Chapter 86: Chapter 86: System's Urgency

Elio surveyed his friends, gathered in a circle atop the wall.

As Elio distributed extra cores to his companions, their newly acquired "core balance" glowing softly in their books, each summoned creature explored its surroundings with unbridled curiosity.

Zara's salamander had coiled itself around her neck like a living scarf, its scales shimmering with each breath. Its eyes, alert and intelligent, darted from face to face, drinking in every detail of this new world.

Micah watched in fascination as his frog leaped from his right shoulder to his left shoulder, letting out a soft croak with each jump. It seemed to time its vocalizations with the ebb and flow of conversation, as if offering its own commentary.

Brok's rabbit, enormous, sat vigilant at his feet. Its long ears swiveled independently, catching every whisper of wind and murmur of conversation. The rabbit's size seemed to mirror Brok's own imposing stature.

Ren had placed his rabbit atop his head, where it nestled like a furry, sentient hat. Its bright eyes scanned the horizon, occasionally twitching its nose as if processing the wealth of new information.

Kriz, still struggling to touch his elusive rabbit, had turned their interaction into an impromptu game of tag. "Come on, little buddy," he coaxed, his voice a mixture of frustration and amusement. "Don't you see I just want to be friends?"

Elio couldn't suppress a smile at the scene before him. Ember, his faithful salamander, rested on his shoulder, its warmth a constant reminder of their shared trials and triumphs.

"Alright," Elio began, his voice low but carrying a weight of authority that made everyone pause. "Each of you now has 100,000 cores in your balances. There's no point in giving you more for now; it already took us too long to transfer these..."

Kriz whistled low, momentarily distracted from his rabbit chase. "100,000 cores. That's... that's an incredible amount."

Elio nodded, his expression growing serious. "It is. And it's just the beginning. I'll give you more gradually while I hide in the wall to prepare our army of summoners. First, I'll seek out Lucien and..."

"What exactly is the plan?" Micah interrupted.

Elio took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping across the group. "First, I want you to give the salamander to everyone you know who's willing to join our cause," he explained. "Look for people unlikely to follow Fathoran, or those you trust completely. Promise them more invocations if they help us overthrow the families."

Zara's frown deepened, her salamander tightening slightly around her neck in response to her tension. "Isn't it risky to trust so many people?"

"It is," Elio admitted. "But we need numbers on our side. Fathoran has decades of experience with the power I've just obtained. Despite my advantage in invocations, I'm not 100% sure I can defeat him..."

The frog retreated and charged once more. This time, the wall crumbled into a shower of black fragments.

Lucien stumbled out of his prison, amazement written across his face. "Selene," he said, turning to his still-trapped companion, "I think I just understood something important about our patriarch."

Selene looked at him, confusion and hope warring on her face. "What? How...?"

"The resistance of his prison," Lucien explained, as his frog prepared to free Selene. "It must be equal to his magical damage. About 20 points for having the third invocation and being level 5, if I'm not mistaken."

The carbon imprisoning Selene disintegrated under the frog's second impact. She emerged, shaking black fragments from her armor. "That's... both hopeful and terrifying," she murmured. "But, Lucien, what do we do now?"

Lucien's gaze hardened as he looked towards the door Fathoran had exited through. "We stop him," he declared. "Whatever it takes."

Selene grabbed his arm. "Are you insane? Even with this knowledge, we can't face him directly. Did you see his armor? I've never seen anything like it. There must be more we don't know about him.

I don't think he'll forgive us for going against him forever..."

"And what do you suggest?" Lucien snapped, frustration coloring his voice. "That we stay here while he massacres an innocent family?"

Selene bit her lip, her mind working furiously. "No, but... we need to be smart about this. Fathoran has decades of experience over us."

Lucien didn't stop, pulling Selene along. "You're right," he admitted grudgingly. "But every second we waste... I'll find a way, trust me this time."

"Alright," Selene conceded, her voice soft but firm. "But remember, Lucien. We're not just fighting for Elio's family. We're fighting for the future of the entire city."

Lucien met her gaze, seeing the determination burning in her eyes. He nodded slowly, a silent pact forming between them.

With that, the two Summoners launched themselves into the hallway, ready to confront the tyrant who threatened everything they held dear.

The battle for the city's future was about to begin, and Lucien and Selene were on the front lines, willing to risk it all.