Without a proper explanation from the Floor Guardian, Linnaeus needed to find some means to obtain information. The method to move on to the Seventh Floor had to be known by at least one person or the odds of moving up would be exponentially decreased.

Thus far, the only clue he had was the Soul Kindling. It seemed to be a form of currency based on how it manifested in a similar way to Aether. From this, he could speculate that the means to reach higher Floors was wholly dependent on the amount of Soul Kindling you had in your possession.

Since it was impossible to be certain, Linnaeus could only steel his resolve while continuing his trek towards the distant mountains. He assumed that, as one of the only visible landmarks, he assumed that most people thrown into this hellish landscape would head there.

With this in mind, Linnaeus continued his journey at a steady pace, using his [Acrobatics] to navigate the rough and uneven terrain while keeping a low profile. There were very few places of cover in the desolate blackened landscape but, if he used the perpetual plumes of black smoke to his advantage, it shouldn't be difficult to avoid detection.

The only things Linnaeus really had to worry about, at least for the time being, were the dangerous pools of yellowish liquid that produced a foul-smelling aroma. They were bubbling over like boiling water and would periodically erupt before peppering the rocky black terrain with corrosive fluids.

Because of these constant eruptions, the landscaped was pockmarked with tiny holes that would have eaten away at his bare feet in normal circumstances. If not for his [Barrier Aura], Linnaeus felt that even walking through this unforgiving terrain would be very difficult.

Fortunately, or perhaps not, Linnaeus had yet to encounter a single monster after more than an hour of traveling. He also hadn't come across any other people but, considering the words of the Floor Guardian, he assumed it wasn't that common for people to be sent here.

Assuming this was the case, Linnaeus felt that encountering the bone-producing man was either an expression of misfortune or, as was far more likely the case, the machinations of the Floor Guardian. It was very likely that he and the man were both new arrivals on the Eighth Floor so they had been pitted against each other, much like how he had been tested prior to entering the First Floor...

Thinking that he had killed someone who just got a second chance at life, Linnaeus could only shake his head while releasing an exasperated sigh. If the man hadn't suddenly attacked him, they could have worked together to try and make sense of their situation. The Tower didn't seem to require that you kill anyone so unless the rules had fundamentally changed, there was nothing preventing him from teaming up with others. With the man's ability to produce weapons from his bones, combined with his own ability to create barriers, they would have been a very strong team...

Now that he had a second chance, or at least a chance to obtain one, Linnaeus was thinking about how he could change himself for the better. His passive nature had been the cause of his death so, this time around, Linnaeus felt he needed to be more proactive.

Ryuuna had never pointed it out, but Linnaeus knew that his own attributes had nearly reached her own at the same Level. This implied that his foundation wasn't nearly as weak as he expected. While there were undoubtedly people more powerful than him, there was no need to just lay low and wait for others to act. If he was always at the mercy of other people's decisions, the odds of him reaching the Tenth Floor, and beyond, would exponentially decrease.

Linnaeus couldn't see himself ordering people around and suppressing them but, after his trying experience with Ryuuna, he would never allow himself to be at the whims of another Party Leader. If he was going to Party up with anyone in the future, he would be the one extending an invitation.

Though exceptions could be made, this would entirely depend on whether or not the person trying to lead him was worthy of his respect and trust. He would never join them just to preserve his life as, with his death as the best example, this was completely meaningless unless he was willing to lower his head and live by the whims of another.

While he didn't consider himself an inherently prideful person, Linnaeus realized he had lived much of his life in a rather obstinant manner. He had always lived in opposition to the system designed to suppress and exploit him, to the point he had killed well over a thousand people.

Though he didn't want to become an arrogant prick that took advantage of others, Linnaeus knew he needed to embrace his nature instead of suppressing it on principle alone. He had to be willing to fight for his beliefs at any cost, even if it ultimately resulted in his death. After all, it was better to die fighting for your life than to passively wait for a death imposed upon you by others...

---

If not for the Akashic System, Linnaeus wouldn't be able to accurately gauge the passing of time as, looking up, the only thing overhead was a perpetual layer of clouds. They would periodically rumble before spewing out terrifying bolts of purple lightning which, fortunately, had yet to strike anywhere near him.

With the system, Linnaeus was able to tell that nearly thirteen hours had passed since his arrival on the Eighth Floor. Despite this, he felt no closer to the mountains than he was at the beginning of his journey. This implied they were impossibly massive, much like the Tower, or that something was actively preventing him from approaching them.

For all Linnaeus knew, the challenge of the Eighth Floor was finding a way to reach the mountains in the distance so it was extremely vexing to have made no discernible progress.

More troubling was the fact that, despite more than half a day passing, he had seen no signs of life, nor had he found any sources of freshwater. Though he had enough supplies to last him for several weeks, at the very least, this wouldn't matter if he never found the means to replenish them.

Feeling frustrated, Linnaeus climbed to the top of a craggy mound, one of the highest points in the immediate area, to see if he couldn't get a better grasp of his surroundings. Unfortunately, the only thing he learned from this was the number of black plumes and the location of a few large pools of corrosive fluid.

Seeing the seemingly endless stretch of wasteland, Linnaeus couldn't help but release a tired sigh as he sat down and decided to take a break. This caused his SP to drain a little faster but, with his regen outpacing it, Linnaeus didn't care. Others would have to tolerate the hot and abrasive stone directly so he couldn't really complain.

Since he didn't know when he would find food and water next, Linnaeus decided to ration out his current supplies as much as possible. He could easily go days without eating so, while he was very tempted to fill his stomach to ease his frustrations, he managed to restrain himself.

While looking out towards the horizon, Linnaeus adjusted his seated position before murmuring in a tired voice, "This place...how is anyone supposed to reach the Seventh Floor like this...?"

Shaking his head in response to his own question, Linnaeus then looked toward the sky and asked, "Are you doing your job properly? I have no leads and there is next to nothing here besides a vast and inhospitable wasteland. Are you trying to imply that only those lucky enough to stumble upon the answer have the right at a second chance? What a farce...for all I know, you just want to watch people suffer futilely before giving in and accepting their death..."

With nothing happening for half a day, Linnaeus had a lot of time to think about the purpose of the Crucible of Souls. Though the voice stated it was a means to earn a second chance at life, it provided absolutely no information on how to succeed. It almost felt like the true purpose of this Floor was to punish those who had died with a strong desire to live...or perhaps those with lingering resentments.

Much to his surprise, Linnaeus felt a chill run up his back as a cold voice answered, "Come now, little boy, is this the limit of your perseverance? I had expected you to at least last for a few days before complaining...well, you are still a child, after all~"

When the voice finished admonishing him, Linnaeus heard a ding within his mind as a series of words played across his vision. This included information about the distance he had traveled and the amount of time that had passed.

Seeing this information, Linnaeus realized that the ambiguity of the Floor Guardian's words had been intentional from the start. She seemed to be testing their patience and tolerance, trying to determine how quickly they would break before lashing out at the 'unfairness' of their current situation.

Linnaeus suddenly felt ashamed of his behavior as he could have easily continued forward for several days without issue. It felt like he had, once again, compromised himself. His obstinance and indignity had led to his death and, now that he was supposed to be vying for a second chance, he was already complaining about the system itself being designed to suppress him...

After several seconds of silence, the voice began to laugh once again before whispering, "Do not fret so much, little boy. Though your results are lackluster, they are still better than the vast majority of people who find themselves here. With this unforgiving terrain and lack of resources, it rarely takes longer than a few hours for most people to break. After all, they don't have the benefit of your little Blessing, ufufufufu~"

Hearing the voice, Linnaeus nodded his head in understanding as just walking through this Floor had been a tedious experience. Without his Blessing, he would have suffered quite a bit due to the heat of the abrasive ground, the pungent aroma, and the periodic showers of corrosive fluids. In truth, he had a significant advantage over others due to his [Barrier Aura], making his complaints seem even more childish...

Rather than be allowed the time to brood, Linnaeus heard another ding in his mind that caused his Soul Kindling to increase to 538, ten for every hour he had lasted and one for every kilometer he had traveled. This meant he was averaging around 30km/h, a decent pace considering he was using his [Stealth] and constantly surveying the area.

Immediately after receiving his rewards, Linnaeus felt his body tugged by an invisible force before his surroundings changed from a hellish landscape to a forest. Instead of a blackened sky, there was an endless expanse of blue above, marred by the existence of a few fluffy white clouds.

Before he could take in his surroundings completely, the voice explained, "As you have suspected, the purpose of the Crucible is not to simply determine who is the strongest. It is a test of everything about a person, from their character to their creativity. Your only true goal is reaching the top Floor. How you get there, and how long it takes, is ultimately up to you. Just know that there are hundreds of ways to move up so do your best this time around, little boy~"

For a brief moment, Linnaeus felt something nibbling on his earlobe, breaking his concentration and causing him to swat at empty air. The behavior of this Floor Guardian was troubling, to say the least, but he now had a basic understanding of what he needed to do.

From what he could ascertain, there were a variety of different challenges but they were all kept hidden to see how people would act. In other words, he could set challenges for himself and, so long as he put in an adequate amount of effort, he would be able to reach the next Floor. This was likely a method to allow those without combat-oriented Blessings to ascend higher as, if everything was just predicated on survival and combat, the vast majority of people were doomed to failure.

After releasing a sigh, Linnaeus slapped his cheeks with a bit of force, leaving two hand-shaped marks on his own face. This allowed him to better focus his mind as he began looking around the area, whispering in a determined voice, "No more complaining...I need to grow up and do my best from here onward..."

With his convictions set, Linnaeus picked a direction and began walking once again. He assumed it was possible to move on to the next Floor after just surviving for a few days but, this time around, he was determined to find another challenge to complete. The Floor Guardian stated that there were hundreds of ways to move up so it was easy to guess that some offered much better rewards than others...