The void-etched door loomed before Zaro, its surface seeming to drink in what little light reached this shadowed cliff face.
"System, let's go tactical for this dungeon. I want Jack Carr mixed with Tom Clancy. Terminal List," Zaro commanded.
"System voice adjusted, loading tactical parameters."
"The ancient entrance demands respect," the system observed in a measured tone. "Notice how the void energy concentrates around specific points, likely part of the security mechanism."
Zaro pressed his palm against the surface. The stone felt cool initially, like touching marble in deep shade. Then it began to warm beneath his touch, responding to his presence.
Channeling void energy through his arm, Zaro felt the moment of connection. Dark ripples spread from his palm like drops in still water, each wave carrying threads of purple-black energy across the door's surface. Ancient scripts illuminated as the waves passed, glowing with void light before fading back to shadow.
A series of clicks echoed from deep within the stone, each one sending vibrations through Zaro's palm. The door shuddered, and a line of darkness split its center. With a sound like breaking ice, it began to slide apart, revealing a passage that seemed to draw in both light and shadow.
The tunnel opened into a vast chamber, its architecture both ancient and precise. Zaro's steps echoed against stone that hadn't known a human presence in centuries.
"Smart money says this place has teeth," the system commented. "Your void sense is painting a clear picture, but those blind spots? They're intentional."
The chamber's void energy patterns were unlike anything he'd seen before—intricate webs of power that pulsed with purpose. Every surface, every corner blazed with void signatures in his enhanced perception. Except for those three dark squares—absolute voids in his otherwise perfect awareness.
"Calculated design," the system noted. "Someone went through a lot of trouble to hide those rooms from void detection."
Zaro couldn't help but smirk at the thought of potential loot. But the smile faded as he focused on the task at hand.
The chamber seemed to be waiting, measuring his presence. The air itself felt heavy with anticipation.
Zaro waltzed forward, activating Void Shield and pushing 150 of his mana into the ability. His armor reacted and rippled with void energy. His heads-up display reflected 200 Void Shield Armor Active.
He'd noticed lately that the system would materialize when he thought about it, but as he'd upgraded, he had more heads-up display options. They would disappear unless he thought about them or if anything changed. He also noticed that, as he fought with anyone, the small Rage Badge would fill.
It all felt so close to all the video games he had played that it felt normal. Actually, he thought, it felt comfortable.
As he walked through the corridor, the door closed behind him. When it finished, the corridor gently lit up with a faint blue glow. It started where he was and continued, one light every half a second, until he could see a doorway ahead. He continued walking toward it.
I guess it wants me to follow the yellow brick road, he thought.
“Stay frosty and keep your head on a swivel.” The system chimed in, sounding like a drill Sergeant.
Zaro thought about his void fangs and they appeared in his hands. He put the one in his left hand away and kept one just in case he needed to perforate anything in the near future. He was all about giving any enemy a new set of gills to try out in the afterlife.
The blue lights led him to a circular chamber. As he crossed the threshold, the door slid shut with the same ice-breaking sound as the entrance.
“Typical.” The system noted dryly. “These ancient sites love their dramatic door closures.”
Zaro waited, dagger ready, but nothing happened. The room remained still and silent. He paced the perimeter, studying the bare stone walls. No visible threats, no obvious triggers, no convenient instruction manual.
Time to take a closer look, he thought, activating void sense.
His enhanced perception lit up the chamber like a Christmas tree on steroids, the system observed. The walls aren't just stone, they're alive with void energy.
Intricate patterns of void energy coursed through the walls, ceiling, and floor. The energy flowed in deliberate paths, creating a complex network that seemed to pulse in rhythm. Like a circuit board made of shadows.
“Our first test appears to be one of recognition”, the system commented. “Void users who can't perceive these patterns wouldn't make it past this room. The real question is. What's the sequence?”
Zaro walked to the center of the room, his dagger dissolving into void storage with a thought. He settled into a cross-legged position, closing his eyes and letting his mind quiet. For the first time since his void sense reached level 3, he stopped directing it and simply let it flow.
The awareness bloomed outward like sonar, waves of perception expanding in perfect rings. Instead of forcing the ability, analyzing every signal, he let the information wash over him. The void energy flowed naturally now, his consciousness riding the currents rather than fighting to control them.
That's when he saw it - the Fibonacci sequence etched in void energy across the walls. The perfect spiral, nature's mathematical blueprint, written in shadows and power. Just like the golden ratio found in galaxies, seashells, and flower petals, here it was again in pure void form.
A pull tugged at his senses, drawing his attention to the right wall. Even with his eyes closed, his void sense painted a perfect picture of the chamber. The spiral pattern there pulsed stronger than the others, calling to something in his void core.
Rising smoothly, he approached the wall with certainty. His hand lifted of its own accord, void energy gathering in his palm. When his fingers touched the spiral pattern, everything connected. Void energy shot through him like lightning in reverse, lifting him off his feet. The power filled every cell in his body, his mana surging beyond its normal limits.
The wall recognized him. Accepted him. Its surface parted like a curtain of shadow, revealing the path beyond. He was worthy to proceed.
“Sometimes you don't master the void”, the system observed. “You let the void show you the way.”
Beyond the doorway lay darkness - not the passive absence of light, but something deeper. Active. Waiting. His overcharged mana hummed through his body, making his skin tingle and his void sense sharper than ever.
"The trial isn't over," the system advised. "That charge you're carrying? It's got a purpose."
The passage ahead felt different from the entrance corridor. No helpful blue lights this time. His enhanced void sense revealed intricate patterns in the walls, but these weren't just decorative—they were moving, flowing like currents in a river of shadow.
The deeper Zaro walked, the more he felt the overcharged void energy in his system trying to sync with the patterns around him, like two frequencies trying to find harmony. His new armor seemed to respond too, the void-enhanced fibers rippling as they conducted the excess power.
The corridor opened into another chamber, larger than the first. Here, the flowing patterns from the walls spilled out into the air itself, creating rivers of void energy that twisted through the space like the northern lights—if the northern lights were made of pure shadow.
“These streams of energy are intersecting in specific points”, the system noted. “Like a three-dimensional circuit board.”
Zaro's overcharged mana practically vibrated in response to the room's energy. The excess power wanted to be used, to join the dance of shadows above. His armor's void-enhanced fibers pulsed in rhythm with the flowing patterns, as if trying to tell him something.
The system's tactical assessment continued. “First room tested perception. This one's about manipulation. Question is - what are you supposed to manipulate?”
In the center of the chamber, suspended in the convergence of void streams, floated what looked like a simple cube. But his void sense showed it as a complex knot of energy, constantly shifting and reforming.
“Sometimes the direct approach”, the system observed, “watching Zaro study the cube, isn't about force at all.”
Zaro approached the cube with purpose, grasping it firmly with both hands. He pushed void energy out, intending a controlled test of its properties. The first hundred mana points flowed smoothly enough - then everything went sideways.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“Rookie mistake”, the system commented. “This thing's got an appetite.”
The cube transformed from passive receptor to aggressive consumer, drawing void energy from Zaro like a black hole drinking light. His mana plummeted as he fought for control, muscles straining with the effort to contain the drain.
“Two-fifty remaining”, the system counted down. “Two hundred. One-fifty.”
Through gritted teeth, Zaro marshaled every scrap of willpower he possessed. The cube's pull slowed momentarily - then redoubled, as if offended by his resistance.
“I think you pissed it off”, the system said. “Do we turn friendly fire off?”
One hundred mana left. The situation spiraling, Zaro had a moment of clarity. Fighting the cube was like trying to arm wrestle a hurricane. Instead, he let his body relax, breathing evening out. Rather than resisting the pull, he redirected his remaining energy into a closed circuit within himself.
The drain stuttered, then stopped. The cube pulsed in his hands but couldn't break his internal loop. Seventy-five mana remained in his carefully maintained cycle.
"Interesting approach," the system noted. "Sometimes the best defense is refusing to play the game."
The cube hummed in Zaro's hands, its pull now neutralized by his internal energy loop. For a moment, nothing changed—just Zaro and the cube in a perfectly balanced stalemate.
"Not a test of power after all," the system observed. "More like teaching a kid to swim by throwing them in the deep end."
Then the cube's surface began to shift, its void energy synchronizing with Zaro's circular flow. The aggressive pull transformed into a harmonic resonance, like two instruments finding the same note.
The streams of void energy in the air around them began moving in new patterns, following the rhythm Zaro had established. His armor's fibers pulsed with the same frequency, the whole room falling into sync with his internal loop.
“Would you look at that”, the system commented. "You just taught ancient void tech how to play nice.”
The cube's surface started to crack, lines of light appearing in its shadowy form. But this didn't feel like destruction - it felt like evolution.
The cube shattered in his hands, but instead of falling apart, it collapsed inward. The fragments spiraled into a concentrated point of void energy no larger than a marble. The tiny sphere pulsed once, then shot directly into Zaro's chest.
" Well that's new”, the system remarked. “Incoming system update in three, two…”
The sphere's energy exploded through Zaro's void network like a software patch installing at light speed. His internal energy loop amplified the effect, spreading it through every channel, every pathway. His mana, still cycling in that careful loop, suddenly doubled. Then tripled.
System Alert: Void Gathering Ability Unlocked
Void Gathering allows the user to draw ambient void energy into their core, accelerating mana regeneration. The ability activates automatically when mana drops below maximum, pulling void energy from the surroundings to restore power more quickly.
“Think of it like a passive void vacuum”, the system explained. “You're not just waiting for your mana to recover anymore - you're actively gathering energy from your environment.”
Level 1 Void Gathering
Passive ability
Increases mana regeneration rate when below maximum
Can gather void energy from corrupted sources
Higher concentrations of void energy increase gathering speed
Zaro felt the difference immediately. The ambient void energy in the room seemed to naturally flow toward him now, like water finding the lowest point. His connection to the void had evolved from simple channel to active attractor.
The new doorway led to a square arena, much larger than the previous chambers. Unlike the intricate void patterns before, this room's energy felt raw, aggressive. Combat-ready.
“Time to put theory into practice”, the system noted. “Those first two trials weren't just tests - they were preparation.”
Void sense revealed weapon racks lining the walls, each holding items that pulsed with void energy. But what caught Zaro's attention were the eight pillars arranged in a perfect octagon around the chamber's edge. Each pillar thrummed with concentrated void power, like batteries waiting to discharge.
The moment Zaro reached the arena's center, the entrance sealed behind him. The pillars' void energy intensified, each one beginning to take form. Eight void constructs materialized, one on each platform - humanoid shapes made of pure shadow and crackling void energy.
“Let's see how well you can apply those new abilities”, the system commented. “Multiple hostiles, elevated positions, and enough ambient void energy to power a small city.”
The constructs stood motionless, waiting. This wasn't just about winning a fight - it was about proving mastery over void combat itself.
The first construct launched without warning, a blur of shadow racing across the arena. The others remained still, observing. Testing.
Zaro's void sense tracked the attacker easily - these constructs weren't hidden like the black squares had been. His newly enhanced void gathering kicked in automatically as he void stepped away from the initial strike, already pulling in ambient energy to replace the mana cost.
The construct pivoted instantly, its form rippling as it pressed the attack. No wasted movement, no telegraphed strikes. Pure void combat efficiency.
Zaro's daggers materialized in his hands, void energy coursing through the crystalline edges. The construct's next attack met his cross-block, void energies clashing with a sound like thunder. The impact sent void power cascading through the arena.
“Interesting”, the system commented. “They're not just testing your combat skills - they're measuring how you channel void energy under pressure.”
The construct backed off slightly, its form shifting again. Seven pairs of glowing eyes watched from the pillars above, learning, waiting.
Zaro's Analysis skill populated with question marks, but that only excited him. He'd become something of a fight scientist lately, and discovering an opponent's weaknesses had become his favorite puzzle to solve. Now he had new tools to experiment with.
He channeled 50 mana into his void skin, charging it five times stronger than normal. Immediately, he felt the synergy between his armor, cloak, and his new void gathering ability. Through void sense, the chamber lit up like someone had splashed it with ultraviolet paint, void energy visible everywhere.
His daggers felt different too - perfectly balanced despite their increased length. He settled in, ready to defend, wanting to read this construct's rhythm. It moved with mechanical strength, almost clunky, but each strike was devastatingly powerful. More importantly, before every attack, its foot shifted to create a perfect base for maximum force.
That was the weakness.
Mirroring the construct's stance, Zaro waited for that telltale foot placement. Just before it settled, he launched a precise sweep, his enhanced strength pushing the construct's foot eight inches off its mark. As it staggered, he deflected its attacking arm and activated Double Tap, driving his dagger into the gap between its chest and side plates. The blade struck twice in rapid succession, sinking deeper with each hit.
The construct recovered like a trained boxer, throwing another powerful strike. Zaro activated Void Duplicate, stabbing through its attacking arm while simultaneously grabbing it, pulling the construct off its centerline. As it stumbled forward, he launched a void bolt at its stepping leg while driving his left-hand dagger up in an uppercut strike. Leaving the blade lodged in its jaw, he grabbed its neck with both hands and drove his knee into the dagger's pommel. The force sent the blade shooting through its head like a void-powered bullet.
Zaro activated Will of the Void, stopping the flying dagger and sending it into his left hand as his right retrieved the blade from the falling construct. The construct's dead weight dislodged the second dagger cleanly, and he let both blades sink into void storage.
No experience points awarded. Typical.
He hadn't even broken a sweat, and these new abilities made combat feel like a deadly dance. But before he could fully appreciate his enhanced capabilities, the second construct launched from its pillar. Mid-leap, it teleported, transforming the jump into a superman punch.
Zaro sidestepped and countered, but this opponent slipped the punch with practiced ease and returned with a side kick. The hit connected but carried less power than the first construct's attacks. His retaliatory punch seemed to land perfectly on its jaw, until his fist passed through an afterimage. The wheel kick that caught him from the side was very real though. His void shield absorbed the impact but dropped to half integrity.
The construct's stance shifted into a kickboxer's form. When Zaro went for his proven sweep tactic, the construct converted its lead foot into a lightning-fast snap kick. The impact shattered his already weakened void shield completely.
A cold realization hit him: this construct hadn't just been watching - it had been learning.
The system chimed in, “sweep the leg Zaro.”
For some reason, this realization made him excited. The construct learning his moves wasn't a problem - it was an opportunity to show what real void combat looked like. He needed to attack its support structure, but not just sweep - he wanted to nail its feet to the floor and teach it a lesson in pure pain.
He void stepped behind the construct and summoned his void sword, its weight feeling perfect in his hands. The attack sequence flowed: dash left while swiping the lead leg as it turned to face him, immediately dashing right to slice across its torso. Three precise slashes followed, then a clean dodge under a well-executed side kick. His sword thrust forward as he raised his right elbow upward, deflecting an incoming punch that created just enough space for a powerful diagonal slash from left to right.
Reading the right hand coming in, he used his left elbow to deflect upward while cutting from top left shoulder to right hip pocket. The front somersault through the opening was fluid, his landing and pivot setting up the thrust at the right side back hip. His dance partner narrowly evaded, throwing a technically perfect donkey kick with three points of contact. Zaro rolled across its back like a void tabletop, using his momentum to hook its right wrist and pull upward while entering the doorway for a precise slash into the underarm and shoulder.
When he went for the exposed neck, the construct performed one of the most effective attack-dodge combinations he'd ever seen - bending over and kicking almost straight up. But he saw it coming, letting the kick glide along his shoulder as he stepped into its space, catching the construct in a standing banana split.
The sword plunged down into its left foot, Double Tap ensuring the blade drove deep into paydirt, anchoring it in place. Zaro's right arm hooked the suspended leg as he stepped back, gable gripping the knee and pulling with full force. The construct's knee didn't just break - it transformed into ground void matter as it bent completely backward.
"Timber!" His sparta kick sent the construct sliding so hard its anchored foot split in half. The ground and pound that followed was methodical devastation, each strike precisely placed until its face and upper chest were unrecognizable.
Eye of the Storm gave him ten precious seconds to recharge before the third construct announced itself with a superhero landing.
Mana expenditure 50. Void shield crackling at 5 times capacity, the extra charge causing small arcs of void energy to dance across its surface. Void gathering was already working to replenish his reserves as Zaro settled into a ready stance.
This construct rose slowly from its landing crouch, its form different from the previous two. Where the first had been a power-based brawler and the second a technical striker, this one moved with a predatory grace. Its void energy signature pulsed in an odd rhythm, almost like it was breathing.
The remaining five constructs watched from their pillars, still collecting data. Still learning.
Combat analysis suggested this one wasn't going to charge in like its predecessors. It wanted Zaro to make the first move, to show what he'd learned from the previous fights.
“Not going to telegraph its fighting style”, the system noted. “Smart. Question is - what combat data is it planning to use against you?”
The construct's cautious strategy proved fatal against Zaro's overwhelming alpha strike. Void energy coursed through his right hand as he channeled ten times the normal power into the bolt - a mana-hungry gambit, but worth it for the pure destructive potential.
The thrown dagger was just a setup, forcing the construct to focus forward as Zaro void stepped to its flank. Double Tap activated just as he released the supercharged void bolt point-blank. The combination turned a devastating attack into an apocalyptic one - 800 total damage from near zero range.
The blast caught the construct perfectly, the void energy practically atomizing its upper body. What remained of its form rippled like a flag in a hurricane before dissipating.
“Should've bought void insurance”, the system quipped. “That's what we call 'excessive force.”
The remaining five constructs shifted slightly on their pillars. Their collective combat data had just registered a new threat assessment: Zaro wasn't just solving their combat puzzles - he was obliterating them.
The next contestant on the price is wrong was already on the arena floor firing void bolts at Zaro. He met the first bolt with his hand to test their strength, and it burnt his hand, but not bad.
The second and third he deflected with his bracers.
A ranged attacker huh. Zaro thought.
He wasn't sure if his stats changed his pain receptors or if he was just getting comfortable with the constant injuries or something else, either way he had made peace with it.
So we're having a void bolt fight? Zaro thought, already plotting trajectories. His burnt hand tingled as his vitality accelerated his natural healing.
“Going to be harder to nail its feet to the floor if it keeps its distance”, the system observed dryly.
The construct maintained its spacing, launching bolts in precise patterns designed to limit his movement options. This wasn't just random fire - it was using void bolts to control the battlefield.
The dance of ranged combat began with a test - Zaro's probing void bolt revealing the construct's reliance on agility. Its fluid dodges confirmed what he suspected: this one prioritized evasion over power.
The lateral movement and void bolt barrage was just setup, each missed Voidfang embedding itself in the ground like silent promises. The construct's easy dodges only reinforced its confidence, exactly as planned.
When the third Voidfang appeared, the construct had already categorized the attack pattern. But this time, void duplicate created the perfect misdirection. As it focused on the false dagger, Zaro void stepped closer, unleashing four void bolts in rapid succession. The 60 mana expenditure barely registered thanks to his enhanced void gathering.
The construct felt the pressure shift - no longer controlling the range, now defending against a multi-vector assault. As it raised both hands to counter with its own void bolts, Zaro's will of the void activated. The two planted daggers answered their master's call, rising to strike from behind while the final Voidfang approached from the front.
Zaro tanked the construct's desperate counter-fire, closing the distance to grip its wrists. Up close, its face was a nightmare of shifting void energy - constantly collapsing inward while somehow maintaining countless eyes and fangs.
The grip, the pull, the kick - each motion precisely timed. When Zaro released its wrists, his kick launched it directly into the converging daggers. The impact drove it forward, right into his waiting shadow strike. His fist shattered its form like breaking glass, void energy dispersing as his daggers returned obediently to void storage.
System alert. Void bolt has reached level 3. Will of the Void has reached level 2.
That was a pleasant surprise, he was happy the skills would still level even though he wouldn't get experience for these fights.
His energy had already recovered fully, ready for whatever emerged from the remaining pillars.
But nothing came.
The sudden appearance of the timer and lack of immediate threat created an interesting tactical pause.
Ten minutes.
Taking advantage of the breather, Zaro settled into a cross-legged position and activated Eye of the Storm. The familiar calm washed over him as his stats began recovering to peak levels.
The system remained silent, but the remaining pillars still held their watching constructs. Four more tests waited above, studying his every move, learning from each fight.
The timer ticked down steadily. And Zaro was ready for wave 2.
The timer ticked down steadily. And Zaro was ready for wave 2.