Utopian System

Chapter 404 System's Not Found

When Elio emerged from the book, he feared finding the chaos of battle already underway.

His mind raced with possibilities of what might have happened during his extended absence.

He needn't have worried...

He found his companions waiting for him, their expressions of concern quickly melting into relief. The setting sun painted the sky in hues of orange and purple, a peaceful scene that contrasted sharply with the tension of the past days.

"Finally!" Kriz exclaimed, his usual dramatic flair failing to completely mask his genuine relief. "We thought you'd gotten lost in there."

"The scorpions," Elio mutered in frustration. "They were almost completely immune to mana. I had to eliminate them one by one with the sword until I discovered the rebound pattern... Unfortunately, I had to use the potion... I fear it will be extremely dangerous to challenge that level without either the potion or a deep understanding of mana rebound patterns."

"Thirty-two thousand enemies? With just the sword?" Brok whistled, impressed. "No wonder it took you so long."

"That's not even the worst part," Elio collapsed onto the parapet, mental exhaustion evident in every line of his face. "The god left a message... and the news aren't good."

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Zara sat beside him while the others formed a circle, in which Lila 'casually' ended up on Elio's other side. "What did he say this time?"

"Apparently he was apologizing," Elio let out a humorless laugh. "He made a 'small calculation error' with the enemy progression. The next levels will maintain the same format, mountain, tunnel, chamber, but the number of opponents..."

"How many will be the maximum?" Mei asked, her expression already showing concern.

"It would have never stopped doubling." Elio let the implications sink in. "After just forty-five levels, there would be... More than a trillion enemies."

"It must be a joke," Mei muttered, though her tone suggested she knew it wasn't.

"It's not... The mountains won't be able to contain them," Elio continued, each word heavy in his mouth. "They'll start duplicating, and when even that's not enough, they'll behave like deposits, constantly releasing enemies."

"Like a sea of monsters," Taron whispered, his face paling at the thought.

"Worse," Elio corrected, remembering the god's nervous rambling. "Each creature will have absolute control over its element. It'll be like facing an entire world of elemental masters. He said he at least 'managed' to keep them from exceeding a trillion..."

"And the god didn't leave a solution, a hint, he just... apologized?" Valeria asked, disbelief coloring her voice.

"Oh, he did more than that," Elio smiled without humor, the absurdity of the situation becoming clearer with each passing moment. "He left us some 'gifts' as compensation. The combination potion we got is for creating combined summons every ten levels, that's the hint. He also left an extra summoning core "wildcard' as a lvl 20 price."

"Gifts?" Aria shook her head in disbelief. "Just that after condemning us to face a trillion enemies?"

"How are we supposed to face something like that?" Mei asked, giving voice to the question in everyone's mind.

"The god suggested that if anyone figures out how, they should write a guide," Elio smiled weakly. "For future challengers."

"Typical of him," Kriz muttered. "Create an impossible problem and expect us to find the solution."

"For now," Diana intervened, her practical nature asserting itself, "we need to focus on the artromus. One problem at a time."

"You're right... At least I made it in time," Elio sighed, grateful that the artromus hadn't appeared during his long confrontation with the scorpions. "I thought it would be closer to the ten-day limit."

Diana coughed slightly, a subtle blush coloring her cheeks. "About that..." she began, avoiding eye contact. "Actually, it's ten days from when I informed everyone, not counting the day the god told me."

The silence that followed was broken by Kriz's thunderous laughter.

"Or divide into strategic teams," Ren proposed with his characteristic analytical approach. "Cover more ground and search for the informant when they enter. We could establish a grid pattern for maximum efficiency."

Elio, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke, his words carrying a weight that immediately drew everyone's attention:

"I won't be at the front." His declaration was met with confused looks from around the table. "The entire elite squad must appear to be leading the troops, but it will be a distraction."

"Distraction?" Zara frowned. "For what?"

"So they don't notice the leader's absence... my absence." Elio approached the map. "I'll use a metamorphosis potion to observe from above. I need to identify the artromus who already has the right to enter and eliminate them before they can help grant that right to others."

The silence that followed felt thick enough to cut with a blade, broken only by Zara's tense voice:

"No."

"It's too risky," Lila added immediately, her usual shyness forgotten in the face of concern. Her hands clasped tightly together as she spoke. "You can't face them alone."

"I must do it alone," Elio insisted, his voice firm but gentle. "Each additional person in that battle is another opportunity for the artromus to gain the right to enter. We can't afford that risk or it will only get worse."

"Don't you remember they will outnumber you a hundred to one?" Kriz asked, his characteristic humor completely absent. "What if they surround you?"

"That's why everyone needs to be at the front," Elio explained, his finger tracing patterns on the map. "They have to believe I'm there, leading the defense. If they discover the deception too early..."

"It's suicide," Zara interrupted, her voice filled with anger and fear. "You can't expect us to stay here while you..."

"Do you have a better idea?" Elio's voice hardened, though his eyes betrayed his own concern. "Does anyone have a plan that doesn't risk more artromus gaining access to the first ring?"

Selene, who had been observing in silence, finally intervened, her calm voice cutting through the tension:

"The reasoning is solid, but the risk is too high. We need a middle ground."

"The elite squad could position themselves above too but within the first ring," Lucien suggested, his eyes studying the map's terrain. "Not directly in the battle, but close enough to intervene if absolutely necessary."

"Like a safety net," Ren added, already calculating distances in his head. "Only for emergency extraction."

Elio wanted to protest, but looking at his companions' faces, he saw a determination that wouldn't yield. They wouldn't concede more than this.

"Fine," he finally conceded, his shoulders dropping slightly. "But you only intervene if absolutely necessary. And under no circumstances do you engage in direct combat with the artromus. The priority is regaining absolute control of the first ring."

"Operation: Elio not found," Kriz said, attempting to lighten the heavy atmosphere.

No one laughed, but the name stuck, hanging in the air like a prayer.

"Does everyone agree?" Lucien asked, though it was clear no one was truly satisfied with the plan.

The nods were reluctant. Zara kept her fists clenched, her rigid posture betraying how much it cost her to accept the plan. Lila had lowered her gaze, but the trembling in her shoulders was visible to all.

"It's the best option we have," Elio concluded, his voice softening as he looked at each of his companions. "I can't promise it will work, but I promise I'll be careful."

"You better be," Zara muttered, her words carrying more emotion than threat. "Because if you die out there, you know I'll revive you just to kill you myself."

The comment drew some tense smiles. It was the kind of threat that only Zara could make sound like a declaration of love.

"Then it's decided," Lucien said, rolling up the map with careful movements. "All we can do now is wait."