Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After leaving the 10th floor, Vahn made his way towards the 11th without stopping. The orcs of the previous floor gave decent rewards, as their cores could be exchanged for nearly 30OP, but they were sparse in number. The imps were barely the equivalent of a goblin in value while the bats would periodically assault him only awarded 13-15 OP each. At this rate it would be weeks, or even months before Vahn was able to complete the quest, so his only option was to head further down.The 11th floor was similar in structure to the 10th, except for the fact the mist had increased in density while the atmosphere felt cold and damp. Vahn could even see his breath whenever he breathed so he channeled his [Heart of the Eternal Flame] to keep warm. Using the same method as before, he began imbuing the effect into his domain and started to clear the mist to increase his visibility. Vahn would later come to realize this was a grave oversight...As soon as his domain pushed back the fog, several white shadows began lurching towards Vahn. He immediately dodged away from the attacks to get a better view of the creatures ambushing him. Vahn was briefly surprised to see they were the same as the monster Bell had fought in Daedalus Street in the manga. Standing around 4m tall and covered in white fur with a silver streak down their backs, Vahn came face to face with a group of four Silverbacks. They were monkey-like creatures with high agility and fearsome strength.To make matters worse, Vahn also noticed a larger monster approaching from the distance. It was around 4-5m in height and covered in a dense leathery orange hide. It appeared similar to a small dragon, but it didn't have any wings and was unable to fly. Steam was emitted from its nostrils as it angrily charged towards the battlefield shared by Vahn and the Silverbacks.Vahn took evasive action to avoid being surrounded by the four Silverbacks and immediately switched to his bow. Though he was confident in being able to eliminate them one at a time, there was no way he would be able to deal with the entire group with his current strength. Fortunately, even though they had fast speeds and agile bodies, they were unable to react to the spontaneous changes in direction caused by Vahn's footwork.He was able to position himself so that there was always a Silverback between him and the rest of the group. This prevented them from attacking all at once unless they were to attack through their companions. Once Vahn had found a good angle, he knocked an explosive arrow before releasing it towards the head of the nearest Silverback. The monster opened it's mouth and tried to bit at the projectile, but the moment its teeth snapped shut the resulting explosion annihilated the foolish ape.In the chaos caused by the blast, the other Silverbacks tried to move away from their dead companion as a fierce black light cut through the dust explosion caused by the Silverbacks death. The light continued and pierced the chest of a second silverback who immediately turned to dust as the lethal projectile vanished. In Vahn's hand, a bow reappeared and he fired an additional two explosive arrows at the remaining apes.The moment he loosed the arrows, Vahn exchanged his bow for his tamahagane blade as he leaped towards the furthest Silverback with a fierce momentum. The arrows continued to travel and struck true on the first monster, but the second had managed to evade. The arrow exploded far behind in the mist as Vahn plunged his sword deep into the chest of the Silverback before kicking away and sprinting toward the approaching lizard Sis had identified as an Infant Dragon.All four monsters had been dealt with in less than twenty seconds after Vahn fired the first arrow. Using the explosion of his first victim, he threw his tamahagane blade like a spear into the surprised second Silverback. Before it turned to dust, Vahn retrieved it into his inventory before engaging the remaining Silverbacks with his bow. Noticing the second arrow was going to miss, he swapped to his sword before slaying the final Silverback before it was able to recover. He didn't want to have to worry about being harassed by the monkies as he fought the Infant Dragon.Vahn was now engaging the Infant Dragon who had reared back it's long snake-like neck and spewed fire from its jagged-toothed mouth. Seeing the incoming flame, Vahn scoffed before unequipping his current gear and exchanging it for his fireproof clothing. He leaped directly into the flames as a look of contempt seemed to flash in the eyes of the Infant Dragon. Before it was able to celebrate its victory and enjoy its next meal, a long black sword cut through the flames with a red arc that severed the head from its body.Staring towards the dissolving corpse Vahn couldn't help but remark, "Daring to use flames against me..." He shook his head before allowing the mist to converge. Even though he dealt with it easily, it wouldn't be a good idea to draw so much attention to himself by creating an empty space within the mist. He didn't need to see the monsters to detect their presence, and it made it easier for monsters to target him instead.Vahn equipped the shadowsilk tunic that he hadn't worn in a long time and decided to take a new approach to these floors that had reduced visibility. It had been a long time since he hunted monsters, so after pulling out his bow and covering his head with a hood he began to blend into his environment using his [Stealth] skill. As long as he didn't put his intent into the domain, monsters wouldn't be able to detect him while he was easily able to sense their presence.---Vahn skulked through the remainder of the 11th floor without engaging a single monster in direct combat. He could detect everything within 68m without having to see them and, using his perception in conjunction with his archery skills, he was able to sneak attack dozens of monsters. Even groups of enemies thrashed about in a rage as they were unable to find where the attacks were coming from. They could only roar loudly into the silent mist as their lives were harvested one-by-one.Like a shadow, Vahn moved uncontested through the 11th floor before finding the stairs leading to the 12th. He was happy to have the opportunity to 'hunt' again, and it brought him a different kind of exhilaration compared to fighting enemies directly. Seeing them scurry about while trying to find cover was satisfying and Vahn enjoyed the feeling of deciding when to take their lives. As long as he was careful, their only option was to wait for him to deliver his mercy unto them.Entering the 12th floor, Vahn's smile deepened as he noticed this mist was still present. Not only that, but it was several times thicker than the previous floors. While this may have posed a problem for other Adventurers, this had become almost a natural hunting grounds for Vahn. Concealing his presence, he moved into the depths of the 12th floor and continued his 'hunt'.As there were no drastic changes in the composition of monsters, Vahn was able to make his way through the 12th floor in around three hours. It was no late in the afternoon, so Vahn decided it would be wise to rest for the remainder of the day. He could always continue his journey after taking a short rest and napping for a few hours.Checking his spoils, Vahn was happy to see he had obtained nearly 20k OP from the 11th and 12th floor. The Silverbacks were worth far more than any previous monster he had hunted, and their cores gave between 120-150 OP. However, they fell far short of the seven infant dragons Vahn had hunted who each gave out 400-430 OP. Combining the Hard Armored, an armadillo-like creature with heavy plating that Vahn was easily able to cut through, his spoils totaled 19,962 OP in just 5-6 hours.This brought his total OP to 171,832 and he was inching ever closer to his goals. Vahn began to grow excited because, if the monsters on these floors were worth so much, then the monsters deeper within the dungeon should have even higher values. If he paced himself, he may even be able to earn enough OP to complete his quest by the time he reached the safe zone on the 18th floor.As the 12th floor was the official end of the 'upper floors' Vahn decided to read through the compendium before he went to sleep. The next floor would be a qualitative change compared to everything he had experienced, and he didn't want to get caught off guard by anything unexpected. Though Sis always explained to him the characteristics and weaknesses of any monster he encountered, it wasn't always easy to pay attention to her guidance in the middle of a fight.(A/N: Caution, this is an info dump so I don't have to explain all the monsters in the next chapter. You'll understand why later~!)The monsters he would be facing on the middle floors included Wyverns, Battle Boars, Hellhounds, Almiraj, Dungeon Worms, Minotaurs, Lygerfangs, and if he was 'unlucky' there would even be a Monster Rex on the 17th floor called Goliath. Vahn recognized the name of the creature and after seeing the image in the compendium his fighting spirit began to boil. Bell had been able to slay a Black Goliath with the help of other Adventurers at Level 2 and Vahn wanted to see how he could fare against a weaker version.Setting aside that thought, Vahn inspected the characteristics and weaknesses of each monster. Wyverns could get up to 5m long and had incredibly resilient pink skin. They could breathe fire and toxic gas and appear relatively rarely. Battle Boars and Hellhounds, however, were quite common and often wandered the corridors of the dungeon in packs. Though they were relatively weak monsters, they could overwhelm enemies with their numbers and coordinated attacks.Almiraj was very problematic and similar in appearance to the Needle Rabbits on the 7th floor. The primary difference is they were much faster and possessed some degree of intelligence. They were capable of walking on two legs and performing various acrobatic feats to attack their enemies. They often hunted in the same areas as the next monster, Dungeon Worm, which were massive creatures comprised entirely of teeth and stomach. They were natural traps within the dungeon and the Almiraj were known to harass adventurers until they entered the territory of a Dungeon Worm unprepared.Lastly were two monsters Vahn was very curious about. Starting from the 15th floor he would begin to come across Minotaurs, which were known even in the compendium as 'Level 2 Killers'. They were considered the strongest monsters at Level 2 and had fearsome physical strength. Variants of Minotaurs were even capable of using weapons found within the dungeon and even developing skills. Next was the Lygerfangs, which Vahn found very reminiscent of his [Rakshasa Body] transformation. They were large tigers that varied between a rust-like orange and an off-white color with black stripes. Their fangs were said to be able to penetrate mid-grade armor with ease and were a popular item for developing stabbing weapons.Vahn decided to make it his goal to hunt as many Minotaurs and Lygerfangs as he could. Though he planned to enter the 18th floor, he wanted to stay in the area until he completed his quest. The fact he was rapidly losing the ability to spend OP in the shop was becoming a major concern of his. Though he didn't feel like he relied on it that much, now that he was unable to use it freely Vahn felt rather anxious.After checking his stats and performing maintenance on his equipment, Vahn rested against the wall and took a nap. He spread his domain out for 50m to conserve energy and quickly drifted off to sleep.(A/N: Vahn's current stats)-------------------------------------------------------------------------[[Stats]]Name: [Vahn Mason]Age: 14Race: Human, *sealed*Parameter: [Danmachi: 1-4]-Level:2(2)-Power:1001+(E498)-&gt;(D513)-Endurance:1108+(C665)-&gt;(C690)-Dexterity:887+(F372)-&gt;(E444)-Agility:940+(E449)-&gt;(E461)-Magic:1611+(B750)-&gt;(A831)Total:5547+(2734)-&gt;(2939)Soul Strength: Tier 2 (Hero Soul)[Karma]: 1,022[OP]: 171,832[Valis]: 171,630-------------------------------------------------------------------------[Stealth: D] -&gt; [Stealth: C][Bow Mastery: C] -&gt; [Bow Mastery: B](A/N: Keep in mind that obtaining exilia from using skills against higher level monsters increases the growth rate~!)(A/N: Alternate Title: 'Dump','Sneaky Boi','Mans not hot, never hot','Flags, flags everywhere. Lookin' like an international convention up in here.')

As Vahn awoke from his nap, he made his final preparations before entering into the 13th floor. The structure of the dungeon changed yet again and now the walls, floor, and ceiling were all made a pale black bedrock. It was much denser than anything found on the upper floors and Vahn also noticed it seemed to absorb what little light was emitted from the ceiling. There were rocks strewn about all over the ground making passage and combat more difficult.This was Vahn's first time entering the 'middle floors' so he proceeded with caution. The monsters starting from this point were almost all Level 2 or higher, and those that weren't attacked in such great numbers they posed a threat to even experienced parties. If Vahn dropped his guard there was a very real possibility he may die from this point onward.After traveling forward for about ten minutes, Vahn began to worry. This entire time he had yet to encounter a single monster, and even his domain wasn't detecting any presences. He continued with increased caution until he came across an anomaly. The route he had taken led to a dead end where it looked as though the walls and ceiling had collapsed. Though it wasn't uncommon for the dungeon's layout to change over time, as this was the main route on the map it was odd to find it in such a state.Vahn inspected the collapse and found traces of burning that scared the surface of some rocks. Someone, or something, must have used a large scale explosion magic to collapse the tunnel. The question on Vahn's mind though was why someone would do such a thing. He decided to backtrack and look for a secondary route or else he would have to wait for days for the dungeon to repair itself.After finding a connecting tunnel, Vahn made his way and released a sigh of relief when he detected the presence of several monsters ahead. He had started to worry that something unnatural had occurred in the dungeon and didn't want to get caught up in something beyond his level. Pressing forward, Vahn came across a room filled with a pack of black dog-like creatures with glowing red eyes.They were currently fighting over something, and from Vahn's perspective, he was able to identify the source of their conflict as a corpse. Some poor adventurer had become an unwilling meal after losing their lives in the dungeon. His brow furrowed as he drew his sword and engaged the mongrels.The Hell Hounds noticed his approach and immediately charged at Vahn. They were incredibly agile and possessed a mouth full of sharp pearl-white teeth marred with the flesh and blood of their victim. The closets hounds to Vahn hurled themselves at his limbs to try and cripple him.Vahn sidestepped and bisected the fastest one with his sword in a reverse slash splitting the Hell Hound from bottom to top. Using his fiery golden left hand, he grabbed the neck of the second Hell Hound who tried snapping its jaws and flailing about. Vahn crushed its windpipe before throwing the corpse into the group of rushing Hell Hounds.They had surrounded him by this point and were trying to maul him from every direction, but Vahn was able to use his power and agility to leap out of the encirclement. He collided feet first into a wall before vaulting into a more advantageous position near the corpse of the Adventurer. Vahn took a moment to inspect the body and nearly vomited as a reward for his curiosity.The mutilated corpse was missing several parts, but Vahn had been able to identify it as a young woman with blue hair. Though he assumed she may have been pretty in life, now her body was a mess of flesh and mangled tissue. The throat had been chewed through and each limb had long been removed from the body. One of the things the mongrels had been fighting over previously turned out to be an arm.Vahn was filled with rage as a cold sensation spread through his mind. He started pushing his [Will of the Emperor] to the extreme and infused a large number of fire elements into his domain. The golden light that had been spreading began to consolidate till the point Vahn's black tamahagane blade now shone with a golden luster while radiating a terrifying heat.The Hell Hounds began to cower as they growled towards the golden figure. The heat emanating from the body of their prey caused an instinctive fear to build inside of them. It was almost as if the roles had reversed and their natural predatory instincts had completely dispersed. The only thing they felt was fear, but the compulsion of the dungeon and their core would now allow them to flee. The golden figure stared directly towards them as a chill ran down their spines almost as if to contrast the heat."You will not die easily," Vahn spoke the words with an icy fervor. He gripped the sword in his hand before going on his rampage. Instead of killing them as quickly as possible, he made sure to only target non-lethal areas. Fortunately, even if he cut limbs or severed parts of their body, the wounds would instantly cauterize and leave the monsters struggling on the ground. Vahn continued cutting away at the pack of demons until they were reduced to mutilated messes on the ground.After sating his wrath, Vahn turned away from the struggling creatures without finishing them off. He knew they would die after enough time passed, and wanted them to experience the excruciating pain of slowly burning into nothingness. He turned towards the corpse of the female adventurer and frowned before a voice sounded in his head.(*Vahn, you shouldn't let them suffer more than this.*) Sis gently spoke the words in his mind.Vahn was confused, baffled even. He couldn't understand why Sis wanted him to put such fiendish creatures out of their misery. Seeing the wounds on the adventurer, Vahn knew she hadn't been dead when they started tearing her body apart.(*Vengeance itself is not a sin, but if you allow them to suffer just to appease your mind it will result in the accumulation of negative karma. You shouldn't develop the habit of enjoying suffering, even it is the suffering of cruel and evil creatures. You must be righteous and firm in your convictions or else the meaning behind your actions will cease to be noble.*) Sis slowly explained each word so Vahn could process them.He knew she was right, as she often was when it came to things like this. Vahn could not bring back the girl, so his actions weren't saving anyone. The only thing he got was personal satisfaction and other negative emotions. Vahn continued mulling over the words but decided it wasn't worth it to allow this situation to develop further. He sighed before turning towards the writhing creatures.After slaying them all Vahn felt a melancholic emotion from within his body. All of his earlier actions felt so meaningless now that he had laid them to rest. There were various emotions building up inside of him and he felt like he had been unable to release them now that he had killed everything. Vahn gripped the handle of his sword tightly and felt frustrated before Sis once again spoke to him.(*You should bury or burn the body Vahn. No person deserves to rot here and become food for the dungeon and its inhabitants. Let her rest peacefully knowing she will avoid that fate.*)Vahn released his grip on his sword slightly and looked towards the dead adventurer. She seemed to be less than twenty years old and yet died here long before her life would have naturally come to an end. It was tragic, and he felt pity after hearing Sis's words. Vahn approached the body and began to feel nauseous but he held back the urge as it would be too disrespectful given the situation. He felt like if he threw up he would be dishonoring everything the woman represented in life.Bringing his palms together, Vahn gave her a short eulogy. As someone that had transcended life and was reborn in another world, Vahn knew her soul would return to the gate before being reborn into this world. He prayed that she viewed the 'Kaleidoscopic Wheel of Karma' there were a greater number of happy memories than sad ones.After his prayer, he searched for anything that could be used to identify the girl to leave with the Guild staff. If she belonged to a Familia or party, they would find and return the articles to any living family or friends. When he was done, Vahn finally cremated the body after wearing his [Plague Mask] to avoid the smell and fumes. He stood silently and watched the fire burn until the body had ceased to exist.Vahn looked towards the charred area of the dungeon floor and swept his hand to generate a wind to disperse the ashes. He looked at the Guild ID he had found in the pouch on the woman's waist."Rest in peace Natalia Moore. May your next like be a peaceful one far away from this dark place."---Continuing his way through the 13th floor, Vahn came across several groups of monsters and many signs of battle. He also found and burned the corpses of five additional adventurers, many of which were found in the same large room where Vahn slew more than forty Hell Hounds and Almiraj. There was even a Dungeon Worm near a giant hole leading down to the next floor. Vahn wrapped several explosives into a bundle before tossing it into the mouth of the monstrosity.After leaving the site of the large battle, Vahn began to ponder what exactly had transpired. For such a large party to be in the middle-floors, they had to be veterans lead by second-rate (Lv 3-4) Adventurers. It was almost like they were an expeditionary group that had gotten ambushed or caught off guard. For an entire party to wipe on the 13th floor was uncommon as they had more than enough people to deal with most groups of monsters.Suddenly, a thought passed through Vahn's mind as he recalled the cave-in from earlier. Since the path had been clear from the moment he entered the 13th floor, they must have cleared it ahead of him before reaching the same point he came to earlier, the site of the collapse. They too must have detoured to find a way around, but Vahn still couldn't understand what led to their demise.Feeling uneasy, Vahn became doubly alert as he slowed his pace through the dungeon. Not just relying on [Will of the Emperor], he investigated every nook and cranny along the path with his eyes. He even activated his stealth to prevent anything from potentially detecting him. Vahn slowly made his way through the 13th floor and killing every group of monsters with caution, always making sure to keep part of his focus on his surroundings.The further into the floor he progressed, the more uneasy Vahn felt. Tsubaki always complimented him on his instincts, and right now they were sounding alarms inside his mind telling him to turn back. Trusting his own intuition, Vahn began to slowly trace his path along the route he came. However, no matter how far he went the uneasy feeling continued to grow. Impatient, Vahn began to pick up his pace until the point he was essentially sprinting towards the stairs.As his speed increased, the feeling began to grow faster and faster and Vahn could feel a dreadful feeling seizing his body. It was like something had locked onto him and now they were engaging in a game of cat and mouse with Vahn on the receiving end. Vahn began to leave mines along the path he fled in the hopes of intercepting whatever had been following him.After a few minutes, while Vahn was still fleeing, he heard several large explosions sound in the distance. Though this would normally put his mind at ease, Vahn began to tremble slightly as the terrifying feeling actually began to grow. Whatever unseen terror had just stepped on his mines hadn't been defeated; Instead, it just became very pissed off.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Ruuuuuuuuuuun','Vahn can't save 'em all','Karma is a bitch','Sis is bae')

Vahn spent the night within the corridor connecting to the stairs. Though he thought about exiting the dungeon and returning home for the night, Vahn decided to temper himself by staying. As he had previously intended to leave only when he was unable to progress, Vahn was determined to stay for as long as possible.Over the last few months, his mastery and use of [Will of the Emperor] had increased greatly. He was now able to maintain his domain without any conscious effort as long as his internal energies didn't run dry. Since he had skills like [Spirit Healing], [Yggdrasil's Favor], and [Heart of the Eternal Flame] supplementing his energy recovery, Vahn was able to maintain his domain without any major energy consumption as long as he wasn't active.When Vahn awoke the next day, he made his preparations for clearing the 7th floor. This was the point where he had made the furthest progress previously and he was curious to see how far he had grown since his last visit. Though he still had items like [Plague Mask], [Nullifying Mantle], and his [Mithril Poniard], Vahn didn't equip them since he wanted to continue developing what he referred to as his 'eternal flame domain'.Though the monsters of the 7th floor were annoying to deal with in normal circumstances, Vahn was able to make smooth progress through the Horned Rabbits and Purple Moths. However, things weren't always as planned and Vahn had a bit of trouble with the Killer Ants. They were somewhat resistant to his flames and whenever they entered the domain they would screech and release pheromones that caused any nearby Killer Ants to gather en masse.Vahn was nearly overwhelmed by a large number of Killer Ants but the more damage he took the easier he was able to deal with the situation. Though he wasn't unaware of the effects Vahn was still surprised with the boost he had started receiving from [Rakshasa Body]. The longer he fought against the ants the more prominent his transformation would become until he had achieved the state he was in when he saved Naaza previously.It was at that point things began to get odd because, as Vahn suffered even more damage, a second change began to occur in his body. The hairs on his arms started to compact and take on a bluish-onyx hue. His tanned skin began to darken and a strange tattoo began to spread from his forearms to the rest of his body. Wherever the tattoo spread his muscles became dense like iron and the jaws and attacks of the Killer Ants started having little effect.Vahn was ecstatic seeing change and nearly entered a maddening fit as he tore his way through the tide of Killer Ants and retreated towards safety. His laughter echoed through the caverns of the dungeon as he left a swath of death and destruction wherever he passed. It wasn't until he managed to break the encirclement and reach the safety of the stairway leading down that Vahn finally managed to reign in his emotions.Though he had never really panicked, the moment he started getting surrounded made Vahn feel slightly anxious. He was able to evade the attacks of the Killer Ants for a while, but no matter how quickly he culled their numbers, there always seemed to be two more to replace every one he killed.If it wasn't for the changes caused by [Rakshasa Body] there was a real chance he would have sustained serious injuries trying to escape.Vahn inspected the current state of his body and even unequipped the majority of his clothing to observe the full effects. The previously white/black fur had joined together to form a series of scale-like protrusions on his body. The scales were dark black, but whenever they caught the light they reflected a bluish hue. The biggest change was how the skin around the scales had become much darker and the tattoo Vahn had noticed previously had spread throughout his arms and torso.The tattoo had the appearance of strange runic formations that coiled, intertwined, and overlapped on Vahn's biceps, back, collar bones, and pectoral muscles. Curiously, the tattoo reminded Vahn of a snake and the patterns seemed to come alive with this thought. Vahn thought they were very cool, but he was still a little worried about what other changes had occurred. He took his standing mirror from his inventory and tried to get a better look at his body.The first thing he noticed was that the tattoo extended all the way to his face, or more specifically the area around his eyes and forehead. They came together to make a strange shape similar to a dragon's head that made Vahn's face look wrathful even when he wasn't particularly angry. He also noticed his hair had changed to match the hair on his arms and also had the dark color with blue sheen. Lastly, he caught sight of the tattoo on his back which had formed a gigantic yin-yang symbol surrounded by a series of eight strange line-like formations.Enough time had passed while Vahn was inspecting himself that the transformation began to recede. After about thirty seconds it had disappeared entirely, including the effects of the white-tiger transformation. Vahn stared blankly at his normal state and inspected his body for any lingering effects. He was happy to see there were no longer any changes he had to concern himself with, so he decided to ask Sis about the new form.(*The first form is that of the white-tiger or Báihǔ, while the second form seems to be representative of the black-turtle or Xuánwǔ. The white-tiger change offers you increased strength and agility while the black-turtle form seems to greatly increase your endurance.*)Vahn nodded, it would be hard to ignore how he was able to resist the attacks of the Killer Ants using just his body. If he didn't realize his endurance had increased, he would begin to question the function of his brain. ("What about the strange tattoo and symbols on my head and back?") Vahn was curious if they were also a part of the black-turtle transformation.Sis was silent for a while before responding, (*My analysis shows that the tattoo on your face is indeed the product of the black-turtle form, but the symbol on your back is present even during your white-tiger change. It seems to be the core structure of the [Rakshasa Body] and it's current effects haven't been cataloged yet. Since it is an innate skill, I am unable to determine it's functions at present.*)Vahn considered her words as he sat down to rest. Like every time he relied on [Rakshasa Body], his stamina had drained severely. It wasn't too bad when he just used the white-tiger form, but now that he had progressed to the second stage the burden on his body was quite intense. It was almost like he had just finished one of his sparring sessions with Tsubaki. Luckily, his natural regeneration had been increased to the point where he only needed twenty minutes to recover.After resting, Vahn continued downwards to the 8th floor. This was now the deepest he had gone into the dungeon and he could feel anticipation begin building within. Entering the 8th floor, Vahn noticed the dungeon immediately changed its layout. The walls had now become dirt-brown while the overall size of the corridors increased. There was also a patchwork of dirt and short grass along the ground while green bioluminescent lights shone down from the 10m high ceiling.Vahn's excitement continued to build as he delved deeper into the 8th floor. With his domain, he was able to sense things within a 68m range, and he quickly came across the first signs of life on this floor. Wielding his [Lion's Pride], Vahn made his way towards the direction where he could detect monsters and nearly fell down after he saw what was before him.Around the corner of the corridor he just exited, Vahn saw a group of nearly twenty...goblins. Vahn felt like he had been cheated and immediately pulled out his bow and fired explosive arrows into the unsuspecting group. After they were all slaughtered, Vahn released an annoyed sigh before asking Sis why there were goblins so deep into the dungeon.(*Its not impossible for other monsters to appear on different floors other than the one they spawn on, however, the monsters that are most commonly seen on the 8th and 9th floor are, in fact, goblins and kobolds. However, the compendium also indicates they are at the peak of Level 1 and even some rare Level 2 elites will be present.*)Vahn was a bit let down at hearing the response, but he hardened his resolve so as not to get distracted. Even though he looked down on goblins and kobolds due to his current strength, he did almost die to both of them in previous incidents. This was a good opportunity to get a bit of revenge, so Vahn kept his bow and set out to clear the 8th and 9th floors.The number of monsters that spawned on these floors was much greater than the previous levels. The hallways connecting rooms were much smaller and there were several obstacles that the monsters could use to maneuver around and try to attack unsuspecting adventurers. As Vahn had his domain, all of the ambushes were futile as he continued making progress before clearing both floors in less than three hours.Taking a short break for lunch, Vahn decided to check his spoils and the growth of his stats. After that intense battle with the Killer Ants, Vahn suspected he had broken through his limits once again.-------------------------------------------------------------------------[[Stats]]Name: [Vahn Mason]Age: 14Race: Human, *sealed*Parameter: [Danmachi: 1-4]-Level:2(2)-Power:1001+(E447)-&gt;(E498)-Endurance:1108+(D590)-&gt;(C665)-Dexterity:887+(F322)-(F372)-Agility:940+(E410)-&gt;(E449)-Magic:1611+(B701)-&gt;(B750)Total:5547+(2470)-&gt;(2734)Soul Strength: Tier 2 (Hero Soul)[Karma]: 1,022[OP]: 151,870[Valis]: 171,630-------------------------------------------------------------------------The increase wasn't that great, but Vahn noticed his [Rakshasa Body] had leveled up from G to F so he was pleased. His innate skills were his most important assets, so any change in them was of great benefit for his future growth. After Vahn had learned from Sis that there were two more beasts similar to his prior transformations including, a vermillion bird and an azure dragon, he had started to look forward to unlocking their potential.---After finishing his lunch, which was, of course, seafood crepes, Vahn crossed the threshold separating the stairs and the 10th floor. Once again, the layout of the dungeon had changed. Though the walls and floor seemed the same as the previous two floors, they looked aged and covered in ash. Visibility was severely reduced as the entire floor seemed to be covered in some kind of mist that was cold to the touch.Vahn decided to perform an experiment to deal with the mist and began channeling [Heart of the Eternal Flame] into his domain. He wasn't trying to concentrate it to absorb fire elements, he just wanted to see if the change in temperature would clear up the mist. Vahn was happy to see his intuition had been correct as he now had an entire 60m of clear space revealed around him. Within this area, he was able to identify monsters that had been hiding in the mist waiting for their prey.There were several behemoth sized creatures with pig-like features. They were nearly 3m in height and looked as if they weighed several hundred kilograms each. Within their hands, they carried a variety of weapons like trees and stones that had been strewn about the 10th floor. Accompanying these large creatures, which Sis had identified as Orcs, were several small monsters that looked like atrophied goblins. Sis informed Vahn they were called imps and he had to be especially careful of their quick and low-angled attacks.Vahn nodded in response as he drew his [Lion's Pride] and began sprinting towards the nearest Orc. When he was at an optimal range, Vahn kicked off the ground hard enough to leave cracks in the hard dungeon floor and launched himself parallel to the Orc who had just tried to swing at him with its tree/club. A terrifying red arc traced through the body of the orc following the path of Vahn's sword and separated the Orc's upper and lower body.The monster cried out, and Vahn noticed the characteristic regeneration of the Orc was repressed by the burning effect of his attacks. He showed a cruel smile before stabbing the area containing the magic core and releasing the wailing monster from its misery. Knowing that his attacks denied the Orcs of their greatest strength, Vahn turned towards his next victim and accelerated to his maximum speed.Though they had immense strength, the Orcs were incredibly slow. They relied on their endurance and regeneration to deal with adventurers, but both of these were absolutely pointless against Vahn's attacks. Vahn danced around the group of Orcs while severing limbs before moving on to his next target. During his onslaught, the imps had tried to ambush him on several occasions but were denied success because of Vahn's perception. No matter how sneaky they tried to be, he was always able to track their movements and intercept their attacks with his blade before continuing his tirade against the Orc horde.After all of the imps were dead, Vahn turned towards the wailing Orcs he had left still writhing on the ground. As it was too difficult to target their heads due to their height difference, Vahn decided to most optimal strategy was to simply cut off the legs of the Orcs. Now they writhed on the ground while still trying to approach him to enact their vengeance. Vahn shook his head before a cold look flashed in his eyes as he began to execute each and every Orc.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Whoa there, Calm down kiddo','Killer Ant Hydra','Vahn go hard','I wonder how stressed out Hephaestus is with Vahn's constant slaughter and excitement','Unstoppable Momentum Part 2')

Chapter 77: Hunting