Level-Up Apocalypse: Surviving With The Assimilation System

From the crumbling platform, he hopped over to a piece of stone barely large enough to fit both feet on. It was all a bit too much adrenaline for the morning time, his poor heart not having much of a moment to rest between this and the dreamwalking.

Just as he sought to hop to the next step as it all descended closer and closer to the surface, the stepping stone cracked.

"Wha–!?" Finn let out, finding himself falling before he could jump, waving his arms around wildly.

As he fell freely among the remnants of the colossus, he looked around for a spot to throw his dagger to, though none of it looked viable. He looked down, seeing the ground rapidly approach, considering warping down, though it was a risky maneuver.

While setting his sights on where to throw his weapon, he found the flat, stone fields below no longer coming closer. He was at a total stop, watching the debris descend instead of himself.

"Ah–?" He let out, glancing down as his feet were standing against a translucent, golden platform.

"You owe me one."

The powerful, booming voice greeted him as he looked up, finding himself being loomed over by the astral projection of the brawler. He could somewhat make out Seung himself, positioned in the center of the ethereal form.

"Yeah, thanks," Finn sighed, letting himself sit upon the giant hand as he was brought down safely.

He was wary of being "playfully" tossed like a softball by Seung, though surprisingly found himself guided to the quarry as he hopped down from the hand. As his feet met the ground once again, still feeling a lightness in his body from the adventure to heights he seldom wanted to experience another time, the golden light faded away like a lightbulb sputtering out.

"Hah–"

Right beside himself, he watched Seung land from a height that would be fatal to most people, though the golden-haired crusher brushed it off with a smile.

"You beat me to it, didn't you? Hah, nice work!" Seung complimented him, sticking his fist out.

The gesture caught Finn off-guard, expecting the fiery-spirited man to be a bit more abrasive than that as he bumped his fist against the gauntlet, "Thanks. That was pretty crazy–I mean that ability you used."

"Isn't it? It's pretty damn nice being able to give big ass monsters a taste of their own medicine," Seung snickered while rubbing above his upper lip with a hint of bashfulness.

A laugh was shared as he found himself beginning to understand the hot-headed man a bit better. Through fighting alongside one another, pushing their strengths, perhaps a bond was forged; at least, that's what he felt.

Seung gave him a slap on the shoulder, "Next time, I'm getting the killing blow though–bet on it!"

"Oh, yeah?" Finn asked, looking around at the remnants of the quarry as bits of the stone colossus still rained down, though away from his spot.

"Yeah! Not a chance in hell I'm losing twice," Seung claimed with a smile.

"We'll see. Anyway, it's about time we head back–the others might already be awake," Finn said, looking up as the once dim sky was beginning to light up.

In his head, he didn't quite know how he was going to explain the short-lived journey he went through with the abrasive brawler, though he hoped he didn't have to just yet.

"Alright! Lift off in five…four…now!" Seung said, suddenly grabbing the assassin's wrist.

"Wait–argh!" Finn winced as he was lifted off the ground, immediately brought into a high-speed flight through the sky.

Again, he felt the wind tugging at his cheeks and eyelids, hearing the devious laughter of the crusher as though both enjoying the flight and mocking the assassin's face. Before he could run out of breath, he found himself from the quarry back to the forest in merely a few blinks.

"Uuegh…I'm not getting used to that," Finn groaned upon finding his feet back on the ground, rubbing his head.

Seung gave him a slap on the shoulder with a laugh, "Suck it up! It isn't that bad."

He didn't feel like arguing with the adrenaline junky, looking up to find that the leaves of the vast forest had turned to their daytime, bright-yellow sheen.

'I wonder if everybody is still asleep. Charlotte is usually an early bird, so maybe–' He considered.

While distracted by pleasant thoughts, they were stifled as he stepped towards the front door of the manor built in the massive tree. He stopped, noticing that the front door was open. It was a small detail, but one just odd enough to bring him to a halt.

Seung stopped as well, glancing back at him, "What's up? I'm gonna scarf your breakfast down if you don't hurry."

"The door–we closed it, right?" Finn asked.

"Err, did we?" Seung recalled, scratching his head. "Maybe somebody just had to take a piss."

Finn stayed hesitant, watching the door for a moment before a footstep made itself heard at the threshold. It earned the attention of Seung as well, who now seemed wary after the assassin's reluctance.

That slow, sinking step echoed as a silhouette emerged from the doorway, bringing Finn's blood to run warm for a moment. Who walked out was the opposite of a threatening presence; the hunched, small old man that owned the tree house, stepping out with a wooden cane.

"Ah, I was wondering where you two wandered off too," Gurmo said, adjusting his glasses before coughing into his hand.

"Damn, old man, you're a sneaky one. Almost gave me a heart attack," Seung sighed, ruffling his golden tufts.

Finn eased up, silently scolding himself for his unprompted paranoia, almost laughing at the fact he was all tensed up for it just to be the elderly elf.

"What're you doing up this early?" Finn asked the old man.

"Is it odd to simply spectate the beauty of nature?" Gurmo answered, standing there with a small smile.

"Guess you have a point," Finn said.

Seung let out a sigh, stretching his arms behind his head, "I can smell that breakfast from here. Thanks for the food, old man–I'm going to chow down."

"Oh yes, do go ahead," Gurmo gestured for them to go ahead into the home.

Finn followed beside Seung, stepping to the right of the old elf with the thought of a warm meal taking priority in his mind. As he took a single step past the elf, an odd sensation met the left side of his body; a red-hot warmth at his ear, along with a sensation of liquid running down his shoulder.

"Ah–?" Finn let out.

In that split-second, he glanced over, though the reflexes in his body took over in that moment, prompting him to jump to the right. All he could notice in that fraction of a moment was Seung doing the same, jumping away from the old man with a stunned look on his face.

'What's going on–? An enemy attack? Where? What happened?' A dozen questions ran across his mind all at once.

As he moved back, almost pressing against a neighboring tree, he looked around in confusion, feeling his left ear as it felt to be hanging on by a thread. Checking his hand for a moment, he found plentiful blood, both from his ear and a gash left in his arm.

It was only then did the pain of the fresh cuts was felt, further cementing his panic, "Gurmo! Get in the house–! Something's–"

As he tried to warn the elderly elf, Seung shouted at him from across the walkway to the treehouse, "It's him! The fucking old man is the one that cut us!"

"What?!" Finn responded, not even registering the nonsensical claim from the crusher.

It was only then as he looked at the small, unassuming senior did he notice the weapon that was held in the bloodstained hand of the elf: a cleaver with a handle made of bone.

'That blade…Why does he have it? How does he have it? That's…' Finn recognized.

A sinister laugh expelled itself from the short elf's mouth, presenting such a terrible smile that it tore the cheeks of the senior. Yet, even as the skin split, it looked like nothing more than a mask.

"Who are you–? It can't be you–there's no way…" Finn questioned, holding his bleeding arm.

He watched in the same shock as Seung as the old elf grabbed at his own face with both hands, gripping his wrinkly skin before suddenly pulling, tugging as if ripping off a band-aid.

Rip and rip, it did; the face of Gurmo was torn away as his entire body shed away, giving way for broader shoulders, a taller, slender body that seemed impossible to fit in the small frame of the elven elder.

"What the fuck…?" Seung mumbled in disbelief.

Finn was left speechless at the person who emerged from the skin of Gurmo, merely wearing it as nothing more than a disguise; a wolf in sheep's clothing.

That wicked smile; messy, snow-white hair with eyes devoid of empathy–only holding malice within those cold, black irises.

"It's been awhile, Finn," the twisted figure greeted him with a smile, tossing the patches of the elf off his skin as though tossing a simple shirt away. "I missed you, you know. Did you miss me?"