Level-Up Apocalypse: Surviving With The Assimilation System

Chapter 235 A Long Week Ahead

"Hey, erm…!" Gilbert stammered out.

Just as he glanced back to see what the ranger had to say, the air crackled. He looked up alongside Gilbert, witnessing the sky bend as a black object bled through space.

"What is that…?" Gilbert gulped.

—A book. The colossal, hard-cover book hovered at the world's summit, humming with an ominous tone. As its pages flipped open, it sounded like a plane flying overhead. It did not open to legible text, only presenting scribbled pages before a voice emitted from it–

[There are currently [67] humans that remain.]

"Sixty-seven…? No…What you said–you weren't lying…" Gilbert dropped down to his knees, shaking his head.

Though he was well aware of the dire state humanity was left in, it dug a needle deeper into his heart as Finn squeezed his fist. All he could see were the smiles of his friends, their laughs in those small, yet precious moments–the tiny reprieves amidst despair.

The foul, disembodied voice that emitted between a mix of a masculine and feminine tone continued from the colossal book in the sky:

[The scarce remnants of mankind lay scattered across the Bottom–the world placed beneath existence. A trash heap for the discarded. Your objective is simple for the Final Order: survive for one week.]

Each foul word from the enigmatic object was heard loud and clear to each and every survivor, stranded in the unknown world. With that command given from the book, it closed itself shut, fading away into the folds in the sky without a trace.

Finn stared up at the sky made up of rifts to other places, taking in what he heard.

"Did you hear that? Just gotta survive a week…That's not too bad, is it? This place sucks, but…At least we can just wait it out," Gilbert said, lightly tapping his hand against the assassin's arm.

"It won't be nearly as easy as you're making it sound," Finn claimed, finally bringing his gaze down from the split sky.

Gilbert shrugged, scraping his boot against the burnt ground that smelled like a fresh barbeque, "You took down that monster. I mean–c'mon, man…If you're unsure, then what the hell am I supposed to do?"

He stared towards the distant nothingness, not particularly looking at anything but his own memories that were all too intrusive to his gaze. Even closing his eyes, it only made it more consuming–he couldn't stop seeing her, remembering simply sitting beside her in that abandoned library.

"Hey? Finn?" Gilbert waved for his attention.

Taken away from spacing out with those bittersweet times in mind, he quietly sighed, "...I don't care what you do. It's not my problem, anyway," Finn brushed off, walking without any sense of direction.

"Ah? Seriously? How'd you get this far with a loner attitude like that? We should all be sticking together…" Gilbert said, reaching his hand out.

The remarks were promptly ignored, more so shut off entirely as the assassin marched like a doll, puppeteered only by resolve as fragile as the stem of a flower. Yet, he clutched that resolve close to his heart, protecting it like a small ember in a downpour.

Enough walking without paying any mind to where he was headed left him finding a passage between mountains, stopping at a curled tree. It presented a perfect spot to rest, with its branches and giant, glistening, blue leaves providing four walls to hide within.

He sat himself down, nestling close to the tree as he allowed himself to think and gain some rest for his body, but more importantly his mind.

["Sometimes, it really just feels like the universe has it out for you. The person least wanting to live outliving everybody else. That's just shifting the blame though, isn't it? I'm here now because of the choices I made, what they culminated to…I had plenty of chances to die before.

It's too late to just give up now. I can't–not when you've all gone ahead without me. I'm sure you're all watching, shouting and cheering me on.

"C'mon! Keep pushing! You won't get anywhere dragging your feet!" Damian was always a bundle of energy somehow, no matter how dreadful the world became.

"Don't lose your head. Focus on the objective in front of you." Yeah, Magnus would say something like that.

"I'll cheer you on with my singing, so you keep fighting!" Nova really had a one-track mind.

"Stand up and lift your head, mate. I'm right here with ya, until the bitter end." Jasper really was a reliable guy. I could always lean on him.

"Finn, take care of yourself. Don't throw your life away." Charlotte looked out for my best interests, even if it wasn't what I wanted.]

As much as he believed himself to be hollow, left with nothing, only able to focus blankly on the path ahead, sitting there, alone beneath those vibrant leaves, he constantly felt the presence of those he left. Their laughs, the stories they shared of their lives, the small quips, even just the moments of silence, enjoying one another's company–

Attempting to simply keep himself together, pretending himself to be strong and unmoving, he couldn't restrain his heart from exuding itself.

Tears escaped his eyes as he sobbed, clutching his knees close to his body, only having himself to embrace. A face of cold, calculated strength was washed away as he outpoured the emotions that overwhelmed his soul.

["I miss you. All of you. There was a time I thought I was better off alone–that people would only get in my way. Right now, more than anything, I just wish all of you here…somebody."]

["My fingers are trembling. My feet are aching. More than anything, I want to give up. I want this all to be done with. I want to join all of you, but…Giving up is easy, isn't it? That day, when I made that choice, Damian…It was because I thought I could go on living, handling this weight.

I won't say I regret the choice I made, but…It's hard. Explore more at empire

I was an isolated loser, sinking myself into games my whole life. I hated interacting with people. I disliked tacking on anything that inconvenienced me, because I believed my time was worth more than anybody else's.

Everything that's happened, it's fundamentally changed who I am, what I value. I'm different now.

Right now, I…

I just want a hug."]