Apocalypse with my SSS Harem Beauties-Chapter 137: Cooperation

Pale and cold morning light filtered through the thin fabric of the camp tents, carrying with it the distant crackle of burning ruins and the low murmur of survivors beginning another uncertain day.

The air felt heavier than the night before, not because of exhaustion, but because today a decision would turn into action.

Myles stepped out first. Lilian walked a pace behind him with her usual indifferent expression.

The others followed shortly after, already bringing their weapons but not in a tense attitude.

Across the clearing, Michael and his core members were waiting near the central tent. No smiles were exchanged. No pleasantries offered. This was not a friendly meeting. It was a negotiation between armed forces.

Michael gave a short nod. "You rested well?"

"Well enough," Myles replied. His gaze moved briefly over the gathered figures behind Michael. "We’re in."

A subtle shift ran through Michael’s group. They glanced at each other. Their tension easing but not disappearing.

"That’s good," Michael said, nodding. "Then we move today. Before the creature grows stronger."

Victor folded his arms. "Start with the details. Everything you know."

Michael gestured toward the large hand-drawn map laid across a wooden crate between them. The black skull mark still dominated one section.

"Like I said before. The guardian isn’t a mindless beast. It’s a fire-type monster. Roughly four meters tall when standing fully upright. It has a humanoid shape but is distorted. Its body burns constantly, but not normal flames. The fire condenses into armor-like layers that repel magical type attacks."

"Does it have a high defense on physical attack?" Daniel asked.

"Yes. High durability," Michael confirmed. "Physical attacks weaken before reaching its core. We suspect the true body is inside the flame shell."

Samantha narrowed her eyes. "Does it have any other elemental resistance?"

"Extremely resistant to fire, of course. Moderate resistance to physical. We haven’t tested lightning or ice type attacks thoroughly because we don’t have them. Its regeneration accelerates when standing inside its own flames."

Kade’s expression sharpened. "What about area control?"

"Yes." Michael pointed at several red circles drawn around the skull mark. "It spreads burning zones across the ground. The flames persist for several minutes. Anyone caught inside experiences continuous Ether burn that can’t be extinguished by water. It also launches condensed fire projectiles with explosive impact."

"How intelligent is it?" Myles asked.

"It prioritizes ranged attackers first. Then it targeted our support. It can adapt to our fighting style and even remembers patterns of our attack."

Silence lingered briefly as the implications settled.

Michael nodded his head firmly.

"My proposal is simple. We divide roles. My frontliners will engage first and draw its attention. Your group has better coordinated assault capability. When it commits to us, you strike from its blind angles. We rotate aggro to prevent sustained focus. Once the outer flame layer weakens, everyone concentrates on the core."

"What about the altar?" George asked evenly.

"We secure it only after the guardian is fully neutralized," Michael replied without hesitation.

Myles studied him for several seconds, then nodded once. "Fine. We attack together."

Michael extended his hand. After a brief pause, Myles took it.

The alliance formed from necessity.

—

After the agreement was sealed, no one lingered to celebrate it. Words had served their purpose and now only preparation mattered.

The clearing behind the tents slowly transformed into a temporary training ground as both groups spread out, drawing weapons, testing their footing, and measuring distance.

The tension from earlier did not disappear. It changed shape and became focused on training instead.

Myles stood slightly apart at first and just watched. Lilian was indifferent as always.

Michael’s core five members moved with clear structure around him. They were not chaotic survivors swinging weapons wildly. They had refined their roles through the days.

"We decided early on that spreading ourselves thin would get us killed. So we specialized. Each of us focused on the skills we use the most," Michael said as he adjusted the grip on his spear.

He gestured toward a slim woman with short brown hair standing a few meters behind the others. "That’s Hana. She’s our healer."

Hana raised one hand calmly. A soft green Ether light gathered around her palm before flowing out in controlled threads that wrapped around one of the frontliners.

The faint bruising on his arm visibly eased.

"She has skills called Restoration Pulse and Minor Regeneration Field," Michael explained. "It was short range, but efficient. She can’t spam it endlessly."

Next stood a broad-shouldered man holding a tower shield patched together from reinforced metal plates. "This is Darius and in charge of the defensive role."

Darius slammed the shield into the ground. A translucent barrier shimmered briefly in front of him like layered glass.

"His skills are Fortified Guard and Impact Nullification," Michael said. "He reduces damage from the front and can absorb one heavy strike every few minutes. He can be relied upon."

Beside him, a lean man with sharp eyes rolled his shoulders loosely, twin blades spinning between his fingers. "This is Rafe and his role is close assault."

Rafe showed his skills and vanished in a short burst of speed, then reappearing behind a wooden post and slicing across it in a fluid motion.

"His skills are called Dash Step and Bleeding Edge. High mobility but comes with high risk."

The fourth member, a tall woman with braided black hair, lifted her arm and released a compressed burst of air that detonated against a training dummy.

"This is Selene. Mid-range attacker. She has Piercing Arc skill."

Michael’s gaze shifted toward the last member of his core unit, a quiet man who had remained near the rear during the earlier display.

"And that’s Tobias," he said. "He has Binding Shot skill."

Tobias adjusted the strap of the compact crossbow resting against his forearm, his expression unreadable.

Finally, Michael himself stepped forward. His spear ignited along its edge, not in wild flames but in controlled crimson Ether.

"Flame Thrust and Ember Spiral. Those are my skills, all related to fire," he said simply. His movements were clean and practiced.

Myles noted the details carefully.

Only three among them carried true magical weapons. Michael’s spear radiated structured Ether. Rafe’s twin blades shimmered faintly with embedded runes along the edge. Selene’s gauntlet bore a glowing core set into the metal frame.

The rest used reinforced scraps like reforged steel, sharpened vehicle parts, layered plating hammered into shape.

The afternoon passed with joint drills. They exchanged surface-level information but avoided revealing too much.

Conversations remained controlled. No one demonstrated their strongest move or plans. No one exposed their limits.

They learned each other’s rhythm, but not their secrets.

By evening, sweat and dust covered the clearing, yet the air between the two groups remained guarded.

"I think we are ready to strike tomorrow. What do you say?" Michael who was actually in a hurry said.

Myles nods. "Alright."

—