The World of Tactics

Chapter Twenty-Two XII: Dire Homecoming

"*Ah!*

Owie, help me, mommy. Daddy is scary... Hugo, help me... Big Brother... Savannah hurts, Savannah is afraid, Savannah is...

*Thump!*

I (am), who? I (am), where? Place, what (is this)? They (are) who?

I (am), Savannah? You (are), Hugo? You (are), (older) brother? This (is), mother?

What? This (is) pain? I? No, I, Savannah. Savannah (feels), no pain?

What? Savannah (is) not Savannah (no more)?

No.

*Shakes Head*

Savannah is Savannah. Savannah (is) here.

Savannah (is) hungry. This (is) food? Eat? Hugo, brother, nice."

Sometime later on...

"Hugo, brother? Go, where?

Savannah (is) good Savannah, brave Savannah.

Savannah (felt) no pain. Good Savannah (is), not crying. Crying, what (is)? This (is), crying (tears)?

Hugo, brother, throat (looks) hurt? Hugo, brother, throat (is) fine. Savannah (is) happy.

Someone (is) here.

Good Savannah (will), hide (in), bush.

Ah, someone (is) gone.

Good Savannah (will), follow (Hugo, brother, nice). Good Savannah (is), coming."

---

The fourth zombie attacked Goon. Goon counter-attacked back twice and the fourth zombie lay dead on the ground (Goon, EXP +100, Level Up). Up till now, most of the battles were quite anti-climatic. With this level, he decided not to allocate any points to Goon's maximum health point but allocated all three points to Goon's magic resistance. This will cap off Goon's magic resistance and he will allocate all of the remaining points to Goon's maximum health points.

The fifth zombie targeted Uzi, who had lower levels, now that Goon's level had exceeded Uzi's by one level. Currently, Uzi was too fast for the fifth zombie and Uzi was able to briskly dodge the attack of the fifth zombie. The failure of the zombie's attack is not the main point, the main point right now was that Uzi has a higher chance of dodging. A high-speed stat does increase dodging, but dodging also requires skills. He believes that is because he allocated points to Uzi's skill stat. It was the cause that allowed Uzi to skillfully and speedily dodge attacks. Essentially, dodges would need a high-speed stat and at least ten points in the skill stat to show an obvious effect.

After Uzi dodges the fifth zombie attack, Uzi counterattacks twice. Each fang counterattack from Uzi deals fifteen damage. In total, Uzi had dealt thirty damages (Uzi, EXP +50). Now that Goon's and Uzi's levels are caught up with the undead monsters. The two are gaining lower experience points. If the two kill off the undead monster, the two will not be able to level up with ease like before. He was fine with it because it was still a substantial amount of experience, even for Goon and Uzi.

[Player's Turn][10], the battle is getting closer to the end. Before ending their turn, he commands Dork to attack the fifth zombie. When Dork finishes off the fifth zombie, Dork should be able to gain enough experience for a level-up. With this upcoming level, he hopes that Dork out the magic stat. As for Lawrence, Lawrence should know what to do.

[Ally's Turn][10], Lawrence attacked the seventh flesh walker without his command as if Lawrence knew what to do (Lawrence, EXP +25). Likewise, it felt that Lawrence still wanted to prolong the battle as long as possible. He also intends it to be that way too. This is why he did not bother chipping down the health points of the two remaining flesh walkers. Although it might have been a waste of his use of the dragon stone crystal, he had leveled up enough within just this one battle. He was already satisfied with his gains from this battle.

[Neutral's Turn][10], Dork fired a fireball at the fifth zombie and had no trouble taking care of the low-health fifth zombie (Dork, EXP +60, Level Up). [MAG+1] Dork is Dork. Even without caring about the other stats, Dork would still gain at least one point in the magic stat. Other than that, he was quite happy though. It was because Dork's magic stat was now maxed out. In the aspect of magic, Dork was the top. But in terms of survivability, Dork would fall behind. A glass cannon miniature donkey, Dork.

For [Enemy's Turn][10], everything was quite simple because the two last flesh walkers are still targeting Lawrence just like before. If Dork were to be exposed to attacks, then he believes that Dork would have suffered some pain. The first was still the seventh flesh walker (Lawrence, EXP +25) and the second was the ninth flesh walker (Lawrence, EXP +25). The same old bout with the same old outcome and the same old experience.

It was quickly back to [Player's Turn][11] once again. He did not intend on moving, but he realized something that he had missed out on. He [Trade] with Lawrence and gave Lawrence the dragon stone crystal. Since it only needs to be in the inventory and was already activated for this battle, then Lawrence should be able to gain double the experience when battling within about. It should help Lawrence level up easily. Once the trade was done, he ended his turn.

[Ally's Turn][11]. Although confused by his abrupt trade, Lawrence continues attacking the seventh flesh walker (Lawrence, EXP +20x2, Level Up). [HP+1][STR+1][SKL+1] Lawrence was able to gain a decent amount of stat gains for this level. Likewise, the amount of experience that Lawrence got was also expected. However, he was still slightly disappointed when he saw the amount that was expected.

The reason why he had given the dragon stone crystal to Lawrence was that he wanted to test something even though he already knew the answer within his heart. Those with the same effects do not stack and that means that only the highest effect would be applied. He had forgotten to test it out with his spare necklace of experience at the start of the battle. However, now he knows for sure that even hidden effects will also not stack.

[Neutral's Turn][11], Dork did nothing and just waited as well, since Dork could not attack any of the two remaining flesh walkers anyway. [Enemy's Turn][11], the two flesh walkers never knew fear nor exhaustion. Unlike the two flesh walkers, he could see that Lawrence was sweating a lot and was quite tired. Fighting a few short bouts is all fine and dandy, but fighting over fifteen bouts. The tolls were getting on Lawrence. He had never tested out if being exhausted would give some sort of de-buff before. However, as it stands now. He saw that there was no chance to temporarily decrease stats on Lawrence's status screen, so he believed that it would be fine.

The seventh flesh walker attacks Lawrence (Lawrence, EXP +20x2), followed by the ninth flesh walker (Lawrence, EXP +15x2). The two bouts that Lawrence had with the two remaining flesh walkers were quite good because Lawrence was now nearing a level. As long as Lawrence was to fight against the ninth flesh walker, whose level just exceeded Lawrence by one. Lawrence should be able to gain enough experience to level up. Afterward, on the enemy's turn again, Lawrence would be able to finish off the seventh flesh walker and gain another level from it.

[Player's Turn][12], he completely ends his turn after commanding Lawrence to attack the ninth flesh walker instead of the low health flesh walker. The seventh flesh walker would not last one more attack from Lawrence and it would be a waste of a turn to let Lawrence finish off the seventh flesh walker when Lawrence could finish it off when the seventh flesh walker attacks Lawrence. It will reduce the turns needed to finish off the two remaining flesh walkers.

Once, he ended their turns, it was [Ally's Turn][12]. Specifically, Lawrence's turn. Lawrence follows through with his command and attacks the ninth flesh walker instead of the dying seventh flesh walker. An exchange bout and an award of experience (Lawrence, EXP +15x2). [HP+1][SKL+1][DEF+1][RES+1] It seems that Lawrence's luck with the strength increase had been broken. Still, four of Lawrence's stats had been raised by one point each. It was quite a good level even though there was no increase in strength. After Lawrence's turn, [Neutral's Turn][12], Dork quickly ends, as Dork did nothing.

[Enemy's Turn][12]. The seventh flesh walker immediately attacked Lawrence, but Lawrence was already used to being targeted by the two remaining flesh walkers by now. So, Lawrence suffers a slight itch of pain before giving the seventh flesh walker a violent counterattack that deals six damage. The seventh flesh walker was completely dead (Lawrence, EXP +60x2 (100 Max), Level Up). [STR+1][SPD+1][DEF+1] Along with that kill, Lawrence also was able to level up nicely once again. It was unbelievable how much double experience could give during a battle as intensive as this.

The ninth flesh walker was not a better match against Lawrence, who had continuously leveled up. A simple back and forward bout exchange and Lawrence got the upper hand (Lawrence, EXP +4x2). The amount of experience that Lawrence got was incredibly small, even with the double experience effect from the Dragon stone crystal. It was not even worth mentioning after he got used to seeing Goon and Uzi gaining levels after levels with just one bout. That was why the difference in his eyes was a world apart.

[Player's Turn][13], he felt that Lawrence didn't have to get the last kill. Either way, he wanted to end the battle sooner because he felt that this battle was too tiring. He moved one square to the west and attacked the nine walkers. He felt a slight regret for not having the dragon stone crystal within one of his item slots, but this would allow him to easily end the battle. He took a short way out and did not want to trade with Lawrence. He knew that if he had traded with Lawrence then he could no longer move and would have to wait for one more turn. His iron lance pierced through the head of the ninth flesh walker (John Smith, EXP +45).

The battle was finally over. The gridline started to erase its traces and the misty edges started to clear up. The first thing that he saw among the houses within the village was the opened doors. He did a little thinking before realizing that the undead monsters must have been preventing any escape. This was why the undead monsters were stationed outside and did some unusual patrols around the village. The village must have taken off the moment that he had attracted all of the undead monsters into his battle.

Laid all over his area were the bodies of the undead monsters. He could now finally hear the clucking hungry chickens that were running all around. As he looked onto a pasture for the cows, the cows were weak, sick, and quite thin. He could even see the fabs of leather skin that were hanging loosely down their necks. The pigs were no better. While thinking of how desolate the village had become, his mind wandered around the thought of Goon and Uzi.

This point is suspicious because as long as it was a monster. There should be some kind of force that kicks in that makes a monster madly want to butcher Goon and Uzi. He had got two guesses on this matter. One, an undead monster, does not have any instinct to become stronger and aims to kill the weakest enemies first. The second guess is that someone is controlling or has given the undead monster sets of instructions when a battle occurs. He believes that it was the latter, given that the crest of the undead monster that they had fought until now had all been forcefully turned into soul cores.

He was not sure before this battle took place, but now he is sure that someone must be the person behind the scene. The same goes for the [Darkness Gift] skills as well. He had a hunch that 'someone' being able to provide such a skill that forcefully raises the levels of the undead monster would need to be someone well versed with dark magic. Without a doubt, the dark magic mastery rank of 'someone' needs to be at least rank A or B.

This also means that something did indeed happen to his family after his short journey to the capital's barracks. He also felt that something was not right. If this were to occur a year ago, then the news of such a deed and undead monsters would have reached the capital already. It must have been quite recently that such undead monsters were created and that would mean that the resource has to be readily accessible. With this thought and realization, he realized that all of the undead monsters that he had just killed were soldiers under his father's command. It was no wonder why all of the undead monsters in this battle would have a name assigned to them.

The stresses of this battle and the stresses of his family had slowly worn on him. His eyes redden in irritation, his mind whirls, and he turned toward Lawrence, who was dead lying on the ground. He said to Lawrence in a deep but serious voice, "Lawrence, clean up here. I'll go on ahead."

Just the moment before he rushed forward, Lawrence yelled, "Wait, young master! Catch!" Lawrence threw something over and he barely caught it with his left hand. It was the dragon stone crystal that he had given to Lawrence. He turned his head back to look at Lawrence, who was already in a comfortable sitting position. He nodded, "Thanks." Before he rushed forward toward the mansion ahead. Home, he is coming.