Level-Up Apocalypse: Surviving With The Assimilation System
Chapter 117: The Crusher's Way

Of stone skin and a serpentine neck, the draconic beast of calamity landed before him with a tremor of dirt and ash.

Finn held one arm up as his coat fluttered beneath the weight of the creature that greeted him. There was no attempt to run, though he knew a fight was just as fruitless.

The unnaturally lengthy neck of the world-ending catastrophe stretched itself around him, encircling him before its predacious eye set itself on him. As it looked at what was nothing more than fodder, the slanted pupil dilated.

Brought within such closeness to the calamitous beast, feeling its breath pushed against him like steam from a pipe, his heart thumped in his chest as sweat clung to his pores.

"You…Ah, the human that evaded my jaws last we met. I had believed my bolts turned you to ash, ground into the soil. Yet, here you are–returned to my domain."

From how the bestial eye dilated, inspecting him closer with another lofty breath pushing his hair along, the Jabberwock seemed more than keen on his rising anxiety.

'...I woke up after encountering this thing last time, right? I'll wake up–I'll wake up before it can kill me, right?' He questioned.

The Jabberwock's breaths intensified as a clicking sound emitting from its maw, honing in on the human in its reach, "Not a single being has eluded my jaws nor my claws. I have ensnared every last creature that walked the soil of this world, that has breathed its air. You are the first to have escaped, but I will mend that failure."

A chill ran up the assassin's spine at the serpentine dragon's proclamation, bringing him to jump up, flipping away from the encircling gaze of the Jabberwock.

'Shit…!' Finn thought, feeling the dirt rumbling beneath his boots.

The beast uncoiled itself, rising to its hind legs with disastrous height to cast its harrowing shadow over him like a gloomsome cloud. A storm brewed at the behest of the Jabberwock; bolts flashing from gold, to scarlet, to sapphire–a kaleidoscope of lights that spurred to the beast's grasp.

In the face of unavoidable death, Finn did the only thing he could think to do–

He raised both hands, shutting his eyes before bringing his palms against his cheeks with an unrestrained slap, "Wake up!"

The thunder intensified; the rumbling grew stronger, and the spark in the air approached with killing swiftness—

["Dreamwalking completed."]

"Gah…!"

He gasped, replaceing himself sitting right up in the comfort of the bed. Again, the whimsical world was gone along with the world-ending beast.

All there was now were the snores of his friend and the chirps of birds outside the abode.

He sat there for a moment, catching his breath as his heart still thumped and sweat still escaped his pores.

'…I made it back,' he realized.

It took a moment, and some steady breathing, to settle his heart after the close encounter. He looked over at the bed beside his own, replaceing the spellblade sleeping soundly.

By the chirps of birds outside and the faint glow of the cerulean leaves becoming brighter, it appeared dawn was near.

There was no sign of Seung on the guest floor, bringing him to one conclusion—for better or worse.

'Is he really waiting? That guy doesn't seem like the type,' he considered.

As he slipped out of bed, he pulled his black boots over one foot at a time, tying the laces tightly before sliding his gloves on as well.

He moved with silent steps so as not to disturb the much needed rest of his companions, bringing himself to the stairs before glancing back.

"I'll be back in a bit," he whispered, though none heard.

Again, there was no sign of the elf that owned the towering treehouse, though he didn't bother checking the higher floors.

As he descended the steps, he went straight to the base, passing through the room of old antiques before leaving via the already opened front.

"Took you long enough. I was about to leave."

Right as he passed through the door, he was greeted by the abrasive figure, though didn't see him right away. He looked to the left, replaceing the youthful man of messy, gold hair leaning against the massive, oaken trunk.

"Good morning to you, too," Finn sarcastically greeted. "So, what's the plan?"

Seung held a small smile, unfolding his arms from his chest as he walked past the assassin, giving him a light tap on the shoulder with his gauntlet, "I don't hate weak people."

"Is that so?" Finn half-heartedly questioned, not believing it from the man who seemed to belittle anybody lesser than himself in strength.

"What I hate are suckers that can't admit when they're weak. Like they've got some kind of ego for no reason, driving themselves to get killed," Seung admitted with a solemn tone, for once not seeming to burst with reckless energy.

"--" Finn didn't speak up, replaceing himself to be one such person.

Beneath the veil of the dark-blue leaves, Seung paced somewhat before stopping, looking up at the trees before glancing back at the assassin.

"When we fought that beast back then, you were strong–I told you as much. But, the person I met here was completely different. You lost that edge," Seung told him the brutal truth. "Even more surprising though, you admitted it. I recognize that look when somebody wants nothing else but to shed that weakness."

Finn spoke up, "I'm sick of people having to die because I'm too weak. I don't want anybody else to have to make that sacrifice–to even consider it."

"Listen, if you're afraid of losing people, maybe it's best to ride alone," Seung suggested.

It was odd seeing a more quiet, reserved side of the usually loud-mouthed, abrasive brawler, though it almost seemed like something more reserved for one-on-one meetings. He ignored the suggestion from the crusher, moving the conversation along.

"So, what're we doing? I'd like to be back before anybody wakes up," Finn asked.

There was a smile that stretched across Seung's lips in such a way that it glistened with a certain glee, immediately coming back to his abrasive ways as he gave a slap to the assassin's back, "Raring to go, eh? Like I said–I'm going to show you how to really level up."

["Sleuth Status"]

[Name: Seung]

[Age: 22]

[Designated Class: Crusher]

[Level: 44]

Taking another look at the status of the korean-born brawler, he couldn't replace the room to protest learning from him, seeing as his stats were easily eclipsed.

"Where are we going then?--" Finn asked.

An answer was half-given by the fact that Seung grabbed the assassin by his arm, looking towards the trees above, "Monster hunting, of course!"

"Wait, what're you–" Finn tried to ask. "--Guah!"

Before he could attempt to ask what the crusher's plan was, he found himself pulled into the air without any regard for gentleness. He blinked from the sudden wind pressure, replaceing himself past the trees and shrouded in a golden light.

By his arm, he was carried along in the flight of the now laughing brawler, who seemed overjoyed by the act of traversing the sky. For a moment, he had forgotten that Seung was capable of flight, though he was given a swift reminder.

'Seriously…?! Would it kill this guy to be standard for once?!' Finn thought as his cheeks flapped in the sharp winds.

He couldn't make out the scenery below or where they were heading through the bright light that engulfed them amidst their flight. Before he could even somehow force another breath into his lungs as the air seemed more prone to pelting his face than being inhaled, the swift flight came to an end–

"Ah?" Finn let out.

To his surprise, he landed on solid ground before even seeing it arrive, though stumbling for a moment as the unseen arrival. It wasn't scenery he recognized at all, replaceing himself removed from the forest entirety, instead brought to a stone quarry, stretching into an entire region of rock, devoid of nature.

"Alright, this seems like a good spot," Seung remarked, knocking his gauntlets together as he stepped forward.

"The middle of nowhere?" Finn questioned, looking up at the massive rocks that rivaled mountains overlooking the quarry, completely devoid of trees or foliage. "There's nothing here."

It was completely plain to his view, replaceing nothing but some boulders and pits that held unearthed minerals, though that looked to be about it.

Seung held a burning smile on the other hand, "It's perfect–I can sense it at my feet; the ground is brimming with energy!"

"What does that even mean?--" Finn tried to ask.

An answer wasn't given as instead he watched the golden-haired man draw in a heavy breath; it was an unnatural inhale, bringing in such an abundance of air that his chest puffed up along with his cheeks before–

"COME ON OUT, YOU SPINELESS BITCHES–!"

Seung's voice boomed with unnatural volume, causing the sediment layering the smooth, stone ground to vibrate as did the air, bringing Finn to quickly cover his ears.

["Challenge of Might"]

The provocation spoken with such intensity that even the slumbering mountains seemed to tremble was returned as cracks in the stone quarry began parting with the arrival of those that lay dormant beneath.

Rising out from the splits in the quarry were titanous humanoids of skin of stone, built like powerlifters. The rocky shells of the earth-risen giants resembled the armor of knights, with gaps for freedom of moment that revealed their pink flesh beneath.

["Sleuth Status"]

[Enemy Recognized: "Mineral Titan"] [Level: 32]