Consciousness returned slowly to Elio, the blurry figures around him gradually taking shape.
Several familiar faces watched him with concern.
The first thing that took shape in his mind was verifying the battle's outcome.
"The Artromus...?" his voice sounded raspy, the question incomplete but urgent.
"It's dead," Selene interrupted, her tone mixing relief and reproach. "You did it, though I still think it was incredibly stupid not to wait a bit longer."
Elio tried to sit up, his muscles protesting the movement. "How long was I...?" New urgency in his voice. "The deposit's time limit..."
"Relax," Lucien stopped him with a firm hand on his shoulder. "Only four hours have passed. There's still plenty of time."
"The earth king," Elio insisted. "We have to..."
"Zara is already in the second half," Selene intervened. "I sent her a message with a swift. She was worried about you, idiot."
"Actually," Lucien added, "Taron was the one who answered that message and confirmed recently that the girls' group entered the challenge's second phase."
Elio relaxed slightly against the bed, though tension didn't completely leave his face. "Is everyone...?"
"Everyone's fine," Selene assured. "Though you'll have a lot to explain when you arrive."
"Especially to Zara," Ren murmured, a small smile on his lips.
Tension returned to Elio's face as quickly as it had left. "There's still much to do," he sat up more, ignoring the protests. "Each deposit will have its own Artromus."
The silence that followed was heavy.
"I think this next one will be different," he continued, his voice gaining urgency.
"If it's not wind, we won't have the advantage we had this time. I'm not sure how to exploit their weaknesses, and I..." he paused, frustration evident on his face, "won't have the perfect combination to face it like the first one."
"What do you need?" asked Selene, recognizing the planning tone in his voice.
"More people in the tunnels," he responded without hesitation. "And we need to accelerate training. Anyone who can level up must do it as soon as possible. We can no longer fear level increases, it's a necessity. If this new Artromus becomes a threat like the previous one..."
"Good," Elio took a step toward the door. "Because we need more people in the tunnels. We can't waste time. With what we now know about the Artromus in each deposit..."
"You're leaving already?" Lucien arched an eyebrow.
"I can't stay any longer," Elio took another step toward the door. "There's a deposit to complete and a new Artromus to face."
A shadow of guilt crossed Elio's face.
He turned to Lucien before departing. "Please, tell my mother my selfishness didn't kill me," a small bitter smile crossed his face. "But that I still have work to do."
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"Selfishness?" Selene arched an eyebrow, but Elio was already heading toward the exit.
"Wait!" Diana blocked his path, her eyes shining with determination. "I want to go with you to the tunnel."
"Diana..." Lucien began.
"I'm level 7," she interrupted. "And after what happened... We all need to do our part."
"If Diana goes," Ren stepped forward, his voice firmer than usual, "I'll go too."
Elio turned to him, concern evident on his face. "Are you sure?" His eyes studied his friend carefully. "It took you a lot of work to decide to level up..."
"I'm ready," Ren's usual hesitation was absent. "I can't just keep running numbers while others risk their lives."
Lucien rubbed his chin, thoughtful. "City management will be more complicated without you, Ren. Your skills with numbers..."
"The system Ren established practically runs itself," Selene interrupted. "And his apprentices have proven more than capable."
"It's true," Lucien nodded. "The structures you implemented are solid, Ren. Your absence will be noticed, but shouldn't cause major problems."
Elio was about to respond when the door burst open.
A soldier entered, his breathing agitated and face pale.
"Von Lucien! Lady Selene! Ah, pardon me, Von Elio too!" The soldier tried to catch his breath. "You... you have to see this. The monster sea... something is happening."
The urgency in his voice made everyone instantly tense.