For a moment, Elio stood motionless, his eyes scanning the now empty chamber. The realization of what he had just accomplished began to slowly sink in.
"I did it," he murmured, a mixture of amazement and relief in his voice. "I really did it."
Elio felt a surge of energy course through his body. His mana and stamina regenerated instantly, filling to the maximum. The sensation was intoxicating, a blend of relief and euphoria that made his heart race. Wide Guard, his elephant familiar, trumpeted softly in celebration.
But the biggest surprise was yet to come. Elio, who already possessed 10 million cores, felt a new presence in his book.
He opened it and, touching the new invocation page, summoned his new familiar:
Frost Penguin.
The small, chubby bird appeared before him in a flash of blue light.
It was an adorable creature, with feathers of an intense blue and bright eyes that seemed to contain icy galaxies. Although its expression appeared somewhat grumpy, Elio couldn't help but feel an instant affection towards it.
"So the name of these is penguin," Elio murmured, observing the creature with fascination.
The penguin stared at him for a moment, tilting its head from side to side as if evaluating him. Then, without warning, it slid on its belly towards Elio, gently bumping against his legs.
Elio couldn't contain a laugh. "You're quite agile for being so chubby, huh?" he said, crouching down to pat the penguin's head.
The creature responded with a squawk that sounded surprisingly indignant, as if offended by the comment about its figure. It then shook itself, spraying Elio with a fine layer of snow.
"Hey!" Elio exclaimed, laughing as he shook off the snow. "I see you've got character."
As he played with his new invocation, Elio noticed a small statue in the center of the room. He approached cautiously, initially concerned because he had no equipment to exchange. However, as he got closer, he saw that the statue only contained a brief message:
"Congratulations on overcoming the first challenge of the second level of elemental control. Luckily, that... Goddess's test didn't overcome you. Now you have power over Nitrogen, keep learning to use its power and don't forget to continue improving with the other elements."
Beneath the message, the statue asked to be touched. Intrigued, Elio extended his hand and touched the cold surface of the statue. Instantly, he felt his armor strengthen. 100 extra resistance points, 1 magic attack, 1 defense, and 1 magic defense were added to his stats.
But that wasn't all. The ice penguin granted him an additional 30 points of magic damage.
Elio changed the page of his book to marvel at the statistics before him. There, shining with a cold, bluish light, was the confirmation of his achievement.
Elio Von Elian's Statistics
Skills:
Sacred Flame
Holy Water
Superior Mana Spear / Attack 5
Superior Mana Dagger x10 / Attack 5
Superior Elemental Resistance Cloak / Magic Defense 5
System's Armor 6 / ((Defense 6) (Magic Defense 6) (Magic Damage 6) (Resistance(600/600))
Balance:
0 mana points
A triumphant smile spread across his face. He had done it. He had overcome a challenge that no one before had managed to conquer.
Without wasting time, Elio decided to test his new ability.
"Heaven's Frost," he murmured, extending his hand. Instantly, the air around him crystallized, forming ice patterns. It was like an improved and specialized version of his level 3 ability, but focused specifically on cold.
Elio could feel how his control over the cold element expanded in the presence of the small penguin. It was as if ice was a natural extension of his will. He could create and manipulate ice structures with an ease that rivaled his control over carbon through the elephant.
Excited like a child with a new toy, Elio began to experiment with his newly acquired power. He created ice structures, launched bursts of ice spikes, even managed to form the carbon hand version in ice. The penguin watched curiously, its flippers swaying as if trying to mimic Elio's ice manipulations.
In the midst of his celebration, Elio performed his classic victory jump.
This time, however, he didn't stumble upon landing. His movements were more fluid, more controlled. (Well, it seems our little one has grown up)
However, he soon discovered that this new power came at a cost. Even the basic attack with his new ability consumed twice as much mana as any of his other five elemental powers.
Elio allowed himself a moment to savor his achievement. He was the first to reach level 6, a milestone that he once had considered impossible. The sense of accomplishment was overwhelming, but ephemeral.
Quickly, his mind returned to the problems the city still faced. Level 6 was an impressive achievement, yes, but it wasn't the end of his journey. It was just another step on the path to sustainability and security for his people.
After conducting a few more tests with his new powers, Elio made a decision. He would wait for his mana to fully recover and then venture back into the sea of monsters. It was time to collect more cores, just as he had done the last time.
While waiting, Elio sat on the cold floor of the chamber, the ice penguin cuddled up beside him.
"I'll call you Ice Ball."
The small, rotund penguin seemed offended for a moment, his little eyes narrowing in indignation. He gave a slight shuffle, as if debating a protest, but then his body language shifted, settling into a kind of quiet resignation.
Elio couldn't help but smirk, sensing the silent acceptance that washed over the creature. At least I a name now, Elio thought, imagining the penguin's begrudging inner monologue. The tiny creature let out a soft, defeated chirp as if to say, Could've been worse.
"We've come a long way," Elio murmured, absentmindedly stroking the penguin's head. "But there's still a long way to go."
The penguin squawked softly, as if in agreement. Elio smiled, grateful for this new company on his journey.