Ch 60

  Setting off with the 13 people who would be joining him for the next few days, Matt couldn’t shake the nagging worry that he might be making the wrong decision as he surveyed the group Greg had chosen. First was Tana, her fiery red hair echoing the flames she seemingly commanded, though Matt noted with some concern that she hung on Jaelyn’s every word. Next was Zara, whose expression betrayed uncertainty—she appeared torn between feelings of anticipation and melancholy at the prospect of this journey. Then there was Steve, his face set in a frustrated pout and radiating resignation at having been chosen, though he said nothing about it. Finally, there were the faces of four additional pairs—the men and women that Greg had meticulously selected to join them.

  Of these, one pair belonged to Steve’s group while the rest came from the cohort Matt had tended to after Jaelyn’s group. This meant that, apart from Zara, Matt was already familiar with everyone from his earlier raid on the goblins. So when he began guiding them in the general direction that felt right, only Zara seemed to find the route odd. She kept her doubts to herself, and Greg’s steady stream of chatter effectively stifled any probing questions from the others. Thus, except for the occasional dash when Matt ventured off to check the surrounding area or return with newly slain monsters, the first day passed with nothing more than endless walking and quiet tension.

  The path they had taken should have placed them well within the goblins’ territory, yet not a single one appeared. Aside from a few probing attacks immediately after Jaelyn’s group had arrived, the goblins had been eerily silent—an unsettling departure from their usual behavior. This silence bugged Matt; he knew these creatures were anything but mindless and could very well be plotting something. What troubled him even more was that he still didn’t know the outcome of the attempted escape by the female goblins. So, as everyone else prepared for sleep, Matt warned them not to expect his return until morning. Despite a few attempts by others to stop him or find out what he was up to, he left after confiding only in Greg.

  Navigating his way back to the manor he had escaped from would have been nearly impossible without Tempormr’s guidance. Still, it took a full two hours of running—dodging enemy strikes and battling monsters—before Matt finally reached the very room where he’d once discovered the silver bowl. Noticing that the room appeared just as it had during his previous visit, when he had found the bowl, he quickly stuffed as much of the other goods as he could into his storage. However, that wasn’t his sole objective; he soon uncovered a door leading back into the grand ballroom where he had once made his escape from the relentless female goblins. There, the grim evidence of what had transpired lay before him—at least one hundred corpses, unmoving and rotting as if they had been forgotten completely.

  In the darkness, it was nearly impossible to tell whether they were male or female, but the pungent odor was enough for Matt to deduce that not even goblins were likely passing through this area anymore. Despite his curiosity, Matt decided against risking proximity to the deceased and instead focused his attention on the fallen, deformed chandeliers and twisted chains that lay forgotten amid the decay. His plan was simple: if he could salvage and melt these relics, they might all count as smelted iron. With that hope fueling his perseverance, Matt retrieved the rope he had acquired in the dungeon, tied it securely to a stout pull cable used for hanging banners in the nearest part of the room, and began his cautious descent.

  For the next ten minutes, he concentrated on his task, deliberately ignoring the nauseating stench of the corpses. It wasn’t long before he found the staircase leading downward, only to find it completely collapsed. Momentarily, he entertained the idea of using his spatial storage to clear the debris, but quickly dismissed the plan—he wasn’t willing to risk the tunnel collapsing on him. The ruined staircase stirred a disquieting thought: if the other entrance to the goblin settlement he knew of had also been sealed off, he would have to find a new point of entry. Shaking off his concerns, Matt resolved to explore the remaining parts of the manor he had invaded.

  His exploration revealed evidence of fierce struggles and scattered supplies in various states of use and disuse. It was in what he assumed to be the goblin king’s bedroom that he found a disconcerting clue: at least some of the goblin women might have escaped their grim fate. The room housed the remnants of what had once been an opulent bed. Although its destruction might have elicited regret in another man, the bed was decorated with numerous chains and manacles—apparently used to restrain its occupants. Seeing this, Matt agreed that its ruin was a blessing in disguise, and he salvaged the chains with hopes of repurposing them for better use. After a rapid sweep of the area, gathering nothing more than a few sets of linens he wouldn’t touch even if they were the last in existence, he moved on from the scene of destruction.

  The final room that caught his attention was the kitchen. Although it had been completely stripped of food, cutlery, and even any pan with a decent handle, the pots had been left behind. This find brought a rare smile to Matt’s face as he counted ten pots, varying in size from as small as his head to one large enough to accommodate his entire torso if needed. Even if Jaelyn had found a workable solution using the hides themselves, Matt reckoned that these sizable metal pots were far more practical. He envisioned the largest among them being used to cook extensive batches of food, now that Emily could identify which foraged ingredients were safe to eat. With this newfound bounty and more carefully stowed away in his spatial storage, Matt decided it was time to call it a night. Approximately seven hours after departing, he returned to camp and managed to grab a well-deserved nap.

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  The following day, the search for more groups resumed, and barely four hours into their efforts, they discovered a grim scene. Matt estimated that the remains belonged to three to six individuals—bodies torn apart and, for the most part, devoured—leaving behind nothing but scattered bones. A quick inspection revealed only three shattered skulls, yet Matt couldn’t shake the feeling that there were too many fragments for the small number of victims, though he wasn’t inclined to extend the search further.

  The discovery cast a heavy cloud over the group. They were well aware that if they stumbled upon an active camp with 17 people just an hour later, the day’s grim revelations might have been too much to endure. Now the pressing question was how to approach this potential camp, given that the remains they’d found might very well have been part of its occupants.

  “I think we should have you and three or four others go forward,” Jaelyn suggested after Matt finished describing what he had seen. “That way, they won’t find it odd that you’re out here by yourself like we did when you first showed up.”

  “No, we all go,” Greg countered firmly. “The last thing we need is for them to think we’re lying about the size of our group when they see us.”

  “We could tell them there are more people nearby,” Zara offered. “We don’t have to—”

  “We’re all going,” Matt interjected decisively. “I want nothing hidden. But we must be ready for a fight in case they see us as a threat; I won’t have any of you caught off guard and risking your lives.”

  “What makes you think they might attack us?” Greg questioned. “Sure, it’s possible, but I don’t see it as likely. In fact, if we move as one, they might even fear that we’re launching an attack. How about this: let’s send you, me, Zara, and Jaelyn forward to announce our presence, then call the others once we’ve let them know there are more of us.”

  “I don’t want to be part of any forward party,” Jaelyn replied, as if mentioning it might spare her the duty. “If we do this right, those most capable of defending themselves and fighting back should be the ones to lead.”

  For a moment, Matt nearly agreed to keep her back, but he quickly shook his head and asked if he’d let Zara off the hook if she requested it before he responded.

  “We’re going with Greg’s plan,” he declared, “but Steve will remain at the ready to issue orders if we need the rest of the group to rush in.”

  “Matt, I’m not a fighter,” Jaelyn protested firmly. “I really think sending Tana with the first group so she and Greg can pull off their combo if needed makes more sense.”

  “No,” Matt replied, his tone firm and dismissive of any alternative suggestions. “If it looks like a fight is about to break out, Greg will use his wind to kick up dust, Zara will guard you as you retreat, and I’ll charge in to keep them busy while the others move forward. Now, let’s go.”

  It was clear that Jaelyn wasn’t happy, but she didn’t force the issue as Matt turned and led the other three toward the camp. When they were about 30 feet from it, someone finally noticed them. Unlike the apprehensive reception Matt had experienced with the earlier groups, one of the men casually waved them over.

  “Hey there, where are you four coming from?” the man called out.

  “A fort, about a day and a half from here,” Matt answered before he could stop himself.

  “You found a fort? That sounds awesome—but why are you here?” the man pressed.

  “I would appreciate it if you didn’t use your talent on me,” Matt replied cautiously.

  “Sorry, but just answer one more question, each of you please: Are you here to harm us?”

  “‘No,’” came the simultaneous reply from Matt, Zara, and Greg, while Jaelyn remained silent.

  “Seems like one of you might be a snake,” the man remarked pointedly.

  “I am not a snake. I simply don’t assume that interacting with you won’t cause any harm on your part,” Jaelyn retorted.

  “Your logic is flawed, and you’re clearly trying to avoid my talent, Compelled Truth. It forces others to speak only the truth when responding to my last statement—or something close to it, based on what we’ve observed. It isn’t very useful in a fight, but it’s great for settling disputes about the minor issues that crop up in our current living arrangements. So, are you here to harm us?”

  “Possibly. I honestly don’t know,” Jaelyn admitted.

  “How can you not know?” the man pressed further.

  “Because I possess a skill that I don’t have full control over. There’s genuine concern that merely being around me could alter you, as I tend to prioritize my survival over almost everything else.”

  “It’s a problem I’m hoping to solve while I search for groups like yours to invite to the fort,” Matt explained. “Until she can show me that her ability is under control, she’s bound to this duty. It seems to take time, and from what I’ve observed, even being warned about it helps to fend it off.”

  “And not caring for her doesn’t hurt either,” Greg added dryly. “So, hold on to that negative impression and don’t give her a chance until I start doing so. That should be enough for now.”

  “Interesting,” the man mused, clearly weighing his options as the others in the camp tensed up. Matt braced himself, ready to either talk or fight depending on what was said next.