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"You can\'t stay alone!" Lila exclaimed.

"It\'s too much time by yourself," Micah added.

Elio raised a hand to calm them. "I appreciate your concern, but it\'s necessary. Someone has to stay to maintain the tunnel and continue the expansion. Besides, new recruits will come to join us. I\'ll teach them what they need to know."

"But Elio," Aria began, "the constant darkness..."

"I know," Elio interrupted softly, patting his own elephant\'s head. "It will be difficult. But it\'s what needs to be done, and... I trust that all of you will return as quickly as possible, right?"

There was a moment of silence, and then everyone nodded, their summons seeming to stand a little straighter, as if accepting the challenge alongside their masters.

♢♢♢♢

Elio and his team set to work, focusing on tunnel construction.

The process was methodical but exhausting. Each movement, each manipulation of carbon, gradually consumed their mana.

The elephants worked alongside their masters, their trunks proving surprisingly dexterous in shaping the carbon. The soft glow from their bodies provided minimal but welcome illumination in the oppressive darkness.

"Alright, guys," Elio said after a while, wiping sweat from his brow. "We\'re down to 10 mana points. Time to rest and recharge."

The group stopped, grateful for the break.

They sat in pairs, taking advantage of the moment to feed themselves. The elephants seemed to sigh in relief, settling onto the tunnel floor.

"What will we do for almost half a day while we get back to 40 again?" Micah asked, always practical. His elephant nudged him gently, as if reminding him to eat.

Elio considered the question. "Probably nothing, besides talking... Let\'s use this time to rest and plan."

As they waited, the group developed a system to ensure they were advancing in a straight line. Periodically, they returned to the beginning of the tunnel and positioned their summons at different distances.

"It\'s like a copy of god\'s lighting, but much less effective and with magical animals," Kriz joked, watching as his elephant positioned itself along the tunnel. The elephant seemed to snort in response, as if offended by the comparison.

♢♢♢♢

Elio focused on expanding the tunnel upwards at times and began to build the funnel, a task that proved much easier with everyone\'s help.

As he progressed, he continued absorbing cores.

Suddenly, Elio saw something in his book. "I did it," he announced with a smile. "One hundred million cores."

The group gathered around him, expectant. Their elephants crowded closer too, sensing the excitement.

"Does that mean...?" Zara began, leaving the question hanging in the air.

Elio nodded. "Yes, I can summon the eel now."

With a fluid gesture, Elio summoned his new invocation. An electric eel appeared, floating in the air as if swimming in an invisible sea. Flashes of electricity coursed through its sinuous body, casting blinking shadows on the tunnel walls.

"Wow," Mei murmured, impressed. "It\'s... interesting." Her elephant trumpeted softly, as if in agreement.

"So that\'s the elongated form you were referring to. What were the ones from the seventh level like?" Aria asked, curious. Her elephant leaned in closer, seemingly just as intrigued.

Elio proceeded to explain about the fast creatures that tried to paralyze him. "They were incredibly agile," he said.

He went on to explain his battle in detail and the ideas he had for how they could do it more easily. He also taught them how to create the insulating protective layer.

After everyone had the opportunity to examine the new summon, Elio explained for hours about his hypotheses on how they could deal with the hypothetical cases and variations of the 7th level... Almost boring everyone to death in the second half.

♢♢♢♢

Elio stored the eel away and brought out his elephant again.

"We need to keep building," he reminded the group.

Everyone took out their elephants, ready to resume work.

As the days passed, the group found ways to keep themselves entertained while they worked. Kriz, in particular, seemed to have an endless supply of jokes.

"You know," he said at one point, while manipulating carbon to expand the tunnel, "I never thought I\'d miss the city\'s automatic lights so much. Or the hole. Especially the hole." His elephant made a sound that could almost be mistaken for a chuckle.

This statement provoked uncomfortable laughter and nods of agreement. Physiological needs had been a particular challenge in their underground stay.

"Don\'t remind me," Brok grunted. "I never thought I\'d have to time my... visits to the hole." His elephant seemed to shake its head in sympathy.

It was true. Every time someone needed to leave the tunnel to attend to their needs, they had to do it quickly while keeping their book absorbing cores.

Then, they used a bit of mana to incinerate the remains, making sure not to leave traces that could be found on future visits.

"At least we\'re improving our efficiency," Micah commented, always trying to see the bright side. His elephant nodded sagely, as if agreeing with its master\'s optimism.

Hygiene had also been a challenge. Maintaining a basic level of cleanliness consumed additional mana, a resource they wanted to use to the maximum in the tunnel.

"I never appreciated a bath so much," Mei sighed. Her elephant used its trunk to pat her shoulder comfortingly.

Despite the difficulties, the group maintained a positive spirit. They worked together, supported each other, and found moments of laughter even in the most challenging circumstances.

The constant darkness and confined space began to take their toll, however. Some days, the weight of their isolation felt almost unbearable.

Zara found herself talking more and more to her salamander, finding comfort in its steady presence and soft light.

Kriz\'s jokes became more frequent, as if he was trying to fill the silence with noise.

Brok spent hours doing push-ups, his elephant watching curiously as its master fought against the claustrophobia.

Elio noticed these changes in his team. But didn\'t know what to do, some were handling it much better than the others.

One day, Lila broke down crying, overwhelmed by the endless darkness. The group gathered around her, sharing stories of home and dreams of sunlight. It became a nightly ritual, this sharing of memories and hopes, keeping them connected to the world above.

♢♢♢♢

They were approximately halfway through their planned stay when something unexpected happened.

A scraping sound came from the tunnel wall, causing everyone to freeze in place. Their elephants\' ears perked up, alert to the unfamiliar noise.

No one had \'gone to the hole\'.

"What was that?" Lila whispered, her eyes wide with surprise. Her elephant moved closer to her protectively.

Before anyone could answer, a section of the wall began to move. Someone was opening the tunnel from the outside.

The opening in the wall grew larger, and a figure began to emerge from the darkness...