Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss
Chapter 460 - 458: Taking advantage

Back on Earth, chaos was building.

The main Global Broadcasting Center, located in Seoul, was still in a panic. Inside the massive studio room, red lights blinked above the control panels, and voices overlapped as producers, tech teams, and managers scrambled to get the feed back.

"Did we lose the connection again?!"

"It's not just the camera—it's everything! No audio, no signal, no data!"

"What about satellite feed? Anything from the drone cams?"

"Nothing. All went down the moment the arrows came from the ground and that purple smoke exploded—then static. It just… vanished."

Inside the main news desk, anchors sat frozen, staring at the black screen behind them where the broadcast had gone silent minutes ago. A map of the kingdom had once been displayed there. Now, only a flickering NO SIGNAL warning was seen.

Phones were ringing off the hook.

Outside the studio building, crowds were starting to form, waving signs and shouting.

"WHERE'S MY DAUGHTER?!"

"My son is in Vortex Guild! What happened?!"

"Did they all die?! ANSWER US!"

Inside the building, the receptionist was overwhelmed.

"Yes sir—yes ma'am—we're trying to contact the field team now—please calm down!"

Back in the broadcast room, the executive producer slammed a folder on the desk.

"Call the anchor team again! Use all backup channels—satellite, radio frequency, even magical relay if it works! I don't care, get me anything!"

"But sir! There's no signal from the island. It's like it's… blocked."

A young intern stared at the screen with wide eyes.

"Do you think they're still alive?"

Silence fell for a moment.

Then the assistant director whispered, "They better be. The whole world is watching."

News anchors straightened up as they were told to go live again.

"Standby," the floor manager said, counting down.

"Three… two… one…"

The lead anchorwoman, her voice a bit shaky but composed, began speaking:

"This is Global Channel 7. We have lost contact with our anchor and the entire camera crew inside Stage Two. At this moment, we are doing everything we can to re-establish connection. We ask for your patience. Our prayers go to the guild members and the civilians currently inside the second stage."

As she paused, phones still rang nonstop.

Another shout echoed from outside the building:

"We need answers!"

________________________

Inside the Korean Awakening Association, tension ran high as red emergency lights blinked slowly above the command center, boots rushing across tiled floors, and voices talking over one another. The big screen at the center wall displayed a live map of Korea, and on it, red and yellow markers blinked over major cities.

Alex Ford stood still with arms crossed in front of the blinking map.

An agent approached, holding a tablet, her voice sharp but respectful. "Sir, new report just came in—this morning,"

Alex turned his head slightly, signaling her to continue.

"There were at least three incidents of fake recruiters earlier today. One was in Busan, another in Incheon, and the third near Gangnam. They were claiming they could 'bring loved ones back from Stage Two' if families handed over cash, high-grade mana stones, or rare relics."

Alex's jaw tensed. "They're getting bolder," he muttered.

The agent nodded grimly. "They even used stolen IDs and fake badges from disbanded guilds. One victim said the recruiter showed a forged video call, supposedly from her missing brother, asking her to 'pay the price to pull him out.' She believed it… until she noticed her brother blinking unnaturally. We suspect AI-generated fakes."

Alex closed his eyes for a moment, then turned toward the larger operations team gathered nearby.

"This is what happens when chaos spreads," he said firmly. "With so many high-rankers in Stage Two, even awakened criminals are starting to show up again."

Another senior officer stepped forward, voice low. "Sir, we're also seeing a surge in underground awakened gatherings. Small cells, black market deals, illegal awakeners' auctions—all resurfacing. Some are ex-guild members, others are mercenaries. They know we're short on High Ranks right now."

Alex's hands tightened into fists at his sides. "We can't let Korea fall apart while the guilds are inside Stage Two."

He stepped forward, picking up the broadcast mic that connected to all field and city branch units.

His voice rang out across the channels, "This is Alex Ford. Today, more than ever, I need every awakened agent and every regional commander alert and active. Anyone spreading false hope, promising miracles for money, or claiming they can break into Stage Two—arrest them on sight. No negotiations."

He continued, his voice rising slightly with calm anger. "Anyone taking advantage of grieving families will be punished. Anyone pretending to represent the Association, selling fake 'rescue stones' or 'dimensional scrolls'—we're coming for them. And awakened criminals who think now is the time to return? You've made a mistake."

There was a brief pause as the room listened.

"We hold the line," Alex said. "Until they return,"

He clicked the mic off.In that moment, the officers around him saluted and turned back to their stations. Operations moved quickly. Names of suspects flashed across the monitors. Surveillance drones deployed. The underground awakened activity was now a priority.

Alex walked to the window, staring out at Seoul. 'I hope Alexa will figure it out,'

_____________________

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed across the narrow city street, mixed with shouting and the static from police comms in the air. Two men in long black coats dashed across the crosswalk, dodging honking cars as their boots slammed against the wet pavement.

Behind them, three Awakened Enforcers, dressed in tactical gear with glowing blue armbands, gave chase with focused eyes and weapons ready.

"Stop! You're under arrest for illegal recruitment and fraud!" one shouted, but the criminals didn't look back. They knew they were outnumbered—but not outmatched. Not yet.

The two men made a sharp turn into a narrow alley, the shadows there swallowing them from view.

The lead Enforcer slowed down, signaling to the others with two fingers. "Don't lose them," he said under his breath. They split up, flanking the alley entrance.

But the criminals had already reached a corner where the buildings tightened, and one of them, the taller man with a snake tattoo on his neck, bent down and slammed his palm onto the asphalt.

"Here," he whispered. A black mist surged out like smoke, and a shadow gate appeared beneath them.

Without hesitation, the two men jumped into the swirling darkness. The ground swallowed them whole, and the alley fell silent once more.

When they emerged again, it was not on the surface.

A dull green light flickered above their heads as they landed with soft thuds on a rusted metal platform inside a massive underground warehouse. The air smelled like dust, sweat, and something burnt. All around them were crates, stacked relics, glowing mana stones, and old guild banners—stolen or smuggled.

But what stood out more were the people.

Dozens of them. Awakened criminals, rogue mercenaries, former guild hunters who had vanished after the collapse of minor guilds. Some leaned against broken pillars, others sharpened their weapons or counted stolen relics under the dim light.

The moment the two newcomers arrived, a few people looked up.

"You're late," a woman with silver braids said from a wooden crate, flipping a dagger in her hand. "Did you bring the cash?"

"Barely made it. Police almost got us," the snake-tattooed man replied, panting. "That shadow mark you gave us saved our lives."

"Good."

There were murmurs of agreement.

"Tomorrow," he continued, "we hit three more targets. Two relic shops in Daegu, and the Association's outpost in Suwon. Take only what's valuable. Leave no witnesses."

The criminals began preparing.