Utopian System

Elio stopped dead in his tracks. In front of him, there were not two monsters as he expected, but four.

The creatures were different from anything he had seen before. They had elongated, shiny bodies. In the center, a sphere of energy pulsed rhythmically, emitting that paralyzing force that Elio had come to fear.

"Four," Elio murmured, feeling apprehension.

The monsters didn't seem to have noticed him yet, focused on maintaining that mysterious energy. Elio knew he had to take advantage of the element of surprise.

Four monsters instead of two. An unexpected complication, but not insurmountable.

Time was crucial. Elio knew the monsters would react instantly to his presence, just as the penguins did in the previous level.

'Area attack is still the best option,' Elio thought, remembering the advice he had given to Zara. "It's the best choice for multiple targets."

He briefly considered using water for the attack, remembering its effectiveness against the barrier. But he quickly discarded the idea.

For some reason, a water ball as a direct attack often lacked damage on many occasions. Only when it was very hot or cold, or at a certain speed could it inflict damage.

It was a strange element.

"Too unpredictable," he told himself. "I need something more controllable."

He also considered using his new advanced ice ability, but decided to save it as a last resort. "It's powerful, but consumes too much mana and it's not the specific weakness of this level's element," he thought. "Better to save it for an emergency."

Basic ice presented itself as the most viable option, he could just freeze water, that always worked to inflict damage. "I can generate an explosion by combining it with fire," Elio reasoned. "If it's not enough for the barrier, it can always be melted with heat for a second attack."

"Seventy resistance points," he muttered to himself, based on previous challenges. "Two hits should be enough."

Without wasting a moment, Elio put his plan into action. He generated several ice spheres, launching them in a gentle parabola above the monsters. Simultaneously, he fired fireballs in a straight line, mentally calculating the point where both elements would meet.

Elio was capable of firing up to 6 different attacks before having to concentrate his mana again.

2 for each combo, 3 hits should be enough even if they cover themselves with a barrier.

The impact was spectacular.

The resulting explosions shook the chamber, the thunder reverberating. A storm of ice fragments filled the air.

Elio saw that his attack had been successful, but not in the way he expected.

All four creatures had been injured, but not defeated. With a speed that took him by surprise, one of them generated a protective barrier for all just after the first attack while the other three dispersed in different directions.

Elio thought they would all defend and fall to the third attack, but the sacrifice of one creature allowed the others to move away from the following impacts.

"Damn," Elio muttered, quickly adjusting his strategy.

With the third impact, the barrier disintegrated into a shower of bright fragments, and the creature maintaining it fell, defeated.

"One down," Elio said, at least it was progress and the others were injured.

The elongated creatures separated too much. The area attack was no longer a viable option. Direct attacks were also faster.

The three remaining creatures launched towards him from different angles with surprising speed.

Elio cursed under his breath, realizing that his ability to attack multiple targets simultaneously was severely limited. "I should have practiced shooting faster like Kriz or accumulating more mana like Micah," he reproached himself, feeling a twinge of regret.

Elio focused on the creature on the left. This one, anticipating the attack, generated a protective shield.

But Elio was expecting that... He launched 2 consecutive attacks, the first destroyed the shield and the second impacted directly on the creature, knocking it down.

Without pause to celebrate, Elio turned to the creature in the center.

With his heart pounding in his ears, Elio managed to fire the 2 necessary hits just as the creature was about to reach him. The monster disintegrated in the air, but Elio had no time to feel relief.

The creature on the right, taking advantage of the sacrifice of its companions, was practically upon him. Elio tried to jump to the side, his muscles tensing to the maximum, but with horror he realized that the monster seemed to surpass his level 6 speed.

"Is it possible?" Elio thought fleetingly. "Level 7 like this challenge?"

Contact was inevitable.

The effect was instantaneous and devastating. Elio felt as if a current ran through his entire body, from the point of contact to the tips of his toes. The pain was intense, paralyzing.

However, the insulating layer he had applied proved its worth. Although the pain was intense, Elio managed to maintain some control over his body. His muscles were shaking, but he wasn't completely paralyzed.

Desperate to separate, Elio generated an ice ball in his free hand and fired it point-blank at the creature. To his surprise and frustration, the monster dodged it with supernatural agility, its movements so fluid they seemed to defy physics.

"Stay still!" Elio growled, pain and frustration evident in his voice.

In an attempt to gain an advantage, Elio resorted to magnetism, trying to direct his daggers towards the creature. But to his bewilderment, the daggers did not respond to his call. It was as if the monster was surrounded by a field that nullified his magnetic abilities.

Desperation was beginning to take over Elio. He couldn't let it touch his head or it could paralyze him, but the creature was crawling upward.

Elio saw everything in slow motion due to his concentration.

In a last attempt, he tried to trap the monster in a layer of carbon, hoping to immobilize it. But as soon as the carbon touched the creature, sparks emerged from its body, disintegrating the carbon structure before it could fully form.

Elio's frustration reached its peak.

Elio thrust himself away from the creature with a helium explosion.

"Enough!" he shouted, his voice resonating in the chamber.

At that moment, Elio had an epiphany.

What did it matter if it was more costly... I'm disgustingly rich, I have a city!

If carbon didn't work, maybe advanced ice, nitrogen would.

Resorting to his control over advanced ice, an ability he had gained thanks to his penguin, Elio began to form an icy version of the carbon hand.

He barely had time to concentrate his mana again before the creature reached him.

The air around Elio cooled rapidly, ice crystals forming in the air. The ice hand took shape, huge and menacing, its fingers like sharp stalactites.

With a quick movement, Elio wrapped the ice hand around the creature. The icy claw closed around the monster, trapping it in its relentless grip.

"Enough!" Elio roared, closing his fist with all the strength he could muster.

The ice hand responded to his command, closing with demolishing force. The monster, trapped inside, had no escape. There was a final crackle of energy, a flash of light, and then... silence.

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