Leveling Up With My Deviant System

Deserted Land

Micheal appeared on the very spot he had once died.

However, strangely enough, the scenery around him was utterly different from what he was expecting.

“Just what the hell happened?” Micheal’s face contorted into a grimace as he observed the wreckage around him.

‘Wreckage’ did not quite cut it, in fact, because it seemed like oblivion had descended upon the city. The entire street had been destroyed, every house flattened to rubble– including his. The road was riddled with holes, and what was once luxury cars now stood damaged and charred.

“Was the city attacked?” Micheal gasped, instantly feeling a wave of concern for his sister.

There were no corpses on the floor, so that eased his worry a little. Perhaps everyone had been able to escape just in time.

Micheal was left utterly lost and confused. He wasn’t sure of the exact time he used in that world, but he felt like it couldn’t be more than a month. Just what had happened during that timespan?

As the thought flashed across his mind, he turned around.

His jaw dropped when he did.

In the far distance, a gargantuan structure rose into the sky and above the clouds. The structure was so large and tall, that it made the world look like dusk. When in fact, It was high noon, and the sun had simply been blotted out by the colossal structure.

Micheal’s fear of heights kicked in, and he swayed.

“W-what in God’s name is that?!”

He couldn’t believe his eyes. He never would’ve believed that such a tower could be built. What had happened during his time away? Micheal was terribly eager to find out.

He clicked his tongue and began rushing towards the strange structure. If he needed answers, he was bound to find some there.

Noticing his current appearance–bloodied and resembling a corpse–he decided to find somewhere to change into something more breathable. Micheal quickly found an abandoned store. He rummaged through shattered glass and cabinet, eventually picking out clothes his size and a hooded cloak, as well as some scattered cash.

After some thought, he also grabbed a face mask. He couldn’t be sure of the city’s situation, so there could be a need to hide his face.

When he was done, he continued his jog.

…

After a long while, the tower that pierced the sky came into clear view. Micheal stood atop a hill and looked down. A huge wall surrounded what seemed to be a settlement, and that settlement similarly occupied the periphery of the tower.

Micheal deduced that some terrible tragedy had struck, and those who survived were ushered towards this part of the city. As for what the tower itself symbolized, he couldn’t be sure.

“I really hope Kara is alright,” He clenched his fist and continued down.

When he arrived at the towering gates situated by the walls, he hid behind a collapsed building and observed. A military van wobbled through the rubble and arrived at the gate. There, guards who held a mix of conventional weapons and archaic weapons stood.

Micheal frowned slightly. The archaic weapons reminded him of Sharia’s blade which was currently in his inventory.

After identification, the giant gates slid open with a groan, and the van was allowed to proceed.

“Doubt they’d let me in easily…” Micheal pursed his lips and quickly thought of a plan.

He waited for the next truck that came by, stealthily rolled under and held on with his inhumane strength. The truck halted at the gate, and the guards did their thing. Afterwards, they made way for the truck to pass.

Micheal finally arrived inside the settlement. He rolled away from the vehicle when it had gone a considerable distance and adjusted his hood.

The tower loomed over him like divine judgement, and he struggled not to shrink back in fear.

“This looks more like a camp,” He muttered softly as he looked around. The settlement mostly consisted of metal houses and large tents supported with durable materials. And, the more he observed, the more he realized that only elderly people and sick folks populated this place.

What happened to the young men or women? The children?

Having a desperate urge to know what was going on. Micheal approached an old man who sat outside his container.

“Excuse me,” He called out, but the man interjected with surprise, “What’s a young’in like you doing outside the tower?”

“Huh?” Micheal was puzzled. He glanced at the colossal structure, then asked, “Do you mean everyone is in there?”

The old man gave him a strange look.

“What? Fell from the sky or something?”

“I just need answers to a few questions.” Micheal said honestly. He quickly added, “Uh, I have some money if that’s what you need.” He procured the cash he’d gotten from the abandoned cloth store.

When the old man saw that, he burst out laughing.

“Goodness Lord! No one’s made me laugh like that in a long time! You seemed to have hit your head, kid. No one’s got any use for that useless paper. What I want are Moonstones, I tell ya!”

Moonstones? Micheal was confused at first, but quickly remembered he had heard the term before.

Right… It’s one of the rewards I obtained from completing the quest.

Micheal quickly retrieved a bag of Moonstones from his inventory and handed it to the man. “Will this be enough?”

The man froze for a second, before coughing loudly and gingerly collecting the bag. He yelled, “Ya gave me this, okay?! I didn’t steal it from you or anything!”

Why’s he acting like that? Is that quantity a lot or something?

He shook his head and said, “Anyway, I want to know what exactly happened. Why is the entire city deserted? What is this ridiculous tower doing here? Where is everyone?”

The old man cradled the bag and flashed Micheal a crooked grin.

“Well, boy, it all happened seven months ago, on the 16th of April…”

Micheal’s head buzzed.

What?

I’ve been in there for seven months?!

“On that day,” The old man continued, “The sky suddenly parted, and this tower fell from the heavens. The impact alone destroyed a huge chunk of the city! And, of course, immediately killed everyone in the drop zone.”

“Earthquakes plagued the city for days without rest. Even worse? Strange creatures began to emerge from the tower. These abominations began to kill indiscriminately. Our city became a battlefield as military enforcements arrived. They battled the creatures for over a week, until those beings finally appeared.”

“What beings?” Micheal pressed, his heart in his throat.

“It’s hard to put them into words.” The old man sighed. “They seemed pure and holy, but I call bullshit! Anyway, they introduced themselves as the Arbiters. They said they are messengers of Higher Beings, and planet earth has been chosen as a grooming zone for the next batch of Higher entities.”

“They were the ones who told us that the Profanities won’t stop leaking from the tower, unless we preemptively enter to slay them.”

Micheal let out a shaky gasp.

What the hell?

While he was in that strange world, humans had been going through the same thing over here.

So… could it be that everyone possessed a system? Could it be that he wasn't as special as he had thought?