Gregor shrugs, “Anyway, this is just the System rewarding you for the quest and providing you an incentive to follow through on the dungeon once you are there.”
Jason raises an eyebrow, “So what I’m reading into this is there is some kind of catch to the dungeon?”
Gregor chuckles, “Why yes, yes, there is a catch. I’m not going to tell you what it is of course. That would ruin the fun.”
Jason rolls his eyes, “So I noticed that while I have the tougher side of the quest, the rewards are the same?”
Gregor nods, “You might have the tougher quest, but as far as the System is concerned the subjective difficulty will be about the same. Also, don’t assume the easy path is actually easy. Part of why I went with a quest is it will assure a smooth leveling experience for them. They won’t show up at the first detour only to find a third break monster chilling out. On the other hand, it won’t just hand them the reward.”
Jason shakes his head, “Whatever, from what I can see the plan is good enough. If there isn’t anything else, I want to get back to my room. I have something to check on.”
Courtney looks at Rosha who nods back at her, “We should be fine with this. It sounds like we have decent control over our trip. That and while Gregor,” and she glares over at him, “Isn’t going to tell us more about the monsters along the way. There isn’t anything to stop me from researching it on my own. If anything, it will probably be considered as part of the quest.”
Jason stretches and stands up. “Okay, sounds like a plan. See you tomorrow for breakfast.”
Once back in his room Jason sprawls out on the bed as he mutters to himself. “Been a while since I’ve checked my status. [System, show me my full status please.]
Basic Info
Name: Jason
Race: Human
Level: 14 - 3.63%
Legal Status: Player
Title: Core Genius
Normal Stats
- Strength 42 ( 28[Base] + 10[Eq] + 4[Set] )
- Toughness 56 ( 42[Base] + 10[Eq] + 4[Set] )
- Agility 53 ( 39[Base] + 10[Eq] + 4[Set] )
- Control 20 ( 20[Base] )
Auxiliary Stats
- Defense 42 ( 30[Eq] + 12[Set] )
- Stamina 32 ( 32[Base] )
- HP 106
- Energy 10
Organizations
Adventurers Guild - Basic Member - Rank D
Odd Ones Out - Team Member - Leader
Bonuses
Knowledge Bonuses:
- +2% success rate when using an Energy Herb as an ingredient or growing one.
- Ability to identify the maturity of a Herb with relevant Identify Skills
- +3% malleability to inner self
- +5% damage bonus against cats
- +5% damage bonus against swarms
Discovery Bonuses:
- +2% success rate when using an Energy Herb or growing one
- Able to get a feeling for the maturity of a Herb without a skill
- Control of Experience intake
- Increased chance to learn power manipulation skills
Bottleneck Bonuses:
- Roaming Loam - The material you grow plants in will absorb nature based energies from the land as you travel
Titles:
- Willful Survivor - Increased ability to affect the System through your Will
- Core Genius - Provides feedback on how suitable your current location is for your cultivation technique and hints on how to improve it
- Body Cultivator of Pure Energy - Formed from the titles "Pure Being", "Body Cultivator", and "Energy Controller"
- Energy Cycle Genius - Gives warning when Energy draw could destabilize the cycle
- Combat Monk - Increase gains from mediation while fighting
Skills
Energetic Body Reinforcement
Accepting only purity of body and mind you have given up past concepts of self for the uncertainty of truth.
Apprentice Level 8 - 1.41% [ +2Lv 1.41% ]
Rarity: Truth
Type: Passive, Cultivation
Effects:
- Filtering Cycle - Gain only 10% of absorbed energies but they are extremely pure
- Purity of energy - Because of the purity of your energy higher levels have a lower scaling on what is needed to level up and the energy does more
- Body/Mind Unification - Your inner self has stabilized allowing you as much control of your body as you have over your mind
- Energized Flesh - Can hit incorporeal things for 41% of normal damage with body
- Material Body (Wood) - With time your body can become like living metal or hard like a diamond
- Untainted Core - No longer is your body that of a normal mortal as your heart has stopped but you haven’t. Your body doesn’t attempt to mimic internals so status effects like broken bones heal twice as fast because you don’t have any
Desolate Traversal Technique
A combination of traditional parkour and energy use. While considered a basic skill it is highly ranked among them. Generally learned by rogues it is however open for anyone to learn. This skill has ranked up through comprehension of parkour being about efficiency of movement. A rare feat as it has been noted by an unnamed master that, “teaching a man parkour isn’t about how to jump over walls but rather beating into them that most of the time you should just walk through the gate”.
Apprentice Level 9 - 99.99%
Rarity: Uncommon
Type: Passive, Movement
Effects:
- Traction Assist - Based on predicted goal the System will modify the friction between user and any surfaces they are in contact with
- Powered Grip - Through the use of energy a user is able to temporarily stick to surfaces
- Distanceless Step - A combination of efficient movement and unconscious Energy use makes each step travel just as far as it needs to, including farther than it visually should have
Energetic Poison and Venom Resistance
One of the rare active skill based resistances. While still able to passively provide benefits, this skill really shines when directly used. As there are many types of poison and venom the System has decided it is best like this rather than a stat as this allows more variety without littering the stat line with entries like ‘elven paralysis poison resistance’. Uses the best percentage.
Initiate Level 3 - 2.67% [ +1.14% ]
Rarity: Exquisite Beginner
Type: Passive/Active, Energy, Adaptive
Effects:
- Willful Purge - Able to send charges of Energy through the body to break down poison and venom in the body
- Poison Resistances -
- Immunity to Trash rank pain and paralysis poisons
- Trash rank non-damaging poison resistance - 72%
- Trash rank poison resistance - 36%
- Low Normal rank poison resistance - 15%
- Normal rank paralysis poison resistance - 33%
- Normal rank poison resistance - 11%
- Venom Resistances -
- Trash rank paralysis venom resistance - 72%
- Trash rank non-damaging venom resistance - 22%
- Trash rank venom resistance - 10%
- Low Normal rank venom resistance - 1%
- Alcohol resistance -
- Normal rank monster alcohol resistance - 5%
- Normal rank alcohol resistance - 5%
Body Blast
What started as just a variant of Blast Punch meant for Energy Users has evolved into something much less restricted. The biggest feature of this new skill is the ability to any part of the body as a weapon to project the blast from. Not much else is known about the skill yet as the creator is still shaping it.
Apprentice Level 2 - 31.18%
Rarity: Variant Beginner
Type: Energy Attack
Effects:
- Frugal - This attack only uses energy on a successful hit
- Pure Force - Not affected by most types of resistance
- Armor Piercing - As the attack partially forms inside the enemy some damage will ignore armor. At the current level this distance is short and so will not pierce equipment or exceptionally thick natural armor.
Herb Farming
You have shown yourself to be proficient at this classic skill. Don’t look down on it as these lands contain many mysterious plants with uncountable effects. Though you seem to have already taken a step towards understanding this.
Apprentice Level 3 - 74.23% [ +2Lv 74.23% ]
Rarity: Uncommon
Type: Passive, Production
Effects:
- Sub-Skill Acquisition (Farming) - Allows one to gain the sub-skills related to farming
- Harvest [Apprentice+]
- Analysis (Plant) [Apprentice+]
- Distillation [Initiate]
- Analysis (Farming) [Initiate]
- Land Sense - Grants a sense for the condition of any area you could grow your plants
- Growth Assist - Plants under your constant care grow up to 10% faster
- Specialty (Herb) - Having gained the skill through exclusively growing one type of plant, all effects of the Farming skill and Bonuses are doubled for it
- Harvesting Common Sense - With the knowledge of all basic harvesting methods you will be prompted with the best way to harvest plant that you know of and slightly increase the success rate of harvesting
War Stomp
A classic powered kick attack. Despite the tendency for it to be used with Qi the skill can be powered with any type of resource pool. The different power sources will cause different effects to happen and so the possibilities of this skill are technically unlimited.
Initiate Level 9 - 41.63% [ +2Lv 41.63% ]
Rarity: Common
Type: Primal Energy Attack
Effects:
- Primal Simplicity - Through uncountable iterations the creator of this skill has reduced it to the most simple form which allows for an impressive speed of use
- Inheritance - This version of the skill was personally learned from the creator and there is a possibility of others being able to recognize this, however the skill is easier to advance because of the more in depth teaching you recieved
- Potential - The creator of this skill does not believe in perfection and so it will grow with the user, more so than other skills
- Otherworldly - The first of the main runes of this skill is based off of knowledge and shapes from outside of NeoRealm which makes deciphering the skill harder with System skills
- Banked Spiral - The second of the main runes of this skill is a simple spiral and this simplicity allows it to direct the power more efficiently than others would expect and the skill needs less power as a result
- Core Sensibility - The third and final of the main runes of this skill is the users own core rune which provides a very personal touch and means the attack will never harm the user no matter the size or power of it
- Free Form - Because of an in depth knowledge of formless martial arts the skill can now be freely used instead of just with a stomp attack
- Clad - For double the expenditure and an upkeep cost this skill can become a continuous effect
- Variable Attack -
- Never Ending Threads - When the skill is used with Energy the attack will shatter into thousands of threads which will continue to shred the target until an opposing power wears it down
- Runic Bloom - When the skill is used with Stamina a flower bud rune will bloom outward causing the razor sharp petals to slice through the target and when finished the bloom will rapidly wilt and any wounds in contact with it will become harder to heal
Wealth
Money
- 47 Gold
- 74 Silver
- 208 Copper
Property
- N/A
Businesses
- N/A
Pets and Companions
Non-Combat Pets [0/2]
- [Open]
- [Open]
Combat Pets [0/1]
- [Open]
Companions
- Lily - Female Rabbit Free - Level 1
Equipment
Living Amber Skeletal System
Description:
This masterpiece of magical items is the opposite of the undead. While undead are the living that are killed and turned into magical items, this is a magical item turned into a living piece of a creature. An intricately carved full skeleton made entirely of Magical Amber. It was then hollowed out leaving just the barest of a lattice work. When magically implanted into the host, the bone marrow was grafted into these cavities. Because of difficulties and dangers that appear when trying to enchant a living creature they have instead been imbued with magic.
Effects:
- Sap like Blood - The blood produced by the marrow is more viscous and sticky when it leaves the body. Slower bleed rate and more likely to stop bleeding
- Crafted Bones - Because of the material and structure, the bones are tougher and can take an impact easier
- One and the Same - Despite being a magical item they will not show up as a separate item and only appear under the possessors character screen. Any attempt at removal will face the same difficulties as removing a person's actual bones.
- Soulbound - Not even death will part you from this item
Bonuses:
- +5 [base] toughness
- +5 [base] hp
‘BlueIron Rust’ Electrolysis Ritual Circle
Description:
An impossible ritual that crystallized directly in the lungs of the Traveller Jason. Through BlueIron’s innate electrical nature this formation can break down water into its components and capture the resulting breathable elements. This will allow for sustained underwater activities as long as Energy flows through it. As a side benefit the ritual will also expel any unwanted matter from the lungs at an additional Energy cost whenever desired. Best used when leaving the water to expel any remaining water.
Effects:
- Sustained Water Breathing - Separates water into breathable gas as long as Energy is directed through the ritual circle
- Gunk Expelling - Clear the lungs of unwanted matter (including water when not submerged) at an Energy cost
- Efficient Breathing - Even when not being powered the ritual will passively collect air better providing better stamina recovery
- Soulbound - Not even death will part you from this item
Bonuses:
- +3 [base] Stamina
Complete Weaponless Rabbit Leather Martial Arts Beginners Set
Set Items:
- Beginners Rabbit Leather Helm
- Beginners Rabbit Leather Jerkin
- Beginners Rabbit Leather Arm Guards
- Beginners Rabbit Leather Belt
- Beginners Rabbit Leather Grieves
- Beginners Rabbit Leather Boots
Description:
An Exquisitely crafted set of gear made entirely out of the cheapest quality of Rabbit Leather. Only through years of research and many crafters blood, sweat, and tears was this level of quality reached while keeping such a low price. All the pieces of this set have been specially created to be swapped between several configurations and thus there is no step by step set bonuses for it. A pair of boots, greaves, and a bastard sword are just as valid of a complete set as wearing something in every equipment slot. As for how it looks. Best way to put it is they tried.
Effects:
- (Boots) Bunny Hop - Provides a 1% non-stacking bonus to jump height
Bonuses:
- +30 Defense
- +10 Agility
- +10 Strength
- +10 Toughness
Set Bonuses:
- +12 Defense
- +4 Agility
- +4 Strength
- +4 Toughness
‘Sealed Silver’ Snips
Description:
A pair of gardening snips meant for harvesting plants. The snips are plated in Sealed Silver. This metal when used to cut something prevents the flow of energy though the slightest resistance will remove this effect. Perfect for harvesting plants as it stops the leaking of any natural energies.
Small Critter Protection Harness
Description:
An odd harness made by an odder ork. Built into the shoulder is a protective cage meant to shelter small animals. When in use the cage is shifted away from the current dimension to provide an extra level of safety. While the harness itself looks average, the material used is leather from an elder glutton wolf, a distant relative of Fenrir by way of Skoll and Hati. The creator has focused all magics woven into this device on the safety of the animal and so provides no bonuses to the wearer. Because of this you can wear the harness over or under other magical gear with no fear of unexpected interactions.
Throwing Daggers x5
Description:
Basic iron throwing daggers crafted by a journeymen smith. While the material and shape are nothing special, the smith used a special heritage technique in the crafting of this set of daggers. This elevates them to the status of graded items.
Grade: Low Normal (technique)
Effects:
- Slip-through - The blade is able to slip through things like foliage with great ease
Small Porcelain Jar of Redeath Rose Essential Oil x2
Description:
Oil that has been steam distilled from the immature flower of a Redeath Rose Slug. This oil contains a large amount of Nature Mana and is aligned with countering the energies related to the undead through subsuming said energy to fuel its own growth. If sprinkled on a corpse, the oil will prevent it from rising as an undead for ten days. When applied to a weapon while the oil remains, any undead hit will receive extra damage and the weapon will ignore any defenses based on the undead’s natural powers. Can be used as an ingredient to add anti-undead properties into other things.
Grade: Normal (ingredient, magic oil)
Effects:
- Gentle Repose - Prevents a body from being turned into an undead by consuming undead powers that would attempt to do so, though the Nature Mana will fade after ten days.
- Undead Bane - Provides +2d6 damage against undead and penetrates up to ten points of defense and damage reduction provided undead aligned powers. This effect lasts for one hour until the Nature Mana fades.
- Undead Protection - If applied to the head will protect against possession by ghosts up to the third break. This protection lasts for either 24 hours or until the person next sleeps.
After looking it over, Jason scrunches his eyes shut. ‘Okay, my cultivation technique has advanced nicely. Though I have a feeling the last level mostly came from messing with my lines. Besides that, my movement skill has been bottlenecked it seems. I must be missing something. On the other hand, herb farming has come along nicely. Gaining almost three levels for something I do in my ever limited spare time is impressive.’
‘And of course most important is my attack skills. Body blast has shot up a couple levels and change. More interesting is war stomp, though. Just a bit more experience and the skill should rank up. Though I fully expect it to bottleneck for a moment as well. I will probably need to add at least one more power type to it.’
Jason shakes his head and sighs. His current abilities are advancing alright and he can expect them to really bloom on the trip. It however doesn’t change the fact that except for a few numbers getting bigger not much has changed. He hadn’t even managed to finish learning the power expulsion skill. That will have to change, and quickly. Jason hasn’t felt the pressure yet, but at the very least the System won’t let him ride on the coattails of his previous life’s experience.
But not much he can do about it tonight. Instead of turning the problem over in his head some more he closes his eyes and logs out.
Waking up in his pod, he doesn’t waste time. With the time ratio between NeoRealm and real life, it hadn’t been even six hours since he stopped cultivating and he really needed to strike while the irons hot. Jason had just removed all the incompatible powers so before more could sneak in he should figure out how to solidify his first stage.
If he was back in his old world, that would be straight forward enough. If he tried to copy his foundation from his previous life, it would be wishful thinking on his part. With so many powers, something has to be different and finding out how to properly build upon that will be the biggest hurdle yet.
Jason moves to the living room and before settling down goes through a series of stretches. Not the routine he would use before exercising, though. Rather, he focuses on loosening up his core muscles and making sure his spine is relaxed. He sits down and with a deep breath, turns his mind’s eye inward. As luck would have it, his dantian is exactly how it was with no new powers. The perfect starting point.
Not knowing what all the powers do he settles in for the most tedious and stressful thing. One by one he separates out a small section of each power and tests them. Not only to figure out what each does, but to do a final removal of any undesirable elements. Maybe break down some composite powers as well, or build some composite powers. No way to know till he tries it.
Then in what feels like way too short of a time Jason’s alarm alerts him that he needs to get back to NeoRealm. Though the feeling isn’t quite wrong. He had set up the alarm earlier than usual so he could get some natural sleep. Though how a full night of sleep in NeoRealm works as well as irl sleep is another fun mystery that pops into his mind just as he goes under.
The question is interesting, but even with the time difference back in his favor Jason just does not have enough time to think about it right now. Instead, all that he can afford is some shut eye. His final thoughts as he drifts off is that once he is rich, he should look into the accelerated sleep options. Because apparently the pod can’t be satisfied with a normal amount of breaking common sense and can give you at least twice the ratio for sleep. Ten times if you are comparing it to real life. An absolutely silly thing that for some reason Jason can’t remember ever heard be questioned.
Shouldn't Lily be a Free Rabbit?
Yes, I need to stop having duplicate info spread around that doesn't automatically update.
Um wasnt lily same level as jason? Why in his full status is she described as level 1
Thanks for the chapter
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Have a great day
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