupting the spell Greg was casting and allowing the massive chunk of ice above them to fall without any hindrance. Realizing it would be a close call, Matt dove the moment he felt he was close enough to make it through. He managed to pass through the doorway just as the ice crashed down, shattering the door completely and sealing them inside wherever they had managed to reach.
Wherever they were, at least it wasn't cold. Matt began to realize that parts of him had nearly frozen, and as he looked around, he noticed the same was true for everyone else. Apparently, running for a few hours had produced quite a lot of sweat, and the cold of the chamber they had just been in was enough to freeze any moisture that ended up on the exterior of their gear. A part of him wanted to make a joke about how they had been slowly turning into what they were running from, but he felt it would fall flat. Instead, he pushed himself to his feet, surveying the room they had found themselves in.
Rather than seeing anything, Matt found that he was engulfed in darkness, yet he could distinctly see everyone in his party. It felt as though they were suspended in the empty void of space, standing firmly despite the absence of stars or any visible ground. They stood on something, but its nature was a mystery. What unnerved Matt the most was the absence of a light source, yet he could still clearly see everyone. This eerie contradiction left him feeling as if something was profoundly wrong. Before he could express his unease, a system message appeared.
Unnamed instants dungeon cleared.
Rewarding one free level.
Rewarding one piece of personalized equipment based upon needs.
Without even telling him what piece of equipment he was receiving, the message ended and was replaced with the standard level-up notification. As soon as that message cleared, Matt felt an unusual sensation in his feet. Looking down, he discovered a new pair of boots that felt incredibly comfortable yet looked as formidable as a weapon. Although they lacked spikes, the tips of the toes ended in a sharp blade that extended an inch beyond where the boot would have naturally ended. Moreover, the entire tops of the boots were covered in gleaming metal, leaving no doubt that they were armor. More than just protective, they unlocked the ability for Matt to incorporate kicks into his fighting style more freely and effectively, allowing for swift and seamless movements.
As Matt surveyed the scene, he noticed that the others were similarly engrossed in examining their newly acquired gear. Rose had obtained a sturdy shield to complement her sword, its surface gleaming with polished metal. Apricity was gripping a spear, its entire length crafted from solid metal, clearly designed for durability and strength. Emily and Greg, on the other hand, were each holding vibrant staffs that seemed like they had been plucked straight from an anime; although Matt wasn't familiar with such things, he thought they looked excessively flamboyant. Despite their evident power, the staffs were almost too conspicuous for practical use. Turning his attention to Bob, Matt saw that the bobcat's legs were now protected by armor, ensuring that he didn't have to worry about a sword slash penetrating deeply and hindering his movements.
Then there was Zara, who had acquired new bracers on her arms that appeared to have a few tricks up their sleeves. After that, Eleanor had obtained a helmet crafted from gleaming metal, designed to have the visor fall like a knight’s helmet for enhanced protection. Finally, there was Yumiko, who stood holding an empty quiver with a puzzled expression on her face, as she tried to decipher the meaning behind the apparent joke. Observing her confusion, Emily made her way over to her. After examining the quiver for about 30 seconds, she began to explain.
“This quiver will allow you to store up to 20 arrows at a time. Each day, it will automatically replace any missing arrows with an exact copy of the original. You can change which arrows are stored by simply placing a new arrow inside and removing the one you no longer want. However, if you remove two arrows and add only one, it will randomly choose one to discard the next day.”
The look of elation on Yumiko's face was a blend of excitement and hesitation at finally finding a solution to her dwindling surplus arrow supply. Which had been reduced to just six beyond the ten she always had due to her other quiver that required just wood and rocks to create arrows but would fall apart if taken out of the quiver for more than two minutes. Among the six surplus arrows she possessed, only one was a system-supplied arrow and could be considered reliable. Carefully, she placed this single arrow into her quiver and posed a simple question to Emily.
“What happens if I only place one arrow in it?” she inquired.
Emily replied, “Then tomorrow there will be only one arrow. However, if you take it out now and place it back in after the new arrow appears, and then remove both, the next day there should be two, and so on.”
“Just five days to have a full quiver again,” Yumiko mused. “Still, that will only give me 20 more arrows a day.”
“I'll store any leftovers you have,” Matt offered. “That way, you can gradually build up extras for when we need more firepower.”
“Thank you,” Yumiko responded gratefully. “I think I’ll go ahead and place all my arrows in it for now. Even if they are of poor quality, they can at least serve as covering fire while I work to fill my whole quiver with good ones.”
“I think you’re overlooking this item’s true potential,” Greg interjected thoughtfully. “If we make an arrow out of gold or something valuable, we could generate an infinite supply of them.”
