Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

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;

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 awoke several hours later with a powerful lethargy settled within his body. It was similar to the times when he was very young and the Doctors had been a little too ambitious and had drawn too much blood from his body.&nbsp; "How long have I been asleep Sis?"&nbsp; (*It's been 14 hours Vahn. It is currently 8:21 AM.*)&nbsp; "Fourteen hours..." sighed Vahn as he made an effort to stand. It took several tries, but eventually, he had managed to upright himself, albeit with a lot of difficulties. He put his hand along the cavern wall and began to make his way towards the exit.&nbsp; *noises made by a stomach when you haven't eaten a single bit of food your entire current life*&nbsp; Vahn removed his hand from the wall, leaning his body against its cold surface. He uses his free hand to massage his stomach in an effort to soothe it's hunger pangs&nbsp; "Sis, what do you think I should do for food. With my injured arm, I don't think I'll be able to hunt easily. I need food to recover my strength or my arm won't heal easily."&nbsp; Mentioning his arm, Vahn took a better look at it. He noticed the blood hadn't spread nearly as much as he expected. Perhaps the waterproofing qualities of the tunic managed to stimy the flow of blood&nbsp; (*I would recommend picking various plants and berries. One moment...I've marked areas on your map that you had passed previously. Though I cannot say at present which are edible, 'The Path' is able to analyze and identify the properties of items placed within. It may take time for higher quality items, or items that possess magic, but it should be able to easily identify if something is edible.*)&nbsp; Vahn sighed, this time with a bit of relief in his voice. "That's great Sis. It makes sense that 'The Path' would be able to make up for my lack of survival skills and information. Though the fact my inventory can analyze items seems pretty incredible, the fact it shows descriptions of my equipment should have been an indicator of that capability."&nbsp; He makes his way out of the cave and looks towards the area where he had previously slain the goblin. The body seems to have vanished overnight, and the only evidence of his mortal struggle was the small knife, a dull crystal that emitted a small light, and his blood which had dried into the ground.&nbsp; Vahn walked over, once again drawn to the presence of his own blood. He noted that it had not turned to ash, even though it had been outside of his body for so long without being stored. Most importantly is the fact that the blood, like the stains on his makeshift bandage, was a deep crimson red.&nbsp; "Sis, when my body was reconstructed, was my blood changed as well?" he inquired after thinking of the best method to ask.&nbsp; (*That is not entirely correct Vahn. Though I can't go into the details of what exactly happened, your blood still possesses similar qualities to what you had in your previous life. The primary difference is the existence of 'source' energy within this world, whereas your previous world had nothing comparable. Eventually, your blood will dissolve into dust, but the process will take much longer since the 'source' energy maintains it's vitality for an extended duration.*)&nbsp; Vahn was somewhat disappointed with her response. He had hoped that the changes to his body would make him normal...&nbsp; Noticing his demeanor, Sis remarked: (*Vahn, the uniqueness of your blood isn't something to be ashamed of. It is the fault of those that tried to use you for their own convenience that has caused you to feel this way. Remember, your blood is something that only exists because your mother had been willing to birth you even knowing it would likely result in her death. You should see your blood as the embodiment of her love for you, and use it and all its benefits to assist you in your growth.*)&nbsp; Startled, Vahn raised his head and looked towards the sky. Gripping his hands, he cursed inside himself at his weakness even though he had sworn to become strong.&nbsp; "You're right Sis. They used my blood to do whatever they want, but now I have the opportunity to use it as I see fit! I will show them their foolishness, by living freely and saving even more people than their cruelty allowed!"&nbsp; *hyper-aggressive omega tier stomach rumbling sounds*&nbsp; With a blush on his face, Vahn began to move into the forest to investigate the areas marked on his map. After gathering several different types of herbs, nuts, and berries, the system had managed to identify those that were edible.&nbsp; Since he had no methods to create a fire, he was forced to use stones to crack the nuts so they could be digested. It turns out, eating with a single hand is quite difficult, but it's amazing what you're able to do when starving.&nbsp; Vahn spent until 5 pm solely gathering any interesting or unidentified items he could find. He even collected various types of rocks and minerals in hopes the system would be able to analyze them over time. His progress was halted periodically since he made an extra effort to investigate his surroundings before moving on. He knew that if he were to be attacked by a monster at this time, it would likely be the last fight before his death.&nbsp; Eventually, he made his way back to the cave before sunset and took note of the days' harvest&nbsp; 'Display Inventory'&nbsp; Small-sized rock x 3, Medium sized rock x 1, Acorns (3kgs), Apples x 49, mulberries x 103, tayberries x 98, Unkown Mineral x 1, Unknown Mineral x 1, etc...&nbsp; He was grateful that the inventory allowed him to store similar items within the same slot. It was only when the object had unique qualities that it seemed to separate them, such as in the case of the 'unknown minerals'. He was also informed by Sis that items within the inventory didn't spoil, which was his original motivation for collecting so many different things.&nbsp; He was also able to fashion a sling for his arm after cleaning and changing the bandages. To his surprise, when the bandage was removed he was able to clearly see that it had begun to heal. There was also a slight tingling sensation traveling through his wrist, and when he made an effort he was able to wiggle his fingers slightly. After inquiring with Sis, he learned that it was due to the secondary effects of his blood, combined with the skill 'Yggdrasil's Favor'. Even though he hadn't learned any healing skills, it was able to enhance the effects of his blood and accelerate his natural healing. After scanning his body, Sis even informed him that his blood had completely prevented any possibility of infection from occurring, something which he should have known from his previous experiences. It seemed like Sis had been a little flustered at the time when she had urged me to tend to the wound, and that thought made him a little happy.&nbsp; After 10 days Vahn was surprised to learn his left arm had completely recovered. Now there was just a light scar tissue as the only proof the wound ever existed, and even it had begun to fade.&nbsp; Confirming he had stored an adequate amount of food during the 10 days, Vahn started considering methods to become stronger.&nbsp; "Sis, is there any way I can improve my stats without fighting monsters? I don't want to have to sacrifice body parts just to be able to kill a single goblin."&nbsp; (*I would recommend converting the crystal you had obtained from the goblin, as well as the iron and copper ore you had found into 'Origin Points'.*)&nbsp; Before he could ask, Sis continued.&nbsp; (*'Origin Points', or OP for short, is the currency that can be used to exchange for items using the system function 'Shop'. Please note that not all items can be converted into points, and converting items that do not belong to you requires a great deal of time and will result in the accumulation of negative karma.*)&nbsp; Vahn nodded his head in response.&nbsp; "I don't want to rely on stealing from others to grow strong anyways. People that take advantage of others are the type I hate the most, so I want to avoid becoming a person like that."&nbsp; 'Display Shop'&nbsp; Similar to when he had used the 'Display Records' function, a seemingly infinite list of items and their cost began to appear within his mind. Without being prompted, Vahn quickly made a mental command to only display items suitable for his soul tier.&nbsp; He noticed in the top left of the screen a value called OP, which was currently displayed with a domineering 0 points. After sorting through his inventory a bit, he found the only items that could be converted through the shop were the crystal and ores previously mentioned by Sis. After asking, Vahn learned that the shop used the 'source' energy found within the objects to create the Origin Points. After using a mental command for the exchange, the items turned into a dust so fine that it seemed to vanish into the air itself.&nbsp; The crystal had been exchanged for a total of 17 points, while the ores both sold for 5 OP per kilogram respectively. Since he had accumulated a fair amount over the last ten days, he managed to have a total of 47 points after the exchange concluded.&nbsp; After setting a filter for items that could improve his strength that cost less than 50 points, Vahn was annoyed to see the list was still very large.&nbsp; "Sis, what should I exchange for using my points? I need something that can help me grow stronger in a short period of time to remove the risk to my life while living in this area."&nbsp; (*Many of the items in the current list can only increase your stats for a short period of time. Some of the stronger ones even have side effects that could damage your foundation, which would make it harder for you to grow stronger. I would recommend you exchange 30 OP for three vials of 'body-tempering liquid'. You should also exchange 15 OP for a 'Beginner Close Quarters Combat Techniques Manual'. The remaining two points can be saved for now, or you could exchange them for 'Simple Linen Mat' and 'cracked firestone' to make living in the cave more comfortable.*)&nbsp; "Okay Sis, I trust your judgment. Please purchase all of the recommended items, including the mat and 'cracked firestone'.&nbsp; (*Acknowledged...Purchase complete. Items have been automatically added to your inventory Vahn.*)&nbsp; Vahn looked into his inventory and read the description of each item, as he was unable to see any information prior to the purchase. This is also the reason he was unaware of the temporary, and even negative effects of some items.&nbsp; Body Tempering Liquid&nbsp; Rank: (D)&nbsp; Use: Can be mixed into bath water. Soaking in the water after strenuous training accelerates recovery speed and promotes the strengthing of bones and muscles. *Caution* Causes immense pain.&nbsp; He shuddered a little bit at the 'causes immense pain' description.&nbsp; Beginner's Close Quarters Combat Techniques Manual&nbsp; Rank: (E)&nbsp; Use: Gives the user knowledge about close quarters combat techniques and auxiliary body training methods.&nbsp; The mat and firestone were self-explanatory, but Vahn was confused by how to use the techniques manual. After inquiring about it from Sis, it seemed to be a consumable item that could be placed into his chest similar to 'The Path'.&nbsp; Upon using the manual, a rush of information flood Vahn's mind. Images of various people performing martial arts and training cycled through his vision for roughly two hours until he passed out. Unfortunately, he was unable to use the mat he had just purchased and ended up sleeping on the hard floor...&nbsp; After awakening the following day with a mild migraine, Vahn organized the information in his mind and decided to put it to use. He asked Sis to create a training regiment that would allow his body to improve unilaterally. After reviewing it for about half an hour, Vahn was satisfied as it had accounted for his rate of growth and became more difficult as time progressed.&nbsp; He spent the first week performing basic physical exercises and stretching routines. He would awaken in the morning at sunrise. After half an hour of stretching, he would begin running around the around the largest rock formation in the area for about an hour. Though he wasn't able to run quickly, he noticed that his stamina was increasing rapidly due to the effects of his blood on his recovery.&nbsp; After finishing his run, he would bathe in a pool he had dug from the main flow of the creek. He had filled the pool with various crystals he had dug out of the cave, so it always maintained a moderate temperature even in the mornings. Following his bath, he would begin foraging in the woods to increase his food store, since Sis had warned him about the dangers of winter.&nbsp; Around noon he would begin his real workout. He spent another thirty minutes stretching before lifting rocks of different weight and moving them between two circles he had drawn out on the ground. The circles were 20m apart, and the exercise didn't end until he managed to move all the rocks from one point to the other. After this, he would be completely exhausted, and all the muscles in his body would protest against each movement. Fortunately, with the 'Pain Tolerance' skill, he was able to work through the pains and finish the exercise.&nbsp; Using some of the points that he had obtained by trading in various ore found within the creek, Vahn had managed to buy a metal basin which he stationed outside the entrance of the cave. He had originally wanted to use the 'body tempering liquid' in the pool he had dug, but Sis informed him that the essence would drain through the rocks into the ground.&nbsp; After emptying one of the vials of body tempering liquid into the basin, the once transparent water became turbid and evil boiled slightly. Using his leather belt as a gag, Vahn would submerge himself into the basin.&nbsp; The moment his foot touched the liquid, it felt as if the blood within his body became thick, stagnant, and heavy as lead. Gritting his teeth, he continued to submerge his body as the feeling spread to each area the water came into contact with. By the time the liquid had reached up to his neck, his body had begun to convulse slightly as a result of the pain racking his body.&nbsp; It was at times like this that Vahn actually hated the 'Pain Tolerance' skill because even though it prevented the pain from 'distracting' him, it actually made the experience worse since he was able to easily focus on the pain as it spread. He would periodically submerge his head while holding his breath, repeating the process over and over until his body was able to absorb the full medicinal effects of the liquid.&nbsp; Vahn continued this process for the entire 10 days until Sis informed him that the body tempering liquid would no longer have an effect. He would have to buy higher quality medicines if he wanted to continue, but she advised against it since building a foundation using medicines could lead to problems in his growth later on.&nbsp; Vahn was fine with this, as no matter how much time he spent in the basin it never got any easier.&nbsp; 'Display Skill Pain Tolerance'&nbsp; Pain Tolerance&nbsp; Rank: (S)&nbsp; The more damage the wielder sustains, the greater the effect this skill has on the mind. Does not inhibit pain, but prevents the wielder from being distracted by it. Gives a slight increase to attack power based on pain threshold.&nbsp;

Chapter 10: Hunting : Second Blood