Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss - Chapter 343

Chapter 343: Chapter 341: Lurker last standing
A few minutes later, the group finally crawled out of the water, gasping for breath. They had held on as long as they could, waiting for the Siphon Wraiths to lose interest and disappear. Now, the forested area near the riverbank was quiet, except for their heavy breathing.

Fumiko squeezed the water out of her hair, her soaked clothes clinging to her as she tried to catch her breath shaking her head to get rid of the last droplets.

Si-eun lay on the grass nearby, still unconscious, her face pale but breathing steadily. One of the other members knelt beside her, checking her pulse. “She’s stable,” he reported. “But she used too much mana… it’ll take time before she wakes up.”

The second-in-command stood a few feet away, his eyes scanning the remaining group. His expression hardened as he did a headcount. He turned back to Fumiko, voice heavy with frustration. “We have eleven left… we lost thirteen back there.”

Fumiko’s face darkened, and she glanced back at the water. “We need to move… if those things come back, we’re sitting ducks.”

He scoffed, rubbing his wet hair with his hand. “And with no mage and our healer out cold, we’re even worse off.”

Fumiko stood with her arms crossed, glaring at him.

“This… this is all messed up,” she muttered, voice sharp.

He stopped pacing and turned to her, eyebrows raised. “Excuse me? I’m the one keeping this group together. If it wasn’t for my orders, we’d be wiped out by now.”

Fumiko stepped forward, not backing down. “Your orders? If we had listened to me and backed down earlier, we wouldn’t have lost thirteen people!” she snapped, eyes blazing. “I told you the Siphon Wraiths were too much! But you just wanted to keep pushing forward!”

He scoffed, folding his arms. “And do what, huh? Run back with our tails between our legs? We’re here for a mission, Fumiko. We can’t just run at the first sign of trouble.”

Fumiko’s fists clenched. “This isn’t about pride! It’s about keeping people alive! And if we had taken a moment to find Mr. Han—”

The second-in-command cut her off, laughing bitterly. “Mr. Han? That kid who just popped up out of nowhere? You’re still holding out hope for him? Face it, Fumiko. He’s probably gone, He wasn’t even S-rank to begin with! Just some spoiled kid riding on Chairman’s reputation.”

Fumiko’s eyes flared with anger. “You don’t know that! He was supposed to be our mage, but you shut him out from the start! If we had just listened—”

“Enough!” he barked, pointing a finger at her. “This is not the time to play the blame game. We have eleven left. Eleven. That’s it. We push forward and finish this raid. No more distractions.”

Fumiko gritted her teeth, her eyes locked with his. “If you keep ignoring reality, we’re going to lose more than just numbers,” she warned.

He shook his head, turning away. “Fine. But if you want to go searching for that kid, do it alone. I’m not risking anyone else for a ghost.”

The heated argument was getting worse, voices raised and tension rising. Just as it seemed like it would escalate, one of the other members quickly stepped in between Fumiko and the second-in-command, raising his hands. “Alright, alright, enough! We’re all tired. Let’s not tear each other apart.”

Another member grabbed the second-in-command by the arm, gently pulling him back. “Come on, let’s cool off. Fighting each other won’t bring anyone back.”

The second-in-command huffed but didn’t resist, letting himself be pulled away. His eyes still burned with frustration, but he stayed silent for now.

At that moment, Si-eun slowly walked up, rubbing her eyes. “Miss Fumiko… what’s gonna happen now?” she asked, her voice small and tired.

Fumiko let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of her neck. “We keep moving forward. Damn Returnees… Ms. Alexa and Sir Alex said they’ll be sending reinforcements, an—”

Before she could finish, the second-in-command’s voice boomed across the area. “Alright, listen up! It’s getting dark. We’re setting up camp here for the night! Get your tents ready, prepare food, and rest up. We need to be at full strength by morning!”

Some members nodded and started moving, unpacking their supplies and setting up small tents. Fires were lit, and a few started preparing food. The mood was heavy, but they moved with purpose, each of them knowing how important it was to stay sharp.

Fumiko glanced at Si-eun and patted her shoulder. “Get some rest, Si-eun. We’ll figure things out in the morning.”

Si-eun nodded, still looking a bit pale but determined. “I will, Miss Fumiko.”

****

Back in the cave, the floor was littered with the bodies of River Lurkers. Their slick, scaly skin glimmered under the dim light that seeped through the cracks above. Pools of dark green blood were spreading across the stone, mixing with the moisture that dripped from the cave ceiling. Some of the Lurkers were cut cleanly, their heads separated from their bodies, while others had deep slashes across their chests, their limbs twisted at odd angles.

Seojun stood calmly amidst the carnage, his white hair slightly messy but untouched by the blood around him. In his hand, the crimson dagger glowed faintly, dripping with the residue of the monsters he had just fought. His eyes were fixed forward, unblinking.

Before him loomed theleader of Lurker. It was massive—at least three times the size of the others. Its body was covered in thick, armored scales, each one glimmering with a faint blue light. Its eyes, large and bright yellow, stared back at him with a mix of fury and fear. Long tendrils dangled from its mouth, twitching and dripping with thick, green fluid.

It let out a low, rumbling hiss, its many legs clicking against the stone as it shifted its weight. Around it, several eggs were nestled in slimy webs, pulsing with a faint glow. The ground seemed to tremble slightly with each breath the creature took.