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"Comrades," he began, his voice resonating in the tunnel. "Today we celebrate the arrival of 38 new members to our team for a grand total of 62. Their bravery and determination bring us one step closer to our goal."

He paused, his eyes scanning the faces of all present.

"But we must also remember those who didn't make it here. Two of our companions didn't complete the journey. Their sacrifice will not be in vain. For them, we must press on. Every meter we advance is a tribute to their memory."

A solemn silence fell over the group, each person processing Elio's words in their own way.

♢♢♢♢

After a while, attention turned to the provisions the new recruits had brought with them. Elio observed with amazement the quantity of supplies, notably greater than what his group or Milo's had transported.

"Was it possible to get so much into the challenge?" Elio asked, his curiosity momentarily overcoming his sadness.

One of the new recruits, a bright-eyed young woman named Enid, stepped forward. "Sir Ren had the idea to use level 2 and 3 challengers to study the maximum amount that can be carried in," she explained. "With so many of us, it'll be easier to distribute the mana cost for preservation. And since we're more mouths to feed, we needed to bring more... So we don't have to return so often."

Elio nodded, impressed by Ren's ingenuity. But there was something else, he could see it in Enid's eyes.

"There was another experiment, wasn't there?" he asked softly.

Enid nodded, her expression becoming more serious. "Selene tried something new. She used her carbon elephant to transport additional provisions. The idea came up when she remembered how your elephant defended the soldiers in the battle against Fathoran."

Elio stroked his chin thoughtfully. "And did it work?"

Enid shook her head. "Not entirely. When the elephant fell on the Locus, they attacked it until all its carbon was destroyed. The elephant's body returned to pure mana and the provisions were lost in the sea of monsters."

Elio nodded, processing the information. Although the experiment had failed, the fact that his allies were constantly seeking new solutions was encouraging.

"But that's not all," Enid continued, pulling a small piece of paper from her pocket. "A swift managed to reach Selene with a note... When I left the book I sent it to her and received a response before entering the tunnel. That means there's a way to communicate and possibly transport small things as long as the cores are in motion."

Elio took the note, his eyes quickly scanning the written words. His expression darkened as he read.

"What does it say?" Zara asked, noticing the change in his countenance. Her penguin chirped softly, sensing her concern.

"Trouble at the wall," Elio replied, his voice grave. "The failures in the barrier are lasting longer and longer."

A murmur of concern ran through the group. Everyone understood what that meant: time was running out.

♢♢♢♢

On the surface, Selene dealt with her own worries. Her frog summon sat on her shoulder, its large eyes surveying the training grounds.

The failure of her carbon elephant experiment was the least of her concerns; the successful arrival of the message through the swift gave her a small hope... But mainly.

The news of the loss of two of her students had shaken her deeply.

She wondered if the growing threat of the barrier had led them to be too hasty in their training.

"We can't afford more losses," she murmured to herself as she watched her new group of 40 recruits training. "This group... I have to make sure they're really prepared."

But fate had other plans.

Just when Selene had decided to extend the training period, the alarm sounded. The barrier had failed again, this time for four full seconds.

Chaos broke out on the wall. The defenders fought with all their might. Summons of all types worked in tandem with their human partners, their combined efforts a testament to the new system's effectiveness.

For a moment, it seemed the monsters would manage to penetrate the defenses. But the combinations of coordinated attacks managed to eliminate the wave.

When the dust settled, Selene found herself faced with an impossible decision. The need for more defenders was urgent, but sending poorly prepared recruits would be condemning them to certain death.

"They have to make it," she murmured to herself, her eyes fixed on the horizon where she knew the tunnel extended. "They have to reach that mana deposit before it's too late."

The city slept, unaware of the growing danger that lurked. But in the depths of the tunnel and atop the wall, a group of brave souls fought tirelessly for their future.

♢♢♢♢

The tunnel vibrated with renewed energy as Elio and his team prepared to receive the new and last group of recruits. The anticipation was palpable in the air, mixed with an underlying tension that no one dared to mention out loud.

Kriz, true to his nature, tried to lighten the mood with his jokes. His rabbit mimicked his playful demeanor, hopping around excitedly. "Hey, Brok!" he called, a mischievous smile on his face. "Do you think the newcomers will appreciate my collection of carbon jokes? I've been working on them for weeks."

Brok couldn't help but smile despite his concern. His elephant trumpeted softly, as if chuckling. "I'm sure you'll leave them... petrified."

Micah interrupted, his frog perched attentively on his shoulder. "We should organize ourselves to receive them. We'll need an efficient system to quickly integrate them into the work."

Zara nodded, her expression serious. Her penguin stood at attention beside her. "You're right. We could divide them into groups and assign them mentors among us."

As they discussed the details, the first recruits began to arrive.

Elio greeted them personally, shaking their hands and offering words of encouragement. However, as time passed, a sense of unease began to grow.

"They should all have arrived by now," Micah murmured.

Zara frowned. "How many are missing?"

"Three," Elio replied, his voice tense.

When it finally became clear that the three missing recruits wouldn't arrive, Elio gathered everyone. His face was serious, but his voice was firm when he spoke.

"Comrades," he began, "today we welcome 37 new members to our team. Their bravery brings us one step closer to our goal."

He paused, his eyes scanning the faces of all present.

"But again, we must remember those who didn't make it here. Three of our companions didn't complete the journey this time. Their sacrifice will not be in vain."

Everyone nodded, and for a moment, the tunnel fell into complete silence. The summons seemed to bow their heads, as if in respect.

When the moment passed, Elio continued. "Now, more than ever, we must press on. Every meter we advance is a tribute to their memory."

♢♢♢♢

Elio observed all this with concern.

It was in the midst of this whirlwind of activity that Elio received an unexpected visit. Lucien had descended into the tunnel.

"Lucien," he greeted, surprise evident in his voice. "What are you doing here?"

Lucien smiled, though the tension was evident in his eyes. "I have news, Elio. And a request."