A brief break had to be taken so that a certain green skinned hulk of a creature could relieve himself. As he made his way back over with lumbering steps Vincent shook his head and continued…
"Those three abilities in particular wreaked havoc on my body, mind and Soul. But eventually they acclimated and I began to change, getting stronger…" Gildarts leaned on closely, curiosity written on his face as Vincent continued unabated.
"The next ability I achieved was somewhat similar to the prior three in terms of shape but with distinct differences in functionality."
Rejuvenation (rare) Your heart is the sun at the center of the universe that is your soul. Yours shines particularly bright within the Nexus. Due to the 'rare' rarity, gain a small bonus to all incoming and outgoing sources of healing per skill level. +25% vitality. Grants the perk: second wind. (Passive skill)
He couldn't help but realize that at the current moment, even without his percentage buffs, his Vitality was his highest stat, being well over one hundred. Not only that but it had actually nearly breached 200. It could even be amplified multiple times over by meditation, food, and other such means. He couldn't help but wonder if that was the stat that allowed him to go weeks without food… It didn't seem incredibly potent in terms of healing alone. Even being nearly as high as all of his other stats combined, he only healed for around 4 HP a second. It must have served another function altogether..
As each stat increased you typically didn't notice the gain immediately unless you received a massive boost all at once. That felt like an indescribable euphoria but it didn't last long. More importantly was that over time as your stats accumulated you began to feel emotions more intensely, and your physical sensations were all heightened. It felt incredible.
Vitality in particular left one feeling extremely energetic, and able to continue working after only brief moments of rest and his was beginning to reach phenomenal levels. Vincent even began to see changes in his physical body as his stats and skills evolved.
He couldn't be sure but he also had a theory that the higher one's stats were, the faster skills leveled. Whenever a skill received a boost from attributes it typically contributed to the leveling speed as well, he figured.
"Next I discovered berserker rage. It essentially-" He was cut off midway through. "I know what it does. It's one of my primary skills!" Gildarts boasted. 'Of course it is, you big dummy..' Vincent internally thought. He wondered how many skills Gildarts passed in total, or how many was average for a person.
Berserker's rage (rare) raises the user's attack and defense at the cost of intelligence. Due to the 'Rare' rarity lose slightly less intelligence per skill level. (Active skill) (requires 10 intelligence)
Vincent thought it was a particularly interesting skill at the time because not only was it a 25% multiplier on his overall attack and defense, it was also the first skill he had ever seen that consumed stats rather than mana or stamina.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, so anyways.. more recently I unlocked telekinesis but honestly I can lift more on my own with pure strength. I typically only use it to reach things I typically can't or for small tasks when I have my hands full. Not going to lie, sometimes I'm just lazy and don't feel like getting up to do stuff."
Telekinesis (rare) Allows the user to move objects with the strength of their minds alone. Due to the 'Rare' rarity strain of the use decreases and strength of the skill increases a small amount per skill level. Intelligence grants a moderate boost to this skill. (Active skill)
"Before, when I was working the forge during smithing or when I was making certain dishes I would primarily have to use my telekinesis or even worse, my bare hands to separate and mix stuff. So I studied and worked my ass off to discover some abilities to help me with those processes. Thankfully after my smithing, cooking and alchemy all reached a little over 40 my hard work paid off, no doubt due to extreme synchronization in my skills."
Extract (rare) Allows the user to separate elements in a heterogeneous mixture. Primarily used in the smithing, cooking and alchemy. Due to the 'Rare' rarity gain a marginal increase in the accuracy and scope per skill level (Active skill)
Refine (rare) Allows the user to reshape any solid, liquid or gas into a more stable form. The material can not exceed the physical strength of the user. Refining a substance removes impurities and strengthens it's elemental bonds. Primarily used in smithing, cooking and alchemy. Due to the 'Rare' rarity gain a marginal increase in improvements made to a substance per skill level (Active skill)
Combine (rare) Allows the user to force ionic and covalent bonds based on their knowledge of the chemical composition of two or more substances. Primarily used in the smithing, cooking and alchemy. Due to the 'Rare' rarity gain a marginal increase in the strength and scope of forced bonds per skill level (Active skill)
As he finished his explanation for his three utility skills Vincent hesitated. Gildarts, noticing his pause prompted, "what is it?" Vincent shook his head.
"Well nothing really, it's just that's about it. This last skill.. I actually only just unlocked it when I met you. Which I assume is the reason why I can understand you and vice versa."
Advanced communications (epic) grants the user the perk: Omnilingual translation.
Gildarts nodded. "Indeed. It is a skill most acquire upon conversing with another intelligent species possessing any sort of cultural language." He casually explained.
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Vincent frowned. "That's twice now you've said.. intelligence species possessing communications. Like you and I right? So does that mean there are intelligent species that don't possess communication but are still aware? Still have complex thoughts and emotions? They have a God damned consciousness?"
This time it was the Orcs' turn to frown. "I'm not sure why you're getting upset or what kind of place you come from.. but here in the Nexus.. every living creature possesses complex thought."
Vincent's stomach sank as his worst fears were confirmed. In the old world, humanity would often justify taking the lives of less intelligent species because they believed animals as a whole didn't comprehend what death was nor why it occurred. Honestly, it seemed like a really shitty way to justify things, even then. But that's just how it was.
Now, here in the Nexus, if you take another life for XP or sport or any situation really, you were irrefutably harming another sentient soul for personal gain. One that understood the consequences of death. Creature's that spoke amd held beliefs and traditions. They truly loved their mates and offspring. Just like people. What sort of system.. forced you to kill other higher level life forms to grow stronger..?
He supposed those who could communicate could likely coexist without much fanfare but the monster's? The creatures that he had no doubt were designed by the system as cattle for leveling? They had no choice but to follow their nature.
"I see this troubles you." Gildarts interrupted the man's train of thought. Vincent merely nodded numbly. "Of course it would.. you are so pathetic. How could it not?" This time Vincent couldn't resist giving in to the white hot rage that ripped through him.
"What do you know, you bastard!?" He bellowed. "That's the exact same kind of mentality my people had in the old world! Humans believed that if a species wasn't their own it's life held less value and meaning. Pathetic! Do you enjoy taking the lives of others? And for what? A few stats!?"
Vincent didn't know what had happened in the next instant. Gildarts disappeared from his vision and suddenly pain exploded in his abdomen. His abilities didn't even have time to register the action. Gildarts had buried a fist in his gut, doubling him over.
"You forget to whom you speak, boy. I do not enjoy killing no.. but I shall not be weak and pathetic like you. I am the almighty Gildarts! To refuse to kill is to accept death. The moment the Nexus took you into its folds, you were subjected to its suffocating, absolute authority. There is only one rule in this world. Obey that which the Nexus has ordained. You must kill or you will be killed." He finished boldly, raising to his full, towering height above the wheezing Vincent.
The much shorter man looked up defiantly. "I just don't think I can do that."
Gildarts sighed and shrugged. "Then you shall die. Pity. What a waste."
The two of them agreed to part ways for a few days after that. Vincent hadn't had a chance to go over his perks with the lumbering giant but at this point neither of them were in the mood for any more words. Vincent looked at his stats. He had thought before meeting gildarts he was doing good.
In terms of sheer numbers his abilities and stats looked great on paper. In fact they looked ridiculous to him. But when it came to his position in the hierarchy of power it was clear he had barely scratched the surface of the proverbial ocean.
Level: 1
XP 0/1000 (0%)
Class: N/A
Health: 8600/8600
Mana: 4900/4900
SoA (unique) lvl 17 Attk: 93 (+25% BR)(+25% LW)
GE (unique) lvl 10 Defense: 72
All Defense equipment: 112 (+25% BR)(+25% LW)
Stats:
Strength: 69 (+10%)
Endurance: 86 (+10 Elixir) (+10%)
Vitality: 165 (+37%)
Intelligence: 59 (-10 BR) (+10%)
Perception: 54 (+10%)
Agility: 54 (+10%)
Skills:
Sixth sense (rare) lvl 45
Ecology (epic) lvl 30
Complete tranquility (epic) lvl 30
Smithing (common) lvl 53
Farming (common) lvl 52
Sneak (uncommon) lvl 50
Improved dash (epic) lvl 47
Cooking (common) lvl 49
Alchemy (uncommon) lvl 50
Acid resistance (uncommon) lvl 49
Fire resistance (uncommon);lvl 49
Ice resistance (uncommon) lvl 45
Sword and shield (common) lvl 49
Unyielding guard (epic) lvl 35
Unwavering strike (epic) lvl 35
Planta/Plante (rare) lvl 42
Courage (rare) lvl 35
Fireball (uncommon) lvl 49
Ice bolt (uncommon) lvl 49
Geographic inclination. (Uncommon) lvl 40
Dodge. (Common) lvl 49
Enhanced toughness. (Rare) lvl 37
Hardened skin. (Uncommon) lvl 40
Reinforced bones. (Uncommon) lvl 45
rejuvenation. (Rare) lvl 37
Extract (Rare) lvl 23
Refine (Rare) lvl 21
Combine (Rare) lvl 22
Advanced communications. (Epic) Lvl 1.
Berserker rage. (Rare) lvl 45
telekinesis. (Rare) lvl 40
Unparalleled physical fitness (legendary) lvl 24
Bleeding heart (legendary) lvl 20
Perks:
Will to survive II +2% vitality
Smithing +3 strength and agility
Limit breaker + 20 endurance +5 strength
Camouflage. Harder to detect +5 Agility.
Connoisseur. Cooking, crafting, alchemy knowledge. +5 Intelligence and Perception.
Ecologist. Ecology. +25 perception.
Fortitude II Grants the user a permanent + 10 in strength and agility
marquis of science. Grants +10 intelligence
Transmutation grants knowledge of the atomic structure of all things +5 intelligence
Gourmet chef. boost from food. +10 Vitality
Honor. to live by the way of the sword and shield is to live by one's honor. Whenever facing an enemy one on one, gain a 25% increase in attack and defense. Receive greatly reduced damage from sneak attacks. +10 strength +5 agility
Sanguine toxicity. Lifebringer plus toxic affinity. Toxic blood. Heals allies. Used as a catalyst in most crafts. +20 vitality +10 endurance
Second wind. Restores the user's health and stamina once per battle.
Lone wolf. Gain +10% to all stats when not in a party or fighting with allies. +5 to all stats
A wailing significance demands to be felt. With the phrase 'feel my pain. Bleeding heart!' User shares half of all damage received with the target. +100 vitality. +25 endurance
Unparalleled physical fitness. Grants 1 point to strength, endurance and agility per level. Grants 2 points per level to vitality.
Trial(s) available:
Expert smithy+ (lvl 50 smithing)
Somatic expression (Complete tranquility lvl 25)
Acute dynamic movement (lvl 25 Improved dash)
Atomic scrutiny (lvl 25 Ecology)
Explosive growth (lvl 25 Planta/plante)
?????
Gladiator (lvl 25 Berserker rage)
Biologic metamorphosis ( lvl 25 Enhanced toughness)
Introduction to the Astral plane (lvl 25 Telekinesis)
Unparalleled physical fitness lvl 24
The flaming lord of despair appears! (Lvl 50 Fire resistance)
Vincent whistled. So much had changed in the year and some odd months he'd been here. he had changed. Honestly a large part of his stats came from his legendary skills but even without those he had grown tremendously.
He looked at his perk, lone wolf. combined with honor it seemed he would be a truly ridiculous solo fighter. Or at least he would be, if he ever found other people around his level to associate with, that is.
The other perk that he had unlocked was Sanguine toxicity. That had been a blessing from a guardian angel. He would never forget how surprised he had been when two of his perks had combined to form a stronger one…
Congratulations! Synchronization detected!.. recalculating..
Congratulations! Your perks, Lifebringer and Toxic affinity have fused to become… Sanguine toxicity!
He did a lot of research on combining skills and perks after that. From what he understood it was entirely possible for essentially any skill or perk to be combined with another if their calorific flow was compatible. He couldn't help but wonder if it were possible to create skill sets, and was there a benefit to doing so if it were?
Shaking his head he began his trek back to the cave. Another thing that really bothered him was the trial with question marks. It was completely grayed out and he couldn't select it even if he wanted to. He wasn't even sure which skill had unlocked the trial.
Gildarts had left him on his own so he hoped he could avoid running into any predators that felt like crushing him for mere sport today. He was exhausted. He felt as if he were some walking plot device that had just been used to describe a whole year's worth of skills because some lazy writer chose to use a time skip instead of actually establishing a decent storyline to get us to this point… Life truly was strange.
End of chapter 12 2/2.