Utopian System

The ice penguin squawked in alarm, waddling over to Elio as if to check on him. Elio patted its head reassuringly, even as he winced from the pain.

"Well," Elio muttered, "that didn't go as planned. But we're not giving up, are we, little one?"

The penguin chirped in response, its eyes gleaming with determination that seemed to mirror Elio's own.

As he pondered, his eyes fell on the ice penguin. The creature's sturdy round build made him remember the tunnel from lvl 6, which sparked an idea.

"What if..." Elio mused aloud, "What if we mimic them?"

Closing his eyes, he tried to remember the exact shape of the tunnel he had traversed in the level 6 challenge.

It wasn't a box, that was clear. The image that came to his mind was more like...

"Half a cylinder," he murmured, opening his eyes with new determination.

More carefully this time, Elio began to form the new structure. His hands moved with precision, molding the ice into an arched shape that rose above him. As before, he left a hole in the top to allow cores to enter.

The ice penguin watched intently, occasionally offering encouraging chirps as Elio worked.

To his surprise and relief, this new shape seemed much more stable. The walls didn't creak or crack under pressure. Elio smiled, satisfied with his progress.

He decided to test the resilience of his new creation. He sat inside the semi-cylindrical tunnel and resumed absorbing cores. As he did so, he began to mentally calculate the mana needed to maintain and extend this structure.

The numbers he got left him worried.

16 points every 2 meters...

"I'm going to need tons of mana to do this on a large scale," he muttered, frowning.

♢♢♢♢

A while later, realizing he couldn't deplete the core barrier protecting him from the Locus, Elio decided to close the hole in the roof of his tunnel.

He had absorbed for only three hours, so he knew there were still many cores above him.

However, as soon as he sealed the structure, Elio faced a new problem. The air inside the tunnel began to feel stale. He needed a way to renew the oxygen.

Cautiously, Elio created a small opening in the tunnel's ceiling. Immediately, an avalanche of cores began to precipitate inside. Reacting on instinct, Elio opened his absorption page, using it as a shield against the intense waterfall of cores.

"This isn't going to work long-term," he thought, struggling to keep the book in position as the cores entered relentlessly.

Just when he thought he had found a balance, Elio noticed something alarming.

The ice walls of his tunnel were beginning to melt. Small water droplets formed on the surface, falling to the ground and creating puddles.

"Am I an idiot? Of course, ice melts," he muttered worriedly.

He watched with growing alarm as the ice melted.

The loss of mass was affecting the structure's integrity faster than he had anticipated.

Elio decided to undo his current tunnel before the fragments attacked him. With a gesture of his hand, the ice walls crumbled, allowing the cores to completely surround him again.

Taking a deep breath, Elio prepared for a new attempt.

It was then that an idea crossed his mind: carbon.

He had been so focused on using his new ice ability that he had almost forgotten the element he had mastered first.

With a sigh, Elio changed his invocation from the penguin to the elephant. The familiar presence of Wide Guard by his side gave him a sense of comfort, reminding him of the battles they had faced together.

However, doubt persisted in his mind. Carbon was a lower-level element than nitrogen. Would it be strong enough to withstand the pressure?

"There's only one way to find out," Elio murmured, preparing for the experiment.

With a gesture of his hand, he began to manipulate the carbon around him. He molded it into a thick wall, forming a structure similar to the one he had attempted with ice: a 2x2 meter half-cylinder.

Elio tensed, ready to receive the impact if the structure gave way under the pressure of the cores.

To his surprise and relief, the carbon wall not only resisted but seemed to do so with ease. Elio blinked, amazed at the strength of his creation.

"Incredible," he whispered, running a hand over the smooth, black surface of the wall.

It was then that Elio noticed something else: his control over carbon seemed a bit stronger, more precise. The rise to level 6 had not only improved his mastery over ice but had also enhanced his abilities with the other elements.

With renewed enthusiasm, Elio began to expand his structure. He created side walls, an arched roof, all perfectly molded and resistant. Wide Guard watched curiously, emitting soft sounds of approval.

However, as Elio worked, he realized something that made him frown: the mana cost. Although carbon proved more efficient than ice, the amount of energy needed to create the structure was still considerable.

"Eight mana points just for this small segment," Elio muttered, checking his stats. "To create a tunnel long enough to reach the deposit..."

The mental calculations that followed left him momentarily overwhelmed. The amount of mana required for a project of that magnitude was astronomical.

But Elio wasn't someone who easily gave up in the face of challenges. Instead of getting discouraged, he began to think of solutions.

"Maybe I can get help if I make a plan for others to easily overcome level 6," he reflected.

As he considered his options, Elio couldn't help but feel both excitement and apprehension. He couldn't trust just anyone to increase their level. He had been taught that giving too much could be counterproductive.

"This is going to take time," Elio said, addressing Wide Guard.

The elephant emitted a soft sound, as if agreeing with its summoner.