{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 - 51.33%

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 Self Contained - Growth comes from within, forsaking outside bonuses in exchange for personal control. Stat bonuses from Equipment negated up to total Energy times 2. 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}

“Huh”, Jason scratches his head, “Well, a new effect did replace the other. I guess this would be another reason that my body felt slightly constrained. And the new effect doesn’t really seem to do much besides negate the equipment bonus.”

Gregor shakes his head, “What does it say? While you might have made some choices that took away from the previous effect but I doubt what did would have only downsides. In fact, tell me a bit more about what it was like when you made the change and the wording of the previous and the current effect.”

While the question is a bit personal, Jason relays it all. Besides, it was a bit too late to start worrying about keeping things secret from Gregor. He has placed what some would think of as an unhealthy amount of trust into the foxkin. This introspection had almost made him pause but the reason was mostly obvious as well. Simply put, in his last life kitsune who survived to their third tail were all considered highly trusted sages.

Gregor takes his time thinking over the information Jason had just told him and misses the pause. “Okay, I think I know what is up. Because of how your cultivation worked the Systems external boosts that come even when you trained the stat were blocked. The System being the System was able to make it still work by making the external power even more external.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“You didn’t notice this because the previous effect obfuscated it. Even if the stats were awkward to use, you mostly sidestepped the problem. The recent change threw this careful balance out the window. By pulling those energies into yourself, you have cut yourself off from whole mess. Even external aids are being prevented at this point unless they are powerful enough.

“The System, of course, took this chance to knock a certain pesky effect off the table. In its place, though I think you came out ahead. The first bit about growth from within is both a limit and frees you from a limit. Now instead of depending on System provided power your stats will grow through the use of your own Energy.

“This limits you because unlike the System you only have so much Energy throughput whereas the System can throw the stuff around like it was going out of fashion. On the other hand, you’ve released yourself from another diminishing return scheme. No more do you have to do increasingly incredible feats to gain a bonus. Instead, when you have enough Energy a stat will be boosted.

“Now, the rest of the sentence? That’s where it gets really interesting. Of course, there is the obvious disclaimer that you’re giving up outside bonuses. This goes for both the boost to stat gain and equipment bonuses. However, the bit about gaining control means you might start gaining stat points you can spend.”

Jason raises an eyebrow, “How would that work? I gain agility for being agile. Sure, others get stat points to spend but that comes from the System provided bonuses.”

Gregor smiles, “Yes and no. The stat points for leveling up are that. With what I know, I believe that earned stat points do the opposite and instead the System fixes the gains to the specific stat. After all, while there is a base level of the stats which comes from the body itself. Most of the stats actually are just properly formed power.

“Since you have control now, the System can’t limit where the new stat points go for you. So you should not only be gaining stat points at a more regular interval, but they should be actual stat points instead of just boosts to specific stats.”

Jason sighs, “This does sound useful but if I was to be honest, I don’t plan to focus on any particular stat so it isn’t the most useful.”

Gregor shakes his head, “This is actually more important than that to you. For instance, right now, you have toughness capped and you might even have some overflow. If the System was still controlling your stats, then you wouldn’t even be notified if it tried to give you a point of toughness and failed. Now though, you just get a stat point to throw on the pile.”

Jason nods, “That does make sense. Having such specific control over my body in NeoRealm will be useful over the long run. And if anything, getting even more of the Systems control will almost always be worth it. For most people, the System just is. For me, well, limits might improve growth early on, but in the long term not so much.”