The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 84: Ch : Threat of the Parasite- Part 1

With the Bounty Seed secured, Selene’s voice cut through the chaos.

"It’s time to leave. Stick together." ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

Her team nodded, weary but alert.

The dungeon’s atmosphere had shifted—the air grew hotter, the walls seemed to pulse, and the ground trembled beneath their feet.

The signs of an impending dungeon collapse were unmistakable.

Selene led the way, her Insight skill guiding them through the maze-like corridors.

The path twisted and turned, and she could sense the faint presence of the other group, led by Ethan and Zara, steadily making their way to the exit.

But then, a flicker of movement caught her attention. A figure sprinting toward them, stumbling over rocks and debris.

Selene’s instincts screamed at her to prepare for a fight, but Insight whispered otherwise. Whatever this was, it wasn’t a monster.

She tightened her grip on her weapon, but lowered it slightly as the figure drew closer.

From the shadows, a haggard and bloodied Valeria Clinton emerged, her face smeared with dirt, eyes wild and unfocused.

Nora exhaled, relief spreading over her features.

"Valeria? Where have you been? Why were you not with your team?"

But before Valeria could respond, the rescued survivors behind them reacted.

"You coward!"

One of them yelled.

"She abandoned us!"

Another voice spat, filled with raw betrayal.

Valeria flinched, her hands trembling.

"N-no... I didn’t... I had to... I had to survive."

Her voice was a thin thread, but the more the survivors hurled accusations, the more unstable she became. Her breathing turned ragged, and her eyes grew unfocused.

Selene’s Insight flared with a warning—something wasn’t right. She tensed, watching as Valeria’s body twitched unnaturally.

A split second later, Valeria lunged.

Her target wasn’t the accusers—it was Nora.

Selene moved faster than thought. She shot forward, intercepting Valeria mid-air. The force of the collision sent them both crashing into the rocky ground.

Valeria’s hands closed around Selene’s throat, nails digging into her skin. Her strength was unnatural, fingers like iron bands.

Selene choked, her vision dimming at the edges, but through the blur, she saw it.

A thin, translucent projection curled beneath Valeria’s neck—a sickly green tendril, pulsing with life.

"A parasite..."

Selene rasped, the realization sending a jolt of clarity through her.

She forced her knee up, slamming it into Valeria’s stomach.

The grip on her throat loosened just enough for Selene to draw a breath. She twisted, throwing Valeria off her and rolling to her feet.

"Orion! Shield, now!"

She shouted.

Orion’s magic flared. A dome of shimmering light surrounded them, separating their group from the frenzied Valeria.

Valeria hit the barrier, hard. She shrieked, slamming her fists against it. Each hit sent spiderweb cracks through the shield.

Her voice was wrong—distorted, layered with a low, inhuman growl.

The parasite pulsed, and Valeria’s body convulsed, movements jerky and inhuman.

Nora’s face was pale, her earlier relief turned to horror.

What... What happened to her?"

Selene didn’t take her eyes off Valeria.

"She’s being controlled. This dungeon... I told you that it was about survival. That does not only mean the monsters, but also other creatures."

The survivors cowered behind Nora and Orion, their hope from earlier now twisted into terror.

"If that thing spreads, we’re done for."

Selene said, her voice cold and pragmatic.

"What do we do?"

Orion asked, maintaining the shield even as Valeria’s fists pounded against it, cracking the barrier further with each blow.

Selene’s gaze was hard.

"We burn it. All of it."

Nora hesitated. "

You mean... the whole dungeon?"

"Yes. If this parasite has taken over Valeria, there could be more. If we don’t cleanse this place, it’ll follow us out—and then no one is safe"

Selene’s tone left no room for argument.

The flames in Nora’s hands flickered, a manifestation of both her power and her uncertainty.

"Do it! Before it’s too late"

Selene urged.

Nora bit her lip, then nodded. She drew in a sharp breath, her flames growing brighter, hotter.

With a sweep of her arm, fire leaped from her fingertips, racing across the dungeon floor.

The dry roots and twisted vegetation caught quickly, flames spreading like a wave. Smoke curled up, acrid and thick.

Valeria’s shrieks became ear-piercing. The parasite reared up beneath her skin, her body contorting as if trying to escape the burning dungeon.

Selene pushed Valeria out of the shield with a blast of force. The infected woman fell into the flames, her figure swallowed by smoke and fire.

Orion strained to keep the shield intact as the heat rose. The survivors huddled close, their eyes wide with fear and disbelief.

Selene’s Insight guided them forward. Her vision cut through the smoke, picking out the clearest path.

"Stay close. Don’t breathe in the smoke."

They moved quickly, navigating through the burning dungeon. Flames licked at the walls, and the ground beneath them grew dangerously hot.

Selene’s Insight locked onto Ethan’s group, and she adjusted their path accordingly.

The roar of the flames and the crumbling stone filled the air, but through the chaos, she heard voices—familiar ones.

They burst through the smoke into an open chamber, and there stood Ethan, Zara, and the rest of their group.

Ethan’s eyes widened.

"What happened?"

"No time! Get to the gate. Now!"

Selene snapped.

Without hesitation, Ethan turned, leading his group to the dungeon’s exit.

The combined forces of both groups moved as one, desperation lending them speed.

The dungeon rumbled, the ground splitting and walls collapsing.

Flames clawed at their heels, the inferno consuming everything.

Finally, they saw it—the jagged stone archway leading to freedom. Sunlight pierced through the smoke, a beacon of hope.

One by one, they stumbled out of the dungeon, coughing and gasping for fresh air. The survivors fell to their knees, their faces streaked with ash and tears.

Selene straightened, her gaze hard as she looked back at the burning dungeon entrance. No monsters, no parasites would follow them out.

She turned to her team, her voice steady despite the chaos they’d just escaped.

"We survived."

And with that, the gate to the dungeon crumbled, sealing away the inferno within.