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"Stop the expansion," Taron ordered, his voice cutting through the awed silence. "Close the tunnel, Milo. We need to inform the others about this."

Milo nodded, still dazed by the discovery.

With careful movements, he began to seal the section of the tunnel that led to the crystal, ensuring no one could accidentally access it. As they worked, the crystal's blue glow seemed to call to them, as if it held secrets just beyond their reach.

"What do you think it is?" Milo asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Arnaud shook his head, his eyes never leaving the shimmering surface. "I don't know. But I have a feeling we've just found something very important."

With the tunnel sealed and the crystal hidden from view, they prepared to return to the main group. The excitement of discovery pulsed in their chests as they hurried back, their footsteps echoing in the confined space.

Upon reaching Zara and the others, Milo interrupted breathlessly: "We've found something!"

Zara turned to them. "What have you found?"

Arnaud quickly explained about the blue crystal embedded in the tunnel wall. Micah listened attentively, his mind already working on the implications of this discovery.

"This changes our plans," Micah declared after a moment of reflection. "The upward construction can wait. We need to investigate this crystal first."

♢♢♢♢

The tunnel, which they had built as small as possible to conserve mana, barely allowed them to see a fraction of the enormous blue crystal they had found.

With efficiency, Micah organized teams to expand the area around the crystal. They worked carefully, gradually revealing more of the smooth, shimmering blue surface.

Hours of intense work revealed a huge semicircle of crystal approximately 5x5 meters, its surface smooth and perfect. The air around it seemed to vibrate with an energy they couldn't quite understand.

Micah decided to divide their efforts.

"We'll continue exploring the sides," he announced. "I want to know if there are more like this in other parts of this... wall. We'll also build upwards from here."

News of the discovery spread slowly through the tunnel. Despite stretching for dozens of kilometers, recruits began to gather near the crystal, thanks to the swift summons communications line.

A young recruit, eyes fixed on the shimmering surface, asked: "Has anyone touched it yet?"

Micah shook his head. "We haven't risked it. We don't know what it is or what it might do."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the group.

No one wanted to be the first to touch the mysterious crystal, fearful of the possible consequences. The air grew thick with tension, each person lost in their own thoughts of what might happen.

It was then that Taron stepped forward. His face showed determination, though his eyes betrayed a hint of fear.

"I'll do it," he declared, his voice firm. "I'm the oldest here. If something goes wrong, I'm more... expendable than these youngsters."

Zara began to protest, but Taron had already approached the crystal. With a deep breath, he extended his hand and touched the smooth, cold surface.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, suddenly, the crystal began to glow with a blinding intensity. Everyone instinctively recoiled, shielding their eyes from the glare. The light seemed to pulse through the tunnel, casting dancing shadows on the walls.

When the light dimmed, they collectively gasped.

On the crystal's surface, brilliant letters had appeared. They were written in the language of the book, the language that everyone instinctively understood.

Micah read aloud, his voice trembling slightly:

"Welcome challengers, gather a group of 5 and accept the challenge by touching the crystal at the same time. If a group wins, humanity gains control of the first half."

The silence that followed was deafening. Each person present processed the implications of this message, the weight of its potential significance settling heavily on their shoulders.

Zara was the first to speak, her voice cutting through the tension.

"A challenge? Like those in the book?"

"It seems so," Micah replied, his mind working frantically. "But this is different. It's... bigger."

Lila, her eyes still fixed on the crystal, murmured: "If a group wins, humanity gains control... Control of what?"

"The deposit, I suppose," Aria replied, her voice barely a whisper.

Micah, always the strategist, raised his voice above the clamor. "We need more information. What happens if we touch the crystal again? Will it tell us more about the challenge?"

Taron, still near the crystal, extended his hand once more. But before he could touch it, Zara stopped him.

"Wait," she said, her voice firm. "If this is like the book challenges, we need to be prepared. We don't know what awaits us on the other side."

Should the strongest go? The oldest? The new ones?

The decision was difficult, the air thick with the weight of its potential consequences.

♢♢♢♢

The blue crystal pulsed with intense light when the five placed their hands on its surface.

In an instant, the familiar carbon tunnel disappeared, replaced by a vast cavern that extended beyond where the eye could see.

They suddenly found themselves in a new and unknown world.

The air was fresh and humid, with a faint smell of earth and minerals. Darkness enveloped them, but it wasn't absolute; small crystals embedded in the walls emitted a soft glow, providing just enough light to see.

"Where are we?"

"Inside the challenge, I suppose." The response was tentative, filled with both awe and apprehension.

They fell silent and advanced carefully.

The group moved as a unit, their steps silent on the rocky ground. Each shadow, each distant sound, could be a threat or a wonder to discover. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation, every sense heightened in this alien environment.

As they progressed, the cavern seemed to change subtly. The air grew thicker, the shadows deeper. An unseen presence seemed to press in on them from all sides.

"Does anyone else feel like we're being watched?" The whispered question voiced the unease they all felt.

"Keep your eyes open and your wits about you."

After what seemed like hours but were probably only minutes, the group reached a vast open space within the cavern. The light here was more intense, emanating from large crystals that hung from the ceiling like luminous stalactites. The sight was breathtaking, a subterranean wonderland that defied imagination.

And there, in the center of this space, they saw something that made their hearts stop for a moment.

Dozens of Locus, motionless as statues, were arranged in perfect formation. Their twisted bodies, normally in constant motion, were completely still. The sight was as unnerving as it was fascinating.

"Are they... dead?" The question was asked in a hushed tone, as if speaking too loudly might awaken the monsters.

"I don't think so. They seem... frozen."

"One hundred. There are one hundred of them."

The group exchanged glances, relief in their eyes. One hundred Locus was a formidable number, but not impossible. Not for them, not with their current level. A sense of cautious optimism began to take hold.

"A few well-executed combos should be enough."