Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn spent the remainder of the evening preparing his items and equipment. Maintenance was something he regularly performed on his gear ever since he noticed the physical attack power going down when the blades began to dull.

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....