Level-Up Apocalypse: Surviving With The Assimilation System

Chapter 238 Mysterious World

Settling the dispute of going after one another's necks, he looked around at the colorful forest, finding the vibrant leaves humming with shifting shades, "This place is just weird all around, isn't it? Just have to survive a week, though. A week then it's done."

"Think it's that simple?" Jeong-Hui asked, adjusting his hood.

"What?" Finn questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"I mean that after a week, it will all be done. Sorry, but I hesitate to put any trust into whatever put us into this situation in the first place. Who's to say when the week is up, we aren't just thrown into another hell?" Jeong-Hui theorized, shrugging his shoulders.

It wasn't exactly something he could argue against, after all, it was a rational enough thought. Still, clinging onto those sorts of pessimistic views felt like willingly stabbing oneself in the foot.

"Then what're you still fighting for?" Finn asked.

"What's that?" Jeong-Hui asked, already having taken some steps away, though stopping to hear him out.

"If you think there's nothing but hell waiting after this, why would you still be going on? I mean, at that point, wouldn't it be easier to lay down and accept death?" Finn questioned directly. Your adventure continues at My Virtual Library Empire

The words seemed to resonate with some part of the red-headed assassin, who was quiet for a moment as he considered it.

"I won't deny that it's wishful thinking to believe there's still hope, but…Just giving up and accepting that is worse. I've lost a lot of people. If I threw in the towel now, I'd be spitting on their graves," Jeong-Hui admitted with resolved words.

"I see. I'm exactly the same," Finn agreed. "There's meaning in nothing else but pushing forward. At least, that's what I think."

Jeong-Hui stared at him for a moment, sliding his hands into his pockets, "Yeah, you're right. Want to scope out ahead?"

"Ahead? You've got some kind of sense of direction in this weird world?" Finn asked.

The red-haired assassin pointed up north past a bundle of trees, "Well, I spotted some sort of ruins before those monsters swarmed me. It seemed like a decent place to check out."

"Sounds like monster territory," Finn considered, folding his arms over his chest.

"This whole world is," Jeong-Hui corrected. "Might as well see what we can find."

"Guess I'm fine with that," he agreed.

Following alongside a fellow assassin, there was a certain sense of comfort he felt in having one with similar skills to himself by his side. Pushing into the depths of the colorful, unearthly forest, he looked up at the trees of glowing leaves.

A centipede larger than an adult male slithering around a trunk, moving its many legs as its husk glistened.

"Ugh…" Finn quietly expelled his disgust at the otherworldly insect, keeping forward.

It wasn't so much disgust at the oversized bug itself, but more the thought of having to defend himself if it attacked.

Just a few steps ahead, he watched the red-headed assassin brush low-hanging branches out of the way.

—Vrrrrr.

Amidst the quiet hike, a ringing noise greeted his ears. It was a distinct sound, bringing him to a stop as he tried to decipher where it came from.

Jeong-Hui stopped at the same time, seemingly perplexed by an identical noise.

"Do you hear that?--" The red-haired assassin asked.

Just as the question was posed, the ringing noise intensified, rising sharply to such a degree that all the two could do was clutch their own ears. A thousand needles prodding into his ear, probing his brain–the ringing felt like a complete invasion into his mind.

It was impossible to gather a single thought as the intrusive sound scrambled his brainpower, finding himself brought to a knee as he covered his ears as much as he could. While it felt as if his brain might simply explode into a million pieces of matter, the ringing finally ceased–

"Haaah…!" He gasped out, moving his hands away as sweat dripped from his forehead.

It was the same for Jeong-Hui, who carefully picked himself up in the same manner as if just having been struck by lightning.

"...What was that?" Finn questioned, holding his head.

The migraine he felt was more intense than any other, clasping his own forehead as if trying to hold two halves of his skull together. In front of him, Jeong-Hui breathed out as sweat dribbled from his chin, though his expression seemed less confused.

"A warning…I think. I experienced it earlier when approaching that place," Jeong-Hui answered, wiping his chin.

Finn managed to straighten himself out, though he felt his question only brought more confusion, "What do you mean? You didn't think to warn me about something like that?"

"I thought it was a one-off occurrence. I guess it has to do with crossing a certain distance within that place," Jeong-Hui clarified.

"You're telling me you experienced that sort of "warning" and still think it's a good idea to go check out those ruins or whatever they are? Sounds like something doesn't want us coming any closer," Finn reasoned, still caressing his head.

"You're free to go the other way. I'm checking it out," Jeong-Hui declared, continuing ahead.

While he did consider simply just leaving his fellow assassin to wander off into wherever uncharted territory, he begrudgingly followed along. He felt a kindred spirit with the red-haired man, though also felt it was the best chance of success cooperating with somebody of a similar skillset to his own.

"It's just up ahead, I think," Jeong-Hui quietly said, stepping over a small split in the dirt.

"Okay," Finn begrudgingly accepted.

Past the vibrant trees, it led into a pathway of smooth stone, descending as a slope into an unknown place tucked beneath a mountain.

Finn stood there, staring at the peculiar pathway carved perfectly smooth of old, gray, rock, "That's not natural."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Something is off about it," Jeong-Hui agreed.

Placing a single boot onto the first stretch of the smooth slope at the same time as his companion, it sent a sensation throughout his body—

"Ngh!"

"Eurgh—!"

It felt like the very same ringing, yet as a force echoing through his bones. For only a moment it lasted, yet it left both of the experienced survivors with bloodshot eyes that soon faded.

"Shit…Another warning?" Finn asked, breathing out.

"Seems like it. Still coming along?" Jeong-Hui questioned, glancing over.

"Got nothing else better to do," Finn answered hesitantly.