The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 87: Ch : For Justice- Part 1

A week had passed since the "Plentiful Collections" dungeon, and Selene sat cross-legged on her bed, the soft hum of her system interface in her mind.

She navigated through the translucent blue screens, her fingers moving in practiced motions as if she were swiping at the air.

[System Status

Level: 5 (C-Rank)

Skills:

Amplify: Level 3

Insight: Level 5

Core Absorption: Level 1]

Her progress was undeniable.

Reaching C-rank felt monumental—another step further from the powerless girl she had once been.

Her skills had grown, too. "Amplify" now allowed her to use the ability on herself, albeit with limitations.

She frowned at the screen, a bit disappointed that "Amplify" still only offered limited slots. More concerning, however, was "Core Absorption."

The skill had remained stubbornly at level 1.

No matter how much she trained, nothing seemed to trigger its advancement.

She knew that the fastest way to level it up was by absorbing cores, but in their recent missions, no monster had dropped a core.

"Should I find a way to get a core? At worst, I will have to ask Ethan to hunt for one...or look at the black market to get one."

Just thinking about it made Selene shudder, so she quickly decided to stop thinking about it.

It was a problem, one she couldn’t yet solve.

With a resigned sigh, she dismissed the interface.

"No point stressing over it."

She muttered to herself. She slipped on a lightweight jacket and decided to join the others downstairs.

Outside, in the makeshift training yard, Ethan stood with Zara and Orion.

The afternoon sun cast long shadows, highlighting their movements as they sparred.

Zara was agile, her dual blades cutting through the air with a whistle.

Orion held a shimmering shield, his barrier ability flexing and adapting as he blocked Zara’s strikes.

Ethan oversaw their training, arms crossed, his expression a mix of sternness and pride.

Selene moved closer, watching the session. Ethan noticed her and waved her over.

"Decided to join us?"

He asked, his tone light but his eyes sharp.

Selene nodded as she stretched her body. Her joints made a cracking noise, but Selene ignored it.

Her body felt lighter today, so she wanted to get some practice in while she still could.

"I need to keep up, right?"

Ethan’s expression softened.

"You should train, but not like this. Your goal is survival, not direct combat."

A flicker of irritation ran through her. She knew that Ethan had a point, but it bruised her ego to hear him speak like this.

"I can fight too, you know."

"I know. But your strength lies in support and strategy. You need to focus on keeping yourself safe, not charging into battle."

Ethan said, his voice calm.

’Tsk, curse Ethan and his wisdom that strikes at random times. Why does he have to be right about this?’

Selene bit back a retort.

She knew he was right, but it didn’t make it any less frustrating. Instead, she took his advice and began working on her stamina.

She jogged around the perimeter of the yard, focusing on her breathing and maintaining a steady pace.

What she lacked right now was stamina and a way to defend herself. Out of the two, stamina was what she could focus on the most.

An hour later, sweat soaked through her clothes, and her muscles ached pleasantly. She wiped her brow and joined the others who had transitioned to a break.

Zara and Orion sat on the worn couch in the living room, sipping cold water, while Ethan leaned against the doorframe, scrolling through his own system interface.

Selene grabbed the remote and turned on the T.V. The screen flashed to life, the sharp colors and the upbeat tone of the news anchor at odds with the heaviness in her chest.

"Today marks a monumental achievement. The successful raid of the ’Plentiful Collections’ dungeon has provided a significant boost to food supplies across the region. Experts predict a substantial decrease in food scarcity, thanks to the brave efforts of our heroes."

The anchor beamed.

Zara snorted, setting her glass down.

"They’re doing a good job of keeping people distracted."

Selene didn’t reply immediately, but her eyes drifted to the ticker at the bottom of the screen. There, almost too small to notice, scrolled a single line:

"Justice continues to gain popularity, hailed as a beacon of righteousness."

Her lips pressed into a thin line.

The group called "Justice" had been in the news more frequently, their public image a polished façade of heroism and charity.

But Selene knew better.

They were no saviors—they were a terrorist organization, leveraging the world’s chaos to tighten their grip on power.

Ethan followed her gaze and sighed.

"Wow! People sure are getting bolder these days. The government’s too busy basking in the dungeon’s success to notice the real threat."

Selene looked behind her to see Ethan. He seemed interested in the news as well, but just like her, he seemed to be more focused on the future terrorist group than the actual news.

"Do those people seem suspicious to you, Ethan? Should we be concerned about them?" freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

Zara asked as soon as she noticed Ethan’s interest, and from what she knew, his hunch was rarely ever wrong.

Ethan straightened, his expression hardening.

"We can ignore it for now. I don’t think Justice would come after us."

Selene nodded at that.

From what she remembered, Justice was a group that focused on weaker prey. They won’t come after someone as strong as Ethan.

They were a small team, but they had faced worse odds before. Her hand tightened around the remote, and she switched off the television.

"Training’s not over. We have work to do."

She said, her voice steady.

The others rose, no hesitation in their movements.

They understood. The world outside was teetering on the edge, and only those prepared could keep it from falling.

As they filed back outside, Selene glanced up at the sky.

Dark clouds gathered on the horizon, a storm brewing.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that their toughest challenges were yet to come, but as long as they stood together, she believed they could weather any storm.