Ch 170.
Matt felt the weight of exhaustion pressing down on him as he embarked on his third day at sea, realizing he still had a daunting 340 miles left to reach the island. So far, he had only managed to cover about a third of the distance. His current raft was the second one he had constructed, the first having finally succumbed to damage inflicted by the massive sperm whale that had violently collided with it the prior night. The makeshift lashes that held the original raft together had finally given way, but he had chosen to move on without incident, sensing no immediate danger around him. Grateful for the foresight to build extra rafts, he scanned the horizon and spotted a pod of five Orcas gliding gracefully through the water.
Each of these majestic creatures was roughly the same length as his raft, their sleek bodies likely weighing as much, if not more. Matt's mind raced with questions: Would they be curious and friendly, or would they view him as a threat? That uncertainty was precisely what he hoped to avoid. As fatigue settled into his bones, frustration bubbled beneath the surface; he was acutely aware of how slow his progress had become. The hours dragged on, each one blending into the next, with the orcas lingering in the vicinity as if they were keeping a watchful eye on him. It struck him that they might simply be bored, drawn to his presence out of curiosity as he navigated the vast expanse of the ocean.
This became evident when one of the orcas glided toward his raft, swimming beneath it before leaping into view just ahead. The sudden appearance disrupted the momentum Matt had painstakingly built from his rowing, causing him to briefly fantasize about the thrill of being towed by such a powerful creature. Unfortunately, he quickly dismissed that notion, knowing full well that engaging with the orca was not an option. He couldn’t imagine defeating one of the massive beings within their element; after all, to them, he was nothing more than a snack. Instead, he instructed his puppets to remain vigilant while he allowed himself a moment of rest, one of them taking over the slow, steady rhythm of rowing.
What began as a simple nap soon spiraled into a deep unconsciousness, drawing Matt into a realm where his awareness melded with the collective consciousness that resided both within his mind and in a dimension beyond his comprehension. This state was neither fully awake nor entirely asleep; it existed as the very essence of who he was, a convergence point for all that he had become and where he would ultimately return. Even with his mental state elevated far beyond what he once considered human limitations, he struggled to grasp how he had formed this unique connection. Was it a skill? If so, he doubted it stemmed from any of his known essences, save perhaps for regeneration. It felt more like an inheritance from his bloodline, a latent power waiting to be fully realized.
All Matt knew for certain was that he possessed a prime bloodline, a fact that marked him as special among others. Coupled with the strange vision he had experienced—one that seemed to depict the very formation of the universe—and the mysterious path his lineage had taken to reach him, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was more of a parasite than a blessing. While it undeniably granted him formidable power, it also painted a target on his back, attracting trouble like a magnet. The image of the man he had trapped on the swarm world flashed in his mind.
Matt still grappled with uncertainty about what the man had done to his puppet and what sinister plans he harbored. He was convinced that these machinations would not benefit him in the long run. The only outcome that seemed favorable was if it led to Matt defeating the man and emerging stronger than anyone else in existence, finally granting him the peace he so desperately sought. These worries often made Matt feel as though he had never truly escaped Radoznaormr’s relentless training. Instead, he sensed that everything unfolding around him was merely another phase of that grueling process. Yet, despite his efforts, he felt as though he was treading water, making no real progress, and this gnawed at him endlessly, even as he maintained a stoic facade.
Upon waking, Matt struggled to gauge how long he had been asleep. During that time, the memories of the three puppets accompanying him had intertwined with his own, creating a disorienting blend of experiences. It felt as if eight days had slipped by since they had departed from shore, and only the recollections of one puppet still exploring the untamed wilderness provided him any solace. With a deep exhale, he contemplated what he needed to focus on next, glancing around to realize that the orcas had vanished from view.
“If you could check our heading, that would be great,” his puppet in charge of navigation remarked, its voice steady despite the rocking of the boat. “Those orcas seemed intent on getting our attention, and I would hate to lose any more distance.” Matt sighed deeply, pulling out Radoznaormr’s anchor with a sense of resignation as he waited for a response. “It seems like you’re having a rather difficult time if you’re already reaching out to me,” Radoznaormr replied, his tone laced with mild amusement.
“Are there any islands closer to us than the one we are aiming for?” Matt asked, deliberately ignoring Radoznaormr's teasing. “I think it would be nice to take a break from being surrounded by water day and night.”
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“You are actually doing better than you should be,” Radoznaormr responded, letting out a resigned sigh. “Honestly, I expected you to be attacked more often. But yes, there is an island only a hundred miles away from your current position. Unfortunately, it’s in the wrong direction and would add an additional 150 miles to your overall journey. The only other islands between you and your target are within fifty miles of your goal.”
“Great, so are we still heading in the right direction?” Matt pressed, a hint of urgency creeping into his voice.
“You're within five degrees, so it can wait until tonight to be corrected,” Radoznaormr assured him.
“Tell me something to ponder while I’m stuck out here,” Matt almost demanded, frustration bubbling to the surface. “My mind is not enjoying this isolation, and I feel like I’m stuck in place, making no progress.”
“Very well,” Radoznaormr conceded, sounding as if he had won a small victory. “I have hinted that your skills will evolve once more when you reach B rank, but I haven’t disclosed how. I still won’t tell you that, but I will say that the more ways you learn to manipulate your essence, the better. Also, stop holding yourself back from reaching your full capabilities as you currently are.”
“How am I holding myself back?” Matt questioned, confusion mingling with irritation.
“Why haven’t you even attempted to do what you did with the owl-man to any of the creatures you’ve encountered since leaving shore?”
“I don’t like that power, and I—”
“Could have a guardian following you right now,” Radoznaormr interjected sharply. “I thought that was the main reason for bringing three of your puppets with you. I would even argue that you should have let one of them be sacrificed during that first fight.”
“No thanks. I still have to experience what each puppet does, and I certainly don’t want to learn what it’s like to be a whale or to be eaten by one,” Matt retorted, shaking his head.
“You worry about all the wrong things. Now put me away before the massive creature that is headed right for you arrives in about fifteen seconds.”
Instantly, Matt recalled Radoznaormr’s earlier words about taking control of sea monsters. The ancient being had likely anticipated this confrontation, and Matt couldn’t shake the feeling of dread as he considered how to battle what looked like a colossal octopus should he end up in the water. After all, he needed air to breathe, and the monstrous creature could easily drag him beneath the waves, leaving him at the mercy of the ocean's depths. With a resigned sigh, he crafted a small puppet, guiding it to slip between the logs that were on the verge of splintering apart, sending it plummeting into the gaping maw below.
As the tiny replica entered the octopus, it wasted no time shifting into basic cells, frantically searching for any means to gain control. Yet, nothing about this creature resembled humanity, and it was utterly bewildered, unsure of where to begin. So, it resorted to trial and error, attempting every possible approach in hopes of establishing a foothold before time ran out.
Watching his puppet vanish into the abyss, Matt felt a flicker of hope for its success, only to be jolted by the sensation of a tentacle coiling around his ankle. Before he could react, he was yanked upward, soaring through the air before landing with a splash in the water, roughly twenty feet from his raft. By that point, only one of his puppets remained engaged in combat on the raft, and it was evident they were losing ground. Just as Matt contemplated whether to swim back or not, the remaining puppet was ensnared and pulled under. He watched in horror as it transformed, its skin hardening to resemble tooth enamel while the octopus attempted to consume it, a grim indication of how dire the situation had become.
Determined to see if he could escape the creature's grasp, Matt began to swim slowly toward the direction he thought was toward the island he was aiming for. However, it quickly became apparent that the massive octopus had other plans for him. Ten minutes later, he found himself in a situation mirroring that of his puppet, being dragged inexorably toward the ocean floor. To his surprise, the depth was not as profound as he had imagined; he could still perceive faint rays of light filtering through the water as he shifted his body into the same state it had occupied within the metal sphere. He clung to the hope that either the octopus would tire of its pursuit or his puppet would manage to take control of the creature.
Meanwhile, deep within the octopus, the cells that once comprised the puppet Matt had dispatched were engulfed in frustration. They had successfully integrated themselves into the octopus’s body, but that was where their triumph ended. Each of the creature's eight arms operated with its own rudimentary brain, making it impossible to sever commands from the central head. Even if such a feat were achievable, the cells had no understanding of how to initiate any commands, as everything about the octopus felt utterly foreign to them. Therefore, they resorted to the only strategy they could conceive: converting every cell into their own, hoping this drastic measure would at least result in the demise of the octopus.
This wasn’t a quick endeavor, as each painstaking step compelled Matt to convert the octopus cells into his own while still preserving their original identity. If he failed to maintain that delicate balance, the takeover would collapse, and the octopus’s body could detect the anomaly, launching an instinctual response to eliminate the intruder. This was undoubtedly the most challenging aspect of what Matt had accomplished with the owl-man, and it proved to be a thousand times more complex when faced with the colossal octopus. Nevertheless, Matt’s puppet pressed on, and after a grueling full day of effort, it finally succeeded in seizing control of the four powerful arms that clutched Matt and his other puppets.
The moment this happened, the octopus began to thrash violently, its panic escalating the strain on Matt’s puppet as it struggled to extend its dominion over the creature. Meanwhile, all four Matts began to float toward the surface, their bodies morphing into more buoyant forms while still retaining their hard, protective shells. Upon reaching the surface, Matt wasted no time in summoning a raft, and the four of them quickly received directions from Radoznaormr as they hastily paddled away, harboring doubts about the other puppet's ability to succeed in its mission.
