Chapter 40: Chapter 40: System's Onslaught

Elio, knocked down by Marcus's armored tackle, felt the air escape from his lungs.

The impact against the ground momentarily blurred his vision, but the adrenaline rushing through his veins kept him alert.

He knew he couldn't afford even a second of weakness.

With a grunt of effort, Elio activated his magnetism control, focusing on the spear he'd thrown at Henchman 4. The weapon, still embedded in the henchman's armor, began to vibrate.

Marcus, still on top of Elio, raised his fist. "It's over, Elian!"

But before he could deliver the blow, Elio's spear wrenched free from Henchman 4's armor, flying directly towards them. Marcus, focused on Elio, received a blow to the back of his head, momentarily going limp. Marcus, 20 points.

Elio seized the moment, leaping to his feet and retrieving the spear. Now dual-wielding, he faced his attackers.

"It won't be that easy," Elio said, breathing heavily but unwavering.

The henchmen, momentarily surprised by Elio's recovery, quickly regrouped. Henchmen 1 and 2 attacked simultaneously, while 3 and 4 hung back, seeking an opening.

Elio, leveraging his enhanced strength and dual weapons, blocked Henchman 1's attack with his left spear while spinning to dodge Henchman 2's. In a fluid motion, he used the right lance to strike Henchman 2's face, resistance dropping to 22 points.

Without losing momentum, Elio spun, using both spears to create a defensive arc that momentarily kept his attackers at bay.

Marcus, regaining consciousness, snatched up his spear from the ground. "Don't let him use his tricks!" he shouted to his henchmen. "Attack all at once, you idiots!"

Just as it seemed all 5 would launch an attack, a familiar and terrifying sound traveled through the air: the invasion alarms.

One after another, the alarms began to sound, their urgent howl resonating throughout the city. Elio felt his blood run cold.

"Marcus, we have to go to the wall!" Elio shouted. "Not showing up to defend is treason!"

But Marcus, blinded by his thirst for revenge, wouldn't listen to reason. "You're not going anywhere until I'm done with you! Attack now!"

All five lunged at Elio in a coordinated wave. Elio, knowing he couldn't block all the attacks, opted for a risky strategy. He threw one of his spears directly at Marcus's face, using magnetism to guide it with precision.

Marcus, overconfident, deflected the spear at the last second, but the movement left him off-balance. Elio seized this opportunity, closing the distance and delivering a swift blow to Marcus's chin with his remaining spear. Marcus's resistance dropped to 15 points.

Henchman 1, seeing Elio focused on Marcus, activated his own magnetism control. The spear Elio had thrown began to vibrate and awkwardly fly back, this time aimed at Elio's back.

Staggering and gasping, Elio tried to raise his spear in defense, but his arms felt like lead as he wasn't getting enough oxygen in this barely breathable atmosphere. Marcus, seeing his rival's weakness, smiled maliciously.

"It's over, Elian," Marcus growled, preparing for a strong blow.

Marcus's henchmen, recovered from the previous attacks, moved to surround Elio. The situation looked dire.

Elio, breathing heavily, looked at his opponents. Despite the pain and exhaustion, a spark of determination still shone in his eyes.

"Not yet," Elio murmured, more to himself than to his attackers.

With a final effort, Elio concentrated his remaining mana. Just as Marcus was preparing to deliver a blow, Elio extended his hand. A small spark of fire appeared in his palm, weak but bright.

The sudden flame caught Marcus off guard, making him hesitate. That split second was all Elio needed.

In a desperate move, Elio flung the small flame at Marcus's face. The flash of light made Marcus blink instinctively.

Elio used that instant to sidestep, narrowly avoiding Marcus's attack. He stretched out his hands, once again making his spears spin. Henchman 3 and 4 took blows to the face leaving them with 20 points each. Elio, down to his last 3 mana points, attempted to summon one of his spears from behind Marcus.

If he could weaken Marcus just a bit more, he might be able to use him as a hostage to negotiate his escape.

Unfortunately, Henchman 1 knocked Elio's spear out of the air with his own.

That was Elio's last act of defiance. Exhausted and disarmed, he could do nothing when Henchman 1 and 2 firmly grabbed him by the arms. His resistance was still at 16, but he only had 1 mana point left.

Marcus, recovered from the surprise, let out a derisive laugh. "Nice try, Elian. But it's over."

Marcus approached Elio. Without a word, he began to punch Elio's face with his nickel-covered fist, savoring each impact. Each blow resonated with a dull thud, and Elio felt his consciousness beginning to fade. His resistance fell to 13, 10, 7...

Just when it seemed Elio was about to lose consciousness, a deafening roar filled the air. Before anyone could react, an enormous mass fell from the sky, landing with a crash.

It was a Locus, its exoskeleton shining under the sun, its compound eyes fixed on the group of humans in front of it.

Panic seized the attackers. The two holding Elio immediately released him, backing away in terror. Elio fell to the floor, Marcus was paralyzed, his fist still raised in the air.

Elio, barely conscious, looked at the monster with both fear and resignation. His body was at its limit, his mind clouded by pain and exhaustion. As the Locus prepared to attack, Elio could only think of his mother and the promise he had made to her.

The Locus attacked.