Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the mall, shaking the ground beneath their feet. Dust and debris fell from the ceiling, and in an instant, the mage quickly reacted.

"Barrier!" the mage shouted, raising his staff and creating a protective shield around the group. A thick cloud of dust swept over them, and some of the guild members who weren't fast enough started coughing as the dust reached them before the barrier fully formed.

"Stay down!" Alex shouted, making sure everyone was safe inside the barrier.

As the dust slowly began to settle, one of the guild members looked around and gasped. "It's… it's fully collapsed!"

They could see the damage clearly now. The second floor had completely fallen in, and it looked like the floors above it had come down as well. Large chunks of the ceiling were scattered everywhere, blocking some of the paths ahead.

"The second floor collapsed… and it took the rest of the building down with it," Alexa said, her face serious as she surveyed the damage.

The guild members, still coughing and dusting themselves off, looked around in shock. "What do we do now? It's blocked off!" one of them asked, panicking.

"Calm down," Alex said firmly. "We'll find another way through."

One of the guild members suddenly pointed into the thick dust cloud. "Something is coming!" she shouted,

Alex and Alexa quickly turned to look, their hearts racing. As the numerous shadow began to take shape and move closer, Alexa warned everyone, "Get ready!" The guild members immediately fell into position, weapons drawn, eyes locked on the approaching figures.

As the dust cleared, a guild member shouted, "Survivors!"

Emerging from the haze was a man holding up a massive wall like an umbrella. He strained to keep it above him, and several people huddled underneath, seeking protection from the debris that had fallen.

"Quick!" he shouted, panic in his eyes. "We have to get out of here! Please don't ask! We have to hurry, or we'll die!"

Alex glanced at Alexa, and she nodded. "We need to assist them," she said, moving toward the survivors.

Alex ran to the man, reaching out to help him steady the wall. "Now let it down slowly We'll help you get the injured out!" and the man slowly let the wall his lifting down and almost fell but Alex catch him and assist to walk out.

Together, they guided the injured people quickly checking to see if anyone was hurt. The guild members worked fast, helping the weak and frightened escape the danger.

Once they were finally outside, Alexa turned to the group and said, "We'll go back in and defeat the boss!"

But the man from before stepped forward, blocking their path. "No! You can't go back in! There's a person in there handling everything. After he saved me and healed the others, he said not to let anyone else get in."

Alex felt uneasy and asked, "What does this person look like?"

The man replied, "He had short brown hair and blue eyes. At first, he used the arms of the mantises as weapons, but then he switched to a scythe. He's an incredibly skilled awakener."

Alex and Alexa exchanged glances, recognition dawning on their faces. "Seojun," they whispered in unison. They couldn't believe it. They thought there was no way he would let his mom go out alone.

As Alexa looked back at the mall, irritation crossed her face. "Damn it, Seojun! You want to live peacefully, but you're in there fighting. You'll attracting so much attention!"

Alex stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder and whisper. "Let's just take care of the aftermath, We're lucky that there's no other top rankers went here."

"I'm annoyed brother, He still keeping his secret to us."

However. Seojun stood in silence, watching as the last of the survivors made it out safely.

[They're out, host,] his system informed him.

He nodded and turned his attention to the mantis boss hovering above him.

[STATUS]

Name: Mantis Queen Boss

A-Rank (1000)

It was massive, with pure white wings and sharp limbs that gleamed in the faint light. It flew higher, moving to a more open space.

Seojun frowned teleported in front of the boss. "I don't have time for this." He lifted his scythe, dark energy swirling around its blade.

[Host, is that—]

"Yeah," Seojun interrupted with a smirk. "I want to see how it works."

The mantis boss darted toward him, its wings cutting through the air with a sharp hum. Seojun waited until the last second, then teleported right in front of it, raising his scythe.

"Dark Nova," he muttered, sending a small dark energy straight at the creature.

The mantis tried to strike him, but he dodged easily, teleporting a short distance away. The dark energy hit the mantis, but at first, nothing seemed to happen.

"So, it's delayed," Seojun murmured, watching carefully. Just as he spoke, the mantis's body began to explode, starting with one of its arms, then its wings. Piece by piece, the creature was torn apart, but it kept trying to move toward him, its broken body struggling to stay together.

Seojun sighed. "Still trying, huh?"

As the final explosion ripped through the mantis, it collapsed in a heap of twisted limbs. Seojun lowered his scythe, the dark energy around it fading away.

[That was impressive, host. You able to copy the Top 4 Ranker powerful skill]

"Yeah, It's useful and less damage than the Cursed emberstorm,"

He glanced at the ruined building behind him, the dust still settling from the earlier collapse. "Look there's a figure there!"

As Seojun watched the last pieces of the mantis fall apart, he sensed a strong presence getting closer. His eyes narrowed as he recognized the aura.

[Host, it's Kang Dae-won, the Guildmaster of Eternal Return,] his system said. [If he sees you, he will keep trying to recruit you.]

Seojun sighed and muttered, "And will ruin my peaceful life with Mom." Without wasting time, he teleported away, disappearing before Kang Dae-won could spot him.

A few moments later, Kang Dae-won and his team appeared from the dust, walking toward the spot where Seojun had just been. Dae-won scanned the area, frowning. "Looks like he got away," he said quietly.

Before he could take another step, Alexa rushed over, her face full of anger. "What the hell, Dae-won? This is our business! Stay out of it!" She was worried that Dae-won might discover Seojun's hidden strength.

Kang Dae-won gave her a calm smile. "Relax, Alexa. I'm just cleaning up."

Alexa glared at him. "If you interfere again, I won't let it slide next time."

Alex, meanwhile, looked around, relieved that Seojun had already left. Good, he's gone, he thought.

Alex stepped forward, trying to calm things down. "Let's focus on the aftermath. We've got our own work to do."

Kang Dae-won shrugged, his eyes still lingering on the spot where Seojun had been. "Fine But if he was here, you won't be able to hide him forever."

Alexa clenched her fists but stayed quiet, turning to help her team while Kang Dae-won and his group left. The dust settled, but the tension between the two guild