Ch 183.
As Matt’s puppet stirred awake, a wave of sluggishness washed over it, leaving a disconcerting sensation as it regained control of its body. Although it was in the same place that had last left, an inexplicable staleness lingered within its mind and body. Despite all basic bodily functions being intact, the absence of one of Matt’s selves for several hours had caused a subtle degradation in its essence. Sure enough, as it assessed its state, Matt’s puppet noted with alarm that its stats had plummeted to 45% of Matt’s maximum after regaining the numbers lost during the split back at Matt’s mother’s house. While this wasn’t a catastrophic setback, a nagging worry crept in about the fate of the weaker puppets meant solely for monitoring, those still tasked with watching over Matt’s mother. It also worried about their survival at all after the twenty days that Matt's main consciousness had been shrouded in darkness. Even more daunting was the realization that it would be days before Matt’s main mind would dare to attempt the recombination process again; the next time would inevitably take longer, and a hard lesson loomed on the horizon, one that he would have to confront sooner or later.
Even so, discovering the reason behind Matt’s prolonged absence from consciousness only deepened the questions swirling in his puppet's mind as it navigated the dimly lit path toward Apricity’s tent. As it moved forward, relief washed over it at the sight of passersby who seemed unaware of its extended absence, likely due to the late hour when few ventured out. Upon entering Apricity's tent, it found her still awake, her expression a mix of concern and curiosity. “What kept you so long? I thought you just needed a quick nap,” she said, her voice laced with impatience.
“So did I,” replied Matt’s puppet, letting out a weary sigh. “But it seems that the longer the intervals between updates, the more time it takes to process everything.” It paused, trying to gauge the extent of its dormancy. “How long was I out of it?”
“At least ten hours. I was worried you might end up spending twenty days of your own in that state,” she responded, her brow furrowing with concern.
“No, but it will be at least a few days before I dare to sleep again,” it replied, the weight of its responsibilities pressing down on it.
“Do you think the issue will persist?”
“No, but right now every one of Matt’s puppets needs to reset, and the process is strictly one at a time.”
As Matt’s puppet spoke, two new figures stepped into Apricity’s tent: her mother, Cassie, and Jaelyn, both of whom wore expressions eager for information, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.
“Tell me you have more to share with us than the little that was sent in that message,” Jaelyn almost demanded, her brow furrowed with concern. She had been among those most anxious about the unfolding situation. “I need to ensure that the path back to the ones I left behind is safe and to know if there are any places I should stop on my way back.”
“Sure, I can tell you that it is worse than that message made things seem,” Matt’s puppet replied, its voice steady despite the gravity of the news. “I have a feeling that soon Matt is going to ask Radoznaormr to open the first of the five portals he promised. If I had to guess, he’s only waiting for the showdown with Spencer to take place, and then he will be gone.”
“That sounds just like you,” Cassie muttered, shaking her head slightly. “You were never much good at considering anything but your own goals. My question is, why do you suddenly sound like you and he aren’t the same anymore?”
“Because the changes I feel are deeper than I can fully process right now,” Matt’s puppet stated, a hint of uncertainty creeping into its tone. “Now that I know it’s possible, I might try to sleep without rejoining the whole from time to time. I suspect I won’t be the only one of his puppets who does so. However, there are several more tests we need to conduct to ensure that it is truly feasible.”
“What will that change about you?” Apricity asked, her voice a blend of worry and hope. “I mean, would you still call yourself Matt and follow his path, or would you genuinely be separated?”
“I can see too many possibilities for me to be sure, but I think it should be possible to completely sever myself from Matt. Yet, I believe doing so will come at a cost I don’t fully understand.”
“There are pros and cons to every decision we make,” Jaelyn commented, trying to steer the conversation back to what she cared about most. “Now tell me how all of this is going to affect our ability to use you and those like you to check in with Matt?”
“I won’t know for about three days,” replied Matt’s puppet, its voice steady but laced with uncertainty. “Even then, I’m not sure what will unfold, as I suspect we’ll have to take a long, hard look at the best path forward.”
“Alright, so I need to stall for three days,” Jaelyn mumbled, her brow furrowing as she pondered the implications. “That isn’t too bad, though it’s worse than I hoped. At least I can help encourage everyone here to work together a bit more.”
“You and your mind control skills,” Matt’s puppet grumbled, a hint of amusement creeping into its tone. “Maybe I should send you to my mother’s house and—”
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“I’ll convince her that I would be the perfect daughter-in-law and make you marry me,” Jaelyn interrupted, ignoring the glare Apricity shot her way. “At least that’s what I think it would take to get her to come after hearing your account of what happened.”
“Maybe I should go then,” Apricity suggested, her voice hopeful. “After all, I want to—”
“Shut up and move on,” Cassie interjected firmly, cutting through the banter. “No offense to Matt, but he’ll just bring heartache to any woman he gets involved with.”
“None taken, as we agree with you,” stated Matt’s puppet. “Even if I became separate from Matt, I doubt I could do any better than showing up randomly every few years for a few weeks of passion before disappearing again.”
“I could deal with that,” Apricity countered, her eyes brightening. “At least as long as I knew you were always going to come back to me and stay true while you were gone.”
“I raised you better than that!” Cassie almost shouted, her voice rising with frustration. “We’ve been over this before.”
“If this is going to turn into an argument over Matt’s impossible love life, I’ll take my leave,” Jaelyn remarked, crossing her arms in annoyance. “If not, how about we focus on the real issue we need to tackle before all the strongest people here decide to leave? Namely, that we aren’t the only group in the area, and the other factions seem to be eyeing what we are building.”
Matt’s puppet frowned, its brow furrowing as it recalled the existence of at least twenty groups, each varying in size from twenty to three hundred, who were aware of their ambitious plans to develop the area. In some respects, this was a positive development; it meant they had potential allies to draw upon in their efforts. However, the challenge lay in the fact that most of these factions resented the notion of being subordinate to Scattered Stars. Each group harbored its own desires and objectives, but it was painfully clear that establishing a council was the only way to forge any semblance of compromise. Yet, that approach seemed outdated in a world where power dynamics basically equated to the one with the biggest stick always won.
“We’ve been over this before. Bob is going to stay in the area and handle any troublemakers until the first group returns from the dungeon,” Matt’s puppet declared, its voice firm but tinged with concern. “He’s already earned a reputation as a terrifying monster after dealing with that one particularly foolish group.”
“Someone will eventually come along who can take him down,” Jaelyn warned, her eyes narrowing with apprehension.
“I think he’s going to carve out quite an interesting path for himself, thanks to becoming a local ghost story,” Cassie remarked thoughtfully. “That’s how this system operates, isn’t it? We take actions, and the system determines which aspects we qualify for, and as we accumulate those aspects, we forge a path forward.”
“Who knows?” Matt’s puppet replied, frowning as it pondered its own recent choices. “I wonder what options will become available to me when I reach B rank; it feels like ages since I last had the opportunity to alter my path.”
“Knowing you, it’s bound to be something grand,” Jaelyn commented with a hint of envy. “I wish I could receive something broken, like luck, fate, or regeneration.”
“Then do something remarkable,” Apricity shot back, her tone playful yet earnest. “I’m literally nothing but a glorified guide, likely destined to spend most of my life mapping out dungeons. At least your build will allow you to bask in the sun.”
“Yeah, all while trying to essentially kick off a religious movement centered around a man who wants nothing to do with that plan. Thankfully, I’m not pushing him as a god but rather as someone others should aspire to emulate.”
“Is that why so many here seem scared of me when I’m walking around?” Matt’s puppet asked, irritation creeping into its voice. “Jaelyn, just stop and let me be who I am without all the extra complications that come from being idolized.”
“That ship sailed the moment you let me become a recruiter, and you know it,” Jaelyn replied firmly, her tone unwavering. “Besides, the fact that they know you aren’t the real you is already more than enough for most to accept that you’re way beyond them. Hearing the tale about how you trained with a dragon has only served to elevate your image even further. Not to mention, the fact that you’re still in contact with that dragon makes it easier to deflect most of your frustration onto them.”
“Just promise me that you aren’t going to mind-control them into surrendering their free will and critical thinking abilities,” Matt’s puppet requested, a hint of anxiety threading through its words.
“I think you highly overestimate the number of people capable of thinking critically,” Cassie retorted, her brow furrowing in disapproval. “Don’t get me wrong; they can use logic and reasoning, just not when it comes to anything that challenges their worldview.”
An awkward silence settled over the group as Apricity's expression darkened, revealing her distress. Matt’s puppet wanted no part in the argument he sensed brewing between Apricity and her mother. Jaelyn appeared to have resigned herself to the futility of achieving anything productive. Thankfully, Matt’s puppet was spared further discomfort as Bob’s voice echoed in his mind.
“Enemies are approaching. Want me to kill leaders or give you a chance to talk to them?”.
“How many?” Matt’s puppet asked, his tone steady despite the urgency of the situation.
“Three large groups merged into one, over 800 strong now.”
“How long until they arrive?”
“About an hour.”
“Thanks, keep me informed.”
As Matt absorbed this information, he felt the weight of the room's attention settle on him. He sighed heavily, relaying Bob’s grim update to the gathered crowd. The atmosphere shifted immediately, discussions about strategies and defenses erupting as they prepared for a potential confrontation. Roughly 600 people were present who had rallied under the banner of Scattered Stars, a mix of seasoned fighters and their families.
The current plans had 100 fighters who would form the first group heading to the dungeon island, accompanied by another 80 crew members on the ship, ready to set sail the moment the ship was finished. Knowing that, Matt’s puppet sensed that dragging everyone present into a fight would be unwise. He hoped the approaching faction intended to leverage their numbers for negotiation rather than outright conflict.
With resolve, Matt’s puppet began to stride toward the incoming group, intent on intercepting them before they could drag the entire settlement into chaos. Noticing this, 50 members from Jaelyn’s contingent hurried to follow, their expressions a mix of concern and readiness, prepared to provide backup should the situation deteriorate. Matt’s puppet wished fervently for a peaceful resolution, but skepticism gnawed at him; it was clear that the other group might attempt to impose their terms, and he was determined not to yield to such pressure.
