The World of Tactics

Chapter Twenty-Two I: Dire Homecoming

"The long-forgotten history is very unfortunate for the hero's descendants. The Great Darkness, they fought. Generations down to generations. They fought the hardest, been through the cruelest, and yet could not fully vanquish the darkness. The hero's blood descendants slowly become thinner and thinner over time. As the hero's bloodline became thinner, so was the growing potential of the newer generation to become weaker than the last. They, the descendants, can never fulfill and exhibit the true potential within the bloodline of their legendary ancestors.

The way to cope with the overwhelming darkness. Only the firstborn would be able to receive the growth potential of their parents. This would ensure that the new generation is at least as capable as the older generation. Though it does come with a cost of lifespan and depleting their already limited potential. Once the transfer is over, another transfer is possible, but it comes down to the cost of a person's life. Hence, the newer generation cannot end at any cost." Recorded by the inventor of this bloodline technique, one of the hero's many descendants.

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It had been an hour since John Smith, Lawrence, and Dork came out of the village. They were quite a distance away on the roads and he felt that this was the right time to finally give Lawrence some benefits. He meant to give it to Lawrence anyway. While Lawrence was at the front, he led Dork a pace forward so that he was right beside Lawrence. With him sitting on top of Dork, his height was able to reach under Lawrence's chin. He had just finished organizing the accessories within his inventory as well.

He said while pointing to the nearby shade, "Lawrence, let's take a break over there." Before quickly adding, "Here. This is for you."

Lawrence consented and slowly made their way over. While they were making their way over, he also continued to give details to Lawrence, "Equip that necklace. It will help your strength grow." Also, he added, "Given that you have to battle those as strong or stronger than you." At this point, Lawrence paused.

His information had given Lawrence quite a shock. It was not every day that such accessories could help someone grow stronger just by battling something that would casually be given away. Lawrence paused to ask, "It is true, young master?" Then continues to ask, "Will I become stronger if I just battle against someone strong?"

Seeing the raging questions that Lawrence spewed out to him, he realized that such growth accessories are more valuable than he had thought. Also, he had underestimated the allure of possessing something that could increase combat power. This necklace of experience along with an attachment with a pendant of growth was such a thing. After all, he did not mind, since it had only cost him one hundred gold coins. He did know that the effects were great, but he did not think for a moment that it would be considered something incredible like how Lawrence was portraying.

He could helplessly sigh, "Yes, Lawrence. It has such abilities."

Lawrence did pause and consider, "I-if so, young master! This is very valuable! It would be better if-"

At this point, he had to interrupt Lawrence, "Just take it, I got one as well. See?" As he shows off the last remaining necklace of experience attached with a pendant of growth potential.

Lawrence did back down slightly, but insisted, "Then, I'll take this accessory." However, Lawrence did not end there, "However, the young master doesn't need to pay me back." Then Lawrence continued the embarrassing topic, "The gold coins."

He felt struck by what Lawrence had just said because he used Lawrence's gold coins, yet it was paid back with just the gold coins that he borrowed. Technically not, but he did use Lawrence's gold coins to get a necklace. He was quite embarrassed and unsure, so he asked for confirmation, "Will that be fine?"

Lawrence quickly answered back, "I insist, young master."

He ended the conversation, "Alright then, if you insist."

He felt that this necklace was quite useless to the current him, which is why he did not mind giving away one to Lawrence and kept the other within his inventory. Not for Lawrence, he also got a present for Dork. It was the weaker of the two, a bracer of fire affinity. He intends to give the better of the two to his younger sister, Savannah. Even if she did not have any aptitude for fire magic, with this bracer, she would be able to at least learn or wield fire magic. He can not wait until he reaches home.

He quickly hopped down Dork and took out the bracer. Then they forcefully lifted one of Dork's feet. It was Dork's left leg. He slides the bracer through the haves and as the bracer reaches Dork's knee. It was magically refitted based on Dork's leg and easily shrunk one size smaller and was well fitted. Dork's red mana engulfed the bracer of fire affinity and it flickered a shade of red representing affinity with fire magic. As for the reason it was able to do this, it was because all accessories could be equipped by any race as long as there was an empty item slot to place it. Humanoid or not, which is why accessories are magical and especially expensive. Wealthy monster tamers would easily be able to deck out their monsters with accessories.

He even noticed that the shade of red glows before it fades. The coloration became deeper than before even though it was slight. He felt that it worked well for Dork to have equipped the bracer of fire affinity. He was happy for Dork because he was pleased that the gold coins were worth spending. In the future, he had hoped that Dork would become stronger as he grew stronger while going out on a daily inspection of the territories. He will never know, but giving the bracer to Dork might one day just enable him to survive.

Unlike Lawrence and Dork, he was even more generous to himself. He had equipped the ring of weapon mastery along with slotting three badges into his remaining skill slots. As strange as it sounds, he tried equipping the badge, but there was no actual reaction until he decided to open up his status screen. It was only when he tried to press on the skill slot did the skill slot column enlarge. It was then that he realized that the remaining three remaining skill slots that were enlarged had a faint glow that flashed occasionally. At that point, his hand was still holding on to the badge. Eureka! He simply presses the badge towards one of the glowing skill slots and his screen automatically absorbs the badge as it touches his status screen.

The circular frame of his third skill slot was not like the first two. It now had another frame that looked like a pixelated badge except that the center point was a pixelated circular icon. The icon had five drops of deep crimson blood on it with no particular order. To the side reads: [HP +5]. It was as simple as it could get, but that was not all. He could feel that his vigor expanded and became more condensed. The moment he reaches his hand to grab hold of the skill, he can pull out the skill badge and the feeling goes back to normal while having a sense of loss of vigor.

He was amazed at such a change and did not hesitate to slot the skill badge back into his third skill slot. Once he confirms that familiar feeling again, he moves on to the four remaining skill badges. Out of the four remaining skill badges, he favors the troll's regeneration skill along with the iron bone skill. Ever since meeting the earth draco lizard, he feels no sense of safety even with high defense. The other was that he felt that even when there were no healing pills, herb batch, or vulnerary left. The troll's regeneration skill will be extremely useful in keeping him sustained until the battle ends. Likewise, even if he encounters those that would deal damage to him. He felt that the troll's regeneration skill would be able to help him recover such lost health points.

He had also tried giving Goon and Uzi some sort of equipment or skill badge, but the two seemed to reject the accessories. He was puzzled by it because Goon could equip weapons, but could not equip accessories. Even Dork was able to get accessories. However, he had unconsciously treated Goon and Uzi as living beings in physical form because the two were able to deal with monsters. Over another thought, they were almost like phantoms but were just the soul within the soul core. Nothing more than that. As for being able to equip weapons, Goon had ax mastery, which is why there were exceptions. Likewise, Uzi was the same.

He felt that everything was worth it. Whether it be going to the village to stock up or spending all of his gold coins. He felt even more elated when he saw that his health points were bordering on forty points. Right now, he has thirty-eight maximum health points along with a defense stat of twenty-three. He became much more confident in surviving against unexpected situations like the earth draco lizard. The same goes for his survival abilities. He calmly smirks while slowly munching on a meat strip.

Once their short break was over, he decided that it was best to continue. Lawrence got enough rest and Dork was barely even tired. The afternoon was just in the cup of spring heat. Still, it was quite hot. Only the breezing cool vapor from last night's thunderstorm helped them cope with the accumulation of heat. Likewise, traveling around is not as interesting as adventurers make it sound. To travel is to be exposed to nature, exhaustion, and a long stream of boredom while traveling. It might be interesting if there were monster encounters, but that is just too dangerous. Normally, no monsters should appear on the main road. After all, they were not simple green cabbages (goblins) sold in batches within a farmer's market.

Along the way, they stopped near a running stream. It was a sign for a break and a quick wash-up. He felt sticky along the way with sweat running down his clothing. As for Lawrence, Lawrence was no better and badly needed some washing up as well. This time, he was unlike his past self who went to the shallow side of the stream. He went directly to the side that was as deep as Lawrence. As for Lawrence, Lawrence chose to stay on the shallow side and slowly washes up. Lawrence is currently not capable of swimming.

He did not swim for long and washed up his clothing. Lawrence had already started a fire, seeing that the sun was rapidly going down. It will not be long before night comes and starting a fire is a must and a need to fight against the night's coldness. He crudely washes his clothing with some soap to keep it clean and fresh. He looked up to the sky, barely being able to recall the daily things that he had done in his past life. It was unimaginably so far and distanced now that he had thought about it, eleven years now.

He went to the fireplace and hung his clothing over the fire to dry it up faster. As always, Lawrence was either grinding or giving maintenance to the iron lance in an unusual posture. Eventually, he realized that there was an excited glint on Lawrence's face. Lawrence craves strength and battle. This change might have been due to him giving Lawrence something that would rapidly increase 'strength' or combat power through battles. The other reason might have been the fact that losing a whole arm was just too much of a blow for Lawrence. Even now, he believes that Lawrence was still feeling dejected until this afternoon's break.

It would only take one afternoon of traveling tomorrow and he would be back home. He misses his mother and two siblings the most. Silly Hugo and cherry Savannah. As for his father, he could not help feeling slightly complicated because his father had never been around the mansion. Most of the time, his father would be out and about. Territory management, territory inspection, monster subjection, bandit elimination, and whatnot. To be honest, he was quite distanced from his father all those years.