[NR] Why So Quick? - Chapter 737

The answer to what Stamina was doing for Jason is twofold. Firstly, Stamina slows down resource use. A simple effect that means while Jason has Stamina in the tank, some of it gets used instead of his Energy. And at a decent ratio as well.

The second thing is that odd “quicker travel on System recognized roads” effect. Yeah, Jason wasn’t quite sure what was up with it? Quite possibly the effect was all System nonsense. Whatever the case, out here in the Deep Wilds, it didn’t like to work even on some roads it would have elsewhere.

Though Jason wasn’t going to completely throw the second effect to the side without some consideration. Later on, he would have to make a more in-depth analysis of the effect. After all, while this was a “game”, it was also a real place and the System can’t just make things happen by fiat.

Whatever the case, Jason’s twelve hours of intense exercise eventually comes to an end, finishing up with high-intensity sprinting around the clearing. After which, he spends a bit of time doing stretches to cool down and ends with a dip in the pond. All for another point to every basic stat besides control and three in Stamina.

This went on, day after day. When unexpectedly, the talent popped at the end of the tenth day.

Jason turns to Courtney who is over by the fire, preparing dinner. “Heyo! Just got the talent somehow? Wasn’t this supposed to take a month?”

Courtney looked up, “Are you sure it is the right thing?”

Jason tosses over his blue screen.

{

Talent Acquired

• Sustained Effort - When you gain a basic stat point through effort, also gain another point in the current lowest basic stat

}

Courtney frowns, “That does seem to be the correct talent.”

Off to the side, Rosha laughs, “Isn’t it obvious?”

The other two look at each other before shaking their heads.

Rosha rolls her eyes, “Obviously this is because Jason is at least in part, sustained. We didn’t need to pump him full of healing magic to keep going. His body is just able to do so on its own.

“Which I bet is how a monster would naturally acquire the talent. That month-long training montage the monster breeders go through? All to make up for the fact their monsters aren’t naturally ‘sustained’. Hell, I bet if you also didn’t need to eat or drink, you might have picked up the talent faster.”

Courtney, “Well, I can see that as a possible answer. Though it makes me wonder if this means it will be easier or harder to gain the talents for improving the body.”

Jason shrugs, “Well, if part of gaining a talent involves how close you are to begin with? It will probably be easier and yet less costly. Well, as long as the effect isn’t simply setting you or a value.”

Rosha tilts her head to the side, “What do you mean by that?”

Jason splashes out of the pond before answering. “Well, there are a few ways to improve something. A common one is simple addition such as how armor can give you plus ten Strength. Useful when you only have ten Strength yourself, but quickly overshadowed.

“Then you can have a multiplicative effect such as increasing Strength one point one times. So at ten Strength you end up with 11, and it only gets more effective from there. But both of those are effects that technically keep working.

“Which ends us on an effect that sets your Strength. These generally aren’t stupid and simply set your Strength there only if you have less. So whether you have one Strength or ten, an effect that sets your Strength to 11 will result in you having 11 Strength.”

Rosha nods, “Oooh, yeah, that makes sense. So, a talent that would make your skin as tough as wood is likely to be gained by you instantly, but not actually Do anything for you. What with your skin already being as if wood.”

Courtney, “I suspect this will depend on the talent. There are very specific talents out there. A better-known ‘tree’ of talents are the metal skin talents. Most commonly found on metal golems and easily recorded as they turn the golem’s skin into that metal. Well, it looks like their skin is turned into that metal. They’ll revert to their original metal on death.

“But yeah, that would seem to be the case of a talent setting the skin to a specific toughness. Though on the other side of the coin, there are ‘tough hide’ talents out there that do just toughen up a monster’s hide.”

Jason nods, “And I’ll want to aim for that. Though with some form of scaling. So something like tougher muscles based on Strength total or a version of tough hide based on the stat, Toughness.”

Courtney, “I’ll look into it. Many of the common talents are actually easy enough to find out there. Though even rare ones will at least have descriptions. The monster battlers like to trade and that’s hard when the person you’re trading with can’t accurately value the talents you’ve trained your monster in.”

Rosha, “And you still need to figure out what you’re improving and in what order.”

Jason, “Eh, my bones are currently at the top of the list. While I don’t have actual bones anymore, they seem to represent my structural integrity. Besides, I used one of my quest rewards on them. Might as well double down for at least one of the talents.

“I can take or leave my skin. It is important, but my cultivation technique should have my skin in hand. Not that I would say no? Just that if it is between bones and skin, I’m bones all the way.

“Though, uh, I guess stay on the lookout for some of the talents for elementals? Maybe weird body rules in general. There might be something interesting to make use of.”

Courtney nods, “Yeah, the elemental angle could provide something out there. Whether any of it will be good for you? Eh. But certainly strange after you filter out the talents they share with normal monsters.”