Level-Up Apocalypse: Surviving With The Assimilation System

"A Boss?!" Charlotte called out.

"Right off the bat? This place isn't holding out on the welcoming party," Finn remarked.

The guardian of the castle's gates was wordless as the axe was raised, lifting one foot up before slamming it down—THWOOM.

A ferocious wind swirled around the colossal knight like a newborn tempest.

There was no chance for anybody to close the distance nor attack before the knight of the winged helmet swung his axe.

It was right in the direction of Finn and Jasper, though too far for the blade to reach. Even so, Finn felt the wind erupting along the motion of the swung weapon.

'It's using the wind?—' He realized.

There was no opportunity to evade as the Storm Knight's swing incurred a massive wave of wind. The gust swept against Jasper and himself, taking him right off his feet as he was blasted away.

"Aaah!—"

"Woaaah!—"

Finn found himself knocked off the floating island entirely as the axe-guided tempest still brushed at his body.

With little time to think while hearing the yells of his companions, he threw his dagger at the courtyard—

["Blade Warp"] [Mana: -100] [2100/2500]

He found his boots back against solid ground, catching his dagger, though having no time to focus on the enemy.

"Waaaaa!—"

The scream brought him to look back, finding that Jasper was still caught in the disruptive gust.

'Shit…Can I grab him? I have to be careful where I throw my dagger,' he considered.

He carefully aimed where he might toss his weapon to catch his friend, though his focus was torn away—

"Wake up and fly, fly away!"

With a microphone in her hand that dazzled with a crystalline end, Nova spoke with a voice graceful and pleasant to the ears, yet commanding.

[Pathfinder: Illustrious Roc]

From a burst of glitter and light with disembodied cheers of an unseen crowd, a massive avian manifested in the air above the eccentric bard.

Its feathers varied from all shades, constantly shifting from blue to red, to pink to purple, green to yellow.

"What's that?—" Magnus questioned.

"It's pretty," Charlotte remarked.

Finn watched as it flapped its wings, scattering an array of glitter as it soared towards the falling knight, "It's a summon—it's hers."

Amidst their awe of the manifested creature, the axe-wielded that spurred the wind did not wait around.

Finn found himself and Charlotte being rushed down by the Storm Knight as its axe was reared back again.

Once more, a torrent engulfed its weapon as the gilded warrior raised its weapon high—

"Let your heart thump-a-dump-dump for me, baby!" Nova's singing voice boomed from her crystalline microphone.

["Kiss of Haste"]

In that moment, Finn felt his reflexes sharpen and hone as the wind-engulfed axe dragged through the stone tiles in slow motion.

He felt a spark of swiftness in his body, letting him easily slide out of the way. The same agility seemed to be present for the spellblade, as he watched her avoid the swing of visceral wind as well.

"What was that? How did I?—" Charlotte wondered, witnessing chunks of the stone be swept through.

Finn looked over at the eccentric bard who kept her mic to her lips, giving him a playful wink as if saying "You totally owe me one!"

'I definitely am in your debt for that,' he thought, continuing to flip back as the giant of a knight stomped at him.

In the air, Jasper's desperate yells were squelched as he was caught in the talons of the rainbow-feathered avian.

"Ah—friendly bird, ain't cha?" Jasper remarked before promptly being dropped back down onto the courtyard.

The life-saving bird returned to the side of the songstress, who gave it a pet on its golden beak.

Finn looked to the right where the Australian knight's boots set down, "Are you good?"

"Yeah, just a lil scare. Might need to change my underwear later," Jasper playfully said.

There was little choice but to face the imposing warrior of the keep, seeing as there was no escape route. The Storm Knight stomped down once more with an eruption of wind, slamming the bottom of his axe as the rampant gusts howled.

It was a challenge: a wordless invitation to those that dared enter the castle grounds.

A single breath was expelled from beneath the winged helmet, a raspy exhale of a withered soul.

"One misstep, and that axe is gonna send one of us to the pearly gates," Jasper remarked.

Finn kept himself low and ready to move in an instant, finding himself closest to the figure, right beside Jasper.

Just as the wind-shifting knight raised his axe, prompting Finn to move alongside his companion, the voice of the pink-hooded bard shouted—

The small-statured woman took a lower tone, singing with a raspy, deep scream, "We will fight to the death! To the ends of the earth! It's a brave new world!"

["Hymn of War"]

It wasn't just the voice of the bard, but the sounds of guitars and drums filled the courtyard with the arrival of her lyrics.

As Finn sprinted right towards the Storm Knight, he felt the words from the microphone resonating within him. A supernatural strength emboldened his muscles, quickening his pace and allowing him to close in with a dash.

"—!"

The Storm Knight was ready for him, swinging its axe in a horizontal arc. He ducked down in a sliding motion, feeling the sharp extension of wind pass right over his head. Such a far-scoped ring of wind forced the others to halt their approach as well, either by jumping or ducking beneath.

There was a clear opening for a counter as Finn slashed his dagger at the midsection of the warrior's golden armor.

["Assassin's Strike"] [4:59]

He dragged his blade across the sturdy equipment worn by Alexander, finding the mystical strength bolstering his body extending itself through his dagger. It failed to dig into the flesh beneath, though he cleaved into the armor before having to flip back just as a retaliation came.

As Finn withdrew, a hail of cannonfire crashed against the sluggish knight; a burst of fire was soon met with lightbound slashes from the knight, fueled by an array of thrusts of the spellblade's sword.

"Keep it going!" Nova cheered through her mic, pointing her finger forward as her words further bolstered each attack.

A unified effort, met once more by Finn coming in as he set his eyes on the exposed point in the armor he had made himself.

["Blood Blade"] [Mana: -500] [1600/2500]

["Blink Slash"] [2:59]

Both skills at once brought him to arrive beneath the winged knight's wind-fueled swing, dragging his scarlet edge across their abdomen. Finn exhaled, finding that his dagger undeniably carved a lethal wound as he stood there.

"Finn!" Charlotte shouted.

"Get back!--" Magnus yelled.

As he looked up, he found the Storm Knight was still moving into a follow-up, raising his axe as though not having his gut split open.

The knight of the winged helm slammed his axe down, crashing into the tiles, slow to lift it with but a single hand as hollow words escaped the faceless warrior, "...Even if my soul is withered and but a fleeting ember, so long as my body remains…None shall reach the King."

Undying resolve spoken from the knight whose once slumped shoulders rose as if commanding his body with brittle bones. Pieces of the faded, golden armor began to crack and break off, turning to dust, yet the wind stirred, a roar of thunder made itself known.

"The world may be corrupted and shattered, but so long as the King lives…As long as the King breathes, it will not fade away…Our record will not turn to ash," the knight of the storm said through a hoarse voice.

Seeing the devotion of the figure that seemed to challenge himself merely to stand, yet alone raise his weapon and fight, Finn felt himself questioning if the path he treaded was the right one.

That doubt seeded itself in those that heard the devout words, bringing Magnus to shout from the backline, "Don't hesitate now! It's our world or theirs–we knew that coming here!"