Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss-Chapter 463 - 461: All here

The large monitor in the Global News Studio flickered once, then twice, before the signal finally snapped into focus.

A staff member sitting closest to the feed blinked in surprise and suddenly stood up, nearly knocking over his chair.

"We have a signal! It’s them—it’s Stage Two!"

A woman in a headset grabbed her microphone. "Air it live! RIGHT NOW!" she shouted into the newsroom intercom. "Push the feed to Channel One and Global Stream!"

Red lights blinked across the studio as all screens flipped to the returning broadcast. Technicians scrambled to adjust audio and brightness while a producer yelled from the control booth, "Go, go, go! The world’s been waiting—don’t screw this up!"

And across cities, towns, and villages... televisions flickered to life on their own. Phones buzzed with alerts. Cafés filled with whispers and gasps. Restaurants went quiet. In homes, people dropped spoons, chopsticks, mugs.

Families who had been quietly eating dinner ran to their living rooms. Children pointed at the screen shouting, "They’re back! It’s the broadcast!"

And then—there she was.

The camera zoomed in on Lauren Hamilton, standing beside the news anchor, a field of resting guild members behind her.

In a quiet home in Seoul, the screen lit up the face of Jonathan. His eyes widened. He sat on the living room couch, motionless, not even blinking.

In his lap, Ahye, their youngest daughter, was fast asleep, hugging her favorite stuffed rabbit tightly, her tiny hand curled against his chest. She had cried herself to sleep just an hour ago, worried because her mother had vanished her side.

Jonathan slowly reached for the remote, turning the volume higher—but not too loud, so as not to wake her. His eyes stayed glued to the screen. His chest rose with a heavy breath.

The anchor was speaking:

"—and with us now is Lauren Hamilton, who appeared during the beginning of Stage Two and has since helped defend the kingdom during what participants are calling the ’Dragon War.’ Yes, dragons. And not just onedozens. Possibly more."

The anchor stepped slightly aside, and Lauren looked directly at the camera. Her face soft And Jonathan... finally... exhaled.

"She’s okay..." he whispered, aching wave of relief that made him sink deeper into the couch, one hand gently brushing Ahye’s soft hair.

On-screen, Lauren’s voice reached him like it was meant only for him.

"To my husband... to my children... I’m safe. Don’t worry about me. I’m helping however I can. "

Ahye stirred slightly in her sleep, then murmured, "Mommy?..."

Jonathan covered his mouth, then smiled as he whispered with a shaky voice, "She’s okay, sweetheart... Mommy’s okay."

The anchor’s voice returned.

"You heard it here first. Lauren Hamilton is alive and contributing from inside Stage Two, where guilds continue to protect a kingdom called Solaria from magical threats. And it seems... the battle is far from over."

___________________________

Footsteps echoed along the stone floor as Nathan and Elshienne walked side by side, their uniforms neat, their pace calm—but around them, the air was anything but quiet.

Clusters of students stood in circles, leaning in close, their voices filled with excitement, worry, and curiosity.

"Did you watch the live broadcast last night?"

"Of course! I barely slept!"

"Stage Two looks like a real kingdom."

"I swear, it looks just like Ethereal Online!"

Nathan’s ears twitched slightly at the mention of the game. Elshienne glanced sideways at him, noticing the same quiet expression he always wore.

"In Ethereal, the dragons were cruel, right?"

"Yeah! They wiped out villages, burned forests..."

"Do you think Stage Two are really inside the game’s world?"

"I mean, dragons don’t exist in our world..."

Nathan kept walking, not saying a word. Elshienne tilted her head up at him and smiled gently. "It’s getting noisy lately, huh?"

Nathan only nodded once.

More students passed by them, still whispering.

"That’s insane. That means all those top guilds are basically... stuck in a war."

"Do you think they’ll come back?"

"What if they can’t?"

Elshienne’s smile faded a little as she heard that. But she quickly reached for Nathan’s hand, squeezing it lightly.

"They’ll be fine, Right?" she said softly, as if trying to convince both him and herself.

"Mom is strong and Seojun is in there, Don’t listen to them." Elshienne sigh and smile.

As the school bell rang softly from a distance, Nathan and Elshienne reached the central path that split the Awakeners’ building from the Unawakeners’ building.

Elshienne turned toward the left path and smiled brightly.

"See you later, Nathan."

Nathan nodded quietly, watching her go.

She ran lightly, her long ponytail bouncing behind her, and just before she reached the building doors, Nathan paused, his eyes following her steps. He stood still until he saw her safely enter the front doors.

Inside, Elshienne scanned the hall, and her eyes lit up when she spotted a familiar back up ahead.

"Sion!"

She ran a bit, catching up beside him with a cheerful wave. He blinked and gave her a faint smile.

"You’re early today."

"You too"

Nathan then turned and headed to the Awakeners’ building without a word. His steps were quiet but steady. As he entered the main corridor, a familiar set of voices greeted him warmly.

"Good morning, Nathan!" It was Nayoung, her usual cheerful tone leading the group.

Beside her were Minseok, Jinhyu, and Hannah who waved or smiled at him.

Areum stayed silent, crossing her arms, while Yoora just gave a glance and looked away again. Nathan nodded once in acknowledgment as usual.

The group walked together down the hallway, chatting idly—mostly Nayoung and Hannah doing the talking, with the others listening or replying here and there.

As they reached their classroom door, the laughter and footfalls faded for a moment.

Unseen by them, in a hallway corner just past the glass windows, a shadow flickered. A figure in dark clothes appeared briefly behind one of the pillars, eyes watching with sharp focus.

"They’re all here," the person muttered under their breath, almost too quietly to hear.

The figure gave a single nod to no one in particular, as if confirming something—then vanished, disappearing down the side hall like a passing wind.

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