Ch 72

  A full week of nonstop moving, fighting, and sleeping characterized life for Matt and his group as they kept their distance from both the fort and Mando’s faction. Despite their hectic routine, they still made time to ensure that both sides maintained peace. However, Matt found it frustrating that he had only been able to reach level 7 during this period. Although the rest of his companions had reached level 5 or higher, none of them were pleased with the slow pace of their growth. This was particularly vexing for Matt, who had reached a stage where, if facing only level 3 monsters, he either had to battle them one-on-one or gather seven of them to gain any experience. For level 4 monsters, he needed to confront at least five, but thankfully, a single level 5 monster still granted him experience, even if all 12 of them fought it together.

  All of this made Matt appreciate what the level 9 goblin he had defeated likely meant about reaching level 9. It wasn’t that it was particularly difficult, just time-consuming and likely the end of the road for all but a few adventurers, as he was sure that at that point, nothing below level 5 would provide any experience. Considering that level 5 was the highest he had seen any non-goblin monsters reach, he also realized that the goblin had likely never faced anything stronger. That was probably the only reason Matt had been able to defeat it, and it was also the source of his greatest concern. He worried that his own skills were being stunted by the lack of worthy foes in the world they had all been thrust into.

  This realization led Matt to understand that there were only two viable paths to power for someone in his situation, if they wished to keep their skills sharp. One path was to constantly spar with others of similar ability, honing his skills through friendly but competitive bouts. The other was more ruthless: to eliminate any threats before they could fully manifest. Based on his conversations with Tempormr, Matt understood that he needed to be particularly concerned about the latter path. After all, Matt was determined to ensure that no one would ever be able to command him, despite Tempormr's likely denials. Matt knew deep down that Tempormr sought control over him. Fortunately, Matt believed this desire stemmed from a need for a weapon, rather than a pursuit of experience, as he assumed the effort being exerted was worth more than a few inconsequential points. That was, of course, unless Tempormr harbored truly sinister intentions and derived joy from betrayal. Even if that were the case, Matt realized there was little he could do to change it.

  The one bit of good news was that Matt had finally tracked down where the female goblins who had escaped had ended up. As it turned out, there were more structures that could be fortified besides the fort and manor he had initially discovered. The place the female goblins had claimed seemed to have been a mine at one point, judging by the piles of rock that had been used to create a makeshift set of walls. In the center of these walls were several entrances leading to the tunnels that made up the mine below. Matt couldn’t help but wonder if they were trying to establish a new goblin village within its depths. It was only the occasional group of goblin women, seen coming and going on hunting trips, that had alerted Matt’s group to their presence and led to the meeting in which he was currently sitting.

  "I don’t like it," stated Tana firmly. "My group is only out here to gain levels, not to save others, especially those who are likely part of a group hostile to our own."

  "Killing the goblins will likely be a great source of experience and levels for us," countered Greg, his eyes gleaming with determination. "After all, from what Matt expects, many of them will be level 5 and worth more than double anything else we have been finding lately."

  "Perhaps that's because these goblins have been killing everything in the area," argued Tana, her voice tinged with frustration. "If we just move—"

  "It doesn’t work like that," interrupted Matt, shaking his head. "If it did, we would see level 1 monsters around. No, I would bet that every monster we encounter is created to attack us shortly before they do. The real message of E rank being the height of what we can reach here is the lack of anything to hunt in E rank beyond other humans and a few goblins."

  “Is this revelation coming from your chats with that mysterious patron of yours?” Tana retorted, her voice laced with skepticism. “Sorry, but even you’ve admitted that we shouldn’t trust him.”

  Matt shook his head, “No, it’s just my own observations. Unless, of course, you’re about to tell me that you’ve seen a monster lurking beneath level 3.”

  Tana leaned back, her eyes narrowing as she considered the possibilities. “Who’s to say that they aren’t born at level 3, or that monsters even follow the same rules as us? Maybe all of the normal animals we’re used to transform into monsters when they reach level 3. Maybe the only reason we don’t see them is because, until that point, they’re constantly running for their lives, trying to survive.”

  Matt sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Perhaps, but either way, it doesn’t really matter. This world seems to lack anything that can genuinely threaten us, besides the goblins or possibly another dungeon.”

  "Who's to say that the goblin village isn't a type of dungeon?" Eleanor remarked thoughtfully. "I mean, we could easily treat it as such."

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  "Then we can consider this as a test run," replied Matt with a nod of agreement.

  "You can if you want, but my team isn't going in," Tana declared firmly, her eyes steely with resolve. "Our priority is to survive and return to the fort strong enough to hold the line in case of an attack."

  "Hollow power isn't worth a thing," Greg commented, his voice laced with skepticism. "If you only ever fight when you know you can win, how can you expect to stand when death is all but assured?"

  "It's called risk mitigation," Tana growled, her patience wearing thin. "Not that you would know what that is."

  "I am fully aware of the importance of not charging in recklessly and preparing for the dangers one might face," responded Greg confidently. "It's the reason I wasn't successful in advancing until Matt joined me, and I finally had someone willing to support my growth. Now, I can even summon lightning in limited amounts. Still, I continually test my abilities and search for my limits to understand them before putting myself in harm's way, as each of you should. However, I haven't seen many of you take the same approach, which is likely why we're having this discussion."

  "I could go in alone," Matt remarked with a hint of determination. "In fact—"

  "No!" interjected Elanor firmly. "Even if Tana's team chooses to stay out here, the rest of us will follow you."

  "Alright, then let's just proceed," declared Matt decisively. "Anyone who doesn't want to come along can feel free to return to the fort."

  "What happened to keeping us safe?!" Tana nearly shouted, her voice trembling with frustration. "You promised Jaelyn that much."

  "I said I would do what I can," Matt replied, his tone steady yet firm.

  "Are you saying that you have to attack the goblins no matter what?" Tana pressed, her eyes searching his face for any sign of hesitation.

  "No, but I refuse to ignore them when I find them," Matt insisted, a determined glint in his eye.

  They locked eyes for a long, tense moment, the weight of the situation hanging heavily between them. Finally, Tana let out a frustrated huff, breaking the silence.

  "Fine," she conceded, crossing her arms defiantly. "But we are on rear guard duty, and if this goes poorly, I am going to blame you."

  With that, Matt nodded, and they prepared themselves before heading towards one of the smaller piles of rocks. When they reached the top, they discovered a tunnel that appeared dark yet echoed with the distant sounds of goblin women. Although the noises were distorted, it was unclear whether the goblins were laughing, talking casually, or engaged in any number of other activities from their elevated perch. Nevertheless, they pushed onward, with Matt taking the lead as they entered the cramped tunnel. Suddenly, they found themselves clearly hearing sounds that would make most people blush and feel awkward, echoing through the narrow passage.

  After a brief pause to collect themselves, Matt led the rest of the group forward until they reached a section where the tunnel brightened, revealing a larger chamber ahead. Within this chamber was a heap that appeared to be composed of linens and furs, and atop it was likely one of the men captured from Mando’s group. However, he didn’t appear to be a prisoner, as he was kneeling behind one of the larger goblins, thrusting vigorously while other goblin women cheered from the sidelines. Many of the goblins were feasting and behaving as though the scene unfolding was a normal form of entertainment for them. If not for the fact that the man resembled more of a scrawny teenager with far too little exposure to sunlight and a very pimply face, Matt’s mind would have struggled to comprehend what he was witnessing. Nonetheless, he stood there, uncertain about many things, remaining in place far longer than was wise.

  "Um, unless death by Snu Snu is a real thing, I don’t think a rescue is needed," Greg commented with a smirk. "Maybe we should just let this group of goblins be."

  Matt shook his head, signaling the others to stand by. He confidently strode forward into the open area, clearing his throat to announce his presence. Initially, only the goblins on the far side of the chamber noticed his arrival, but soon the entire room, including the man entangled in the situation, turned their attention to him. Besides the man's awkward expression at being caught in the middle of sex and the frustrated look of the goblin woman who had been his partner, none of the others seemed bothered by his intrusion. In fact, the other goblin women appeared rather excited, their eyes gleaming as they began to form a half-circle around Matt, as if ready to pounce. The goblin woman who had been interrupted stood, her eyes narrowing slightly as she addressed him.

  "What you want?" she demanded, her voice carrying a hint of irritation.

  "That will depend on what he says," Matt replied thoughtfully. "So, tell me, if you could leave, would you?"

  "Um, well, you see," the man hesitated, glancing around nervously. "I don't mind my current circumstances, but a bit of time leveling might be nice."

  "You not need levels," the goblin woman interjected confidently. "All that going outside and fighting will do is risk life."

  "Staying in here and not leveling will do the same thing," Matt stated firmly. "Only you don’t care about that because after he leaves here by the same powers that brought him, it won’t matter to any of you."

  "Most will die within a year of leaving here," retorted the female goblin with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Much better to enjoy this time while you can."

  "What about you? Are you okay with that? What level are you, anyway?" Matt inquired, his curiosity piqued.

  "I'm level 2," the man admitted, a touch of embarrassment in his voice. "So yeah, I am behind, but I'm sure I can reach level five if I spend a few weeks working from what they tell me. They've even promised to help me do that after I give them 200 children."

  Matt restrained his urge to yell at the man for numerous reasons, most notably his readiness to father children he would have no involvement with. Nevertheless, Matt composed himself, taking a deep breath before redirecting his focus to the goblin who appeared to be in charge.

  "Alright, you can keep him," Matt conceded, "but I want to ensure that all the men being held here are genuinely willing to serve as your sperm donors before I leave you in peace."

  "Leave?" the lead female goblin replied, her voice dripping with mockery as the other goblin women widened their smiles, revealing rows of pointed teeth. "I'm sorry, but why would you think you could leave after so willingly wandering into our hands?"

  Matt instinctively stepped back into the dimly lit tunnel as the lead female goblin began to chuckle, a sound that echoed ominously and made it clear she believed she had the upper hand.