The next six days established an almost methodical rhythm.
While the builders expanded the tunnel another ten kilometers toward the deposit, Elio continued his experiments with the level 10 Locus.
Initial Abdominal Cut
In their 3rd encounter, he decided to start by directly separating the monster's abdomen. The strike proved critical again, inflicting 120 points, which bled out until stopping at 360 points of damage.
Elio then contained his attacks, using only fireballs and allowing them to do just 60 points of damage, observing, measuring, waiting to see if the monster would resort to its special abilities.
The jump never came since the monster now had no legs, but the frenzy did, when the Locus's resistance fell below 20%.
However, even in that state, its four arms barely allowed it to reach a speed of 15 points, far from the 20 that Elio had anticipated.
♢♢♢♢
Vertical Torso Cut
"It's as if each part had its own will to control the body," Mei commented during the 4th test, observing how the monster survived a complete vertical cut of its thorax.
It maintained itself without problems until Elio finally decapitated it.
Horizontal Torso Bisection
The 5th encounter revealed something even more disturbing.
When Elio sectioned the thorax horizontally, both halves remained active, supporting themselves on their respective pairs of arms in an image that sent chills even through Kriz.
"By all the walls," Kriz murmured, "they must be independent brains."
"It must have 3 cores," Elio corrected, observing how each half required another 320 points of damage to be eliminated.
"No, no, they're definitely brains," Kriz insisted, recovering some of his usual humor. "Don't you see how they coordinate the movements?"
"They're hearts," Brok intervened, crossing his arms. "Look at them pulse during frenzy."
The discussion continued throughout the remaining experiments, providing strange comic relief to the macabre investigation.
But it was Mei who finally provided the most useful observation.
"The plates," she pointed out during the last day, while they studied Elio's cuts in a drawing. "Here, here, and here." Her fingers traced specific points on the torso. "There are no joints or weak points, but the plates... The segments have a pattern, they join right here and here. The unions mark exactly where these... hearts are."
"Ha! See? Mei agrees with me," Brok celebrated.
"Oh, come on," Kriz protested. "You too?"
But Elio barely listened to the discussion.
His mind was already processing the tactical implications of their discovery. Three vital centers: one in the head, another in the upper torso, and the third in the lower. Each new detail about their enemies' anatomy was an advantage they didn't have before.
"Thinking about the Artromus?" Lila asked softly, noticing his distant expression.
Elio nodded. "Every piece of information counts," he responded. "And now we know that these beings..." he paused, allowing himself a small smile, "whether they have nuclei, brains, or hearts, they have them aligned in the upper body."
The terminology discussion continued in the background, but each passing day brought them closer to being ready for the real battle ahead.
Zara tried to return the smile, but a memory floated between them uninvited: Micah, patient and methodical, teaching everyone how to maximize their mana control.
His absence weighed more heavily in moments like this.
"Elio." Mei's voice cut through the moment of melancholy. "It's time."
The daily challenge awaited, but this time would be different.
The more than 10 billion accumulated cores had finally borne fruit: the Corrosive Glaucus floated beside Elio, its flattened form moving with alien grace.
It was fascinating to watch how it moved, so different from the eel yet similar at the same time. Instead of slithering horizontally, the undulations traveled along the edges of its body in vertical movements, as if dancing through the air.
Elio felt the additional power flow through him. He now had 65 points of magical damage, a considerable improvement.
"New plan today?" Kriz asked as they entered the chamber.
"Something like that," Elio responded, his eyes studying the Locus. He had theorized that a single clean cut through the torso and head would be sufficient, but...
'Too big,' he calculated with frustration.
The magnetic control needed to handle a 4-meter blade capable of splitting the entire upper part of the 10-meter monster was beyond his current capabilities.
With a level 1 Locus of 4 meters, a 1.6-meter blade would have been sufficient, but this...
He tried cutting from the skull downward but the blade's momentum died before reaching its third target and sometimes the blade broke.
He could regenerate the blade or repeat the magnetic impulse but in the end it wouldn't be the most efficient way if he used more mana.
His power only allowed him to complete the cut through thinner parts of the monster.
The wide side of the thorax was his maximum, the length side was too much.
"Plan B then," he murmured.
The movement was fluid, almost casual. A 2-meter blade of iron and carbon materialized in the air, and with a precise gesture, Elio sent it spinning toward the Locus's neck.
Advanced magnetism guided it with lethal precision.
The Locus was left headless instantly.
Before it could react, Elio brought the blade back, this time cutting vertically through the center of the torso.
There was no frenzy, no struggle.
The Locus simply disintegrated.
The elimination only cost 5 mana points.
"Impressive," Mei murmured.
Elio observed the floating blade for a moment before directing it toward Brok. "Here," he offered. "I think it's time everyone has one."
Brok took the weapon with reverence, joining the other observers who already carried theirs from previous days.
"You know?" Kriz commented, studying his own blade. "If you keep this up, soon we'll run out of things to learn from these big guys."
"Nah, we'll still learn... Tomorrow it will be you who attacks it."