The World of Tactics

Chapter Three I: Forming The Crest

The walk did not take long. John Smith was familiar with the hallway and he could roughly guess where they were going. He cautiously follows behind into his father's office room. His father never let him into the office, even once during his ten years of life. Taking a step inside, he could see a knee-high long center table followed by two sofas on the opposite side of each other. Looking inside from the door, the two sofas are on the right and left respectively. On the right side was a counter table along with a few neatly stacked papers for official documentation. Following along to the left were two bookshelves holding many varieties of books.

Roylis Smith, in other words, his father turned to face him, "Take a seat."

"Yes, father." He answered politely before taking a seat on the sofa.

His father continued, "Before we begin. I want you to look at this and tell me what you see." he continued, pointing to the left sofa.

Taking a seat, John could feel that his father was searching through the shelves for a certain book. It was not a long wait before his father took out a thin book. Going to the opposite sofa, his father took a seat and settled down before laying the book in front of John.

His father cleared his throat, "Hum!" Then continued, "What do you see?"

He could see magical energy particles gathering and swirl around each corner of the book. So, he answered, "I saw some faint lights glowing..." he paused to think, "A-and swirling around, forming a vortex." He tried to be as clear as possible.

Staring back at him was his father. His father slowly said, "Anything..." His father raised his left eyebrow and continued, "Else?"

Seeing nothing else changing during the meantime, he could only helplessly answer, "No, father."

Looking at his father, taking a deep breath and sighing. His heart dropped, he knew that he had disappointed his father, judging from the way his father's face was downcast. Trying as he might, his father faced him with a warm smile, "It's okay son, don't worry about it." Taking another deep breath, "When the time comes, I will tell you everything about it."

Shoving the thin book aside, his father opened up his palm and light slowly came up from his hand. A minute later, the light fully condensed into a slate crest along with a carving of a shield and a spear. Looking directly into his eyes, his father said, "This." He paused for a breath, then continued, "My son, is a fully formed crest."

Not wanting to pause, his father continued, "Stretch out your hands and condense that power within you." His father continued to

instruct while he was stretching his palm out to feel the light-particle-like power.

"Close your eyes, and feel it with your instinct." Just when he closed his eyes and felt that power, his father's voice rang through his ear, "When you feel that power, gather it into a single point." At the point where he gathered all of the light power within him, he saw a familiar sight.

[Ding! You have formed a Blank Crest!]

[CON has been unlocked!] [MOV has been unlocked!] [SKILL has been unlocked!]

[EXP has been unlocked!] [All Status +1!] [All Status Limit +5!] [Level Limit +10!]

[Status]

[Name: John Smith][Class: Blank][Level: 10/20][Rank: 1][HP: 12/12]

[STR: 4(10) / [1][2][3][4][][][][][][] ]

[MAG: 2(10) / [1][2][][][][][][][][] ]

[SKL: 2(10) / [1][2][][][][][][][][] ]

[SPD: 3(10) / [1][2][3][][][][][][][] ]

[LCK: 1(10) / [1][][][][][][][][][] ]

[DEF: 3(10) / [1][2][3][][][][][][][] ]

[RES: 2(10) / [1][2][][][][][][][][] ]

[Hidden: [CON: 5][MOV: 4][SKILL: N/A][EXP: 0/100][WEA: Lance: D]]

The feeling of forming a crest can not be described. It was like second nature to condense the crest and yet it needed that particular feeling as well. However, the good news is that his current level limits have expanded to level twenty, while all of his stats' limits expand to ten and new stats have been unlocked for him to view.

After fiddling around, he could see that his father's other attributes were ten CON, five MOV, two SKILLs called 'Lancer' & 'Defense Up,' EXP at twenty-five out of one hundred, and a WEA of Lance at the rank of B. Such detailed information woke up his curiosity. However, he had to tone down his curiosity in front of his father though.

Seeing his success in forming a crest, his father spoke, "You will be sent to the capital's barracks right away for training. Don't think of coming back before then."

His father does not take no for an answer, so John replies, "Yes, father."

Standing up and leaving the office, his father finally said, "Get ready to set off. I have already arranged the escorts." Then off he went.

He could only make his way back into his room and get himself ready for training at the barracks. He had heard that the training at the barracks was not easy. His preparation was simple, a few sets of clothing to wear along with some daily necessary things like soap and such. Finally, he took the training lance that he had for the last couple of years. He was not given much wealth anyway, so he pocketed his current savings of five hundred gold coins. There might be something interesting during his stay in the capital. He could buy some nice souvenirs in the capital for his two younger siblings.

That was all of his entire savings for the last ten years. A single gold was quite valuable. His current savings could allow him to live comfortably for roughly five months. That is only if the gold is only spent on just-food with bare daily necessities. With that done, he made his way to the back of the mansion.

He was quite skeptical when he had to go out of the back because he kept getting this gut feeling that something was wrong. However, he did not know what truly was wrong. He hoped that it was just his imagination.

The escorts consist of four soldiers at the level range of fifteen or higher. What was so strange about the four was that they were not familiar faces. It might have been some secret soldier that worked solely for his father. The most surprising thing about them was how young they were and how high their weapons ranked. All three of them were ranked 'C' in lance mastery while the one, seemingly the leader, had a weapon rank of 'B.' The same weapon mastery as his father. It was quite amazing for his father to conceal the four for so long. Compared to them, he had only gotten his weapon mastery rank at D. However, comparing their age difference. His current weapon rank is commendable.

The four soldiers kept their silence and he, too, did not want to converse with the strangers that he had just met. He got on the cart before comparing their current status and growth rate. The four have a much higher base status and growth rate compared to the average soldier hanging around his father. With some more time for growth. The four would become much more amazing.

While inside the cart, his gut instinct that there was something wrong was true and things might get ugly during this journey to the capital. Growing up in a noble house like this, he could tell that there was either a neighboring noble wanting to usurp the land or something at large was in play. Either way, he had to become stronger. At least to the point where there would be no threats that could threaten him or those beside him. Then he would feel more secure living a carefree life.

The rumbling cart being pulled by the horse made cracking noises. Within the first few hours, it was still affordable. Afterward, he begins to feel how uncomfortable the low-tech cart has become. Later, a few hours on the journey, his butt starts to sting along with the unfavorable bumps here and there along the way. He missed all of the high technology that he was used to. Once, he took over from his father. He would make sure that the land under him would grow more toward inventing new technologies.

Even a simple hoverboard and he would have been happier. About this, he could not even complain to anybody about it because they would not be able to have a richer imagination. Mages might be able to have such thoughts, but above all else, he had no contact with actual mages. So, he saved this point for a later date when he met a mage. He just might make the mage invent something much more meaningful.

Whilst lost in his world of thoughts, the world changed. The cart that he was situated inside had become a bit translucent. The world pauses and gridlines start to appear on the ground. The line was starkly obvious and it seemed that he was the only one that seemed to be able to move around for now. For some reason, some blue squares were faintly glowing. The list of the tabs that he is within his view was:

[Select Units]

[Inventory]

[Skills]

[Conditions]

[Map]

[Start Battle]

When he presses the [Select Units] tab, it appears that he is the only one that he could select. On the side, he could see four green units with four familiar names. The four green units are four pixelated green units, while his little figure was also pixelated in a blue frame. He tried pressing his pixelated figure, it seemed that he was locked in battle and that he had to partake in the battle. To which he presses the next tab.

Going into the [Inventory] tab, he found the same pixelated figure inside. When he presses his icon, he can see that he can either equip a weapon, use items, give himself items to hold or put items back into the inventory. It seems that the things that he could carry at the moment seem to be roughly eight items in battle. Currently, he only has the training lance equipped and within his first item slot.

Within the [Skills] tab, he does not seem to be able to do anything except find the same pixelated figure along with nothing on the skill slots. In total, it seems that a person can only be equipped with up to five skills at a time. For now, he has to leave the skill slots alone because he knows that his father is currently the only person having two such skills. There were other greyed-out options that he could potentially revisit later on. It might be different for different people, he guessed for now.

On the [Conditions] tab, he had two options. The first one says [Route all enemies] while the second says [Escape]. He was quite suspicious of the last tab and the two conditions revealed that they would be battling shortly when he started. This is bad news since his gut instincts are fully alert now and panic has slowly set into his mind. Slowly, he wipes away his sweat and he moves to the next tab.

On the [Map], he could see that there was a table grid showing the size of fifteen by twenty-five. On the middle left corner of the map was their position within the road along with their position. To the top of the side road were five red dots spotted all over the overgrown bushes. While on the bottom side of the map were another four red dots spotted all over the same as well. The major concern is that the red dots signify enemies. The horse was listed as white dots. To the right, most areas were three yellow squares blinking and fading. If his hypothesis is correct, then those yellow squares are where he should escape. The three yellow squares were also positioned within the top forest, the middle of the road, and the bottom forest.

While in the map tab, he tries to experiment by touching the small pixelated figures. He first tried to touch his figure. After a touch. He realized that he could view his status, which includes his current levels, experiences, health points, and current stats, along with his various other new stats, blank skill slots, and finally, what he is currently carrying or equipped.

Coming to a quick conclusion, he tried to touch the four other green soldier units. The same goes for them as well. The weapon that they were equipped with was a bronze lance, while the leader of the four had a bronze lance along with an iron lance. Not only that, but the leader also had an emergency vulnerary that had two uses left.

With another quick thought, he also tries it on one of the pixelated goblins on the map. It was the same situation, however, now that he knows how strong the group of goblins was. He felt a bit calmer since the goblins were much weaker stats-wise. Right now, a goblin is just a stat or two stronger than he is. What the goblins were equipped with was laughable because the weapons were as strong as his training lance. To ordinary people, they might seem strong. But those that trained, were just as strong as young adults. When he became calmer, he realized that they had just encountered a random group of goblins and that their group was unlucky enough to chance upon the goblins' ambush point.

After becoming calm, he finally hit the [Start Battle] tab. Within the tab, it did not seem to ask for anything and the only option was quite obvious in its mechanics. The option says, [Start]. The moment when he presses the [Start] button. He got another confirmation with a [Yes/No]. This is like a game where the options are obvious on how it functions.

Pressing the [Yes] option, time flows again and the world is in motion again. However, this time, they were restricted within the grid that they are in. In the top corner of his left point of view that he was facing was the same map that he had seen. In the top right corner was a statement, [Player's Turn]. This means that he can go first since he is the only one who knows what the word 'player' signifies. If this is a game, then he will be the player. It was as simple as that.