Babel

Though the history of the Tower stretched back further than all of recorded history, most of the major events that had shaken the Tower were relatively recent matters. This included the formation of the Eight Heavenly Families, the historic moment when the first person passed through the 100th Floor, and, outshining most other events, the climactic battle between the Dragon God and the Queen of the Bapho.According to some scholars, there were between 6.5 and 8.7 million different sapient species that existed when comparing the outside to the inside of the Tower. The reason for this rather extreme disparity was due to the fact that, under the right conditions, monsters could achieve a degree of sapience that allowed them to emulate the creatures blessed by Akasha.It was an exceptionally rare occurrence, but, at times, the union between two different races, rather than produce a half-blooded offspring, resulted in the creation of an entirely new form of life. These creatures were colloquially known as Chimeric Variants, and, depending on the species of their parents, their power and potential greatly outstripped the average members of each individual tribe.In the ancient past, relatively speaking, there were a number of tribes that sought to produce the most powerful offspring imaginable by melding their genes with others. They had tried to subsume other species entirely, and, if an enemy was found wanting, it was often grounds for their entire tribe to be wiped out.The most prolific amongst these tribes was the species of Dragons known as the Verum. They were the offspring of various different Dragon tribes that, in the pursuit of perfection, formed powerful alliances through the exchange of genetic material. This eventually culminated into an entirely new species of 'True Dragons', and, due to their power, they had blasted through a number of Floors that had previously been considered impassable.Unfortunately, despite investing tens of thousands of years to produce powerful offspring, the Verum was not the first tribe to reach the 100th Floor. Instead, it was a surprisingly small Party consisting of only three people. While this wouldn't normally be too big a setback, the Verum could not accept the fact that one of the Party members belonged to the tribe that had, at the time, consistently denied them the title of strongest species: the Bapho.With the other two members of the Party being a simple Hume and a member of the Servae tribe, most of the Verum's hatred was concentrated on the presumed leader of the Party, the woman who would become known as the Queen of Bapho, Meylp Tenderhoof.In reality, while Meylp was, physically, the most powerful, she was actually the weakest in the Party of three. Her other companions, the Lord of Shadows, Yan, and the Queen of the Hunt, Milan, were both far stronger than she was due to their unique Blessings. She had also gotten pregnant shortly after arriving on the 100th Floor, so, while the others continued onward, she had decided to stay back and rear her child rather than risk getting them both killed trying to conquer unknown Floors.Had Meylp followed her companions, things likely would have played out very differently, but, as a result of her decision to stay, she became the biggest thorn in the side of the Verum.Due to the nature of the Havens, the colloquial name given to the Safe Floors, Authority over the Floor was always bestowed upon the first, or the strongest, person to conquer it. Because of this, Meylp had the ability to restructure the Floor as she pleased, creating environmental biomes and even dictating the weather.Despite Meylp never using these powers to suppress others, the pride of the Verum would not allow them to be beneath another. They had lorded themselves over the other species for too long, so they simply could not lower their heads to another. It was the same as admitting the Bapho were stronger than them, a topic of debate that had been around for thousands of years, much to the Verum's chagrin.Now that a Bapho had been one of the first to reach the 100th Floor, securing her place as its Ruler, there was no longer any doubt in the minds of those who had been suppressed by the Verum. If the Verum had been stronger, their massive Organizations, consisting of Parties that were almost exclusively comprised of Verum, would have easily surpassed the legendary 99th Floor, becoming the eternal rulers of the 100th.With their pride tarnished, the Verum began wreaking havoc throughout the Tower, assaulting any and all who dared question their might. This was the catalyst for a massive war that lasted for thousands of years, pushing the Verum to the brink of extinction. At the same time, nearly every Floor, including the Havens, became veritable ghost towns due to the massive conflict that seemed to be without end. Only those that banded together, forming powerful alliances, were able to tide through the war. These groups, including a few descendants of the Verum themselves, would eventually go on to become the Eight Heavenly Families, seizing power in the wake of the devastation caused by their ancestors.What many hadn't known, at least at the time, was that the most powerful of the Verum had been consolidating power in the upper Floors. Their reason for clearing out the lower Floors was to prevent information from spreading throughout the Tower, leaving those above, and below, completely blind to their machinations.After suffering the indignation of being labeled as the second strong species, the Verum had concocted a new plan. They shifted their mentality, setting their sights on any species that was strong enough to reach the upper floors instead of focusing exclusively on descendants of the Dragon tribes.For several hundred years, it became almost impossible for anyone to reach the 100th Floor, as, not only was the 99th notoriously difficult, but the 90th and above had been completely dominated by the remnants of the Verum tribe. The only ones 'allowed' to pass were those who had been carefully chosen by the Verum themselves, allowing them to slowly cultivate a massive force in preparation to overtake the 100th Floor.The only problem with their plan was that, even if they managed to defeat the Queen of the Bapho, it would mean nothing if they used overwhelming numbers to achieve the feat. Their reputation had already taken a massive hit due to their actions during the war, so, in order to secure their rightful position as the 'strongest' species, the Verum continued biding their time until, finally, their opportunity had arrived.Even amongst those who could transform into full dragons, the Verum were limited by the fact they could only use one element. This was something decided from birth, and, while it didn't prevent them from becoming powerful, the Queen of Bapho was known to have immunity to most elements. Her [Behemoth] transformation also allowed her to become larger than a city, so, much to the chagrin of the Verum's Queen, who could barely reach a tenth the size of the legendary Bapho, there was simply no way to defeat Meylp without a powerful trump card.Fortunately, at least for the Verum, the Queen's daughter ended up giving birth to what could only be described as an anomaly after her union with an abnormally powerful Hume, one with the ability to manipulate all five basic elements: earth, water, fire, air, and space. This Blessing had not been directly passed down, but, when the young Prince had finally come of age, it quickly became apparent that he was what they had been waiting for.Not only had the Prince inherited the powerful [Dragon Transformation] Blessing, but, against all odds, he possessed the ability to make use of all five elements. This, alone, wasn't enough to make him the most powerful amongst the Verum, but, when he fused all five elements into his breath attack, the results had been beyond expectations.Though it was impossible to substantiate the claims, it had been rumored for millennia that, if you combined the five basic elements, you would create the highest form of energy, a mass of 'nothingness' simply known as Void. What made this so powerful was that, when it came into contact with virtually anything, be it solid matter or magical energy, Void would simply 'erase' everything without leaving behind a single trace.Though it had nearly cost the Prince his life, his breath attack was able to produce a pillar of black energy that carved a path of uncontested destruction through everything it came into contact with. This had caused substantial damage to the Prince himself, but, as it was rather common for young Dragons to injure themselves during their first use of [Dragon's Breath], it wasn't treated as too big an issue.What truly shocked the Verum was that, even after the Prince returned to full health, his teeth and part of his maw remained damaged. Though he eventually made a full recovery, largely through the use of powerful treasures, it was very clear his breath was something far beyond expectations. Thus, in preparation for the Prince's climb, the Queen personally sculpted him into the being who, during his climb, would become known as the Dragon God, Eondu.From the moment he began his climb, Eondu was simply unparalleled. His ability to make use of all five elements made him exceptionally versatile, and, though his [Dragon Transformation] was uncharacteristically small, his speed allowed him to defeat higher Level opponents with relative ease. They simply couldn't defend against what many referred to as his [Void Breath] attack, an ability that tore through other offensive and defensive skills as if they simply didn't exist.With none able to stand in his way, Eondu spent less than seventy years to reach the 90th Floor, making his climb one of the fastest in history. The only reason he wasn't even faster was due to his licentious nature causing him to meander about for months at a time. He had gone out of his way to steal or claim any woman that was even remotely famous for their strength or beauty, forcing them to either submit to him or have their former lovers permanently crippled.By the time Eondu returned to the 90th Floor, even he didn't know how many women he had forced to bear his children. All he knew was that, if there was someone he wanted, their only options were to either obey or beg for death. He considered himself a chosen one, and, after defeating any who tried to stand in his way, his ego had grown to match his power.To further prove his power and obtain absolute authority, Eondu did not restrain himself even after reuniting with the Verum. Instead, he killed his own father, and, after a climactic battle to establish dominance, claimed every female Verum as his own. Even his Grandmother, mother, and two sisters were not spared. Rather, they became the central figures in his harem, bearing him countless children, many of which also became members of his harem, in the decades to follow.Though not as prominent as their father before them, Eondu's children wrought nearly as much havoc in the Tower as he had. This represented a return to power for the Verum tribe, as, after the recent war, few even tried to stand in their way. As a result, many of his descendants even surpassed the records he had set, but, unless they were female, the only reward they received was a quick death.Slowly but surely, Eondu managed to build an even more tyrannical version of the Verum, but, as fate would have it, a 'Reset', which only occurred every 10,000 years, was scheduled to take place when he was just under four-hundred years old. This left him with little choice but to set his sights on his penultimate goal, reaching the 100th Floor and proving, once and for all, that he was the most powerful. He would dominate the Queen of the Bapho, and, like all who had come before her, she, and her daughter, would either submit or beg for death...

Despite their best efforts, the Verum were unable to completely regulate the spread of information between the 90th and 99th Floors. There were countless non-standard methods to climb the Tower, and, every now and then, powerful groups and individuals had managed to slip through the cracks thanks to a subset of the Verum Nobility that privately disagreed with their race's tyrannical pursuit for a completely arbitrary title.Thanks to the efforts of these outliers within the Verum species, Meylp was well aware of Eondu's rise and the inevitability of a cataclysmic war. Thus, for several hundred years, she had prepared for the inevitable by forging powerful alliances. As a result, her army had grown extensively, but, rather than consist of standard climbers, it was almost entirely comprised of various different monsters.As you moved progressively higher up the Tower, encountering 'native species', monsters that had reached a certain degree of sapience, became increasingly common. These groups would often be hunted by the Rulers that obtained Authority over their respective Havens, but, as Meylp had never been the type to indiscriminately slaughter, she chose to coexist with those who had resided in the Tower for millennia before anyone disturbed them.With her phenomenal strength, Meylp had been able to forge powerful alliances with the leaders of various native tribes. This often frightened new arrivals to the 100th Floor, as, prior to their arrival, it was considered 'normal' to wipe out native species as soon as they were discovered. Finding several million coexisting in relative harmony with each other was actually rather terrifying, as, unlike those fated to climb the Tower, the native species were inordinately powerful from birth. Though they had an upper limit to their growth, as they were unable to climb the Tower, they had more than enough power to threaten those who had managed to reach their Floor.Due to the many alliances she had forged, the 100th Floor Haven, Avalon, was considerably more peaceful than most. The vast disparity between the number of climbers and monsters was enough to cow all but the most prideful and egotistical. Even then, only the foolish dared to cause a scene, as, unless they were confident in being able to defeat Meylp and other members of the Bapho tribe, doing so was the same as inviting death upon themselves.Though she was known by many to be a pacifist, Meylp hadn't earned her title as Queen of the Bapho due to an aversion for conflict. Rather, it was her overwhelming might that allowed her to reach the 100th Floor and rein in the various native tribes. She was not shy of violence, but, due to possessing 'too much' power, she had simply grown weary of most conflict. This was evidenced by the fact that, at the end of every year, she would host a grand tournament.Tournaments within the Tower were common affairs, but, rather than a conventional event, the one hosted by Meylp had an inordinately coveted prize. Victory would not only grant you the right to rule over Avalon, but, if you were somehow able to defeat her, Meylp, herself, would be your prize.Unfortunately for her would-be suitors, there had yet to be a single person who could match Meylp within the arena. She even created a rule that forbade the use of her Blessing, but, even when other members of the Bapho tribe joined the tournament, she was able to completely suppress them with pure physical might. This was the main reason she was so respected among the Bapho tribe, as, not only was she their strongest, but, due to their peculiar nature and unique culture, they were inclined to obey anyone who managed to defeat them in a fair contest.Due to her fame and her people's propensity to seek out stronger members of their tribe, nearly every member of the Bapho that managed to reach Avalon came under the leadership of Meylp. To them, defeating her was necessary if they wanted to advance to the 101st Floor. Avoiding her would be a sign of disrespect and cowardice, so, while not an actual requirement to advance, there was not a single Bapho who thought about ascending to the 101st Floor ahead of their Queen.What most didn't know was that, when the belief of many people was consolidating onto a single person, the Akashic System took notice. When enough belief was gathered, it would these chosen individuals a special contract, and, should they accept it, they would effectively become one of the Guardian Gods of their people. Should they refuse, all memory of this offer would be erased from their mind, but, as someone who had accepted, Meylp was well aware of the fact that the ordinary members of her species would never be able to surpass her in strength.When someone was elevated to the status of Guardian God, they become the literal representative of their people. This granted them nigh-absolute authority over members of their own tribe, and, in certain situations, it was the main reason for the rise and fall of many species.Due to her status as Guardian God of the Bapho, Meylp had been able to make a contract with the Tower to ensure that her people were able to climb without being suppressed by the Verum. It was for this reason so many of her tribesmen had been able to reach the 100th Floor, but, in exchange, she had lost the ability to climb further. The only way to break the contract was to be defeated in a contest of strength, but, unless it was another Guardian God, the odds of that ever happening were slim, at best.If she were being honest, Meylp didn't particularly care about being a Guardian God, but, knowing her daughter would eventually climb the Tower, she wasn't left with much choice. The Verum had been a problem during her own climb, and, even if she found powerful companions to protect her, Meylp knew the Verum would spare no expense to capture, torture, and humiliate her daughter. It was for this reason that she decided to become a Guardian God, as, if it meant her daughter would be able to climb safely, Meylp did not care about her own future.Unfortunately, though she already suspected it was the case, Eondu had also been elevated to the status of a Guardian God. This was the main reason for his meteoric rise through the Tower, as, even before his climb, he carried the 'hope' and 'pride' of his entire race. As a result, he was able to move through the Tower with impunity, as, due to the strenuous requirements to become one, there were simply no other Guardian Gods to stop him...Meylp knew it was only a matter of time before she would be forced into a climactic battle against the tyrannical Dragon God. The moment he began traipsing through the Tower with impunity, she began expanding her army and forging powerful alliances with the native tribes. They might not be a match against a Guardian God on their own, but, as he would undoubtedly be backed by an army, she needed one of her own to repel it.Becoming a Guardian God provided a considerable boost to parameters, a functionally limitless lifespan, and immunity to Instant Death attacks but it didn't make you immortal. You still had to abide by the same set of rules as everyone else, and, once your HP hit 0, you would die. This was an inviolable truth, and, no matter how powerful a Guardian God became, they could still be defeated by a reasonably powerful force. This was true for both Eondu and herself, but, due to the massive size of her Behemoth transformation, Meylp knew she was at a distinct disadvantage...Though it was rarely ever discussed, it was common knowledge that, regardless of how powerful someone's Endurance, it was impossible to completely mitigate damage. You would always take, at the very least, one point of damage from even the weakest of attacks. This made it infinitely more important to dodge attacks, but, when your body was literally the size of a small mountain, dodging wasn't exactly an option.Without an army of her own, Meylp knew she would be overwhelmed by the thousands of Verum that would accompany Eondu's rise to the 100th Floor. Most were bound to fail the trial of the 99th Floor, but, even if it were just a few hundred, their aerial mobility, combined with their ability to dish out powerful attacks, had always made the Verum notoriously troublesome opponents. This was the reason they had been able to suppress the other races, as, prior to breaking through the Level 100 bottleneck, flight was impossible for the majority of races.Though her individual attacks were strong enough to kill the average Verum in a single blow, Meylp had never been known for her Agility. Her transformation made her even slower, so, with rumors of Eondu's breath being able to completely mitigate regeneration abilities, she had spent hundreds of years mastering her base form. This would drastically decrease her strength, but, unless she could get Eondu in a one-versus-one situation, her transformation was a death sentence against groups of foes with superior mobility.Fortunately, with hundreds of years to prepare her defenses, Meylp was able to build an army that outnumbered the Verum nearly a thousand to one. This gave her an absolute advantage, as, even if the Verum were exceptionally powerful, overcoming the challenge of the 99th Floor required a lot more than strength. It represented one of the most challenging bottlenecks in the entire Tower, as, without consuming some valuable treasure, exceeding Level 99 required conquering the 99th Floor.What Meylp could have never anticipated was the fact that Eondu had made a contract of his own with the Tower. In exchange for removing the limiter from his biological children, he vowed that he, and all of his children, would never exceed the 100th Floor. He didn't believe there was actually a top to the Tower, so, rather than waste time trying to reach an impossible goal, the only thing that mattered to him was securing a place for himself and realizing the goal his ancestors had failed to achieve.Under normal circumstances, trapping yourself on a specific Floor would be a death sentence, as, after enough time had passed, a Reset was bound to happen. This was what ultimately forced the Verum to abandon the 90th Floor, but, just as Meylp's contract had a negation clause, so too did Eondu's. His required that he produce an offspring between the Verum and the Bapho, combining the two 'penultimate' species into a singular, perfect, form.Unlike the majority of his kin, Eondu had never particularly hated the Bapho. Instead, he disdained his own race for their short-sightedness and bigotry. Their bias towards members of a specific race had limited their growth, and, despite thousands of years of effort, they ultimately failed to produce the so-called 'strongest' species. All they accomplished was inflating their ego and causing greater embarrassment for themselves when other species, despite being 'inferior', managed to completely surpass them.With his father being a member of one of the 'weakest' species, Eondu had never once believed in the superiority purported by the Verum. They had numerous advantages over the majority of other races, but, in spite of this, they continually failed to meet expectations. Many even lost their lives in situations they should have easily been able to overcome, all because their ego and hubris blinded them.Eondu believed that the greatest strength of the Verum was their ability to adapt and subsume the traits of other species. They might not be the strongest, but, so long as they didn't limit themselves by assumption, it was only a matter of time before they produced, not the strongest race, but the one with the greatest potential. His own existence was a testament to this, and, even if it required him to gamble the future of his entire species, there was no sense in perpetuating an existence that was limited by their own hubris. He was determined to live a life without any restraint, and, even if it cost him everything, he wouldn't have any regrets...

A few minutes after Khö alighted from the room, the relative silence was broken by the sound of Eliza, Emilia, and Krone passing through the front doors of the dining room.As could be expected, Eliza wasn't too happy about the fact that Linnaeus had gone ahead, but, instead of saying anything about it, she adopted a pouting expression, asking, "Were you able to discover anything?"Nodding his head, Linnaeus explained, "It's hard to talk about it, but I was able to confirm some of my suspicions. It doesn't look like we have a lot of options until our contract with the Guild has expired."Hearing Linnaeus' response, Eliza released a tired sigh before plopping down next to him and letting her head rest on the table. She wasn't all that surprised by Linnaeus' words, but, knowing she couldn't escape the machinations of authoritative figures, even after death, she couldn't help feeling a little annoyed.Seeing how frustrated Eliza was, Linnaeus hesitated for a brief moment before lightly patting her on the back and saying, "It's going to be okay. Didn't we already agree to protect each other? I'll do my best to keep you safe, so don't let this get to you..."Chiming in, Emilia nestled next to Eliza, adding, "Lin is right. We're all one tribe. Even if the enemy is much stronger, I won't be afraid. I'll protect all three of you, even if it costs my life~."Towards the end of her statement, Emilia hugged Eliza's body tightly, nuzzling against her in an affectionate manner that caused the petite purple-haired girl to groan in mock frustration.Deciding to leave Eliza to Emilia, Linnaeus looked up at Krone, noticing the latter's steely gaze had been focused on their surroundings. It wasn't difficult to guess what was going through his mind, so, when their eyes met, Linnaeus gave a curt nod of affirmation.Though it could still be a coincidence, this was the second time they were the only guests in the dining room. This wasn't too abnormal, but, when you considered the relatively cheap yet high-quality food, it was strange for the hall to be completely barren two days in a row. The most likely scenario was that every other tenant was already affiliated with the Porcello Company, protecting its properties from internal and external threats while disguising themselves as normal groups of Adventurers and Mercenaries.As if to prove the veracity of this assumption, two figures emerged from the double-doors leading into the kitchen: Khö and Almas. The first was pushing a tray filled with similar dishes to the ones they had previously ordered. Linnaeus noticed her eyes were still somewhat puffy, indicating she had only recently stopped crying...Linnaeus wasn't the only one who noticed Khö's state, but, due to the presence of the motherly woman with glimmering purple eyes, even Eliza remained silent. They all knew just how powerful Almas was, so, unless they were left with no other alternative, it was best to avoid inadvertently offending her.Pulling a seat from the nearby table, Almas sat down next to the booth occupied by Linnaeus and Co. She sat with her back straight, patiently waiting until Khö finished handing out all of the food before saying, "You do not need to worry about paying for these items. They are my gift to your Party. Now, I believe you have already reached a consensus...?"Before answering, Linnaeus made eye contact with each member of his Party, earning small nods from the two girls and a light shrug from Krone. Then, without beating around the bush, he asked, "What are the intentions of the Porcello Company? Even if its to entrap people, I can't understand why you would use a Bapho as bait. What are Khö's circumstances? Why is she here, pretending to be a waitress...?"Rather than answer, Almas pulled out a parchment from her Inventory, unfurling it to reveal what appeared to be a contract. Only after handing it over for Linnaeus' perusal did she explain, "You are a clever boy, Linnaeus...almost dangerously so. If you want answers, you will need to sign that agreement. Don't worry, it is little more than a contract of non-disclosure. Even if you want to walk away and pretend like this was all a dream, the Porcello Company won't pursue the matter~."Though he was listening to Almas' words, Linnaeus' eyes were focused on the relatively simple document. As she mentioned, the terms primarily included protecting the information that was exchanged between them. At the very end, however, there were some troublesome clauses that immediately brought a frown to his, and everyone else's, faces...Staring back at Almas, Linnaeus had a serious glint in his eyes as he asked, "What is the meaning of these clauses? You expect us to become Debtees to the Porcello Company if we fail to exit the Crucible in the next four months? Is this...some...kind..."Linnaeus was originally going to lambast Almas for the ridiculousness of the contract, but, before he could finish, a sudden realization hit him. This caused his eyes to widen noticeably, a feeling of panic surging through his body as Almas smiled and mused, "You really are a clever boy..."With Almas' words being the only confirmation he needed, Linnaeus balled his hands into fists beneath the table. He felt a considerable amount of indignation but forced himself to appear as calm as possible on the surface. Eliza, however, could feel his body shaking slightly, causing her expression to turn dour as she glared at Almas with hostility.Before Eliza could do something that got them all killed, Linnaeus startled her quite a bit when he placed his hand on her thigh. Her angry expression immediately transitioned into a flustered one as she instinctually smacked away his hand, a slight blush coloring her cheeks.Taking advantage of Eliza's distracted state, Linnaeus further surprised his Party solemnly stating, "We will sign the contract..." with a deathly serious expression on his face.Needless to say, Eliza wasn't too happy about Linnaeus' decision, but, knowing he must have a good reason, she begrudgingly pricked her finger after seeing him and Emilia do the same. As for Krone, he remained silent for several long seconds before saying, "I have no intention to leave the Crucible. I will accompany my Party to the top floor as promised before spending the rest of my days repenting for my failures in life. I have no interest in the private affairs of your Company, so I will not sign away my freedom over something so nonsensical."Hearing the usually taciturn Krone speak so much, even Linnaeus was slightly taken aback. At the same time, however, he couldn't help but feel slightly frustrated. He already knew the Krone took his vows very seriously, but, despite rarely speaking to each other, Linnaeus had come to believe that he was very trustworthy. Knowing Krone still intended to remain was like a punch to the gut, especially given the circumstances...Surprisingly, Almas didn't seem to mind Krone's statement, nodding her head as she said, "That is perfectly reasonable. Please step out of the room until we finish our conversation."Rather than immediately follow Almas' instructions, Krone looked toward Linnaeus, waiting until the latter gave a curt nod before rising from the booth. This was giving a considerable amount of face to his Party Leader, something that made Linnaeus feel even more regretful about their future separation...Once Krone had left the dining room completely, traveling well out of earshot, Almas smiled in a practiced manner, stating, "If there is nothing else, please sign the contract. As you are no doubt aware, this is a time-sensitive matter. The sooner we can reach an accord, the smoother things will go."Taking the initiative, Linnaeus left a bloody imprint on the paper, cursing the fate that had led him to this moment. This situation was turning into something bigger than he had anticipated, but, so long as they were able to leave the Crucible, nothing else really mattered.Seeing everyone sign the contract, Almas adopted an expression that could only be described as predatory amusement as she explained, "It is fortunate that the two of you trust Linnaeus enough to sign the contract without a fuss. If he had tried to explain things, well...I'm sure he'll explain it to you..."With Almas' words serving as further confirmation, Linnaeus adopted his usual neutral expression, explaining, "They want someone to take Khö up the Crucible...if we didn't sign the contract, our lives would have been forfeit..."In response to Linnaeus' words, Almas clapped her hands a few times, her smile becoming more natural as she exclaimed, "That is correct! My, my, did I mention how clever your little Party Leader is~?"As could be expected, Eliza and Emilia had hateful expressions on their face as they glared back at Almas. Neither seemed to realize the significance behind Linnaeus' words, their minds clouded by the fact that the purple-haired beauty had been fully prepared to kill them moments prior.Shattering the building tensions, Khö had an extremely apologetic expression on her face as she bowed at a steep angle and exclaimed, "I'm sorry! If it wasn't for me, none of this would have-"Before Khö could finish, Almas lightly pat her back, saying, "There is no need for that, Khö. These people inquired about your situation by choice. If anyone owes them an apology, it would be me. However, this was something that must be done...I'm certain you understand that, don't you, Lin?"At this point, Eliza could no longer contain herself, saying, "You don't have the right to call Lin in such an informal way! You...you vile temptress...!"Hearing Eliza's outburst, Almas just stared at her as if she had no idea what the girl was talking about. This caused Eliza to appear even more upset, but, before she could say anything further, Linnaeus explained, "Calm down, Eliza. I already explained their intentions and I'm pretty sure I can guess their reasons. In fact, I'm almost certain..."After observing Khö closely, Linnaeus had started to realize that she wasn't actually putting on an act. There as little reason to keep pretending when she was out of sight, so, based on the fact she still had puffy eyes when first appearing, it was easy to deduce she had been crying. This implied she had an uncommon amount of dedication to acting, or, infinitely more likely, her reactions had been genuine.With all eyes focused on him, Linnaeus explained, "Khö is a potentiate, just like us. She must have come into contact with the Porcello Company after reaching the Fifth Floor. She must have struck a deal with them, earning their protection in exchange for becoming their future property. Since she is still a Potentiate, however, they can't keep her here unless she fails in her trial...is that it?"Though there was more he wanted to say, Linnaeus felt like he would be stepping on a landmine if he mentioned it too soon. It would be better for Almas or Khö to reveal the truth, allowing him a small amount of breathing room in case his conjecture proves incorrect...Much to Linnaeus' surprise, Almas shook her head, her expression turning somewhat melancholic as she said, "While not exactly wrong, the way you explain things leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It might be difficult for you to believe, but we're actually trying to help Khö. Most people do not understand the true nature of the Bapho tribe. Once you learn the truth, you will understand why we needed to take these measures..."As he could already see where the conversation was headed, Linnaeus nodded his head, taking a bit of the wind out of Almas' sail as he said, "So long as the Porcello Company is willing to provide us with adequate protection and supplies, we will escort Khö to the surface. I'm certain you have your reasons, but, before any of that, I want your promise that others won't harass us while we're cooperating with the Porcello Company."Hearing Linnaeus' words, Almas got the feeling he was behaving a little too opportunistically, but, as his Party was one of only two groups suited to the task, she ultimately nodded, stating, "So long as you were willing to agree to our terms, we intended to protect you. We already have numerous allies within the Guild so there will be no problems. In exchange, you will have to temporarily join our Company, fighting alongside our other Parties in order to make proper use of your Potentiate status. By the time the Main Expedition has come to an end, you will have more than enough Soul Kindling to purchase your life back from that mischievous cat..."Almas' words basically confirmed the fact that their Drop Rate was much higher than average, so, without further ado, Linnaeus nodded his head, stating, "We are in agreement. Now...I suppose it is time you tell us about Khö's situation...?"Seeing Linnaeus look toward her, Khö suddenly became very sheepish, using her notepad to hide her face. It was a rather adorable reaction, earning her a deadpan stare from Eliza and an amused smile from both Emilia and Almas. The latter, however, quickly fixed her expression, turning more serious and professional as she stated, "Well...it all began around forty-thousand years ago..."

Chapter 97: Echoes (1/?)