The Spare's Second Chance in Apocalypse-Chapter 178: Ch : A Dinner Outing - Part 3

’T-This is bad. I hope Ethan and others are following me. I think I might need their help with this.’

Selene felt the tension rise in the air as she looked at the body in front of her. She had a feeling things were about to get worse somehow.

The moment the assassin collapsed, a thick, dark vapor began to seep from his body, curling into the air like ink spreading through water.

The acrid scent of poison burned Selene’s nostrils, and her instincts screamed at her.

Move. Now.

Without hesitation, she snatched Nora by the wrist and yanked her back, her boots skidding against the polished restaurant floor as she dragged them both to safety.

The other patrons and staff had barely begun to process what had just happened before the realization hit them all at once—they were trapped inside with a spreading toxin.

Panic erupted.

Screams filled the high-class restaurant, silverware clattering to the floor as people scrambled away from the spreading fumes.

But the exits were clogged with terrified civilians, and Selene knew that if they didn’t clear out fast, many of them wouldn’t make it.

Gritting her teeth, she called out, her voice cutting through the chaos like a blade.

"Use the emergency exit! Or the staff exit—just get out of here, NOW!"

It took a moment, but someone finally snapped out of their shock and followed her orders.

As soon as one person moved, the rest followed in a panicked stampede, shoving their way toward the back of the restaurant where the kitchens led to a service exit.

Meanwhile, Rize—who had been lingering near the back—rushed over, her expression tense.

"What do we do?!"

She asked, her voice tight with urgency.

Selene kept her eyes locked on the rapidly thickening poison in the air.

This wasn’t natural—it spread too fast and carried an ominous weight that told her it was something far worse than just an ordinary toxin.

"We need to seal this area or find someone who can purify it. "And whatever you do— Do NOT use heat."

Selene answered, already calculating their next move. She turned toward Nora sharply.

Nora scowled but nodded, realizing that the wrong kind of reaction could make things worse.

Fire could ignite unexpected chemical reactions, and in an enclosed space filled with unknown poison, the results could be catastrophic.

Selene was about to pull Nora toward the exit when—

The assassin’s corpse began to glow.

A sickly, unnatural light pulsed from the body, growing brighter by the second. The heat emanating from it wasn’t natural, and a sudden, deep dread sank into Selene’s gut.

Her Insight flared—warning her of imminent danger.

It’s going to combust.

Not just explode—but burst, scattering poison in every direction.

[Shit—Ethan, Orion—anyone! We have a situation!]

Selene hissed, already reaching for her earpiece.

[We’re close]

Ethan’s voice cut through, what’s going on?

"The body is about to detonate—"

Before she could even finish, Orion was already moving.

From outside the restaurant, a golden barrier materialized, curving around the assassin’s body like an unbreakable dome.

Just as the corpse burst apart, the poison was instantly contained within the shimmering shield.

A muffled boom shook the restaurant.

Selene felt the heat and force of the explosion even from behind the barrier, but Orion’s shield held firm.

When the dust settled, only a charred, liquefied mess remained inside the shimmering dome. But none of the poisonous debris had been released beyond its confines.

Selene let out a slow breath, pressing a hand to her forehead. That had been too close.

"Nice timing."

Nora muttered, clearly unimpressed. But despite her words, relief flickered in her gaze as she watched the poison dissolve against Orion’s containment.

Selene turned back toward the room, narrowing her eyes at the remaining traces of toxic smoke still lingering in the air.

Something felt wrong.

She had seen countless poisons before—natural ones, dungeon-born ones, even artificially enhanced ones. But this...

Something about this poison didn’t fit into any known category.

Without wasting another second, Selene activated her system ability—Insight.

A wave of information flooded her mind, analyzing the composition of the airborne toxin. But the response she received was... strange.

[ERROR: INCOMPATIBLE SUBSTANCE DETECTED

Unable to process—artificial origin suspected]

Selene’s stomach dropped.

Artificial...?

What the hell did that mean?

She quickly relayed the information to the others.

"This poison...It’s not natural. It wasn’t made through any system-recognized means.""

She murmured, keeping her voice steady despite the growing unease curling in her chest.

Nora frowned.

"Then where did it come from?"

Ethan, who had just arrived alongside Orion, stiffened at the information. His mind worked fast.

"...If it’s artificial, then that means it was engineered. And if it was engineered, then—"

Ethan said slowly, piecing it together.

"—it might be connected to the Awakening Drugs."

Selene finished for him.

A heavy silence fell over the group.

The Awakening Drugs—unstable synthetic serums that forcefully triggered powers in those who had never naturally awakened. freewebnσvel.cøm

Most people who took them either died or went insane.

Selene glanced at the remains of the assassin—the liquefied, poisoned corpse that had combusted upon death.

Her jaw tightened.

"Did he use one?"

Orion asked, glancing at the charred ground inside his barrier.

"It’s possible. Without evidence, we can’t say for sure, but... this wouldn’t be the first time someone turned out unstable from forced Awakening."

Ethan muttered.

Selene folded her arms, eyes sharp.

If that was true, then it meant this assassin hadn’t just been hired to take them out.

He might have been a test subject.

And that meant...

Someone was experimenting with artificial Awakening—and had sent this man here to see what he was capable of before he self-destructed.

A test run.

Selene’s fingers tightened around the hilt of her weapon.

"This wasn’t an ordinary assassination attempt. This was a message"

She said at last.

Nora’s expression darkened.

"Then we need to send one back."

Selene exchanged a glance with Ethan.

Whoever was behind this—whoever had manufactured this poison, these unstable Awakenings...