Ch 199.

  Matt’s movements were precise as he leaped from one precarious foothold to another while rocks rained down around him. Fortunately, the projectiles were coming at a speed he could manage, but they gradually began to herd him into a tighter space as he struggled to navigate the chaos swirling around him. If not for his ability to counterattack by hurling rocks back at his aggressors, he might have deemed his situation utterly hopeless, especially with his HP still lingering at a dangerously low level after the last skirmish. Yet, rather than succumbing to despair, he found himself grinning, relishing the challenge as he continued to lay the groundwork for his trap.

  Instead of continuing his ascent toward the summit, Matt found himself carefully descending. He knew that while the upper cliffs had crumbled into a chaotic mess, the section just 500 feet below remained solid and intact. That was his destination as he navigated the debris-strewn area left by the colossal flying rock monster and its rider. It took only a few determined runs back and forth along the wreckage for him to reach the edge of the cleared space.

  Dropping down to the stable cliffside proved to be a challenge; he had to claw his hands and dig his feet into the rugged, jagged rocks, mimicking the movements he had employed during his earlier ascent. If he hadn’t already traversed this treacherous terrain once before and identified the rough path carved out by his previous struggle, he doubted he would have been able to move with such urgency and precision. The rocky surface was unforgiving, but his determination pushed him onward, propelling him closer to his goal.

  That was part of the reason he had chosen to traverse the cliffs above instead of barreling down as quickly as possible. The second reason became evident when he made what was likely the most reckless decision he could have made—he darted into the first hollow he encountered. Even the towering rock creature and the massive bird-like monster appeared momentarily baffled, hesitating for a brief moment before shifting its weight, as though preparing to crash directly into him. However, as it surged forward, the cliffs above groaned ominously once more, and before it could close the distance to Matt, a sudden rockslide cascaded down, blocking its path. The flying monster’s head collided with the falling debris, failing to decelerate in the slightest, sending a shower of dust and smaller rocks tumbling around Matt as he braced himself for the chaos.

  Had it only been the giant flying monster, the fight would have ended there; however, the colossal rock man managed to leap off its back as it landed on the crumbling cliff above. In his fervor, Matt had gone all out, scattering fragments of himself across the cliffside, and now he dashed forward, using these remnants to trigger even more of the already damaged cliff to collapse. To achieve this, Matt had crafted several puppets that expanded rapidly like balloons, acting as wedges before plummeting alongside the loosened rocks. This maneuver inadvertently stabilized the area above him, which had been his intended destination for climbing. Yet now, as if it were a massive gorilla, the giant rock man was pounding down on the ground directly above Matt, sending tremors through the earth and threatening to unleash further chaos.

  More rocks tumbled down, and Matt found himself trapped within the hollow unless he was willing to risk a perilous plunge to the ground below. He understood that remaining still would only lead to the inevitable collapse of the hollow as the giant rock man continued to pummel the cliff above him. With a surge of determination, Matt decided to take a chance. He waited until he spotted a larger boulder plummeting past him, seizing the opportunity to use it as a makeshift stepping stone. He leaped to the side, attempting to climb upward. The maneuver only partially succeeded; despite his superhuman senses and high stats that enabled him to attempt such a daring move, executing it proved to be anything but straightforward. The jagged edges of the rocks scraped against his skin, and the chaos around him made every second feel like a lifetime.

  As a result of his maneuver, Matt leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding several smaller boulders that came crashing down, each one roughly the size of his head. Although the impacts didn’t send him plummeting to the ground, they did force him to tumble a few hundred feet before he managed to grasp the rough edge of the cliff. Fortunately, it appeared that the giant rock man had not noticed his desperate movements and remained fixated on reaching the hollow where Matt had just been. Seizing the opportunity, Matt wasted no time; he began to climb, employing all six limbs he currently had to navigate the treacherous surface with urgency and determination.

  When he was roughly 100 feet from the summit, the hollow where he had taken refuge finally gave way as the rock man leaned back and unleashed a thunderous roar that echoed through the canyon. In that moment, Matt realized that if he didn’t reach the top before the creature completed its triumphant display, he would likely be spotted and attacked while vulnerable in a precarious position. He was determined to ascend to the very peak, knowing it would grant him the best opportunities to engage the beast on his own terms. As he hurried upward, memories of the fighting games from his childhood flickered through his mind—games that confined him to simple left, right, up, and down movements, reminiscent of the narrow confines of the collapsed cliff he now faced. Although there was more space at the top, and he believed that if he poured every ounce of strength into the fight he might emerge victorious, the odds felt daunting.

  When he was a mere 20 feet from reaching the collapsed area, even with the giant rock monster looming above him, its celebration abruptly ceased, and Matt realized he had been spotted. With a terrifying roar, the creature lunged violently in his direction, and Matt barely managed to leap aside just in time, as a colossal fist crashed down where he had stood moments before. In an instant, he found himself gripping the rough, rocky surface of the arm connected to that massive fist, scrambling upward along the giant rock man’s body. This task proved far more challenging than he had anticipated, as the creature thrashed about in an attempt to dislodge him. However, this struggle inadvertently worked to Matt's advantage, propelling him skyward as he was flung halfway up the shattered cliffside. The brutal impact that slammed him against the jagged rocks, reducing his health to a precarious 15%, the force of the collision more than negated any HP he had regained during the fierce battle.

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  As if the situation couldn’t get any worse, Matt felt his stamina depleting even as his wounds began to heal. He realized that any movement would halt his HP regeneration, and attempting to mend his injuries would only sap more of his health. This was the critical moment where battles truly tested those in B rank, as their recovery capabilities were astonishingly potent. The rock monsters, however, lacked this advantage; they functioned more like marionettes, for healing required them to sacrifice their own mass. Matt was convinced that if given enough time, these creatures could consume nearby rocks or find some alternative to replenish their lost material, but he had no intention of allowing that to happen. Instead, as he regained his strength, he propelled himself upward toward the cliff's summit, his movements swift and purposeful, as though he were plotting a hasty escape.

  The giant rock man shifted its stance, preparing to leap to the top in a single, powerful bound. Seizing this moment, Matt propelled himself at the massive creature with every ounce of strength he could muster. The impact of their collision might have seemed comical—a fleeting image of a rubber chicken slamming against a wall flitted through his mind—but the result was anything but trivial. The rock man staggered, tipping slightly off balance before being launched upward into the air. Instead of advancing forward, the creature found itself jumping slightly backward off the edge of the cliff. Simultaneously, Matt was sent hurtling away, landing near the exit to the next floor, his body battered and bruised, with just over 3% of his HP remaining and several broken limbs in desperate need of healing.

  The situation was dire enough that Matt hesitated to move forward into the next floor, let alone contemplate leaving the dungeon altogether. Instead, he concentrated on recovering just enough to feel secure about regenerating the shattered parts of his body completely. Unfortunately, his injuries were a significant obstacle to recovering HP; each wound diminished the amount of health he could regain until they were properly addressed. In this precarious moment, Matt found himself recovering at a mere quarter of what he should have, despite channeling the skill designed to enhance his regeneration. This fact gnawed at him, but what truly unsettled him was the absence of the notification confirming that the battle had concluded. The silence felt ominous, stretching out like an eternity as he remained alert, waiting for a sign of resolution that never seemed to arrive.

  He understood that the battle was far from over; at least one of his adversaries still drew breath and was likely mending its wounds. The pressing question loomed in his mind: which of them was in worse condition, and could he regain enough strength to face them when they inevitably returned? He envisioned a scenario where he could simply rain down more rocks on whichever foe was still alive, the irony of his plan not lost on him as he contemplated using smaller stones to crush a giant rock. As this thought lingered, time dragged on, and instead of worrying about his dwindling HP, Matt concentrated on assessing his injuries. He recalled that typically, a combatant could only focus on healing their body, replenishing their HP, or restoring their stamina during moments of rest. This was part of what made Matt unique; he had the ability to recover all three if his stamina wasn’t completely depleted. However, in this dire moment, he found himself limited to focusing solely on either his physical wounds or his HP, as the recovery of his stamina would remain stalled until he addressed one or the other.

  This led to a flurry of questions swirling in his mind, as he hadn’t anticipated such a setback for himself. Yet, an instinct deep within urged him to prioritize the restoration of his body above all else. With that resolve, he dedicated himself entirely to healing. After what felt like an eternity of waiting, with the battle still unresolved, Matt felt his body beginning to mend. He gradually pushed himself into a sitting position, and as he did, both his HP and stamina began to recover at a painstakingly slow pace. His HP barely crawled up to the 10% mark before it stalled, the healing process hampered by his critical condition. Just then, a flicker of movement at the edge of the cliff snagged his attention, but confusion washed over him as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing.

  The flying rock monster emerged over the cliff's edge, carrying the rock man on its back. They were no larger than a seagull with a doll precariously perched upon it. Matt couldn't help but feel that it was a cruel joke for them to cling on in such a ridiculous state. Just as he began to process this absurdity, a second creature appeared, followed closely by two more, and before he could fully grasp the situation, there were hundreds of them swarming into view. The sheer number made him consider abandoning his post; he wondered if the previous battle had even been winnable. Perhaps this entire ordeal was designed to humble those who had recently ascended to B rank. From another perspective, the level could be seen as having to surmount an insurmountable wall.

  Sighing deeply, Matt recognized that he was destined to confront the very hopeless odds that loomed before him. Even though his path had become less overt and more complex, it remained a crucial part of his journey. He understood that merely grasping the surface of someone’s current trajectory only revealed the most obvious aspects of their existence. The true essence of a path ran much deeper, with each former title representing an integral piece of the reality that one must traverse to remain true to their core self. The difficulty in quantifying these elements only reinforced Matt's belief that the authenticity of one's commitment to their path played a significant role in their overall journey. He would even contend that the three numbers displayed by the system were more misleading than informative.

  As for the reasons behind the system's apparent need to obscure the truth, Matt was convinced that there had to be some sentient force orchestrating it all. Nothing else seemed to add up; the pressing question lingered: what was this entity, and what were its true intentions? Yet, these ponderings consumed precious moments he could not afford to waste. With a surge of determination, he transformed his arms into whip-like appendages, quickly taking aim at the first enemies as they approached, while small pebbles began to rain down around his head.

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