Level-Up Apocalypse: Surviving With The Assimilation System

212  Casual Outing Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The position that Nikko was left in wasn't one that he envied in the slightest. One look at the engineer's face, plagued by dark bags beneath his eyes and disbelieved hair, it was undeniable the stress he was in. "I've considered that avenue. The problem is, a lot of the people here aren't equipped to handle the world outside these walls. Y'know, most of them were found hiding away, never attempting to fight," Nikko explained. "I noticed that. None of them have any levels. To think people manage to survive that way," Finn remarked, finding the idea of it somewhat annoying. "Well, not a large percentage, anyway. Just those who got lucky," Nikko corrected. Finn got up from the stool, stepping over as he peered out at the cityscape through the window as well. The sight of the skyscrapers, cars driving in the street, people crossing without the worry of otherworldly horrors–it was something he found himself staring at for long periods of time since coming to the city. "I don't want it to all come burning down. Just thinking of it–that thought makes me want to curl up and scream. You agree, don't you? A place like this–with how the world has been, it's a precious thing," Nikko remarked with heartfelt words. "...Yeah, it's amazing. If you're asking if I'd put my life on the line to defend it though, the answer is no–the same goes for Charlotte and Jasper," Finn answered. Nikko laughed, "You got me. Can't blame a guy for trying, though. You're amazing, Finn. While you're not the highest level I've seen, I believe you're the most capable person left. You get more done with what you have, I suppose is what I'm saying."

"A compliment like that almost sounds backhanded," Finn playfully said. "It's not," Nikko assured. "You've got a real fan in me, Mr. Hawkthorne."

Finn turned away, strolling through the room as he approached one of the suspended prototype robotics hanging from the ceiling, "Flattery isn't going to convince me to throw my life away, either."

There was a small laughter shared between the two, though none of it was quite a joke; he had no plans of putting his life on the line for the city. "Where do you think it is? The end of all this, I mean. If there even is one besides humanity ceasing to exist," Nikko asked. "Somewhere in the Tower," Finn answered with the only thing he was confident in. "I'm sure of it."

The discussion with Nikko didn't seem to help all that much with the engineer's worries, though at the very least, being able to talk about it alleviated something. After that talk, he left the building, remembering the plan he had to meet up with Charlotte and Jasper at the city's mall. Stepping outside, the scope of the city filled him with a sense of wonder, left on his own to take it all in. 'It is really amazing–I can't deny that,' he thought, looking at the pristine buildings, watching cars pass by as he strolled along the sidewalk. In his pockets, his hands stayed as he crossed the street while cars waited. The block ahead was neighbored by a small, well-maintained park, even outfitted with a playground. He watched while walking as a man tossed a frisbee to a small dog, laughing and playing without a care in the world. It wasn't a far walk until he found his way to the mall, which took up an entire block in its size. "This is it, right?" He mumbled to himself, looking up at the gargantuan structure. Mostly built of a silver, reflective material with a curved roof with glass panels, it was the kind of building that stuck out like a sore thumb. Stepping inside, there were an assortment of shops built into it—cafes, toy stores, makeup places, and even gaming hubs. It was a blast from the past for the young man, feeling as though it'd been years since he saw such a thing. While it couldn't compare to the sort of crowds that would gather in malls before the world was turned on its head, it was the most amount of people he'd seen grouped in one place. The meeting place was the center plaza, though he found himself standing there alone with his hands in his pockets. 'Looks like I might've gotten here first,' he thought, glancing around. A marble fountain produced a stream of water behind him, luring his bored mind while he waited. Leaning over the edge, he glanced down into the crystal clear water, finding countless coins left in it. He couldn't help but smile to himself at the old tradition still being followed through by others. 'I guess wishes are more needed than ever, huh?' He considered.

Rummaging through his pocket, he found a copper coin of his own, holding it on his thumb for a moment. A worthwhile wish is what he thought of, thinking of it carefully before deciding on a suitable one. With a flick, he sent the coin into the fountain as it landed on the water with a "plop."

'Where are they? I guess I did wake up a lot earlier…Perks of being used to no sleep,' he thought. Glancing around, he decided to scope out what the plaza held by himself to pass the time. There was a jewelry shop, a clothing store, and—the next store caught his eye: "GameTop."

Posters were stuck to the glass displays, showcasing an FPS (First-Person Shooter) game "Mission Ace III" that had come out just a few months before the First Impact. It was one he was actually interested in, at least before everything had gone the way it did. He entered the storefront, browning around the shelves that were stock full of video games for different consoles. While he questioned how they could have such a stock in times like this, it was because of this situation that he realized finding products would be easiest. "This really takes me back–wow, I sound like an old man," he muttered to himself, grabbing the cover of a vintage platformer, While he scoped around the store, the excited chatter of a couple kids caught his attention as he glanced over. A blonde-haired, taller boy and a tan-skinned, shorter one with freckles were arguing, both holding a game of their own. 'What're they getting all riled up for?' He questioned. Though he couldn't understand what they were saying, sounding like they were speaking Russian, it wasn't hard to get the gist of it. After all, it was a situation most boys experienced–wanting a game, but not having the money for it. Both seemed to want a different game, though only had enough money scraped up together for one of them; the blonde boy wanted the farming simulator game "Risehill Valley', while the freckled one argued for "Monster Tracker", an open-world RPG (Role-Playing Game)--at least, that's what he got from watching their debate. "Hey, you two–over here," Finn called out to the kids, standing in front of the cashier as he pointed to the counter. Of course, even with a language barrier, the boys seemed to understand the offer from him with giddy smiles as they rushed over. Both the games were placed on the counter as the cashier smiled, ringing them up. "Total will be one-hundred-and-twenty," the chubby cashier said. "Right," Finn said, reaching into his pocket. What he retrieved was a sleek, black card with a silver line down the middle. The sight of it was as though it was some kind of one-of-a-kind treasure as the worker and the kids held looks of astonishment. "That's a…" The cashier mumbled with an agape jaw. Finn casually swiped it through the card reader as a small chime played with a successful transaction. 'Guess it works. I probably shouldn't abuse it too much. Nikko said it doesn't have a limit–though he said to try and not collapse the economy,' he thought, stuffing the special card into his pocket.