Babel

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.

Contrasting his fortune in the first three months of his journey, Linneaus soon learned why most vagrants and vagabonds were never seen in the same place twice.Due to the sheer size of the slums, stretching out far beyond the horizon, it was exceedingly easy to get lost. Thus, after deciding to pass around some of the territories he had crossed when he first set out, Linneaus found himself wandering aimlessly for months. Though he had tried to approximate the location of his former home, heading toward the megacity nearly got him killed as, the closer you were to the colossal gates, the more powerful and influential the local gangs were.Having earned a bit of a reputation for himself, Linneaus was nearly captured the moment he began to head inward, forcing him to retreat at the cost of his left hand. Fortunately, even crippling injuries would slowly heal over time so, after two months, the stump had regrown into fresh tissue, causing his left hand to be slightly paler than the rest of his body.With no other options available, Linneaus did his best to find a landmark that would rekindle his memory before tracing his steps back to the territory he once called home. If not for the tireless efforts of the gangs trying to kill him, it might have taken him years just to pick up the trail again.Fortunately, with the immeasurable size of the slums, it was possible to gain your bearings just by following the rumors back to their source. All he needed to do was wander around a few territories, tracing a zig-zag pattern through the complex network of alleyways until people recognized him. After that, Bounty Hunters would begin to appear once again and, rather than kill them outright, Linneaus gave them a reprieve in exchange for information.Though he knew this could be used to track his movements, time was running out before his sister's tenth birthday. If he wasn't there to protect her, a tragedy could happen if she hadn't been fortunate enough to venture into the walls of the megacity. Thus, despite falling into several traps along the way, Linneaus continued forward, increasing the total of men and women in his death ledger to a frightening three-hundred-and-nineteen.Now, just over a year since his departure, marked by the fact he had turned eleven a week prior, Linneaus finally stepped into familiar territory. Unlike in the past, however, people looked at him with wide-eyes and pale complexions, giving him a wide berth despite the fact he walked nowhere near them. This included the Enforcers high atop the roofs, some of which prayed he would follow the rules so they wouldn't have to take action. After all, by walking through the alleyways, it was akin to saying he was just passing through, not seeking trouble.As his steps brought him closer to home, Linneaus noticed his feet began to feel heavy, not for fear of his life, but trepidation towards reuniting with his sister. He had left a relatively innocent boy who, unless forced, would never bring harm to another person. Now, however, he was a notorious killer. Though he never once sought out the life of another proactively, only killing those who had come after him, it didn't change the fact that he was a murderer.Imagining the disappointment in Rebecca's face and the frightened expressions of his fellow orphans made it difficult to pass over the small line denoting the Greyhounds' territory. He imagined that she wouldn't even let him into the house, barring passage with her calm, placid, yet unfathomable aura. If that were the case, he could only turn away and hope that Gwen came out to meet him, something that terrified him to the core. If she refused to meet him, Linneaus felt that something inside of him would break, never again to be mended...While he was lost in thought, a barely audible sound of wind tearing reached Linneaus' ears, causing him to instinctually use his [Barrier Aura] before erecting a meter wide [Barrier] directly behind him. Almost immediately following this, he heard the sound of glass fracturing but, despite this, the pale blue membrane only had a few cracks.Clicking her tongue, the assailant, none other than Skaadi, jumped to create some distance as she spat, "So it really was you, brat. What, now that you've made a name for yourself, you think you can come back to get revenge!?" With these words leaving her lips, Skaadi bent forward at a steep angle, her thighs and calves flexing before a burst of green Spiritual Power formed around her for a brief moment.Once again, accompanied by the sound of wind tearing, Skaadi lunged toward him with her dagger, aiming directly for the kill. She had heard about the Golden-Eyed Demon Child and, as might be expected from someone who had tormented another for nearly two years, she quickly recognized the identity of the mysterious killer. Pale-blue hair was very uncommon, especially in the slums, so Linneaus had always stood out, even as a lowly Street Urchin.What Skaadi could have never expected was, in the year that she hadn't seen him, Linneaus had not only caught up to her Level but exceeded it. His eyes could easily follow her speed and, by making a barrier in line with her shins, she went sent tumbling forward with her unarrested momentum. One of the major weak points of the [Child of Wind] Blessing, at least until it had been trained properly, was that it had incredible forward momentum, but significantly reduced your ability to slow down and change direction.After sliding across the ground for a few meters, Skaadi quickly bounded up to her feet, face covered in dirt with a large part of her tattered blouse torn to shreds. Though some might pause at the sight of exposed breasts, Linneaus has spent the last year of his life embroiled in life or death battles. Of his victims, ninety-seven had been female, some of which had tried to seduce or take advantage of him. Thus, without flinching in the slightest at the sight, Linneaus was already hot on Skaadi's trail, causing her face to morph into genuine shock as she turned to meet his gaze.With her pupils shrinking to the size of pinholes, Skaadi made use of her instincts and flexibility to twist her body back, nearly forming a full arch. At the same time, she kicked upward, attempting to catch Linneaus in the chin, only to find that her leg collided with a solid surface. Immediately after that, her vision was filled with a blue membrane that made it almost impossible to move without rolling to the side.Before Skaadi was able to fully process what was happening, Linneaus had struck down mercilessly with a baselard that he had pilfered several months prior. It was his strongest piece of equipment and, if fenced, would fetch upwards of five large silver pieces. Now, just as he struck down toward his own barrier, Linneaus allowed it to dissipate at the last moment, giving free passage to the blade while Skaadi continued to look upward with a blank mortified expression on her face.As he wasn't the type to toy with his prey in the slightest, Linneaus drove his dagger directly into the Vulna woman's heart, piercing just beneath her left breast and sliding the blade through her fourth and fifth rib. This caused her body to tense up as, from Linneaus' perspective, her health immediately fell into a critical level before greying out. After that, she fell limply to the ground, her appearance not all that dissimilar to other women who had lost their lives in the slums.Due to her pride as a Vulna, Skaadi had foolishly intercepted Linneaus on her own, following his smell from the time he had entered the adjacent territory. Though her fellow Enforcers hadn't been far behind, they arrived only to find her corpse littering the alleyway, a simple cloth covering her previously exposed chest. In the past, their fate had been interconnected over something as simple as a rat and a piece of cloth so, as if coming full circle, Linneaus brought it to an end by returning a cloth and leaving her to the rats...With Skaadi's death sending ripples through the Greyhounds' territory, Linneaus continued toward the orphanage, his steps even heavier than before. Though he had gotten used to it, the smell of blood was rather potent, even amongst the foul odors of the slums. Even taking a dip in the nearby waterway wouldn't be able to remove it completely, something he had learned long ago while trying to maintain his meager equipment.Despite his trepidations, Linneaus continued until he was just outside the orphanage, his gold-eyes reflecting the image of an elderly woman. She had come out to either greet him or bar his passage, causing Linneaus to immediately fall to his knees as tears he didn't know he had began to pour out.He suddenly felt inexplicably tired, as if he hadn't slept since he left the orphanage a year prior while the weight of his sins crushed his heart with even less mercy than he had shown Skaadi.Throughout his crying session, Rebecca just continued to stare back at him without moving from her spot. Her face was a perfect mask, showing absolutely no expression until, nearly ten minutes later, Linneaus finally ceased crying. It was only when he faced her directly, rather than averting his eyes, that Rebecca finally smiled back at him, saying in the same kind tone that had guided him during his past struggles, "Welcome back, little Lin. I see that your travels have not been kind to you. Come, let me hear all about your journey inside...I'm not the only one who is interested...fufufufu..."Just as Rebecca stepped aside to allow Linneaus entry, a pale-blue blur emerged from the interior, moving both swiftly yet in slow motion, at least from his perspective. Seeing who it was, Linneaus couldn't muster any strength at all, allowing himself to be tackled as he continued to kneel before Rebecca. As a result, he tumbled backward against the hard stone but, not minding it in the least, Linneaus wrapped his arms around the petite figure, fresh tears flowing from his already sore eyes.As if she refused to lose out against him, Gwen was also crying as she hugged him with a vice-like grip, her voice a sobbing choke as she stated, "You...you're late...you idiot...bully...jerk..." Since a year was a very long time for children as young as they, Gwen's nights had not been easy. Even as early as the first month of Linneaus' absence, she began fearing the worst, to the point it was hard to focus on her training. Now that she saw he was still alive, her first reaction was overwhelming relief before it immediately evolved into frustration, blame, and sadness.With less than a month left until her tenth birthday, there was a chance their time together would be cute short, regardless of their wishes. It didn't matter how strong Linneaus has become as, without territory and property of his own, it was impossible to protect anyone but himself. Even if they both wandered as vagrants, it wouldn't be long before they were either captured or killed while he tried his best to protect her. This was especially true since, over the last eight months, her progress had slowed to a crawl due to her worry, making her weaker than eight out of the ten girls residing inside the orphanage.For now, however, none of that mattered as, after a painful year for them both, the siblings were once again reunited. With Rebecca's reprieve, Linneaus was allowed to stay in the orphanage for the night, so long as he shared his tales and experience with the other orphanages. After all, hearing the stories of someone walking the path ahead of them would be a powerful motivator to those yet to come of age. Since she knew some of what Linneaus had been through, without losing the light in his eyes, Rebecca felt that he was a fine example of survival, even if the path he walked was one of the most difficult...

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.)

Chapter 8: Numb