Leveling Up With My Deviant System

New Civilization

Micheal’s thoughts went into full throttle. Earth had been plunged into the apocalypse while he was away, and it was very much possible that every other person now possessed a system of their own.

Come to think of it, that old man didn’t react when I suddenly pulled out a bag from space. He also mentioned ‘Profanities’. That’s the same term the system uses for those creatures. I should’ve pieced together the clues…

Micheal jumped over a barricade as he took the vast underground tunnel that led to the entrance of the tower. Since the tower had fallen from the sky, most of its base sunk into the ground. And so, it could only be accessed via tunnels.

“In a way, that test was preparing me for this. Still, I have to be wary. I know very little about the situation inside the tower.”

The last few things the old man explained was how the tower had multiple levels, and the levels were basically different worlds that housed all sorts of monsters. However, there was also something called a ‘Blue Zone’ that was completely safe to stay in.

That was why the surviving population had all gone into the tower. Most had turned the Blue Zone into their new home.

So, Micheal’s only choice was to head into the tower to search for his sister.

Hopefully, she’s safe… He exhaled and stopped in front of a large pure-white vortex. As he prepared to step through, he heard the familiar voice of the system, but with a louder tone:

[DO YOU WISH TO PROCEED INTO THE TOWER OF BABEL?]

“So that’s what it's called,” Micheal chuckled and answered, “Yes.”

Then, a screen popped up before his vision, displaying the levels that had been cleared, the Blue Zone, and the f*e required to directly transport himself to the cleared levels.

“The tower’s been cleared up to level 36 in just seven months. That’s pretty high. There must be some powerful figures inside. I have to be very careful.”

Micheal thought back to Devon and his group. He hadn’t forgotten about his revenge at all.

He paid 60 Moonstones to jump over to the Blue Zone. When he did, the vortex around him shimmered, and he was rapidly swallowed.

…

When the white flash faded, and he opened his eyes, Micheal was introduced to proper civilization for the first time in a long while.

Tall, modern structures rose into the air. Penthouses, villas, and apartment buildings lined the edges of the street. It was a beautiful sight that made Micheal temporarily forget about the actual situation of the world.

“It’s no wonder everyone is living here. This place is a modern paradise.”

As he walked around, trying to find his bearings, he suddenly heard a series of grunts and screams. Frowning, Micheal turned to a nearby alley in curiosity. His gaze landed on three men who pinned a young lady to the wall. She whimpered with fear.

“Pay up, bitch!” One of them growled, holding a knife to her neck. “Don’t you know this district belongs to us?!”

“You heard the man. Tender all the Moonstones you have.”

“Empty your inventory, even!”

As they cackled and threatened her, Micheal felt a wave of rage and disgust. Despite the fact that humans had been plunged into the apocalypse, they still derived joy from trampling over the weak.

It’s the same damn thing everytime. It infuriates me.

Micheal exhaled softly and calmly walked towards them.

“Might as well use this moment to test my strength against others.” He coughed to grab their attention. “Leave her alone.”

The men paused momentarily and turned to look at him. Seeing the lean teenage boy, they exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.

“Who misplaced their child?” One of them snorted. “Run along, little kid. This ain’t none of your business.”

Micheal glanced briefly at the lady. She shook her head in terror, indicating that he shouldn’t do anything stupid. He smiled and gave her a reassuring nod, then said to the men, “Trust me, this won’t go down the way you think it will. You can leave now, and I’ll let you off without any broken limbs. Although, quite frankly, I'd prefer it if you refused.”

“He’s starting to get on my nerves.” The one who seemed to be their leader clicked his tongue. “You two, teach him a lesson.”

They approached Micheal with menacing looks. One of them brandished a knife, trying to instill fear in him. Micheal only scoffed, unimpressed by their performance.

“This is going to hurt,” Micheal grinned before suddenly dashing forward. His explosive speed caught the men off guard, and the first one could barely block before a powerful punch sent him flying across the entire alley.

He landed with a deafening crack on the ground, his body going limp.

Micheal winced slightly. “Ouch. Sorry about that. I only used a little strength. Didn’t think you would be so weak.”

The young lady’s eyes widened in disbelief. Even the gang leader shuddered visibly.

“M-monster!”

“Would you please stop shouting?” Micheal was already upon the second one. He grabbed the man by the face and slammed him into the wall. Then, with a simple thrust, he drove his fist into the man’s abdomen.

The man’s eyes bulged, and he crumpled to the floor, passing out instantly.

Micheal turned to their leader. With a menacing smile, he pointed, “That leaves only you.”

The gang leader plopped to the floor immediately. He begged, “Please! S-spare me! I’ll leave this place, I swear on my mother’s life!”

“You didn’t leave her alone when she was begging. What makes you think I will?” Micheal chuckled and casually approached him.

As he did, however, the man suddenly thrust out a blade he had spawned from nowhere– perhaps his inventory!

Micheal’s eyes widened subtly, and he was too late to react, but the blade simply bent upon contact with his skin.

“What the hell?!” The man protested in disbelief. “This is a Rare-grade weapon!”

That caught me off guard. I shouldn't be so careless next time…

Micheal cleared his throat and sent a kick towards the man’s face, immediately sending him flying across the alley.

After dealing with them, he turned his gaze to the young lady. Her raven-black hair was disheveled, and her eyes stricken with horror and disbelief.

“Are you alright?” Micheal asked.

The lady took a while to shake her daze. “Y-yes… T-thank you…”

Micheal grinned at that point. “Don’t worry about it. However, my help does not come for free!”

The lady swallowed. “W-what do you need?”

Micheal folded his arms. He said lightly, “I need you to give me a detailed analysis of the situation in this Blue Zone. What do I need to do to start living here? Is there some sort of running leadership?”

The lady, who had clearly been expecting something else, blinked twice. She stammered, before saying, “You’re not from around here? I mean, I can do that!”

“Alright,” Micheal chuckled. “Let’s get away from here first.”

They returned to the street, and the lady began explaining various things to him. For example, there were various districts, with some way more opulent than the others. It costs a sizable amount of Moonstones to acquire living quarters in regular districts, but bigger estates and villas cost way more.

Something akin to the government–The Zenith–had also been established, and it was run by a group of wealthy folks who survived the rampage of monsters. Due to being the first to conquer the tower’s floors and discover the Blue Zone, they claimed the land belonged to them.

“So, they’re monopolizing the flow of Moonstones?” Micheal scoffed.

The lady nodded. “Well, we can’t exactly go against them. They are very powerful and terrifying individuals!”

She continued, “There are also guilds now. You can join, or establish one of your own. You need the approval of The Zenith to do that, thought. You can also create mini hunting parties to challenge the tower's levels."

Micheal glanced at the various people walking on the street. Then, he asked, “How many Moonstones are typically in a bag?”

“A bag?!” The lady exclaimed, before quickly lowering her voice. “That’s a fortune! Usually, those Profane creatures only drop a certain number of Moonstones, like ten, or twenty, if you’re lucky. I’ve heard a bag contains over five hundred Moonstones.”

Ah, it’s no wonder that old man reacted in such a manner. I basically made him rich… Micheal nodded in thought.

I need a place to settle down before searching for Kara… Micheal quickly said to the lady, “Could you take me to one of those opulent districts?”

“Ah, sure…” The lady glanced at him. She had initially wanted to ask if he could afford mansions of that grandeur, but after considering how he had easily taken care of those thugs, she determined he was sufficiently powerful. Someone like that probably had quite a lot of wealth.

“What’s your name, by the way?” She asked. “I’m Cassandra.”

“Micheal.” He responded curtly.

…

After an entire day of scouting locations with residence agents and filling paperwork, Micheal finally had a beautiful mansion to his name. It was a grand, three storey-structure with a sprawling garden in front. It also had a large pool, a fountain, and other luxury amenities that Micheal would never have believed owning.

He also visited a boutique, getting himself a good collection of clothing, as well as basic hunting outfit.

Finally, he reached into his inventory and pulled out a bag of Moonstones.

“Here you go,” He said to Cassandra. “For your troubles.”

The lady’s eyes widened. “I couldn’t possibly take that! That’s a lot!”

Micheal chuckled softly. He said as he dropped it into her palm, “Consider it your lucky day, then. Anyway, goodnight. I hope we see each other again.”

Cassandra was too stunned to respond. She finally snapped out of her daze and muttered a ‘Thank you’. As he walked away, she raised her hand, as if wanting to tell him something, but she eventually closed her mouth.

Then, she left the mansion.

As for Micheal, he went to the master bedroom and immediately slumped into bed.

“Ah, it feels so good to live like a human again!” He groaned and rolled around.

“Tomorrow, I’ll definitely find you, Kara.”

His eyes narrowed dangerously.

And of course… Devon, Mia, Khalid, Josh, Dan… I’ll find you all. You better still be alive!

As he closed his eyes to sleep, Micheal suddenly remembered that he had rewards he hadn’t checked from back in that terrible world.