The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse
Chapter 300: Ch 299: Tournament Starts - Part 1

Chapter 300: Ch 299: Tournament Starts - Part 1

Ethan sprinted through the crumbling remains of the dungeon, the ground splitting open behind him with deafening cracks.

Every muscle in his body screamed in protest, every breath felt like dragging broken glass through his lungs.

But he forced himself to keep moving, his eyes locked on the faint shimmer of light marking the exit.

’Just a little more. Just a little more.’

He told himself.

But his body had reached its limits.

Ethan’s legs buckled underneath him and he stumbled, nearly crashing face-first into the ground.

He caught himself at the last second, panting heavily, arms trembling under his weight.

The exit was just a few meters away—close enough to touch if he could only stand.

But no matter how much he ordered his legs to move, they refused to obey. His strength had dried up, leaving him a broken mess.

Ethan clenched his fists in frustration, anger at his own weakness burning through him.

’Am I really going to fail here?’

The dungeon around him rumbled again, but this time, it wasn’t a collapse.

It was something else.

Something... gentler.

Before Ethan could process it, the ground beneath him shifted and a soft wind seemed to cradle him.

The dungeon itself—its energy—was lifting him.

Wide-eyed and stunned, Ethan allowed himself to be carried.

The ancient magic gently nudged him forward, supporting his broken body just enough to push him across the threshold.

Ethan’s hand brushed against the boundary of the dungeon and—

—with a flash of light—

—he was thrown onto solid ground outside.

The moment he hit the grass, the dungeon door slammed shut behind him, the ruins disappearing into thin air like they had never existed.

For a second, Ethan just lay there, breathing heavily, staring up at the gray sky above. He opened his mouth to speak—to shout a thank you—but no words came out.

There was no one left to hear it anyway.

The dungeon had closed itself off, as if it didn’t want to burden him any further.

The real Ethan inside his mind let out a low chuckle.

"It must have recognized you. It helped you because it knew you were worth saving."

He said softly.

Ethan didn’t answer.

He simply closed his eyes for a moment, feeling a rare surge of emotion in his chest. Gratitude.

He sat up slowly, ignoring the aches tearing through his body, and pulled himself to his feet.

No time to waste. He had to fulfill the expectations that had been placed on him.

He had to keep moving forward.

It was nearing evening when Ethan finally stumbled back to the house. His steps were uneven and heavy, but he managed to reach the door.

Before he could even knock, the door swung open—and Zara stood there, arms crossed, her face twisted in an annoyed scowl.

"There you are! Where the hell have you been? You’re late!"

She snapped, glaring at him.

Ethan’s body chose that moment to give out completely. He half-collapsed against the doorway, barely able to keep standing.

"I was... taking care of something."

He muttered, his voice hoarse.

Zara’s expression softened immediately. She caught his arm and helped him inside, sighing in frustration.

"I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped. I’m just on edge."

She said.

She let out a tired breath.ith the tournament coming up and all, everything just feels like it’s spiraling out of control.

Ethan managed a faint, crooked smile.

"Don’t worry about it."

He said as he sank down onto the couch.

Zara sat across from him, fidgeting anxiously.

"You really think we can do this? I mean... what if we’re not ready?"

She asked quietly.

Ethan straightened up slowly, feeling his strength start to return bit by bit.

"Calm down for now. Prepare yourself mentally. Once everyone is gathered, I’ll tell you the plan."

He said, voice steady.

Before Zara could ask anything more, Orion appeared from the hallway, his arms crossed and his expression serious.

"So, what’s the plan? Are you going to win this tournament and drag Selene back kicking and screaming?"

Orion asked.

Ethan chuckled dryly.

"I’m not planning on winning. Not exactly."

He said.

Both Zara and Orion frowned in confusion.

Ethan’s eyes darkened slightly as he leaned forward.

"This tournament is a scam. It’s not about winning. It’s about luring certain people out into the open."

He said.

Zara stiffened.

"You mean—"

Ethan nodded.

"Selene. And whoever’s pulling the strings behind all this."

He said.

The room went silent.

Orion narrowed his eyes.

"You think it’s a trap?"

"I know it is. But that’s fine. We’ll walk right into it—"

Ethan said grimly. He paused, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"—on our own terms."

Zara exchanged a worried glance with Orion.

"And what about Selene? What if she doesn’t want to be found?"

Zara asked quietly.

Ethan closed his eyes briefly, a flicker of pain crossing his face.

"Then...I’ll let her go. If that’s what she really wants."

He said, voice softer.

Orion leaned against the wall, arms crossed tightly, his brow furrowed.

"How do you even know all this, Ethan?"

He asked, voice low but suspicious.

Ethan stiffened for a second. He couldn’t exactly say because my gut is screaming at me.

He forced a neutral expression onto his face.

"When I went to the dungeon, I found out. Saw it with my own eyes."

Ethan said smoothly. He met Orion’s gaze head-on.

"You can trust me."

Orion held his stare for a few seconds longer before finally sighing and looking away.

"Fine. I’ll trust you."

Ethan relaxed slightly, hiding the guilt gnawing at the edges of his thoughts. It wasn’t a full lie.

It just wasn’t the whole truth either.

Orion pushed off the wall.

"Should we call Nora and Noah too? If it’s really that serious, they need to know."

He asked.

Ethan nodded.

"Yeah. Get them here. And contact Solomon Kane. We’ll need their guild backing us up too. If things go sideways, I want every advantage we can get."

He paused, thinking.

Orion moved quickly, pulling out his communicator and getting to work.

Zara disappeared into the next room to prepare, her usual chatter muted by tension.

Ethan sat down heavily, letting the silence of the room settle around him.

Tomorrow.

Everything would change tomorrow.

The night passed in a blur of planning and preparation.

Maps were laid out. Escape routes discussed. Contingency plans drawn up and discarded over and over again.

No one slept.

No one dared to.

When the morning sun finally bled across the sky, it found Ethan, Orion, and Zara already standing by the massive arena that had been hastily constructed overnight.

The system had instructed all participants to gather here—an enormous stone amphitheater surrounded by dense forest and swirling mist.

It looked more like a place for executions than for a tournament.

Nora and Noah had already arrived, standing a short distance away. Solomon Kane and his guild members lurked near the edge of the crowd, their presence quiet but heavy.

Tension buzzed in the air like static.

Everyone was waiting. Waiting for the tournament to begin. Waiting for the announcement.

Waiting for Selene.

Ethan’s hands curled into fists by his sides. He scanned the crowd, searching for her.

’Come on, Selene...’

But when the platform at the center of the arena finally lit up—

—it wasn’t Selene who stepped forward.

It was Luke Roth.

The crowd gasped in shock. Whispers broke out like wildfire.

Ethan narrowed his eyes.

’What the hell is he doing here?’

Luke stood tall, his silver hair catching the morning light.

His usual easygoing smile was nowhere in sight.

Instead, his face was a mask of cold authority.

"My name is Luke Roth. For the duration of this tournament, I have been granted supreme authority."

he said, his voice booming across the arena without the help of any system amplification.

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Disbelief. Suspicion.

Luke continued, ignoring them.

"Any disruption will be punished immediately. Anyone attempting to interfere will be disqualified—and removed."

He didn’t explain what "removed" meant.

He didn’t have to.

Some idiots in the crowd thought he was bluffing.

A group of three hunters rushed forward, trying to force their way onto the platform.

Ethan’s eyes barely tracked their movement before—

Flash

They were reduced to dust. Not a scream. Not a warning.

Just gone.

The arena fell deathly silent.

Luke calmly lowered his hand, not even looking at the spot where they had disappeared.

"The first rule of the tournament. is simple:

Do not attack or approach the hosts."

He said, voice sharp as a blade.

No one dared speak after that.

Zara edged closer to Ethan, her voice a whisper barely above the breeze.

"What are we supposed to do now?" she asked, tension threading through her words.

Ethan didn’t move, didn’t even look at her.

His gaze was locked onto Luke, onto the platform, onto the forest behind it.

"Stay calm. I have a plan. I’ll execute it when the time’s right."

Ethan murmured.

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