The Nether Dungeon

I had finally done it. I had breached the surface. Although there was not much to see right now as the massive breach storm still raged overhead. So now what? I just wait for the storm to die down and for whatever lives on this planet to find me.

I guess I can check the notifications I got when I breached in detail now. So, let's see.

Potential System Fully Unlocked

Grand Quest In Nether We Trust Started

Neat so let's have a look at what the fully unlocked system can do for me and what exactly a Grand Quest is. Before I delved into the system or did anything productive, I mentally called Umbra over to me.

“What's up Alaric? I thought you were enjoying the storm like me.”

“I was but now I want to go through the notifications I got after the breach. You know, while we're still relatively alone and no one’s running my dungeon.”

“I understand. Got to get ahead and stay ahead of the curve, right?”

She was right on point. I still don’t know what lives on this world and with only one floor I don’t really feel as protected or powerful as Umbra makes me out to be. I know she means well but, I’m still new to this whole dungeon thing and I still haven’t even had my first challenger. I don’t know if I’m as strong as she says but I trust her. So first up is the system notification. According to it I now have full access to it. Let’s see what it has to offer.

Potential System: Welcome to the Potential System Overlay. Within you will find the rewards that you have earned and hints to unlock more. The sky's the limit with the Potential System.

“Umbra can you give me an explanation on the Potential System?”

“I can try... But first a question of my own, so I know where to start with it. What do you know about leveling up or cultivation?”

Umbra hovered in the air in front of my core and waited for my answer to her question. “I don’t know much about cultivation, but I’ve played video games before. Does leveling up work the same as it does in games?”

Umbra smiled at my answer and nodded her head then said “That's right, Alaric as far as leveling up works it's the same as in games. While cultivation on the other hand requires the circulation of the world’s natural energy in order to enhance the body. This in turn grants the cultivator extended life and supernatural powers. The energy that’s used has different names from essence and qi to mana. They’re all the same really since they all serve the same purpose.”

After she finished her quick explanation on leveling and cultivation, she goes on to tell me about the system the planet we are on uses. “Now then Alaric, this planet as you can see by the notification uses a newly created system, the Potential System. It’s weird, to say the least. Primarily because this system was created only with the input from the Nether Gods. It was made to work as a system for gods and goddesses who are too lazy to keep up with all the numerical data that the leveling system uses and too impatient to wait for cultivation to produce desirable results. In short, they made a cheat system that bypasses the majority of rules that the other two systems follow. Although I’m not saying that makes this one easier to understand, we didn’t exactly get that much training on how to help dungeons with it, but what I know is yours.”

Alright, so a new system that my fairy knows almost nothing about and a lot of possibilities to explore. Well, I do like a challenge, time to have some fun and explore this system. “Umbra, I know you said you don’t know much about this system, but let's find out together.”

As I finished my sentence and looked at Umbra, I could see her tearing up. She didn’t make a sound, just flew to my core and hugged me nodding.

Let’s see what we have here.

Potential System. Rewards: 1 Neutral Floor Pending. Hints: Conquer or Slaughter, Build up or Tear Down.

Nice so a free floor for the dungeon, gonna ask Umbra if what I think it means by neutral is correct, and really what the fuck is up with that hint. How is that supposed to help me in any way? Well, no time like the present to find out.

I focused on our bond and sent the image of what I saw to her. “Umbra, what do you make of this?”

She turned and looked me directly in the eye well directly in my core and laughed, then shook her head and spoke. “You do remember that I can see your menus right, you don’t have to send me everything.” Oh, shit I had completely forgotten she could see what I see.

“Well dumb mistake aside. Tell me if I'm wrong but I can use a neutral floor to add not just a second floor to my already existing dungeon, but couldn’t I pledge it to another of the Nether Gods?”

“You would be correct my bubbly fantastic core. Anytime you get a neutral floor it can be used to either add to an existing floor or used to dedicate a new wing of your dungeon to another god. Oh, that's the other thing I can tell you now, the Nether Gods will not share a floor with another unless you make special accommodations. So, when you dedicate a neutral floor or somehow gain a floor already dedicated to them it will open another wing in which adventures can explore. To make what I said easier it means that you will basically be in control of seven different dungeons when you reach your full power!”

Holy shit, this was beyond what I was thinking. I only assumed that by dedicating new floors I could change the types of creatures that I control, but seven different dungeons under my control. Thats beyond my expectations, which should mean it's beyond anyone else's too.

“Okay so that's awesome and leads me to my next big question how exactly do I earn more floors?” I eagerly asked Umbra, my excitement at a bigger dungeon literally lighting my core and surrounding up.

Umbra hovered in the air for a few seconds a thoughtful expression on her face before she answered me again. “For neutral floors you would get them when you reach certain milestones. Opening your dungeon and breaching the surface is one milestone, and I expect the others will either have to do with the total number of floors or the total number of divers that your dungeon manages to kill. There could be more but those are the only ones I can think of at this point. For the Nether Gods though I would think it floors specifically for them would require you to advance that grand quest that you got, what's it called again In Nether We Trust? Well, whatever it is it's connected to them so it's not unreasonable to expect rewards geared toward one of them by completing it. Who knows maybe you can get floors by completing it.”

Well, that settles that time to dive into this quest and start earning rewards. Plus, if I can figure out just what I get rewarded with I can decide what to do with this neutral floor. I want to dedicate it to another Nether God but if I can get floors for them from my quest then it makes more sense to add it to an existing floor and power that section up, right?