Level-Up Apocalypse: Surviving With The Assimilation System

Azure embers drifted like snowflakes, accompanying the rain in the courtyard as the ogre turned its attention to the assassin.

It didn't have the chance to approach with a single step before a cannonball struck the side of its body. An arc of electricity slashed at the smoldering giant before it could balance itself, coming from the spellblade's sword.

["Scamper"] [0:29]

A quick, low dash allowed him to close in while the ogre was stumbling. He was able to slip right between its legs without having to duck, quickly bringing his daggers at the heels of the goliath.

["Tendon Slice"] [2:59]

—Or, he had hoped to do so, at least. He found his blade bouncing right off of the ogre's Achilles heel as if striking a wall of stone.

All he managed to do was scrape a pebble's worth of the charred flesh from its heel, not even earning its attention.

'Not even a scratch?' Finn wondered.

The ogre slammed its fist down with its back to him, sending a tremor of fire towards the front of the courtyard, forcing the others to move.

As Finn stood behind it, the ogre truly didn't even seem to know he was there as it continued to spit out flames towards his companions.

"Incoming!" Magnus shouted while running towards the east of the courtyard, dismissing his cannon only for his sprint.

The ogre moved its head while spitting out volatile fire from its stomach as if spewing bile. It brought down a hail of flaming mortars, landing in the courtyard with geysers of heat.

"—Ah!" Charlotte let out as a salvo of fire splashed by her.

With the sharpness of his dagger failing, he instead brought his hand behind the smoldering goliath's knee—

["Wind Bore"] [Mana: -200] [2200/2500]

The air was forcibly spun and shot forth like a bullet, piercing into the charred leg of the barbaric fiend.

Such an impact to the sensitive spot left the ogre releasing a bellow as it stumbled forward. Even as the goliath lost its footing, it was a danger as its massive weight was swung around. As if using its imbalance to swing its momentum, the ogre spun itself around, staring down the assassin.

"Mate! Get back!" Jasper yelled from near the courtyard's entrance.

Finn witnessed the smoldering giant leap right into the air, gaining air as it lifted its legs as if intending to slam its bottom down upon him. The shadow of its massive rear cast itself over him as he quickly moved himself back.

["Phantom Flow"]

Sliding himself away, he witnessed the stocky goliath plummet back down with a devastating impact. It was like a meteor crashing into the land, causing the cobblestone to split and ripple, flinging brick and grass in every direction as flames expelled from beneath its bottom.

The wave of fire that came from the weighty slam of its rear forced each of them back to their own corners of the abandoned courtyard.

As it struggled to pick itself up with its rotund body, the ogre was subject to a hail of volatile cannonfire.

Magnus pulled the trigger, raining in a burst of projectiles that exploded against the molten flesh of the giant, "--Nrgh!"

["Hellbound Volley']

Each of the erupting cannonballs produced a flare of fire and sparks, quickly turned to steam amidst the rain. Despite the display of deadly firepower, the ogre only waved its hand with a grumble as it picked itself up, as if merely being afflicted by a nuisance.

"What?!" Magnus let out in frustration.

In unison, both the knight and spellblade passed by with their blades engulfed in mystical empowerment; Jasper slashed with a cunning azure, attacking the calves of the ogre; Charlotte leapt up, spinning to produce a winged slice across its chest.

Even as both wielders of swords passed by with their enchanted strikes, it only scraped the unmoving flesh of the ogre.

"--Seriously?" The knight expelled his annoyance while quickly dashing out of the way.

Charlotte shared the same disappointment, having to flip around as the ogre retaliated with a stomp of its foot, "It's unharmed?!"

The monstrous downfall of the elemental goliath's foot produced a ripple of fire through the cracks in the courtyard, once more forcing them all back as the opening for an attack was cut short.

Emerging from the shadow-filled crevices in the split cobblestone, Finn leapt out at the ogre's exposed back. With his boots placed against the piping-hot shoulderblades of the wrathful giant, he dismissed his dagger.

He brought into his hand a weapon he seldom wanted to wield, though he required an edge capable of cutting into such sturdy flesh–

["Bone-Forged Cleaver"]

Wrapping his fingers around the ivory handle made him feel sick, aware of what kind of horrors the blade had committed. He pushed it to the back of his mind as he brought it back, seeking to bolster its cutting prowess:

["Blood Blade"] [Mana: -500] [1700/2200]

Engulfed in a vapor of scarlet tailor-made for such a malicious blade, he swept it down at the goliath's back. It released a hiss like that of a beast as it was brought down, finding no resistance as it carved into the ogre's neck as though it were butter.

It was a surprise just how effective it was, tossing the molten head from the goliath's shoulders. The goliath stopped its movements, falling to its knees in defeat.

"Mate! I'd recommend getting away from it!" The warning was shouted from Jasper.

"What?--"

Finn looked towards the knight before glancing down as a glow met his gaze, witnessing the open wound from the goliath's neck bubbling up with a burst of flames. From the heat he felt pressing against the bottom of his boots, all he needed to know was to jump back as he leapt away just as he witnessed the opened neck of the goliath erupt.

Like a fire extinguisher popping off, a pillar of flames spewed from the ogre's headless stub, sputtering out into embers that danced with the droplets of rain. They each kept their distance on the ogre's destructive way out before it finally fizzled out with the glow of its cracked body fading.

["Volcanic Ogre defeated."] ["Anarch coin x850 obtained."]

[Experience points: +9500] [25500/50000]

[Assimilated ability from [Volcanic Ogre]: ["Fire Spit"] 1 / 5]

With the goliath slain, Finn dismissed the cleaver before the others could get a good look at it, regrouping with his companions.

"I thought that was a boss, mate. Are you really telling me this was a normal bloke here?" Jasper remarked while looking at the flameless body of the ogre.

"If it is, then we're well and truly out of our depth here. Not that I wasn't already aware of that," Magnus said, tapping his hand against his cannon before dismissing it.

"Yeah, I couldn't do fuck all to that thing. Good going there, mate," Jasper said, turning his attention over to the assassin.

Finn rubbed the back of his neck with a small smile, nodding his head, "I couldn't have done that if you didn't turn its attention. Anyway…You said it came from inside the manor, right? Did you fully scope it out?"

"Didn't get the chance, mate. I meant to check the basement, but that big one burst through before I could," Jasper said.

"Let's check it out, then," Finn suggested.

"Might as well, I suppose," Magnus added in.

While the cannoneer and knight led the way to the broken entrance into the town's mansion, Finn glanced back, finding Charlotte silent and gazing at the charred remnants of the beheaded ogre.

"Something on your mind?" Finn asked, watching the other two enter the manor as he glanced back.

"It's just…I couldn't do anything there. It was the same against that thing in the metro, and the beast," Charlotte remarked, rubbing her arm. "But you…It just feels like you're so ahead. I can't catch up–it's not a matter of levels."

"--" Finn remained quiet, listening to what she had to say.

"When you fight something like that, aren't you scared? I am–I can barely move, I have to force my body to. I think it's the same for the others, but you…It's different. When I watch you fight, it's like you're not even scared of dying," Charlotte pointed out.

The question brought him to stand there for a moment, considering it himself as he didn't quite know what sort of answer she was looking for. There were truths he could give her–his fearlessness of being wounded, uncaring for how hurt he got, all allowing it to happen if he could heal.

But, he decided not to say anything that might sound almost inhuman.

"I guess it's because of my abilities as an assassin. I can get in-and-out safely, that's all, really," Finn assured her, choosing something harmless to say.

"But, you're not scared when you fight like that?" Charlotte asked further.

He paused again before shaking his head, "No. Not really. What scares me during times like that is losing everybody else."

Answering truthfully then, he made his way across the courtyard to the interior of the manor. There was a short set of steps to ascend before stepping past the hole in the entrance, welcoming himself in with a careful stride.