Odyssey Of Survival-Chapter 65 Ray’s Purpose

Ten days had passed since the chaos with Zoro, but the aftermath lingered like a shadow. Ryder had taken charge, instituting a grueling training regimen. Everyone was required to train—abilities or not. Those with powers refined them with relentless drills, while those without were pushed to their limits, their dormant potential being forced to the surface. Ryder’s approach was clear: they had to be ready for anything.

Madison and Alice had made it a ritual to visit Nate daily. Their concern never waned, and despite his motionless state, they continued to hope. Bella, to their surprise, had started joining them too. She rarely spoke during these visits but seemed drawn to the room nonetheless.

Today was like the days before. The three of them sat quietly around Nate’s bed. His face was pale but calm, and the faint rise and fall of his chest was the only sign of life. It was a fragile hope, but one they clung to.

The silence was broken by Alice. "Madison," she said softly, almost hesitant to speak. "Do you think he’ll ever wake up?"

Madison leaned back in her chair, her fingers tapping rhythmically against her armrest. "I don’t know," she admitted after a pause. Her voice was low, tinged with uncertainty. "Evelyn said... he might never wake up again. They’ve done everything they can. His wounds are gone, but whatever’s broken inside? That’s something only he can fix."

Alice sighed, her expression heavy with worry. "That’s not exactly comforting," she murmured, glancing at Nate’s still form.

Bella, who had been unusually quiet, suddenly straightened. "He’ll recover," she said with quiet conviction. "I know he will."

Madison turned to her, her eyes narrowing slightly in thought. After a moment, she asked, "Can I ask you something, Bella?"

Bella looked at her, confused but nodded. "Sure. What is it?"

"What’s going on between you and Nate?" Madison asked, her tone casual but laced with curiosity.

The question hit Bella like a physical blow. Her face flushed as she stammered, "W-What? I… I don’t know what you’re talking about!"

Alice’s eyes widened, and she immediately nudged Madison. "Seriously, Madison?" she hissed, glaring at her. "Why would you ask her something so personal?"

Madison blinked, genuinely confused by their reactions. "Wait, what? No, no, no!" she said quickly, waving her hands. "That’s not what I meant! I’m talking about the connection between them—the weird thing where they can sense each other, even when they’re far apart."

"Oh," Alice muttered, her glare softening as she leaned back in her chair.

Bella exhaled sharply, relief flashing across her face before she frowned. "Oh… that." She hesitated, her gaze dropping to her lap. "Honestly? I don’t know. It started after we crashed on the island. At first, it was so faint that I thought... I thought I was just catching feelings for him."

Madison raised an eyebrow. "So, you started acting cold toward him, thinking that would make it stop?"

Bella’s head snapped up, her eyes wide with surprise. "How do you—"

"Nate told me," Madison interrupted, leaning forward slightly. "He said you were acting cold toward him for no reason, and he couldn’t figure out why."

Bella sighed, guilt flickering in her eyes. "I thought it would help," she admitted. "I thought if I pushed him away, maybe the connection would fade. But it didn’t. It only got stronger."

Alice tilted her head, her curiosity piqued. "Stronger? How strong are we talking?"

Bella hesitated before answering. "It’s hard to explain," she said slowly. "It’s like… I can sense his emotions sometimes. Like when he’s in pain or when he’s angry. And after the battle with Zoro, it’s been even more intense. It’s like... I can feel his presence, even when I’m not near him."

Madison leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms as she considered Bella’s words. "That’s not normal," she said bluntly.

Bella shot her a sharp look. "You think I don’t know that?"

Madison smirked, holding up her hands in mock surrender. "Hey, I’m just saying. Maybe there’s more to it than just a connection. Maybe it’s... something else."

"Like what?" Bella asked, her tone skeptical.

"I don’t know," Madison admitted with a shrug. "But whatever it is, we need to figure it out. If it’s getting stronger, that could mean something."

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The room fell into a thoughtful silence, the weight of their conversation settling over them. Nate remained still, unaware of the world around him, but the three women couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever was happening to him—and to Bella—was far from over.

Outside the cave, the sound of combat training echoed through the air as Ryder squared off against one of the ability users. His opponent, a wiry man with the power to control rocks, was proving to be a tough match. The man summoned boulders from the ground with ease, sending them hurtling toward Ryder.

But Ryder, with his enhanced strength, was relentless. He smashed through each rock with raw power, his fists cracking the stone like glass. Dust filled the air, and just as Ryder broke through the last barrage, he saw a fist heading straight for his face.

Ryder grinned. "Nice move," he said, sidestepping effortlessly, "but you’re too slow."

The man’s punch missed its mark, throwing him off balance. Ryder took the opportunity to deliver a swift palm strike to his opponent’s back. The force of the blow wasn’t enough to hurt him, but it sent him sprawling to the ground.

"You need to work on your balance," Ryder advised as the man picked himself up.

The man nodded, brushing himself off. "Got it," he said, before walking off to practice what he had learned.

Ryder grabbed a towel from a nearby bench and wiped the sweat from his face. His muscles ached from the constant training, but he couldn’t afford to slow down. They all needed to be ready. As he lowered the towel, he noticed a pot-bellied man standing a few feet away, holding something small and glowing in his hand, he instantly recognized him. The man went by name Ray.

Ray stepped forward, his face serious. "Ryder," he said, "we need to talk."

Ryder raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Ray held up the glowing object. It was roughly the size of a pebble, its surface smooth and iridescent. Ryder frowned. "Where did you get that?"

"One of the people we rescued in the mine had it," Ray explained. "But this... this isn’t a crystal."

Ryder’s frown deepened. "If it’s not a crystal, then what is it?"

Ray’s expression darkened as he looked Ryder in the eye. "I’m not entirely sure. But whatever it is... it’s gonna help us."

Ryder’s brows knitted together as he glanced at the pot-bellied man. "What do you mean by that, Ray? How’s that thing in your hand supposed to help us?"

Ray sighed, holding the object up toward the sunlight. Its surface shimmered with an unnatural glow, refracting light into a spectrum of colors far beyond what a normal crystal would produce.

"If this was a regular crystal," Ray began, "when you hold it under the sun, the light would pass through or maybe refract into the typical rainbow pattern. But this..." He gestured to the brilliant, pulsating colors emanating from the object. "This reacts to sunlight in a completely unique way. It amplifies the light, and the pattern isn’t random. There’s something intentional about how it works. It’s like..."

Ryder waved his hand, cutting him off. "Ray. Speak in simple English, please. I’m already confused enough as it is."

Ray let out a frustrated chuckle, lowering the object. "Fine. What I’m saying is—this thing can be used to make weapons."

Ryder blinked, baffled. "Weapons? How’s a weird glowing rock gonna help us make weapons?"

Ray’s expression turned somber. "Ryder, ever since we got here, I’ve been risking my life, training, and hoping I’d awaken some kind of ability. But nothing’s happened. Not even a spark. And maybe that’s because my true purpose isn’t fighting. It’s building. This crystal—whatever it is—I’m sure I can use it to forge weapons that can turn the tide in our favor."

Ryder still looked skeptical but asked, "What do you need to start? If it’ll help us survive, I’ll make sure you get whatever you need." Find adventures on novelbuddy

Ray’s eyes lit up with determination. "First, I need ability users to help me build a proper workspace. A forge, tools, everything I’ll need to start experimenting. And then..." He hesitated, his gaze shifting. "I’ll need to get more of these crystals. A lot more."

At this, Ryder’s frown deepened. "You’re saying you want us to go back to the mine?"

Before Ryder could voice his objection, Jack interrupted, his tone firm as he appeared behind them. "Not necessarily. When we were expanding towards the deeper part of the cave we discover some of these weird crystal." He said as he threw the crystal to Ray and it was the same type in his hand. "We won’t need to risk anyone going back to the mine"

Ryder stared at Ray, considering his words. The promise of weapons was tempting, especially if it gave them an edge against the keepers. Finally, he nodded. "Fine. We’ll get you what you need. But if this plan doesn’t work, you better have a backup."

Ray smiled faintly, clutching the glowing object. "It’ll work. Trust me."

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