Utopian System

Elio flexed his hand, watching the enhanced mana flow through it. "It's strange. I should probably be more worried about these changes to my mind, but..."

"But you feel more like yourself, not less," Dionz completed. "That's the paradox of Divine Corruption, it doesn't corrupt by taking away who you are. It corrupts by making you more intensely yourself… But be careful, that's a sweet trap, a powerful one."

"Is that why it can be dangerous? Because it makes you so sure of your own path?"

"Exactly. The challenge is maintaining your connection to others while your sense of self grows stronger."

Elio glanced at the nine spheres waiting to be shared. Perhaps that was the point, strengthening individuals while maintaining their bonds to each other. A true utopia wouldn't come from dissolving individuality as Nala believed, but from helping each person become more fully themselves while staying connected to the whole.

Dionz picked up the larger sphere, which pulsed with a different energy than the iridescent one they'd exchanged. "This is an invocation core. I knew that by this point, the cost scaling for high-level invocations would be... prohibitive. This can unlock any of the final hundred most expensive ones for your team of ten."

Elio turned the major sphere in his hands, considering. With his current situation, rushing to unlock a new invocation might not be the best move. Better to save it for when he progressed further in the book, when he'd have a better understanding of what higher-level summon would be most beneficial.

"I'll wait a bit more."

"Smart choice," Dionz nodded, seeing Elio's decision. "The core isn't going anywhere. Better to make an informed decision later than rush into something now."

Looking at his updated stats, Elio could feel the difference. The mana increase made his connection to Emberg and Poison Stinger stronger, their forms slightly more substantial. The extra magical damage would give their attacks more impact.

Emberg demonstrated the enhanced power by creating a more complex flame pattern than before, while Poison Stinger's boron carapace seemed to shimmer with increased energy.

"Just remember what we discussed about maintaining your individuality."

Elio nodded, already moving toward the portal. The power increase wasn't massive, but it was significant enough to potentially change the dynamic of their next attempt.

"The increased mana and magical damage will make your invocations more effective, but don't underestimate the importance of that single point of perception. At your level, even small increases in perception can make a significant difference in combat."

Poison Stinger was already at the portal, its battle stance showing it was ready for another attempt. Continue your journey on My Virtual Library Empire

Looking back at the nine minor spheres, Elio couldn't help but think of his companions. Zara, Lila, Mei, and the others, they should be here, sharing this burden. But for now, he'd have to manage alone.

At least with these improvements, they stood a better chance against the second goblin.

"Remember," Dionz said as Elio changed bodies with Emberg and prepared to enter the portal, "these changes affect your entire being. Your invocations are extensions of your power, so they'll be affected too."

With a final nod, Elio stepped toward the portal, his enhanced form ready to face the challenge anew. The power flowing through him felt different, not just stronger, but somehow more... aware. Whether that was the Divine Corruption skill beginning to manifest or simply his imagination, he'd soon find out.

♢♢♢♢

The memory unfolded with crystal clarity. Nala stood in Zara's exact form, debating with Dionz about the barrier rules.

The white city was still forming around them.

"The barrier will need to be fed daily," Nala stated, her tone matter-of-fact. Her eyes had that same calculating look they would carry millennia later.

Dionz, looking far less composed than his current self, crossed his arms. "Fine, then the monsters must disintegrate upon touching it."

"Then each ring requires a population limit," Nala countered smoothly. "Starting with 1024 million for the tenth ring, divided by two for each ring closer to the first."

"If that's how you want to play it," Dionz's eyes narrowed, "then your ugly soldiers will become progressively weaker as they advance toward this city."

"In that case..." Nala's response was immediate, each rule she proposed perfectly calibrated to counter his restrictions while advancing her own agenda.

The memory showed them continuing this back-and-forth, each rule spawning a counter-rule of similar impact. But something was becoming increasingly clear, this wasn't so much a negotiation as it was a carefully orchestrated trap.

Finally, Dionz grabbed his face in frustration and shouted, "You tricked me!"

Current-Nala, watching through the memory, found herself amused. She couldn't remember this exchange, it had likely been stored away to keep their mental states somewhat equivalent during the challenge. But watching her father's realization that he'd been intellectually outmaneuvered by his daughter was... entertaining.

The memory continued to unfold. Around them, the city's architecture took shape, each building materializing according to their established rules. The white walls rose, the barriers came into existence, and the rings were defined one by one.

Then came the moment of creating the first humans.

In the memory, Nala recognized faces that would become significant in future iterations.

Young Fath, barely more than a child, already showing the pride that would define his lineage. And there, more surprisingly, was someone who bore a striking resemblance to Elio, not through Farbe's line, but perhaps his mother's? The facial features were unmistakable, carrying that same determined look she'd come to know.

Days flowed by in the memory, but Nala noticed something odd, she wasn't leaving for her city or the chamber where the first challenge would begin. Instead, she remained among the humans, observing, interacting...

Teaching.

Her lessons, however, were peculiar.

Under the guise of helpful wisdom, she would plant seeds of doubt about human nature. To a group of students learning about resource distribution for those non having books, she'd smile kindly and say, "It's natural to want more for yourself. That's what makes sharing so difficult, isn't it? You must acknowledge your selfish nature to overcome it."

The words seemed encouraging, but they left a lingering awareness of inherent greed.