Chapter 106: Chapter 105 – About Money

Jason groans while he stretches out his arms. He just finished a once over of all those System messages and is a little disappointed. For most people it would contain all the info they need at this point. His special circumstance and the bit of research done makes them not as comprehensive. For instance, it mentions that the level suppression from powerful enemies was increased. It hints at what it does but doesn’t actually tell him anything. As luck would have it, the info was not locked behind the level ten blackout. Jason had looked it up before he even started the game or rather it came up in some of his other searches. Level suppression is why he didn’t try to fight enemies over one bottleneck ahead of him.

Jason big trick is to use targeted hits to cause fatal damage. What level suppression does in part is to prevent that. The devs didn’t want some lucky level one character to get teleported into a dragon’s brain and kill it. Mostly because one particular alpha tester did just that. So the game now provides an innate shield against physical trauma against anything to low tier. Now not only won’t a level one character kill a dragon if they teleport into its brain. That same dragon won’t die from an entire mountain crashing down on them unless there is a stalactite made of high grade ore right above them. Jason not being able to deal extra damage from targeting organs made it impossible for him to kill anything past the third bottleneck before. Now that they have increased the suppression for him it will be harder to jump levels.

And that is just one example of what isn’t being said. After all, at what point can he no longer use his tactics? Before he knew it would be at two bottlenecks ahead of him. It could now be anything in the next bottleneck or maybe halfway between the next bottleneck and the one after? Plus he now has access to the full breadth of the VRnet. Like the classic internet it has everything on it though unlike it the VRnet limits what you can do by if you have reached level ten in NeoRealm. Now when NeoRealm first came out, you could find all kinds of stuff about it but once it basically took over so much info is under lockdown.

It is kind of hard to keep stuff up about them they don’t want public when they control the money you use. Every government was kicking themselves really hard when they realized it had happened. Once you could easily convert every type of currency into NeoRealm gold and then back into any currency gold became, well, the gold standard. Some places tried to fight back against it. However once NeoRealm offered a better rate to turn that currency into gold but did not offer to convert it back they soon stopped. Mostly after a couple smaller third world countries had every cent of their money not held by the government or collectors turned into NRGold.

The world is lucky that those behind VR technology and NeoRealm itself where very against how disgusting corporations had gotten. Unlike that search engine based company who originally had the motto to not be evil, NeoTech wrote into their core laws what they believed. At first they had a problem with making sure corruption didn’t sneak in but once again controlling all the money helps. That and having advanced near AI level assistants monitor all the high-level employees doesn’t hurt either.

“Welp, I can’t lay here on the ground forever. Need to head back to town and finish up there. Sooner I can get on the road the sooner I can meet with Rosha and her mystery friend. That and I have heard rumors on what happens to your body on logout is tweaked. Before level ten for the most part your body just vanishes. Not sure about now, so when I am back in my inn room a little searching of the net is called for. Honestly, if I wasn’t in the middle of nowhere, it would tempt me to log right now. There should be some kind of ‘so you hit level ten’ welcome post on just about every forum.”

Jason stands up and stretches out again. He has noticed a few oddities in his body but that can wait. For now he can only jog off at a nice ground eating pace. No matter how much he would prefer to avoid it, Fern back at the Scratchy Pinecone will be his best source of info on that sort of thing. Jason might have preferred to ask Andrew about it as he was well informed about System related thing. However he had sent that letter which basically told him to fly off to the middle of the wasteland. Fern has been around long enough and knew some interesting people. She will be able to help at least point him in the right direction.

With his mind busy Jason passes through the goblin free area. Soon enough though his pace gets bogged down by the green little nuisances. With a sigh, he cuts back into the forest and heads directly towards town. The trees make his speed a little slower but without the interruptions he gets back to Wasteland’s Edge within half a day. It is amazing how much faster he can travel when not stopping to hunt. Lily is a bit disgruntled at this point, not having been given much of a chance to come out but that is just how it works out sometimes. As Jason approaches the gates, he realizes he forgot to do something when he first woke up. With a quick command he brings up his character sheet and looks it over. He already knows most of what will have changed but it is still good to check. He did get some titles and such.

---

Basic Info

Name: Jason

Level: 10 - 0.0% [ +1 Lv ]

Legal Status: [ New Player -> Player ]

Title: Willful Survivor

Normal Stats

• Strength 37 ( 23[Base] + 10[Eq] + 4[Set] )
• Toughness 45 ( 31[Base] + 10[Eq] + 4[Set] )
• Agility 45 ( 31[Base] + 10[Eq] + 4[Set] ) [ +4 ]
• Control 10 ( 10[Base] ) [ Unlocked ]

Auxiliary Stats

• Defense 42 ( 30[Eq] + 12[Set] )
• HP 55 [ +15 ]
• Energy 5 [ +1 ]

---

Organizations

Adventurers Guild - Basic Member - Rank [ F -> E+ ]

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

Discovery Bonuses:

• +2% success rate when using an Energy Herb or growing one
• Able to get a feeling for maturity of a Herb without a skill
• Control of Experience intake

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"

---

Skills

Energetic Body Reinforcement

Accepting only purity of body and mind you have given up past concepts of self for the uncertainty of truth.

Initiate Level 9 - 52.62% [ +44.5% ]

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 - Despite any stat limitations your ability to fully control your body strengthens
• Energized Flesh - Can hit incorporeal things for 27% [ +15% ] of normal damage with body
• Material Body (Hard Leather) - With time your body can become like living metal or hard like a diamond [ Leather -> Hard Leather ]
• Untainted Core - No longer does your body 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 6 - 99.3% [ +86.4% ]

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 5 - 0.0%

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 poisons
  • Trash rank non-damaging poison resistance - 52%
  • Trash rank poison resistance - 34%
  • Low Normal rank poison resistance - 10%
  • Normal rank poison resistance - 1%

• 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%

 

Blast Punch (Variant)

You are reading story NeoRealm – Staring Back Into the Future at novel35.com

The normal Blast Punch is a ranged mana based skill similar to burning hands. A magic user would concentrate pure Mana around his fist then punch the air sending out a glowing ball of pure magic. Someone developed this skill to help fire mages counter low level fire based enemies. Preferred over the mana missile skill as the user does not have to focus on guiding it and thus allow dodging directly after use. However, that is not this skill. Not only has it been changed to use Energy instead of Mana it is no longer ranged. This Blast Punch is like the classic one inch punch, trying to get the most out of a short distance. However, instead of focusing the body’s explosive strength into a small burst of motion this skill focuses the users Energy. While someone can use it with a regular punch as long as the fist is punching the skill will work. This change causes the skill to no longer be ranged but as a tradeoff the Energy will only be used on a hit and some Energy will be pushed directly into the enemy providing armor piercing.

Initiate Level 1 - 0.0% [ +1 Rank ]

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.

 

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.

Novice Level 9 - 84.6% [ +59.3% ]

Rarity: Normal

Type: Passive, Production

Effects:

• Sub-Skill Acquisition (Farming) -  Allows one to gain the sub-skills related to farming
• 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 (Energy 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

---

Wealth [Locked (requires linked bank account)]

---

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

 

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.

---

Pets and Companions

Non-Combat Pets [0/2]

• [Open]
• [Open]
• [Locked]

Combat Pets [0/1]

• [Open]
• [Locked]

Companions

• Lily - Female Rabbit Serf - Level 1