Utopian System

Chapter 379 System's Spoils of War

"It's time to return," Elio announced after the echoes faded.

"Our families wait, and we have to honor our companions as they deserve."

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As they were advancing in their journey back to the city, the first glimpse of the walls stopped them in their tracks.

The familiar white stone had undergone a transformation, new patterns of blue light coursing through its surface like glowing veins.

The group halted halfway as they spotted the column of soldiers approaching from the city. Lucien and Diana marched at the head, with Ren organizing the formations behind them.

The two hundred men and women advanced with determination, their system armor gleaming under the setting sun.

When both groups met, Diana spoke first, her face tense with concern. "How many artromus did you kill?"

"Seven eliminated," Elio responded, exchanging a look with Selene. "One managed to escape."

The color drained from Diana's face. "No... no, no, no. This is bad."

"What's wrong?" asked Selene, stepping forward.

"The god explained it to me," Diana took a deep breath before continuing. "The gods have a balance system. If we manage to conquer a deposit or ring, artromus who meet the requirements have the right to return, wake their queen, and she in turn has the right to awaken one hundred sleeping warriors to counter our advance."

"Sleeping warriors?" Lucien frowned. "Like the ones we just faced?"

Diana nodded. "And now that one escaped, he'll wake the queen. The god said they'll take approximately ten days to complete the process and bring the warriors, those 10 days are his... 'gift' for us to prepare by feeding the new barrier in time."

"Will the barrier stop them?" Ren's question was direct, practical.

"Only if we keep all four deposits fed," Diana responded. "If any deactivates..."

"We can not allow that to happen," Lucien interrupted, his voice charged with authority. He turned to Ren. "Did you bring the potions?"

Ren nodded, patting his bag. "Three metamorphosis flasks, all the city could afford, as ordered."

"Good." Lucien observed the gathered soldiers. "We need to secure the deposits immediately. Four million mana points, divided between the four cardinal points."

"And if the god's information is incorrect?" asked Selene. "If they appear sooner?"

"That's why we have the potions," Lucien responded. He turned to the battle-weary soldiers. "You return to the city. You've fought enough for today."

Elio stepped forward. "I should go with you."

"No," Lucien put a hand on his shoulder. "You need rest. Besides," his eyes turned to the bodies they carried. "There are honors that must be rendered."

Ren's group organized quickly, dividing into four columns. The soldiers marched with renewed determination, aware of their mission's importance.

Diana stayed behind and Ren gave the city's mana to Elio.

"Ten days," Diana murmured as they watched the groups depart. "May the walls protect us if that's not the truth."

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Before the group advanced, Elio approached Diana. "Thank you," he said simply. "Without you, without the core reaching the city..." He let silence complete the thought.

"It wasn't me," Diana shook her head, her voice soft. "The soldiers who escorted me... many didn't..." Her eyes drifted to the horizon. "The artromus eliminated them when they strived to stop it and give us time. They are the true heroes."

"And we'll honor them alongside the others," Elio affirmed firmly.

As the group passed through one of the new gates, the changes in the city became evident.

At each cardinal point rose enormous gates of pure energy, and the city itself seemed to have expanded, though in ways that defied logic. Find your next read on empire

The houses that aligned in perfect symmetry now showed subtle but significant variations. They were more spacious and had architectural details that would have been unthinkable before.

"The additional lines," Elio murmured, observing how new rows of housing interwove with the old. "But they're not enough."

"For two million?" Selene shook her head. "Not even close."

"The god is pushing us," Diana reflected, remembering her conversation with the deity. "He gives us a glimpse of what we can have, but..."

"But we must take it ourselves," Elio completed, his gaze fixing outside the massive gates. "The gates are a clear message: it's time to expand beyond the walls."

"Jumping the wall consumes mana," Mei added, understanding. "With these gates, exploration and expansion will be more efficient."

Elio weighed the nine transparent cores in his hand. "It's time to see what else this victory has granted us," he declared. "The people need something to celebrate, especially the families of the fallen."

He turned toward the central building, its silhouette now more imposing than ever. The statue waited, and with it, the answers they needed to move forward.

"Let's go," he said, his voice firm. "Let's see what options we have to defend ourselves now and honor the sacrifices."

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The first transparent core glowed with an ethereal light as Elio inserted it into the statue's base.

The interface materialized before him, revealing five options to choose from.

"A god's sword," Selene murmured, her eyes scanning the descriptions. "And look at this: a combination potion, a summoning core, a helmet and divine cape."

Elio selected the sword first, more out of curiosity than final decision. The weapon materialized in his hands, its appearance deceptively simple compared to his four-elemental sword.

"Only a hundred damage points?" The disappointment in his voice was palpable.

Diana approached, studying the weapon with a critical eye. "Try combining it with your current sword."

When Elio wielded both weapons, he felt the immediate resonance. The blades seemed to vibrate in harmony, as if they had been forged to complement each other.

The option to combine appeared in his book. At first, he felt reluctant about possibly losing the metal coating that held the enormous damage he'd achieved at his magic maximum, but finally Elio accepted and saw the statistics:

Unique (4)Elemental Sword / Attack 100 (7580/7680) + God Weapon 100 (10) / ((Attack 100) (Magic Damage 100)) =

God Elemental Weapon 200 (10) / ((Attack 200) (Magic Damage 100))(7780/7780)

Fortunately he didn't lose it, it even recovered and... Observing the options and remembering the goddess's weapons, he understood.

"It's like the system armor," he reflected aloud. "Or the goddess's weapons. Their true power depends on the level of who wields them."

"Nine cores," Elio frowned, making mental calculations. "We could equip nine warriors with divine swords, form an elite squad to..."

"Or," Selene interrupted, her voice charged with determination, "we could ensure that our leader who demonstrated the greatest capability has all possible advantages."

"But..."

"Imagine a leader with five different divine powers," Selene countered. "The artromus we faced today were just the beginning. The queen will bring a hundred more, and we'll need every possible advantage."

Elio nodded slowly, thinking it wouldn't be a bad idea to know what the other options were about. "Let's see the potion then."