Chapter 142: Chapter 142: System's Numbers

"I could enter the book while falling."

Lucien's frog croaked softly, as if sensing its master's unease. "It's far too dangerous," Lucien protested, his brow furrowed with concern. "We have no idea what awaits you at level 6."

"But think of the possibilities," Elio insisted, pacing back and forth, his hands gesticulating wildly. "If I manage to overcome level 6, I'd have enough power to ascend. I did it with level 5, and it wouldn't be my first time climbing it. Perhaps the new invocation or element could help me find a way to push back the sea of monsters..."

"Elio," Lucien began, his voice tinged worry, "I understand your enthusiasm, but there's something crucial you must consider." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Fathoran trained for decades and never dared to attempt level 6. He was waiting for the invocations you now possess, yes... But he also trained his control daily. Your power is relatively new; you haven't fully mastered it yet."

Elio felt a pang of frustration, his fists clenching at his sides. "But if we don't try, how are we going to make progress? We can't just sit here waiting to exceed the limit. There are over 100 births daily, aren't there?"

"The city cannot be left without a leader," Lucien said firmly, placing a hand on Elio's shoulder. "It's better if Selene and I try to reach level 5 and then 6 to gauge the risk. Once we have more information, we can reconsider your plan."

Elio's frustration was palpable, his body tense with pent-up energy. "And how long will that take? Months? Years? We don't have that kind of time."

"I understand your frustration, Elio," Lucien said softly, his eyes full of empathy. "But a hasty move could cost us far more than time. If we lose you... Remember, the city is still not stable. Saren and others would be delighted if you were to disappear."

A heavy silence fell between them, thick with tension. Elio turned to gaze once more at the sea of monsters, feeling the weight of responsibility pressing down on his shoulders.

He knew Lucien was right to be cautious, but the idea of waiting, of doing nothing when the solution seemed so tantalizingly close...

"Perhaps," Elio said finally, his voice measured, "we could seek a middle ground. I could work on improving my control while you finish stabilizing the city and advance in your levels. We set a deadline of, say, three months. If by then you haven't made significant progress, we'll use my plan."

Lucien considered this for a moment, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "That's... reasonable," he admitted after a pause.

"I'll teach you the technique I used to defeat the elephant," Elio added. "You can practice it when things calm down..."

♢♢♢♢

Ren let out a hearty laugh. "Not at all! Look at these numbers." He pulled out a scroll and spread it across the desk. "Mana levels have never been higher. Almost all citizens can contribute now, and the new collection network is even surpassing the surplus from the mana towers... Soon our collection network will be able to take over Saren's."

Elio studied the numbers, a small smile forming on his lips. "This is... impressive, Ren. Good work."

Ren puffed up his chest with pride.

However, Elio's smile quickly faded. Ren, finally noticing his leader's mood, furrowed his brow.

"What's wrong? You should be celebrating..."

Elio sighed, frustration evident on his face. "It's the sea of monsters. Today we tested the combined power of a hundred level 3 summoners, and we barely made a dent in it. It's... overwhelming."

"Oh," said Ren, his enthusiasm diminishing a bit. "That's... a big problem."

"And to top it off," Elio continued, "Fathoran's book has disappeared. All those formulas... There could be something there that could help us, but I can't remember all the details."

Ren blinked several times, processing the information. Then, to Elio's surprise, a smile began to form on his face.

"The Genesis book?" Ren asked, his voice mixing disbelief and amusement. "Elio, do you remember that we read it with Lucien?"

Elio nodded slowly, not understanding where Ren was going with this.

"Well," Ren continued, his smile now stretching from ear to ear, "it turns out I have a very good memory. I remember every page, every formula, every detail of that book."

Elio's eyes widened in astonishment. "What? Seriously?"

Ren nodded, visibly pleased with himself. "Absolutely. Which part do you want to know?"