Utopian System
Chapter 155 - 155: System's Arrangements

"I'll enter the sea of monsters."

"What?" Lucien exclaimed, disbelief clear in his voice, his frog croaking in alarm. "Elio, you're much more important than us. You can't diminish your value as the leader and take such a risk. It's better if you let us..."

"I can and I will," Elio interrupted, his determination unshakeable, Ember puffing up on his shoulder. "I'm done waiting. We need a solution… Also, the cores at the bottom of the monster sea are also necessary. I don't have enough to give invocations to everyone if they level up much more."

Selene and Lucien exchanged worried glances, their invocations mirroring their concern, but they knew that once Elio made a decision, it was almost impossible to change his mind.

"Alright," Selene finally said, her frog dimming slightly. "But promise us you'll be careful with the 6th level."

Elio nodded, grateful for their understanding. "I will be. Despite appearances, I have no desire to die. Now, go organize the defenses. We'll meet as soon as you're done to begin training on the corrosive attack."

As Micah, Lucien, and Selene walked away, Elio turned to Ren. "Ren, I need you to review all our birth and death records. We need to know exactly how many people are in the city."

"Understood," Ren replied, his rabbit already hopping excitedly, ready for the challenge.

"I also have 1.1 billion cores and 1.5 billion mana after buying equipment to help people level up and transferring cores to the new level 2 and level 3... especially level 3, only 15,000 new ones have been 150 million. At this rate, we won't have enough. I need you to give me an estimate of how much we'll need to have everyone at least at level 3."

Elio Von Elian's Statistics

Fire Salamander (+5 MD)

(1,151,105,510/10,000,000) Level 6 required

Level 5

Mana: 4/50

Resistance: 50/50 (+500)

Superior Mana Spear / Attack 5

System's Armor / (Defense 5) (Magic Defense 5) (Magic Damage 5) (Resistance(500/500))

Balance:

1,515,312,647 mana points

1,151,105,510 cores

Ren nodded, his mind already working on the necessary calculations, his rabbit mimicking the gesture.

"How long do I have for both tasks?"

"It'll take me time to transfer all the cores and mana to Selene and Lucien... I'll leave some for you guys too, so you have a say. Even for Za... I don't have body mana either, so one or two days minimum."

Elio looked at the horizon, where the sun was beginning to descend. "Tonight," he said, more to himself than to Ren, "I'll spend time with my mother. I need to leave her a good amount of mana and cores too, and... explain some things to her."

"Are you sure you want to tell her?" Ren asked, concern evident in his voice.

Elio nodded slowly, Ember nuzzling his cheek comfortingly. "She needs to know that I'll have to do risky things sooner than planned. I owe her that much."

♢♢♢♢

Elio walked through the corridors of the central building, his mind still full of worries and hypotheses about his new immersion. Ember, sensing his mood, stayed unusually quiet on his shoulder.

The guards loyal to Lucien greeted him respectfully as he passed, and he responded with a tired but grateful gesture. Despite the fatigue he felt, a small smile formed on his face as he thought of his family.

Now he could see them more often, and the prospect of spending the night with them gave him strength... But what he had to tell them was another of his concerns.

As he turned the corner towards the hallway where his new family room was located, Elio encountered Tarec. The older man looked tired but satisfied, probably returning from another training session with the new recruits.

"Tarec," Elio greeted, stopping. "How's the training going?"

Tarec straightened up, showing respect but maintaining a familiarity born from their shared history. "It's going well, Von Elio. The new recruits are enthusiastic."

"I've heard you've been doing an excellent job with them," Elio said. "You have a gift for leadership, Tarec."

The older man seemed surprised by the compliment, his rabbit puffing up proudly. "I just do what I can to help, Von Elio."

Elio nodded, remembering the reports he had received from Selene, Lucien, and Micah. The problem at the wall had demonstrated the need for more defenders, but with so many new level 3 summoners, the situation was becoming complicated to manage.

Elio looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. "We need more leaders like you, Tarec. Would you mind accompanying me? I'd like to discuss something with you."

Tarec nodded, following Elio to the door of his new family room. Before entering, Elio turned to him. "You know what… after I greet my family, could you bring yours? I'd like us all to have dinner together tonight."

Surprised but pleased, Tarec accepted and withdrew to fetch his family.

Elio entered the room and was immediately greeted by a chorus of excited voices.

"Elio!" shouted Rian, his younger brother, running to hug him.

Lena, his mother, approached with a warm smile, her salamander perched contentedly on her shoulder. "Welcome home, son."

As he entered, he was received with hugs and exclamations of joy. His mother, Lena, hugged him tightly, and his siblings crowded around him, each wanting to tell their new experiences in the central building.

Elio allowed himself to be enveloped by the family warmth, feeling some of the tension leave his shoulders. Ember chirped happily, interacting with his family members' invocations.

As he listened to their stories, Elio couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. Soon he would have to tell them about the dangers he would face, about his plan to enter the sea of monsters. But for now, he allowed himself to enjoy this moment of family happiness.

"It's good to be home," he said, looking around the spacious room. Although they were still adapting to their new home, his family's personal touch was already noticeable in the decoration.

"How are things in the city?" asked Jacky, the most curious of his sisters, her eyes shining with interest.

Elio hesitated for a moment, not wanting to worry them with the recent problems yet. "They're going well," he finally said, trying to keep his voice steady.

Lena looked at him with perceptive eyes, noticing the worry her son was trying to hide. Her salamander seemed to mirror her concern, curling closer around her neck. "Elio, is everything alright?"

Before he could answer, there was a knock at the door. Tarec had returned with his family.

"Come in," Elio called, grateful for the interruption.