Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss - Chapter 481

481: Chapter 479: I don”™t understand what”™s going on.

481: Chapter 479: I don”™t understand what”™s going on.

Earlier…

Dayanara moved through the forest, her eyes scanning every shadow, every flicker of movement between the twisted trees.

She reached behind her back, pulling out two sticks one in each hand.

Her breathing was steady, but her ears were sharp, tracking every rustle and distant snap of a branch.

She had been in enough dangerous zones to know that the deadliest things were not always the loudest.

Then she froze.

Somewhere ahead, faint but clear, came the sound of a child crying.

A small, hiccuping sob.

Dayanara’s brows furrowed.

“…What the hell?” she muttered under her breath.

She followed the sound, weaving between the gnarled trunks until she came upon a strange sight.

a little boy, no older than five, sitting on the damp ground beneath a crooked tree.

His knees were pulled to his chest, his face buried in his arms.

“Kiddo,” Dayanara called softly, keeping her tone gentle, “are you alone?” The boy lifted his head slowly.

His round face was streaked with tears, and his small voice trembled as he spoke.

“M-My mom left me…” His words broke into loud, uncontrolled sobs.

Dayanara’s eyes darted around, a flicker of tension crossing her face.

That kind of noise was a death sentence here , monsters would be drawn to it like moths to flame.

She cursed under her breath, rushing forward and kneeling in front of him.

“Shhh,” she said, one hand gently covering his mouth while the other rested lightly on the back of his head.

“Hey, don’t cry so loud.

You’re okay now, alright?

I got you.” The boy’s small body trembled against her.

Dayanara kept her voice steady, crouching down so her eyes were level with his.

“Hey, look at me,” she said softly, moving her hand from his mouth to cup his cheek.

“Your mom didn’t leave you, okay?

I’m sure she’s just… somewhere close.

We’ll find her together.” The boy sniffled, wiping his nose with the back of his small hand.

“Y-You promise?” “Promise,” Dayanara nodded, giving him a faint, reassuring smile.

“And you know something about me, kiddo?

I don’t break promises.” She stood, brushing dirt from her knee, and held out her hand to him.

“Come on.

Hold tight and don’t let go, no matter what.” The boy hesitated, then slid his tiny hand into hers.

His fingers were cold, almost too cold for someone alive, but Dayanara pushed that thought away.

He was just scared, she told herself.

Just scared and alone.

“We’ll get you back to your mom,” she said again, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

“She’s probably worried sick about you.” The boy looked up at her through tear-streaked lashes.

“You… you really think she misses me?” Dayanara forced a light chuckle.

“Kid, if I was your mom, I’d be losing my mind right now.

So yeah, she misses you.

A lot.” The boy’s lip trembled, but his crying quieted into soft sniffles as they began to walk through the forest together.

Dayanara kept him close, scanning the trees for any sign of movement.

Dayanara’s grip on her sticks tightened when a low grumble echoed nearby.

She instantly stepped forward, pushing the boy behind her, scanning the trees with narrowed eyes.

Her shoulders tensed, waiting for the attack that never came.

Nothing moved, No branches snapped and No shadows shifted.

Then, a small tug on her clothes made her glance back.

The boy stood there with a flushed face, looking like he wanted to say something but couldn’t.

“Sister… it’s… my stomach,” he murmured, voice barely above a whisper.

Dayanara blinked, then crouched down to his level.

“Are you hungry?” The boy’s head dipped in a tiny nod, but his gaze darted away, embarrassed.

A small smile softened Dayanara’s features.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” she said lightly.

Her eyes swept the surroundings until they landed on a nearby tree heavy with ripe, reddish-gold fruit.

“Stay here,” she told him, her voice firm but gentle.

Without waiting for an answer, she strode to the tree, gripped the trunk, and began to climb.

The branches swayed as she reached for the highest, ripest fruits.

She plucked several, holding them carefully in one arm before making her way down.

When her boots hit the ground, she pulled one fruit free, took a testing bite, and chewed thoughtfully.

After a pause, she gave a small nod.

“Alright.

Safe to eat.” She held the fruit out to the boy.

He accepted it with both hands, still shy, and took a small bite.

Dayanara sat cross-legged on the forest floor beside him, She bit into another fruit herself, keeping one hand free, still gripping one of her sticks just in case.

Dayanara studied the boy as she ate, her eyes narrowing slightly.

‘How did he get here?’ This forest wasn’t the kind of place a five-year-old should wander into, not unless someone had put him here on purpose.

She tilted her head, softening her tone.

“I’m Dayanara.

What’s your name, hmm?” The boy glanced at her from beneath messy bangs, then returned to chewing the fruit.

His small voice was muffled between bites.

“…Mist.” “Mist?” Dayanara repeated, He gave a small nod, still focused on the fruit in his hands, juice dribbling down his chin.

Dayanara reached out, wiping it away with her sleeve.

“Alright, Mist.

Let’s get you out of here and back to your mother.” Dayanara and Mist kept walking, The boy stayed close to her side, his small hand brushing against hers every so often.

Then, faint at first but growing clearer, a voice broke through the rustling of leaves.

“Mist!

Baby!

Where are you?!” Mist’s head shot up, his wide eyes filling with light.

Dayanara froze for a second before looking down at him.

“It’s your mom.” she said with a small smile, crouching to scoop him into her arms.

Mist clung to her neck, his tiny arms squeezing tightly as she broke into a run toward the sound.

“Mama!” Mist shouted back, his voice cracking with excitement.

The voice grew louder, frantic.

“Mist!

Stay where you are!

Mama’s here!” Branches whipped past as Dayanara pushed forward, her boots crunching over fallen twigs.

Then she spotted her, A woman in a torn dress, eyes frantic, stumbling through the undergrowth… walking straight ahead without looking down.

Dayanara’s blood ran cold.

Just beyond the woman’s next step yawned a cliff, the drop hidden by a thin veil of mist.

“Mam, stop!” Dayanara shouted, her voice sharp.

The woman didn’t slow, didn’t even glance in her direction.

She kept moving, her foot already hovering over the edge.

Dayanara’s instincts kicked in.

She gently set Mist down on the ground.

“Stay here!” In a blur, she sprinted forward.

The woman’s heel slipped over empty air but Dayanara’s hand shot out, gripping her wrist just in time.

The woman gasped, her body jerking as Dayanara dug her heels into the dirt, muscles straining.

“I’ve got you!” Dayanara grunted, pulling with all her strength until the woman tumbled safely back onto solid ground.

The woman clutched her chest, gasping for air.

“Mama!” Mist’s small feet pounded against the dirt as he ran straight into his mother’s arms.

She caught him, holding him so tightly it seemed she feared he might vanish if she let go.

The boy buried his face into her neck, sobbing, and soon the woman’s own tears began to fall.

Dayanara sat back slightly, watching the embrace.  But then a thought crept into her mind, one she couldn’t push away no matter how much she tried.

I… don’t understand what’s going on.