"From now on, people will be more valuable than things."
Lucien and Selene exchanged glances, processing Elio's words and the implications behind them.
"Moreover," Elio added, his voice gaining strength, "I'll teach you how to defeat the elephant. With that knowledge, your chances will increase considerably."
At that mont, Zara approached Elio, her eyes wide with excitent and disbelief. "Are you serious, Elio? You'd let us use the armors? Just like that?"
Elio smiled, nodding. "Not just you, Zara. Micah, Kriz, Brok, and Ren too, if they decide to take the risk. You can use it in turns. This is about equality, about giving everyone a fair chance."
Zara's eyes shone with emotion. "I'm in," she said without hesitation, her voice firm.
"Count in too," Brok added, crossing his muscular arms, a glint of excitent in his eyes.
Kriz let out a nervous chuckle. "Well, if the big guy's in, I guess I can't back down. I'm ga."
Ren and Micah exchanged glances before nodding their agreent as well.
Lucien, though still visibly concerned, couldn't help but feel admiration for Elio's decision. "It's a noble gesture, Elio. But are you absolutely certain about this? The risks are considerable."
Elio looked at each of them in turn before responding, his gaze steady and resolute. "I'm sure. I can't ask people to take risks if I'm not willing to do the sa. Besides, I trust all of you. I know you won't fail. This is how we build a stronger, more united city."
Zara moved closer to Elio, placing a hand on his shoulder, her touch a silent show of support and sothing more.
Lucien nodded, his expression serious but filled with respect. "Very well, then. It seems we have a lot of work ahead of us. Where do we start?"
Elio smiled, feeling the weight of responsibility but also the strength of his friends' and ntors' support. "First, we'll gather everyone. It's ti we share the knowledge we have about the book's challenges. Then, we'll begin distributing the invocations. And after that..."
He paused, his gaze fixed on the horizon beyond the window, "we'll prepare to expand our horizons beyond these walls."
♢♢♢♢
Several hours later, having gathered the public and rehearsed with Lucien's help...
Elio stood before the assembled crowd, his figure erect despite the fatigue that weighed on him. He took a deep breath, acutely aware that his words would mark the beginning of a new era for the city.
"Citizens of our great city," he began, his voice clear and firm. "Today marks the dawn of a new era for all of us. An era of truth, equality, and shared progress."
He paused, allowing his words to settle before continuing.
"For too long, we have lived under a system that benefited a few at the expense of many. A system based on secrets and fear. But that ends today."
Murmurs spread through the crowd, excitent and apprehension palpable in the air.
"I know you have questions, fears, and concerns. What you've been hearing about the population limit from the soldiers that were in the final battle... it's true."
Elio paused as gasps of surprise rippled through the audience. He could see the shock on many faces, the fear in their eyes.
"But that doesn't an we're dood to sacrifice our people. In the book that God left, it's ntioned that we can expand beyond the city walls. And that's exactly what we're going to do before we exceed that limit."
Elio saw the emotions on people's faces again: fear, hope, disbelief. So clung to every word, while others exchanged worried glances.
"I know it sounds terrifying. For our 100 years of existence, these walls have been our only security. But they've also been our prison. It's ti we dare to dream of sothing bigger."
He paused, his voice rising with passion and conviction.
"It's ti we exterminate the monsters with our own hands!"
♢♢♢♢
Tarec stood among the crowd, still tired from the recent battle, but his mind completely focused on Elio's words.
At first, when Elio ntioned the truth about the population limit, Tarec felt a pang of pain, rembering Fathoran's reason for attacking him, rembering his son Aram. How many other families had suffered unnecessary losses due to that limit?
However, when Elio spoke of expanding beyond the walls, Tarec felt a spark of hope that he hadn't experienced in years.
"Expanding beyond the walls..." he murmured to himself, imagining a world without monsters... without sacrifices.
♢♢♢♢
Elio made another pause, allowing his words to sink in.
"It won't be easy. But if we work together, if we share our knowledge and resources, we can achieve it. And to do so, we need each of you to be at your best."
Elio took another deep breath before continuing, the weight of his next words heavy on his shoulders.
"That's why I've made a decision. I'm going to share the power of invocations with all of you... Not just soldiers, not just n, all of you."
A collective gasp ran through the crowd. Elio could see the disbelief on many faces, the hope beginning to dawn in their eyes.
"Yes, you heard that right. Every citizen of this city will have the opportunity to obtain invocations up to the level they have reached. But we must do it gradually. The transfer takes ti, and we cannot neglect the wall's turrets."
Elio noticed that so people began to smile, while others looked concerned.
"But that's not all. I'm going to help everyone who wants to level up in the safest way possible. Armor and weapons of the highest possible level…
We won't force anyone, we'll make sure you have the information and are prepared before trying. The safety of each of you is my priority."
He paused, observing the reactions. He saw hope, excitent, and doubt on the faces of the crowd.
"And there's sothing else I want to announce. For too long, we have wasted the potential of half our population. It's ti for won to have a more important role in our defense and in our society."
Elio noticed so won in the crowd straightening up, their eyes shining with anticipation.
"I want to urge won to obtain more power for themselves, to help on the wall too. It's ti for everyone to contribute to the defense and growth of our city. No more artificial divisions based on gender."
♢♢♢♢
Elio's promise to share the power of invocations with everyone made Tarec instinctively touch his chest, where his salamander rested.
He rembered the feeling of power when he had thrown that fireball at Fathoran.
How would the city change if everyone had that power?
When Elio ntioned helping everyone level up, Tarec felt both excitent and apprehension. As a level 3 soldier, he knew how dangerous the process could be. "It's a risk," he thought, "but one that many will be willing to take for a better future".
The idea of won having a more important role in the city's defense made Tarec think of his wife and daughters. He had always wished they had more opportunities, more ways to protect themselves.
But going beyond level one was a big risk... Until recently.
Now, that possibility seed real. Tarec felt a surge of hope, imagining his family, all of them, standing strong together, each with their own surplus of mana, their own power to protect and contribute.
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