Utopian System

The King Locus moved with a speed that defied its colossal size.

But it didn't catch them unprepared; Elio had developed a strategy during the last hours.

"The genesis book technique!" Elio shouted. "Now!"

The five level 6 warriors began the complex elemental manipulation sequence they had been practicing. Their hands moved in precise patterns in front of their books while combining the elements:

7O* + 5C* + 3H* + 2Ni* + He* + Mana → Ni₂HeC₅O₇H₃* (camouflage)

The 10th technique that God had left them.

"Camouflage activated!" announced Micah, his form becoming partially transparent along with the other four.

It was a technique that Elio had initially studied as a method to explore the monster sea. He had discarded it due to its complexity and limitations - walking while maintaining the technique was almost impossible at their level.

But now, those same limitations weren't as relevant for hiding the others.

While his companions maintained the camouflage, Elio and Zara separated, running in opposite directions toward the ends of the immense chamber. The strategy was simple: test the different attacks they hadn't tried while the others remained hidden to observe.

"First attempt!" Elio shouted, forming a carbon ball and setting it aflame.

The attack was relatively slow, but against a target as massive as the King Locus, speed was less crucial than precision.

The burning projectile impacted against the monster's side. For a moment, it seemed the attack would be as useless as the previous ones, but then the King Locus turned sharply toward Elio.

"It's tracking whoever attacks it!" Mei shouted from her camouflaged position.

The monster began advancing toward Elio, its superior speed would let it reach him soon. But before it could, Zara launched her own attack.

Elio frowned when he saw another burning carbon ball fly toward the monster. 'Why repeat the same attack?' he thought, confused. They had agreed to try their entire repertoire first, looking for any weakness.

Zara's attack impacted, and something clicked in Elio's head, he looked toward the floating crystal. His eyes opened in surprise.

9906/10,000

"We damaged it!" he shouted, his voice mixing disbelief and hope. "Zara, your attack hurt it!"

"I know, that's why I used exactly what you did!" Zara responded, as the King Locus changed direction toward her.

When Elio saw the damage on the counter, his mind began working quickly. His burning carbon ball had caused damage.

'But why?' Elio wondered. 'Kriz had already tried a pure carbon attack and it didn't work...'

The answer hit him like lightning: the fire.

It wasn't the carbon that had damaged the monster, but the flames that enveloped it.

The first element they had obtained, the most "simple" of all, had been the last one he thought to use. He had spent so long focusing on more complex combinations that he had forgotten the basic power of sacred fire.

The realization brought with it another thought: Ember, his salamander. His first summon, his oldest companion, had been relegated in recent weeks. The elephant had monopolized all his attention during the tunnel construction. He had to survive and make up for it too.

"The critical damage," Elio murmured, making quick calculations while observing the numbers. "The burning carbon balls are only doing 150% damage instead of the double damage that normal criticals should cause."

An idea began forming in his mind. If fire was the key, what would happen if he used it in its purest form, without carbon as a medium?

Concentrating, Elio began forming a fireball. He immediately noticed the difference: the burning orb emitted a more orange glow than normal, it had changed now that he was level 7.

Zara had the aggro so Elio didn't waste time. It was the perfect moment to test his theory.

"Come here!" he shouted, throwing the pure flame toward the monster.

The result was immediate. The flames impacted the King Locus and, for the first time, it seemed truly affected by the attack. The crystal confirmed his theory:

9810/10,000

"It works!" Elio exclaimed, a smile forming on his face. "Zara, it's the fire! Pure fire!"

"I already suspected it!" she responded, and Elio could hear the same enthusiasm in her voice. "We can get out of this!"

The King Locus roared, turning to face Elio. This time, however, the roar didn't carry the same weight of desperation for them.

They had found its weakness.

"Already found it, and they've barely used mana!" Micah murmured happily from his camouflaged position, relief evident in his voice.

It was true. In their search for more powerful and complex attacks, they had been wasting mana on elaborate combinations. Sacred fire, their most basic power, required much less energy. Just one point.

"Let's maintain this formation," Elio ordered, preparing another attack. "We can win this!"

While forming another fireball, Elio couldn't help but smile at the irony. All this time looking for answers in advanced techniques, and the solution had been with them from the beginning, from that first day when he received his book.

The familiar heat of the flames in his hands reminded him of his first days of training. Perhaps it was time to go back to basics, to remember why the first element was considered sacred.

♢♢♢♢

The fire attacks continued impacting the King Locus in a regular pattern.

Each impact reduced its life by 96 points, a loop that seemed to work perfectly.

But on the ninth impact, when its life descended to 8946.

Something changed.

The roar that the King Locus emitted was different from the previous ones. It wasn't just a sound; it was a wave that expanded throughout the chamber, hitting everyone present.

Elio barely had time to cover his face with his arms. The impact hit him hard, causing 11 points of damage despite his defense. Zara, who hadn't managed to protect herself, received the worst impact: a critical hit of 36 points that made her stagger.

Brok, Mei, and Lila managed to imitate Elio's reaction, covering their faces and receiving 13 points of damage each.

Kriz, a step late in the defensive reaction, received 25 points for not covering himself in time.

Only Micah, who had also covered his face, managed to avoid any damage. His camouflage technique remained active, while that of the rest of the team vanished like smoke in the wind.

"It can see us!" Mei shouted.

Elio's heart raced when he saw the King Locus turn toward his newly exposed companions.

Without thinking twice, he launched a fireball to attract its attention. "Over here!"

But the monster had changed tactics.

Instead of simply turning toward him, the King Locus emitted another deafening roar that generated another wave of energy.

Then, with a speed that seemed impossible for its colossal size, it jumped.

Its target was clear: Elio.

There was no time to dodge. The enormous mass of the King Locus darkened Elio's field of vision as it descended upon him like a living mountain.

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