Jason is about to ask something when the trainer smirks, “Now you might ask why you don’t have the skill yet. If this was the regular war stomp, you would have. However because the real version of the skill is so focused on using it with multiple powers you have to do just that. Energy is the easiest for you to use with it because you’re already used to doing so. The next source you might use should either be something like your hp which you are already used to losing or one of the other auxiliary stats.”
Jason tilts his head to one side and asks, “why specifically the auxiliary stats? Won’t the main stats work just as well?”
She shrugs, “less detrimental to you. Auxiliary stats tend towards being things you use such as your Energy or hp. Even defense can be used such as a berserker getting stronger the less they have. Your normal stats on the other hand are less something you use up and more of something you check against. Are you strong enough to lift the boulder, is skeleton tough enough to not break when hit, and are you agile enough to dodge the blow.”
“Not saying you can’t use them as a source of power for the skill. In fact, besides maybe your Energy they will be some of your more powerful options. On the other hand they don’t recover as fast. In fact, some of the things you can use won’t naturally recover at all. As a traveller you don’t have a lifespan like us natives do but that is the best example. Once someone uses some of their life up, it isn’t coming back. Maybe with training and levels they will increase their remaining amount but what has been used is just gone. Oh, and I guess xp counts as this sort of thing? Just so easy to get more of it I don’t really count it and it isn’t as powerful as most other permanent losses tend to be.”
Jason nods, “Okay, so avoid using strength because I end up being a wimp until it can recover. Though wouldn’t this be the perfect time to use them? We are in a training dream after all.”
The trainer shrugs again, “you could. I wouldn’t advise it though. Yes, using strength to power it in here won’t have lasting effects it won’t be any good for training. You need to actually use it for real to get the full effect. Otherwise when you do use it the unexpected results of losing strength or whatever can knock you out of the fight quicker than any enemy.”
Jason rolls his eyes, “fine, lets just go with stamina. Just give me a second.” He sits down and focuses on himself. While traveling on the roads before there was just a touch of something happening. He already knew it was from his stamina being used but now he needs to find the source. It takes time but he is able to find his stamina flowing through his body as faint green streams even as he rests.
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Having gotten ahold of it Jason is able to follow it back to the source or at least where it all gathers. There is a point between his lungs that every stream of his stamina goes through on its path. He nods to himself as that would be good enough to use the skill. Jason stands up and stretches.
Ready he moves over to another dummy and sets up the runes. With that he pulls off a stream of stamina from the crossroads between his lungs and feeds it in. As it travels through the three runes its green color intensifies and then bursts out as a beam the same color as the greenest leaves on a tree or the freshest grass. This beam follows the same sort of pattern as the other times except with new runes and instead of every possible color the new beams are all shades of green.
Once the power reaches his leg an even bigger change happens. Instead of normal runes the stamina runes take on shapes more reminiscent of roots. Then when it gathers at his ankle the rune there takes on the shape of an upside down flower bud.
With the skill now ready Jason stomps on the new dummy. As his foot descends the flower bud rune blooms outward, a brilliant shade of ruby red. Each petal razor sharp, slicing through the wood as if it wasn’t even there. Then as his attack ends the bloom rapidly turns black and wilts away.
The teacher claps, “Wonderful! With Energy your skill is useful but quite dependent on how your Energy compares to the enemy's power. Stamina however has taken on a more physical approach. Maybe not as useful against enemies made of stuff like metal but more useful against the classic glass cannon caster types. Also, it is a little hard to tell with the wooden dummies but I suspect there might be a touch of rot or stagnation incorporated in that last bit. You need to test it on real enemies to know for sure but it will make healing wounds dealt by it much harder. Though the plant iconography it has taken on is a little weird. Do you have some connection with plants?”
Jason shrugs, “I have the farming skill from raising glowy weeds.”
“Hmm”, she holds her chin and thinks for a moment, “that could do it. I always find it interesting to dig into what each manifestation of the skill means. Likely something about your farming skill has deeply affected your stamina on some level.”
Jason combs his fingers through his hair as he thinks. “Well, I do most of my cultivation with my little garden out. In fact, the reason I use the glowy weed is to help filter out the power in the air that I don’t need.”
The trainer smacks her fist into her palm, “that explains it! You’ve absorbed more than your fair share of plant filtered power through your body. You should consider picking up a defense skill like barkskin as I think it will synergize with you quite well. Try to find something like that which uses stamina to power it. Your stamina is already changed to be closer to plants so you can probably use such a skill at less of a cost and to better effect.”