Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss

Seojun standing beside Nathan and Elshienne, noticed how tired they were. Without saying much, he reached into his bag and handed them a bottle of water. "Here, take this," he offered quietly.

Nathan gratefully took the bottle, unscrewing the cap and taking a long gulp of water. Elshienne followed suit, though she still seemed a little reluctant to take it from Seojun. After a moment, she accepted the water and drank, her tired eyes still wary.

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"Thanks," Nathan said with a slight nod.

But Elshienne, always quick to speak her mind, added, "Don't think this means we like you just because you gave us water." She gave Seojun a half-hearted glare, though there was no real malice in her tone.

Seojun just stood there, his arms crossed, watching them. "I won't force you two to like me," he said with a small smile, his tone calm and even.

The group fell into a brief, awkward silence as they continued walking. Seojun, Soyang, Ahye, and John were ahead, scanning the area and enjoying the scenery. Seojun, despite being around them for a while now, still felt a little distant. He had his reasons, but he wasn't going to force anything on Nathan and Elshienne.

Suddenly, a burst of laughter broke the silence. Nathan and Elshienne turned their heads toward the sound, their expressions turning confused and then annoyed. A group of tourists around their age was standing nearby, laughing loudly at something.

"Look at them," one of the tourists said, pointing toward Nathan and Elshienne. "Tired from hiking already? They must be unawakened. If they were awakened, they wouldn't be struggling so much." The group of tourists laughed again, clearly mocking the two.

Nathan and Elshienne didn't say anything. They were used to these kinds of comments by now. People who didn't know them made assumptions. They'd heard it before, and they knew it wouldn't be the last time.

As they continued their hike, the mood shifted. The weight of the climb was still heavy, but Nathan and Elshienne couldn't help but smile.

"You know," Nathan said, "this place is actually better than I expected. I mean, even though we were struggling up there, a lot of people encouraged us. They didn't judge us, even though they could tell we were unawakened. They just... kept cheering us on."

Elshienne, still catching her breath from the hike, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, people were a lot kinder than I thought they would be. It felt different, you know? Like, they didn't care about whether we were awakened or not. They just wanted us to keep going."

Nathan laughed, the tension lifting from his shoulders. After resting and grabbing some food, they began heading back down the trail, a little more relaxed. The way the hikers around them had treated them, with such kindness and encouragement, had softened the blow of all the mockery they'd faced before.

Seojun, who had been walking behind them, noticed that Elshienne was slowing down again, her fatigue still showing. He didn't want to let her struggle any more, so he turned to her with a kind smile.

"Hey, do you want me to carry you? It'll be quicker that way," he offered, looking at her with concern.

But Elshienne quickly shook her head, her pride still holding strong. "No, I'm fine," she said, though it was clear from her body language that she was exhausted.

Despite her protests, she grabbed Seojun's sleeve and pulled him slightly closer. "Turn around," she said with a smirk. "It's going to be a piggyback ride, okay?"

Seojun raised an eyebrow but didn't hesitate. He turned around, squatting down slightly, letting her hop onto his back.

Nathan, who had been watching the scene, couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Hey, hey!" he exclaimed, frowning. "No way! You're carrying her now? No! Put her down! We should be going side by side in this!"

Elshienne, now comfortably on Seojun's back, stuck her tongue out at Nathan playfully. "I'm sorry, brother, but good luck with your feet!" she teased, winking at him.

Nathan could only shake his head, a resigned smile tugging at his lips. "You're unbelievable," he muttered, but the tiredness in his voice made it clear he didn't have the energy to argue further.

John, overhearing their banter, looked over at Nathan and smiled. "You want me to carry you, son?" he asked, offering the same option he had given Elshienne earlier.

Nathan froze for a second. "I'm fine," he said, quickly waving it off.

Seojun chuckled as he began walking again, Elshienne comfortably on his back. Elshienne smirked again, clearly enjoying the attention, but she didn't say anything more.

But as the hike down continued, Nathan's exhaustion started to weigh on him more and more. The earlier energy he had was quickly drained. He glanced at Seojun, who was easily carrying Elshienne without breaking a sweat. Then he looked at John, who was still walking beside him without a hint of struggle.

"You okay?" Seoyang asked him, he nodded

"It's okay big brother! accept Daddy offer!" Ahye said while Huno is walking beside her

"It's not like I need a ride. I'm just—"

But John, ever patient, simply chuckled. "Come on, it's no big deal."

Nathan took a deep breath. His pride was still fighting him, but his tired body was making the decision for him. "Fine," he muttered under his breath. "But you better not laugh at me Dad."

Without another word, John easily bent down and scooped Nathan up, his son letting out a small grunt of surprise.

Elshienne laughed out loud as she watched Nathan get carried like a child. "Well, well, look who's not so tough anymore," she teased, clearly enjoying the moment. "I never thought I'd see the day."

Nathan, cheeks flushing, crossed his arms and tried to hide his embarrassment. "Shut up, Elshienne," he mumbled, but his voice was full of resignation.

Elshienne laughed even harder, her exhaustion forgotten for the moment. "You're lucky you're my brother, otherwise I'd be teasing you all day!"