Chapter 109: Ch 109: Found Out- Part 3
Isabelle Thorne lay sprawled at the bottom of a deep crater, her body aching and bruised.
Dirt and debris clung to her once-pristine combat suit, and blood trickled from a cut on her forehead, matting her blonde curls to her skin.
Each breath ca in shallow, painful gulps, and for a mont, she considered staying down—letting the cold, damp earth swallow her whole.
But no.
She wasn’t the type to surrender.
Not to anyone, and especially not to that smug bastard Ethan.
With a groan, Isabelle fumbled through her inventory, her fingers trembling as they closed around the cool glass of a recovery potion.
She yanked the cork out with her teeth and downed the shimring green liquid in one go.
Warmth blood in her chest, spreading outwards as the potion did its work.
The bruises faded, the gash on her head closed up, and strength returned to her limbs.
Isabelle forced herself to her feet, swaying only slightly as the world spun around her.
Her gaze hardened as she took in her surroundings. She was still in the dungeon, a world of ancient forests and hidden dangers.
The air was thick with the scent of moss and damp earth, and sowhere in the distance, a monstrous roar echoed through the trees.
She ignored it.
There was only one thing on her mind now—revenge.
"Those bastards will pay for this. I will make sure they won’t be able to run away from
next ti."
Her steps were unsteady at first, but as she moved, confidence returned. She clenched her fists, lightning crackling at her fingertips, as she made her way back to the base camp.
When she finally reached the camp, a fresh wave of anger surged through her.
Bodies lay sprawled on the ground, not dead but fast asleep. Her supposed guards, her loyal team—useless.
With a sneer, Isabelle raised her hand.
"Wake up, you idiots."
A bolt of electricity arced from her fingers, not enough to kill but enough to jolt them awake with a searing shock.
The n and won snapped upright, their eyes wide with terror as they scrambled to their feet.
"M-Miss Thorne!"
One of them stamred, rubbing his arm where a red burn mark had ford.
"We—uh—we didn’t expect you back so soon."
"Clearly! I leave you in charge for one mont, and this is what happens? Where are the intruders?"
Isabelle hissed. She ignored the fact that she had lost to those intruders as well and ended up running away in sha.
Her sharp blue eyes swept over them, her gaze hard enough to cut glass. The guards exchanged nervous glances, each one unwilling to et her stare.
"We... We lost them. They were too fast. And then... there was gas. We all... fell asleep."
Another guard admitted, his voice small.
Isabelle’s hand twitched, sparks dancing along her knuckles.
"Useless! Every single one of you."
She spat, not caring that she was just as much at fault as the others were.
Before she could unleash another round of punishnt, her earpiece crackled to life. The voice on the other end was smooth, mocking, and far too amused for Isabelle’s liking.
"Well, well. The great Isabelle Thorne, bested by a couple of nobodies. I almost can’t believe it."
Her jaw clenched.
"What do you want?"
The voice chuckled.
"Not what I want. What I’m offering. You seem to be in need of a little... assistance. And we might just have the perfect opportunity for you to get your revenge."
Isabelle’s expression shifted, the rage cooling into sothing colder—sothing sharper.
"I’m listening."
______
anwhile, miles away, Selene and Ethan arrived back ho.
The atmosphere was vastly different—calm, almost cheerful, as they joined Zara and Orion around the dining table.
Selene reached into her inventory and pulled out one of the nullifying crystals she had collected.
The deep, smoky quartz crystal caught the light, casting a faint shadow on the table.
Zara leaned forward, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"Is this it? The nullifier?"
"Sort of. It has the power of nullification, but it’s raw. We can’t use it in this state. It needs to be refined—processed into a usable form."
Selene replied, turning the crystal in her hand.
Orion, ever the practical one, raised an eyebrow.
"And how do we do that?"
Selene sighed.
"We need soone with a crafting skill. Specifically, soone who can work with ability-infused items. Crafters are rare, and most of them are already under contract with big guilds."
Zara bit her lip.
"So, we have to find one. Should we start asking around?"
"Yes, but be subtle. We can’t let people know what we’re looking for. If word gets out, we might attract the wrong kind of attention."
Selene said.
Ethan, who had been quiet until now, set down his cup with a soft clink.
"Or, we could find our own crafter."
Ethan’s voice carried a hint of mischief.
Selene turned to him, intrigued.
"What do you an?"
A sly smile tugged at Ethan’s lips.
He pulled out a folded piece of paper, smoothing it flat on the table. It was an old map, the edges frayed, with markings that indicated a hidden location.
"There’s a dungeon. It’s a B-ranked party dungeon, and it’s notorious for being... difficult. Almost no one’s cleared it. But those who do are rewarded with a crafting skill."
He explained.
Zara’s eyes widened.
"Seriously? That’s perfect!"
Orion, however, was more cautious.
"What’s the catch?"
Ethan’s smile didn’t waver.
"The catch is that it’s a nightmare. The monsters are strong, the traps are deadly, and the puzzles are... well, let’s just say ’tricky’ is putting it lightly. Most parties avoid it because it’s not worth the risk."
Selene considered this, her fingers still wrapped around the crystal. She had a feeling that there was more to it. It sounded far too perfect.
"But if we succeed, we could get exactly what we need. A crafting skill would allow us to refine these nullifiers ourselves."
Selene finished Ethan’s words and decided that it was a risk worth taking.
Zara grinned, her excitent bubbling over.
"Then let’s do it! We’ve handled worse, right?"
Orion shot her a look.
"This isn’t like our usual runs. We need to be prepared. Fully prepared."
Ethan leaned back, crossing his arms.
"Agreed. We’ll need supplies, strategy, and a lot of luck."
Selene nodded, a new sense of determination settling over her.
"Then it’s settled. We prepare, we train, and when we’re ready, we take on that dungeon."
As plans were made and strategies discussed, the group felt the weight of what lay ahead.
But under that weight was a glimr of hope—of control over their destinies and the power to shape their own futures.
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