Ch 58

  Raising others up alongside him—was that truly the path Matt had chosen, or was Tempormr trying to steer him in a certain direction? Matt couldn’t quite decipher Tempormr’s true goals. He still doubted he fully understood the driving forces behind those he now regarded as gods. Yet, in the grand scheme of things, it hardly mattered. Matt’s focus remained on his own goals. At the moment, that meant securing the fort and preparing to confront the goblins. With most monsters offering only two or three points of experience, he was certain that a great deal of effort lay ahead, along with the necessity to dispatch many more foes.

  Even so, Matt found it deeply unsettling that many in power actively pursued—and killed—enemies that gave only a single point of experience. It wasn’t merely about efficiency; logically, this approach was the quickest way for those at the top of the food chain to level up. But the real issue was that it meant they hardly ever engaged in challenging battles. Assuming every enemy was indeed worth a base of 15 experience, this strategy implied that they were routinely fighting opponents 15 levels below them. Matt sensed there was something amiss, a missing piece in the puzzle, especially after his final search of the night when he returned to find Emily waiting while the others slept.

  “So, did you find any signs of others in the area, or was that search just so you could reach level 6?” Emily asked, her tone laced with both curiosity and humor.

  “It was a bit of both. Mainly the second reason, though,” Matt replied. “This whole trip was really about hearing the thoughts of those dissatisfied with how things were being handled by others.”

  Emily paused, then asked, “Well, is there anything else you’d like to say before I wake Isaac for his shift on watch?”

  “If I could inspire others to improve merely by lending them a hand—if that were possible—would you say that power is good or evil?” Matt’s eyes showed an earnest desire for knowledge.

  “That depends,” Emily responded thoughtfully. “Are you helping them improve in a way that harms others, or is it a path that brings genuine good to the world—or, I suppose, to the universe?”

  Matt pondered his actions for a moment before responding, “What are your thoughts on those who choose to remain weak, avoiding progress so as not to become stepping stones for the powerful?”

  “It’s pathetic, yet completely understandable,” Emily admitted. “If I were born into a reality where every creature around me could only grow stronger by eliminating me, I’d probably focus solely on survival, too. That’s exactly why I want to be the one to accompany you. I believed that by becoming a healer, I could cover one of your weaknesses, but you’ve already managed that on your own. Even with my identification skills, I still can’t tell if there’s a path where you’d choose me as a companion. Discovering whether I have any chance at all was a big part of why I hoped you’d take me with you.”

  “How about this, instead of trying to be useful to me out of dependency, figure out how you want to live your own life. Nothing irritates me more than over dependence. It’s honestly why Greg is my current preference—annoying as he is, he’s the only one trying to stand on his own while the rest cling to me.”

  “Then why do you let us?” Emily pressed, her voice tinged with both frustration and longing.

  “Because I can’t help myself,” Matt confessed. “It’s why I chose to live far from civilization, where no one could disturb me. Even then, I couldn’t resist taking in that stray bobcat that wandered into my home, refusing to leave the comfort it found there. Still, at least he works for his keep. So if you want to join me, show me that you can stand on your own too. It isn’t about pleasing me or being useful—it’s about proving that, even if I can’t always rush to your rescue, you have the strength to survive on your own.”

  "Perhaps your rush to rescue us is a double-edged sword," Emily mused. Matt frowned at her words but chose not to respond. Instead, he watched as she stood up and gently woke Isaac. Unwilling to sacrifice any sleep himself, Matt decided to find a soft patch of dirt to rest on. Using only his arm as a makeshift pillow, his thoughts drifted back to all those little comforts people once took for granted just a few weeks ago—comforts they would now likely fight for. He also wondered if Jaelyn possessed a skill similar to his own "hand up" ability, which allowed her to lead without taking on any responsibility. Pondering these thoughts, Matt slowly drifted off to sleep.

  The next morning, Matt awoke and spent four hours with the group that had accompanied him, allowing them to level up by battling monsters he had drawn to them. He decided to focus on staying out of the fights entirely, as part of his effort to stop always trying to rescue them. In fact, he was reevaluating his approach, contemplating a more selective strategy for whom he would help. Although he was determined to elevate others by motivating them to improve, he wanted to choose carefully who he supported. There still lingered the question of how extensive his skill's influence was and whether simply instructing someone else to help would activate it.

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  With this thought in mind, Matt suddenly felt apprehensive about finding others or even telling people to seek out more allies. Leading the monsters back for the group to fight already felt like tempting fate as he considered his next steps. Nonetheless, he felt committed to aiding at least Greg, Eleanor, Zara, Emily, Yumiko, and Rose. The challenge was that he held a position of responsibility, and even allowing others to stay at the fort he controlled felt like providing assistance. No matter how he viewed it, everyone at the fort would likely be affected by his skill. He just hoped it would be to a negligible extent and wouldn't force them to change who they were.

  Upon arriving back, Matt requested that Emily locate Eleanor and Greg, considering the meeting with them too important to delay. However, when Jaelyn arrived with Eleanor instead of Greg, Matt’s guard immediately rose—something felt remarkably off. His unease only deepened as Eleanor began speaking to start their meeting.

  "I take it you didn’t find anyone else this time, then?" she remarked coolly.

  "No, but what is Jaelyn doing here?" Matt asked, his tone cautious.

  "I happened to be nearby when Emily informed Eleanor that you needed to discuss something with her," Jaelyn explained, offering a small shrug.

  "That doesn’t explain why she brought you along," Matt retorted, narrowing his eyes.

  "After our conversation, she’s been a tremendous help in keeping everything on track. Yesterday, we even managed to fell enough trees so the fort isn’t clearing them out immediately anymore. While she never intended to take the lead, her knack for finding solutions made me think her input would be valuable here," Jaelyn added with a hint of pride.

  "Right," Matt replied, still unsure how to proceed. "I really need Greg here before we dive in, so for now, let’s wait until he arrives."

  Eleanor interjected with a wry smile, "That could take hours—Greg’s out leveling up with the others. Surely you don’t expect us to wait around all day without any productive engagement."

  "No, I suppose not. In that case, I’ll meet with both of you tonight," Matt decided. "Until then, I’ll gather more stones for the fort. Jaelyn, however, could you stay for a moment? I’d like to speak with you in private."

  "Certainly. What can I do for you?" Jaelyn responded readily.

  After ensuring Eleanor had stepped away, Matt’s tone turned cold and measured as he addressed her privately. "You need to stop using whatever ability you have to manipulate people’s minds before I decide that your usefulness isn’t worth the risk."

  "I’m not sure what you mean," Jaelyn replied defensively. "I have no such skill. I’m still only level 3; my abilities are limited to a precision cut with my dagger and a skill called survivor’s will from choosing the path of survival. I have no clear idea what that 'skill' entails—I assure you, it’s not something I’m trying to use to influence others."

  Matt’s expression hardened. "Perhaps, but it seems you are subtly bending others’ wills to your own. Were people as easily swayed by you back before reaching level 3?"

  "Not nearly as much," Jaelyn admitted, "but they still seemed more than happy to pick up a few survival tips."

  Matt could feel that she was underplaying the shift that had taken place in their attitudes. Yet he couldn’t address it directly, since he was sure that doing so would lead to nothing good. Part of him thought that ending her life right then would make perfect sense, but murder wasn’t something he was accustomed to, and he had no desire to become that kind of person. Even though a small voice inside him screamed that he was being naive, he chose a different approach with his next words.

  “What would you say is a person’s greatest possession?”

  “Their life—and the lives of those they hold dear, obviously. Although the second isn’t technically their possession. Everything else can be restored if lost, and so they are meaningless.”

  “I see. To me, their personality, who they truly are, is what matters most. After all, what good is life if your mind isn’t your own, or if you’re forced to be someone you hate? I escaped society precisely because I couldn’t stand it. People are so busy scrambling to survive rather than actually living their lives. Tell me, what good is a life if you don’t truly live it?”

  “People find joy in the quiet moments between the chaos you describe. Sure, modern society has its issues, but compared to the world we now face, even a beggar on the roadside might have had it better. And yet, we press on and do what must be done, in the hope that the future will be brighter. I think you fail to see that, aside from not having your cabin, this is the kind of life you always wished for. Unlike most others, you had the will and the ability to live on your own terms.”

  “Yet they were still themselves. The Eleanor I just spoke to wasn’t truly Eleanor. I need you to find a way to get your ability under control. So, starting tomorrow, you’re going to join me in the search for others. Hopefully, some distance and time away from you will allow everyone to return to normal.”

  “What happens if they all realize that I affected them? And what if they decide to banish me—or worse—when we return?”

  “I’m not ready to witness mob rule, and I don’t believe that murder is the answer to anyone’s problems.”

  Matt watched as Jaelyn seemed to relax slightly at his response, her features softening as she spoke.

  “That’s good to know. I just hope we can figure something out.”

  “I think you’ll need to rely on your own path to find an answer. Be cautious though—a wrong decision could make things worse.”

  “I see. But just to be sure, it’s only the lack of control that worries you, right?”

  “Are you saying I'm a control freak who would only misuse my ability if given the chance?”

  “Can’t we all be that way sometimes? I mean, you do seem like one when it comes to ensuring everything remains in order at this fort.”

  “It’s my fort.”

  “Even though you’re planning to leave all of us here, I think you just want to make sure that everyone is protected once you’re gone.”

  “Is there a point you’re trying to make?”

  “Only that I’m trying to understand you, and I wish you would work harder to understand me as well.”

  “I don’t bother trying to understand others. That’s precisely why I lived alone as a hermit. Now, please make sure that everyone knows what they need to do to keep the progress on those various projects you’ve been directing going while you’re gone.”

  “How long do you think we’ll be gone?”

  “At least three days, but no more than five.”

  At that, Jaelyn nodded and left Matt alone with his thoughts, pondering who else he should bring along with them.