Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss

The sound finally stopped. It left behind a heavy silence, the kind that felt like the air was holding its breath.

Those who were able to stand, those whose ears were not bleeding or whose heads had not gone dizzy, slowly moved toward the ones who had collapsed.

Footsteps were shaky, and some limped, their eyes wide with fear and confusion as they looked at their fallen comrades lying scattered on the ground like broken dolls.

Dayanara stumbled forward, dropping to her knees beside a woman who had passed out.

She placed two fingers on the woman's neck and shouted so the others could hear her. "They're not dead! They're just unconscious! Don't panic!"

Others nearby began checking their guildmates and friends, and soon voices began to echo through the camp again. "She's breathing!"

"He's alive, help me lift him!"

"Get water, now!"

The Crown Prince, who had managed to cover his ears just in time, looked around the battlefield in disbelief.

Even many of his knights were on the ground, some twitching, some still unmoving.

He clenched his jaw, gripping his sword tightly, then turned when he heard a loud shout above.

Gideon was flying above again, his cloak and hair whipping in the wind as he shouted at the top of his lungs. "IT'S COMING!"

"READY YOURSELVES!" Isabella shouted as she stood, her voice strong and sharp despite the pain in her head. "STAY TOGETHER! DO NOT BREAK FORMATION!"

Alexa's heart pounded as she forced herself to stand up fully, her legs still shaky.

She turned quickly and shouted at the prince. "Your Highness! Please take our unconscious people inside the walls now! Get them to safety! Please!"

Prince Callan nodded without hesitation. "You heard her! Move them inside! All of you!"

He ran to the nearest fallen body, grabbing a man by the arm and pulling him over his shoulder. His guards, despite their dizziness, joined in, followed by other awakeners who could still move.

Lauren, still standing in the middle of the yard, raised both arms as the wind circled around her feet.

"Earth mages, prepare the stepping stones again!" she called out. "We need the high ground!"

Green light began to surround her entire body, spreading from her feet to her fingertips like flowing vines.

The stones nearby began to shake, and slowly, pieces of the earth rose into the air one by one, floating higher like leaves caught in a breeze.

The sound of wings flapping suddenly returned, and with it came shadows stretching across the fields.

Dozens of dragons appeared on the horizon once more, forming a terrifying wave in the sky, their glowing eyes fixed on the kingdom. Everyone looked up.

But Alexa, who had just climbed one of the floating platforms, froze in place.

Her eyes widened. Her breath caught in her throat.

"No…" she whispered.

Among the dragons flying toward them, leading the charge at the very front, was a massive black dragon with crimson lines along its wings, its eyes glowing a dark violet, and its presence heavy like death itself.

"It can't be…" Alexa's voice trembled as she took a step back. "Why… why is the Demon King's Dragon here?!"

Seoha and Daewon looked up in confusion, then followed her gaze.

"What do you mean the Demon King Dragon?" Seoha asked, her sword already drawn.

Alexa couldn't look away. Her hands began to shake, and she clenched them into fists.

"This dragon… it only appears during the final battle of Ethereal Online. It only awakens if the kingdom fails to stop the third wave. It should be sleeping in the cursed forest… it shouldn't be here!"

Daewon's face turned serious. "Then why is it awake?"

"I don't know," Alexa said, her heart racing.

The sky darkened again as the black dragon let out a deafening roar that shook the ground beneath them, and the dragons behind it followed, their cries sounding like the end of the world had arrived.

Gideon was floating high in the sky, his wings spread wide as he stared at the black dragon with a sharp and serious expression, "Now is the time to use our ultimates. We have no other choice."

Below him, Lee Min Joon stood on the ground, his eyes locked on the dark creature in the sky.

He looked pale, shocked, like he was seeing something from a nightmare that had somehow come to life.

"The Shadow Dragon…" he muttered under his breath. "Why… it only awakens when the Demon King rises."

Alexa, still standing on the edge of the floating stone and looked down. She saw how still he was, how his fists were clenched tightly, and how his eyes didn't blink even once.

"This is bad," Alexa whispered as a cold feeling ran down her spine.

"My shadows won't listen," Lee Min Joon suddenly said, his voice low and frustrated. "They're trembling. They won't move."

He looked down at his hands, trying to summon his familiar dark weapons, but all that came was a faint shadow that immediately vanished like smoke.

Daewon glanced at him as he gripped his hammer tightly. "Seems like your shadows are scared of that dragon," he said, not mocking but serious, understanding that this was no ordinary enemy.

Lee Min Joon didn't argue.

Instead, he ran toward the floating platforms that were now circling outward like steps toward the sky.

He moved quickly, leaping from stone to stone until he reached the same height as the others.

"That dragon…" he said through gritted teeth, "It's class is higher than my summons. Maybe even higher than all our usual enemies. I need a weapon."

Seoha then throw a sword, "That will do." Min joon catch it and nodded.

From other platforms, voices started to rise.

"We have to stop them here!"

"They must not reach the kingdom!"

"They're still far, we can push them back!"

"Protect the wall! Push them before they dive!"

One by one, the top rankers nodded, no one backing away.

Even if fear clawed at their hearts, none of them stepped down.

Together, they ran forward again, stepping over the floating stones that Lauren and the earth mages kept steady, their figures dashing across the sky, getting farther and farther from the walls of the kingdom, closer to the wide field of clouds where the dragons flew freely, roaring as they circled their leader.

The black dragon saw them approach, its massive wings lifting it slightly higher. It simply stared.

A deadly silence fell for a moment.