Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After slaying his second goblin, Vahn began to train in earnest. As the days stretched into weeks, he slowly became acclimated to the lifestyle of a hunter. The meat and furs that he obtains were beginning to pile up in his inventory, and he had even successfully slain 37 goblins over the course of six months.&nbsp; Though many of the goblins he came across were alone, there was a time when he was fighting where three other goblins had arrived to assist the one he was already engaging. After suffering several injuries, Vahn managed to come out ahead and slew all four goblins triggering an unexpected event to occur.&nbsp; //Quest Function Triggered//&nbsp; [Quest: Destroy the Goblin Tribe]&nbsp; Rank: (D)&nbsp; The presence of goblins has been on the rise in the Western Forests. They have become a threat to hunters, and have begun to wander from the forest into neighboring villages resulting in the loss of livestock. Find the source of the goblin scourge before further damage is done!&nbsp; Rewards: Complete activation of the 'Quest' function, 1x 'Effigy of the Hero', 1000 Origin Points.&nbsp; Failure Condition: Death, Goblin Chief escapes, 7 days pass. (Remaining time: 6D23H57M)&nbsp; Penalty: 'Quest' function will be sealed until triggered again. -100 Karma&nbsp; Vahn was surprised at the sudden notification but decided to look into it after he had secured his safety back at the cave. (A/N he is still injured after the fight with four goblins)&nbsp; Along the way, he had inquired with Sis about why the quest was suddenly triggered.&nbsp; (*You have grown much stronger in the past six months. This, combined with the fact you had overcome your limits in the previous fight made 'The Path' trigger the activation of a new function. As you've been slaying Goblins as your primary targets, it issued a mission that suited your present strength.*)&nbsp; Vahn contemplated this revelation before asking, "Does that mean I can activate more functions just by growing stronger? I thought I would have to increase the tier of my soul to be able to acquire more."&nbsp; (*That is correct Vahn. 'The Path' is constantly analyzing and trying to help facilitate your growth, so it will make more functions available when it determines you are ready. Note that the strength of the functions themselves is limited by the tier of your soul though.*)&nbsp; "Ah, that makes sense."&nbsp; Vahn had noted over the last six months there seemed to be restrictions within the existing functions. One example was when he thought about buying items from 'records' of different worlds, they cost a great deal more than items that can be found in his present 'record'. There seemed to be an exception for some consumables, but for unique objects and items, they required an astronomical amount. He remembered looking into purchasing a Zanpakuto *sealed* and was shocked when he noticed the price was 130,000,000 OP. Awakened versions or the various releases noted in the anime cost even more. The most expensive being the leader of the Gotei 13, Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryuusai's Ryūjin Jakka that cost 3,700,000,000 Origin Points! (A/N: That's a lot of OP)&nbsp; It seemed as if he'd have to rely on himself to grow stronger, but now with the existence of the 'Quest" function, he had a bit of hope kindled within his fighting spirit.&nbsp; After making his way to the cave which he called home, Vahn sat on the bed he had purchased a few months ago. It had a queen sized mattress and was made out of a very unique foam, unlike anything he had experienced in his previous life. He thought beds were just hard surfaces with minimal cushioning, so he was quite surprised when he had purchased the current one through the system!&nbsp; 'Display Status'&nbsp; ==========================================================&nbsp; (A/N: I'm putting the bar to make it easier to differentiate before common text. Let me know if you think it's distracting!)&nbsp; Name: Vahn Mason&nbsp; Age: 14&nbsp; Race: Human, *sealed*&nbsp; Parameters: Danmachi&nbsp; -Level:1(0)&nbsp; -Power: H-146(0) -&gt; E-540(0)&nbsp; -Endurance: G-203(0) -&gt; F-461(0)&nbsp; -Dexterity: I-95(0) -&gt; F-407(0)&nbsp; -Agility: H-153(0) -&gt; E-519(0)&nbsp; -Magic: H-130(0) -&gt; G-299(0)&nbsp; Soul Strength: Tier 1 (Mortal Soul)&nbsp; Karma:209&nbsp; ==========================================================&nbsp; Observing his Status, Vahn began to understand why 'The Path' decided to trigger the quest so suddenly. He had grown a great deal over the last six months, and several of his parameters were approaching the point where he should level up. Vahn knew that stat growth typically became harder as you accumulated experience, and it took accomplishing something beyond your present level to gain the acknowledgment of the world before reaching the next level.&nbsp; Fortunately, his parameters weren't the only thing to increase in the last six months as his skills had grown alongside them. Early on he had purchased a 'Beginner's Archery Techniques Manual'. After a month of serious practice, combined with his growing hunting capabilities, he managed to acquire the skill 'Bow Mastery'.&nbsp; 'Bow Mastery'&nbsp; Rank:(F)&nbsp; Increases accuracy when equipped with a bow. Provides slightly enhanced vision when the user focuses.&nbsp; He was also able to identify the source of the weird feeling he would get when trying to sneak up on creatures. It turns out his 'Veil of the Traveler', which enables him to have increased efficacy for concealment and stealth abilities, allowed him to acquire the skill 'Stealth'.&nbsp; 'Stealth'&nbsp; Rank:(F)&nbsp; An active ability that allows the user to conceal their presence. Prolonged use of the skill has diminishing returns.&nbsp; These two skills had made hunting much easier. Vahn had even used his newfound prowess to kill several goblins before they were even made aware of his presence. Since the quest indicated the existence of a 'tribe' there should be a 'village' which they inhabit. He believed proper use of these two skills would be the most significant contributing factors if he wanted to complete the quest.&nbsp; "Sis, do you have any idea where the goblin village might be? I've pretty much mapped every nook and cranny within 1km of the cave and I don't recall seeing anything that might indicate a tribe is in the area."&nbsp; (*Yes, Vahn. You can bring up both your map and the quest log at the same time. If you pin the quest to your map, it will display an approximate location of your target once you gain enough information. As you continue to investigate within the region, the indicators on the map should shrink until you are able to determine the exact location of the tribe.*)&nbsp; "Oh, that's amazing," said Vahn as he displayed both functions side-by-side. He could see a giant red circle displayed on the map after pinning the quest. It seemed to be an area towards the southwest which encompassed various hills and rivers.&nbsp; "It seems to be in the same direction where I fought the four goblins. I'm guessing they were members of the tribe...but why is the indicated zone so large?"&nbsp; (*Typically, goblins aren't prone to travel in groups. They usually wander alone until the emergence of a Chief or King. Even with the presence of a Chief, however, they will often move around to several camps as they forage for food and other resources. The Chief himself should be in the area near the river, and it's most likely that the largest group of goblins can be found here.*)&nbsp; Vahn was a little annoyed with this information. He would have to explore a large area to eliminate all the smaller groups before moving on to the larger group near the river, assuming it was there to begin with. His biggest priority was to kill the Chief though. He would have to identify it among all the normal goblins and try his best to take him out without drawing the attention of the larger group.&nbsp; "Is there anything unique about the Chief that would separate him from other goblins?" he inquired hoping for any information that could prove useful.&nbsp; (*I have never seen a Chief, but all of the stronger goblins you had slain possessed a varying number of horns and weapons. Based on the evidence, the goblin Chief will likely be the biggest within the group. He should also have multiple horns and be the most heavily outfitted.*)&nbsp; Vahn couldn't help but laugh. Everything Sis said was pretty self-explanatory, but it made sense. He would have to make his own judgments about which goblin was the actual Chief. If he could not deduce it on his own, he would just have to kill them all...&nbsp;

Vahn spent the remainder of the evening preparing his items and equipment. Maintenance was something he regularly performed on his gear ever since he noticed the physical attack power going down when the blades began to dull.&nbsp; As an experiment, he used a whetstone he acquired from a 'record' called Monster Hunter which allowed him to bring his equipment to maximum sharpness with just a few strokes. Unfortunately, the whetstones were single-use items but he managed to determine that they even worked on his arrows increasing their physical attack by 10% to a total of 165.&nbsp; "Hmmm, I've managed to accumulate 306 points over the last few months. Sis, what do you think I should buy to increase my chances of completing the quest? I was thinking of purchasing some defensive gear, or maybe something to enhance my stealth capabilities."&nbsp; (*At present you aren't strong enough to be able to fight a large number of goblins at the same times. Increases your equipment may offer you more protection against attacks, but it would also restrict your movements and weight you down. Since you don't have any experience moving around in full gear, I would advise purchasing clothes that provide camouflage in the forest. You can also consider upgrading your bow and relying on ranged attacks to eliminate as many goblins as possible without directly engaging them Lastly, you should consider potions that increase your parameters, or items that can instantly recover wounds and stamina.*)&nbsp; "I understand."&nbsp; Vahn focused in his mind and had the system filter for bows that cost under 200 OP. Though there were several options, he couldn't decide on which would be the best as the system couldn't give him information on an item until he purchased it.&nbsp; "Sis, what bow should I buy from this list? Can you tell me any that have unique capabilities, or those that provide high offensive output?"&nbsp; (*I cannot see the stats of the items, but I can use 'The Path' to determine which have positive and negative effects for you Vahn. Give me a moment and I'll use 'The Path' to analyze which options may be most suitable for the current situation...*)&nbsp; After several seconds a *ping* sound could be heard within his head, and the previously extensive list had been reduced to a total of three options: 'Windstryder Shortbow' 200 OP, 'Enforcer Longbow' 180 OP, and lastly 'Runic Tempered Yew Shortbow 200 OP' which should be a direct upgrade for his current equipment if the name was any indicator.&nbsp; After contemplating the three choices, Vahn chose the 'Runic Tempered Yew Shortbow' as it seemed to be the most suited to his current skills. He had never used a longbow and didn't have any confidence in hitting targets beyond 20m, so he was able to eliminate the 'Enforcer Longbow'. As for the 'Windstryder Shortbow', he assumed it had something to do with the wind element which should increase the speed and penetration of the arrows, but he wasn't willing to gamble on it.&nbsp; Confirming his decision within his mind, a small green, almost weightless bow appeared in his hands. It was slightly larger than his previous bow, but the weightlessness made it feel a bit strange within his hands. Observing more closely, he could see dark gold engravings carved along the spine of the bow. The bowstring seemed to have been made of a dark flaxen material that was dyed the same color as the engravings.&nbsp; 'Runic Tempered Yew Shortbow'&nbsp; Rank: (B), Magic&nbsp; Slots: 3&nbsp; P.Atk: 0+0(x30)&nbsp; M.Atk: 0+0(x30)&nbsp; A yew bow bathed within the sap of a sacred tree for 10 years absorbing the essence contained within. The runes engraved upon the bow are a catalyst to allow magic to be imbued with the weapon increasing its output.&nbsp; 'Runic Tempered Bone Arrows'&nbsp; Rank: (B), Magic&nbsp; Slots: 0&nbsp; P.Atk: 0&nbsp; M.Atk: 0&nbsp; Arrows carved from bones that had been soaked within the sap of a sacred tree for 90 days. The engraving along the shaft allowing the wielder to channel energy within the bolt to drastically increase penetrative power.&nbsp; At first, upon seeing that the bow he spent his precious points on had 0 attack value, Vahn was devastated. As he continued reading the description, that devastation quickly turned to exuberance.&nbsp; "THIS THING IS AMAZING," he exclaimed causing an echo to sound within the cavern.&nbsp; He stared blankly at the arrows, trying his hardest to focus on channeling his energy into one of them...&nbsp; After several minutes sweat began to appear on his brow as he eyes began to turn bloodshot from having been kept open for so long. As the frustration began to build within his mind, Vahn experienced a burst of inspiration and decided to inquire with Sis on how to channel his energy.&nbsp; (*Typically, you would learn to channel energy through meditation and diligent practice. Given the time constraints, it's fortunate you had obtained the skill 'Yggdrasil's Favor' upon entering this 'record'. You can channel 'source' energy, which is the highest form of energy in this record, directly into the bow and arrows. You just have to have the intent to use the skill and enough focus to keep it active.*)&nbsp; Exhilarated by the response, Vahn immediately tried doing as instructed. Grabbing one of the arrows he willed himself to activate the skill 'Yggdrasil's Favor'. He could feel a 'sucking' motion similar to having his blood drawn as the 'source' energy was imbued into the arrow. After about two seconds the arrow had begun to glow along the shaft until the energy began to accumulate within the arrowhead. The longer he kept his focus the brighter the arrow seemed to glow, so he looked at its description to confirm. He could see the previously 0 values for both physical and magical attack increasing in value over time. He observed as the initial value, around 100 or so, continued to climb beyond 500 after about five seconds had passed. As he continued channeling more and more energy into the arrow the value began to approach 1000.&nbsp; *sound of an arrow disintegrating*&nbsp; The moment the arrow seemed to break the 1000 attack value it disintegrated into a series of golden particles which caused a small shockwave of air to push Vahn back onto the bed.&nbsp; "It seems like 1000 attack is the limit before it breaks the durability threshold of the arrows. Fortunately, I didn't try the experiment with the bow or else I would have lost 200 points." Vahn began to sweat thinking of the terrifying implications.&nbsp; "At least they are significantly stronger than the previous arrows. I'll need to test their efficacy on the targeting range in the morning before I set out. I'll purchase some more arrows and consumables...any suggestions Sis?"&nbsp; (*There are various healing potions of different grades available from this 'record'. Though my analysis indicates the most reliable healing source amongst the 'records' you know of should be called a 'senzu bean'. They can be purchased for 50 points each within the shop, and can quickly recover both health and stamina within a short period of time. Please be advised they also seem to have a moderate side-effect by over-drafting the bodies natural healing properties so it could cause damage to your growth if overused.*)&nbsp; Vahn was excited at the thought of using the mystical beans from the 'record' of Dragon Ball. He remembered how the heroes often used them to save people on the brink of death, and even as a mild exploit to overcome some difficult situations.&nbsp; Using 100 of his remaining points Vahn purchased two 'senzu beans' and then withdrew one of them from his inventory. It was a relatively large bean similar to the 'fava beans' he had discovered growing within the wilderness north of his cave.&nbsp; Lifting the 'senzu bean' to his nose, he noticed it had a rather pungent odor though it didn't seem to really leave the surface of the bean like most smelly things. He had to bring it really close to his nostrils before the smell hit him, and he began to sweat thinking of how such a thing might taste.&nbsp; Resolving to do his best to never find out, Vahn returned the beat to his inventory and began making preparations for bed. He cleaned the wounds he had sustained earlier using disinfectant he had purchased through the shop. After taking a bath using purified water, he applied medical paste and dressings to the wounds before retiring to his bed. He knew that his blood would prevent any infection from spreading, but didn't want to take the chance of catching some foreign or magical disease unique to this world.&nbsp; He began to count the 'stars' on the ceiling of his cave. It had become one of his routines over the last few months to help fall asleep. By now he had already determined there were exactly 238 'stars' and had even begun to assign various 'records' to them within his mind. Settling his eyes on one of the more unique colored 'stars' which shone red, he assigned the 'record' of 'Naruto' to it. Using that thought as inspiration Vahn allowed himself to fall asleep...imaging what it would have been like if it had been his first world...and what he would be able to do once he visited in the future...

As the 'body tempering liquid' had lost its effect, Vahn was curious as to how much his body had grown within the ten days.&nbsp; 'Display Status'&nbsp; Name: Vahn Mason&nbsp; Age: 14&nbsp; Race: Human, *sealed*&nbsp; Parameters: Danmachi&nbsp; -Level:1(0)&nbsp; -Power: I-40(0) -&gt; H-146(0)&nbsp; -Endurance: I-70(0) -&gt; G-203(0)&nbsp; -Dexterity: I-23(0) -&gt; I-95(0)&nbsp; -Agility: I-38(0) -&gt; H-153(0)&nbsp; -Magic: H-120(0) -&gt; H-130(0)&nbsp; Soul Strength: Tier 1 (Mortal Soul)&nbsp; Karma:108&nbsp; Though it had only been twenty days since his arrival in this world, Vahn was happy to see many of his stats had increased by more than 100 points, with the exception of his Magic. His hard training was able to bring at the full effects of each use of 'body tempering liquid' which was able to increase each physical parameter by 10 points if used with maximum efficiency. His daily running and weight contributed to the remaining gain.&nbsp; Vahn was now ready to move on to the next phase of his training. He would replace his early morning regimen with hunting. It had already been several weeks since his arrival in this world, and surviving on nuts and fruits wasn't exactly satisfying. Since he now had a firestone, he was determined to hunt some small game to obtain meat. He also thought it would be a good method to make money before he entered the city since he would be able to clean the furs for barter.&nbsp; He had now saved up a total of 29 OP, which he had used 10 to exchange for a manual on basic trap making. Using 9 of the remaining points, Vahn bought several small traps and wires to set up in the various small trails that lined the forest. He then exchanged the last of his points for a new bow.&nbsp; 'Sun-kissed Yew Shortbow'&nbsp; Rank: (C)&nbsp; Slots: 1&nbsp; P.Atk: 60+150(x30)&nbsp; M.Atk: 0&nbsp; A small bow made of flexible yew wood. It had undergone a special ceremony during it's crafting which causes it to emit a gentle warmth a smell similar to sunlight.&nbsp; 'Twined Steel Arrow' x30&nbsp; Rank: (D)&nbsp; Slots: 0&nbsp; P.Atk: 150&nbsp; M.Atk: 0&nbsp; Arrows forged from steel that have been twined around a yew shaft giving them both flexibility and penetrative power.&nbsp; Vahn was grateful that purchasing the bow had given him arrows. Immediately after he had made the purchase, he thought of the possibility he would have to collect more ore before he would be able to make use of it. The best thing about the arrows was that he was able to assign them to the slot of the bow within his Equipment slots allowing him to immediately nock an arrow with a thought.&nbsp; Using his newly acquired skills and equipment, Vahn set out into the woods around his home. He tried making sure all of the traps were within 200 meters of his camp, so he would be able to check them periodically throughout the day.&nbsp; As it was still early in the morning, the sun had just begun to crest over the trees, casting long shadows through the misty forest. Vahn stalked patiently through the woods, looking for areas that seemed to have heavy animal foot traffic. He wasn't accustomed to hunting, but with the assistance of Sis he was able to quickly identify the best locations using the analytical ability of 'The Path'. The best part of it all was that he was able to clearly mark where he had lain the traps using his the marking function of his minimap.&nbsp; After another hour or so, as the early morning mist began to dispurse Vahn found his first target. About 30 meters from his position, near the edge of a clearing, sat a rabbit nibbling on a plant Vahn had previously identified as 'alfalfa'.&nbsp; He slowly crept towards the rabbit while holding his breath, trying to conceal his presence as best he could. As he closed in on the rabbits' position, it almost felt as if he had begun to blend into the environment around him, and even his thought process started to fade, becoming one with the forest.&nbsp; In this peculiar state of mind and being, Vahn was able to close to within 10 meters of the rabbit without startling it. Slowly...he got his bow into position and nocked an arrow with a simple thought. He took aim at the rabbit and held his breath, bringing his focus to its absolute limits. He pulled back the arrow and in a single smooth motion, let it loose at his prey.&nbsp; *sound of arrows whistling far off the intended course*&nbsp; The rabbit was startled by the sudden interruption to its meal and immediately bolted into the nearby bush-line.&nbsp; "Awww man, I got so close and still missed!" exclaimed Vahn as he fell onto his butt feeling defeated.&nbsp; (*Of course Vahn. Not only have you never fired a bow before, but you lack the training and skills to be able to hit small targets at a distance. You should set up targets near home to accumulate experience. There is also the option of trading in for a hunting techniques manual once you've accumulated more OP.*)&nbsp; Hearing her reminders, Vahn couldn't help but agree that he had been a little too hasty. After spending about twenty minutes looking for the arrow that had flown astray, Vahn returned to his camp and added archery training to his mid-day regimen.&nbsp; The same afternoon, Vahn had trekked back into the forest to check if any of his traps had been triggered. As he had previously marked them in the map, it was a relatively simple job to locate them. The first three traps had been empty, so Vahn had to reset them. It may have been that the creature was larger than the trap could hold, or something was able to move through the snare without getting caught in it.&nbsp; On his way to check the remaining tracks, Vahn was brought to a halt by a noise that seemed to come from the direction of one of his snares. He began to slowly stalk towards the trap in anticipation of his first catch. Once again he began to feel as if his body was blending into the surroundings, and he was able to easily approach his destination without drawing attention to himself. Finally, he was able to clearly see what was caught in the trap...&nbsp; Standing slightly under one meter, with its leg stuck in the snare was a goblin. The wire used in the trap had dug deeply into the flesh around its ankle, and the goblin seemed to lack the intelligence required to escape.&nbsp; Vahn could feel his pulse begin to accelerate, as thoughts of his previous encounter with the goblin emerged from the back of his mind. He knew the danger such a creature posed, even though it was one of the weakest in the entire continent. Fortunately, this goblin didn't possess a knife similar to the last one, or it would have cut the wire to aid in its escape.&nbsp; Releasing a sigh, Vahn moved even closer to the goblin which seemed to become aware of his presence as it looked towards his direction.&nbsp; The goblin began to lash out, completely ignoring it's still snared leg and tried to lunge at Vahn. The snare tightened, pulling the goblin directly into the ground once it had been stretch taut. The goblin began to struggle, repeating the process of standing and falling while continually trying to lunge at Vahn with it's characteristic viciousness.&nbsp; Vahn approached within a single meter of the goblin, just out of reach of the range of it's lunge. He slowly drew back his bow with an arrow already nocked, aiming directly at the head of the goblin.&nbsp; Perhaps realizing what was about to happen, the goblin ceased it's struggling and looked up at Vahn, an unforgiving hatred preset within the gleam of its eyes.&nbsp; Releasing the arrow, it penetrated directly between the still glaring eyes as the body of the goblin spontaneously turned to dust leaving behind a small crystal in its wake.&nbsp; Picking up the crystal, Vahn released a repressed sigh. This encounter with the goblin was far different than his previous struggle of life and death. He had been in control of the entire situation, and even though the goblin was trapped, Vahn was able to face it directly and overcome the fear that had settled in his mind.&nbsp; Looking into the now silent woods, as the sun began its decline towards the horizon, Vahn added a new goal within his training menu. Other than hunting game, he would begin subjugating the various monsters that could be found within the forest. He wanted to become strong enough that he was able to face them without having to rely on traps. Knowing that it was a necessary step if he ever wanted to successfully venture into the dungeon, Vahn began to walk towards the next set of traps...and towards the future that he had decided upon....&nbsp;

Chapter 11: The Result of Six Months : Quest