Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss

The group turned to see a guy standing a few feet away, holding the marble in his hand. He was smirking, clearly pleased with himself.

Andrew clenched his fists. "You... You hit her on purpose!"

The guy shrugged, his smirk growing wider. "It's not personal. It's just how the test works. If she can't stay aware of her surroundings, how can she expect to pass the test? Letting her guard down like that... well, that's on her, not me."

His tone was mocking, as if nothing was his fault.

As the guy about to spoke again

"Duck!" Lila shouted suddenly.

Without hesitation, everyone dropped low just as a body flew over them, crashing hard into a rock wall. The impact was loud, and the person slumped to the ground, unconscious.

They quickly turned their heads to see where the attack came from. Lila froze, her eyes locking with someone holding a bow—a young woman with striking features and a cold expression.

"Miya Arven," the smirking guy from earlier said, "Aren't you an Arven too?" He glanced at Lila, the smirk on his face growing wider.

Lila didn't answer. She just stared at the woman, her sister, who turned her back as if she hadn't noticed Lila at all.

The guy chuckled mockingly. "Aww, looks like you two aren't exactly on good terms, huh?"

Lila's glare sharpened. She clenched her fists, anger flashing in her eyes.

"Hey! Don't act so friendly, you jerk!" Andrew snapped, stepping in as he and Kaye helped Lila stand.

Seojun sighed loudly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Let's just finish this already," he muttered,

The guy burst into laughter at Seojun's words. "Are you trying to make me laugh? What could a low ranker like you even do, huh?"

Seojun didn't respond. Instead, his expression darkened slightly, and he took a step forward.

[Go, Host! Acting is over. Time to pay them back!]

Before anyone could stop him, Seojun suddenly disappeared.

"Wait—!" Lila and Andrew started, but it was too late.

In the blink of an eye, the mocking guy was sent flying backward, crashing straight into a group that had been fighting over marbles.

The force was so strong that the group toppled like bowling pins, the guy knocking them all over as he skidded to the ground.

The battlefield went silent for a moment, everyone frozen in shock as they turned to look at Seojun.

He stood in the same spot, calm and unbothered, as if nothing had happened. His expression didn't change, but his presence was enough to send a chill through anyone watching.

Andrew blinked in disbelief. "What… What just happened?"

Kaye stared at Seojun, her jaw dropping. "Did he… Did he do that?!"

Lila, still holding her stomach, managed a small smile. "I'm right,"

As the crowd turned their attention to Seojun's group, many looked confused, wondering what had just happened and who was responsible for that.

[It's over, Host. What are you planning to do now?] Seojun's system spoke in his mind.

Seojun bent down, picking up the last marble from the ground. He muttered quietly, "It's not like I plan to act like this for long."

He looked up, his sharp eyes catching sight of the large screens showing Mr. Thomas and Sir Gideon watching intently.

[They've noticed you now,]

Seojun didn't respond. Instead, he turned around to face his group, who were staring at him with shocked expressions.

"Seojun!" Andrew suddenly shouted, rushing toward him. Before Seojun could react, Andrew jumped and hugged him tightly.

"You're so damn awesome! Why were you hiding your strength in the first place?! Even if i didn't saw what you did, You're amazing!"

His outburst drew attention from others, distracting some from their goals. But most of the participants stayed focused, still scrambling for marbles.

Seojun took a step back, prying Andrew off him gently. He observed the reactions of his group.

"That was amazing, Seojun," Kyle said, his tone filled with admiration. "That's definitely not the strength of an E-ranker. Did you… did you have a dual awakening or something?"

Kaye looked at Seojun with wide eyes, her admiration clear. "I knew you were strong, but this? You're incredible."

Seojun shook his head, keeping his calm tone. "Let's focus on the goal. We've got the last marble." He held it up, the marble glowing faintly in his hand.

"Oh, right!" Andrew exclaimed. He quickly moved back to Lila's side. "Lila, give me the other marbles!"

Lila nodded and reached into her pocket, pulling out the two marbles they had collected earlier. Andrew took them and pressed all three marbles together in his hands.

The moment they touched, the marbles began to shine brightly. A loud, clear voice announced,

(Group 17 has completed the test. You will now be teleported back to the gym in 30 seconds)

Before they could react, Kaye turned to Andrew, surprised. "How did you know to do that?"

Andrew grinned, scratching his cheek shyly. "Well, I saw a couple of groups earlier who got three marbles and did the same thing. I figured it was worth a try. I'm just glad it worked since it looks like not every group got a notification about what to do after collecting the marbles."

Kaye smiled, her eyes sparkling. "That's amazing, Andrew. You saved us a lot of time!"

Andrew laughed awkwardly. "It was just luck, really."

Lila nodded slightly. "The notification must have been limited. If we want to pass in this kind of chaos, staying observant is critical. You've earned my compliment, Andrew."

Andrew blinked in surprise, then smiled widely. "Thanks, Lila."
Find adventures on empire

With that, the bright light of the teleportation enveloped them, and they disappeared from the chaotic battlefield.

As the bright light of the teleportation faded, the group found themselves back in the gym. But something felt off.

"Wait… Where's Seojun?" Kaye asked, looking around frantically.

Andrew frowned. "He was right with us. Where could he have gone?"

Kyle sighed, crossing his arms. "Maybe he was left in there

"Or someone pulled him out on purpose," Lila said quietly,

Meanwhile, Seojun looked around, realizing he wasn't in the gym but in a quiet office. The room was dimly lit, and the desk in front of him had a polished surface with a single apple sitting on it.

He walked over, pulling out the chair. Sitting down, he grabbed the apple and muttered to himself, "Teleporting me here… What do you need from me?"

The silence lingered for a moment before two figures emerged from the shadows.

Seojun, still seated, casually leaned back in the roller chair and spun it slightly, turning to face the two men.

He took a bite of the apple, his expression calm and unreadable.

One of the men, Thomas, leaned forward on the long desk, his sharp eyes focused on Seojun. "Han Seojun. Disappeared for five years, only to resurface a few months ago as one of the returnees. Registered as an F-ranker and recently climbed to E-rank. That's you, isn't it?"

Seojun didn't respond immediately. He simply stared at them, his expression blank.

The other man, Gideon the dragon ranker, approached him, his gaze intense as if trying to read Seojun's very soul.

After a moment, Gideon nodded slightly. "I don't sense any bad energy in him. He's clear."

Gideon's tone turned sharp. "Now, Seojun, care to explain why you're pretending to be a low-ranker?"

Seojun took another bite of the apple, chewing slowly as if he wasn't in the presence of two powerful figures. Finally, he swallowed and smirked faintly.

"Pretending?" Seojun said, his voice calm.

"Who said I was pretending?"