Utopian System

When Elio emerged from the book at level 15, morning had already painted the sky in hues of dawn.

His mind felt heavy, though his body hummed with renewed energy from the level gain. The past three days had been a blur of endless trials, his eyes not finding rest.

He couldn't help but regret spending those first three days establishing standardized methods instead of beginning the ascension immediately.

The regeneration that accompanied each level increase kept their bodies in peak condition, masking the fact they hadn't slept in three days.

Their minds, however, told a different story.

The constant strain of combat and concentration had left small invisible scars that even the system's healing couldn't touch.

♢♢♢♢

"One thousand twenty-four silicon creatures?" Zara shook her head as they walked, her voice filled with awe and concern. "And tomorrow it'll be two thousand forty-eight."

"The reflections were the real challenge," Elio explained. "Had to close my eyes just to maintain orientation."

Mei was already working through the possibilities. "Level sixteen might bring significant changes; the patterns tend to shift at multiples of five."

The worry in her voice hung heavy in the air, but Elio responded by patting his pocket where the potions rested. "We have backup. We can't afford doubt now."

"Four days left," Aria murmured, her words barely above a whisper. "And level twenty still feels so far away."

"Look at that!" Kriz's voice cut through the tension as he pointed at three tiny seedlings barely breaking through the soil. "Elio's mighty trees are welcoming us home!"

Elio paused at the city's entrance, his eyes lingering on the small sprouts. He exchanged a meaningful glance with Diana, ignoring Kriz's sarcasm.

"About those 4 days... I'll need to delegate more responsibilities to Lucien; can't split my focus anymore if we want to reach level twenty in time."

"So grumpy, you should be grateful there's three now..." Kriz muttered under his breath.

As they walked toward the central building, Lila maintained her usual distance from the group, particularly from Elio. Yet her eyes betrayed her, following his every movement, noting how Zara walked naturally beside him, their shoulders occasionally brushing in a casual intimacy that made her heart ache as always.

"I have to maintain the pace to increase the group's overall level," Elio explained, his voice firm.

"Without stopping?" Zara's concern was palpable as she moved closer, her hand ghosting against his in a gesture that seemed unconscious yet deliberate.

Lila's chest tightened at the simple touch. Three sleepless days, and still Zara moved with such confidence around him. How did she make it look so effortless?Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Don't insist, there's no time for long breaks," Elio replied, and Lila noticed how he didn't pull away from Zara's touch. "Each level takes longer than the last because of the enemy count."

'If it were me...' The treacherous thought formed before she could stop it. 'I'd make more of that casual contact.' She immediately hated herself for thinking it, for coveting her friend's place.

"The monsters follow a doubling pattern," Elio continued. "Two thousand forty-eight could be next; it'll take twice as long, or worse with bad luck."

"At least you have the potions for brute forcing them," Brok commented, striking one of his signature poses.

Lila watched as Zara unconsciously squeezed Elio's hand at the mention of time. The gesture was so subtle, so intimate, that she felt like an intruder just witnessing it.

'I'm a terrible person,' she thought as they reached the bathing area. Her emotions churned inside her: worry for Elio, guilt for her thoughts, and that horrible resentment she couldn't shake.

"Well, time to clean the battle grime," Elio bid farewell, and Lila noticed how his gaze lingered on Zara just a moment longer than necessary.

As they were about to enter the baths, Lila wondered how much longer she could maintain this internal battle. Three days without sleep hadn't helped her emotional control, and each small interaction between Elio and Zara felt like salt in a wound that refused to heal.

"Are you alright?" Valeria asked, noticing her distraction.

"Just tired," Lila lied, knowing fatigue had little to do with what she was feeling.

She observed Zara from behind once more... 'The next level would be over a thousand creatures. The chances of someone... of Zara...'

'No,' she mentally chastised herself, horrified by where her thoughts were heading. But the idea had already taken root, persistent and tempting. An accident. A distraction at the wrong moment. No one could blame her if she consoled Elio when...

"Earth to Lila!" Aria's voice yanked her from her dark thoughts. "Still with us?"

"Y-yes, just thinking about the next level… I'm fine."

"Really?" Mei's voice was gentle, concerned. "You're shaking."

"I'm fine," she responded again automatically, hating herself for the images her mind kept producing.

'Liar,' she told herself. 'You're a monster. Worse than the artromus.'

"Last one to exit the baths pays for everyone's food!" Kriz shouted, breaking the tension. "Last one clean picks up the tab!"

As the group moved forward with laughs and protests, Lila lingered behind, her eyes still fixed on Zara's back. The guilt over her dark thoughts gnawed at her, but not as much as the fact that part of her still wished they would come true.

♢♢♢♢

After bathing, they went to find Lucien and the secondary team.

"That's why I think I should focus completely on reaching level twenty," Elio concluded.

Lucien nodded, understanding the implications. "I'll handle the organization; you concentrate on the challenges then."

"There are too many unknown trials... Are you sure?" Selene asked, her concern evident despite her attempt to hide it.

"We have no choice," Elio replied. "The artromus won't wait until we're ready."

♢♢♢♢

Level sixteen didn't change the pattern as they expected.

The world materialized around Elio exactly as it had the last five times. The same elemental vastness, the same interaction patterns between the fifteen elements he already knew.

The new mountain was sodium.

Where hydrogen and oxygen naturally converged to form water, sodium created displays more subtle but no less impressive than potassium's violent explosions.

The air itself seemed to vibrate differently. The paths that lithium had traced for electricity found in sodium a new conductor, creating energy networks that intertwined with the established phosphorescent veins. It was as if the world had discovered new ways to channel its power.

The zones where sodium and potassium coexisted created a fascinating contrast; potassium's violet explosions found echoes in sodium's yellow flashes, like siblings sharing traits while maintaining their own identity.

In the distance, the sodium mountain rose, identical in form to its predecessors but promising its own unique challenges. The element had begun to transform the landscape, not with potassium's violence nor silicon's rigidity, but with a sort of controlled effervescence that suggested contained power.

It wasn't the drastic change they expected for level sixteen, but as he observed the new interactions, Elio understood that this "small" world still held surprises, each new element adding its own signature to the complex chemical dance surrounding him.