Utopian System

"Oh!" God's tired eyes suddenly lit up. "Almost forgot!" With a casual gesture, Elio's book floated to his hands. "This is for a leader to 'know' his subjects."

A small crystal appeared in the book's corner, glowing faintly.

"When you look through it, you'll be able to see others' statistics. Though..." he scratched his beard chaotically, "if someone surpasses you in level, you'll lose it. It's only permanent for whoever first reaches level 100..."

He stopped with a start, as if receiving an invisible blow. "Oops! Wasn't supposed to mention the maximum level."

He waved his hand dismissively.

"Anyway, lastly think carefully about combination paths. The probabilities become practically infinite, but..." he winked at Elio, "I like the direction yours is taking."

His expression momentarily turned serious. "You still have 897 years, but don't get complacent. Use the new space and acquire all possible power."

"This time I won't stop until reaching the maximum possible power," Elio declared with determination.

"That's the spirit!" God clapped enthusiastically, though his image began flickering. "Oh, oh... time's running out."

"What about the next challenge?" Elio asked quickly. "What will happen after?"

"Sorry, can't say more." God's figure began fading. "But I trust in you... Want to trust. You have to win this last chance for humanity, this last battle."

His smile remained while his form became increasingly transparent.

"No time for more, but I know we'll meet again... Hopefully most of you. Until next time!"

♢♢♢♢

In an instant, the group returned to their combat positions, tension palpable in the air while waiting for the Artromus's appearance.

When the creature descended, several held their breath.

The fire Artromus was another bioanatomical nightmare.

If they knew what it was, they would realize it fused the most disturbing features of an ant with the anthropomorphic anatomy characteristic of its species.

Its exoskeleton, segmented and gleaming like molten metal, curved at impossible angles. The mandibles, disproportionately large even for an Artromus, extended like twin scythes, each marked with the characteristic black lines that seemed to be their species' trademark.

In this one, the marks followed flame patterns.

Its four extremities ended in articulated claws, but twisted and enlarged until becoming lethal weapons. The head, a grotesque fusion between insect and demon, bore the characteristic bulging eyes of the Artromus, but multiplied in a pattern evoking a crown of burning embers.

Almost instinctively, Elio looked through the small crystal in his book. The monster's statistics materialized before his eyes, confirming what he already suspected: its offensive power surpassed its predecessors.

Arfuo Solepsis Soldier of Fire (Fire Artromus)

Skills:

Frenzy

Metamorphosis

Fire Element Magic

Mana: 1000/1000

Resistance: 10,000/10,000

Stamina: 100/100

Attack: 100

Magic Damage: 100

Strength: 20

Defense:

But the group didn't give it time to demonstrate.

Like a well-oiled machine, they moved in perfect synchronization.

Before the Artromus could even begin its igneous expansion, it found itself trapped in a network of metallic restrictions, courtesy of the group's iron control.

Everyone attacked with water instantly.

The creature's resistance plummeted under the coordinated assault, but it was Lila's summon that stole the spotlight.
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Her frog salamander, a creature reminiscent of an axolotl, attacked in all its splendor.

The reason they had chosen Lila as emblem bearer became evident when her summon deployed its power.

Where the Artromus tried to generate attacks, the frog salamander impacted it maintaining absolute battle control, its mastery over water elevated to a level that made it seem like they had a water Artromus on their side.

Lila's frog salamander, known as Gorgita, demonstrated why its water mastery surpassed that of a common frog. Its control flowed with a freedom and range that made others' invocations seem rigid, manipulating the element as if it were a natural extension of its being.

Like Aria's elephant salamander, Gorgita possessed the capability of semi-transformation. Though it couldn't absorb as many different elements, only water, its affinity with the liquid made it a devastating weapon in this specific situation.

This additional power allowed three attackers, instead of two, to strike with maximum power amplified by the emblems.

Arfuo, unlike its predecessors who had sought refuge in chambers saturated with their elements, opted for a direct approach.

Its attacks, backed by 100 points of magical power, should have been able to reduce the attackers... But even this offensive power proved insufficient against perfectly coordinated level 10 warriors.

The creature didn't take long to understand the futility of its situation.

Seeing its resistance crumbling at an alarming rate, it made a decision its predecessors had postponed until the last moment: activate metamorphosis immediately.

The decision proved strategically correct, allowing it to conserve over 30,000 life points after transformation. Its eyes burned with renewed determination while its body began changing, preparing for the true battle.

But Arfuo's metamorphosis turned out to be nothing more than a final act of desperation.

Elio channeled the water element into his sword, causing the trident's essence to resonate within the fused weapon. EmberG answered its master's call, its form evolving toward its second phase.

But it wasn't the only one.

Lila, perhaps driven by the frustration she had been accumulating, achieved what hadn't been possible for her in the midst of combat: Gorgita reached its second phase. The mana cost skyrocketed to maintain the summon's attacks, but Lila didn't seem to care.

The transformation was spectacular. Gorgita's chubby body stretched and refined, adopting the form of what would be an adult axolotl, long and elegant. It was no longer the plump creature that had given it its name; now it was like a water serpent of lethal movements.

Gorgita's new form coiled around the artromus, turning with devastating precision. Each turn eroded more of the creature's resistance, plus the embrace eliminated the need for Elio to waste energy and concentration on impeding its movements.

All Elio needed was a moment, a single instant where Arfuos's neck was exposed. Multiple flashes of the sword found the same mark with surgical precision.

The last artromus's head fell before it could even comprehend the magnitude of the power that had provoked its own destruction.

The moment it got to a whooping 400 points of attack with the frenzy buff didn't matter.

There was no epic battle. No heroic last breath. Just the lethal efficiency of a team that had surpassed all expectations.

The fourth Artromus, guardian of the last deposit, vanished in silence.