Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Awakening before dawn, Vahn began to put his plan into action. After putting a filter on the shop, he was able to find the item he was looking for.&nbsp; 'Small Explosive Charge' (10 OP)&nbsp; Rank:(E)&nbsp; A component used in the making of anti-personnel mines developed by Russian Scientist Neil Vankhov. The explosive yield is equivalent to 10MJ (10 sticks of dynamite).&nbsp; Dissatisfied with the idea of simply kiting a few goblins out of the encampment, Vahn had come up with the idea of pestering them thoroughly over the course of the entire day. Once the goblins retreated further into the camp he would be able to attach the explosives to magically charged arrows and bombard the largest concentration of goblins. If he was lucky, he would even be able to deal large amounts of collateral and potentially injure or kill the Chief.&nbsp; He slowly made his way towards the encampment and dug up several of the mines along the treeline. It was a very dangerous and harrowing experience given the sensitivity of the mines, but he managed to finish without triggering any of them.&nbsp; After replanting them in a funnel-like fashion with only a few safe paths of retreat, Vahn ate breakfast. He didn't know if he would have any opportunities to eat while harassing the goblins, so he made sure to enjoy a full meal.&nbsp; Starting a fire near his secondary campsite using firestones he managed to roast a rabbit he had hunted previously. Though his inventory kept items from spoiling, he enjoyed the process of cooking and eating as it was very therapeutic to him.&nbsp; Noting the sun had risen above the horizon Vahn checked the remaining quest time: 1D17H12M.&nbsp; He now had less than two days remaining, but with luck, he would be able to finish the quest before the days' end. Though he assumed the goblin Chief was much stronger than normal goblins, he did not believe it would be able to tank ten sticks of dynamite to the face.&nbsp; Returning to the treeline near the encampment, Vahn finished his final preparations by setting up several tripwires crisscrossing the areas around the landmines. Satisfied with his setup, he skulked just behind the trees closest to the clearing. Given the 130m distance between the encampment and the goblins speed, it would take them more than twenty seconds to close the gap towards his position. With his maximum firing rate, he was confident in being able to eliminate up to one goblin every second. Hopefully, they would send a large group to try and attack him which he would then be able to kite into the mine-infested woods while retreating.&nbsp; Vahn spent several minutes observing the goblins as they went about their construction. He noticed that they had erected a large structure within the night, presumably to house the Chief and his cronies.&nbsp; At present, the Chief couldn't be seen, but the presence of two of his henchmen indicated that he was within the building. Vahn contemplated trying to bombard it immediately but decided it would be beneficial to wait until he dwindled down the number of smaller goblins.&nbsp; Before determining if the Chief was inside the larger hut, it would be a mistake to use the explosive arrows. The goblins had shown an ability to adapt to new situations, so they would likely spread their forces out after his initial attack with the explosives. He wanted them to try to fortify and group together, or at least wait until he had eyes on the Chief's location.&nbsp; Drawing his bow to a full arc, Vahn held his breath trying to bring his focus to the limits. He took aim at one of the Chief's cronies as he began channeling energy into the arrow. Though he had practice hitting targets at 50m consistently, it was the first time he would be trying to hit a moving target at more than 130m. He was hoping the increased flight distance and penetrative power of the magic arrows would make up for the lack of skill...&nbsp; After twenty seconds had passed Vahn loosed the arrow. It flew with a terrifying velocity as it drew a golden line through the air. Within moments the arrow smashed into the leg of the large goblin severing the limb from the thigh down. Though it hadn't hit the head as intended, Vahn was still satisfied with the result as the shout from the larger goblin drew the attention of the entire camp, including the Chief.&nbsp; (A/N: I know it's been a while since the MC doesn't talk to anyone, so note that the following is a perspective shift!)&nbsp; The goblin Chief exited his tent and began to look around at the chaos and disorder that had taken over his minions. A grim expression appeared on his face when he saw his chief executor laying on the ground howling at this loss of his leg. Angered at the incident, the goblin Chief looked towards nearby goblins and used a language unique to their species to inquire about what happened.&nbsp; The small goblin looked in fear at its mighty leader and explained that a beam of light had come from the forest and cut off the leg of the executor. Seeing the dissatisfied and grim expression that appeared on the face of the Chief, he quickly bowed down and continued to affirm what he had seen.&nbsp; The Chief looked between the groveling minion, his wailing executor, and finally, the forest where the bush demon had been attacking his tribe for the last six days. It seemed as though no matter how far they retreated from the forest, the demon was not satisfied. It continued to pursue them further and further and even incorporated a strange magic that caused the earth to erupt beneath his minions as they patrolled the forest.&nbsp; Ever since the Chief had devoured a dying mage and stole his broken staff, he had been much stronger than his frail kin. He had begun to believe he was special and unique among his kind, and even forcefully took over the various small groups of goblins until he was able to build his village along the river. With time he had intended to destroy the nearby human settlements and expand his village into a Kingdom, and from there continue to spread until it grew into an Empire!&nbsp; However, fate seemed to envy his prestige and glory. Soon after he had picked the area to begin laying the foundation of his plan one of his patrols had disappeared. The Chief had assumed they had met a bear or another more powerful creature and died due to carelessness. His brethren were weak, so a few losses were well within his expectations.&nbsp; He could not imagine that this incident, which he had belittled at the time, would become the prelude to his approaching nightmares. In the days to follow, the bush demon had slowly encroached upon the outer perimeter he had established with great difficulty. It had begun to slowly eliminate each three goblin camp in the area.&nbsp; As it never seemed to attack the larger groups, the Chief had ordered to increase the camp sizes to seven, with two always patrolling between the other camps. He also stationed sentries within the trees as none of his scouts had gotten sight of their invisible killer.&nbsp; His order paid off almost immediately, a testament to his brilliant mind. Unfortunately, his minions were unable to prevent the unknown assailant from escaping. After the engagement, his scouts reported that the creature seemed to be covered in a strange fur similar to the shrubbery that dotted the forest. It was capable of moving quickly between the trees, and even when his men dealt reportedly fatal damage to the monster it seemed to recover almost instantly. By the time of its escape, the creature now known as 'the bush demon' had slain more than ten of his minions before disappearing into the forest like a ghost. His scouts tried to give pursuit, but the ground seemed to come alive beneath them and an additional five lives were lost in the process.&nbsp; Though the Chief was displeased with the result, he was secretly terrified at the existence of such an irrational creature. He could not understand why the bush demon had been targeting his minions, even to the point he had to recall all of his sentries from the forest. He had even ordered for his minions to clear away all of the shrubbery and debris between the village and the treeline to discourage the bush demon from further antagonizing them. This order had seemed to work, as there had been several hours since the last attack of the bush demon. The Chief had foolishly begun to hope that this prolonged nightmare had come to a close.&nbsp; As he stood there contemplating the events of the past week, the Chief weighed his options. He could send his minions into the forest and try to flush out the demon which would likely allow it to claim more lives with its devious magic. Other than that he also considered ordering his minions to begin trying to cross the river and escaping into the wilds further south. He knew there were several small villages in the direction, and he would be able to build a new kingdom in a land far away from this demon.&nbsp; He looked towards the river and began to earnestly consider retreat. Even though the idea of fleeing was something that went against his pride as a superior being, his minions were still weak and he had to ensure their survival in order to build his kingdom.&nbsp; As the Chief continued to hesitate, he became distracted by the continued wailing of his previous executor. In his fury, he turned towards the delirious fool and used the magic provided by his staff to incinerate the weakling.&nbsp; He observed as his previous executor thrashed about in a futile attempt to extinguish the flames. Surrounding him, his minions looked towards the incident with fear and awe which further inflated his ego. With a gruesome smile on his face, he prepared to order his subjects to ford the river so they could seek paradise and security away from this cursed land.&nbsp; The Chief raised his staff towards the sky and readied his command, only for a beam of golden light to fly in his direction. Using his quick reaction time, he managed to intercept the beam using his staff as a contemptuous smirk appeared on his face.&nbsp; *BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!*&nbsp; That was the last sound the Chief ever heard as a searing wave engulfed his body and darkness claimed him.&nbsp; Title: A Single Decisive Arrow

Vahn stood stark still beyond the treeline observing the effects of the arrow he had just released towards the Chief. He was momentarily unable to comprehend the turn of events that had just taken place. Though he had originally planned to thin the goblin tribe down and make use of the explosive arrows later that day, he was caught off guard by how the encampment had responded. Instead of immediately charging towards his position, the goblins seemed to enter a chaotic state which only escalated with the emergence of their Chief.&nbsp; Vahn noted the Chief was acting in a peculiar manner outside his initial expectations. He noted the demeanor of the Chief to be one of indecisiveness and scorn. For nearly a minute it just stood in the same spot observing the chaotic state of the encampment as it likely ruminated over the next course of action.&nbsp; It was during this period of time that Vahn decided to change his plan. If the goblin Chief was just going to stand there aimlessly, why not try to eliminate it now instead of later?&nbsp; Vahn readied his magical bow and arrow, this time charging the bow beyond the safety threshold he had decided upon. He allowed the runes to absorb enough energy to bring the bows' attack to a value of 200. Vahn noted that the string of the bow had begun to glow, and it became increasingly difficult to draw to its apex.&nbsp; Taking aim at the Chief, Vahn began charging his arrow to its maximum potential. Moments before it reached a full charge, the Chief broke from its absentminded state and used the magical staff within its possession to burn the large goblin that was struggling on the ground. Its expression turned to one of hate and maliciousness as it watched one of its subordinates' struggles. As the Chief raised the staff towards the sky, Vahn loosed the arrow that had now reached capacity.&nbsp; The arrow traveled with a speed far greater than any of Vahn's previous shots, and he held his breath in anticipation of the impending result.&nbsp; The goblin Chief, as if sensing the incoming projectile used the raised staff to intercept the arrow along its flight path. It displayed a look of satisfaction and contempt at having succeeded...&nbsp; *BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!*&nbsp; With an expression attesting to its successful defense still fixed on its' face, the Chief and every goblin within 15m were consumed by the explosion triggered after contacting the arrow.&nbsp; As they had all been previously observing the Chief as it burned the large goblin, the remaining tribesman stood awestruck at the aftermath of the explosion. Their once revered Chief who inspired both fear and respect among their kin had been reduced the nothing more than pulp before their eyes. The staff which had become a symbol of his power now lay embedded within the walls of the largest hut of the encampment in a shattered state.&nbsp; They continued to stare for a brief moment, as the remnants of their Chief turned to dust along with several of their kin including the remaining executors. Broken from their stupor, a chaos far greater than their previous state returned to the tribe. They began to flee in all directions, many of them choosing to jump into the rapids of the river adjacent to their encampment only to be claimed by the current. Some of the bolder ones had elected to avenge their fallen Chief and ran towards the accursed creature that had claimed so many of their kin.&nbsp; Vahn stood amongst the treeline observing the spectacle caused by the explosive arrow he had loosed upon the goblin Chief. He observed as they fled in random directions and began to fear he would fail his quest as a result of being unable to eliminate the tribe in its entirety. Just as this thought crossed his mind several notifications sounded in his head. He took a quick glance and had noticed it was congratulating him for completing the quest, but he had to dismiss it to engage the thirty or so goblins that had begun to charge towards his position.&nbsp; He began to enact his original plan to eliminate the goblins as they approached his location and managed to take out more than half before they forced him to retreat deeper into the forest.&nbsp; Continuing their mad charge, the remaining goblins were rapidly dispatched by the combination of anti-personnel mines and archery. After less than ten minutes of actual fighting, all of the berserk goblins had fallen. Vahn quickly gathered what crystals he could find before observing the goblin encampment once more. At this point, the majority of goblins had fled leaving a few that had been injured as a result of the earlier explosion.&nbsp; Vahn slowly approached the now abandoned site and dispatched all the surviving goblins. After a cursory glance in all of the decrepit mud structures, the only spoils Vahn could find were fragments of the broken staff, the Chief's crystal, various small crystals, and lastly a book that had been kept within the Chief's 'compound'.&nbsp; The staff had been completely splintered into three larger fragments and various smaller parts which Vahn did his best to collect. The crystal obtained from the corpse of the Chief was much larger than a normal goblin, around ten centimeters compared to the usual one-to-two.&nbsp; After consulting with Sis, she speculated it could be exchanged for around 230 points, nearly 23x the amount of a single small crystal. She had also encouraged him to keep it within his inventory, as it could prove a useful item to trade in once he entered the City. Agreeing with her recommendation, Vahn stored the crystal and inspected the book.&nbsp; The book was much larger than any book he had ever seen. It was even bigger than the textbooks provided for Vahn's education in his previous life. The outside of the book seemed to be comprised of a kind of aged leather that had been embossed with golden leaves, vines, and runic symbols. The cover displayed a large golden tree with various gems inlaid to represent fruits. Curious to its contents, Vahn tried and failed to open the latch holding the book closed.&nbsp; "Sis, do you know what this book is? Why am I unable to open it, even though it doesn't have a lock?"&nbsp; (*I am unable to determine the origin of the book or its uses. I would recommend leaving the book in of your inventory so it can be analyzed by 'The Path'. As for being unable to open the book, it could be the result of a magical spell or enchantment.*)&nbsp; Storing the book, Vahn left the goblin encampment towards his home. Along the way, he took the opportunity to inspect the notifications that had popped up after the slew the Chief.&nbsp; //Quest Complete//&nbsp; [Quest: Destroy the Goblin Tribe]&nbsp; Status: Completion rate 100%, Grade: SS&nbsp; Rank: (D)&nbsp; Rewards: Complete activation of the 'Quest' function, 1x 'Effigy of the Hero', 1000 Origin Points.&nbsp; Grade Rewards: Skill: Call of the Reaper (B) [Complete quest without being seen by the Boss], 50,000 Origin Points [Grade Reward: S], 1x Skill Enhancement Scroll [Grade Reward: SS].&nbsp; //Quest Function Permanently Available//&nbsp; Vahn was surprised at the grading and grade rewards. He hadn't expected to obtain any bonuses when he had decided to eliminate the Chief with his explosive arrow. Curious about the new skill and various items, Vahn vegan to inspect each of their descriptions.&nbsp; *Skill*&nbsp; 'Call of the Reaper'&nbsp; Rank:(B)&nbsp; Attacks dealt from stealth deal an additional 300% damage. Your attacks carry the aspect of death, calling victims unseen into its silent embrace. Failure to land the blow removes stealth and reduces parameters by 50% for 30 minutes. Cooldown is reduced to 5 minutes if the user is able to re-enter stealth status.&nbsp; *Items*&nbsp; 'Effigy of the Hero' x1&nbsp; Rank: (S)&nbsp; Use: This effigy is automatically consumed by its owner when they take otherwise fatal damage. Upon consumption, the effigy transfers all wounds from the owner unto itself. The effigy will begin to burn for three minutes increasing all parameters of the owner by 3x for the duration. After three minutes the effigy turns to ash and the owner enters a dormant state for 3 hours.&nbsp; 'Skill Enhancement Scroll' x1&nbsp; Rank: (A)&nbsp; Use: Can be used to increase the rank any skill by one rank. Cannot be used on skills Rank: A or higher.&nbsp; Vahn's eyes went wide at the three descriptions. 'Call of the Reaper' would give him incredible benefits if he decided to pursue the path of stealth. 'Effigy of the Hero' was essentially a life-saving item that would allow him to turn a perilous situation around, and the 'Skill Enhancement Scroll' would be very beneficial for any B ranked skills he acquires in the future.&nbsp; He contemplated using the scroll the enhance 'Call of the Reaper' but decided to put it off until he was able to understand the skills potential. Since he had just acquired such a large amount of Origin Points, Vahn could learn a plethora of new skills that could prove to be of greater use in the long run than a skill with high requirements and a downside. If anything he could use it to increase his 'Bow Mastery' which had increased from Rank: (F) -&gt; (D). With a bit more effort he was confident in being able to raise it to B in the future.&nbsp; Vahn finally arrived back at the cave around noon and decided to celebrate his triumph by roasting a boar he had hunted several weeks ago. He had kept it in his inventory since it seemed to require a lot of effort to prep, but now it felt like a simple task as Vahn began to feel like he was capable of accomplishing anything.&nbsp; As the day began to come to a close Vahn sat around the campfire enjoying the roasted boar. He thought about the last six months he had spent training, and how much he had grown since his arrival in this world. The quest, which he thought would be immensely difficult ended up getting completed with relative ease, with ample rewards to show for his efforts.&nbsp; He opened his map and began to look towards the direction of Orario, the place where his journey would officially begin. With various thoughts passing through his mind, Vahn decided to retire to bed early that night in anticipation of the coming day. With the completion of the quest, he believed he was ready to take his first steps along 'The Path'...

Vahn continued to scout the area around the marker for the goblins' village/nest. Over the course of three days, he had killed a total of 18 goblins in various different camps causing an increase in their security. Camps began hosting groups of 5-7 goblins instead of the original three. Vahn began to worry as he hadn't expected such a large goblin presence and his strategy to slowly whittle them down began to seem unfeasible&nbsp; Once, when he tried to penetrate through the outer perimeter and scout the location of the Chief he ended up nearly getting killed by a group of patrolling goblins. Though he had avoided several groups up till that point, he was caught off-guard by sentries stationed in various elevated positions. When they had spotted him they raised a cry that caused the patrolling goblins in the vicinity to congregate towards his position.&nbsp; He managed to fight his way out of the encirclement, but it wasn't without a cost. Due to the severity of his injuries, he was forced to eat both of his senzu beans during his retreat. Fortunately, he had acquired several crystals from slaying other goblins which allowed him to purchase an additional three as well as two new pieces of equipment.&nbsp; 'Handloomed Shadowsilk Tunic'&nbsp; Rank:(D)&nbsp; Slots:2&nbsp; P.Def: 1&nbsp; M.Def: 30&nbsp; A tunic that was caringly woven using the silk produced by a special variant of silkworms nurtured in darkness among strong sources of Yin energy. Though it provides little defense, it greatly enhances stealth capabilities. It carries with it the creators' desire that the protector is kept from harm.&nbsp; 'Scout's Ghillie Mantle'&nbsp; Rank:(F)&nbsp; Slots:0&nbsp; P.Def: 2&nbsp; M.Def: 0&nbsp; A special mantle constructed to emulate the varying types of foliage found within the different forested terrains. When the user remains idle they are almost indiscernible from their surroundings.&nbsp; After recouping his supplies, Vahn made his way into the forest using his new equipment. As a means of countering the goblin patrols, he had purchased several anti-personnel mines which he had scattered along their patrol routes. After triggering many of the mines, the goblins ceased their patrolling and began to consolidate their forces towards the river. They had even begun to dig into the area near the treeline exposing the dirt and ground below.&nbsp; Seeing the actions they had taken, Vahn was surprised at the intelligent actions they displayed. Compared to many of the monsters he had seen in the manga, which were mindless creatures that charged endlessly at the protagonist, these goblins displayed caution and tactics. They proved they were capable of adapting to different situations.&nbsp; Vahn ended up refunding some of the mines, though he still buried the majority along the treeline for future use. The main reason he hadn't refunded them all was due to the fact the refund only gave 30% of the spent resources which caused him to abandon the idea.&nbsp; It was on the eve of the fifth day that Vahn finally spotted the Chief. Unlike the majority of goblins who stood less than a meter in height, the Chief was nearly 1.5 meters and had the build of an average adult. The leathery skin of his torso had scale-like protrusions embedded along the epidermal tissue. It had several horns studding its head with two much larger ones above both temples. It's lower body had bristle-like fur compared to the normal thick coat of other goblins. It's two most notable features, however, were its eyes and the staff he wielded...&nbsp; Unlike the ferocious red eyes of normal goblins, the Chief possessed pale yellow eyes that showed signs of rationality and intelligence. He almost had a look of contempt as he ordered the other goblins in the area. Within its right hand, he held a staff that looked to be rigged back together after having been broken. Vahn could see the periodic glow of runes along the body of the staff, and the occasional spark coming from the crack near the top of the staff.&nbsp; Vahn assumed the staff had been taken from an adventurer which implied the Chief was either able to cast magic or was strong enough on its own to fight against mages...&nbsp; The 'village' which the Chief lived in was more of an encampment than anything. They had erected small huts almost as a mockery to humanity and civilized culture. Within the encampment were more than 100 normal goblins, as well as three larger ones which seemed to take turns guarding the Chief and enforcing its order. They were each wielding long flexible clubs which they used to periodically whip the smaller goblins to action.&nbsp; The entire village seemed to have come alive as the goblins scuttled about building soil embankments as a makeshift wall around the encampment. Vahn could tell that the longer he waited, the more difficult it would be to engage the Chief. He knew going head-on would be impossible due to the large disparity in numbers, and there was a high chance even if he tried to attack from a distance the Chief would deploy it's troops while staying in the back.&nbsp; The distance between the treeline and encampment was around 130m, but there was absolutely no cover in that entire gap. Though the open space would provide him an advantage in picking off any goblins within the area, he wouldn't be able to guarantee his accuracy without getting closer which would leave him exposed. The goblins seemed incapable of using bows, but it didn't stop them from throwing small stones with enough force to cause physical harm if they hit the right spot. It had been one of the more annoying things when dealing with the sentries mounted in trees.&nbsp; He began toying with the idea of firing random arrows into the encampment and try to lure out small groups. Kiting them into the forest would give him the terrain advantage making it easy to secure some simple kills. Even if the goblins stopped their pursuit after triggering the mines he would be able to take advantage of their retreat. If he had more time he could slowly whittle them down and turn the engagement into a war of attrition.&nbsp; He looked at the time remaining for the quest: 2D03H17M&nbsp; Two days wasn't enough time to force them out of the encampment. There was also the chance they could start to cannibalize the weaker goblins, as they wouldn't disperse into dust unless a lethal strike was performed.&nbsp; "Sis, do you have any ideas? I can't think of anything that would allow me to fight a group of one-hundred-plus goblins and survive. Not to mention I haven't even identified how strong the Chief himself is..."&nbsp; (*I'm sorry Vahn, all present data indicates you will be unable to break into the encampment with your current status and equipment. If you had more Origin Points there may be a solution in the shop, but your current OP value is only 43. It would be difficult to acquire enough points within the next 50 hours that would give a meaningful advantage in the current situation.*)&nbsp; "It's okay Sis," sighed Vahn. "I suppose I'll have to rely on myself to come up with a solution...please let me know if you think of anything though. At this point, anything could prove helpful."&nbsp; (*Understood. I'll keep running simulations to try and find a solution as you take further action.*)&nbsp; Nodding his head in affirmation, Vahn began to withdraw towards a secondary base camp he had established near the goblin encampment. It was in the same hollowed rotting tree where he engaged the first group of goblins. After the events of the first day, it had become an area the goblins proactively avoided.&nbsp; Blocking off the area near the stumps entrance, Vahn began to rest while trying to come up with a solution to breaking the encampments defense and drawing the Chief out...&nbsp; He began to mull over various ideas and strategies, even revisiting the idea of firing random shots just to reduce their numbers. Anything to change the status quo of the current situation would give him more options to make further plans. He also thought about trying to sneak near the encampment at night to bury some mines, but upon remembering the goblins possessed some degree of night vision he scrapped the idea.&nbsp; As the light began to fade, Vahn started nodding off due to the excessive thoughts plaguing his mind. He was unable to find the solution and figured tackling the idea with a fresh mind would be the most optimal choice.&nbsp; "First thing tomorrow morning I'll try to draw some of the goblins out of the encampment. If I'm lucky I'll be able to reduce their numbers below one-hundred..." he sighed at the thought there would still be more than eighty, including the Chief himself, remaining.&nbsp; As he began to finally slip into unconsciousness, the last thought that passed through Vahn's mind was a method on how to break the embankments the goblins had been building up. As sleep claimed him, he released a small expectant smile.

Chapter 15: *Spoiler : Title at End*

Chapter 15: Spoiler : Title at End