The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 114: Ch : The Nullifying Crystal- Part 1

As much as Ethan and others wanted to rest, being in an open area was not a place that they could consider to be safe.

So they immediately decided to head home.

Ethan carried Selene into the house, her unconscious form resting against his chest.

He moved carefully, his expression unreadable as he laid her gently on the living room couch.

Zara and Orion hovered nearby, their faces a mix of concern and uncertainty.

"She just needs rest. The dungeon took more out of her than we thought."

Ethan said, his voice steady.

Zara fetched a blanket and draped it over Selene while Orion brought over a glass of water, setting it on the table beside her.

Since they had already checked on Selene and found that she was just asleep, the tension had seeped out a lot from these people.

They moved around her with quiet efficiency, the usual banter between them noticeably absent.

The night passed slowly. Ethan stayed close by, his eyes never leaving Selene. When dawn finally broke, and the first rays of sunlight streamed through the windows, Selene stirred.

Her eyelids fluttered, and she blinked up at the ceiling, disoriented but visibly better. She sat up slowly, brushing strands of hair away from her face.

"How long was I out?"

Selene asked while stretching her body. This was one of the best sleeps she had gotten in a while and Selene felt so much better compared to before.

Even her body was hurting less after she slept for some time.

"Just overnight. You gave us a scare."

Zara said, appearing at her side.

Selene offered a weak smile.

"Sorry about that. I guess the dungeon was a bit much."

Pushing herself to her feet, Selene stretched and rolled her shoulders.

"What’s the status on the mission? Did we make any progress while I was out?"

The room fell silent. Selene’s sharp eyes took in the tension that hung in the air, the way Orion’s jaw tightened and how Ethan’s gaze shifted to the floor.

"What happened?"

She asked, her voice cutting through the quiet.

"Nothing."

Orion said quickly, his tone a little too forced.

Selene narrowed her eyes.

"Orion."

He hesitated, but his lips remained sealed. He was too young to face all this tension, so Selene changed her target to someone more appropriate instead.

Selene turned to Zara instead.

"Zara?"

Zara sighed, rubbing her temple.

"The boys are upset because I took the reward from the dungeon."

Selene frowned, looking between Ethan and Orion.

"Why? That’s what I wanted."

Ethan’s eyes snapped to hers. "It’s not about the reward, Selene. It’s about how you threw yourself off that cliff without a second thought. You scared us."

"I knew what I was doing. And I made sure you had the best chance of clearing the dungeon."

Selene replied evenly.

"By sacrificing yourself?"

Orion muttered.

Selene rolled her eyes.

"I wasn’t sacrificing myself. I knew the dungeon would spit me out....or well, I had a feeling that it would. You all are acting like I did something reckless."

"Because you did! You keep making decisions on your own. You don’t trust us."

Ethan’s voice rose, frustration seeping into his tone.

Selene’s expression softened.

"It’s not about trust. It’s about what needed to be done."

A silence fell over them, thick and uncomfortable.

Zara broke it, her voice small.

"I feel a little guilty, too. Like I took advantage of your choice."

Selene stepped closer to her, placing a reassuring hand on Zara’s shoulder.

"You did exactly what I wanted you to. The whole point of this mission was to get someone the crafting skill so we could purify the nullifying crystals. You taking the reward was the best outcome."

Ethan and Orion exchanged glances, their anger dimming but not fully extinguished.

Zara bit her lip.

"I just... I didn’t want to feel like I was betraying you."

"You didn’t. You did what needed to be done. That’s all that matters."

Selene’s voice was firm.

With the conversation mostly settled, Selene turned back to the mission at hand.

"Speaking of which—Zara, do you think you’re ready to purify the nullifying crystals?"

Zara straightened.

"I can start whenever you want."

"Great. Try with these first. No rush, just do what you can."

Selene reached into her inventory and pulled out a small pouch filled with the raw crystals.

Zara accepted the crystals, her expression shifting from guilt to determination.

"I’ll get started right away."

As Zara retreated to her workspace, the atmosphere in the room began to ease.

Ethan and Orion seemed to accept that Selene’s choice was her own, and that Zara’s actions were justified.

They spent the afternoon in a cautious but improving camaraderie, slowly finding their rhythm again.

When dinner rolled around, Zara returned to the dining table, a soft glow of triumph on her face.

She set a small tray in front of Selene, displaying several smooth, polished crystals that radiated a muted energy.

"It’s done. These are purified and converted. They should work as nullifiers now."

Zara announced.

Selene didn’t hesitate to activate her Insight, a thin veil of magic settling over her vision as she examined the crystals.

A satisfied smile spread across her face as the system confirmed it—these were true ability nullifiers, ready for use.

"This is perfect. You did amazing, Zara."

Selene said, her voice filled with gratitude.

Zara’s cheeks flushed, and she ducked her head.

"I’m just glad it worked."

Ethan reached over, giving Zara a gentle nudge.

"See? Told you it would pay off."

Orion added.

"And now we’ve got a serious edge for the future.."

For the first time since they had returned from the dungeon, the team felt whole again.

The tension had been replaced with a sense of purpose, and the crystals on the table were proof that, despite their missteps and fears, they were moving forward.

Selene leaned back in her chair, the weight of the day slowly lifting from her shoulders.

"Then let’s rest up tonight."

And as they sat together, sharing a meal and tentative smiles, the future didn’t seem quite so daunting anymore.