Ch 207.
Matt’s puppet stepped onto the sandy shore, dragging the heavy trunk that confined Louie. Two more of Matt’s puppets approached, their expressions unreadable as they helped haul the trunk away from the bustling dock and into a secluded area of the island, hidden from the prying eyes of newcomers. Once they reached a shaded grove, they carefully unfastened Louie’s bindings, the ropes falling away to reveal his weary body. As he blinked against the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves, he struggled to comprehend his surroundings. Matt’s puppet had only informed him that they were returning to the ship, and he would eventually find himself back on the island, leaving him to assume they were merely collecting two additional puppets.
One of Matt's puppets broke the silence, its voice calm yet firm. “I look forward to the day you’re no longer our problem. Here’s the deal: Paige and her party will have the option of bringing you into the dungeon with them. In fact, they should be discussing that right now with the real me. So, here are your options. First, you can go right back in that trunk; we can have the ship head back to the other island before nightfall if we wish. Next, if Paige and her party agree, you can enter the dungeon with them, but you will be gagged and blindfolded inside this trunk during the journey. Finally, you can refuse, and I’ll simply place you in the dungeon all by yourself, allowing you to remain there for as long as you want, or until you die.”
One of Matt’s puppets carefully peeled the gag from Louie’s mouth, allowing him to work his jaw and regain some semblance of comfort. He paused, weighing the gravity of his choices against the oppressive silent stares of Matt’s puppets. “Alright, so you’re offering me a way to be free of all of this,” he said slowly, his voice hoarse from disuse, “but I would have to essentially live in the dungeon, completely alone, with no one to watch over me while I sleep. That sure sounds like a recipe for me dying. So why do I feel like that is still my best option?”
All three of Matt’s puppets wore enigmatic smiles, their expressions revealing nothing as they patiently awaited his response. They wanted him to take the risk and venture into the dungeon alone, hoping he would cultivate skills that would enable him to control the dungeon monsters just as he had controlled people. If he managed that, it could pave the way for him to be regarded as a formidable tactical asset for Scattered Stars. It was no secret that Matt was already laying the groundwork, preparing for the moment when Earth’s grace period would end and the world would need to be ready for war. At least not among those who understood the things he had set in motion across the universe.
“I can’t go with Paige and then enter the dungeon by myself afterward?” Louie asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
“No, the dungeon only allows entry as either a solo venture or with a group, and you must commit to one choice,” Matt’s puppet replied, shaking its head with a mechanical precision. “You can only set the mode for your dive once. Once you’re inside, you cannot swap out party members, and the difficulty level adjusts based on how many are in your group. It won’t even permit our main body to take any of us along, and if anyone in a party dies or opts out, the remaining members will have to shoulder the burden.”
“Then why not enter in groups of hundreds? That way, if someone dies, the spike in difficulty wouldn’t be so severe,” Louie suggested, his tone laced with skepticism.
“Right, and what do you think the odds are that no one gets overwhelmed by the sheer number of monsters they would face?” scoffed one of Matt’s puppets, its voice dripping with disdain. “Our main body ventures alone, constantly battling multiple foes. Imagine if 1,000 people were pitted against 3,000 monsters of equal strength, with 900 of those monsters preoccupying 900 fighters while the remaining 2,100 zeroed in on the last 100. Even if the first 900 dispatched their enemies swiftly, few of the remaining hundred would survive, and the next encounter could yield the same grim outcome. Even I don’t fancy my main body’s odds at a twenty-one to one ratio.”
“Right, so that’s a terrible situation,” Louie grumbled, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Not that I think you’re entirely correct about the dungeon functioning like that. Still, it’s a possibility, and I agree that it would likely end poorly for that group if it did. Well, death comes for us all, and I believe it’s time I confront mine and go it alone. But I’ll ask that you at least provide me with enough supplies to give it a decent shot.”
“You shouldn’t plan for your own demise,” Matt’s puppet cautioned, its tone firm yet devoid of malice. “If you do, that is precisely what will happen.”
“Isn’t that what you’re hoping for?” Louie pressed, genuine bewilderment crossing his face. “I mean, it’s the perfect way to dispose of me without having to execute me directly.”
“Not at all,” Matt’s puppet retorted sharply. “If I wanted you gone, I would have simply tossed you overboard or claimed you escaped on the last island. No, my real self is banking on you not being a terrible person and actually finding the strength to control yourself once you overcome your cowardice.”
As one of Matt’s puppets made that statement, the other two deftly lifted Louie to his feet, carefully unbinding him from his restraints. Finally free, he relished the sensation of stretching his limbs, muscles aching from disuse. He scanned the surrounding area, taking in the scenery with a critical eye. “Not really anything special,” Louie remarked, his gaze sweeping over the island’s unremarkable landscape. “Sure, that wall is something, but there really isn’t anything else worth mentioning here, is there?”
“And yet, within the next few years, it will likely transform into a bustling city,” one of Matt’s puppets replied, its voice tinged with reluctance. “I am really not looking forward to that.”
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“You really do hate people, don’t you?” Louie challenged, a hint of defiance in his tone. “So why do you engage in all this work, then?”
“That’s simple. Whenever a large group of people gathers, their basest instincts tend to surface. They’ll notice one individual possessing more than another and demand that the one with excess share with the one lacking, completely disregarding the reasons behind the inequality. Charismatic figures or those with a flair for drama can easily turn their opinions into rallying cries, dismissing all logic and the realities that contradict their claims. Discussions that should be civil often devolve into name-calling as corruption takes hold. However, this city will not allow such chaos, if I can help it, after all under the system I am setting up, I will maintain control. I intend to govern in a manner that ensures the inhabitants focus solely on the dungeon, diverting their energies away from the daily grind that consumed the old world and towards personal improvement instead.”
“That’s never going to work,” Louie shot back, a chuckle escaping his lips. “You’d need to rule with an iron fist and be constantly on the lookout to enforce your will upon everyone.”
“No, it will simply be established that only members of Scattered Stars can reside here permanently. Sure, we’ll allow many to come and experience our dungeon, but that can happen elsewhere too. This will serve as our stronghold, and being encircled by the sea gives us a natural barrier to keep most out with minimal effort. So, if anyone tries to stir up trouble here, I can just make them leave, even if it means expelling them from Scattered Stars altogether.”
“I’m still just a teenager, and I can already spot the flaws in that plan,” Louie replied, shaking his head in disbelief. “But whatever, you can handle the headaches that are bound to come.” He took a deep breath, his expression shifting to one of determination. “Let’s just get me some gear so I can dive into the dungeon and face my death with some dignity.”
Matt’s puppet shook its head, understanding the validity of Louie’s argument. He was genuinely interested in Louie’s insights, hoping they would help him refine his plans as more people began to arrive in the area. The last thing he wanted was to be cast in the role of a savior figure or the leader of a cult-like following. Although it seemed like a straightforward path to take, Matt found the idea distasteful; he preferred the notion of being a grumpy old man who wandered from place to place, free from the burdens of leadership. As his puppet contemplated this internal struggle, Matt sat in a nearby clearing with Apricity and Paige, meticulously detailing the options his puppet had presented to Louie.
“So, you’re saying you want Louie to go into the dungeon all by himself if my party refuses to take him in as luggage?” Paige asked, her brow furrowing in discontent.
“No,” Matt replied, shaking his head. “You would take him in and then bring him back out, adjusting the difficulty higher. However, it would still be on floors low enough that even if it becomes overwhelming once you reach areas where the dungeon matches your level, you should be alright.”
“That still sounds like a raw deal,” Paige challenged, her frown deepening. “What happens if I don’t gain the ability to act as his leash like you want?”
“I don’t want anything,” Matt countered with a wry smile. “You’re the one who agreed to try and save him; I’m simply making contingency plans for any eventuality.”
“Yeah, well, your plans stink,” Apricity chimed in, crossing her arms. “Sorry, Matt, but planning has never been your strong suit. Just look at how your attempt to stir up a bit of chaos led to an intergalactic war we still don’t fully understand.”
“Rudan is still alive,” Matt shot back, his voice firm. “So, it isn’t all doom and gloom. Though I have a nagging feeling that we only made the ones I should truly fear even stronger.”
“Wait, what?” Paige interrupted, unable to contain her curiosity. “Sorry, but I think I just heard something I wasn’t supposed to.”
“No, it’s something that needs to be known,” Matt stated, shaking his head with conviction. “After all, this is why we need to ramp up our training right now. I believe I’ve figured out why it’s so difficult to use an endless dungeon like ours to reach A rank, let alone S rank.”
“Oh, and what is that?” Paige pressed, her interest piqued. “Or is it something you have to be vague about, like the difference between C and B rank?”
“No, but I suspect that after clearing the last floor of any rank’s level cap past D rank, an extremely deadly challenge will await everyone…”
Matt began to outline his own struggles, emphasizing that regardless of whether they were in a party or not, each individual would ultimately have to confront the challenges ahead alone. He described how the floors of the dungeon seemed to stretch longer with each descent, a creeping realization dawning on him that it might soon require multiple days to fully traverse a single level. The thought gnawed at him: what if he found himself needing to rest before conquering an entire floor? That could spell certain doom for anyone venturing into the depths alone, where dangers lurked in every shadow.
The harsh reality was that parties would crumble if they lost too many members, and even the most seasoned solo fighters would eventually need to pause and recuperate. The odds were stacked against them, a fact that weighed heavily on his mind. Even reaching the elusive level 513—or whatever formidable challenge awaited after clearing the 512th floor—seemed like a distant dream, one that filled him with dread as he imagined the trials that lay in wait.
As he finished articulating these concerns, the atmosphere shifted. A sense of urgency hung in the air, and the group was taken aback when one of Matt’s puppets reported that Louie had ventured into the dungeon alone, stepping into the unknown without any backup.
Paige's face contorted with frustration, her eyes wide as if she were about to unleash a scream. Matt's curiosity piqued; he needed to understand how Louie had prepared for the dungeon. To his dismay, he discovered that Louie had entered armed with nothing more than a flimsy wooden club, under the assumption that the puppet now scurrying back would return with proper gear for him. A frown deepened on Matt's brow; he had explicitly instructed that Louie should only step into the dungeon once. Yet, the puppet's explanation was enough to make him reconsider his stance.
“He didn’t want Paige to try and talk him out of it. I can’t blame him, especially given the look she’s giving me right now,” Matt remarked, glancing at Paige.
“You’re darn right I would have!” Paige growled, her voice laced with irritation. “That idiot is going to get himself killed.”
“Yes, men can be so foolish at times,” Apricity chimed in, letting out a resigned sigh. “Let’s just hope he doesn’t meet a grim fate down there.”
“Why should I care?” Paige grumbled, crossing her arms defiantly. “It’s not like we’re anything more than friends.”
“I was talking to Matt,” Apricity clarified, her gaze shifting back to him. “After all, he’s the one who planted the idea in Louie’s head.”
Matt let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly as he prepared to leave with his puppet. He needed to find something for Louie, knowing he had more than enough supplies stashed away in his spatial storage.
