Chapter 33: Chapter 33: System's New City Defenders

"Varick," Elio greeted cautiously, his hand instinctively tightening on his spear. "There's no problem here. Marcus was just..."

"Insisting on an unnecessary duel," Varick finished, his piercing gaze fixed on Marcus. "Cousin, can't you see you're interrupting vital training?"

Marcus blinked, caught off guard by Varick's unexpected intervention. "But... I thought you'd be on my side in this."

Varick's lips curled into a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Times change, dear cousin. I've decided it's high time we put aside our differences and learn from Elio. His technique is... intriguing, to say the least."

Elio observed the exchange, surprise and suspicion churning in his gut. Never in a thousand years had he expected Varick, of all people, to show interest in his technique.

"Marcus," Varick continued, "I believe it's time for a family chat about our priorities on the wall. These gentlemen will escort you."

Before Marcus could protest, Varick's men steered him away. Elio watched as Marcus cast confused and frustrated glances over his shoulder as he was led away.

Varick turned to Elio, his smile still not quite reaching his eyes. "My apologies for the interruption, Elio. I hope you can now continue your valuable training without further distractions."

"Thank you... Varick," Elio replied, still bewildered by this turn of events. "Are you genuinely interested in learning the technique?"

"But of course," Varick nodded. "I've been observing, and I must admit, it's impressive. I believe it would be... beneficial for all if I were to join the training."

Elio hesitated for a moment, but Von Lucien's words about the importance of preparing as many defenders as possible echoed in his mind.

"Very well, Varick. You may join us. But I warn you, the training is intense and requires total commitment."

"I'd expect nothing less," Varick's enigmatic smile widened.

In the days that followed, Varick integrated himself into the training group.

To everyone's surprise, he proved to be a dedicated and talented student, his mana control excellent as he quickly mastered the basics of the magnetism technique.

♢♢♢♢

Elio wiped the sweat from his brow as he sat on a wooden bench near the training field.

He had been teaching the magnetic throw and retrieval technique for hours, and it was finally time for a break.

A weary-looking soldier approached him, holding a water container. It was Taron, a man entering his forties with scars on his arms that revealed his experience in active patrols.

"Mind if I join you, Instructor Elio?" Taron asked, gesturing to the empty space on the bench.

Elio smiled and nodded. "Of course not. Have a seat, and please, just call me Elio."

Taron dropped heavily onto the bench, taking a long swig from his container before offering it to Elio. "I've got to admit, I'm impressed," he said as Elio gratefully accepted the water. "Never thought I'd see the day we'd be chucking our spears around."

Elio chuckled softly. "Quite the paradigm shift, isn't it?"

Taron nodded, his expression turning serious. "It is. And I can't help but wonder... How did you come up with such a technique? I mean, my whole life as a soldier, we've always been drilled to keep our spears firmly in hand. Throwing a level 3 spear...

well, we were always told it would just bounce off."

Taron nodded, determination glinting in his eyes. "You're right. I'll give it everything I've got."

"Glad to hear it," Elio smiled. "We'll need every trained soldier we can get. The situation's getting worse."

"How so?" Taron's expression darkened.

Elio gazed towards the horizon, his voice low and somber. "The breaches have been increasing, right? It seems it won't stop soon. Deaths are becoming more frequent, and the Locus are emerging less damaged, stronger. This technique could be the difference between survival and extinction for our city."

Taron followed Elio's gaze, his face a mix of concern and resolve. "Then we've got no time to waste, do we?"

"None at all," Elio agreed, standing and stretching his tired muscles. "Ready to get back to it?"

Taron rose as well, a defiant smile on his face. "More than ready. Let's show those monsters what we can do with our flying spears."

♢♢♢♢

As weeks passed, more level 3 squads joined the training.

The city wall hummed with activity, defenders practicing the new technique in shifts. Breach defense efficiency improved markedly.

Elio watched with pride as his technique spread, creating an almost impenetrable barrier against breach monsters.

One afternoon, while overseeing an advanced session, Elio noticed Varick instructing novice recruits. His technique was flawless, his explanation clear and concise.

"Never thought I'd see the day," Zara remarked, approaching Elio. "Varick's actually proving useful."

Elio nodded, still somewhat wary. "He's progressed quickly. His help in expanding the training has been... valuable."

"Do you think we can trust him?" Zara asked in a low voice.

Elio pondered for a moment. "I'm not sure. But as long as he's contributing positively to the city's defense, I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt."

As the sun set, Elio gathered his core team for evaluation.

"You guys have done an incredible job," he began, looking at each one with pride. "In just a few months, we've managed to train most of the level 3 soldiers in our technique. The city's defenses have never been stronger."

"The stats are remarkable," Ren chimed in. "Casualties in defender squads have decreased by 82.8% since implementation."

Kriz whistled, impressed. "That's... wow. We're really making a difference."

"We are," Elio nodded. "But we can't let our guard down. The breaches keep increasing, and we need to be prepared."

"Elio's right," Micah added. "We must continue improving and refining the technique. Who knows why the breaches are so active lately."

Brok stretched, cracking his neck. "Well, whatever it is, we'll be ready to face it."

Elio smiled, feeling a wave of affection for his team. "Exactly. There's no bug we can't take dow..."

The breach alarm sounded, interrupting Elio, but that was normal... Until several alarms began to blare one on top of another.