endless path, infinite cosmos

chapter 22

Vahn had gone to sleep early the previous day, so he had awoken at 2 AM. Since he was unable to make much progress yesterday, he wanted to immediately head back into the dungeon. He might have been able to slaughter his way through the 2nd floor, but since he wasn't in full control at the time he wanted to better understand the uses of [Will of the Emperor].

He checked out of the ward and they issued him a bill for 20,000V, which he would have to repay within 30 days. Though it was more money than he had ever possessed, he wasn't too worried about being able to earn enough. 20,000V was considerably less than the 1,000,000OP required for his quest after all...

The medical ward was located within the first floor of Babel and was run in cooperation with the Guild. They took care of any adventurers that were rescued and even sold potions and items to aid continued progression into the dungeon. This also meant that the ward was located relatively close to the entrance of the 1st upper floor, so Vahn didn't have to travel far after leaving.

As he passed the registration booths near the entrance, a familiar face caught his attention. He noticed Nicholas staring directly at him with an intimidating expression. Since Nicholas seemed to be dealing with another adventurer, and he also wanted to avoid a lecture, Vahn gave a slight bow before continuing down the stairs. He could feel a gaze on his back as a chill crept down his spine which caused him to shudder a bit.

Vahn made his way through the corridor that had been registered as 'The Beginner's Road' on his map and continued along his previously explored path. He wanted to try his hand at dealing with the 2nd floor, so he put off mapping the rest of the dungeon until later. As he descended the stairs, he discovered the barrier barring his entrance to the third floor had vanished. Resisting his urge to investigate, Vahn following his original intention and entered the door to the second floor.

He noticed that the spawn rate of monsters on this floor was marginally higher than that of the previous level. Due to the fact paths began to diverge after passing the main corridor, there were very few situations where those venturing into the dungeon crossed paths. This meant there were plenty of monsters and Vahn would have to fight them alone.

He equipped his sword into his main-hand equipment slot and mentally activated [Will of the Emperor]. He felt a surge of energy swell from his abdomen and extend to every part of his body. A cooling sensation similar to when he was using [Pain Tolerance] spread in his mind and he could feel the presence of an invisible force extending around him. He was vaguely aware that this was his 'Domain', and any kobolds nearby seemed to hesitate to approach within 20m.

As none of the monsters seemed willing to approach, Vahn took the opportunity to check and see if any of his parameters changed while the skill was active. Unfortunately, they had all remained the same, but Vahn was able to discover that the cone displaying his line of sight in the minimap had now grown into a full circle.

The circle spread out for 21.8m from his position, and Vahn became aware that any creatures within the radius had their location indicated on the map. As long as the skill was active he would be able to track monsters, even if they were behind him. Due to the spiritual nature of the domain, it could even pass through solid objects allowing him to see rudimentary details of corridors beyond walls. (A/N: It doesn't let him 'map' things like his minimap, but more like the vague way his larger map does things. He would still have to look at things closely to enhance the details...at least for now~)

Vahn walked towards the closest kobold and began to channel mana into the blade. He was surprised to notice that the runes began to glow instantly, but wasn't sure if it was due to his greater magic capacity or a byproduct of [Will of the Emperor].

The sword became light in his hand and he charged towards the kobold who seemed reluctant to fight back. It got on all fours and tried to lunge at Vahn in a manner similar to his first encounter. Unlike then, Vahn was now able to easily keep track of the movements of the monster due to the increase in his attributes. He was easily able to intercept its path and bisect the kobold at the waist.