Utopian System-Chapter 495: System’s Progress - Corruption 31/100

"Dionz."

"Right, right! The important thing is: area damage won't be enough anymore. You'll need to balance maintaining your chain reactions while also delivering focused strikes to overcome their healing."

That was the crucial information.

"The real test," Dionz noted, "is learning to do both simultaneously. Like conducting two different songs at once... though explaining musical theory without basic acoustics..."

Elio's strategy of expanding reactions through the chamber wouldn't be sufficient if the ogres could partially recover from the damage.

"They're also stronger and more durable than orcs," Dionz added. "Each type has its specialties. Mountain ogres are practically walking fortresses, swamp ogres are surprisingly agile for their size, and forest ogres... well, let's just say they have interesting tricks involving plants."

♢♢♢♢

Entering the challenge, Elio immediately saw what Dionz meant.

The ogres were massive, each type distinct in appearance and movement. Mountain ogres lumbered forward with stone-like skin, swamp ogres moved with unexpected grace, and forest ogres seemed to commune with the vegetation around them.

His first chain reaction filled the chamber with destructive power, but the results weren't what he expected. The ogres took damage, certainly, but not enough. Before the next wave of reactions could build, they were already beginning to heal.

"Can't just rely on expanding reactions anymore. Need to maintain those while also delivering finishing blows."

The hybrid invocation moved to engage directly while Emberg provided aerial support, but Elio quickly realized the challenge's complexity. His focus on maintaining chain reactions meant his direct attacks lacked power.

When he concentrated on delivering decisive strikes, his reaction networks began to fade.

Elio understood the principle, but execution proved difficult.

The ogres' regenerative abilities meant any damage that wasn't immediately fatal would be recovered. But focusing solely on killing blows would lose the advantage of his chain reactions.

A mountain ogre shrugged off what would have been a devastating explosion, its stone-like skin protecting it long enough for its healing to begin. A swamp ogre seemed to flow around another blast, its wounds already closing as it moved. The forest ogres were worst of all, using nearby plants to enhance their recovery.

"I'll need a new approach… Can't just expand reactions and hope they'll eventually overcome the healing. But can't abandon the chain reactions either - they're too valuable for controlling the battlefield."

The challenge was clear: learn to maintain expanding reaction networks while simultaneously delivering focused attacks. It wasn't just about power anymore, but about precision and timing.

Elio tried different combinations. Using the hybrid's tentacles to guide smaller, more concentrated reactions while maintaining larger chain patterns. Having Emberg target specific opponents while supporting the overall reaction network.

But the ogres proved frustratingly resilient. Mountain ogres would weather initial attacks long enough for their healing to kick in. Swamp ogres could recover from anything that didn't kill them outright. Forest ogres seemed to draw strength from the very reactions meant to destroy them.

"Each type requires a different approach," Dionz observed. "Mountain ogres need overwhelming force to break through their defenses. Swamp ogres have to be eliminated quickly before they can heal. Forest ogres... well, they're particularly tricky near vegetation."

Hours passed as Elio experimented with different strategies. He tried focusing chain reactions in specific areas while delivering precision strikes elsewhere. Attempted to use the hybrid's chemical control to interfere with their healing. Worked to time his attacks so regeneration wouldn't have a chance to begin.

Th𝗲 most uptodate novels are published on ƒгeewёbnovel.com.

But each approach revealed new complications. Concentrate too much on one aspect, and the others would suffer. Try to do everything at once, and nothing would be done well enough.

He needed to develop a new kind of awareness, one that could handle multiple levels of control higher than just different elements simultaneously.

His enhanced perception helped, showing him the flow of elements and reactions in perfect detail. But seeing the patterns wasn't the same as controlling them. He could track every chain reaction, every regeneration attempt, every opportunity for a killing blow - but coordinating responses to all of it simultaneously was another matter.

This was indeed different from previous challenges. Before, Elio could focus on expanding his reactions, letting the chain effects do most of the work. Now he needed to maintain those patterns while also delivering focused strikes powerful enough to overcome regeneration.

♢♢♢♢

He had finally understood how to counter them. Slowing down for now….

Instead of trying to maintain widespread reactions, Elio focused the hybrid's chemical control into concentrated points. Each tentacle targeted a specific weak spot, creating small but intense reaction zones that overwhelmed their healing capabilities.

Swamp ogres tried to flank their position, their fluid movements making them difficult targets. But the hybrid's enhanced awareness tracked every motion, its tentacles weaving patterns of destructive chemistry that caught them mid-step. The key was timing - not letting the reactions dissipate until regeneration became impossible.

Forest ogres proved trickier, their connection to vegetation giving them additional recovery options. Elio directed some tentacles to destroy the plant life while others delivered precisely timed strikes. The hybrid's ability to manage multiple chemical processes simultaneously proved crucial.

Through the hybrid's enhanced senses, Elio could maintain broader reaction patterns while delivering focused killing blows. The tentacles moved in complex sequences, some guiding chain reactions across the chamber while others struck with lethal precision.

Mountain ogres fell to concentrated chemical attacks that gave their healing no chance to activate. Swamp ogres found their agility meaningless against perfectly timed strikes. Forest ogres discovered their vegetation-enhanced recovery couldn't match the hybrid's control over reaction timing.

Through the hybrid's senses, Elio tracked another group of approaching enemies. A mountain ogre's stone skin cracked under precisely targeted chemistry while a swamp ogre's attempted healing was interrupted by perfectly timed reactions. A forest ogre barely had time to reach for nearby plants before concentrated strikes overwhelmed its recovery abilities.

But each victory carried a warning. If these were just "basic" regenerating enemies, what would the more advanced versions be like? How much more complex would the challenges become?

But something nagged at Elio's consciousness. "These are just the first type of regenerating enemies, aren't they?"

"Ah," Dionz's usual enthusiasm dimmed slightly. "Well... let's just say future challenges might make ogre healing seem rather basic in comparison. Though explaining advanced biological processes without..."

"They get worse."

"More... interesting! Each new type will test different aspects of your control. The ogres are just teaching you the basics of handling regeneration."