The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 82: Ch : Rescue Mission - Part 3

The group stumbled out of the dungeon, the harsh sunlight a stark contrast to the dim and dangerous depths they had just escaped.

Survivors, weary and covered in dirt, instinctively gravitated toward Nora.

They surrounded her, expressions filled with gratitude and disbelief.

"Nora! You saved us!"

One woman cried, clutching her hands tightly.

"We thought we were done for, but you had a plan. You brought us out!"

Said a young man, his voice hoarse from shouting earlier.

More voices joined in, heaping praise upon praise.

"You’re amazing!"

"I can’t believe you made it happen!"

"Thank you!"

Nora’s lips pressed into a thin line. She tried to explain.

"It wasn’t me. I just followed the plan. It was Miss Shadow who—"

But they didn’t listen. They only seemed to hear what they wanted to.

Some even dismissed her modesty as humility, a further testament to her supposed heroism.

People wanted to believe in what they thought was right. And most of these people had only ever seen Nora in action.

As such, they were easily blinded by the situation and decided to make her the leader behind their rescue.

Selene stood off to the side, her figure half-hidden in the shadow of a broken wall.

She watched the scene unfold with an unreadable expression.

It did sting a little to see that Nora was getting all the praise for this mission, but it was something Selene expected.

"Should we not speak up about this? You and I did more work than anyone else. Are these people going to ignore us? What scum!"

Orion spoke in a tired and resigned voice. There was also a little regret mixed in his expression which made Selene feel bad for him.

Sometimes, it was easy for her to forget that Orion was only 10 and he needed all the support he could get.

"Don’t worry about it. These people are only reacting like this because glazing the Vale family is what they are familiar with. They just want to get on Nora’s good side."

It was the case. But from what Selene could currently see, it seemed as if Nora was feeling more trapped than happy at being acknowledged by these people.

When Nora finally broke free from the crowd and reached her, her face was flushed with frustration.

"They’re thanking the wrong person,"

Nora muttered, her fists clenched. Her eyes looked at Selene as she spoke the next words.

"You saved them. You led us. They need to know that."

Nora had spoken softly enough, but her words were still clear when she spoke.

And yet, the people around her did not seem to care as they credited their success to Nora.

’I should step in and help Nora out. Otherwise, she might snap here and do something she would regret in the future.’

Selene’s eyes softened, and she placed a gentle hand on Nora’s shoulder.

"It doesn’t matter who they thank. What matters is that they’re alive. We did what we came here to do."

"But it’s not fair. You deserve this."

A small smile tugged at Selene’s lips.

"Fairness doesn’t matter. Only results do. Besides, it’s better this way. I don’t need the attention."

She glanced at the crowd.

Nora opened her mouth to argue, but a soft chime echoed in the air. Selene’s expression turned focused as her system interface glowed before her.

She tapped at the translucent screen only she could see.

Ethan’s voice came through, calm but laced with urgency.

["Selene, we found the final dungeon. How do you want to proceed?"]

Selene’s demeanor shifted instantly.

"Get the Bounty Seed first. Don’t engage the boss until you’ve secured it."

"Got it."

The connection cut off, and Selene’s expression remained sharp. Nora watched her, still reeling from the earlier conversation.

"Do you really trust him that much?"

Nora asked, her voice hesitant.

"I don’t trust his words. But I trust his strength. He knows what he’s doing."

Selene replied.

Nora blinked, studying Selene’s face. There was a certainty in her expression, a quiet but unshakable confidence.

It was as if Selene already knew the outcome and had faith that Ethan would deliver it.

In that moment, something clicked for Nora. She had always thought of Selene as fragile, a sister lost and needing protection.

But the person standing before her was not the same girl who had vanished from their lives.

This Selene was strong, sure of herself, and—most importantly—free.

"Being with him... being away from home, it’s better for you, isn’t it?"

Nora said slowly,

Selene didn’t answer directly. Instead, she looked at the survivors, now resting and sharing water and stories.

"I am where I need to be...For now, that’s enough."

She said softly.

Nora bit her lip, her mind racing. She wanted to say so much—to ask so many things. But she held back, knowing that this wasn’t the time or place.

"Then I’ll support you. Whatever you need, I’m here."

Nora said instead.

Selene turned to her, genuine gratitude in her eyes.

"Thank you, Nora."

An hour passed as they walked through the dungeon. Before they could reach the boss dungeon, the government official’s call halted Selene’s progress.

["Miss Shadow, the Vale group...and your companions... they haven’t returned yet. We... we fear the worst."]

Selene’s face turned cold.

"How long?"

"Over an hour. No signals, no messages." fгeewebnovёl.com

"An hour is fine. You don’t need to worry. Ethan is in there with them all."

The official swallowed hard.

"What should we do?"

Selene’s mind worked quickly.

"We wait. If Ethan and Zara retrieve the Bounty Seed, we won’t need to risk more lives."

Nora stood by her side, a reassuring presence.

"And if they don’t?"

"Then we’ll go in ourselves. But not without a plan."

Selene said.

The tension around them thickened as the truth settled over the camp. The dungeon raid wasn’t over yet. There were still lives at stake, and dangerous decisions to make.

But with Selene at the helm, even the darkest paths seemed to have a light at the end. And as long as Nora was with her, she knew they would face whatever came next—together.