Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss

Chapter 172: Chapter 172:Not a weakling

Seoyang smiled at John and then turned to Seojun. "You two can talk for a bit. I'll be in the kitchen," she said, giving them some privacy.

Once they were alone, John looked at Seojun with a friendly smile. "I appreciate you accepting me. Just so you know, I'm just a weak awakener," he admitted.

Seojun nodded, trying to gauge John's character. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a keychain. It looked ordinary, but it had a special ability. "Here, I want you to have this," Seojun said, handing it to John.

John accepted the keychain with a confused expression. "Thanks! But what does it do?"

"It's just a good luck charm," Seojun replied casually, though he knew it emitted a dark aura if someone was evil or couldn't be trusted. But it didn't emit anything at all in this case. Seojun felt reassured; John could be trusted.

[Host, let me run some info about him.]

"No, let it be, System. I'm looking forward to what Mom and this guy will reveal," Seojun said, his curiosity piqued.

As night fell, John said his goodbyes, and Seoyang beamed with happiness. She couldn't help but hug Seojun tightly.

"I'm so glad you accepted John," she said, her voice filled with emotion.

Seojun smiled back at his mom, feeling a warm glow in his chest. "Whenever you go out, Mom, I'll always be here. If you're in danger, just call me," he said as he slipped the bracelet onto her wrist.

"Thank you, Seojun." Seoyang replied, touched by her son's thoughtfulness.

That evening, before they went to bed, Seojun handed his mom the bracelet he had bought. "Don't ever take this off, okay, Mom?" he said gently.

Seoyang smiled warmly at him and nodded. "I won't, Seojun. Thank you," she replied, her eyes full of affection.

A few days passed, and John started visiting more frequently. It was clear to Seojun that his mom wanted him to be closer to John, but Seojun still kept a bit of distance, unsure of how to feel. Today, they were by a peaceful lake, fishing, which had been Seoyang's request.

Seojun cast his line into the water, sitting quietly as the sun glistened on the lake's surface. John, sitting nearby, pointed out into the water.

"If you catch a Goldenfin Pike, it's delicious. You should really try it if you ever get the chance," he said with a smile, trying to make conversation.

Seojun gave a small nod, still keeping his responses short. But as luck would have it, his line suddenly jerked, and Seojun expertly reeled in a fish. To his surprise, it was a large one, struggling on the line.

Seoyang, who had been watching from the side, beamed with pride. "Well done, Seojun! You're a natural!" she praised, clapping her hands.

Seojun gave a small smile, happy to see his mom so excited, though he still felt unsure about John. For now, he focused on the simple joy of fishing with his mom and the peaceful surroundings.

As he reeled in another fish, both his and Seoyang's phones suddenly vibrated. They checked them and saw a warning—another dungeon had appeared nearby.

Dungeons had been popping up more frequently lately, which worried Seoyang and John. They exchanged concerned glances, though Seojun remained calm, continuing to fish as if nothing had happened.

Seoyang excused herself, stepping away for a moment to make a call. Seojun stayed seated, watching the ripples on the lake's surface. After a few moments, he spoke up, breaking the silence.

"I'm planning to take a vet license," Seojun said casually, keeping his eyes on the water.

John smiled and nodded. "Yeah, Seoyang told me. So, you're going to study soon?"

Seojun gave a slight nod. "Since I'll be away for a while, I'm trusting you to take care of Mom, right?" he asked, his voice calm but his gaze fixed on the lake.

John was quiet for a moment, understanding the weight behind Seojun's words.

"Of course, you can trust me. I'll look after her," John said with a serious tone, meeting Seojun's calm but watchful expression.

Seojun didn't reply right away, just gave a slight nod, as if that was enough for now. The peaceful sound of the lake filled the silence again as they returned to fishing.

Meanwhile, Seoyang walked a bit farther from the lake, answering the call with a sigh.

"When are you coming back? If we didn't talk to Shaun, we wouldn't have known you were in Korea," a man's voice came through her phone, sounding frustrated.

Seoyang reached up, plucking leaves from a tree, and replied, "I don't know yet. I think... I'll be staying here for a while."

"What? You can't just decide that on your own! What about your position? The wave is approaching and you need to be here!" the man insisted, his voice growing more urgent.

"I'm sorry, I can't," Seoyang said quietly.

"What do you mean, you can't?" the man asked, confusion lacing his words.

Before she could answer, Seoyang heard a rustling sound in the bushes nearby. Turning her head, she froze. Emerging from the undergrowth was a giant ant—its entire body a bright, angry red, with large, snapping mandibles.

The creature was as tall as her waist, its many legs scuttling across the ground. The ant's hard, gleaming exoskeleton shimmered in the light, and its eyes seemed to glint with hostility.

"Hey! Are you okay? Why aren't you answering?" the voice on the phone asked, but Seoyang's focus was entirely on the monster before her.

A status window appeared in front of her, The Global System automatically show the monsters they encountering status.

[Status Notification]

Name: Scarlet Soldier Ant

Type: Monster

Rank: C

Threat Level: Moderate

The Scarlet Soldier Ant screeched loudly, its mandibles clicking together as it rushed toward her and eyes focused on the approaching threat.

[What the! I can hear the Soldier Ant screech, where the hell are you?!]

Seoyang calmly waved her hand as the Scarlet Soldier Ant lunged at her. Instead of dodging, she made a small motion with her fingers, and in an instant, the ant's body split cleanly in two, passing by her harmlessly. She didn't even blink as the two halves of the ant thudded to the ground behind her.

Hearing a rustle in the nearby bushes, Seoyang glanced toward the sound