Utopian System

"TO THE STRUCTURES!" Elio's shout echoed across the crater. "EVERYONE UP, NOW!"

The builders leaped toward the carbon platforms, but not all were fast enough.

A second scream sliced through the air as another soldier began sinking into earth that had suddenly become fluid beneath his feet.

But this time Elio was prepared… And closer.

They wouldn't catch him off guard twice.

His body became a blur of motion as he propelled himself toward the sinking soldier. His fingers closed around the man's arm just before he disappeared completely into the treacherous ground. The movement was precise, he pulled with 10 points of strength, but the artromus wasn't letting go.

The soldier's leg was firmly trapped in what appeared to be a solid earth claw, and the force pulling him down was monstrous.

Caught between two superhuman forces, the soldier screamed in agony. Only his armor and Elio's transferred resistance kept him from being torn apart.

Elio then pushed his muscles beyond their safe limits, matching and exceeding the Artromus's superhuman strength as he extracted most of the soldier's body.

But the ground beneath his feet had become treacherous, too soft to gain proper footing.

Each moment that passed was an invitation to be dragged down alongside his comrade.

'Can't maintain this,' Elio realized, his mind racing through options. He couldn't risk a battle of attrition, the soldier wouldn't last, nor could he chance being pulled into the depths where the artromus would have every advantage.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, the green scythe flashing as it cut cleanly through the trapped leg.

Taking advantage of his position, Elio discharged a wind impulse toward where he sensed the artromus's presence. The attack connected with something solid, an arm probably, but the monster simply melted back into the earth, vanishing from sight.

The soldier's scream of pain rang out as Elio, propelled by the same impulse that had struck the artromus, landed safely on the carbon structures.

'The armor will heal him, it was the best option,' he reminded himself, though the thought did little to ease the weight of his decision.

He would have to explain this to the soldier after he woke up...

Now, from the relative safety of the carbon structures, everyone watched the crater's surface with mounting concern. The terrain that had seemed solid moments ago had become their deadliest enemy.

"It could be anywhere," Zara murmured, her eyes scanning every section of ground for the slightest movement. Years of training couldn't prepare anyone for an enemy that could turn the very earth against them.

The wounded soldier was being carried back to the tunnel, his leg already beginning to regenerate thanks to the system's armor. But the tension in the air was palpable, they had just discovered this artromus was far more dangerous than anticipated.

Elio's face hardened as he processed his error.

They had assumed the artromus would be trapped in the center of its fortress, but the reality was more complex: the entire structure was its domain, every gram of earth responding to its will.

"Damned freak," Kriz muttered from his elevated position. "It could be at any point in that earth chamber."

"If we can't force it to stay still, attack it directly, or know where it is..." Elio gripped the scythe tighter. "Then we'll drown it."

The order rang out clear and strong: "Water! Everyone except the attack group who still has mana to generate water, aim for the hole!"

The builders began combining their sacred power, transforming oxygen and hydrogen into torrents that poured into the opening. The effect was gradual but undeniable: the earth began to transform, its consistency changing before their eyes.

The structure protruding from the crater started to deform, mud sliding down the edges like a volcano in slow motion. What was once a solid fortress became a muddy mass expanding across the crater.

"Think this will force it out?" Aria asked, watching as the terrain transformed under the constant flow of water.

But minutes continued passing. The mud kept spreading, yet there was no sign of the Artromus.

"It can wait," Mei murmured, her analytical mind evaluating the situation. "Maybe it doesn't need to breathe, there can't be much oxygen underground anyway. And the mud... the mud probably gives it even more control."

The frustration was palpable. Each minute that passed was another minute the monster could be recovering its mana, another minute the temporary emblems drew closer to their end.

From the carbon structures, the group watched their creation become a pool of mud. But the true predator remained hidden, waiting, perhaps even laughing at their attempts.

♢♢♢♢

The Artromus glided through the mud, its frustration growing with each moment.

The level 7 soldier it had managed to devour had barely satisfied its hunger for vengeance, and worse still, his essence represented only a tiny fraction of the percentage needed to escape and return.

How could he be level 7? The Artromus had been certain they would all be level 9 or 10... Otherwise, why were they so strong?

'These parasites...' Confusion mixed with its rage. The reports about their capabilities were completely wrong. A mere level 7 shouldn't be able to cause significant damage, and that leader... his attacks far exceeded what should be possible.

'A level 10 should have 70 magic points maximum,' it calculated while moving through its domain. 'And without level 10 summons, it's impossible to reach that power.

They need 100 billion cores for one lvl 10 summon… Where did they get such resources?'

Moreover, that cursed parasite hadn't just dealt 140 damage, an acceptable critical for a level 10 with a maximum level summon, but 390... The bastard had to have a damage of 220 before the critical multiplier to exceed its magical defense by 390 points.

How was that possible?

Its body shuddered at the thought of fighting an army of such powerful beasts. One might be manageable... but 10? Impossible. Fortunately, the likely leader seemed to be the only one with such power.

Still, it wasn't what it expected, and the lack of correct information was infuriating. Not only that...

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The loss of the second prey especially enraged it. That a mere human had matched its strength in that tug-of-war was... inconceivable. Just a useless leg as a consolation prize, when what it needed were heads.

'Heads!' The thought roared in its mind.

It needed to kill them, needed their essence. Without them, it couldn't reach the percentage necessary for its escape.

To return to its beloved queen.