CoreStat,unlikemostVRMMORPG''S,whereskillsandlevelsweretheirmainfocus,ahugetwistwasadded.Fromjustthenameitselfyoumayhaveguessedalreadythataplayersstatplaysakeyrole,buthereisthething,statsevolveskills.Howonemightask?Aftergainingasetamountofstatpoint,dependingonthelevelofyourskill,newskillsknownasmergeskillsareunlocked.


    TherearemorestatsthanotherVMMORPG''SinCoreStat,themostcommonstatgaininthebeginningisthe<Drain>stat.The<Drain>statisgainedbytakingcontinuosdamagesuchasburn,thenpiercingintoanenemy.Youonlyneedabout30pointindraintoacquirethemergeskill,[Suck].


    Themergeskill[Suck]worksbyrestoringhealthwilldealingdamagetotheenemies.Ingamethisskillhasbeencoinedthevampirebuild.Whyvampireonemightask,welljustlookatwhatisneededtoacquireit.Whenthinkingaboutitclosely,youpokeholesintoyourenemy,tolearnit,thenfromthatpointonyouareabletostealtheirlifeforce.


    Onceastatisgained,forthemostpart,repeatingactionswillnotbenecessary.Take<Drain>forexample,afteryouhavepiercedtheenemy,youwillneverneedtodothisagain,allyouwouldneedtodotoincreaseitistakecontinuosdamage.<Drain>isalsothefastsStattoraise,notonlydoesitgoupby10pointseachtimeyoutakecontinuosdamage,butitalsoincreaseswhenusingthe[Suck]skill.


    Thissystemmayseeminteresting,butthereisacap,somemergeskillswillnotbeavailableifyourskilllevelisbeyondacertainbound.Thereverseisalsotrue.Themergeskill[Absorption]canonlybeobtainedifyour[Magic]skillisintheadvancedlevels,andyouhaveyettohavethe<Drain>stat.


    [Absorption]like[Suck]stealsfromanenemyasasource,howeverwhat[Absorption]stealsisnothealth,butmana.Thatiswhyanyonefocusingonamagicalpathchosesthisrootinstead,asitisselfsustaining.


    Likelyanythinginlifetherearealwaysexceptionstotheserules.<Surge>isauniquestat,whichcanonlybegainedbychance,assuchitisimpossibletoraisethisstatbychoice.Thereisatriggercondition,butitisnotlikelytoshowupevenifyoumangetotriggerthecondition.Thetriggerisbeinginalifeordeathsituation,meaningyourhealthhastobereallylow,whiletakingonapowerfulfoe.


    <Surge>allowsyoutogaintemergeskill[Aura]whichisapassiveskill.The[Aura]skillisalsounique,somepeoplehavegainedelemental[Auras]whichaltertheirweaponsproperties.Iftheweaponalreadyhadanelementalproperty,orifyouwereusingaskilltogiveitaproperty,areactionmayoccur.


    Ifyouhadaniceweapon,andthepassive<Aura>fire,thenameltreactionwouldhappen,ifyourweaponwasofwater,thenthesteamreactionwouldtrigger.Manypeoplewithan<Aura>offiretendtokeepasecondaryweaponofwaternearby,astheycanusethesteamforcover.


    <Surge>whentriggeredalsoraisesnormalstatsby30%,60%ifyouhaveanactive<Aura>.Ithasbeendiscoveredthatanelemental<Aura>isgivenifyourresistanceforthatelementisabove20points,orinthecaseof<Magic>youraffinityforthatelementis50orabove.


    Thereisonestatnoonehasdaredtoraiseearlyon,simplybecauseitistoterrifyingtoraiseit,manyhavetriedbutgaveuphalfway.Inordertogainthisstat,onewouldhavetoenduresoulcrushingpainmanytimes,notphysicalpain,notemotional,butliteralpaintothesoul.Thenameofthissat<Soul>.


    InCoreStatanyweapononecouldimagineexisted,ifitdidnotonecouldbuildit.DuetotheA.I.Playermadeweaponswouldalsogainskillsafterproperanalyzationfromtheprogram.


    Afterreadingthroughtheforums,ayoungwomandecidedonherweaponofchoice.Thatweaponwasthemostunpracticalweaponeverheardofinanyroleplayinggame.Notonlywasitanunconventionalweapon,butitcouldalsobedefinedasasubweapon,dependingonthetoolsonewouldusewithit.


    Firstthingsfirstsheneededanavatar.Placingthewristbandonheredominatehand,shebootedupthegame.Hairlength,medium,styleshimmering,color...(Howcantherebesommanydifferentcolors?),intheendshechooseemeraldamethyst.Forthemostpartherhairwasviolet,howeverduetoherstylewheneverbeingseeninsunlight,tracesofgreenwouldglitterancatchotherseyesimmediately.


    Eyecolor(hmm?)rosequarts?(Itseemslikeafuncolor!)Initialclothing?(WellsinceIdecidedonashortheight,thatlongdressisoutofthequestion,Iwouldtrip.AlthoughatleastIdidnotgofortheabsoluteminimumhight.)Theminimumheightwasforthosepeoplewhowishedtoroleplayasdwarfs,asofyettherearenoracesforplayerstochoose.(Wouldthatbeacloakoraparka?)"Whatever,Iwillgowithit!""Whatisyourname?"(SinceIamgoingwiththatweapon,whynotnamemyselfsomethingrelated?)Andwiththatsheenteredhernewname.


    BoundstookherfirststepsinCoreStat.Eventhoughshedidnotgowiththedress,shestillendeduptripping.Amessageappearedbeforehereyes.Youhavegainedthestat<Klutz>niceworkgenius.Withaslightscreamandtearsrollingdownhereyes,sheletoutasigh."Ibettercheckwhatmystartingstatswere."


    Level1


    <Health>60/60


    <Mana>locked??/??Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    <Str>6


    <Wis>6


    <Int>6


    <Agi>6


    <Dex>6


    <Char>16


    <Klutz>100New"


    (Howisitat100already?)InnormalcircumstanceBounds<Klutz>statwouldhaveonlygoneupby20points,butbecausethesewereherveryfirststepstheA.I.Decidedtoaddabonustoherstat,asiftomockher.Boundscarefullyreadthedescriptionofthe<Klutz>stat.


    <Klutz>:Averyrarestat,whichoutofthe10,000peopleplayingCoreSatonly70peoplehavemanagedtoobtainit.Addspenaltytoanythingrequiringdelicateworkorbalance.Thisstatisrare,butifyouputintheworkitcanbeerased.


    "Wellthisthrowsahugewrenchinmyplan!"(Itcanbeovercomewithhardworkhuh?Iwasnotplaningonit,butIguessIbettertakeupsomecraftingskills.)Delicatework,fromBoundsunderstanding,meantcrafting."Butfirstthingsfirst.Mystartingweapon"


    FinallywithherweaponinhandBoundssetouttopractice.Smack!Boundsweaponhithersquareintheface.Thiswasthe20thtimethishadhappened."Totopitoff<Klutz>hadactuallybeenraisedby2points."Fornowitwouldbebettertoworkoncrafting.


    Shecouldbarleykeeptheiteminplace,herthumbwasthrobbinglikecrazy,butonthebrightside<Klutz>hadnotgoneup.Thetableshookasthehammeronceagaincamedownonherthumb,insteadofthecharmshewastryingtocraft.Whywasthetableshackingwhenitwasherthumbbeinghit?Wellthepaincausedherkneetojoltupwardsfromunderneath.


    "PleasestopIcannottakeanymoreofthis?"Boundscouldnottelliftheyoungboynexttoherwascryingorlaughing.Itwaslikelyboth.Whywassheintheroomwiththeboy?InCoreSat,materialscouldstillbeusedevenasscraps,howeverafteradvancingbeyondasetamountinanyskillthiswasnolongertrue.Thatwaswhyadvanceandmastercraftersoftenallowedthosewhohavenewlyobtainedtheskilltousestheirscrapsforpractice.


    Havingfinallymangedtomakeasmallcharm,Bounds<Klutz>stathaddroppedbyonepoint.WiththisinmindBoundsgottoworkmakingmanymorecharms,bytheendofit,theboyshewaswithhadaredhandprintstainedtohisforehead,fromtheshearnumberoffacepalmshehaddelttohimself.NomaterhowmanymorecharmsBoundsmadethe<Klutz>statwouldnolongerdrop.Itwasstuckat20.WithasighBoundsheadedbacktotheareatopracticewithherweapon.


    Nowthatthe<Klutz>stathadbeenreduced,shewashavinganeasiertimemangingherweapon,buteverynowanthen,Smack!,theweaponwouldstrikeher,butevenwiththat,thestatnolongergrew.Ithappenedwhenshehadgottenbettercontrol,theweaponmissedhercompletely."Huh?"Sheglancedfromsidetosidetryingtofindit."Wherediditgo?"Shehadusedupallherfundssheneededtofindit.


    "Waitthat''s!"Theonetraininghertriedtostopherfromapproachingthatarea.Thewoodswerelayeredwithfog,itwasdeadquite."Ahhereitis!"shepickeduptheball.{Thatisrightherweaponwasaball.}"Ehwhereiseverything?"


    Hoveringgentlyaboveagreenorboflightdrewcloser."Whatisthat?"shedropstheballanditrollsawaysomewhere.Thegreenlightpicksupspeed,thenramsintoher.Chillsrunalloverherbody,thenshebreaksintotears,followedbyanger,joy,awidespanofdifferentemotions,followedbyphysicalpain,thenfinallyapainshehasfeltgreatlyforthelastfiveyearsofherlife,apaininherverysoul.


    Twomessagesappearbeforehereyes."Youhavegainedthe<Soul>stat!"Youhavedied"


    AfterrevivingBoundsQuicklychecksherstats


    Level1


    <Health>60/60


    <Mana>locked??/??


    <Str>6


    <Wis>6


    <Int>6


    <Agi>6


    <Dex>6


    <Char>16


    <Klutz>20


    <Bounce>calculating


    <Soul>1New^


    "SoIhavenotgotenoughaffinitywithmyweaponyet.Nowonderwith<Klutz>hinderingme.Butwhatwasthat?"(Iguessitdoesnotmatterno,nomatterwhatIhavetogetmyweaponback!)


    Withthataviciouscyclestarted,Boundsfindstheballdropsit,thendiesfromthewisp.Afterthe100thtimeBoundsfinallydecidestomakeabreakforit.Sherushesoutoftheforestatfullspeed.Onceshefinallyexitstheforestafewmessagesaredisplayedinfrontofher,Boundseyeswidensasshereadsthefirst.


    "Hardworkisnotonlywhenyouworkhardonmakingsomething,norisitjustworkingatimprovingaskill,hardworkcanalsobefromovercomingatrailofthemind."<Klutz>hasbeenremovedandReplacedwithThe<Effort>stat.


    <Effort>forthetimebeingisaoneofakindstat.Nootheruseratthemomenthasobtainedit.Requires<Klutz>with100orhighertobeovercome.


    Gainedthepassivemergeskill[Trailanderror]cannotberemoved.


    BoundseyeswidenedfartherasShereadthenextmessage


    <Soul>hasreached100points,mergeskillsunlocked.


    [Soulcrafting],[Soulembedding],[Soulforce]


    Boundsdidnothavewordsforanyofthesethings,norcouldshefindtherightemotiontoexpress."WaitIshouldalsoreadtheskilldescriptions!"


    [Trialanderror]:Evenifyoumakeamistakewhilecraftingyounowhavethepotentialtofixthosemistakes.Higherlevelswillallowyoutofixmistakesonfinishedproductsaswell.


    [Soulcrafting]:Theabilitytochargecraftingmaterialswithaportionofyoursoulspower.Refinesmaterialsmakingthemslightlyhigherquality.Thehigherthe<Soul>statthemorerefinedthematerialsbecome.Itispossibleforthematerialsthemselvestobecomeanothermaterialalltogether.


    [Soulembedding]:Theabilitytoputaportionofyoursoulintoaweaponorotherequipment.Effectunknown.


    "Wellthatlastpartiskindofominousmaybe?"


    [Soulforce]:Allowsonetocreateaformofenergythatcanbecontrolledbyshearwillalone.Canbeusedtoamplifymagic,orcontrolobjects.


    NothavingmuchelsetodoBoundsdribbledherballupanddown.Anotherwelcomedmessageappearedbeforehereyes.


    Calculationcomplete.


    Bounds


    Level1


    <Health>60/60


    <Mana>locked??/??


    <Str>6


    <Wis>6


    <Int>6


    <Agi>6


    <Dex>6


    <Char>16


    <Klutz>20


    <Bounce>15


    <Soul>100


    <Effort>100New"


    Skills:


    Lv1[WeaponBalance],Lv2[Crafting],Lv1[Trialanderror]locked/passive,Lv1[Soulcrafting],Lv1[Soulembedding],Lv1[Soulforce]