Utopian System

Elio quickly realized what was happening.

"Good job, friend."

Taking advantage of this unexpected discovery, Elio focused on carefully moving on the cloak. The relief was immediate and substantial. Although he still couldn't move freely, Elio felt he was regaining some control over his body.

It was time to act.

He switched his summon from Ice Ball to the swift. The creature appeared, fluttering nervously at the sight of its summoner's condition.

"Come on, buddy," Elio murmured, his voice barely audible. "I need your help."

Elio propelled himself with the swift's power several times in succession, hoping to get far from the point of complete paralysis.

After a few impulses, he touched the ground.

The sensation was still horrible, but now he could move. Each contact with the floor sent shockwaves of pain through his body, but Elio gritted his teeth and pressed on. He couldn't fail now, not when he had come so far.

Little by little, meter by meter, Elio retreated through the tunnel.

The objective was clear: return to the point where armor regeneration exceeded the damage received. Each step was a battle of will, his body screaming in protest, but his mind remained focused on the goal.

Elio: 59.8 Resistance / 510 Armor Resistance

The numbers began to stabilize, and eventually, to improve.

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Elio found himself back at the point where his armor regeneration exceeded the damage caused by the mysterious effect of the seventh level. Exhausted but determined, he sat on his resistance cloak, feeling immediate relief at not being in direct contact with the ground.

"We did it," he sighed, his body trembling with relief and lingering pain.

Slowly, sensation returned to his extremities. The pain decreased, replaced by a tingling that, although uncomfortable, was much more manageable. Elio flexed his fingers experimentally, relishing the ability to move again.

"Interesting," he muttered, his analytical mind working at full speed. "The effect seems to attack only when I'm in contact with the ground or walls."

Remembering his previous experiences, Elio began to consider his options. His mind raced through possibilities, each idea sparking new thoughts and connections.

Avoid 100% contact... Floating?

Too costly.

Flying was ruled out due to the high mana cost; he needed to find a more sustainable solution. Elio's frustration grew as he discarded idea after idea, but he refused to give up. There had to be a way.

Putting a layer between his feet and the ground hadn't worked... He hadn't tried ice, but it would melt like his first tunnel attempt, so he set it aside for the moment.

"Okay, let's think," he told himself. "I've already tried carbon and nickel separately at the beginning of the challenge, and they didn't work. But what if I combine them?"

The idea excited him. After all, the combination of elements had been key to overcoming the challenge of level 6. Why not try it here? A spark of hope ignited in his chest. This could be the breakthrough he needed.

Carefully, Elio began to experiment, creating different proportions of nickel and carbon. To his surprise, some combinations seemed to reduce the painful effect, although they didn't eliminate it completely.

His heart raced with each new discovery.

"I'm onto something," he murmured, his enthusiasm growing. Unbeknownst to him, he had created compounds similar to Nickel Carbide (Ni₃C) and Carbon Nitride (C₃N₄), materials with reduced conductive properties.

Curiosity took over Elio.

Despite the challenge, he found himself absorbed in his experimentation, testing different combinations and proportions. Some mixtures seemed promising, others not so much, and some had unexpected effects.

Each failure was a lesson, each success a step forward.

"Wow!" he exclaimed when one of his creations exploded in a small cloud of smoke. "Mental note: that combination, definitely not." He coughed, waving away the acrid smoke, but couldn't help grinning at the unexpected result.

On another occasion, he found his finger dyed a bright color after touching one of his creations. "Well, at least now I have an interesting finger," he joked to himself, remembering Kriz's comments.

As he continued experimenting, Elio realized he was learning more about the elements. Each new combination, each unexpected result, provided him with valuable information. His mind was expanding, grasping concepts he hadn't considered before.

'It's fascinating,' he thought, marveling at the complexities of the elements he was manipulating.

However, despite his advances, Elio faced new challenges.

The more elements he added to his mixtures, the more the mana cost increased. Additionally, maintaining the correct proportions became increasingly difficult, and the distribution of elements seemed to affect the properties of his creations in unpredictable ways.

"There has to be a simpler solution," he muttered, frustrated but not discouraged. "Something I can use practically to cover the entire sole of my boots."

It was then, almost by accident, that Elio created a combination that seemed promising: one part Carbon and two Hydrogen, repeated in a pattern. His heart skipped a beat as he realized the potential of this new creation.

"This... this could work," he said, excited to feel how this new creation seemed to block much of the painful effect. Without knowing it, Elio had created a magical version of polyethylene.

"It's light, flexible, and seems effective," he observed, examining his creation. "And best of all, it doesn't require too much mana to create it." Elio's excitement grew with each passing moment. Could this be the solution he had been searching for?

Enthusiastic about his discovery, Elio began to apply this new substance to the soles of his boots. The process was delicate and required concentration, but little by little, he managed to cover the entire surface. Sweat beaded on his brow as he worked, every fiber of his being focused on this task that could mean the difference between success and failure.

"Well, moment of truth," he murmured, preparing to stand up.

Cautiously, Elio stood up, expecting to feel the familiar stabbing pain. To his relief and excitement, the effect had been significantly reduced. A wave of elation washed over him. This was it. This was the breakthrough he had been hoping for.

"It works!" he exclaimed, taking a few tentative steps. "It's not perfect, but it's a great advance." Elio couldn't help but grin, the joy of discovery momentarily overshadowing the gravity of his situation.