Babel

Nobody knew how it was created, nor its true purpose, but everyone in the entirety of the planar world named Lumen knew of the existence of the Tower. No matter how far you traveled, it was always visible on the horizon, breaching into the Heavens, far beyond observable distances.
Though its purpose was unknown, the vast majority of races calling Lumen home were instinctually drawn to the Tower. It represented something far bigger than their small lives and, when people had doubts about the purpose of their own existence, they would always turn towards the Tower in the distance, as if hearing a call in the deepest recesses of their mind. While their own lives were chaotic and tumultuous, the Tower always stood aloof and majestic, seemingly untouched by the passage of time and the tribal wars which had waged for millennia.
Thus, whenever people felt lost, confused, or without a home, they would turn their gaze toward the Tower, their feet drawing them closer to its impossible dimensions. With the passage of time and an incalculable number of generations, many races had come to surround the Tower's base, measuring more than a million kilometers in diameter and shaking the hearts and minds of those who managed to venture close.
Here, as a result of hundreds of races converging, many found even more conflict but, with the Tower looming over them, they would do their best, hoping for a chance to venture into its depths by proving themselves amongst their peers. They knew this was possible as, covering the base of the Tower, written in the universal language of Kinu, the qualifications for entry were listed for all to see. Since there were families, clans, and organizations who had ventured into the Tower and returned, some bringing back powerful artifacts, it was the dream of all within the megacity surrounding the colossal Tower to venture into its interior and test yourself against the challenges that awaited...
For this purpose, many of the organizations that had managed to gain benefits while venturing into the Tower began to open their doors to others. As it was impossible to enter the Tower a second time, they used the resources they had gathered to create Schools, teaching those who sought to climb the Tower what they should expect. This was possible through the existence of Akasha, the system that was possessed by all inhabitants of Lumen. Though Akasha, powerful binding contracts could be established, the terms of which could even bind a person to a specific organization for their entire life.
With thousands of years passing since the first families ventured into the Tower, tens of billions of individual entities had taken up residence around its base. Over time, they built the first megacity, named Axis, to serve as the central trading hub and the home for the most established families. Beyond the massive walls that surrounded the first megacity is where the vast majority of other clans were located, many of which fought amongst themselves over limited resources as they all vied for the chance to enter the Tower.&nbsp; Unfortunately, very few people knew how to actually enter the Tower as, even by reading the script at the base, you would not be provided with a clear answer. The only thing people knew for sure was that, if you desired to climb the Tower and managed to overcome a great challenge, you would be given the chance to begin your climb. When this happened, the person in question would vanish from the world, even if they had been in the midst of a heated battle.
As a result of such incidents, a frenzy would often occur in the surrounding area as, believing they were under the watchful eyes of the Tower's Keeper, everyone would endeavor to prove themselves. Because of this, it was not uncommon for several hundred people to vanish in a short period of time, many from the same region.
While this seemed to be a blessing to some, the truth of the matter was not so pleasant for those who experienced such a transfer. Unfortunately, as the first return point in the Tower required you to reach the Tenth Floor, a feat that could take decades for some, it was not easy to acquire any cohesive information about the mass transfers.
Even this did not discourage people, however, as there was no end to the events, competitions, and tournaments taking place, both within and outside of Axis. As there were even instances of children being given access to the Tower, most schools focused on survival skills, navigation, puzzle-solving, and combat. Depending on the race, there were children as young as three years old fighting brutal battles against their peers, each shaped by the hopes and dreams of their families and clans. For this reason, it was considered odd if you did not seek to climb the Tower, to the point weaker individuals, having no confidence in the climb, were treated poorly amongst children of the same generation...
"Please...just leave me alone...!" screamed a youth with uncharacteristic, pale blue, hair.
In response to this plea, the youth was met with the merciless fist of a much larger boy, surrounded by a group of seven snickering boys and girls, each showing contempt in their expressions.
"Eat dirt you scrawny pest! If you don't want to climb the Tower, why don't you just dig a hole for yourself and crawl into it!" Accompanying this insult, the boy, possessing dark skin and two small horns poking through pitch-black hair, kicked his victim hard in the stomach, not content with the fact he had already knocked the boy to the ground. From there, he began to press against the pale-haired youth's head with his foot, ensuring he got a face full of the thick a pungent 'dirt' that lined the streets of the slums.&nbsp; Though this was not the first time he had suffered such indignation, the pale-haired youth, named Linnaeus, couldn't help but feel wronged. It wasn't that he didn't want to climb the Tower like the others but, with his younger sister being ill, he couldn't just abandon her. After their parents had died, she was the only one he could rely on and, unless she was given the chance to climb the Tower, he would stay at her side to protect her from this cold and cruel world...
With Linnaeus curled into a ball, not fighting back at all, the older boy snorted through his nose before spitting on the side of his head and saying, "This is your last warning, Lin. The next time I catch you trying to snitch food in my territory, don't blame me for what happens..."
Following his words, the boy kicked Linnaeus hard in the stomach, causing a small icon hovering above the latter's head to decrease before flashing red. This was only something visible to people actively engaged in combat, allowing them to determine the remaining health and status of their opponent. Since killing Linnaeus would cause unnecessary tensions among his group, the bully was content just teaching him a lesson and embarrassing him.
While the group began moving away from him, Linnaeus looked at the small icons within his vision, his golden eyes momentarily losing their light. He hadn't even stolen the bread that they clawed out of his hands as, with his weak and emaciated figure, combined with his uncharacteristic appearance, an Old Crone had taken pity on him. Now, as if having ascended to Heaven, only to find out it was the stairway to Hell, Linnaeus couldn't help but release a few tears as he saw his own Status...
----------------------------------------&nbsp; [Status]&nbsp; Name: Linnaeus Finnian&nbsp; Title: Street Urchin(+1 Con +1 Dex, +1 Wis Per Level. Half Free Attributes Per Level]&nbsp; Race: Hume(50%), Manalyte(50%)&nbsp; Age: 8&nbsp; Gender: Male&nbsp; Level: 3(140/300)&nbsp; Health: 45/100 (Critical Health)&nbsp; Soul Power: 70/70&nbsp; Strength: 4-2&nbsp; Constitution: 5-3&nbsp; Agility: 6-3&nbsp; Dexterity: 11-6&nbsp; Intelligence: 5&nbsp; Wisdom: 8&nbsp; Spirit: 2&nbsp; Charisma: 6&nbsp; Luck: 3&nbsp; Free Attributes: 8&nbsp; Skills: [Kinu Comprehension:(-)], [Knife Mastery: LV4], [Sense Danger: LV14], [Presence Concealment: LV7]&nbsp; Abilities: [Steal: LV13]&nbsp; Magic: [Enhance: LV2]&nbsp; [Kinu Comprehension]&nbsp; Passive: Able to speak, read, and write the universal language of Lumen.&nbsp; [Knife Mastery: LV4(213/400)]&nbsp; Passive: Familiarity and skill with knives and daggers.&nbsp; [Presence Concealment: LV7(611/700)]&nbsp; Passive: Makes it harder for others to sense your presence.&nbsp; [Sense Danger: LV14(89/5000]&nbsp; Passive: Able to identify threats through intuition.&nbsp; [Steal: LV13(2941/4000]&nbsp; Cost: 20 SP&nbsp; Active: Allows the user to steal an item from a target's equipment slots of inventory. Success rate dependent on Skill Level, Dexterity, and Luck.&nbsp; [Enhance: LV2(11/20)]&nbsp; Cost: 20 SP&nbsp; Active: Empower a single attribute by 10%.&nbsp; ----------------------------------------
When a person dropped below half their total health, which could only be replenished through rest, consuming food, or ingesting special items, all of their physical parameters would be reduced by half. You would also fall into a state where any strenuous actions could further reduce your health and, with natural regeneration voided during the (Critical Health) state, it meant there was a fair chance he would die if not treated. Unfortunately, as resources were already rare in the slums, the only thing he received from those in passing were eyes of pity or contempt...
With no other choice, as he would otherwise die, Linneaus clenched his teeth as he focused on his Status. Using one of his precious Free Attribute points, he increased his Constitution to 6, granting him an additional twenty Health. This brought the values to 65/120, removing him from his [Critical Health] state and restoring his passive regeneration.
Feeling most of the pain fade away, Linneaus breathed a sigh, even as he lamented having to use a Free Attribute point. It was common knowledge that you should save them until you could either reach a threshold or learn a unique Skill. Since he only got half the usual amount of points compared to normal people, Linneaus felt the loss more than most, causing his mood to turn solemn.&nbsp; Shaking his head to clear his darker thoughts, Linneaus lifted himself from the dirt, not minding the stains in his patchwork clothing. Then, moving outside of the Blue Bird's territory, the name of the local gang of Street Urchins, he made his way to a small bridge that spanned one of the hundreds of waterways dotting the slums like veins on the arm of a Skoon addict.
During his short journey towards the small hovel-style orphanage he called home, Linneaus' kept his head low. Even then, most people weren't foolish enough to get too close to him, knowing full well they would lose one of their possessions if they dropped their guard for even a moment. This was the reason he needed to venture into other territories as, even if he had money to exchange, most vendors wouldn't even allow him into their stores in his own district.
Fortunately, just as he was about to give up and return empty-handed, a glistening morsel entered into Linnaeus' vision, causing the dark pupils of his golden irises to contract. There, rustling through the waste piles that had yet to be disposed of by the Cleaners, a skinny rat could be seen. Though the former Street Urchin, a boy named Thomas, had stolen his knife, Linnaeus wasn't willing to waste this rare opportunity. While acting as natural as possible, trying not to draw attention to himself, Linneaus snaked his way towards the alley before using his [Enhance] magic.
Though it was invisible to most, some were able to see blue runes visible through the tattered patchwork of Linnaeus' trousers. As [Enhance] magic was one of the most common types, used by the vast majority of races throughout Lumen, it was easy to identify at a glance. Because of this, a youth of around sixteen years old, having a lean body, long legs, and a thin layer of speckled fur covering their body, moved like a blur after seeing what Linneaus had found.
Feeling his [Sense Danger] activate, Linnaeus immediately gave up on trying to capture the rat. He moved to the side as fast as he could, just in time to see a Vulna woman, a species known for their Agility and their cat-like ears and tail, sprint past him. She was several times faster than he was but, at the same time that he dodged to the side, Linneaus extended his hand while activating his [Steal]. Though he would have little chance at success under normal circumstances, it was much easier to pilfer the items of people who were distracted...
At the same time that the Vulna woman caught the rat, holding it closer to her body as she fled the pursuit of other greedy slum dwellers, Linnaeus ducked away from the chaos, quickening his steps with a downtrodden expression on his face. Though this act didn't fool, those who were able to see through him didn't particularly care about anything he might have stolen from a random homeless person.
After turning a corner, evading the few sets of eyes that had followed his actions, Linnaeus pulled his hand from his pocket, opening his palm to reveal his spoils. What he saw immediately quashed any positive emotions he had felt, causing Linnaeus' expression to turn dour as he discarded the tattered and fowl fabric to the side. The only thing he had managed to steal was a dirty piece of fabric that looked like it hadn't been washed in years. It was likely a spare washcloth given its size, meaning he had risked his life for a rag...
Shaking his head, Linnaeus did his best not to let his emotions show as, if he appeared to be a soft target, he would become just another victim within the slums. Still, he couldn't completely hide the sadness in his eyes as he dragged his feet towards the orphanage, feeling as if his entire day had been wasted...

With an empty stomach and a shaken mind, Linnaeus entered into the hovel-like dwelling known as the Rahban Orphanage. It was a squalid little place that would have been uncomfortable for even a small family of three to reside. Despite this, the Orphanage packed a total of seventeen children into its two rooms while the Caretaker, a fat yet kindly woman named Rebecca, could usually be found in a rocking chair near the building's entrance.Despite her aged appearance, making her an ideal target for some of the most disreputable sorts in the slums, the Orphanage was able to exist without too many difficulties. This was due to the fact that Rebecca was a former climber in the Tower and, after a series of disputes in the past, she had come to an accord with the local gang to open an orphanage to care for Street Urchins.Seeing Linnaeus walk in through the padded sheets keeping the cold at bay, Rebecca opened one of her heavily lidded eyes, showing a frosty blue pupil that contained the wisdom and vicissitudes of several hundred years. Though her powers were restricted outside of the Tower, she was one of the only people over Level 40 in the entire Slums, making her a powerhouse despite the fact she was nearly six-hundred years old.With a kindly smile on her face, visible despite heavy wrinkles, Rebecca asked in a ragged yet gentle tone, "No luck today, little Lin...?"Hearing the question, Linnaeus released a heavy sigh, the only answer Rebecca needed before she began to chuckle lightly. Then, with the flash of her hand, a small cup of rice porridge, diluted from a single cup of rice that had been split between thirty servings, appeared from her Inventory.In the planar world of Lumen, everyone had spatial storage with slots equal to their level. Each was capable of holding a variety of items with the only real restriction being that it decreased your maximum SP based on the size and weight of items stored within.With an apologetic expression on his face, Linnaeus accepted the small cup of porridge, tears of shame building in the corners of his eyes. Rebecca just lightly chuckled in response before using her thin fingers to ruffle his pale-blue hair as she said, "You're a good lad, Lin. So long as you never give up, this world will eventually reward your efforts..."Nodding his head, even though he didn't truly believe such words, Linnaeus dragged his feet to the larger of the two rooms in the orphanage, reserved for the girls. Of the seventeen children residing in the Rahban Orphanage, nine were females, the oldest of which was a girl named Tiana, aged nine.In Lumen, though the age of physical maturity depended heavily on your race, the baseline when you were expected to take care of yourself was ten years old. This was because, on the eve of your tenth birthday, everyone would awaken an ability called a Blessing. If you were fortunate, this would be a powerful ability that could completely change your life, granting you immense power or one of a few 'trade' skills such as [Blacksmith], [Artisan], [Cook], or [Enchanter]. Though it was possible for anyone to learn skills related to these trades, only those who had a Blessing related to them were able to become truly skilled in their craft.It was for this reason that many people saved their Free Attributes as, if you invested all of your points into Strength and Constitution, only to awaken a Blessing related to Magic or Spirit Control, you could only live in regret as you worked hard to catch up with your peers. This was also the main reason why it was considered a grievous violation of the Law, even in the Slums, to kill or cripple a child before they reached the age of ten, despite the small and petty crimes they committed. After all, even the most humble Stree Urchin could become a powerhouse overnight if their fortune was favorable...After knocking on the door to the girls' room, Linnaeus waited for a series of locks to be undone before a girl with dirty pink hair, standing only 91cm tall, opened the door. She had a tiny white horn poking through the bangs of her forehead, pointed ears, and orange eyes that, when coming into focus, had vertical slits.The moment she saw Linnaeus, the girl turned around and exclaimed, "Gwen, your brother is here~!" in a chipper tune. Following this, shuffling was heard before a small girl with similarly pale-blue hair and golden eyes appeared, much of her body wrapped in stained bandages.Feeling his heart twist in his chest, Linnaeus furrowed his brows in concern as he said, "You shouldn't be moving around, Gwen..." If not for the fact boys weren't allowed into the girls' room, Linnaeus would have walked her back to bed before sitting at her side and feeding her the soup Rebeccas had given him.With a tired smile and just as much concern in her eyes, Gwen did her best to put on a strong front as she answered, "You worry too much, brother. If I don't move around at least a little, I feel that my muscles will stop working...fufu *cough* *cough*..." Though she had tried to dismiss his concerns in a lighthearted fashion, Gwen felt her throat begin to itch as her chest seized up. Fortunately, the same pink-haired girl had stayed close by, patting Gwen's back to help her breath as she sent a warning look toward Linnaeus.Understanding his presence would only cause Gwen to push herself unnecessarily, Linnaeus handed over the cup of rice porridge, his face forming a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes as he said, "Eat this...it will help you regain your strength..." Though this would be his fifth day without a solid meal, Linnaeus had long-since grown accustomed to an empty stomach. So long as he was able to drink water, just chewing on a piece of leather he had picked up was enough to keep him from thinking about it too much.Since Gwen rarely accepted the food he brought outright, the pink-haired girl, named Saht, was the one to accept it in her stead. Then, before the sickly girl could make a fuss, she gave a curt nod to Linnaeus, saying, "I'll make sure she eats properly. Now go, get out of here."Though she sounded abrasive, Saht was from a species known as the Ba'haat tribe, recognizable by their light hair colors and the ivory white horns that grew from their heads. More than their physical appearance, however, what they were most known for were their sharp tongues and cold natures. As one of the many warrior tribes, they only showed kindness to close kin and, in some situations, those who had defeated them in battle.Despite the fact she was a full head shorter than he was, Saht was the second strongest girl in the orphanage, just behind Sasha. There was a three year age between the two, putting Saht at only six years old, but that was one of the benefits of being born in a warrior tribe like the Ba'haat. Sasha was just a Hume and, though this meant her future paths were more varied than Saht's, they always had to struggle against some of the more physically superior races.With the door to the girls' room already shut in his face, Linnaeus moved a few meters toward the entrance before turning into the boys' room. Unlike the girls' room, theirs didn't have a lock, or a door for that matter, as boys were in considerably less danger than girls living in the slums. Even with several laws enacted to protect children, there were still plenty of groups and individuals who would pick up young girls off the street to train them as slaves or prostitutes in one of the myriad brothels surrounding the high walls of the megacity.If Rebecca wasn't strong enough to keep malicious forces at bay, the girls had a small stockpile of Dream Grass, a preserved herb that, when ingested directly, caused realistic hallucinations that were impossible to distinguish from reality. These often took the form of a pleasant fantasy, allowing them a final reprieve as their heart and mind quickly ceased to function. Though some of the more vicious slavers carried the antidote to Dream Grass on their person, the reinforced door would be more than enough for the herb to take full effect.Linnaeus wasn't surprised to discover that he was the first to return as, with the sky still showing a bit of light, his brothers would still be out trying their luck. The only reason he returned so early was to make sure he got the freshest rations, believing the first few batches of porridge had the highest nutritional value. This, combined with her other rations, should give Gwen a better chance to recover or, at the very least, help keep her alive until he reached ten years of age and had a chance to make enough money to buy her a Panacea.Gwen's illness wasn't actually that serious, at least within the walls of the megacity. There were many ways in which it could be treated but, here in the slums, it was considered a death sentence. It wasn't that the illness, known as Limit Bug, was life-threatening but, while afflicted, a person was unable to earn any attributes or Free Attribute points when they leveled up.Though it was possible to train and kill monsters to level up faster, most children, at least in the slums, got their levels simply from surviving. By the age of ten, the average Street Urchin would be around level five while, within the megacity, the average was closer to ten. Since it was much harder to increase your level beyond a certain threshold, at least without entering the Tower, this meant anyone afflicted with Limit Bug would be significantly weaker than their peers. Without the care of other people, it would be impossible for them to live as, even compared to much younger children, they would be extremely weak.Currently, Gwen was seven years old and, though she was only Level 2, this meant she had lost out on at least twelve attributes and four Free Attribute points. If he could not save up enough money to buy her a Panacea, which only cost five small silver, the equivalent of five hundred copper, she would have lost out on nearly fifty attributes and sixteen Free Attributes by the time she reached ten years of age.Fortunately, ever since they were left in the care of Rebecca nearly two years ago, Linnaeus had been able to save up two-hundred-and-nineteen copper. Since he was more skilled now than he had been two years ago, he was confident that Gwen would only be Level 3 by the time he obtained a Panacea for her. Then, if he was lucky with his Blessing, he would be able to earn even more money, hopefully enough to take care of her by the time she turned ten. Though the loss of twenty-four attributes and eight Free Attribute points would restrict her considerably, he would never abandon his sister, the only family he had left after their parents were selected to ascend the Tower...Though he was originally very depressed when his parents both vanished into motes of blue dust, as it had been a very shocking experience, Linnaeus didn't blame them for entering the Tower. Everyone dreamed of being able to earn wealth and power for themselves by venturing inside and, being the simple slum dwellers they were, it wasn't a surprise they would abandon their children for a chance at an even better life. His father had only been twenty-two at the time, while his mother was merely twenty years of age, so they both had potentially long lives ahead of them, meaning they could build a new family within the Tower.It was an established fact that the concentration of spirit particles was excessively high in the Tower and, as you moved up to higher floors, you were exposed to even greater quantities. As a result, just by surviving within the Tower, your lifespan would be greatly increased, allowing even Humes, who had a life expectancy of sixty years, to live for several hundred. There were even rumors circulating that some of the people who had entered tens-of-thousands of years ago were still alive, moving to progressively higher floors and gaining unimaginable power for themselves.Here in the slums, the life expectancy for a person was significantly reduced compared to those living within the megacity so, with the chance to extend their lives and obtain greater power, there were very few people, parents included, who wouldn't abandon everything for the chance to climb. As for Linnaeus, he was considered an exception as, after feeling betrayed by the parents who had shown him care and love prior to their disappearance, he decided he would rather just take care of Gwen. He could still vividly recall her crying face at the time and, even though he wanted to cry as well, Linnaeus had done his best to put on a strong front. Now, even if he was given the chance to climb the Tower, Linnaeus was confident he would refuse the offer...

Chapter 1: Slums