Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss

But then, as they neared the surface, something unexpected happened.

As they emerged from the water, gasping for air, one of them caught sight of the villagers. It was a distant silhouette at first, but as they swam closer, they saw the village chief, kneeling by the shore.

He was praying, his hands clasped in front of him, his face turned upward, as though giving thanks.

"Help! Please, help us!" the party member screamed as he floundered toward the shore, his voice hoarse with panic. He reached out to the village chief, his mind racing with confusion.

The village chief didn't move. He didn't even look up.

"Help! We need help! The monster—!" the man screamed again, but his words were cut off when he realized something.

The village chief was not responding because he didn't intend to help them.

As the party members scrambled out of the water, one by one, they finally understood the horrifying truth. The village didn't need them to eliminate the monster—they were the ones meant to be sacrificed.

The realization hit them all at once. "They wanted us to be food..." one of the survivors whispered, his voice trembling. "We were never meant to fight the monster. We were meant to feed it."

The party members, now fully aware of the village chief's betrayal, felt a surge of anger course through them. They were not just helpless victims—they were awakeners. They had powers, skills, and abilities that could still be used to fight back.

As the realization hit them, the fear that had gripped their hearts turned into something else—determination.

"Fight back!" one of the party members shouted, his voice filled with fury. "We're awakeners! We don't just die here!"

Immediately, the group snapped into action, summoning their abilities. One of the party members, a water-type awakener, formed a protective shield of water around them, keeping the creature at bay for a moment. The others quickly followed suit, using their powers to prepare for the coming battle.

A fire-type awakener ignited the air around him, his flames crackling with intensity. He hurled a stream of fire into the dark water, lighting up the depths below. For a moment, they saw it—the silhouette of the monstrous sea creature moving swiftly in the water, its massive, humanoid form slicing through the sea with terrifying speed. The fire hit its scales, but it seemed unaffected, the creature merely turning its attention toward them with a chilling, inhuman gaze.

"That thing is tough!" another party member yelled, his voice strained. "It's no normal sea creature!"

"Keep fighting!" shouted the leader of the party, a skilled sword-type awakener. He drew his blade, its edge glowing with energy, and leaped into the water, hoping to strike at the creature.

The creature retaliated, lunging toward the party with lightning speed. One of the party members, a wind-type awakener, sent a blast of wind to try and push it back, but the creature was relentless. It slammed into them, knocking a few members off their feet and into the water.

"We can't just keep dodging!" the fire-type awakener yelled, trying to push the creature away with more flame, but it didn't seem to be enough. The sea monster seemed to be made of some otherworldly, unyielding material. "We need to take it down now!"

Despite the monster's overwhelming strength, the party continued to fight back, their powers clashing with the sea beast. The water-type awakener summoned a massive whirlpool around the creature, attempting to trap it, but the monster surged forward, breaking free of the currents with terrifying ease.

"Get to the surface!" the leader ordered. "We need to regroup!"

They scrambled to make their way back to the surface, hoping to regroup and plan their next move. They could feel their strength fading with each passing second, but they knew they had to push through.

"Hurry! Fighting underwater is advantage to them!" the leader shouted over the chaos. But as they tried to swim towards the shore, a horrifying realization struck.

One of the party members—Jin, a close friend to many—had been separated from the group during the fight. He had fallen behind while trying to fend off the creature, and now, with panic in his voice, they could hear his desperate cry.

"Why isn't this creature showing up in the system?!" Jin shouted. His voice trembled as he fought to keep his head above water. "What the hell is this thing?! Why is the system not appraising it?!"

The party could hear his panic as he struggled to keep afloat, fighting against the current that the sea monster had created. They could see him, but he was too far away to help. The creature was closing in on him fast.

"Jin!" the fire-type awakener yelled, but it was too late. The creature surged from the depths, its large, clawed hands reaching for Jin.

The system—the one that had always provided crucial information about their enemies—was silent. No appraisal. No data. Nothing.

In the chaos, a strange, eerie silence fell over the party. Jin's cries echoed in their ears as the creature struck.

"Jin!" the leader screamed one last time, but it was pointless. Jin was dragged underwater, and the rest of the group could only watch, helpless.

The system finally activated, but its message was... useless.

They barely made it to the surface when it struck again. One by one, the party members screamed as the sea monster tore into them, dragging them back beneath the water. The leaders fought back with everything they had, but they couldn't stop the onslaught. Their powers—powers that had always been enough to protect them—seemed useless against this horrifying creature.

"Why... why can't we fight back?" one of them gasped, his voice full of disbelief. "This thing...!"

The creature's force was overwhelming. It grabbed them, pulling them under, despite their resistance. One by one, they were dragged into the depths, their limbs flailing as they struggled to break free.

The last one to go under was the leader. As he sank deeper, his vision blurred with the saltwater, his breath running out. The last thing he saw was the dark silhouette of the sea monster, its eyes gleaming as it pulled him into the abyss.

No one was left. No one survived.

On the shore, the villagers stood quietly, their expressions stoic. They watched the water, knowing the party had met their end. The village head, kneeling and praying earlier, now stood up slowly, nodding as the last of the party disappeared under the waves.

"It's done," the village head muttered, "The gods have spoken. They are happy to the food we gave"