Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss-Chapter 231 In the Nest

A huge, armored ant suddenly shot up from the ground. Its big jaws snapped in the air, making a loud clacking sound. The thick fog made it hard to see, but its dark, hard shell shined as it moved.

The party shouted in shock, jumping back. They quickly grabbed their weapons and got into fighting stances. They focused only on the monster, forgetting about Seojun and Rio.

The fog made it even harder to see.

Seojun clicked his tongue. "This isn't a fight you should take. We need to leave now before we get surrounded."

Rio nodded frantically beside him, his voice anxious but firm. "Yeah! We should fall back—this isn't worth it!"

But the leader scoffed. "Shut it, weaklings. We're not running from a bunch of bugs!" His arrogance only grew as he turned to his party. "Get ready! We're killing these things and taking what we came for!"

Rio, still hoping they'd listen, took a step forward. "No, seriously, listen to us! You don't understand—"

Shove!

The leader pushed Rio back without a second thought, making him stumble. "Quit whining. If you're scared, just stay back and watch how real awakeners handle things!"

Seojun watched, his expression unreadable. His hand twitched slightly, resisting the urge to step in. Instead, he let out a slow breath.

"Idiots."

Then, without warning, Seojun grabbed Rio by the collar and dragged him back toward the way they came.

"W-Wait, Ji-hoon!" Rio's eyes widened in panic. "What about them?! We can't just leave them here!"

Rio struggled, trying to break free from Seojun's grip, but he couldn't.

Seojun kept walking, his voice cold. "They did this to themselves. Let them deal with the consequences." Stay updated with novelbuddy

[Yeah, right! You warned them, but they still acted like idiots! Tsk, tsk. Don't go back, Host. They deserve this.]

Rio kept struggling, his voice desperate. "Please, Ji-hoon! They need help!"

Seojun's frown deepened, his patience wearing thin.

Without warning, he threw Rio to the side.

Thud!

Rio's back hit a tree, making him grunt in pain.

Seojun's eyes were sharp and cold as he looked down at him.

"You saw how they treated you, yet you still want to go back?" His voice was filled with annoyance.

Looking at Rio now, Seojun saw a reflection of his old self—weak, bullied, and desperate for others to accept him.

And he hated it.

Rio winced, rubbing his arm, but his eyes were still full of worry for the others.

Seojun sighed, running a hand through his hair. This kid…

Rio clenched his fists, his head still spinning from being thrown. He looked up at Seojun, his eyes filled with frustration.

"So that's it? We run away and leave them?!" His voice shook, but he forced himself to keep speaking. "If we do this… doesn't that just prove how weak and cowardly we are, Ji-hoon?!"

Seojun let out a slow breath, his expression unreadable. Then, he crossed his arms and looked directly at Rio.

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

"Do you even understand why I dragged you away?" His voice was calm but firm.

Rio frowned. "Because you don't care about them?"

Seojun clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Wrong. Look at where we were standing before."

Rio turned his head slightly, confused, but then he saw it.

The ground where they had just been began to collapse, revealing deep, dark burrows beneath. The tunnels stretched far down, large enough to swallow a person whole.

Seojun's voice was steady as he explained. "The entire area was full of burrows. The ground was unstable. If we stayed even a second longer, we would have fallen into the ants' nest."

Rio's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't even noticed.

Seojun continued. "If we got caught in that… who would escape? Who would go back to report what happened?"

Rio looked back at the collapsing ground, realization sinking in.

Seojun was right. If they had stayed, they would have been trapped like the others. No one would know what happened.

His shoulders slumped, and he looked down.

"What are we going to do now?" Rio muttered, his voice quieter than before. "Are we going back?"

"I… I want to help them," Rio muttered, his voice weak but determined.

Seojun sighed, rubbing his forehead. He turned back to look at where the party had been.

What he saw made him click his tongue in annoyance.

The party had fallen into the trap—the ground had completely collapsed beneath them, dropping them into a massive underground chamber. They were unconscious, either from the fall or from the ants' attack.

Seojun knew these guys were famous for being one of the worst parties, but they still belonged to this island. If he and Rio went back alone, people would think they abandoned them. That would lead to complications—rumors, blame, and worst of all, his reputation as a Beast Doctor would be ruined.

He clicked his tongue again.

"Tch. Troublesome."

He turned to Rio, his decision already made. "Rio."

Rio looked up, confused. "Huh?"

"Sleep."

Before Rio could react, Seojun teleported behind him in an instant, his movement too fast to see. With a swift chop to the back of Rio's neck, the boy's body went limp and he fell unconscious.

Seojun caught him before he hit the ground and gently placed him against a tree. "Stay here."

Then, with a deep breath, he jumped down into the hole.

Inside the Ant Nest

The underground chamber was huge, almost like a cathedral of dirt and stone. The walls were smooth, carved out by the ants with unnatural precision. Large tunnels stretched in every direction, leading deeper into the nest.

The air was thick with a metallic scent—pheromones. The ants used it to communicate, and right now, the air was heavy with warning signals.

And there they were.

(APPRAISAL ACTIVATED)

Name: Worker Titan Devourer Ants

B-Rank Beast Type

They were massive, each one the size of a full-grown lion. Their dark-red exoskeletons gleamed under the faint bioluminescent glow from the strange moss on the walls. Their legs were thick and powerful, each step making the ground tremble slightly. Their mandibles, sharp like jagged swords, clicked together in an eerie rhythm.

And they were moving toward the unconscious party.

"Sigh… I guess I have to save these idiots."