Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

For the next week, Vahn spent the majority of his time enjoying the peace and quiet of his life within the forest. Though he had initially intended to set out the day after completing the quest, he found himself unable to leave behind the place he had called home for the last seven months. This place had been the first real home he had ever known and the thought of leaving it behind saddened him.&nbsp; By the weeks' end, he had gathered most of the traps he had lain in the forest. As he wouldn't be around to tend to them, he felt pity at the thought of any creature unfortunate to get caught during his absence.&nbsp; The evening before he set out, Vahn reminisced his days since arriving in this world. Though he had arrived with nothing, through his hard work and the assistance of Sis and 'The Path' he had slowly grown strong enough to survive in this world. He knew he was still weak compared to many of the characters he would meet, but he believed with his continued efforts that it wouldn't be long before he stood at their level.&nbsp; Early the next morning he gathered up the remaining items within the cave and burned them. As he stared at the pyre that represented the life he was leaving behind he was unable to hold back the tears that had periodically crept up on him during the past week. For the first time in this life, Vahn cried his heart out.&nbsp; The sun had already risen in the sky by the time the fire burned out. With one last look at the cave, Vahn took his first steps on his journey along 'The Path'. His destination was the 'Labyrinth City Orario', and he was determined to become the strongest adventurer.&nbsp; Vahn made his way quickly through the forest towards Orario. Though his level hadn't increased automatically upon completing the quest, there was a marked improvement in his overall parameters.&nbsp; ==========================================================&nbsp; Name: Vahn Mason&nbsp; Age: 14&nbsp; Race: Human, *sealed*&nbsp; Parameters: Danmachi&nbsp; -Level:1[+](0)&nbsp; -Power: E540 -&gt; D604&nbsp; -Endurance: F461 -&gt; E529&nbsp; -Dexterity: F407 -&gt; D620&nbsp; -Agility: E519 -&gt; E589&nbsp; -Magic: G299 -&gt; G326&nbsp; Soul Strength: Tier 1 (Mortal Soul)&nbsp; Karma:273&nbsp; ==========================================================&nbsp; The best thing was the new [+] icon that had appeared next to his level. After inquiring about it, Sis informed him it was a feature implemented by 'The Path' to allow him to stockpile his attributes to increase his foundation. As long as he willed it he could increase his level whenever he wanted, but by keeping it the same it allowed him to increase the overall amount of parameters he'd have for future levels.&nbsp; For example, say there were two people that are both level 5. The first adventurer increased their level the moment one of their attributes hit the D rank. The second adventurer didn't accept the upgrade until they had trained for several years and increased all their parameter to D or higher. After both adventurers reached lv 5, the second adventurer would be much stronger than the one who had cut corners.&nbsp; This was the main reason Bell Cranel was able to become so strong in the manga. Because he had a unique skill called 'Liaris Freese' he was able to be one of the only documented adventurers to have almost all of his stats at S rank or higher while at lv 1.&nbsp; Though Vahn didn't have the same skill, he believed his own wouldn't fall short in the long run. It might take time, but as long as he put in the effort he would be able to increase his stats to S rank or higher before deciding to level up. He believed in the idiom that to build a tall tower, you had to first build a strong foundation.&nbsp; By the way, out of curiosity he had looked up 'Liaris Freese' and 'Argonaut' within the shop and found out they cost as much as 1,000,000OP and 400,000OP respectively. Its no wonder Bell was able to become the protagonist with skills like that as early as lv. 2!&nbsp; After roughly three hours of travel through the forest, Vahn was finally able to see Orario in the distance. Though he had seen how large it was on the map, he was awestruck seeing the city in person. He had spent the entirety of his previous life within various labs and cells, so this was his first time seeing an actual city. All of the structures and buildings were beyond anything he could imagine, and Vahn couldn't understand how the characters in the manga were able to freely navigate it in short periods of time. As far as he could see, it would take several hours at the very least to travel from end-to-end, and that's if he were running!&nbsp; Approaching the nearest gate, Vahn could see a long line of carriages and people waiting for their opportunity to pass through the gate. There were armored men with polearms stationed around the entrance, and they inspected the identification of everyone entering as well as any goods they were transporting.&nbsp; As Vahn joined the queue, he noticed a very peculiar phenomenon which he didn't expect. Emanating from every person within the line he could see a vague colorless haze coming from their bodies. He curiously looked at the adventurer-like man ahead of him in the line.&nbsp; As if sensing the look, the man turned towards Vahn and gave him a cursory glance. Seeing the strangely dressed and unkempt appearance of the child in front of him he couldn't help but grimace and speak out."What are you looking at kid? I ain't got no money to give, go bug someone else before I get pissed off."&nbsp; Vahn was surprised hearing the exclamation of the adventurer? before him. It wasn't his intention to ask for money, but he didn't know how he should explain that he was only looking at the aura of the man which had now turned slightly grey. As he was thinking of an excuse, the man once again began speaking.&nbsp; "I said beat it kid! If you want handouts go ask a monk." said the man with a face full of distaste.&nbsp; Without knowing how to deal with the situation, Vahn ended up moving towards the end of the line to put some distance between him and the disgruntled man. He didn't want to cause trouble or draw the attention of the guards before he even entered the city.&nbsp; ("What was the deal with that guy? And do you know anything about the aura that is coming off from everyone Sis?") (A/N: I usually use () to show when someone is talking within the mind. For Vahn it will almost always have ("") while Sis has (**). Let me know if its confusing and I'll try to find a better way.)&nbsp; (*The aura is due to the passive effect generated by the system function 'View Affection' that you had received from the 'Beginner's Package' when you entered this world. For anyone that you haven't interacted with, it will always display as a clear/transparent aura. Depending on their impression and how you interact with them the aura will change to reflect how they see you. You can also physically touch the aura to get more comprehensive information about the person. This will allow you to see the actual value gained from particular actions and more.*)&nbsp; Vahn had completely forgotten about the skill. Though he had tried messing around with it in the beginning, since there were no people nearby he was never able to determine its actual use.&nbsp; ("So when the aura turned from clear to grey it was because he was angry with me? But I didn't even do anything!") Vahn was very upset. The first person he had talked to in this world hated him for no reason.&nbsp; (*It is likely due to how you are dressed Vahn. If you look closely many people are wearing relatively similar attire and follow certain standards for hygiene and appearance. Since you have been living in the forest your clothes are in a distinctly different state than everyone else around you. There is also the matter of your hair which has grown quite a bit in the last seven months.*)&nbsp; After Sis's explanation, Vahn began to inspect his own appearance. He noticed that his clothes were torn and had stains in various spots. He had only worn a total of three different outfits since his arrival in this world, and everything except his shadowsilk tunic was in poor state. He also noted that his hair had indeed grown long, but he liked it since it was always shaved to the scalp in his previous life.&nbsp; After looking around at the clothing of others nearby, Vahn couldn't help but agree he stood out. It could also be seen that people in the crowd would give him sidewards glances every now and then as the aura around their bodies became slightly dimmer. He had no way of knowing how his appearance would affect peoples' first impression, and how the first impression was often the deciding factor when dealing with new people.&nbsp; After around two hours it was finally Vahn's turn to undergo the inspection. Many of the guards showed an expression of distaste at the boy who had arrived at the gate. After asking for his identification they sent him into the side office for processing without wasting any extra effort.&nbsp; Seeing how everyone was treating him, Vahn resolved to purchase some nicer clothes after he was able to secure lodging within the City...&nbsp; After entering the small office near the gate a middle-aged man with an unkempt beard stood up and faced Vahn.&nbsp; "Greetings young man, my name is Gregory House. I'm the Chief Customs Officer on duty today, and I heard from my men you didn't have any ID."&nbsp; The man named Gregory evaluated the young man standing before him. By appearance, he had likely migrated to the city from a mountain village or some other rural area. Curiously, the boy didn't seem to have any luggage or weapons which caused the veteran Officer to assume the boy had likely been robbed along the way.&nbsp; After giving the boy a once over, he gave a gentle smile and asked kindly, "Can I ask for your name and why you are trying to enter the City?"&nbsp; Vahn was surprised at the tone of the middle-aged man before him. He was even able to see that the aura emanating from the man's body had begun to glow with a gentle light after examing him for a few moments.&nbsp; "My name is Vahn Mason, Sir. I came to Orario after my grandfather had passed away. He always told me stories about his life as an Adventurer, and I thought it would honor his memory to become one myself."&nbsp; Vahn had responded with the story he had made up with Sis prior to his arrival. Since he didn't know anything about the world, he would try to respond as vaguely as possible when questioned. He felt guilty for deceiving the man, especially since he seemed to not dislike him based on his appearance like everyone else.&nbsp; Hearing Vahn's response, Gregory had begun to feel bad for the boy who could barely be called a young man. "You must have had it rough. I'm certain your Grandfather would be proud to see you had made it here. Tell me, Vahn, what are your plans after you enter the City? You must know you can't enter without paying an entrance tax and a temporary pass without identification would cost you 3000 Valis."&nbsp; Vahn nodded. "Sir, I would like to register at the Guild to receive an identification. For the tax and entrance pass, I have a few items to barter if that is acceptable."&nbsp; Gregory gave Vahn another look and was unable to see anything which could be used as barter. He also didn't see any items that would be acceptable collateral to allow Vahn to enter the City.&nbsp; "You don't have to worry about it kid. I just had a grandson myself born this past week, so I'm in a pretty giving mood. I'll go ahead and pay for your entrance pass and tax as long as you can promise me you'll make an honest living and pay me back in the future." Gregory had seen several outsiders led astray after entering the City. He had hoped his extension of kindness would prevent the boy from treading down a shady route in the future.&nbsp; Vahn was overwhelmed by the man's kindness. He could feel his eyes get a bit wet as he engraved the man's name within his heart. Once he became stronger he would not only return the kindness he had received but return it with interest.&nbsp; "I swear on my Mother and Grandfather, I will never walk a path that would bring shame to their memory." Since Vahn never knew his real grandfather he felt guilty swearing on just him alone, so he included the most important person within his heart as well.&nbsp; Satisfied with the boys response, Gregory quickly filled out the required forms before allowing Vahn to enter to City.&nbsp; "Good luck boy, I have high expectations for you." he waved as the boy exited the office.&nbsp; Vahn turned and bowed slightly towards the man, "Thank you Mr. House. I will remember the kindness you have shown me. I will do my best to meet your expectations!"&nbsp; The aura surrounding the man became a bit brighter as he turned away and triggered the bell signaling for the next person in line to enter.&nbsp; Vahn stared towards the direction of the office for a moment before turning away. He looked at his surroundings and marveled at the architectural design of each building. There were people of various shapes and sizes walking around in high spirits. He even caught sight of a young woman with rabbit ears traveling with a stout hairy man which Vahn assumed was a Dwarf.&nbsp; "Orario, here I come..." Vahn muttered as he walked towards the center of the City, where the massive 'Babel' tower was located.

As he made his way towards the tower, Vahn continued to look around at the various comings and goings of people on the street. He noticed that even though everyone had unique outfits and appearances, nobody stood out quite as much as he did. It was rather ironic that clothing meant to enhance stealth now made him appear like a sore thumb as he moved along drawing the eyes of several curious pedestrians.After about an hour Vahn noticed a building that had dozens of people coming and going in groups of differing sizes. The building had an aged but regal look. From what he could see there were three floors and the design of the architecture made it stand out from all the surrounding buildings. After observing the building, he didn't see any posted signs indicating what the building contained so Vahn let his curiosity get the better of him and decided to enter.Once he entered the building he immediately knew where he was. It seems entering from the northwestern gate was the correct decision, as it put him on the same route where the Guild was located. Vahn couldn't help but sigh at how 'The Path' always seemed to take his future actions into consideration. Following the map directly from his cave ended up putting him in the same trajectory as the Guild if he were to try and approach the tower when entering the city.Vahn looked around to see if he could recognize any of the characters from the show. He remembered the two girls Eina and Misha as they were noteworthy characters within the manga and thought it would be interesting to meet them in real life."Excuse me, Sir, may I help you find something?" spoke a sonorous voice from behind Vahn.Vahn turned towards the source and saw a mature lady with lilac-colored hair and pale green eyes. She looked only a few years older than Vahn, but she carried herself a lot like Dr. Keenly from his previous life which caused Vahn to grimace slightly. The most notable thing that caught his eye was the fluctuation of her aura which seemed to change back and forth between transparent and a dull grey color.Noticing the change in the boys' expression the Receptionist, Fauna Vestille, couldn't help but feel a twitch in her eye. She had taken the initiative to approach this vagrant child in front of her in accordance. Yes, she probably would have overlooked him outside of work, but she couldn't help but feel annoyed with his the boy seemed to observe her body with a frown on his face.Trying to keep her cool she continued to perform her duties, "This...Sir. Is this your first time at the Guild?"Vahn realized the woman must be one of the guild employees, and seeing the black pantsuit that seemed to match everyone behind the counter he couldn't help but feel apologetic for worsening her mood."I'm sorry, and yes, this is my first time in the Guild and I'd like to register as an Adventurer."Fauna was a bit surprised with how polite the boy was, especially since he had so rudely stared at her body previously. She decided he was likely not used to interacting with girls and believed her charm was the reason for the slip in his expression.Smiling at the thought, she turned to the boy. "Welcome to the Orario Guild Main Office. My name is Fauna, may I ask for your name young sir?"Vahn was able to see a drastic change in the aura emitted by the woman who had introduced herself as Fauna. Though transparent, it now had a vague mellow color similar to sunlight. With a smile on his face, he decided to introduce himself as well."Hello, Ms. Fauna. My name is Vahn Mason."Fauna giggled a bit at how quickly the boy named Vahn's expression changed. It was very subtle, but due to her profession, she could easily distinguish what the boy was thinking based on the small changes in his facial features. It would seem this unkept child was taught proper manners, and she shouldn't have snuck up behind him thinking he was a vagrant that had wandered in."It's nice to meet you Vahn. You can find the desk for Adventurer registration over there, near that blond haired woman wearing glasses."Vahn followed the direction she was pointing at and saw a petite girl with blonde hair standing behind a desk. Thanking the Receptionist, Fauna, Vahn made his way towards the desk with a bit of excitement apparent on his face.As she watched him walk away like an expectant child, Fauna couldn't help but giggle with how interesting the boy acted despite his appearance. She began to wonder if maybe she should lecture him on how he should dress if she got the opportunity in the future. The boy had deep aquamarine eyes, dark hair, and handsome facial features. She believed with a proper haircut and decent attire he would be quite the lady-killer when he grows up.Unaware of the ripples he had set in motion, Vahn approached the registration desk and gave his best smile towards the girl that had noticed his arrival."Good afternoon, my name is Vahn Mason. I would like to register as an Adventurer!" After observing the change in Fauna after he had smiled, Vahn determined it would be a good tactic to improve the impression he made on people.The young girl seemed to be startled by the exclamation of the boy in front of her. She had expected as much since she had seen him talking to Fauna as the later pointed towards her direction, but she hadn't anticipated the excitement of the boy who she initially thought had a rather solemn air."G-greetings Vahn, my name is Millie Strauss. May I ask what level you are and which Familia you belong to?"After his introduction, Vahn noticed the aura around the girl had turned blue and began to flicker slightly. He was unsure of what he had done to bring about the change and stood there blankly for a moment before responding."Ahh, I'm Level 1 and I don't belong to a Familia yet," he said with a sorry expression on his face.Millie was surprised with his sudden change in character. For a moment she even felt as though she should apologize, but decided against it for the time being."You may be unaware, but the Guild only really accepts people that have been registered to a Familia. Since we wouldn't be able to maintain liability for all the free adventurers moving in and out of the Dungeon, we only accept those that can be held accountable to the various Gods that reside within the City."Vahn was surprised as he didn't recall that type of detail from the Manga. He knew it wouldn't be easy to join a Familia with his current strength, and without becoming an Adventurer it would be very difficult to make money in the future.Seeing the dejected look on Vahn's face, Millie decided to try and cheer him up by offering some advice. "If you'd like, I can arrange for you to meet some of the Familia that are recruiting. You also have the option of becoming a freelance dungeoneer and delving into the upper levels to improve your strength if there is a particular Familia that interests you."After hearing what she had just said, Vahn's mood did an immediate one-eighty and he inquired, "You're saying it's possible to go into the dungeon without registering at the Guild? And can you give me a list of the Familia that are recruiting right now!?"Taken aback by his exclamation, Millie couldn't help thinking, 'This boy must be pretty simple, he changes his mood so quickly!'.She sighed before saying, "Yes. The biggest difference between being a freelance dungeoneer and becoming an Adventurer is the number of benefits you receive from the guild. For freelancers, there is a 30% tax on all items and loot drops they sell to the guild. There are also restrictions on the missions you can accept based on your level, and Adventurers always have priority for higher ranked quests since they can rely on their Familia if difficulties arise."While explaining, she had handed a roster of all the currently recruiting Familia to Vahn. As she listed out all the benefits being in an official Adventurer provided, Vahn was distracted by all of the names that were on the list he had received. He couldn't recognize the majority of the Familia on the piece of paper, and was surprised by the sheer number of gods that seemed to reside within the City!Towards the bottom of the list, the rankings of the Familia began to increase and Vahn finally noticed a familiar name: Loki Familia. Interested at the thought of joining one of the most powerful guilds within the story, Vahn looked at the requirements before sighing within his mind. They required a person to be at least Lv 2 and to have recommendations from other Familia before being able to apply. It didn't seem like they accepted outsiders very easily and only wanted members that had positive reputations. Vahn by surprised when reading this as he recalled out abrasive the wolfman Bete acted in the manga.Noticing the boy in front her seemed to get distracted, Millie looked to see where he eyes were drawn. Millie was rather surprised that the Familia that caught Vahn's interest was the Loki Familia. She assumed he had heard about their fame and wanted to try and join their ranks. Too bad he wasn't yet strong enough."The Loki Familia? They are considered one of the top three alongside the Freya and Hephaestus Familias. They usually only accept the best of the best and are constantly competing for the name of 'Number 1' Familia within the City."Vahn nodded at hearing her explanation since it was similar to what he had read in the manga. He knew that Loki and Freya were constantly competing for talent, whereas the Hephaestus Familia only focused on creating quality goods to be used by capable adventurers within the Dungeon.Vahn continued to browse the list and was surprised that he didn't see the Hestia Familia listed anywhere. He was almost about to inquire before Sis interrupted within his mind.(*Vahn, please remember that you entered this world before the main timeline of the story. It is most likely the Hestia Familia does not yet exist as she may not have descended yet.*)He had almost completely forgotten that fact since he spent the majority of his time over the last seven months just training and hunting.("Thanks, Sis. I almost gave away a bit too much information. You saved me.")(*You are very welcome Vahn. Just remember that while you may alter events in the future, you shouldn't give away any information that would allude to the fact you are aware of what is supposed to happen.*)Vahn nodded and returned the list to Millie. "Thanks for the list, but I want to improve my strength before trying to apply to a Familia. If possible, I would like to sell a few items to the Guild. Is that okay?"Receiving the list, Millie nodded at his inquiry. "Certainly Vahn. Though it's not a typical procedure, there aren't many people trying to register as an Adventurer at this time of year so I have a bit of time if you'd like to sell things now. What would you like to exchange?"Vahn placed his hand above the table and murmured some words under his breath before the goblin Chief's core appeared on the table. He had previously discussed it with Sis and determined that storage magic, though very rare, did exist in this world. He masked the existence of his inventory by pretending to chant a magic spell before placing the core down.Millie was shocked at the fact the boy before her seemed to possess Storage Magic! If news were to spread, he wouldn't even need to apply for a Familia because they would be lining up to recruit him!She looked around to see if anyone had been watching before leaning towards Vahn and whispering, "You should be very careful about using storage magic in public! If you'd like, we can handle this trade in the private booths in the back."Vahn smiled before saying, "It's fine to trade here for now. The only item I want to exchange is this core, but thanks for your concern. I'll be more careful in the future."Staring at the gently smiling boy, Millie blushed slightly before staring at the core that had been placed on her desk."This...? Where did you obtain this core?" she asked.Remembering the excuse he had prepared, Vahn quickly explained, "Before I came to the City, my Grandfather had entrusted this core to me saying it would help me procure enough funds for food and lodging when I became an Adventurer. I don't know where he had obtained it."Millie nodded at the explanation, as she didn't believe a level 1 would be able to obtain such a high-quality core. She could tell that, even though it wasn't as pure as some high-grade monster cores, it definitely came from a variant species."I see. I will have to verify it's price with our Appraisal Expert since the core is from an unknown origin. Please wait here for a few minutes." Millie bowed and took the core into a back room.After several minutes, as Vahn continued to look around at the various adventurers she finally returned with a small pouch."It was determined that the core came from an evolved species of goblin, likely the variant known as a Chief. Since goblin Chiefs are a nuisance that causes devastation in rural areas outside the dungeon, it was determined that you would receive the bounty of hunting one as well as it's exchange value. The total, after a 30% tax, comes to 14,000 Valis. Please confirm the total."Vahn wore an incredulous expression as he counted the coins within the purse. He hadn't expected to earn so much for a goblin he killed with a single arrow. After confirming the amount, he once again thanked Millie before leaving the Guild. On his way he noticed the Receptionist, Fauna, looking at him with an almost scary smile as she waved in his direction. Giving a curt nod, Vahn exited the Guild.Remembering the first survival lesson he had obtained when he came to this world, Vahn set out to look for a place to stay. He didn't have to worry about food with his inventory, but it would be difficult to get by without a roof over his head. Besides, the thought of staying within an Inn was an exciting and new experience that he was looking forward to.As he continued to wander down the street towards the huge tower in the center of the City, Vahn was unaware of the attention he had garnered from an unexpected source. He never could have anticipated the troubles that would find him in the future.

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'...

Chapter 17: Entering the City