Babel

As promised, Linneaus shared his stories with the children of the orphanage and, though he could not stay longer than a single evening, he still enjoyed reuniting with his fellow orphans. Since he had saved up quite a bit of money on his journey, he even treated them to a feast, earning the gratitude of the newer orphans as well.By the time morning had come, Linneaus felt like a heavy weight had been removed from his heart as Rebecca, Gwen, and Saht escorted him outside. The latter's physical appearance hadn't changed much since the last time he saw her, making her seem shorter than he remembered. Despite this, she was strong enough to nearly defeat him in an arm-wrestling match, stunning Linneaus and the other children when she revealed her 17 Strength.What had surprised Linneaus the most, however, was that Saht wasn't acting as cold and distant as he remembered. By the time he had finished talking about his journey, she was seated next to him, asking various questions and even challenging him to contests of physical strength. Since it helped put things in perspective for the children, Rebecca allowed them to do some light sparring, resulting in Saht being tossed to the ground a few times before she ultimately gave up and started lingering around him.Linneaus was familiar with the Ba'haat race from the lessons Rebecca had given them in the past, so he had a basic understanding of what was going through her mind. It wasn't just him either, as Gwen kept teasing them both throughout the long night. Though this didn't seem to bother Saht at all, as her expression rarely changed, Linneaus was only able to calm down after leaving some money with Rebecca and departing the orphanage.After moving to a relatively isolated area upstream, Linneaus washed his face off as he began to consider what it would take to protect not just Gwen, but all the children of the orphanage. The way Saht was behaving made him feel pressure for a variety of reasons, primarily as a result of his lack of strength.Though he was much stronger now than a year ago, Linneaus had nearly lost his life after trying to move closer to the megacity's walls. The sobering part of this was the fact his attackers were just normal Enforcers from a medium-sized gang. He hadn't even experienced how powerful those in a large gang were. Since they were rumored to have connections inside of the megacity, it didn't take much in the way of imagination to know they had to be much stronger.Saht had said she wanted to join him when she received her Blessing as, according to her, she had no other kin besides Gwen, Rebecca, and himself. As the Ba'haat were very selective in the people they placed their trust in, it meant a lot to know she saw him in such a light.Because of this revelation, Linneaus couldn't help but feel a similar kinship towards the young pink-haired girl. The problem was, he wasn't even certain he could protect Gwen who, far more so than himself, had begun to blossom into a delicate flower. When she was finally required to leave the orphanage, there would be no end to the number of people trying to claim her for themselves. If he wasn't strong enough, the only fate that awaited both of them was death, something Gwen herself was fully prepared for...Releasing a tired sigh, Linneaus looked towards the infinitely vast sky above, the sounds of running water and pedestrian traffic creating a never-ending cacophony in his chaotic mind. In the end, it felt like the only thing he could rely on was fate, hoping that Gwen and Saht would both be able to enter the megacity when they came of age. He simply didn't have enough time to grow strong enough to protect them as, if he dropped his guard for too long, he might not even be able to protect himself.As if to drive this point across, a flicker of light appeared in the periphery of Linneaus' vision, causing his eyes to sharpen in an instant as he rolled backward. Faster than his eyes could follow, a silver bolt passed where his head had been previously before, less than a second after the first, another struck against his abdomen.Seeing a blue ripple spread across Linneaus' body, the assailant immediately disappeared into the complex maze of alleyways, moving like a phantom to escape any potential counterattack.Knowing the futility in giving chase to a cloaked figure, as they could just place the garment into their Inventory to blend in with the crowd, Linneaus just looted the two metal bolts before heading south until he was outside the Greyhounds' territory. He couldn't just linger in the area while waiting for his sister to come of age as, the longer he stayed in one place, the more danger they were all in. There was even a chance the Greyhounds would mobilize in full force to eliminate him, something he would rather avoid since their leader should be around Level 20.Thus, while paying close attention to the passage of time, Linneaus began wandering through his old skulking grounds. He was determined to grow even stronger in the seventeen days leading up to his sister's birthday, even if this was nowhere near enough time to increase his strength to the point of being able to protect them both...---In the blink of an eye, Linneaus had increased his kill count to a total of 333, a uniquely auspicious number, though he wasn't sure why. For some reason, it felt more meaningful than it actually was but, rather than focus on that, he was more concerned about what Blessing his sister would receive. Fortunately, Rebecca had once again allowed him to stay the night, the result of her trust in him and the fact he brought an entire sack full of apples for the children to partake of.This turning the evening into an even more festive event than normal, even though Linneaus felt like his brain was buzzing due to anxiety. Not only was he worried about his sister's Blessing but, in the short few weeks he had been away, Saht seemed to have grown more affectionate of him.While everyone awaited the sound of the clock striking midnight, Linneaus was fettered to his spot by the small figure sitting in his lap, treating him like the most comfortable piece of furniture in the entire orphanage. He also had to deal with the embarrassment and teasing of the other children on his own as, regardless of what was said, Saht continued to occupy his lap, completely unflustered.Eventually, despite the fact time seemed to have slowed to a crawl, midnight finally came, bringing with it a tense atmosphere as Linneaus watched with unblinking eyes at the pillar of light formed by his sister's Blessing. It was actually substantially large than his own, reaching between ten and fifteen meters, earning an approving nod from Rebecca.Seeing this, Linneaus felt as if the tension of his body drained away and, with Saht still seated in his lap, he couldn't help but hug the girl weakly as he rested his head atop her's. She didn't seem to mind this at all, adopting a rare smile on her face while patting the top of his head with her hand.After the light faded away, Gwen was in a stupor for several seconds until Rebecca began to chuckle after saying, "Child, tell us what Blessing you received. I'm certain everyone wants to know."As if broken from a hypnotic spell, Gwen nodded her head before opening her Status and freezing once again. This could be a good or a bad sign but, with her potential being so high, it shouldn't matter what Blessing she got. At least, this was the thought process Linneaus had before Gwen managed to stammer out the words, "I...I...I got the H-H-Healer Blessing...!"Following Gwen's announcement, absolute silence permeated throughout the entire orphanage until Rebecca loudly clapped her hands and said, "Children, it is time for bed. Please return to your rooms and stay there until morning."Once all of the other children were ushered away, Saht included, Rebecca quickly came to Gwen's side, saying, "Show me."Though it was impossible to view another person's Status without [Observe] and [Analyze], two of the most highly sought after Blessing, there was an exception if the other party willingly showed it to you. This was very rarely ever performed, as a person's Status was their most closely guarded secret, but Gwen obediently listened to Rebecca due to her stern tone.After confirming that Gwen did indeed have the [Healer] Blessing, Rebecca immediately pulled out a small stone tablet. It had the appearance of a piece of green jade and, at a glance, it was easy to see that it must have been very expensive. Despite this, Rebecca immediately shattered it into pieces before placing her hand on Gwen's shoulder, calming the panicking girl by saying in a soft tone, "It seems Akasha has truly blessed you, my child. In the future, please remember the pass on just a bit of your fortunes to other people..."Gwen was still struggling to accept the reality of her situation but, hearing Rebecca's words, she gave a sincere nod before looking worriedly toward Linneaus. Before she could ask, Linneaus preempted Rebecca by smiling as he said, "Do not worry about me, Gwen. One day, I will enter the megacity and we will meet again. The only thing that has ever mattered to me is your safety and happiness. Please, for me, be happy..."For the remainder of their short time together, Linneaus hugged his sister tightly until, a mere twenty minutes later, a middle-aged woman in a white robe appeared at the orphanage's entrance. Outside, a large group of individuals wearing ornate armor were present, all to escort the woman and Gwen. As awe-inspiring a sight as they were to behold, the most startling fact was, for the first time in his life, Linneaus couldn't hear a single sound from his surroundings, almost as if the slums themselves were hiding away...After a few more minutes had passed, during which time Rebecca received a hefty reward and a new jade tablet, Linneaus could only watch as his sister was escorted away by one of the most powerful forces in all of Lumen, the Paladins. They were the protectors of the single most important group of people in the entire planar world, those with the potential to be Healers, Priests, and Priestesses. Not only was this one of the rarest Blessing but, at high enough mastery, it was rumored that a trained Healer could even resurrect the dead.Throughout all of Lumen, there was a holy-trinity of Blessings, each representing the pinnacle of offensive, defensive, and utility Skills. These were the [Limit Breaker], [Aegis], and [Healer] Blessings respectively, meaning Gwen had immediately been elevated to the pinnacle of their society in less than an hour. Within the megacity, it wouldn't be long until she became recognized as a Saintess and, even though she didn't have any accomplishments to speak of, rumors of the miracles she had performed in the Slums would quickly propagate to guarantee her the Title.Of course, as all of this was happening, Linneaus would not just sit idle as, fully intending to keep his promise, he set about increasing his strength and building up his reputation once again. Though it was clear that his and his sister's paths were fundamentally different, as he seemed fated to walk in the darkness, that didn't mean they couldn't run parallel to each other. If only to ascertain whether or not she was living a safe and happy lifestyle, Linneaus was determined to enter the megacity and, even if it was for just a single moment, he would reunite with his sister.Thus, as the rumors of the slum-born Saintess began to spread, so too did a second rumor, this one far more sinister. It was said that a Golden-Eyed Demon had been born, almost as if to contrast the light produced by the Saintess. Then, a few months later, this Golden-Eyed Demon was rumored to have teamed up with another powerful figure, known to those unfortunate enough to encounter them as the Blood-Red Berserker. Together, they began to terrorize the people living in the area rumored to be the Saintess' origin. Then, slowly but surely, amidst a mountain of corpses and blood-red rivers, the duo began to move toward the tall walls protecting the megacity...

It was almost an instinctual desire for all the peoples of Lumen to want to live as close to the Tower as possible. Though there were some outliers, such as a nomadic tribe that had been determined to reach the edge of the planar world, traveling for nearly a thousand generations, the vast majority of Lumen's inhabitants lived around the Tower's base.As a result, the population density gradually increased as you moved closer to the Tower and, after millennia of fighting, only the truly strong were able to make a home for themselves at the Heart of the planar world. This same principle applied both inside the megacity and in the slums that seemed to stretch out far beyond the horizon.In one of the slum's inner districts, separated from the megacity by a single massive wall, a gruff and aged man was currently seated on a stone chair as he listened to the report of his subordinate. His predatory eyes blazed like suns in the low light of the room, set in a squarish and muscular face that was adorned with scars that attested to a lifetime of conflict.With a full beard and swept-back hair, giving him the appearance of a fiery red mane, the people in the slums had come to call him Bran, the 'Red Lion'. Though not the most powerful, Bran was one of the top ten influential kingpins between the 171st and 223rd districts.His gang, known as the Lion's Pride, had an ongoing alliance with another kingpin within the same sphere of influence, a venomous woman named Natasha Nell, known as the Mistress of Snakes. She controlled most of the brothels within the region while his crew controlled the flow of goods within the markets. Together, they had dominated their territories for nearly forty years, digging their roots so deep that even their rivals had long-since migrated to other districts.Despite all of this, Bran was currently listening as a one-armed man, his face set in a visage of fear, stammered, "T-T-The G-G-Golden-Eyed D-Demon wanted me t-t-to d-deliver a m-m-" Before the man could finish his words, Bran threw the metal goblet in his hand with enough force to embed it into the stammering fool's head. This caused his already low health to immediately grey out as Bran pinched the bridge of his nose, his voice a low rumble as he asked, "Can anyone tell me how a group of brats are able to make my entire fucking gang look like a bunch of piss-stained whelps?"As could be expected, none of the men or women present in the room made any attempt to answer such a question, fearing their fate would be the same as the messenger. This caused Bran to sigh, a tired looked in his eyes as he grumbled, "I'm getting too old for this shit..."It had already been years since the last time his group was engaged in active conflict, at least on the scale of a turf war. Though there were still a few people in his inner circle that could be relied on, a few of his old Cadres had moved on to lay roots in their own territories. Now, Bran realized why even powerful gangs always fell in the end as, without an enemy to sharpen their fangs and claws against, it was only a matter of time before complacency, stagnation, and age claimed them.Though he was only 83 years old, which was considered young for someone at Level 30, the highest level that could be obtained without entering the Tower, Bran suddenly felt a dull ache in his bones. He, like many others, had once aspired to climb the Tower. As he grew older, this desire only became even stronger as he grew closer to the peak.In the past, Bran had believed that, if he continued working hard to get stronger, defeating every foe that crossed his path, the Tower would eventually recognize his efforts. Now that he had been at the same level for nearly two decades, however, this hope had faded away with his ambitions. To make matters even worse, some of his subordinates had been selected over the years, including one of his sons, a boy that he could have swatted like a fly...Feeling that fate was already mocking his efforts, Bran was incensed that a pair of brats, mouths still wet from milk, believed themselves capable of moving freely in his territory. He would teach them both a harsh lesson, starting with the so-called Golden-Eyed Demon. Since he was paired with a girl, it was obvious there was something going on between them. After he captured them, he intended to ravish the girl in front of her young lover until the light completely faded from their eyes. Only when they were in a state of absolute despair, just like him, would he allow them the reprieve of death.Picking up a mace that was more than two meters long, weighing nearly 300kg, Bran shouldered the heavy lump of metal as he said, "I want that brat and his bitch alive. Cripple them if you have to but the final blow goes to me." Though he wouldn't get any experience at all from killing the two, Bran had a habit of denying experience to others. He knew it was petty of him to do so but, with how life had treated him, he didn't really care about elevating others, only controlling them...---From within a pipe that usually fed waste into a large purification system before ultimately feeding back into the waterways, a young man with pale-blue hair and glimmering golden eyes sat with his back against the algae-covered wall. Leaning against his chest, a pink-haired girl with two ivory white horns poking from her scalp was breathing heavily through her nose with a pained expression on her face.This duo was Linneaus, now aged fifteen, and Saht, having recently turned thirteen. The latter had a large wound on her lower back, the entry point for a sword that had pierced through her body. She would eventually recover but, due to the filth and other grime on the blade, Saht was dealing with a very high fever as her body fought against the 'Infection' status.Though retreating to a sewer pipe didn't seem like the best option, as it was extremely dirty, moist, and foul-smelling, Linneaus had been able to create a small 'room' for them using his [Barrier] magic. This allowed them to stay mostly dry while he applied pressure to her wound and periodically used fresh water from his canteen to clean it. At the same time, he lightly stroked Saht's hair to keep her calm while doing his best to ignore the soft sensation of her body against his.At this point, his and Saht's relationship had become more than a little intimate, especially after they began fighting and killing together, but they tried to avoid having sex. Though she did force him to take her virginity in the past, so as to avoid having it robbed by one of their enemies, they now only did the deed after an especially fierce battle. It turned out that experiencing a life and death battle, where you nearly lost your life several times, had a certain influence on the reproductive instincts.Now, feeling how soft her body was, Linneaus could only distract himself by reading through his Status and thinking about their next course of action. He wouldn't attack her in her best state so, with her injured like this, there was no way he would do anything to complicate matters. They had also promised to never birth a child in the slums, the main reason for their pseudo-abstinence, so Linneaus found it more productive to think about how they might enter the megacity...----------------------------------------[Status]Name: Linnaeus FinnianTitle: Golden-Eyed Demon(+3 Dex, +1 Int, +2 Wis per Level.)Race: Hume(50%), Manalyte(50%)Age: 15Gender: MaleLevel: 21(42/3300)Health: 1000/1000Soul Power: 1991/1991Strength: 18~49Constitution: 25~49+1Agility: 27~49Dexterity: 30~49+1Intelligence: 22~49+8.4Wisdom: 29~49+9.7Spirit: 18~38+5.7Charisma: 15~25Luck: 6~10+1Free Attributes: 91Skills: [Kinu Comprehension:(-)], [Knife Mastery: LV8~LV21], [Throwing: LV6~LV14],[Sense Danger: LV21~LV29], [Presence Concealment: LV16~LV30], [Acrobatics: LV17~LV30], [Pain Tolerance: LV4~LV18], [Barrier Master:LV23~LV49], [Assassination: LV14~LV33], [Charm: LV7]Abilities: [Steal: LV21~LV27], [Stealth: LV12~LV28], [Night Vision: LV17]Magic: [Enhance: LV16~LV26], [Barrier: LV18~LV49], [Barrier Aura: LV20~LV49]----------------------------------------Over the last four years, Linneaus has learned a lot about how the Status worked, including the limits that were built into the system.Originally, Linneaus didn't understand why others were so weak as he continued to grow stronger but, after interrogating a few Enforcers, he learned that they rarely had more than a few Skills. Even then, their Skill Levels were abysmally low as, rather than refine themselves through hard effort, most slum dwellers just ended up joining one of the local gangs to avoid trouble.While this may seem smart at first, as it was a means of self-preservation, it ended up making them a lot weaker as their Level increased. This was due to the fact that, after reaching Level 20, Skills would actually increase your attributes every Level. Though it was only a few points here and there, this had allowed Linneaus to essentially gain fourteen additional Free Attributes per Level, without any extra effort on his part.On average, a person would gain around 8~10 attributes per Level, not counting the 4~8 Free Attributes points they would receive as a bonus. With his Skills and Title, Linneaus had earned an average of 24 attributes per Level, allowing him to learn yet another important truth about the world.Though it was common knowledge that the limit of a person's growth was restricted to Level 30, at least outside of the Tower, Linneaus now knew there were similar limits to attributes, Skills, Abilities, and Magic.Since he had been using his Free Attribute points to further increase his attributes, it didn't take long for him to discover that it was impossible to increase his base value by more than 49 points. This was also true for his Blessing and related Magic as well.After reaching Level 49, much to Linneaus' chagrin, his experience had been stuck at 14999/15000. Now, no matter what he tried, it was impossible to earn that final experience point, meaning he had no way of strengthening his Blessing further. Fortunately, this didn't prevent him from increasing his proficiency and, after a lot of practice, Linneaus could now form his barriers into nearly every basic geometric shape, including cubes, cylinders, spheres, and cones.Now, Linneaus felt that he could even fight against people who had reached Level 30 as, with his own attributes reaching a bottleneck, he imagined others were in the same situation. This meant the only difference between him and his opponents would be their Blessings and the combination of Skills, Abilities, and Magic they had obtained.It was this knowledge that propelled Linneaus to begin his journey towards the megacity as, despite his lackluster potential, his strength should allow him to at least become a bodyguard or mercenary. He might have to lower his head to some profligate Merchant but, if it meant he could reunite with his sister, Linneaus was willing to tolerate shame.Though he didn't really know what to do after seeing his sister again, the fact that Saht had followed him this far gave him options. Since she was also nearing the limits of many attributes, they could be a powerful duo, even in the megacity. After saving up enough money, they could even start a family together, leaving the life of a slum dweller behind as they lived within the ivory walls of the megacity for the rest of their days...While thinking of what the future held for them, Linneaus looked into the sleeping face of Saht with a small smile decorating his own. She no longer had a pained expression on her face so, despite the fact she would likely bite him if he was caught, Linneaus kissed the top of her head before holding her body close as he tried to get some sleep of his own. Her body made a good blanket, as she was very warm, even if her horns would periodically poke him in the chest...

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...

Chapter 10: Angst