Babel

Though his first reaction was to move into a combat stance, Linneaus quickly discovered that his body was completely immobilized. He could still breathe just fine but, as if a mountain was pressed against every centimeter of his body, even twitching his finger was an impossible feat.The only action Linneaus could perform in the present was looking up slightly as a solid white figure, more than five meters in height, stared down at him. It took a while for his brain to process what he was staring at but, once it hit him, Linneaus discovered he was allowed to speak as he muttered, "An owl..."As if to answer him, the owl showed a strangely human expression as it bent forward, beak nearly touching the bridge of Linneaus' nose as it corrected, "Lumen...my name is Lumen. I am no mere owl, Linneaus Finnian, son of Lairon Finnian and Marianne Vestille. No, I am something...more..."After saying its piece, the owl named Lumen rose to its full height, chest puffed out with pride as its pure white feathers ruffled. As for Linneaus, his neck was actually beginning to hurt as he was forced to stare directly at it, unable to even avert his eyes more than a fraction of their normal range.For several seconds, Lumen kept puffing out its chest, seemingly expecting some kind of response from the paralyzed youth. When none came, it cocked its head nearly 130 degrees, looking at him from a curious angle that caused Linneaus' neck to hurt even more.With a curious glimmer in its pure black eyes, not that Linneaus was able to discern this, Lumen continued to crane its head at an awkward angle before saying, "How strange. You are a very composed young man, all things considered. Do you truly not understand the significance of this place, I wonder~?"Accompanying this question, Linneaus suddenly found himself able to move but, due to the strain he had been experiencing, he immediately collapsed. This caused the giant owl to begin laughing in an amused tone, a mixture of human vocals and the characteristic sound of an owl. Despite the fact that Linneaus had never seen one before, Rebecca had taught all of them about its characteristics as part of their brief education.During the time it took Linneaus to recover, Lumen's head had twisted so far that it seemed to be on the verge of coming full circle. Then, much to his surprise, it did just that, causing Lumen to chuckle once again after seeing his surprise. It seemed to be enjoying itself quite a bit, causing Linneaus to feel a bit indignant as he asked, "What happened to Saht? My companion, the one-"Feeling his body tense up again, as if it was impossible to speak over the massive owl, Linneaus was forced to remain silent as it answered, "Ah, yes, the girl with the [Demonification] Blessing. She has quite the temper, hoohoohoohoo~."After laughing until it was satisfied, Lumen extended its wing, using its long flight feathers like Hume fingers as it drew a circle in the air. This created a portal of some sort that showed Linneaus back in the tunnels once again, his body moving so slowly that it felt like time had stopped. The image then changed to show the scene of a massacre but, instead of the familiar figure that had been a fixture in his life for years, he only saw a cloud of blue particles that were fading away much faster than the flow of time.As if to clear up the confusion, Lumen explained, "I would normally never do this but, as your earlier reaction was quite entertaining, I'll make an exception. You see, your young companion has already accepted my offer, though I had to deceive her a bit, hoohoohoo~."Just as Linneaus' rage began to build, the massive owl caused the scene in the portal to change, the image now reflecting its figure looked down on Saht. He couldn't hear what they were saying but, as the image began to fade away, he saw her nod before fading away into motes of light similar to the scene he had witnessed in the tunnels.When the portal faded away, Lumen once again loomed over him, this time stating in a guiding tone, "I am not called Lumen for no reason, young man. In fact, the ancient people's of the Planar World named it as such because of me. Now, do you understand where you are? Why you are in this place?"Feeling his body able to move again, Linneaus slouched a bit, his muscles aching painfully as his mind raced. Then, after turning to look up at the massive white owl, he asked, "Is this the inside of the Tower...?"The moment Linneaus asked his question, Lumen expanded its wings, creating a canopy of light that stretched more than fifteen meters as it exclaimed, "That is correct, hoohoohoo~!"Though he had deactivated his [Night Vision], Linneaus had to cover his eyes due to the brilliance of Lumen's wings. The light they produced was so potent that, even after closing his eyelids and using his hands to shield his eyes, he could still make out a red hue as it pierced through both forms of protection.Fortunately, Lumen closed its wings shortly thereafter, chuckling to itself once against as it peered at the blinded Linneaus, waiting for him to open his eyes once again. When the latter obliged, he gave the expected reaction, flinching to such an extent he nearly jumped to his feet.Despite the fact he was enjoying every moment of Linneaus' very innocent reactions, something you would never expect from a boy who had killed more than a thousand people, Lumen asked, "Tell me, Linneaus Finnian, do you desire the power to change your fate?"Hearing the question, Linneaus did his best to calm his breathing before asking, "If I refuse, I will die, won't I...?" To this, Luman craned its head before answering his question with one of its own, "Do you fear death?" Then, before Linneaus could answer, it added, "There are no guarantees in this world. If the future was determined, the Tower would have lost its meaning. Your life and death have always been in your hands, Linneaus Finnian. Even if you decide not to climb the Tower, you can continue living as you please, so long as you have the power to avoid the fate others have decided for you~"Linneaus couldn't help but swallow hard when he heard Lumen's response. He was fully aware of his situation in the outside as, before showing him what happened with Saht, the first scene showed a very large mace about to collide with his body.Though his [Barrier Aura] might protect him, it was nearly impossible for him to escape the encirclement. Since he had also heard Lumen's remark about tricking Saht, before showing the scene of her vanishing into motes of light, he assumed she had accepted his offer. She may even be expecting to reunite with him in the Tower, causing Linneaus to feel a dilemma as it seemed like the only choice he had was to continue struggling, or die...just as it had always been.Remembering his conviction as he tried to bury his daggers into the fiery-eyed man's body, Linneaus inhaled deeply through his nose before meeting Lumen's gaze once again. In truth, he didn't care about the Tower at all but. However, knowing this was the only chance he would have to reunite with Saht and one day return to the outside world, a resolute light shone in his eyes as he answered, "I'll go...I want the power to determine my own fate."With those final words, Linneaus' body vanished into motes of light, leaving Lumen staring into the spot he had previously occupied. He could actually read all of Linneaus' thoughts and, rather than his external reactions, the thing he found more interesting was the chaos in the young boy's mind. It was very rare to have a young fledgling more focused on leaving the Tower than rising to its peak. Despite this, his conviction was just as strong as many who had dedicated their entire lives just for a chance to climb, risking everything for power, wealth, and status.Turning his head skyward, not that there was anything to see in the endless void above, Lumen had a curious glint in his eyes as, rather than darkness, small motes of light, reminiscent of stars, began to shine within. There, if one were to look closely, an incalculable number of scenes played out as, despite his interest in Linneaus' peculiarity, he had a job to do. He was responsible for viewing the lives of every sentient creature on the Planar World's surface, determining if they were truly sought power, or if they were just another product of their society...---The moment Linneaus answered in the affirmative, he found himself standing in the middle of an empty room. All of the aches in his body faded away as a voice of indeterminate gender and origin echoed, "Welcome to the Incubator, young fledgling. Here, you will be evaluated to determine if you have the power and luck to truly begin your ascension. You will be awarded five minutes to prepare. After the end of the countdown, an opponent of equivalent Status will be assigned to you. Should you survive, you will be allowed entry into the First Floor. Failure means the end of your journey and inevitable death. Good luck, and may you one day soar amongst the Heavens."Without affording Linneaus the opportunity to ask any questions, a large timer began floating in the middle of the chamber, the dimensions of which seemed capable of fitting an entire district of the slums. He wasn't even sure he could make it to the other end within five minutes, much less make any kind of preparations.Though he was already aware of it, Linneaus looked down at his own body, confirming that all of his weapons and equipment were gone. His Inventory was also completely empty and, rather than the garb he had become accustomed to wearing, he now had some kind of skin-tight bodysuit as his only protection. This made him appear even more emaciated than normal, the outline of his ribs clearly visible through the peculiar dark-blue fabric.Since the room was completely empty, Linneaus intuited that the voice meant to prepare in some other way, if not suggesting he mentally prepare himself. Since he was now in the Tower, he figured the most obvious answer was to tweak his Status. After all, he had been at a bottleneck for a while now and, if not for the fact his extra attributes seemed to convert into Free Attribute points, there would have been no meaning in Leveling at all.With this in mind, Linneaus immediately tried to put a point into his Agility, causing a small bell to sound in his head as his eyes began to glimmer with expectation. He had wondered why the limit was 49 previously and, now that he had increased the value to 50, Linneaus had his answer. Not only had he been able to finally break the limit, he even earned a unique Skill related to the achievement.--------------------------------------[Fleet-Footed: LV1(0/100)]Passive: Increases Agility by 20%. (+2 Agi per Level)--------------------------------------Seeing the effect of the Skill, Linneaus had a wide grin on his face. It was now clear what the voice was referring to when it said to make preparations. He gave a quick look at the clock, surprised to find he was already down to less than three minutes. Though he had a small notion to save up a few of his Free Attribute points, that could be a mistake that costs him his life if his opponent went all out.With this in mind, Linneaus' mind raced before he decided to put a point into each attribute, wanting to take advantage of the bonus. It was fortunate that he had enough wherewithal to prioritize the attributes that increase his proficiency with his Blessing as, after placing a point into Intelligence and Wisdom, he no longer received any bonus.This had caused him to blank for a moment and, though it was a bit foolish in hindsight, put an extra point into Dexterity. Since even this gave him nothing, Linneaus hesitated for a short moment before confirming his suspicions. He brought his Constitution and Strength to 50 as well. This allowed him to ascertain that the bonuses were limited to the first three attributes, either as a result of a natural limitation or some other restriction. Fortunately, the choices he had made were the most beneficial to him as, if he had unlocked the bonuses for Strength and Constitution instead, he could have undermined his future progress considerably...--------------------------------------[Magus: LV1(0/100)]Passive: Increases Intelligence by 20%. (+2 Int per Level)[Resilient Mind: LV1(0/100)]Passive: Increases Wisdom by 20%. (+2 Wis per Level)--------------------------------------

Using what little time remained of the countdown, Linneaus quickly allocated all of his Free Attribute points, not wasting a single one. This was a battle that could determine his life or death so, while it may not be the best choice, it was the safest.Assuming the restrictions on his Blessing had also been removed, he then cast the smallest [Barrier] he could before surrounding himself with [Barrier Aura].As expected, the bottleneck he had been stuck at for the past few months had been removed. When he heard the three bells sound within his mind, Linneaus couldn't help but smile as he looked at his own Status, power and confidence swelling within him.----------------------------------------[Status]Name: Linnaeus FinnianTitle: Fledgling(+2 Spi, +1 Luk per Level)Race: Hume(50%), Manalyte(50%)Age: 15Gender: MaleLevel: 21(42/3300)Health: 1080/1080Soul Power: 2690/2754Strength: 49~50Constitution: 49~50+2Agility: 49~70+14Dexterity: 49~51+1Intelligence: 49~82+46Wisdom: 49~82+46Spirit: 38+11.4Charisma: 25Luck: 10+1Free Attributes: 0Skills: [Kinu Comprehension:(-)], [Fleet-Footed:LV1], [Magus:LV1], [Resilient Mind:LV1], [Knife Mastery: LV21], [Throwing: LV14],[Sense Danger: LV29], [Presence Concealment: LV30], [Acrobatics: LV30], [Pain Tolerance: LV18], [Barrier Master:LV49~LV50], [Assassination: LV33], [Charm: LV7]Abilities: [Steal: LV27], [Stealth: LV28], [Night Vision: LV17]Magic: [Enhance: LV26], [Barrier: LV49~50], [Barrier Aura: LV49~50]----------------------------------------Not only had his primary attributes increased qualitatively, but reaching Level 50 in his Blessing and related Magics had given him a substantial bonus as well as a significant increase in range.Before, Linneaus had struggled to form a barrier outside of three meters but, after reaching Level 50, the range had been increased to fifty meters in one go. He suddenly felt like the world around him was in his grasp, even if it was just a vague feeling.Though he had never taken any drugs or partook of any alcohol, Linneaus couldn't help but wonder if his current euphoria is what others felt when they abused such substances. Even if it was just the result of him increasing a lot of attributes all at once, he could understand why people desperately sought even greater power for themselves...it was quite addicting.Breaking him free from his existential euphoria, a loud buzzer sounded within the room as the same voice from before stated, "I hope you prepared well, young fledgling. You will now be transferred to the same room as your opponent. Note that you will have thirty minutes to obtain victory. I wish you the best of luck."The moment the voice faded away, Linneaus felt a weightless feeling, despite the fact he noticed no changes to the surroundings. Since the voice had said he would be transferred, he was momentarily unable to process what had happened before, in the distance, a red light flashed.By instinct, Linneaus brought his arms to form a cross-guard mere moments before some kind of red projectile slammed into his [Barrier Aura], sending him skidding back several meters. He noticed that his SP had decreased by 403 points in one go, causing his body to begin evading before his mind had fully registered what hit him.With his increased Agility, Linneaus twisted his body while jumping to his right, evading a second red streak right where his head had been previously.Without excess thoughts, Linneaus lowered his body to the ground and began sprinting towards the direction of his attacker. This wasn't his first battle so, while he had been caught by surprise, the fact his opponent had tried to kill him caused a cold sensation to wash over his mind.As another red streak barreled toward him, Linneaus angled a barrier ahead of him, causing the projectile to deviate upwards. At the same time, this slowed it down just enough for him to see what it was, causing Linneaus' face to form a deep frown as he looked toward the distance.Though they were practically a speck, with more than 300m between them, Linneaus could make out the form of a woman with scarlet-red hair tied in a ponytail. He couldn't make out her features but, with the outline of her body, he understood she was a beauty.Linneaus didn't particularly care about the woman's looks, as she would not be the first attractive woman he had killed. What annoyed him was the fact that, unlike him, given nothing but a dark-blue bodysuit, she was wearing proper clothing, including a few bits of armor. Not only that, she had an ornate bow in her hands, complete with a quiver full of dark-red arrows.Feeling slightly indignant about the fairness of this test, Linneaus grit his teeth before pushing his body to the limit to increase his speed. Though he was still getting used to the increased Agility, his instincts told him he could close the distance within twelve seconds. This would allow the woman to fire nearly her entire quiver of arrows at him but, with his [Barrier] being a natural counter to many ranged attacks, he wasn't deterred in the slightest.Seeing her opponent charge at her like a mad demon, the bow-wielding woman felt a shiver run up her back as she began channeling more SP into her attacks. This caused her arrowheads to form a small vortex of energy, greatly increasing their speed and destructive power. She also began to run backward, using her own Agility to keep the distance between herself and her opponent. Though he didn't seem to have any weapons or equipment, the thought of fighting a rampaging opponent up close did not sit well with her.To conserve his SP, Linneaus only used his [Barrier] if he thought the attack couldn't be evaded. This ended up being quite often, as he was charged straight toward his opponent, but he also noted that her accuracy had decreased as she began to flee. With this, he was able to slow his own speed to a comfortable level, focusing on dodging and pressuring her rather than trying to close the distance as fast as possible.In this manner, a game akin to cat and mouse began to play out between Linneaus and the archer. She seemed to have realized what he was trying to do but, with a limited pool of SP and arrows, it was clear who would come out ahead. After all, if she slowed the momentum of her attack, Linneaus would be able to close the distance much faster. Her only option was to keep peppering him with attacks, hoping to break through his guard while trying to run out the clock.Neither Linneaus nor the woman knew what would happen if they ran out of time but, rather than get killed in a potentially brutal fashion, she was willing to take the risk. This was a bad matchup for her and, while it may seem petty, she would rather they both die than allow him to move on at her expense.Though he did not know what was going through the woman's mind, Linneaus saw the conviction in her eyes as he slowly but surely closed the distance. Now that he was much closer, he could see she had ruby-red eyes and fiery-red hair, matching well with her hide armor. He didn't know what kind of material was used in its construction, but it was the highest quality equipment he had ever seen in his life.What stood out the most to him, however, was the tiny green gemstone embedded in her forehead, allowing him to guess her race. After all, though there were rumored to be more than 1800 different tribes in Lumen, only four were known to have gemstones embedded on their foreheads.Rather than continue his pursuit, Linneaus slowed to a stop before adopting a stance focused on quick evasion as he shouted, "Are you a member of the Vulcan Tribe!?"Despite the fact she had heard the question, the woman didn't stop to chat with Linneaus. Instead, she used the opportunity to extend the gap between them, shooting arrows periodically to keep him from giving chase.Linneaus didn't blame the woman for her caution, despite the fact it was extremely annoying to be ignored. At the very least, he understood why she was able to have equipment and armor as, if she really was a member of the Vulcan Tribe, it was very likely she had the [Blacksmith] Blessing.The moment he heard about the test requirements, Linneaus had been somewhat confused as, if they were all required to battle to the death, what chance would people with support Blessings have against those with combat-oriented Blessings? If someone with the [Cooking] Blessing showed up in the Tower, the only outcome awaiting them during such trials was death.Now, seeing the woman wearing armor that had a uniform design, combined with a weapon that had a matching aesthetic, Linneaus assumed she had forged them herself. If the Tower took away her armaments, it wouldn't make sense why he was allowed to use his [Barrier Master]. With this in mind, Linneaus began to question the purpose of the current test, finding several gaps in the explanation that had been given...At no point in time had the voice ever said he needed to kill his opponent. Instead, it only required him to survive. Though there had been one part about failure and inevitable death, this was only if he failed to survive, which was an obvious outcome.Realizing the game that was being played, Linneaus decided to stop chasing the woman as he began to backpedal without turning his back to her. She seemed confused about his actions, to the point of coming to a stop, but that didn't stop her from periodically firing arrows at him.Now, with their roles having swapped somewhat, Linneaus was focused on outlasting her arrows as, with the passage of time, she placed more emphasis on empowering and aiming them than rapidly firing what remained in her quiver. Eventually, as all finite resources ought to, she would run out of arrows, leaving her with only a small dagger to protect herself.Eventually, when the woman was down to only five arrows, she stopped firing entirely. Linneaus was now more than 500m away from her so she could only pout while considering whether or not she should give chase this time. Ultimately, however, she decided to just sit down and recover her SP, albeit without dropping her guard.Though he was tempted to sit as well, Linneaus kept opening up an even greater distance between himself and the woman. This could be a death sentence for them both but, as his on SP had been reduced to less than half during the chase, he wasn't that likely to catch her. He could only trust in his instincts and hope his hunch paid off in the end as, if the first trial before even entering the Tower required you to take a life, this automatically reduced the number climbing to half.After nearly five kilometers, way outside the woman's presumed range, Linneaus also decided to take a rest and recuperate his SP. Even if his hunch proved correct, there was no guaranteeing that the First Floor wouldn't put him into another life and death situation. He knew that, at the very least, there were various monsters located on the Floors, even if their strength and ecology were complete mysteries to him...While Linneaus was resting in the distance, appearing as nothing more than a dot, even with her [Eagle Eye] Skill, the Vulcan woman released a tired sigh. She didn't have the confidence in being able to kill him before the time was up so, after forming the conviction to die together previously, it was hard to muster up any motivation.With nothing better to do while waiting for the time to run down, the woman began to perform maintenance on her equipment, a calming behavior she had adapted ever since acquiring her Blessing. At the same time, she thought back to the battle, wondering if there wasn't anything she could have done differently.Her biggest mistake seemed to be not putting more SP into her first attack but, with the flicker of light that had surrounded her opponent's body, combined with the panels he seemed to manifest out of thin air, it was easy to guess what his Blessing was. She could only lament at her misfortune of getting matched against her counter, as the [Barrier Master] Blessing was the bane of most ranged attackers, Mages included.Shaking her head to clear negative thoughts, which was surprisingly hard to do with the clock now ticking below five minutes, the Vulcan woman began to think about her opponent. He seemed quite a bit younger than her but, when he got close, she was honestly a little surprised. Though his body was even thinner than her own, his facial features made her feel a little jealous, especially with his piercing gold eyes and pale-blue hair. She wondered what Tribe he belonged to as, even while living inside the megacity, she had rarely seen such a unique combination of features...While she was lost in thought, the counter finally reached zero, startling her to awareness when a very loud buzzer echoed through the massive room. This caused not only her heart to tense up, but Linneaus' in the distance. Then, just as the sound began to die down, the same voice from before entered their ears, announcing, "Congratulations on surviving the first test! From here on out, you have now become Fledglings in the truest sense. We sincerely hope you learned something from this Trial~!"Without affording them any time to collect their thoughts or voice any complaints, the woman and Linneaus both vanished from the room. Moments later, even the arrows she had used vanished into nothingness as, about 500m from each other, two more figures appeared...

Even when he was just a young child, Linneaus had never slept deeply. As a child born in the slums, he constantly had to be on the alert, even when he still lived with his parents.After obtaining his Blessing and leaving the orphanage, this habit became even more refined, to the point that Linneaus would wake up every fifteen minutes or so, even if he hadn't heard anything. If not for this quirk, he would have died many times, both in his early travels and after pairing up with Saht.It was because of this habit he had formed that Linneaus was able to hear the sound of feathers but, after opening his eyes and immediately becoming alert, he only saw darkness beyond the boundary of his barrier. Since birds were just as rare as any other animals in the slums, the sound of feathers was nothing something he would mistake, despite his mental fatigue.As she had already recovered, Saht also awoke with a start, courtesy of her own habit of waking just after Linneaus. She enjoyed his warmth quite a bit so, after they began traveling together, he had dutifully served as her bed every night for the last three years.Raising her head to look around, while straddling Linneaus' hips, Saht asked in her characteristic cold tone, "Enemies...?" As these words left her mouth, her skin began to turn from fair white to pale red as her horns began to elongate. The most noticeable change, however, was that a rather thick red tail began to extend from beneath her garments, growing until it was nearly as long as she was tall.After reaching ten years of age, Saht had awakened one of the Ba'haat tribes most common, yet most powerful Blessings, [Demonification]. Though it significantly reduced her ability to reason, it provided a monstrous increase in her battle capabilities while also supplementing her amazing durability with equally reliable regeneration.The only real downside to [Demonification] was that she would go somewhat berserk against their enemies and, once her SP drained completely, she would enter a dormant state until recovering. If not for the fact she still listened to him while transformed, there was a good chance they would have both died as a result of her rampaging.So that she wouldn't get too riled up, Linneaus began to stroke Saht's head to keep her calm, saying in a soothing tone, "I heard the sound of feathers. I don't think we have been discovered. For now, we should change locations."Linneaus lived by the principle that, if there were ever any doubts, taking action was better than being complacent. Since hearing feathers inside of an underground pipe made no sense, he wasn't going to say they should just relax and go back to sleep.Saht, skin now a healthy shade of red, gave an understanding nod but, before leaving his lap, she leaned forward and gave him a long kiss. Since one of the changes brought by [Demonification] included a rather long tongue, Linneaus could only smile wryly in his mind as he wondered what he did to earn the affections of such a peculiar woman.After their morning ritual was completed, despite the fact it was the dead of night, Linneaus and Saht began to move deeper into the tunnels, their destination the central purification network. In normal circumstances, it was considered taboo to venture into these areas but, as the Cleaners had never reacted hostilely toward him, Linneaus had made a habit of exploiting them. He had seen a few others try in the past, only to be unceremoniously tossed out, so he wasn't quite sure why they ignored his and Saht's transgressions.It didn't take long to reach their destination, an area where a phenomenal amount of waste poured into a strange blue vortex beneath elevated platforms. After coming this far, they ascended one of the long ladders that led toward the surface, choosing to exit into a random maintenance building rather than be seen exiting one of the pipes leading to the waterway.Upon reaching the surface, Linneaus observed the outside traffic through one of the windows while Saht sat silently with her nose slightly raised. Her sense of smell and hearing were enhanced in her current form so, with his [Night Vision] and her [Demonification], they were a powerful duo in the darkness.After confirming there were no Enforcers in the immediate area, Linneaus gave a silent gesture to Saht before he created a cylindrical barrier with paper-thin borders. Since the side facing them was solid, compared to the open end, Saht was able to strike it with her palm, causing a ripple to pass through the surface as it bored through the relatively thin stone wall.Though they both had 49 Strength, Saht's [Demonification] provided her with a significant boost to her physical attributes, both in her normal and transformed state. She was much stronger than him, something he had been made very aware of in the past, so Linneaus had learned long ago never to underestimate others.With the cold night air washing over them, Linneaus and Saht lowered their hoods before raising the face masks they used to hide their identities. They were currently in enemy territory and, after killing a large group of Enforcers and sending a messenger to the local Kingpin, a decision Linneaus had regretted shortly thereafter, it was better to lay low.In hindsight, Linneaus knew he had acted haphazardly but, after seeing Saht skewered by an enemy blade, he couldn't help it. After Gwen, she was the most important person to him so, after dealing with their attackers, he let anger cloud his judgment as he sent the sole survivor to relay his ill-thought-out message.As he had expected, there were Enforcers roaming both the streets and rooftops, despite it being the middle of the night. This was a stark contrast to how the group lay low during the day as, when you got closer to the megacity, most crimes seemed to take place in the shadows rather than out in the open.Now, like a hornet's nest that had been ignorantly poked by a young child on the furthest outskirts of the slums, the Lion's Pride was out in full force. They would periodically stop people on the streets to check them and, if it was someone not known to operate in their territory, the Enforcers would rob them before sending the unfortunate individuals in the opposite direction. In some cases, even this was considered a luxury as, if the person was unfortunate enough to have yellow or gold irises, they would be cut down unceremoniously.After seeing this, Linneaus didn't hesitate to issue a three-fingered gesture to Saht, conveying they should retreat immediately. Even if the average Enforcer wasn't there match, some of the brutes in the group gave him a bad feeling. Unlike the others, they were patiently observing the incidents play out, never dropping their guards as they scanned the surroundings.By her own admission, Saht wasn't terribly bright so, ever since joining up with Linneaus, she trusted in his judgment without question. Thus, when he gave the order to retreat, she immediately picked a direction and began to run, setting a pace he could follow despite her enhanced Agility.While trusting Saht's instincts to guide them, Linneaus kept eying their surroundings as a feeling of dread began to well up inside his heart. He couldn't shake the feeling that the sky above their heads was slowly falling down upon them. Even retreating into the underground purification system didn't alleviate this feeling of dread, causing Saht to enter the late-stages of her [Demonification], her face forming a frown as she gradually sped up.Eventually, Linneaus felt like they were only exhausting themselves for nothing so, rather than press forward, he gave a soft whistle, causing Saht's pointed ears to twitch as she quickly came to a stop. As they both stopped to catch their breath, Linneaus handed over a small black herb to Saht, causing her face to turn resolute as she took it and placed it inside the band wrapped around her chest. His message was clear and, if whatever was chasing them was beyond them, they would both ingest the undiluted Dream Grass herb.With their backs to each other, Linneaus and Saht waited in the darkness of the tunnels, one with glowing golden eyes while the other stood with her eyes closed as she listened to the sound of running water, droplets in the distance, and, after twenty minutes, the shuffling of footsteps. Her tail lightly tapped against Linneaus' calf, causing him to squat down in the shadows alongside her, blade at the ready.Since he was able to trespass the tunnels, Linneaus didn't delude himself in thinking that others were not able to, despite watching various people get thrown out. When he heard the sound of combat in echoing, however, it seemed to confirm that their case was a bit of an exception, not that it stopped their pursuers for very long.After a few minutes had passed, both ends of the tunnel were filled with various silhouettes, one of which stood more than 200cm tall, body rippling with muscles. When he saw this, Linneaus felt like the back of his scalp was on fire as his brain began to buzz with anxiety. Then, just as he was about to attempt a surprise attack, he saw the man's eyes begin to blaze like two suns as he stated in a voice that shook the soul, "Found you, brat."Feeling a surge of adrenaline, Linneaus broke the silence between him and Saht, shouting, "Kill them all!" as he dashed forward with a speed he didn't know he had. He didn't have to turn his head back to know that Saht had obeyed his orders as, even faster than he could reach the fiery-eyed man, the sound of blood-curdling screams echoed behind him. One man tried to shout, "Grab this bi-" before a choking sound interrupted his cry, following by the sound of bones fracturing violently.Since Saht was even stronger than him, Linneaus was hoping she would be able to deal with her side and retreat, even if he knew she would never leave him behind. If he died, she would likely ingest the Dream Grass before charging mindlessly at the enemies, taking down as many as she could before the herb claimed her. Linneaus' only hope was that none of them had the antidote and, before his death, he wanted to at least sink one of his daggers into the fiery-eyed man's body.With a simple gesture to make his men back up, Bran moved to meet Linneaus' charge head-first, his massive mace cleaving through the air with a violent momentum that promised death. At the same time, flames began to erupt from the head of the mace, illuminating the tunnels as a vicious smile spread across his face.Though he was fully aware of the weakness of [Night Vision], Linneaus had been caught off guard by the sudden flash of vibrant flames, causing his irises to feel like they were burning before his vision went dark. Despite this, he tried to remember the trajectory of the mace, erecting an angled barrier in its path to deflect it away from his body as he leaped forward, daggers bared like fangs. He could feel the heat of the flames, followed by a loud battle cry before, immediately after that, silence...Not understanding what had happened, Linneaus continued forward blindly, his daggers finding no purchase as he lost his balance and slid along a cold and unforgiving ground. His heart was beating so fast that he could feel it throbbing in his ears, causing him to quickly roll as if evading an attack. He then jumped to his feet before backing into a wall, still blind to the world around him for the next few minutes.Despite this, no attacks came and, much less the sound of battle, there was absolutely nothing but his own heartbeat and ragged breathing to break the silence. For a moment, Linneaus thought he had died but, after summoning up his own Status, he felt this wasn't the case. He didn't know if there was such a thing as an afterlife but, if there were, he doubted his Status would show him as healthy.Not understanding what was going on, Linneaus plopped to the ground to recover his breathing, waiting for his vision to clear up so he could make sense of the situation. He continued like this for nearly five minutes, enough time for him to focus his mind and calm his breathing as he gripped the handle of his dagger. Then, just as his vision began to clear up, Linneaus once again heard the sound of feathers rustling...Title: Pursuit

Chapter 13: Decision