The World of Tactics

Chapter Twenty-Three IV: Glimpse Of Truth

"A rare class. Rare classes come in many strange and weird ways, but they all have one thing in common. They can exhibit extraordinary abilities that completely defy common sense. Take, for example, a child of Gaia/earth/soil can easily plant all sorts of plants. The child of Gaia will easily not be affected after touching poisonous plants.

Their capability to grow seeds also outshines many others and would be able to at least reduce a third of the time needed for the seed to ripen. Many hard-to-grow crops would easily grow as long as they were the ones to plant them. Even under the worst conditions for a crop to grow, as long as they were the planter and tender. No seed is impossible to grow at all. The same goes for plants that can bear fruits that could grant powers from eating them.

Another rare class is skill scriber. A person who had the class of the skill scriber could easily infuse the knowledge of skills into books so that the reader could easily learn the skill. In return, the book could only be used once and it could still be reusable as long as the skill scriber infused some vitality into it. Not only that, a skilled-skill scriber could easily copy and paste the knowledge content of one book into another at the cost of some meager vitality (-1HP). Most importantly, a skill scriber only needs to be in touch with the skill bearer to scribe the bearer's skill into a book. And, of course, at the cost of vitality."

Oh, dear me. I almost forgot something.

"For a person to be able to learn the skill from a skill book. The person needs to be compatible with the skills. Otherwise, that person will not be able to learn skills from the skill books ever." Written by an elderly class researcher.

---

After hearing so, he went through the passage. At first, he felt that the passage was quite ordinary and smelled moldy. A huge layer of dust had already been situated on the passage floor. However, it did not take long before he felt his heart thump loud and clear. On a closer internal inspection, he felt that it did not come from his heart. It came from his blood. More specifically, he believed that it was the bloodline that was coursing through his veins.

It was a strange feeling because his sixth sense was also picking up some form of information. He realized that unless he had reached the required levels, he would not even be able to pick up the information that was coming out just from walking through the passage. As he continues to walk on, he begins to see incomprehensible images that he presumably believed were those that had walked through this passage.

By the time he exited the passage, he was within a massive room, but he was still in a daze because he just had a realization. At first, the first few ones were unrecognizable and it was not until it ended with the figure of his father's back did he know that those that came before him were his ancestors. At this realization, he had already made his way into the center. The aura glows with a slow glimmering white light. It was soft, warm, and comfortable.

All around him was bare with little things left. A swift glance and he had only seen that there were only four items on the various multitude of similar-looking counters. He saw that there was a film-like membrane covering every item on display. The first and nearest one to him looked like a miniature boot that was delicately designed with reflective metal glow, polished, and glowed with unimaginable attraction. He got closer to viewing the item description of the miniature boot and it read:

[Pegasus Wing (Boot)]

[An especially well-crafted boot made using the rarest feathers from the wings that enabled Pegasus' ability to fly. Consumable item. Movement +2 when used. Disappear after use.]

Amazingly, it was a boot made using the wing feathers of a Pegasus. Just from the description, he had glimpsed some information from it. When the description said 'using the rarest feathers from the wings that enabled Pegasus' ability to fly,' he could feel some sort of sadness radiating off from Pegasus Wing (Boot). It was like the Pegasus was no longer able to fly once all of those feathers were plucked. He even felt a little saddened that to make such a consumable item would require such a sacrifice.

He believed that such items could no longer be made because no one could create such items. Otherwise, he would have heard or at least seen it within the barracks library. Judging from this, he realized that this place might have a history that goes way back into the past. One that was long forgotten in history. He sighed and he took the Pegasus wing boot and used it. Even if he felt sad about it, this would be handy later on. It should be used now rather than later because his movement during battle is also one of his greatest flaws.

Since he used the Pegasus wing boot, the light membrane popped open and the platform of the Pegasus wing boot was sparkly clean compared to the other counters that had dust piled up in layers. It seems that the white and glowing light membrane was what kept the items in their prime condition. Otherwise, the items will decay over time and become unusable. He approached the second closest item and checked its description:

[Seedling of Growth (All+5)]

[A rare seed that has the power to unconditionally raise the growth rate of all stat. Consumable item. All growth rates are +5 after use. A limit of one per person. Disappear after use. (Hidden: Can be planted by the child of Gaia/earth/soil (rare class). It will bear the fruit of empowerment once every ten years, and contains a seed of growth.)]

The moment he saw this, he was in awe. This is a renewable seedling and a surprise because, as long as he finds a person in the class that goes as the child of Gaia/earth/soil. This seedling of growth could be planted. As long as it grows well, then there should not be any problem with stocking up all of the seedlings of growth for the future generation. Not only that, he was quite curious as to what the fruit of empowerment and its use was. Due to his excitement, he even forgot his aching pain. The seedling of growth brings a great boost to growth rates. That was an unprecedented amount of increase.

He did not take away the seedling just in case it might wither then and there. Even in his inventory, he could not imagine it if he were to die before finding a person with such a class that could plant the seedling of growth. Then he would have failed his mission and the seedling would have been wasted in his inventory. It was better to leave it here for the future generation just in case. So, he moved on to the third closest item. The third item's description reads:

[Skill Book: Ultimate Flourish]

[A skill book that records the Ultimate Flourish skill. The user automatically learns the skill once used. Disappear once used. (Hidden: Ultimate flourish, reduce experience gain by 50%, all stats' growth rate +10. Can be scribed by a skilled skill scriber (rare class).)]

He was tempted to take away the skill book. But, similar to the seedling of growth. He could not just use it wantonly because if he could find a skill scriber, then this skill book could still be copied and replicated many times more for the future generation. That is why he forcefully stops himself from doing such thoughtless action by taking it. Even if he takes it, it would be useless in his hands because the way of getting stronger does not rely on growth rates. Hence, he continues to the last glowing item.

This item was incomparably different than before. From a distanced inspection, it looked like a ring, but as he got closer. It was not a ring, but pale yellow starlight. In another word, it was glowing gold. The truth was due to the starlight, the item appeared naturally like a ring from a distance. The fact remains quite mysterious as it was just a circled sphere that was completely seen through from a distance and a bordered line of gold starlight glimmered like a circle around the sphere.

On a closer look, the circular sphere had many sigils and runes dotted all over it. He could almost not catch the runic lines if there were not the glow of the starlight flashing around. There was no fascinating aura nor powerful presence that he could feel from it. However, even with just his observation. From another perspective, it was not a sphere. Due to the angle that he was looking at and the clear material that was used to make it, it looked like a sphere. He decided to check the description of the item and it reads:

[Equal Exchange Orb (Incomplete, Semi-Legendary)]

[An item created by an incredible artisan. The massive power of law is imbued. Unbreakable. f*******n item. Darkness. (Hidden: Target self or others. Passively allows the holder to permanently distribute one stat point into another. Exchange process cost, target lose 1HP & 1LCK permanently.)]

The equal exchange orb item was completely outside of his expectations. He knew that anything relating to stats would be something incredible. However, this is just an incomplete item. If it were complete, he could not imagine how it would become. Even the exchange process would not cost anything at all. Even so, his mind is still spooked when he remembers that the equal exchange orb was a f*******n item and with the attribute of darkness.

He felt that the material used to make this must originate from something incredibly strong to have such an effect as this. He could not help but think that this was made using the soul core of an extremely high-level devil. He also could not begin to imagine just how many people's lives were sacrificed when facing a devil-like monster like that. Not only that, but the artisan that could make something like the equal exchange orb must have been the very best in that era.

Sadly, he had no use for such an item as the equal exchange orb. He had already got his unique ways of distributing his stat points with each of his levels up. Once, he felt that there was no longer any use in staying there. He took a quick look around the place because it was quite spacious and he had estimated that there were over one thousand similar-looking counters to store such precious items as that. He sighed as there were layers of dust everywhere.

His coincidental glance made his glance stop on one specific part of the wall. It just so happened that the walls were on the opposite side of where the passage was. At first, because it was too dark inside. He could not see much in his direction, but since he was quite a distance from the center. He finally was able to see murals lined all over the walls. It was deprecating a man fully geared up in intricate armor. Once he was close to the wall, he could see better.

He just never noticed that behind the man were also some simple figures of others. Just his first impression and six senses coming from the huge mural left his body shaking. Even his blood was passively emitting intensive heat on its own. He made a move from where the first mural, each carving depicts a gradual story of the man. There were many battles fought, dead allies, death and destruction, one-half of the trees completely died, and a huge massive gate.

From the information that the murals were giving off, the man was the commander that had always fought at the forefront and he was the first to charge toward the huge gate that was slightly ajar. This was just a small episode, as he continues to observe. The thousand allies that came trickled down to a hundred fighting against what seemed like demons from the other side. Then there were only ten that seemed to be the strongest left to fight the final demon on the other side.

[Pegasus - A winged horse that can fly freely in the sky. Usually, a Pegasus is rare in the Kalamar Kingdom and slightly uncommon within the continent, but they are sometimes rarely seen. Only royalty, wealthy nobles, and wealthy merchants would have a few Pegasus. A Pegasus' soul core and a Pegasus's rare winged feathers are also quite valuable. Once a Pegasus loses the ability to fly, the next generation might also not have the capability of flight.]

[Demon - They come in many shapes and forms. Humans have one main form that mainly consists of solids and liquids along with the size of gases. However, a difference from humans was the fact that demons are entirely either solid, liquid, or gas. A demon could easily interchange their bodily stats at any time. This is what makes them difficult to fight against (unless there is holy water/weapon imbued with light magic/magic/magic weapons/non-ordinary). This is what makes a demon almost immortal, but as they are known for, it was their power that surpasses a human at birth and their insane regeneration that rivaled trolls. A demon that survives eons after eons would gradually rise to supreme power and could easily revive even after dying.]