Ch 108

  As they approached the area where they had previously battled the two mist cats, Matt could feel the tension within him mounting. He understood that once they arrived, he needed to demonstrate to the others that with experience, they could bridge the gap in power against the stronger monsters. Beyond this, Matt was convinced of two things. First, he believed that the system designed dungeons like the one they were in specifically to help people grow in power. Second, he was certain that those who chose the slow and easy path of only fighting creatures they deemed safe were destined never to acquire the skills necessary to ascend to the top.

  It was this second fact that Matt felt his party falling into after the dungeon exploration. Even though they had successfully made it through, it had once more depended heavily on just a few members of the group. The doppelganger battles were the most significant in his mind. During these encounters, he observed how many of the fights were either true stalemates or the doppelgangers held the upper hand. The most disheartening of these was Greg's match, as despite putting up a commendable fight overall, Matt knew that Greg would have lost without assistance. While Greg wasn’t alone in being at a disadvantage, Matt was most troubled by the fact that none of them, including himself, had been at a clear advantage. The realization gnawed at him, a stark reminder of the skill they currently lacked.

  In theory, Matt believed that someone should have been able to clear the dungeon on their own by simply surpassing their own limits. If it weren't for Greg and Emily, Matt might never have considered the necessity of pushing beyond one's limits in the heat of battle, but both had mentioned it as a common theme in stories. Had Matt actually read or watched one of these stories, he might have scoffed at the unrealistic portrayals, perhaps even mocking the power of friendship or love that were frequently used. Yet, ironically, because he hadn't, he found himself buying into the concept more than he might have otherwise. After all, he possessed skills that literally empowered those around him, and who was to say there weren't abilities that could only be unlocked when facing the imminent threat of death?

  When they reached the point where taking another step would cause the two mist cats to form, Matt halted everyone. The fact that there would only be two monsters was, in Matt's mind, a reason why the dungeon they were in could hinder the growth of the adventurers within it. He believed that his ability to keep one enemy occupied while the rest of the party dealt with the other, before they all turned their attention to the one he was battling, made things far too easy. With that thought in mind, he instructed the team not to assist him until he explicitly asked for help.

  This led to more than one of them arguing with him, but he promised to only engage with foes they had fought at least once. He also informed them that he expected everyone to participate in fights, ensuring that they worked in groups no larger than three against one opponent before they reached level 17. Although there was some initial resistance, Emily quickly shut it down after considering Matt's reasoning and agreeing that it was a wise strategy while they had the opportunity. This decision quelled most of the complaints as Matt moved forward with determination, dashing past the spot where two cats materialized. In an instant, he found himself cut off from the others, who were unable to assist him as he watched one of the cats launch an attack on him, while the other turned to confront the rest of the party.

  Focusing entirely on his own battle, Matt ignored the shouts from his companions, who warned him against isolating himself from the group. As he concentrated on the fight, he adeptly blocked and dodged the initial lethal attempts made by the agile cat in front of him. In a calculated move, he managed to counterattack, skillfully keeping both cats directly ahead, as he had no intention of giving the other cat an opportunity to bypass his party and target him. Despite intentionally increasing the risk to himself by cutting off communication with his team, he wasn't entirely reckless. Yet, he soon realized that all he could manage was to block the relentless attacks, focusing solely on surviving each rapid assault.

  Initially, Matt berated himself for his foolishness, but that was until he received the first notification about his dexterity increasing. When his mind followed suit, he almost suffered a critical hit from the shock. As the battle progressed, Matt noticed his dexterity, mind, and strength each gaining another point before he called out for assistance. Seeing his HP drop below 30%, Matt felt confident in the path he had chosen. Fortunately, by that time, the others had successfully dealt with the other mist cat and were more than willing to conclude the battle before Emily started yelling at him.

  "What on earth were you thinking at the start of the fight? What would you have done if both cats had targeted you, or if we hadn't been able to defeat the one we were assigned before you needed help?"

  "Five stat points," Matt replied, grinning at his achievements. "I gained five stat points in that fight. I even gained two in my mind stat. I'm not exactly sure why, but I did."

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  "Processing all the attacks you had to block," Greg stated, noticing that Emily seemed unable to find the words to respond to Matt. "You wanted to force yourself to believe that if you didn’t overachieve, you would die, am I right?"

  "Yes," Matt answered with a nod. "I knew that someone would try to stop me if I warned any of you, so I did what I did, and I can't argue with the results."

  "I can," Emily finally found her voice. "No amount of gains justifies—"

  "It does," Greg interrupted. "We have around seventy more fights like this before we should all reach level 17, and during these battles, we all need to do something similar."

  "No way," Apricity retorted, shaking her head. "You can’t expect us to challenge ourselves the way Matt can."

  "You’re right, but you can try to dodge just one attack from a level 17 monster while others stand ready to step in when you fail," Greg stated, his tone firm yet encouraging. "Each of us needs to push ourselves against foes at this level until we need others to step in and save us, even myself. Our gains could be as significant as Matt's from much less effort, simply because it is more challenging for us in some ways."

  "Or we could get ourselves killed," Yumiko remarked, frowning as she gazed intently at Matt. "I thought you were the type to minimize risks for others."

  "None of you are 'others' at this point," Matt replied firmly. "The moment you followed me here and voiced your intentions to have my back, you became more than that to me. Don't ask me to put a word to it, as 'comrade,' 'friend,' 'companion,' and any other words I can think of don't feel right. Still, each and every one of you is part of my group, my team, and I expect you to rise up to what that means or step away from this party when we return to Earth. After all, we all agree that the challenges before us don't end when we get back to Earth; if anything, they will only grow at that point."

  As Matt concluded his speech, he made a deliberate effort to meet the eyes of each member of his group, observing the array of emotions mirrored back at him. Greg displayed unwavering certainty, while Apricity's eyes were clouded with reluctance and fear. The spectrum of reactions was vast, yet the most prevalent emotion Matt discerned was determination. Yumiko, Zara, and Rose appeared to draw strength and resolve from his words, which only deepened his affection for them. In contrast, Emily’s evident disapproval and Apricity’s anxiety created a sense of distance between him and those two. Despite these varying sentiments, Matt chose to remain silent, having resolved to set aside such feelings until they could no longer be ignored.

  "We need to have a solid plan if we're going to tackle this," stated Elenor confidently, her eyes scanning the group for agreement. "I'm thinking we should locate a saferoom to operate from and proceed cautiously from there."

  "No, I don't want us to be stuck fighting the same thing repeatedly," replied Matt, shaking his head. "Ideally, we should only face each challenge twice at most, with the second time being a situation where either I or one of you pushes ourselves to the limit."

  "Then let's get moving and find our next set of monsters," suggested Greg eagerly, his grip tightening on his staff. "We can fight, recover, and if we're up for it, return to face the same creature again after tackling whatever comes next."

  "That sounds good," agreed Matt, nodding in approval. "But there's one more thing. Before I reach level 17, I want to face two level 17 monsters alone."

  "You must have a death wish," muttered Emily, her voice laced with disbelief. "Seriously, why would you suddenly want to do something so reckless? Just explain to me why you're so keen on risking your life like this."

  "I don't," replied Matt, his voice steady. "It was all of you who insisted that I needed to be able to fight at a rank above my own. The more I contemplate the threats that will inevitably arise, the more I feel the necessity to rise to such disparities in power. I managed it before reaching E rank, so I've concluded that not being able to do so now is akin to inviting disaster when we reach the point where gaining a single experience point becomes arduous. When those ranked above me come, attempting to use me to enhance their growth, I must be able to turn the tables and use them to fuel my own advancement instead."

  "I think we all do," Rose agreed thoughtfully, glancing at the others. "At least if we want to stand alongside Matt for the rest of his life."

  "Don't turn this into a discussion about who he's going to marry," Apricity interjected, rolling her eyes. "There's no guarantee he would want the woman he loves to be constantly risking her life by his side."

  "No, but she needs to be capable of it," Yumiko countered, her tone firm. "Even if she takes on a role that's a bit removed from direct combat, I can't imagine Matt feeling comfortable otherwise."

  "I don't want any of you to harm yourselves trying to prove you're the right woman for me," Matt stated, his voice resolute. "I don't want anyone doing something out of character because, if I ever decide to fall in love, I want it to be with the genuine person, not a facade. Now, let's get moving."

  With that, the conversation concluded as Matt stood up and began to walk, indifferent to whether the others were following since they had all been given ample time to recover. With each step, he was acutely aware that they were courting danger, risking more than they perhaps should. Still, he felt a surge of confidence, believing that if they pushed themselves, they could become the greatest versions of themselves. Even though he harbored some concerns about a few of them, he knew that, much like a mother bird nudging her young out of the nest, there were times when it was do or die.

  Matt just hoped it was a time for action as he watched the next pair of monsters materialize and readied himself for the impending fight. He observed the hulking forms of the two stone gorillas, at least that's what they resembled to him, as he charged forward, prepared to engage them and keep them occupied while the others devised a strategy to handle the situation. Noticing that these creatures were much slower than the mist cats they had faced before, he felt as if luck might be on their side this time.