Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn had gone to sleep early the previous day, so he had awoken at 2 AM. Since he was unable to make much progress yesterday, he wanted to immediately head back into the dungeon. He might have been able to slaughter his way through the 2nd floor, but since he wasn't in full control at the time he wanted to better understand the uses of [Will of the Emperor].He checked out of the ward and they issued him a bill for 20,000V, which he would have to repay within 30 days. Though it was more money than he had ever possessed, he wasn't too worried about being able to earn enough. 20,000V was considerably less than the 1,000,000OP required for his quest after all...The medical ward was located within the first floor of Babel and was run in cooperation with the Guild. They took care of any adventurers that were rescued and even sold potions and items to aid continued progression into the dungeon. This also meant that the ward was located relatively close to the entrance of the 1st upper floor, so Vahn didn't have to travel far after leaving.As he passed the registration booths near the entrance, a familiar face caught his attention. He noticed Nicholas staring directly at him with an intimidating expression. Since Nicholas seemed to be dealing with another adventurer, and he also wanted to avoid a lecture, Vahn gave a slight bow before continuing down the stairs. He could feel a gaze on his back as a chill crept down his spine which caused him to shudder a bit.Vahn made his way through the corridor that had been registered as 'The Beginner's Road' on his map and continued along his previously explored path. He wanted to try his hand at dealing with the 2nd floor, so he put off mapping the rest of the dungeon until later. As he descended the stairs, he discovered the barrier barring his entrance to the third floor had vanished. Resisting his urge to investigate, Vahn following his original intention and entered the door to the second floor.He noticed that the spawn rate of monsters on this floor was marginally higher than that of the previous level. Due to the fact paths began to diverge after passing the main corridor, there were very few situations where those venturing into the dungeon crossed paths. This meant there were plenty of monsters and Vahn would have to fight them alone.He equipped his sword into his main-hand equipment slot and mentally activated [Will of the Emperor]. He felt a surge of energy swell from his abdomen and extend to every part of his body. A cooling sensation similar to when he was using [Pain Tolerance] spread in his mind and he could feel the presence of an invisible force extending around him. He was vaguely aware that this was his 'Domain', and any kobolds nearby seemed to hesitate to approach within 20m.As none of the monsters seemed willing to approach, Vahn took the opportunity to check and see if any of his parameters changed while the skill was active. Unfortunately, they had all remained the same, but Vahn was able to discover that the cone displaying his line of sight in the minimap had now grown into a full circle.The circle spread out for 21.8m from his position, and Vahn became aware that any creatures within the radius had their location indicated on the map. As long as the skill was active he would be able to track monsters, even if they were behind him. Due to the spiritual nature of the domain, it could even pass through solid objects allowing him to see rudimentary details of corridors beyond walls. (A/N: It doesn't let him 'map' things like his minimap, but more like the vague way his larger map does things. He would still have to look at things closely to enhance the details...at least for now~)Vahn walked towards the closest kobold and began to channel mana into the blade. He was surprised to notice that the runes began to glow instantly, but wasn't sure if it was due to his greater magic capacity or a byproduct of [Will of the Emperor].The sword became light in his hand and he charged towards the kobold who seemed reluctant to fight back. It got on all fours and tried to lunge at Vahn in a manner similar to his first encounter. Unlike then, Vahn was now able to easily keep track of the movements of the monster due to the increase in his attributes. He was easily able to intercept its path and bisect the kobold at the waist.With the fall of their brethren as a catalyst, the remaining four kobolds began to charge at Vahn. Even without looking at the minimap he was able to vaguely feel their presence.Without retreating, Vahn began trying to use his footwork to maneuver around the charging kobolds. He noticed they were able to make single rapid turns, but couldn't handle simultaneous changes in direction. Using a combination of his agility and low sweeping strikes, Vahn was able to dispatch three of the remaining four kobolds.The final kobold seemed to succumb to the pressure of facing Vahn alone and fell to its knees trembling. It put its head to the ground and tried to hide its eyes using its malformed paws.Vahn realized that when the others had fallen his domain seemed to focus entirely on the last kobold. Unable to withstand the pressure caused by the difference in strength, it decided to submit instead of fighting.Vahn was able to vaguely feel that the kobold was trying to establish a connection with him through [Will of the Emperor]. He knew that if he desired it, the monster before him would become his subordinate and follow his will.The longer he continued contemplating the decision, the more he could see the kobold shake. He almost felt pity for the creature but denied the feeling since it had previously tried to kill him.No matter how much time passed, Vahn couldn't think of any benefit in accepting the kobold as a subordinate. It was one of the weakest monsters in the dungeon, and he had no way of caring for it if he wanted to take it outside.As if coming to a realization, the kobold sprawled out on the ground. Moments later it turned to dust, succumbing to the oppression generated by the domain.Picking up the magic core, Vahn couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Even if he didn't want to accept it, he could have let it go since it had surrendered. Sighing, he collected the remaining cores and continued deeper into the second floor.Along the way, he kept slaying every goblin and kobold as they appeared. Any group smaller than three was dealt with simply. The larger groups were more challenging, but as his experience with [Will of the Emperor] grew it became progressively easier to advance. He also noticed that if he focused all of his attention on a single monster it would become slightly stunned and temporarily unable to move. He could use the moment after they froze up as an opportunity to deal a lethal blow.Two hours later he had finally arrived at the stairs leading further into the dungeon. Before continuing downwards, he decided to rest for a while. Since he had been using [Will of the Emperor] for the entire duration, he consumed and mana recovery potion (100OP) and waited for his slight migraine to completely dissipate.During this brief period, he checked his spoils. He had obtained a total of 73 magic cores: 51 from kobolds and 22 from goblins. With an average value between 15-20 OP, he had netted a potential 1100 total OP. This, combined with the 'drop items' that were still being identified in the inventory would likely bring the value towards 1200-1300.Vahn was surprised knowing he had obtained over 1,000 origin points within a short two hour period. That was nearly a quarter of the total OP he had obtained (minus Quest) during his entire seven-month stay in the forest! At this rate, he would easily be able to obtain the 1M OP required to complete his current quest.After thinking for a moment, Vahn separated the cores into two equally sized piles within his inventory. He still needed to exchange some with the Guild to earn living expenses, and it was his intention to frequent the Hostess of Fertility whenever he had the time.Thinking of the food he had enjoyed previously, Vahn could feel phantom pangs of hunger and anticipation from his stomach. Taking some jerky from his inventory, Vahn had the thought of convincing Mama Mia to allow him to store some dishes. Though he knew that exposing his inventory was dangerous, he was very tempted by the idea...("If only storage magic was able to preserve items as well. I wouldn't have to try to think of a way to hide its existence so much!") That was the biggest difference between Vahn's inventory and known storage magic. His inventory had the ability to halt the time of objects and preserve them perfectly whereas storage magic slowed the decay but could not prevent it.After resting for twenty minutes Vahn's mana had completely recovered. He made his way towards the third floor and activated [Will of the Emperor] again. Though he was secretly worried about becoming too reliant on the skill, he wanted to become accustomed to its use as quickly as possible. Though it didn't enhance his parameters, the increased perception allowed him to rapidly improve his combat capabilities. The longer he fought, the easier it was to adapt his body to the various situations he'd find himself in during combat. He assumed that if he were to fight a group between 4-5 monsters he would be able to eliminate them easily, even without relying on the skill.The entrance of the third floor opened into a very wide area approximately 50m in diameter. Along the wall were around twenty tunnels that lead further into the dungeon. Vahn knew he would probably have to investigate several of them if he wanted to find the way to the next floor...but first, he had to deal with the situation in front of him.Since the room was much larger than normal it was occupied by a total of 19 kobolds. He knew it would be a tough fight, but he should be able to overcome the situation. That is if it was just kobolds he had to worry about. Among the kobolds, he could see three large lizards. They were 2-3m long and covered in a dense assortment of warts and scale-like protrusions. Vahn recognized them from the ecology book he had purchased previously. They were 'Dungeon Lizards' and were considered the strongest monster on the first four floors.Due to the size of the group, they did not seem to suffer any constraints from [Will of the Emperor]. Vahn decided it was best to retreat, but stopped after a realization hit him. "Damn, how can I forget something so obvious!"Mocking his own foolishness, Vahn swapped his sword for the magic bow he used to assassinate the goblin Chief. He knocked an arrow that had a strange protrusion on the end. Taking aim at the closest lizard, he let the arrow fly...

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!*Contacting the lizards head, the arrow exploded creating a thunderous boom. The nearby kobolds were knocked off their feet while the remaining two dungeon lizards roared.In response to the chaos, Vahn continued to fire explosive arrows towards the remaining lizards and larger groups of kobolds. Because of his increased magic capacity, the bow and arrows charged almost immediately as they were drawn. Pleasantly surprised, Vahn loosed as many arrows as he could before the monsters could close the distance.As the closest kobolds entered the range of his domain, Vahn was overcome by a peculiar sensation. It seemed like his perception had increased further with the use of the bow. He could easily track every monster within his domain, and could even see a small shadow forecasting where they would move next.Instead of changing back to his sword, Vahn decided to take the opportunity to test the influence of [Will of the Emperor] on his ranged capabilities. He had yet to engage anything after the massive leap in his attributes and found the current situation the perfect solution to appease his curiosity.While his previous style with the bow relied on opening a distance between him and the opponent, he now used his experience with the sword to improve his combat style. Instead of opening the gap, Vahn used his footwork to outmaneuver the kobolds. In the brief gaps when they were trying to adjust their positioning to match his, Vahn was able to quickly fire an arrow into their defenseless form.When one kobold had tried to flank him and attack his back, Vahn was able to intercept it with his bow using the senses gained from [Will of the Emperor]. He was surprised to see that when the bow made contact with the kobold's neck, the body seemed to fold around the point of contact before it was launched several meters away.It was at that moment Vahn realized his strength had increased to an almost super-human level compared to his previous self.After around three minutes Vahn had dealt with the entire pack of kobolds. He looked towards the previous location of the dungeon lizards and found some slightly larger magic cores. After analyzing them through the system, he was able to determine they had a value of 23, 24, and 27 respectively. Though this implied they were only slightly stronger than kobolds, Vahn knew it wasn't always the size of magic core that determined the threat of a monsterOnce everything was cleaned up, Vahn took a good look at his bow. He had initially decided it wouldn't be useful for soloing the dungeon but now knew that it had potential even in close-ranged combat. There seemed to be a synergy between [Bow Mastery] and [Will of the Emperor]. [Bow Mastery] had increased to rank D (from F) and gave a large enhancement to his vision. Combined with the increased perception of [Will of the Emperor] he could almost predict the movements of monsters within the domain.Looking towards the various tunnels, he equipped the bow to the secondary slot and brought out his sword. The bow was exceptional in open spaces, but he still preferred the sword for combat within the majority of the upper floors. The wide arcs of the sword allowed him to dispatch multiple monsters at once if they were close enough, and he didn't have to risk causing a collapse from misfiring an arrow into the wall. He also remembered how his bow-combat had improved due to the footwork he had been developing with the sword and wanted to polish the skill further.Vahn approached a random tunnel and started following it away from the large room. On his way, he continued to slay numerous small groups of kobolds. Even though they had become much easier to deal with, because of his close experience with death the previous day he didn't slack. Instead, he tried various different fighting methods, even incorporating punches and kicks into his combinations. He was especially surprised when his back-fist had caught a kobold that had evaded his sword strike.Attempting to use the opportunity while Vahn was completing a swing, the Kobold leaped claws first towards Vahn's neck. Releasing his left hand from the grip of the sword, Vahn used a twisting motion to counter the kobold with the back of his fist. On contact he could feel the skull of the kobold collapse under the force of the blow, disintegrating into dust before it could make contact with the nearby wall.As it was the last kobold of the group, Vahn stared blankly at his fist. He hadn't expected the result to be so...drastic. He couldn't help but shudder when recalling the feeling of bone contorting against his fist. He shook his head to put the image out of his mind and pressed onward.Using around 40 minutes, Vahn found the stairs leading to the next floor. Though he wasn't as drained as the second floor, he still took the opportunity to rest in the relative safety of the stairwell. The dungeon barrier that prevented him from going down to floors he hadn't accessed also prevented most monsters from going up. Unless they could overcome the barrier, the majority of monsters were stuck to their assigned floors.("I wanted an opportunity to fight a dungeon lizard with my sword. I remember they're pretty resistant against physical attacks, so I wonder how they would fare against the sharpness enchantment of my blade...")Vahn looked at the now magically inert blade. Its 130cm length made it stand out against his 150cm frame. From the perspective of an observer, it probably looked like a child swinging around the sword of an adult... Vahn blushed slightly at his self-deprecating thought and continued to inspect the sword.The thing he found most interesting was the lack of a guard or any other embellishments. For a sword whose description says it was reforged countless times, it seemed rather plain. Even it's cutting age didn't possess the typical silver-sheen polish to counter the dark-metallic color of the blade. In fact, other than when the runes were active the blade was entirely black in color and seemed to reflect a peculiar wavy pattern in the lightAs he continued to observe the blade using the illumination of the dungeon walls, he noticed a small mark engraved where the blade and handle met. It looked like two winged snakes twining around a scale. After inquiring about what it might represent, he was told it was probably the maker's mark. Without knowing the name and background of the blacksmith, it would be impossible to interpret its meaning.Satisfied with his rest, Vahn continued towards the fourth floor. Much like the previous three floors, it had glowing blue walls and an off-green colored floor. It also contained a combination of kobolds, goblins, and dungeon lizards. Unlike the previous floors though, dungeon lizards were the prominent creature of the fourth floor and Vahn finally had the opportunity to engage one using his sword.Even though the blade was fully charged with magic, Vahn was surprised to discover there was actually a bit of resistance when he cut through the lizards' hide. He inferred that, due to the existence of magic flowing within the body of monsters, as they became stronger they would offer more resistance against the blade.Since the dungeon lizards were resistant to both physical and magical attacks, it made sense that they were slightly more difficult to cut. Only slightly though, as Vahn was able to bisect it from head-to-tail in a single leaping swipe.The fourth floor was slightly longer than the previous three, and it took a total of five hours to navigate to the stairs. He had to backtrack on several occasions due to the complex layout of the dungeon. Luckily he was prevented from getting lost due to the existence of his minimap. He avoiding the scenario where he would reach the same dead end more than once.After arriving at the stairwell, Vahn decided to immediately head up and call it a day. By now it was nearing 3 PM and he wanted to exchange magic cores at the guild to obtain some Valis before visiting the Hostess of Fertility. He was very satisfied with his growth and decided to inspect his stats as he ascended the stairs.==========================================================Name: Vahn MasonAge: 14Race: Human, *sealed*Parameters: Danmachi-Level:1[+](0)-Power: A893 -&gt; S909-Endurance: B714 -&gt; B740-Dexterity: B799 -&gt; A833-Agility: A811 -&gt; A889-Magic: SSS1124 -&gt; SSS1493-Total: 4864Soul Strength: Tier 2 (Hero Soul)Karma:721==========================================================Most of his stats were nearing S, and he was surprised at how much his Magic had increased in half a day. It seems his use of [Will of the Emperor] promotes magical growth to a terrifying degree. Vahn began to seriously consider using some OP to purchase magic from the system shop...

Vahn awoke staring at a foreign ceiling. His limbs felt like lead and his breathing was labored. He felt the familiar cooling sensation of his 'Pain Tolerance (S)' skill which brought some clarity to his mind.Opening his inventory, Vahn pulled out a 'senzu bean'. Given the current state of his body, it would likely take a long period of time to recover and he wasn't willing to wait it out.After ingesting the 'senzu bean' he felt his body begin to warm up. The cooling sensation that had been permeating throughout his mind began to recede, allowing a powerful migraine to take its place.Vahn gripped his head and began to massage his temples in an effort to alleviate the pain. ("Sis, why doesn't my pain tolerance work on this migraine? It feels like my brain is about to split open.")(*...*)Hearing the 'silence' Vahn felt something was off. Sis had never ignored him before so he began to panic, throwing the pain of his head to the back of his mind."Sis? What's wrong, why are you not responding?" Due to his anxiety, he ended up asking the question out loud. The nearby nurse heard his exclamation and left to inform the Doctor what had happened.Seeing her exit, Vahn calmed down a bit and spoke in his mind. ("Please respond Sis. I can't bear the silence...")A mechanical sigh sounded. (*I'm here Vahn, I'm just a little upset and thought I should punish you a little.*)Vahn was ecstatic to hear her response but became confused after hearing the latter part of her words. ("Punish? What did I do wrong Sis?") He thought back to everything that happened today. No matter how hard he strained himself he was unable to reason why Sis would be mad at him.(*Of course you did something wrong! You almost died, and no matter how much I shouted to get your attention you just lay there bleeding out! Even when you finally woke up and I started to feel relieved, you continued to ignore my prompts and just went on a killing spree!*)Vahn was shocked hearing what she said. He did seem to recall that during the moment he was losing consciousness he thought someone was calling out to him. And after he woke up, the only thing he could think of was killing everything that opposed him...He realized his actions had caused Sis to worry about him.("I'm sorry Sis. I promise not to ignore you in the future. You are the most important companion in my life, and I didn't mean to make you worry so much.") Vahn apologized in earnest, but couldn't help but feel a warmth spreading in his heart due to her concern.(*Apology accepted Vahn...just make sure never to end up in that kind of situation again.*)Vahn balled both his hands into fists while nodding. A firm expression appeared on his face as a glow emitted from the depths of his eyes...Through the door came two people. Vahn recognized the first person as the elf he had seen before entering the dungeon. He wore a grim expression as he looked towards the location where Vahn was resting. The second person was an old lady with silver hair and grey eyes. She was dressed in white robes and had a powerful smell of medicine wafting from her body."Vahn Mason, I would think my advice when we spoke earlier was very straightforward. After everything I had said to prepare you for the dungeon, you return just a few hours later covered in blood? I am very disappointed with your lack of awareness." Nicholas looked at the boy who had a blank expression on his face and couldn't help but let out a sigh.Before he could continue his lecture, the old woman interrupted. "That's enough of that now Nicholas. The boy just woke up and is probably still confused according to the nurse. Let me take care of things from here."Surrendering to the gaze of the Doctor, Nicholas decided to excuse himself for the moment. He was able to confirm the boy had awoken and he could lecture him at a later date. He nodded at the Doctor before frowning in the direction of Vahn as he left the room.Vahn felt guilty under the gaze of Nicholas and hung his head.Seeing the expression and demeanor of the young man, the old lady couldn't help but chuckle. "It's good that you realize your error lad. Not everyone has the opportunity to listen to the lectures of others after making such a grave mistake."Vahn heard what she said and nodded in approval. He decided to do something to make it up to Nicholas in the future.Satisfied with the boys' response, the old woman introduced herself. "I'm the Doctor that had performed first aid when you were brought into the ward. Most of the folks around here call me Granny Marin, feel free to do the same."Hearing her word Vahn decided to thank her. "Thanks, Granny Marin. I'm grateful for your help and will do my best to repay this favor in the future..."Granny Marin waved her hand to dismiss his words. "We can talk about payment and stuff later. What I'm curious about is how you're even awake at this moment. With the state your body was in you should have been asleep for several days, not just a couple of hours."Vahn took a moment to come up with an explanation. His hesitation didn't escape Marin's eye as she began to squint slightly."I have a passive regeneration skill and when I woke up I drank a few potions to recover my health and stamina." Thinking she might inquire further, Vahn mumbled while raising his hand. In his palm, a transparent red potion appeared which shocked Granny Marin."Storage Magic? How rare...." She seemed to think for a while before shaking her head. "I won't ask any more questions then. The only things I need to know is how to best help my patients, and you don't seem to be in need of my skills."Vahn once again thanked her and accepted her advice to stay overnight just in case any complications appear.Left alone in the room Vahn decided to take the opportunity to review the skill he had obtained in the dungeon. It had been nagging at the back of his mind for a while, and he wanted to know exactly what it was. He couldn't ignore a skill that granted so much power.['Will of the Emperor']Rank: Innate (SSS) *Innate skills cannot be identified. Attempts to do so will result in a backlash.*[Passive]: Transcend all limitations and boundaries. Increases growth based on the conviction of the wielder and their followers.[Active]: Only those who stand above the ranks of all creatures are privy to the 'Will of the Emperor'!-Creates a domain that suppresses those much weaker than the user. Has a moderate influence on those that are stronger.Reading the description Vahn was gobsmacked. He quickly checked his stats to see if they had changed.==========================================================Name: Vahn MasonAge: 14Race: Human, *sealed*Parameters: Danmachi-Level:1[+](0)-Power: D604 -&gt; A893-Endurance: E529 -&gt; B714-Dexterity: D620 -&gt; B799-Agility: E589 -&gt; A811-Magic: G326 -&gt; SS1124-Total: 4241 (A/N: Since people wanted me to include this.)Soul Strength: Tier 2 (Hero Soul)Karma:704==========================================================All of his stats experienced a qualitative improvement, especially his Magic which had broken through to SS. If others were to see his parameters they would be shocked! Other than Bell who had yet to begin his journey, he was likely the only Level 1 in the City to break through the S rank in magic. They would probably faint if they knew he didn't even know how to cast any spells...Vahn continued to stare blankly at his parameters before noticing an abnormality. His soul strength, which had been Tier 1 ever since he obtained 'The Path' had actually increased to Tier 2! After thinking for a while, he suspected this was the reason for the abnormal growth of his magic.As if to confirm his theory, the migraine which he had been ignoring for so long reared its ugly head. The mental strain of overdrafting his 'source' energy, or mana, had burdened his mind resulting in his current suffering.He had experienced a milder version of the same situation when he experimented with his bow several weeks ago. After trying to test the capacity of the bow to determine its limits, he ended up going too far and almost passed out on the archery range. It took nearly two hours before he was able to recover and continue the test.Vahn continued to browse through his various stats and functions. Once he turned to his inventory he couldn't help but release a sigh. He was in a unique state of mind when he was slaughtering his way through the second floor. Because of that, he didn't pick up a single core or drop-item after leaving the first floor.("Looks like I'll be going back to roasted meat until I can earn some Valis.") Lamenting at his current lack of funds, Vahn was suddenly struck by a brilliant idea.("Sis, the shop allows me to exchange for pretty much any kind of item from every world, right? Can I exchange OP for Valis?") Vahn began to get excited at the prospect of earning easy money. With the system he might not even have to go to the guild and exchange his items in the future.(*It is possible Vahn, but you should know there are negative consequences for doing so. The exchange rate remains the same for all levels of currency due to the common nature of the material, but you would accumulate a corresponding amount of negative Karma depending on its real-world value.*)Vahn was devastated. Though he wanted to be able to earn money easily, he didn't want to do it at the expense of earning negative karma. He had learned previously that the higher value someone's negative karma, the more likely terrible events would happen in the future. There was even the possibility of inviting retribution from the worlds 'Laws' if it got too high.("Why does creating money generate negative karma, Sis?") Given Vahns lack of common sense when it came to money, he was unable to comprehend how it was considered a bad thing. (A/N: He didn't buy anything in his previous life. You can literally count the stuff he has purchased on both hands!)(*It is a result of the nature of money as a balancing factor within society. A currency has to be strictly regulated by the governing body of every country or it can destabilize the economy and cause adverse effects on all levels of society. If you were to arbitrarily create funds and introduce them into the market, it could cause serious consequences for business and citizens in the future. This is one of the reasons it is considered against the law to create currency, and thus the reason why it generates negative karma when doing so.*) (A/N: I am not an economics guru.)Though he wasn't sure he understood, he could see that creating money was bad. He tried thinking about it from various angles, but couldn't rationalize how something that seemed so important to maintain order was regulated by others. How did they know when to make more money? And what stopped them from giving themselves as much money as they wanted?He shook his head and lay back in his bed. The only thing that really mattered was that he had to earn money on his own, or exchange for items within the system to sell later. Since he was even able to purchase monster cores and drop items from the system, he could accept missions at the Guild and simply exchange for the required resources...Thinking he had found a loop-hole to circumvent the problem Vahn began to fall asleep wearing a smile on his face...(*Exchanging for items within the system to complete missions would also give negative karma...*)Vahn blacked out after hearing Sis burst his bubble.

Chapter 24: Will of the Emperor (1/2)