Level-Up Apocalypse: Surviving With The Assimilation System
Chapter 86: Crystalline Gill

There was a constant drip of water from the ceiling of the cave, lightly coming down like a calmed rain. It made traversing the eroded bridge a cautious endeavor as the bumpy stone was laid slick from the moisture.

"I've never been in a mountain before…Well, this is my first time around one at all, really," Charlotte admitted, correcting herself.

"I don't think it was a common thing to do," Finn said while taking slow steps, looking around at the glistening cavern.

It wasn't as though it smelled repulsive, though the scent of salt was thick in the old air. Careful strides led him halfway across the eroded bridge, with each step taken by each of them echoing through the cavern.

"Don't look down. Don't look down," Jasper repeated to himself in a singsong tune.

"Repeating it won't make it any easier—it's distracting me, even," Magnus remarked from the back.

"You don't have to listen, mate. Close those ears up," Jasper responded.

While he led the way forward, Finn listened as the periodic drops of water descended from the top all the way down to the deep river. From the ceiling, it took a good few seconds until hearing the echo of "splat."

RUMBLE.

"—Woah there!" Jasper let out.

The entirety of the cavern shook briefly, causing a brief rain of sediment to come down.

They each came to a stop, frozen as if a single step might bring it all down. It only lasted a moment, coming and going faster than it endured, though a noise bellowed from the depths of the cavern.

"Err…I think it's fine?" Charlotte nervously guessed.

"I wouldn't be so quick to assume," Magnus advised, looking around.

"I'm about one second from puking my guts out. I've got vertigo, mate—this type of crap does not sit well with me," Jasper said, holding his head.

Suddenly, the bridge felt much more narrow with the stability of the cave now in question.

"Let's just keep moving…I don't feel like testing this place," Finn said, continuing onward.

"Right there with you, mate," Jasper agreed with a quick exhale.

It wasn't many strides forth that he found himself stepping to the other end of the crystalline territory. There was an open passage leading into a deeper area of the mountains innards, though it wasn't much better than the bridge.

"…Great," Finn mumbled.

The further section held ankle-high water, kept with a sapphire glow as crystals lined the walls and floor.

"Are we sure this'll spit us out the other end of the mountain?" Jasper asked.

"Only way to replace out is to keep moving forward," Finn answered. "—Though I'm not sure either."

While there was no longer a threat of plummeting into the deeper depths of the cave, treading through the mineral-filled water was hardly better.

Finn glanced down, taking notice that his movement was slowed down in the shallow stretch.

"Do people really go through this place?" Jasper asked.

There wasn't exactly a carved out path, only a gaping hole up ahead that led further.

"With the state the First Order is in, I doubt it's used anymore," Magnus answered. "This world is claimed by monsters now, it seems."

"Not much different from our own then," Finn said while moving ahead.

"It's a change of pace from the woods, at least, right?" Charlotte optimistically said, though to little effect.

Through the crystalline-luminated pool, the steps through the water echoed against the hollow mountain.

Splish-splash. Splish-splash. Splish-splash.

A monotonous journey, sweeping each leg through the low water. Finn marked in his mind that he was halfway across the flooded chamber, setting his sights on the path ahead.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

A sound repeating in succession like knocking against the stone brought him to a stop.

"What was that?—" Finn questioned, calling his dagger.

"Likely trouble," Magnus casually answered, glancing around.

His companions didn't spend a moment being any later to ready themselves, each covering one another's backs with their weapons drawn.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

The noise became louder and more frequent, clearly coming from the crystalline ceiling. Just as he tilted his head to look up, he jumped back as something crashed down in front of him—SPLASH.

"What's that?!" Charlotte asked as water splashed against her.

Finn kept his arms up as the shallow waves leapt and fell, looking at what had suddenly dropped in.

What arrived was covered in slick, blue-and-white skin that was moist and clad in crystals. The head of a fish, bearing razor-sharp teeth and the body of a gargantuan man.

It towered over the travelers, wielding a rusty, clam-clung trident.

"It's a Troglodyte!" Finn called out.

"The fuck is that?!" Jasper shouted in return.

"A big-ass monster! Get the picture?!" Finn responded.

The fish-headed colossus rose its trident, spinning it around before slamming it back down. It sent a mighty ripple through the light waters as if claiming it would not let them pass.

Magnus stanced himself as the cannon was readied, "It's never as easy as it seems, is it?"

"I'm more surprised it took this long," Charlotte said, tracing her fingers along her blade.

The first to take action was the cannoneer, pulling the trigger of the massive weapon as it released a blazing shot.

Finn watched the flaming projectile launch right for the gilled giant's head, only for the troglodyte to duck down right beneath it.

BOOM

The cannonball struck the wall behind the monster, causing the chamber to rumble as sediment rained down.

"Don't bring this place down on us!" Jasper shouted while running in.

Magnus huffed, holding his ground, "Sure thing, and shut up!"

The fish-headed warrior closed the distance while almost slithering on all fours briefly like a snake. It arrived as Finn leapt back just as it rose to its hind legs, thrusting its trident right at him.

'—It's agile,' Finn noted.

"Hraaah!"

The yell boomed from Jasper as he intercepted, using his shield to swiftly deflect the three-pronged thrust.

["Golden Parry"]

A spray of golden light sprinkled where the trident met the face of the shield, producing a shock wave that rang through the fish-headed warrior.

"Thank me later, mate!" Jasper called out from in front.

Finn brushed off the remark, flipping his dagger in his hand as he dashed in, "—It wasn't going to reach me, but thanks."

["Blink Slash"] [2:59]

He brought himself at the height of the fish-man's neck, slashing his blade against its lateral muscle. Though he felt his dagger slice through, the size of the troglodyte's body hardly made it a significant blow.

'—Up close like this, it's huge,' he observed.

He let his boots land on its shoulder in that fleeting second before flipping himself around in the air. It retaliated quickly, snapping its jaws towards its own shoulder, narrowly missing the assassin's foot.

BOOM

As he landed in the water beside the troglodyte, a flash of fire exploded against the side of its head. A direct hit served to leave half of the monstrosity's face burnt and peeled, yet it remained upright, pointing its ire at the cannoneer with a rumbling cry.

The troglodyte hoisted its trident up, holding it in such a way that it seemed intent on using it like a javelin, aiming it towards the swede stationed at the back of the chamber.

"Incoming!--" Magnus shouted.

Finn dashed in while the fish-headed giant's attention was turned away, setting his sights on its exposed, right ankle.

["Gale Blessing"] [2:59]

The swirl of wind around his body parted the water at his feet, allowing for unhindered agility.

He moved in alongside the spellblade, who seemed to have the same intent as him.

As he sprinted through the shallow water, he swapped his dagger for the excessively lengthy odachi just as he reached the fish-headed titan's ankle. Just as it tried to toss its trident, he swept his blade against its ankle, while Charlotte brought her shining blade against its shin from the front.

The two-front attack on its right foot allowed both of their cuts to be enough to completely cut through.

"Nice one!" Jasper shouted.

Magenta blood spewed into the water, making it cloudy with the creature's life essence around its position.

With its balance compromised, the troglodyte collapsed to one knee as the shining water rippled into small waves.

"Move!--" Finn shouted, noticing that the desperate creature wasn't done.

It released an angered cry, keeping its three-pronged weapon raised before torquing its body in a violent motion. Before the knight could approach, they were all forced back as the troglodyte spun around on one knee, using its trident to drag across the ground.

["Phantom Flow"]

Finn surfed on his darkness along the rippling water, replaceing the waves formed of the wrathful giant splashing against his pants. The sound of the trident scraping across the bottom of the floor was grating, acting as though the troglodyte sought only to force them away.

Magnus shouted from the front end of the chamber, "I need a moment! Give me some time!"

The request was heard loud-and-clear by Finn as he sprinted along the water, as the troglodyte continued dragging its trident in such a way to prevent anybody from coming closer. He flicked his blade into the air, throwing it right above the head of the fish-man.

["Blade Warp"] [Mana: -100] [2400/2500]

From the shallow water to its clammy skin, he landed his feet right atop its head. There was only enough time to jump off, though not before pointing his hand at its face:

["Cloud of Darkness"] [Mana: -200] [2200/2500]

A blast of pitch-black smoke pushed right against the fish-headed fiend's face, completely engulfing it in the obscuring veil. While within it, the darkness wasn't simply blocking one's sight, but disabling it entirely, deafening any noise around it in tandem.

Finn landed back down onto the water before flipping away as the troglodyte began to panic and swing its trident rapidly, "Do what you're going to do!--"

The cannoneer took the opportunity to bolster his stance while his weapon honed in on a coalescence of brightly-burning energy, "That's a proper distraction–good job."

The tantrum-like movements from the scaled warrior forced Charlotte to quickly move, replaceing that there was no way to predict its attacks.

Jasper rolled away while keeping his shield up, placing distance between himself and the troglodyte as it blindly swung its trident, "Shit! Hurry it up over there!"

"Just keep quiet," Magnus said with instilled focus as sweat dripped from his chin, pointing his cannon right at the smoke-hidden head of the creature.

["Draco Beam"]

The condensed force shot out, causing the waves to part and turn to vapor just from the presence of the ultra-hot energy. Through the blinding smoke, the beam pierced with killing precision.

It couldn't be seen where the focused laser hit as the shadows hid the fish from the shoulders up, though as its body fell limp and it crashed down, the result was clear.

["Crystal Troglodyte defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x500 obtained."]

[Experience Points: +2000] [30500/50000]

[Assimilated ability from ["Crystal Troglodyte"]: "Minor Water Breathing"]