Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss

A loud explosion suddenly shook the air, causing the entire cabin to tremble violently. The wooden walls creaked, dust falling from the ceiling.

"What the hell was that?!" Andrew shouted, his eyes darting around as he instinctively stood up.

"The whole cabin's shaking!" Kaye cried, clutching Kyle's arm tightly.

"This isn't good—it feels like it's going to collapse!" Kyle added, his voice tense.

Andrew didn't wait. He crouched down, scooping Lila onto his back. "Let's get out of here, hurry!" he urged.

Without hesitation, they all ran outside just as the cabin let out a groaning noise, collapsing into a pile of wood and dust behind them. They shielded their faces from the debris, coughing as the dust settled.

"What is going on?!" Kyle yelled, looking around. The trembling of the forest had stopped, but the air was still heavy with tension.

Suddenly, a screen appeared in the sky, glowing brightly against the daylight. On the screen, Sir Thomas stood with a confident smile.

"Attention, everyone," he announced. "As you all know, each of you should now have two marbles. The final marble is located at the site of the explosion. If you want to find it faster, I suggest heading to where the explosion occurred. Good luck, everyone! The sun is about to set in four hours."

Kyle looked at the screen in disbelief. "Wait, We only have Four hours left? I didn't notice that"

Kaye bit her lip nervously. "And the explosion site... that must be dangerous!"

Andrew shifted Lila on his back and glanced at Seojun, who was staring silently at the screen.

"We don't have a choice," Andrew said firmly. "If that's where the last marble is, then that's where we need to go."

Lila groaned weakly. "Don't get us killed, Andrew," she muttered.

Andrew smirked despite the tension. "Hey, have a little faith, This entrance exam is not about killing."

The group exchanged glances, then turned toward the distant plume of smoke still rising from the explosion site. Their race against time had officially begun.

"Stay close," Andrew said, adjusting Lila on his back as she groaned softly.

Seojun, walking slightly ahead of them, remained silent. His sharp eyes scanned their surroundings, watching for any sign of danger.

"Do you think there'll be other groups heading there?" Kaye asked, her voice shaky.

"Of course," Kyle replied, his grip tightening on the stick he had picked up earlier. "Everyone wants that last marble."

As they pushed forward, the air grew hotter, and the smell of burnt wood filled their noses. The explosion site wasn't far now.

Suddenly, Seojun raised a hand, signaling them to stop. He crouched down, studying the ground.

"What is it?" Andrew whispered, setting Lila down carefully.

Seojun pointed to a set of fresh footprints leading toward the smoke. "Someone's ahead of us," he said, his voice calm but firm.

Kyle cursed under his breath. "Great. More competition."

Andrew glanced at the others. "We need to be careful. If it's another group, they might not be friendly."

Lila groaned, sitting up weakly. "Don't let your guard down,"

Kaye shivered at the thought but nodded. "We'll stick together. That's all we can do."

They moved again, this time slower, more cautious. The smoke grew thicker, and the trees thinned out as they approached a wide clearing. In the center of the clearing was a massive crater, still smoldering from the explosion.

At the edge of the crater stood a group of four people, all armed with weapons. They turned as soon as they heard someone's group approaching.

"Looks like we have company," one of them said, a tall man with a scar across his face. He smirked, gripping a metal pipe in his hand.

Andrew stepped forward, raising his hands. "We don't want trouble," he said firmly. "

The scarred man laughed. "Too bad for you, we got here first."

Behind him, a young woman held a glowing red marble tightly in her hand.

Kyle clenched his fists. "This isn't fair. We're all supposed to get a chance."

"Life isn't fair," the man said with a sneer. "If you want the marble, you'll have to take it from us."

The tension in the clearing was thick. Seojun stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the group.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Leave now," he said quietly. "Or regret it later."

The scarred man laughed again. "Oh? And what are you going to do about it?"

Seojun didn't reply. Instead, he shifted slightly, his presence suddenly feeling heavier. The group with the marble hesitated, sensing something dangerous about him.

Andrew glanced at Seojun, then back at the others. "We'll fight if we have to," he said, his voice steady.

The clearing grew silent, both groups ready to clash over the final marble.

The tension in the clearing grew thicker as more figures emerged from the surrounding forest. One by one, other groups stepped out, their expressions sharp and determined. Each group had their eyes fixed on the glowing marble in the woman's hand.

The scarred man holding the metal pipe clicked his tongue in frustration. "Tch. Let's go"

His group exchanged uneasy glances. The arrival of so many competitors made the situation far more dangerous. Wasting their energy on a single fight now could cost them everything.

The scarred man turned back to Andrew's group, his sneer replaced with a calculating look. "Let's go," he growled. "They're not worth it. We've got bigger problems now."

Andrew hesitated but quickly realized the man wasn't bluffing. He nodded, signaling his group to back away too.

"That's close!" Andrew muttered as they retreated into the trees. He let out a shaky breath, glancing at the others.

"Good thing they didn't attack us."

Kaye clutched Kyle's arm. "That was way too close. I thought we were done for."

Seojun, who had remained silent during the standoff, finally spoke, his tone calm but firm. "Protecting the marble is the priority."

Kyle nodded reluctantly. "He's right. But with so many groups here, it's going to be chaos."

As they regrouped a short distance away, a sudden flicker of light in the sky drew everyone's attention.

The glowing screen appeared again, and this time, the familiar face of Mr. Gideon, the overseer of the event, came into view. His confident smirk sent chills down their spines.