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"You know," Brok began, his voice muffled by the oxygen stone, "I never thought I\'d be here, in the bowels of the monster sea, building a tunnel with magic." His massive form seemed almost comical in the narrow space.

Micah nodded, a slight smile curving his lips. "Life takes unexpected turns. A year ago, my biggest concern was how to get enough mana for my family." His eyes held a faraway look, remembering simpler, if not easier, times.

Brok grunted in agreement, recalling his own past struggles. "And now here we are, trying to save the entire city. Elio really got us into something big, huh?" There was admiration and trepidation in his voice.

"Speaking of Elio," Micah said, his tone turning more serious, "do you think it\'s a good idea to expand upwards first as he told us? I think we should avoid any more absorption until everyone arrives."

Brok paused in his work, considering the question. "Yeah, you\'re right. Maybe it\'s a better idea to expand the horizontal part first."

Micah let out a soft laugh. "True. Even if he\'s the leader, he\'s still Elio, eh. He can make mistakes like everyone else..."

The concern for Elio\'s challenge returned to their minds, a shadow passing over their faces.

Suddenly, the base of the tunnel began to fill with cores. Brok and Micah stayed at the top, aware that this would give them time to react when the others arrived, without having to keep absorption constantly active.

Someone else had arrived.

"Who do you think it is?" Brok whispered, peering down into the darkness.

Micah shrugged. "Could be anyone. Let\'s hope it\'s not Kriz, I\'m not in the mood for his jokes right now."

To their surprise, the figure that emerged from the darkness was none other than Valeria. The young woman, with her characteristic air of confidence, nimbly climbed to where Brok and Micah were.

"Well, well," Valeria said, her voice carrying a tone of amusement despite the oxygen stone in her mouth. "Look who got here first. The muscles and sarcasm of the team."

Brok felt a twinge of pride at the implicit compliment, while Micah simply arched an eyebrow.

"Welcome to the early birds club," Brok responded, noticing for the first time how toned Valeria\'s arms were as she settled near them.

Valeria, perceiving Brok\'s gaze, playfully flexed her muscles. "Like what you see, big guy? You\'re not the only one who\'s been training hard."

Micah coughed uncomfortably, clearly not used to this type of interaction. "We should focus on the task at hand. We have a lot of work to do."

Valeria laughed softly. "Relax, Micah. A little light chat isn\'t going to make the tunnel collapse." Then, turning to Brok with a mischievous smile, she asked: "So tell me, Brok, what do you really think of my muscles? Too much for a girl?"

Brok, taken by surprise, stammered for a moment before responding. "Uh, no, not at all. They look... good. Very good, in fact. You\'ve been working hard, it shows."

"Thanks," Valeria replied, her smile widening. "Although, to be honest, I like to stay in shape, but I prefer men a little less... voluminous. No offense, Brok."

Brok blinked, processing the information. "Oh, uh, no offense taken. To each their own, right?"

Micah, clearly uncomfortable with the turn the conversation was taking, tried to redirect it. "We should focus on expanding the tunnel, we can\'t waste mana keeping our reserve full... Elio would be upset about the waste."

Valeria nodded. "Speaking of Elio," she said, her tone casual but her eyes shining with interest, "have any of you noticed how well level 6 and the armor suit him?"

Brok and Micah exchanged a look, surprised by Valeria\'s frankness.

"I, uh, haven\'t paid much attention, to be honest," Micah muttered, his cheeks coloring slightly.

Brok decided to address the topic head-on. "Valeria, do you have a real romantic interest in Elio?"

Valeria shrugged, an enigmatic smile on her lips. "Who knows? A strong, intelligent leader who saved my family... it\'s an attractive combination, don\'t you think?"

Brok and Micah looked at each other, unsure how to respond. Finally, it was Brok who broke the silence.

"Well, uh, good luck with Zara... Now, we should focus on the work. The tunnel isn\'t going to expand itself."

Valeria nodded, her expression becoming more serious. "You\'re right. What do you need me to do?"

As they progressed, Brok couldn\'t help but reflect on the changing dynamics of the group. Valeria\'s presence, with her confidence and frankness, had added a new dimension to their interaction. He wondered how this would affect the group as a whole in this hole, especially considering her insinuations about Elio.

While they worked, the sound of more cores filling the base of the tunnel became evident. Another of their companions must have arrived...

It was Zara.

With Zara\'s arrival, the team in the carbon tunnel became more determined to begin the expansion in earnest. The four quickly gathered to discuss the best way to proceed.

"With four people, we can be more efficient," Micah suggested. "I propose that two of us focus on frontal absorption when opening the tunnel, while the other two work on expanding the tunnel."

Brok nodded, appreciating the logic. "Good idea."

Zara, newly arrived but quick to catch up, added: "If two people absorb at the front, we can release the pressure and create a free space to expand the tunnel more easily."

Valeria smiled. "I like it. Let\'s do it."

As they organized themselves into their new positions, Brok couldn\'t help but wonder aloud: "How the hell did Elio manage to create this tunnel with all the cores surrounding him? It must have been insane."

Micah, focused on his absorption task, replied: "Elio has always had a unique way of facing challenges. I guess that\'s one of the reasons we follow him."

They worked in relative silence, each focused on their task. The sound of cores being absorbed and the crackle of expanding carbon filled the air.

"Remember," Zara said after a while, "the plan is to keep our mana between 10 and 40. We don\'t want to waste it, but we also don\'t want to run out in case of an emergency."

The others nodded. As they worked, carefully spending their mana, the conversation began to flow again.

"You know," Micah began, his voice tinged with admiration, "every time I think about how Elio has changed his attitude, I\'m amazed."

Zara, whose face lit up at the mention of Elio, responded enthusiastically: "He always had the attitude of looking for something more. Although you\'re right that there are different things about him, I can\'t help but feel surprised by those other changes too... Even proud of him."

Brok, noticing Zara\'s reaction and remembering the earlier conversation with Valeria, spoke without thinking: "Well, it seems you\'re not the only one who has noticed the... changes in Elio. Right, Valeria?"

A tense silence fell over the group. Valeria shot a warning look at Brok, who immediately regretted his comment. The air in the tunnel seemed to thicken with unspoken tension.

Zara, her curiosity palpable, turned to Valeria. Their eyes met, and for a moment, the tension in the tunnel seemed to increase exponentially. The others held their breath, sensing the potential for conflict.

"Is that true, Valeria?" Zara asked, her voice calm but with an underlying tone of something more... concern? Jealousy? "Do you have a special interest in Elio?"