Babel

With harsh winds, seemingly endless sands, and arid temperatures reaching upwards of 50 degrees, the Sixth Floor was an extremely inhospitable environment. There wasn't even a single sign of food or water as far as the eye can see, despite Linnaeus having made a series of elevated platforms to get a better view of the surroundings...Without anything to guide them, Linnaeus could only make the decision himself so, after returning to the ground below, he explained, "There is just sand as far as the eye can see. I'm not familiar with any survival techniques related to the desert so I'm open to suggestions. The only options seem to be either picking a direction to walk or doing our best to build a shelter and rough it out..."As Krone had already returned at this point, he was the first to comment, saying, "The sand extends to a depth of more than twenty meters. If we want to create a shelter, we'd need to find a substrate of hard rock with a hollow on the inside. Trying to make one of our own will be impossible with this volume of sand."Linnaeus was a little taken aback by how helpful Krone was being but, without letting it show on his face, he simply returned a curt nod before saying, "We can try to find an area where the dunes aren't as prevalent. Unless this Floor is just another iteration of the Eighth's trial, there has to be some kind of objective worth completing. I imagine we would be able to find some kind of ruins, an oasis, or a colony of sand-dwelling monsters. What do you two think, Eliza, Emilia...?"Eliza seemed to be in a particularly bad mood ever since entering the Sixth Floor so, upon hearing Linnaeus' question, she answered in a slight huff, "I hate sand. If it is as deep as Krone claims, we don't really have many options. The best thing to do for now is create a temporary shelter at the base of two dunes to conserve water and energy. We'll have to see how cold the nights are before determining whether or not it is even worth traveling..."While the heat of a desert was one of the primary concerns, everyone familiar with the sandy plains knew that the chill accompanying the night could be even more dangerous. The only thing you really needed to stave off the heat was an ample supply of water and a bit of patience to tide through the discomfort associated with the usual mixture of sand and sweat. It not for Linnaeus' [Barrier Aura], it wouldn't take long for them to be completely caked in a sandy residue that easily led to rashes and other, far more unpleasant, irritants...With a nigh-infinite supply of water, the bigger concern for the group was replenishing their food supply and resisting the chill that generally dominated the night. It wasn't as cold as something like a wintry wasteland but, when the temperature decreased from 50 degrees to around 10 degrees in just a few short hours, it could affect the body more than persistent exposure to either extreme. This was due to the general inability of most races to adapt to sudden changes in temperature so, even if they could easily withstand sub-zero temperatures with ease, it was possible for people to freeze to death or get sick in much warmer temperatures if they weren't prepared.Fortunately, Linnaeus' [Barrier Aura] was much better for conserving body heat and keeping the cold at bay than shaving away the heat. It would be much easier for them to move at night than during the day as, despite the uneven footing, they had two people with [Night Vision].Linnaeus was just about to make these points when Emilia caused them all to fall silent by asking, "Is it not possible for us to just move on to the next Floor? Are reward might not be that great but there isn't really a reason to stay in this desert, is there? I mean, it's not like we'll be able to do any kind of productive training in the middle of a giant desert..."Eliza seemed to be very inspired by Emilia's words so, without any hesitation whatsoever, she raised up her hand and exclaimed, "I vote in favor of moving on to the next Floor! Even if the next Floor is dangerous, it is better to conserve our supplies and resources. This Floor would only sap away at our strength and diminish what little food we have stockpiled."Seeing how quickly Eliza threw her lot in with Emilia, Linnaeus was at a loss as to how he should respond. In truth, he had already thought about advancing to the next Floor but, feeling that rushing things too much could be extremely detrimental, he had been unwilling to mention it outright. While this Floor could just be another example of the Eighth Floor's trial, there was a non-negligible chance that great opportunities awaited them if they could tough it out and search thoroughly...Rather than make his decision immediately, Linnaeus looked toward Krone to gauge his reaction to the two's words. He seemed to understand the meaning behind the gaze but, rather than offer any words of his own, the grey-skinned man just shrugged dismissively as if he didn't really care either way.With Krone taking a dismissive stance, the opinion of the girls couldn't be disregarded. Thus, without any further hesitation, Linnaeus turned his view skyward and repeated, "Guardian of the Crucible of Souls, our Party believes we are ready to move on to the next Floor...please transfer us..."The moment Linnaeus' words fell, so too did the surrounding temperature. Then, in much the same way as before, a chill settled over the group as a whispy and sensuous voice asked, "Are you certain this is the best course of action~? While there is certainly some logic behind the reasoning of those lasses, things are not always what they seem. If you are unwilling to face hardships and peer at what lays beneath the surface, you might find yourself encountering a bottleneck in the near future~"Just the fact that the Floor Guardian was giving them the option to change their minds was a reason to give Linnaeus pause. His intuition told him that, while the owner of the voice was a playful and sly individual, they weren't completely lacking a sense of accountability. It was possible they just wanted to watch him struggle but, considering the incalculable number of people that must have undergone the Crucible's trials, there was no way they could be that bored...Despite this, Linnaeus wanted to respect the wishes of his Party members so, even if there was some grand treasure to be found on the Sixth Floor, he hardened his heart and said, "Our goal can only be found on the highest Floor, not here. Unless there is something like a key or some other necessary artifact, please transfer us to the next Floor..."Somewhat against Linnaeus' expectations, the voice began to laugh in an amused and perturbing manner, the sound echoing around them for several seconds. When it calmed down and began to speak once again, Linnaeus felt as if a hand had gripped his heart as she responded, "It is a little late to consider whether or not there is something like a key, don't you think~?"Linnaeus' heart began to palpitate madly in response to the Guardian's words as, if they meant what they seemed to imply, there was a chance he had already missed out on at least one key. There likely wasn't any method to return to lower Floors so the only method to acquire any keys they missed was to seize or purchase them from other people...Just as Linnaeus was beginning to form a plan derived from his panicked state, his body froze as the sound of laughter erupted right next to him. Then, like a slap to the face, Linnaeus felt a deep and difficult to describe frustration as the voice mused, "Just kidding~! You should have seen the look on your face, ufufufufu~"Lowering his head so that his bangs covered his eyes, Linnaeus fell silent in response to the voice's teasing as he no longer knew exactly what to believe. The Guardian was obviously just messing with him at this point and, without knowing more about them, it was impossible to determine their true nature and whether or not they were trying to mislead him...While Linnaeus was brooding, the voice seemed to lose a bit of interest, saying in a dull tone, "Well, if you haven't changed your minds then I'll go ahead and send you to the next Floor. I will give you a bit of advice before you go, however. Actually, I'm feeling generous so I'll give you two tidbits of info that will undoubtedly help you out~?"Seeing that Linnaeus wasn't in the mood to deal with the voice any longer, Eliza decided to step up, stating, "Please advise us, oh noble Lord of the Crucible of Souls..."Though it was hard to know whether or not she was responding to Eliza's request, the Guardian no longer sounded all that playful as she remarked, "The longer you take to reach the top, the harder it will be for you to leave the Crucible of Souls. This place has a corrupting influence on people and, if you cannot leave before it completely seizes you, the only fate awaiting you is a life of imprisonment within my domain. I would encourage you to move quickly but, if you go too fast, you may very well find it is impossible to leave this place~"Linnaeus may have been looking down but he hadn't stopped paying attention to the Guardian's words. The moment he heard her last remark, he wanted to ask for clarification but, before he was able to do so, the presence suddenly vanished. Then, as if to deny him the chance to change his mind, a screen showing their rewards for the Floor appeared before each of them.As could be expected, they didn't earn many Soul Kindling for only spending forty minutes on a Floor. Linnaeus only received a total of 47 but, considering how little time they spent within the desert, he instantly realized they had made a mistake. He was only averaging around 200 or so Soul Kindling back on the Seventh Floor but, just by doing nothing, it seemed that just staying on the Sixth would have rewarded them considerably. Based on the values shown, he would be earning upwards of 1500 Soul Kindling per day spent in the desert...Hindsight was often a bitter medicine that was hard to swallow but, with no way to reverse their decision, Linnaeus put on a calm front as he said, "I believe we'll need a certain amount of Soul Kindling in order to leave the Crucible of Souls. We shouldn't be so hasty on future Floors unless the situation forces our hand..."As none of his companions were idiots, they each understood the opportunity that had been missed. Though it wouldn't have been a pleasant stay, they could have easily doubled their total Kindling just by staying on the Sixth Floor for a single week. There would have undoubtedly been more ways to further increase this amount so, while there would likely be other methods to acquire large amounts of Kindling on higher Floors, it wasn't wrong to say they missed out on an opportunity.Fortunately, now that they had erred early on, it would be easier to rationalize experiencing a bit of hardship in the future. The Crucible of Souls rewarded those who willingly exposed themselves to danger and struggled to overcome various trials of their own making. It seemed to encourage them to seize hold of their own destiny as, without a strong desire to overcome tribulations, returning to the world of the living would be impossible. This was something Linnaeus was slowly beginning to understand so, knowing there was something akin to a time limit, the flame of his ambition began to gradually grow in strength and intensity...

There didn't seem to be a limit to the number of environments that could be found on successive Floors but, at no point in time had Linnaeus expected to encounter a situation like what he found on the Fifth.Shortly after their transfer, Linnaeus and company found themselves standing in what appeared to be a stone alleyway. To further add to their confusion, a busy street could be seen just a few meters from them, filled with people of varying size, shape, and origin.Having grown up in the slums, Linnaeus had certain expectations about how people lived when they gathered together under difficult circumstances. This caused him to feel an uncanny feeling deep in his stomach as, against all his expectations, the people on the street seemed to be happily enjoying their lives as they went about various stalls and shops with impunity. It was a stark contrast to life in the slums, as even the colors present seemed more vibrant and full of life...Waking him from his temporary lull, Eliza casually remarked, "It seems like we were transferred into some kind of city. I hope they have an Inn with a big bed and a hot shower...haaaaaa-"Based on how Eliza, Krone, and even Emilia were reacting, Linnaeus felt like the odd one out in the group. Fortunately, he was able to keep his incongruous feelings in check as he began to scan the area for any signs of danger before saying, "We'll focus on securing a base of operations before I begin collecting information. Stay on your toes...there is a chance this is some kind of trap."Hearing Linnaeus' words, Eliza was reminded of the fact that he had grown up in the slums. From her perspective, this city looked like one of the markets that could be found near the outer districts of the Megacity. Though there were undoubtedly dangers present, you could typically determine public order by seeing how the people carried themselves while conducting business.Realizing that she may have to take charge of the situation, Eliza pulled Linnaeus along confidently as she looked toward Krone and Emilia, saying, "You heard Lin, let's go find a place to stay. If there is even a chance of securing a comfortable bed, I'm not going to pass it up~!"Krone answered Eliza's outburst with a curt nod while Emilia just followed behind, her eyes darting around curiously. She had never seen so many people in one place so she was feeling a little tense and excited. There were so many different kinds of foods present in the stalls that her mouth was already beginning to water in anticipation...Fortunately, Emilia wasn't the type to just wander around on her own so, with Eliza pulling along Linnaeus, she dutifully kept pace without ever truly dropping her guard. If anyone got too close to their Party, her ears would incline at a forty-five-degree angle as she glared at them, startling quite a number of people who hadn't really been paying attention to the group of four.While allowing Eliza to shepherd him through the busy street, Linnaeus' eyes darted to and fro as he searched for any signs of impending danger. He did spot a few thieves, allowing him to calm down a little, but it was still very strange to see so many people living alongside each other without any real tension between them. This was something he had never experienced before and, to make matters even worse, he even saw groups of children happily playing games together in alleyways without any visible concerns...Eliza could feel the tensions in Linnaeus' body as she pulled him along and, though his expression didn't show it, she could tell he was very uncomfortable. This made her feel strangely guilty about her own upbringing as it was clear to see that Linnaeus had grown up in an environment where he couldn't even walk around without fearing for his life...It was fortunate that they were transferred into a busy market district as, by traveling toward the periphery, they were able to find various businesses such as taverns, restaurants, and inn. Since all races spoke and wrote in Kinu, it was easy to read the signs that were posted and, based on the SK denomination, she determined that the rates were paid for with Soul Kindling.Finding a place where they could get a combined room and food service for only 120SK per night, Eliza led the group through the double-door entryway. Here, Linnaeus seemed to collect himself a little better as, compared to the outside, there were only a handful of people quietly lounging about in the parlor while a rather fat woman wearing the clothing of a proprietress could be seen resting behind a countertop.Seeing new faces appear, the rotund woman hoped up from her stool before adopting a pleasant and courteous smile as she asked, "Anything I can get for you, darlings? We have a few double and single rooms available and lunch will be ready in about forty minutes. If you just want something to fill yer gullet, we have honey-glazed bread and cookies available for 5 Kindlin'."As if she had done this a thousand times before, Eliza adopted a smile of her own as she stepped forward and asked, "Does your institution provide bathing services? We just returned from a tough job so my companions and I would like to relax. For now, we'll take a double bed and two singles at the standard rate."Hearing Eliza's words, the woman gave a knowing smile before leaning forward and whispering in a voice that only the Party could hear, "You must be new to these parts, eh? Not many would come to the central district after hunting on the outskirts. That is a three-day journey unless you use one of the transport services, fufufufu~"Eliza's face flushed slightly upon hearing the woman's laughter but her mood quickly returned when the latter said, "Since it is your first time staying with us, I'll give you a bit of a discount if you decide to stay for five or more days. You'll be wanting to gather information and this place is where most of the newbies end up being sent after that hellish landscape on the Sixth Floor. Take it easy and focus on finding your footing before deciding on your next course of action, okay, darlings?"At the adjusted rate, they would have to each fork over a total of 500SK but, considering this plan included three meals and a bathroom key, it wasn't a bad deal. The woman even told them about a few ways they could make money before telling them she was free to answer any of their questions after the lunch rush ended. This would, of course, cost them some additional SK but, considering she had been operating an inn in the area for eleven years, there was no end to the gossip she had to share.Linnaeus didn't immediately trust the woman but, after listening to her for several minutes, he never got the feeling she was trying to deceive them. Rather, she seemed like a kind and easygoing person who showed genuine concern for their situation. She even gave them a small bag of freshly baked cookies, something Linnaeus that had shaken Linnaeus considerably as they were very sweet and full of sugar, a very hard to acquire spice back in the slums...Ultimately, the Party rented four rooms that were located on the second floor of the establishment. He somehow ended up sharing the double room with Eliza but, considering he had a lot to ask her before setting out to obtain information, Linnaeus didn't fuss over the arrangement. He wasn't really self-conscious when it came to things like sharing a room with a member of the opposite sex so it didn't really matter to him all that much.What Linnaeus hadn't expected was that the room was fully furnished and, unlike the small prison-like dwellings that could be rented in the slums, it even had things like a mirror, a wardrobe, and a very comfortable looking bed. His hand actually sunk into the material of the mattress, yet another thing he had never experienced before.While Linnaeus was looking around the area in awe, Eliza garnered a genuinely surprised expression from him as she remarked, "I expected the room to be a little bigger. Well, it has a nice and homely feel so it isn't the worst room I've been in."After fixing his expression, Linnaeus turned to face Eliza, asking, "Is this normal for the Inn within the Megacity?"Shaking her head, Eliza explained, "Normal is something subjective. I'm sure the people that live in the outer districts are used to this quality but the rooms I'm used to typically have an attached bath and kitchen area. The only time I've stayed in a room of this quality was when I asked my mother to let me explore the outer districts with a few of my friends and bodyguards. Back then, I felt as if it was a waste of money to rent such a room as even my servants had better accommodations..."Toward the end of her statement, Eliza plopped down on the bed as if it were the most comfortable mattress in the world. Even the bedding they had been provided with was clean and fresh smelling so, while it didn't really meet her standards, it was infinitely better than roughing it inside of a dark and humid den.With a distant look in her eyes, Eliza nestled into one of the plush pillows available, adding, "I was told as a child that you never really appreciate what you had until it is taken away...ever since I came to the Tower, I've been reminded of this saying countless times..."Hearing the melancholy in Eliza's voice, Linnaeus released a small sigh as he laid down on his own bed and looked up at the ceiling. He was tempted to ask if she wanted to stay in this place but, as he needed her to reach the exit of the Crucible, the words couldn't reach his lips. This made him feel a little guilty but, at the very least, he wouldn't be the one to broach the subject.Rather than discuss his wayward thoughts, Linnaeus decided to try and strengthen the bond between him and Eliza, even if it felt like he was exploiting her. She was one of the few people that linked him and his sister so, fearing she would want to remain on the Fifth Floor, he asked, "Can you tell me more about the Megacity...more about your life prior to entering the Tower...?"Eliza sat up upon hearing Linnaeus' question and, her eyes reflecting his image for several seconds before she smiled and answered, "Only if you'll tell me more about yourself. I'm certain you left out a few of the more personal details of your upbringing. I want to know more about your sister, that girl named Saht, and any other interesting people you met prior to falling into this place..."Linnaeus had felt a little tense due to Eliza's silence but, upon hearing what she had to say, he parted his eyelids to stare at her for a few moments before rising to a seated position of his own. He wasn't sure if she had seen through his intentions or not but, as it was remarkably therapeutic to talk about his past, he decided to go with the flow of the conversation. It wasn't as if he had any great secrets to keep so, if it could bring them a little closer, Linnaeus didn't mind pandering to Eliza's curiosity...

It was fortunate that, after being slain, the monsters killed within the Crucible of Souls would dissolve away into a peculiar kind of ash that was so fine it seemed to disappear completely moments later. It took with it everything from the bones, organs, and, to Krone's advantage, the blood.Were this not the case, the Party would have to deal with an even more pungent odor of blood as, when he fought, Krone often became covered from chest to thighs due to the brutal nature of his combat style. The [Barrier Aura] filtered out most of it but, perhaps due to the same functionality that allowed Krone to use his Blessing and breathe, some slipped through.Now, as the burly man lifted his body from the dissolving corps, there was a red mist rising from his body as the monster's blood seemed to evaporate. At the same time, Linnaeus and co came over to his side, the former commenting, "Brutal, but effective. Good work."In response, Krone gave Linnaeus a sidelong glance before ultimately shaking his head and asking, "What is the plan? Will we continue?"Originally, Linnaeus had intended to let Eliza killed the Wolf King on their way to battle against the Ape King but, after their encounter with a would-be assassin, his plan needed to change. They could either move to another territory to hunt down one final King or shore up their defenses somewhere to determine whether or not they were being pursued.The most sensible choice, however, seemed to be leaving the Floor as soon as possible. There was no sense in sticking around to fight an unknown enemy and, even if they could emerge victoriously, the benefits would be limited. After all, other than the equipment a person kept on their body, most items stored in their Inventory would simply vanish upon their death.As he had already been thinking about the best course of action prior to Krone's question, Linnaeus gave a curt nod before saying, "I believe it is best that we leave the Floor immediately. Eliza may lose out on some Soul Kindling but, with her power, she has the easiest method to earn more. I'm certain there will be ways to spend and transfer Kindling on higher Floors so there is no reason to stay and risk being ambushed."Krone crossed his arms upon hearing this, seemingly discontent with running away, but Eliza and Emilia seemed to be in agreement. The former had the most say in the situation so she added, "I'd like to teach our attacker a lesson as well but we have no way of knowing who they are. If we attack any random person we encounter, there is a chance it could be someone completely different. We weren't able to see their face or discover their presence so the only thing we know about them is the kind of Magic they use. Staying around just to fight an unknown force that might not even show up is a waste of time."What Eliza said struck at the very heart of the matter. There was a chance that their attacker actually had been alone so there was a good chance they would have fled without any intention of pursuing the Party. Though Linnaeus' instincts told him this wasn't the case, his rationale told him it ultimately didn't matter so long as they left the Floor behind.With Krone unable to refute Eliza's words, combined with Emilia not being fond of combat against other people, Linnaeus decided it was time for their departure. He didn't know for certain whether or not his previous speculation had been correct but, believing there was a fair chance, he inclined his head toward nothing in particular, saying, "Guardian of the Crucible of Souls, if you are listening, our Party believes we are ready to move on to the next Floor. Please transfer us..."Though there was a chance that passage to the next Floor required reaching a certain point, the fact that the Floor Guardian provided no information implied the method of ascending depended wholly on the person climbing. So long as they had sufficient achievements, Linnaeus believed that passage to the next Floor would be granted to them.Fortunately, he hadn't addressed the air in futility as, moments later, a chill descended upon the entire Party as a sensuous voice mused, "I see you found yourself some companions, little boy...and here I had been looking forward to seeing how far you could go on your own...well, it doesn't really matter, does it~?"While the feminine voice reached everyone, Linnaeus was the only one in the group that felt like a cold silk cloth was being draped across his body. He didn't know what the deal with the Guardian was but she seemed to enjoy teasing him more than necessary...Fortunately, without requiring a response from any of them, the presence seemed to drift away from him as the voice stated, "Parties are evaluated differently than those who seek to climb alone. You'll be rewarded for the individual actions you had taken prior to forming your union. The credit for the actions your Party has taken will be based on contribution while the majority of the reward is given to the Party Leader. Also, allow me to inform you that the Party System in the Crucible of Souls works very differently than the one in the Tower. How it differs, however, is something you'll have to learn on your own, ufufufufu~"Toward the very end of the voice's words, Linnaeus could swear he felt something moist trace across the top of his ear but, in order to not give the voice the satisfaction of a response, his face solidified into his usual mask of calm...Once the willowy words faded into the wind, everyone saw a personalized window in front of them while Linnaeus had two. The first detailed his accomplishments over the thirty-one days he had been alone while the second displayed the contributions of the Party members based on kill participation and various other factors.On average, a normal monster awarded around 41 Soul Kindling so Linnaeus had earned 4,838 total Soul Kindling just from his personal exploits. As for the total survival time, he was given a measly 1 Soul Kindling per day but, considering the plentiful resources in the forest, this wasn't too difficult to rationalize.What surprised Linnaeus the most was that he got a bonus of 1,000 Kindling for killing one hundred monsters and an additional 500 for defeating a Territorial King in individual combat. As the King had awarded a little more than three-hundred Kindling, this brought his total to 8,197SK.Linnaeus wasn't sure if this was a lot but, compared to the pittance he had earned on the Eighth Floor, it was a significant improvement. Now, he just needed to decide what to do with the rewards listed in the Party window as there was an option of either keeping everything for himself of giving it out based on contribution.The problem with this window was that the other people couldn't see it so, if they didn't trust each other, it would be easy to accuse him of skewing the numbers for his personal benefit. This almost made it a better option just to keep everything for himself and distribute it based on the needs of the Party but, as this could also cause some contention, the most sensible decision was to try and convince everyone he was being forthright with them...With this in mind, Linnaeus explained, "As a Party, we were able to accumulate 2,738 Soul Kindling. I have a window that shows me a list of variables that combine to create a contribution statistic using a percentage system. I'll be letting the interface auto-assign the rewards based on contribution. We don't have the time or resources to keep a proper accounting and, even if we did, it would cause a few problems if people started acting based on arbitrary metrics. I'd ask each of you to be content with what the system hands out as it is the determining factor behind how the points are assigned..."Fortunately, while there was still a bit of tension and awkwardness in the Party, Linnaeus had built up a decent amount of rapport with the group. Krone could be considered an exception to this but, as he had stopped being confrontational and accusatory, they had clearly made some kind of progress.Ultimately, Linnaeus had actually lied to the Party as, while it did show contribution values in the form of a percentage, it gave him 40% just for being the Party Leader. He decided not to point this out and, while splitting the Soul Kindling between them, he distributed his additional 40% as well. It seemed to serve as an incentive of sorts for the Party Leader but, as his actual contributions during combat were considerably lower, it would draw a lot of attention if he got the largest cut.Of the original 1,204 he was supposed to receive, Linnaeus only 383 of the total amount of Kindling. This brought his total to 8,580SK and, while it was impossible to know the value of this amount, he was still satisfied with his progress.Almost immediately after the distribution was completed, Linnaeus, Eliza, Emilia, and Krone felt a nauseating tug in their stomaches as they were all forcibly transferred to the Sixth Floor. This was never a pleasant experience and, as if to add insult to injury, they were all transferred several tens of meters above solid ground.With even Krone having LV51 [Acrobatics], it didn't take much effort for anyone in the Party to orient themselves properly but, as the only thing below them was endless sand dunes, their landing wasn't very stable. They impacted the fine sand, causing some of the granules to cascade down like a small avalanche as their bodies sunk several centimeters into the unstable terrain.Fortunately, with the [Barrier Aura] still active, they were able to land without injury, even if the sand itself would have cushioned their fall. Still, this didn't make any of them feel better as, even with the barrier preventing the hot sand from directly contacting their skin, it was still uncomfortable.While Eliza was cursing under her breath, Linnaeus and Emilia had already started to take in their surroundings. At the same time, Krone's body itself began to turn into sand and, after a minute or so had passed, he was able to mix into the ground itself. This had caught Linnaeus' attention but, as it was more important to get a handle of the situation, he didn't mind the peculiar sight too much.After an awkward climb to the peak of a sand dune, Linnaeus looked around to find that there wasn't a single visible landmark in view. It was just an endless ocean of pale gold sand being slowly pushed across the desert by a harsh and unforgiving wind. To make matters even worse, there wasn't even a single cloud anywhere in sight while, high in the sky, a blazing orb of fire and gas looked down on them like a tyrant from above.Linnaeus had expected another survival challenge as the resources on the Seventh Floor made the place a veritable paradise. Now, the only resources they had was themselves, the supplies they had stockpiled, and a very large quantity of sand. It was fortunate they happened to have someone with the ability to produce water as, without it, lasting more than a few days under conditions like this would be impossible...(A/N: Some people may not like the fact that the group escaped without facing off against the unknown enemies. To these people, I'd like to point out that no sensible person would just wait around and wait to be attacked. The plan was always to move on to the next Floor so, unless I was going to force plot and make it so that they couldn't leave, there was nothing preventing them from just moving on xD. Don't worry, as there will be more action after the Party has overcome some trials together (0w0)...!)

Chapter 57: Gaffe