Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn made his way through the first floor of the dungeon and followed the stairs down to the entrance of the fifth floor. Since he was able to outperform the efforts of a party of level 1 adventurers, he decided the first four floors were no longer capable of tempering his skills.Entering the fifth floor, the first thing he noticed was the change in the layout of the dungeon. The walls had become a light green color, and there was a murky patchwork of browns along the ground. The phosphorescence coming from the walls had changed from the gentle blue of the previous floors to a luminous green.Progressing further along the path, Vahn came across his first group of monsters of the fifth floor. Hopping around about 13m away was a total of three 'Frog Shooters'. They were each about 120cm tall and possessed a singular large eye. Their name came from how they attacked their enemies by 'firing' their tongue with enough force to shatter stone. For those unfortunate enough to take a direct hit, broken bones were often considered light injuries.Vahn took a deep breath before activating [Will of the Emperor] and drawing his sword. He increased his pace with each step as he began to close the distance to the three monsters.Shuddering after being encompassed by Vahn's domain, the three 'frog shooters' tried opening a gap with the approaching human. The closest one to Vahn's position tried to launch its tongue to halt his advance. Vahn rewarded its efforts by severing its tongue before using the momentum of his charge to press forward and bisect the now wailing frog.The remaining two attempted to aid their ally by attacking from Vahn's flanks, but he was able to dodge both surprise attacks by swiftly side-stepping between their trajectories. In less time than it took for them to retract the tongues, they saw the human approach with a deadly arc trailing behind his imposing figure.Vahn exhaled. He had managed to slay all three 'frog shooters' without taking a second breath. In total, less than six seconds had passed between the moment he drew his sword and the monsters had turned to dust.Vahn began to understand the principles behind [Will of the Emperor] somewhat. Though it didn't seem to offer an increase to his numerical stats, it most certainly enhanced his speed, strength, and perception to monstrous levels while active. There was a distinct difference between his capabilities with and without the skill, even though it didn't reflect within the parameters of the system.It was also important to note that, though his stats hadn't increased since his last venture into the dungeon the radius of his domain had grown from around 21 meters to 37 meters. It seemed to directly correlate to the strength of his conviction and desire to grow stronger.After slaying more than 40 'frog shooters', Vahn found his way to the next floor and immediately pressed onwards. He had been using [Will of the Emperor] intermittently instead of keeping it active at all times. Though he knew it likely affected his growth, Vahn wanted to increase his pace until he was able to reach a floor where he could put his current skills to the test. He used the time between activations to recover any mana that had been consumed during the skills use.Entering the sixth floor Vahn continued slaying every 'frog shooter' he came across. Though he was able to improve his footwork by dodging the tongues, he ended up swapping out his sword for his bow to increase the efficiency of clearing the floor. The large eyes of the frogs were the perfect target for honing his archery skills, and he was able to gain some experience predicting the trajectory of movements brought about by the synergy between [Bow Mastery] and [Will of the Emperor].An hour into the floor Vahn began to slow his pace. He had not come across a single 'frog shooter' for the last ten minutes and the phosphorescence of the surrounding area had progressively darkened over time. Giving in to his instincts, Vahn activated his domain to its maximum potential.He was able to detect movement coming from the darkness in his blind spot. He turned towards the source and readied his bow to intercept the approaching creature. Out of the darkness came two lumbering ' war shadows' that possessed two pairs of three razor-sharp claws. They looked similar to an effigy of a man, possessing all the basic features of a human without any defining characteristics.They moved awkwardly like marionettes before pausing just outside the effective range of Vahn's domain. As one of the creatures raised its hand to investigate the difference in pressure, Vahn fired an arrow directly into the white 'eye' on its face.*BOOOOM!!!*An explosion disintegrated the unsuspecting shadow and knocked it's companion into the wall causing its form to turn semi-transparent and flicker violently. Before it was able to recover, Vahn used his sword to impale its head into the wall causing it to turn to dust. He snorted as he picked up the two cores before noticing a sheen within the darkness nearby.Vahn walked over to investigate the object and found what appeared to be the claw of one of the 'war shadows' embedded into the ground. Recognizing it was probably a drop item, he picked it up and tested the sharpness before tossing it into his inventory.("War shadows should be the strongest individual monster between the fifth and seventh floors. Given how slow their reactions speed were, they probably aren't my match in groups small than five.")Continuing onwards, Vahn ended up slaying another 22 frog shooters and 5 war shadows, bring his total counts to 99 and 7 respectively. (A/N: He killed frogs on the sixth floor before encountering the first two shadows. The 22 mentioned were killed after the engagement~)Eventually finding his way to the staircase, Vahn decided to take a rest. At this point the system was showing the time was 10:40 PM and he needed to determine if he was going to sleep inside the dungeon or make his way to the entrance. After mulling it over for a few minutes, he decided to see if he was able to sleep while maintaining his domain. He told Sis to wake him if the domain de-activated or if an enemy showed up as she was able to perceive the world through his senses even when he was unconscious.Though he found it relatively easy to fall asleep, he would be woken up by Sis every two hours or so as the domain would become inactive. He determined that two hours was likely his current limit for maintaining the skill without focus and resolved to try to increase the duration in the future.After going through the process of sleeping and waking up four times, Vahn continued his descent into the dungeon. This would be the last full-day he could spend inside before having to leave.The gate pass he had received upon entering the City was about the expire, and he needed to pay Milan at the Inn so he could continue using the room he had leased. He had already begun to miss the taste of the dishes at the Hostess of Fertility, even though it had been less than two days since he had last eaten there.Before arriving at the 7th floor, Vahn decided to purchase a set of light-armor from the shop. He knew there would be a large variety of monsters on the seventh floor which typically required a group of adventurers to tackle. If he went in overconfident in his abilities, he would likely pay the price.Checking the monster compendium he had purchased before entering, he noted the unique traits and characteristic of the upcoming monsters. 'Killer Ants' had durable exoskeletons that could withstand blades, and they were prone to call for help when injured. 'Purple Moths' were relatively weak, but emitted a poisonous powder from their wings which could cause paralysis and internal bleeding if ingested. Lastly, he had to deal with the hyper agility and high-penetrative power of 'Needle Rabbits'. According to the book, they liked to swarm opponents and turn them into a pincushion before devouring the bloody remains.To counter each of the monsters, Vahn purchased a [Plague Mask: E] 40OP, [Nullifying Mantle: C] 280OP, [Mithril Poniard: B]500OP, and a pair of [Damascus-Steel Gauntlets: C]380OP.The mask would prevent him from inhaling the poisonous powder while the mantle would allow him to resist the effects if he happened to get poisoned anyways. The gauntlets and poniard were purchased specifically to counter the ants' exoskeleton and rabbits agility. Since he wasn't confident in being able to hit such small targets with a 130cm sword, he opted for a smaller weapon with high penetrative power.Satisfied with his preparations, Vahn decided to do one last thing before continuing onwards. He purchased a [Standing Mirror: I] 3OP, from the shop and used it to check his appearance. He almost looked like a villain with the beaked nose and hooded appearance, but also thought it looked a bit cool when he let the mask hang loosely around his neck. With a small smile on his face, he stored the mirror before moving into the adjoining corridor heading towards the seventh floor.The layout of the seventh floor was similar to the sixth and fifth except that the height of the ceiling had begun to noticeably increase. The dungeon also seemed to spawn larger groups of monsters, but Vahn was able to smoothly progress against everything except the needle rabbits. He had trouble stabbing their small bodies, and had even swapped to his sword for a moment to see if he could use the increased range to his advantage.After failing the attempt, he recalled the oppressive function of his domain and managed to temporarily stun individual rabbits before they were able to rebound off the wall and continue lunging at him. It lead to the hilarious sight of rabbits smashing head-first into walls, even getting their horns stuck on occasion leaving them easy pickings for Vahn's poniard.After fighting on the seventh floor four five hours he finally managed to reach the stairs. Though he had grown accustomed to their attack patterns, he still struggled quite a bit when larger groups of monsters tried to hoard him. He even had to ingest a 'senzu bean' after failing to evade an attack and being impaled through the ribcage by a needle rabbit. The impact had not only broken several ribs, but also collapsed one of his lungs. He barely managed to remove his mask before greedily devouring the life-saving bean.In response to his narrow escape, Vahn felt a marked increase in the strength of his domain and went on a rampage until he had slaughtered more than 50 rabbits before exhausting his strength and having to take a break. During this time, he was finally able to put his stealth capabilities to use as he blended into the shadows of a nearby rock that was strutting out of the cavern walls.Inside the stairwell, Vahn checked the time and noticed it was already after 2 PM, so he decided it was time to exit the dungeon to prevent future troubles. He moved up the stairs at a steady pace which would allow him to arrive at the entrance within half an hour.After passing by the sixth and fifth floor entrances, Vahn was quickly approaching the fourth floor. Ahead on the path he could see a small party of adventurers resting within the connecting area. Vahn didn't pay them any notice at first and continued upwards since they didn't seem to react much to his presence, but after a familiar figure caught his attention he began to slow to a stop.Vahn could see between the figure of the three men a small girl curled up on the ground. Her face was battered and bruised, and she had curled up into the fetal position to protect her body from the assault of the largest man in the group. As if sensing his gaze, she slightly opened the only eye which hadn't swolen shut and looked directly at him with her chestnut brown iris. Though she didn't say anything, he could see the desperation within her look as she implored him with her gaze.He recognized the girl as the companion that loyally followed Bell into the dungeon. It was Liliruca Arde, a girl with a past not too disimilar to his own. After the loss of her parents she was exploited by the people around her until the point she began to distrust everyone, even the people that actually cared about her.Without his prompting, [Will of the Emperor] activated as Vahn stepped towards the men. A cold sensation began to spread through his head and all thoughts vanished from his mind. The men shuddered as they were enveloped in the domain. As they looked towards Vahn, the smallest of their group began moving to intercept."Move along, this is private Familia business. Don't meddle in the things that don't concern you kid." The man used an aggressive tone, but there was a hint of fear hidden in his words.Ignoring the words of the man, Vahn drew his sword...

With the pressure they were experiencing and seeing the boy draw his sword, all three men immediately reacted. The short, stout man closest to Lili lifted her body and put a knife to her throat as the other two began maneuvering to flank Vahn's sides.Seeing the man use Lili's body as a shield, any remaining restraint in his body completely vanished. A state of mind similar to when he had awakened on the second floor set in as he dashed towards the smallest man to his left.Vahn approached with a terrifying momentum, causing the man to panic as he shouted towards his companions. He took up his sword and tried to thrust it towards Vahn to break the charge.From Vahn's perspective, the shout was muted in his ears and the movement of the sword seemed to trace its path in a slow motion due to the vast difference in their stats. Using his gauntleted left hand, he altered the vector of the blade and directed it into the ground.Having his blow suddenly change direction, the small man was knocked off balance as he stared in absolute shock at the shadow of the approaching blade. Instead of a thought, the last thing that passed through his mind before embracing death was the blade of Vahn's sword.The other two men looked on in horror as the hooded assailant turned their companions head into meat paste with the sheer force of the wind generated by the deadly thrust. They felt their legs begin to tremble at the ruthlessness of the figure before them. The stout man tightened his grip on Lili's neck before shouting out."You motherf@cker! You killed Todd!" He saw the figure turn towards him and he subconsciously tried using the small body in his grip to create a wall between him and the monster."M-move another step and the b!tch is dead! Dead, you hear me you b@stard!?" As if to solidify his threat, he squeezed until the girl began to gurgle and twitch.Vahn couldn't seem to hear anything the man was saying, but as soon as the first syllable issued from Lili's throat he sprung into action and bisected the man that had been maneuvering into his blind spot.The man was completely unprepared for the blow and stared at the 30cm gap that had separated his torso from his legs. Even though Vahn had cut cleanly through him, in a manner similar to what he had seen happen to his friends head, the trailing winds tore through the severed area like a meat grinder. He couldn't even scream as he stared at the legs that had yet to fall to the ground. Almost as if echoing the sounds of the young girl held hostage, he began to gurgle before finally choking on his own blood and organs.Screaming at the sight of his second companions death, the man squeezed Lili's neck like a vice causing her windpipe to collapse. He attempted to use the dagger and jam it into her ribs with the intent of robbing her life.*THOOOM* *SHHNK*A muffled sound tore through the air. The stout man who had backed up against the wall while holding Lili hostage stared in horror at the left arm which previously held the dagger. In its place, there was the sheen of an evil black blade embedded into the wall beneath where his shoulder previously connected to his arm. Before he was able to regain his senses, an irresistable force surrounded his neck.Vahn lifted the 155cm raccoon-eared man using his right hand as he shattered the man's remaining wrist with his left, freeing Lili in the process. Seeing the small girl fall to the ground unmoving, Vahn put more pressure into his grip until he could feel the outline of the man's spine in his palm. At this point, the man's face had bloated beyond recognition as the pressure caused his eyes to free themselves from their sockets.*SNAP*Even though the man had long-since died, Vahn completed snapping his neck. When he released the bloated creature, the head dangled loosely like a sack as the body collapse to the ground twitching.The moment the body hit the ground, Vahn felt a powerful migraine overcome him as his clarity returned. He grits his teeth before turning towards the young girl who lay helplessly on the ground gurgling for air. She had already begun to froth at the mouth as light pink bubbles were endlessly generated in her attempts to draw air.As he cradles her body, she stared at him with her single tear-filled eye. Vahn's heart wrenches in pain as his brain starts churning rapidly to come up with methods to save her. As her throat had collapsed, he couldn't feed her a [Senzu Bean] and none of the potions he possessed would be able to remedy the injury quick enough to prevent her from asphyxiating. There was no time to look through the system and find a solution.Vahn did the only thing he could think of. He took a [Senzu Bean] and placed it into his mouth, chewing it into a paste. He gently caressed Lili's face as if to reassure her...and activated his [Wound Transfer: B] for the first time as he swallowed the bean paste.Steam began to emit from all the wounds on Lili's body as she was rapidly healed. The resultant steam entered through the pores of Vahn's skin and the wounds that had previously been on her body began to appear on his.He grits his teeth until his gums start bleeding as the pain begins to wrack his body. The now fully recovered Lili stares in shock as the boy that just saved her begins to writhe on the ground in a state worse than she was in previously. She didn't know what had happened but understood the boy had somehow transferred all of her wounds to his body and was now on the verge of death.She screamed and tried to help, but no matter what she did the wounds only seemed to get worse.Vahn felt his body tearing apart. Though he had consumed a [Senzu Bean] to counteract the damage absorbed by the transfer, the two mystical forces seemed to battle within his body. One was trying to heal his wounds while the other continued with unrestrained vigor trying to generate them. As a result, the two forces were wreaking havoc in his body and causing his flesh and bones to shatter in their wake.He could feel warm tears dripping onto his face, and stared through bloodied eyes at the young girl crying over his body. Due to his [Pain Tolerance: S] Vahn was able to maintain his clarity through the pain. He lifted his hand to try and console the girl but stopped after seeing it's bloodied state.Seeing his attempt and hesitation on his face, the girl grabbed the outstretched hand and placed it to her face as she tried to stifle her tears. The blood from his hand marred her otherwise flawless face, and Vahn couldn't help feeling a little guilty as he smiled at her.Suppressing her tears, Lili tried speaking to the boy that had sacrificed himself to save her. "I don't even know your name. *sniff* Please don't die, please, please...." She kept repeating the word over and over, mixed between her sobs and snot.Vahn shook his head before withdrawing his identity slip from the inventory. Seeing the name of her would-be hero, she managed to speak out a few more words. "Thank you Vahn..."Hearing her words brought a smile to his face as he laid back and felt the strength leaving his body. He couldn't help but recall part of the words Chloe had spoken before they parted ways. "For now, focus on discovering where you want to go in your life. When you figure that out and become strong enough to share the burden of others...if your feelings remain unchanged, you can try asking me out again... Though I can't promise I'll accept when the time comes~nya"The smile on his face increased as he began to lose consciousness.//[Effigy of the Hero: S] Activated//Vahn felt a powerful energy fill his body and he opened his eyes to meet the gobsmacked expression of Lili. One woundless boy covered in blood, and one disheveled young girl both stared incredulously at each other.For the first time in both of his lives, Vahn began laughing without inhibition. Lili stared at him like he had lost his mind, unsure of what happened to bring about the current situation.After a while, she tried asking the boy named Vahn what was going on, only to see him collapse powerlessly onto the ground and fall unconscious. She flusteredly checked to make sure he was still breathing before releasing a relieved sigh."What kind of crazy person did I get involved with..." She shook her head before resting to boys head on her lap, waiting for him to wake up.

Vahn continued thinking as Chloe dragged him into the commercial district of the tower. Keeping true to her word, their first stop was a small cafe that served coffee and baked goods. Vahn wasn't fond of the taste of coffee, but after Chloe had shown him how to add cream and sugar he began to enjoy it."Nyaaaaahn~" As he had started enjoying the coffee, Chloe began gesturing towards his mouth holding a small fish-shaped cookie in her hand.Vahn stared at the cookie while Chloe watched his expression with a cheeky grin. After a few seconds...he allowed her to place the cookie into his open mouth. It was a mix between sweet and salty and had a crunchy texture. It was good.Chloe laughed while watching him savor the cookie. "You really like food, don't you~? You should try dipping the cookie into coffee next." She handed him another cookie and waited for him to give it a try.Following her instructions, Vahn soaked the cookie into the coffee before placing it into his mouth. He was surprised, as the combination of the two flavors complemented each other well.Seeing his reaction, Chloe showed another gentle smile. "You see, even if something is good on its own, that doesn't mean it can't become better when added to something else. Sometimes the combination of two individual things can bring out the best qualities of both."Vahn nodded his head and continued dipping cookies into his coffee. After trying a few more, he agreed with Chloe's expression. Seeing that she was still looking at him, Vahn hesitated before extending a cookie towards her."A-aaaaaah-" He blushed at the awkwardness of the act as he tried to imitate her earlier actions.*nom*Before his hand was able to get close, Chloe leaned forward and slowly took the cookie into her mouth. She gave him a wink before eating the cookie with a sip of coffee.Vahn stared, hand still outstretched, as he watched her swallow the cookie. Seeing his look, Chloe began to giggle while covering her mouth and saying, "Thank you Vahn, it was very good~nya."After they left the cafe, Chloe once again took Vahn's hand and lead the way towards a men's clothing store that sold both outfits for adventurers as well as casual wear. Though Vahn was initially drawn to the adventurer section, Chloe dragged him towards the casual wear and began lining various shirts against his chest."You have very dark hair, but your eyes are a deep aquamarine... let's see, maybe peach~? No, too soft...How about a nice neutral green to compliment your eyes~nya?" She continued to hold the two long-sleeve open-collared shirts up next to Vahn, waiting for his decision.Vahn ended up selecting the green one since she said it complimented his eyes. Nodding, she took both shirts and hung them on a rack next to the dressing room. She continued to pick a variety of other clothes while asking for Vahn's opinion. Whenever he would pick one, she would always look into his eyes before either putting one piece away or keeping both. Vahn was confused why she even bothered asking his opinion when she seemed to make the final decision...After selecting seven shirts, three pairs of slacks, one pair of trousers, and a pair of shorts with a lot of pockets she forced Vahn into the changing room. She told him he couldn't come out until he had tried on all the clothes and checked himself in the mirror. Only when he was satisfied with his appearance would she let him exit.Once he was in the changing room, Vahn stared helplessly at the pile of clothes. He didn't really know anything about clothing or how he should choose between the different options. He shook his head before grabbing the first shirt he had chosen when entering the store. After removing his shadowsilk tunic, Vahn adorned the loose-fitting shirt and inspected himself in the mirror for the first time.Vahn's first impression was one of shock. Not at the shirt, but at seeing his body reflected in the silvery reflective surface. It wasn't his first time seeing his reflection, as he had stared into higher-quality mirrors in his previous life, but it was the first time he had inspected himself after arriving in this world. He slowly reached towards the surface of the mirror, as if confirming that the person reflected was truly him...He was no longer the emaciated, limbless boy, with semi-transparent glowing skin. Instead, he saw a young man with healthy skin and an athletic build. Where it had been missing in his previous life, there was now a mop of dark brown hair arranged messily on the top of his head. Through the drooping bangs, he could see a pair of aquamarine eyes staring back at him. Unlike the lifeless image he saw within his memories, his eyes were now crystal clear. Though they weren't very lively, he could see a long-lost hope and determination within the dark pupils. After staring into them for an unknown period of time, he could even see the illusion of a fierce warrior contained deep within their core...("This is me. The body I obtained when I was reborn into this world...the results of all my training and efforts. I'm not the boy that died powerlessly back in the lab, surrounded by people who saw me as a commodity. I've transcended that life, and even the very world itself...")In response to his inner monologue, Sis spoke in his mind. (*Thats right Vahn. You are no longer bound to that tragic fate. You can move about freely and live as you choose. As long as you don't give up on yourself, there will never be anything that can bar your way along 'The Path'.*)Nodding his head, Vahn looked once more into the eyes of his reflection...and smiled.After a few minutes, Vahn exited the changing room. Rising from the bench she had been waiting on, Chloe inspected Vahn before giving an appreciative nod. "They say clothes make the man, and I can't help but agree~nya."Compared to his previous black-on-black look, Vahn now wore a loose grey collared shirt with four buttons, two of which he had left undone. Replacing his tattered, stained pants, he now wore a pair of clean black slacks with a mild embroidering along the outseam. Now, due to his athletic figure and handsome appearance, Vahn stood out for an entirely different reason. Especially his aquamarine eyes, which now had a slight glint of confidence within.Vahn smiled towards the beaming girl before him. "Thanks Chloe. It seems like clothing really can change the way people feel."The already excessive smile on her face increased in size as she leaped forward and seized his arm. "Nyahahaha, right~? Right~? I knew you would understand~nya!"This time Vahn didn't freeze up when Chloe grabbed his arm. Instead, he looked towards her before grabbing all of the clothes and guiding her towards the register. In response, she simply continued to smile and allowed Vahn to lead her.Though Chloe had offered to pay for the clothing, as it was her idea, Vahn refused saying, "It may have been your idea, but it was my own decision to purchase these clothes. If anything, I owe you for bringing me here today. It feels like I've obtained something I lost a long time ago..."Hearing his words, she just gently pressed herself to his arm in response while the cashier stared at the two with an incredulous expression. ("What are these two fools trying to do in my store!? Can't they see they're making all the other customers uncomfortable!?") She continued ringing up the clothing so as to hasten their departure.Vahn left the clothing store with Chloe on his left arm while carrying a large bag of clothing in his right. Chloe looked towards him and asked, "Where to now~nya?"In response, Vahn looked towards her as he felt an itchy sensation on his brow. "I think I need a haircut." He smiled while Chloe burst out laughing.Chloe guided Vahn around using her words, letting him continue leading the way. They found a salon and Chloe issued a long list of requirements to the stylist before allowing the nervous woman to cut Vahn's hair. By the end of the session, the mop of hair on his head had been trimmed and styled into what Chloe called a 'free' and 'wild' style.Vahn noticed that Chloe had been restless as the stylist was performing the finishing touches. He was able to see the 'predatory' glare that he noticed on their first meeting, but this time he didn't feel any chills. Instead, he just smiled towards her which caused her ears to violently twitch. When Vahn was finally freed from the chair, Chloe immediately paid the stylist and gave an extra-large tip.They continued to wander around together for the rest of the day, visiting several stores and purchasing anything they found interesting. By the end, Vahn was beginning to run low on funds but didn't mind as the day had quickly become the most memorable experiences in both of his lives. He felt like, as long as he could keep these feelings, he would be able to leave all the painful memories behind.As they continued to wander around the tower, Vahn gave periodic glances towards Chloe. Whenever she noticed his gaze, she would return a simple smile. This happened several times before they arrived at the final destination of their date.By now the sun had started to set, and they were standing on a viewing platform that could oversee the entire western section of the City. They took turns pointing out the various places they recognized and made small-talk while watching the sun descend beyond the horizon.As the final ray of light faded away, Vahn looked directly towards Chloe. He felt like he had so many things to tell her, but couldn't seem to find a way to vocalize his emotions. All he knew was that he owed her a debt of gratitude he was uncertain if he could ever repay.Chloe returned his gaze with the same gentle smile that helped him break through the shell that had been constraining him since his previous life. Seeing that smile, Vahn felt like he could fight against the entire world if it would allow that smile to persist for a single moment more.Mustering his resolve, he swallowed hard before speaking. "Chloe...I-"Before he was able to continue, Chloe grabbed his head and pulled it into her chest. She gently cradled him there while slowly stroking his head. Vahn wasn't able to form any thoughts as he accepted her embrace... After several minutes, she lifted his face before kissing him on the forehead and displaying that same gentle smile..."There is much left for you to discover about yourself before you speak those words. All of the emotions you're feeling right now need time to be understood properly. For now, focus on discovering where you want to go in your life. When you figure that out and become strong enough to share the burden of others...if your feelings remain unchanged, you can try asking me out again... Though I can't promise I'll accept when the time comes~nya" Giving him one final peck on his forehead, she turned away and walked off into the night.Vahn continued to stare at her retreating figure as a multitude of thoughts passed through his mind. He thought about her parting words as a resolve began to fill the void caused by her departure. He balled his fists and looked towards the moon that had begun to take its place among the heavens. Inspired by its presence, he extended his right hand and grasped towards it, as if by reaching just a little further he would be able to wrest it from the sky's embrace..."I must become stronger...stronger than anything. I will seize my fate with this outstretched hand and strike down anyone that threatens my way of life...and the life of those I love."A cool breeze blew through the sky, passing through the location where the young boy previously stood. After his declaration, he had followed the path Chloe left and continued downwards, towards the dungeon that would serve as his proving grounds.

Chapter 30: Conviction