Babel

It so happened that, with something like death looming over your head, time seemed to flow a lot faster than normal.Though each day had been filled with small events and minor achievements, Linneaus was far from the goals he had set for himself, despite the fact he had managed to level up once again. Better yet, he managed to officially be recognized by the Akashic System as 'Little Ghost', granting him a few small perks.Even with these significant boons, however, he had no confidence in being able to survive against Skaadi as, two days prior to his tenth birthday, Linneaus noticed she was dressed better than normal and, rather than walk around unarmed, she now carried a dagger that looked like a long ice pick. He had even gotten to experience its sharpness as, presumably on the day she had received it, Skaadi tracked him down and stabbed him clean through the thigh.As if he hadn't already been fighting an uphill battle, Linneaus learned she was no longer a relief girl within the Greyhounds, for reasons he could only speculate. Regardless, she was now a full-fledged Enforcer, meaning the threat to his life had increased exponentially.Because of these rapid changes, Linneaus had a dull look in his eyes during the days leading up to his tenth birthday. If he failed to obtain a Blessing that would give him an edge in combat, his death was all but assured. Though he wouldn't give up until the very end, to the point he was considering running away to another region to lay low until his sister's tenth birthday, it was hard to imagine she wouldn't simply track him down.Despite these concerns, Linneaus did his best not to alert his sister to the impending threat to his life, even though she had shown signs of inferring the truth. Since she didn't want to worry him even more, they both pretended that the secret remained, all the way up until the small celebration on the eve of his tenth birthday.With the clock striking midnight, amidst the glimmering eyes of his fellow orphans, Linneaus felt powerful energy flowing through his body. It was like a rush of adrenaline, unlike anything he had ever experienced, giving him the illusion he would be able to take on any enemies. Despite this, the pillar of light from his body only extended to a meager six meters, the same as his level.Though it was slightly above average, Linneaus felt as if the pressure on his body had increased by several-fold, even as the children of the orphanage congratulated him. Then, without wasting any time, he looked at his Status, praying against all odds that his Blessing would make up for his lack of potential...----------------------------------------[Status]Name: Linnaeus FinnianTitle: Little Ghost(+2 Agi, +2 Dex, +1 Wis per Level]Race: Hume(50%), Manalyte(50%)Age: 10Gender: MaleLevel: 6(497/600)Health: 280/280Soul Power: 165/165Strength: 6~8Constitution: 11~14Agility: 12~19Dexterity: 16~21Intelligence: 6~7+0.7Wisdom: 12~15+1.5Spirit: 5~8+0.8Charisma: 9~13Luck: 5Free Attributes: 19Skills: [Kinu Comprehension:(-)], [Knife Mastery: LV4-&gt;LV5], [Sense Danger: LV15-&gt;LV17], [Presence Concealment: LV9-&gt;LV10], [Acrobatics: LV5-&gt;LV8], [Pain Tolerance: LV2](new), [Barrier Master:LV1](new)Abilities: [Steal: LV15-&gt;LV18], [Stealth: LV4](new)Magic: [Enhance: LV5-&gt;LV10], [Barrier: LV1](new), [Barrier Aura: LV1](new)[Pain Tolerance: LV2(11/200)]Passive: Ability to resist spontaneous and persistent pain while remaining clear-headed.[Barrier Master: LV1(0/100)]Passive: Allows the user to manifest their Soul Power and give it physical form. (+3 Int, +3 Wis, +2 Spi per Level. Additional 10% bonus to Int/Wis/Spi every ten Levels.)[Stealth: LV4(33/400]Cost: 10 SP per minuteActive: Allows the user to blend into the shadows and dull the sound of their footsteps.[Enhance: LV10(227/1000)]Cost: 20~40 SPActive: Empower a single attribute by 10~15%[Barrier: LV1(0/100)]Cost: Variable(Cost dependent on the size and durability of the barrier. Base: 50SP)Active: Create a barrier that is able to defend against both physical and magical attacks.[Barrier Aura: LV1(0/100)]Cost: 10 SP per minute. Additional cost dependent on amount of damage sustained.Active: Create a membrane to protect the body from both physical and magical attacks.----------------------------------------Seeing his Blessing was [Barrier Master], Linneaus didn't know whether to laugh or cry as, though it was somewhat rare, it wasn't considered particularly useful outside of the Tower. While it certainly increased his survivability in short fights, the drain on his SP would make it almost impossible to use other spells in conjunction and, from what he knew, the external barriers produced only lasted for half the duration of his Spirit attribute.With Linneaus Blessing being rather tame, the children all felt awkward congratulating him but, as if to cheer him up, Rebecca had her usual kind smile as she explained, "For those that want to protect others, there are few Blessings better than [Barrier Master]. You should also keep in mind that there are no bad Blessings, little Lin. The determining factor for how useful a Blessing is depends entirely on the creativity and willpower of the user..."Understanding her words might not get through to him, especially given his situation, Rebecca kept her smile as she did something none of the children had seen before. She began to move her boney finger in a nimble and dexterous manner that none of them could follow directly, causing a few small blue flickers of light. Then, with a smile on her face, Rebecca explained, "My Blessing was [Sewing], a Skill that most can learn rather easily but...when applied creatively, anything is possible~."After she finished speaking, Rebecca twitched her fingers, surprising all of the orphans as she forced Linneaus to take a step forward. As for the boy in question, he was completely paralyzed and, if you looked closely, there were blue lines binding his arms to his sides as nearly invisible strings caused him to move forward at Rebecca's behest. It was an admittedly terrifying experience, at least until she began to gently pat his head, allowing the strings of Soul Power to dissipate as if they had never existed in the first place.To give the boy one last push, Rebecca looked directly into his eyes, her smile causing the wrinkles of her face to increase exponentially as she said, "I once knew a man who was able to form his barriers into weapons. He could change their shape freely, becoming one of the most versatile fighters I ever had the privilege of Partying with..." Since she didn't want to set him down the same path as another person, this was the limit to what Rebecca was willing to say as, ultimately, the form and function of a Blessing depended on the individual.Hearing Rebecca's words, Linneaus' eyes began to blaze as he hadn't even thought about using the barriers offensively. He felt the Skill was only useful for defense but, with her hint, he suddenly felt like his Blessing was far more powerful than he realized. At the same time, he kind of felt guilty as, without her advice, he would have fallen into a state of self-pity, believing his fate had already been determined.With a confident nod, Linneaus met Rebecca's gaze before answering in a firm tone of voice, "I will not look down on my own Blessing. Thank you for your guidance..." Then, after looking toward his sister, Linneaus had a smile on his face as he said, "Please continue to take care of Gwen."The moment she heard her brother's words, Gwen began to tear up and, without wasting any time, she jumped toward him with enough force to tackle him to the ground. Since he was now ten years old, it meant he could no longer stay in the orphanage. He needed to set out and find his place in the world, giving other children the opportunity to be cared for in his stead.While Gwen was sobbing in his chest, Linneaus continued to lightly stroke her hair, doing his best to coax her by saying he would still visit often. He also promised to try and save up enough money for them both to live inside the megacity in the future, even if this was a near-impossible task. The best he could hope for was that Gwen's Blessing and potential far outstripped his own so that she could enter the megacity and avoid the terrible fate that awaited most females in the slums...Though the celebration had taken place at midnight, the hours leading up to sunrise felt both long and short. Linneaus had eventually managed to calm his sister down enough for her to fall asleep, albeit only lightly as she would periodically wake up to confirm if he was still there. Then, when it was actually time for him to leave, she began crying once again, fearing that the moment he left the orphanage, she would never see him again.Linneaus didn't know what to do with his sister in this state so he could only look toward Rebecca and Saht, the only two who had remained after the other orphans went to sleep. When the latter saw him look over, she gave a curt nod of understanding, even though he hadn't tried to communicate anything to her. Following this, Saht came over and wrested Gwen from his arms, an easy feat given her greater than average strength.Gwen began to panic at the unexpected separation but, before she could begin thrashing around, Saht suddenly shouted in a harsh tone, "If you keep him here, your brother will die! Be strong or you will insult everything he has done for you!" As she shouted this, Saht continued to hold Gwen in a reverse bear hug, lifting her off the ground slightly so that she could only struggle by thrashing her legs.Fortunately, her words seemed to have a big impact on Gwen as, instead of struggling, she bit her lower lip as tears continued to pour down her face. Linneaus did his best to put on a strong front for her, maintaining a calm smile, even though his heart was beating as if he had just sprinted more than a dozen kilometers.While Saht continued to hold his sister, Linneaus extended his hand to remove a few pieces of stray hair, a smile still visible on his face as he promised, "I swear to you. I will not die. I will not disappear. Until you are able to live a safe and happy life, free from the darkness of the slums, I will continue to protect you...always and forever..." With that said, Linneaus gave his sister a kiss on the forehead, causing her tears to more than double in intensity as he turned to walk away.Waiting near the door, Rebecca had two small pouches in her hands, one filled with enough small coppers for him to rent a room somewhere while the other was filled with rice. She handed them over to Linneaus before pulling him into a warm embrace as she whispered, "You are a good child, Linneaus. Do not let the darkness of this world taint your heart. I will look after your sister...now go, and may Akasha bless you..."Though he was very grateful for the kind words, Linneaus almost wished that Rebecca hadn't given him anything as he now felt an overwhelmingly sour sensation in his nose. It was fortunate that he had his back to Gwen and Saht, leaving only Rebecca to see the tears pouring down his face as he gave a curt nod and exited the orphanage. He now had thirteen months to come up with a solution to protect his sister, assuming he could even survive the next couple of days...

Resisting the urge to turn back, each step feeling heavier than the last, Linneaus flung himself into the waterway adjacent to the orphanage the moment he reached its edge. He had decided that, if his Blessing did not grant him passage into the megacity or give him an advantage against Skaadi, he would immediately escape to another district, putting as much distance between him and the murderous Vulna as possible.With the cold water restoring a bit of his focus, Linneaus allowed the current to pull him along as he passed by a few Cleaners, mechanical automatons that kept the waterways in good order. They only spared him a curious glance with their segmented eyes before continuing their endless endeavor to make sure the waterways were functional.Though a Vulna's nose was very sharp, Linneaus knew Skaadi would be hard-pressed to track him via waterway so there was a good chance he could get well outside of the Greyhound's territory, making it much harder for her to pursue him. He even used his [Barrier Aura], both as a means to familiarize himself with its functions and begin the arduous process of raising his proficiency while earning as much experience as possible.Since the spell description stated the barrier was a physical membrane, Linneaus was hoping it would keep the cold at bay while preventing his scent from spreading to the surroundings. With his [Presence Concealment] and [Stealth], it should make it even harder for Skaadi to track him down, meaning he could at least buy time to familiarize himself with his Blessing before facing her.Ultimately, unless he intended to cut ties with his sister, Linneaus knew it was only a matter of time before his and Skaadi's paths crossed. She would quickly learn of his escape due to him not showing up for his morning training, combined with the fact his Blessing had undoubtedly been observed by the Enforcers. This was the reason Saht held Gwen back as, if he stayed too long, it greatly increased the chances he would exit the orphanage, only to find Skaadi waiting for him.Fortunately, as she had no way of knowing exactly when his birthday way, the odds of Skaadi being on duty the previous night were slim. She was more than likely warming the bed of the Greyhound's leader, making it difficult for her to pull herself away. Since she had only recently tormented him, it could be argued that his Luck had, once again, brought him good fortune.While floating down the waterways, Linneaus learned quite a bit about his [Barrier Aura], including the fact he could indeed make it completely solid. This greatly increased the amount of SP it cost to maintain the aura, while simultaneously cutting off his access to fresh air, but it was still useful to know. The downside was, due to his constant contact with water, his SP cost was even higher than the base amount and, rather than allow him to move undetected, he had a blue glow that made him stick out like a sore thumb in the early hours of the morning.Because of this, Linneaus was forced to expose himself to the cold water for the better part of twenty minutes before pulling himself free several kilometers downstream. This made him feel exceptionally weak but, after stripping naked and wringing out his clothes, he was able to recover enough to leap up to the streets above. There were a few curious gazes lingering on him, especially when he had been drying his clothes, but they quickly lost interest after seeing he wasn't a girl that had thrown herself into the waterway to escape a rapist.As he grew older, Linneaus' looks had continued to develop while, due to his lacking nutrition and persistent training, his figure was slender and delicate at a glance. Though this illusion was shattered when he removed his clothes, giving him a somewhat stringy and emaciated appearance, he was not unfamiliar with unwarranted solicitation. One drunkard had even stripped him of his trousers in the past when he had stayed out too late but, finding that his victim had been a male, Linneaus had his abdomen and legs stepped viciously before the man stumbled away.From that moment onward, Linneaus had developed a habit of either shrouding his face or, when training, running around without a shirt on. Though this still garnered him a fair amount of attention, it was still better than being mistaken for an easy mark.After extricating himself from the waterway, Linneaus wasn't content with the distance covered. He was still within his known range of operation and, with several million kilometers of slums lining the outer walls of the megacity, he had ample opportunity to flee as far as he was comfortable. Though it would make visiting Gwen harder, he needed to at least travel outside of the distance Skaadi could travel in half a day, meaning his journey wouldn't end for at least three.With this in mind, Linneaus continued traveling west, periodically using his [Barrier Aura] to conceal his scent. Fortunately, as it only cost around 20SP per minute, his actual consumption was closer to 12. If he used the normal version of the [Barrier Aura], the consumption was reduced to only 2SP per minute, with each tick granting him 1 experience. At this rate, if he increased his Wisdom by a few points, he would be able to passively keep his [Barrier Aura] active at no cost, giving him a constant trickle of experience.In Lumen, though there were Skills and Magic that greatly increased it, everyone had a basic amount of Health and SP regeneration based on their Constitution and Wisdom. On average, this value was the total of your Constitution or half of your Wisdom, meaning 10% and 5% per minute. Thus, with 16.5 Wisdom, Linneaus was able to regenerate around 8Sp per minute.Now that he had gained his Blessing, common sense dictated he should invest his Free Attributes in such a way as to increase the efficiency of its use. The only reason he hesitated was due to the fact that, as he had sort of expected, his development path contradicted his given Blessing. He had been focused on Agility and Dexterity as his primary stats so, with a magic-oriented Blessing, he was more than a little behind the curve. Fortunately, like all Blessings, his provided him with bonus attributes per Level that covered this weakness, assuming he lived long enough to benefit from it.It was with such thoughts in mind that Linneaus continued his journey, only to find his way impeded when a group of Street Urchins obstructed his path in an alleyway. There was also a pair of Enforcers on the roof, looking down with sardonic grins on their faces, excited to see a show. Because of this, if he used his Blessing, there was a good chance they would attack him seriously before either killing or conscripting him.While resisting the urge to sigh, Linneaus eyed the group of four Street Urchins as their leader, a woman with pale green skin, pointed ears, and black sclera around dark-green eyes, shouted, "Who are you to invade our territory!? We don't tolerate rats wandering about our streets!"Being almost a full head shorter than the girl, despite the fact he was older than her, Linneaus felt a small amount of indignation as he stated, "I am only passing through. I don't intend to operate on your turf..."This didn't seem to be the correct answer as, rather than let him pass, the girl said, "Sure, I can let you pass through. You'll have to pay the toll first. Who knows what you stole before trying to escape your own hole? Come, empty your pockets and open up your Inventory, brat!"The moment the girl's words finished, she didn't wait for his response as, with the assistance of two other children, she immediately pounced forward. If this had been in the past, Linneaus would have just tolerated the coming beating but, as he couldn't risk being delayed for too long, he decided it was time to put his two years of training to the test.As could be expected from a Level 6, which was a full Level above the average for a ten-year-old in the slums, Linneaus didn't have too much trouble dealing with the group. With his [Enhance] magic, he had a distinctive advantage in speed and mobility, allowing him to dodge backward faster than they could leap forward. Then, exploiting the brief moment when the leading girl tried to recover her footing, he thurst forward with his fist in a spear-like motion, striking her directly in the nose.Since this act initiated combat between them, Linneaus was able to see the girl's Health reduce by a fraction as her head cocked backward violently from the strike. Before she could recover, he used her body as a springboard, finding it surprisingly easy with her flat chest. This allowed him to kick her to the ground, hard, as he leaped past the other two attackers.Seeing Linneaus' movements, the Street Urchins were all taken by surprise, especially the youngest boy who had been standing in the back. He seemed to be around six or seven years old so, despite common sense telling him to attack the boy as well, Linneaus just pushed him aside as he sprinted through the alleyways.Though the four Street Urchins didn't give chase, as the green-skinned girl was too busy crying over her bloody nose, the two Enforcers watching the show quickly overtook him. Since they also believed there was a chance he was carrying goods, the shorter of the two, having wild blond hair and vibrant green eyes, immediately used [Steal] while the larger, more muscular man, attempted to catch him with hands larger than Linneaus' face.Now that he was no longer a child in the eyes of most gangs, Linneaus knew he couldn't just curl up and take a beating like in the past. Usually, when beating a child, your own Status would turn red for a few minutes, alerting you to the fact you were breaking one of the world's laws. Linneaus' own was currently in such a state but, when the men began to beat him, they would quickly notice the truth of the matter, meaning he wouldn't get away with just a few bumps and bruises.Gritting his teeth, Linneaus removed a small pouch from his Inventory that he had been saving for his encounter with Skaadi. It was made from dried feces that had been mixed with dried red pepper, making it a potent irritant while also overwhelming a person's sense of smell. Though he was lament to use it against someone other than his would-be murderer, that description could fit almost nearly any Enforcer within the slums if they didn't mind getting their hands dirty.Not expecting the Street Urchin to put up a fight, the muscular man was understandably caught off guard as a packet slammed into his face. He was only Level 9 so, while much stronger than Linneaus, the gap wasn't unbreachable if you fought cleverly. This was especially true if you could catch the other party off guard, allowing Linneaus to removed the dagger hidden in the sleeve of the man's outstretched arm.In the same motion that he had practiced thousands of times, even without a weapon of his own, Linneaus drove the dagger into the gap between the man's ribs before moving towards the blond-haired man who had previously been eyeing the pouch in his hand. He had never expected for a moment that Linneaus would be able to take down his companion, leaving him gawking as the small figure leaped toward him.By instinct, the man tried to jump back, attempting to use his superior speed to create distance and get his bearings. What he never could have expected was for his back to collide against a thin blue membrane, arresting his backward momentum completely.To his credit, the man managed to pull out his dagger at the same time that he leaped backward but, as this was already a life or death battle for Linneaus, he was undaunted as he kicked forward with both feet, slamming his heels into the man's genitals with as much force as he could manage. There were several points on the body that were considered vitals and, if struck with enough force, they could either cripple or kill a person instantly.Though damage to the genitals rarely led to instant death, it was an especially sensitive area of the body so, despite Linneaus' low Strength, he saw the man lose more than a tenth of his health in an instant before collapsing to his knees. His eyes were bloodshot and, as could be expected, he was looking toward Linneaus with murderous intent. Unfortunately, as he couldn't put any strength into his legs due to the extreme pain, he could only glare as Linneaus trusted his instincts, surrounding the man with his [Barrier Aura] and solidifying it.At first, the man was confused by the pale membrane covering his body but, the moment he tried to take a breath, this confusion quickly changed to panic. The rush of adrenaline allowed him to fight against the pain but, with Linneaus having invested several of his Free Attribute points into Agility the moment the fight began, he was able to evade the man's desperate lunge before waiting for his breathing to cease. This wasn't enough to kill him, however, so Linneaus watched the man's health deplete until it became greyed out...Feeling his body trembling, as a piercing cold had settled into his body all of a sudden, Linneaus quickly looted the two daggers before taking back the pouch of food the blond-haired man had stolen from him. Then, with his heart racing faster than his legs could move, tears dripping from his face, Linneaus ran from the scene of his first kill as two bells rang in his head, one showing that he had Leveled up while the other notified him of his new Skill...[Assassination: LV1(0/100)]Passive: Surprise attacks deal guaranteed critical damage with a moderate chance to cripple the target. (+1 Agi, +1 Dex, per Level. Increased damage from all sources after failed Assassination.)

Before leaving for another long day of training and skulking about to secure a pittance, Linneaus spent a few minutes speaking with Gwen at the entrance to the girls' room. She had grown a lot over the last year and, after being treated, worked just as hard, if not harder, than the other girls.Everyone knew how hard Linneaus worked but, being the target of his protective natures, Gwen felt both guilt and gratitude for her older brother's care. Because of this, she had made a habit of giving him a bit of encouragement before he set out for the day.Today, Gwen handed over a small charm that had been sewn from a few pieces of fabric recycled from old garments. It had an anomalous shape but, according to Gwen, it was supposed to be a cat. Though they were rare, especially in the slums, it was rumored that the cats in the megacity were bearers of great fortune. She hoped the small black charm would increase his fortune as, when she saw him return at the end of the day with cuts and bruises, it always hurt her heart.Graciously accepting the charm, Linneaus placed it securely within one of his hidden pockets before affectionately ruffling his sister's hair. He promised that he would be more careful in the future but, immediately after leaving the orphanage, Linneaus continued his training with even greater intensity.At this point, his height had increased to around 130cm and, though he was very skinny, his body had become far more agile than in the past. He struggled to increase his Strength, primarily due to the lack of nutrition, but his other attributes were developing well, sans Intelligence.Intelligence required serious study and proper education, making it very difficult to increase without diligent efforts and mentorship. Fortunately, Wisdom could be increased by gaining life experience and making good decisions, making it one of the attributes most Stree Urchins had to spare. This was a great boon in some scenarios as, despite his limited Soul Power, Wisdom increased the rate of replenishment while also allowing him to stay focused under duress.The only attributes Linneaus really had trouble developing, much like everyone else, were his Spirit and Luck. These were both important attributes as Spirit was directly tied to willpower and mental resistance while Luck was rumored to influence your actual fortune in life.Curiously, though he understood the reasons somewhat, Linneaus had no trouble raising one of the other difficult to obtain attributes, Charisma. This was an attribute many wanted, as it was associated with skills like [Bartering] and [Leadership]. At the same time, it apparently had an influence on how other people saw you, increasing their favorability.Due to his uncommon appearance, complete with fair skin, light-blue hair, and golden eyes, he was able to passively increase his Charisma, despite the fact he generally kept to himself. There was even a chance that, once he hit puberty, the attribute would increase considerably, something that both excited and troubled him. After all, who didn't want to be at least a little popular? The only downside was, at times, he would be stared at with predatory eyes by both men and women alike...Because of his propensity for running around and skulking through the alleyways, Linneaus had even garnered a reputation for himself. Many thought he was just trying to show off so that he could gain entry into the Tower but, regardless of the truth, some had started to refer to him as 'Little Ghost'. If this name caught on, he might even be able to lose his Street Urchin Title, which could be a good or bad thing depending on the situation.In Lumen, Titles were one of the most important factors that determined a person's growth, even for those living within the slums. Though Titles like Street Urchin and Gutter Rat had a few downsides to them, they still allowed even young children to survive in the harsh environment of the slums.Linneaus was hoping that the Little Ghost Title would provide a boost to his Dexterity and Agility or, at the very least, remove the detriment of halving his Free Attributes per level. This would give him more freedom of choice come his tenth birthday. Since there was always a chance he would get a Blessing related to Magic or Martial Skills, he would need the extra attributes to correct the current imbalance in his Status. After all, it would be quite sad if he got a Blessing like [Fire Affinity], only to find he couldn't cast even a simple [Fireball] Spell.Though there were exceptions like [Enhance], which were common to the point that everyone could use it, many Spells required hundreds of SP just to cast a single time. For offensive spells related to the Elements, the most basic Spell required a total of 200 SP to cast, meaning Lumen was barely at the halfway point. Thus, in order to avoid becoming another one of the horror stories of a person who got a Blessing that contrasted their attributes, Linneaus really wanted to lose his Stree Urchin Title...To that end, he was running through the alleyways, vaulting over boxes, ducking under pipes, and cutting into corners by kicking off the adjacent wall to change direction. He wanted to at least get to the point that he could freely use the walls for movement, emulating the ability of some Enforcers to move several kilometers without having to step a single foot on the ground. This would allow him to evade pursuit more easily, especially if he used his small size to his advantage.Unfortunately, despite the good luck charm his sister had given him, it had been about a week since his last beating so, as Linneaus passed another corner, his [Sense Danger] triggered, albeit too late for him to do anything about it. The moment he felt the urge to evade, a foot was already hitting the bridge of his nose, stopping his forward momentum and causing him to flip backward in an instant.Staring down at him from above, the Vulna girl named Skaadi spoke in a harsh voice akin to a growl, "Still trying to escape to the Tower, Little Ghost...?" Then, without waiting for an answer, she pressed her foot against his abdomen before shifting her weight and causing him to groan out in pain.Like everyone else, Skaadi thought that Linneaus was trying to earn the right to enter the Tower but, unlike the others, she believed he was just trying to escape her. She had been tempted to kill him a few times at this point, especially after an especially rough night, but always held back in the end. If he had fought back at all, she probably would have gone through with it but, as there was simply no sport in killing someone who didn't fight back, she settled on tormenting him.As usual, Linneaus did his best to curl up and resist the pain, even allowing Skaadi to use her sharp nails to create a long incision along the back of his forearm. She would also stop after a few minutes before giving him a pat-down and taking any valuables he might have on him. Fortunately, due to the charm being made of simple fabrics, it went unnoticed during her search so Linneaus wouldn't have to explain to his sister what had happened to it...After the usual thrashing, Skaadi kicked a decent layer of dirt across Linneaus' body before stating in a sly tone, "You should get used to sleeping in the dirt. Soon, it will become your home..." With that said, she leaped towards the wall, a pale layer of green light forming around her legs as she quickly joined a group of Enforcers waiting on the roof. They had been jeering at him during the beating but Linneaus paid them no mind as it wasn't the first, or the last, time.Since the dirt actually did help to keep the cold at bay, Linneaus made no attempts to clean himself as he waited for his health to slowly regenerate. He kept himself calm by reminding himself that he got to see Skaadi's Blessing again, a relatively common Skill amongst the Vulna known as [Child of the Wind]. It provided bonus Agility with each level but the most useful aspect of the Blessing was its ability to passively increase Agility by at least twenty percent, despite costing nothing. If combined with the standard [Enhance], she could probably increase her total Agility by around 30~40%, the only downside being the fact high-speed movements were exhausting.With knowledge of her Blessing, Linneaus had already been thinking of countermeasures against her inevitable attack. His first plan was to use the Vulna's sharp sense of smell to overwhelm her senses and, if he could catch her by surprise, it wouldn't be too difficult to slip a blade between her ribs. He had never killed anyone before but Linneaus had seen others lose their lives in a similar manner and was confident he would be able to manage.The most difficult aspect of his plan, or any other plan he might come up with, was catching Skaadi by surprise or reacting to her attack. Since she was much faster than him, it meant there was a good chance she could kill him before he even realized what had happened. With her nails, she didn't even need a weapon to slit his throat in one fell swoop so he was banking on the fact that she, like other Vulna, liked to toy with her prey.Currently, Linneaus was building an expectation in her mind that he was just a vulnerable child that couldn't offer any resistance against her at all. Unless she was watching the orphanage every night, it would be impossible for her to know exactly when his tenth birthday was so there was a chance he could catch her by surprise. Though this still left the matter of dealing with her cohorts, he was more likely to be recruited than killed, especially if he proved himself useful. After all, there was no sense in fighting over a dead person when you could instead force the other party to work for you.The only questionable part of his plan was how the leader of the Greyhounds would react but, with how he allowed his men to treat Skaadi, Linneaus doubted he would care all that much. Their bond seemed to be simple acknowledgment of each other as members of the same tribe, not one of kin or genuine respect for each other. If Skaadi proved to be weak enough to die to a child, he probably wouldn't even mark her grave.After recovering his health, Linneaus wasted no time in continuing his training, acting as if he hadn't just been severely beaten less than an hour ago. Since his experience had gone up by three points, he even had a small smile on his face as it was very difficult to level up within the slums. It generally required that you fight against animals or monsters around the same level for any meaningful gains and, with even rats being killed almost instantly, there weren't many sources for experience in the slums.Though it was possible to gain quite a bit by killing other people, this wasn't really an option for him so he could only gain small benefits through training and the occasional beating. Even then, he was already at the 'average' level for a ten-year-old so, if he managed to reach Level 6 in the next few months, he would be ahead of the curve. With this in mind, Linneaus put more strength in his legs, enjoying the feeling of his muscles straining, the burning sensation helping to beat back the cold...

Chapter 6: Blessing