The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 44: Ch : Gathering Allies- Part 2

Selene ignored Ethan’s warning, determined to get through to the child. Something about him kept tugging at her instincts, refusing to let her walk away.

She crouched down, keeping her voice calm and gentle.

"Hey, can you hear me?"

The boy didn’t respond.

She tried again.

"What’s your name?"

Still, nothing.

Selene frowned. His body was tense, his arms wrapped tightly around himself. He wasn’t just ignoring her—he was completely shutting her out.

Not one to be dismissed so easily, Selene reached out, intending to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

But before she could touch him— frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

BEEP!

A sharp, urgent sound echoed in her mind.

[Warning: User is attempting to breach a personal barrier. Risk of repulsion damage: High.]

Selene’s eyes widened, and she quickly pulled her hand back before making contact.

’He has a barrier up?’

That explained why he was curled up like that. He wasn’t just cowering—he was protecting himself.

Selene narrowed her eyes and activated her new ability.

[Insight]

A soft glow flickered over her eyes as lines of text filled her vision.

—

[Name: Unknown]

[Class: Barrier Master]

[Current Rank: D-Class]

[Potential Rank: S-Class]

—

Selene’s breath caught.

S-Class?

She had never heard of an S-Class Barrier Master. Even high-ranked barrier users usually only reached A-Class. To have an S-Class potential meant that this kid was exceptional.

But then... why had she never heard of him?

The only answer was painfully obvious.

’He never made it far.’

Selene clenched her jaw, feeling something unfamiliar twist in her chest. As unfortunate as it was, this was the fate of more than 90% of the talent.

They either died during the dungeon, or got taken out early by jealous players. In the end, they all suffered and it was something that could not be changed.

She saw herself in him. This kid was abandoned like she was, but unlike her, he seemed to have a lot of potential.

A fragile, trembling existence with the potential to be something great—if only the world didn’t crush him first.

She exhaled slowly, making a decision.

"Listen. I’m going to touch your barrier. If you don’t want that, move away now."

She said, steadying her voice.

The boy lifted his head slightly, his wide eyes watching her.

But he didn’t move.

Selene swallowed.

’Alright then.’

She reached out.

And braced herself for pain.

But before her fingers could reach the barrier—

A blur of movement.

A strong grip yanked the boy up and off the ground.

Ethan.

He moved so fast that Selene barely registered what had happened until the kid was dangling in the air, held up by the back of his shirt like a misbehaving cat.

Ethan raised a brow.

"You really have no sense of self-preservation, do you?"

Selene blinked, still processing.

"I—"

Ethan shook his head.

"What were you even thinking? That barrier could’ve sent you flying."

Selene scowled.

"I knew what I was doing."

Ethan snorted.

"Sure you did."

The kid, still held up in Ethan’s grip, kicked weakly in protest. His barrier flickered—reacting to his emotions—but Ethan didn’t seem affected.

Selene crossed her arms.

"Put him down."

Ethan tilted his head.

"And let him zap you?"

"He wasn’t going to."

Ethan didn’t look convinced. But after a beat, he sighed and lowered the kid back to the ground.

The boy stumbled slightly but didn’t run away. Instead, he looked between the two of them, confusion clear in his expression.

Selene knelt back down, meeting his gaze.

"I’m not here to hurt you."

The boy stayed silent, but his barrier slowly weakened.

Selene smiled.

"See? That wasn’t so hard. You can listen to others when you want to."

Ethan did not look happy.

His jaw tightened as he lowered the kid to the ground, though his grip lingered for just a second longer than necessary. Before letting go completely, he shot the kid a look—sharp, silent, and full of warning.

Behave.

The message was clear.

The kid, who had been struggling just moments ago, immediately stiffened. His small hands clenched into fists, and for a brief moment, he hesitated, caught between fight and flight.

Then, without another word, he bolted—straight for Selene.

She barely had time to react before he was behind her, gripping onto the hem of her jacket like it was his only lifeline.

Selene blinked.

’What? What is the kid doing?’

Ethan’s eye twitched.

"Are you kidding me? Hey kid, fight like a man, will you? Stop being a coward!"

The kid peeked at Ethan from behind Selene’s back, only to shrink away the moment Ethan took a step forward.

Selene, catching on to the situation, placed a protective hand on the boy’s head.

"Knock it off, Ethan."

Ethan’s expression darkened.

"You’re seriously taking his side?"

"Yes."

"He bit me."

Selene arched a brow.

"And you held him like a cat. Seems fair to me."

Ethan let out an exasperated sigh, running a hand through his hair.

"He’s literally hiding from me."

Selene glanced down. The kid was gripping her jacket even tighter now, his tiny frame pressed against her as if he could disappear into her shadow.

"Maybe because you’re scary?"

She offered.

Ethan scoffed.

"Scary? I—You know what? Fine. Whatever"

He exhaled sharply and held up his hands in surrender.

His voice was calm, but Selene could see the irritation in the way his shoulders tensed. He clearly wasn’t thrilled about this, but—at least for now—he was willing to back down.

Satisfied, Selene turned her attention back to the kid.

"Alright, now that that’s settled—"

She crouched down slightly, making herself appear less intimidating.

"What’s your name?"

Silence.

The boy was still.

Then, before Selene could react—

He ran.

Selene blinked in shock.

"What—?"

Ethan groaned.

"Oh, for—seriously?!"

The kid was already several feet away, weaving through the crowded shelter with surprising speed. His small size made it easy for him to slip past people unnoticed.

Selene cursed under her breath.

"We’re going after him."

Ethan rolled his eyes.

"Obviously."

Without wasting another second, they both took off in pursuit.