Ch 165
Matt was aware that a galactic day equated to roughly three and a half Earth days, so he devoted those three days to exploring the rugged terrain surrounding him, seeking to occupy his time. However, his efforts yielded little; he remained too powerful for any creatures lurking on the surface to pose a challenge. Yet, an unsettling instinct nagged at him, whispering that danger lurked beneath the waves of the ocean, a vast expanse that seemed to pulse with hidden threats. This ominous feeling caused him to hesitate as he approached the cave where he had left Radoznaormr’s anchor during his earlier excursion. Shaking off the creeping sense of foreboding that something might be waiting to strike, Matt finally steeled himself and made his way back to the enormous, egg-shaped Gem. He was caught off guard by Radoznaormr’s initial words upon his return, which hinted at a somewhat expected revelation.
“Do you not know how long a galactic day is? You should have been here hours ago,” Radoznaormr chided, his voice echoing slightly in the cavern.
“320,000 seconds, which I am told matches what Earth seconds were, and that should mean that I am early,” stated Matt, feeling as if he knew what had changed.
“Your world expanded, but its rotation stayed the same,” Radoznaormr retorted. “Though, I suppose you don’t have an easy way to tell time. Still, the fact that you haven’t realized each day is about a third longer than it used to be is troubling. It suggests that something has greatly distorted your sense of time.”
“Maybe being underground and then on a foreign world for months could do that to someone,” Matt replied, crossing his arms defensively. “So, what do you intend to tell me?”
“Right to business then. Very well, there are currently six entrances to the dungeon of this world, though more will appear as time goes on and the dungeon grows. You are actually rather fortunate, as despite the frozen wastelands, each pole of this world has an entrance, although both are surrounded by treacherous water and ice.”
“Can I get to any entrance without crossing the ocean?” Matt asked, already bracing for a negative response.
“No, but you already knew that,” Radoznaormr shot back. “However, there is one entrance that would make an excellent location for your fort if you wish to change your destination to an island about 500 miles from the shore of the landmass you are on.”
“Are there even any working ships?” Matt inquired, skepticism lacing his tone. “Or do I have to swim there?”
“Unless you’re eager to fight your way out of the bellies of multiple aquatic creatures, I would find another way besides swimming,” Radoznaormr answered with a chuckle. “You are strong enough to manage that right now if you truly want to, but that will eventually change unless you level up. I would also advise against ships; all of those built before the integration weren’t built for your currant world. Plus, you’ll need something wider than 50 feet and longer than 200 feet to have any chance of surviving a single monster attack.”
“It sounds like you’re telling me to find a way to fly there,” Matt observed, raising an eyebrow at the implication.
Radoznaormr fell silent at Matt’s assertion, and Matt sighed, feeling the weight of the situation settle in. “Alright, where is it, and what direction do I need to go in?”
Radoznaormr kept his instructions straightforward, directing Matt to make his way to the western coast of the continent he currently occupied, with a preference for a southern trajectory as he traveled. Additionally, Radoznaormr provided Matt with basic guidance to relay to the others, outlining a general direction they could follow if they wished to draw nearer to the same island. Matt promptly posted these directions in the leadership chat before setting off, adjusting his course to head west while also veering slightly south. He began his journey after securely storing Radoznaormr’s anchor and moving onward.
As he walked, Matt mulled over potential strategies for crossing the expansive body of water that lay ahead. It was four days after receiving Radoznaormr's directions when he stumbled upon the first group of people he had encountered since his return to Earth. Yet, "group" seemed inadequate; it was a quaint town comprised of about fifty homes nestled among the trees that enveloped the area. Initially, he had assumed it would be deserted, but as he drew closer, signs of life became evident. Just as he was about to skirt around the settlement, he caught sight of a gathering approaching from his right, their figures emerging from the shadows of the woodland.
“Who goes there?” called a man clad in armor that resembled the shiny surface of a gas barbecue, the metal glinting in the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees.
“Name’s Matt, and I’m just passing through,” he replied, attempting to project calmness and avoid any confrontation.
“Is that large cat with you?” the man asked, eyeing Bob with a mix of curiosity and concern.
“Yeah, Bob here used to be a bobcat before all of this,” Matt explained, gesturing to his companion, who now looked more like a mountain lion, “though as you can see, he has grown.”
“Well, where are you coming from?” the armored man pressed, his stance shifting slightly, ready for any sudden movement.
“Northeast of here, after checking how far north I could go. Now I’m looking to see how far west I can venture,” Matt answered, keeping his tone neutral.
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“You went all the way north?” a second man in the group interjected, his eyebrows raised in disbelief. “How cold was it up there?”
“Not really that cold to me,” Matt shrugged, recalling the brisk air, “but it should also be summer, so who knows how frigid it will get in the winter. I was kind of hoping that with all the changes, I would have been able to reach the North Pole or at least get close by following the North Star.”
Matt noticed the puzzled expressions on the faces of the six men before him, each bearing worn clothes that suggested they could use some proper gear for their travels. He felt the weight of uncertainty in the air; he had no idea if they were level 5 or level 50, and he didn't feel inclined to test them as he turned to leave.
“Whoa, hold on, where do you think you’re going?” called out the first man, his voice cutting through the quiet as Matt turned to leave. “We haven’t finished talking to you.”
“Well, I am done talking to all of you,” Matt replied, glancing back over his shoulder, irritation edging his tone. “I’ve already told you who I am and what I’m doing. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get back to whatever awaits me on the west coast.”
For a heartbeat, Matt sensed the tension in the air, a moment where he feared they might try to block his path. However, one of the men shook his head, and they seemed to reconsider, stepping back slightly.
“Fine, but can we at least escort you to the other side of town?” asked the first man, his expression shifting to one of concern. “We’re kind of the security detail here, and if you don’t plan to stay, it might worry others to see a stranger after what some of us have experienced.”
“Very well, but keep at least ten feet away from me,” Matt replied, his voice steady. “I’m confident in dealing with attacks from that distance. Also, I plan to go around the main path.”
“Sure, whatever you say,” the first man agreed, his shoulders relaxing slightly. “So, what was the world you were dumped into like?”
“Annoying,” Matt shot back, his patience wearing thin.
“Come on, there has to be more to it than that,” pressed the second man, his curiosity piqued.
“There is, but I don’t really feel a need to talk about it,” Matt stated firmly, his gaze shifting to the horizon.
“Fine, well the world I got stuck on was hell,” the first man interjected, his voice taking on a somber tone. “Every morning brought new or stronger monsters, and those of us who stayed behind had to fight them off. The worst part was that after reaching level 16, those of us guarding the ones who couldn’t fight anymore couldn’t even level up.”
“At least you knew when the monsters were coming,” the second man shot back, his voice tinged with bitterness. “On the world I was on, we had to stay vigilant against attacks from any lurking shadow. Even our own shadows became a threat; yet somehow, when the sun dipped below the horizon, we found ourselves safe.”
“Cool, don’t really care,” Matt replied, his tone clipped as he hoped to put an end to the conversation.
“Come on, don’t be like that! At least tell us how you managed to tame a bobcat after it grew so much,” pleaded the first man, his eyes wide with curiosity. “We’re all just people trying to survive in this chaotic new reality—”
“No, I’m not just trying to survive,” Matt interrupted, his voice firm. “I would never have stayed behind at level 9 and let my progress stagnate in the teens. If I felt as weak as you all seem to me, I would be out there hunting monsters as if my life depended on it.”
“You would just abandon others to die like that!” the second man exclaimed, anger flashing in his eyes. “I bet you think the only life that matters is your own!”
“The second aspect of my path is self-sacrifice,” Matt replied, his gaze icy. “The only ones I have no time for are those who can’t or won’t help themselves. You there, how many of those who couldn’t fight had physical injuries that prevented them from even throwing a rock from the back lines?”
“That isn’t the point—”
“Yes, it is. Unless they were young children, even then, they needed to confront the fear you allowed to fester by staying back.”
Matt sensed the disapproval radiating from the group, but he didn’t care; this was how it had always been for him. Just as he was about to turn away, a woman standing near the back finally spoke up.
“He’s not wrong. If your group had fought together from the very beginning to the very end, you all would have leveled up together and left together. But now that we’re back on Earth—or whatever we call this world that seems to have fused with others—we shouldn’t cling to the same viewpoints from before everything changed.”
“It’s still Earth,” Matt stated, his voice steady and unyielding. “Also, the only thing that matters right now is reaching the top so no one else can rule over me.”
“You want to rule over everyone with that attitude?” the first man shot back, annoyance creeping into his tone. “What makes you think you’d even make a good leader?”
“I never claimed I wanted to rule over others, just that I refuse to let anyone else dictate my fate,” Matt retorted, his eyes narrowing. “As for being a good leader, that’s not my concern. I’ll leave that to others while I focus on eliminating the bad ones.”
“Well, that’s a rather dark perspective,” the woman chimed in, her brow furrowing as the rest of the group fell silent, caught off guard by the intensity of the exchange. “So, how many bad leaders did you eliminate before making it back to Earth?”
“More than I wanted to, but fewer than I could have,” Matt replied after a long pause, weighing his words carefully. “Don’t expect more details than that, and I’m not interested in hearing your grievances about your leaders; they’ve done nothing to me or to those I feel responsible for.”
“Yeah, the way we all got separated coming back here really stinks,” the second man added, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. “I made some good friends while fighting alongside them. I’m sure you miss—”
“Just stop,” Matt interrupted, impatience lacing his words. “I don’t understand what you’re after, and frankly, I don’t care. I’m just passing through, and unless something goes horribly wrong, you won’t see me again.”
“Then why are you avoiding sharing more than just a shortened version of your name—”
“Why has none of you even given me that much?” Matt interjected, frustration bubbling to the surface. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think we’ve moved far enough to the side, and I’m tired of this conversation.”
“Wait!” the woman called out, her voice rising above the fading chatter. “If you run straight ahead, you’re likely to encounter more people from our town as they hunt. Some of them might see Bob and think he’s chasing you, which could lead to an attack.”
“Thanks for the heads-up, but they would need to be able to catch me first,” Matt replied, a hint of confidence in his tone as he turned to give Bob a nod of reassurance.
With that, they surged forward at full speed, leaving the group behind in a bewildered silence, their eyes wide as they watched Matt and Bob disappear from view in less than five seconds. The first man turned to the smaller man standing beside him, curiosity etched on his face. “What level was he?”
“Both were over 45, but my skill only reveals a level if it is no more than ten above my own,” the smaller man explained, his brow furrowed in concentration.
“I see,” the first man murmured, a thoughtful expression crossing his features. “I think we all need to heed his advice about getting stronger. I would hate to find him leading the world one day simply because he didn’t like the other options available to him.”
