Zero Potential: Chapter 10 (Patreon)

Chapter 10

Calm.

If Terra had to describe her descent down the winding dungeon floors, with her eyes closed, her overall disposition would have to be calm. She moved fluidly from section to section, letting her blade or magical arts do the talking.

The further she descended the higher her blind skill ratings grew. She now had a rotation of how she would interact with each floor. On even level floors she would work on her footwork, mastery of the blade, and of course her Commanding Aura.

Blind Swordsmanship: Tier IV. Your use of the sword while blind has improved. Your ability to fight and wield a sword as a weapon while blind has improved by 40%.

Swordsmanship: Tier IV. Your ability to use the sword as a deadly weapon has been recorded. Your ability to wield a sword for attack or defense is improved by 40%.

Commanding Aura: Rank IV: You have unlocked your Commanding Aura. All actions of friendly targets are 40% easier when in your presence, while all actions of enemy targets are 40% more costly when in your presence.

Then on odd level floors she would focus on improving her casting abilities, her abilities to draw in enemies with her Magical Aura. As it turned out the Magical Aura was just as capable of drawing out monsters as the Commanding Aura, though it seemed for different reasons. With the Commanding Aura, the 40% penalty to actions was enough to make monsters rise to the challenge before them. With Magical Aura¸ there was a penalty but given the way every monster invariably tried to approach from behind Terra, let her know that monsters had a preferred way of taking out magicians.

Targetless Casting: Tier IV. Your ability to use Magic at a fixed position in your mind has been recorded. Your ability to cast magic at a fixed target is improved by 40%.

Sightless Casting: Tier IV. Your ability to cast spells without sight has been recorded. Your ability to cast while not being able to see your intended target has improved by 40%.

Magical Aura: Rank IV: You have unlocked your Magical Aura. All actions of friendly Magic users are 40% easier when in your presence, while all actions of enemy Magic users are 40% more costly when in your presence.

While the increases in these skills were invaluable to her overall future growth and development, there was one skill that she appreciated the most, a skill that went up slowly on every floor, thanks to her blind fighting regimen.

Precognition: Tier V: You have unlocked the hidden ability to predict the future. You can react 50% faster to conditions and events within your environment.

That 50% was amazing, she could almost feel the future attacks would come to her and she would move her blade into place to block a blow. Or cast in the exact spot where a springing monster would land, her timing became impeccable. In fact, at one point she even managed to start having to slow down, as she would attack or parry almost too quickly, making it so the blast of her strike clipped the opponent, rather than striking them full on in the chest, or targeted area.

Now that she had made it through all fifty floors of the dungeon with her eyes shut, she finally opened them. This was not done because she was done training, far from it. Rather she was at a new crossroads in her life, a part that she had never had to experience in any of her past lives. The monsters of the previous floors were all carved into her brain by now thanks to endless runs and repetitions.

Now, however, she sat on the precipice of something new.

Looking at the cave wall where the entrance to the fifty-first floor should be, there was only a closed off wall. Pausing for a moment, she realized that this closed-off doorway was a perfect metaphor for this new life. Only half of her life seemed to be familiar, the other half is known but also different. In her mind she went over what to expect. While the monsters she would face would be the same, they would also be held to the first-time completion bonus, meaning everything would be 10% stronger. Everything she faced in her all her past lives combined was just an echo of its former self, offering only partial rewards for completing tasks. This time, however, things were different, she would get to fight the real monsters as they were meant to be faced. She would see the powers that they all possessed. Powers that a team of well-trained elite experts fought and nearly died over to conquer the first time. Powers that she would now face alone.

Realizing this was clearly a turning point, not only in her life, but in her future growth potential, Terra couldn’t help but smile as the thrill of excitement and the hint of the unknown filled her.

Then going through the processes that had been ingrained in her since her first true dungeon run, she found the stone that the boss of this floor dropped. Then grabbing it, she channeled a bit of her mana into the stone, giving it energy. Then standing closer to the wall, she used the stone to refract her mana over the hidden engraved runes on the wall. Runes that had long ago faded due to lack of use and lack of energy.

With the new steady stream of energy provided by her hand, that was filtered perfectly by the dropped crystal, the runes on the wall began to light up and activate.

RUMBLE!

As the dungeon mechanics grinded their way to life, the ground shook, alerting everyone and everything that something deep underground had changed.

Feeling the vibrations, Terra only shook her head in regret that her actions would now be known. In her past she remembered hearing details about how the school registered an earthquake on the day of the second dungeon’s discovery. A minor anecdote that had gone unheeded by Terra. Not that her knowing such an event would occur would have stopped her. If anything, she realized she would be in the exact same spot, but now that she knew others would know, and others would likely be sent to investigate, she decided to act accordingly.

This time when the dungeon system synchronized with her mind, she made a choice that would forever change the fate of the land.

Initial Access to a second dungeon has been found. How many people are in your party?

Reading the message, Terra paused, and then realized that her answer would likely set the restrictions on others who would come after her. As originally there were five adventurers who made it to this floor, Professor Chan, The Dean, Helga, and two other professors that later went on to perform great feats elsewhere.

This was it, her chance to prove herself in this new life and make it so she would be set to succeed in life after this second dungeon was cleared.

“Just me.” Terra said, her voice feeling slightly dry as it was the first time she actually found herself talking in quite a while.

Solo Mode Confirmed.

Do you wish to enter the dungeon with Survival Mode?

Warning: Survival Mode: The mode used to test a group’s ability to face the challenges of the dungeon. With Survival Mode active, the exit will be blocked off, and you and your team will be unable to exit until the dungeon is fully cleared. As a reward, all drops will increase in power and potency. By choosing this mode, you will make it so everyone that comes after you will also have to clear the entire dungeon under Survival Mode as well.

Seeing the warning, Terra couldn’t help but smile brightly at the promise of increased magical drops. The fact that this option wasn’t chosen in her past life was obvious. Also, this choice for a dungeon was often seen as a death sentence as no one knew what was available on the different floors until you got there, meaning the first group to clear such a dungeon would not only be exceptionally powerful, but could then sell their knowledge for how to survive the dungeon for an exorbitant price.

Normally Terra would be against forcing people to do a dungeon on Survival Mode, but seeing as this was a second dungeon, and that everyone seemed to be getting along just fine without this second dungeon, her making it so that no one could follow her and that her drops were going to be even more improved, made it so she couldn’t pass up the chance before her.

“Yes, Survival Mode.” Terra said.

Survival Mode confirmed.

With that, Terra felt a surge of adrenaline course down her spine. She was going to get first run loot drops on a second dungeon, one that would be increased due to the perceived difficulties of being on Survival Mode. Realizing this was perfect as she could now go all out, and not have to hide anything for fear of people following her, she entered the dungeon.

The minute she did, she felt a tingle of magic wash over her.

Solo Survival Mode applicant registered.

With that message flashing in her mind, the wall behind her began to grind shut. As it moved, Terra imagined the looks on the pampered noble’s faces on the first floor of the dungeon suddenly cowering in fear at the second tremor felt in as many minutes. With that mental image of them all scampering from their perfectly set up tents, Terra made her way forward.

Now entering Floor 51 of a Survival Mode dungeon.

Seeing the mental message, Terra let out a giant smile and a relieved sigh, as she realized that for the first time in her life. No, for the first time in many, many lives, she was free. She was sealed off from the judging and prying eyes of others. No one had any expectations of her, as everyone already expected her to have died by now. They would especially expect her to die if they learned she had entered the dungeon in Survival Mode.

For the first time in all her many lives, she was free. No one held undue expectations on her to be the supreme incarnation of good. She didn’t have to worry about people seeing her and realizing how frightening she gets when the love of battle takes her, driving her to near exhilaration from combat; the only form of true joy she managed to harness over the years.

In this moment she was free, and she would continue to be so until the moment she finally cleared the last boss and made her way out of here.

Realizing this moment for what it was, a chance to fully enjoy herself, she promised to take advantage of every second she would be in here. She also promised herself to try to see if there was a third dungeon as well.

With the thought of a possible third dungeon, she held up the glowing prism, a stone that she knew would no longer form from the corpse of the last monster, now that it had served its purpose. With the hope that this item could be used once again, Terra made her way forward into the darkness, alone and without the chance of receiving any help from anyone other than herself.

As she thought about her situation, a full-on belly laugh erupted from her, as she realized it was time to truly see what she was capable of.

Skitter.

Then just as she had the thought, the sound of monsters crawling on the ceiling around her brought her back to what floor she was on, and what the main threat of this floor would be, spiders from the ceiling, and goblins in the tunnels and turning pathways.

The spider dropped, it had her dead to rights, but being so used to fighting with her eyes shut, the dim lighting of the fifty-first floor did little to impede her vision. Instead, she felt her body moving almost on instinct as she knew when and where the dropping spider would be.

Slink.

The spider dropped to the floor in two bisected parts, its legs still twitching as its nervous system slowly caught up to the reality of the situation.

Seeing the creature slow twitch its last, a savage smile filled Terra’s face, as she let out a deep belly laugh that echoed in the caverns.

Light giggle.

And like that, she was free to finally be herself, with no expectations of perfection, or need to show restraint and modesty. She could finally be the person she always wanted to be.