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Elio looked at Wide Guard and an idea began to form in his mind. The familiar's presence seemed to amplify his thoughts, as if urging him to think outside the box.

"The heat approach isn't working," he muttered. "Fathoran always talked about training control, and the Creator suggests it in his writings too. There must be something more."

His control over carbon through his invocation was his most recent ability. Perhaps he had been focusing too much on heat and not enough on the pure power of the element.

Mana: 9.5

Elio began to form a carbon ball, but this time without igniting it. He concentrated intensely, injecting a bit of extra mana into the attack. To his surprise, the ball didn't grow in size as it normally would with more mana. Instead, it seemed to become denser, more... powerful.

"This is new," Elio thought, a spark of hope igniting in his chest.

With a cry of effort, he launched his new attack against the barrier. The carbon ball flew through the air, its trajectory perfect and its speed impressive. It impacted the ice with tremendous force, the sound of the collision reverberating throughout the tunnel.

For a moment, Elio held his breath, expecting to see the barrier crumble. But when the dust settled, his heart sank. The ice mass was still standing, albeit with some cracks and a new impact mark.

However, something strange began to happen. Where the carbon ball had struck, the ice seemed to be reacting in a way Elio hadn't seen before. Small bubbles formed and burst, releasing gas.

What Elio didn't know was that the interaction between his carbon and the elements of the barrier had generated cyanide. The barrier, designed to react specifically to the attacker's elements, was showing properties that wouldn't manifest if his magic clashed with another summoner's attacks.

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Fortunately, the oxygen stone Elio kept in his mouth protected him from inhaling the toxic gases.

Unknowingly, he had avoided tasting the effects of the dangerous gas.

Defeated by the apparent failure of his new approach, Elio let out a sigh of frustration.

Mana: 8

With his mana dangerously low and having made no significant progress, Elio found himself at a crossroad. Part of him wanted to continue experimenting with the unignited carbon, intrigued by the unusual reaction it had provoked.

But another part, the pragmatic part that reminded him his life was at stake, urged him to return to what he knew worked, even if minimally.

After a moment of doubt, Elio decided to play it safe. "One more," he told himself, preparing to launch another ignited carbon ball.

Mana: 7

As he formed the attack, he couldn't help but reflect on his situation. He had come so far, overcome so many obstacles, and now found himself here, on the brink of failure, stopped by an apparently infinite ice barrier.

"No," he told himself firmly. "I didn't enter this challenge to doubt. There has to be a way."

With a cry of determination, Elio launched his ignited carbon ball against the barrier. The attack flew through the air, leaving a trail of sparks in its wake. It impacted the ice with an explosion of steam and heat.

♢♢♢♢

Elio stared at the ice barrier, his heart sinking in his chest. He had advanced far, yes, but not far enough. The barrier was still there, imposing, defiant, seemingly endless. His last attack had barely advanced a meter, like all the previous ones.

"I can't give up," he muttered to himself.

But the harsh reality of his situation couldn't be ignored. With only one mana point left, his options had been reduced to practically zero. The barrier remained the same, a transparent part extending until light could reveal no more beyond its body, the remaining ice silently mocking his efforts.

Elio: 49.99 Resistance / 175.07 Armor Resistance

Mana: 1

As he hesitated about his next move, Elio noticed with growing alarm that the white crystals were beginning to form again around him. The intense cold was returning, and with it, the danger of another explosion.

"No, no, no," he muttered, anxiety growing in his chest. "I can't let that happen again."

Another explosion would only reduce his resistance faster and it would be impossible to knock down even the visible part of the ice with his last attack… Let alone the non visible part of unknown length.

Staying and fighting was no longer a viable option.

With so little mana and his resistance rapidly decreasing, another explosion could be fatal.

It was then that a cowardly idea formed in his mind. It wasn't an idea he liked, but at that moment, it seemed to be his only option.

'A tactical retreat', he told himself, trying to convince himself he wasn't fleeing. 'If I can get to where the cold doesn't exceed the regeneration of my armor, I can recover my mana and come back later'.

It wasn't an easy decision.

His ego screamed at him that he should push forward, that retreating was admitting defeat.

But the voice of reason, that voice that sounded suspiciously like Lucien's, reminded him that sometimes, living to fight another day was the bravest decision.

Without allowing himself more doubts or losing more resistance, Elio turned around and began running back towards the beginning of the tunnel. Wide Guard, sensing its master's urgency, followed closely.

The cold was intense, biting his skin even through the armor.

The pain was constant, the armor kept regenerating the damage, but the sensation was far from pleasant.

Resistance: 170/500... 140/500... 110/500...

The numbers kept dropping, a silent countdown that Elio couldn't ignore. He was fighting against time, and time seemed to be winning.

The tunnel seemed endless, each meter a challenge.

Elio stumbled several times, his legs numb from the cold, but each time he got up and kept running.

Resistance: 100/500... 80/500... 60/500...

"Come on, Elio," he muttered to himself, his breath forming small clouds in the frigid air. "You've faced worse. You've survived the sea of monsters. This... this is just a cold tunnel."

But even as he said it, he knew this was different. The sea of monsters was chaotic, unpredictable. This... this was a calculated challenge from the goddess. One he was failing.

The thought of failure, of letting down everyone who believed in him - Zara, Lucien, his family - it spurred him on. Each step was a promise, a defiance against the cold that sought to claim him.

As he ran, memories flashed through his mind. The faces of those he left behind, the challenges he'd overcome. Each one a reminder of why he couldn't give up, why he had to keep pushing forward... or in this case, backward.

He was fleeing…

Fear began to settle in his stomach.

What if he didn't make it? What if he had waited too long to make this decision? The idea of failing, of dying here, alone in this icy tunnel, terrified him.