Chapter 1 - The Beginning of the End

December 31st, 1999. The whole world stands upon the precipice of a new millennia.
While some look towards the coming era with endless hope, others wait with
anticipation towards a prophesied end.

The clock ticks down towards midnight as a woman screams in pain whilst going
through labor. In the final seconds of the year, the cry of a baby is heard for the
first time as the clock strikes midnight. The delivery was not easy, and the
expectant mother lays powerlessly on the hospital bed. Using what remains of her
strength she reaches towards the Doctor who wears an expression of shock on his
face.

"Please, let me see my baby..."

Her call breaks the Doctor from his thoughts, as he congratulates her on the new
birth. After signaling towards the nurse, he exits the room to make a phone call.

The nurse, wearing an expression similar to the Doctor, hands the child to the new
mother. "It’s a boy." she says, her voice trembling.

The woman holds her child for the first time, and catches a glimpse of his face.
Shock briefly seizes her as she stares at her newborn son. "My baby...w-whats wrong
with my baby...". As the shock fades she begins to tremble, unable to express the
anxiety growing in her heart. She begins to weep as an agony far greater than the
pain brought by childbirth settles into her heart. "My child....my son..."

Other than the crying voice of the mother, the rest of the room maintains an eerie
silence. None of the nurses can explain the phenomenon they’ve all just witnessed.
The child cradled in the arms of this unfortunate mother is something beyond any of
their combined experience. Instead of the rosy skin of a newborn, his complexion is
so pale as to be transparent. You can clearly see the veins pulsing in his small
limbs. Yes, they can see the blood visibly ’pulsing’ through his body with a tiny
glowing heart as its source.

As the crying of the new mother begins to fade, she looks into the closed eyes of
her newborn son with a mixture of pain and love. "I will love you no matter
what...Vahn."

The baby, as if hearing the voice of his mother trembles slightly as if in

acknowledgement. The glowing heart within his chest beating in a fast and strong
rhythm.

Through the worry and anxiety, the mother shows an affectionate smile as her
eyelids begin to close.

The instruments hooked up to the mother begin to sound, alerting the nurses to
action. The baby begins to cry as one nurse removes him from the arms of his
mother. The Doctor returns into the room with his team in an effort to resuscitate
the young woman. After two hours of emergency treatment, the young woman finally
succumbs to the wounds sustained during the difficult birth.

Thus the new era greets life with death.

With the birth of the child and his unique characteristics, he quickly caught the
attention of the media and Doctors around the world. Many wanted to understand the
nature and physique of the child, whilst others began spreading rumors of the birth
of a new messiah.

After a series of tests they quickly discovered that the child’s blood had a unique
mutation which enabled the cells within the blood to store a previously
undocumented form of energy. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the blood they
were unable to store it outside of the child’s body for more than 24 hours before
it lost the unique properties and turned into a black mass of particles similar to
ash. The child was quarantined for further tests as the media and populace waited
with baited breath for any news related to the child.

As test after test were performed and media coverage of the event began to spread
globally, all news of the child suddenly ceased overnight. In an outrage at the
spontaneous lack of news, people began to gather en mass around the hospital in an
effort to pressure the staff into disclosing what had happened. After several days,
an official statement was made by the hospital administration saying that the child
had been moved to a more secure facility where he would receive care from the best
scientific minds in America until they were able to verify if the child’s
physiology was a threat to normal people. The crowd, further incensed by the turn
of events began to rally together claiming that the government was hiding away the
child to hide an undisclosed truth. Some more radical groups even claimed that the
child was an alien, and the government kidnapped him to dissect and analyze his
body in some secret underground lab in the middle of a desert.

Several groups began to form after the announcement. They would protest outside
government institutions in several states trying to pressure politicians into
disclosing information about the child. Though the media had seemingly been
silenced, the internet was exploding with several conspiracy theories. Hundreds of
thousands of online users began to rally together and petition for full disclosure
of any information related to the child. As months grew into years, the size of the
groups increased to the point they were able to elect representatives that would
allow them to gain some insight into what had happened to the child.

After four years of effort and the change of a President, the populace was once
again exposed to news regarding the child. They were able to learn the child
possessed a mutated blood-type that emitted a unique form of radiation that was
able to revitalize cells and even break down other mutations and abnormalities
within the body of test subjects. Mice that were injected with the blood were able
to show an instantaneous increase in vitality, with any previous genetic defects
seeming to repair themselves. After preliminary tests were concluded, the
scientists had moved on to conducting experiments on chimps that had cancer as well
as a variety of other ailments including Alzheimer and Huntington’s Disease. The
team was surprised that in every instance where the blood was introduced into a
patient, it was able to completely remove the ailment after just several hours of
incubation. Follow-up tests showed that not only had the cancer cells been removed,
but any tissue within the area that had sustained damaged from prior treatments had
been restored to a healthy state.

Upon hearing of these discoveries, the populace was in an uproar. Around the world
cults and religious organizations began to tout the child as the son of god, the
messiah, or a prophet. Many organizations began to demand that the child be turned
over to their respective groups so they would be able to raise the child within the
proper environment instead of a lab.

Other groups included the various members of the scientific community from around
the globe. Many countries wanted samples of the child’s blood to conduct their own
experiments. They eventually even banded together in hopes they would be able to
pressure the United States government into turning ownership of the child over to
an international group dedicated to the purpose of studying other potential uses
the child may have. There was even a movement to try and justify cloning, or even
forced extraction and breeding of the child’s s.p.e.r.m.

Pressure continued to build over the years as everyone wanted access to the child,
now known globally as Vahn Mason.

"Where am I...?" Vahn muses to himself.

"Ah, I must have passed out again." he says while looking at the machine attached
to the valve on his hip. He remembers the day it was attached six years ago. The
Doctors had begun to get frustrated with trying to draw blood from the veins in his
arms and legs, so they had put him under and performed an operation to attach a
mechanism on the left side of his hip to serve as an easy access to the arteries
going into his legs. Now instead of having to attach tubes to his arms, they just
had to attach a hose to the release of the mechanism for quick access to his blood.
He often worries about the valve leaking, and if it were to get damaged if he would
die...

In the last few years, this thought came to Vahn’s mind quite often. The boy, now
14 years old, had an emaciated appearance. Though his complexion hadn’t changed
since birth, still almost translucent in nature, it now had an almost unhealthy
appearance. Though the Doctors put him on a highly nutritious diet and even had him
hooked up to various tubes to feed a cocktail of vitamins directly into his body,
it couldn’t hide the damage done by the endless experiments.

Vahn sighs, "Guess I’m still alive."

He often nurtured the expectation that every time he falls asleep it would
hopefully be for good. He had long given up on the possibility of killing himself
because the Doctors were constantly monitoring his every action. Once, when he was
recovering from one of the more severe experiments, he had tried to take his life
by bashing his head into the wall. Unfortunately, his attempt ended in a failure
resulting in the walls to now become a padded cell. In protest, he had tried to
stop eating, but the Doctors simply injected him with a muscle relaxer and hooked
him up to an IV and nutrient drip.

A bespectacled female Doctor with short brown hair spoke, "Awake are we Mr. Mason?"

"Yes, Doctor Keenly. I guess I’m just feeling a little...anemic." spoke Vahn with a
cynical attempt at humor.

Smiling, she grabs her tablet. "That’s good. Don’t worry, the procedure is almost
over. How are you feeling today?" she asks feigning concern. She had been assigned
to me after my attempted suicide. Even though I know she isn’t really my friend,
she is one of the only people that at least pretends to treat me like a human.

"I’m feeling a lot better. I just finished the latest volume of Naruto. When can I
get the next volume?" Vahn asked expectantly. He had really begun to enjoy reading
manga and watching anime in previous years. Doctor Keenly had introduced him to it
after one of their earlier sessions as a coping mechanism of sorts.

"You really do enjoy that manga don’t you? Which one is that...ah, the one with the
blonde haired ninja boy, correct? I believe the request had gone through recently,
so I should be able to get you the newer volumes soon. That is, assuming you do
well in your upcoming tests."

She often tempts me like this. It was discovered early on that my mental state had
slight improvements on the quality of my blood during testing. Nothing significant,
but one of the groups within the lab had gotten a grant to observe the effects, so
someone must have cared. At least I get something to alleviate my boredom.

Vahn nods his head, "Yes ma’am. I will do my best." He gives his most practiced
smile.

"Very good Mr. Mason. " she says while making notes on her tablet.

"I’m looking forward to our session this evening. Now, if you’ll please excuse me
I’m going to go check up on the status of my shipping request. " She turns and
walks out the secured door, nodding to the guards as she passes.

After she leaves Vahn rests his head on the table, trying to get what comfort he
can as the machines slowly drain the warmth from his body.

"I hope I can get the new volume today....I guess I’ll need to put in a little more
effort this afternoon." he muses to himself as he once again begins to pass out.
Though he used to fear "going under" now he tries his best to sleep through any
procedure he can, especially the ones like this where they cycle blood out of his
body.

As he lay back, he begins to let his mind wander to the various stories he had been
reading recently. His current favorites are Naruto, Bleach, and Danmachi. He liked
to imagine what it would be like to be in the various worlds, away from all the
painful machines and experiments. There were even times he prayed to a god which he
didn’t believe in, hoping to bring an end to this endless cycle of suffering, as he
was unable to do it himself.

As the various images and scenarios play through his head, Vahn’s conscience begins
to fade...

(...)

*insert random sounds of combat, bullets, and moderate explosions*

Awakening suddenly to the new sounds, Vahn turns his head in the direction they’re
being emitted. From the door that symbolizes his imprisonment, he can hear the
sounds of dull impacts and vibrations.

Straining his ears, he can hear the shouts of various men and women trying to get
control of the situation.

"What’s going on? Those voices sound like the Doctors that are always watching me
through the windows...and is that the sound of gunshots?"

Instead of fear at the unknown events happening outside of his room, he feels an
anticipation. He had often heard from some of the researchers about various the
organizations that wanted to "save" and "free" him. According to some of the rumors
he had heard, outside of this cold and hateful lab, there were countless people
that treated him like a hero or messiah. This was how he came to understand the
concept of what a god was, as some of the researchers had tried to ’encourage’ him
saying how much the research he was ’assisting’ with was saving lives all around
the world.

As he closely watched the door, he could hear the sounds getting closer and closer.
After several minutes, the sounds suddenly cut off and Vahn can hear a scraping of
sorts happening from outside the door.

*muffled explosive noises*

Suddenly the seam around the door emits a spontaneous ’coughing’ sound and a mild
shock-wave which causes Vahn to wince and become slightly disoriented.
As the door falls, a group of men wearing dark militaristic style clothing rushes
into the room. They quickly spread out and two of the men directly approach Vahn
who is still hooked up to the machine.

Still slightly disoriented, Vahn looks directly at the men. "A-are y-y-you here to
save me?" he stutters with anxiety beginning to build.

"We are soldiers from the organization known as Dawn. Are you Vahn Mason?" One of
the soldiers asks while looking over the mechanisms Vahn is hooked up to.

"Yes, my name is Vahn Mason. Who are you?" he asks with excitement.

The man pulls down the mask covering the bottom half of his face. "My name is
Maxwell, and yes, we’re here to get you out of here." he says while smiling.

The second man that had approached Vahn fiddles around a bit with the mechanism
attached to his hip, trying to disconnect it. Unfamiliar with the device, he ends
up snapping the release near the valve while detaching the tube.

Suddenly, blood begins to rapidly drain from the now unblocked valve.

"NO, please, what are you doing!?" Vahn screams in panic for the first time in
years.

All of the men in the room turn towards the now frantic boy while the man named
Maxwell quickly tries to seal the wound. Due to the nature of the valve and the
fact that it is connected directly to a series of major arteries he is unable to
stymie the blood-flow.

In a matter of seconds, Vahn begins to lose consciousness. The last thought that
passes through his mind before the darkness grabs him is how he always worried that
this valve might kill him...

(...)

(You poor child.)

In the seemingly infinite darkness, Vahn’s consciousness begins to stir. Memories

from his life begin to cycle through like a reverse-kaleidoscope within his mind.
He experiences the moment of his death once again, every single experiment he was
ever put through. All the thoughts, pains, emotions, and agony which had been
locked away in his mind assault him anew. He begins to ’scream’ out with a voice
that doesn’t exist as the phantom pain pulses throughout his non-existent body,
threatening to rob him of his existence.

’It hurts.’

Key events begin to get emphasized within his mind, taking the forefront of the
kaleidoscopes focus. He remembers the time where the Doctors had amputated his legs
to keep him from moving around on his own. He remembers the group of scientists
that tried to test his ’regenerative’ properties by cutting and burning segments of
his skin. He remembers the time when he tried to commit suicide, only to have any
semblance of freedom removed for his efforts.

’I don’t deserve this. Nobody deserves this pain.’

As the events continue to cycle through his mind, the kaleidoscope slowly begins to
dissolve from its edges. The pain which now encompasses his entire being begins to
dull as his mind seeks reprieve within the comfort of oblivion.

’Why did I have to suffer so much...it’s not fair.’

The kaleidoscope now begins to fragment, shattering into segmentary images which
seem to exist outside the periphery of Vahn’s focus. Without directly observing
each fragment, he is able to let the pain cease.

’I should have never been born..."

Vahn lets his mind wander away from the images within the kaleidoscope. He begins
to look within the encroaching darkness, something that causes a fundamental fear
to resonate within his soul.

’I shouldn’t even exist...what meaning did my life have? To be used as a tool for
the benefit of others...I hate them. THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE ONES TO SUFFER, NOT
ME.’

The entire kaleidoscope fragments further, leaving only a few remnant images
floating within the darkness. Vahn continues to stare into the abyss, developing a
sense of longing to contrast the fear. He refuses to stare at the images that only
cause him pain. Each image slowly begins to fade away, and with it, Vahn himself
begins to fade.

’...I just....wanted....to be free...’

Now only a single image remains within the darkness. Vahn instinctually knows that
if the image fades, everything that ever defined who he was, his very existence
itself, would fade into nothingness.

’Finally, I don’t have to suffer anymore...’

He closes what he imagines to be his ’eyes’ and awaits the coming oblivion. He
feels no sense contentedness, only a solemnity far beyond anything a fourteen-year-
old child should possess.

...

After waiting for an indeterminant amount of time, an unease arrises within Vahn.
He feels as though he had been waiting a long time, but no matter how much time
passes he cannot cease to be. Within the darkness, a single image still remains,
the last defining moment of his entire life. The last bastion of the pain that
defined his very existence. Finally succumbing to the unease within, Vahn grits his
’teeth’ and looks towards the last image as if to acknowledge his pain for the last
time.

To his surprise, he sees a scene foreign to him. Something outside the scope of his
memory. There is no feeling of pain, only a longing, and a feeling of loss. He
stares blankly into the image where a woman in tears cradles a young infant in her
arms. Everything else within the scene is a blur, but the image of the woman
remains perfectly vivid within the ambiguity. He feels an attachment to this woman,
unlike anything he has ever experienced. His soul seems to cry out as the feeling
of longing begins to overwhelm him.

"I will love you no matter what...Vahn."

Suddenly, the darkness shatters, and a now crying child lays on the ground bawling
into a now infinite white space. He stares into the image that now encompasses his
entire view as the woman smiles gently while rubbing his face. He watches as the
strength in her body fails her, and the gentle sign of affection ceases as her hand
falls. He screams as if in a testament to the very embodiment of suffering and
loss. He recognizes this woman he has never met as his mother, the first and last
person that ever truly loved him. He stares into the image that now encompasses his
entire view as it begins to deteriorate from its edges. He screams and screams with
an inhuman unwillingness to let the image fade.

’Mother...mother please, don’t go! PLEASE, DON’T LEAVE ME.’

He watches as the image begins to fade, reaching out but unable to grasp it until
finally, the image disappears into nothingness.

An emptiness far deeper than the black abyss he previously observed settles within
him. Though the image within the kaleidoscope has faded, he adamantly refuses to
let the ’memory’ escape from his mind. He sits within the vast white space, tears
dripping from his face, as a silent cry escapes from his throat. The image of the
mother he never had the opportunity to be with the becomes the only thing holding
him into existence.

(You poor child.)

A voice sounds within the vast emptiness. Observing the young emaciated boy from
above, it begins to descend upon him.

(You have experienced a suffering far greater than the average soul. Please, allow
me to help you.)

The young boy sits, unmoving as he stares into the emptiness. The tears, now having
run dry carve deep trenches within his skin. The voice, that had cried out in pain
for so long, now a memory long forgotten.

(Please child. You have been sitting in this space for three years now. Please, let
me help you. I cannot bear to see you suffer so.)

The voice sighs, unable to stir the young boy that has earned its attention. It
begins to reflect upon its previous actions, uncertain if it was the correct choice
to bring the child’s karma to an end, resulting in his death. But the boy has been
calling out to them for so long, it believed it’s decision to be correct. It did
not expect that while the child was observing the ’kaleidoscopic wheel of karma’
that his soul would be on the verge of dissolving. To prevent his soul from being
lost to oblivion, the voice had created a root to anchor the child’s soul to his
final memory in hopes to salvage the situation. Little did it expect that its
attempt was too successful, causing the child to become firmly attached to the
memory even after it faded away. Now the child sits, unwilling to move forward,
making it so that the voice itself is unable to leave this space.

(...Her name was Adrianne, your mother.)

For the first time, the child stirs.

(She knew you know. That giving birth to you was bound to have complications.)

The child slowly turns towards the voice almost as if each words has a magnetic
effect on his very soul.

(She was very sick you see. After she became pregnant, the Doctors and her family
encouraged her to get an abortion. They feared that the pregnancy itself would be
too difficult, and even if she were to bring you to term it would probably result
in her death.)

The child now stared fixedly at the source of the voice. Before him stood a very
beautiful woman? with difficult to define features. Her? hair was short and had the
appearance of silvery liquid that refracted light. Staring directly into her? face
was almost impossible, as the features within seemed to constantly be shifting.
She? seemed both tall and short, fat but thin, and the clothing that garbed her?
seemed to be fused with what should have been her? body. It almost seemed as if the
body itself was comprised of feathers and dust.

(Regardless of what everyone told her, she was determined to give birth to you. It
was her belief that every child deserved the opportunity at life, and she was
willing to trade her own to ensure you were allowed that chance.)

The child seemed to draw tears from a previously expired source as he listened to
the words of the woman?

(She truly loved you. Even though you lived a life of suffering, you gave meaning
to her sacrifice. I cannot ask you to be grateful to her, but I pray you’re able to
understand that your life had meaning. It was not born of convenience for other
people, but out of a genuine expression of love and the desire you would live
well.)

The child stared at the woman as she concluded her speech, watching, waiting for
her to continue. After a time, he seemed to understand she? was waiting for him to
speak. He lowered his head, drying his eyes for the first time since his arrival.

"Who are you?" the boy asked.

The woman?, a gentle smile appearing on her? face looked to the child.

(I am Klyscha, the Goddess of Dreams.)

The woman had a gentle expression as she looked into Vahn’s eyes. He could see
infinite darkness, similar to the abyss that had encroached upon his ’memories’
previously. Within that infinite darkness was countless images like stars floating
within, like an amalgamation of events creating a view similar to a nebulous
galaxy.

(Vahn, I cannot deny you lived a very tragic existence, but know that the love and
hopes your mother entrusted you will now become your power.)

"What do you mean, ’my power’?" Vahn asked in a confused manner.

(You see Vahn, everything that a soul experiences in their life result in an
accumulation of Karma. This includes all events, both good and bad. The decisions
they make, even how they deal with thoughts and memories during moments of
introspection. Though you experienced a lot of ’negative karma’ from others, it did
not increase your own. In fact, because you were the victim of the circumstances it
resulted in a positive gain for you. And I know it may have been the cause of your
suffering, but your unique bloodline had resulted in a total of 1,317,042 total
lives saved over the course of fourteen years.)

Vahn was shocked. Even though he had learned to hate his own existence and
inability to take action; even though he had blamed his accursed blood; even though
he felt he was just a tool to be used at the convenience of others; he had in fact
saved over a million people.
"A million people....me?"

(1,317,042! You shouldn’t overlook the 317,042 lives Vahn. Each and every one of
them is an entire life credited to your existence and your mother’s love for you.)

The child, Vahn, looks down at the ’empty’ ground, seemingly lost in thought.

"I understand..."

Klyscha looked at the child who seemed to be in deep contemplation. He was so small
and frail...it shouldn’t have been his ’burden’ to save so many people.

(As I was saying Vahn, even though you may not have intentionally done so, you were
able to save 1,317,042 lives. Saving a single life could generate you a large
amount of positive karma, and even true heroes typically only accumulate several
thousand over the course of their entire lifetime. Because of this, you’ve
accumulated far more than the required karma to obtain benefits after your death.
It was because of this fact that I was able to hear your prayers and summon your
soul to this space when you died. It’s also the reason you have been able to
persist in this space for the last three years without being pulled back into the
cycle of reincarnation.)

Vahn’s ears twitched at the word ’reincarnation’.

"You mean people get to reincarnate?"

The Goddess smiled at the boy’s interest in the subject.

(Certainly Vahn. Every soul, including the bad ones, is able to undergo the cycle
of reincarnation. Generally speaking, when the soul passes through what we Gods
refer to as ’The Gate’, their memories are wiped after being reviewed through the
’Kaleidoscopic Wheel of Karma’. Depending on the accumulated Karma the soul would
then be reborn among a variety of creatures, or sometimes even inanimate objects.
For those who have accumulated a lot of positive karma, such as Heroes, Saints, and
other Legendary figures, they are able to retain part of, if not all, of their
memories.)

The child’s eyes seem to light up somewhat, as he looked towards the Goddess with
expectation.

"You mean to say that I’ll be able to be reincarnated, and keep all of my
memories?"

(Indeed Vahn. In fact, because you accumulated so much positive Karma, there are a
variety of benefits you have access to.)

"Benefits?" he asked, confused at the Goddess’s words.

(Yes. You see, in most cases, the cycle of reincarnation happens automatically, as
it is one of the fundamental principles governing the multiverse. It is only in
very rare circumstances that a God or Goddess personally overseas a soul going
through the cycle. It requires the soul to have accumulated more Karma than the
grade of the soul being assessed. As you come from the Mortal plane in the 3rd
Dimensional web, you are graded as having a tier 1 soul. Generally speaking, a tier
1 soul cannot accumulate positive Karma exceeding 100,000 points.)

"And how much positive Karma have I accumulated?" Vahn asked inquisitively.

The Goddess, Kylscha, showed her biggest smile yet as the images in her eyes seemed
to become more vibrant.

(173,419,003!)

Vahn was shocked, "173 million!? I thougtht you said I only saved 1,317,042 lives!"

The Goddess giggled with her hand covering her mouth.

(That is indeed correct Vahn, and it’s good that you’re including the entire number
when you speak. You see, even performing a simple act of kindness to someone can
accumulate positive karma, so of course, saving a life would give you more!)

"A-ah...I see. Yes. That makes sense"

The Goddess fixed her demeanor and continued.

(Certainly. And now let me explain the ’benefits’ I mentioned earlier. When a soul
accumulates enough karma they are given the opportunity to meet with a God/Goddess
before they reincarnate. Which god shows up depends on the desires of the soul,
which in this case gives you me, Klyscha, the Goddess of Dreams! Because you had a
powerful dream and constantly prayed, your voice was able to reach me. Now I can
use my power to grant you a wish and give you the opportunity to select various
benefits before your reincarnation into the next life. So tell me Vahn, what is
your wish?)

Vahn paused for a moment and began to seriously consider his options. He thought
about having various superpowers like flight or the ability to walk through walls.
He thought about having an absolute strength or having the power to dominate
others. As various thoughts went through his head, Vahn realized that many of his
’desires’ reflected the negative experiences that he dealt with his entire life. He
wanted abilities that allowed him to escape...abilities to punish the people that
hurt him....abilities that would enable him to do whatever he wanted for the first
time in his life...

"...."

(Is something wrong Vahn?) asked Klyscha, a grim expression on her face.

The child looked directly at her with a deep hatred in his eyes. She could see in
him, this child that has not an ounce of negative karma in his soul, an endless
potential for darkness. A concern for this child’s future began to deeply implant
itself into her soul...until the child’s expression suddenly relaxed. The darkness
that seemed to permeate his entire existence seemed to have faded away, in its
place a deep loneliness.

"I wish my mother were alive." said the child, looking deeply into her eyes as hope
began to sprout in his.

The Goddess sighed, helpless to answer the child’s desire. Following this, she
observed as the boy developed a solemn expression.

(I am sorry Vahn, but it is outside the right of any soul to request the alteration
of a soul other than their own. Even though time passes differently for entities
within this space, your mother has already returned to ’The Gate’. Everything that
was her can now only be found within you. I cannot even see where she has
reincarnated to, nor can I alter her fate to allow her to be with you again. I can
promise you this though. Since she had given birth to you who was able to
accumulate so much positive karma, she likely achieved the level of Saint upon her
death. She is likely living happily in another world with the hopes that you are
living a healthy and happy life.)

After her speech, Vahn seemed to relax, almost as if a heavy weight had been lifted
off his shoulders.

"I see. I am happy as long as she is happy...The only thing I can wish for other
than my mom is...I want to be free. I want the opportunity to live the happy life
my mother would have wanted for me. I can ask for nothing greater."

The Goddess smiled once again, with a gentle, almost reminiscent look on her face.

(I am proud of your decision Vahn. I will grant your wish and give you the most
powerful tool to help guarantee your freedom.)

She reached into space and pulled an ancient looking orb out of the void.

(This is an artifact called ’The Path’. It is the core comprised of my divinity as

the Goddess of Dreams. With it, you will have access to all words that exist within
the dreams of creatures throughout the multiverse. That includes all the anime and
manga you were so fond of.) She said with a chuckle.

"You mean I will be able to go to any world I want to!?" The boy could barely
contain his excitement.

(Eventually, yes. But, it will need time to grow alongside you. As you pass through
various worlds you will be able to accumulate strength. That strength will be
transmitted into ’The Path’ and allow you more of the freedom you desire. One day,
’The Path’ may even take you to the very time and place your mother resides.)

Vahn was awestruck and couldn’t even ’breathe’ for a few minutes. It almost seemed
like his brain had completely shut off.

(Your time here is almost up Vahn. The reason I had broken you from your earlier
reverie was because the time available before your soul forcefully reincarnated was
approaching.)

"I...I see," said Vahn. "Can I choose the world I reincarnate to?"

The Goddess nodded in affirmation.

(You just need to place ’The Path’ into your heart. Once it merges with your soul
it will give you the power to choose your destiny.)

Vahn took the orb and placed it on his chest. Upon contact, it seemed to dissolve
into his body and a warm feeling spread through his ’soul’.

(Synchronizing with Host: 1%....37%....100%. Initializing ’The Path’ in accordance

with Hosts ’records’: 1%....19%....90%....100% *Ding* ’Records’ verified. Please
confirm ’records’ by thinking key phrase ’Display Records’.)

Vahn could hear an artificial voice speaking directly into his head. It was a very
peculiar feeling unlike anything he had ever experienced. Before he was able to
inquire, the Goddess Klyscha interrupted his train of thoughts.

(Your time is up Vahn. You will now be taken to the space contained within ’The
Path’. I pray you are able to find happiness in your journey.)

He was shocked at her sudden announcement, but before he was able to respond-
(Detected Host within *unspecified*. Forcibly removing host to prevent dispersion
of soul)

And with that notification, Vahn disappeared from the endless white void.

Klyscha stood silently staring into the space previously occupied by the child
called Vahn. She issued a silent prayer to gods greater than herself, hoping that
his journey is able to heal the wounds within his heart.

(...)

Vahn felt a ’tugging’ force in his gut as the world around him seemed to collapse.
After a brief, albeit incredibly disorienting experience, he finally arrived in the
middle of a circular dais about 3m in diameter.

With the sudden urge to vomit due to vertigo he was experiencing, Vahn retched into
empty space only to realize there was nothing to actually vomit. After dry-heaving
for a few moments, he was able to finally re-orient himself and get a better
understanding of his surroundings.

He noticed that he was sitting, naked, on a featureless stone dais. The biggest
surprise, which had previously gone unnoticed, was the fact that his limbs were
still attached. For the first time in a decade, Vahn stood up.

"My legs...they’re not longer amputated!"

He jumped, yes JUMPED for the first time in years, exclaiming loudly into the
infinite void surrounding the stone dais.

"I can’t believe this, I actually have legs again!!!"

(Affirmative. While the physical body of the Host may have been damaged, the soul
maintains the proper shape. As the Host previously existed within the Astral Realm,
his body was restored to the shape of his soul.)

Vahn heard the synthetic voice within his head, almost as if it had been reminding
him of its existence.

"Who are you? How are you speaking into my head? Are you the voice of ’The Path’
which Klyscha gave to me?"

(I am the System created to act as an intermediary between the Host and ’The Path’.
As the Host is incapable of understanding the functions of ’The Path’ without
assistance, the System was created as an auxiliary support for the Host. The system
exists alongside ’The Path’ which had bonded with the Host’s soul, thus it can
communicate directly with your conscience.)

"I see, I think I understand a little. So you’re going to help me use ’The Path’
until I’m able to understand how to use it myself?"

(The Host can indeed interpret my existence to that extent. Would the Host like to
initialize the ’Tutorial’ function?)

"Tutorial? I don’t know what that word means..." said Vahn ashamedly.

(A Tutorial is like a guide or a walkthrough. It will enable the user the

understand each of the basic aspects currently made available through the System.
The Host also has the option of changing the Systems name and form of address
towards the Host.)
"Thank you for explaining things System. Can I call you... let’s see...how about
Sis? I don’t think you have a gender, but I always imagined that an older sister is
the best type to teach things to their brothers. You can call me Vahn! I look
forward to working with you in the future."

A slightly more feminine, but still synthetic, voice rings inside Vahn’s head.

(Confirming name change from System to ’Sis’. Altering voice structure to match the
expectations of Host now referred to as ’Vahn’. Sis also looks forward to assisting
you with any inquiries you may have in regards to its functions in the future.
Would you like to initialize the Tutorial Vahn?)

Vahn is slightly startled by the sudden changes in the system’s voice, but is happy
given its efforts.

"Thanks, Sis. Please initialize the Tutorial!"

(Affirmative. Sis will now display a list of all available functions and their
uses.)

Available Functions:

-Status: Shows a list of all numerical values that make up the Host’s
physical/mental/spiritual attributes.

-Skills: Shows a list of all available skills. The host can toggle skills on an off
to activate/deactivate their functions.

-Shop: Shows a list of all available items. Items displayed are dependant on
available ’records’.

-Inventory: Displays a grid that allows the Host to store items within the void.
The Host can store/extract items using mental commands. The Host can also ’Equip’
items to pre-designated slots to immediately change equipment. Inventory size is
limited to the growth of the Host.

-Records: Shows a list of all available worlds and their difficulty. World
difficulties range between 1-9, with 1 being mortal worlds similar to the Host’s
origin universe. *CAUTION* It is highly recommended that the host avoid worlds
beyond the level of his soul as it can result in a quick death!

(Vahn, you can view the specifics of each function by saying ’Display *function*’
within your mind. It is recommended that you view your basic status before
selecting a world from the list of ’records’)

During the massive number of notifications ringing within his brain, Vahn had
fallen onto his butt in the middle of the dais. He was suddenly very thankful for
the existence of Sis, since it would be difficult to keep track of all this
information on his own.

"Thanks, Sis, you’re the best."

(You are very welcome Vahn.)

Vahn called ’Display Status’ within his mind, and a transparent blue window seemed
to appear within his vision.

*Status*
Name: Vahn Mason (temporary)

Age: 0 (age does not exist in the soul state)

Race: Human (soul), *sealed*

Parameters: Empty outside of ’record’

Soul Strength: Tier 1 (Mortal Soul)

Karma:0

Upon reviewing his status, Vahn noticed that his Karma was 0 instead of the
astronomical number previously mentioned.

"Sis, what happened to my Karma? Didn’t Klyscha say I had like 179-million
previously?"

(Yes Vahn, you previously had a positive Karmic value of 173,419,003, but it was
exchanged by the Goddess Klyscha to allow you to possess ’The Path’. ’The Path’ is
a Tier 9 Artifact that has existed since the ’Origin’. It is normally impossible
for a person with a Tier 1 (Mortal Soul) to be able to possess ’The Path’ as it
would place too much burden on their soul and potentially even destroy their soul
root which would remove them from the cycle of reincarnation entirely. The Goddess
Klyscha seems to have imbued her Divinity into ’The Path’ to act as a limiting
factor allowing your soul to activate the basic functions of ’The Path’. Your Karma
was used in exchange to grant your "wish" to have freedom. As your soul grows in
strength, you have access to increased functions and higher tier ’records’.)

Vahn was stunned with the revelation of Sis. It would seem Klyscha put in a lot of
effort to try and grant his wish. He gazes into the endless space surrounding the
dais, almost as if he is searching for the sign of some presence.

"I will do my best to repay this gratitude Klyscha."

Affixing this vow within his heart, Vahn calls the list of records into his mind.

’Display Records’

A list that seems to go on for an eternity begins to form in his mind, dazzling
Vahn.

(Vahn, I would suggest filtering the worlds by places you are familiar with and
based on the strength of your soul)

While the list kept ever expanding within his mind, Sis seemed to throw out a
lifeline.

’Display Records limited to worlds I know of accessible by Tier 1 souls.’

*Records*

-Danmachi (1-4)

-Fairy Tail (1-3)

-One Piece (1-3)

-Fate/Stay Night (1-4)

-Etc

As Vahn perused through the list of records, he noticed he was unable to find the
world he had considered going to.

’Display Records for the world Naruto’

*Records*

-Naruto (2-5)

"Oh, I didn’t expect the Naruto world to require a soul level of 2 to enter. Do you
know why that is Sis?"

(Analyzing)

(It is due to the existence of the foreign energy known as chakra combined with the
average difficulty of surviving within the world. As Naruto is a world with a
Feudal System and Hidden Villages, there is a high probability of being targeted
early on and eliminated by forces within the world who possess high spiritual
power. It is recommended that you increase your Soul Strength to at least level 2
which would allow you to have an easier time cultivating Chakra and increasing your
attributes within the world.)

"I see, that kind of makes sense. Thanks for the explanation Sis. Is there any
record you would recommend for my first world?"

(Certainly Vahn. The ’Display Records’ function automatically lists worlds by

relevance to your current soul strength, so I would recommend the record of
Danmachi. It has a base requirement of Tier 1, and if you are fortunate and put in
a lot of effort you can strengthen your soul all the way to Tier 4. Keep in mind
that obtaining Tier 4 would put you on the same level as the strongest beings in
that world without their Divinity.)

"Hmm, but wouldn’t Fate/Stay Night be a good option since it has similar
requirements?"

(Though the requirements are similar, it would be difficult to establish yourself

in that world without using Karma to overwrite the record of an existing character.
Since you would have a difficult time having anyone teach you magic, and would be
unable to take part in the Holy Grail War, it is advised to wait until you
accumulate an adequate amount of Karma before entering.)

"Wait, you can use Karma to overwrite the record of an existing character? Does
that mean you would replace them?" Vahn was shocked at the idea.

(That is correct Vahn, but please note that the worlds created using ’records’ do
not exist until you enter them. They remain in a form of suspended time which
doesn’t begin until the point you enter. Thus, assuming the role of a character
would change the causality of that world without altering the timeline or events
unless you directly change things. You would also inherit the memories of the
character you replace.)

"So the worlds I’m visiting don’t exist? The people inside of them aren’t real?"

Vahn was a little dejected at the thought since it would almost feel like he is the
only living person in the universe...of course, he is currently a soul.
(That is incorrect Vahn. Thus you are able to assume the role of the person within
the record.)

"Wait, Sis, you skipped a part of the explanation!"

(That isn’t possible Vahn. If you were unable to hear the explanation it would be
due to the restriction of your soul tier. Some information that governs the
foundational laws of the Multiverse cannot be explained or understood without
accumulating a variety of experiences. Once you are able to strengthen your soul,
you will naturally begin to understand what I was trying to explain to you. Just
know that the people you will be interacting with are as real as those from your
previous world. Though you may possess ’The Path’, it does not mean you are the
’Protagonist’ of that world. There is a real possibility that you may die depending
on the actions you take.)

"I think I kind of understand Sis. I will do my best to become stronger. And I
won’t look down on anyone like those cruel people did to me in my previous life."

(That is for the best Vahn. Giving into negative emotions and bringing harm to
others would only result in the accumulation of negative Karma which would restrict
the growth of your soul.)

"Understood Sis. I think it’s time to go. It doesn’t seem like I can do anything in
this empty space, and I’m really looking forward to the opportunity of interacting
with the characters I read in the manga! I hope I’m able to make a good impression
on them...I don’t really have any experience interacting with anyone outside the
lab. Well, except for you and Klyscha, which is a little odd now that I think about
it..."

(Acknowledged. Would you like to use the item ’Beginner’s Package’ to obtain a
pertinent ability?)

"Hmm? Beginners package? What’s that?"

(One of the items Klyscha had placed into your inventory before giving you ’The
Path’ was a special consumable that would give you a skill that would assist you on
your first world. Please note that if you do not use the ’Beginner’s Package’ it
will be converted into the equivalent value of Karma as the skill would have been
worth upon entry into the world.)

"Oh, then go ahead and use it. I hope it’s something that will help in the record
of Danmachi."

(Acknowledged. Opening ’Beginner’s Package’.)

-Obtained System Interface Function: View Affection

(Be advised Vahn, consuming the ’Beginner’s Package’ will activate forced
transmigration!)

"!!! What!? Wait, are you ser"

Before Vahn is able to finish his sentence, he is once again ’gripped’ by a

’tugging’ motion in his stomach and forcibly transported away from the stone dais.

Vahn felt his soul being ’pulled’ through several layers of an unknown substance.
It almost seemed as if had passed through various forms of liquids with different
densities. As his momentum constantly increased, he became unable to breathe or
orient himself as an endless multitude of colors flashed through his vision.
Suddenly, the ’tugging’ force in his gut returned and Vahn found himself laying in
a clearing surrounded by trees.

After looking around for a bit, Vahn stood up and wiped the debris that was
littering his clothing.

"Sis, what happened? Why did the transfer start so suddenly? You should have warned
me before I used the ’Beginner’s Package’!"

(Sorry Vahn, but since you had asked me to use the ’Beginner’s Package’ immediately
after I had explained its function, I had to open it without being able to clarify.
Remember, my purpose is to act as the intermediary between you and ’The Path’. I am
unable to delay the execution of commands without your consent.)

Hearing the apologetic tone within Sis’s voice, Vahn felt slightly guilty for
blaming her.

"It’s alright Sis. It was my fault for making the decision so quickly without
asking for your guidance."

(Don’t let it bother you Vahn. Would you like me to explain the current situation?)

Vahn once again looked around the area before looking down at his own appearance.
He seemed to be in a clearing surrounded by trees, which he could only assume was a
forest. Instead of being naked, which he was grateful for, he was attired in a
brown tunic with black pants. Around his waist was a belt with a strange leather
container which, upon closer inspection seemed to contain water. The biggest thing
to note was that the complexion that differentiated him from normal humans was
replaced with a mild tanned skin tone.

"Yes, Sis. Can you please explain what happened after the transfer? Why has my body
changed, and where is this? Also, from now on please include any advice you believe
would be beneficial to the situation. I don’t trust myself well enough to make
proper decisions in a new world."

(After the transfer commenced, your body had to be reconstructed since you were
just a soul. ’The Path’ was able to alter your appearance to match the ideal you
held within your own mind, as well as reconstruct the networks within your body to
enable you to use the ’source’ energy within the ’record’. Since you disliked your
previous sickly complexion, you now possess a healthy body and what you consider a
normal skin tone. Your body now possesses the ability to channel the ’source’
within this world, and if you practice you will even be able to use the magic and
skills unique to this world. As for your present location, you are currently on the
outskirts of the area known as the ’Western Forests’. ’The Path’ determined this
would be the safest starting location, and it puts you in close proximity to Orario
which can be found 30km to the south-east. As for advice, I would recommend you
take the opportunity to review your Status, Skills, and Inventory. After that
finding shelter would be the highest priority.)

Vahn was shocked at the barrage of information provided by Sis. He felt like his
brain was going to melt trying to organize all the information he just obtained.

"Sis, I’m sorry...I don’t think I can remember all that," said Vahn with a tone of
dejection.

(It’s alright Vahn. To summarize things, you now possess a new, healthy body which
fits your preferences as far as looks are concerned. Your current location is a
forest near the City of Orario where the main story takes place. Other than that,
please use the commands to display your Status, Skills, and Inventory before
seeking shelter.)

"Okay, Sis. Thanks for simplifying things a bit."

(My pleasure, Vahn.)

’Display Status’

Name: Vahn Mason

Age: 14

Race: Human, *sealed*

Parameters: Danmachi

-Level:1(0)

-Power: I-40(0)

-Endurance: I-70(0)

-Dexterity: I-23(0)

-Agility: I-38(0)

-Magic: H-120(0)

Soul Strength: Tier 1 (Mortal Soul)

Karma:100

Upon seeing his status, Vahn frowned.

"Other than my Magic, all of my other stats are low. And what are the second values
for?"

(The second values would indicate the parameters shown on your Status Board when
you manage to join a Familia. As you have yet to join a Familia, the total would be
displayed as 0.)

"That makes sense. Why is my Magic stat so much higher than my other parameters?
I’ve never been able to use magic, so shouldn’t it be as low as the rest?"

(That is due to ’The Path’ altering your body to allow you to exist in this world.)

Vahn continues to stare at the Status for a moment when a few things catch his eye.

"Sis, why is my age set to 14? Didn’t Klyscha say I had spent 3 years in that white
space? And why are there two values for race? And didn’t my Karma reset to 0 when I
obtained ’The Path’?"

(Since the soul is ageless, it did not change your age regardless of how much time
you spent in the Astral Plane. When your body was reconstructed upon entering the
’record’ of Danmachi, it let you keep the age you had accumulated at your time of
death. As for Karma, while you were able to have a value of 0 as a soul, you cannot
exist in the world with 0 Karma as your existence automatically begins to alter
fate around you. Upon birth, or in your case entering this world, a child would
have 100 Karma. Please note that the total value of Karma includes both positive
and negative values!)

Vahn was pleasantly surprised at the information. He had expected since he was
going to ’reincarnate’, that he would have to go through the process of being born
and raised as a child. He didn’t know how he would have dealt with being a child
born into a family with the mind of a teen.

"I see, that’s good. At least I can start training to become stronger immediately.
And are you saying that if Karma becomes 0, I would instantly die?"

(That is correct, but note that it is very difficult to lose karma. Even if you
decided to do bad deeds, it would still result in a net gain but comprised more-so
of negative karma.)

Vahn nods in understanding at the given explanation.

’Display Skills’

Though he had no expectations, Vahn was surprised at what he saw.

*Skills*

Chainbreaker:

Rank:(S)

Status increases if the wielder is bound, sealed, or imprisoned. Increase is

proportional to the stress of the user and desire for freedom.

Pain Tolerance:

Rank:(A)

The more damage the wielder sustains, the greater the effect this skill has on the
mind. Does not inhibit pain, but prevents the wielder from being distracted by it.

Yggdrasil’s Favor:

Rank:(S)

Your connection with the ’source’ enables you to vastly improve comprehension of
healing skills and abilities. Increases success rate of alchemical products. Allows
the user to imbue ’source’ energy into objects.

Veil of the Traveler:

Rank:(S)

Prevents information about the user from being exposed by skills of lower rank
without the wielders consent. Increases the effect of concealment and stealth
related abilities.

*Development Skills*

Spirit Healing:

Rank:(D)
Increases the recovery rate of mental energy and ’source’.

Wound Transfer:

Rank:(B)

Transfer wounds to willing targets. Increases recovery rate on target.

After reading all of his skills and their descriptions, Vahn was confused. He
couldn’t understand how he had so many skills, given how low his stats were.

"Sis, why is it that I have so many skills, and aren’t they very high ranking
compared to my level?"

(’Chainbreaker’ is the manifestation of your ’wish’ to live a free and happy life.
When you obtained ’The Path’ it gave you an equivalent skill that should transition
with you when you move to other worlds. ’Pain Tolerance’ is a result of your mental
state and experiences in your previous life...I won’t go into too many details for
that. ’Yggdrasil’s Favor’ seems to be a blessing you received upon entering this
’record’ from the world’s ’source’. It should prove to be very beneficial for you
while trying to become stronger and develop a profession. ’Veil of the Traveler’
was given to you by ’The Path’ as a means of protecting your identity as a
transmigrator. Though you may not have considered it Vahn, it can prove to be very
dangerous if people discover you arrived here from another world. As for ’Spirit
Healing’ and ’Wound Transfer’, those skills seem to be a result of .)

"Ah, you omitted some information again. I guess my soul isn’t strong enough to
know that information yet." sighed Vahn.

(So it would seem. I’m sorry Vahn.)

"It’s fine, Sis. It just gives me more motivation to grow and become stronger. So,
to summarize what you had said...all of my skill are a result of my past
experiences, and my soul seems to have retained them after I transmigrated to this
world. Other than that, I should be very careful about exposing the fact I came
from another world...is that correct?" inquired Vahn while contemplating the new
information.

(Yes, Vahn. For lower tier worlds that have no interactions with other planes, it
is very dangerous to expose information of their existence. This world seems to be
comprised of five different realms, but the mortal populace is only made aware of
three of them. If you tried to talk about the existence of other worlds, it could
invite a backlash from the world’s ’Laws’.)

Vahn perked up at the mention of the word ’Laws’.

"What do you mean by ’Laws’, Sis? Is that something that the Gods made to help
govern this world?"

(That is only partially true Vahn. The ’Laws’ of each respective ’record’ are
things that maintain the stability of the ’record’ itself. Even the various Gods
and Goddesses are bound by them, and may not even be aware of their existence. They
can use their ’Divinity’ to emulate the function of ’Laws’ and pass them unto
lower-tiered beings though. That is the biggest difference between mortals, demi-
gods, and gods within many ’records’.)

Vahn was surprised that even the Gods of this world were restricted so much. He
could understand how divulging information about his previous life and experiences
could bring about great harm to himself. After mulling things over for several
minutes, he makes a personal vow to keep his past an absolute secret, at least
until he is able to become strong enough to break free of the ’Laws’ themselves.

After cementing his new-found conviction deep within his heart, Vahn continued
inspecting the functions of the ’The Path’. He noticed there was a new function
labeled ’View Affection’ which he remembered obtaining from the ’Beginner’s
Package’. He decided to inquire about how it’s used later, but for not focused on
his ’Inventory’ as suggested by Sis.

Vahn stated within his mind, ’Display Inventory’

Within his view, he could see a grid that, after counting, contained 27 empty
spaces. To the left of the grid was a very rudimentary image of a human body with a
total of 13 empty spaces. There was a single slot allocated to each of the: head,
neck, torso, waist, legs. And there were two spaces each for hands, feet, wrists,
and fingers. He could see that everything he was currently wearing was displayed on
the image of the man. Upon closer inspection, he noticed he could even view the
details of the items.

3-Layered Wool Tunic (Brown)

Rank: (I) Torso Armor

Slots: 0

P.Def: 3 (Physical Defense)

M.Def: 1 (Magical Defense)

An insulated tunic that provides protection against the elements. Its three-layered
function gives it basic waterproofing capabilities.

Common Linen Trousers (Black)

Rank: (I) Leg Armor

Slots: 0

P.Def: 2

M.Def: 1

A pair of trousers commonly worn by humans within the continent of Eden.

Tempered Leather Belt (Brown)

Rank: (H) Waist Armor

Slots: 2

-Decanter of Replenishment

P.Def: 1

M.Def: 0

A belt made from the hide of a minotaur. Possess a moderate durability and can hold
two attached items.
Decanter of Replenishment

Rank: (B) Auxilary Waist Attachment

Special Status: Indestructible

A Decanter made from a mysterious entity at the bottom of the ocean. Blessed by the
Goddess Amphitrite to replenish up to one liter of water per hour.

Common Sheepskin Sandal (x2)

Rank: (I)

Slots: 0

P.Def: 1

M.Def: 1

A common sandal that is worn by humans on the continent of Eden. Manufactured from
sheepskin and hemp.

Vahn was surprised, especially at the information about the ’Decanter of

Replenishment’. With it, he didn’t have to worry about finding a clean water
source, and if he finds containers he can fill them with fresh water for bathing.

As he continued inspecting what he recognized as his ’Equipment’, he noticed there

was an icon in the bottom-right corner of each equipment slot. It looked like two
arrows which were following each other to draw a circle. When he thought about
pressing it...

"What on earth!?" Vahn exclaimed, noticing the Tunic he was previously wearing was
now gone, leaving him bare-chested in the clearing. He noticed that the slot was
now ’empty’ with the faded image of the tunic behind it. When he thought of
pressing it again the tunic immediately re-appeared.

"So I can freely wear and remove the items I’ve placed into the equipment slots?"

(Thats correct Vahn. I’m impressed you were able to find out on your own so
quickly. You should also take note of the equipment slots for each of your hands.)

Taking the advice given by Sis, Vahn noticed that there was a faded image behind
each of his hand equipment slots. In the right slot, there was a dagger, while the
left slot held a small hatchet. Toggling each, both the dagger and hatchet appeared
in his hands. He inspected them.

Common Steel Dagger

Rank: (H)

Slots: 0

P.Atk: 90(+10)

M.Atk: 10

A dagger forged with a unique refining technique to give it increased durability.

The blade has been polished thoroughly to give it increased attack power.
Common Steel Hatchet

Rank: (H)

Slots: 0

P.Atk: 110(+10)

M.Atk: 0

A hatchet forged with a unique refining technique to give it increased durability.

The blade has been polished thoroughly to give it increased attack power. Gives an
enhancement when felling wood.

After reading their description, Vahn weighed each of them within his palms. The
dagger was relatively light, even for Vahn, and it had an excellent balance even
though the blade was about 20cm. The hatchet was much heavier, which was the likely
reason for it’s increased physical attack prowess. He noted that the blade was only
about 13cm long with a thickness of around 4cm tapering into a wedge along it’s
blade-ridge. He also experimented with swapping the two items between his hands and
noticed it immediately updated within his equipment slots.

"This is so cool," remarked Vahn as he toggled the equipment over and over,
watching as it vanished and re-appeared instantly within his hand.

(Ahem.)

Vahn was surprised at the sudden coughing sound within his mind, resulting in him
dropping the dagger onto the ground. Since he was so focused on toggling the icon,
he noticed that when he dropped the dagger the image within the slot vanished.

Picking up the dagger, Vahn remarked, "Sorry about that Sis. It’s just really cool
seeing something disappear and re-appear like that. It’s almost like a magic trick,
and I just got distracted."

In an almost apologetic sounding tone, he heard Sis reply.

(Thats fine Vahn, but remember your priorities. Right now it is around 3PM, so you
need to begin looking for shelter and food before the sun sets.)

"Yes, Sis. Thank you for your reminder, but what happens when the sun sets?"
inquired Vahn while looking at the bright orb floating within the sky.

(...When the Sun sets, the world becomes dark making things difficult to see. It’s
also when dangerous, nocturnal creatures begin hunting for food. If you are unable
to find shelter before the sun sets it will become very dangerous when you’re
wondering about, much less trying to sleep.)

Vahn was shocked at the information. Since he had spent his entire life indoors, he
had never seen what the actual sun and moon look like. All the information he had
about he came from manga and anime, where even though it was slightly darker
everyone seemed to be able to see and move about freely.

"I understand. I’ll begin looking for shelter immediately! But...where should I
begin searching? I’ve never been in a forest before, so should I start heading
towards Orario? Maybe I can find some of the characters from the story, or even
join a Familia and start my journey!"

As his excitement began to build, he was once again alarmed by what Sis said next.
(That will be impossible at present Vahn. Even though 30km isn’t that far, you
wouldn’t be able to make it there before the sun sets. There is also the fact that
entering the city requires money, so without items to trade or barter you would be
unable to gain entrance to the city. But the most important factor is that many of
the characters from the story may not even be in Orario at the moment.)

"What do you mean Sis? Why wouldn’t they be there?"

(It is due to the fact you entered this world without designating a point and time
of entry. To compensate for this, ’The Path’ determined it would be most optimal
for you to arrive here in the outskirts of the Western Forests. As for the reason
characters may not yet be in Orario, that is because you are presently three years
from the start of events in the story!)

(As for the reason characters may not yet be in Orario, that is because you are
presently three years from the start of events in the story!)

Vahn kept repeating the words over and over within his mind, unable to comprehend
the revelation Sis just gave him.

"Sis, why is it three years? I understand it’s my fault for not specifying a time,
but what should I do now? I don’t know anything about this world outside of what I
had read in the manga!" he shouted.

(Relax Vahn. ’The Path’ determined that your current strength was lacking for
residents of this world. As it stands, a common thug would probably be able to take
advantage of and even kill you. At best you would likely become an underling or
supporter for disreputable adventurers. Without having increased your own strength,
it would be difficult to join and survive within a Familia. You now have three
years to train before the events of the story so you can be more impactful in your
decision-making.)

Vahn took several deep breaths, ruminating over what Sis had said. He understood by
looking at his stats, most of his parameters were far below the ’records’
standards. There wasn’t much he could do about that since he was never able to
exercise or move freely in his previous life. And, since he didn’t wish for any
power from Klyscha, he would have to rely on his own efforts to become stronger.

After thinking it over, he started to develop feelings of gratitude towards ’The

End’. It seemed to be making the best possible choices given his current lack of
understanding. It also provided him with a companion he could talk to when he is
feeling lonely.

"I understand, Sis. ’The Path’ was right to give me this window of opportunity to
grow. Even I wouldn’t want to accept someone into my Familia if they were to become
a burden. At least until I become much much stronger..."

He begins to look around the area once again. It’s his first time seeing a real-
life tree, much less being in a forest. After weighing his options, he is uncertain
of the best course of action.

"Sis, where do you think I should go? I don’t have a map, and I’ve never been
inside a forest. I don’t know any edible plants, and the wildlife of this world is
completely foreign to me."

(’The Path’ has a basic mapping function which includes a compass. Though it can
only map things within your line of sight, it will allow you to compile a map
within the system of ’The Path’. I would suggest heading north. Note that when you
first entered the world ’The Path’ was able to make a basic map of the landmarks in
your immediate vicinity for 50km. About 2km north, you should be able to find rock
formations and water, which has a high probability of providing access to a cave
which would be highly beneficial for your current situation. You can access the map
by using the command ’Toggle Map’ or ’Toggle Minimap’.)

After the explanation, Vahn tried using both commands. He noted that ’Toggle Map’
showed a very large birds-eye view of the surrounding area. He could even see a
large portion of the western section of Orario, though the buildings were presently
unmarked. To the north, a distance that didn’t seem that far, he was able to spot
the ’rock formations’ Sis had previously mentioned. Considering that much of the
surrounding area was dense trees, he agreed it would be the best choice. He closed
the map using a mental command, and then tried ’Toggle Minimap’. Within the
peripheral of his sight, he could see a circular, somewhat transparent map, much
smaller than the one he had used previously. It also showed his line of sight as a
cone emitting from the arrow within the center of the map. He noted that, whenever
he turned to look at objects they were immediately updated on the minimap, enabling
him to see their presence even when turning away.

"This is going to be a useful function. As long as I have this, any place I’ve been
to I’ll be able to return to without getting lost. But won’t this be incredibly
overpowered when I finally enter dungeons?" Though he didn’t mind taking advantage
of all the features provided by ’The Path’, Vahn didn’t like the ingenuous feeling
lingering in his heart.

(You don’t have to worry about that Vahn. Many of the Dungeons within this world
are similar to living creatures. They are able to change their layout and alter
their structure over time. Though you will definitely have an advantage in general
mapping capabilities, it isn’t to the extent where it will allow you to far exceed
others. After all, anyone could draw up a map as they progress into the dungeon, it
just takes more time compared to the map function of ’The Path’.)

Vahn was convinced by what Sis had said. He also understood that focusing on the
map could distract him from things happening around him. Though he could mentally
move the map around using his thoughts, it did take up a part of his vision.

He began walking towards the northern direction. On his way, he made sure to look
around his vicinity while trying to map everything he could see. Periodically he
would use the ’Toggle Map’ command to see the larger map. He noticed he was able to
zoom in on the areas he had traversed, and the area of focus now had all the
details he had mapped using his minimap.

Though the area of the rock formation was only 2km away, Vahn noted that it was
very physically demanding to move through the forest. His clothes would constantly
get stuck on the various plants and shrubbery, and he began to develop rashes
around the scrapes that began to accumulate on his arms and face. It took him an
entire two hours to finally arrive at his destination, and he noticed that the sky
was beginning to darken. On his minimap, he could see that the cone that depicted
his line of sight had begun to shrink, and it became more difficult to map things
as he progressed through the rock formations.

After another half hour of searching, as the sun continued its descent, Vahn
finally found a small cave near a creek. As he approached to investigate, he heard
strange noises coming from the shrubbery to his left. He could feel the hair on the
back of his neck stand, as a cold sickening chill crept down his spine.

Turning towards the source of the noise, Vahn froze. Standing around 10m away,
there stood a small emaciated green-skinned humanoid. The upper half of his body
seemed to be covered in a leathery hide, while the bottom was entirely covered with
dense fur. Its height was slightly under 1 meter, and its physique was similar to
that of a small child. Vahn could see within its vicious red eyes a ferocity that
shook him to the core.

The monster, which Vahn recognized as a Goblin, looked directly into his eyes. It
seemed to understand the terror he inspired as it slowly began to walk towards
Vahn, waving a short serrated knife that seemed to be carved from stone.

10 meters...9 meters...8 meters...As the Goblin continued its approach Vahn stood
absolutely still, unable to muster any thought of fighting or fleeing. Though he
had spent his entire life in a lab having horrible experiments performed, he had
never been in a combat situation. Though the eyes some of the researchers used to
look at him were similar to the Goblin before him, it was nowhere near as vicious.
Vahn knew, this Goblin genuinely wanted to kill him.

7 meters...6 meters...just as it began to reach the halfway point, Sis suddenly

shouted out within his mind.

(Vahn, equip your weapons! The goblin has higher agility than you, so you have to
fight back! You need to take the initiative or it will be too late!)

Vahn immediately snapped out due to the sudden exclamation from Sis. Just as he was
about to equip his weapons, the Goblin seemed to have sensed his change and
immediately lunged at him, aiming the small knife directly at his throat.

Vahn twisted his neck back as quickly as he could, raising his arms to protect his
face.

The goblin continued it’s lunge, impaling the small knife directly in Vahn’s left
arm before pulling it away, tearing away at his flesh due to the serrated qualities
of the blade.

Because of the sudden impact, Vahn was knocked off balance as a sharp pain coming
from his left arm sent alarms ringing in his head.

(Vahn, you need to get up quickly. If you don’t equip your weapons you won’t be
able to fight back!)

Vahn scrambled back, trying to right his footing as the goblin began to prepare
another lunge. He crouched down, this time aiming towards Vahn’s torso before
jumping out at with murderous momentum.

Catching the goblins movements in his eye, Vahn’s mind felt a cooling sensation
spread, seeming to dull the effects of the pain emitted from his left arm. He
mentally tried to equip both of his weapons, causing the dagger to appear in his
right hand while his left hand remained empty.

Using the clarity brought about by the cooling sensation, Vahn shifted his weight
and tried to use his now disabled left arm to absorb the oncoming lunge.

Once again, the goblin’s knife pierced into his already mangled flesh. It lifted
its foot to try and kick off of Vahn’s torso, using the leverage generated to rend
the knife from the arm.

Vahn used the brief window before the goblin is able to recover to throw all of his
weight into the small-statured creature.

Taken by surprise due to the young boy’s movement, the goblin tried to back away
and create a distance between it and the human standing before him. The moment it
began to open the gap, it saw from the left side of its vision the shadow of a
dagger aiming directly at its temple. Due to the previously generated momentum of
its lunge, the goblin was unable to change directions in time and could only watch
helplessly as the lethal strike approached.

Completing his strike, Vahn fell powerlessly on the now dead goblin.

The moment he touched the ground, he could feel a painful throb coming from his
left arm, which he was now unable to move. He could feel the sickening flow of his
blood as it left his body, reminding him of the thousands of similar times he felt
it in his previous life. The cooling sensation in his mind began to become more
powerful, and Vahn was able to notice his heart, which was previously beating
rapidly due to the flooding of adrenaline, was now beginning to slow.

As he lay on the ground atop the corpse of his first kill, he began to take deep an
heavy breathes. He knew that Goblins were among the weakest creatures in this
world, and had he failed to land the blow at the expense of his left arm he most
likely would have died, bringing an end to his journey before it even started. He
began to lament at his powerlessness, as a fierce desire to become stronger
awakened deep within the core of his being.

Mustering what strength remained in his body, Vahn stood up, hunched over. He began
to hobble towards the entrance of the cave, praying that the interior might offer
him safe haven through the coming night. He followed the entrance and continued
onwards for about 20 meters before the cave suddenly opened up. Vahn noted quickly
that the cavern was about 8 meters in diameter, and the walls were studded with
small crystals that emitted a weak light which brought a mild illumination to the
dark interior. Vahn cuddled up next to the brightest crystal in an effort to use
its light to examine his wound.

Suddenly, his thought process was once again brought to an immediate halt. As he
looked at the blood dripping from the wound on his arm, Vahn couldn’t help but feel
a peculiar sensation, like butterflies within his stomach trying to bore their way
out. The blood dripping from his arm was a deep crimson...a stark contrast from the
pale golden colored blood that haunted him in his previous life.

Inspecting the wound, he could see through the mangled flesh severed blood vessels
and tendons, which helped explain why he was now unable to move it.

"Luckily the knife was small and didn’t break any bones..."

(Yes, but you need to wash the wound and apply pressure quickly. Goblin daggers are
usually unclean, and the wound they cause, if left untreated could fester and even
result in death!)

Vahn followed her instructions as he flushed the wound using the Decanter of
Replenishment. He also made sure to drink several mouth-fulls himself to prevent
passing out and developing a fever due to dehydration. As someone who was very
experienced with dealing with blood loss, Vahn knew several of the important steps
in treating wounds. It was just the fact that others typically dealt with any
injuries he sustained that caused him to slightly overlook it.

After cleaning and dressing the wound using a strip he had cut from his tunic, Vahn
found a relatively flat area within the cavern to lay down. He noticed that the
crystals within the cavern not only produced light, but they also emitted a very
moderate amount of heat which kept the interior of the cave warm.

As he lay back staring at the top of the cavern, he began to fantasize that each of
the crystals was the various ’records’ within ’The Path’. He imagined traversing
through the worlds, becoming stronger, meeting both friends and enemies, and
eventually even finding his mother...

As he began to drift off into unconsciousness, one final thought came to Vahn’s
mind which he felt an urge to speak aloud.

"I’m dying...blehh."

(RIP)

-THE END-

(Author's Note: Just kidding-Next part is the real quote.)

"I’m home..." he whispered into the cavern as sleep overtook him.

Vahn awoke several hours later with a powerful lethargy settled within his body. It
was similar to the times when he was very young and the Doctors had been a little
too ambitious and had drawn too much blood from his body.

"How long have I been asleep Sis?"

(It’s been 14 hours Vahn. It is currently 8:21 AM.)

"Fourteen hours..." sighed Vahn as he made an effort to stand. It took several

tries, but eventually, he had managed to upright himself, albeit with a lot of
difficulties. He put his hand along the cavern wall and began to make his way
towards the exit.

*noises made by a stomach when you haven’t eaten a single bit of food your entire
current life*

Vahn removed his hand from the wall, leaning his body against its cold surface. He
uses his free hand to massage his stomach in an effort to soothe it’s hunger pangs

"Sis, what do you think I should do for food. With my injured arm, I don’t think
I’ll be able to hunt easily. I need food to recover my strength or my arm won’t
heal easily."

Mentioning his arm, Vahn took a better look at it. He noticed the blood hadn’t
spread nearly as much as he expected. Perhaps the waterproofing qualities of the
tunic managed to stimy the flow of blood

(I would recommend picking various plants and berries. One moment...I’ve marked
areas on your map that you had passed previously. Though I cannot say at present
which are edible, ’The Path’ is able to analyze and identify the properties of
items placed within. It may take time for higher quality items, or items that
possess magic, but it should be able to easily identify if something is edible.)

Vahn sighed, this time with a bit of relief in his voice. "That’s great Sis. It
makes sense that ’The Path’ would be able to make up for my lack of survival skills
and information. Though the fact my inventory can analyze items seems pretty
incredible, the fact it shows descriptions of my equipment should have been an
indicator of that capability."

He makes his way out of the cave and looks towards the area where he had previously
slain the goblin. The body seems to have vanished overnight, and the only evidence
of his mortal struggle was the small knife, a dull crystal that emitted a small
light, and his blood which had dried into the ground.
Vahn walked over, once again drawn to the presence of his own blood. He noted that
it had not turned to ash, even though it had been outside of his body for so long
without being stored. Most importantly is the fact that the blood, like the stains
on his makeshift bandage, was a deep crimson red.

"Sis, when my body was reconstructed, was my blood changed as well?" he inquired
after thinking of the best method to ask.

(That is not entirely correct Vahn. Though I can’t go into the details of what
exactly happened, your blood still possesses similar qualities to what you had in
your previous life. The primary difference is the existence of ’source’ energy
within this world, whereas your previous world had nothing comparable. Eventually,
your blood will dissolve into dust, but the process will take much longer since the
’source’ energy maintains it’s vitality for an extended duration.)

Vahn was somewhat disappointed with her response. He had hoped that the changes to
his body would make him normal...

Noticing his demeanor, Sis remarked: (Vahn, the uniqueness of your blood isn’t
something to be ashamed of. It is the fault of those that tried to use you for
their own convenience that has caused you to feel this way. Remember, your blood is
something that only exists because your mother had been willing to birth you even
knowing it would likely result in her death. You should see your blood as the
embodiment of her love for you, and use it and all its benefits to assist you in
your growth.)

Startled, Vahn raised his head and looked towards the sky. Gripping his hands, he
cursed inside himself at his weakness even though he had sworn to become strong.

"You’re right Sis. They used my blood to do whatever they want, but now I have the
opportunity to use it as I see fit! I will show them their foolishness, by living
freely and saving even more people than their cruelty allowed!"

*hyper-aggressive omega tier stomach rumbling sounds*

With a blush on his face, Vahn began to move into the forest to investigate the
areas marked on his map. After gathering several different types of herbs, nuts,
and berries, the system had managed to identify those that were edible.

Since he had no methods to create a fire, he was forced to use stones to crack the
nuts so they could be digested. It turns out, eating with a single hand is quite
difficult, but it’s amazing what you’re able to do when starving.

Vahn spent until 5 pm solely gathering any interesting or unidentified items he

could find. He even collected various types of rocks and minerals in hopes the
system would be able to analyze them over time. His progress was halted
periodically since he made an extra effort to investigate his surroundings before
moving on. He knew that if he were to be attacked by a monster at this time, it
would likely be the last fight before his death.

Eventually, he made his way back to the cave before sunset and took note of the
days’ harvest

’Display Inventory’

Small-sized rock x 3, Medium sized rock x 1, Acorns (3kgs), Apples x 49, mulberries
x 103, tayberries x 98, Unkown Mineral x 1, Unknown Mineral x 1, etc...
He was grateful that the inventory allowed him to store similar items within the
same slot. It was only when the object had unique qualities that it seemed to
separate them, such as in the case of the ’unknown minerals’. He was also informed
by Sis that items within the inventory didn’t spoil, which was his original
motivation for collecting so many different things.

He was also able to fashion a sling for his arm after cleaning and changing the
bandages. To his surprise, when the bandage was removed he was able to clearly see
that it had begun to heal. There was also a slight tingling sensation traveling
through his wrist, and when he made an effort he was able to wiggle his fingers
slightly. After inquiring with Sis, he learned that it was due to the secondary
effects of his blood, combined with the skill ’Yggdrasil’s Favor’. Even though he
hadn’t learned any healing skills, it was able to enhance the effects of his blood
and accelerate his natural healing. After scanning his body, Sis even informed him
that his blood had completely prevented any possibility of infection from
occurring, something which he should have known from his previous experiences. It
seemed like Sis had been a little flustered at the time when she had urged me to
tend to the wound, and that thought made him a little happy.

After 10 days Vahn was surprised to learn his left arm had completely recovered.
Now there was just a light scar tissue as the only proof the wound ever existed,
and even it had begun to fade.

Confirming he had stored an adequate amount of food during the 10 days, Vahn
started considering methods to become stronger.

"Sis, is there any way I can improve my stats without fighting monsters? I don’t
want to have to sacrifice body parts just to be able to kill a single goblin."

(I would recommend converting the crystal you had obtained from the goblin, as well
as the iron and copper ore you had found into ’Origin Points’.)

Before he could ask, Sis continued.

(’Origin Points’, or OP for short, is the currency that can be used to exchange for
items using the system function ’Shop’. Please note that not all items can be
converted into points, and converting items that do not belong to you requires a
great deal of time and will result in the accumulation of negative karma.)

Vahn nodded his head in response.

"I don’t want to rely on stealing from others to grow strong anyways. People that
take advantage of others are the type I hate the most, so I want to avoid becoming
a person like that."

’Display Shop’

Similar to when he had used the ’Display Records’ function, a seemingly infinite
list of items and their cost began to appear within his mind. Without being
prompted, Vahn quickly made a mental command to only display items suitable for his
soul tier.

He noticed in the top left of the screen a value called OP, which was currently
displayed with a domineering 0 points. After sorting through his inventory a bit,
he found the only items that could be converted through the shop were the crystal
and ores previously mentioned by Sis. After asking, Vahn learned that the shop used
the ’source’ energy found within the objects to create the Origin Points. After
using a mental command for the exchange, the items turned into a dust so fine that
it seemed to vanish into the air itself.
The crystal had been exchanged for a total of 17 points, while the ores both sold
for 5 OP per kilogram respectively. Since he had accumulated a fair amount over the
last ten days, he managed to have a total of 47 points after the exchange
concluded.

After setting a filter for items that could improve his strength that cost less
than 50 points, Vahn was annoyed to see the list was still very large.

"Sis, what should I exchange for using my points? I need something that can help me
grow stronger in a short period of time to remove the risk to my life while living
in this area."

(Many of the items in the current list can only increase your stats for a short
period of time. Some of the stronger ones even have side effects that could damage
your foundation, which would make it harder for you to grow stronger. I would
recommend you exchange 30 OP for three vials of ’body-tempering liquid’. You should
also exchange 15 OP for a ’Beginner Close Quarters Combat Techniques Manual’. The
remaining two points can be saved for now, or you could exchange them for ’Simple
Linen Mat’ and ’cracked firestone’ to make living in the cave more comfortable.)

"Okay Sis, I trust your judgment. Please purchase all of the recommended items,
including the mat and ’cracked firestone’.

(Acknowledged...Purchase complete. Items have been automatically added to your

inventory Vahn.)

Vahn looked into his inventory and read the description of each item, as he was
unable to see any information prior to the purchase. This is also the reason he was
unaware of the temporary, and even negative effects of some items.

Body Tempering Liquid

Rank: (D)

Use: Can be mixed into bath water. Soaking in the water after strenuous training
accelerates recovery speed and promotes the strengthing of bones and muscles.
*Caution* Causes immense pain.

He shuddered a little bit at the ’causes immense pain’ description.

Beginner’s Close Quarters Combat Techniques Manual

Rank: (E)

Use: Gives the user knowledge about close quarters combat techniques and auxiliary
body training methods.

The mat and firestone were self-explanatory, but Vahn was confused by how to use
the techniques manual. After inquiring about it from Sis, it seemed to be a
consumable item that could be placed into his chest similar to ’The Path’.

Upon using the manual, a rush of information flood Vahn’s mind. Images of various
people performing martial arts and training cycled through his vision for roughly
two hours until he passed out. Unfortunately, he was unable to use the mat he had
just purchased and ended up sleeping on the hard floor...

After awakening the following day with a mild migraine, Vahn organized the
information in his mind and decided to put it to use. He asked Sis to create a
training regiment that would allow his body to improve unilaterally. After
reviewing it for about half an hour, Vahn was satisfied as it had accounted for his
rate of growth and became more difficult as time progressed.

He spent the first week performing basic physical exercises and stretching
routines. He would awaken in the morning at sunrise. After half an hour of
stretching, he would begin running around the around the largest rock formation in
the area for about an hour. Though he wasn’t able to run quickly, he noticed that
his stamina was increasing rapidly due to the effects of his blood on his recovery.

After finishing his run, he would bathe in a pool he had dug from the main flow of
the creek. He had filled the pool with various crystals he had dug out of the cave,
so it always maintained a moderate temperature even in the mornings. Following his
bath, he would begin foraging in the woods to increase his food store, since Sis
had warned him about the dangers of winter.

Around noon he would begin his real workout. He spent another thirty minutes
stretching before lifting rocks of different weight and moving them between two
circles he had drawn out on the ground. The circles were 20m apart, and the
exercise didn’t end until he managed to move all the rocks from one point to the
other. After this, he would be completely exhausted, and all the muscles in his
body would protest against each movement. Fortunately, with the ’Pain Tolerance’
skill, he was able to work through the pains and finish the exercise.

Using some of the points that he had obtained by trading in various ore found
within the creek, Vahn had managed to buy a metal basin which he stationed outside
the entrance of the cave. He had originally wanted to use the ’body tempering
liquid’ in the pool he had dug, but Sis informed him that the essence would drain
through the rocks into the ground.

After emptying one of the vials of body tempering liquid into the basin, the once
transparent water became turbid and evil boiled slightly. Using his leather belt as
a gag, Vahn would submerge himself into the basin.

The moment his foot touched the liquid, it felt as if the blood within his body
became thick, stagnant, and heavy as lead. Gritting his teeth, he continued to
submerge his body as the feeling spread to each area the water came into contact
with. By the time the liquid had reached up to his neck, his body had begun to
convulse slightly as a result of the pain racking his body.

It was at times like this that Vahn actually hated the ’Pain Tolerance’ skill
because even though it prevented the pain from ’distracting’ him, it actually made
the experience worse since he was able to easily focus on the pain as it spread. He
would periodically submerge his head while holding his breath, repeating the
process over and over until his body was able to absorb the full medicinal effects
of the liquid.

Vahn continued this process for the entire 10 days until Sis informed him that the
body tempering liquid would no longer have an effect. He would have to buy higher
quality medicines if he wanted to continue, but she advised against it since
building a foundation using medicines could lead to problems in his growth later
on.

Vahn was fine with this, as no matter how much time he spent in the basin it never
got any easier.

’Display Skill Pain Tolerance’

Pain Tolerance
Rank: (S)

The more damage the wielder sustains, the greater the effect this skill has on the
mind. Does not inhibit pain, but prevents the wielder from being distracted by it.
Gives a slight increase to attack power based on pain threshold.

As the ’body tempering liquid’ had lost its effect, Vahn was curious as to how much
his body had grown within the ten days.

’Display Status’

Name: Vahn Mason

Age: 14

Race: Human, *sealed*

Parameters: Danmachi

-Level:1(0)

-Power: I-40(0) -> H-146(0)

-Endurance: I-70(0) -> G-203(0)

-Dexterity: I-23(0) -> I-95(0)

-Agility: I-38(0) -> H-153(0)

-Magic: H-120(0) -> H-130(0)

Soul Strength: Tier 1 (Mortal Soul)

Karma:108

Though it had only been twenty days since his arrival in this world, Vahn was happy
to see many of his stats had increased by more than 100 points, with the exception
of his Magic. His hard training was able to bring at the full effects of each use
of ’body tempering liquid’ which was able to increase each physical parameter by 10
points if used with maximum efficiency. His daily running and weight contributed to
the remaining gain.

Vahn was now ready to move on to the next phase of his training. He would replace
his early morning regimen with hunting. It had already been several weeks since his
arrival in this world, and surviving on nuts and fruits wasn’t exactly satisfying.
Since he now had a firestone, he was determined to hunt some small game to obtain
meat. He also thought it would be a good method to make money before he entered the
city since he would be able to clean the furs for barter.

He had now saved up a total of 29 OP, which he had used 10 to exchange for a manual
on basic trap making. Using 9 of the remaining points, Vahn bought several small
traps and wires to set up in the various small trails that lined the forest. He
then exchanged the last of his points for a new bow.

’Sun-kissed Yew Shortbow’

Rank: (C)
Slots: 1

P.Atk: 60+150(x30)

M.Atk: 0

A small bow made of flexible yew wood. It had undergone a special ceremony during
it’s crafting which causes it to emit a gentle warmth a smell similar to sunlight.

’Twined Steel Arrow’ x30

Rank: (D)

Slots: 0

P.Atk: 150

M.Atk: 0

Arrows forged from steel that have been twined around a yew shaft giving them both
flexibility and penetrative power.

Vahn was grateful that purchasing the bow had given him arrows. Immediately after
he had made the purchase, he thought of the possibility he would have to collect
more ore before he would be able to make use of it. The best thing about the arrows
was that he was able to assign them to the slot of the bow within his Equipment
slots allowing him to immediately nock an arrow with a thought.

Using his newly acquired skills and equipment, Vahn set out into the woods around
his home. He tried making sure all of the traps were within 200 meters of his camp,
so he would be able to check them periodically throughout the day.

As it was still early in the morning, the sun had just begun to crest over the
trees, casting long shadows through the misty forest. Vahn stalked patiently
through the woods, looking for areas that seemed to have heavy animal foot traffic.
He wasn’t accustomed to hunting, but with the assistance of Sis he was able to
quickly identify the best locations using the analytical ability of ’The Path’. The
best part of it all was that he was able to clearly mark where he had lain the
traps using his the marking function of his minimap.

After another hour or so, as the early morning mist began to dispurse Vahn found
his first target. About 30 meters from his position, near the edge of a clearing,
sat a rabbit nibbling on a plant Vahn had previously identified as ’alfalfa’.

He slowly crept towards the rabbit while holding his breath, trying to conceal his
presence as best he could. As he closed in on the rabbits’ position, it almost felt
as if he had begun to blend into the environment around him, and even his thought
process started to fade, becoming one with the forest.

In this peculiar state of mind and being, Vahn was able to close to within 10
meters of the rabbit without startling it. Slowly...he got his bow into position
and nocked an arrow with a simple thought. He took aim at the rabbit and held his
breath, bringing his focus to its absolute limits. He pulled back the arrow and in
a single smooth motion, let it loose at his prey.

*sound of arrows whistling far off the intended course*

The rabbit was startled by the sudden interruption to its meal and immediately
bolted into the nearby bush-line.
"Awww man, I got so close and still missed!" exclaimed Vahn as he fell onto his
butt feeling defeated.

(Of course Vahn. Not only have you never fired a bow before, but you lack the
training and skills to be able to hit small targets at a distance. You should set
up targets near home to accumulate experience. There is also the option of trading
in for a hunting techniques manual once you’ve accumulated more OP.)

Hearing her reminders, Vahn couldn’t help but agree that he had been a little too
hasty. After spending about twenty minutes looking for the arrow that had flown
astray, Vahn returned to his camp and added archery training to his mid-day
regimen.

The same afternoon, Vahn had trekked back into the forest to check if any of his
traps had been triggered. As he had previously marked them in the map, it was a
relatively simple job to locate them. The first three traps had been empty, so Vahn
had to reset them. It may have been that the creature was larger than the trap
could hold, or something was able to move through the snare without getting caught
in it.

On his way to check the remaining tracks, Vahn was brought to a halt by a noise
that seemed to come from the direction of one of his snares. He began to slowly
stalk towards the trap in anticipation of his first catch. Once again he began to
feel as if his body was blending into the surroundings, and he was able to easily
approach his destination without drawing attention to himself. Finally, he was able
to clearly see what was caught in the trap...

Standing slightly under one meter, with its leg stuck in the snare was a goblin.
The wire used in the trap had dug deeply into the flesh around its ankle, and the
goblin seemed to lack the intelligence required to escape.

Vahn could feel his pulse begin to accelerate, as thoughts of his previous
encounter with the goblin emerged from the back of his mind. He knew the danger
such a creature posed, even though it was one of the weakest in the entire
continent. Fortunately, this goblin didn’t possess a knife similar to the last one,
or it would have cut the wire to aid in its escape.

Releasing a sigh, Vahn moved even closer to the goblin which seemed to become aware
of his presence as it looked towards his direction.

The goblin began to lash out, completely ignoring it’s still snared leg and tried
to lunge at Vahn. The snare tightened, pulling the goblin directly into the ground
once it had been stretch taut. The goblin began to struggle, repeating the process
of standing and falling while continually trying to lunge at Vahn with it’s
characteristic viciousness.

Vahn approached within a single meter of the goblin, just out of reach of the range
of it’s lunge. He slowly drew back his bow with an arrow already nocked, aiming
directly at the head of the goblin.

Perhaps realizing what was about to happen, the goblin ceased it’s struggling and
looked up at Vahn, an unforgiving hatred preset within the gleam of its eyes.

Releasing the arrow, it penetrated directly between the still glaring eyes as the
body of the goblin spontaneously turned to dust leaving behind a small crystal in
its wake.

Picking up the crystal, Vahn released a repressed sigh. This encounter with the
goblin was far different than his previous struggle of life and death. He had been
in control of the entire situation, and even though the goblin was trapped, Vahn
was able to face it directly and overcome the fear that had settled in his mind.

Looking into the now silent woods, as the sun began its decline towards the
horizon, Vahn added a new goal within his training menu. Other than hunting game,
he would begin subjugating the various monsters that could be found within the
forest. He wanted to become strong enough that he was able to face them without
having to rely on traps. Knowing that it was a necessary step if he ever wanted to
successfully venture into the dungeon, Vahn began to walk towards the next set of
traps...and towards the future that he had decided upon....

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.

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.

-Quest Function Triggered-

[Quest: Destroy the Goblin Tribe]

Rank: (D)

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!

Rewards: Complete activation of the ’Quest’ function, 1x ’Effigy of the Hero’, 1000
Origin Points.

Failure Condition: Death, Goblin Chief escapes, 7 days pass. (Remaining time:
6D23H57M)

Penalty: ’Quest’ function will be sealed until triggered again. -100 Karma

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)

Along the way, he had inquired with Sis about why the quest was suddenly triggered.

(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.)

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."

(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.)

"Ah, that makes sense."

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)

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.

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!

’Display Status’

Name: Vahn Mason

Age: 14

Race: Human, *sealed*

Parameters: Danmachi

-Level:1(0)

-Power: H-146(0) -> E-540(0)

-Endurance: G-203(0) -> F-461(0)

-Dexterity: I-95(0) -> F-407(0)

-Agility: H-153(0) -> E-519(0)

-Magic: H-130(0) -> G-299(0)

Soul Strength: Tier 1 (Mortal Soul)

Karma:209

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.

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’.

’Bow Mastery’

Rank:(F)

Increases accuracy when equipped with a bow. Provides slightly enhanced vision when
the user focuses.

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’.

’Stealth’

Rank:(F)

An active ability that allows the user to conceal their presence. Prolonged use of
the skill has diminishing returns.

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.

"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."

(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.)

"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.

"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?"

(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.)

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.
"Is there anything unique about the Chief that would separate him from other
goblins?" he inquired hoping for any information that could prove useful.

(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.)

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...

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.

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.

"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."

(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.)

"I understand."

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.

"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?"

(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...)

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.

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.

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.

’Runic Tempered Yew Shortbow’

Rank: (B), Magic

Slots: 3

P.Atk: 0+0(x30)

M.Atk: 0+0(x30)

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.

’Runic Tempered Bone Arrows’

Rank: (B), Magic

Slots: 0

P.Atk: 0

M.Atk: 0

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.

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.

"THIS THING IS AMAZING," he exclaimed causing an echo to sound within the cavern.

He stared blankly at the arrows, trying his hardest to focus on channeling his
energy into one of them...

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.

(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.)

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.

*sound of an arrow disintegrating*

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.

"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.

"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?"

(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.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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’.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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?"
(Certainly Vahn. Analyzing data...please confirm the coordinates on the updated
coordinate on your map.)

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.

After retreating about 200m, Vahn had a moment of inspiration as he faced towards
the direction of the goblin camp...

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.

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...

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

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.

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.

’Handloomed Shadowsilk Tunic’

Rank:(D)

Slots:2

P.Def: 1

M.Def: 30

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.
’Scout’s Ghillie Mantle’

Rank:(F)

Slots:0

P.Def: 2

M.Def: 0

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 a.d.u.l.t. 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...

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.

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...

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.
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.

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.

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.

He looked at the time remaining for the quest: 2D03H17M

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.

"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..."

(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.)

"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."

(Understood. I’ll keep running simulations to try and find a solution as you take
further action.)

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.

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...

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.

’Small Explosive Charge’ (10 OP)

Rank:(E)

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

Noting the sun had risen above the horizon Vahn checked the remaining quest time:
1D17H12M.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
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.

*BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!*

That was the last sound the Chief ever heard as a searing wave engulfed his body
and darkness claimed him.

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