Babel

Sometimes, despite due caution given, trouble went out of its way to come looking for you. This was one of the earliest lessons he could recall as a Street Urchin and, over the years, Linnaeus had come to believe this was an inherent truth in the world.Just as he had been preparing to turn tail and vanish into the dense forest, Linnaeus felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end as his [Sense Danger] screamed at him to evade.Unfortunately, there were some things in life that were simply unavoidable and, though he had years of experience against foes more powerful than himself, Linnaeus soon learned of the gulf denoting those born in the slums and those born in prestigious families.While rolling low to the ground to evade whatever had set off his [Sense Danger], Linnaeus found himself face-to-foot with a set of delicate toes. He didn't have time to really think about the strange incongruity he was experiencing, however, as the next moment marked his voyage through the sky and his inevitable reunion with the unforgiving ground several meters from his starting location.Though it had a simple kick, Linnaeus noted that his SP had decreased by nearly 700 points after he slammed into the ground. Fortunately, he felt no pain due to his [Barrier Aura], allowing him to roll to his feet as he habitually reached for a dagger that hadn't been there since entering the Tower.Rather than turn his back to an enemy that seemed much faster than him, Linnaeus hardened his expression as a young woman with brown-hair and predatory eyes lazily walked through the brush separating them. Her expression told him that she would pounce the moment he turned her back so his mind was racing to come up with a method of defeating this explosive woman in the shortest amount of time.Instead of pressing the attack, the woman was evaluating her enemy based on their first contact. By looking toward his legs, she could see the grass and shrubbery brushing against a nearly invisible blue membrane, causing her to ask, "You are a Barrier Mas-"The moment the woman tried to ask her question, Linnaeus decided to take advantage of the gap in a person's mind when changing from offense to dialogue. This seemed to catch her by surprise but this was nothing compared to the shock she experienced when trying to open distance, only to find a barrier had been erected behind her calves.At the same time that the woman lost her balance, Linnaeus was practically on top of her as he used a second [Barrier], this time shaping it into a pointed rod. When she had attacked him previously, her health bar had become visible to him and, though she was putting on a strong front, he noticed that more than half of it was missing. Assuming that her SP was even lower, he decided to gamble his all on a surprise attack, feeling it was the only way out of his current predicament.To her credit, the woman reacted very quickly to her unexpected appointment with the ground but, as Linnaeus was far more experience with using his barriers than she was countering them, the only thing she got for her trouble was trying to roll back, only to find another barrier preventing her legs from following the movement.This gave Linnaeus enough time to stab his makeshift dagger toward her face, earning a surprised look from the woman as the pale-blue point neared her forehead. At that very moment, her survival instincts kicked into overdrive and, though it was at point-blank range, she unhesitantly used her [Explosion Affinity] between the gap in their bodies.The very tip of Linnaeus' dagger pricked the woman's forehead but, without being able to drive it forward, a powerful force suddenly erupted near his gut, sending him flying backward. This time around, however, he only lost 217 SP, clearly due to the woman's fear of killing herself with her own Blessing.After another hard landing, Linnaeus bounded to his feet once again, his heart beating rapidly as adrenaline pumped through his system. He could see the woman shakily climbing to her feet, a small trickle of blood coming from her forehead as she used her left arm to hug her exposed and severely burned midriff.Linnaeus felt that he wouldn't be able to close the distance in time as, with a vengeful expression on her face, the woman had already extended her right hand in a snapping gesture. He suddenly felt a source of heat to the left of his head, followed by a small explosion that knocked him off balance and completely halted his momentum.At nearly the exact moment that his vision had blurred due to the explosion, despite it dealing very little damage to him, Linnaeus felt a far more powerful attack slam into his [Barrier Aura], courtesy of the woman's foot. She clearly didn't have much SP to use her Blessing or she wouldn't be relying on physical attacks when her health was already blinking red.Rolling with the kick that shaved off another 580 of his SP, bringing his reserves dangerously low, Linnaeus made the dangerous decision of deactivating his [Barrier Aura]. Her attacks were powerful but he believed he could take at least one of them, lulling her into a false sense of security since she would assume he was also out of SP.Though her speed was greatly reduced, the woman had just as much adrenaline pumping through her veins, allowing her to ignore the pain she was in as she pursued him like a predator pouncing on its prey. This earned Linnaeus a hard punch to his left cheek, causing his body to spin on the spot as he attempted to use the momentum to kick at her already injured abdomen.Seeing her quarry's health drop by nearly a fifth in one go, the woman had a murderous glint in her eyes as she shouted, "Oh, you're so fucked now...!" Unfortunately, this outburst only earned her a kick to the abdomen, causing tears to well up in her eyes as she groaned in pain.Despite wanting to press the attack, Linnaeus felt like his brain was rattling around in his head so it was hard to even see straight, much less stand. He did his best to retreat in the direction he thought was away from the woman while erecting a thin, wispy, barrier between them.Gritting her teeth to the point her gums were on the verge of bleeding, the woman punched the barrier separating her and Linnaeus, shattering it like glass. She wasn't going to let him run away and recover, especially after all of the pain and suffering he had put her through.Just as his vision began to clear up, Linnaeus saw the visage of a woman out for blood already within range as she reached out with her right hand to try and grab his throat. By pure instinct, he activated his [Barrier Aura] and [Enhance], protecting his body and increasing his Strength attribute by 15% in nearly the same instant.Shocked to find her attempt to snap Linnaeus' neck blocked by a blue membrane, the woman didn't have the time to form any other thoughts as a very painful thud resonated through her body. Even if his Strength was a comparably meager 57.5, it was enough when she was already severely injured.Though the woman had failed to grab his neck, Linnaeus was still pushed back by the momentum. This allowed him to see her drop to the ground, tears well in her eyes as she hugged her stomach and did her best to resist the pain. At this point, her health was dangerously low, allowing almost any stray attack to take her out.Seeing the 544 points on the back of the woman's hand, Linnaeus was momentarily overwhelmed by greed but, just as he resolved himself to finish her off, a petite figure with light-purple hair dashed out from the brush before standing in front of the Saxon woman, shouting, "Please, stop!" with tears in her eyes.With how fas the Lori woman was able to move, Linnaeus decided against trying to outmaneuver her and finish off the woman. Though she seemed like a frail maiden at a glance, he wasn't confident he would be able to hit her at all with that kind of speed. Even if he could finish off his target, there was a very good chance he would follow shortly after.Ignoring every fiber of his being telling him to try and finish off the duo before it came back to bite him, Linnaeus furrowed his brows deeply as he icily stated, "She was the one to attack me. Even if I let her go, do you think she would show me the same mercy?"Though he hadn't seriously expected her to consider his words, Linnaeus was surprised when the Lori girl began to fluster, her ears drooping pathetically as she stammered, "T-That m-might be the c-c-case...b-b-but...!"At this point, the girl might not even be able to see clearly with how watery her eyes were, giving Linnaeus the urge to go on the offensive while she was confused. However, with her small size and stammering, only a distant voice in the deepest recesses of his mind urged him to kill her.Until now, Linnaeus had never proactively killed another person and had largely justified his actions as self-defense. If he unceremoniously cut down a crying girl who had never wronged him, he didn't think he would be able to show his face to his sister and Rebecca. Though Saht would probably stay with him, there wasn't even a guarantee they would be able to reunite in the future...Feeling a powerful melancholy suddenly well up inside his heart, Linnaeus shook his head in far more than mild exasperation. He then pulled out a makeshift satchel, formed from a giant leaf, and threw it towards the skittish girl. After that, he did his best to ignore the aching pain in his jaw as he turned around and fled into the dense underbrush.Though she was skeptical to probe the contents of the bundled leaf, knowing full-well it could be a trap, the Lori girl eventually picked up the aroma of herbs and fresh fruits with her sensitive nose. After this, she quickly placed the bundle into her own Inventory which, after waking up earlier in the day, had been completely empty.Despite knowing the boy had probably fled far away by now, she gave a courteous bow toward the direction he had retreated. She also wanted to call out but, knowing there may very well be more enemies nearby, she managed to resist the urge. Instead, she pulled the unconscious Saxon woman into some thick brush coverage before producing strings from her fingertips.In truth, while she did have some experience with making traps, her Blessing was actually [String Manipulation]. This allowed her to produce string and wire of various different strengths and, within a range of 50m, manipulate it freely. If Linnaeus had touched the triplines she had set out the night before, it would have immediately alerted her to his presence. Other than that, the wires served no other purpose as, despite being labeled as a prodigy by her family, she hated hurting others.Using her strings, the Lori girl made a cacoon of sorts by pulling together the sections of the shrub that would expose them. She then pulled out the bundle left behind by the peculiar blue-haired boy, opening it to reveal a few apples and several smaller bundles of wrapped herbs. These would be very important for her companion's recovery as, without food and medicine, the 'Critical Health' status would eventually result in death.Without wasting any time, she began to manually chew the bitter herbs, lamenting the lack of a pestle, mortar, and water. Though she could head to the nearby river to obtain some, this could potentially end in tragedy for both of them. Thus, with no better alternative, she could only use her own saliva moisten the herbs before placing them against the burned section of skin. After that, she did the same with the fruit, chewing them to a paste before lifting the Saxon woman's head and feeding her mouth-to-mouth.Food was one of the most readily accessible methods of recovering health as it provided a small bonus to health regeneration based on the nutritional value of the food. The apples weren't exactly the best option for a quick recovery but, with each small gulp, the Saxon woman's health gradually increased. Seeing this, the Lori girl felt greatly relieved while, unbeknownst to her, as he had made a concerted effort to move downwind, Linnaeus struggled with his decision while attentively watching the bush...

In the thousands of years people had been climbing the Tower, there had been a select few to reap the most benefits. From amongst trillions of potentiates, they were the ones who had either returned with the greatest wealth or, due to belonging to a specific race or possessing a certain Blessing, were able to benefit the most from settling outside of the Tower.Of these powerful and influential figures, there were eight families and three organizations that set themselves apart from the rest. These were known as the Eight Heavenly Families and, since the time of Heart's creation, they had controlled the territory closest to the Tower's base.Over time, the Eight Heavenly Families had grown to monstrous proportions due to their wealth and influence. Some families had even grown well beyond a million members though, when compared to the three-hundred billion people residing within the megacity, these numbers were just a drop in a very vast ocean.Despite this disparity, they still had a strong, almost unshakeable, foothold within Heart. This was due to the existence of the Party, Company, and Organization system, allowing them to groom the successive generations with greater efficiency. They also proactively engaged in alliances with each of the other Heavenly Families, exploiting a loophole within the Tower's seemingly random selection to guarantee their descendants had the highest chance at success when climbing.By using unique markings and making sure each generation familiarized themselves with their peers, it was possible to greatly increase the chance of finding allies amongst the other Heavenly Families during your climb. This would further strengthen the bonds between the families as, without proper allies, it was virtually impossible to proceed to the higher Floors.Those who managed to climb up often did so as a direct result of their cooperation with other members of the Eight Heavenly Families. Since each different family specialized in one of the core Classes that would be assigned to Fledglings upon reaching the 10th Floor, they were able to constantly strengthen the foundation of their families, guaranteeing none would overtake them.At least, this was how things were supposed to go...Though not impossible, it was very rare for any member of the Eight Heavenly Families to fall within the first ten Floors of the Tower as, compared to their peers, there was a vast difference in power and capabilities. They were groomed since birth to be the absolute strongest, possessing a compliment of Skills, Abilities, and Magic to ensure they had significantly higher attributes than the competition.When a member of the Eight Heavenly Families did die, it was generally the result of interference from the Three Major Powers, consisting of the Sacred Order, the Shadow Guild, and the Alchemist Association. Only these three organizations, possessing even more power than the Eight Heavenly Families, albeit significantly less concentrated, had the resources to groom successors that could rival the descendants of the Eight.Of course, there were outlier cases as, due to their upbringing, it was not uncommon for a member of the Eight to be rather arrogant and haughty. Though they often had the capabilities to back this kind of behavior, it was not impossible for their own hubris to cause their downfall. Because of this, the Elders of the Eight tried to remind their descendants not to overestimate themselves before they were able to establish a full Party, even if their advice was often ignored.During the nightmares accompanying her fever, the Saxon woman, whose true name was Estelle El Andromeda, couldn't help but be reminded of the several old men and women who had advised her not to give in to her explosive temperament. She had been born as the 17th daughter of the Lord of the South, the leader of the Andromeda family, a member of the Eight for over seven-thousand years. Though not the most powerful amongst her brothers and sisters, she had always been treated well by her family, even during the harsh training all primary descendants were required to undergo.Now, instead of the kindly, albeit wrinkled faces from her memory, their forms had become twisted and demonic. Instead of smiles, they had scowls of pure derision and contempt, replacing the pride, compassion, and love she had come to know. This caused her body to be covered in a cold sweat and, though she put on a strong front in almost every situation, whimpers began to escape her lips as she tried to refute the harsh words resonating within her mind.While watching her companion suffer through intense fever dreams, the Lori girl, named Shuri von Silverlake, couldn't help but show concern as she lightly caressed the sleeping Estelle's head. She was also a daughter of the Eight Heavenly Families, though only the 83rd in a very expansive family. The Lori tribe wasn't exactly known for their power, as they generally obtained utility and support-type Blessings, but they more than made up for this with their rather prodigious ability to reproduce.Despite being one amongst more than a hundred, Shuri had been considered a true prodigy among her generation, even though she did her best to avoid conflict entirely. Though most of her battles ended with her subduing her opponent, rather than harming them, she was often capable of coming out ahead against people much stronger than herself.If not for the fact that Estelle had told her to stay out of the fighting after realizing she was a 'soft-hearted crybaby', the likelihood of Linnaeus being able to gain even a pyrrhic victory would have been reduced to nill. Her ability to bind and capture targets, combined with Estelle's ability to use ranged explosions, wasn't exactly something most would be able to deal with.Linnaeus, of course, was completely unaware of this fact but, with his instincts that had been honed over a lifetime of living within the slums, he knew he wasn't the girl's match. This, combined with the fact he didn't want to become a ruthless killer, as he only ever desired the power to protect, made it impossible for him to deal the final blow.Though Linnaeus felt extremely conflicted about his decision at first, this had faded away after more than an hour of squatting in the tree. With his health and SP recovered, he was no longer burdened with the characteristic headache and mental cloudiness that accompanied low reserves.Now that he could think clearly, Linnaeus decided it was best not to stick around as, unless there had been some kind of complication, it wouldn't be too long before the Saxon woman recovered. He had the distinct impression she wasn't the most understanding individual so, rather than stick around to learn how she fought with full SP, he decided it was best to put as much distance between himself and the two girls as possible.With one last look in their direction, he slipped down the opposite side of the tree before vanishing into the forest, this time moving away from the river. If he needed to, he could always rough it out for the remaining nine days, even without water. Since his Aether value was now at 231, as he had actually been able to gain a few points from using [Steal], Linnaeus was confident he could clear the Floor without exposing himself to even more danger.The battle against the Saxon woman had taught him a lot about his status in the Tower and, though he wasn't the weakest, there was a vast gulf between himself and the strongest. Even the Vulcan he had fought during the first challenge wasn't much weaker than him, despite having a Blessing that related to forging equipment.From this, Linnaeus could deduce that his power might actually be below average so, unless he used his advantages cleverly, there was a good chance he would lose his life. With this in mind, he wanted to continue observing other Fledglings to determine the veracity of his assumption, all while training his Skills, Abilities, and Magic to higher Levels.Though he might not have the advantage in direct engagement, he doubted there were many born within the megacity who were adept in [Assassination] and [Presence Concealment]. So long as he had the element of surprise, he would be able to kill his enemies without having to worry about any kind of counter-attack.The only problem with this method of fighting was, despite having honed the Skills to reasonably high standards, Linnaeus wasn't a cold-hearted killer. He wouldn't go out of his way to sneak attack an enemy unless he had already judged them as an irredeemable despot who was undeserving of his mercy.If not for the interference of the Lori girl, he would have ended the Saxon woman without flinching in the slightest as, though she was quite beautiful, such sentiments would have gotten him killed a long time ago if he cared about such things. The only thing that held him back was the pleading of the rabbit-like girl and his convictions to never become the type of person that couldn't look the few people he cared about in the eye.Linnaeus knew that this flaw of his was actually a major weakness but, so long as he avoided being wrangled into the affairs of others, he would be able to survive. Though he also knew it would be necessary to team up with others when trying to ascend to higher Floors, he wanted to make sure he had a full understanding of his potential allies before entrusting his back to them.With this in mind, Linnaeus intended to observe the Fledglings on each successive Floor in order to determine if they were all moving together or being randomly assigned to certain regions.Since a number of people were already forming small teams, he assumed there was a good chance that they would be competing against each other for some time. He might even come across the same Vulcan woman from his first challenge, which would be a godsend if she could be convinced to forge him a dagger.Though creating makeshift weapons out of his [Barrier] could give him an edge, they were only useful for a very short period of time. Over the course of an extended engagement, his SP reserves would rapidly deplete, especially if the enemy was able to land a few direct hits on his [Barrier Aura].In order to overcome this weakness, Linnaeus decided it was best to make a few weapons from tree branches and stones. He also discovered some sticky resin on the side of a damaged tree, indicating a battle had recently occurred in the area. Using this resin, he was able to cover much of the exposed parts of his body with leaves, allowing him to blend in with his surroundings better. He lamented the fact that, while his bodysuit was dark-blue, allowing him to blend in with the shadows, his pale-blue hair stuck out like a sore thumb against the green backdrop of the forest.It took a while, but Linnaeus was able to create a makeshift hood and mantle using the hide that had been looted from the sleeping girls. Though he had been tempted to muck up his hair and face with mud, just the thought of it irritated him a bit as, even as a former slum dweller. He might be able to tolerate it for an extended period of time but, from experience, Linnaeus knew how unpleasant and itchy it would be to have mud flaking from his skin.By the time he had finished his preparations, Linnaeus had moved several tens of kilometers away from the two girls. He now looked like a living bush skulking through the forest as he dealt with a few oversized animals and avoided conflict with other Fledglings.Fortunately, as he had been moving away from water sources and any discernible landmarks, there had been very few signs of other people. As for the creatures he encountered, Linnaeus wasn't quite sure they could be considered monsters as, from what little he knew, they should be far more vicious and dangerous. Though it could be due to this being the First Floor, there weren't any particularly dangerous enemies and, so long as he used his [Stealth] and exercised proper caution, many could be dealt with in a single blow.In this manner, Linnaeus continued creating more distance between himself and others, only slowing when the sun had started to descend once again. He knew the twilight of Dusk and Dawn were the most ideal times to start a fire as, with the reddening of the sky, visibility would be severely reduced. This made it very difficult to discern flames and, so long as he avoided burning anything green, there shouldn't be much smoke either.Though he had felt the availability of edible plants and fruits was already a blessing unlike anything he had ever experienced, Linnaeus couldn't help but salivate at the thought of eating grilled snake and whatever mystery meat he had stolen from the girls. Despite his desire to dig in immediately, however, he made sure to properly cook it through, so as to avoid any parasites, and only ate after moving far from the fire he had established.The last thing he needed was for another person with [Stealth] capabilities to attack him while he was enjoying food so, until he was well away from the smell of cooked meat, Linnaeus tempered himself. Then, after climbing a tree, just as night had descended upon the land, Linnaeus enjoyed the flavor of cooked meat, eating his fill of the protein-rich and incredible juicy morsel for the first time in his entire life.

After waiting for night to settle upon the land, bringing with it a familiar chill, Linnaeus finally made his move. With his [Night Vision] and [Stealth], he was confident in being able to avoid detection, allowing him to creep to the water's edge and drink his fill before vanishing into the darkness once again.Now that he had the cover of darkness, it was time for him to take action, just as he had been doing for the past five years.Though he never enjoyed the act of killing, Linnaeus had become somewhat numb to it and, if it was to preserve his life, and the lives of those he cared about, he would not hesitate. The only reason he had given up his pursuit of the Vulcan woman was largely due to his hunch, even if the main reason was due to his diminishing SP reserves.This time around, Linnaeus' reserves were completely filled and, with others less acclimated to the darkness than himself, the night was his playground. Since there were even a few lights within the forest, indicating the presence of campfires, his shadows blended into the surroundings even more than normal.Despite the apparent foolishness of some, as creating a fire was like painting a target upon yourself, Linnaeus knew that the training in the megacity should have prepared them for such things. With this in mind, he crept slowly towards the closest encampment and, as expected, discovered a tripwire that had been set in the surroundings.Unlike slum dwellers, who generally spent their days just trying to survive, the megacity, Heart, had a comprehensive education system for rearing potential climbers. He knew there would even be some who had powerful Titles and various other benefits from belonging to Organizations their entire life. The small child-like girl that had appeared previously was the best indicator of this, making it very clear they weren't on a level playing field from the start.Fortunately, as there were likely benefits from completing the tests earlier, Fledglings like the girl were rare encounters. They would quickly move on to the next Floor after defeating their enemies, removing the vast majority of such individuals from the survival competition.Because of this, Linnaeus was confident in sneaking up on others, especially if they had formed groups. Though there were no guarantees, it could be assumed that anyone seeking the company of others at this stage didn't have absolute confidence in their own power. Just as Vagrants would flock together to avoid getting picked off by Enforcers, it was guaranteed that the weak would seek solace in greater numbers.Though he knew it would be necessary to team up with others at later Floors, as the Party System was common knowledge, Linnaeus felt he would cripple himself by trying to fit in with a group of strangers before he had a better understanding of the Tower's structure and tests. He didn't want to take orders from others, nor did he intend to put his life at risk to protect people that were just as likely to backstab him as come to his aid.With this in mind, Linnaeus carefully circled the area, knowing there had to be an escape path where fewer, or no, traps were located. He didn't have the confidence in disarming a trap, as he didn't have the requisite Skill, so it was best to just avoid them as much as possible.After completing his rounds, Linnaeus found three different routes towards the fire's light but, rather than make his way closer, he retreated to find a better vantage. It was still early in the evening so there was a good chance his targets were still awake. After all, they had all just entered the Tower so, if they were anything like him, it may not even be possible to sleep during the first night.Just like casing a business or target to rob, Linnaeus spent several hours just observing the camp, waiting until the fire began to dim down before he made his move. Since the odds of anyone letting their fire burn out were slim in such situations, he could interpret the dwindling light as a sign his quarry was dozing off.Without hurrying his pace, Linnaeus continued to inspect the area. He was looking for any signs that other traps had been set without his notice. If he had the [Trap Setting] and [Trap Disarming] Skills, he would check the traps periodically before changing their location. After all, if someone tampered with the traps before staging a surprise attack, the only person you could blame for such oversights was yourself.Unfortunately for his opponents, they hadn't followed this logic so, after skulking at a snail's pace for nearly an hour, Linnaeus approached the campsite. There, he found three people, two of whom were huddled together with some kind of strange furs covering their body while, at the campfire, a man was dozing off with his head and shoulders slouched.Linnaeus couldn't shake the feeling he was walking into a trap as, at a glance, this group seemed like incredibly easy prey. However, even after watching for twenty minutes, the only change was the man waking up and panicking slightly when he noticed the state of the fire. He quickly fed more tinder to feed the flames before looking around the area nervously.Seeing that the man would periodically glance at the two presumably sleeping figures, it didn't take a brilliant mind to understand he was the weakest in the group. They had likely forced him to keep watch over the first while they rested. There was even a chance they planned to kill him after waking, as his sleep-deprivation would make him a poor ally to rely on during an emergency.What genuinely surprised Linnaeus was the fact that the man was even tired as, if their experiences were the same, it hadn't even been twenty-four hours since his entrance into the Tower. The average slum dweller could go several days without sleep, often without anything but water to sustain them. This meant the man was either wholly unprepared for ascending the Tower or, for reasons he had not been privy to, expended a large amount of stamina during the day.Despite his doubts, Linnaeus didn't take any action to expose himself as, without proper knowledge of the enemy, he could just be walking ignorantly into his death. Instead, he remained hidden and, after the man began to doze off again, began using his [Steal] to systematically clear the opponents' Inventories. He also wanted to see if it was possible to loot the bodysuits they had all been given as his own took up the body and leg slots of his equipment screen, meaning there was a small chance if he continued trying.After more than an hour, the only success Linnaeus had was looting a bunch of different types of meat and a few materials that had likely been harvested from monsters. One of the targets gave him a whopping 3 experience per attempt so he had gotten a little carried away, nearly increasing his [Steal] to Level 28 in the process.Unfortunately, despite a concerted effort, he wasn't able to loot any of the three's equipment. This meant it was either impossible or, as was more likely the case, they simply had higher Luck than him. As the success rate of stealing equipment was heavily dependent on the Luck values of both parties, the maximum success rate could be as low as 1% in some instances.What annoyed Linnaeus the most was that he hadn't been able to loot the wires they had used to create the various traps littering the area. This meant they likely didn't keep it in their Inventory so his only option was to either try and disassemble the surrounding traps or give up on obtaining any.Ultimately, Linnaeus decided against attempting to disarm the traps as, with the presence of the wires, he could intuit that one of the three had a Blessing related to trap making. After all, it would be impossible to acquire the materials otherwise, unless they had somehow found a monster that could provide materials to make their own wires.Deciding to err on the side of caution, Linnaeus retreated a fair distance from the encampment before climbing a tree that gave him a slight vantage on the site. He couldn't really see well but he was still within earshot of the three people. If anything happened, such as another party attacking them, he might be able to reap benefits without exposing himself outright.In this manner, Linnaeus allowed himself to get a bit of shut-eye, albeit sleeping so lightly that even the occasional rustle of leaves would awaken him. Like this, he waited until just before sunrise, when visibility was the lowest, before something finally happened.Awakening him from his light slumber, Linnaeus her to high-pitched sound of a woman screaming from the direction of the encampment. He could hear her rebuking the man after finding him asleep at his post, followed by the sound of a small explosion.Since this was closer to his position than he'd like, Linneaus slipped down the opposite side of the tree without investigating what had happened. This ended up being the correct choice as, moments later, a battle broke out in the area after another group decided to use the chaos to launch their own ambush.Linnaeus waited until the sounds of combat had ceased entirely before skulking his way forward once again, his [Stealth] and diminutive stature allowing him to move unobserved through the underbrush. When he reached a vantage that allowed him to see into the clearing, he saw two girls surrounded by five corpses, four males and one female. This included the man who had been forced to keep watch, even if it was hard to be certain since his entire upper body was now missing.Unaware of the fact they were being observed, the taller of the two women, standing at 165cm and garbed in a dark-red bodysuit, kicked one of the corpses as she complained, "These bastards really have no class! Treating me like some sheep just waiting to be slaughtered! Haa!"At the end of her outburst, the woman snapped her fingers towards one of the corpses, causing a burst of flames to erupt in the form of a small explosion. This caused the much smaller girl at her side to flinch, her two elongated ears drooping pathetically before hiding behind her explosive companion.Though it was apparent the woman wanted to explore the other corpses, she at least pretended to calm down as she pat the smaller girl's head, saying in a soft tone, "Don't worry, Shuri, all the bad people are gone now~" This caused the girl named Shuri to nod her head in agreement, despite the fact she was clearly still afraid.From his vantage point, Linnaeus was able to observe the two closely, identifying the brown-haired woman, with her sharp and intelligent features, as a member of the Saxon tribe. As for the petite girl with light-purple hair, adorned with two long white ears and a bushy tail poking out of her backside, she was clearly a member of the Lori tribe, known for their rabbit-like features.Upon realizing this, Linnaeus had solidified his [Barrier Aura] as, while the Lori tribe were known for their exceptional hearing, they also had extremely sensitive noses. Fortunately, perhaps due to her fear, she didn't seem to be completely aware of her surroundings. The last thing he needed was the explosive woman deciding he was her next lackey so, without wasting any time, he began to retreat into the underbrush, vanishing into the morning twilight...What Linnaeus didn't know was, rather than overlook him, the Lori tribe woman simply didn't want to fight. She also knew that her companion had used up a lot of her SP so, even though she had smelled Linnaeus' arrival, she kept silent while hoping he would leave them alone. However, when he did begin his retreat, she couldn't help looking in his direction and releasing a sigh, something which hadn't gone unnoticed by her companion.

Chapter 17: Struggle