Level-Up Apocalypse: Surviving With The Assimilation System

Chapter 73: The First Order

"I fear what sort of financial decisions you made before the world went to hell," Magnus remarked.

"It's because the world went to hell that I'm making choices like this," Finn said, approaching the door with a slight smile, fond of his own choice. "Besides, remember what that old guy told us, Charlotte?"

"I haven't forgotten about that–Oliver," Charlotte recalled. "He said the Tower is likely the answer to everything, didn't he?"

"Yup. So, this will bring us one step closer," Finn said, holding the expensive key up as he stood in front of the enigmatic door.

"I don't know the man, but I feel like you're twisting what he told you," Magnus added.

"We'll see," Finn brushed off the remark, shoving the object into the appropriate keyhole.

Without having to turn it, the key turned itself as the inner mechanisms of the lock seemed to take it from there. A "click' released before the circular, mechanical seal of sapphire slabs unwound in the door, bringing it to open itself.

Not knowing what to expect behind the exclusive doorway, what was found was an all-white room bearing only a well made of glistening, silver stone.

"Now, what exactly is this?" Magnus' skeptical nature shone itself without missing a beat.

"Well, not entirely sure…" Finn honestly admitted, stepping closer to the well.

"I'm not going to lie, mate, you might've gotten scammed. Happens to the best of us, chin up," Jasper assured Finn with a pat on the back.

While Charlotte leaned over to inspect the wall, she pointed at the roof looming over it, "Hey, look."

Finn looked up, sure enough finding there to be writing on the wall: "Submerge into First Order."

"What do you reckon that means?" Jasper asked.

"Submerge…Well, that can only really mean one thing here," Magnus remarked, looking towards the well.

"It wants us to go into the well, but why?" Charlotte posed the question.

Finn gripped onto the edge of the enigmatic well, peering into the unseen depths of the unmoving water, "Guess we have to find out, don't we?"

"Seriously? How have you survived this long?" Magnus asked as if offended by the idea.

"I think they call this "Sunk Cost Fallacy"--listen, don't mind the coins you spent on the key, mate," Jasper remarked.

The young man was already halfway over the well's edge, dipping one leg into it, "Follow me if you want, or don't if you're scared. I'm going in–the only way to get any answers is to reach out and grab them."

With that, Finn took the dive, plunging himself right into the narrow well, finding himself sinking right into the chilly water. For a moment, it was completely dark, though he found a glimpse of light peeking through the aquatic surface.

In fact, it went from brisk to delightfully warm somehow, across a single moment. Natural instincts brought him to kick his legs and push his arms, swimming back up.

"Haah!" He breathed in.

Reaching for the walls of the well only brought him to slap the surface of water as there was nothing to hold.

"Huh?"

A few blinks revealed to him that the white room he was in was not where he found himself, but instead floating in a fog-filled pond. Droplets fell upon his skin, bringing him to look up as he watched a downpour of rain.

'Where the hell am I? Is this what the purpose of that key was?' Finn questioned.

The edge of the pond was found only a few meters in front of where he emerged, climbing out as he placed his boots down on the rain-slick, muddy grass. Spending so long traversing the cities that reeked of death, his nose was pleasantly greeted by the refreshing aroma of dew.

It didn't appear to be outside the Tower, or rather, he truly had no clue where he stood, finding himself in a forest laden with a gentle mist, overlooked by trees aged by time.

In the far distance, visible even through the obscuring fog, a grand structure loomed; a castle that glistened beneath the grace of the sunlight.

Before he could form a guess for where the well had spit him out, his focus was moved towards the splash of water behind him.

"Gah!"

He found the young woman spitting out for air right in the same spot he emerged from, bringing him to extend his hand to his companion, "Hey, Charlotte–over here."

Charlotte accepted the helping grasp, being pulled out of the pond before gazing around, "Where are we?"

At the same moment, another popped out from the water–the knight rose up with his arms flailing.

"A little help, mate!--" Jasper called out.

"Jasper? C'mon," Finn said, leaning over to give his hand to the knight.

A hand was lent by Charlotte as well, helping take the man who was a bit over-encumbered by his armor in the water, though it looked more like he couldn't swim at all. Just as Jasper crawled onto land, the last emerged from the mystical pond:

"Eugh–"

Magnus came out, spitting out the water with a disgusted expression, quickly swimming his way out with a look of clear frustration. Drenched, the swede's blonde tufts drooped like that of a wet dog, though Finn chose not to point that out to the clearly annoyed man.

"Am I wasting my breath even asking where we are?" Magnus remarked with a quiet exhale.

"Pretty much," Finn said. "Still figuring that part out."

"Figured," Magnus said, shaking his head.

"I think it's safe to say we're not back outside the Tower,' Jasper said.

"What makes you so sure of that?" Magnus asked.

All the helmed man had to do was point up directly with a single word in response, "That."

Finn tilted his head back to look along with the others, allowing the moist droplets to land on his cheek and nose as he peered up.

The sky itself was absent. In its place was a continent of its own, upside down with trees and their canopies of leaves swaying like stagnant clouds.

"I see your point now," Magnus quietly conceded, standing in awe of the impossible sight.

Finn looked over, finding Charlotte with her hands in front of her, utterly mesmerized by something.

"What is it?" He asked.

She had a smile fueled by child-like wonder, "The rain–it's going both ways, look."

Sure enough, upon closer inspection, the downpour was also accompanied by rain that ascended, retreating from the moist soil.

"You aren't lying…It is raining both ways, isn't it?" Jasper remarked upon witnessing it.

It was a perplexing phenomena, though Finn's tired mind had seen more than enough not to be distressed by such an occurrence.

"Do you suppose this is a floor of the Tower? That's the only conclusion I'm finding here," Magnus asked, glancing back.

"I think it's the most likely answer, though this place seems like a world of its own," Finn said.

"It was like that with the tenth floor, wasn't it? That place seemed massive compared to the first few," Charlotte remarked, wringing her hair dry of the pond water.

"That's true, but this is another level entirely," Finn reasoned.

While they stood around trying to discern the enigmatic land, the rustling of the bushes that hid behind the fog was heard clear as day.

"Something is coming," Magnus quietly warned, calling his cannon to his hand.

With weapons drawn and focus set on a fight, Finn watched through the mist as a silhouette approached. It was a peculiar shape; a circular form, with a large, thin object carried alongside it.

The approaching figure took slow, careful steps, though not seeming to attempt to hide their presence as each stride squelched the mud beneath.

Through the mist, the silhouette revealed itself, standing only a couple meters away from the wary survivors.

It was a person, or at least somewhat resembled one; a small woman with cerulean skin and plentiful hair that covered one eye. The only eye left uncovered more than made up for the other, as that crystalline, silver gem held an opulence to it as the stranger looked right at Finn.

The peculiar girl had a turtle shell on her back, completely covered in colorful flowers, though it wasn't apparent if it was equipment or something more natural.

"Greetings, adventurers," the petite woman spoke with a gentle voice, holding a completely ambiguous age, unknown if youthul or ancient. "Welcome to the First Order."

"First Order?" Magnus repeated.

"Who are you?" Finn asked, not yet putting his dagger away.

The hooded woman gestured for them to follow, "I am only known as the Mist Courier. A name is unnecessary in this dying world."

Nobody took a step to follow the mysterious person, not so quick to trust one that was clearly not of their own world.

The woman of peculiar complexion glanced back, noticing their lack of follow, "I am no enemy of yours, adventurers. I can promise you that. All I am tasked with is giving you guidance within this First Order."