Ch 75
Matt ran with a measured and controlled gait, skillfully luring one monster after another to follow him. This had almost become routine for him; it seemed to be all he ever did these days. Several days had passed since Tana had made her demands, and while things hadn’t been perfect in dealing with the various goals that had accumulated among those traveling with him, a tenuous balance had been achieved. They were gradually making their way closer to an entrance of the goblin village, battling one group of monsters after another along their path.
In many ways, Matt was relieved that it was only at night that he spent any significant time with the group. This was especially comforting since Kal seemed unable to resist trying to expose herself whenever she thought he was looking. This behavior made Matt feel as if she wasn’t fully in control, highlighting the inherent dangers her race posed. Moreover, there were endless questions about the purpose of the experiment involving the goblins, adding to the complexity of their situation. All of this made Matt ponder the true power structures of the universe as he considered all of his options, feeling the weight of the unknown pressing down upon him.
Though all of that faded into the background as he spotted his group marching forward, he called out to them to be ready as he led 22 level 3 and 4 monsters toward them. As the chaotic fight commenced, Matt quickly transitioned from running to slaughtering, and despite the nearly two-to-one advantage in numbers, the 22 monsters found themselves at a disadvantage. The battle was so lopsided that it ended in less than two minutes. Matt scoffed at the meager three experience points he gained from the encounter. Those at level six earned only four experience points, while the few still at level five managed to get a whole five points. It was absurd, and Matt wasn't the only one who found the tediousness of it all more than a little irritating. The group exchanged exasperated glances, realizing the futility of their efforts for such paltry rewards.
"It's as if leveling up beyond level 5 is meant to be impossible," grumbled one of the men in Tana's group, frustration etched on his face. "If only there were more monsters at level 5 and above for us to battle."
"You'll find plenty of level 5 and higher fights only in the goblin village," Kal remarked thoughtfully. "That's where most of us hit a wall and stop making any real progress. But it's also where many disappear, especially those who have fallen out of favor with the goblin king."
"Does he exploit his own people?" Zara asked, her eyes widening in disbelief.
"Level 5 is the weakest source from which he can derive power," retorted Kal with a hint of frustration. "It's the way of the universe; why allow a threat to grow when you can benefit from eliminating them?"
"Is that how he managed to keep all the women under control?" inquired Eleanor, her voice tinged with worry.
"No, we have been kept as prisoners for what feels like an eternity," Kal explained, her eyes clouded with the weight of past injustices. "Our thoughts and desires never mattered because, without us, other goblins couldn't be born, and he would lose his power. That is the only value we hold in his eyes, and it's also why he would go to great lengths to capture around 1,000 human women."
"How long do goblins live?" Greg inquired with curiosity. "I mean, if we take the assumptions from our world, they would be adults at around 10 years—"
"We are considered adults at just one year," Kal interjected swiftly. "If we don’t reach level 3, 15 years is about the longest we can live. That lifespan extends to 45 years at level 5 and surpasses 100 years at level 9. I am currently 25, and from what I understand, the goblin king is well over 100 years old and becoming desperate to reach level 17. However, he requires more level 9 goblins to defeat if he hopes to achieve that level."
"He would need approximately 2,000 level 9 goblins to progress from level 12 to level 17," Greg calculated, his mind racing with the staggering numbers.
"Exactly, but among all the goblins under his command, there are only about 500 who have reached level 9. If he were to start killing them, they would likely rebel," commented Matt, his voice tinged with concern. "So, he is targeting only those who reach level 5 without his blessing, yet most of them leave when given the option. So, why didn’t you and the other women leave when you had the chance?"
"Hostages," Kal replied solemnly. "There is a group of women who aren't held where you found my group, but they are a small faction. Each of them was betrayed by another woman who fled when given the chance, leaving them to be punished in their stead. They are condemned to never reach level 5 and never to feel pleasure, only to be bred constantly."
"Let's just stop there," Matt interjected sharply. "I don't want to feel pity for any of the goblins."
"What, are we not worth your compassion?" Kal asked, her tone edged with bitterness.
"Kal, I have promised not to exterminate your group, but I still believe that, based on what you've said, there can be no peace between humans and goblins. So, caring about goblins serves no purpose beyond making what must happen more difficult, as nothing you've mentioned gives me hope that your species can be saved from themselves."
"Perhaps that is why we are being experimented on," Kal speculated.
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"Unlikely," Greg replied. "It's more probable that your rapid reproduction and maturation rate is the reason your species was selected. To those conducting the experiments, you are likely no different than rats were to us back on our old world—cheap and expendable research tools that can demonstrate the effects of tests over multiple generations in a short time span."
Kal seemed unsure how to process this information, but it didn’t matter, as just then, Yumiko came into view with her own group of monsters trailing behind. This was the signal for Matt to dash off and start gathering more monsters once again. He took a moment to make sure Kal was composed before he left, ensuring there was nothing amiss before he resumed his role in attracting the creatures. It wasn't until late that night that Matt realized Kal wasn't finished with the discussion. He was jolted awake to find her sitting atop him, her hands gently covering his mouth.
His initial instinct was to fling the tiny goblin woman off him, but he restrained himself. He realized that if he did so, it would awaken the entire camp, and their current plans would be jeopardized. Instead, while giving her a lethal glare, Matt carefully removed her hand from his mouth before speaking in as low and calm a tone as he could muster.
“What do you want?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“To prove you wrong,” she replied, her eyes gleaming with determination.
“About what?”
“Goblins not being worth a chance to improve.”
“How?”
“I have been controlling myself completely since I left with you,” she began, trying to make her case.
“Show me a male goblin that can do the same and then show me four more just like him,” Matt interrupted, his tone challenging.
“That isn’t fair. They aren’t raised by us and only know what the goblin king wants them to know. If they were raised correctly—” she argued, her voice laced with frustration and a hint of hope for her kin.
"Nature versus nurture," commented Greg, catching both Matt and Kal off guard. "I'm relieved to see that you weren't trying to assault him as I feared, but honestly, this isn't the wisest course of action given our current predicament. Now, I propose we wake one more person and take a walk while we discuss the matter. I think Tana would be the best choice to join us, as her presence might prevent any misunderstandings, even though it could make the difficult conversation ahead even more challenging."
"Why does this conversation need to happen?" Matt countered, his annoyance evident.
"Because the goblin king represents a rare example of a goblin who has mastered self-control, and we're planning to kill him," Greg explained. "Even I can see that his ability to restrain himself has allowed him to maintain power and inspire loyalty among other goblins, which makes our task all the more complex."
Matt frowned as Kal got off him, and five minutes later, they were trudging through the dark, dense forest with a disgruntled Tana in tow. The thick canopy above them barely let any moonlight through, casting eerie shadows on their path.
“This better be good,” grumbled Tana once they were a few hundred feet away from the others, her voice tinged with irritation. “Even if the sleep we get is terrible, it's still better than going without.”
“What would you say if the goblins were just a bunch of kids who had never known the care of parents and were instead raised by a bunch of gang members?” Greg posed thoughtfully, his voice barely above a whisper as he glanced around the shadowy surroundings.
“That sucks, but so what?” scoffed Tana, shaking her head dismissively. “They’re still going around killing people and have to be dealt with.”
“Yes, but how?” pressed Greg, his eyes narrowing as he sought a solution.
“Why are you asking me? Matt is right there,” Tana retorted, gesturing towards Matt, who was listening intently.
“Because you’re the one with the most invested in how things look once everything is said and done. Matt plans to go off and explore far and wide, and if we can, our group will follow him. It will be your group that heads back to the fort and leads those there in whatever defenses are needed against the goblins,” Greg explained patiently, emphasizing the importance of Tana's role.
“Then I say we should leave them in a state where it will take them at least a year to recover enough to attack. Kill the gang leaders and any who would replace them with the same structure, and maybe put Kal here in charge,” Tana suggested, her tone firm and decisive.
"So, you would go down the path of a regime change war, installing a puppet leader who is friendly to our cause," commented Matt with disdain. "Disgusting. Such actions were the root of numerous issues back on Earth."
"True, but this situation isn't exactly the same," countered Greg thoughtfully. "Our intention is to eliminate the leader regardless of the consequences. The question is whether we ignore the aftermath or attempt to arrange things to our advantage."
"We should definitely take advantage of it," stated Tana firmly. "The only question is how we go about it."
"Please, just allow the women to escape," requested Kal earnestly. "As long as they are willing to follow me and help raise the next generation to be better, I am confident that things can improve."
"Does the loss of potential and fate affect both genders equally?" asked Greg, pondering the implications. "I mean, there must be some advantage to reproduction, or Matt's patron would have forbidden it entirely, not just advised him to wait until he reached his full potential."
"As I mentioned earlier, each generation's potential surpasses the last," Kal replied confidently. "Even if it diminishes the potential of both parents, I'm convinced that many who have seized the opportunity to escape have achieved greatness."
"Or they might have just ended up as a mob in a dungeon for adventurers to slaughter," Greg remarked skeptically. "For all we know, that could be the true purpose of your existence here, not a flaw in the system but an intentional design. Honestly, with how little information we have, even if we accept half of what's been shared with us, how can we be certain about anything?"
"We need to focus on the present," Matt declared, his eyes fixed sternly on the path ahead. "Killing the goblin king is our immediate objective."
"Our immediate objective is to have all of us reach level 7," Tana interjected, offering a slight correction with a determined nod.
"That is going to take forever," grumbled Greg. "I hate that we can't do what Matt can—fight three or four monsters on our own and just meet up at the end of the day."
"If we could heal like he can, then maybe we could," stated Tana, her voice tinged with frustration. "Yet, it seems as if healing magic will continue to elude the rest of us."
"What do you mean it eludes all of you?" asked Kal, raising an eyebrow. "Even I can cast basic healing magic, and you don’t even need a specific path for that ability."
"Hold on, are you sure that isn’t just a goblin thing?" asked Greg, skepticism lacing his tone.
"Even monsters can do it," retorted Kal. "All you need to do is let vitality flow through you. Don’t worry if you find it hard; most goblin men are bad at it, and it will exhaust you, but once you learn to direct the power, healing most minor things becomes simple."
