Ch 117

  Matt quickly turned around, rifling through his spatial storage for something that could easily be fashioned into clothing. Thankfully, with all the trading they had managed using the corpses of the monsters they had slain, Matt had plenty of rough leather. While this leather was far from the best quality, it was perfect for the constant patching required by their garments, which were more patches than fabric at this point. Even Greg and Yumiko, who mostly stayed away from the fighting, had their fair share of patches in their clothing.

  This time, as Matt heard the unmistakable ripping noise behind him, he knew that Kal would need an entirely new outfit. He handed Emily the leather and caught Greg still glancing over. At this, Matt simply shook his head, deciding to stay out of what was sure to follow. Instead, he grabbed Eleanor to discuss their next steps. Unfortunately, there was no ignoring the sounds of Kal tackling Greg before he could react, as she gleefully celebrated her growth spurt with an infectious enthusiasm.

  "See, I told you that I could grow!" shouted Kal, with Greg's face awkwardly pressed against her chest. "Now, you'll give me what I want, right!?"

  "No," managed Greg, turning his head to the side to avoid further embarrassment. "You still need to get your reproduction rate under control."

  "Let's get some clothes on you," interjected Emily before Kal could respond, sensing the tension in the room. "While I think Greg might be enjoying this little show, Matt might get upset if things carry on like this."

  "Fine," grumbled Kal, reluctantly stepping back. "Unless Greg—"

  "Please just put some clothes on before I do something I'm going to regret," Greg pleaded, his voice tinged with desperation.

  Matt held in a sigh, keeping his back turned to the scene unfolding behind him. Instead, he began conversing with Eleanor to distract himself.

  "Now that we're all level 17, we really need to start considering what a fifth aspect of our paths will mean," he said, his tone serious.

  "Are you just worried about not having a cheat sheet on how the essence that comes with it can be used?" asked Eleanor, raising an eyebrow. "Or is there something else on your mind?"

  "Yes," answered Matt, his voice reflecting his inner turmoil. "I had enough issues just creating something that uses one aspect, and now I'm going to need to combine five different aspects to find a new ultimate skill, as Greg likes to call them. This makes me even more worried about what I should pick when given the option based on what I know from reaching level 9."

  "I think you're overthinking it," stated Eleanor confidently. "The fact that you're asking me tells me you don't want to endure another round of Emily or Greg sharing their ideas with you about it."

  "Yeah, my mind just doesn’t work that way," admitted Matt, a hint of frustration in his voice. "It was easy to use my old skills, but creating new ones almost seems accidental."

  “Still, the one that combines luck with your spatial storage is a prime example of how you can achieve success if you put in the effort,” Eleanor reinforced, her voice steady with conviction. “However, I have a feeling that what you really need to do is allow your instincts to guide you. I expect that the skills we’ve all acquired before were simply those that came most naturally to us, so you might just be stressing over a problem that will resolve itself in due time. I also think you’re trying too hard, and that pressure is blocking you from finding the same success we’ve all experienced, as each of us has gained at least three new ways to utilize our path’s essences.”

  “Perhaps, but I just wish I could get answers from someone who truly knows,” Matt sighed, frustration seeping into his words.

  “I’m sure Tempormr, or whatever your patron is called, would have offered more insight if it was truly important,” Eleanor replied, her tone light yet reassuring.

  “Only if it holds significance for him,” Matt retorted, his brow furrowed in thought. “Part of me wonders if we are focusing too much on our skills, or if the act of stumbling around to discover new ones is precisely why beings like him watch us. He warned me that a change in how skills operated was on the horizon, but he didn’t explain how to exploit it, or at least not in a way that I could grasp.”

  “Kind of like how we have a mind stat, and yet all of us have more than doubled our base stat in that area, and still, aside from being able to do math better, none of us actually feel any smarter,” Eleanor added, crossing her arms thoughtfully.

  “I still maintain that is exactly what our mind stat does,” Yumiko interjected, her eyes sparkling with determination. “I mean, as we level up, battles begin to move at a blinding pace. If we can’t process information faster, what hope do we have of mastering what is truly possible? Also, I suspect that none of our stats are strictly physical or metaphysical but are instead a blend of both to a certain degree.”

  "We've reviewed that one multiple times," remarked Eleanor. "It holds up for everything except strength and mind, but even dexterity and spirit are somewhat questionable."

  "Who cares how they work or what the best stat is," retorted Matt, his voice tinged with impatience. "We already know there are elements not captured by our stats, and that by pushing ourselves, we can overcome disadvantages in stats."

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  "Yes, but we also know that having higher numbers provides certain advantages," stated Eleanor firmly. "Also, you're the only one who seems capable of doing so without relying on the skewed statistics of these monsters."

  "So, what happens when their stats are no longer skewed?" asked Yumiko, her eyes filled with concern. "I think the plan we're currently following might have a few flaws."

  "Why only mention this now?" asked Matt, frowning as he pondered her words.

  "I just realized that if this dungeon ranges from level 9 to level 64, we're still only in the first 20% of its levels. If we assume that, wouldn't it make sense for it to be easier on us initially and gradually increase in difficulty, at least until it is similar to what we experienced in the instance dungeon? Not to mention, that was probably the simplest of those dungeons, and perhaps the level 17 monsters being so unbalanced is due to our previous victory."

  "I think we just need to stop overanalyzing and see what unfolds," stated Matt, finally relinquishing his concern. "All we're accomplishing right now is ignoring the scene over there and discussing questions we can't answer."

  "Perhaps," admitted Yumiko, her voice softening. "But at least we can be ready if the easy path we're expecting turns out to be a fantasy."

  Matt just shook his head and, upon confirming that Kal was covered, urged the rest of them to move forward. They advanced toward the level 18 area, at least according to what they remembered about the map from the group at Godfrey Enterprises. As they progressed, Matt finally reached level 18 himself, and he was confronted with the choices he had been dreading. Out of more than two dozen options, only five were worth considering, and thankfully his menu now allowed him to filter through them efficiently.

  Available paths:

  Random Chance Exploiter (Who needs a plan, you thrive on the unknown and unseen chances of any situation)

  Enduring Lucky Survivor (Nothing can end your luck, so long as you still draw breath.)

  Undying Counter Master (Mastering counters requires more than just skill, but when done few can hope to stand against you.)

  Hope of Hopeless (No matter the situation if there is a path forward none will be better equipped for your level than you.)

  Lucky Surviving Executive (Sometimes succeeding in business just means living to see another day, you’ll find doing that a bit easier than most.)

  The random chance exploiter and undying counter master both made Matt feel as though they would enhance his effectiveness in combat. Moreover, they appeared to be straightforward methods of progression, which he appreciated. However, both options seemed to lack depth as they depended heavily on the situation being just right, and Matt couldn't quite envision himself countering a fireball aimed directly at his face. Even so, he had to admit that his current fighting style, which relied on trading injuries and out-healing his opponent, aligned with the essence of what the undying counter master seemed to embody.

  Enduring lucky survivor and hope of hopeless resonated with him because of his future necessity to address his title, 'Defier of Fate.' Enduring lucky survivor appealed to him on the premise of not having to fear his luck failing him at a critical moment. Yet, the line about drawing breath concerned him, as he could imagine himself going for a casual swim only for his luck to betray him. However, if he could develop gills with his adaptive body ability, perhaps that obstacle could be surmounted. He had to concede that hope of hopeless sounded more promising between the two, as long as he didn't attempt to exceed his capabilities. It suggested that he would be well-prepared to endure and survive.

  Finally, there was the option of lucky surviving executive, a prospect that was clearly a result of his founding an organization. Part of him felt that the responsible decision would be to choose this path, at least in his capacity as the head of the organization. However, that was the only reason he would consider it, making it the least likely of the five options laid out before him. Still, Matt turned toward the others and explained the five options as he weighed which one to take.

  “Don’t even think about choosing the lucky surviving executive,” Emily stated firmly, her expression serious. “It just isn’t you, and if anyone should take something like that, it would be Jaelyn. Out of the other four options, I really think it all depends on what you want moving forward.”

  “Man, I remember this one martial arts anime where the main character had to deal with a fighter who was all about counters,” Greg commented, his eyes lighting up with nostalgia. “They were powerful, but like you said, counters rely on an attack being able to be countered. Though, I doubt you would be foolish enough to do nothing but counter, like that character did.”

  “I think you should steer clear of anything based on random chance,” Yumiko offered, her voice steady. “If you solely rely on chance to get what you want, you will never learn how to put in the effort required to succeed.”

  “I have to agree with that sentiment,” Eleanor added, nodding her head in agreement. “You’re a hard worker, not someone who relies on luck.”

  “I think we might be overanalyzing the names,” Apricity commented thoughtfully, her brow furrowed. “Random chance exploiter sounds like everything is left to fate, but I believe it’s suggesting that his path will always tilt in his favor.”

  “I still think that’s a flawed perspective,” Yumiko countered, crossing her arms. “It would be like making plans only to have to accept that chance will disrupt them, leading you down an unforeseen path.”

  "I think you should ditch 'enduring lucky survivor' for similar reasons," stated Eleanor with conviction. "I feel like you need to be able to do more than just rely on luck."

  "Then how about 'hope of the hopeless'?" suggested Rose thoughtfully. "I mean, that is what you’ve done already, isn’t it?"

  "He’s more than just a source of hope for others," retorted Greg, frowning slightly. "He doesn’t want to be some kind of messiah."

  "That just makes him a better one," argued Kal, crossing her arms. "Anyone who wants to be such a thing is sure to be a terrible one."

  "That is true," agreed Rose, nodding her head. "Besides, Matt is already being overly hyped by some and may find that he is actually in a good position to unite Earth, if he wanted to."

  "I don’t," retorted Matt, shaking his head. "If all of you want to use me as a figurehead, sure, I guess, as long as you also do all the work to maintain it while I just do whatever I feel like. Then I think it could work."

  "Then I think you should pick 'hope of the hopeless,'" stated Eleanor decisively. "The only alternative to us taking over is to be bossed around by others or deal with endless wars. After all, if history has taught us anything, it’s that conflict is inevitable, and I, for one, think it’s easier to deal with rebellions than outside attacks for ignoring threats and letting them grow stronger because we didn’t get rid of them when we could have."

  Matt just frowned, not wanting to have to eliminate anyone, but he knew that if he wanted to live a life without constantly looking over his shoulder, he would need to do just that. He was just about to argue against 'hope of the hopeless' when Zara sealed the deal, finally adding her voice to the conversation.

  "'Hope of the hopeless' fits you too well for you not to take it," she said quietly, her eyes meeting his. "Just don’t become the hopeless, as then where will the rest of us turn?"