Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

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

Awakening the following day, Vahn immediately set about his final preparations for the quest. Since his inventory had long since been filled with miscellaneous items he had stored many of the non-perishable goods near the back of his home.&nbsp; As a means of self-preservation, he was now filling his inventory with the various traps and gadgets he had been using during his hunts. He figured he could lay them along the path and if things got dicey he would be able to safely retreat. There was also the possibility any goblin chasing him could fall victim to the traps, giving him an edge should things go awry.&nbsp; Leaving the cave, Vahn noticed the sun had yet to rise. The morning was cool and he could feel a refreshing breeze blowing in from the north-west. Confirming the time with Sis, he realized it was only 3:40 AM which would give him ample time to make his preparations and scout the goblin camps.&nbsp; He moved towards the range he had established outside his home. There he had placed several targets at varying ranges between 10 and 50 meters. As a means of experimentation, Vahn decided to use the bone arrows with his older bow. He wanted to see how much damage they were able to do without the enhancements of his new bow.&nbsp; After his experience last night he determined he was able to inject 'source' energy that could increase the damage output of his arrows by around 100 points in both physical and magic attack respectively. Nocking an arrow, Vahn pulled the bow to its maximum allowance while simultaneously observing the changing attack value through the system interface. It seemed as though the conversion was taking longer than the previous night which he assumed was a result of actually trying to fire the arrow instead of just holding it.&nbsp; As the arrow began to approach 1000 attack, Vahn released the arrow at the target 10m away. The arrow seemed to have turned into a beam of light as it tore through the air and pierced the target. It continued to travel unhindered for several meters until it disappeared into the treeline in the distance.&nbsp; Vahn was completely shocked at the penetrating power of the arrow and began to commend himself for his selection the previous night. Without searching for the arrow he had just fired, Vahn inquired with Sis about the time it had taken to charge the arrow to its maximum potential. He learned that instead of the 10 seconds recorded the previous night, it had now taken 17, almost twice the previous amount.&nbsp; Moving on with his experiment, he now decided to use his new bow using his old arrows. He didn't know the safety limits of the bow, but since the attack power of bow was typically much lower than the arrows themselves he decided to limit it to 100 points. The new arrow itself was plenty powerful and he was unwilling to risk breaking what could become the key to completing the upcoming quest.&nbsp; He nocked the arrow into the new bow and began channeling 'source' while observing the change in its stats. He noticed that as the attack value increased it became increasingly difficult to keep the bow fully drawn. Given the increased size, it seemed to take much more energy to increase the strength of the bow so Vahn began to worry about the efficacy of its use.&nbsp; After approximately 7 seconds the value finally reached 100 in both physical and magical attack. Loosing the arrow, it flew silently towards the 20m target (the 10m target got destroyed). Upon contacting the wooden support the arrow penetrated about 3/4 it's length into the log. It was significantly weaker than the previous arrow but had the added benefit of flying almost completely silent. Looking down at the bow in his hands, he noticed the runes on its surface were still emitting light which caused him to investigate it through the system. Though the bow took much longer to supply energy to, it appeared to retain the energy for a longer period of time as Vahn noted the attack values slowly decreasing.&nbsp; Pleased with his discovery, he moved on to his final test using both the 'Runic Tempered Yew Shortbow' and 'Runic Tempered Bone Arrows' together. He noticed that it was impossible to split his focus between both the bow and arrow, so he experimented with channeling 'source' energy into each of them and seeing how fast they lost the charge. The arrow lost energy almost instantly since the runes along the shaft seemed to only serve the purpose of funneling the energy into the arrowhead. As soon as the supply stopped the energy would begin to rapidly disperse. As he had expected, it seemed the complexity of the runes on the bow gave it a far greater ability to store energy as compared to the arrows.&nbsp; He charged the bow to around 110 attack power before switching his focus to the arrow. After about twenty seconds the arrow was fully charged and he noticed the bows' attack had only decayed by eight points.&nbsp; Increasing his focus to the limits, Vahn took aim and loosed the arrow towards the target 50m away. Compared to the first experiment which produced an exceptionally loud sound, the arrow now traveled almost silently which Vahn assumed was a hidden property of the magical bow. Almost immediately after that thought crossed his mind, the arrow made contact with the target and easily pierced it through, continuing its journey unabated into the woods beyond.&nbsp; Traveling through the woods with a practiced pace, any observer that had known the boy previously would be shocked with how smoothly he transitioned through the various obstacles. He kept a steady pace and generated very little sound as he moved unhindered, a far cry compared to the many scratches and abrasions he had acquired on his initial treck through the forest.&nbsp; Satisfied with the result of the three tests Vahn decided to rest and eat breakfast. Though he had only fired three arrows it had begun to cause a dull sensation in his mind which Sis informed him was the result of exhausting a large portion of his internal 'mana'.&nbsp; After breakfast, he finalized his preparations and began heading towards the south-western direction where he could see a river indicated on his map. With any luck, he would be able to scout the area and determine the location of the Chief before making preparations to engage.&nbsp; After about twenty minutes of travel, Vahn had covered a distance greater than the 1km perimeter he had set up around the cave he called home. Shortly thereafter he finally reached the border indicated on the map and began to slow his pace to increase the efficacy of his observation. He decided to scout areas on the map that had clearings or other landmarks as his experience with goblins had shown they prefer to loiter around open spaces.&nbsp; He continued his search for several hours without finding a single mark but wasn't disturbed since he had been using the opportunity to increase the detail in his map. As he progressed continuously towards the river which Sis suspected of housing the Chief, he would move in a zig-zag pattern placing traps and tripwires periodically.&nbsp; Eventually, around 500m from his destination, Vahn finally encountered his first group of goblins. They had established a small camp near the remains of a large tree. Judging by their demeanor Vahn assumed they were acting the role of scouts or an advance guard. Their presence indicated that his thoughts of a 'village' or 'nest' being nearby was highly likely&nbsp; Instead of immediately engaging the goblins, Vahn decided to wait for about half an hour as he slowly scouted the perimeter of their camp. His prior experience with the goblin ambush had left a shadow in his heart, and he wanted to make sure there were no unexpected surprises waiting for him if he failed to kill them quickly.&nbsp; His intuition had proven correct as an additional pair of goblins had shown up twenty minutes later to join the previous three. It almost seemed like they were performing a 'change of the guard' as two of the goblins left the way the others just arrived.&nbsp; He contemplated whether or not he should follow the two, but he didn't want to leave a path of escape that was populated by goblins. He waited for ten or so minutes for the newer goblins to settle in and made his final preparations as their guard began to lax.&nbsp; Using his stealth skill he was able to creep within 15m without drawing their attention. As they were simple goblins he had decided to eliminate them using his normal yew short bow instead of its magical big brother. Lining up his first target Vahn loosed an arrow while immediately using a mental command to nock a second while the first was still in flight. With practiced movements, he drew back the bow and took aim as the first arrow penetrated directly through the eye socket of his initial target.&nbsp; The other two goblins turned towards the direction of their companion and in the short period they were both stunned, a second arrow slammed into the neck of the goblin furthest away.&nbsp; The final goblin, as if being startled awake from a nightmare, immediately turned and ran while howling towards the sky. It seemed as though he was trying to call for aid as he fled the scene of carnage. Unfortunately for it, he just so happened to flee in the direction of one of the tripwires Vahn had previously lain. As the goblin fell and tried to scurry back along the path, a third and final arrow pinned him to the ground.&nbsp; Quickly gathering his spoils, Vahn retreated 100m away from the campsite and tried to find a vantage point to observe the response of any approaching goblins. Ten minutes later a squad of nine goblins came running towards the camp where Vahn had just slain three of their brethren. Finding the camp empty they began to rage and disperse around the area trying to find the perpetrator.&nbsp; Because he had set various traps in the area, Vahn was satisfied to observe the two goblins had sustained heavy injuries when their legs got caught in bear traps. Other than that a few others just tripped over the wires he had spread out before the entire group gave up around an hour later. Leaving behind three members, the remaining four carried the two injured goblins back along the path towards where Vahn assumed their main camp was located.&nbsp; "It took around ten minutes for them to respond, and the entire group came running. Sis, can you analyze the distance a group of goblins could run and try to mark the most likely area in the direction they headed on the map?"&nbsp; (*Certainly Vahn. Analyzing data...please confirm the coordinates on the updated coordinate on your map.*)&nbsp; Confirming a new area had been highlighted on the map, Vahn gathered what traps he could before making his way home. The sun had already risen high in the sky, and he wanted to return before darkness arrived as it would be unwise to engage any patrolling goblins during the night as they possessed some degree of night vision.&nbsp; After retreating about 200m, Vahn had a moment of inspiration as he faced towards the direction of the goblin camp...&nbsp; Equipping his magic bow and arrow, Vahn took aim and channeled a fully charged shot at the distant silhouettes. Loosing the arrow, he turned to flee before confirming if it had hit the intended target.&nbsp; On the goblins' end, they were all on high alert waiting for the reappearance of the enemy that had attacked the camp previously. They had spread out a bit and moved around investigating any sounds or suspicious movement that caught their eye. The largest goblin among them had even climbed the rotting tree to try and get a better vantage point. Looking into the distance he saw a golden sheen which seemed to immediately grow larger within his vision. Before he was able to understand what was going on darkness claimed his mind as the golden light penetrated entirely through his brain...&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;

Chapter 12: Preparation : A New Bow