Ch 147

  Five days later, Matt finally extracted something useful from the Owl-man, into whom he had implanted a clone of himself. This was after the Owl-man had clearly been subjected to thorough examinations by at least five different people, all attempting to uncover what Matt had done to him. Ultimately, they all failed to detect anything unusual, as the nature of Matt’s cells allowed them to transform into a perfect copy of any type of cell. Identifying them would require someone like Emily, who had achieved at least a B rank in their identification skills, which would have been an issue before the world was cut off.

  The inability of others to find any abnormalities eventually led the Owl-man to believe it was safe to contact those behind the previous attack. Although this primarily led to dead ends, Matt managed to identify the next link in the chain of command, or whatever they preferred to call their structure. Regardless, Matt had transferred some of his cells to this new target when the Owl-man was brutally beaten during an interrogation, nearly to the point of death.

  The fact that the interrogation ended with the owl-man changing his story from the truth to what they wanted to hear was enough to reinforce Greg and Emily's warnings about using such brutal tactics. It was clear that the owl-man's loyalty had been rewarded with savage beatings, which spoke volumes about the organization they were dealing with. Matt started to build a list of names from what he overheard, which he constantly passed to Emily through their secure channel. After all, now wasn't the time to make their move, as they first needed to find solid footing. Matt was sure it was only a matter of time before another attempt on his life would be made, especially as their travel route was becoming predictable with each planned stop.

  The only good thing about the trip in Matt's mind was the fact that he was becoming more emotionally numb and better at dealing with others in this harsh world. Most of what he did was healing those with injuries that required actual regeneration of whole limbs—farmers who had lost hands to machinery, miners with crushed legs, and children born with missing digits. This widespread problem existed mainly because those below C rank had no chance at healing such things with their natural abilities, and none above C rank saw any reason to find a solution to this issue. Rudan did talk about how he was sure alchemy could find a solution, but the focus of such magical sciences was on pursuits that could earn large sums of money for the practitioners.

  This meant that while solutions to quickly restore HP mid-battle were common, regenerating limbs wasn't. One would think it would be, but healing such injuries always required mass to come from somewhere, and by the time enough mass would be consumed, it was assumed that the injured fighter would die or be captured. Yet Matt felt like such an issue was simple to solve as he discussed things with Emily, and they came to the conclusion that Matt's methods of healing involved mass conversion at the very least. The question was whether it pulled the mass from Matt, the one he was healing, or both—and could he create something using his cells that could be mass-produced like the healing potions that were popular in all forms of fiction.

  That sadly was well outside his current expertise and knowledge, and he suspected that it would be for a very long time. No, the only reason that he even cared was due to the looks he would get from those who suddenly were whole once more. The way their eyes widened in disbelief, then filled with tears of gratitude. It reminded him of what Jaelyn wished for him to become to those who would return to Earth: a Savior. The very thought of that coming to pass had him wanting to vomit as he considered what being seen in such a light would be like. Bluntly put, Matt knew he would need another figure to point to if he wanted to avoid such a situation, only he lacked any candidates and didn't feel like becoming religious in his own right to propagate such things.

  Yet, Matt also wondered exactly what his bloodline was, as he was starting to think that prime bloodlines were something more extraordinary than he originally thought. This question was nagging at Matt, as for all he knew, he was dealing with matters that went above the heads of even those on Tempormr’s level. If that was the case, a part of him pondered whether it was so far-fetched to consider his bloodline divine in nature. This thought persisted, bothering him whenever there was downtime, and he wasn’t gleaning any useful information from eavesdropping on the owl-man or those he collaborated with.

  "You look troubled," commented Rudan, breaking Matt from his reverie. "Has something else happened?"

  "No," replied Matt. "I have yet to discover anyone higher than the one who interrogated the fool since I started listening in."

  "Then why do you keep frowning and looking like you don’t understand something?"

  Matt hesitated, contemplating whether or not to voice his thoughts before sighing and reframing them slightly as he responded.

  "Would you consider Tempormr or Radoznaormr divine in any way, and if not, what would you consider divine?"

  "The divine is the unknowable to me," stated Rudan. "The system is divine, but beyond that, I would say the things that transcend understanding, like how so many worlds share beliefs in gods that there is no proof of."

  "Wouldn’t the fact that so many worlds have references to them mean that they are real?"

  "No, the system is far-reaching, and many believe that it sends out echoes long before it can integrate a world."

  If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  "What do you mean?"

  "We are discussing things that are far beyond me, as only those on Tempormr’s level have enough access to the system to have any insights."

  Matt frowned, sensing that Rudan wanted to conclude the topic, but Matt was eager to discuss bloodlines first.

  "What about bloodlines?" Matt asked, deciding to be more direct. "Are they divine in any way?"

  "I wouldn't think so," Rudan replied thoughtfully. "Most people simply have a bloodline that connects them to their ancestors, much like how all my daughters have the ability to awaken the horned-rabbit bloodline. Even if the system indicates you have none, it exists and just needs to be awakened in one way or another. However, anomalies do exist, such as the rumored prime bloodlines."

  "Oh, and what are the rumors?" Matt inquired, his curiosity piqued.

  "Well," Rudan began, "those who embody the prime bloodlines are said to be forces of nature, and it's best to flee from them even if you believe you can overpower them. I suspect you might possess one, as the system's intervention in your case seems inexplicable otherwise."

  Matt frowned again as Rudan gave him a knowing look before continuing.

  "Really, it was the fact that even an A-rank individual perished to a skill you used that clued me in," Rudan explained.

  "I don't think I will confirm or deny anything, as I don't believe it's in my interest either way," Matt commented cautiously. "Instead, I will just ask what is generally known about such bloodlines."

  "They only appear when a new world is integrated," Rudan said. "No one knows how many there are, but it's said that when the last of them matures, the end of this universe will come. This is why many hunt them when their hosts are weak, hoping to force them to vanish for at least a little while. Yet, it is never long before a new world's integration results in the bloodline reappearing. Most people believe that the system ensures none of the prime bloodlines vanish, and many think that both Tempormr, Radoznaormr, and others who reach their level possess one."

  "Wouldn't that mean that each time a new one appears, a bloodbath at the top ranks is expected to follow?" Matt asked, intrigued by the implications.

  "Yes, exactly," Rudan replied. "Hence, those with such bloodlines are hunted. The thing is, new ones always seem to appear just when there are enough S-ranked individuals for them to slaughter their way to the top."

  Matt frowned deeply, feeling no inclination to slaughter without reason merely to gain power. No, he was comfortable with killing those who sought his demise, but the notion of killing S ranks solely to increase his level seemed excessive to him. It made him feel as if he needed to circumvent anything like it by diving into the endless dungeon that Rudan had told him Earth would become upon his return. He just wondered if it would be similar to the one on the planet where he was currently stranded.

  "You’re thinking that you won’t follow a path that the system has set out for you, aren’t you?" questioned Rudan, his eyes narrowing with curiosity. "Thinking that you will just find somewhere to slip away and hide from the universe."

  "No, just that I have no desire to kill all those that I will have to," stated Matt firmly. "I would much rather simply slaughter the entirety of the Godfrey family while still at my current strength and see how far that gets me."

  "You would fail," retorted Rudan with a dismissive wave of his hand. "They are not so easy to kill and know too much about what you can do for a surprise counterattack to work."

  "I know," Matt sighed, a hint of resignation in his voice. "Besides, it may not matter."

  With that, the conversation ended, and Matt shifted his focus outside his body once more. To Rudan, he seemed to be meditating. In reality, he was back to sitting with Rose in the puppet that was currently the size of a small teddy bear. While all of them looked worse each time he joined them—dark circles under their eyes, clothes frayed at the edges—their spirits were high as only a few hunters still pursued them. They had even seemed to find an area where others weren't active.

  "So, what has you escaping to us now?" asked Rose as she smiled at seeing his puppet move while she held it close to her chest, her fingers absently stroking its head.

  "Just wondering if I can really go through with everything that the current plan requires of me," admitted Matt. "I just worry about what it actually succeeding will mean."

  "Then why not just flee to us?" commented Rose. "Even if you decided to halt your progression and hide away forever, I know that at least I wouldn't reject you for it."

  "But I would," stated Matt. "Just as I realize that truly being with any woman in the next 100 years might be impossible."

  "It helps when you have no sexual desires," retorted Rose, frowning. "Honestly, Matt, I've had you waking me up while I snuggle with you at night, and you've made no moves the entire time, not even looking at me longer than you should."

  "Are you saying that you're upset about it?" asked Matt, genuinely caught off guard. "I just—"

  "Have no idea what you want or what I want," cut in Rose. "At first, I thought it was just you being a gentleman but, now I have been focused on finding a way to entice you into wanting more like I do, but nothing."

  "This isn't my real body, and we can't be sure that—"

  "Why lie?" asked Rose, looking hurt. "Ever since the penalty period was put in place, you've only grown more distant. I know that you can't aid us in combat, but you could have increased your size and—"

  "Been more of a burden to carry around?" cut in Matt, frowning as he looked at Rose's face. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, the dim light catching on her lashes. He knew that she was feeling insecure about everything, and part of him knew it spelled the end of their time as a couple and any chances moving forward. Still, there was a part of him that wanted to try to fix things, as he had genuinely enjoyed the companionship and comfort she had given him at the start. He also felt like she understood him better than any other woman that he had ever tried to be with. So, he picked his next words carefully. "Rose, I am not looking for anything physical right now, and you know the reasons why. What I am looking for is caring and mutual respect. If you want me around more to listen to your thoughts, then I can try, but my attention and time are rather divided currently."

  "I know, it just feels like I am failing at something."

  "Ha, if anyone is failing, it's me. Now, I need to talk with Greg and Emily about the current situation and my worries."

  "Can I at least listen to your worries?"

  Matt smiled, his puppet's small face softening. "Sure, I am..." Matt spent a solid hour talking with Rose as the others pretended to ignore them. Though Matt could tell that all of them were listening, their ears perked up whenever his voice rose slightly, which was good as it would save him time when he got to Greg and Emily to discuss things.