Utopian System

Chapter 409 System's Memorial

Milo touched the polished surface of Taron's statue, his fingers tracing the lines that perfectly captured the determination in his friend's face.

The tree behind had grown a bit over these months, its branches extending like protective arms over the monument, casting dappled shadows that seemed to make the statue's expression shift with the changing light.

"You should see the city now," he murmured, a bittersweet smile playing on his lips. "All that time we spent planning how to expand... it's happening."

The conversations they had shared during the crusade for the first ring resonated in his memory. Taron had always been the optimist old man of the group, even in the darkest moments.

When everyone doubted, he maintained faith that Elio... that they would achieve their goals. His laughter had been infectious, his spirit unbreakable until the very end.

"People are venturing out," Milo continued, watching how the tree's leaves danced in the breeze, their shadows playing across the memorial.

"Building beyond the walls. Small settlements are springing up near each gate. They're even planting more trees, it turns out they grow slowly but we didn't need to spend so much mana after all... Well, you got the last expensive magic tree you know?"

A soft laugh escaped his lips, remembering how Taron had joked about Elio's obsession with monumental trees. "There are so many small trees now," he mused. "You would have loved to see them grow."

The progress was undeniable. Citizens contributed more and more resources to help others level up.

Success stories multiplied, people overcoming tunnels six through ten with barely any difficulties, celebrating their victories with food and laughter. The community spirit that Taron had always believed in was flourishing.

"Casualties have dropped dramatically again," he noted, his voice mixing pride and melancholy. "The information we gathered during our own leveling up... it's saving lives. People know exactly what to expect in each challenge."

But even as he spoke, his eyes drifted toward the horizon, where the artromus were patrolling the second ring's boundary.

Always present, always watchful, like dark sentinels against the sky.

"Though I guess that's the part you wouldn't like," he sighed. "They're there day and night, Taron. Like shadows that never fade. No one mentions it directly, but everyone feels it, that sensation of being in a cage, no matter how large it might be."

The artromus had become more subtle over time.

It was as if she had a sixth sense for Elio's intentions. As soon as the artromus would be fleeing, she would be flying there.

The real problem was what this meant for the city's progress.

Levels eleven through twenty had become practically inaccessible to every one. Each attempt ended the same way, Zahyla or an artromus appearing mid-challenge, forcing an immediate evacuation.

Discover stories at empire

"It's like an invisible wall," Milo muttered while climbing the central building's stairs. "No matter how much we try to prepare."

Elio remained the city's only level twenty.

His close group, Zara, Kriz, Brok, Diana, Lila, Mei, Aria and Valeria, had managed to reach level nineteen before the surveillance.

Milo's group, along with Lucien and Selene, and the Elite group had stopped at eighteen.

Each day more people reached level ten. It was almost a daily celebration to see new faces joining the ranks of 'fully' trained warriors with combined summons.

But there, progress stopped.

No one had managed to overcome level eleven in months.

Elio had stopped attempting his surprise attacks a few weeks ago. Instead, he had begun accumulating mana. No one knew exactly what he was planning, but the determination in his eyes when supervising training suggested something was brewing.

Milo finally reached his living quarters in the central building's east wing.

In the distance, the artromus silhouettes continued their endless patrol. And somewhere among them, Zahyla waited, her presence a silent promise that true power would remain out of reach.

The day had been long, but tomorrow would be the same. More training, more new level tens, more contained frustration as they watched the horizon and dreamed of overcoming the invisible barrier that Zahyla had created.