Babel

Though there were exceptions at the Company level, most Parties were dispelled the moment their Party Leader was killed in battle. This was one of the reasons why the strongest or toughest member of the Party was elected as the leader.In this case, the man and woman Linnaeus and co ended up killing seemed to be a Company Leader and Lieutenant. As a result, the Company was disbanded and, without a good reason to face the fog of death, the remaining Party Leaders commanded their teams to retreat.They hadn't been able to take out a single enemy yet, in a span of only a few minutes, several of their strongest members had been wiped out. This was enough to terrify anyone without death-seeking habits so it wasn't all that surprising, at least to Linnaeus, that they would turn tail and run.Despite this, Emilia continued to spread her fog through the area as Linnaeus looted the corpses of their attackers. She made sure to move around occasionally to avoid having her location pinpointed but, even after twenty minutes, silence dominated the surroundings.To conserve SP, Emilia ultimately allowed the fog to dissipate through the surroundings as the Party made its way towards Central City. They didn't know the true purpose of the ambush but it was safe to assume their enemies didn't have good intentions if it required them to surround their Party...---It generally required a half day's travel to reach Central City from the Southern Forests. Due to the ambush, Linnaeus and co managed to reduce this travel time to only seven hours. They wanted to reach a relatively safe location before they began to discuss what had happened as the period of time immediately after an attack was, in many cases, a person's most vulnerable moment.Fortunately, the Party managed to enter through the security checkpoint after paying a small fee of Soul Kindling. After that, they found an Inn with decent rates and large food portions before topping themselves off and retreating to the relative security of their booked rooms.Since they had a few things to discuss, everyone gathered together in the same room to distribute loot and talk about their future plans. There was a small chance the group that attacked them was related to a larger group but, as none of the loot made this connection obvious, it was impossible to be certain.After having just gotten over his paranoia, Linnaeus was afraid this incident would reawaken his old mentality so, rather than regress, he looked toward the future, saying, "In a way, this is a blessing of sorts. Based on what I could tell, the woman I managed to surprise attack was well over my Level. It is safe to assume that the leader was even stronger than her so, despite our small number, we were able to defeat a much larger group of people with similar Levels. Really, good work, everyone...our teamwork and coordination really shined today."Linnaeus was generally a taciturn individual who chose his words very carefully. Hearing him give a small speech was a surprise to everyone, Eliza included. This caused a smile to spread across her face and, though she was still a little annoyed about the previous attack, she internally thanked the group for their sacrifice.Eliza wasn't the only one who was happy about the change in Linnaeus' behavior. The earlier battle had proven to Emilia that Linnaeus was a capable Party Leader. He was the one to come up with the idea of masking their location with fog and, despite the precariousness of their situation, he charged into enemy lines without any hesitation.As a result of his resolute actions, he was able to forcibly shift the momentum in their favor while simultaneously revealing the location of their enemies to Eliza. This had allowed them to defeat a group of enemies that, in any other situation, would have easily defeated them in turn.Now that she recognized Linnaeus as a 'real' Party Leader, something deep inside of Emilia clicked into place and, for very different reasons that Eliza, a smile spread across her face...Though he couldn't pinpoint the cause, Linnaeus felt a small shiver pass through his body but, as the rest of his Party didn't seem to have a reaction, he set it aside for the time being. It was a different feeling than the one he would get when something dangerous was approaching so, at the very least, he didn't have to worry about another surprise attack.---In total, the Party had managed to loot a greatsword, two longswords, five daggers, an ornate rapier, and, most importantly, two interspatial rings. Most of the equipment had sustained various amounts of damage from Eliza's [Crush] magic but, as they were often infused with unique enchantments, the interspatial rings were still in pristine condition.This was where the main haul of the ambush was found as each ring contained a plethora of useful items, such as potions, elixirs, and a small mountain of foodstuffs. Since even cheap potions could cost several hundred Soul Kindling, inheriting enough to support an entire Company of people as a Party of four was a major windfall.While these were all incredibly important, the greatest boon was the actual Soul Kindling that was present in each of the rings. There were nearly 170,000 to be split between them, bringing the total haul to more than 300,000 due to the Kindling dropped from the actual corpses.As he had learned on his first day in the Crucible of Souls, a person dropped their Soul Kindling upon death. This was what had led him to the assumption that killing would be common within the Crucible of Souls. Though he now realized that most people tended to avoid such bloody conflict, it could be seen from this most recent incident that not everyone had an aversion to violence.It was somewhat unfortunate that some enemies had been able to flee from the battle but, with such a large windfall, Linnaeus couldn't really complain. Trying to chase after fleeing enemies was difficult, especially if they went in different directions, so there really wasn't much they could have done. Now, they could only hope that their Party hadn't been targetted specifically. If that was the case, whoever gave the orders to track them down would soon learn of what had happened, including the fact that their Party now had more than half a million in total assets...Since there wasn't anything he could do about unseen and unknown enemies, Linnaeus decided not to let the matter weigh too heavily on his mind. He did mention moving around periodically to avoid being easily traced but, in the grand scheme of things, this was really just the basics. So long as they didn't establish any exploitable habits, their enemies would be forced to confront them on less-than-ideal terms, providing them more opportunities to counterattack.Eliza, Emilia, and Krone had no problems with this arrangement but they still wanted to venture into the Central District for a week or so to procure better equipment. Most of the items obtained were in various states of disrepair so it was better to scrap them for raw materials before buying equipment suitable for each person.This time around, Linnaeus was easily convinced by Eliza's reasoning since the 300,000 Kindling they had obtained was essentially extraneous profit. It wasn't accounted for in his initial projections so, while it was a little worrisome to spend precious Soul Kindling, ensuring his Party was well equipped was far more important...With their discussion finished, Krone ended up returning to his own room, this time without giving Linnaeus any kind of pointed looks. The earlier battle had left an impression on him as well so, while he didn't fully accept Linnaeus' leadership, the results spoke for themselves.Seeing the subtle changes in his burly companion's disposition, Linnaeus allowed an actual smile to cross his face, something that was noticed by the two girls in the room. Eliza was still in high spirits from earlier so, immediately after Krone left the room, she moved to give Linnaeus a big hug.Unfortunately, her actions were too slow as, from the periphery of her vision, Emilia's figure emerged like a blur as she pounced on the unsuspecting youth. This took Linnaeus to the ground while Eliza, frozen mid-step, stared at the scene playing out, her anger gradually increasing with each palpitation of her heart...More-so than Eliza, Linnaeus was caught off guard by Emilia's sudden pounce. His efforts to avoid counterattacking effectively turned him into a lifeless doll so, without any resistance, Emilia was able to freely rub her head and cheeks against Linnaeus.This went on for several awkward moments before Eliza, seemingly hitting the limits of her tolerance, exclaimed, "Get off him you...you...you...!"There were a lot of insults Eliza wanted to throw out but, not wanting to upset Linnaeus or genuinely offend Emilia, they all got stuck in her throat. This didn't stop her from taking action to carry out her own demand, however, as she grabbed Emilia but the scruff of her fur-collar, yanking her back while simultaneously reducing her weight.Emilia was pulled so hard that Linnaeus was actually yanked to his feet. As for Emilia herself, she was tossed about unceremoniously by Eliza. Her weight had been reduced to almost nothing so, for the first time, both Linnaeus and Emilia were able to witness how terrifying Eliza could be if she got her hands on someone...Due to the way she was raised, Emilia was fundamentally unable to resist the small beating bestowed to her by Eliza. She was taught to respect the strong and accept punishment when she misbehaved. Since she could tell that Eliza wasn't actually trying to hurt her, Emilia accepted her fate as she had already fulfilled her purpose.Vanargandr were able to emit pheromones from their body so, by rubbing her head and ears against Linnaeus, she had effectively marked him with her scent. Linnaeus and Eliza may not notice this but Emilia would now be able to track him virtually anywhere, so long as he wasn't solidifying his [Barrier Aura].Better still, anyone with a sensitive nose and animalistic traits would be able to smell her scent on his body and understand their meaning. If they tried to approach him, it was the same as declaring war on her as, until she returned to start her own tribe, Emilia had decided to follow Linnaeus.Previously, Emilia had been on the fence since he was still weaker than her. Now, however, she had been given solid proof to show that raw strength and speed were not the determining factors, just two elements of a complex equation.This reminded her of all the tales and legends she heard about the famous members of her species, people who had led the Vanargandr against insurmountable odds to secure victory. Linnaeus, while still immature, seemed to possess the qualities of these great leaders so, at least until she returned triumphantly to the outside world, Emilia would continue to follow and observe him closely. He may very well become one of the legends passed down to her own tribe in the future so, while it may upset Eliza, Emilia couldn't simply deny her instincts...Though she didn't know what Emilia was thinking about, Eliza could feel something was off so, for the better part of ten minutes, she smacked the cheeky Vanargandr before lecturing her for a full two hours. While this was going on, Linnaeus sat quietly at the side, a cold sweat making his palms feel clammy. He made a mental note not to upset Eliza in the future as, for reasons unbeknownst to him, she was somehow more terrifying than facing off against people that actually wanted to claim his life...---(A/N: Dat maternal instinct...)

When it came to the procuration of equipment, there were two primary methods, each dependant entirely on a person's financial status.The preferred method of procuring equipment was having it made-to-order. This ensured that armor fit properly and, while it may not matter to unskilled individuals, an expert's combat potential would markedly increase when their weapons were properly balanced. Even the construction of a weapon's grip could make a big difference, something many learned at the cost of their lives.The other method of procuring equipment was buying stock items directly from the display area. These were generally bulk goods and, while there were some high-quality items mixed in, most of them were used goods that had been resold several times. This didn't make them any worse than other pieces of equipment but most of these had formerly been made-to-order, meaning there was a good chance it simply wouldn't feel comfortable for anyone by the original owner to wield.As could be expected, stock items were much cheaper than made-to-order equipment but, knowing he would undoubtedly encounter situations where he couldn't be choosy, Linnaeus had no problems with purchasing them. They had split the 300,000 bulk Soul Kindling between them so he had 75,000 on hand for purchasing equipment.While it wouldn't allow him to purchase the highest-quality equipment, 75,000 Soul Kindling was a fair amount, even if he wanted to purchase made-to-order stuff. In Linnaeus' mind, however, each of these Soul Kindling was a precious resource and, while it would be beneficial to acquire proper gear, he didn't want to bankrupt himself in the process.One of the main factors resulting in his frugality was the fact that his [Barrier Aura] basically replaced the need for heavy or restrictive armor. He trusted it far more than any protective equipment, even if his death was all but guaranteed once he ran out of SP. Since this would be the case, irrespective of whether or not he had decent armor, Linnaeus felt it was better to purchase accessories that allowed for quicker SP regeneration, rather than waste Soul Kindling on items that would potentially restrict his movement.To this end, Linnaeus purchased two shortswords of relatively decent quality before visiting one of Central City's various auction houses. These were places where exceptionally rare materials, high-quality Elixers, and artifacts of various quality could be found. The latter were items found whilst exploring the various regions of the Fifth Floor, items seemingly produced naturally by the mystic forces at play behind the scenes.Though it would be possible to have an accessory made by a skilled Craftsman, Linnaeus wanted to investigate the Auction Houses, at least once. They seemed relatively popular amongst the populace and, if rumors were to be believed, it was possible to obtain valuable items at a significantly reduced cost, albeit very rarely.What brought Linnaeus to the Auction House was not these rumors but the fact that it was the only place that really traded in Artifacts. There were even some on display in the showroom, purchasable by anyone willing to fork over the display value on the spot.Most of the display items were objects that had failed to sell in the past so you might expect their prices to be marked down in order to get rid of them. To Linnaeus' annoyance, however, the prices seemed hiked up, rather than discounted.Seeing the display values, Linnaeus was certain that the Auction House, in order to recoup losses, increased the posted value of the items in order to take advantage of anyone looking to avoid the actual auction. He even found a ring that increased SP Regeneration by 7%, something that would cost around 40,000 Soul Kindling outside, listed at 90,000. The justification for this markup? It was a low-grade Artifact that 'might' have a hidden quality to it...It only took a few minutes of exploring the showroom for Linnaeus to realize that the entire Auction House was a scam. This had been obvious from the very beginning but, seeing how shameless they were with their display pieces, he couldn't help but shake his head in exasperation as he turned away and made his way toward the exit.In order to entice customers into spending their Soul Kindling, there were various showgirls present in the room, many of which had tantalizing figures, pretty faces, and ornate dresses that accentuated their various racial traits. There was even a Manalyte girl with pale-blue hair and star-shaped pupils but, with how Linnaeus was dressed, none of the onsite girls were willing to approach him.While looks could go a long way in certain situations, the girls present were all working for partial commissions, not seeking partners. They acted flirtatious when needed but, if you didn't have the money to throw your weight around, you might as well have maximum level [Stealth], as they would pretend you didn't even exist.Linnaeus obviously didn't care about their behavior as he had already lost interest in the Auction House entirely. He had no interest in being scammed and, while he still wanted to obtain an Artifact, it wasn't a pressing matter. For now, he would just find a capable Jeweler or Craftsman and, while it may cost most of his remaining Kindling, it may make the difference between life and death when their Party reached the Hell Hole.Though they still intended to visit the Monster Ant Colony, Linnaeus was making preparations for their inevitable exploration of the Hell Hole. There, his [Barrier Aura] would be their most important asset so, in order to make sure he could continually power all four auras, he wanted to find methods to increase his SP Regeneration.While it was possible to supplement SP with the use of consumable items, every competent Magic user focused more on increasing their passive regeneration. After all, items that restored enough SP to be of any real use were generally very expensive. Since it was possible to increase your passive regen to the point that it had similar returns to mass-produced items, it was the obvious route to go for anyone reliant on their SP reserves.Linnaeus' current SP Regen was around 200 SP per minute and, while this wasn't exactly bad, it was far from ideal. Even the most basic [Barrier] cost a minimum of 50 SP to manifest so he would quickly run low on SP in the midst of active combat. While this was negligible against weak enemies, he had met several people that could even shatter barriers with more than 500 SP invested in them, a cruel reality he had no choice but to face head-on.With the way the Equipment system worked, Linnaeus could wear up to ten unique accessories to enhance his attributes and capabilities. The only problem with this was that accessories produced by people had 'shared' effects, meaning only the most powerful effect could be active at any given moment. This was the reason why Artifacts were so important as, unlike hand-crafted goods, they each had 'unique' effects.If he had enough Soul Kindling, Linnaeus could potentially double his SP Regeneration for around 600,000-900,000. Since this was almost enough to buy back his life, he obviously wasn't going to fork over such an exorbitant amount but, when he finally returned to the Tower, it was something to look into...For now, Linnaeus settled by finding a Jewelry shop called 'The Dragon's Horde Jewelers', finding the name and sign rather eye-catching. Inside, he found three identical girls who, despite being around 120cm in height, appeared to be older than him based on their facial structure. Though it was hard to be certain, he would guess their age to be around mid-to-late twenties, even if their hair, styled in neat brown pigtails, made them seem younger.Hearing the bell of their shop ring, all three girls looked over to the entrance before the closest one skipped over to Linnaeus' side, a practiced smile on her face as she asked, "Dear customer, is there anything we can help you with today~? If you're looking for something as a gift, we have plenty of pretty trinkets and baubles that would make an appropriate present~."Since Linnaeus was wearing what amounted to rags in the eyes of most Central City dwellers, most people didn't really see him as an actual customer. The girls assumed he was just a window shopper that wandered inside for a better look but, regardless of whether or not this was the case, they still gave him the basic courtesy of a greeting.In truth, Linnaeus opted to dress down in order to have people underestimate him so he didn't take offense to the obvious chagrin visible in the girl's eyes. Instead, he maintained a calm disposition as he plainly stated, "I would like to have something made-to-order. Before that, I will look around to gauge the quality and your display goods."Hearing that Linnaeus wanted to have something made, the girl was more than a little surprised but, rather than let it show on her face, her business smile became more 'sincere' as she happily escorted him over to the displays. At the same time, one of her sisters went to grab measuring tools while the other grabbed a catalog that listed various materials and their expected effects.Seeing how well the three worked together, Linnaeus felt that his choice in Jewelers wasn't that bad. Their prices seemed to be within an acceptable range as well since, in the center display, there was an ornate silver ring set with a sapphire. It not only looked nice, but it had the effect of increasing a person's Intelligence by +2 and, more importantly, their SP Regeneration by 10%.While 10% was far from the strongest possible effect, higher values increased the cost of an item exponentially. This could be seen by comparing the ring to another one in the same display, a pale-gold ring set with an emerald that increased SP Regeneration by 17%. It cost a monstrous 310,000 Soul Kindling, a monstrous increase when directly compared to the 47,000 price tag on the sapphire ring...Had he been lucky, Linnaeus would have been able to walk away with the sapphire ring in hand but, due to his rather diminutive size, it was far too big for him. This alone didn't really bother him but, learning that the ring was intended to be worn by women, he couldn't help but hang his head a bit as one of the sisters measured the circumference of his ring finger...Generally speaking, it was better to acquire an amulet or a wristlet but, as these were far beyond his means to purchase, Linnaeus had to settle on a ring slightly too big. Fortunately, this could still be worn around the neck on a specialized chain, granting the same effect.Linnaeus ended up choosing a silver compound to serve as the base of his ring, one which lacked the characteristic shininess of normal silver. As for the gemstone, he surprised the girls by providing a fragment of Jadite Ore and a pale-purple opal that he had prepared beforehand. This caused the girls to spontaneously treat him like an important customer but, same as before, Linnaeus kept his usual calm and composed demeanor in response to their pestering...Once the terms of the contract were finalized, Linnaeus paid out 68,420 Soul Kindling to have his ring produced, not by the three girls, but their father. Like them, he was also considerably short but, without any other discernible traits, Linnaeus couldn't really ascertain what tribe they belonged to. Since this didn't really matter, however, he sealed the contract and agreed to pick up the ring after three days. From then, he would have up to a year to claim the ring or, like some of the other display pieces, it would become the property of the shop. This was an important clause as, in the past, there had been many cases of people simply dying before they claimed their goods.Had he heard this previously, Linnaeus would have assumed there was some scheme afoot but, after gathering information prior to the transaction, he knew this was the norm. He didn't doubt there had been instances where this clause had been taken advantage of but, considering the ring in question was only worth around 70,000 Soul Kindling, he doubted a shop that likely earned millions per year would resort to such underhanded methods.

Though he still woke up every hour or so, Linnaeus enjoyed one of the best nights of sleep that his mind could recall. Sleeping next to Eliza had always been strangely comfortable but, now that he was no longer afraid of his enemies exploiting a single moment of weakness, he was able to finally relax, even if only a little.The next morning, he awoke to feel refreshed and energetic so, after their early-morning ritual, once everyone had gathered for breakfast, he proposed, "Today, we'll move further to the Southwest. This may be our last day gathering here so we should try to accumulate some raw materials for forging."While Slime Gels were the most popular commodity to be harvested from Slimes, there were some varieties that also dropped highly refined ores. These were the evolution of Mimic and Rock Slimes, each significantly rarer than the common elemental varieties. In exchange, their drops were far more valuable and, with Krone's Blessing, obtaining purified metals would be extremely useful.As they had already discussed the possibility of visiting the area Linnaeus had in mind, none of his Party members were against. Rather, knowing he stood to benefit the most, Krone gave a curt nod of approval. As for Eliza and Emilia, the former generally supported all of Linnaeus' decisions while the latter was too busy engorging herself to really argue a point of her own.With everyone in agreement, the group made their way down a well-trod footpath, a common route used by Parties venturing deeper into the Southern Forest. Previously, they had gone out of their way to avoid such paths but, realizing they were well-trodden for a reason, Linnaeus felt as if his past self really was paranoid.Along the way to their destination, the Party encountered several wayward Slimes, including a rare jade-green Slime known, quite literally, as a Jade Slime. It was a mineral-type Slime but, instead of dropping refined ore, they instead dropped a piece of smooth jade. This looked like nothing more than a pretty stone at a glance but, in the hands of a skills craftsman, it could be made into a ring or amulet that was capable of holding additional items, much like an Inventory.There was no way they could pass up on the rare encounter so, while keeping in mind that the Jade Slime had a very potent venom, the Party moved to cut off its escape routes as Krone, covered in a [Barrier Aura] worked to smash the nebulous creature.Due to its size, being nearly 2m in diameter, it was a lot harder to kill than a normal Slime but, with a bit of persistence, combined with the fact he could absorb its traits, Krone ultimately managed to rip it in half. This cost Linnaeus most of his SP reserves but, considering they got a piece of Jadite Stone that weighed more than 2kg, it was more than worth it.After collecting the rare resource, Linnaeus had a genuine smile on his face as he turned to the Party and asked, "Should we just turn back now? A chunk this size should be enough for all of us. We can use any excess to buy raw materials for Krone's Blessing so there is no reason to venture any further than this."Since it had only been forty minutes from the time they set out, it felt a little strange to be calling it a day but, never one to chance fate, Linnaeus felt they should quit while they were ahead. This seemed to be the general consensus of the entire Party as well so, after a brief discussion, they decided it was time to bid farewell to the Southern Forests.So as not to draw too much attention to themselves, as there were people who kept track of when a Party entered and exited the forests, Linnaeus and co spent a bit of time killing various lesser Slimes to fill their totes. They would trade these in at the Hunting Guild before leaving the Southern Forest Settlement. Since it was still pretty early, they could easily reach Central before evening fell.Though Linnaeus felt as if their hasty retreat might draw unwarranted attention, he tried to keep his calm and go with the flow as, even after leaving the Guild behind, he never got the feeling that any danger was heading their way. His instincts told him that someone or something would try to bar their passage back to Central but, considering how easy it was to reach the Southern Forests, there was a good chance their trip back may very well be smooth...---While it wouldn't set back his new mentality too much, Linnaeus was soon reminded why he always trusted his gut instinct.About an hour out from the Southern Forest Settlement, the entire Party's [Sense Danger] started sounding alarm bells in their mind and, immediately after, various people could be seen trying to surround them.Other Parties may be caught unprepared for such occurrences but, expecting something like this to happen at some point, Linnaeus had already discussed countermeasures with his Party. As a result, Krone began absorbing the properties of his gauntlets. At the same time, Emilia used her [Phase Change] to create a thick cover of fog, obscuring the sight of both the Party and their attackers.Fortunately, everyone in their Party had decent [Perception] and, having already practiced fighting in the cloud of fog, they had a slight advantage over their assailants. This could all be invalidated by the enemy's Blessings but it was still better than being exposed to direct fire...Since it was created as a result of her Blessing, the fog cloud was able to follow along with Emilia and the Party so, rather than be stuck in one spot, they doubled their pace to make it harder for the enemy to surround them.Linnaeus left Eliza in the care of Krone and, using the boundaries of the fog to maintain the proper distance for his own [Barrier Aura], he began searching for enemies barring their passage.Most people were unfamiliar with fighting in an environment where they could hardly see beyond their own outstretched hands so Linnaeus ended up finding a red-haired youth with a rather vicious sword in hand. He was peering into the fog with his sword at the ready but, due to being immobile, he was caught off guard by Linnaeus' small stature and relatively high Agility.Despite this, the man still managed to swing his sword toward Linnaeus' neck on reflex but the latter had already made a rod-shaped barrier within the trajectory of the swing. This caught the youth's forearms, interrupting the swing and surprising him more than a little. Unfortunately, this wasn't the end of his surprises as, without anything barring his passage, Linnaeus buried his daggers into the youth's gut and chest in an instant.With a face of sheer incredulity, the light in the youth's eyes quickly faded away as, atop his head, the bar representing his health quickly flatlined. Direct strikes to the Heart and Brain had a high chance of causing the 'Instant Death' effect so, while people with higher Endurance may be able to survive such attacks, those specializing in Agility were very susceptible to such blows.Aside from throwing the youth's sword into his Inventory, Linnaeus didn't even spare him a second glance as he used his LV17 [Perception] to sense the next enemy. This was made easier by the fact that, immediately after the youth died, someone shouted out, "Fuck! These people killed Sahl! Kill these motherfuckers...!"Hearing this outburst, Linnaeus began making his way towards the source only to change his course when he heard another voice reply, "Fighting in the fog is a bad idea. We should attack from outside and wait for them to run out of SP. If we kill them too quickly, we won't be able to recover the items in their Inventories. Don't let your head get clouded by rage, Jack!"In live combat, those that could keep their calm were infinitely more dangerous than the type that let their emotions drive their decisions. When Linnaeus heard the voice of a woman pacifying the rage of who he presumed to be the leader, he immediately chose her as his second target. It was fortunate that they were foolish enough to shout as, understanding his intentions, Emilia followed along the same axis of movement to ensure he wouldn't be exposed.From the perspective of the enemies, the cloud of fog suddenly changed direction and, instead of moving away from them, it suddenly doubled-back to envelop several members. Those fearing the same end as Sahl immediately tried to retreat but, as they weren't priority targets, Linnaeus simply ignored them.After a few seconds of heart-pounding pursuit, Linnaeus saw a man that could only be described as 'wild' while, at his side, a lavender-haired woman with a buckler and needle-like rapier could be seen staring directly at him.Though it felt like his nerves were on fire, Linnaeus wasn't daunted by the fact his presence had been noticed. Instead, he pushed his speed beyond its natural limits, relying on the surge of adrenaline to propel himself forward.By the time the wild man noticed what was happening, the woman with the rapier lunged to meet Linnaeus' charge, a vortex of green energy wrapping around her blade and body. This indicated her Blessing was related to wind, one of the more powerful offensive elements, but Linnaeus couldn't afford to simply turn back at this point.Though he couldn't form anything more complex in the time allotted, Linnaeus was still able to form a marble-sized barrier in the path of the woman. He poured a quarter of his reserves into the super-dense ball of SP which, due to its size, went completely unnoticed by everyone. At the same time, he charged forward as if he was fully intent on crossing blades with the tempestuous rapier.As a result of his subterfuge, the woman, who had put her all into the charge, suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest as her momentum was completely arrested. Her balance was destroyed and, while the blades of wind around her rapier still cut outward, they crashed harmlessly against the [Barrier Aura] of Linnaeus.Before the woman could even exclaim in pain, Linnaeus pushed his speed even further beyond his limits, pulling his recently acquired sword out from his Inventory in the process. Then, much to the shock of the wild man and his cohorts, Linnaeus buried his sword into the woman's neck, piercing straight through to the other side and leaving it there as he turned back to run.For a brief moment, silence dominated the foggy atmosphere until, finally reconciling what had happened, the wild-looking man released a feral-sounding bellow, screaming, "I WILL PEEL YOUR FLESH AND FUCK YOUR SKULL!"Without bothering to respond to the man, Linnaeus vanished into the fog as, moments later, the entire area occupied by the now-enraged man was suffused with a purple hue. He didn't even have time to enact his revenge as, from the moment they saw the purple aura, death descended upon the three people nearby, courtesy of Eliza's [Crush] magic.With gravity spontaneously increasing by 50x the normal amount, it was enough to spontaneously rupture the capillaries in a person's body and, while some people may have the physical strength to withstand the forces, it wasn't as if they could easily train their organs. As a result, all of the soft and fleshy bits in their body were forced downward with intense force, their brains and hearts included. One of them was unfortunate enough to be the type to wear heavy armor so, while his Strength was commendable, his 70kg of armor became a metallic press of 3,500kg in an instant...

Chapter 69: Windfall