Utopian System

"Alright," Elio said, addressing the group.

"These will be the teams: I'll go with Lila, Kriz, Brok, and Mei. Zara, you'll lead the second team with Micah, Valeria, Aria, and Taron."

The named individuals nodded, moving to form their respective groups.

"Milo and Arnaud's group," Elio continued, his gaze sweeping over them, "you'll stay as guards for this crystal. Nessa and Kai's team, you'll watch the other one if we find it."

Finally, he turned to the rest of the group, his eyes reflecting the weight of responsibility. "The rest of you, I want you to continue building around the deposit and upwards. We need to completely map this area and find any other possible entrances."

He turned to Zara's group, his expression becoming more serious.

"We can't wait to find another crystal or more information; the city is still in crisis. I'm going to enter the challenge with my group now."

Zara stepped forward, concern evident on her face.

"You'll be in charge here, Zara," Elio said, his voice softening slightly. "When you find the other crystal, I want you to enter with your team. We can't lose any more time."

Zara wanted to protest about the suddenness, but she knew Elio was right. She nodded silently, accepting the responsibility.

"At least now we have some information," Elio continued, his voice carrying a hint of optimism. "We know what we're facing, or at least we have an idea. That gives us an advantage."

He turned to his team: Lila, Kriz, Brok, and Mei. "Get ready. We enter in five minutes."

While his team prepared, Elio took a moment to speak with each of the group leaders.

"I trust you, Zara," he said, his voice low but intense. "Keep everyone united and focused. And if something goes wrong..."

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"Nothing will go wrong," Zara interrupted, her voice firm. "You'll come back, Elio. We'll all come back."

Elio smiled, grateful for her confidence. With a final nod, he turned towards the crystal.

"It's time," he announced to his team.

With one last glance at their companions, Elio and his team placed their hands on the crystal.

A flash of light enveloped them, and in an instant, they disappeared.

Zara looked at the crystal for a long moment before turning to the rest of the group.

"You heard him, we have work to do. Let's find that second crystal and prepare for our own challenge."

♢♢♢♢

Elio's group emerged in the first chamber of the challenge, their eyes quickly scanning the environment.

The traitor's information seemed to be correct, at least for now. This realization brought both relief and apprehension to the group.

Kriz was the first to speak, his voice cutting through the tense silence. "Well team, don't fear! We have an advantage over the traitors. With our level 6 and these adorable penguins, we'll be inedible!"

His own penguin squawked in response, as if agreeing with its owner.

Brok rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of amusement in his voice. "Don't lose your head, Kriz. Or you'll lose it for real."

Mei nodded, her expression serious. Her eyes darted around the chamber, alert for any sign of danger. "Brok is right. We can't lower our guard."

Elio observed the interaction in silence. His eel coiled gently around his arm, as if sensing its owner's tension.

Lila approached Elio, her voice soft but filled with concern. Her eyes searched his face, picking up on the subtle signs of stress. "Are you okay? You seem worried."

Elio offered her a small smile, trying to ease her concern. "I'm fine, Lila. Just thinking about our strategy."

Kriz, unable to stay serious for long, piped up again.

"Hey, Elio, didn't you say your magic damage is 49? Just one point short! You could eliminate the Locus with just two hits. Have you considered asking your book 'please' to raise you to level 7.1? You know, to get that last point and reach 50 magic damage."

Brok rolled his eyes again, but there was a trace of amusement in his expression. "Let's focus on the task at hand, okay? The book doesn't respond to manners."

Mei nodded, her expression serious but with a glint of humor in her eyes. "Brok is right. Although I admit seeing Elio saying 'please' to the book would be something worth seeing."

Elio couldn't help but let out a small laugh.

"I guess I'll have to make do with three hits for now," Elio responded, his tone lighter.

♢♢♢♢

The group advanced towards the wide chamber, their penguins following closely. Elio's eel remained alert, its eyes constantly scanning the environment.

Upon reaching the wide chamber, Elio decided to test the traitors' strategy. The vast space stretched out before them, shadows lurking in every corner.

"I'm going to launch three combos," he announced, his voice steady and determined. "My impact range is 70 meters, so I should be able to eliminate almost half of the monsters."

The others nodded, preparing to attack the remaining Locus.

Elio concentrated, his eel glowing with energy. The air around him seemed to crackle with power.

6 mana points, three combos.

Three explosions of power illuminated the chamber, disintegrating almost half of the Locus instantly.

"What a show!" exclaimed Kriz, his penguin squawking in apparent approval.

The others wasted no time.

Although their range was shorter, their attacks were more than enough for the level 1 Locus. In a matter of seconds, the chamber was cleared.

As they collected the cores, Brok commented, his voice tinged with suspicion: "This seems too easy."

Mei nodded, her eyes still scanning the room for potential threats. "Let's not lower our guard. It's sure to get harder in the upper levels."

Lila, always attentive to Elio, noticed that he seemed thoughtful. "What are you thinking?"

"I agree with Mei," he responded, his brow furrowed in concentration. "We can't get overconfident."

The group advanced towards the entrance of the next level. Before entering, Elio raised a hand, halting their progress.

"We'll wait a few minutes to recharge our mana," he announced, his tone brooking no argument.

Kriz raised an eyebrow, his penguin comically mimicking his expression. "Isn't that a bit exaggerated for these low levels?"

Elio shook his head, his expression serious. "I prefer to be cautious. I don't want to risk anyone on the team."

While they waited, the penguins seemed to play among themselves, sliding across the floor and squawking cheerfully. The sight provided a moment of levity in the tense atmosphere.

"Look at that," Lila laughed, her eyes softening as she watched the playful creatures. "It seems our invocations are having more fun than we are."

Kriz grinned widely, his spirits lifted by the penguins' antics. "Hey, Elio, do you think your eel wants to join? We could teach it to slide like a penguin."

Elio's eel observed them with what seemed to be curiosity and exasperation. It shot a look that clearly said "don't even dream about it," causing laughter throughout the group.

Kriz smiled, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Maybe we should take their example. Anyone want to play 'monster, barrier or human' while we wait?"

Brok shot him a look that clearly said "don't even dream about it".