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, focusing on the spear he'd thrown at Henchman 4. The weapon, still embedded in the henchman's armor, began to vibrate.

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

But before he could deliver the blow, Elio's spear wrenched free from Henchman 4's armor, flying directly towards them. Marcus, focused on Elio, received a blow to the back of his head, momentarily going limp. Marcus, 20 points.

Elio seized the moment, leaping to his feet and retrieving the spear. Now dual-wielding, he faced his attackers.

"It won't be that easy," Elio said, breathing heavily but unwavering.

The henchmen, momentarily surprised by Elio's recovery, quickly regrouped. Henchmen 1 and 2 attacked simultaneously, while 3 and 4 hung back, seeking an opening.

Elio, leveraging his enhanced strength and dual weapons, blocked Henchman 1's attack with his left spear while spinning to dodge Henchman 2's. In a fluid motion, he used the right lance to strike Henchman 2's face, resistance dropping to 22 points.

Without losing momentum, Elio spun, using both spears to create a defensive arc that momentarily kept his attackers at bay.

Marcus, regaining consciousness, snatched up his spear 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 spears directly at Marcus's face, using magnetism to guide it with precision.

Marcus, overconfident, deflected the spear at the last second, but the movement left him off-balance. Elio seized this opportunity, closing the distance and delivering a swift blow to Marcus's chin with his remaining spear. Marcus's resistance dropped to 15 points.

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

Elio, spotting the danger in his peripheral vision, ducked at the last second. The spear grazed his hair. Without hesitation, Elio snatched it from the air, once again armed with two spears.

Henchmen 3 and 4, working in tandem, attacked from opposite sides. Elio blocked Henchman 3's attack with one spear while deflecting Henchman 4's blow with the other. The clash of metal against metal rang out, 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 created a small opening. Seizing the moment, he hurled his spear at Henchman 3's face.

Caught off guard, Henchman 3 couldn't dodge completely. The spear 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 capitalized, landing a blow to Elio's side with his spear. Elio felt the air escape from his lungs, his resistance falling to 21 points.

Gasping, Elio realized his mana was low. With only 15 points left, he knew he couldn't keep fighting much longer. 

He needed to end this quickly.

Using magnetic magic control, he made the spears 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 spear, but the impact forced him back several paces. The force of the clash reverberated through his arm, loosening his grip 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.

In one fluid motion, Elio scooped up a fallen spear and struck 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 spear 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 spear 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 spear in defense, 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, moved to surround Elio. The situation looked dire.

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 flame caught Marcus off guard, making him hesitate. That split second was all Elio needed.

In a desperate move, Elio flung the small flame at Marcus's face. The flash of light made Marcus blink instinctively.

Elio used that instant to sidestep, narrowly avoiding Marcus's attack. He stretched out his hands, once again making his spears spin. Henchman 3 and 4 took blows to the face leaving them with 20 points each. Elio, down to his last 3 mana points, attempted to summon one of his spears from behind Marcus.

If he could weaken Marcus just a bit more, he might be able to use him as a hostage to negotiate his escape.

Unfortunately, Henchman 1 knocked Elio's spear out of the air 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. Elio fell to the floor, Marcus was paralyzed, his fist still raised in the air.

Elio, barely conscious, looked at the monster with both 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.