Utopian System

For a moment, Elio felt the full weight of that temptation. He could return, help them expand through the rings directly, be there to protect them all with a new power and take his time... But the thought of Zara, still trapped in her own body with Nala, pulled at him.

Dionz watched tensely, his usual smile replaced with genuine concern. The god knew how crucial this moment was - how much depended on Elio's choice to continue his path through the portal divine challenges.

But as Elio stared at the passage home, his mind filled not with thoughts of return, but of what lay ahead. The remaining elements to master, the power still to gain, the corruption levels that would let him send even more support back to the city.
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He turned away from the passage, facing the next challenge portal instead.

"No," he said firmly. "I need to continue. Each level I gain gives you all more power to expand and grow stronger. Going back now..."

"Would waste everything we've achieved," Lila finished, understanding in her voice. Even through Gorgita's form, her pride in his decision was evident.

Dionz relaxed visibly, his showman's smile returning. "Besides, you have quite the delivery to make! That sphere will change everything once you get it back safely."

"Just be careful with it," Elio cautioned. "The divine equipment should help contain its power, but crossing the rings with it won't be easy."

"I made it here, didn't I?" Lila's enhanced form shimmered with confidence. "Getting back will be easier now that I'm properly equipped. And the others... they'll be so much stronger once we are able to get more of this safely."

She moved closer to him one last time, Gorgita's nearly weightless form pressing against him in a final embrace.

Dionz coughed politely. "Not to rush the farewell, but I don't know how long Nala will take before maybe get bored and decides she doesn't need to wait until her system analysis is complete..."

Lila finally pulled away, Gorgita's divine-enhanced form moving toward the passage. "Be safe," she said simply.

"You too," Elio watched as she approached the opening. "And tell everyone..."

"They know," she assured him. "They've always known you were fighting for us. Now we just have proof."

With a final look back, Lila guided Gorgita's enhanced form through the passage. The divine equipment gleamed as she crossed the threshold, the sphere securely contained within her strengthened form.

Dionz sealed the passage behind her with a flourish. "Well! That was certainly an interesting interruption to our regular program of element mastery and monster slaying!"

But Elio was already turning toward the next challenge portal, his resolve strengthened rather than weakened by the brief reunion. Seeing Lila, understanding how they'd used his support to begin building something greater - it only confirmed that his path forward lay through these challenges.

"Ready for the next element?" Dionz asked, though his tone suggested he already knew the answer.

"More than ready," Elio replied, studying the portal. Each challenge now meant more than just increasing his own power. Every level gained, every element mastered, would translate directly into support for their expanding territory.

"You know," Dionz mused as they prepared for the next challenge, "most people would have been tempted to return. The pull of home, of loved ones..."

"This isn't about what's easiest," Elio said firmly. "It's about what's necessary. The best way to support that is to keep growing stronger here."

The god's smile held genuine approval. "Indeed! Though I must say, this whole situation is working out rather interestingly. Almost as if... well, never mind that for now. Shall we continue?"

Elio nodded.

♢♢♢♢

The orc new challenges proved fundamentally different from anything Elio had faced before. Where goblins and kobolds had attacked in simple waves, driven by basic instincts and rudimentary tactics, the orcs displayed a level of military organization that transformed each encounter into a true battle against armies.

In Emberg's form, with Poison Stinger and the newly fused Corrupted Sentinel Wolf at his command, Elio found himself facing increasingly sophisticated opposition.

The first wave of orcs emerged not as a chaotic rush, but in disciplined formations, shields interlocked and spears bristling in organized ranks.

Their equipment evolved with each new challenge. Basic leather and iron gave way to enchanted armor, their weapons showing signs of elemental enhancement.

Scout units would probe his defenses while heavy infantry maintained defensive lines, and archers coordinated volleys to force movement in specific directions.

The level of coordination was impressive - each unit understanding its role in the larger strategy.

But they hadn't counted on the explosive potential of his new combination.

The Sentinel Wolf's enhanced senses detected weak points in their formations, where the coordination between units left momentary gaps. Each discovered vulnerability became a target for precisely triggered chemical reactions.

When a particularly large formation tried to encircle them, Elio coordinated his response carefully. Poison Stinger created boron barriers to funnel their movement while Emberg's flames herded them into optimal position. Then the wolf struck, its attack triggering a chain of explosions that shattered their carefully maintained ranks.

Yet the orcs adapted quickly. The next wave arrived with mages providing magical shields against the explosions. Their formations now separated into units specifically designed to counter area-of-effect attacks. Each challenge forced Elio to evolve his own tactics.

"They're learning," he noted as a new army emerged. Their formations had evolved to maintain greater spacing, making chain reactions less effective.

Each explosion now had to be perfectly placed.

The battles became increasingly complex. Orc war machines appeared - massive siege engines enhanced with elemental power. Their armies developed specialized units: shock troops with enchanted armor, stealth teams using magical concealment, battle mages coordinating elemental attacks of their own.

What started as simple military formations evolved into sophisticated combined arms operations. Each new challenge presented armies that built upon the lessons of their predecessors, forcing Elio to constantly refine his approach.

But the wolf's sensory capabilities combined with chemical mastery proved consistently devastating.

"The tighter their formation, the more vulnerable they are to chain reactions."