Level-Up Apocalypse: Surviving With The Assimilation System

Chapter 21: Man of Science

It felt surreal walking through the remnants of the city that was across the world from his own home, looking at the signs that were unrecognizable from his first language.

Though blood still stained the streets, along with other unfavorable substances, there weren't any bodies to be seen. It was due to scavenger-type creatures that avoided conflict; though they were revolting fiends, Finn couldn't help but appreciate that they moved the dreadful sight away from his sight.

"I always wanted to visit Korea at some point, y'know? Didn't imagine it'd be under circumstances like this though," Finn remarked with an exhale, looking up at a yellow sign for a bookstore that was stained with blood.

"I don't think anything about these circumstances are favorable. Still, I don't dislike the quiet cities as they are now," Charlotte admitted. "I was never a fan of big crowds."

"That's kind of..." Finn said, glancing over at the young woman.

Charlotte quickly waved her hands, realizing how it sounded, "I didn't mean it like that–! I just mean...Well, I've never done well around lots of people."

"No, I get you. I'm kind of that way myself. Still...I kind of miss those busy crowds now," Finn remarked, looking at the empty street.

Damian added in with a disgruntled breath, "Same here, man. The thing that gets me the most is the silence...Living in the city so long, you get used to the noise n' chatter. You always think its annoying, then once it's gone–it just feels wrong."

"Yeah," Finn agreed.

Though it was a city he had never been to, or even a country for that matter, he could still feel just how lonely it was compared to what it once was.

In the faraway city, they stumbled upon what looked to be a museum of science. The interior was still neat, with displays of dinosaur skeletons still left perfectly untouched by the chaos.

The floor of gray, sleek material was left stainless, as if the tourist attraction itself was preserved as a display of human civilization.

"Look at this place—wow," Damian remarked, gawking at the dinosaur bones like a delighted child.

Finn checked around, walking up to a display of what appeared to be the skeleton of a mammoth. The scale of it was large, but it hardly seemed impressive after the monsters he'd personally encountered.

"Seems clear of monsters," Charlotte claimed, standing by the railing that separated the display of bestial bones.

"It's odd—why is this place untouched?" Damian asked.

"Not sure, but I'm just going to be thankful for it," Finn remarked, finding it comforting to find some part of the world unmarked.

Through the halls of humanity's proud discoveries and accomplishments; a biosphere exhibiting hundreds of unique, colorful plants; a corridor that went through the many stages of mankind, from primal to current.

Damian gawked at everything like a curious child, while Charlotte held a more quiet appreciation. For Finn, it invoked a certain sadness within him, one not exclusive to him.

Though he couldn't read Korean writing, he could gather what it meant. The national museum of science seemed to be in Daejeon, though figuring out the city they were currently in felt like trivial information.

"All of these years of perseverance and evolution. It all came to this point–torn apart by monsters," Finn remarked, looking at a wall that showcased the different stages of which humans changed from.

"This isn't the end of humanity, Finn. It's not–we're still here, and a lot of others, too," Damian assured him.

"I hope you're right, for all of our sakes," Finn added before moving on.

The many displays and presentations of humanity's history led to one, last area of the perfectly neat museum–the Planetarium.

Something stood out to him as he stopped just in front of the planet-labeled, black door, not yet opening it.

Behind him, the man in heavy armor looked confused, questioning why he stopped, "What's up, Finn?"

"Is there something wrong?" Charlotte asked cautiously.

He remained there for a moment, thinking of the details that stood out to him–the cleanliness of the museum, how not even a speck of dust laid on a wall, nor any traces of monsters within.

'It's not just coincidence or luck...That's not it,' he thought.

"I think somebody is here–and I believe they're right past this door," Finn admitted.

"Wait, really?" Damian responded.

"I was suspicious of the same, but why do you believe they're in the Planetarium?" Charlotte asked.

Finn crouched down in front of the black door, pressing the palm of his floor against the ground of light-brown marble, "--We checked out every other part of this place. So, it's just a hunch."

["Lesser Shadow Recon"] [4:59]

In order to confirm his theory, he emitted the particles of surveying shadows beneath the threshold of the door, bypassing into the planetarium.

"What skill is that?" Charlotte asked, leaning over to watch.

"I can extend a wave of darkness that acts as an extension of my senses. Think of it as a bit of recon," Finn explained, focusing on the particles that infiltrated the chamber past the door.

As it expanded within the following area, he could sense the many walls, along with the many chairs that ascended in the observatory, along with one, prominent sensation–a person.

"Someone is in there," Finn confirmed, returning to his feet as he brushed away the particle shade.

The confirmation brought them all to a careful still, now much more aware of the noise they made and the caution required. With a gentle push, the door was opened as Finn led the way with his silent steps.

There was a black corridor leading into the observatory, up a slight incline. He kept his dagger ready, hearing a hum just ahead as he moved. He could hear the footsteps of his companions behind them as they tried to be silent as best they could.

As he moved up the slight incline, it led into the unique chamber–a dome observatory, though what Finn saw immediately brought pause to him.

It was as if he stepped into another world–no, it was more like stepping out of the one he was in. The cosmos stretched throughout the room, stars glistening all around, with celestial bodies orbiting the air, passing right by him. It was a breathtaking sight, enough to make him forget the cruel scenery outside.

"Humanity has not lost," a silvery, wizened voice spoke. "Not quite yet."

"What?--" Finn reacted, looking over.

Sat down in one of the seats of the planetarium was a man of hair grayed by age, though bright-blue eyes so full of life, unburdened by age as if belonging to a young seeker.

Damian and Charlotte entered the planetary observatory just then as the stranger addressed the guests–

"Welcome to perhaps the last stronghold of humanity's history. I am Oliver, the one who has seen that it's remained so," the man of lengthened age introduced himself, standing from his seat.

He wore an abnormal, black suit with a cape that resembled the star-riddled cosmos on its underside, standing with the aid of a cane that had a replica of Earth on its top.

"And who might you young lot be, if I may inquire?" Oliver asked, looking at the group of visitors.

"I'm Finn," he introduced himself.

"Damian," the armored man said.

"Charlotte," the girl gave her name.

The man of elder age, yet a wellspring of vigor caressed his chin in thought, nodding his head at the names given as he strolled around the length of the celestial observatory, "Judging by your accents, I'd say you all hail from the United States. Am I correct?"

"Yeah, going by yours–you're from Britain, right?" Finn responded.

"That's correct," Oliver answered. "We are all a long way from home. Perhaps a place we will never see again. Alas, the world itself is our home, is it not?"

It was with a snap of his fingers that the man who oversaw the observatory seemed to spur a change in what it presented. A bountiful, luscious forest expanded around them, with grass beneath their feet and the chirping of avians in the trees around them.

A three-dimensional display of technology–perhaps, though it felt all too real; akin to magic itself.

"Woah–what is this?" Damian audibly wondered, sticking his hand out to touch a low-hanging branch, brushing aside a leaf. "It's–I can touch it!"

Charlotte brushed her hand against the bark of a tree, feeling its coarseness for herself. Checking for himself, Finn knelt down, running his hand through the grass as he could feel the moistness of the morning dew.

"This isn't a hologram...What is this?" Finn asked in wonder.

Oliver stuck his hand out as a blue jay landed on his white, silken glove, speaking calmly, "A gift given to me by whatever power is overseeing all of this–a System, I believe it's called."

'This is from his system? Just what kind is it?' Finn wondered.

Even in a world recently invaded by the concept of magic, it was hard to take in such a drastic shift in scenery by a mere snap of one's fingers.

"I am a man of science, but even I must concede that the world has truly been woven into something beyond human comprehension. I do believe "Magic" would be the right way to describe it," Oliver remarked, lowering his hand as he caressed the feathers of the bird that teetered on real and illusionary.

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