Babel

Unlike how he had approached Eliza, Linnaeus knew that recruiting someone like the man with the absorption Blessing wouldn't be simple.The man reminded Linnaeus of the more impressive mercenaries and bounty hunters that had been sent after him. He was a silent and stoic person who showed a keen awareness of his surroundings. If not for Linnaeus' habit of laying low, enhanced by his [Presence Concealment] and [Stealth], it would have been extremely difficult to observe the man, even at a distance.It was usually very difficult to recruit strangers for the position of a Vanguard as, in most dangerous situations, the people holding the frontline were in the most danger. Thus, in most situations, it was the Vanguard who acted as the Party Leader. This allowed them to leave a positive impression on the other members of the Party, something that strengthened their position through ingratiation and trust.Linnaeus knew the only way he would be able to convince someone to trust their back to him was if he had the strength of character and wherewithal to lead them to victory. He needed to be willing to take risks himself, not hide behind others and expect them to bear the brunt of the danger without recompense.With this in mind, Linnaeus had decided to take a direct approach to recruit the man. He, along with Eliza, made their way over to where the man was known to rest. Linnaeus knew he was still inside the small pond as it was one of the safer places to stay while also providing an edge when it came to hunting. After all, even monsters needed to drink water so, by merging with the pond itself, the man was able to kill weaker monsters without any effort whatsoever.Once they had reached the vicinity of the pond, Linnaeus inhaled through his nose as his mind came to a razor-sharp focus. He turned to Eliza and gave her a small nod, earning a subdued sigh from the purple-haired girl as she moved a safe distance away.Unless they had specifically trained to break their habits, most people would establish a baseline for themselves when thrown into an unfamiliar environment. Linnaeus had already been able to identify that the man was a creature of habit and, though he was extremely cautious, it had only taken him a few days to form a rough routine that he stuck to.Though it was possible something had happened to make the man change his routine, Linnaeus was confident that his target was still inside the pond. There was still a bit of time before dawn, when the man usually began his hunt, so Linnaeus walked toward the edge of the pond before stopping a few meters from the crystal clear water source. It was fed by a small creek so, rather than stagnate and become murky, it was possible to see through to the bottom without any difficulty.After several tense minutes, Linnaeus finally heard a small ding in his mind as he was awarded 93 Experience in his [Perception] Skill. This nearly brought a smile to his face but, as he wasn't usually that expressive, his face remained a calm mask as he muttered, "I've already sensed you. You can continue hiding if you want but I'd like to talk with you. I'm not your enemy...unless you decide I am..."Linnaeus had specifically made a remark about the man hiding away as, even though he had very few pertinent social interactions with other males, he still understood how they thought. After all, he was a male himself and, while not the most imposing figure of masculinity, he had killed enough to cause the average person to feel cautious around him.As he had expected, the pool of water began to form the rough shape of a person before a tall man with pale grey skin and a muscular build stepped onto dry land. Despite having emerged from a pool of water, he was completely dry as he crossed his arms in an imposing manner and asked, "Are you the one that has been spying on me...?"Despite his intimidating appearance, the man actually had a surprisingly soft voice, even if he used a stern and somber tone. Linnaeus felt slightly taken aback but, as one of the first skills he had picked up was masking his thoughts, it was completely indiscernible to the man standing before him.With a perfect facade of stoicism, Linnaeus looked up at the much taller man as he stated in a clear and calm tone, "I cannot say for certain whether or not I'm the person you have been sensing. I have been watching you on occasion, but only intermittently."Hearing Linnaeus' words, the grey-skinned man snorted through his nose before turning his silver eyes toward Eliza in the distance. Rather than show a lascivious gaze, his expression was largely one of contempt and disinterest as he remarked, "I have no intention to babysit a pair of brats. If you are not an enemy, leave me be in peace. The next time I catch you snooping around, don't blame me for being rude..."Linnaeus' expression remained unchanged in the face of the man's words but Eliza couldn't help but furrow her brows slightly as she scrunched up her nose. While Linnaeus may not know what race the man was, Eliza had received a proper education so she had easily identified him as a member of the Ashvalla race. Since they would begin to grow dark markings on their bodies as they age, she knew that the man, despite his size and physique, shouldn't be much older than Linnaeus.On average, the majority of people entering the Tower were around twenty years of age. Though this grew to become a large disparity in later floors, as people could easily live for hundreds of years, the majority of people reaching the 10th Floor weren't older than thirty. Thus, despite having decided to live a life detached from her original identity as a daughter of the Evendoom family, Eliza was a little annoyed by the man's unnecessary remark.Fortunately, before things could escalate, Linnaeus stated in the same calm tone as before, "I wanted to recruit you into my Party...but it seems like you are content just hiding away here without fighting for a chance at life. I hope your abrasive nature doesn't lead to your second death..."Since the man seemed like a loner, Linnaeus wasn't going to waste too much time trying to convince him. Even if he needed to become his Party's frontline fighter, it was better than entrusting their fate to someone who showed absolutely no interest in cooperation.Rather than allow Linnaeus to simply walk away, the man uncrossed his arms and adopted a broad stance as he asked in a cold tone, "Are you trying to threaten me...?"With his back still partially toward the man, Linnaeus turned his head to look back as he stated, "I do not need to threaten you. All I have to do is leave you here and it is only a matter of time before you do something to get yourself killed. As for us...we're going to reach the top of the Crucible and earn our right to return to the Tower..."Almost as soon as Linnaeus had finished his words, the grey-skinned man barreled toward him with the obvious intent to initiate a grappling match. He was fast on his feet but, as someone specializing in Agility, Linnaeus made use of his smaller stature and quick reflexes to deftly evade the sweeping arms of the man.The moment he missed his tackle, the man surprise Linnaeus by leaping forward and using his shoulders as a pivot to perform a roll. He quickly bounced back up to his feet, obviously intent on closing the distance between himself and Eliza. Since she was standing in the back, he assumed she was the weaker of the two, despite the white-haired youth's frail appearance.Seeing what the man had attempted, Linnaeus winced slightly as he cursed, "Damn fool..." in a low voice. He didn't even try to go to Eliza's aide as, from the moment the man began charging toward her, the battle had already been decided. Her expression, which was usually demure with a hint of kindness, immediately turned cold as she brought her palms together.Moments before Eliza brought her palms together, the man was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of dread. He began to regret his decision to charge her but, despite his best attempts to change course and take evasive action, a hazy purple circle appeared under his feet. In the next instant, it felt like he was being crushed by a mountain as his body was pressed flat to the ground. His bones were creaking in protest as the fragile capillaries in his body, especially around his eyes and nose, quickly ruptured under the strain.There were very few tribes known to be able to manipulate gravity so the man's mind began to race when he realized what kind of identity the purple-haired woman must possess. What he didn't know was that, despite her current power being far beyond his means to resist, Eliza was actually holding back quite a bit. She had only increased the gravity around his body to around 15x, not even half of her maximum of 50x.After a few seconds had passed, Eliza finally separated her palms. At this point, the man's health was already below half so, if he tried to charge her again, the only fate awaiting him was death. Knowing this, the man stayed motionless on the ground as, due to his pride, he couldn't really apologize for his actions. He had only intended to rough up the two before sending them running so his mind was still trying to catch up with everything that had happened.Using her superior position, Eliza kept her palms close together as she looked down on the Ashvallan man and stated icily, "You call other people childish but then attack a woman who hasn't even said or done anything to you. Where is your pride as a man? I guess this is what I should have expected from someone who couldn't even be older than twenty...the next time you say something rude, don't blame me for disciplining you on behalf of your parents...!"In response to Eliza's admonishment, the man kept his face toward the ground while, in the distance, Linnaeus' eyes had widened slightly as he internally remarked, ("Is this really the same shy girl that I have been living with the last few days...?")Linnaeus knew girls could have two drastically different sides to their character but, as this was his first time seeing Eliza angry, he was more than a little surprised. She was actually scarier than Ryuuna and Saht as, at least in their case, Linnaeus knew what they were thinking. Eliza, however, was adept at keeping her thoughts to herself, something Linnaeus realized he should have expected from a woman born within the Evendoom family.Resisting the urge to turn tail and run, Linnaeus made his way over to where the grey-skinned man was laying down. He placed a few foodstuffs and a single Green Gel for the man to consume as he remarked in the same calm tone, "I didn't expect your foolishness would endanger your life so soon after my warning...really, you're lucky Eliza is a polite and benign woman. You might not have shown any killing intent but she could have crushed you into meat pulp if you offended her..."Rather than respond to Linnaeus' words, the man looked at the items placed before him with steady eyes before weakly moving into a seated position. Then, turning his gaze to Eliza, he asked in a soft and restrained tone, "Your ears...can I see them...?"Eliza furrowed her brows slightly in response to the man's question, even though she knew what he wanted to confirm. If not for the curious look on Linnaeus' face, she would have reproached him for deigning to ignore the person talking to him. It was clear he had already elevated her position above Linnaeus', something that annoyed Eliza quite a bit...Understanding that the man could still be useful to their Party, Eliza decided to swallow her indignity this time around as she moved aside her fluffy purple hair. Her hair was deliberately groomed in a way that hid her ears as, like all tribes, the Felborn had their own racial characteristics.Linnaeus had never tried to ask any personal questions related to Eliza's body so he had never seen her ears, despite living together for a few days. When he saw what was concealed behind the puffy purple curls, his brows raised slightly, even though they weren't even remotely close to the strangest pair he had observed.Eliza's ears came to a point, which wasn't actually all that uncommon but, unlike normal pointed ears, the backs of hers were covered in a layer of purple fur. It covered the entire back of her ears while, at the very tips, two tiny purple tufts were present.While Linnaeus was mildly surprised by Eliza's ears, the grey-skinned man lowered his face as the color slowly drained away from it. This confirmed his suspicions so, rather than show any kind of haughtiness at all, he placed his palms on the ground before lowering his head until it was touching the dirt as he said, "Please forgive me...had I known-"Before the man could continue any further, Eliza loudly harumphed to get the man's attention. His face became even paler until he saw that she was pointing at Linnaeus as she said, "You should not bother with such things. If I wanted to be treated like a princess, I wouldn't keep my ears hidden. I want you to apologize to Linnaeus, not me. If he didn't want to recruit you into our Pary, I would not have spared you...hmph!"The man was at a loss after hearing Eliza's words. He suddenly looked toward Linnaeus as if he was only just noticing the latter for the first time. His valuation of the boy had suddenly improved a great deal as, even if he seemed weak, a member of the Evendeoom family was elevating his status above her own. This made the man wonder about what Linnaeus' true identity was but, rather than try and pry, he first followed Eliza's instructions by bowing his head and apologizing...

After the initial tension began to settle down, the grey-skinned man introduced himself as Krone, a member of the Ashvalla tribe.Contrary to their original guesses, Krone's Blessing was neither adaptation nor absorption. Instead, he had the infinitely rarer [Mimickry] Blessing. This allowed him to mimic the traits of anything he was in contact with but, unlike the previous two Blessings, he could mix and match multiple traits so long as he had the SP to sustain the transformation.Like most Blessings, Krone's [Mimickry] had two components, one requiring him to touch what he wanted to mimic and the other allowing him to emulate something he has seen, though only the physical appearance and not the capabilities. This second ability allowed him to copy the appearance of Linnaeus and, while he would have been able to copy Eliza's as well, she expressly forbade him from doing so.The only restriction for Krone's Blessing was that he was within 50m of the targets he had used his [Mimickry] on. This meant he couldn't simply copy the appearance of a bird and fly freely as, the moment he flew beyond the effective range, the mimicry would end instantly.Even with the detriments, Linnaeus was envious of the versatility of Krone's Blessing as he could easily think of several ways to exploit it. This including things like disguising himself as a member of an enemy Party to cause confusion. He could also use it in a group of monsters, selecting specific traits to enhance his own Skills and Abilities.Though Linnaeus couldn't really do anything about his envy, he didn't let it bother him too much. He had actually become rather fond of his [Barrier Master] Blessing so, while it didn't seem as useful as Krone's [Mimickry], he didn't look down on it. After all, it had saved his life more times than he could count and, while not one of the famously powerful Blessings, it was still extremely useful in a Party.With this in mind, Linnaeus once again tried to recruit Krone to his Party but, despite his fear of Eliza, he still refused, saying in a cautious tone, "I do not work well with others. My nature already got my previous Party wiped out so I intend to atone for my mistakes here. There is nothing waiting for me back in the Tower..."When Linnaeus first heard his reasoning, he felt a small amount of respect towards Krone as it wasn't easy to accept responsibility and seek penance for one's mistakes.Eliza didn't seem to share his sentiments, however, as she made a show of huffing before remarking, "If you really want to repent for your actions, there is no sense in staying here wallowing in despair. If anything, you should be more determined to live. Only by accomplishing something with the life you have been given can you make up for your past mistakes."Though he grimaced in response to Eliza's words, Krone didn't make any attempt to refute them. He could see the reasoning behind her words and, while they were more than a little harsh, he couldn't help but reflect on them. The most important thing, however, was that the Ashvallan tribe had been one of the vassal tribes of the Felborn for thousands of years. His family had even been helped out by the Evendoom family in the past so, while he might take offense to the words of others, Eliza's were not something he could simply disregard.After several awkward minutes of tense silence, Krone ultimately released a tired sigh before rising to his feet. When standing, he was approximately 200cm tall so, compared to the 153cm Linnaeus and 158cm Eliza, he was practically a giant.Linnaeus felt a little tense when Krone suddenly stood up but he quickly relaxed when the latter said in a solemn tone, "I will join your Party and help you leave the Crucible. This will be my penance."Rather than accept outright, Eliza huffed in response to Krone's words before pointing to Linnaeus and saying, "Say it to him, not me. I'm not the Party Leader so stop ignoring Lin."Hearing the berating tone of Eliza, Krone awkwardly rubbed the back of his head before turning to face Linnaeus as he said, "I'd like to join your Party. I will do my best as your Vanguard..."Linnaeus could tell that Krone had significantly more respect for Eliza than he did for himself but, considering the identity of the latter, he couldn't really blame him. In fact, once Krone knew of his background, the man would likely look down on him so, for the time being, Linnaeus could only do his best as Party Leader to prevent any issues from arising.Without beating around the bush, Linnaeus accepted Krone into the Party and, as a show of good faith, kept the function that allowed each member to view the others' Status active. He had already discussed with Eliza so, while she wasn't too comfortable with other people knowing her Status, she still accepted his reasoning. Since she had already confirmed that Krone wouldn't be a threat, as she had forced him to reveal his Status prior to joining the Party, she wasn't as worried as she otherwise would have been.----------------------------------------[Status]Name: Krone CastilleTitle: Bruiser(+3 Str, +5 Con, +2 Spi per Level)Race: AshvallaAge: 19Gender: MaleLevel: 34Health: 4272/4272Soul Power: 3006/3006Strength: 129+103.2Constitution: 178+142.4Agility: 74+25.2Dexterity: 103+45.2Intelligence: 54+2Wisdom: 71+2Spirit: 113+24.6Charisma: 11Luck: 23+1Free Attributes: 0Skills: [Kinu Comprehension:(-)],[*Mimicry:LV58*], [Brute:LV39], [Herculean Strength:LV30], [Healthy:LV43], [Vital Spirit:Lv35], [Deft Hands:LV19], [Heroic Spirit:LV26], [Sense Danger:LV41], [Martial Arts:LV53], [Grappling:LV52],[Acrobatics:LV51], [Footwork:LV48], [Iron Stomache:LV52], [Pain Tolerance:LV54], [Abnormal Status Resistance:LV44], [Perception:LV29], [Dismantling:LV37], [Cooking:LV28]Abilities: [Strength Amplification:LV51], [Body Hardening:LV55], [Trait Mimicry:LV57], [Doppel:LV52]Magic: [Enhance:LV53]----------------------------------------When Linnaeus saw how much Health Krone had compared to himself, he began to understand why so many people invested in the Constitution attribute early on.Though their Levels weren't that far apart, Linnaeus barely had a third of Krone's Health, despite the fact that the latter was only around 1000 SP short of his total. This showed how important Spirit could be in the grand scheme of things, especially with Skills like [Heroic Spirit] providing a persistent bonus.Still, despite Krone's clear advantages, Linnaeus felt that a battle between them would be remarkably close. The latter might have six Levels on him but, with the difference in their Agility and his overall mobility being higher, there was a good chance he could outpace the much larger man. Though he might lack the means to actually damage Krone, the same could be said for the latter in regards to himself...While Linnaeus had been viewing his Status in detail, Krone had been doing the same for him and Eliza. When he saw Eliza's age, combined with her Level, he began to feel a cold sweat on the back of his neck but, when he viewed Linnaeus', confusion became his most prominent emotion.It wasn't until Krone saw Linnaeus' Charisma and his [Charm] Skill that his confusion turned into a deep and seething rage. He managed to keep it from showing on his face, an easy feat considering he rarely expressed himself, but his mind was abuzz with fury after reaching his unjust conclusion.Despite Krone's attempt to keep his emotions concealed, Linnaeus was extremely perceptive when it came to such things. He instantly opened a bit of distance between himself and the taller man, two daggers entering into his hands as he asked, "What happened...?" in a low tone.Rather than Krone answering, it was Eliza who crossed her arms with a cold expression on her face as she venomously stated, "He thinks you used your [Charm] to take advantage of me. What a farce. If you are going to jump to such conclusions and cause trouble, you should just go hide in the water. I decided to follow Lin on my own, not because of some stupid Skill. If you think my upbringing and Spirit would leave me susceptible to a kid's [Charm], you're seriously looking down on me."Krone was at a loss as to how he should respond but, seeing the icy look in Eliza's eyes, he ultimately averted his own and stated, "I'm sorry...I jumped to conclusions..."What Krone, and Linnaeus, couldn't have expected was that, immediately after the former's apology, Eliza had grabbed the latter from behind. She hugged Linnaeus tight enough to pick him up off the ground a bit as she stated, "Lin is like my precious little brother. I will protect him until he is strong enough to protect himself. If you try to harm him, I will break you."Now, Linnaeus and Krone were both at a loss, albeit for entirely different reasons. The former felt like he was being treated like a child while the latter felt like he was trying to antagonize a tiger's cub when the mother was still present. He also began to understand that, while Linnaeus may not have used his [Charm] against her, it was apparent that Eliza was rather taken with the pale-haired youth.After hugging Linnaeus for several seconds longer than necessary, Eliza finally set him back down on the ground. This brought Linnaeus back to his senses and, after lightly patting his chest, he looked at Krone and stated, "I didn't choose my appearance, nor did I grant myself this Skill. Instead of judging me for things I have no control over, you should observe my actions with your own two eyes. I will prove to you that I'm not the person you believe me to be..."Hearing the conviction in Linnaeus' words, Krone continued to stand in silence for several seconds longer before giving a curt nod and saying, "I'll be watching closely..." Then, after rubbing the back of his head again, he added, "Sorry..." in a decidedly more awkward tone of voice.Linnaeus just gave a curt nod of his own in response as further words would only exacerbate the matter once again. He knew that Krone wouldn't have apologized if not for the presence of Eliza so, until he could prove himself a worthy leader, he had to be patient. So long as Krone didn't try and contest his position as Party Leader, there wouldn't be any problems in the short term.After collecting his thoughts, Linnaeus gathered the attention of his two companions before saying, "Now that we have a capable Vanguard, we'll go ahead and try to recruit our final Party member. If she agrees to join us, we'll spend a few days acclimating to each other before taking on one of the territorial Kings. We can harvest a few Soul Kindling before deciding when we want to move on to the next Floor."Eliza had already been made aware of Linnaeus' plans so she just gave a small nod in response. As for Krone, he crossed his arms but, without having to ask his question, Linnaeus began to explain his observations and the capabilities of their prospective Party member. This made Krone feel awkward but, as it did clear up a lot of things, he followed up the explanation with an understanding nod.Once everyone was on the same page, Linnaeus discussed their basic formation and how they would deal with any enemies that appeared. Krone, as expected, would be in the front but, so long as they were not in active combat, Linnaeus would keep his [Barrier Aura] on each of them. This would keep them safe from surprise attacks and, depending on the situation, they would change their strategy in order to conserve SP and make the best use of their individual strengths.Krone noticed that Linnaeus intended to fight in the frontline with him but, rather than try and argue against it, he decided this was better than leaving him in the back with Eliza. He didn't fully trust the pale-haired boy so, for the time being, he was more comfortable with fighting alongside the youth rather than entrusting his exposed back to him. With this setup, he would be able to observe how Linnaeus fought and, while this wasn't the determining factor of a person's character, it was possible to get a loose grasp on their true nature in the heat of battle.After their formation had been decided, the trio began their slow trek towards their unsuspecting prospect. Her domicile was located a few territories away from Krone's so it would be a good three hours before they reached their destination. This afforded them a lot of opportunities to familiarize themselves with each other's combat style, something that was of paramount importance to nascent Parties...

Though he felt pressured to ascend the Crucible of Souls as soon as possible, Linnaeus wasn't foolish enough to believe that simple conviction was enough to carry him to the top. If he shifted his focus and threw himself forward without consideration, he would develop a tunnel vision that allowed him to be taken advantage of by others.Linnaeus knew his strengths and weaknesses but, in order to surmount the challenges that were to come, he needed to know the capabilities of his allies as well.According to Eliza, a person was required to have formed a Party of four by the time they reached the 9th Floor. Here, your teamwork would be put to the test and, only when a few Parties had set themselves apart from the rest would the individual tournament begin.It was possible to enter the 10th Floor without a full Party but, before moving on to the 11th, even the most headstrong individuals would form a Party. This was due to the fact that, once you left the relative safety of the 10th Floor, you could not return to it. The next safe area wouldn't be until the 20th Floor so, before moving on, most people would form a full Company before trying to break through the obstacles barring their ascension.A Party was a unit consisting of four people while a Company typically consisted of a total of five full Parties. This was to keep some semblance of balance as the five Party Leaders could elect someone to head the Company, bringing the total to 21 people. While the Company Leader had the authority to come up with laws and restrictions, which could actually influence and bind Party members, they could only do so if there was a unanimous vote from each of the Party Leaders. For lesser issues, it only required a majority vote but, more often than not, the laws and restrictions regulating a new Company were decided before its formation.There were some people that would spend years on the 10th Floor making preparations and trying to gather a full Company of people to their cause. After all, it was possible to gain information about the higher floors and, while it was difficult to contend against the seated powers, it was still possible to make a name for yourself by building up a small Company. If you were more ambitious, you could even form a Guild or an Organization, essentially building a small army for yourself before you made your way to higher floors.When large Guilds and Organizations formed to climb the Tower, they were often referred to by the standard Explorer, the colloquial name for Fledglings setting out from the 10th Floor, as Expeditions.Joining an Expedition greatly increased your chances of reaching higher floors if you were a part of the key personnel but, if you were a weaker combatant, your fate was usually to serve as fodder to protect the rest of the group. This still didn't deter people as, if they worked hard to make a name for themselves, there were a lot of benefits to be had from joining a Guild or an Organization.Even at the Company level, it was possible to receive a second Title, one that designated the role you played in the Company itself. The benefits provided by this secondary Title weren't nearly as good as standard Titles but, if your Company became famous, it made a very big difference later on.According to Eliza, joining one of the Companies belonging to the Eight Heavenly Families actually gave you increased Spirit and Luck per Level. If you managed to work your way up to an Officer role within the Organization itself, you could even earn extra Free Attribute points per Level. These were incredible boons and, as a result, the middle and higher floors were all dominated by large Guilds and Organizations. The 50th Floor was even rumored to possess several large Kingdoms, expansive Empires, and massive Clans with several thousand years of history.While this may seem unreasonable, Eliza also explained that the average lifespan of a Fledgling that reached the 10th Floor had already more than tripled. If you managed to reach the 20th Floor, your average lifespan was said to have increased by as much as five times while, on the 50th Floor, it was possible to find several individuals who had already lived for thousands of years.Linnaeus felt that the existence of such people was the primary factor behind why so few people were able to actually reach the higher floors. He hadn't had to deal with them yet but, after growing up in the slums, he understood the lengths people would go to in order to elevate themselves above others. It was easy to imagine a bunch of old monsters who would either forcibly recruit or kill those not in line with their ideals, effectively bottlenecking anyone that had the potential to exceed them.In order to avoid being suppressed by others, Linnaeus knew it would be necessary for him to either fall in line with one of the established powers or, against all odds, build a faction of his own. This was easier said than done, however, as he fundamentally lacked the prestige to pull strong people to his side. Still, if he wanted to protect his sister from the incalculable number of people who would seek to use her power for themselves, he needed more than personal strength.Curiously, Eliza was very supportive of the idea but, when asked about her reasons, she would often deflect or just fall silent. She knew he wouldn't pester her too much if he made her uncomfortable so Linnaeus could only shake his head before falling silent himself.Linnaeus could tell that Eliza was contemplating something but, as it didn't seem to be betrayal, he didn't press her on the matter. Instead, they got along well enough as, despite her being a great deal stronger than him, Eliza regarding his words seriously and always listened to his orders. Though she would question some of them after the fact, mainly to understand what he was thinking, she would never challenge him at the time the order was given.Though this made Eliza seem like someone that was easy to suppress, Linnaeus never once felt this way after their first time hunting together. Instead, he felt like she was trying to build his confidence as, when he made mistakes, she would always give him bits and pieces of advice when they returned to the den. This made him feel quite a bit of pressure as, if he made mistakes in his orders, it felt like he could get them both killed, not just himself.What Linnaeus was unaware of was that Eliza was, quite literally, trying to groom him into being a better leader. From the moment of their discussion about Companies, Guilds, and Organizations, she had decided to see how far someone that was born without any inherent benefits could go.Unlike Linnaeus, who seemed to treat his time in the Crucible of Souls as a continuation of his first life, Eliza knew her own fate had already been twisted. Since she was likely to lose even her identity, she had already stopped thinking about how she should act as a daughter of the Evendoom family. Instead, she had chosen to live according to her own convictions this time around and, as Linnaeus was the first person to pull her out of the darkness she had been sinking into, she decided to follow him until he either broke or succeeded.Eliza felt that the current state of the world was too stagnant and, unlike how others seemed to be very excited about their climb, she had essentially been dragged around by other members of the Eight Families. Because of her status as a daughter of the Evendoom family, she didn't have much of a choice in her selection of Party members. She was forced to join up with haughty and arrogant people who wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of you if you showed any signs of weakness.Now that she had already died once, Eliza had decided that she didn't want to live that kind of life any longer. Even if it was stressful and significantly reduced her chances of climbing to higher floors, it was still better to live as she pleased. She had lowered her head in her past life but, despite doing her best to go with the flow of events, she still lost her life. Since acquiescence ended up getting her killed, she wanted to be more proactive in her decisions now that she had a second chance at life.To this end, by the time three days had passed since her joining Linnaeus' Party, Eliza had already worn down most of the peculiar boy's resistance against her. He was the type of person that had a lot of walls around his heart but, with her association to his sister, a person he cared about more than himself, it didn't take long for her to get closer to him.Linnaeus might not have realized it himself but Eliza could see that he was starved for things like love and companionship. He didn't seem to proactively think about such things but, if you made an earnest effort to get closer to him, he couldn't help but open himself up to you in a remarkably short period of time. This was a major weakness that could be exploited by those with malicious intentions but, due to their age difference, Eliza felt like he was a little brother that needed someone to care for him.Now, though he would still turn statuesque, Eliza was able to hug him from behind and snuggle up to him whenever they were going to sleep. She gave the excuse that she was weak against the cold and, despite this being an obvious lie, the adorable little boy ultimately relented. Though he did try and talk about a woman named Saht the following morning, Eliza didn't really care about his former lover as, rather than the love between a man and a woman, she felt like her affections were more maternal in nature than anything else.The first two nights, when they had slept alone, Eliza couldn't help thinking about how difficult it was to grow up without experiencing a mother's love. She could remember the reminiscent smile on his face when he talked about finding warmth at his sister's side so, after mustering up her courage, she decided to try and provide similar warmth with her own body. It made her feel very nervous at first but, after the initial tension wore away, Eliza found it was actually very comfortable to hold onto his frail and seemingly powerless figure.Now, going into the fourth day together, Eliza had a small smile on her face as she watched Linnaeus do his best to avoid direct eye contact with her. Seeing him embarrassed made her feel happy, even if what they were discussing made her feel troubled...Linnaeus felt that, with each passing day, Eliza became harder to see through but, as she was usually very obedient, he couldn't really find the words to rebuke her. He would never admit it but, perhaps due to her large breasts, it was very comfortable to be cradled in her arms. It made him feel like he had regained something he had lost but, even after hours of rumination, he was unable to recall any memories that paralleled the comfort her presence brought to him.After shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Linnaeus psyched himself up for the coming day, saying in a determined voice, "We should try and scout our other Party members sooner, rather than later. It should be possible to reach the next Floor after completing a feat worthy of recognition. I have been gathering information on the surroundings Kings, the large monsters that govern each region. Even with the two of us, we could probably move on to the next Floor but, based on the information you had provided, I believe it is better to recruit a full Party before we proceed any further..."Eliza nodded her head in understanding but, unlike Linnaeus, she didn't have much confidence that things would go smoothly. From what he had told her, it was obvious he had never formed a group with boys his own age, much less those that were older than him.Depending on the circumstances, having multiple men and women in the same Party often led to discourse and conflict. Men, with few exceptions, were very prideful while women, for reasons Eliza herself wasn't certain of, often sought benefits by taking advantage of strong men. When strangers were grouped together, the men would often try to establish a hierarchy among themselves while, more often than not, the females would scheme against each other to try and secure a place for themself at the dominant male's side.This was a serious problem, even amongst the Eight Families, so Eliza couldn't help but worry about Linnaeus. He had an uncharacteristically strong will but, more than most of the males she had come to know, he gave off a distinctly weak and fragile aura...one that invited those with strong egos to target and suppress him...

Chapter 43: Approach