Level-Up Apocalypse: Surviving With The Assimilation System

It was through the massive hole in the library that he led the way out, though sticking close to the side of the building as he moved down the street. He kept his eyes peeled, having to stay focused during the nightfall.

The sounds of scampering feet and the murmurs of fiends all around the cityscape provided a disturbing ambience, though kept him on his toes.

He glanced back, finding Charlotte following closely behind him, while Magnus stayed not far behind, keeping a watch for their flank.

"Is this really a good idea? Maybe we can just find another place to stay for the night," Charlotte suggested while trying to stay quiet, speaking in a near whisper.

Finn kept moving without looking back, "At this point, staying put in this area at all is a bad idea. That psycho really riled up the monsters around here."

"I get that, it's just…" Charlotte said, looking over to the right as the howls of unknown beasts resonated through the cityscape.

"Yeah, I know. I don't like being out here either," Finn said.

At the end of the block where a hamburger shop resided, he came to a stop, holding his finger to his lips for silence before checking around the corner.

RUMBLE.

It wasn't just one pair of thunderous stomps, but multiple, coming from around the left corner of the intersection.

"—Ah, that sounds troublesome," Magnus remarked in a hushed tone, looking up.

Finn inched himself around, taking a glance to the street the massive steps came from. It didn't take much looking to find where they originated; multiple colossal beings roamed the street. Larger than normal cyclops, each dressed in curled, steel armor with massive weapons carried on their shoulders.

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"What did you see?" Charlotte asked, crouched right behind him.

Finn thought about it for a moment, "Cyclopean Knights. We can't afford to fight them, but we might be able to get past them."

"Do you think the risk is worth it?" Magnus asked.

"It's that, or the nearest Tower aside from that is a few miles away that way," Finn said, pointing to the south street where the structure sat in the distance. "As long as we're careful, we'll be fine."

"Alright, then. Lead the way," Magnus accepted, gesturing for the young man to show the path.

Charlotte gave her quiet support, "I'm right behind you."

"Alright," Finn accepted. "Let's cut through here."

He opened the door to the hamburger joint with caution as the brittle pieces of glass that stayed intact carefully crumbled. As he stepped inside with slow steps, he did his best to remain light on his feet as the glass crunched.

Fortunately, the monstrous footsteps of the giants down the block was enough to drown out any noise they made.

The restaurant was left in ruins, with the menu behind the counter hanging down, blocking the way into the kitchen.

As he slowly approached where the collapsed, lightless sign hung, the sound of nails against the tile floor brought him to a halt. He raised his hand for his companions to stop moving, making sure his ears did not betray him.

"Something else is in here," Finn remarked.

"Maybe we should find a different way, then," Charlotte suggested in a whisper.

Finn lightly shook his head, "I can handle it." He assured.

Whatever it was that was rummaging around in the kitchen of the abandoned joint, it didn't sound very large, and it seemed to be alone by the noise.

["Unseen"] [4:59]

The skill didn't change his visibility at all to himself nor his companions that watched his back, only making him appear invisible to those that have yet to see him.

'I can only hold this for about a minute…Need to make this quick,' he thought.

He slipped past the hanging menu, immediately finding himself having to watch his step as the tiles were slick with something. From the smell and color of it, going off of the toppled fryers, it seemed to be spilled grease.

The noises of rummaging didn't stop, bringing him to look towards the opened storage room of the kitchen. There was a trail of grease and old, frozen patties leading into the freezer, bringing him to follow it along.

As he stepped around the aisle of fryers and to the opened storage area, he saw it–

A humanoid creature with the shell of a turtle and wrinkly, green skin like that of moss and dark hair like that of seaweed. It was sitting there in the storage room, shoveling frozen meat into its beak-like mouth.

Though it was facing him, it didn't acknowledge his presence at all as he stood in the doorway to the cold room with his dagger ready.

'It can't see me, then–good,' he thought.

Even if he was invisible to the turtle-man's beady eyes, it would be for naught if he made noise. As it sat there with a tub of frozen patties, scarfing away, he slowly stepped up to it.

He watched it for a moment, raising his dagger before plunging it down—

["Assassin's Strike"] [2:59]

Going right for the head, the blade pierced into the flat skull of the creature without any resistance. A critical strike, severing its consciousness in a single motion.

["Kappa defeated."] ["Anarch Coins x200 obtained."]

[Experience points: +500] [1100/35000]

[Assimilated ability from ["Kappa"]: "Shell Barrier" 1 / 5]

As he plucked his dagger from its head, the gluttonous, turtle-like fiend fell to the side, limp.

"Done," Finn muttered, wiping his blade off.

He left the cold, now barren storage room, looking over to gesture towards the two that waited outside of the kitchen area.

"It's clear now," Finn said. "Let's move."

Charlotte ducked under the hanging sign that blocked the kitchen, walking over while the hesitant cannoneer followed behind.

"Right, onward then—" Magnus remarked.

Cutting off his words, the blonde nearly slipped onto his posterior as his shoe slid across the grease. By some fortune, he managed to catch himself before falling.

Finn and Charlotte watched what was almost a complete wipeout.

"Good?" Finn asked, looking back at the man.

The cynical air around Magnus was gone as he embarrassedly rubbed his own head, "Yeah…Perfectly fine."