Babel

Without a proper explanation from the Floor Guardian, Linnaeus needed to find some means to obtain information. The method to move on to the Seventh Floor had to be known by at least one person or the odds of moving up would be exponentially decreased.Thus far, the only clue he had was the Soul Kindling. It seemed to be a form of currency based on how it manifested in a similar way to Aether. From this, he could speculate that the means to reach higher Floors was wholly dependent on the amount of Soul Kindling you had in your possession.Since it was impossible to be certain, Linnaeus could only steel his resolve while continuing his trek towards the distant mountains. He assumed that, as one of the only visible landmarks, he assumed that most people thrown into this hellish landscape would head there.With this in mind, Linnaeus continued his journey at a steady pace, using his [Acrobatics] to navigate the rough and uneven terrain while keeping a low profile. There were very few places of cover in the desolate blackened landscape but, if he used the perpetual plumes of black smoke to his advantage, it shouldn't be difficult to avoid detection.The only things Linnaeus really had to worry about, at least for the time being, were the dangerous pools of yellowish liquid that produced a foul-smelling aroma. They were bubbling over like boiling water and would periodically erupt before peppering the rocky black terrain with corrosive fluids.Because of these constant eruptions, the landscaped was pockmarked with tiny holes that would have eaten away at his bare feet in normal circumstances. If not for his [Barrier Aura], Linnaeus felt that even walking through this unforgiving terrain would be very difficult.Fortunately, or perhaps not, Linnaeus had yet to encounter a single monster after more than an hour of traveling. He also hadn't come across any other people but, considering the words of the Floor Guardian, he assumed it wasn't that common for people to be sent here.Assuming this was the case, Linnaeus felt that encountering the bone-producing man was either an expression of misfortune or, as was far more likely the case, the machinations of the Floor Guardian. It was very likely that he and the man were both new arrivals on the Eighth Floor so they had been pitted against each other, much like how he had been tested prior to entering the First Floor...Thinking that he had killed someone who just got a second chance at life, Linnaeus could only shake his head while releasing an exasperated sigh. If the man hadn't suddenly attacked him, they could have worked together to try and make sense of their situation. The Tower didn't seem to require that you kill anyone so unless the rules had fundamentally changed, there was nothing preventing him from teaming up with others. With the man's ability to produce weapons from his bones, combined with his own ability to create barriers, they would have been a very strong team...Now that he had a second chance, or at least a chance to obtain one, Linnaeus was thinking about how he could change himself for the better. His passive nature had been the cause of his death so, this time around, Linnaeus felt he needed to be more proactive.Ryuuna had never pointed it out, but Linnaeus knew that his own attributes had nearly reached her own at the same Level. This implied that his foundation wasn't nearly as weak as he expected. While there were undoubtedly people more powerful than him, there was no need to just lay low and wait for others to act. If he was always at the mercy of other people's decisions, the odds of him reaching the Tenth Floor, and beyond, would exponentially decrease.Linnaeus couldn't see himself ordering people around and suppressing them but, after his trying experience with Ryuuna, he would never allow himself to be at the whims of another Party Leader. If he was going to Party up with anyone in the future, he would be the one extending an invitation.Though exceptions could be made, this would entirely depend on whether or not the person trying to lead him was worthy of his respect and trust. He would never join them just to preserve his life as, with his death as the best example, this was completely meaningless unless he was willing to lower his head and live by the whims of another.While he didn't consider himself an inherently prideful person, Linnaeus realized he had lived much of his life in a rather obstinant manner. He had always lived in opposition to the system designed to suppress and exploit him, to the point he had killed well over a thousand people.Though he didn't want to become an arrogant prick that took advantage of others, Linnaeus knew he needed to embrace his nature instead of suppressing it on principle alone. He had to be willing to fight for his beliefs at any cost, even if it ultimately resulted in his death. After all, it was better to die fighting for your life than to passively wait for a death imposed upon you by others...---If not for the Akashic System, Linnaeus wouldn't be able to accurately gauge the passing of time as, looking up, the only thing overhead was a perpetual layer of clouds. They would periodically rumble before spewing out terrifying bolts of purple lightning which, fortunately, had yet to strike anywhere near him.With the system, Linnaeus was able to tell that nearly thirteen hours had passed since his arrival on the Eighth Floor. Despite this, he felt no closer to the mountains than he was at the beginning of his journey. This implied they were impossibly massive, much like the Tower, or that something was actively preventing him from approaching them.For all Linnaeus knew, the challenge of the Eighth Floor was finding a way to reach the mountains in the distance so it was extremely vexing to have made no discernible progress.More troubling was the fact that, despite more than half a day passing, he had seen no signs of life, nor had he found any sources of freshwater. Though he had enough supplies to last him for several weeks, at the very least, this wouldn't matter if he never found the means to replenish them.Feeling frustrated, Linnaeus climbed to the top of a craggy mound, one of the highest points in the immediate area, to see if he couldn't get a better grasp of his surroundings. Unfortunately, the only thing he learned from this was the number of black plumes and the location of a few large pools of corrosive fluid.Seeing the seemingly endless stretch of wasteland, Linnaeus couldn't help but release a tired sigh as he sat down and decided to take a break. This caused his SP to drain a little faster but, with his regen outpacing it, Linnaeus didn't care. Others would have to tolerate the hot and abrasive stone directly so he couldn't really complain.Since he didn't know when he would find food and water next, Linnaeus decided to ration out his current supplies as much as possible. He could easily go days without eating so, while he was very tempted to fill his stomach to ease his frustrations, he managed to restrain himself.While looking out towards the horizon, Linnaeus adjusted his seated position before murmuring in a tired voice, "This place...how is anyone supposed to reach the Seventh Floor like this...?"Shaking his head in response to his own question, Linnaeus then looked toward the sky and asked, "Are you doing your job properly? I have no leads and there is next to nothing here besides a vast and inhospitable wasteland. Are you trying to imply that only those lucky enough to stumble upon the answer have the right at a second chance? What a farce...for all I know, you just want to watch people suffer futilely before giving in and accepting their death..."With nothing happening for half a day, Linnaeus had a lot of time to think about the purpose of the Crucible of Souls. Though the voice stated it was a means to earn a second chance at life, it provided absolutely no information on how to succeed. It almost felt like the true purpose of this Floor was to punish those who had died with a strong desire to live...or perhaps those with lingering resentments.Much to his surprise, Linnaeus felt a chill run up his back as a cold voice answered, "Come now, little boy, is this the limit of your perseverance? I had expected you to at least last for a few days before complaining...well, you are still a child, after all~"When the voice finished admonishing him, Linnaeus heard a ding within his mind as a series of words played across his vision. This included information about the distance he had traveled and the amount of time that had passed.Seeing this information, Linnaeus realized that the ambiguity of the Floor Guardian's words had been intentional from the start. She seemed to be testing their patience and tolerance, trying to determine how quickly they would break before lashing out at the 'unfairness' of their current situation.Linnaeus suddenly felt ashamed of his behavior as he could have easily continued forward for several days without issue. It felt like he had, once again, compromised himself. His obstinance and indignity had led to his death and, now that he was supposed to be vying for a second chance, he was already complaining about the system itself being designed to suppress him...After several seconds of silence, the voice began to laugh once again before whispering, "Do not fret so much, little boy. Though your results are lackluster, they are still better than the vast majority of people who find themselves here. With this unforgiving terrain and lack of resources, it rarely takes longer than a few hours for most people to break. After all, they don't have the benefit of your little Blessing, ufufufufu~"Hearing the voice, Linnaeus nodded his head in understanding as just walking through this Floor had been a tedious experience. Without his Blessing, he would have suffered quite a bit due to the heat of the abrasive ground, the pungent aroma, and the periodic showers of corrosive fluids. In truth, he had a significant advantage over others due to his [Barrier Aura], making his complaints seem even more childish...Rather than be allowed the time to brood, Linnaeus heard another ding in his mind that caused his Soul Kindling to increase to 538, ten for every hour he had lasted and one for every kilometer he had traveled. This meant he was averaging around 30km/h, a decent pace considering he was using his [Stealth] and constantly surveying the area.Immediately after receiving his rewards, Linnaeus felt his body tugged by an invisible force before his surroundings changed from a hellish landscape to a forest. Instead of a blackened sky, there was an endless expanse of blue above, marred by the existence of a few fluffy white clouds.Before he could take in his surroundings completely, the voice explained, "As you have suspected, the purpose of the Crucible is not to simply determine who is the strongest. It is a test of everything about a person, from their character to their creativity. Your only true goal is reaching the top Floor. How you get there, and how long it takes, is ultimately up to you. Just know that there are hundreds of ways to move up so do your best this time around, little boy~"For a brief moment, Linnaeus felt something nibbling on his earlobe, breaking his concentration and causing him to swat at empty air. The behavior of this Floor Guardian was troubling, to say the least, but he now had a basic understanding of what he needed to do.From what he could ascertain, there were a variety of different challenges but they were all kept hidden to see how people would act. In other words, he could set challenges for himself and, so long as he put in an adequate amount of effort, he would be able to reach the next Floor. This was likely a method to allow those without combat-oriented Blessings to ascend higher as, if everything was just predicated on survival and combat, the vast majority of people were doomed to failure.After releasing a sigh, Linnaeus slapped his cheeks with a bit of force, leaving two hand-shaped marks on his own face. This allowed him to better focus his mind as he began looking around the area, whispering in a determined voice, "No more complaining...I need to grow up and do my best from here onward..."With his convictions set, Linnaeus picked a direction and began walking once again. He assumed it was possible to move on to the next Floor after just surviving for a few days but, this time around, he was determined to find another challenge to complete. The Floor Guardian stated that there were hundreds of ways to move up so it was easy to guess that some offered much better rewards than others...

Linnaeus was not familiar with the origin of the phrase but, among those who lived in the darkness of society, there was a well-known creed. It stated that discretion was the better part of valor and, no matter how confident you were in your skills, bravery without due caution was akin to inviting death upon yourself.Only ten minutes after entering what he assumed was the Seventh Floor, Linnaeus pressed his body against the ground, his breathing withheld.Less than five meters from his position, a large quadrupedal creature that stood more than three meters tall and seven meters long idled about as it ate the fruit from a tree. Its body was covered in thick scales and, while it had a tapered waist, its limbs rippled with powerful muscles. What stood out the most, however, were its fierce claws and the terrifying reptilian maw at the end of its serpentine neck.If not for the fact it lacked wings, Linnaeus would have believed it if someone told him the creature lackadaisically eating some kind of gourd-shaped fruit was a Dragon. It even had a series of horns forming a crown-like shape above its brow, each covered in ridges that flared out before curving backward.Though you couldn't accurately determine the strength of a creature by appearance alone, Linnaeus' instincts told him the dragon-like monster to his front would tear him apart. He felt like a tiny animal in the presence of its natural predator so, despite his health slowly reducing, he continued holding his breath while doing everything in his power to conceal his presence...After eating all of the low-hanging fruits, the dragon-like creature nudged its head against the tree's trunk, seemingly without any strength behind its actions. Despite this, the tree fell over as if its roots didn't exist, allowing the monster to lazily begin eating the now-accessible fruits.At this point, Linnaeus could feel the veins in his face painfully pulsing as his health steadily neared a critical level. Since it didn't seem like the monster was going to be leaving any time soon, he had to decide whether or not he should fight, or flee. The latter seemed to be the most prudent choice but, with the dragon's muscles rippling with even small movements, combined with its streamlined form, he had no confidence in being able to outrun it.Just as he was psyching himself up for the coming battle, Linnaeus exhaled before drawing in a sharp breath as, right before his eyes, something inexplicable happened.Appearing from the sky like a meteor, a man with spiky blue hair and a muscular build landed on the unsuspecting dragon-like creature, his spear piercing through its lowered head in a single swift blow. Immediately following this, a shockwave rippled outward, passing over Linnaeus' body and sending a rustling wave through the surrounding flora.Linnaeus watched as the man extricated his spear from the monster's skull with a confident smile on his face. He then preceded to brandish his spear, discarding the purplish blood and creamy brain matter before shouldering it and waiting patiently.After a few seconds, the body of the monster began to lose its color before, moments later, it began to dissolve away into ash. When it faded away completely, a few items were left behind in its wake, the most notable being an orange gemstone. The rest of the items looked like materials that could be harvested from the monster, confusing Linnaeus as every other monster he killed had left an intact corpse behind...Fortunately, after looting the materials, the man closed his eyes for a few moments before looking toward the northwest. Then, leaving a stunned Linnaeus behind, he flexed his legs before leaping into the sky with enough force to cause the ground to erupt with a delayed explosion.Rather than assume he was in the clear, Linnaeus quickly bounded to his feet before running in the complete opposite direction to the man's leap. He didn't know the nature of the spear-wielding man but, if they were to come to blows, Linnaeus could easily imagine his body skewered on the end of his ornate spear.With his heart racing faster than a skittish rabbit, Linnaeus moved several kilometers before finding a small nook near the base of a large tree. He immediately slid into the shadow crevasse before taking several labored breaths to calm down.Though he was admittedly spooked, it wasn't fear that caused Linnaeus to behave this way. It was the overwhelming cocktail of chemicals and adrenaline pumping through his veins after mustering up his courage, only to have something completely unexpected happen. He felt like one of the trade vessels that would periodically pass through the main channels of the slums but, rather than swiftly coasting with the wind, it was like a large cannonball had smashed through his sails.After calming himself down, Linnaeus released a heavy sigh before muttering, "At least I was able to learn a lot..."Not only had he confirmed the presence of other people on this Floor but, with the strength of the man, he could assume that people from Floors higher than 10 were also trapped in the Crucible of Souls. His display of power and speed made Ryuuna seem like an actual child, dwarfing his own by several orders of magnitude.If his guess was accurate, Linneaus felt there was a chance he would be able to obtain information about the higher Floors and their challenges. Assuming he had to start his climb anew, it would be extremely useful to know what kinds of challenges awaited him. He could also further strengthen his foundation, putting him at, or even above, the Level of other Fledglings...Though he had already been determined to reach the top of the Crucible of Souls, Linnaeus now felt even more motivated than before. So long as he played his cards right, there was a chance he would even be able to reach the top of the rankings in his respective group. This didn't really matter all that much in the grand scheme of things but, if his ranking was high, that made it a lot easier to recruit other people into his own Party.After organizing his thoughts, Linnaeus began trekking through the forest once again. He wanted to try and find animals and monsters closer to his Level as, despite the color being different, he felt that the orange gemstone was fundamentally the same as the red. It was slightly bigger and seemed to be of a higher quality so he assumed it granted more than a single Soul Kindling.He never had the chance to use them, but Linnaeus felt that Soul Kindling was the same as Aether, meaning it was a currency that could be used if the circumstances allowed. He assumed this was the means by which those with support and utility Blessings climbed higher as, if they were able to set up shop somewhere, they could offer their services for Soul Kindling.While he had yet to see any signs that this was the case, Linnaeus felt that there had to be some kind of settlement on the Floor. There was no time limit given by the Floor Guardian so he assumed there were a number of people who had gathered together over time. As he went higher up, he imagined the number of people would gradually increase as it was undoubtedly more difficult to pass through higher Floors.Linnaeus didn't get his hopes up but, after growing up in the slums, he knew people could find a way to live in even the most inhospitable environments. This forest had food, water, and a means to earn Soul Kindling so, if his assumptions proved correct, it was only natural that people would have gathered together somewhere...Though his [Perception] was only LV14, Linnaeus was able to sense the presence of a relatively weak monster near his location. This brought his mind to a razor-sharp focus and, with his [Stealth] having been active from the start, he was able to near the unsuspecting monster undetected.Rather than a monster, the creature Linnaeus encountered looked like some kind of mutated deer with a complex array of antlers. If not for the scales covering the lower half of its legs, and the blood-red eyes, he would have assumed it was some kind of animal, not a monster.With a slight smile on his face, Linnaeus extended his hand, creating a spherical barrier within the complex antlers. In the same instant, he created a second barrier to use as a platform, exploiting its ability to completely nullify sound.After discovering a foreign object in its antlers, the monster began shaking its head to try and free the obstruction but, due to the small range of motion, it couldn't build up enough force to break the spherical barrier. Linnaeus had learned in the past that the shape of a barrier had a direct influence on its strength so, by creating a sphere, it was hard for a lot of direct force to act on the surface all at once.While the deer-like monster was distracted, Linnaeus thrust his shortsword into its soft-looking gut before shaking the handle with as much force as he could manage. This caused the monster's health to rapidly drop as blood cascaded down like a fountain due to the ever-increasing size of the wound.In response to the sudden attack the monster tried to buck and kick at Linnaeus but, while it did a surprising amount of damage, his [Barrier Aura] held up well. Thus, after a few seconds had passed, its legs could no longer support it as it collapsed to the ground.With the spherical barrier in its antlers, the head of the monster was still propped up, exposing its neck as it hung limply from the relatively small blue sphere. This allowed Linnaeus to cut across its neck.Before the monster dissolved away into ash, Linnaeus tried to cut out a large chunk of its flesh to see if he could deposit it into his Inventory. This experiment ultimately ended in failure as, rather than be placed in his Inventory, the cut of meat immediately burst apart violently, covering his barrier in fine white ash.Linnaeus wasn't upset by his inability to harvest additional resources from the monster as, with their bodies dissolving away, he didn't have to worry about dismantling their corpses. He also didn't have to worry about other monsters following the scent of blood to track him down as, despite a thick coating present on his sword, even that ultimately turned to ash.When the deer-like monster vanished completely, it left a perfect piece of brown hide behind. Far more surprising than this, however, were the three pieces of meat that were neatly placed on its surface. At their side, a slightly larger red gemstone than the one he had looted previously was present.After placing the supplies into his Inventory, Linnaeus picked up the red gemstone and, after it burst into small motes of light, his Soul Kindling increased by a value of 35. From this, he confirmed that, at the very least, his speculation regarding the orange gemstone was correct.Now that he knew there were monsters he could fight against on the Floor, Linnaeus was even more determined than ever before. He just needed to find a safe place to stay and a source of fresh water before this particular Floor became a veritable paradise to him. If he exercised due caution, he might even be able to increase his Level considerably before moving on to the next Floor...With expectation flashing across his ruby-red eyes, Linnaeus allowed a smile to spread itself across his face as he, once again, disappeared into the underbrush. While there were undoubtedly people and monsters that could kill him in an instant, Linnaeus felt that, more than most, he knew how to live and maneuver amongst entities far more powerful than himself. Thus, until the situation forced him to make a change, he decided this Floor would serve the purpose of stabilizing his foundation so that nothing could stand in his way in the future...Turning his head towards the direction where the spear-wielding man had killed the dragon-like monster, Linnaeus squinted his eyes slightly before muttering, "I'll set my current goal as being strong enough to kill one of those monsters in an instant...I wonder what dragon meat tastes like?"

Linnaeus had no idea what had happened to him. In one moment, the unbearable cold had given way to a pleasant warmth while, in the next, he found himself crashing hard into a rocky surface as an overwhelmingly pungent aroma assaulted his lungs. Even compared to the perpetual stench of the slums, the smell of this desolate landscape caused him to have a coughing fit as he fought to regulate his breathing.Before he was given the opportunity to regain his senses, the hair on the back of Linnaeus' neck stood on end as a bone projectile, nearly 3m in length, slammed into his [Barrier Aura]. Though he still had no idea what was going in on, Linnaeus' body began to move on pure instinct as he rolled across the ground and began taking evasive maneuvers after returning to his feet.With no visible hiding spots, Linnaeus charged toward his attacker, his ruby-red eyes taking on the color of blood as he strained to see through the plumes of noxious fumes. He saw a man with onyx black skin, pale grey hair, and strange markings all over his body. Though Linnaeus wasn't aware of it, the man had similar eyes to him, shimmering with a murderous red light as he pulled out bones from his body to use as weapons.Though it wasn't nearly as fast as Ryuuna, the muscular man began charging toward Linnaeus with a fierce momentum as he wielded two shortswords formed from his own bones. The craggy ground broke beneath their feet but, just as they were nearing range of each other, Linnaeus extended his hand, creating a long column in the path of the man's legs while erecting a second barrier behind his head.Due to his fierce charge, the man's right calf slammed hard into the barrier mid-stride, causing the bone to fracture slightly as the barrier shattered like glass. It was still enough to arrest his charge, however, so Linnaeus leaped over his body like a blur before bounding off the second barrier like a springboard.Rather than turn to face Linnaeus, the man hunched forward, causing white bone spears to erupt from his back in an instant. Unfortunately for him, they only impacted Linnaeus' [Barrier Aura], dealing a serious blow to his SP but ultimately leaving him unscathed. Then, in the interval where the man had started to turn around, Linnaeus had withdrawn his shortsword, stabbing it into the softest part of the man's neck.Unlike the people he had killed previously, Linnaeus felt an incredible amount of resistance as the tip of his sword broke through the man's flesh. Fortunately, while his bones were like iron, the fleshy bits like his jugular were unprotected. A large part of the man's neck was gouged out, causing blood to spew outward like water from a broken pipe.Despite the severity of the wound, the man's Health wasn't draining nearly fast enough for Linnaeus' liking so, after his feet landed on the ground, he immediately took evasive maneuvers once again. It might not compare to Ryuuna's, but his Agility was one of his highest attributes. He was confident that, unless they had a Blessing related to mobility, there weren't too many people that would be able to keep up with his speed at the same Level.The injured man also seemed to understand he was at a disadvantage so, rather than try to give chase, he extended his palm outward while using his other hand to stymy the flow of blood to the best of his ability. From his extended hand, bone projectiles began to shoot out from the center of his palm. They would grow to the length of a meter before tearing through the air at a speed far greater than Linnaeus' maximum velocity.Fortunately, while the spears flew straight, Linnaeus could easily change direction so, by zig-zagging and avoiding the man's leading shots, he was slowly tiring out the muscular figure. The man's Health had already been reduced to below half and, unless a miracle occurred, his Bleeding status almost guaranteed his end.Rather than just wait for his death, the man pulled out some strange substance from his Inventory before plastering it against his neck and releasing a blood-curdling scream. Then, with bloodshot eyes, he began charging toward Linnaeus while shouting, "You damned brat! I won't let you get in the way of my second chance...!"As the man changed, bone spikes began to sprout from his body, much like a pincushion with all the needles pointed outward. Linnaeus couldn't help glancing at his SP when he saw this but, as he still had 2168, his nerves calmed down as clarity was restored to his mind. The man's bone spears were very hard but they didn't seem to do much damage unless he took the time to charge and throw them.Since there was no reason to fight the man head-on, Linnaeus used his higher Agility, dodging to the side rapidly and causing the man to have to slow down and turn his body to face him. As could be expected, this caused the man's expression to blacken, almost as if he were looking at the man who had killed his entire family. After realizing there was no easy way for him to close the distance, he began to haphazardly expel his bone spikes, seemingly with the intent to cut off every path.Linnaeus knew the man's bones were related to his Blessing so, as he expended more and more, it had to be eating away at his SP. With this in mind, he continued to evade the man's attacks, saving up his own SP until his pale-haired attacked began to be more conservative with his expenditure.The moment the barrage began to slow down, Linnaeus extended his hand and created a spherical barrier with a hole in the bottom. He had placed this just around the man's head as it was impossible for him to create a barrier inside or piercing through an object. Still, this was enough to disorient him completely as, without being able to build up any momentum, his head was practically trapped for a short moment.In response to the unexpected membrane around his head, the man began to panic as he used up the remainder of his SP and Health in an attempt to take Linnaeus out with him. He spread his arms wide as ten black bones erupted from his torso, extending nearly 10m in an instant as they tried to pierce and ensnare Linnaeus' body.To Linnaeus' surprise, one of the black bones slammed into his shoulder and, as if his [Barrier Aura] didn't exist, a sharp pain radiated from the impacted area as he was impaled. This pain was replaced by a mind-numbing burning sensation but, with his [Pain Tolerance], Linnaeus' clarity of mind was not affected as he threw his shortsword toward the man's head. HIs [Throwing] was at LV17 so, while it wasn't his most developed Skill, he had almost perfect accuracy at ten meters.Seeing a slightly bent sword flying toward his face, the pale-haired man could only grit his teeth as tears of blood flowed from his eyes. He couldn't muster any strength at all so, without incident, the sword struck the area of his left eye, embedding itself deep into his skull and extinguishing the sliver of Health he had preserved. Upon his death, the black bones began to dissolve away like ashes while the white bones turned into a foul-smelling paste.Unlike how a person would normally leave behind a corpse, Linnaeus watched in abject terror as the body of his attacker lost its color. After a few seconds had passed, he looked like a stone statue that, moments later, began to dissolve away in a similar manner to his black bones. It was an eerie sight to behold and, even without anyone explaining the situation to him, Linnaeus knew this was his own fate if he failed to preserve his life.After releasing a tired sigh, followed by a pained groan, Linnaeus ate a Blue Gel before making his way over to the pile of ash and picking up his sword. It actually had burn marks marring its surface but this wasn't the most important thing as, situated in the center of the ash pile, Linnaeus found a small red gemstone.Linnaeus hadn't noticed it before but, after he was thrown into this foul-smelling abyss, the Aether value on the back of his hand had vanished entirely. When he picked up the small gemstone, a new mark appeared, this one having a blood-red glow as it formed the jagged outline of a cat's head. It had a rather fierce-looking design while, at the very center of the mark, a single stroke indicated he now had a single Soul Kindling.After picking up the tiny red gemstone, Linnaeus felt heat flow through his body and, though he was unaware of it, his hair regained a bit of its lost luster. His blood-red eyes also faded slightly but, even if you had been staring directly into them, the change would have only been discernible to the most perceptive...Just as Linnaeus was considering his next course of action, he nearly jumped out of his own skin as the sensuous voice of a woman, as if leaning over his shoulder and whispering in his ear, stated, "I see you have survived your first trial, little boy~"In response to the voice, Linnaeus pulled out his sword as he twisted his body around while jumping back with as much strength as his legs could manage. To his surprise, however, the space behind him had been completely empty. Since he didn't know what was going on, he continued moving until he was several meters before crouching low to the ground and taking in his surroundings.At the exact moment that he stopped moving, Linnaeus felt a chill run up his spine as the voice, once again, echoed in his ear, "Oho...you're quite skittish, aren't you~? That only makes me want to tease you, you know~?"This time around, Linnaeus slowly turned his head until he was looking over his shoulder. Other than plumes of smoke, there was nothing at all anywhere near his body. Then, with his head still turned, Linnaeus now heard a laugh, this time from in front of him. When he turned his head, however, there was, yet again, nothing at all.After several long seconds of sensuous and cold laughter, the voice whispered in his ear once again, this time causing a warm airflow to tickle his earlobe as it said, "Your reactions are quite nice...but I'm afraid I can't stay around to play for too long..."Once the woman's words had fallen, Linnaeus felt a sensation against his ear, almost as if someone had licked him with a piece of sandpaper. This caused him to roll forward evasively, eliciting another round of laughter from the unseen woman.With his mind racing, Linnaeus resisted his urge to run away and instead lay down on the ground facing towards the endless black abyss above. As a result, the laughter coming from behind him vanished in its entirety, replaced by absolute silence. He had already guessed that the voice's owner was the Floor Guardian but, as she reminded him a lot of Skaadi, the predatory Vulna woman who had tried to kill him in his youth, he couldn't help but react adversely.For several tense seconds, no sound reached Linnaeus' ears, causing him to release a sigh of relief before hesitantly rolling into a seated position. This time, despite the voice still sending shivers up his spine, he managed to keep his composure since it would be foolish of him to ignore the words of a Floor Guardian when he had no idea what was going on.Fortunately, the voice didn't seem annoyed by his attempts to avoid hearing her as, the moment he was seated upright, he felt it tickle his ear as she explained, "This is the Eighth Floor of the Crucible of Souls. It is where those who have lost their lives due to various circumstances are gathered. At the end of your life, I heard your wish so I have decided to give you a second chance. You will have to put in a lot of effort but, if you can reach the top Floor of my dominion, you will be able to resume your climb in the Tower. Better yet, you will even have the chance to receive a special reward...work hard, little boy. Don't let your life be wasted this time around, okay~?"Feeling another dry sensation against his ear, Linnaeus winced in annoyance before waiting for the voice to explain what he needed to do in order to reach the next Floor. Unfortunately, even after a full minute in silence, the only sounds to reach him were the smoldering of flames and the billowing of smoke. This made him turn his eyes to the information panel of his system but, other than the value representing the amount of Soul Kindling he had, nothing had changed.With no alternatives, Linnaeus decided to do what he always did in such situations: try to gather as much information as possible. This was an inhospitable land but there had to be sustenance or, at the very least, water. Without this, there was no chance anyone would be able to reach the top Floor unless they had a powerful combat-oriented Blessing.Though he couldn't be certain, the Tower seemed to have the means to balance things so that support and utility Blessings weren't at a complete disadvantage. This meant there had to be a way to survive and reach the next Floor without strictly relying on combat against other Fledglings. Thus, with the only landmark being a range of mountains in the distance, Linnaeus steeled his resolve as he began a long and arduous trek through the fiery wasteland.Linnaeus still remembered his conviction toward the end of his life so, this time around, he swore he would try harder. The fact he had left behind his sister and Saht on such pathetic terms had been a wakeup call for him, one that came, unfortunately, after he already died. Since he wasn't likely to get a third chance, Linnaeus sword he would live his second life to the fullest extent of his capabilities.

Chapter 34: Futility