Utopian System

\'This is different,\' he thought as his weapon cut through the air.

His new perception didn\'t just let him see better; it granted him an almost instinctive understanding of space and movement. Each of the Locus\'s actions projected its next move like a shadow in his mind.

The spear, its surface gleaming with the characteristic dark tone of the alloy, descended toward its target with surgical precision.

The observers held their breath, aware they were witnessing something extraordinary. This wasn\'t the same Elio from just days ago. This was someone else, someone that was beginning to brush against the limits of what they believed possible.

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For an instant, a crimson flash illuminated Elio\'s eyes. It was barely a blink, a moment of absolute clarity where everything seemed to slow down even more. His concentration reached a peak he had never experienced, as if something inside him was responding to his focus.

His muscles also responded in a strange, different way, as if the mysterious "A" in his statistics was awakening to the intensity of the moment.

The spear, charged with his 60 points of magical damage, found its mark.

The impact overcame the Locus\'s defense, but...

"Too small," Elio murmured, noting how the edge, although powerful, was insufficient to completely section the creature\'s massive neck.

"Watch out!" Lila shouted when the Locus rose, ripping the iron stake from its body with a violent movement.

But Elio had already landed several meters behind the monster.

Right after landing, he turned to perform his next test.

His hands moved in a complex pattern while iron responded to his will, the stake transforming and expanding into a massive blade. Advanced magnetism flowed through the metal, guiding the weapon with lethal precision.

Elio: 90 mana

The cost was considerable, but the result was immediate. The blade cut through the air like a dark lightning bolt, finding its target with devastating precision. The Locus\'s head finally separated from its body, falling heavily to the ground with a thud that resonated throughout the chamber.

"Did he do it?" Kriz stepped forward, but Mei stopped him with a sharp gesture.

Elio maintained his position, his senses alert.

His three attacks had consumed 180 points of the monster\'s resistance, barely a fraction of its 1000 total, but without a head...

The decapitated body swayed for a moment and then, in a movement that froze the observers\' blood, launched forward with blind fury.

"Impossible!" exclaimed Brok, his muscles tensing instinctively.

The Locus\'s resistance continued dropping, but after a few seconds it stopped.

Lvl 10 Locus: 640/1000

But Elio didn\'t retreat.

His eyes, still glowing with that strange reddish gleam, studied every movement of the headless monster. Even in this state, his new perception allowed him to anticipate its actions, as if he could read the will that still animated that decapitated body.

\'Interesting,\' he thought while preparing his next move. \'Seems I\'ll need more than decapitation to stop these abominations.\'

The headless Locus charged toward him with uncontrolled violence, its speed increasing without the weight of its head.

The battle, apparently, was far from over.

♢♢♢♢

The bright particles that marked the disintegration of the Locus\'s head still floated in the air when the body continued its blind charge.

Elio, with his enhanced perception, barely needed a fraction of a second to dodge.

A lateral impulse was enough.

Elio: 89 mana

The movement was so fluid it almost seemed casual, as if the monster\'s attack had been telegraphed minutes in advance.

CRASH

The impact against the chamber wall resonated with a crack that made everyone present involuntarily wince.

"Ouch," Kriz murmured, "that must hurt... well, if it could still feel pain without its head."

Elio remained motionless, observing with scientific interest while the Locus staggered, disoriented. His eyes, still with that subtle reddish glow, processed every detail of the phenomenon before him.

\'Interesting,\' he reflected, his analytical mind working at full speed. \'The initial damage was 180 points, but...\' His eyes narrowed while observing the numbers on the crystal in the ceiling. \'It doubled to 360. A critical hit that took a few seconds to register.\'

The headless Locus began moving erratically, like a puppet with tangled strings.

Without vision, its movements had become purely instinctive.

"Isn\'t Elio going to...?" Mei began, but stopped upon seeing Elio\'s concentrated expression.

"Now let\'s see what you do," Elio murmured, his fingers moving subtly while regaining control over the massive iron blade floating nearby. "There\'s something I need to confirm."

Advanced magnetism flowed through the metal like invisible currents. With a precise movement, Elio directed the blade toward the Locus\'s center.

Elio: 87 mana

The cut was clean, precise. The blade went through the monster\'s body at waist height, separating it into two halves.

"What is he doi...?" Brok started, but Mei silenced him with a gesture.

Everyone could see this wasn\'t just combat; it was an experiment.

Elio studied each reaction with the meticulousness of a researcher, his eyes fixed on the monster\'s two halves.

\'Which will disappear first?\' he wondered, his mind cataloging every detail of the phenomenon. \'The torso with its arms or the abdomen with its legs? The answer could reveal something about these beings\' true nature.\'

The silence in the chamber was absolute while they waited for the result of this macabre test.

Even Kriz, normally unable to keep his mouth shut, watched with morbid fascination...

The Locus\'s legs and abdomen disintegrated into a shower of bright particles, the damage registering as another 360 points.

Lvl 10 Locus: 280/1000

But what remained of the monster was far from surrendering.

The torso, using its four arms as legs, rose in an image that made more than one observer retch. The fluids dripping from the open wounds left a viscous trail that disappeared as the creature moved unnaturally, like a grotesquely mutilated spider.

"For all the..." Kriz covered his mouth. "That is..."

"Fascinating," Elio murmured, though his eyes reflected a mixture of scientific interest and revulsion. The scene was grotesque, but every detail provided valuable information about their enemies.