Utopian System

"Couldn't you?" Elio's voice was sharp as a knife. "Or didn't you want to risk your life for the good of the city?"

The soldier swallowed hard. "I... I didn't want all the equipment and cores to be lost. I brought them back with the information as an apology, Von Elio. Please forgive me!"

"You want me to forgive you?" Elio spat. "Fine... Tell me, how many emblems did you have when you left?"

The silence that followed betrayed the truth.

Finally, Elio spoke again, his voice softer, almost considerate. "Thank you for the information. It's... valuable."

The soldier looked up, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Then... will you forgive me? For the information, for saving the mana and the cores..."

Elio looked at him for a long moment. "You're right," he said at last. "The cores and mana are important for the city."

The soldier began to smile, but froze at Elio's next words.

"That's why I can't leave them in your hands."

Before the soldier could react, Elio materialized a lithium stake. With a fluid motion, he plunged it into the man's chest.

The soldier looked at the stake, then at Elio, disbelief giving way to pain and finally understanding.

"For the city," Elio murmured, his voice barely a whisper. "This is your reward, die without too much pain."

The soldier tried to speak, but only a gurgle came out. His eyes clouded over and, finally, he went limp.

He still had a lot of resistance left with the system armor, but with his heart destroyed, there was no oxygen in his brain.

Elio activated his mana and electrocuted him until his resistance was depleted.

The silence that followed was absolute, broken only by the sound of the soldier's body hitting the ground when Elio retracted the stake.

The others watched with shock and understanding on their faces. They had witnessed an act of brutal but necessary justice.

Elio turned to them, his eyes laden with sadness. "What alternative did we have? Let him live knowing what he was willing to do? The city can't afford more traitors."

No one answered. They all understood the harsh truth behind Elio's words.

Elio approached the body, absorbing the fallen soldier's belongings directly from his book.

♢♢♢♢

With the traitorous soldier dead and the crystal once again receptive to new challengers, Elio found himself facing a crucial decision, but...

The recent betrayal weighed heavily on him, clouding his judgment and sowing doubts about who he could really trust.

Lila, noticing the tension on Elio's face, stepped forward.

"E-Elio," she began, her voice soft, "I understand how you feel, but not everyone is like that. What happened was... terrible, yes, but it's unlikely to happen again after what they've seen..."

Elio looked at her, wanting to believe her words, but the shadow of distrust was still present.

"I appreciate your words, Lila, but I can't risk it. Not again."

Zara, standing next to Elio, nodded silently. She shared his frustration and perfectly understood his reluctance to trust.

Lila, seeing that she wouldn't be able to convince Elio at that moment, stepped back with a sigh.

After a moment of reflection, Elio began to divide the group.

Those he trusted more closely would be assigned to monitor the work of the others. It was a measure born of caution, but necessary in his mind.

As he organized the groups, something in the previous report caught his attention. The crystal, when it was full, had mentioned the possibility of challenging its "other entrance" for waiting challengers...

They could also wait for the current challengers to come out.

But the key word was "other," not "others."

Initially, he had thought it referred to the other deposits, but that didn't make sense. There were four deposits in total, so the reference to a single "other" entrance was intriguing.

"Perhaps," he murmured to himself, "there's another entrance in this same deposit."

With this new theory in mind, Elio made a decision.

"We're going to build completely around the deposit looking for another crystal," he announced to the group. "And we need to divide our forces to act quickly on this possibility."

He began to form the teams, but when he got to Zara, she stepped forward. "Don't leave me out of your team, I want to be with you," she said, her voice firm.

Elio looked at her, appreciating her sincerity, but knowing he needed her strength elsewhere. "Zara, you're the only one at my level. I need you to lead the other team."

Zara wanted to protest, but she saw the determination in Elio's eyes. Finally, she nodded reluctantly.

He turned to Taron. Taron's loyalty in informing him about the traitors had proven his worth.

"Taron," Elio called, "you've proven your loyalty in critical moments. I think it's time for you to get the penguin. You'll need to be at the level of the others in Zara's team."

Taron's eyes widened with surprise and gratitude. "Thank you. I won't let you down."

Elio nodded, then turned his attention to the rest of the group. Milo's batch, now reduced to 10 people after the betrayal, awaited his instructions. Elio looked at them, aware of the tension and uncertainty that hung in the air.

"Listen, everyone," he began, his voice firm but not lacking compassion. "What has happened is a tragedy, but we can't allow it to divide us. We need to work together now more than ever."

He paused, making sure everyone understood the gravity of the situation. "We're going to divide our forces in a way that allows us to keep an eye on everyone and foster mutual trust."

He proceeded to explain his plan. The 5 remaining members of Milo's batch would be divided between Milo and Nessa's groups. Then, he formed two other groups of 10 people each, mixing 5 people from each of the two final batches.

"These new groups will join Milo and Nessa's teams," Elio explained. "This way, we'll have 14 people in one team and 15 in the other, all from different root groups. This will allow us to maintain constant internal supervision."

He looked at each of those present, his expression serious.

"I don't want any more secrets. If anyone tries to hide information or plan something behind the group's back, I'll take care of "solving" the problem myself. Our families and the entire city depend on us. There will be no more nonsense."

A tense silence followed his words. Everyone was aware of what was at stake.

"But I don't want to antagonize you," Elio continued, his tone softening slightly. "If we manage to save the city, you'll be the first to obtain advanced invocations. Give your best effort. This is your chance to make a difference."