Apocalypse with my SSS Harem Beauties-Chapter 189: Night Time

Myles looked at Lilian.

The others did the same, their attention shifting toward her almost instinctively.

The air around them remained calm but the weight of her words pressing quietly against their thoughts.

"Why?" Myles asked.

Lilian didn’t answer immediately. Her gaze drifted toward the empty arena for a second, as if recalling the presence that had just vanished.

"Because," she said finally, her tone serious, "if something like that appeared on this floor then I don’t know what’s waiting on the next one. It could be worse."

Her eyes moved back to them.

"That wasn’t normal dungeon difficulty that should appear in this low world," she continued. "That was already pushing into something else."

Silence followed.

Myles didn’t respond right away. He lowered his gaze slightly.

"She’s not wrong." He thought.

The others fell into the same quiet thought.

Ethan scratched the back of his head, letting out a small, awkward laugh.

"I mean... I am curious what’s up there," he admitted. Then his expression shifted, more serious. "But yeah... I don’t think I want to risk my life that much."

Samantha nodded beside him. "We barely made it through this one."

"And that was with Lilian’s help." Daniel said then let out a sigh.

No one needed to say more.

Myles lifted his gaze again, looking at Lilian.

For a moment, he stayed silent.

Then he gave a small nod.

"If you’re saying that then I guess we should listen," he said.nHis voice carried no hesitation.

Behind him, the others quickly agreed.

"Yeah," Victor said. "You clearly know more about this than we do."

The decision settled naturally among them.

Lilian watched them for a second... then nodded.

"Good," she said.

Without another word, she raised her hand slightly. A faint pulse of Ether spread outward from her.

Then, right in front of them, a familiar circle formed once again.

Runes carved along its rim lit up one by one, glowing with a steady controlled light. The air hummed softly as the structure stabilized and the same elevator-like formation they had used before reappeared as if it had never left.

"Let’s go," Lilian said.

They stepped into the circle together.

Myles entered first, the others following close behind. As soon as they were all inside, Lilian stepped in last.

She closed her eyes briefly. Then she reached out with her thoughts.

The runes reacted instantly.

A warm amber light surged upward surrounding all of them in a soft glowing layer. The ground beneath their feet seemed to dissolve into light as the world around them blurred and stretched.

It was not like when they got into another floor. For a moment, everything felt distant, weightless, and silent.

Then the light faded and the air of the outside world that felt different brushed against their skin.

They stood once again inside the cave where everything had started. The contrast felt unreal.

The suffocating pressure, the chaos, the endless fighting had disappeared, replaced by quiet stillness.

They stepped out slowly.

From the cave, they moved back onto the brownish earth outside with the ground that shimmered faintly under the dim light and Ether mist just like before.

But everything felt different now. Their bodies felt stronger. They had changed.

Not just a little. At least five times stronger than when they first entered.

Samantha stretched her arms slightly, then let out a small breath with a faint smile.

"It feels like we’ve been in there for weeks," she said. "Even though it was only a few hours."

"You’re right," Myles replied, glancing at her.

For a brief moment, he studied her face. Then he noticed again how young she was.

Too young for all of this.

Ethan was the same.

But the way they stood and the way they spoke... the tension in their expressions...

They no longer felt like youth anymore.

This apocalypse had already changed them.

Myles looked away, his expression turning calm again.

They continued walking.

Soon, the familiar outline of the city came into view.

The path remained quiet. No burrower monsters appeared.

It felt as if they had recognized them and chosen not to mess with them. Myles didn’t say it out loud but he knew. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

By the time they reached the outer area of the city, the sky had already darkened. The fading light painted everything in muted tones as night slowly took over.

They decided to just immediately go to Michael’s camp.

Their faces carried relief and happiness.

They kept walking without slowing down. Their pace steady as the familiar terrain unfolded in front of them.

The faint shimmer of Ether across the mist reflected dimly under the darkening sky.

Not long after, the outline of the Soul Forge Altar came into view again. The tall structure stood exactly where they had left it, unchanged, but the scene around it was different now.

Michael and his group were still gathered closely around the altar, their figures illuminated by the faint glow of orange Ether energy.

Each of them held Ether shards in their hands. The fragments pulsed with a soft light as they channeled them into their bodies. The energy disperses through their veins in controlled waves.

The process looked almost ritualistic from afar. They were quiet and focused.as if they were afraid to waste even a fraction of what they had gained.

Small fluctuations of Ether could be seen around them as their stats increased one point at a time to slowly reinforce their strength.

George’s lips curved into a crooked smile as he watched the scene.

"So do we tell them about the dungeon trial?" he asked, his tone casual but carrying a clear undertone.

Myles didn’t even hesitate.

"No," he said calmly. "We don’t need to tell them that for now."

Kade let out a small breath, nodding slightly.

"Right," he added. "We don’t know when they might turn on us."

The others didn’t argue..The decision came easily.

Even though they had worked together before, even though they had fought toward the same goal of taking down Red... the trust between them had never truly formed. It was cooperation born out of necessity not belief.

And now, after what they had just experienced inside the dungeon, the gap between them felt even clearer.

They kept moving.

Soon, they were close enough for both groups to fully recognize each other.

Myles slowed slightly, just enough to acknowledge their presence.

"We’re heading back to the camp first," he said, his tone neutral.

Michael looked at him and gave a short nod. "Okay."

There was no attempt to stop them or any further questions.

Myles didn’t wait. He simply walked past. His group followed right behind him without breaking formation.

Behind them, Rafe’s low snicker slipped through the air.

"Heh... they don’t even know how much stats we’re getting from this," he muttered, his voice filled with quiet amusement.

But Michael didn’t react.

He remained where he stood, his gaze following Myles’ group as they walked away. His expression didn’t change much but there was something heavy behind it. Something unsettled.

Inside, his thoughts didn’t sit well. "This... doesn’t feel right."

They were working together, at least on the surface. But every interaction and decision all felt measured, careful and distant.

Trust wasn’t there.

And without it, everything they were doing felt unstable.

Michael lowered his gaze slightly, tightening his grip around the Ether shard in his hand before exhaling slowly.

"We also need to rest," he said. "So let’s finish this soon."

—

Night settled fully over the camp, the last traces of dim orange light fading into a quiet darkness broken only by scattered torches and the faint glow of Ether mist drifting through the air.

The sounds of movement slowly died down as one by one people retreated into their tents. Exhaustion finally claimed them after everything that had happened.

Myles lay inside the tent with the others. His body finally at rest after pushing far beyond its limits.

The ground beneath him felt rough but compared to the battlefield they had just left it was more than enough. His breathing was steady and deep as sleep pulled him under.

Then something nudged him.

His eyes opened instantly and he saw Lilian standing above him.

The dim light from outside slipped through the fabric of the tent, casting a faint glow across her figure. A small smile rested on her face, as if she had been waiting for him to wake.

Myles frowned slightly, still shaking off the haze of sleep. "What?"

"You remember that we got an appointment, right?" Lilian asked, her voice low but clear.

Myles blinked once, his mind still sluggish. "Appointment?"

He forced himself to think. Then it clicked.

Lilian had told him before about a being from her level who wanted to meet him.

His eyes sharpened instantly.

He pushed himself up without hesitation. "Now?" he asked.

Lilian nodded.

Myles stood immediately. His movements were careful as he avoided making unnecessary noise. Around him, the others remained asleep. No one stirred.

Within a minute, they stepped out of the tent.

The night air felt colder outside. The camp was silent, most of the light reduced to faint embers and distant flickers. No one paid attention to them.

Without speaking, Lilian led the way toward the back of the tents.

Myles followed.

They moved past the edge of the camp into a darker and more open space.

Then Lilian’s wings unfolded. A soft pulse of Ether spread outward. Myles hugged her body and she lifted them off the ground.

They ascended quickly.

The camp below shrank, its lights turning into scattered points against the darkness.

They were unaware that below them, a pair of eyes had been watching.

Michael stood near the edge of his tent, partially hidden in the shadows. His gaze followed their figures as they disappeared into the night sky.

His brows furrowed slightly.

"Where are they going...?"

But the unease in his chest returned, heavier than before. Because he didn’t know what Myles was planning.

—