Babel

Though it was impossible to know who spread it first, there was a famous story that circulated both within the megacity and the slums surrounding it. This story spoke of a godly bird whose wingspan could even cover the sky. One day, it grew bored of the planar world below and, seeking something beyond the endless sky above, flew with only the sun as its guidance. The sun, feeling as though its pride had been offended, cast down blazing rays of light, consuming the arrogant bird for daring to venture too close.The most curious thing about this story was, rather than a single tragic end, there were two different versions. One stated that the majestic bird, unrivaled in all the lands, was able to overcome the sun's flames and, rather than be burned alive, it used those same flames to refines its body. By sacrificing its flesh and overcoming death itself, it was reborn as a completely new existence, known through all of Lumen as the Legendary Phoenix. However, this was only one outcome as, in other instances of the story, the mighty bird met its end as a result of its curiosity, lack of preparation, and hubris.Linnaeus never thought he would be able to empathize with such a powerful creature but, at this moment, he was suddenly reminded of the story. He felt like he had ventured too close to the sun before he was ready, despite having spent his entire life skulking in the shadows. As for the cause of his peculiar state of mind, it was due to the presence of a familiar figure who, currently, stared up at him with a predominately blank expression. Despite this, Linnaeus felt like he was a small animal who had just wandered into the den of a predator a thousand times its size, despite the fact she was little more than two-thirds his own...The person Linnaeus was looking at, named Ryuuna Flaskbrand, was the same child-like girl he had witnessed slaughtering several people on the First Floor. She had been bold and brazen enough to rinse her body in the river without a care in the world, punishing any who dared interrupt her bath with death. Now, as she looked up at him with her pale-gold eyes, Linnaeus felt like he would be the next person on her long list of victims.As if reading his mind, the expressionless girl seemed to blur as a cloud of dust expanded outward from where she had previously been standing. He couldn't even follow her movements with his eyes as she bounded between the walls and pipes like a rubber ball. What shocked him the most was, in one of the areas where she had kicked off, the seemingly indestructible pipes had a small footprint.Unfortunately, Linnaeus didn't have time to marvel at this sight as he formed a barrier between him and his would-be attacker purely by instinct. At that same moment, time felt like it had been slowed to a halt as, less than a meter from his own face, separated only by a thin blue membrane, Linnaeus saw the little girl staring right back at him. Her forehead had contacted the barrier and, as if it gave no resistance whatsoever, he could see it fracturing like glass as she successfully completed her charge.This was the downside to his [Barrier] as, if he didn't put enough SP into the cast, it could be broken by a significantly powerful attack. Linnaeus was fully aware of this so, hoping to just slow her down, he put a full 500 SP into a single cast. This didn't seem to matter at all to her, however, as the next moment was celebrated by a powerful force slamming into his chest, the result of the girl's forehead impacting his diaphragm.Two things happened immediately following this sudden impact. The first was Linnaeus being sent flying backward several tens of meters before slamming into a series of pipes as he tumbled toward the ground below. At the same time, he saw his SP decreased by nearly 1700 points, meaning her single attack had burned through more than 2200 of his reserves. The resultant fall ate through the majority of the remainder and, by the time he landed against the ground, the blue light around his body was flickering pathetically as only 38 of his SP remained.Despite taking no physical damage, Linnaeus couldn't see or think straight due to the overwhelming headache he was currently experiencing. This was one of the downsides to using a large amount of SP in a short period of time so, having burned through more than 98% of his reserves in a short few seconds, Linnaeus felt like a metal pipe had struck the back of his head. His ears were ringing as a terrifying darkness had already started to creep in from the edge of his vision.Resisting the urge to pass out, Linnaeus climbed to his feet but, before he managed to get more than a few steps, a tiny figure blocked his path. He suddenly felt like his blood was on fire as, rather than go down without a fight, he burned the majority of his health and remaining SP as he extended his hand. Though he couldn't see it, this action caused the girl's brows to rise slightly as, against her expectations, she found her body surrounded by a barrier that restricted her movements.Linnaeus had done his best to harder the [Barrier Aura] as much as possible, cutting off the girl's air and restricting her ability to move. He then fell to his knees as blood poured out from the orifices of his head due to the backlash of the overdraft. Then, as his vision turned to pinholes, Linnaeus began pulling out all of his food and supplies as he began to madly engorge himself, praying it would be enough to bring him out of the Critical Health status while he was unconscious.Looking like a madman who had been starved for days, Linnaeus continued to devour food until he collapsed, hunching forward with a piece of unchewed meat hanging from his mouth. While this had been happening, the girl watched him with a deadpan expression on her face. Then, for the second time, she was surprised by the fact he had been able to keep the barrier active, even after having lost consciousness.Since not being able to breathe was annoying, the girl began to strain her body and, like an ice sculpture breaking under pressure, the barrier around her body fragmented into pieces. When she was freed, the first thing she did was to take a deep breath of fresh air before looking down at the boy who had desperately clung to life. She wondered how someone with such a strong drive to live could be so weak but, as his body had been somewhat illusory earlier, she rationalized that he must be a prospective Thief.Though the [Barrier Master] Blessing wasn't particularly rare, it was a very useful support ability that provided quite a number of benefits. It was more than a little odd for a Thief to have such a skill but, considering how he had been able to survive one of her blows, plus the subsequent fall, it was clear he had mastered it to a commendable degree. The most impressive part, however, was his use of the Blessing to restrict her movements and, despite being on the verge of collapse, his almost instinctual drive to survive.Out of curiosity, the girl lifted her foot as if she were going to crush Linnaeus' head. Instead, she only brought it to rest probingly against the back of his head. When a thin blue membrane prevented her from contacting him directly, she blinked in surprise for the third time. His tenacity reminded her of the bugs she used to squash when she was younger. Some of them, despite being stepped on over and over again, continued to struggle desperately for their lives.While thinking this, the girl began to put more strength into her foot as a smile began to creep its way onto her face. The entire reason she had stayed on the Second Floor for so long was due to the fact she wanted to eliminate as much of the competition as possible. Even if it might be necessary for her to team up with others in later Floors, she enjoyed crushing the hopes and dreams of those who sought to compete against her. This was especially true if her opponent belonged to one of the Eight Heavenly Families as, for the past seventeen years of her life, she had been forced to serve as little more than a slave to their whims.It was because of this that, despite her desire to feel Linnaeus' blood and brains against the bottom of her foot, she ultimately decided not to squash him. Rather than a threat, he was closer to the bugs she had taken her frustrations out on as a child. Even this, however, made him infinitely better than the egotistical wastrels that had suppressed her prior to entering the Tower. She could use him as a lackey and a cook as, much like others of Dwelven heritage, her skills lay more in crafting than the culinary arts.Looking around Linnaeus' body, the girl could see various foodstuffs, fruits, and herbs. This showed he was both resourceful and had relatively decent survival skills. Considering he had been the last to leave the First Floor, he also had a cautious nature. Though it could be misconstrued that he was a coward who feared conflict, his eyes showed absolutely no hesitation as he tried to counterattack. It wasn't the look of someone who had never killed but rather someone who only killed when it was required.After deciding to give the boy a chance at life, the Dwelven girl sat down on his back and began to eat some of the food that surrounded his body. She would have him reveal his Status to her and, if the numbers weren't too pathetic, she would spare him. At the very least, she could use him as a punching bag one last time before moving on to the next Floor. She was a little curious to see how he would fight for his life the second time around as, even after slaughtering nearly sixty other Fledglings, very few had managed to surprise her, much less three times. If he could surprise her a few more times before his death, she would try to commit his name to heart, at least for a few days.While thinking about the boy's identity, the girl hopped off his back before kicking Linnaeus over to his side. Then, squatting down close to his face, she tilted her head sideways before falling silent for a few seconds. She had seen him up-close before but, now that she got a good look at him, the girl was, once again, surprised.Though she had never touted her looks over others, she had the distinct impression the boy lying next to her, despite having his face covered in blood, was more attractive than her. He couldn't be described as handsome, especially with his frail and lithe figure, so the only words she could think of to describe him were delicate and beautiful. This made him seem even frailer than before and, rather than a bug, she suddenly felt he was closer to a winter rose, something to be admired, not crushed.For a brief moment, the Dwelven girl began to imagine dressing up Linnaeus in various outfits, most of which were only intended for females and a few individuals with unique tastes. She felt he would look cute in a Maid outfit or a pale-blue dress with white frills. At the same time, she imagined him glaring back at her, golden eyes burning with the will to live, despite being akin to a small animal in front of her. This image caused a smile to spread across her face and, while Linnaeus continued to wander in the abyss of unconsciousness, she began to pat his head while musing, "I hope I don't have to kill you~."

As Linnaeus slowly freed himself from the darkness of unconsciousness, the first thing he noticed was the throbbing pain in his temples. He could feel the veins pulse in the same rhythm as his heartbeat while, at the back of his head, a deep and painful ache radiated through his sluggish mind.Peeling his eyes open a minimal amount, Linnaeus noticed that his body was held down by a pile of stones that slowly ate away at his SP reserves while, at his side, a particularly bored-looked girl sat in a thuggish manner as she tossed a stone up and down. Her presence stirred his mind to awareness, bringing a fresh wave of pain as the memories preceding his collapse came rushing back.Though Linnaeus had managed to restrain his pained groan, the twitching of his face hadn't gone unnoticed by the girl who, realizing he was awake, stated in a dull tone, "If you're going to pretend to be asleep...I can help make sure you never have to worry about waking again..."As she spoke, the girl began piling on a few more stones, weighing down Linnaeus' body, causing his SP to flatline in an instant. It became clear she had been testing his resistance as he slept, ensuring he was always on the verge of having no SP to support his [Barrier Aura].Realizing the situation he was in, Linnaeus felt a sour feeling in his nose but, resisting the pain and pressure against his chest, he stated through gritted teeth, "Just...do it...already...I won't...entertain you..."In spite of his words, the girl immediately began laughing in response as she began pulling away a few of the stones, easing the pressure against his chest without restoring his mobility. When his SP recovered a bit, his [Barrier Aura] removed the pressure entirely, albeit at the cost of eating as his reserves with each second that passed.After observing the color and fragmenting of Linnaeus' [Barrier Aura], the girl piled on a few extra stones so that the rate of depletion and regeneration were about the same. Then, with an amused smile on her face, she asked, "Why did you enter the Tower? I don't understand how someone so weak believed they had any chance of climbing to the peak..."Though it was hard to form any coherent thoughts with his SP constantly on the verge of depletion, Linnaeus tried to reason as to why the girl bothered questioning him. He first thought that she just wanted to torment him before finishing him off but, seeing the curiosity in her gaze, this didn't seem to be the case.Deciding to gamble, Linnaeus clenched his jaw a few times, flexing the muscles before answering, "I wanted the power...to control my fate...to reunite with the people I love..." As he said these words, a few of the tears Linnaeus had been holding back managed to free themselves from his moist eyes. With his hands also buried beneath a few flat stones, there wasn't anything he could do to hide the proof of his shame, exacerbating the bitter feelings welling up in his heart.Hearing Linnaeus' answer, the girl's face immediately formed into a frown. For a brief moment, she even felt a little guilty for putting the beautiful boy into this situation as, compared to the average Fledgling, he very clearly didn't want to be here. Unless the people he mentioned were inside of the Tower, his words indicated he actually wanted to leave it, not ascend to its heights. This bothered her more than she had expected as, accompanying her conflicted thoughts, she suddenly felt a lot like the people who had suppressed her for years.Since speculating would get her nowhere, the girl asked, "Where are the people you love...? Are they already in the Tower...?"After blinking in confusion a few times, Linnaeus took a few deep breaths before answering, "I am an orphan from the slums...my sister obtained the [Healer] Blessing so she was taken to the megacity...I just wanted to see her one last time...to make sure she was okay..."This time, the girl immediately sighed after hearing Linnaeus' words before commenting in the same dull tone as before, "You are kind of pathetic...really..."Despite saying harsh words, the girl was also thinking about the kind of life that Linnaeus must have lived. She was familiar with both the slums and orphans but, while her own life had been particularly shitty at times, there were many people to support her. She had tens of siblings and a mother who cared for her deeply, despite her somewhat sadistic and brash personality...Shaking her head to clear away idle thoughts, the girl focused her attention back on Linnaeus' face, saying, "Though you are weak, you have some potential use as a Thief, Scout, or Support Class. Show me your Status. If you aren't beyond salvation, I will allow you to Party up with me, at least until you become a liability."Though he was tempted to give in, Linnaeus ultimately shook his head before stating in a firm tone, "I will not become someone's lackey...even if I'm weak, I have my pride...there would be no point in returning if I couldn't even look my sister in the eye..."Hearing Linnaeus' response, the girl frowned once again before saying in a somewhat icy tone, "You should choose your words wisely...I never said anything about making you into a lackey. At this rate, I really will kill you though..." Though this was actually a lie, as she had thought about using him as a gopher and having him take care of all the menial chores, her mind had changed when she suddenly felt comparable to the very people she hated.Rather than respond to the girl's icy words, Linnaeus remained silent for several long seconds before exhaling loudly through his nose and displaying his Status. While it might be an important secret, it wouldn't really matter if he showed it to another person prior to his death. She was strong enough to take his life at any moment so, rather than dig himself into a deeper hole, he decided to relent...at least for the time being.Upon seeing Linnaeus' Status, the girl was once again surprised, this time for a variety of reasons. The first thing she noticed was that his attributes were much lower than expected but, while his foundation wasn't very stable, it was clear that he had put in the effort to master his Blessing. What stood out the most, however, was the fact he was floating Free Attribute points, causing her to ask in an incredulous voice, "Do you...not know about boons...?"Though much of the information about the Tower couldn't be discussed, the information about the Status board had always been freely shared. Because of this, the children of the megacity, especially those born in the Eight Heavenly Families, received an education that allowed them to exploit a few of the more important aspects of their Status. This included things like selecting appropriate Skills for the path you wished to follow, greatly increasing your attribute scaling. Far more important than even this, however, was selecting the appropriate boons.Boons were awarded every time a person broke through a certain threshold in regard to their base attribute values. These became available once you reached an attribute value of 50, 100, 200, and 500 points. After breaking through these thresholds, you would acquire progressively stronger boons, each serving as the foundation for the path you had chosen. Though Linnaeus had selected his first three boons, the fact he had 16 Free Attributes meant he could have broken through the second threshold, greatly increasing his power and strengthening his foundation.Since he really didn't know what she was talking about, Linnaeus furrowed his brows slightly before muttering, "The slums doesn't have an education system...we're forced to survive on the streets from a very young age, stealing for a pittance and suffering daily beatings...even eating was a luxury..."Hearing Linnaeus' excuse, the girl couldn't help but frown, despite the fact he seemed to be telling the truth. However, when she saw how emaciated his body was and how short he was for a boy of fifteen, she decided not to comment. Instead, she began explaining how boons worked and, to his credit, Linnaeus listened very attentively without interrupting her a single time.Even before the girl had finished her explanation, Linnaeus increased the value of his Intelligence to 100, earning the boon [Wizard]. This not only greatly increased his SP reserves, but it provided a substantial boost to his bonus Int. Upon leveling up, he would even gain an additional +3 Int per Level, meaning he would be earning +5 Int just from boons alone.Fortunately, though he had sneakily increased his attributes, Linnaeus had been able to follow along with what the girl was explaining. From her, he knew it was possible to earn three boons every time you broke through a threshold. He could also earn the more powerful boons for a certain attribute, even if he didn't specialize in it early on.According to the girl, many people invested at least one of their boons in each attribute, the most important of which was Constitution. This attribute not only increased your health, but it also staved off things like hunger, greatly increased your lifespan, and even allowed you to survive without oxygen if your regen outpaced the depletion. Because of these reasons, most people invested at least two of their boons towards Constitution early on as the additional Con per Level was extremely important.Linnaeus felt he could avoid following this logic, as his [Barrier Aura] could supplement for his frailty. However, after having his barrier shattered so easily by the mysterious girl, he knew at least one of his boons should go towards it. Unfortunately, he would need 50 additional Constitution to reach this threshold as he had missed the chance to invest in it early on. He imagined this was why most people invested their first boon into Constitution as, due to his lack of foresight, he would now have to invest a large number of Free Attributes towards an attribute he hadn't really relied on before.Despite feeling a little annoyed, Linnaeus was still grateful for the information provided by the girl and, though she had nearly killed him previously, he felt she wasn't so bad. At the very least, she had a thoughtful side to her, even if it was hidden beneath layers of murderous intent and a few sadistic tendencies. Though this might have deterred most people, Linnaeus had grown accustomed to the rather brutal actions of Saht so, while he didn't this girl at all, she seemed significantly less scary than before.Seeing Linnaeus suddenly relax, the girl perked up her brows slightly but, rather than ask what he was thinking, she instead focused her mind and sent a Party invitation to him. This had taken him by surprise but, rather than refuse a second time, Linnaeus quickly accepted before she could retract the offer. At the very least, he wouldn't have to worry about her killing and backstabbing him while they were in a Party as, if you killed an ally, you would lose the ability to Party with others for the rest of your life. It also allowed them to remotely view each other's Status, though this was an option that had to be approved by the Party Leader which, in this case, wasn't him.Seemingly understanding what Linnaeus was thinking, the girl adopted a slightly predatory smile as a small ding sounded within his mind. When he saw the secondary screen of information, Linnaeus couldn't help but gawk, his mouth and eyes both wide open as a result of his shock. He now had a very clear understanding of where he stood among his peers and, though Ryuuna might be quite a bit stronger than most, she was exponentially stronger than him...----------------------------------------[Status]Name: Ryuuna FlaskbrandTitle: Vicious Raptor(+3 Str, +3 Con, +2 Agi per Level)Race: DwelfAge: 17Gender: FemaleLevel: 26(3719/4800)Health: 6648/6648Soul Power: 1090/1090Strength: 129+82.4Constitution: 111+76.6Agility: 105+63Dexterity: 66Intelligence: 51Wisdom: 54Spirit: 58Charisma: 19Luck: 26Free Attributes: 0Skills: [Kinu Comprehension:(-)], [*Aura Master:LV52*], [Brute:LV11], [Herculean Strength:LV7], [Healthy:LV8], [Vital Spirit:LV5], [Fleet-Footed:LV14], [Heroic Spirit:LV6], [Sense Danger:LV41], [Martial Arts:LV51], [Crafting:LV39], [Bartering:LV18], [Acrobatics:LV51], [Flexible Body:LV44], [Footwork:LV48], [Iron Stomach:LV50], [Pain Tolerance:LV50], [Abnormal Status Resistance:LV38], [Perception:LV41]Abilities: [Strength Amplification:LV50], [Body Hardening:LV50], [Aura Pulse:LV51], [Aura Blade:LV51], [Dragon's Horn:LV18]Magic: [Enhance:LV50]----------------------------------------(A/N: AUX chapter for Skills/Abilities/Magic has been updated.)

During the time Linnaeus had been lost in thought, a small ding resounded in his ears. This brought his attention to his Status before, moments later, observing a thin blue string that ran from his index finger.Due to how high he had climbed, Linnaeus wasn't surprised that his string was angled downward, extending into the adjacent wall and connecting him to his prey. He also took note of the fact that this was on the only visible string, meaning this challenge was designed so that you would know the name of your Hunter, but not their appearance and location.Linnaeus could feel a lingering dread in his heart, even though his [Sense Danger] had yet to activate. There didn't seem to be much of a chance he would make it through this particular challenge. Even if he stalled, there wasn't any information provided by the voice explaining the rules that would indicate a cutoff time for the game.Realizing his best hope was to track down his target before Merek managed to locate his position, Linnaeus began the arduous task of traveling through the peculiar stone corridors, a rather slow process considering he was trying to keep his elevation advantage.Until he knew his enemy's capabilities, Linnaeus wanted to make hunting him as inconvenient as possible. Though Merek would likely be able to leap from the pipes to get around, there was a chance his Blessing wasn't suited for ranged combat, giving him a small advantage if he played his cards right.What Linnaeus didn't expect was that, as he traveled in the direction of his prey, using the string that would appear every hour as a guide, an unexpected ding was heard in his mind. This drew his attention to his Status where, for one of two reasons, his target's name had disappeared.Linnaeus hadn't realized it before but there was a possibility that both his target and Hunter could either move on to the next Floor or be eliminated without him ever meeting them. Though it was rather unlikely, Merek might just choose to team up with the person hunting him down, removing the danger entirely.Since he had nothing better to do, Linnaeus waited until the current countdown completed but, rather than allow him a reprieve, his Status now showed a new target. This caused him to release an exasperated sigh as, for a moment, he believed it might be possible to just evade pursuit until his Hunter moved on to the next Floor. Though this could have been a mistake on his part, it gave him a much better chance than trying to reason with someone from one of the Eight Heavenly families.After thinking about his options, Linnaeus realized that it wasn't too likely for the person hunting down Merek to proactively seek them out. Unless they were very confident in their strength, they would probably wait for their own Hunter to seek them out and try to team up with them instead.Understanding this was the most likely outcome, Linnaeus knew his best chance was still to seek out his prey and either kill or ally with them. Fortunately, his current target was the 439th Ranked Fledgling, implying they were much weaker than his previous target.---As Linnaeus continued traveling high above the floor below, he would periodically hear the sound of distant explosions. There were even times when he could see brilliant flashes of light in the distance but, due to his decision to travel near the ceiling, it was impossible to make out the features of the battle's participants. All he could do was hope that one of them happened to be his pursuer and, though it wasn't likely, Linnaeus prayed they either got tired of chasing after him or became the victim of someone else's greed.With this state of mind, Linnaeus continued to travel for the better part of seventeen hours before deciding to take a break and rest.At this point, his target had already changed two additional times, indicating that the Floor was either smaller than expected, or that the entity in charge of the test put them close to their targets from the start.Linnaeus found some small comfort in knowing that his actions had become, at the very least, a small setback for the Rank 1 Fledgling. At this point, close to a hundred people should have been able to progress to the next Floor, even if only to avoid having to idle about in the cold, humid, and generally unpleasant Second Floor.What Linnaeus hadn't considered was that the Second Floor was actually filled with various traps, many being very lethal in nature. Rather than ascend to the next Floor after completing their tasks, his first target had been the unfortunate victim of a metal spike running through their right flank and piercing their heart. As for his second target, they had been killed off by the original person assigned to hunt them, as it was necessary for some targets to be shared as people continued to be eliminated.While this was going on, a man with handsome features, a muscular body, pure white hair, and blazing green eyes would periodically look up. This caused the heroic aura surrounding him to vanish for a brief moment as, rather than the confident smile he was known for, a murderous glint would flash across his eyes as a grimace form on his face.Though there were a number of people that chose to use the pipes to travel, as it allowed them to avoid many of the Floor's traps, it was still very inconvenient. Some of the pipes were separated by as much as twenty meters, making it impossible for the vast majority of Fledglings to travel between them.With his [Sword Mastery] Blessing, Merek, quite literally, had an edge against the majority of other Fledglings. Not only did he have the advantage of being groomed by one of the Eight Heavenly Families, but he had been provided a sword during his first test, allowing him to quickly cut down his opponent before slaughtering his way through the First Floor with ease.After claiming the first position in the Rankings, Merek had been full of pride at his achievement. This also afforded him a bonus 10,000 Aether and gave him the opportunity to take advantage of the amenities provided by the Second Floor as he awaited the next challenge.The rest area of the Second Floor included various luxuries, such as comfortable beds, showers, and even a massage parlor. It's most alluring aspect, however, was the plethora of strange shops, each manned by automatons that sold everything from essential supplies to powerful equipment.Though he abhorred the idea of roughing it, Merek knew there were times he would be unable to sleep on a comfortable bed. To prepare himself for this, he chose to sleep in one of the cheaper dwellings after spending the majority of his Aether on items and equipment. This was all so that he would be able to clear the Second Floor just as quickly as the first, awarding him more Aether and allowing him to remain at the head of the pack.Now, nearly a full day had passed and, with it, well over a hundred other Fledglings had either moved on or been eliminated. This left a bitter taste in Merek's mouth, replacing the jubilance he had experienced after first being assigned the lowest-ranked Fledgling as his target.Originally, Merek believed the Tower was rewarding his efforts while punishing the cowardly nature of his opponent. Now, however, he could only clench his teeth in frustration as he learned just why Linnaeus had been the last in the previous challenge. His target seemed to proactively avoid conflict and, though there were no guarantees, it seemed like their Blessing allowed them to fly or, at the very least, easily traverse the complex system of pipes.Merek had tried numerous times to ascend higher but, after you reached a certain point, it was almost impossible to cover the distance between pipes without trying to vault off walls or using something like a grappling hook. His horizontal leaping distance was a commendable fifteen meters but, even if he used [Enhance] to its limits, he could only jump a maximum of eight meters vertically.What frustrated Merek the most was that other Fledglings would randomly attack him as they attempted to steal his equipment and supplies. The first time this happened, he believed it was his Hunter but, rather than strike the young woman down, he actually lowered himself to party up with her, even temporarily. Since he didn't want his placement to be affected too greatly, he was prepared to allow his quarry to escape, at least for the time being.Unfortunately, the woman, along with everyone else that followed, were just trying to rob him. He quickly cut them down for their audacity but, every now and then, he would come across a tricky opponent. These included a hulking man whose bodily fluids, blood included, had potent acidic properties. Though he hadn't been particularly difficult to deal with, Merek lost his primary blade in the process, requiring him to use a much weaker substitute.Even more troublesome than the man with acidic blood was his encounter against a duo who were obviously members of the Shadow Guild. They had immediately attacked him on the spot and, due to the harsh training the Shadow Guild members underwent, it was a difficult fight, even for Merek.Fortunately, while they were tricky opponents, especially in terrain with multiple walls and pipes to maneuver around, they were relatively weak in direct engagements. He managed to cut off one of their legs, causing the other attacker to immediately retreat without sparing their companion a second glance. Then, as they were known to do, the crippled man activated a strange talisman, self-destructing after trying to leap toward Merek with their remaining leg.As it wasn't the first time members of the Shadow Guild had tried to assassinate him, Merek had been fully aware of their final trump card. This allowed him to leaped to one of the pipes above and, using their seemingly indestructible nature, evade the primary blast wave. Though this had left his eardrums bleeding, he recovered around twenty minutes later as he, once again, glared menacingly toward the endless darkness above...Unaware that he had become the personal enemy of a member of the Eight Heavenly Families, Linnaeus continued to make slow progress through the labyrinthine network of corridors as he sought out his constantly updating target.At this point, three days had passed so, while he had been unable to find his target, Linnaeus was confident his Hunter lacked the means to reach him. This allowed him to rest a bit easier and, by the end of the third day, a ding sounded in his mind that indicated his Hunter had changed from the Rank 1 to someone ranked 419th.When Linnaeus saw the new name, he couldn't help but laugh aloud but, rather than make his way down to proactively search for his target, he continued to stay close to the roof, well out of range for most Fledglings. Though some might call him cowardly, this was the method the weak used to survive when surrounded by the strong. There was no point in being brave if the only reward was an early death.Unlike other people, who actively sought to reach the higher Floors of the Tower, Linnaeus just wanted to survive in order to reunite with the people he cared about. He intended to leave the Tower at the first opportunity so, even if he was ridiculed, why should he care about the opinion of people who would unhesitantly kill him if it meant they could ascend to the next Floor?With this mentality, Linnaeus continued to bide his time while preserving as much of his supplies as possible. It wasn't until the end of the seventh day that he considered heading down as, rather than two different names, indicating his target and Hunter, there was now a single name between them. For the last few pings, the string on his finger had been pointing directly downward as well so, feeling now was his opportunity to proceed to the next Floor, Linnaeus began his descent.What had surprised Linnaeus the most was, rather than someone near the same Rank as him, his current target and Hunter were both ranked 13th. Though this raised a few red flags in his mind, it could be a tremendous boon if he was able to convince them to temporarily ally with him. Thus, even though he had a few inhibitions and was tempted to wait a few more days, Linnaeus slowly and carefully descended.

Chapter 22: Overwhelming