Babel

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...

While Krone's [Mimicry] seemed to be a truly envious Blessing, Linnaeus quickly learned that, while some Blessings seemed exceptionally useful, the reality was not always what it appeared to be.Along the way to meet up with their prospective members, the trio encountered several individuals and a few small groups of monsters. This was largely due to how the noise of three people was far greater than what would have otherwise been generated.Even when Linnaeus tried to scout ahead and mark potential noise hazards, both Krone and Eliza would invariably trigger them. This caused Linnaeus to feel like he was developing the twitch characteristic of drug users as, every time they broke a twig or passed through rustling brush, his body would convulse slightly.One of the very first monsters they encountered was a large behemoth of a creature known as a Rynadon. It was around 3m tall, standing on stump-like legs, while its body was around 4m in length. At the center of its large and extremely durable head, a large horn that extended upwards of 20cm in length could be seen. They used this protrusion to dislodge rocks and scrape away at tree bark but, if you antagonized them, they would not hesitate to charge with surprising speed in an attempt to impale you.As the Party's Vanguard, Krone wasted no time in putting himself directly in the charging line before adopting a wide and stable stance. While this seemed to be commendable behavior, Linnaeus paled slightly when he saw this because there was simply no need to take the hit directly.What Linnaeus hadn't really thought about previously was that, while Krone's Blessing seemed to be one of the most versatile, it actually required several seconds of direct contact to take full effect. This had caused him to develop a habit of trying to deflect charges and latch on to monsters, using his [Grappling] Skill and durable physique to the fullest.Fortunately, due to Linnaeus' support, Krone was pleasantly surprised when the Rynadon slammed into him but, rather than impale or push him back, a blue membrane just flashed across his body. At the cost of nearly 700 of Linnaeus' SP, he had been able to completely stop the monster's charge.Krone released a loud 'Ha!' as if he were about to laugh but, after that outburst, his face became a mask of pure exertion as he grabbed the monster's ears and began rocking its head to the side in an attempt to imbalance it. The ears were very important for most creatures when it came to staying upright so, by yanking on them, the head was inclined to follow the path of least resistance.Seeing a 200cm tall man knock over a 3m tall monster, which had to weigh at least a thousand kilograms, was quite a sight to behold. The Rynadon struggled for a bit but it was the type of creature that actually slept standing due to the inflexibility of its legs. This allowed Krone enough time to absorb its trait, gaining thicker skin and bulkier muscles as he began punching under the eye socket of the monster in an attempt to at least blind it before it managed to recover.The best way to describe how Krone fought, at least in Linnaeus' opinion, was 'excessively violent'. It would have been much easier to deal with the Rynadon by dodging its charge as it took them a long time to turn around and line up for a second attack. Their belly and backside were much weaker than the veritable armor around their head, back, and shoulders. If they had fought smartly, he wouldn't have needed to expend a chunk of his SP in one go as Eliza's Blessing was the ultimate counter to most heavyweight monsters.Despite all of this, Krone was still able to take down the monster largely on his own as, with his high Strength attribute, enhanced by his absorption of the Rynadon's traits, he was leaving dents in its head with each successive blow. Before the monster was able to recover, the right side of its head had caved in, leaving behind a bloody mass of pulpy flesh before it ultimately dissolved away into ash.When the brutal scene came to an end, Krone heaved a few times in an effort to calm down as there was always a rush of extra adrenaline when he absorbed the traits of violent monsters. In truth, while his combat style may not be the most efficient, it was largely due to this enhanced emotional state that he fought like a berserker.Noticing how Linnaeus and Eliza were looking at him, Krone just averted his eyes before remarking, "Your Blessing is very compatible with my own. It protects my body without interfering with my own abilities..."After finishing his words, Krone left the distribution of items to Linnaeus as it was one of his duties as Party Leader. He needed to decide who held onto what and, in the case where they could not take it all with them, he had to choose what was left behind.Once the item distribution had completed, Linnaeus took a moment to address Krone, looking up at the much taller man as he said in a calm tone of voice, "I will not tell you how to fight. You seem far more adept at direct engagements than I am. All I want you to keep in mind is that our reserves are not without limit. I'll do my best to prevent any harm from coming to you but you shouldn't develop a dependency on my [Barrier Aura]..."Krone just rubbed the back of his head in response until Eliza crossed her arms and glared at him with her violet eyes. After this, Krone released a grumbling sigh before giving an understanding nod as he passed by Linnaeus to begin blazing a trail through the underbrush.Linnaeus felt like Eliza was going too far in her support of his position but, as she was doing it for him, he didn't want to correct her at the moment. When they returned to the den, later on, he would speak with her in private as, while it might earn him a bit of respect from Krone, it might also cause the latter to lambast him while also damaging his peculiar relationship with Eliza.Eliza just answered his stare with a smile before pulling him along so that Krone didn't get too far ahead of the Party. She was the most aware of her own behavior but, as she noticed the look in their so-called Vanguard's eyes when he first received the monster's charge, her distrust for him had only grown. Mid-combat was not the time for rumination but she noticed his eyes become thoughtful for a brief moment, just like when someone suddenly came up with a scheme.For the time being, Eliza was still going to allow Krone to remain in the Party but, if he did anything to sew discord or undermine Linnaeus' position, she would campaign to have him expelled. Even if it created problems all its own, she would rather build a Party of all women around Linnaeus if it meant they could avoid some of the more troublesome aspects of having multiple men and women in the same Party...Without understanding what each member of their Party was thinking, the trio continued on their way at a steady pace. Krone seemed to consider Linnaeus' words a bit so, rather than just take on a full-frontal charge, he would try to tackle the monster's flank. Since Linnaeus would also trip them up or divert the force of their blows, most of the battles ended almost as soon as they had begun. If not for Krone's refusal to use weapons, as he preferred to use his body itself as a weapon, things would have gone much faster.In less time than anticipated, the group reached an area with a hovel that had been formed from natural materials. It was mainly comprised of sticks and shrubbery but, to keep it all together, some kind of clay and mud had been used as a binding agent.Upon seeing the cacoon-like structure, Eliza had an awkward expression on her face as she lightly mumbled, "How did this girl survive here on her own...?"Since aboveground structures with no defensive capabilities were like painting a target on you for a monster attack, most schools taught children to seek elevated or subterranean shelters. The former was the most preferred, as it provided a good vantage, but the latter could be extremely useful when the elements were against you. After all, it was difficult to build atop a ridge while the only thing you had to do to expand an underground shelter was dig.In response to Eliza's question, Linnaeus slowly surveyed the surroundings while explaining, "This is an area that serves as a neutral zone of sorts. The Territorial King to the west had been killed a little more than a month ago. There has been a bit of fighting since then but it mostly takes place away from this spot..."Looking back at his two companions, Linnaeus could see that his explanation wasn't enough so he then added, "Since the stronger monsters are butting heads, the weaker monsters have avoided this area. A few stray in every now and then but there hasn't been anything particularly dangerous from what I have seen."Eliza wanted to ask why Linnaeus didn't claim this territory for himself if that was the case but, as she had spent the last few days with him, she already understood why. He wasn't the type to try and take advantage of others just for his own benefit.While Eliza's impression of Linnaeus was gradually improving, Krone stared back at his new Party Leader for several seconds before remarking, "You're the type that plans out everything...tell me, how long were you aware of our positions before coming into contact with us...?"Linnaeus and Eliza both knew what Krone was implying, causing the latter to frown slightly. Linnaeus, however, kept his composure as he plainly stated, "I hadn't been specifically observing anyone. If you think I had come up with some grand scheme to try and form a Party, you are wrong. The only thing that crossed my mind at the time was making sure there were no threats around my own den. It was only after I had secured my own position that I began to think about allying with other people to try and reach the top of the Crucible..."Though Linnaeus remained calm through his explanation, his expression became exceptionally sharp at the very end. Killing so many people had certain effects on an individual so, when he wanted to, it was possible to focus his killing intent to the point that people would feel as if they had a blade at their neck. This caused Krone to tense up and take a step back, all while Linnaeus stood his ground and added, "It wasn't even a few hours ago that you agreed to stop jumping to conclusions. Is this what your word amounts to...?"Krone hadn't expected the petite boy to suddenly give off the impression of a feral tiger so he was at a loss for several seconds as to how he should respond. His first instinct was to fight, as his instincts told him that Linnaeus was very dangerous, but he was kept at bay by the icy glare of the woman at his side.After swallowing audibly, Krone averted his eyes once again as he mumbled, "Sorry...I just can't trust other people so easily...I'll get better after a few days. I swear it..."While neither Eliza nor Linnaeus accepted Krone's words at face value, the latter gave a nod before pulling back his killing intent and turning his attention back to their surroundings. He still didn't even trust Eliza so he couldn't really blame Krone for not trusting him after only a few hours. Rather, the man seemed predisposed to distrust him so, for the time being, Linnaeus would allow him time to acclimate. This was his first time leading a Party that consisted of more than just himself and another person so he needed to practice dealing with the more difficult members of a Party before it became a bigger issue in the future.Krone visibly relaxed when Linnaeus pulled back his killing intent but his body was still tense due to the fact that Eliza continued to glare at him for several seconds longer. She had rarely killed so, while she was much stronger than Linnaeus, her 'presence' seemed minuscule in comparison. This put a lot of things into perspective for Krone, including the fact that his obstinance may very well result in his second untimely death...

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...

Chapter 44: Caution : Compromise