The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 158: Ch : Volunteering Help- Part 2

Selene sat on the bench, watching the workers move around the site.

The steady hum of activity filled the air—orders being given, supplies being carried, tools clanking against metal.

It was organized chaos, but amidst it all, she noticed something troubling.

A divide.

Some people moved with practiced ease, their abilities making the work seamless.

They lifted heavy beams effortlessly, welded metal together with a flick of their fingers, or manipulated materials with elemental finesse.

But others... struggled.

Those with weaker abilities—or none at all—were falling behind. They pushed themselves harder, but their exhaustion showed in their sluggish movements and sweat-drenched faces.

It wasn’t just the pace of work.

There were subtle cliques forming—those with stronger abilities grouped together, while the weaker ones hesitated at the edges, avoiding eye contact.

And while she hadn’t witnessed outright hostility, Selene could feel it in the air. The tension. The silent divide between those who had power and those who didn’t.

.Is there bullying going on without me noticing?There is something serious going on in there. But I doubt I will be able to uncover it if I try to investigate myself.’

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

She had a feeling that if she only relied on surface-level observations, she wouldn’t get the full picture. Workers might act differently when they knew they were being watched.

’But if I were one of them as one of their own...’

The thought sparked an idea.

Selene needed to go undercover.

It was clear that these people won’t talk even under pressure. But it would be a different case if Selene was able to experience what was happening herself and clear out to air.

She was deep in thought when Ethan suddenly dropped down beside her, leaning back with a sigh.

"...What are you scheming now? Are you going to get yourself in unneeded trouble again?"

He asked, barely even trying to hide his suspicion.

Selene smirked slightly.

"Why do you always assume I’m scheming? Maybe I am just trying to breathe in some fresh air..."

"Are you? Because you have a scheming face that tells me that you are up to no good."

"Fair point,"

She admitted before turning her gaze back to the workers.

"I want to go undercover. Disguise myself as one of the regular workers."

Ethan turned his head so fast it was a miracle he didn’t snap his neck.

"You what?"

Selene crossed her legs and leaned forward slightly.

"I’ve been watching the workers, and there’s something off about the way they interact. I want to see their conditions firsthand. The best way to do that is if I pretend to be one of them."

Ethan’s brow twitched.

"And you think that’s a good idea?"

Selene shrugged.

"Think about it. If I go in as myself, people will be on their best behavior. If I go in as someone else, no one will realize it’s me, and I’ll get to see the truth."

Ethan opened his mouth to argue.

Then he paused.

The more he thought about it, the more it actually made sense.

Damn it.

He hated that she was right.

Before he could fully accept this ridiculous idea, a sudden voice piped up from behind the bench.

"Sounds interesting!"

Ethan and Selene jumped.

Zara popped up from behind them, her chin resting on the bench as she grinned at them.

Ethan clutched his chest.

"Damn it, Zara! How long have you been there?!"

Zara ignored him and focused on Selene.

"I have an important question. What are you going to do if you get bullied?"

She said, her golden eyes shining with amusement.

Selene blinked.

"Huh?"

Zara gestured vaguely.

"You’re planning to go in as a normal worker, right? That means no special treatment. You can’t use your abilities, and you won’t have Ethan or Orion watching your back. If there’s bullying going on, you might be the one who gets targeted."

Selene let out a low chuckle.

"Oh, Zara. You don’t have to worry about that."

She said, shaking her head.

Zara raised an eyebrow. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

"Why not?"

Selene smirked slightly.

"Because I know how to handle a bully."

The way she said it sent a strange chill down Zara’s spine.

She opened her mouth to ask how exactly Selene planned to deal with any potential bullies—

But before she could, Ethan quickly clapped a hand over her shoulder, shaking his head.

"Zara, don’t ask"

He said, his voice dead serious.

Zara turned to him, confused.

"...What?"

Ethan’s expression was unreadable, but there was a certain distant horror in his gaze.

"Just—trust me. You don’t want to know Selene’s thoughts. You might get infected with them as well."

Zara stared at him.

Selene just smiled.

The combination of Ethan’s caution and Selene’s unsettling confidence made Zara rethink her question entirely.

"...Okay, I won’t ask."

Zara muttered, raising her hands in surrender.

"Good choice."

Ethan mumbled.

But Zara wasn’t done just yet.

She suddenly grabbed Selene’s wrist, her grin returning full force.

"ANYWAY, if you’re going undercover, you need a disguise!"

Selene’s eyes widened.

"Wait—"

Too late.

Zara dragged her away before anyone could stop her.

"Zara, wait! I don’t need a disguise that badly—"

"Of course, you do! You can’t just walk in looking like ’Miss Shadow’ and expect people not to notice! I’ll help you change your style completely!"

"That’s exactly what I’m afraid of!"

Ethan watched the two disappear, shaking his head as he exhaled.

"...That’s not going to end well."

He muttered to himself.

Orion, who had just returned from a supply check, tilted his head.

"What’s not going to end well?"

Ethan gestured vaguely in the direction Zara had dragged Selene.

"Zara’s about to give Selene a makeover for her undercover mission."

Orion blinked.

"...Do we need to intervene?"

Ethan leaned back against the bench.

"Nope."

Orion frowned slightly.

"Should we?"

Ethan shook his head.

"Absolutely not."

There was a brief pause.

Then Orion sighed.

"...We should probably at least check on them later."

Ethan smirked.

"Yeah, probably."

But for now, he was going to enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasted.