Utopian System

Level 10/10 Max Meta Locus

Skills:

Jump

Frenzy

Mana: 6/10

Resistance: 468/1000

Stamina: 25/25

Attack: 15 (25)

Magic Damage: 10

Strength: 25

Defense: 15

Magic Defense: 20 (2x)

Speed: 10 (20)

Elio reacted on instinct, his mind working at dizzying speed.

The three lithium stakes he had prepared were in position. With four more mana points, he materialized two more.

Five fingers, five stakes, the shining metal manifesting as he executed the hand movement he had practiced countless times.

The last two mana points flowed through him to move his creation, reaching one of the monster's hind legs. The grip was precise. The electrical discharge coursed through the Locus's limb, tearing a deafening roar from the creature.

But something had changed.

The glow enveloping the monster seemed to enhance its capabilities. With strength that defied all logic, the Locus shattered the magical lithium hand Elio had created, stretching its body toward Lila with terrifying determination.

"No!" Elio's desperate cry resonated through the chamber as he lunged forward, knowing he wouldn't make it in time.

Kriz and Mei attacked simultaneously, their projectiles impacting the monster's side. Ice formed over its carapace, but it wasn't enough to stop it. Their attacks, which had been effective before, now seemed like mere scratches against the Locus's determination.

Time seemed to slow as the monster's claws were about to reach Lila.

It was then that Brok intervened, throwing himself between them with his arms raised, his body covered by the doubled armor taking the full impact of the Locus's grip.

"Brok!" Lila screamed in horror.

The monster squeezed, but the armor reinforced by the emblem held. Brok grunted in pain, but he was receiving little damage.

The true horror came when the Locus began lifting Brok toward its mouth, its jaws opening to reveal rows of blade-like teeth.

Elio desperately began charging mana, knowing each second was crucial. His mind calculated frantically: he needed at least six points for an effective attack, but the charging time felt like an eternity.

Brok, however, wasn't the type of warrior to wait passively for his fate.

Taking advantage of his free arms, his close position, and trusting in his increased defense, he began launching ice attacks directly into the Locus's face. The frigid explosions covered the monster's eyes and jaws, causing the creature to violently shake.

The Locus, enraged, intensified its grip.

Brok's cry of pain echoed through the chamber, but he didn't stop attacking. One after another, he spent his six magical attacks, each ice explosion more desperate than the last.

"Hold on!" Lila activated her Life emblem, channeling her resistance to strengthen Brok's resistance. The healing energy flowed constantly, counteracting part of the damage Brok was receiving.

The monster finally freed itself from the ice layer covering its face, shaking off the frozen fragments with a roar of fury.

It was at that precise moment that Elio completed his charge.

His eel, which had been faithfully following every movement of the Locus, finally closed the distance of the last jump. The connection between Elio and his summon reached its peak, allowing him supernatural precision.

With a fluid motion, Elio channeled all his energy into a single massive lithium stake, larger than any he had created before.

The brilliant metal cut through the air like lightning, impacting directly on the arm holding Brok. The precision of the strike, amplified by the control his eel provided, was devastating. The Locus's arm separated from its body with a crack.

Elio had no more mana charged for another instant attack, but his eel could extract mana from Elio much faster and more easily if its summoner allowed it.

"Now!" Elio roared, as his eel discharged all the electricity it could into the monster's back.

The rest of the team needed no further indication.

Taking advantage of the monster's momentary paralysis from the constant discharge, they moved as one. Like a well-oiled machine, they all attacked simultaneously. The penguins and their masters launched attack after attack.

The monster's proximity, which had been a disadvantage before, now became its undoing.

Under the coordinated assault, the Locus's glow began to fade. Its resistance, already diminished, finally gave way.

With a final roar, the colossal monster collapsed.

♢♢♢♢

The colossal Locus began to disintegrate, its body fragmenting into particles of light that vanished in the air. The spectacle, though beautiful, had something unsettling about it.

When the last particle of light vanished, two objects fell gently to the ground: a core of immense proportions and the Barrier emblem, which floated with a soft and constant glow.

"Kriz," Elio called to his companion, who was still breathing heavily from the battle. "This one's yours."

Kriz blinked in surprise, looking alternately at Elio and the floating emblem. "Are you sure? Shouldn't you..."

"You're the only one without an emblem," Elio interrupted with a small smile. "It's fair."

With some hesitation, Kriz extended his hand toward the emblem. The object glowed intensely as it was absorbed by his book, and immediately Kriz felt the change: his magical defense had doubled.

"Well," he murmured, checking his statistics. "Although I'm not sure how useful it will be. Locus aren't exactly known for their magical attacks..."

Brok, still recovering from the monster's grip, let out a broken laugh. "At least you won't have to worry if one decides to learn magic."

"The real problem," Mei intervened, her voice serious, "is that if these emblems are temporary as they said, maybe this isn't the end of the challenge. It wouldn't make sense to obtain it at the end only to lose it right after..."

While his companions talked, Elio approached the fallen core. It was significantly larger than any other they had seen before, emanating an almost tangible power. With caution, he absorbed it.

His eyes widened when he saw the value.

"A billion..." he whispered, almost breathless. "A single core worth 1,000,000,000 points."

The others fell silent, processing the magnitude of that number. It was enough for a level 8 summon, something that not even Elio had obtained yet.

"You could..." Lila began, but Elio shook his head.

"We can't risk level 8 now," he said firmly. "The city needs us alive and functional. It would be irresponsible to try it without being sure it's necessary. It's better to create 10 level 7 soldiers or 100 level 6 with this..."

The group nodded, understanding the logic behind his decision. They headed toward the center of the chamber, where the crystal was still high above, too elevated to read clearly.

Elio was about to use helium to propel himself when the floor beneath them began to glow. A new crystal emerged from the floor, its surface shining with words that appeared gradually:

"Congratulations challengers, you have passed the first phase of recovering key point number 3 'The Wind Deposit of the first ring, the wind ring'.

You must unlock the second entrance in less than 24 hours to pass the final challenge.

The 5 temporary emblems can be used in the final challenge within the next 24 hours and will then expire. For each one you will receive a permanent reward after the time limit."

"The Wind Deposit..." Elio murmured. "Part of a ring... Does it mean the deposits are connected in some kind of pattern?"

"And we have a time limit," Lila added, worried. "Twenty-four hours isn't much... It took us almost 12 hours to finish this."

"The second entrance," Brok rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Must be the other crystal that Zara and the others are looking for."

Mei nodded. "At least now we know for certain it exists."

"And those permanent rewards," Kriz smiled, though there was tension in his eyes. "I guess maybe it's worth having a temporary emblem after all."

Elio observed the crystal, thinking about this new information. It wasn't just an isolated deposit; it was part of something bigger, an interconnected system they were just beginning to understand.

And now they had a race against time to discover its secrets.