Chapter 40: System's Onslaught

Elio, knocked down by Marcus's armored tackle, felt the air escape from his lungs. The impact against the ground momentarily blurred his vision, but the adrenaline rushing through his veins kept him alert. He knew he couldn't afford even a second of weakness.

With a grunt of effort, Elio activated his magnetism control. Concentrating on the lance he had previously thrown at Henchman 4, he extended his hand in that direction. The weapon, still embedded in the henchman's armor, began to vibrate.

Marcus, still on top of Elio, raised his fist to strike. "It's over, Elian!"

But before he could deliver the blow, Elio's lance shot out of Henchman 4's armor, flying directly towards them. Marcus, focused on hitting Elio, received a blow to the back of his head and momentarily passed out. Marcus, 20 points.

Elio seized that moment to leap to his feet, retrieving the lance. Now, with a weapon in each hand, he prepared to face his attackers.

"It won't be that easy," Elio said, his breathing heavy but his determination unshakeable.

The henchmen, momentarily surprised by Elio's recovery, quickly regrouped. Henchman 1 and 2 launched into attack simultaneously, while Henchman 3 and 4 kept their distance, looking for an opening.

Elio, taking advantage of his increased strength and the versatility of having two weapons, blocked Henchman 1's attack with his left lance while spinning to dodge Henchman 2's. In a fluid motion, he used the right lance to strike Henchman 2's face, his resistance dropping to 22 points.

Without losing momentum, Elio spun on his heel, using both lances to create a defensive arc that kept his attackers at bay for a moment.

Marcus, regaining consciousness, picked up his lance from the ground. "Don't let him use his tricks!" he shouted to his henchmen. "Attack all at once, you idiots!"

Just as it seemed all 5 would launch an attack, a familiar and terrifying sound traveled through the air: the invasion alarms.

One after another, the alarms began to sound, their urgent howl resonating throughout the city. Elio felt his blood run cold.

"Marcus, we have to go to the wall!" Elio shouted. "Not showing up to defend is treason!"

But Marcus, blinded by his thirst for revenge, wouldn't listen to reason. "You're not going anywhere until I'm done with you! Attack now!"

All five lunged at Elio in a coordinated wave. Elio, knowing he couldn't block all the attacks, opted for a risky strategy. He threw one of his lances directly at Marcus's face, using magnetism to guide it with precision.

Marcus, confident in his ability, managed to deflect the lance at the last second, but the movement left him momentarily off-balance. Elio seized this opportunity to quickly approach and, with his remaining lance, deliver a quick blow to Marcus's chin. Marcus's resistance dropped to 15 points.

Henchman 1, seeing Elio focused on Marcus, activated his own magnetism control. The lance Elio had thrown began to vibrate and fly back, this time aimed at Elio's back.

Elio, seeing the imminent danger out of the corner of his eye, ducked at the last second. The lance touched his hair. Without wasting time, Elio raised his hand and grabbed it, now armed again with two lances.

Henchman 3 and 4, working as a team, attacked from opposite sides. Elio blocked Henchman 3's attack with one lance, while using the other to deflect Henchman 4's blow. The clash of metal against metal resonated in the air, sparks flying from the impact.

Marcus, face bleeding but recovered from the previous blow, launched a series of quick thrusts towards Elio's face. Elio was forced to retreat, blocking and dodging as best he could. His mind was working at full speed, looking for a way out.

With a sudden movement, Elio managed to create a small opening. Seizing the moment, he threw the lance at Henchman 3's face.

Henchman 3, surprised by the unexpected attack, couldn't dodge completely. The lance grazed his cheek, the mana weapon making the superficial wound burn. Henchman 3, 25 points.

But the attack left Elio vulnerable for a second. Henchman 1 took advantage of the opportunity to connect a blow to Elio's side with his lance. Elio felt the air escape from his lungs, his resistance falling to 21 points.

Gasping, Elio realized his mana was dangerously low. He only had 15 points left; at this rate, soon he wouldn't be able to fight anymore. He needed to end this quickly.

Using magnetic magic control, he made the lances spin around him, creating a momentary defensive barrier.

Marcus and his henchmen, who hadn't practiced magical magnetism too much, couldn't fully understand what was happening and hesitated for a second. That moment of hesitation was all Elio needed.

With a movement of his hands, Elio directed the spinning lances towards his attackers. The weapons, propelled by magnetism, flew with lethal precision.

Henchman 2, who was closer, received the direct impact of one of the lances to the face. The blow was forceful, making his head snap back. His resistance fell to 17 points.

Marcus, reacting on instinct, managed to deflect the other lance with his own weapon, but the impact made him step back several paces. The force of the clash reverberated through his arm, causing his grip on the lance to loosen momentarily.

Elio, taking advantage of the confusion, lunged forward and created a thin layer of ice on the ground in front of Henchman 4. The henchman, not noticing the danger, stepped forward and slipped, losing his balance.

Elio, in a fluid motion, picked up one of the lances from the ground and used it to strike Henchman 4's face as he fell. The impact was accurate, and Henchman 4's resistance dropped to 25 points.

But all the effort was exhausting Elio. His mana was at 8 points, and his body was shaking from the exertion.

Marcus, recovered from the initial surprise, saw the opportunity. With a cry of rage, he lunged at Elio, his lance aimed directly at his face.

Elio, without the strength to dodge completely, managed to move enough so that the blow didn't enter through his eye and become critical. The tip of Marcus's lance grazed his cheek, leaving a superficial cut, but the mana weapon applied its full damage, the damage system being omnipresent. Elio's resistance dropped to 16 points.

Staggering and gasping, Elio tried to raise his lance to defend himself, but his arms felt like lead as he wasn't getting enough oxygen in this barely breathable atmosphere. Marcus, seeing his rival's weakness, smiled maliciously.

"It's over, Elian," Marcus growled, preparing for a strong blow.

Marcus's henchmen, recovered from the previous attacks, approached to surround Elio. The situation seemed desperate.

Elio, breathing heavily, looked at his opponents. Despite the pain and exhaustion, a spark of determination still shone in his eyes.

"Not yet," Elio murmured, more to himself than to his attackers.

With a final effort, Elio concentrated his remaining mana. Just as Marcus was preparing to deliver a blow, Elio extended his hand. A small spark of fire appeared in his palm, weak but bright.

The sudden appearance of the flame surprised Marcus, making him hesitate for a second. That moment of hesitation was all Elio needed.

With a desperate move, Elio threw the small flame towards Marcus's face. The sudden flash of light made Marcus blink instinctively.

Elio took advantage of that instant to move to one side, narrowly dodging Marcus's attack. He stretched out his hands and again made his lances spin, Henchman 3 and 4 receiving blows to the face leaving them with 20 points. Elio had only 3 mana points left, he attracted one of his lances from Marcus's back.

If he could reduce Marcus a bit more, he could use him as a hostage to negotiate his escape.

Unfortunately, Henchman 1 knocked Elio's lance down in flight with his own.

That was Elio's last act of defiance. Exhausted and disarmed, he could do nothing when Henchman 1 and 2 firmly grabbed him by the arms. His resistance was still at 16, but he only had 1 mana point left.

Marcus, recovered from the surprise, let out a derisive laugh. "Nice try, Elian. But it's over."

Marcus approached Elio. Without a word, he began to punch Elio's face with his nickel-covered fist, savoring each impact. Each blow resonated with a dull thud, and Elio felt his consciousness beginning to fade. His resistance fell to 13, 10, 7...

Just when it seemed Elio was about to lose consciousness, a deafening roar filled the air. Before anyone could react, an enormous mass fell from the sky, landing with a crash.

It was a Locus, its exoskeleton shining under the sun, its compound eyes fixed on the group of humans in front of it.

Panic seized the attackers. The two holding Elio immediately released him, backing away in terror. Marcus was paralyzed, his fist still raised in the air.

Elio, barely conscious, looked at the monster with a mixture of fear and resignation. His body was at its limit, his mind clouded by pain and exhaustion. As the Locus prepared to attack, Elio could only think of his mother and the promise he had made to her.

The Locus attacked.