Ch 76

  Kal's claim that healing magic was an inherent skill in everyone caused a chaotic reaction when Matt shared it first thing in the morning. Initially, only a few of the group believed this assertion. However, at her request, Kal had Matt cut her finger, and they all watched in awe as she effortlessly closed the wound. This demonstration was enough for Emily to successfully analyze Kal's technique, and as if a switch had been flipped, she managed to replicate it. Although Emily was the only one to achieve this with ease, it only took most of the morning for the others to reach the same level of proficiency. Nevertheless, they all ended up far more exhausted from the effort, their energy visibly drained as they tried to master the new ability.

  In the end, an entire day was devoted to them learning this new ability, and everyone was able to grasp it. However, only Emily could manage to heal more than just minor wounds that natural healing would have covered back on Earth. Remarkably, she was also the only one successful in healing others, which they all attributed to her path involving healing. This development introduced a new challenge, as they decided they needed to alter their course back towards the fort. This change would allow Tana and her group to discreetly slip away and pass on the technique. Consequently, this detour was expected to add a few days to their journey. This made Matt ponder whether they should temporarily part ways, but he ultimately decided against it.

  Thus, another several days passed in relative boredom as Matt resumed being the sole one eager to run off and find monsters. However, now that the group could manage minor healing without his assistance, he often left them to battle alone half the time. By the time they approached close enough to the fort for Tana and her group to slip away discreetly, everyone had reached at least level 6, while Matt was nearly halfway to level 8. As they settled into the very same camp they had used the night following the goblin raid, Matt couldn’t help but ponder everything that had transpired since then. The memories of the raid still lingered vividly in his mind, mingling with the sounds of the forest around them.

  "You know, I never thought we would come back this way," remarked Eleanor, noticing Matt lost in thought. "I must admit, it's strange to think that I once considered trying to make this spot defensible."

  "We were just trying to grasp at something to feel safe," Matt replied, his voice tinged with reflection. "If I'm honest, telling myself that you all needed my protection was how I got through it."

  "So, how long until you slip away and deal with the goblin king on your own, then?" Eleanor inquired with a hint of worry.

  "That's not going to happen," Matt reassured her, though not fully believing it himself. "Even if it does turn into a fight between him and me, it will be because the rest of you are handling his direct subordinates while I keep him out of that fight."

  "I see, at least I don't need to convince you that we can hold our own then," Eleanor acknowledged. "But tell me, what do you envision happening after the fight?"

  "A lot of dead goblins and all of us leaving this world for others to clean up that mess. I don’t care what it takes; I am going to reach level 9 when we invade the goblin territory," Matt declared with unwavering determination.

  "Then you really have no intention of aiding Jaelyn or any of those at the fort?" Eleanor questioned, a hint of concern in her voice.

  "By trusting them to stand on their own two feet, I am helping them in the best way I can," Matt replied, his gaze steady. "It's part of my fear for the five of you, if I can only take one other off this world with me."

  "We will be fine," Eleanor reassured him. "With Emily being able to heal, all our party is missing is a magic caster like Greg."

  "Is this where you try to convince me to take Zara instead of him?" Matt asked, raising an eyebrow.

  "No, I know why you’ll pick him over any of us," Eleanor said knowingly. "You fear caring about a woman in any manner beyond that of friendship."

  "It's not a fear of caring about anyone; it's about the responsibility that comes with a committed relationship. I don't want to be a father, and therefore, there is no purpose in me having such relations with any woman. Yet, I find myself too soft-hearted to refuse any relationship outright when Zara, Yumiko, and Emily all subtly express their desire for just that."

  "The fact that Greg has stopped joking about the five of us being your harem is a miracle, all things considered,” commented Eleanor, with a sigh. “Still, you should be more assertive with them if you want to avoid any complications when we are able to accompany you. I don't know if they will be able to restrain themselves like they are currently."

  "Then do me a favor and tell them that until I feel it's safe to start a family, the most any woman can expect from me is empty promises."

  "Matt, you need to say that to them yourself, and I think now is as good a time as any, especially since Tana's group is still away."

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Matt sighed deeply, casting his gaze around to see the rest of the camp doing their utmost to appear uninterested in the conversation.

  "Alright, you can all stop pretending that you're not listening in," Matt remarked with a hint of exasperation. "I'm not going to repeat myself, but I'm sure if you're honest with yourselves, you already knew this much."

  "Perhaps," Rose replied thoughtfully. "But every woman believes she might be the exception, the one who can change a man's mind. Even though it seldom works out that way, and all we end up with is more heartache in the end."

  "That's what I expect my future to be—pain," Matt agreed somberly. "I don't know what the reality of my situation will be, but I doubt I'll be able to stop and care about anyone anytime soon, and I really don't want anyone waiting for me. That said, I'd be more than happy to fight alongside any of you if that's the path you choose to walk."

  “There you go, shutting us down, only to leave a thin line of hope,” retorted Emily, a hint of frustration in her voice. “I know you don’t mean to, but now I can see a story where, after a long and grueling battle, my feelings finally break through, and all the struggle up to that point was worth it.”

  “Emily is right,” Zara chimed in, nodding in agreement. “Each of us wants to be the one to catch your eye, and yet we know it’s unlikely.”

  “Tell me, what would you do if I picked Yumiko?” Matt responded, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. “Would you accept it and stay friends with her, or would you try to undermine her in hopes that it wouldn’t work out, giving you a chance next? Honestly, it’s drama-filled situations like that that make me not want any kind of relationship.”

  "Then consider casual ones," Rose remarked thoughtfully. "As long as you’re upfront about your intentions—"

  "No," Matt interrupted firmly. "I refuse to become like those people who just try to hook up with as many women as possible while treating them terribly."

  "I wasn’t suggesting that," Rose replied, her voice calm yet insistent. "There is a spectrum between the stark black and white you seem to want to apply to this issue."

  "Is there?" Yumiko inquired, raising an eyebrow. "I know I couldn’t casually be involved with a man—that's what a prostitute is for. I would prefer to share a man, like what Greg hopes to have, then engage in such a meaningless relationship."

  "I feel the same way," agreed Zara, nodding thoughtfully. "With the sole exception of knowing that it would be the last time I would ever see the man in question. In that case, I could imagine indulging in a night of—"

  "Let's not slip into any fantasies," interrupted Emily with a playful smile. "But yeah, I believe that if Matt approached any of us for a one-night stand, we'd all agree, hoping we could hook him for a long-term arrangement."

  "Your kind is foolish," remarked Kal with a chuckle. "If you were goblins, all of you would already have a child with Matt and would be looking forward to more soon."

  "Hey Greg, maybe you should start chasing goblin women," retorted Emily, teasingly. "Then you might actually end up with a harem."

  "You know, there was that one series I read—"

  "Oh god, he's actually considering it," interjected Rose with a mix of disbelief and amusement. "I knew he was out there, but I didn’t realize it was this extreme."

  "Haha, very funny," retorted Greg, rolling his eyes. "I don’t want a harem of goblin women, but if the right goblin came along, I wouldn’t say no just because she's a goblin. I'm really hoping that monster girls exist, not to mention elves and a host of other fantasy races that I could add to a harem."

  "You know, you kind of have to give him credit for being that shameless about it," Zara responded, shaking her head with a bemused grin. "Though, it's still pretty gross to think about."

  "Especially when you realize that, in his imagination, all the women are probably playing with each other as much as with him," added Emily with a grimace.

  "I know that reality won't align perfectly with my desires," replied Greg, a hint of wistfulness in his voice. "But allow me a moment to dream."

  "No," retorted Emily sharply. "Some dreams are destined to fade away."

  "That's a bit harsh," commented Matt, raising an eyebrow. "Sure, I agree his dream isn't the most virtuous, but at least he's honest about it."

  "Matt, you should stop talking," advised Greg, shaking his head. "Trust me, the hole you're about to dig isn't worth it, and I can handle the criticism. I just tell myself that when I find the right group of women, seeing them all eat their words will be worth it."

  "Alright," replied Matt, offering Greg a look of confusion. "Then I think we should end this topic by saying that until we're back on Earth, any relationship is a definite no for me."

  "Even if you run into this other woman you've mentioned?" asked Emily, curiosity piqued.

  "Yes, even if she appeared, I would refuse to explore any feelings between us until we're safely back on Earth. Even then, I have no idea what to expect. Is that clear enough?"

  "What if it was a matter of life and death?" posed Zara, leaning forward with interest.

  "Oh, come on, really?" replied Matt, rolling his eyes. "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response."

  "I still say you all are weird," commented Kal with a mischievous grin. "Just have a good orgy and get it out of your system."

  "I think it's official, she's worse than Greg," stated Emily, shaking her head in disbelief.

  With that, the mood seemed to lighten, and the conversation shifted away from Matt’s love life towards what else they could expect after Matt reached level 9. The one thing they all agreed on more than anything was the fact that Tempormr not providing Matt with any details was a troubling sign. After all, if it was a place where Matt would be happy, there would have been some enticing bait, something more compelling than the mere prospect of seeing Bob again. Yet there was nothing of the sort, which led them to ponder the world Kal had described when she received an offer to go there at level 5.

  Unfortunately, the only detail she knew was that it was a world where level 16 was the maximum for monsters, similar to how level 8 was the highest level monster in the world they inhabited, if goblins were ignored. Though, it seems that anything above level 5 was very rare to find and if Kal didn’t insist that they existed, Matt wouldn’t think they did. Matt had even attempted to persuade Tempormr to divulge more information, but all he received in response was silence. This was unsettling for Matt because, even when he viewed Tempormr's words with skepticism, the guidance and information provided had always been beneficial at the time. However, Matt also realized that he couldn't allow himself to become reliant on the directions of others, lest he become their puppet, manipulated and controlled without his own agency.