The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse
Chapter 54: Ch 54: Developing the Skills- Part 4

Chapter 54: Ch 54: Developing the Skills- Part 4

The scene outside the dungeon was tense. Damian Ross pinched the bridge of his nose as a loud, petulant voice rang out behind him.

"This is such a waste of my time!"

Noah Vale groaned dramatically, throwing his hands in the air as he leaned against the sleek black car.

He was getting tired of being yelled at, but it was not like he could do anything about it. He could not even hit those loud kids without fearing for his head.

"I should be out there looking for my kidnapped sister, not fooling around in some random dungeon!"

His twin sister, Nora Vale, sighed beside him, rolling her eyes.

"Noah, we will find her and I am sure Selene is fine. We need to focus on us right now."

Their exchange made Damian grind his teeth in frustration, but outwardly, he remained the perfect picture of composure.

Noah knew that Nora was worried for Selene as well, but she hid her worries better than he did.

He adjusted his coat and walked over to the open car door, offering a calm and reassuring smile to the bickering siblings.

"Master Noah, Lady Nora. I understand your concerns, but for now, our priority is entering this dungeon and further developing your skills."

He addressed them smoothly.

Noah scoffed.

"My priority is finding Selene."

At the mention of her name, Damian had to stop himself from letting his irritation show. Selene Vale.

The discarded daughter of the Vale family.

The girl who had been abandoned by her parents, deemed too weak and unworthy of their name.

And yet, here the golden heir, Noah, was making a scene about her.

He wanted to point out the irony of it all.

Their precious sister, whom they had mocked and ignored for years, was now important simply because she had vanished. It made him sick.

Instead, he kept his voice even.

"I understand your frustrations, Master Noah. However, your family has not officially issued any orders regarding your sister’s retrieval."

Noah’s expression darkened, but before he could protest, Damian continued smoothly.

"For now, we should focus on the dungeon. This location was specifically chosen because it will challenge even geniuses like the two of you."

That word—geniuses—had the desired effect.

Noah straightened slightly, clearly pleased, his ego stroked just enough to distract him.

"Well, I am talented..."

Damian hid his smirk.

’Predictable.’

However, his victory was short-lived.

Nora, ever the more perceptive of the twins, narrowed her eyes at him.

Her gaze flickered with suspicion, her sharp mind catching the way he had subtly shifted the conversation away from Selene.

But, to his relief, she did not press further. Instead, she simply turned away, tossing her long silver-blond hair over her shoulder.

"Hmph. Let’s just get this over with."

She muttered.

Damian exhaled silently. The twins were manageable, as long as he played his cards right.

With a nod to the rest of his team, he gestured toward the dungeon entrance.

"Then let’s proceed."

The moment they stepped inside, a strange tension filled the air.

Nora stopped walking almost immediately, frowning as she turned her gaze toward the cavernous entrance.

"Noah, don’t you feel that?"

She said, her voice sharper now.

Noah paused beside her, his brows furrowing.

"Yeah... something’s off."

Damian turned to face them.

"What is it?"

Nora narrowed her eyes.

"There’s someone else here."

A cold chill ran down Damian’s spine.

"That’s impossible. There have been no reports of anyone else entering this dungeon before us."

He said quickly.

But Noah shook his head.

"No, Nora’s right. I can feel it. The mana in this place is disturbed."

Damian clenched his fists, cursing under his breath. If the twins were right—and they usually were—then that meant they weren’t alone.

He had to confirm this himself.

Without another word, he rushed ahead, his boots echoing against the stone floor as he sprinted forward.

His mind raced as he moved through the dungeon corridors, scanning the ground for signs of recent activity. If someone had entered before them, then it meant one of two things:

A competitor.

Someone else had discovered this dungeon and wanted whatever lay inside. That would be an inconvenience, but nothing he couldn’t handle.

His blood ran cold at the thought.

No.

That was impossible.

No one would dare come to a place that was reserved by Vale. Sure, the world had fallen into chaos after the apocalypse, but the fear of the Vale name was still prevalent.

Right?

Damian needed to be sure.

And so, he pressed forward, his heart pounding in his chest.

It didn’t take long for him to find the first sign.

Near the entrance of the first room, the faintest imprint of two sets of footprints was visible in the dust-covered floor.

One large. One small.

Damian’s breath hitched.

His fingers twitched, reaching for his communication device.

He had two choices.

He could alert the twins now, bring them into the search immediately. They were powerful, and having them investigate with him would be efficient.

Or...

He could confirm the truth himself before letting them know.

If—by some ridiculous chance—Selene was here, then it would be better for him to handle this situation first.

Damian exhaled sharply.

No. He had to be sure.

Gripping the handle of his sword tightly, he stepped forward and entered the room.

It was then that he found his proof. Damian Ross stared at the two sets of footprints for a long moment.

"Well, well, well. Looks like we aren’t alone after all"

He murmured to himself.

Straightening, he activated his communication device.

"Master Noah, Lady Nora. It seems we have some unexpected company in this dungeon."

He said smoothly, his voice calm yet sharp with anticipation.

There was a pause before Noah’s voice crackled through the speaker.

"Hah, we told you. So who is it?"

Damian glanced at the smaller set of footprints.

"Not sure yet. But I intend to find out."

A chuckle came from the other end.

"Sounds fun. I’ll be right there."

Nora’s voice followed after, quieter but sharper. "We’ll handle it."

Damian grinned.

The hunt was on.