Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss

Nayoung stepped into the training circle Jinhyu make slowly, brushing her hair back and glancing at Jinhyu with a slight frown.

"Do we really have to do it your way?" she asked.

Jinhyu nodded calmly, tightening his gloves. "Yes. We're sparring, not rushing into battle. The goal isn't to win. It's to understand how we move. We take it slow, we learn faster."

Nayoung sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "I don't like slow. It feels boring."

"But it helps your body remember the right movements," Jinhyu replied, giving her a patient look. "One wrong habit repeated becomes a weakness later."

Nayoung rolled her eyes but then raised her fists. "Fine. You better not make me fall asleep."

They stood five meters apart, the sun casting long shadows behind them. Compared to Hannah and Yoora's intense spar, this one started almost like a dance.

Jinhyu took the first step forward, lowering his body slightly with his arms raised in front. Nayoung mirrored his stance but kept her left side angled, her eyes focused on his every move.

He moved in gently, throwing a light jab aimed at her shoulder—not fast, just enough to see her reaction.

Nayoung moved her arm up and blocked it smoothly with the side of her hand. "Too easy," she teased.

Jinhyu smirked and stepped back.

Then she took her turn. She twisted her hips slightly and pushed forward with a straight palm strike, aiming low at his ribs.

He didn't panic—he just rotated his body and caught her wrist with one hand, guiding it away before it touched him. His other hand moved like a wave and tapped her shoulder gently. "You left your right side open."

"Tch," she clicked her tongue and pulled away.

They circled again, this time closer. The fight looked simple from far away—no dust clouds, no sudden dashes—but every movement was clean, sharp, and thoughtful.

Jinhyu stepped forward again, slower this time, and tried to fake a left hook. Nayoung didn't fall for it. She ducked, slid her foot back, and used the momentum to swipe at his leg with her heel. It was graceful, almost quiet.

He lifted his leg just in time, stepping over the sweep. "Better," he said softly.

Nayoung narrowed her eyes. "Still not enough."

She moved in quickly now—but still under control—throwing two light punches, one high and one low. Jinhyu blocked the first, stepped aside, and let the second glide past his waist before responding with a light push to her shoulder to throw off her balance.

Their movements were like water—smooth and steady—but every time they touched, it was with purpose. Every block led to a counter. Every dodge opened a new angle. They were learning each other's rhythm.

Unlike the earlier fight where dirt flew and wind whipped around from heavy strikes, the ground beneath Jinhyu and Nayoung stayed still. No footprints, no heavy steps—just soft taps of movement.

Seojun watched from the side with his arms crossed, nodding slightly.

Minseok stood beside him, whispering, "It's totally different from Yoora and Hannah. But it's kind of cool…"

Back in the circle, Nayoung finally stopped and let out a breath. "Okay. This is harder than I thought…"

Jinhyu lowered his hands, sweat on his forehead. "But you didn't rush. That's progress."

Nayoung gave a tired smile. "If I turn into a turtle after this, it's your fault."

Jinhyu chuckled. "A turtle that never gets hit."

Jinhyu and Nayoung had agreed to start slow, but as the minutes turned into hours, their movements naturally began to grow faster.

At first, their steps were light and quiet. Jinhyu would throw a small jab, and Nayoung would block it. Then she would swipe at his ribs, and he would dodge calmly. Their spar looked like a practice routine—controlled and thoughtful.

But the more they moved, the more serious they became.

Nayoung's blocks became quicker. Jinhyu's footwork became sharper. The calm rhythm between them began to change.

Dust now started to stir around their feet. Not from power, but from repeated motion. Their clothes began to stick to their skin with sweat. Their breathing grew louder.

Nayoung was the first to break rhythm. She dashed forward and threw a fast left hook. Jinhyu raised his arm to block it, but she followed with a low sweep kick, forcing him to jump back.

He landed lightly and rushed in with his own combo—two light punches followed by a shoulder feint. Nayoung bent to the side, barely avoiding a strike, and pushed off her back foot to counter with a spinning kick.

"Whoa," Minseok whispered from the side, eyes wide.

He was sitting on a flat stone, resting from his earlier gravity training. But now he stood up slowly, watching closely.

"That movement… the way she twisted her body before kicking," he muttered, mimicking Nayoung's spin in slow motion. He stumbled a bit at the end but smiled to himself.

On the field, Jinhyu and Nayoung kept going.

They weren't moving at full speed like Yoora and Hannah did, but their spar had a rhythm that grew tighter and sharper with every exchange. Their bodies were learning each other.

A step forward. A low punch.

Block.

Counter.

A dodge, then a push.

A kick from the side, blocked by a raised knee.

Another twist, a low strike to the leg, met with a sidestep and a palm strike to the shoulder.

Over time, their moves began to feel heavier—not because they were using more strength, but because of the pressure from the gravity. Seojun's ethereal ground had a special weight to it, and the longer they fought, the more it pressed down on their bodies.

Jinhyu's arms began to drop lower between each exchange. His breath came slower. His sweat dripped from his chin.

Nayoung panted heavily and rolled her neck. "You... getting tired?" she asked.

"Yeah," Jinhyu answered honestly. "Feels like I've been carrying rocks on my shoulders."

"It's the gravity. It gets worse the longer we stay," Nayoung said, wiping her forehead.

Still, neither of them stepped back.

Another round began.

This time, Nayoung used her speed. She dashed in and tried to throw a quick double jab, but her arm felt heavier than before. Jinhyu caught the second jab and twisted her wrist gently, trying to flip her off balance.

But Nayoung rolled with the twist, lowering herself and sweeping a leg toward Jinhyu's ankle.

He hopped over it and came down with a light elbow strike toward her back—but Nayoung spun, raised her forearm, and blocked it just in time.

"Nice," Jinhyu whispered between breaths.

They separated again, both tired, both sweating, both barely standing.

Behind them, Minseok practiced again—this time trying to copy Jinhyu's low block. His movement was awkward, but he adjusted his feet the way Jinhyu did. Then he copied Nayoung's palm push with less power but the same angle.

He moved again—block, then push—trying to feel the momentum flow through his legs. He wobbled but kept trying.

"Minseok," Seojun said quietly nearby. "Keep going. That's how it starts."

Minseok turned, surprised. "Professor, I… I know I look clumsy—"

"No," Seojun shook his head. "Your eyes are watching, your body is learning. That's good."

Back in the training circle, Jinhyu and Nayoung continued, though now their movements were slower again—not because they wanted to, but because they were exhausted.

Every strike now had weight.

Every step was heavy.

They didn't even talk anymore—just moved, blocked, breathed.

The sun above shifted slowly across the sky, shadows growing longer.

Seojun glanced up.

"Enough," he finally said.

Nayoung dropped her arms and fell to her knees. Jinhyu leaned over, his hands on his thighs, gasping for air.

"That… was insane…" Nayoung muttered.

"We didn't even hit hard…" Jinhyu said, chuckling between breaths.

"But it felt like we fought for a week."

Seojun walked toward them and nodded. "That was the goal. Your control improved. Your endurance stretched. You both did well."

Minseok clapped softly from the side. "You guys looked so cool!"

Jinhyu gave a tired thumbs-up.

Nayoung just laid on the ground. "Wake me up next week."