Utopian System

An awkward silence settled over the group.

The young people exchanged glances, unsure how to interact with Elio. Despite having worked together in the tunnel for weeks, their interactions had been mostly superficial or 'professional.'

He was, after all, the leader of the entire city, someone who gave orders even to Lucien and Selene.

It was Kai, surprisingly, who broke the silence. Despite his generally taciturn nature, he didn't seem intimidated by Elio's position.

"While waiting," he began, his voice calm but clear, "would you mind telling us about the challenge? Von Elio."

Elio turned to him, a small smile forming on his lips.

"First, you can just call me Elio. I've told you many times, I'm a young guy like you."

The tension in the atmosphere seemed to decrease slightly. Elio settled in better and began to relate his experience in the challenge, describing the different levels, the final battle against the colossal Locus, and the discoveries they had made.

"The most important thing," he continued, his voice becoming more serious, "is what we learned about the nature of the deposits. They are the source of the Locus, but they're also another challenge... they could be the city's salvation."

He paused, looking at each of those present.

"I'll enter again soon if Zara and the others make it in time. If we don't come out..." his voice became more solemn, "you, along with Arnaud and the others, will have to take my place and try to save the city."

The young soldiers looked at him with surprise and some apprehension.

"I trust you won't cower," Elio continued. "But don't worry yet. As leader, I'll be the one taking risks first, obtaining information for all who might take my place whenever possible. As my father taught me..."

The emotional moment was interrupted by Kai, who suddenly asked: "Does the Power emblem work now?"

The question seemed to pull Elio from his thoughts.

His eyes lit up with a new idea as he considered the possibilities. With the emblem doubling his magical damage, maybe... maybe he could try to overcome the book's eighth challenge.

It was a unique opportunity.

The emblem gave him an advantage he normally wouldn't have, and they had to wait anyway. It would be a productive way to use the 24 hour time limit.

But the implications of failing were devastating.

"If I die in the eighth level..." Elio murmured, more to himself than to others.

Milo looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

Elio sighed, organizing his thoughts. "Level seven... Very few know how to overcome it. The information about how to face it is almost as valuable as the cores I have to pass to the city."

"Is it very dangerous?" asked Nessa, her voice mixing curiosity and concern.

"It was," Elio confirmed. He looked toward the crystal where Zara and her team faced their own challenge. "In fact, I should tell you about it. Zara is also at risk, and the more who know, the less likely this information is to be lost."

For the next hour, Elio explained the challenges of the seventh level in detail.

"Remember, the key is in the insulator," he emphasized. "Without it, contact with the tunnel or the monsters paralyzes you. And depending on what point you're at, it's fatal."

♢♢♢♢

Should he enter level 8 now?

While explaining, the image of Brok being squeezed by the colossal Locus came back to his mind. His companion had been seconds from death.

If he had been stronger...

"I can't be a coward," he suddenly declared, surprising the others. "If there's a possibility of becoming stronger, I must take it. The next time someone is in danger, I need to be capable of doing more."

He stood up, his decision made. "I'll overcome level 8. Milo, I need you to keep these cores. If something goes wrong..."

"Wait, Von Elio," Kai interrupted, his voice calm but firm. "Why don't you check first if you can enter?"

"What do you mean?"

"You said the system doesn't allow entering the challenge while in the crystal," Kai explained. "Shouldn't you verify if that includes whether the emblem is allowed in a book challenge?"

Elio stopped, blinking in surprise. It was such a simple and obvious observation that he felt slightly embarrassed for not having thought of it before.

With a fluid motion, he opened his book to the eighth level page.

The usual question didn't appear.

The message that appeared was clear:

"Cannot access new challenges while possessing temporary emblems."

The silence that followed was broken by Nessa's contained giggle. Soon, even Kai was smiling, something rare for him.

"Well," said Milo, trying and failing to maintain a serious expression, "I guess that resolves the dilemma."

Elio couldn't help but join in the laughter.

All his grandiose declaration about not being a coward, his concern about the cores, his solemn explanation of the seventh level to perpetuate the information... all that to discover he couldn't even try.

"I'm glad you find this amusing," he said, but his own smile betrayed his feigned offended tone.

"It's just that it was very dramatic," Nessa commented between laughs. "All that speech..."

"And in the end," added Kai with his characteristic dryness, "the book basically said 'no.'"

"I guess I'll have to find something else to pass the time," Elio conceded, sitting down again in front of the crystal.

The moment of humor had served to lighten the tension of waiting. It had even helped break some of the formality that separated them from Elio. It was easier to see the powerful city leader as just another young person when he had just done something so... human.

"At least now we know more about the seventh level," Milo commented, returning to the previous topic but maintaining a lighter tone.

"That's true," Elio responded, grateful for the change of subject. "I wasn't joking when I said I'd pass on the responsibility to you... We can still die inside the crystals, you know?"

The atmosphere became a bit serious again. In the end, the weight that Elio carried as leader wouldn't go away so easily.

"We'll fulfill the duty but... Isn't there something we can do for now?" asked Milo, trying to change the subject again.

But Elio just shook his head and gave a forced smile.

"We can only wait," Nessa concluded, her voice soft but firm.

Elio nodded, turning his attention back to the crystal.

"At least you're not waiting alone," Kai commented, again surprising everyone with his frankness.

This time a genuine small smile formed on Elio's lips. It was true; he wasn't alone in this anymore.