Utopian System

Ren was about to reach the statue to buy the potions when he heard voices coming from the central garden.

The conversation seemed serious, despite one participant's casual tone.

"...you shouldn't make hasty decisions about these things," the voice sounded strangely casual for giving such serious sounding advice. "It might feel great and all, but you have to value what you guys already have, you know?"

"With all due respect," Ren recognized Diana's voice, "but love doesn't work like that. It's illogical and selfish by nature."

"But...!" God seemed about to argue, but interrupted himself with a whine. "Oh, well... seems like my time's up again." His voice sounded genuinely disappointed. "Nala always finds the most annoying ways to limit me..."

"You have to leave already?" Diana asked.
Discover stories with empire

"Yes, yes... but before I go, let's return to more urgent city matters with a little price and a quick piece of advice: First, you all can now age to 60 for free, yay! And lastly you'll need to increase that population numbers if you want to conquer more deposits. From what you've told me, the second ring won't be as easy as the first... Until next time!"

Ren waited a few moments before entering, giving time for the conversation to completely end.

'Wait, ¿60? No, first the potions, we might be in crisis!' he reminded himself to hurry.

When he finally entered the garden, Diana startled slightly.

"Ren?" She turned to him, studying his face. "How... How long have you been there?"

"Just arrived," Ren responded with awkward naturalness. "I was told I could find a metamorphosis potion here, though honestly I'm not sure what that is."

Diana seemed to relax, accepting his explanation. "Oh, yes. It's in the new interface." She approached the statue and began explaining how to navigate the menus. "There."

Ren couldn't help but grimace at the price. "A hundred million per potion? No wonder Lucien asked me to be the one buying more..."

He quickly reviewed the numbers in his mind.

With recent investments in the park and equipment for soldiers, their resources were limited.

Three more potions was the maximum they could afford without compromising the city's immediate functioning.

"Aren't you going to buy more?" Diana asked while Ren completed the transaction.

"Not without affecting essential services," he responded. "We've already invested a lot lately and..."

"Ren, I understand there isn't much surplus but," Diana interrupted him, her voice strangely timid. "Could you give me a loan? It's... it's personal."

He looked at her curiously. Diana never asked for favors.

"There's a new potion in the interface," she continued, avoiding his gaze. "It costs a hundred thousand points."

"Diana..." Ren began, his administrator mind already calculating risks.

"I know it's a lot," she hurried to add. "But I'll pay you back. Just... I need this to stay between us, okay?"

Ren studied her face for a moment, remembering fragments of the conversation he'd overheard. What kind of potion could be so related to a discussion about love?

"It's called shared pain potion."

♢♢♢♢

Zentros's attacks were devastating.

Each impact Elio blocked sent waves of pain through his exhausted muscles.

The massacre continued around him, the circle of survivors had been reduced to barely twenty-seven soldiers, their defensive formation growing smaller, more desperate with each passing moment.

A transformed claw passed inches from his head.

Elio retreated while evaluating his situation. His mana was practically depleted, each breath an exercise in pure will.

His muscles, pushed beyond their limits, protested with every movement.

'Help won't come,' he thought while dodging another lethal attack.

'It's not possible to turn this.'

The logic was clear and merciless.

Even if Diana had reached the city with the core, even if they had defeated the first artromus pursuing her with all the soldiers, the second artromus would have made it impossible for any reinforcements to arrive soon.

The path would be blocked, and meanwhile, here...

Another soldier fell, their cry cut short by a goddess's weapon.

But desperation had no place in Elio's heart.

He had promised himself: he would fight until the end, always.

No matter the odds, no matter the pain.

Zentros attacked again, his claws tracing an arc that would have cut Elio in half. Instead of retreating, Elio moved forward, applying the technique Diana had taught him during countless hours of training.

Elio's sword moved at a precise angle, deflecting the blow with minimal force. Zentros's claws passed centimeters from his face, the monster momentarily unbalanced by the unexpected redirection.

A second attack came immediately. But Elio was already moving, Lucien's lessons guiding his steps.

'The moment between attacks,' he had taught, 'is when opponents are most vulnerable. Not for long, but for someone fast enough...'

Elio slid under the second blow like water flowing around a rock. His body protested against the movement, but his will was stronger than pain.

The sword found its mark once again, tracing another precise cut at the same point on Zentros's neck where he had been concentrating his attacks.

It was minuscule, barely a scratch considering the monster's regeneration, but it added to the previous ones.

Zentros raged at the repeated disrespect, but it wasn't Elio's greatest concern...

A heart-rending scream broke his concentration on Zentros for an instant.

Aria's elephant salamander, finally depleted of mana, shrank back to its normal size, leaving a breach in the defense. Mei, beside her and also without magical energy, could barely maintain her position.

An artromus, detecting the weakness, converged on them like a shark smelling blood.

There was no one to help them.

Around him, the situation was equally desperate.

Brok and Zara maintained their summons active through pure force of will. Lila's Gorgita, though still transformed, showed signs of exhaustion. Milo's group defended their sector with increasingly slower, more desperate movements.

Kriz, Valeria, and Enid, their mana reserves completely depleted, had been reduced to defending with conventional spears. Each attack they blocked pushed them back further, their bodies accumulating damage that the system armor could barely regenerate.

The artromus that had detected the weakness moved with lethal precision, separating Mei and Aria from the main group.

The two warriors retreated until they hit the chamber wall, cornered with no escape.

About to be eliminated.

Was it going to work at the first try?

Elio didn't need to think.

Elio's Mana: 6

Speed Enhancement Rune (Aether Wind) 2He + Ne + 3N* + Li* + Mana → LiHe₂NeN₃* = Acceleration

His last mana points and all remaining strength in his muscles channeled into an explosive impulse.

Elio's Mana: 2

Zentros tried to stop him, but Elio was already moving, his body an arrow shot toward his companions.

The distance seemed infinite, each meter an eternity while the artromus's claws descended toward Mei and Aria.