Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss

Minseok slowly opened his eyes, blinking several times as the blurry light above slowly came into focus. At first, everything looked hazy, like he was underwater, but soon the brightness faded and the soft, white ceiling of the room became clear. He blinked again, and this time, there was no doubt.

"I... I really can see?" he whispered to himself, confused and stunned, staring at the ceiling with wide, surprised eyes. He quickly raised his hands and touched his face, pressing gently on his eyelids to make sure this wasn't a dream.

Beside him, a calm voice broke the silence.

"You're awake," said Yoora, She had been sitting quietly on a chair next to his hospital bed, a book in her hand.

Minseok turned his head and looked at her, still shocked. "Yoora… how long was I asleep?"

She smiled slightly and closed the book. "Two days," she answered.

Minseok's eyes widened again. "Two days?!" he repeated in disbelief. He slowly sat up on the bed with some effort, his body still feeling sore and heavy. He looked around the quiet room, taking in the clean white walls, the soft curtains letting in morning light, he can see that his in the clinic of Seojun building.

Yoora leaned forward, her expression serious now. "Jinhyu said… you were blinded, right?"

Minseok nodded slowly, his hand still touching his eyes. "Yeah… I remember. " He lowered his hand and gave a weak smile. "But now… I can see everything again."

Yoora nodded but frowned a little, her eyes narrowing as if she was trying to solve a puzzle. "That professor… just what else can he do?" she muttered. "I mean, healing is one thing, but this is like… too much. As if he can bring someone back from the dead."

Minseok let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "That's too extreme, but honestly… this isn't the first time something like this has happened."

Her eyebrows rose. "What do you mean?"

Minseok looked at her for a moment, then said, "You made a deal with the professor too, right? You know how you can't break that deal?"

Yoora sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I know. I can't break it."

He leaned back against the pillows and continued, "The professor is a returnee. He came out of nowhere inside a dungeon. That was the first time I met Jinhyu. We were stuck, and just when we thought we were done for, he showed up, defeated the boss monster like it was nothing, and healed us… fully. It was unbelievable."

Yoora's hands clenched into fists as if she had just confirmed something she had been thinking about for a while. "I knew it. I knew it was him," she said through gritted teeth.

"The last returnee. The one they listed as an F-rank even though… even though he's clearly not."

Minseok nodded quietly, then Yoora smiled and changed the topic. "Anyway… how are you feeling?"

"I feel just tired, Are Hannah and Jinhyu alright?"

"They're fine," Yoora said, softening her tone. "Just really bored waiting for you to wake up."

Minseok scratched the back of his head and gave a light laugh. "I guess I made them worry."

As if on cue, the door opened, and in came Jinhyu, Hannah, and Nayoung, all wearing bright smiles.

"Good morning, Minseok!" Nayoung said cheerfully, waving. "Just like Professor Jihoon said—you'd wake up today!"

Minseok grinned. "Hey, guys."

Suddenly, Hannah rushed over and hugged him tightly, burying her face into his shoulder. "You idiot! Why did you sleep so long?!"

He laughed, though a bit weakly. "Sorry, Hannah."

Jinhyu followed, stepping closer and ruffling Minseok's hair roughly. "About time, slowpoke."

The air was warm with relief, but Minseok's eyes fell back on Hannah. His expression softened. "How are you, Hannah? You're okay now, right?"

Hannah gave a slow nod, but there was a strange look in her eyes. "Yeah… but I'm not the same Hannah you knew."

A sudden chill passed through Minseok's body. The way she said it—the tone of her voice—felt cold and strange, and for a moment, it felt like the insect was still with them.

Then Nayoung burst out laughing. "Did you see his face?! He looked like he saw a ghost!"

Everyone laughed, including Hannah and even Yoora, who chuckled behind her hand.

Minseok's face turned red. "Hey! What's so funny?! That wasn't funny at all!"

Hannah smiled gently and said, "What I meant is… I can't heal anymore."

"Wait… what?"

Jinhyu nodded. "Since what happened, Hannah's healing ability disappeared, They said the insect ate it."

Hannah continued, "But instead… I got this."

She took a breath, and from her back, black insect-like wings began to grow, spreading slowly. Her arms shimmered as her body changed slightly, looking more insect-like, more dangerous. For a brief moment, it looked like she was turning into one of the monsters they had fought.

Minseok screamed in pure shock. "WAAAAAAAH—!"

Yoora quickly covered his mouth and scowled. "You scream more girly than me! My ears are dying!....Hannah, next time show it slowly!"

Hannah laughed a little and returned to normal, her wings folding neatly behind her before vanishing completely.

"M-mmph…" Yoora finally pulled her hand away and made a disgusted face, wiping her hand on Minseok's shirt. "Ew. Gross."

"What's going on?!" Minseok yelled, clearly panicked and overwhelmed.

Hannah looked at him and said calmly, "Professor Alexa said I went through something called a second awakening. I lost my healing power, but in return, I gained something new. It's not as peaceful, but it's strong in a different way. It's part of me now."

Minseok was still trying to process everything when he suddenly felt something soft and wet latch onto his leg. He looked down quickly, a little startled, and saw a familiar dark-colored slime clinging to him.

"Good morning, Minseok," the creature said in a calm, cheerful voice.

Minseok blinked in confusion, his eyes widening as he leaned closer. "Good morning, Sui… wait, Sui?!"

His mouth dropped slightly as he stared at the slime. This wasn't the Sui he remembered. Before, Sui looked like a simple round ball made of dark water, always wobbling quietly on the ground. But now… Sui had changed.

Sui's body had stretched slightly upward, about as tall as their knee. He no longer looked like a simple ball. He now had two short, dark slime-like arms, and two glowing eyes that blinked slowly. He still didn't have a mouth or legs, but he could stand upright. His form looked more alive and expressive than before, almost like a child made of living shadowy water.

"You've changed…" Minseok muttered, kneeling down to get a closer look.

Behind him, Nayoung burst into laughter. "You missed a lot! Like, a lot! So much happened while you were sleeping!"

Minseok gave her a half-annoyed, half-amused look. "Yeah, obviously," he said under his breath, still staring at Sui in amazement.

Before anyone could say more, the door suddenly opened again—and this time, it was someone who made the entire room tense up.

Seojun had entered.

His calm yet unreadable eyes scanned the room, landing directly on Nayoung and the others. He looked as serious as always, with his hands behind his back and that quiet pressure that always followed him into a room.