Utopian System

The external wall patrol maintained its usual routine.

Every hour, the swifts transported their reports confirming everything remained in order.

Over 2,500 soldiers strategically distributed along the extensive wall of six hundred meters in height and 500 km in perimeter, their eyes always alert for any sign of movement.

Today was the day, the 11th day...

The first message reached Lucien through a swift from the northern sector: artromus sighted on the other side of the barrier.

The reaction was immediate.

Alarms began to sound while Lucien dispatched messengers to alert Elio and the other leaders.

♢♢♢♢

Meanwhile...

The 2,500 soldiers on the second wall reinforced their positions, preparing for any eventuality.

The contingency plan activated.

Soldiers began forming into tactical groups of ten with their predetermined companions.

With 10 soldiers ready it was much harder for an artromus to eliminate them; at least they could defend themselves until reinforcements arrived.

These groups in turn were designed to quickly combine into larger units of a hundred warriors if the situation required it.

Mana management had become a nightmare for Ren in the last year and much more in the last 10 days.

Being level 10 wasn't enough against a transformed artromus, and having financed the system's armor for more than 3,000 warriors had already been difficult, the vast majority only had summons up to level 8 at most.

Only the leaders of the large squads had level 9 summons, so these groups needed to support each other to survive.

♢♢♢♢

Elio had already been notified and they were preparing to go support...

But before reinforcements could even fully organize, a second swift arrived with graver news.

"Artromus in range!" The message was urgent. "Three soldiers dragged outside the barrier!"

An artromus had entered the first ring.

Three soldiers from the wall patrol had been dragged outside the barrier.

Along with Elio and the now 25 of the main team, another 1,000 warriors mobilized toward battle, each squadron, also of ten soldiers minimum, maintaining precise formation as they advanced.

The city they had strengthened so much responded like a living organism to the threat.

♢♢♢♢

Hours earlier...

"It's time to move," announced Zahyla, her eyes scanning the hundred transformed warriors before her.

The artromus rose in formation, their wings deployed, each in perfect synchronization with their 3 third-magnitude elements. Power flowed without restrictions through their transformed bodies, a sensation they would soon miss.

During the flight through the tenth ring, they passed over one of the deposits that protected part of their power's source.

The summons born by millions recognized their masters, a sign of the connection they maintained with their territory.

4 different types of third-magnitude monsters, all level 10, intermingled trying to blindly cross a barrier that eliminated them on contact.

"The tenth ring is the most extensive," commented Zalvek as they flew. "It will be pleasant to fly over it but at this speed I'll soon miss it."

"Always so dramatic," Zahyla responded with an enigmatic smile. "Soon we'll finish this to be able to return to being bored for another almost 900 years..."

After a while...

The artromus army crossed the threshold of the tenth ring toward the ninth.

The first wave of weakness hit them like an unpleasant breeze, a 10% decrease in their power that provoked murmurs of discomfort among the ranks.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Complaining so soon?" Zahyla floated at the front, apparently unperturbed. "I thought you were proud artromus warriors..."

But it was only the beginning.

Crossing to the eighth ring, the loss of 20% of their power felt like a weight on their bodies. The warriors flexed their claws, disconcerted by the sensation of rigidity that began to manifest.

Their wings required more effort to maintain high-speed flight.

Third-magnitude elements began becoming elusive.

The seventh ring added a 30% loss of total power.

High flight speeds required concentration that was previously unnecessary. Some warriors tried to maintain their speed, only to discover the effort was exhausting.

Third-magnitude elements were lost, impossible to use here.

"Maintain composure," ordered Zalvek, though he himself felt his control vanishing. "The discomfort is only temporary."

In the sixth ring, at 60% of their original power, the first audible complaints emerged. It was no longer just discomfort; it was as if a fundamental part of their being was being suppressed.

Second-magnitude elements began feeling uncomfortable to use, the most basic second-magnitude magical enhancements requiring conscious effort to maintain.

Then the fifth ring left them at 50% already...

Half their power, vanished like mist under the sun. The warriors maintained a façade of control, but felt the unsettling sensation of vulnerability.

Their bodies felt clumsy and limited.

In the fourth ring, with only 40% of their power, frustration began to manifest.

Second-magnitude elements were lost.

The weight of their weakness was now a constant presence, impossible to ignore.

The third ring was like sinking into quicksand.

With only 30% of their power, movements that were once instinctive required conscious effort. Wings felt heavy, claws less sharp, senses dulled.

"It's... degrading," murmured a warrior, his voice barely a whisper.

The time they had spent in the tenth ring, in the city, only made the contrast more pronounced. Their bodies remembered the fullness of their power, making this forced weakness even more unbearable.

"How can those parasites live in an even more degrading environment, are they so accustomed to crawling like worms?" wondered another warrior, his wings trembling with the effort of maintaining Zahyla's speed.

Zahyla observed her army's reactions with amusement and understanding.

"It's interesting, isn't it?" she commented, her own form apparently little affected by the restrictions. "How our power depends on a specific location."

Zalvek, struggling to maintain his composure, couldn't help but notice how their new leader seemed to adapt with unsettling ease to each new level of restriction.

Before crossing to the second ring, Zahyla stopped, making the army congregate around her.

Some looked at the next dividing barrier with fear.

"Only twenty percent," murmured a warrior. "How are we supposed to fight like this?"

"Listen carefully," her voice maintained that characteristic casualness, but there was an edge of authority to it.

"From here stay very close together, no one separates. Humans will be weaker in the first ring, yes, but don't get overconfident... only Zalvek can cross the last barrier to the first ring, it's not our territory anymore, we need more warriors with that right to cross, that will be our real challenge."