Utopian System

The morning sun filtered through the skylight in the indestructible stone roof of a room at one side of the central building, casting a warm glow across Enid Lonien's room.

She stretched lazily in her bed, far more comfortable than anything she'd dreamed of owning just 2 years ago. The celebrations from the night before had left her pleasantly exhausted, though she hadn't stayed as late as some of the others.

A smile tugged at her lips as she remembered the animated retellings of the water artromus battle. Even second-hand, the stories were getting incredible in the city. To think that she now lived in the same building as those legendary warriors, trained alongside them, contributed to the battles...

Enid's hand unconsciously reached for the book floating beside her bed. The idea of having reached level 10 still felt surreal some days.

She'd only unlocked her ninth summoning a few days ago, during her rotation with the daily level 10 locus challenge. The memory of that battle still made her pulse quicken, the rush of power, the perfect coordination with her teammates, the pride in their eyes when she succeeded the 2 hit kill.

"Still haven't decided on a combination, have you?" she muttered to herself, running her fingers along the book's spine.

The choice of which summons to merge was crucial, not something to be rushed. Even Milo and Taron's group hadn't all settled on their combinations yet.

Some nights she lay awake wondering if she should just follow Von Elio's path, choose the same combination that had proved so devastatingly effective in his hands...

The thought of Von Elio brought a slight flush to her cheeks. She shook her head, trying to dispel the lingering fragments of last night's dreams. Dreams that had become embarrassingly frequent lately, not that she'd admit it to anyone.

Enid swung her legs out of bed and began preparing for the day.

Her new quarters in the central building were another reminder of how far she'd come. Who would have thought that she, not her brother or male cousins, would be the one to bring such honor to the Lonien name?

Joining in the second wave of tunnel builders, recruited after Milo's initial group, had seemed like such a gamble at the time. Now look at her, living where the privileged families once dwelled, her contributions recognized and rewarded.

She got inside her system's armor. As she adjusted the armor, a quiet knock interrupted her thoughts.

"Enid? Are you decent, dear?" Her mother's voice carried through the door, tinged with that particular tone of maternal amusement that made Enid instantly suspicious.

"Come in, Mother," she called, bracing herself for whatever commentary was coming. Her mother slipped into the room, already dressed for the day, a knowing smile playing at her lips.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked innocently… too innocently. "No interesting dreams?"

Enid felt heat creeping up her neck. "Mother!"

"What? A mother can't be curious about her daughter's dreams? Especially when said daughter was mumbling a certain someone's name in her sleep..."

"I do not talk in my sleep!" Enid protested, though the furious blush spreading across her face betrayed her. "And I certainly wasn't dreaming about Von Elio!"

Her mother's triumphant grin made Enid realize her mistake. She hadn't mentioned any names.

"Honestly, Mother, you're as bad as the gossips in the central trees," Enid grumbled, gathering her hair into a practical braid. "Besides, everyone knows Von Elio and Commander Zara are..." she trailed off, unwilling to complete the thought.

Her mother's expression softened. "Nothing's official yet, dear. And even if it was..." she shrugged eloquently. "The heart wants what it wants. Just look at how many of you young ladies still moon over him, despite everything."

"I do not moon," Enid muttered, though she couldn't quite meet her mother's knowing gaze.

It was true, despite Zara's obvious claim on Von Elio's affections, despite the presence of beautiful and powerful women like Lila and Aria constantly around him, many of the female builders and soldiers still harbored hopes. Foolish, perhaps, but hope wasn't always rational.

"Of course you don't, dear," her mother patted her cheek affectionately. "Now come have breakfast. Your father's bought those special grain cakes you like, and you'll need your strength for the big battle."

As Enid followed her mother out, she couldn't help but smile. Dreams were dreams, after all.

What mattered was the reality she'd built for herself and her family. Still... she caught herself glancing toward the center rooms where Von Elio's quarters were located, and her heart did a small flip in her chest.

Time would tell, as her mother said. For now, she had duties to attend to, power to master, and a city to help protect. The rest... Well, that would sort itself out eventually.

♢♢♢♢

After bidding farewell to her family, Enid made her way through the transformed streets of the city. The changes never ceased to amaze her, patches of vibrant green punctuating the eternal white of the divine stone, bringing life to what had once been a stark, monochromatic landscape.

Near one of the newly planted trees, a group of children played, their laughter carrying on the wind.

Just months ago, such a sight would have been unthinkable; most families kept their little ones indoors, hoarding their precious mana points for necessities.

Now, thanks to the increased average of 35 points per person, people dared to venture out more, to breathe the new decent air freely, to live rather than merely survive.

A woman sat on a bench beneath another tree, reading a scroll while her child napped beside her. The sight made Enid's chest tighten with pride, she had helped build this.

Her hands had shaped the earth that now nurtured these havens of peace.

As she approached the wall, a powerful sight greeted her.

The gathering at the wall's base was impressive, nearly 200 level 10 warriors assembled for today's mission.

Enid joined her team, exchanging quiet greetings. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation; everyone knew what today meant.

Von Lucien stood beside Von Elio at the front of the assembled group, his presence lending additional gravity to the moment. When he stepped forward to speak, the murmur of conversations died instantly.