The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 79: Ch : Price of Greed- Part 2

Valeria strode into the dungeon, her boots echoing against the stone floor as more than half of the assembled hunters followed behind her.

Her lips curled into a smug smirk, and she tossed a glance over her shoulder at the remaining groups outside.

"Idiots! Cowards and useless fools."

She muttered, her voice dripping with disdain.

Her eyes narrowed, catching sight of Noah and Nora as they stayed back with Selene’s team.

The twins, with their pristine Vale bloodline, stood there like statues—calm and composed.

"Gullible children. Despite being from the Vale main family, they don’t understand how this world works."

Valeria whispered under her breath.

Her steps quickened, and her mind raced. She could already see it—the moment when she’d return victorious, dragging the dungeon’s core behind her.

She’d stand before Chairman Vale, her triumph undeniable. He’d see her worth then, wouldn’t he?

She imagined it vividly: Chairman Vale’s cold eyes softening, his lips curling into a rare smile as he welcomed her into the main family.

She would no longer be a mere field agent—a disposable pawn. She’d be one of them, living among the elite, the weight of her surname finally carrying the same prestige.

Her daydreams were cut short when one of her subordinates pulled at her sleeve.

"Ma’am! I... I’m sensing danger. My ability... it’s going off."

He whispered, his face pale.

Valeria’s smirk vanished. She rolled her shoulders, and the air around her seemed to grow sharper.

"What kind of danger?"

He swallowed hard.

"The ground... something’s wrong with it."

She glanced around, and for the first time, the dungeon’s eerie silence seemed oppressive.

The walls were jagged, dark stone, and the floor was too smooth—unnatural. She signaled for the group to stop and drew her weapon, a sleek blade that glinted under the dim light.

"Stay alert! If anything moves, kill it"

She ordered.

But the danger didn’t come from a monster charging at them. It came from beneath.

A low rumble swept through the floor.

The ground buckled, a sickening ripple that sent hunters stumbling. Valeria’s eyes widened as a crack tore through the earth, opening up into a gaping chasm.

Screams filled the air as hunters were swallowed by the ground.

Those who managed to leap back barely had time to breathe before more fissures appeared.

The dungeon floor shattered like glass, chunks of stone and soil plummeting into the dark.

Valeria’s mind raced. She saw the edge of a fissure creeping toward her feet, and without hesitation, she activated her ability.

A flash of light, and she was gone—swapped with a hunter several feet away. He didn’t even have time to scream as he was dragged into the abyss in her place.

Her breath came in sharp, controlled bursts.

She teleported again, her body swapping places with another hunter who had found temporary footing. She didn’t care about their terrified faces or the betrayal in their eyes. They were resources—nothing more.

One by one, her people fell. Her teleportation created chaos among the survivors, as no one knew when they’d be the next sacrifice.

She warped again, and another hunter died in her stead.

The earth continued to shift, the dungeon hungry for more. Each fissure widened, the stone beneath their feet crumbling. Her vision blurred with the dust and the screams.

In the end, when the ground finally stilled, Valeria stood alone. Her blade was still in her hand, but her group—the once-strong force she’d led in—was gone.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and her knees wobbled. She fought the urge to vomit, bile burning the back of her throat.

She was alive. But at what cost?

______

Outside the dungeon, Selene stood at the edge of the camp, her eyes fixed on the horizon. The sun crept over the mountains, spilling light across the landscape.

She watched the sunlight with a calm expression, her mind already calculating. When the first rays touched the ground, she turned to her team.

"It’s time! Let’s head out."

She said, her voice was steady.

Ethan, Zara, and Orion fell in line behind her. The government official stumbled along, his hands wringing together, sweat slicking his forehead despite the morning chill. freewebnøvel.com

Selene led the way into the dungeon, her steps sure. As they crossed the threshold, her Insight buzzed at the edge of her senses.

She didn’t need it to know what awaited them—she had been here before.

"Stay away from low ground. Unless you want to end up buried."

She warned.

The team nodded, their faces grim but determined. They moved with practiced efficiency, their boots crunching over the uneven stone.

The dungeon stretched out before them, a massive cavern with sharp rock formations and shadowed corners.

But the most noticeable feature was the gaping holes pockmarking the floor—deep, dark pits that seemed to breathe with the earth’s pulse.

The government official took a shaky step forward, his eyes darting from hole to hole. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.

"Y-You said that this was not a combat dungeon?"

He stuttered.

Selene didn’t slow her pace.

"It’s not."

He blinked, confusion clouding his features.

"But... then what is it?"

She glanced back at him, her expression unreadable.

"A survival dungeon."

His face turned ashen.

"Survival?"

"It means the goal isn’t to fight. It’s to live long enough to reach the exit."

Zara explained quietly.

"The goal is simple - grab the ’Bounty Seed’ and get out. Do not engage in combat."

Selene warned and the official’s breathing quickened, but he nodded. He had no choice.

They moved deeper into the dungeon. The air grew heavier, the light dimmer. Each step was careful, each movement deliberate.

Selene’s Insight hummed, warning her of shifting ground and subtle dangers.

She led them around the largest fissures, her instincts sharp.

The silence was only broken by their breathing and the occasional grind of stone.

Every hunter’s senses were on high alert, the weight of the dungeon’s hungry maw pressing on them.

The objective was to survive, and danger lurked at every turn of this place.