Utopian System

Brok's massive hand connected with the back of Kriz's head with a solid thwack.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Check your book, idiot."

"I don't need to check my book! I know I didn't get any…" Kriz paused mid-rant as his book floated in front of him. His eyes widened as he flipped through the pages. "Oh. I, uh... I got it too."
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The silence that followed was deafening.

"I mean," he coughed, trying to salvage some dignity, "obviously I knew I would. I was just testing you all. Making sure you were paying attention. You know, keeping the team sharp and…"

Another thwack from Brok.

"Stop hitting me!"

"Stop being an idiot!"

Selene couldn't help but laugh. Even in the midst of their mission to save Elio, moments like these reminded her why she loved this team.

"Wait," Selene's voice cut through the lingering amusement of Kriz's performance. "Something about this feels familiar."

The others turned to her, noting the thoughtful expression on her face.

"That day at the monster sea," she continued, "when we saw that impossible hole in the endless waves. Almost every soldier said it couldn't be him, that no one could survive out there. But Elio..."

"He found a way," Mei finished softly.

"Exactly. When impossible things happen, they tend to happen around him." Selene closed her book deliberately. "If we all received this increase, it's logical to assume it wasn't limited to just us. The entire city might be experiencing the same thing. We need to check if that's happening now and…"

"But we need to get to level 20!" Lila protested, her hands clenching into fists. "Every minute we waste, Zara and Elio are…"

"Are what?" Mei interrupted gently. "Think about it, Lila. Zahyla took Elio alive. She had every opportunity to kill him, but she didn't. She specifically wanted him for some reason."

"That doesn't make it better!"

"No, but it suggests he's still alive," Brok added. "And if this mana increase is coming from him somehow, it means he's not just alive, he's active. Making changes. Affecting the world again."

Lila paced restlessly. "But we can't just wait and…"

"We can't rush in unprepared either," Aria pointed out. "Even with this boost, we're looking at eighty-one levels to climb. That's not something we can do in a day, no matter how desperate we are."

"And getting ourselves killed won't help Elio," Selene added.

Kriz, unusually serious now, stepped closer to Lila. "Remember what happened when we tried to rush levels before? Elio always taught us safety first, that proper preparation is…"

"Don't," Lila's voice cracked. "Don't use his teachings to tell me to abandon him."

"We're not abandoning him," Mei moved to stand beside her. "We're being smart. If this mana increase affected the whole city, we need to know. It could mean the difference between having just our team working to save him or having the entire city's resources behind us, getting potions would be possible too."

Selene nodded. "And if Elio is somehow responsible for this change, it means he's in a position to affect systemic changes. That's not the situation of someone who needs immediate rescue from mortal danger."

Lila looked at each of her companions, seeing the mix of concern and determination in their faces. She knew they were right, rushing ahead recklessly wouldn't serve anyone. But the thought of turning back...

"One day," she finally said. "We check the city, confirm if others got the same increase, but then we come back."

"Agreed," the others chorused.

As they prepared to return to the city, Kriz couldn't help adding, "Besides, if Elio managed to give everyone a power boost while being held captive by a goddess, imagine how annoyed she must be right now."

That, finally, brought a small smile to Lila's face. Because he was right, this had Elio's signature all over it. Whatever situation he was in, he wasn't just surviving, he was finding ways to help them all, even from afar.

They began their journey back to the city, each lost in their own thoughts but united in their growing conviction that this was the right choice.

"Or maybe," Kriz rubbed the back of his head, glaring at Brok, "Elio just wanted to help me make a fool of myself."

"Elio doesn't need to help with that," Brok grinned. "You manage just fine on your own."

♢♢♢♢

The city was alive with excitement.

People gathered in streets and squares, their books floating before them as they compared notes and celebrated their newfound power. For a population that had struggled with an average of 100 mana points or less, this sudden doubling represented more than just numbers, it was hope made tangible.

In the council chamber, the team found Lucien and Ren already deep in discussion about the implications.

As soon as they arrived Ren took the 3 youngest and put them to work.

Nessa was compiling reports from different districts, while Kai and Milo worked on calculations about the city's increased magical capacity.

"The patterns are consistent in the reports," Nessa reported, looking up from her new unexpected work. "Every citizen, regardless of level or status, received exactly 100 additional mana points."

"The timing can't be coincidental," Lucien mused, glancing at the gathered team.

"It's Elio," Lila said firmly. "It has to be."

Ren nodded slowly. "The citizens already attribute the city's spatial expansion to him. They trust his ability to achieve the impossible so…"

"It gives us an opportunity," Kai interjected, looking up from his calculations. "The city's collective mana pool just effectively more than doubled. If we frame this right..."

"We can encourage greater participation in resource gathering," Milo finished, catching on. "People will be more willing to contribute if they believe Elio is actively working to improve things."

"Even though he's not here," Selene added quietly, for their ears only.

"That's exactly why we should do it," Lucien said. "The truth about his absence would only cause panic. But this? This gives people hope, and more importantly, gives them the means to act on that hope."