Chapter 21: Chapter 21: System's New Percentage

The book closed with a dull thud after Kriz's entry, plunging everyone into tense silence.

Elio felt the air grow heavier, as if each breath cost more mana than usual. His eyes never left the closed book, fearing it might vanish at any moment, taking his friend with it.

Ren and Brok stayed close, their pale faces reflecting the same concern that gripped Elio's heart. Even Varick, despite his usual disdain, seemed uncomfortable, shooting furtive glances at the book every few seconds.

Minutes dragged like hours. Elio could feel every heartbeat, every drop of cold sweat running down his back.

What if Kriz made a mistake? What if the strategy failed at the last moment?

"Come on, Kriz," Elio murmured, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles screamed in protest. "You've got this. Don't you dare prove me wrong now."

The air seemed to vibrate with pent-up tension. One of Varick's goons let out a nervous snort, earning a withering glare from his leader.

Suddenly, the book rose.

Elio held his breath, his heart pounding so hard he feared it might burst from his chest. The world seemed to stop as all eyes fixed on the floating book.

For one heart-stopping moment, nothing happened. Then, the pages burst open.

"Kriz!" The cry tore from Elio, Ren, and Brok's throats in perfect unison as they rushed forward.

Kriz was panting heavily, but his eyes shone with triumph.

"I... I did it," he wheezed, his voice hoarse but charged with emotion. "That icy beast almost got me at the end, but... the secondary strategy worked."

Elio felt his legs weaken with relief, a shaky smile spreading across his face.

"I knew you'd do it," he said, his voice cracking slightly. "I n-never doubted you."

Ren and Brok joined them, their faces reflecting joy and relief. Even Varick seemed happy, though he tried to hide it with a disdainful snort.

"Well, well," he said, crossing his arms. "Looks like the peasant's strategy isn't complete garbage after all."

Elio turned to Varick, a spark of challenge in his eyes. "Is that your roundabout way of admitting I was right?"

Varick frowned, but before he could respond, one of his goons stepped forward.

One by one, the remaining goons entered the book. The tension grew again with each challenge, but this time it was different. It was no longer a competition between social classes, but a test of their strategy's effectiveness, a matter of life and death.

♢♢♢♢

As the days passed, the results began to become evident.

Soldiers who followed the strategy to the letter had remarkable success rates. Those who triumphed in the first round quickly joined the training effort, multiplying their reach exponentially.

However, not everything was perfect. Despite repeated warnings, many soldiers chose not to buy the heat blanket or air stone, preferring to save their scarce mana points for other purposes.

"I can't force them to spend their points," Elio said with frustration to Ren after another training session. "But I fear they're underestimating how crucial that equipment can be."

Ren nodded, his face reflecting the same concern. "I know. I've done my best to explain it to them, but in the end, the decision is theirs."

As the day of conscription approached, the tension in the air was palpable. Elio could barely sleep the night before, his mind going over every detail of the strategy, wondering if they had done enough.

Finally, the day arrived. Thousands of soldiers gathered, their faces a patchwork of determination, resignation and fear. Elio and the others watched from the sidelines, unable to do more than wait and trust that their work would bear fruit.

The hours passed slowly as group after group of soldiers entered their respective System books. Elio's heart leapt with each victorious emergence and plummeted with every book that vanished, taking another life with it.

♢♢♢♢

At the end of the conscription, Von Lucien approached them with the final results. His face, normally impassive, showed signs of fatigue, but also a glimmer of satisfaction.

"76% survival," he announced. "7,615 soldiers overcame the challenge."

Elio felt a whirlwind of emotions... relief, pride, but also a gnawing disappointment. It was a vast improvement, yes, but...

"We could have done more," he murmured, more to himself than to the others. "If we'd had more time, maybe..."

Von Lucien's hand on his shoulder startled him.

"You did what you could, boy," he said firmly. "You practically saved 3,600 lives. Yes, it's a shame we couldn't do more for the other 2,400, but you must understand that this percentage is very similar to that of the second level when you entered the wall.

Dozens of men die daily upon reaching maturity, that's the natural law of our city, a necessity to keep the towers active. The power that the book gives us is a blessing difficult to obtain, the test, the punishment, and the mercy of our God."

Elio blinked, remembering. Wasn't it even better? He recalled that the victory percentage at level two was even lower than 76% the month he entered.

"Maybe we are generating change, i-it's not our fault that so many had to die, it's true..."

Von Lucien nodded. "In fact, the small tips you released to the general population a month ago for the second level, especially the one about tricking the frog into believing you're slower, have increased the victory percentage at the second level to over 90%. They have also drastically reduced the time it takes to overcome that level."

This information lifted some of the weight from Elio's shoulders, though a pang of regret still nagged at him. He should have shared that knowledge sooner.

Information, he was learning, could be as powerful a weapon as any magical sword.