Utopian System

Moments before seeking Lucien, Elio stopped in the main building's central courtyard.

The blue sphere weighed in his hand as he approached the exchange statue, his heart pounding with anticipation of what this discovery might reveal.

When the sphere merged with the statue, a message glowed on the crystal:

"Congratulations on conquering your first deposit, the population limit has been increased to 1.2 million. Way to go my beloved creations, bring the other 3 pls… 1/4."

"P.S.: Careful with the demons thought, better to kill those 1 by 1… Don't procrastinate in killing them!"

Elio stood motionless, the implications taking shape in his mind. The barrier, its recent stability... everything made sense now. The additional two hundred thousand inhabitants limit explained why the pressure had diminished.

But the relief was short-lived.

His fingers clenched while making mental calculations: with the population's growth rate, this limit extension was barely a temporary respite.

The stability wouldn't last. Discover stories with m,v l'e|m-p| y r

His mission's urgency crystallized with new clarity. They couldn't afford to wait until the population brushed against the limit again, until the barrier began to fail anew.

And above all, they couldn't risk the Artromus choosing that moment to attack.

As the statue still glowed, Elio quickly reviewed it.

New elements appeared one by one: exotic food varieties he had never seen, their prices fluctuating in mana points. Then, standing out among the options, a "wind sword" gleamed with promises of power.

'Ten million mana,' Elio calculated, studying the specifications. 'For just ten attack points...'

His gaze stopped on something more subtle: a small shadow, barely visible, like a tab at the interface's limits. Below, a tiny list of obscured items marked with "1/4".

The sword might have been tempting at another time, but now... Elio looked away.

Ten million mana for such a small increase made no sense, not when time was slipping through his fingers.

The temporary emblems weighed on his consciousness as he walked away from the statue. There were more urgent matters to attend to.

♢♢♢♢

The Artromus drew itself up to its full height, its voice resonating with power and disdain.

"I don't need promises to face an insect. But if you desire it so much: I promise I won't flee from your pathetic attempt at revenge."

Elio's smile widened, transforming into something dangerous, something predatory.

"Perfect."

And then, to the horror of all present...

Elio's arm crossed the barrier, an illogical action... Was he trying to shake hands with the monster?

The movement was so sudden that no one had time to react.

"ELIO, NO!" Selene's scream was lost in the incredulous gasp of the crowd.

The Artromus's smile widened, predatory, as its enormous hand closed around Elio's. With a brutal force of an insane 40 points, it pulled to tear the human from his refuge.

But then the air filled with the smell of burning flesh and the Artromus's shriek of pain.

Flames erupted from the point of contact, devouring the monster's flesh while Elio, instead of being torn from the bridge, pulled with impossible strength.

"AAAARGH!" The Artromus's roar mixed fury and pain, but it didn't release its prey. Its forty points of strength should have been more than enough against Elio's nine.

But Elio had surpassed his limits.

Beyond the safe threshold of 19.9, his body burned with a power that was destroying him from within. His muscles tore, his tendons creaked, but the hatred in his eyes burned more intensely than the pain.

"By the walls..." Lucien whispered, watching in disbelief as Elio, clinging to the bridge with his free hand, began to gain ground.

Inch by inch, between roars of fury and pain, Elio pulled the Artromus toward the barrier.

The flames continued consuming the monster's flesh, but it wouldn't yield, trapped in this duel of wills and brute force.

The air itself seemed to vibrate with the moment's intensity. Two beings, united by hatred and pain, defying the limits of the possible while spectators watched, paralyzed before this impossible situation.

And slowly, inexorably, the Artromus began to be dragged toward the barrier.

♢♢♢♢

The Artromus's black eyes dilated with disbelief.

It was impossible.

This parasite, this insignificant creature, was matching its 40 points of strength. The pain of the fire consuming its flesh was secondary to this impossibility.

Had it leveled up?

'Level 10?' Its mind worked frantically while trying to maintain its grip. 'But even then, it should only be 10 points of strength. Could it be...?' A shiver of understanding ran through its being.

The information about human level 10 was incomplete.

Fire was its weakness... But this was too much. The parasite should have a maximum magical damage of 70.

But this cursed fire felt different, much more powerful. It should take away 140 points for being its weakness but...

Every second that passed, 440 points of damage, after its magical defense of 50... Still too much, each second 390 points of its resistance vanished under the relentless assault. Its 10,000 resistance points, which had always seemed an impenetrable fortress, melted like ice under the sun.

The fire attacks from the other humans, Lucien, Selene, and their soldiers were more logical, taking away a maximum of 50 per impact after the magic defense... they were barely an annoyance in comparison, but they added up.

Especially because it couldn't move... Five hundred more points lost while trying to break free from Elio's iron grip.

'1,670 points in 3 seconds,' it calculated with growing alarm. 'If the parasite has 100 mana points...'

No. This had to end now.

With a roar that shook the air, the Artromus channeled its power into a violent wind impulse. The force was brutal, instantaneous.

Elio remained clutching its hand, but the carbon structure didn't resist.

The bridge broke with a deafening crack, and both combatants plummeted outside the barrier.

Three-dimensional space was its natural domain.

Its wings extended while dragging Elio away from the wall, a cruel smile forming on its face. In the air, without support, the human should be easy prey.