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"What?" was all he could articulate, his mind trying to make sense of the situation.

He looked around, noticing the expectant expressions on his companions' faces.

Something didn't add up.

Why were they all gathered like this? And why were they asking about hair color preferences? The elephants of his team members seemed to sense the tension, shifting uneasily in the confined space.

But then, another realization hit him. He frowned, remembering that the height of the tunnel hadn't changed.

"Wait a moment," he said, momentarily ignoring Zara's question. "Why haven't you expanded the tunnel upwards? I fell for much longer than I expected..." His elephant trumpeted softly, as if agreeing with his concern.

Micah stepped forward, his expression serious. His elephant stood beside him, its trunk curled protectively around its master's arm.

"About that, Elio. We decided it was safer to wait until everyone was in the tunnel before expanding upwards. Absorbing too many cores could leave someone buried. Kriz seems to have ended up a bit below level, luckily it wasn't too much pressure, only 3 meters."

Elio considered this for a moment, nodding slowly. "That makes sense. Good decision, Micah."

"Thanks," Micah replied, seeming relieved by Elio's approval.

"So," Elio continued, looking along the tunnel, "how far have you advanced horizontally?"

"A-about 20 meters," Brok replied, his voice echoing in the confined space. His muscular elephant shuffled its feet, mirroring its master's unease.

Elio frowned, confused. "20 meters? But... with eight level 5 people and one of them level 6, you should have reached between 50 and 100 meters by now. Are you saving that much mana?"

An uncomfortable silence fell over the group. Elio looked at his companions, noticing their evasive expressions. Something wasn't right here. The elephants seemed to pick up on the tension, their trunks swaying nervously.

Before he could inquire further, Valeria stepped forward, her face partially hidden in the shadows. "Elio," she said, her voice soft but insistent, "you still haven't answered Zara's question. What hair color do you prefer?"

Elio blinked, bewildered by the sudden change of topic.

He looked around, noticing how the faces of his companions, poorly illuminated by the faint glow of the summons, seemed almost eerie in their seriousness.

A shiver ran down his spine.

The atmosphere in the tunnel had changed, becoming tense and charged with an energy he couldn't identify. The shadows cast by the summons only increased the feeling of unease.

"I... uh..." Elio hesitated, looking for a way to deflect the conversation. "Shouldn't we be talking about expanding the tunnel? I have important information about the seventh level that I need to share with you."

But his attempts to change the subject were in vain. His companions' gazes remained fixed on him, expectant, almost... hungry.

"Come on, Elio," Aria insisted, her voice sounding strangely anxious in the darkness. "It's just a simple question."

"Yes," Mei added, her usual calm replaced by an unusual intensity. "It's important for us to know."

Elio found himself instinctively backing up (upwards), his back hitting the tunnel ceiling. The situation was becoming surreal. Why were they all so obsessed with this seemingly trivial question?

But it was too suspicious...

"I... really don't think this is the right time to..." Elio began, but was interrupted by Kriz.

"Oh, come on, boss," he said, his usual joking tone tinged with a strange urgency. "Don't leave us in suspense." His elephant trumpeted softly, as if echoing its master's impatience.

Elio knew it was a trap.

He looked around, seeking an escape from this increasingly uncomfortable situation.

It was then that he noticed Lila, a little apart from the group. There was something in her expression, an empathy, that gave Elio a ray of hope.

As if she had read his mind, Lila spoke, her voice soft but clear in the tense silence of the tunnel. "At least tell us what your favorite color is, Elio."

Elio clung to this escape line like a castaway to a lifeline. "Blue," he said quickly, grateful for the more general question. "My favorite color is blue."

For a moment, silence reigned in the tunnel.

Kriz burst into laughter.

"That's not a hair color!" he exclaimed, his laughter echoing off the tunnel walls. His elephant seemed to join in, making a sound that could almost be mistaken for laughter.

The tension in the atmosphere seemed to dissipate a bit with Kriz's laughter. Elio let out a sigh of relief, grateful for the interruption.

"Listen, everyone. I appreciate your... interest in getting to know me better. But right now, we have more important things to worry about," he said, taking the opportunity to regain control of the situation, "now that I've played along a bit, can we get back to important matters? We have a tunnel to expand and a city to save."

Zara, noticing Elio's discomfort, decided to intervene. "You're right, Elio. I'm sorry, we got a little carried away." Her elephant nuzzled her gently, as if offering comfort.

The others nodded, though Elio noticed some of the girls exchanging significant looks. He decided it was better not to inquire further into that topic for the moment.

"Good," he continued, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "As I was saying, I've overcome the seventh level and I have crucial information to share with you."

"We need to carefully manage our food. The provisions we brought should last us for a while, but we have to be conscious of every bite."

Micah nodded, always practical. "How long do you calculate we can stay here with what we have?"

"If we manage it well," Elio replied, "we should be able to last about 30 days... another 10 days after our current provisions run out."

"Ten more days?" exclaimed Kriz. "That's a long time in the darkness."

Elio nodded gravely. "I know. We'll have to stay strong, not just physically, but mentally..."

"We'll use part of the mana we don't spend on tunnel construction to train. I'll teach you how to overcome levels 6 and 7. It will be crucial for our long-term mission."

"And after those 30 days we'll return?" Mei inquired.

Elio took a deep breath before responding. "After that, you will return to the surface to bring more provisions. I will stay here."