Utopian System

Using some of the enormous mana pool Dionz had provided, Elio purchased a high-grade potion and a replacement sword from the statue. It wasn't his personal weapon, but it would serve its purpose.

"64,000 monsters shouldn't be too bad now," he mused, checking his equipment. Emberg and Poison Stinger nodded in agreement, their forms stronger thanks to the enhanced magical damage.

He had several spheres in his book, just in case he needed to unlock new invocations to boost his magical power, though he suspected it wouldn't be necessary. This time he had something more valuable than raw power: information.

"The next element is scandium," Dionz explained, creating a holographic model of the element's structure. "Represented by the platypus, which is fitting given scandium's unique properties."

"How so?" Elio asked, studying the model.

"Scandium is a transition metal that becomes stronger when combined with other elements, much like how the platypus seems to combine features from different animals. In magical terms, it has some fascinating properties."

The god expanded the hologram, showing energy patterns. "When properly utilized, it can increase resistance for aluminum for example."

"However," he continued, "it's unstable if not properly controlled. The amplification can quickly be negative, turning your own buff into a debuff. The key is using small amounts."

"How will the monsters likely use these properties?" Elio asked, already formulating strategies.

"They'll attempt to create strong barriers to trap you like others have done. But," Dionz smiled, "as I told you, you can redirect their own power back at them, debuff their barriers."

Elio nodded, checking his equipment one final time.

Even if this challenge threw 64,000 monsters at him, he was better prepared than ever before.

"Remember," Dionz added as Elio prepared to enter the challenge, "scandium becomes exponentially more powerful when properly combined. Your magical attacks might trigger unexpected reactions. Be careful not to let the cascade effects grow beyond your control."

With a final nod, Elio opened the book to the scandium challenge.

This time, he wasn't going in blind. With his enhanced capabilities, strategic understanding, and the knowledge of how to exploit the element's properties, he was ready to face whatever awaited him.

Do you wish to challenge the 21st trial?

The familiar pull of the book's magic enveloped them, drawing them into the challenge.

♢♢♢♢

The first run had been nothing like she remembered.

Nothing at all. In her memories, or what she had thought were her memories, she had appeared directly in the chamber, ready to begin the trials. But this... this showed something completely different.

She was supposed to stay for a hundred years? Live among them?

The concept felt alien yet somehow familiar, like a dream half-remembered upon waking. The implications spun through her mind in dizzying patterns:

If she had lived among humans, why didn't she remember it? The wait would be much more interesting then…

If this was her first run, why did she have such different memories of it? And most disturbing of all, why was she already in Zara's form even then?

Theories and possibilities cascaded through her thoughts. Perhaps these memories were false, planted to confuse her.

But why?

And by whom? Dionz wasn't capable of creating memories this detailed, this internally consistent.

Could they be fragments of a different game? But no, the architecture of the city was clearly the same as always.

This was undeniably the beginning.

Her mind raced faster, examining and re-examining each detail, each inconsistency. If she had truly lived among humans for a hundred years in her first run, how had that experience affected her?

Had it influenced her view of humanity like Dionz wanted?

And if so, why remove those memories?

The questions multiplied exponentially until her thoughts became a chaotic storm of speculation and doubt. That's when Zara's consciousness, apparently tired of the mental noise, decided to speak up...

"Could you possibly think a little quieter?" Zara's consciousness prodded irritably. "Some of us are trying to rest between body-theft sessions."

Nala's thoughts had been racing through their shared mind, examining and re-examining the memories of her first run.
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"I don't recall asking for your commentary," Nala replied, though there was less bite in her tone than usual.

"Well, I don't recall inviting you into my body, yet here we are."

The memory continued to unfold before them, showing Nala living in isolation in a small house while the human population grew around her.

"Wait," Zara's interest overcame her hostility momentarily. "If you were supposed to live among humans for a hundred years, why are you hiding away like some hermit?"

"I'm not hiding," Memory-Nala snapped at Dionz, who was making one of his frequent visits. "I'm observing."

"From behind closed doors and shuttered windows?" Present-Zara commented dryly. "Stellar observation technique."

"You're surprisingly talkative for a hostage consciousness," Nala muttered.

"And you're surprisingly antisocial for someone who's supposed to be 'experiencing human life'," Zara countered. "At least show me if you married into my family line or something. That would explain why your consciousness fits so well in my body..."

♢♢♢♢

They watched as time passed in the memory, but Nala remained isolated. Only Dionz's visits broke the monotony.

"You're going to be bored out of your mind if you stay like this," Memory-Dionz warned.

"I'm already bored out of my mind," Memory-Nala replied.

"Wow," Present-Zara commented. "You really were bad at this 'being human' thing from the start, huh?"

"I don't see how my social preferences are any of your business."

"They became my business when you STOLE MY BODY."

The memory shifted to show Dionz trying to convince Nala to interact more with the community. "Just try talking to people? Maybe find a hobby? Make a family?"

"Did... did your father just suggest you make a family?" Zara couldn't contain her amusement. "Like you were some awkward teenager?"

"He was… that's not…" Nala fumbled, then caught herself. "Focus on your own family history."

"I'm trying to see something interesting, but SOMEONE spent their entire human experience cosplaying as a basement dweller."

They watched as Memory-Nala ignored more of Dionz's increasingly exasperated attempts to get her to socialize.

"You know," Zara mused, "for someone who hates humans so much, you sure put a lot of effort into avoiding actually getting to know any of them."

"I knew enough," Nala insisted, but something in her tone suggested uncertainty.