Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss

"Professor!" Nayoung yelped, quickly standing straight and hiding her smile.

It was clear they weren't supposed to be here. They had been scheduled to train their mana outside, and now they were caught hanging around Minseok's bed, chatting and laughing instead.

Nayoung nudged Jinhyu's side. "We're so dead," she whispered quickly.

Jinhyu tried to act casual, but the stiff way he stood gave him away. Hannah stood quietly near the wall, and even Sui backed up a little, hiding behind Minseok's leg.

Minseok slowly stood up, still unsure how to act around Seojun. Even though he'd saved his life and helped them all, Seojun still carried an aura that made it hard to be relaxed around him. There was something too sharp, too distant—like standing next to a sleeping blade.

But to their surprise, Seojun didn't scold them right away.

He glanced at Sui, then at Minseok. "It seems your bond with your familiar has deepened," he said simply. "That's good."

Minseok nodded nervously. "Y-yes, sir. I… I just woke up."

Seojun looked at the others. "Since you're all here, I assume you skipped this morning's mana training."

Nayoung raised her hand halfway. "U-uhm… we just wanted to check on Minseok, professor. Only for a bit…"

Seojun said nothing for a long second. Then, he finally spoke, "You have fifteen more minutes. After that, I expect everyone at the training field. No excuses."

The group nodded quickly, almost in unison. "Yes, Professor!"

With that, Seojun turned and left the room, his coat trailing behind him as the door gently closed.

Everyone let out a deep breath.

"That was close," Jinhyu muttered, wiping imaginary sweat off his forehead.

As the group settled back into light chatter, Minseok glanced toward Jinhyu, noticing how at ease he looked despite everything that had happened. "Hey," Minseok asked curiously, "you also joined the class?"

Jinhyu turned to him with a calm smile. "Yeah. It's because of Master that Hannah is still with us. After that fight, I made a promise. I gave him my loyalty."

Minseok nodded slowly, remembering the chaos from before. "I get it. If it wasn't for him… I don't think any of us would be here."

Just then, Sui raised his tiny slime arms proudly. "Kyuu~! We are now Master's loyal servants! Kyuu~!"

They all stared at the blob with amused expressions.

"Tsk. Not me," Yoora said dryly as she walked toward the door, clearly not interested in being part of any "servant squad." She gave Minseok a sideways glance. "Glad you're okay though," she added before heading out.

Hannah stepped forward with a gentle smile. "Can you stand up?"

Minseok gave a small grin. "Yeah, I feel fine now. Actually…" he stretched his arms a bit, testing his body, "I think I can even run."

Nayoung's eyes lit up like fireworks. "Really?! That means you're ready, right?! Professor! Minseok said he's fine! He can exercise too!"

"W-wait, Nayoung—!" Minseok tried to stop her, but she had already dashed out of the room, waving as she ran.

Jinhyu and Hannah both laughed. "Oh no," Hannah said. "Now you're in trouble."

"No choice," Jinhyu added with a shrug.

Minseok sighed in defeat, rubbing the back of his neck, then slowly climbed out of bed. He took a deep breath, expecting some soreness—but there was none. His body felt light, completely healed. It was almost unreal. He did a few stretches, touched his toes, and even jumped lightly in place.

"Yup… I really am okay," he mumbled, almost in disbelief.

Soon, they walked out together and headed toward the training field. The wind was gentle, the sky clear. Others were already there, standing in line. At the front, Seojun waited, arms behind his back.

Minseok joined the line without hesitation, standing tall beside Jinhyu and Hannah.

[Good thing you upgraded the Ethereal Grounds. Training Capacity: Max 3 → Max 6.]

Seojun stepped forward. "So," he said, his voice cutting clearly through the open air, "is everyone ready?"

With strong voices, they all answered in unison, "Yes, Professor!"

Chapter: The Ethereal Grounds

Minseok stood in the line, glancing around at his classmates. Something felt strange. Nayoung was muttering to herself, arms spread wide like she was about to take off.

"I'll miss this air…" she said with a nostalgic sigh, her eyes closed and face turned toward the sky.

Minseok raised an eyebrow. "Why? Is the training going to be that hard?"

Jinhyu gave a small smile, his arms casually folded. "Don't worry, Minseok. We've done it before. We can handle it."

"O…kay?" Minseok mumbled, not reassured at all by Jinhyu's vague reply.

Before he could ask more, Seojun suddenly snapped his fingers. Everyone reached out quickly, grabbing each other's hands as if they were used to this routine. Nayoung, standing closest to Seojun, grabbed onto his shoulder with a grin.

Then, in an instant—they vanished.

Minseok's eyes widened. What just—?!

A bright flash surrounded them and suddenly they were standing in an unfamiliar space—an open field under a shifting sky, with no sun but a strange light glowing from above. The wind felt heavier. The air shimmered like waves of mana were dancing through it.

Then a voice echoed from the skies—calm but powerful, loud yet not hurting their ears.

"Welcome! Students of the Transcendent Mentor! Welcome to the Ethereal Grounds, where you can train and release everything!"

Minseok tried to respond, "What was t—" but his body suddenly felt like it had doubled in weight. His knees buckled, and he fell hard to the ground.

He groaned. "W-what is going on?!"

Nayoung laughed and bent down beside him. "We were just like you the first time. Don't worry, it's just the gravity. It's a lot stronger here."

Minseok struggled to move, feeling like he was being pushed into the dirt by an invisible hand.

Then Seojun stepped forward, arms behind his back. "The voice you heard is part of this place's guide. It will not answer your questions, only welcome you. This space is mine—my Ethereal Grounds. We are not on Earth anymore."

Minseok's eyes widened. "W-we're not?"

"No. One hour in Earth equals one full day here. This is where you will push your limits without wasting too much real-world time."

He continued, "This place is tied to my hidden profession. In Earth terms, it's called a hidden job. A version two of Class."