From Rock Bottom to Hero-Chapter 20 - - Hidden Potential

Slowly, I open my eyes.

I see a wooden ceiling above me, and I'm lying on something soft. A bed.

Am I at the doctor's?

Where is Father?

My gaze shifts to the side.

My father is lying in the bed next to me. Awake. He looks exhausted, but when our eyes meet, a smile appears on his face. "Sota. So you actually did it." There's pride in his voice.

Before I can respond, the door opens.

A deep, rough voice breaks the silence.

"Oh? The doctor said Sota was still unconscious." The man sounds surprised.

"He just woke up." My father replies.

"I'm Gareth, the guild master." He introduces himself.

Then his eyes shift to my father. "So, Daigo. What exactly happened? I assume you took care of that thing?"

Father raises an eyebrow. "That thing?"

"The Shadow Demon." Gareth snorts. "It was found beheaded, right where you two were discovered. The adventurers who found you nearly had a heart attack."

He examines my father carefully. "And since you're no stranger to our guild but rather a notorious adventurer, I thought you were the one who killed it."

Sota's father remains silent for a moment before shrugging. "I only managed to wound it badly." He finally says. "But it was Sota who finished it off."

Gareth blinks. "He did what?" His gaze slowly moves to me, as if he wants to confirm he heard correctly. "Explain."

I clear my throat. "We were in the forest when we sensed an unnatural presence. Then, we were attacked by the Shadow Demon."

Gareth nods slowly. "Shadow Demons don't just appear anywhere. You had some damn bad luck."

"Yeah." I mumble. "It was incredibly fast. My dagger didn't do anything to it. I was too weak. My father had no trouble dealing heavy damage with his sword."

"Yeah, Shadow Demons have extremely tough skin." He confirms.

"Selmira infused my dagger with light magic." I explain. "Then I was able to injure it."

Gareth gives a short nod. "And then?"

"It created copies of itself. They moved exactly like the original. I couldn't tell which one was real."

"Shadow Illusion Magic." Gareth mutters. "One of the nastiest tricks those things have."

"Yeah, but I saw through it. I channeled mana into my eyes. Then I could see which one was real."

For a moment, silence fills the room. "You did what?"

I frown. "I channeled mana into my eyes."

Gareth stares at me. My father looks surprised as well. "And that actually changed your vision?"

"Yes." I confirm. "I could see the mana flows around me."

Gareth looks skeptical. "Channeling mana into your eyes doesn't do anything." He says slowly.

"What?" I ask.

"It doesn't change your sight." Gareth repeats. "That's not how it works. It's not just some trick."

I want to protest, but Gareth raises a hand. "Finish your story first."

I swallow. "Right before the final strike, everything around me slowed down."

Gareth's expression shifts. "Slowed down?"

I nod. "It was as if I could predict everything. Every movement. I knew exactly when and where the demon would strike. It felt like I had unlimited time to react."

A strange silence fills the room. Gareth's gaze lingers on me. Then, the guild master exhales quietly. "Do you have Singular Magic?"

It takes me a moment to respond to the sudden question. "Uh... yeah? Three."

Gareth narrows his eyes. "Three?!" Then he shakes his head slowly and laughs. "Kid. I think you just awakened one of your Singular Magics."

Excitement bubbles up in me. "What?! You really think so?!"

"Yes." Gareth nods. "What you did, both with your eyes and with time, is something no one else can do. That wasn't normal mana manipulation. It was something completely new." He pauses in thought. "You need to figure out exactly what this Singular Magic does. Because if you can really perceive time like that..." He trails off, then grins. "Then you've got an insane amount of potential."

I stare at Gareth with wide eyes, but I don't know what to say.

Gareth watches me for a moment longer, then shrugs and grins. "Well. That's all from me."

Without another word, he turns and leaves the room.

Shortly after, the doctor enters. He checks my father's wounds first and nods in satisfaction.

Then he moves to me. "How do you feel?" he asks, gently lifting my arms.

"Uh... pretty good, I think."

The doctor frowns. "You both pushed your bodies to the limit. Get some rest, but you should recover fully soon."

He checks the bandages one more time before leaving the room.

Not even a minute later, the door opens again. "Father! Sota!"

A familiar voice. I lift my head and there they are. My mother and Shiro. Their faces are full of worry, but when they see that we're awake, some of the tension eases.

"You were gone all night, and then I find out you almost died?!" My mother cries as she rushes toward us. She reaches for me first, grabbing my hand.

"We were so worried!" Tears stream down her face. Shiro stands silently by the door. His eyes rest on me. He doesn't say anything, but I can see that he's relieved,yet there's also a hint of jealousy.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

I swallow.

So much had happened last night, yet I was grateful for the chance to grow stronger.

I was still far from ready, but one day... One day, I would be strong enough to stand a chance against the angels.