Ch 56

  It was two hours after leaving the fort when Matt finally broke his silence, his gaze fixed on the three individuals who had accompanied him. Two were men, and the third was a woman—whom he vaguely recalled because she had once sported a nasty cut on her arm that he had patched up while they walked back from their old camp. It was she to whom he addressed his first question.

  "So, I told you all to speak freely, yet for the past two hours, all we've heard is idle chatter. I know each of you has issues with how things are being run, so why the hesitation?" he asked sharply.

  "Because it doesn’t feel like we're allowed to choose our role—like everything is being forced on us. And that's exactly what you're doing right now," came the reply.

  "Alright, let’s at least begin with names then," said Matt, feeling his earlier attempt to spark dialogue had been brushed aside.

  "Aspen," the woman answered quietly.

  "Javion," one of the men added.

  "Isaac," replied the other.

  "I realize I’m forcing this conversation, and maybe left alone, things might work out just fine. But I can’t shake the feeling that I’m overlooking something crucial. Whatever it is, if we don’t address it now, it’s bound to cause problems when we get back," Matt continued, his tone earnest.

  "I think it’s simply that none of us like being bossed around," Javion interjected. "I got enough of that at work before this all happened. When you’re the only one who just wants to go home and sleep, it’s misconstrued as having nothing better to do than to cover extra shifts when everyone else has plans."

  "I hate to be the bearer of truth, but that’s exactly how I’d see it if I were your boss," stated Emily with a wry smile. "Don’t get me wrong—I used to be just as stubborn with my own tasks—but seriously, how can you sleep away the day when you’re clearly unhappy?"

  "It’s not about sleep," Javion explained. "It’s about being forced to take on tasks we don’t want without any alternatives. In the past, we always had at least five options that allowed us to contribute toward our goals. Even when we all came together to build the wall, we had choices—mud gathering, mud hauling, stone searching, wall building, and even guard duty. Now it’s down to tree chopping and tree hauling, with only those Eleanor selects allowed to be on guard duty."

  Matt inhaled deeply. "I could counter that logically, but it would miss the point entirely. You want to feel that you have a say in how you contribute, and that option is missing from our current process. So, tell me—if you were given the chance to clear the trees closest to the fort and gather enough wood for its auto repair function, what would be your way of contributing?"

  "Transforming the bark into rope," Javion responded thoughtfully.

  "We aren’t even focused on that right now," Emily interjected. "Our current plan is to cut down even more trees once we hit our goal, then bring them into the fort to create things like furniture and other useful items."

  "Let's not dismiss Javion's idea offhand," stated Matt. "Rope is important, but my question is, what happens when the options are presented, and more than half the group wants to make rope instead of cutting down trees and hauling them back?"

  "If there's enough material for them to work on, I don't see the issue," replied Javion. "However, if there isn't, those focused on rope could cut a tree down to start harvesting the bark."

  "I think you're missing the point," responded Matt, frowning as he pondered before continuing. "It's about balance, weighing risks versus rewards. The longer we all take to complete our tasks related to repairing the fort, the more likely it is that we won't be able to defend against an attack from the goblins."

  "I don't see why you're worried about them when we have the fort," stated Isaac confidently. "Even in its current state, they're easy to deal with."

  "You haven't seen what I have," replied Matt. "You haven't fought a level 9 goblin and survived. I'm convinced that the only reason we even stand a chance is because our starting base stats must be higher than what goblins have. Still, I've seen a settlement—"

  "Where thousands of them live," interrupted Isaac. "We know, but I still think you're treating them as a bigger threat than they actually are."

  "I would rather do that than underestimate them and find myself tied to a bed while they continually assault me," stated Emily, struggling not to shout. "You weren't there the night they almost took our group captive."

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  "You weren't there when we dealt with the first attacks and actual lives were lost," countered Isaac. "I'm well aware of what the goblins want to do and how hopeless our odds were when we were separated and lacked decent defenses. Now that we have them, I have no doubt that we'll easily defend against them."

  "But that's not the plan," stated Aspen. "Matt here wants to go on the offensive and eliminate them before they eliminate us. That is my problem as it condemns an entire race without considering the possibility of exceptions among them."

  “There are exceptions,” Emily stated firmly, her eyes narrowing with conviction. “The problem is that in societies like theirs, even those exceptions must bend to the will of the group. After all, like us, they attract monsters the moment they venture in groups smaller than four. So tell me, what would you do if you were a peace-loving goblin, surrounded by others who aren’t, knowing that even admitting your nature would make you a target? It’s the same survival tactic that decent people use under oppressive regimes: keep your head down and do what’s necessary. Platitudes are easy to offer when saying them carries no risk of reprisal. We can all claim that we would have stood up to what happened in Germany in the years leading up to and during the Second World War, but ultimately we deceive ourselves and those around us.”

  “Emily, tone it down a bit,” Matt interjected, his voice laced with concern as he noticed Aspen bristling on the edge of shouting. “I understand your point, but I also see where Aspen is coming from. She's trying to be the one to step up against those in power before they commit another atrocity.”

  “Exactly,” Aspen replied, her tone triumphant as if she’d just scored a significant victory. “I’m glad you can see that.”

  “I do, but that hardly changes what I believe must happen,” Matt said solemnly, his gaze steady and unyielding. “This isn’t about coveting their land or resources, nor is it driven by hatred. It’s about ensuring our safety and survival. So, when you can propose a solution that doesn’t risk everyone by ignoring a serious threat, I’ll be more than willing to listen.”

  “Just drive them off,” Aspen declared briskly. “Sure, you’ll still take out a whole bunch of them, but there’s no reason to finish them off until the very last child, right?”

  “Is it crueler to let them live, only for them to starve or be devoured by monsters, or is it more humane to end their suffering quickly and efficiently?” Emily pondered aloud. “If you look at our own histories, how often has mercy come back to haunt the giver in the end?”

  “I really don’t need the extra commentary, Emily,” Matt replied curtly. “But that’s the dilemma we face. Listen—I promise I will capture a goblin and let you speak with it sometime. I suspect that those charging at us in suicidal desperation are doing so in the hope that they might slip past our defenses. One of them should make for an intriguing conversation partner, allowing you to see firsthand how they treat their own and how little they truly value life.”

  “I can agree to that,” Aspen responded, a hint of calculated resolve in her voice.

  “Good. Now, is there anything more any of you want to add?” Matt asked, looking around at the group.

  When no one responded, he nodded and continued. “Alright then, here’s how the rest of our journey will unfold. You’ve all noticed how I’ve been marking our trail. I’m going to rush ahead while you follow behind. When I return, I’ll have a few monsters with me for us to dispatch—I’m hoping this will help you all gain a level before we make our way back.”

  After a prolonged silence, Matt spun around and bolted away at such a pace that his companions couldn’t hope to keep up. Every stride allowed him to process the new information, though he dismissed their concerns as trivial nitpicking. The idea of shedding all that baggage and returning to solitude—much like he had experienced back on Earth—filled him with a sense of liberation. The prospect of reaching level 9, where he could finally escape it all, made him genuinely happy. Still, he knew he had to ensure that anyone accompanying him wouldn't lag too far behind; they needed to be capable enough to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

  With that thought settled, Matt cast his worries aside and focused entirely on his task. He began a repetitive routine: rounding up three monsters and dashing back to his group again and again. Although each trip earned him only modest experience—approximately 12 to 15 points for a level 3 and six to eight for a level 4—the consistent effort added up. By the end of the day, Matt had led back 21 groups, leaving him just 39 experience points short of reaching level 6. Meanwhile, Emily had reached level 4 and selected the analytic healer path that had been offered. This progression rewarded her with two new skills, both of which Matt found incredibly useful, even though they still didn’t grant her the ability to heal others directly.

  Her primary skill, Comprehend Malady, centered on diagnosing wounds and ailments. When Matt purposely injured himself without forewarning her, Emily tested her new ability and confirmed that she could indeed discern the nature of his injury. Frustration lingered, however, as she grappled with the limitation that she couldn’t mend the injury outright. Her second skill, though less immediately useful, hinted at a more hands-on approach to healing in the future.

  Matt, for his part, found her other acquisition—Identify—a bit flawed. While it didn’t precisely name objects, the skill displayed detailed properties about anything she concentrated on, including people. She could quickly gather data such as height, weight, and age, along with other specifics. Its true potential, however, shone when she turned her attention to the surrounding flora. Identify would reveal whether a plant was poisonous, its effectiveness against various ailments, and even its nutritional content. Remarkably, when aimed at a rock, it would divulge its chemical makeup, unlocking the possibility of recreating or sourcing chemicals and minerals that had once been out of reach.

  That night, as they set up camp under a sky studded with stars, Emily basked in the delight of her newfound skill. She identified an assortment of edible foliage, enough for the group to fashion a modest salad—even if it was assembled from ingredients harvested from plants growing on rocky soil, without dressing or any additional accompaniments for the pieces of meat gathered during the day’s hunts. Amidst the evening calm, Matt decided to undertake four brisk, one-hour runs to scout for any nearby individuals, with the underlying goal of accumulating the final few experience points he needed for his next level-up.