Utopian System

It was the jump.

The monstrous creature catapulted itself toward Zara with a speed it hadn\'t shown throughout the battle. Her last attack had marked her as a target, and now that mass of muscle and crystallized earth was hurtling toward her like a meteor.

"ZARA!" Lila\'s scream tore through the air.

But Zara was already moving.

Time seemed to slow as she channeled her power, combining neon, wind, and helium into a devastating triple impulse. The force catapulted her backward, creating a shockwave that struck the King\'s chest with pinpoint accuracy.

The impact was brutal, stopping the behemoth mid-leap despite its enormous size.

The reinforced barrier crackled.

Splintered.

Shattered.

For a precious instant, a perfect hole gaped in the monster\'s chest, its crystalline defenses completely exposed.

Elio was already in motion, having anticipated this moment. The winged salamander roared, its power merging with his as he launched himself forward at a speed that made the air whistle. His muscles, pushed to their safe limit, added extra power to his movement, every fiber of his being focused on this single, crucial moment.

The green scythe gleamed in his hands as he reached the perfect position, directly in front of the breach in the King\'s defenses.

The weapon, born from the first artromus, seemed to sing with anticipation, its edge hungry for the kill.

Three cuts.

Three brilliant green flashes split the air.

Three perfect impacts found their mark.

Elio had discovered that the additional velocity from his body at the strength limit transferred to the attacks themselves.

The wind blades, empowered by his physical momentum, traveled so fast that the earth barrier had no time to regenerate between strikes.

The Earth King froze for a moment, as if time itself held its breath.

Then it exploded into a shower of brilliant particles, its massive form dissolving into pure light.

♢♢♢♢

Victory had left them in excellent condition.

Elio checked his reserves: 75 mana points.

Zara confirmed she maintained 77, and the rest of the group preserved over 90. If the Artromus decided to make its appearance now, they were still prepared to face it.

The blue sphere materialized among the King\'s glowing remains, descending gently through the air.

"Got it!" Kriz caught it with a fluid motion, a smile spreading across his face. "Little ball... Anyone else getting déjà vu?"

"Shh, pay attention, idiot," Brok elbowed him, eyes fixed on the statue that had appeared before them.

The group approached cautiously.

The structure was identical to the first deposit\'s, every detail an exact replica of that first time. Elio extended his hand toward it, and the familiar glow preceded the god\'s message, as erratic and verbose as ever.

Its casual, almost carefree tone contrasted sharply with the moment\'s tension:

"Oh, congratulations on defeating this little one! I always thought the earth ones had a complex about barriers, don\'t you think? As if compensating for something... Ha! Sorry, sorry, getting off track.

"I apologize for not being there in person this time, lost that bet, plus I have some things to attend to. You know how it is being a deity, always busy, always running from one place to another. Though technically I don\'t run, more like... float? Materialize? Divine physics is complicated, better not get into details.

"Oh! Almost forgot, the sphere. You should take it to the city when you can. There are some interesting surprises waiting, though I suppose you already know, you won 100 thousand places and will get another 100 thousand when you deliver it. Are you already using the new space?"

Elio processed the information quickly. The population limit would increase from 1.3 million for defeating the King to 1.4 million when they delivered the sphere.

But for now, there was a more immediate concern:

"I hope you\'ve defeated your first demon... Don\'t let them roam around.

"They\'re quite the nasty problem, aren\'t they? Always thought they were too arrogant...

"Well, I bid you farewell, good luck with the third deposit, and hope to see you at the fourth... Whoever the winning challengers may be!

"P.S.: Careful above... Just saying."

\'Careful abov…?\' Elio thought.

The god\'s message had barely finished resonating when a shadow fell between them.

Elio spun instantly.

Time seemed to slow as his eyes lit up with that familiar crimson glow, his perception expanding to its limits.

The Earth Artromus materialized in the middle of the group, as different from its predecessor as earth is from wind.

Where the previous one had been slender and agile, this was a mass of muscle and natural armor. The same monstrous head, yes, but the body was more robust, more compact, a thick carapace covering its back where the other had delicate wings.

But Elio didn\'t give it time to showcase its capabilities.

The metal responded to his will instantly, the iron and carbon alloy rising from the ground like the fingers of an invisible giant. The metallic bands intertwined around the monster in a relentless embrace, leaving only the head and chest exposed, vital points that would serve as perfect targets.

"NOW!" Elio\'s roar shook everyone from their initial surprise. "EVERYTHING YOU\'VE GOT! DON\'T GIVE IT TIME!"

The trap was set. The predator had become prey.

Or so they thought.

The crimson glow in the Artromus\'s eyes matched the intensity of Elio\'s.

♢♢♢♢

Its awakening from stasis amidst these parasites had been... unexpected.

Arterro Hertris Soldier of Earth (Earth Artromus)

Skills:

Frenzy

Metamorphosis

Earth Element Magic

Mana: 1000/1000

Resistance: 20,000/20,000

Stamina: 100/100

Attack: 50

Magic Damage: 50

Strength: 20

Defense: 100

Magic Defense: 50

Speed: 20

Perception / Agility: 2 (A)

Its reaction to activate enhanced perception had been shamefully slow, but what did it matter? Being the Artromus with the highest resistance, these insignificant humans couldn\'t...

The first impact of Elio\'s scythe shattered that presumption along with 390 points of its resistance.

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\'Impossible!\'

Was this a combined attack of various techniques? In such case it couldn\'t be used too quickly...

But the attacks didn\'t cease.

The green scythe kept moving, each strike tearing away more chunks of its resistance.

3 times already in the blink of an eye, not counting the annoying structures that immobilized it.

And the others... it had underestimated them.

Each attack from the lesser parasites consumed 66 points, and that other one, the woman, her strikes tore away 206 points per impact, too high as well.

\'Is the information wrong?\' The thought barely had time to form between the rain of attacks.

The report about human capabilities must have critical errors.

But fortunately, the scythe stopped at the 7th attack.

When the main assault finally paused for a moment, as the scythe bearer needed to recharge his 10 maximum charge points...

Arterro found its opportunity.

An earth barrier expanding explosively in all directions.

The humans adapted their strategy instantly, switching to concentrated wind spheres that exploded against its defense.

The speed with which they maintained the pressure was... concerning.

It could barely regenerate the barrier at the rate they were destroying it.

But its mana was vast; they wouldn\'t overcome it in a war of attrition.

\'I will not fall like this,\' the monster thought while preparing its next move. \'Not to mere parasites.\'