Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss-Chapter 331 - 329: Siphon wraith

The dean rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Ah, right. What happened to the village? Were the Awakeners found?"

Alexa shook her head, her voice dropping slightly. "The Awakeners were never found. Not a single trace. The village, on the other hand, has been taken care of. Once we broke the spell, they returned to normal. But now..."

Her fingers moved across the hologram, sliding the images until one particular creature took the center. A size of thumb, insect-like being appeared, its exoskeleton gleaming pitch black under the holographic light. Its wings were transparent but edged with jagged spikes, and its eyes glowed a sickly green, pulsing with faint light. Its body was segmented, with razor-sharp legs and a stinger that looked like it could pierce through metal.

Seojun finally looked up from his book, eyes narrowing at the sight of it. The dean leaned in, examining it carefully. "What is that...?"

"This is the Siphon wraith and is different from any typical parasitic creature we've encountered. It attaches itself to the host, usually around the spine or near major mana channels. From there, it begins to siphon blood and mana slowly—not enough to kill, but enough to force the host into a coma-like state."

The dean's eyes widened. "That's not good, Body is controlled by the Siphon"

"Yes," Alexa nodded, swiping the hologram to show a diagram of the mantis latched onto a human figure. "While the host is unconscious, the siphon feeds on their mana and uses that energy to create a perfect replica of them. And I mean perfect. The copy will have the same aura signature, voice, and even basic memories—enough to pass as the original for short interactions."

The dean rubbed his temples. "That's... That's almost impossible to detect. Are there any differences? Anything we can use to identify them?"

Alexa nodded. "There are minor flaws. For one, the siphon has a shorter lifespan. It needs constant mana to sustain itself. So it'll be tired and mostly asleep. Another thing is behavior. It can mimic simple memories, but it can't fully replicate complex emotions or deep personal connections. People close to the host might notice strange behavior—like forgetting important dates, acting out of character, or even responding differently to familiar things."

The dean leaned against the table, his face pale. "And if the host dies...?"

Alexa's expression darkened. "If the host dies from within, it means the Siphon has drained all the mana and life energy, completely taking over the body. It doesn't just mimic anymore—it becomes the new owner. At that point, it's almost impossible to tell the difference. The body moves, talks, and even fights like the original, but it's entirely controlled by the Siphon."

The room went silent for a moment. The dean finally spoke, his voice heavy. "How many have been found so far?"

"Three confirmed cases," Alexa said, her tone grim. "But I suspect there are more hiding. The problem is, most people don't even know they're missing because the siphon is walking around in their place."

Seojun leaned back in his chair, eyes sharp. "Then we should expect more to appear soon."

Alexa nodded. "Exactly. That's why I'm here. We need to start running mana scans and deeper behavioral checks. These things are perfect spies, and if they get into the wrong places, it's going to be a disaster."

The dean straightened up. "I'll inform the security team immediately."

Alexa turned off the hologram and looked at both of them seriously. "If these things are here, it means something much worse is coming."

Seojun leaned back in his chair, his eyes sharp but unreadable. He watched the creature's hologram flicker in silence. "That's troublesome," he finally said, his voice low.

Alexa looked at Seojun. "You're going to have to be more careful with your class, Jihoon," she said, using his alias. "If even one of these gets inside the academy, it could be chaos."

Seojun closed his book with a soft thud. "Let them come," he said calmly. "If they come, we'll just get rid of them."

Meanwhile, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, and Yoora, Minseok, and Hannah hurried back to their class. As they walked, they turned back to Professor Sera, who was still standing by the cafeteria entrance. The three bowed politely, thanking her for the meal. Sera smiled warmly, clearly pleased. "You're welcome," she said with a wave. "Hurry back to your class before you're late."

They thanked her once more and walked away, chatting as they went. Hannah grinned as they moved through the hallway. "Isn't Professor Sera so kind? And beautiful too!" she nudged Yoora teasingly. "Hey, you're back to your shy mode, Yoora. Where's the Yoora that was all fiery and angry earlier?" ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

Yoora chuckled, shaking her head. "Hey, I'm not a war freak," she replied, crossing her arms with a playful pout.

Minseok joined in with a grin. "She doesn't mean that. Hannah meant your loud voice," he said, teasing her gently.

Yoora raised an eyebrow. "I'm not that loud though," she protested, but her words only made them laugh harder. Yoora rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile along with them.

As they walked, Hannah suddenly spotted a flower blooming near the edge of the path. She dashed forward and caught it in her hand, beaming. "Look at this flower!" she called out, holding it up for them to see.

Minseok and Yoora walked closer, but Minseok's eyes suddenly sharpened. His expression changed, and he reached out, smacking the flower out of Hannah's hand with surprising speed. "Careful!" he warned, his voice tense.

Yoora blinked, surprised, then patted Minseok's back. "Wow, that's fast," she praised, impressed by his quick reaction.

Hannah laughed, brushing her hands off. "You're overreacting, Minseok. But thanks, I guess," she said with a smile.

Minseok laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Nothing is safe now," he mumbled, his eyes still glancing back at the flower that lay crumpled on the floor. His gaze lingered for a moment longer before he turned away.

Hannah tilted her head, watching him. "But it's just small, what can it do anyway?" she thought to herself. She shrugged, brushing off the thought, then her eyes widened. "Oh no! We're late!" she shouted, glancing at her watch. Without another word, the three of them broke into a sprint, racing down the hallway.

As they ran, Hannah suddenly winced, her hand reaching up to scratch her back. "Ouch...that's itchy," she muttered, rubbing the spot as they continued running, unaware of the tiny black insect now latched onto her back, hidden beneath her shirt.