Utopian System

The city alarm blared, its irregular cadence piercing the air. Elio's muscles tensed, his mind instantly switching to high alert. Ember, his salamander, bristled on his shoulder, sensing the sudden shift in mood.

"I'm sorry, Lila," Elio said, already backing away. "Duty calls. I promise we'll sort out your debt situation another day, alright?"

Lila nodded, words catching in her throat. She wanted to shout for him to stop, to listen, that she had something crucial to tell him. But she knew she couldn't. The city needed him more.

"Be careful," she managed, her voice thick with emotion.

Those words, spoken with such sincerity, only amplified Elio's guilt. But there was no time for that now.

"Thanks, I will," he said quickly. "Please, stay safe. Take shelter in the central building."

Elio gave her one last look, etching the image of Lila, brave and concerned, into his memory before turning and sprinting towards the wall.

As he ran, his mind whirled. Worry for the city mingled with confusion about his feelings and the persistent memory of Zara. Ember chirped anxiously, mirroring Elio's inner turmoil.

'Focus, Elio,' he chided himself. 'The city comes first. Everything else can wait.'

As he neared the wall, he saw others running in the same direction. Soldiers, summoners and level 2-3 civilians who had volunteered for defense. All wore the same expression of determination tinged with fear.

Elio reached the top of the wall just in time to witness the end of the crisis. The barrier, which had been flickering erratically, shut off completely for half a second before snapping back to perfect functionality.

In that brief window, some monsters managed to slip through, but the soldiers, now better prepared and equipped, eliminated them without much difficulty.

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♢♢♢♢

After ensuring the situation was under control, Elio retreated to a meeting room in the wall. There, he found Ren waiting, concern etched on his face. Ren's rabbit hopped nervously at his feet.

"You alright?" Ren asked, noting the tension in Elio's shoulders.

Elio nodded, rubbing his forehead. "Yeah, just... it's been a hell of a morning."

Without further preamble, Elio pulled out his system book and began transferring cores and mana to Ren.

"These are for you, Brok, Micah, Kriz, and Zara," Elio explained as he made the transfer.

Ren frowned, confused. "You're not giving Zara hers yourself?"

Elio paused, his hand hovering over the book. "I... I want to talk to Zara," he admitted. "But in case things go south, at least her cores will be in your hands for now."

Ren nodded slowly, understanding the delicacy of the situation. His rabbit's ears twitched, as if picking up on the unspoken tension. "Got it. Want me to tell her anything when I hand over her share?"

"No," Elio replied quickly. "Just... tell her I need to talk to her if you see her."

Just then, the door swung open and Lucien entered, looking a bit worn but alert. His frog perched on his head, eyes darting around the room.

It was time to teach him the technique so he could also overcome level 5...

"Was Tarec able to cover your position with the chaos generated by the failure?" Elio asked.

"Tarec's doing a solid job," Lucien reported. "After some guidance, he knew exactly what to do to keep things under control, at least for a while."

Elio nodded, grateful for Tarec's efficiency. "Excellent. Now, let's head to the training area."

♢♢♢♢

Lucien's face bore its usual gravity, his sharp eyes fixed on Elio as he prepared to explain the corrosive attack. His frog familiar seemed to mirror his intensity, sitting unnaturally still.

"Lucien," Elio began, his voice heavy with importance, "what I'm about to teach you is crucial for facing the level 5 elephant. It's a combination of advanced magnetism and the corrosive effect."

Lucien nodded, his expression unwavering. "Understood. Proceed."

Elio extended his hand, generating a small amount of carbon. Ember watched intently from his shoulder. "Advanced magnetism requires carbon, but the corrosive effect itself doesn't use it. The key lies in combining both attacks."

Lucien observed keenly, his analytical mind processing every detail. "Intriguing. How is this combination achieved?"

"Watch closely," Elio instructed. He proceeded to demonstrate the attack, his movements fluid and controlled. The spear in his hand began to vibrate, surrounded by a corrosive aura. "The magnetism controls and directs the attack with greater force, while the corrosive effect allows it to melt the carbon barriers without losing momentum.

The combination amplifies both, enabling it to pierce through the elephant defenses."

Lucien studied the technique intensely, his eyes narrowed in concentration. His frog leaned forward, as if trying to get a better look. "I see. The synergy between both effects is remarkable."

"Exactly," Elio confirmed. "But you, being level 4, can't generate carbon. When you face the elephant, you'll need to use the monster's own carbon to fuel your combo."

Lucien arched an eyebrow, intrigued. "Ingenious."

"That's where advanced magnetism comes in," Elio explained. "You'll use your magnetic control to attract carbon particles from the elephant's barriers. Then, you'll combine that with the corrosive effect."

Lucien nodded, processing the information. "I grasp the theory. The execution, however, will require some hands-on attempts."

"If you do it correctly," Elio responded, "you could potentially take down the elephant with a single attack. I took longer because I allowed it to generate too many barriers."

Lucien reflected for a moment, his frog croaking softly. "Shall we begin the practice?"

Elio nodded, generating more carbon. "We'll use this for you to practice. Focus on feeling the carbon, attracting it, and combining it with the corrosive effect."

For the next few hours, Lucien practiced tirelessly. His face remained impassive, but his concentration was absolute. Each attempt showed subtle but consistent improvement. His frog watched attentively, occasionally offering encouraging croaks.

Finally, Lucien managed to execute the attack. It wasn't perfect, but the progress was evident.

"Impressive," Elio commented. "You've grasped the essence faster than I expected."

Lucien inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment. "Thank you. However, there's still much room for improvement... And you achieved this during battle."

"True," Elio agreed. "But I was desperate... With your skill and experience, I'm confident you'll master it soon."

Elio nodded, satisfied. "Now, let me walk you through exactly how I used this attack to defeat the elephant."

He proceeded to explain his battle against the level 5 monster in detail, pointing out the minor setbacks that arose and how he overcame them. Ember chimed in occasionally, mimicking the battle movements.

"Remember," Elio cautioned, "the attack is powerful, but also dangerous. Corrosion, like ice or fire magic, can harm you as well."

Lucien nodded, absorbing every word. His frog seemed to shudder at the warning. "Understood. Thank you for entrusting me with this, Elio."

"Now," Elio said, glancing towards the door, "I need you to bring Selene. She must learn this too before I risk my life..."

As Lucien left to fetch Selene, Elio allowed himself a moment of reflection. Teaching the corrosive attack to Lucien and soon to Selene felt like passing a torch, ensuring the city would be protected in his absence.

When Selene arrived, her frog perched alertly on her shoulder, Elio repeated the process. The Summoner, known for her sharp intellect, grasped the concepts quickly, though the execution took her a bit longer than Lucien.