Chương 55: The Mindset One Has

"Plate," the guard on duty asked. I handed over my copper adventurer plate.

"You go down here?"

"Yes, about three months ago. I also found these plates from lost equipment," I said, and handed over other plates.

"Found you, Justin, solo copper. Thank you for bringing back the plates. You are free to go," the guard said after checking the logbook. There was no reward for turning in plates, it was just a considerate thing to do. Because higher-ranked adventurers were trustworthy and wouldn't incite trouble in the dungeon, they could enter and exit without having to sign in and out. I took my plate back and made my way out of the fortress that housed the passage into the dungeon inside the city.

Monsters could break out of a passage. It didn't happen often, but it could happen. Mother's family died that way when a new passage appeared close to her home, which went unnoticed. Unfortunately, there was no good way to detect such things. Or at least nothing convenient for the public to use. I knew there were high-tier sensory skills, but even then, that would be a lot of territory to cover. People usually found such entrances by accident or when monsters emerged from the dungeon.

My first stop was the Adventurer's Guild. I was going to cash in all my red monster cores. I ended up earning only 40 silver and 13 copper. It didn't seem like much considering my effort. However, that's why people entered the dungeon. They could earn money if they returned with monster cores. Some people only stayed at the top layers, trying to play it safe and accumulate wealth. The temptation to remove someone like that was quite strong. Even if there was a team, greed was endless.

Many would spend the money on various services. The Adventurer's Guild offered private rooms, a spa of its own, and other services to tempt low-ranked adventurers. There were private inns nearby that catered to the wealthier adventurers. But for everyone who came back rich and spent lavishly, there were countless corpses left behind in the dungeon. Some would upgrade their gear and hire tutors to get stronger, pursuing greater wealth and levels.

Eventually, they would either die, become a legend, or retire to take on a role as a tutor or in some other profession. I couldn't afford a top-tier inn like when I had been with Squire Jessica. I was still going to treat myself. Since my mother hadn't shown up yet, she wouldn't appear until my time was up. I booked a room at a second-class inn and a spa treatment. I also ordered chocolates.

They cost a silver a piece and I ordered twenty pieces, savoring each bite as a team of attendants massaged my hands and feet. It was utter bliss. I could see why people would waste their lives like this.

"Having fun, my son?" As I was relaxing, I opened one eye to see my mother standing in front of me. I was afraid, but I was ready for this confrontation. I had put in the work, so now I was going to relax. She wore a simple tunic with her spatial pouch at her side.

"Yes," I replied, and picked up another piece of chocolate and put it in my mouth. She was frowning slightly.

"All of this?" she asked while gesturing with her hand. The attendants briefly paused their work on my hands and feet but kept going after the brief pause.

"To refresh my mind. So, I can focus more easily on whatever you have planned for the next three months. I went to the 3 rd layer and then returned," I replied and put another piece of chocolate in my mouth while the attendants kept working on my hands and feet. My mother wasn't afraid of public embarrassment. If she wanted to talk to me, then she would speak to me.

"Really? Where did you learn such things?"

"Squire Jessica showed me the benefits of relaxing after going into the dungeon," I replied, pushing the blame for my behavior onto her. My mother clearly knew this and just stared at me.

"Also, I don't mind pushing myself, but I need time to relax and decompress."

"That was nothing, yet you are acting like you braved the journey to the Last Bastion."

"So, I should stay down there longer and keep fighting?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"Using every moment to push further."

"I don't have the mental fortitude to do that. I don't mind going into the dungeon, but enjoying life is not a crime." She looked over the spa area.

"Very well. Attend me," she declared and sat in the seat next to me. She flicked a gold coin into the air. An attendant caught it and more came out to massage her as well. My mother even stole chocolate from the tray between us and enjoyed it with a smile.

"What?" I was in a bit of shock. Her joining me wasn't something I'd expected. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"I can relax if I want to. My choice is to harden my mind, body, and soul into a weapon. Also, lowering my skills and stats enough for these people to do anything requires a considerable amount of effort and could be considered practice.

"Sorry, valued client, but our stats are not high enough," the lead attendant said with a bowed head.

"It is fine, just do your best," my mother replied.

"In time, you will lose access to these services. Some say it is like losing your humanity."

"But…those are my chocolates," I protested as she ate another. The attendants removed her boots and socks as they began over her hands and feet.

"I can do what I want, even more than you. You seem to think you can do what you want and take a few days for relaxation. You claim it is to rest your mind. Then I will test this to see if there are benefits to resting one's mind and enjoying a spa day." I was at a loss for words. I assumed she'd yell at me, or skip it entirely and pretend it didn't happen.

"I am not afraid of anything, even relaxation. You say you want to surpass me, so you need to work harder than I do. Fighting in the dungeon should be relaxing. Training to improve your skills once you return should be a wholesome vacation. Instead, you focus on shoring up your weak mentality and softness," she said. Everyone else was dead silent as we had our conversation.

"Is it so wrong?"

"No, it isn't. But to reach the heights I have, your brushes with death are nothing. Do you think there is something unique about what you have accomplished?"

"No," I whispered. The spa and chocolates didn't seem so great anymore.

"You did very well, but you lack the drive necessary for greatness. But perhaps the soft approach is better. I am not afraid of being wrong or of being shown a better way. Weakness in one's understanding of the world is something everyone should strive to correct."

"Then what should I have done?"

"Stayed down there to keep fighting. Finding food wherever you can and purchasing it from other adventurers is important. You should have looked for a Champion you could have defeated and then gone down another layer. The fights would be grueling on the 4 th layer, but you would improve quicker."

"The risk would have been too high."

"Perhaps, but that is the only way you will reach my heights. Otherwise, you won't improve quickly enough. But you seem willing to go against my expectations by indulging in this spa day. Why not go against my expectations and push yourself?"

"I made my judgment as to the danger and my abilities. I didn't want to become trapped by killing easier monsters and then having no easy way back up."

"A weak excuse when your mindset is weak. My son, seize greatness. No one gives it. My expectations are the lowest possible requirement for success." I turned my head to look at her as if she were speaking nonsense.

"Only the expectations you set for yourself are worthwhile, but they are clearly lacking."

"And how strong were you when you were my age?"

"I was weaker. My foundation was less developed, but I stayed in the dungeon fighting, even when it seemed impossible. Becoming stronger, faster, and trading monster cores for food and supplies. I purged everything in my life that didn't help me become stronger. This spa, these chocolates, they are a mental trap for the weak-willed."

"It is civilization. I will keep the opportunities, but I am not you. The life-or-death dungeon fighting isn't how I think. I don't mind fighting and enjoy it, but it isn't my entire life."

"At least you have a backbone to speak up to me. It seems the time down there did you some good after all. It is your life, I will not micromanage it unless you ask. But now is when things are easiest. When can you afford to fail. When you can gain skill levels and stats the most quickly, years, decades from now, you will look back and ask yourself why you didn't push yourself more."

"Then I will have that regret when I am older. But two days of rest to almost three months in the dungeon is not the end of the world."

"That is a fair point. But it speaks to larger concerns regarding your mentality. I would give you a 78 out of a score of 100 for your first solo descent. All of you, leave us for five minutes." The attendants quickly left the room.

"Do you know why I had you, my son, when the difficulty was immense?"

"You wanted a family?" I asked hesitantly.

"That is one reason, but also to purge myself of the weakness of family. I realized that my mindset was holding me back. I carried burdens, heavy burdens. There was no way I could set them down. Having you as my son allows me to set down those burdens one step at a time." I swallowed nervously.

"You will reach level 100 and become a legend. That is not in doubt. But to go beyond that means you need to push yourself constantly. Do you know how many supreme legends there have been in the last millennium?"

"Um, I would say ten," I nervously answered.

"Six. There is me. Then, Bastian vanished into the dungeon, and no one heard from him again. Nearly a millennium ago, the Eternal Emperor died of old age. The Librarian, guardian of the Last Bastion. The Mathemancer, the founder of the College of Advancement. Finally, Blood Gore the Butcher," she stated.

"Six, just six. Despite the best efforts of people like the Mathemancer, no one else has ascended to such heights. He believes that with the perfect environment and training, it should be possible. Like a flower grown in a garden. But I ascribe to another school of thought, that the mentality of the person matters." My mother picked up a piece of chocolate and held it up.

"It isn't just the two days. I can understand being cautious. Until your descent to the 3 rd layer, I would have given you a near-perfect score. But once you were down there, you stopped pushing yourself."

"It was dangerous."

"And to become a supreme legend requires risk-taking far more than that, my son. It is not a bad thing to want civilization and comfort, but know they come at a cost by weakening your long-term mental state. Instead of pushing further, you will turn back, to rest and recover."

"But there is risk."

"The experience requirements increase exponentially to increase your overall level. I know you understand math. So, you realize how brutal it is to climb up to my level. That is another reason for the bracelet you wear. To endure that hardship now and toughen you up. And don't bother."

"What?" I was about to get up and leave.

"We will enjoy the time here at this place. I find temptations like this are great for improving my will. You mentioned Squire Jessica taking you to such a place, which is one of her many failings. She had harsh training as a child, so she craves experiences like this. She will never become a legend."

"What? Really? Can't people keep fighting to get stronger down in the dungeon?"

"For years? For decades? Each level becomes harder. Each Champion monster becomes harder. These mental weaknesses rarely show up on your status page, but they are insidious, slowing you down. Friends, relationships, and even memories of long-dead family members…"

"But…you have spoken fondly of your family," I said.

"I do and I am. But they are long dead. Raising you is helping me come to terms with that. I love you, and that love is replacing the love that consumed me for so long. In time, you will grow up and become your own person. My love won't lessen, but I can temper it." I looked at my mother in a new light. A curtain pulled away, and I glimpsed Elena, the woman who had become a Supreme Legend, who let nothing stand in her way. Not even love itself.