Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss

But Yoora didn't move. Her eyes locked with the beast's, and she didn't feel fear. Something deep inside her stirred—like the same emotion she felt when she first awakened, that moment when everything around her became clear. It wasn't just the fox that was growling—her heartbeat matched it. Her mana, unstable and wild, began to rise slowly.

She stared at the beast, and it stared back. Maybe it felt it too—maybe it mistook her strange mana for a challenge, or maybe it was just protecting its territory. Either way, there was no running now.

The Three-Tailed Fox growled louder, its tails flicking sharply. Suddenly, one of its tails slammed the ground—earth split open and small sharp rocks burst from below. Yoora leapt aside, pushing off the ground with quick steps, and a thin trail of dirt cut the air where she just stood.

"Yoora!" Hannah shouted.

But Yoora didn't answer. She moved again, watching the second tail glow red.

A blast of fire shot from behind the fox, swirling around like a flaming whip. Yoora rolled across the ground and narrowly avoided it, the heat grazing her shoulder. She winced, but kept going.

The third tail shimmered, and the fox summoned a wave of water that surged across the rocks like a crashing tide. Yoora raised her arms and focused her mana into her feet. She jumped, spinning sideways as the wave crashed below her.

She landed on one knee, panting.

"This guy… has full control of three affinities…" she whispered.

The fox's eyes sharpened—it saw her mana flaring, unstable but growing. It snarled and charged forward, claws glowing with a faint brown light, aiming straight for her chest.

Yoora braced herself. Her mana burst outward, thin threads of light dancing around her arms like mist. She sidestepped, grabbed the fox's fur, and tried to pull it down using its own speed, but the beast twisted in the air and landed gracefully behind her.

"You can't beat it like this!" Minseok called from afar. "You need to wear it down first!"

But Yoora wasn't trying to win. She didn't want to dominate it. She wanted to understand it.

She turned slowly, panting but standing tall.

"I'm not here to steal your home," she said aloud. "I'm not trying to tame you by force. But I know you're feeling something too. You don't have to attack out of fear."

The Three-Tailed Fox growled again, but this time it didn't attack. Its tails lowered just a little. The fire faded, and the earth under its feet stopped trembling.

Yoora closed her eyes, then let her mana flow calmly instead of wildly. It wrapped around her like soft light.

"If you don't want me," she whispered, "I'll leave."

The ground cracked beneath the force of the fox's attack, sharp rocks exploding outward as Yoora rolled across the dirt again, narrowly avoiding getting impaled. Her knees were scraped, her arms trembling, and sweat rolled down her cheeks, but she didn't stop moving.

Every time the three-tailed fox lunged, she dodged—barely. Her eyes stayed locked on his, not with fear, but with understanding. Even when her breathing got rough and her muscles ached, she refused to hurt him.

Minseok and Hannah stood not far behind, watching with worry on their faces. "Yoora…," Hannah whispered, holding Lumi close to her chest.

Minseok muttered. "She's not even trying to attack back. She's letting him use up his strength…"

Then, without warning, a black line opened in the air behind them—smooth and soundless. Seojun stepped through the rift like a shadow, his presence calming but heavy. He stood still, eyes immediately locking onto the fox and Yoora's figure.

But just then, Yoora shouted, her voice firm and full of fire. "Don't interfere, Professor! I can handle this!"

Seojun raised a brow, then slowly stepped back. "That's… a five-tailed fox," he said calmly.

Minseok blinked in confusion. "But master… it only has three tails."

Seojun explained without looking away, "The moment we entered the Beast Sanctuary, this fox sensed a mana that attracted him. Yoora's. That's why two of its tails vanished from sight—matching Yoora's strength. This creature is in a confused rage. The energy it felt… it hates it because it doesn't understand it."

He glanced at Yoora again. "This guy hates humans."

Hannah and Minseok went quiet, the air around them growing heavier.

The fox growled louder now. It launched itself again, all three tails glowing—flames from one, stones rising from another, and water spiraling from the third. It formed a triple attack, wild and fast, all aimed at Yoora like a storm of chaos.

But Yoora gritted her teeth and pushed forward, leaping sideways from the fire, ducking beneath flying rocks, and sliding across the wet ground from the wave. Her boots tore through the mud as she balanced herself and charged in close, not with her fists raised—but with her arms open.

"I know you're angry!" she yelled, her mana swirling around her like glowing threads of light. "I don't blame you!"

The fox's claws grazed her shoulder, tearing part of her sleeve, but she didn't stop.

"You think I'm like the others… you think I'll use you like a weapon… but I won't! I just—!"

The fox roared again, shaking the air. One of its tails slammed down, exploding the ground in a wide burst, sending Yoora flying back and crashing into a tree. She coughed hard, dust rising around her as she pushed herself up, shaking.

Seojun's expression tightened slightly. Even Minseok took a step forward, but Hannah grabbed his wrist. "She said not to interfere."

Yoora wiped blood from her lip and stood again. Her mana was unstable, flaring all around her in pulses of emotion—like wind swirling in all directions.

"I just… want to understand you," she said again. Her voice was softer this time, but firm. "I don't want to tame you because you're powerful. I want to bond because I saw something in you that… I can't explain."

The fox paused. Its golden eyes stared at her, and for a moment, the rage behind them flickered.

But then the rage came again—stronger, like a scream of memory. It charged. This time, Yoora didn't move to dodge.

Instead, she braced herself and wrapped her arms around herself, forcing her mana to calm, to compress inward. Then, with all the strength in her soul, she threw her arms out wide and shouted.

"Come at me with all your hate—but I won't hurt you!"

A pulse exploded from her chest. Her mana glowed like a dome around her body, soft and warm. The fox stopped right in front of her—its claws raised, but frozen.

Something inside it cracked. It saw her eyes. Not fearful. Not aggressive. Just honest.

A long breath passed.

Then… it howled. Loud, high, and painful.

Its tails began to glow, all three of them. From behind, two more flickered back into view—glowing faint purple and blue.

Minseok gasped. "Those are… lightning and spirit…"

Seojun nodded slowly. "Five affinities. Earth. Fire. Water. Lightning. Spirit. No wonder it can't understand its own heart."

The fox's power surged once more—then faded slowly, gently. Its claws lowered. Its head tilted. Then, without a sound, the ground beneath Yoora glowed. A taming circle appeared, spinning gently with symbols. The fox slowly disappeared into light.

Yoora collapsed to her knees, tears streaming from her eyes, her whole body shaking.

"I'll call you… Tarei," she whispered, barely able to speak.

Seojun stepped forward, just enough to place his hand gently on her shoulder.

"Well done," he said simply.