I mentally 'tapped' on all of the arrows next to each of the options within the stats menu, which was currently overlaid on my vision.
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["Stats": A Numerical Representation Of The User's System Relevant Capabilities, Most Effects Of Stats That Are Not Relevant To Combat Are Not Described But Still Very Much Exist]
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["AP": Stands For 'Available Points' Which Can Be Assigned To The Five Base Stats Freely]
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["Force": A Stat That Enhances Functions Of The User's Muscular System
Increases Strength And Physical Movement Speed]
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["Agility": A Stat That Enhances Functions Of The User's Nervous System
Increases Reaction Time, Fine Motor Control, Joint Flexibility/Range Of Motion, Processing Speed/Thinking Speed, And Casting Speed For Non-Magical Skills]
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["Vitality": A Stat That Enhances Functions Of The User's Skeletal, Immune, Circulatory, Digestive, Endocrine, Reproductive, Respiratory, Urinary, Integumentary, And Lymphatic Systems
Increases Lifespan, Regeneration Speed, Stamina, Abnormality Resistance (Including Poisons, Venoms, Toxins, Bacteria, Viruses, And Other Destructive Foreign Materials), Damage Resistance]
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["Wisdom": A Stat That Enhances Functions Of The User's Brain And Mindscape
Increases Memory, Intuition/Instinct, Ability To Learn, Critical Thinking, IQ, Aura And Aura Sense]
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["Sorcery": A Stat That Enhances Functions Of The User's Arcana System
Increases Arcane Energy Capacity, Arcane Energy Quality, Arcane Energy Sense, Arcane Energy Control, Arcane Energy Regeneration, And Casting Speed For Magical Skills]
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["Hidden Stats": Stats That Can Only Be Quantified And Increased Through Special Means]
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"w-wow. That's a lot of effects."
The stats actually made a lot of sense once I considered it, each kind of implies a certain specialty. Force couldn't be more obvious, however despite its simplicity it's effects and importance are massive. Agility is more of a 'battle sense' type thing which would help me react and make decisions in battle.
"Don't want people moving faster than your eyes can follow after all."
Vitality would be a necessary skill for almost anyone, but I imagine that rich people who only activate the system for the benefits dump all their points into this stat. I mean who wouldn't want to live longer? And that's not even the start of it. Even though the system didn't mention it due to its lack of relevance, I've heard vitality even helps you last longer in bed...
I wonder what other secrets these stats hold...
"hmmm, interesting... if I remember correctly vitality and strength are indispensable to Armor Knights..."
banishing that train of thought, Wisdom is clearly a stat for leader types, I can easily imagine generals of armies vigorously putting all of their points into this.
Sorcery was another obvious one, basically the magical version of strength and agility combined into one. I had heard it even gives you an entire new sixth sense for magical energy.
I closed my eyes and focused hard, feeling as though I could slightly sense a new presence within my body.
Excited at the new feeling of vigor and power flowing throughout my body due to the massive stat increases, I recklessly ran up to a tree and punched it out of excitement.
"fffffffffffFFFFFFFF- OUCH"
My hand was bleeding slightly and there were cuts all over the knuckles, but it didn't actually look too deep and it only ached with no feeling of broken bones at all. Looking at the tree, I felt like I could actually see some slight indentation marks where I hit it.
"Maybe I shouldn't have hit one of the largest and healthiest looking trees around... if I hit a small dead one it might snap on the spot."
Mud had splashed all over me and covered most of my body when I had fallen unconscious, so I began to head home so I could wash myself off.
After exiting the forest and walking through clusters of shacks and huts that were borderline within the wilderness, I walked up on the local river that was used for drinking and bathing. I hopped in without hesitation, ignoring the extreme iciness of the water as I scrubbed off all of the dried, caked mud with my shirt as a rag. I then washed the shirt itself along with my pants and exited the river, wringing them dry and putting them back on.
It was the middle of the night so even though some people were out to answer the call of nature, it wasn't too hard to find privacy in order to bathe. Not that I cared much whether I was seen or not.
Heading back through the maze of shacks, I found my own home and entered through the misshapen doorway. The inside of the shack was a single room, which held a sole rickety bed and some piles of random belongings.
I tiptoed past the snoring figure on the bed, and took my pouch that held some money, along with a pocket knife. I grabbed some of the snack bars that were laying around, as well as an empty flask I could fill with water later on.
I don't think that my father had necessarily abused me, he had only hit me sometimes and neglected my needs on a regular basis. The only reason he kept me around was because he was scared of the law, even though it was unlikely he would be caught if he did do anything to me. That's why I had decided a long time ago that I would escape and live a better life on my own if I ever got the chance.
As I exited the shack I began to run, it was still night time but I didn't know how close it was to becoming morning. I didn't want to have people recognize me and talk about how they had seen me running away, I was hopeful that my dad would just silently accept that I was dead or missing and not care to report me as a 'lost child' as I could be arrested since I wasn't yet 18.
On the topic of destination, although I had listened to every piece of news, gossip, and stories about adventurers and [Monoliths] I didn't actually know the exact location of any. Except for one I had seen when a few years ago when I got lost and explored too far away. However, it was a [Geode Monolith] and there was no chance I was going to go risking my life in one of those just yet.
So I did the next best thing, I began heading for the nearby town.