The artromus's death didn't mark the end of the spectacle.
As the monster's body vanished, a new weird weapon materialized in the air.
The shape was strange: two curved blades emerged from a central handle, disturbingly reminiscent of the jaws of the monster they had just defeated. The metal, if it was metal, had a reddish glow that pulsed like burning embers.
"And here we have the last strange weapon courtesy of our worst friends," Kriz observed.
"It's as if the monster jaws had turned into a weapon," Diana murmured, studying the twin blades with professional interest.
Elio remembered God's words about obtaining the "Tetraforce" fast and didn't waste time.
Using a portion of the mana points he had bought for reward emblems, he initiated the fusion process.
The sword he carried, already an amalgamation of three elements, resonated with the newly materialized weapon.
The process was different this time. The four elemental essences, earth, wind, water, and fire, intertwined in a dance of energy that transformed the weapon with their power.
The familiar sword form that Elio had come to master remained, but now more stylized, more... perfect. The blade reflected the four elements in perfect harmony: green, brown, blue, and red veins flowing like rivers of power along the metal.
"One hundred damage points," Elio murmured while feeling the familiar but improved weight in his hands.
The weapon felt like a natural extension of his body, as if it had been destined to reach this final form from the very beginning.
But then...
A sudden tremor in the chamber interrupted any other observation about the new weapon...
God's statue, which until that moment had remained as immutable as all the others, began vibrating with a frequency that made the air around it seem to ripple.
"What's...?" Mei didn't finish her question.
"Is it over?" Enid stepped forward, her voice showing disappointment and relief. "The last artromus is...?"
"Dead and now a cool sword!" Brok confirmed with a laugh. "Or well, dead and disintegrated. Thanks to our leader and our dear Lila... and her new aquatic pet."
Lila blushed slightly at the attention. "Gorgita just did her part. The final blow was Von Elio's."
"Ah, but what a part!" Aria intervened. "Did you see how she transformed? She wasn't so round after all."
The tension accumulated over months began dissipating like fog under the sun. Laughter and exclamations of joy started filling the air as the reality of their achievement settled in their minds.
"The fourth deposit is ours!" Aria's voice resonated above the others. "No more tunnels! No more monologues from the crazy god!"
"Though his last words were somewhat disturbing," Mei murmured. "What did that mean about this being just a tutorial? Some code for..."
"Oh, come on!" Kriz interrupted her. "Can't you let us enjoy the moment? Look at that light! It's beautiful! And more importantly..." he smiled mischievously, "it means we won. This piece of the outside will be ours!"
As if to emphasize his words, the blue light beam seemed to intensify. Several builders let out exclamations of wonder when they noticed the light reached above the city.
"It's as if the deposit itself were proclaiming our victory," Diana observed with a smile.
Elio observed everything in silence, his mind processing the implications. Four deposits conquered, four elements mastered. God's words about the remaining 897 years and the mysterious word "tutorial" resonated in his memory, but he decided to set them aside for now.
"Elio," Zara's voice pulled him from his thoughts. She looked at him with pride and something deeper. "We did it."
He nodded, finally allowing a smile to form on his face. "We did it together."
The celebration cries continued around them. Some builders were already singing. Others animatedly discussed the meaning of the light beam. But all shared that feeling of triumph, of having achieved something that seemed impossible just months ago.
The fourth deposit was theirs. Their first great feat was complete.
And as the blue light beam continued rising toward the sky, no one could deny that this was a moment that would be forever etched in their city's history.