Apocalypse with my SSS Harem Beauties-Chapter 153: Next Day

Michael entered his own tent. Selene, Tobias, and Darius were already inside, waiting for him. They knew about his intention to recruit Myles’ group to attack Red. Now they were waiting for the result.

Selene stood first. "What happened?"

"I think it will work," Michael said. "Myles agreed to attack together."

"That’s it?" Tobias asked, brows slightly raised.

"Yeah. I managed to convince him that Red is dangerous and needs to be destroyed as soon as possible."

A visible shift moved through the room.

Selene let out a long sigh. Darius leaned back against the wall. Tobias nodded slowly.

At least they had secured a powerful ally without paying a heavy price.

"That Myles guy looks young," Darius said. "But he’s led his group this far. He might be reckless, but I’m sure he has the ability to back it up."

"I want to know how they became that strong. There’s no way all of them just happened to get the rare magical weapons," Tobias said with folded his arms.

He had witnessed Ethan and Samantha fighting firsthand on the rooftop earlier that day. They handled pistols and bows with practiced precision. Their movements flowed cleanly as if they had trained with those weapons long before the world changed.

"They have secrets," Tobias continued. "I’m certain of it."

Michael nodded. "I think so too. But we can’t probe too much right now. If we push too much, they’ll get suspicious and close themselves off."

Selene crossed her arms. "Right. We have to act more carefully."

"Yeah," Michael said. "First thing first, we need to gather enough Ether Shards. We’ll need them for the Soul Forge Altar."

The name settled heavily in the room. The altar was their biggest advantage. With enough shards, they could enhance weapons, refine abilities, maybe even more things that they haven’t discovered yet.

They discussed routes and scouting teams for the next day. Assignments were distributed quickly and efficiently. When the plan felt solid enough, they ended the meeting.

They need to rest first because tomorrow would demand their focus.

—

The next day arrived under pale sunlight. Light spilled over the camp and refracted against the crystal walls, making them shimmer faintly like frozen glass.

Ether mist still lingered in the air, thick enough to blur the distance but no longer unfamiliar. The survivors had adapted. Their eyes had adjusted and their instincts had compensated. The mist wasn’t a problem anymore.

Myles stepped out of his tent and scanned the camp.

A few people were already awake, moving supplies or checking equipment. But the energy felt slower than yesterday. He was certain that most of them were still sleeping after the late-night gathering.

In the distance, near the training yard, he spotted Michael, Darius, and Selene. They were already training.

Metal clashed sharply and Ether flared briefly around their weapons with each movement.

Myles walked toward them.

As he approached, Michael noticed him and lowered his blade.

"Perfect timing," Michael said with a smile. "Spar with me."

Darius stepped aside immediately. Selene watched with quiet interest.

Myles did not hesitate. He shrugged and said. "Sure."

They moved to the center of the yard.

The ground bore marks from repeated combat like cracked stone, shallow dents, and faint scorch traces from Ether bursts.

Michael raised his arms. Ether flowed around his arm in a tight current.

Myles loosened his shoulders and raised his own arms. The air between them tightened.

"I hope you’re ready. I’ll start."

Michael moved first.

He closed the distance in a sharp forward step and attacked cleanly, testing speed and reaction. Myles met the attack directly and they were clashing in tight hand to hand combat.

Darius narrowed his eyes. Selene observed silently.

They exchanged several blows using only their bare hands. Neither of them had formal martial arts training. But after days of fighting monsters and using the system through their bodies, instinct had replaced structured technique.

Their movements were sharp, efficient, and direct. Their punches carried pressure and their steps adjusted with combat awareness.

To the onlookers, they already looked like seasoned fighters.

Michael launched a straight punch toward Myles’ face.

Myles tilted his head slightly and let the fist brush past his cheek. In the same motion, he drove his own fist toward Michael’s stomach.

Michael reacted in time. He tightened his core and blocked with his forearm.

Even so, the impact pushed him back several steps across the cracked stone.

Michael grunted and clenched his teeth. He knew that Myles was holding back. That realization only made him want to push harder.

Without hesitation, Michael lunged forward again. Ether surged faintly through his limbs unconsciously as he unleashed a rapid series of punches, forcing Myles to shift and guard.

Fists collided with forearms, their shoulders twisted, and their footwork adjusted constantly during the fight.

The sharp sounds of impact spread across the camp. Several people paused their tasks and turned to watch.

Selene stepped closer to Darius.

"Who do you think will win?" she asked quietly.

Darius sighed. "I like Michael as our leader. But this time... I have to admit Myles is stronger."

Selene narrowed her eyes slightly. She had already begun noticing the difference.

Michael’s breathing had grown heavier. Myles, on the other hand, still looked calm and controlled. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

And it had nothing to do with Michael warming up earlier. What Michael did before Myles arrived was nothing more than light preparation.

Michael threw another punch toward Myles’ jaw.

Myles stepped inside the attack, redirected the arm with one hand, and drove his palm into Michael’s chest.

The force sent Michael sliding backward.

He tried to regain balance but Myles followed immediately.

A clean, decisive strike landed squarely against Michael’s torso.

Michael lost footing and dropped to one knee before falling onto his back.

Silence settled over the yard. Dust rose lightly around him.

For a brief second, no one moved. Then Michael started laughing.

"Hahaha. You really are strong," he said while staring up at the sky.

Myles extended his hand.

"I told you that I was just lucky," he replied calmly.

Michael grabbed his arm and allowed himself to be pulled back to his feet.

Up close, he could clearly feel the difference. There was something behind Myles’ power that went beyond simple leveling.

Michael dusted off his clothes and steadied his breathing.

"We’re heading out to gather Ether Shards today," he said. "Get ready."

"Alright," Myles answered without hesitation.

Around them, the tension slowly dispersed.

But several pairs of eyes continued watching Myles with renewed awareness.

—