Utopian System

A dangerous smile formed on Elio's face while contemplating the acid-saturated battlefield.

If Lucien could turn the terrain into his weapon, he could convert it into his destruction.

The winged salamander roared, but this time it wasn't wind that emanated from it. Sacred fire expanded in a devastating wave, finding the volatile hydrogen fluoride clouds.

The reaction was instantaneous and catastrophic.

The air itself seemed to ignite. Lucien barely had time to create an interwoven barrier of carbon and steel around his body.

Even so, the explosion reached him, tearing away precious resistance points.

They were tied 1 to 1 now.

Elio, now charged with his complete mana, descended like a meteor toward his mentor. But Lucien hadn't survived so long by being predictable; the air beneath Elio transformed into an explosive column.

Lucien had used his frog to create a direct explosion now, combining hydrogen fluoride with water.

Elio's favorite reaction cost him another point, leaving the match at 2 to 1.

"You're not the only one who knows how to make things explode!" Lucien shouted while launching himself upward with a series of perfectly calculated impulses.

The third hit, which would decide the combat if critical, seemed inevitable.

But Elio's eyes blazed with superhuman intensity, blood beginning to flow as he forced his perception beyond safe limits.

The somewhat broken steel layer covering Lucien became his downfall, magnetic control tearing him from his trajectory at the last instant.

Elio's old trick, the magnetic control he had practiced so much.

The sword passed millimeters from Elio while Lucien was propelled backward...

And then, in a movement painfully reminiscent of his battle with the first leader of the families, Elio reversed the magnetic force. Lucien, still recovering from the initial deviation and his own attack momentum, couldn't avoid being dragged back.

Elio's sword found its mark, a precise strike to the heart that would have been lethal in real combat.

Lucien's consciousness faded.

Elio had won.

♢♢♢♢

Lucien awoke seconds after Elio carried him to land and removed the sword from his heart.

Silence fell over the training area while both warriors processed what had happened. Lucien, still feeling the phantom of the final blow, smiled with pride.

"You've learned well," he said, straightening up. "Not only have you mastered traditional techniques, but you've found ways to make them your own."

Diana, observing from the side, nodded silently. Her student hadn't just learned, he had evolved beyond the teachings.

The test was complete.

The student had surpassed his masters.

"Level 10 is much more than improved numbers," Lucien reflected while catching his breath. "And you, Elio, are far ahead in understanding its true capabilities. It's no coincidence that you lead this city. You can feel proud of…"

"And I would have appreciated you practicing those capabilities in a more open area!" Diana interrupted, shaking off remnants of dust from her clothes. "Do you have any idea how close those explosions were? And the acid?"

The laughter of all three filled the air, dissipating the tension from the previous combat.

"Come," Elio smiled, looking toward the main plaza's direction. "We have a more important project waiting."

♢♢♢♢

The site bustled with activity when they arrived.

Some builders who had earned the earth emblem through their contributions had been working all morning, preparing the earth base that would serve as foundation for the city's transformation.

Where before there was only immutable white stone, now stretched several hectares of fertile soil.

"It's strange to see so much... brown," Diana commented, accustomed to the divine city's perpetual white.

"Not for long," Elio observed the millions of mana points accumulated for this project. "It's time for the city to reflect its people's growth."

The builders had outdone themselves. The earth extended in carefully designed patterns: elevated areas that would serve as hills, gentle depressions for small ponds, winding paths that would connect everything.

"People need to see that their contributions are creating something tangible," Elio explained while beginning to take out the first tree. "Not just numbers in a book, but real changes they can touch, see, enjoy."

Elio planted a small green crystal that had cost a million mana.

The first tree began materializing, its trunk emerging from the newly prepared earth. Each one cost too many mana points for Elio's taste, but the effect was immediate and dramatic. Green began appearing where it had never existed before.

"It's more than decoration," Lucien added, understanding his student's concern. "It's materialized hope."

Diana watched in wonder as the landscape transformed before her eyes. "Children who grow up here will never know a purely white city," she murmured. "For them, this will be normal."

"That's the point," Elio smiled. "Each generation should have something better than the previous one. And if we can use our power to create beauty instead of just destruction..."

The project would continue for days, but they could already see the impact. Passersby stopped, amazed at the transformation. Some cried seeing color in their city for the first time.

It was more than a park. It was a promise that the future could be different, better. And for Elio, it was a way to honor every mana point people contributed, transforming their trust into something beautiful and lasting.

♢♢♢♢

The rest of the group arrived when the first tree already stood majestic against the artificial sky.

Their faces, tired after rigorous training to reach level 10 or the daily locus encounter in Zara's case, lit up at the sight.

"I can't believe you did it without us!" Kriz feigned indignation, though his smile betrayed him. "The city's first tree and we missed it!"

"Always so dramatic," Brok gave him a friendly push.

"For once he's right," Mei added, studying the earth base with scientific interest. "It's a historic moment."

Lila approached the tree, her fingers brushing the bark reverently. "It's... real. Completely real."

"Don't worry," Elio smiled, watching his friends' reactions. "There are enough mana points for several more. And this time you can help decide where to place them."

"I vote for putting one right there!" Valeria pointed to an elevated spot.

"Typical of you, looking for the best view," Aria joked.

Ren was already calculating optimal distances between trees, while Kriz suggested increasingly ridiculous ways to organize them.

It was a moment of peace, a respite in their preparations to reach level 10. For a moment, they weren't soldiers or leaders, they were simply friends, marveling at something new and beautiful in their city.

"How many trees do you plan to plant?" asked Zara, positioning herself beside Elio.

"Probably about 10 per year," he responded, watching how his companions animatedly debated the perfect distribution. "The city deserves some color."