Utopian System

Kriz, always ready with a comment, raised his hand, his rabbit mirroring the gesture. "Will there be a final exam? Because let me tell you, I'm not great with written tests... or practical ones... or any kind of test, really."

Brok elbowed him, his own rabbit hopping indignantly. "Shut it, clown. This is serious."

"Who says I can't be serious and funny at the same time?" Kriz responded, making an exaggerated serious face that made everyone laugh.

Elio, containing his own laughter, continued:

"Alright, listen carefully. What I'm going to teach you is crucial for our mission. Zara, you'll be the example for this, since only you and Selene, besides me, can manipulate carbon."

Zara nodded, her expression serious and concentrated. Her salamander perched on her shoulder, as if ready to assist.

Elio extended his hand, creating a small carbon structure. His penguin, Ice Ball, waddled closer, observing with curiosity. "The key to building the tunnel is precise carbon control. Zara, watch how I visualize the shape and then manipulate the element."

Slowly, Elio formed a section of the tunnel, explaining each step of the process. The others watched in awe as the structure took shape before their eyes.

Micah commented, his frog croaking in agreement: "Fascinating. The curvature seems to follow a perfect parabolic function."

"In plain language, brainiac," Aria joked, giving him a friendly push.

"It means it's very round and pretty," Kriz translated with a wink, his rabbit mimicking the gesture.

"The semi-cylindrical shape is crucial for stability. It distributes pressure more evenly," Elio explained.

Zara observed attentively, her eyes following Elio's every move. Her elephant seemed equally focused, its eyes darting between Elio's hands and the growing structure.

"The tunnel must be large enough for us to move comfortably, but not so large that it consumes too much mana," Elio continued. "Zara, now it's your turn. Try to replicate what I just did."

Zara stepped forward, extending her hands. With concentration, she began to manipulate the carbon. At first, the structure was unstable, but with Elio's guidance and her elephant's help, she soon managed to create a decent section of the tunnel.

While Zara continued practicing, Elio addressed the rest of the group. "Although you can't manipulate carbon, it's important that you understand the process. If something happens to Zara or me, you'll need to know how to guide the construction when you get your own elephants."

Kriz raised his hand again, his rabbit mimicking the action. "And if everything fails? Do we have a plan B? Maybe build a giant statue of Elio to scare off the Locus?"

Elio couldn't help but smile. "Your creativity is admirable, Kriz, but we'll stick to the tunnel plan. However, it's a good question. If everything fails, you'll have to use core absorption to create a hole and get out."

Brok asked, his usually gruff voice tinged with concern: "How much mana will it take to finish the tunnel?"

"Good question," Elio replied. "Each two-meter section consumes approximately 8 mana points. Based on the approximate distance according to Ren, a group of 20 would take about 6 months to complete it."

As the lesson progressed, each team member asked questions and made observations, contributing to a deeper understanding of the process. Their summons seemed to absorb the information too, watching the demonstrations with keen interest.

By the end of the day, Zara had managed to build a horizontal and a vertical section of the tunnel, and the rest of the team had a solid understanding of the principles behind its construction. Even the summons seemed to have grasped some of the concepts, with Zara's salamander attempting to mimic her movements.

♢♢♢♢

Elio spent the last day with his family. He showed them Ice Ball, his new penguin summon, provoking laughs of amazement from his younger siblings. The penguin seemed to enjoy the attention, performing little tricks for the children.

"Elio," his mother said softly, "are you sure about advancing so quickly in the book?"

Elio looked at her, seeing the love and fear in her eyes. "I have to, Mom. If my plan works, the city will be safe. We have to keep overcoming the book, that's the only way."

Lena nodded, hugging her son. "I know. Just... come back to us, okay?"

"I will," Elio promised, returning the hug. Ice Ball waddled over, nuzzling against their legs as if offering its own reassurance.

♢♢♢♢

Finally, the day came when Elio decided they were as prepared as they could be.

Zara, Kriz, Brok, Micah, Lila, Aria, Mei, and Valeria. Nine in total, counting him. Selene would teach everything to Lucien and the new group.

The nine gathered at the jumping point. Each carried a sack with provisions for several days, in addition to their armor and weapons.

Elio and Zara wore their system armor, while the others wore top-level equipment, ready to be exchanged once they overcame their respective challenges. Their summons stood at attention, ready for whatever lay ahead.

Lila approached Elio, her eyes shining with admiration. "We're ready, Von Elio. Thank you for trusting us."

Elio nodded, noticing out of the corner of his eye how Zara slightly tensed her jaw. "Thank you for trusting me," he responded.

Aria, Mei, and Valeria formed a small circle, mentally reviewing their strategies.

"Remember," Aria said, "if things get ugly, we've got each other's backs."

"As always," Mei added with a smile.

"Remember the plan," Elio said, his voice laden with seriousness. "When you overcome the level, wait in the chamber for a full day. If after that time I haven't managed to overcome level 7, you'll have to go out and start absorbing cores on your own."

Zara stepped forward. "If Elio doesn't make it, I'll take command."

Elio nodded, grateful for her determination. "And if Zara doesn't make it either, you'll have to try to build the tunnel yourselves. You've seen how it's done, and although you don't have the practice of controlling carbon like we do, you'll have the ease of getting the cores for the elephant."

"And if everything fails?" Micah asked, always the realist of the group.

"If you run out of resources," Elio replied, "climb as high as you can in the tunnel, absorb all the cores you can, and return jumping with the swift. You already know how to do it."

Kriz let out a nervous laugh. "Sounds like a foolproof plan. What could go wrong?"

Brok elbowed him, but even he couldn't hide his nervousness. "Everything will be fine," he muttered, more to himself than to the others.

Elio looked at each of his companions. He saw fear in their eyes, yes, but also determination. Confidence. Faith in him and in the plan.

"I don't know what level 7 holds for me," Elio admitted. "But we're as prepared as we can be. Together, we can do it."

Zara approached him, taking his hand. "Together," she repeated, and the others nodded in agreement.

Elio took one last look at the city, then at the walls that had been their home and prison for so long. Then, with a deep breath, he turned to the abyss of the sea of monsters.

"All of you. Whatever happens down there, remember why we're doing this. For our city, for our families, for our future."

Kriz, in a rare moment of seriousness, added: "And for you, Elio. Because we believe in you."