Level-Up Apocalypse: Surviving With The Assimilation System
Chapter 61: What Lurks Beneath, Part Two

At the same time, both Finn and Charlotte confronted the insect that rushed them head-on. It possessed a slightly different build from the one that he saw attacking the knight and cannoneer; it was shorter and stockier, moving with quick, springy steps while rapidly slashing at them.

With little reach using his dagger, Finn left most of the parrying to the spellblade, as her sword was adequate in matching the visceral limbs of the creature.

"Finn!--" Charlotte let out as her blade bounced back upon a failed parry.

["Blink Slash"] [2:59]

Closing the distance in an instance with a strike aimed to sever its head, he appeared right past it, replaceing that his dagger only bounced off of its bladed arm. It had somehow already lifted its limb to protect its neck from that angle.

'It reacted to that? These things are insane,' Finn thought.

At least, he was able to deter it from following up on attacking his companion after it overwhelmed her. The brief moment the stygian-shelled insect was stunned, Charlotte followed up on Finn's opening.

["Flicker Strike"]

From one spot to the next; from the front and back, left and right, even briefly above it, the spellblade struck from multiple spots as though a set of frames were being skipped. Only one of the half-dozen slashes bypassed the defenses of the hardened monster, slashing into its exposed flesh between its arm and shoulder.

Charlotte landed on her feet, though being forced to quickly step back as the endlessly aggressive insect retaliated even as it spewed green blood.

As it lost focus on him, Finn silently approached from behind it, bringing his hands together before spreading them apart:

["Dark Threads"] [Mana: -100] [2000/2000]

He dashed in right up past the insect before it could swipe its arm at the spellblade. As he passed by it, stepping into its way partially, he wrapped the binding strings around its body.

With a sharp tug, the threads caused its arms to be constricted to its sides like a lassoed beast. It hissed and squirmed, contesting the hold that the young man placed on it.

Finn stepped back, facing away as he pulled on the bindings with all of his strength to hold the monster in place, "Charlotte–!"

Nothing else needed to be said to spur the spellblade into action as he ran her fingers along her blade.

"Awaken. Strengthen. Roar," gently spoken incantations left the young woman's lips, spoken right to her sword.

["Infusion of Calamitous Thunder"]

An enchant manifested across the length of the silver; strands of electricity coiled around the sword along with black clouds like an active storm brewing.

Finn watched as the young woman dashed right towards the bound insect, moving with grace as if a master of the blade. Only a single movement was taken as Charlotte came within reach, elegantly swiping the infused sword as she passed by the monstrous, humanoid insect.

The slash was followed by the crackle of thunder, leaving a trail of raindrops behind the spellblade.

"Kreee–!?" The insect shrieked out.

From its shoulder down to its side, the creature was subject to an evisceration permeated by a strike of lightning that hit it a moment after the initial strike.

["Ravager Mantis defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x1000 obtained."]

[Experience points: +5000] [6100/35000]

[Assimilated ability from ["Ravager Mantis"]: "Partial Exo-Shell" 1 / 5]

The infusions of a spellblade were no joke; he was already aware of that, but watching the lightning decimate the insect, Finn couldn't help but be impressed.

"Nice work," Finn complimented, raising his hand.

Charlotte wiped the sweat from her chin as she sheathed her sword, turning to look at his hand before meeting it with a high-five, "You too." She said with a smile.

As he looked over, Finn watched as the cannoneer and knight walked over, though with some clear bickering between them.

"I'm just saying, it's obvious that you should steer clear of a cannon's path. It's your fault if you get burned at that point," Magnus remarked before looking over at the young man and woman. "Right, Finn? Charlotte?"

Jasper followed up, seeking their opinion as well, "It's more obvious not to pull the damn trigger if your mate is in the same path, yeah?!"

"Don't ask me. I am not a part of that conversation," Finn declined to speak on the matter.

"Me neither," Charlotte added with a small laugh.

The lights flickered again, briefly engulfing them in darkness before turning back on. It was like a stark reminder not to get comfortable, as Finn felt the cold, old air of the subway carry with it the heavy stench of blood.

Back on track, Finn stepped into the opened doors of the train, immediately replaceing a horrific smell meeting his nose as he covered it.

"Uegh–what is that?" Magnus wondered, stepping in right behind the assassin.

It wasn't something noticed when first parting the doors, though the floors and walls of the train's interior were layered in black gunk. The stench was that of sickeningly sweet sewage, presenting such a putrid air that it was hard not to gag.

"It's...a feeding ground, I think," Charlotte pointed out.

"That's what I was thinking. I was hoping I was wrong, though," Finn added, lifting his boot as the tar-like substance squelched beneath his step.

Magnus stepped past Finn with a light shake of his head, "I'd rather not stand around in the excrements of these man-eating insects any longer than I have to."

"I don't think anybody else is thinking otherwise, mate," Jasper said, stepping through.

Finn walked right behind the knight, with Charlotte right behind himself, going deeper into the train car towards where opened doors led to the other side of the metro. There was a rush in getting out, seeing as the grotesque interior had nothing for them to linger around for.

As soon as he stepped out of the train, he exhaled, replaceing even the dry air of the metro refreshing comparatively.

"Ah, now what the hell is that?" Magnus asked in quiet distaste.

What awaited on the opposing side of the subway was a perplexing sight; an escalator just ahead led to the exit of the metro, yet something stood at the top. They began to slowly descend the unmoving steps, dragging its feet and slumping its shoulders with a slight sway.

"Something's off–" Charlotte pointed out.

It looked to be another person, though their skin grayed and overcome with black veins. From their bloodied, pearlescent armor with an exuberant cape that flowed down their soldiers, it was the winged spear they carried they gave it away to Finn.

"Is that a person? Hey! Are you alright?!" Magnus called out.

"Hold on–" Finn raised his arm, stopping the cannoneer from going to check on them.

Their head was engulfed in something; only its underbite was visible as the top of his face was blackened with compound eyes; a dragonfly. It had an unnatural appearance, as though his skull itself had been infiltrated by the bug.

"Are they…alive?" Charlotte wondered quietly, keeping her sword ready.

"I don't know, but that's definitely a person–or at least it used to be. I don't know," Finn anxiously said, not knowing entirely what he was looking at. "They're a Dragoon–that's one of the strongest classes. We need to be careful."

Reaching the bottom of the escalator, the insect-headed man in bloodstained, once majestic armor came to a stop, swaying side-to-side while loosely holding his sapphire-handled spear.

Magnus raised his cannon, calling out to the stumbling, wordless person, "Don't take another step before telling us your name–"

The warning from the cannoneer was met with a swift response, as the unspeaking figure crossed the distance between them in a single step. Magnus barely had enough time to begin stepping back as that spear's reach was already piercing towards his head.

CLANG

The end of the spear was rejected by a well-timed shield by the knight, getting between the aggressive dragoon. At the same moment, Finn closed in, ducking beneath the shaft of the weapon and swiping his dagger at the exposed midsection of the dragoon. From the blank, the spellblade circled around with swift steps, going for a strike at the peculiar figure's back in unison with Finn.

["Holy Arc"]

A stream of burning light cast itself around the spellblade's sword as she slashed at the dragoon's back.

["Spider Bite"] [9:59]

Venom laced his strike, though it only managed to scrape the exterior of the armor as the dragoon jumped to the side just before either attack could land. Though displaying the walking skills of a toddler just a moment prior, the dragoon-classed man flipped around like an acrobat.

'He looks clumsy, but he's still agile–just what the hell is wrong with this person?' Finn wondered.

["Sleuth Status"]

[...Assessing information about [???]...]

[BOSS Identified: "System Parasite"]

[Level: 35]

'A BOSS–? Here? What the hell is this thing?' Finn thought.

The information obtained was enough reason for him to shout out to his companions, "It's a BOSS! Don't let your guard down!"