endless path, infinite cosmos

chapter 20

Vahn progressed further into the dungeon until he found a staircase leading deeper into the dungeon. After a brief hesitation, he decided to head down so he could test his new sword. He continued onwards until the staircase opened to another floor. Looking beyond the door he could see the staircase continued further on, but when he tried to pass he felt a resistance preventing him from passing.

Sticking out his hand as a test, he was able to feel a membrane that became increasingly resistant based on how much pressure he applied. Out of curiosity, he even backed up and swung his sword to try and cut through the invisible barrier.

Though it seemed to cut through easily at first, after progressing 30-40cm he felt a sudden rebounding force. Caught off guard, the sword was sent flying and Vahn felt a warm sensation coming from his now numb hand. Looking down he saw blood dripping from his the skin between his thumb and forefinger. The rebound had completely severed the soft flesh between the two fingers.

("I didn't think that one through properly. But at least I was able to understand the limits of my sword a bit. It might have enhanced sharpness, but a strong enough resistive force can overwhelm the enchantment.")

After treating his wound using a low-grade healing potion obtained from the system, Vahn continued into the 2nd floor of the dungeon.

The 2nd floor was very similar to the 1st. The biggest difference was the sheer number of paths to explore. As he began exploring the floor Vahn finally encountered his first new monster. Standing around 130cm tall and covered in mangy greyish fur Vahn was able to identify the creature as a Kobold. It possessed the head of a dog and seemed to have a lazy expression as it shambled through down the corridor.

Though he was momentarily overcome by the instinct to use his bow, Vahn quickly put the idea to the back of his mind. He got into what he thought was a proper stance and began to awkwardly step towards the Kobold.

Noticing his presence, the Kobold looked towards the approaching human before breaking out into a mad sprint. It was much faster than a goblin and possessed the ability to run on all fours which increased its ability to make sudden changes in direction.

Once it got in range Vahn tried swinging his sword into the kobolds path. As the sword traced an arc through the air, the Kobold used it's nimble movements to easily dodge under the path of the blade.

Using the time he was off-balanced during the swing, the kobold leaped into his stomach and began to sink its sharp canines into the flesh of Vahns abdomen.

Before he could respond to the sudden pain, the kobold began to jerk it's head side-to-side as it tried to tear the flesh from Vahn's stomach. In a panic, Vahn dropped his sword and tried to grab the head of the kobold to prevent it from moving. As a response the Kobold began to use the jagged claws on its hands to fiercely claw away, causing lacerations all over Vahns chest and arms.

As the pain threshold continued to rise, Vahn felt the familiar cooling sensation spread through his mind as blood began to pool in the back of his throat. Mustering his strength he turned towards the wall and rammed his body, with the kobold between it, with the greatest force he could muster.

The Kobold finally released it's jaw from Vahns abdomen only to change it's target to his left thigh. Feeling the fresh pain coming from his leg, Vahn used the remainder of his fading consciousness to equip the dagger he had stored in his inventory. He took the dagger and began to stab into the back of the kobold over and over until it finally turned to dust.

Vahn collapsed, back to the wall, and looked at his stomach where he could see a deep black blood slowly oozing from what looked like his liver. He also saw the bright crimson blood which flowed like a tide from the torn blood vessels and arteries. Seeing the bright blood he began to have flashbacks to how he died in his previous...