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Elio groaned, burying his head in the pillow. "Please stop, I already know how stupid it was."

Brok entered next, carrying a tray full of food. "Come on, boss. You need to eat well to get those steel balls back in shape."

"Brok!" Zara exclaimed, pushing him slightly as she entered. "Have some tact, will you? There is a woman right here."

Micah intervened: "What woman? I only see rowdy guys here… Wait, put that down… not in the face!"

Ren, the last to enter, was counting something on his fingers. "According to my calculations, with the system\'s 7-day regeneration rate and the 4 resistance points you had left, you should be fully recovered in approximately 47 hours, 15 minutes, and 15 seconds."

Elio blinked, processing the information. "Thanks, Ren. Always so... precise."

Kriz launched himself at the foot of the bed, nearly crushing Elio\'s feet. "Come on, tell us! How did it feel to touch a Summoner? Did you see his face when the armor cracked?"

"I told you already… I was more concerned about the fireball in front of me," Elio replied, scratching the back of his neck.

Zara approached, her expression softening as she looked at Elio. "Please don\'t scare us like that again," she said softly, her voice laden with concern. "We thought we\'d lost you."

"Yeah," Brok added, his mouth full of what looked suspiciously like Elio\'s breakfast. "Next time you want to impress Zara, just ask her out to dinner."

Zara blushed furiously, while Elio choked on the water he was drinking.

Micah, always attentive to the mood of the room, quickly changed the subject. "By the way, Elio," he said, his tone carefully casual, "have you seen Marcus again? There are rumors flying around about a potential lvl 3 duel to show the new technique."

Elio frowned. "That guy who insisted on a duel? No, apparently he intends to wait the supposed 7 days. So I have 2 days to esc…"

Kriz jumped excitedly. "Oh, you have to accept! After the Summoner, a level 3 would be a piece of cake."

"I don\'t think that\'s a good idea," Ren interjected, his fingers already moving as he calculated. "Based on Elio\'s current condition and Marcus\'s known capabilities, I estimate the probability of Elio sustaining further injury at approximately 57.8%. Not odds I\'d be comfortable betting on."

"Come on, Ren," Kriz complained, deflating slightly. "Where\'s your sense of adventure? Your thirst for glory? Your..."

"Probably left it in the same place you left your common sense," Zara replied, rolling her eyes.

Brok let out a laugh. "Good one, Zara. But seriously, Elio, you should consider the duel. You could win some extra metal in your ba..."

Elio shook his head. "Guys, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I think I\'ve had enough duels for now. I\'d rather focus on our training."

"Speaking of which," Micah said, "we\'ve been practicing that relay strategy you asked for. I think we\'re ready to test it."

"Excellent," Elio smiled. "I can\'t wait to see it in action."

Ren approached, extending his hand. "I almost forgot. Give me your daily mana input. I\'ve been making the transaction earlier because the process becomes more bureaucratic when it\'s not you who delivers it... The administrators are surprisingly resistant to logical arguments about efficiency."

"Thanks, Ren," Elio softly interrupted, pressing a small crystal into Ren\'s palm. "I appreciate it. Really. All of you."

♢♢♢♢

On the fifth day, Elio could no longer bear being in bed. Just as he was considering sneaking out, Zara entered the room followed by the boys.

"Elio, I\'ve made a decision. I\'m going to face level 3."

Elio looked at her, recognizing the fire in her eyes… the same fire he\'d seen in his own reflection before facing the Summoner.

"Zara, are you sure?" Elio asked, concern evident in his voice. "Level 3 is..."

"I know," Zara interrupted. "I\'ve been training hard. I have the resistant suit, the 400-point blanket, the air stone, and the two disposable fire swords since you gave me another one. I\'m as ready as I\'ll ever be."

"Alright," Elio finally said. "But you\'re not going alone. I\'ll accompany you."

"Elio, you\'re not fully recovered yet," Micah protested.

"I\'m well enough," Elio insisted, pushing the sheets aside. "Besides, someone has to make sure Zara brings all the equipment and doesn\'t try to be reckless."

Zara raised an eyebrow. "You? Talking about not being reckless? That\'s rich, coming from the boy who challenged a Summoner."

Elio couldn\'t help but laugh. "You got me. But seriously, Zara, I want to be there to support you. We all do."

"But Elio," Zara said, her expression softening, "you know I\'ll have to enter my book alone. No one can help me once I\'m inside. It\'s my battle to fight from here and..."

"I know," Elio replied, putting a hand on her shoulder. "But we\'ll be there, waiting. And when you come out victorious, we\'ll be the first to celebrate. That\'s what friends do."

As they prepared to leave, Elio couldn\'t help but feel concern. He knew Zara was strong, but like any battle, level 3 was unpredictable. However, he trusted her and the training they had done together.

"By the way," Kriz added as they left the resting room, "if we run into Marcus on the way, should we tell him you accept his duel after Zara finishes?"

"Kriz!" they all exclaimed in unison, before bursting into laughter.

♢♢♢♢

Elio and his team arrived at the level 3 challenge area and led Zara to the officials to register as third-level challenger.

Zara stopped in front of the pedestal where she would enter her System\'s Book. Her hands trembled slightly as she held it, but her gaze was full of determination.

"You\'re ready for this, right?" Elio said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Remember everything we\'ve trained for."

Zara nodded, a small smile curving her lips. "Thank you, Elio. All of you. I won\'t let you down."

Kriz, unable to contain his enthusiasm, exclaimed: "You\'re going to kick that monster\'s butt, Zara!"

"Technically, level 3 monsters don\'t have butts," Ren muttered, holding his chin. "They have puffy tails..."

Brok let out a laugh. "Ren, buddy, that\'s still a butt in my book, sometimes you\'re too literal for your own good."

Micah, always the peacemaker, intervened: "The important thing is that we believe in you, Zara. We\'ll be here waiting for your triumphant return."

Zara looked at each of her teammates, absorbing their support and confidence. Then, with a decisive movement, she opened the book to the third page.

Do you wish to challenge the third trial?

The world around her seemed to fade away.

Zara barely appeared before she ran directly towards the threatening level 3 monster, with her 2 swords in hand.

Meanwhile, outside the book, the team waited anxiously. Seconds felt like minutes, and each passing moment increased the tension.

"How long has it been now?" Kriz asked, unable to stay still.

Ren answered instantly. "Exactly 37 seconds. Average time for a level 3 challenge is..."

"Come on, Zara," Elio muttered, cutting off Ren\'s statistics. His fists were clenched at his sides, he had never felt this much tension… Even… "You can do this. You have to do this."

Suddenly, the book lifted off the pedestal, hovering in the air. The team collectively held their breath, the world seeming to pause in that moment of anticipation.

A few seconds that felt like an eternity passed. Then, in a flash of light, Zara materialized before them. She stood tall, a triumphant smile spreading across her face as she raised her arms in victory.

"I did it!" she exclaimed.

Joy erupted among the group. Kriz and Brok ran to hug Zara, lifting her off the ground in their enthusiasm. Micah applauded, his face radiant with pride. Even Ren was smiling broadly, something rare for him.

Elio approached last, his heart swelling with pride, relief, and something deeper that he wasn\'t quite ready to name. "I knew you could do it, Zara," he said softly. "You\'re... you\'re strong. Truly."

Zara, still surrounded by her teammates, blushed and looked at Elio gratefully. "I-I couldn\'t have done it without your training and everyone\'s s-support..." She stammered, suddenly shy in the face of… their collective pride?

♢♢♢♢

When the initial euphoria finally calmed down, Elio made an announcement.

"Zara, you\'ve reached level 3. From now on, you\'ll be an official part of the spear-thrower team."

Zara\'s eyes lit up with excitement. "Thank you, Elio! I won\'t let you…"

A strident sound cut through the air. The breach alarm was ringing, its urgent tone indicating an imminent threat.

Ren, already consulting a guard, responded: "It seems to be a breach in our right sector of the wall."

Zara, still elated from her recent victory, turned to Elio. "Can we go? I want to see the technique in action. It\'s the best way to test its effectiveness in a real situation."

Elio hesitated. He looked at his companions, seeking their opinion.

Kriz was the first to speak. "Come on, Elio! It\'s our chance to show what we can do. You already took down one, it\'s our turn to feel it..."

"I agree," Brok added. "We\'ve trained for this. It\'s time to put everything we\'ve learned into practice and see if our ba…"

Micah, always more cautious, intervened: "It\'s dangerous, but it\'s also true that we need real experience. Besides, we\'ll be together."

Ren, after performing some quick calculations, concluded: "Based on our performance in training, I estimate we have a 99.999% chance of success if we work as a team."

Elio looked at each of his companions, feeling the weight of the decision on his shoulders. Finally, he nodded. "Alright. We\'ll go, but with caution. Remember everything we\'ve practiced and stay alert. Run to get your spears before the nearest squad beats us to it."

The group set off quickly. As they ran, Elio couldn\'t help but feel excitement and apprehension at the same time. This would be the first real test of his team, the opportunity to prove their worth not only to themselves but to the entire wall.

As they approached the wall\'s parapet, the chaos became more evident.

Soldiers were running in all directions. When they reached the top, beyond the wall, they could see the threatening shapes of millions of monsters, trying to make their way on top of each other, creating the waves of a horrible sea of monster insects.

Elio paused for a moment, observing the monster about to face the squad of defenders.

Then, with a voice full of determination, he addressed his team: "This is the moment we\'ve prepared for. Remember, we work together. Trust the technique and trust yourselves. Are you ready?"

A chorus of "Yes!" resonated among his companions.

With a final nod, Elio gave the order: "Let\'s go!"