Babel

Resisting the urge to turn back, each step feeling heavier than the last, Linneaus flung himself into the waterway adjacent to the orphanage the moment he reached its edge. He had decided that, if his Blessing did not grant him passage into the megacity or give him an advantage against Skaadi, he would immediately escape to another district, putting as much distance between him and the murderous Vulna as possible.With the cold water restoring a bit of his focus, Linneaus allowed the current to pull him along as he passed by a few Cleaners, mechanical automatons that kept the waterways in good order. They only spared him a curious glance with their segmented eyes before continuing their endless endeavor to make sure the waterways were functional.Though a Vulna's nose was very sharp, Linneaus knew Skaadi would be hard-pressed to track him via waterway so there was a good chance he could get well outside of the Greyhound's territory, making it much harder for her to pursue him. He even used his [Barrier Aura], both as a means to familiarize himself with its functions and begin the arduous process of raising his proficiency while earning as much experience as possible.Since the spell description stated the barrier was a physical membrane, Linneaus was hoping it would keep the cold at bay while preventing his scent from spreading to the surroundings. With his [Presence Concealment] and [Stealth], it should make it even harder for Skaadi to track him down, meaning he could at least buy time to familiarize himself with his Blessing before facing her.Ultimately, unless he intended to cut ties with his sister, Linneaus knew it was only a matter of time before his and Skaadi's paths crossed. She would quickly learn of his escape due to him not showing up for his morning training, combined with the fact his Blessing had undoubtedly been observed by the Enforcers. This was the reason Saht held Gwen back as, if he stayed too long, it greatly increased the chances he would exit the orphanage, only to find Skaadi waiting for him.Fortunately, as she had no way of knowing exactly when his birthday way, the odds of Skaadi being on duty the previous night were slim. She was more than likely warming the bed of the Greyhound's leader, making it difficult for her to pull herself away. Since she had only recently tormented him, it could be argued that his Luck had, once again, brought him good fortune.While floating down the waterways, Linneaus learned quite a bit about his [Barrier Aura], including the fact he could indeed make it completely solid. This greatly increased the amount of SP it cost to maintain the aura, while simultaneously cutting off his access to fresh air, but it was still useful to know. The downside was, due to his constant contact with water, his SP cost was even higher than the base amount and, rather than allow him to move undetected, he had a blue glow that made him stick out like a sore thumb in the early hours of the morning.Because of this, Linneaus was forced to expose himself to the cold water for the better part of twenty minutes before pulling himself free several kilometers downstream. This made him feel exceptionally weak but, after stripping naked and wringing out his clothes, he was able to recover enough to leap up to the streets above. There were a few curious gazes lingering on him, especially when he had been drying his clothes, but they quickly lost interest after seeing he wasn't a girl that had thrown herself into the waterway to escape a rapist.As he grew older, Linneaus' looks had continued to develop while, due to his lacking nutrition and persistent training, his figure was slender and delicate at a glance. Though this illusion was shattered when he removed his clothes, giving him a somewhat stringy and emaciated appearance, he was not unfamiliar with unwarranted solicitation. One drunkard had even stripped him of his trousers in the past when he had stayed out too late but, finding that his victim had been a male, Linneaus had his abdomen and legs stepped viciously before the man stumbled away.From that moment onward, Linneaus had developed a habit of either shrouding his face or, when training, running around without a shirt on. Though this still garnered him a fair amount of attention, it was still better than being mistaken for an easy mark.After extricating himself from the waterway, Linneaus wasn't content with the distance covered. He was still within his known range of operation and, with several million kilometers of slums lining the outer walls of the megacity, he had ample opportunity to flee as far as he was comfortable. Though it would make visiting Gwen harder, he needed to at least travel outside of the distance Skaadi could travel in half a day, meaning his journey wouldn't end for at least three.With this in mind, Linneaus continued traveling west, periodically using his [Barrier Aura] to conceal his scent. Fortunately, as it only cost around 20SP per minute, his actual consumption was closer to 12. If he used the normal version of the [Barrier Aura], the consumption was reduced to only 2SP per minute, with each tick granting him 1 experience. At this rate, if he increased his Wisdom by a few points, he would be able to passively keep his [Barrier Aura] active at no cost, giving him a constant trickle of experience.In Lumen, though there were Skills and Magic that greatly increased it, everyone had a basic amount of Health and SP regeneration based on their Constitution and Wisdom. On average, this value was the total of your Constitution or half of your Wisdom, meaning 10% and 5% per minute. Thus, with 16.5 Wisdom, Linneaus was able to regenerate around 8Sp per minute.Now that he had gained his Blessing, common sense dictated he should invest his Free Attributes in such a way as to increase the efficiency of its use. The only reason he hesitated was due to the fact that, as he had sort of expected, his development path contradicted his given Blessing. He had been focused on Agility and Dexterity as his primary stats so, with a magic-oriented Blessing, he was more than a little behind the curve. Fortunately, like all Blessings, his provided him with bonus attributes per Level that covered this weakness, assuming he lived long enough to benefit from it.It was with such thoughts in mind that Linneaus continued his journey, only to find his way impeded when a group of Street Urchins obstructed his path in an alleyway. There was also a pair of Enforcers on the roof, looking down with sardonic grins on their faces, excited to see a show. Because of this, if he used his Blessing, there was a good chance they would attack him seriously before either killing or conscripting him.While resisting the urge to sigh, Linneaus eyed the group of four Street Urchins as their leader, a woman with pale green skin, pointed ears, and black sclera around dark-green eyes, shouted, "Who are you to invade our territory!? We don't tolerate rats wandering about our streets!"Being almost a full head shorter than the girl, despite the fact he was older than her, Linneaus felt a small amount of indignation as he stated, "I am only passing through. I don't intend to operate on your turf..."This didn't seem to be the correct answer as, rather than let him pass, the girl said, "Sure, I can let you pass through. You'll have to pay the toll first. Who knows what you stole before trying to escape your own hole? Come, empty your pockets and open up your Inventory, brat!"The moment the girl's words finished, she didn't wait for his response as, with the assistance of two other children, she immediately pounced forward. If this had been in the past, Linneaus would have just tolerated the coming beating but, as he couldn't risk being delayed for too long, he decided it was time to put his two years of training to the test.As could be expected from a Level 6, which was a full Level above the average for a ten-year-old in the slums, Linneaus didn't have too much trouble dealing with the group. With his [Enhance] magic, he had a distinctive advantage in speed and mobility, allowing him to dodge backward faster than they could leap forward. Then, exploiting the brief moment when the leading girl tried to recover her footing, he thurst forward with his fist in a spear-like motion, striking her directly in the nose.Since this act initiated combat between them, Linneaus was able to see the girl's Health reduce by a fraction as her head cocked backward violently from the strike. Before she could recover, he used her body as a springboard, finding it surprisingly easy with her flat chest. This allowed him to kick her to the ground, hard, as he leaped past the other two attackers.Seeing Linneaus' movements, the Street Urchins were all taken by surprise, especially the youngest boy who had been standing in the back. He seemed to be around six or seven years old so, despite common sense telling him to attack the boy as well, Linneaus just pushed him aside as he sprinted through the alleyways.Though the four Street Urchins didn't give chase, as the green-skinned girl was too busy crying over her bloody nose, the two Enforcers watching the show quickly overtook him. Since they also believed there was a chance he was carrying goods, the shorter of the two, having wild blond hair and vibrant green eyes, immediately used [Steal] while the larger, more muscular man, attempted to catch him with hands larger than Linneaus' face.Now that he was no longer a child in the eyes of most gangs, Linneaus knew he couldn't just curl up and take a beating like in the past. Usually, when beating a child, your own Status would turn red for a few minutes, alerting you to the fact you were breaking one of the world's laws. Linneaus' own was currently in such a state but, when the men began to beat him, they would quickly notice the truth of the matter, meaning he wouldn't get away with just a few bumps and bruises.Gritting his teeth, Linneaus removed a small pouch from his Inventory that he had been saving for his encounter with Skaadi. It was made from dried feces that had been mixed with dried red pepper, making it a potent irritant while also overwhelming a person's sense of smell. Though he was lament to use it against someone other than his would-be murderer, that description could fit almost nearly any Enforcer within the slums if they didn't mind getting their hands dirty.Not expecting the Street Urchin to put up a fight, the muscular man was understandably caught off guard as a packet slammed into his face. He was only Level 9 so, while much stronger than Linneaus, the gap wasn't unbreachable if you fought cleverly. This was especially true if you could catch the other party off guard, allowing Linneaus to removed the dagger hidden in the sleeve of the man's outstretched arm.In the same motion that he had practiced thousands of times, even without a weapon of his own, Linneaus drove the dagger into the gap between the man's ribs before moving towards the blond-haired man who had previously been eyeing the pouch in his hand. He had never expected for a moment that Linneaus would be able to take down his companion, leaving him gawking as the small figure leaped toward him.By instinct, the man tried to jump back, attempting to use his superior speed to create distance and get his bearings. What he never could have expected was for his back to collide against a thin blue membrane, arresting his backward momentum completely.To his credit, the man managed to pull out his dagger at the same time that he leaped backward but, as this was already a life or death battle for Linneaus, he was undaunted as he kicked forward with both feet, slamming his heels into the man's genitals with as much force as he could manage. There were several points on the body that were considered vitals and, if struck with enough force, they could either cripple or kill a person instantly.Though damage to the genitals rarely led to instant death, it was an especially sensitive area of the body so, despite Linneaus' low Strength, he saw the man lose more than a tenth of his health in an instant before collapsing to his knees. His eyes were bloodshot and, as could be expected, he was looking toward Linneaus with murderous intent. Unfortunately, as he couldn't put any strength into his legs due to the extreme pain, he could only glare as Linneaus trusted his instincts, surrounding the man with his [Barrier Aura] and solidifying it.At first, the man was confused by the pale membrane covering his body but, the moment he tried to take a breath, this confusion quickly changed to panic. The rush of adrenaline allowed him to fight against the pain but, with Linneaus having invested several of his Free Attribute points into Agility the moment the fight began, he was able to evade the man's desperate lunge before waiting for his breathing to cease. This wasn't enough to kill him, however, so Linneaus watched the man's health deplete until it became greyed out...Feeling his body trembling, as a piercing cold had settled into his body all of a sudden, Linneaus quickly looted the two daggers before taking back the pouch of food the blond-haired man had stolen from him. Then, with his heart racing faster than his legs could move, tears dripping from his face, Linneaus ran from the scene of his first kill as two bells rang in his head, one showing that he had Leveled up while the other notified him of his new Skill...[Assassination: LV1(0/100)]Passive: Surprise attacks deal guaranteed critical damage with a moderate chance to cripple the target. (+1 Agi, +1 Dex, per Level. Increased damage from all sources after failed Assassination.)

As remise as he was to admit it, Linneaus quickly learned that killing was a lot easier after the first time. Though he was plagued with nightmares for months after his first kills, he slowly became numb to the sensation of taking another person's life after several encounters with small gangs and other despots calling the slums their home.Though it hadn't come as a surprise, Linneaus found it was very difficult to actually rent a room in most areas without lowering your head to the local powers. This meant paying protection fees, which was impossible after just leaving the orphanage, or becoming a part of their gang. The only other option was living a vagrant lifestyle as, even if you rented a place to stay on someone's turf, it meant having your goods robbed the moment you stepped out or, in some situations, suffering an assassination attempt in the middle of the night.The one time Linneaus had thought he found a place to stay, operated by a middle-aged woman that gave off similar vibes to Rebecca, he awoke to feel groggy and lethargic. If not for the fact he had a light fever prior to retiring for the night, courtesy of sleeping outside for several days, he may have slept through the attempt at his life. The assailant has used a tuft of sleeping grass, wafting in the fumes from the adjacent roof to take advantage of his vulnerable state.That night served as the beginning of Linneaus' vagrant lifestyle while also marking the eve of his third kill. Since the assailant had been rather greedy, they had come alone in the middle of the night. As could be expected from someone who used herbs to take advantage of people, they had subpar strength so, even in his weakened state, Linneaus had managed to slip a dagger into the wiry man's gut before cutting his throat. After that, he left his room in the middle of the night, using the brisk air to sober up as he disappeared from the territory to avoid being forcibly recruited.Since then, more than three months had passed and, for better or worse, Linneaus had completely adapted to living without a roof over his head. He had also learned to sleep extremely lightly as the vast majority of slum dwellers and Street Urchins were just as homeless as he was. It was rare to find a kind soul like Rebecca who was willing to take children in and, with hundreds wandering around in each territory, the vast majority were forced to fend for themselves by forming small packs, generally between 4~10 children.Despite his diminutive size, it became increasingly clear to observers that Linneaus was no longer a child as, instead of rags, he had eventually outfitted himself with simple equipment consisting of a tunic, leather arm guards, a tattered mantle, and thick moccasins. Since a Street Urchin could never afford such luxuries, it meant the vast majority of children gave him a wide berth while his actions would be closely monitored when he passed through a territory.Showing any indication of weakness would result in being targetted by other vagrants while, if he displayed his capabilities openly, a group of Enforcers was sure to intercept him. This was due to his small size and lack of reputation, making it clear that he had only recently come of age. As a result, Linneaus had been forced to fight and, in many situations, kill.Though he did not enjoy violence, his entire life had been marred with physical abuse and other forms of mistreatment. Since he didn't want to become the type of person who perpetuated such violence, taking advantage of the weakness of others, Linneaus adamantly refused to become a part of any gang. Thus, as the months stretched on, his kill count gradually increased, his proficiency with his Blessing and other Skills improving alongside it.Now, after three long months, even though it felt like only a few days had passed since his departure from the orphanage, Linneaus found himself looking eastward once again. Ever since his third kill, he had started to wonder if he had underestimated his own strength a bit. Now that he had just claimed his fiftieth victim a few hours prior, alongside his forty-eighth and forty-ninth, he felt that Skaadi was not the terrifying entity he believed her to be.Though Skaadi could likely outpace him with her Speed, it hadn't taken Linneaus long to discover that there were many gaps to exploit in his opponents. If you could not find one readily available, you simply had to make one for yourself. This ended up being his preferred method of combat as, with his [Barrier Master] Blessing, he was not limited by the terrain while his opponents could only grit their teeth as their attempts to kill him ended in vain.While thinking it was time to start heading back east, as it would take at least two months to reach the orphanage once again, Linneaus' [Sense Danger] activated, causing him to roll back as a wispy blue flame impacted against the pipe he had been sitting on. Rather than explode, this peculiar blue flame began to eat through the pipe like a corrosive acid, causing a large plume of steam to erupt once the metallic lining had been completely eaten away.It would have been enough to boil and melt the skin of a normal person but, with his [Barrier Aura], Linneaus used the steam as cover while his eyes scanned the surroundings. He saw a man with blue fur covering most of his body, his eyes shining an ominous yellow against the backdrop of the night sky. With two pointed ears sticking out of the top of his head, combined with a thick tail wrapped around his waist, Linneaus knew the man was from the Wefram tribe, a species rumored to have descended from an ancient panther god.Knowing the steam cover wouldn't help him, especially with the man creating several small wisps of flame around his body, Linneaus bolted into action. He created several small barrier platforms the air, using them as steps to quickly close the distance between his opponent. This had surprised the man somewhat but, long before Linneaus reached his side, he shouted in a gruff and husky tone of voice, "[Will o' Wisp]!"After seeing the flames eat through solid metal, Linneaus knew better than to try and take them head-on as, even if his aura could protect him, it would take a massive chunk out of his SP. The moment his SP ran out, he would be plagued by a mind-numbingly painful headache and, though he could fight through the pain for a bit, it would almost guarantee his death.Since there were no ideal spots to evade, Linneaus created a platform to his left, forming it like a wall that he could jump to and slide across with his momentum. At the same time, he had created a second barrier, acting as a screen angled away from him, to eat the impact of the blue flames. Even if he only made a weak barrier, it was enough to arrest the momentum of low ranked spells, allowing him to direct most of the impact away from him, even if it had an explosive effect.This time, the man was genuinely surprised by Linneaus' actions and, with each of the [Will o' Wisps] eating up 100SP, he was already running on fumes as the former threw a set of daggers toward him. Since this seemed to be the only weapons on Linneaus' body, he used his forearm to block one while evading the second with a quick twist of his body. Then, believing the demon child to be unarmed, he swung a thick machete towards Linneaus' throat while simultaneously sending his final wisp forward.Though Linneaus had been preparing to duck under the man's swipe before stabbing him with a needle-like barrier, seeing him send forth the ball of flames caused him to feel a bout of incredulity. This wasn't derived from fear, however, but due to the foolishness of the man., While it might seem like a smart idea to cover his path of retreat, it was as if the Wefram failed to learn anything from seeing his Blessing in action.Rather than continue his pursuit, Linneaus created a small barrier in the path of the [Will o' Wisp], its surface angled towards the man's face. At the same time, he bent back, allowing himself to freefall toward the ground as a blood-curdling scream sounded from the rooftop. Moments later, all sounds had ceased but, due to his position, Linneaus couldn't be sure the man had actually died.This was a peculiar quirk of the Akashic System as, unless you could confirm the death visually, you wouldn't even get experience for a kill. Though he had never seen them personally, there were even Skills like [Play Dead] and [Wrath of the Undying], meaning the only guaranteed method to ensure the target was killed involved checking directly.Wasting no time, Linneaus bounded up to a nearby rooftop and, unless the man could fight without a head, he suspected the battle had ended in his victory. This was confirmed when he leaped over to the roof, quickly looting his daggers and any useful equipment he could pilfer before vanishing into the night once again. It wouldn't be long before more Enforcers or Bounty Hunters showed up, the latter of which had been increasing in number as of late.Though Linneaus has never gone out of his way to kill the innocent, he had racked up a sizeable number of kills in a very short period of time. Because of this, a few gangs had put a bounty on his head and, as it was impossible to operate within the territory of another gang, those chasing after him were bounty hunters wanting to collect. What annoyed him was the fact that his head was only worth five small silver, even if this was once an incredible amount of money to him...After retreating into the shadows of a bridge, drawing the attention of several other tenants in the process, Linneaus nestled into a pile of rubbish to recover his SP. With his garments, there were few people who would seek trouble with him from the outset, especially those roughing it outside like him. Thus, Linneaus had learned to seek groups of other vagrants when he needed to relax as, with how calm he behaved in their presence, it served as a powerful deterrent unless the other party was confident in their strength.With his SP slowly ticking up every minute, Linneaus took the opportunity to evaluate his growth, an eerie smile spreading across his face that caused those mustering their courage to avert their eyes. It was said that killers had an aura about them that could be detected by other people and, with four new victims added to his count, Linneaus suspected his presence was more than a little unnerving to some.----------------------------------------[Status]Name: Linnaeus FinnianTitle: Golden-Eyed Demon Child(+3 Dex, +1 Int, +1 Wis per Level.)Race: Hume(50%), Manalyte(50%)Age: 10Gender: MaleLevel: 11(516/1200)Health: 520/520Soul Power: 698/698Strength: 8~18Constitution: 14~25+1Agility: 19~27Dexterity: 21~30Intelligence: 7~22+4.4Wisdom: 15~29+7.8Spirit: 8~18+5.4Charisma: 13~15Luck: 5~6+1Free Attributes: 0Skills: [Kinu Comprehension:(-)], [Knife Mastery: LV5-&gt;LV8], [Throwing: LV6],[Sense Danger: LV17-&gt;LV21], [Presence Concealment: LV10-&gt;LV16], [Acrobatics: LV8-&gt;LV17], [Pain Tolerance: LV2-&gt;LV4], [Barrier Master:LV1-&gt;LV23], [Assassination: LV14](new)Abilities: [Steal: LV18-&gt;LV21], [Stealth: LV4-&gt;LV12]Magic: [Enhance: LV10-&gt;LV16], [Barrier: LV1-&gt;LV18], [Barrier Aura: LV1-&gt;LV20][Throwing: LV6(118/600)]Passive: Increases accuracy when throwing weapons and other items.[Sense Danger: LV21(98/3300)]Passive: Able to identify threats through intuition. (+1 Wis per Level)[Steal: LV21(664/3300)]Cost: 20~100Active: Allows the user to steal an item from a target's equipment slots or inventory. Success rate dependent on SKill Level, Dexterity, and Luck. (+1 Luck)[Barrier Master: LV23(2117/3900)]Passive: Allows the user to manifest their Soul Power and give it physical form. (+3 Int, +3 Wis, +2 Spi per Level. Additional 10% bonus to Int/Wis/Spi every ten Levels.)[Enhance: LV10(227/1000)]Cost: 20~40 SPActive: Empower a single attribute by 10~15%[Barrier Aura: LV20(1856/3000)]Cost: 10 SP per minute. Additional cost dependent on amount of damage sustained.Active: Create a membrane to protect the body from both physical and magical attacks. (+2 Wis, +1 Con. Increases total SP by Skill Level*10)----------------------------------------Seeing how much he had grown in such a short period of time, Linneaus had long-since cast away the thought that his Blessing was weak. Rather, it had incredible utility and, if applied correctly, gave him an edge against the majority of opponents he had faced. Better yet, with the growth of his Skills, Abilities, and Magic, he had gained several boosts to his attributes, teaching him the importance of training them to certain thresholds.Though there were some exceptions, Linneaus noted that he could get bonus attributes per Level by increasing his Skills beyond LV20. The same applied to Abilities and Magic but, rather than boosts per Level, it gave a flat increase, meaning he would get marginally stronger the moment he reached a certain threshold. As a result, it felt like his capabilities had increased explosively, making the two years of training he had conducted seem wasteful.What Linneaus didn't realize is, due to his peculiar nature and obstinance, refusing to step in line with any of the local gangs, he had been increasing his Level much faster than the average slum dweller. As he would periodically be faced with an enemy at, or even above, his Level, he would gain a few hundred experience points in the confrontation. Now, he was already strong enough to rival against the Cadres of a small gang, putting him just beneath their leaders. Though he was still a ways off from being considered strong amongst the slum dwellers, a feat that required you to reach Level 20, he was unimaginably far beyond his peers at the same age.

It so happened that, with something like death looming over your head, time seemed to flow a lot faster than normal.Though each day had been filled with small events and minor achievements, Linneaus was far from the goals he had set for himself, despite the fact he had managed to level up once again. Better yet, he managed to officially be recognized by the Akashic System as 'Little Ghost', granting him a few small perks.Even with these significant boons, however, he had no confidence in being able to survive against Skaadi as, two days prior to his tenth birthday, Linneaus noticed she was dressed better than normal and, rather than walk around unarmed, she now carried a dagger that looked like a long ice pick. He had even gotten to experience its sharpness as, presumably on the day she had received it, Skaadi tracked him down and stabbed him clean through the thigh.As if he hadn't already been fighting an uphill battle, Linneaus learned she was no longer a relief girl within the Greyhounds, for reasons he could only speculate. Regardless, she was now a full-fledged Enforcer, meaning the threat to his life had increased exponentially.Because of these rapid changes, Linneaus had a dull look in his eyes during the days leading up to his tenth birthday. If he failed to obtain a Blessing that would give him an edge in combat, his death was all but assured. Though he wouldn't give up until the very end, to the point he was considering running away to another region to lay low until his sister's tenth birthday, it was hard to imagine she wouldn't simply track him down.Despite these concerns, Linneaus did his best not to alert his sister to the impending threat to his life, even though she had shown signs of inferring the truth. Since she didn't want to worry him even more, they both pretended that the secret remained, all the way up until the small celebration on the eve of his tenth birthday.With the clock striking midnight, amidst the glimmering eyes of his fellow orphans, Linneaus felt powerful energy flowing through his body. It was like a rush of adrenaline, unlike anything he had ever experienced, giving him the illusion he would be able to take on any enemies. Despite this, the pillar of light from his body only extended to a meager six meters, the same as his level.Though it was slightly above average, Linneaus felt as if the pressure on his body had increased by several-fold, even as the children of the orphanage congratulated him. Then, without wasting any time, he looked at his Status, praying against all odds that his Blessing would make up for his lack of potential...----------------------------------------[Status]Name: Linnaeus FinnianTitle: Little Ghost(+2 Agi, +2 Dex, +1 Wis per Level]Race: Hume(50%), Manalyte(50%)Age: 10Gender: MaleLevel: 6(497/600)Health: 280/280Soul Power: 165/165Strength: 6~8Constitution: 11~14Agility: 12~19Dexterity: 16~21Intelligence: 6~7+0.7Wisdom: 12~15+1.5Spirit: 5~8+0.8Charisma: 9~13Luck: 5Free Attributes: 19Skills: [Kinu Comprehension:(-)], [Knife Mastery: LV4-&gt;LV5], [Sense Danger: LV15-&gt;LV17], [Presence Concealment: LV9-&gt;LV10], [Acrobatics: LV5-&gt;LV8], [Pain Tolerance: LV2](new), [Barrier Master:LV1](new)Abilities: [Steal: LV15-&gt;LV18], [Stealth: LV4](new)Magic: [Enhance: LV5-&gt;LV10], [Barrier: LV1](new), [Barrier Aura: LV1](new)[Pain Tolerance: LV2(11/200)]Passive: Ability to resist spontaneous and persistent pain while remaining clear-headed.[Barrier Master: LV1(0/100)]Passive: Allows the user to manifest their Soul Power and give it physical form. (+3 Int, +3 Wis, +2 Spi per Level. Additional 10% bonus to Int/Wis/Spi every ten Levels.)[Stealth: LV4(33/400]Cost: 10 SP per minuteActive: Allows the user to blend into the shadows and dull the sound of their footsteps.[Enhance: LV10(227/1000)]Cost: 20~40 SPActive: Empower a single attribute by 10~15%[Barrier: LV1(0/100)]Cost: Variable(Cost dependent on the size and durability of the barrier. Base: 50SP)Active: Create a barrier that is able to defend against both physical and magical attacks.[Barrier Aura: LV1(0/100)]Cost: 10 SP per minute. Additional cost dependent on amount of damage sustained.Active: Create a membrane to protect the body from both physical and magical attacks.----------------------------------------Seeing his Blessing was [Barrier Master], Linneaus didn't know whether to laugh or cry as, though it was somewhat rare, it wasn't considered particularly useful outside of the Tower. While it certainly increased his survivability in short fights, the drain on his SP would make it almost impossible to use other spells in conjunction and, from what he knew, the external barriers produced only lasted for half the duration of his Spirit attribute.With Linneaus Blessing being rather tame, the children all felt awkward congratulating him but, as if to cheer him up, Rebecca had her usual kind smile as she explained, "For those that want to protect others, there are few Blessings better than [Barrier Master]. You should also keep in mind that there are no bad Blessings, little Lin. The determining factor for how useful a Blessing is depends entirely on the creativity and willpower of the user..."Understanding her words might not get through to him, especially given his situation, Rebecca kept her smile as she did something none of the children had seen before. She began to move her boney finger in a nimble and dexterous manner that none of them could follow directly, causing a few small blue flickers of light. Then, with a smile on her face, Rebecca explained, "My Blessing was [Sewing], a Skill that most can learn rather easily but...when applied creatively, anything is possible~."After she finished speaking, Rebecca twitched her fingers, surprising all of the orphans as she forced Linneaus to take a step forward. As for the boy in question, he was completely paralyzed and, if you looked closely, there were blue lines binding his arms to his sides as nearly invisible strings caused him to move forward at Rebecca's behest. It was an admittedly terrifying experience, at least until she began to gently pat his head, allowing the strings of Soul Power to dissipate as if they had never existed in the first place.To give the boy one last push, Rebecca looked directly into his eyes, her smile causing the wrinkles of her face to increase exponentially as she said, "I once knew a man who was able to form his barriers into weapons. He could change their shape freely, becoming one of the most versatile fighters I ever had the privilege of Partying with..." Since she didn't want to set him down the same path as another person, this was the limit to what Rebecca was willing to say as, ultimately, the form and function of a Blessing depended on the individual.Hearing Rebecca's words, Linneaus' eyes began to blaze as he hadn't even thought about using the barriers offensively. He felt the Skill was only useful for defense but, with her hint, he suddenly felt like his Blessing was far more powerful than he realized. At the same time, he kind of felt guilty as, without her advice, he would have fallen into a state of self-pity, believing his fate had already been determined.With a confident nod, Linneaus met Rebecca's gaze before answering in a firm tone of voice, "I will not look down on my own Blessing. Thank you for your guidance..." Then, after looking toward his sister, Linneaus had a smile on his face as he said, "Please continue to take care of Gwen."The moment she heard her brother's words, Gwen began to tear up and, without wasting any time, she jumped toward him with enough force to tackle him to the ground. Since he was now ten years old, it meant he could no longer stay in the orphanage. He needed to set out and find his place in the world, giving other children the opportunity to be cared for in his stead.While Gwen was sobbing in his chest, Linneaus continued to lightly stroke her hair, doing his best to coax her by saying he would still visit often. He also promised to try and save up enough money for them both to live inside the megacity in the future, even if this was a near-impossible task. The best he could hope for was that Gwen's Blessing and potential far outstripped his own so that she could enter the megacity and avoid the terrible fate that awaited most females in the slums...Though the celebration had taken place at midnight, the hours leading up to sunrise felt both long and short. Linneaus had eventually managed to calm his sister down enough for her to fall asleep, albeit only lightly as she would periodically wake up to confirm if he was still there. Then, when it was actually time for him to leave, she began crying once again, fearing that the moment he left the orphanage, she would never see him again.Linneaus didn't know what to do with his sister in this state so he could only look toward Rebecca and Saht, the only two who had remained after the other orphans went to sleep. When the latter saw him look over, she gave a curt nod of understanding, even though he hadn't tried to communicate anything to her. Following this, Saht came over and wrested Gwen from his arms, an easy feat given her greater than average strength.Gwen began to panic at the unexpected separation but, before she could begin thrashing around, Saht suddenly shouted in a harsh tone, "If you keep him here, your brother will die! Be strong or you will insult everything he has done for you!" As she shouted this, Saht continued to hold Gwen in a reverse bear hug, lifting her off the ground slightly so that she could only struggle by thrashing her legs.Fortunately, her words seemed to have a big impact on Gwen as, instead of struggling, she bit her lower lip as tears continued to pour down her face. Linneaus did his best to put on a strong front for her, maintaining a calm smile, even though his heart was beating as if he had just sprinted more than a dozen kilometers.While Saht continued to hold his sister, Linneaus extended his hand to remove a few pieces of stray hair, a smile still visible on his face as he promised, "I swear to you. I will not die. I will not disappear. Until you are able to live a safe and happy life, free from the darkness of the slums, I will continue to protect you...always and forever..." With that said, Linneaus gave his sister a kiss on the forehead, causing her tears to more than double in intensity as he turned to walk away.Waiting near the door, Rebecca had two small pouches in her hands, one filled with enough small coppers for him to rent a room somewhere while the other was filled with rice. She handed them over to Linneaus before pulling him into a warm embrace as she whispered, "You are a good child, Linneaus. Do not let the darkness of this world taint your heart. I will look after your sister...now go, and may Akasha bless you..."Though he was very grateful for the kind words, Linneaus almost wished that Rebecca hadn't given him anything as he now felt an overwhelmingly sour sensation in his nose. It was fortunate that he had his back to Gwen and Saht, leaving only Rebecca to see the tears pouring down his face as he gave a curt nod and exited the orphanage. He now had thirteen months to come up with a solution to protect his sister, assuming he could even survive the next couple of days...

Chapter 7: Experience