Utopian System

"The time limit," he muttered, remembering Elio's instructions. "It must be about to expire." His heart raced, knowing what was coming next.

Without wasting a second, Brok began to prepare to exit the book.

Preparing, in this case, meant eating.

He savored each bite, aware that this might be his last moment of relative safety for a while.

Having finished feeding, with precise movements, he checked his equipment and, more importantly, his remaining provisions.

He had packed more food than the others, a decision he now appreciated even more. The expiration of food was a crucial factor in the plans for this immersion for everyone, and although they could cool it with magic, the mana cost for that was a luxury they couldn't afford.

Despite the extra size of his luggage, Brok barely noticed the weight.

With the strength of five men coursing through his muscles, the sack seemed almost light in his hands. He flexed experimentally, marveling at the power the System had granted him.

Brok emerged from his book, absolute darkness engulfing him instantly.

The change was so abrupt that for a moment, Brok felt the air escape from his lungs. The oppressive blackness pressed in on all sides, threatening to overwhelm him.

'Calm down,' he thought to himself, remembering Elio's words. "Stay calm and follow the plan." He took a deep breath, centering himself in the darkness.

Carefully, Brok extended his hands, locating his book and opening it, preparing to activate the absorption.

But before doing so, Brok paused.

He remembered another crucial warning from Elio: make sure there were no books too close.

Fortunately, they glowed with a very faint light, which in this darkness was very obvious. The Locus' legs around the faint lights became slightly visible, and Brok decided he didn't need to look up or turn on the light.

He suppressed a shudder, imagining what horrors might lurk just above him.

Back to the books, he realized they were a bit far from him, so there would be no problem.

'Can't risk a book being absorbed along with me and someone appearing halfway and being crushed', he thought of his companions, the weight of their lives heavy on his mind.

Without wasting time, he activated his book's absorption, falling through the cores surrounding him. The effect was immediate. He felt his body begin to sink, the cores around him being absorbed at a dizzying rate.

"Damn, this is pretty terrifying," Brok muttered, recalling his leader's casual explanations. The sensation of falling through solid matter was utterly alien, his mind struggling to process the experience.

"This could drive anyone crazy without proper preparation. What steel balls he must have," he reflected, imagining how it would have been to face this situation without prior preparation, trapped in Fathoran's carbon. "He really is special," he thought, grateful for knowing exactly what to do and what to expect.

Upon touching the ground, Brok immediately searched for the city wall.

"We can't take too long," Brok reminded himself, aware that every second of absorption that passed increased the risk of one of his companions being buried under the cores.

He found it quickly and, following it, located the entrance to the tunnel that Elio had built on his previous visit. "Perfect," he murmured, orienting himself. Luckily, he didn't go to the opposite side.

Without cores of his own, Brok used the ones he had just absorbed to summon his elephant. The creature materialized beside him, its presence reassuring in the oppressive darkness.

"Alright, little one," Brok grunted to his summon. "We've got work to do." The elephant trumpeted softly in response, ready to assist its master.

Using the control over carbon granted by his elephant, Brok opened, entered, and then sealed the tunnel entrance behind him, maintaining the absorption of cores. It was meticulous work that required all his concentration.

Then, with intense concentration, he began the task of keeping the tunnel's interior free of cores. To his relief, the tunnel seemed to be still well sealed, Elio's concern unfounded. Brok managed to absorb all the cores and began climbing the vertical part of the tunnel using the gaps Elio had left to facilitate the process.

Shortly after, he heard a noise at the base of the tunnel. Micah had arrived, emerging from the darkness with his characteristic air of calm. Some cores entered, but Micah quickly closed the entrance and absorbed them, now having an elephant like Brok's as well.

"Brok," Micah greeted, his voice muffled by the oxygen stone in his mouth. "Looks like we're the first ones."

Brok nodded, also with his oxygen stone in his mouth. "We should start expanding the tunnel upwards," he suggested, using the gaps Elio had left for climbing.

Micah agreed, and both began to ascend to the top.

"We have to get the top of the tunnel to within a few meters of the Locus," Micah said as they climbed. "And then try to expand the mouth of the tunnel to make it easier for the others to enter."

Brok found himself following Micah's instructions without questioning them. Normally, he was the voice of reason along with Kriz, but now he felt less logical and reasonable than Micah.

It was a new angle for him, and he wasn't sure how to feel about it.

"Hey, Micah," Brok said. "How come you seem so calm in this situation?" He couldn't help but admire his companion's composure.

Micah let out a small laugh. "Relax, Brok. I just pretend to be serious, but I'm not really that much. I'm just introverted and don't like to talk too much, unlike Kriz."

Brok nodded, processing this new information about his companion. He felt a newfound respect for Micah growing.

Brok remembered another of Elio's warnings. "We should check for damage to the tunnel. Elio said the Locus attacked it when he left, and he wasn't sure if it would remain sealed."

Micah nodded, and they both began to meticulously inspect the tunnel. To their relief, they only found some cracks near the top, which Micah quickly reinforced. The work was precise and demanding, but they tackled it with determination.

"Looks like we got lucky," Micah commented. "No real holes, just these cracks. Though it was obvious because the cores weren't coming in."

"You know," Brok said, wiping sweat from his brow. "We've never really interacted much, you and I. We're always with the whole group."

Micah nodded. "That's true. I guess this mission is forcing us all out of our comfort zones." There was a hint of vulnerability in his voice that Brok had never heard before.

"Do you think Elio is okay?" Brok finally asked, giving voice to the concern they both shared.

Micah was silent for a moment before responding. "Elio is strong and clever. If anyone can be the first to overcome the seventh level, it's him. Our task is to make sure we advance the project so that the risk he's taking isn't in vain."

"It's strange," Brok commented after a long silence. "I always thought you were too serious, but now I see there's more to you than meets the eye."

Micah smiled slightly. "And I thought you were just muscles without a brain when I first met you. I guess we were both wrong."

They both laughed softly.