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"Seven points," Taron murmured, a drop of sweat sliding down his temple. "I never thought..."

"You\'re doing better than I did at first," Elio smiled, remembering his own stumbles. "I used to..."

He stopped, a strange sensation invading his consciousness.

While guiding Taron, his own mana had found a new pattern, as if the act of teaching had revealed something he had been overlooking.

"Elio?" Taron noticed his sudden silence.

"One moment," Elio murmured, closing his eyes. The mana flowed differently now, smoother, more natural. "It\'s like... weaving. Not pushing."

His fingers moved with renewed understanding, and the mana responded. Ten points accumulated in his hands, stable, controlled.

"Did you just...?" Taron blinked in surprise.

"Micah was right," Elio opened his eyes, both sadness and gratitude in his voice. "Teaching is another way of learning."

The moment was interrupted by the arrival of the others.

It was time for the daily challenge.

Kriz twirled his blade with feigned casualness. "Ready to see how it\'s done?"

"You said the same thing last time," Mei reminded him, "and you ended up cutting air."

"Details, details," Kriz waved a hand carelessly. "This time will be different."

Kriz was right...

But it was for reasons none of them expected.

The Locus, which in Elio\'s training and experiments seemed to react very slowly to aggression, proved to be a completely different challenge for them.

"Now!" Lila shouted, launching her blade when the monster had dodged Kriz again. The cut was deep, but not deep enough.

"It covers itself too well... It\'s like it knows where we\'ll strike," Brok growled after another failed attempt.

"No," Mei corrected, her analytical eyes studying the monster. "It\'s our perception. For Elio, its movements are... predictable. For us..."

"It\'s the opposite, our movements are predictable, its are... a blur," Kriz completed, for once without a trace of humor in his voice.

Three days of similar attempts only confirmed what Elio already suspected.

.net

His companions were strong, their 49 points of magical damage nothing to scoff at, but the gap in perception and speed was too great to finish the monster in less than 6 attacks, at best.

"We need to level up," Mei finally declared, wiping sweat from her brow.

"Not everyone can risk it or train," Brok corrected. "The tunnel..."

"Can\'t stop," Lila completed. "We know."

Elio observed his team, recognizing there was no other choice if he wanted to achieve his goal. Level 8 awaited them, and with it, new challenges and powers.

But he could only take a few to avoid affecting the tunnel\'s construction speed.

The question was: who would be the first to take that step?

♢♢♢♢

Elio gathered his closest circle that same afternoon.

If they were going to do this, they needed to understand exactly what they would face. The tunnel\'s new rest chamber near the wall, illuminated by the soft glow of summons, provided an intimate space for the conversation that would follow.

"Level 8 is... different," Elio observed the expectant faces of his closest circle. "It\'s not as brutal as 9, nor as dangerous as 10, but it\'s still a risk."

"How different?" Lila asked, leaning forward.

"The tunnel tries to push you back constantly. It\'s not like wind or water pressure... it\'s like reality itself is rejecting you."

"Sounds fun," Kriz smiled, though his eyes revealed he understood the potential danger.

"It\'s not," Elio responded, his voice serious. "That\'s why I want you to be sure. This decision must be personal, not an obligation."

Mei exchanged looks with the others before speaking. "We already saw what Zara achieved alone, you even reached 10 without prior knowledge or help. And if we want to be useful against the Artromus..."

"We\'re in," Brok completed, his usual relaxed posture replaced by determination. "All of us."

Elio nodded, his gaze drifting to where Milo\'s group worked on the tunnel. He had considered extending the offer to them too, but...

They would have to wait until his group finished training or the construction speed would be affected.

"Construction is priority," he murmured, more to himself than to others.

"I\'ll participate," added Taron, who was the only exception. "If you\'ll allow me."

Of course, he could allow Taron, being something of a supervisor...

Before Elio could respond, Zara stepped forward. "I want you to teach me about level 9."

Elio worried.

"Zara..." Elio began, but she interrupted him.

"We need to be stronger. All of us." Her voice left no room for arguments. "The Artromus..."

"Level 9 is different," Elio warned. "The nickel defensive layer barely mitigates the pain in the end, and one mistake..." He stopped, remembering his own experience. "It\'s dangerous, Zara."

She held his gaze, that familiar determination shining in her eyes. "I know. And still..."

Elio sighed.

He knew that look; it was the same one he\'d seen countless times. When Zara decided something...

"Alright," he finally yielded. "But first master my improved method... Completely."

While they organized training schedules, Elio\'s mind was already on the Locus. His companions would need time to reach the necessary level, but he had his own experiments to conduct.

"Will you face it again today?" Mei asked, noticing his distraction.

"There\'s something I want to try," Elio responded. "A theory about my new capabilities..."

"Always working," Kriz joked, but his tone was admiring.

Elio barely smiled. Each passing day was another day the Artromus watched from above. They couldn\'t afford to waste a moment.

"The first ones will be Taron, Aria, Valeria, and Lila, working in the daily challenge chamber," he announced, his voice mixing authority and concern. "The others will start tomorrow, rest well. You\'ll need it."

As the second group dispersed, Zara remained a moment longer. "Don\'t underestimate me," she said softly. "I can handle the pain."

Elio watched her leave, remembering his own determination when facing each new level. He wasn\'t underestimating her; he was worried.

But as she had said... they needed all the strength possible.