Apocalypse with my SSS Harem Beauties-Chapter 193: Future Direction

Myles turned immediately toward Seraphina the moment her words settled in his ears. The lingering cold on his skin no longer registered as his focus snapped fully onto her presence beside him. The haze in his mind cleared just enough for his curiosity to rise because of her words.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his brows pulling together slightly.

Before Seraphina could answer, the soft sound of footsteps approached.

Lilian moved closer from where she had been standing. She stopped right beside them. Her gaze dropped toward Myles’ exposed body without the slightest hint of discomfort or hesitation.

Her expression remained calm and composed, as if everything that had just happened was completely natural.

"Myles," Lilian said. Her tone carried a seriousness that immediately drew his full attention.

"You want to rise higher... no," she corrected herself slightly, her eyes sharpening, "you have to rise higher than this."

Myles stayed silent, listening.

"Above this world," she continued, "there are countless places filled with power beyond anything you can imagine. Realms that were once sealed, protected, and hidden. But when the Etherfall came, those barriers began to break. Those places are no longer unreachable."

Her gaze held his eyes firmly now.

"This is the time to move. The time to claim that power before others do."

Myles felt his chest tighten slightly.

Seraphina shifted beside him, pushing herself up into a sitting position. Her red hair flowed loosely around her shoulders as her eyes locked onto him again.

"You’ll help us achieve that," she said, her tone confident and certain.

The words pressed down on him heavier than he expected.

Myles felt a flicker of hesitation rise within his chest. Everything Lilian described sounded far beyond anything he had experienced so far. Even surviving this world had already pushed him to his limits more than once.

And now... something beyond that?

"That’s... too far," he thought quietly. "Is that even something I can reach?"

He looked between the two of them.

"What makes you so sure I can do it?" he asked.

Seraphina’s lips curved into that familiar wide smile again. The confident, certain, and almost amused smile.

"Because you can handle it," she said simply. "You have the potential to carry strength that no one else here can. It just needs to be nurtured."

Myles felt something shift inside him at those words. A quiet spark.

Strength like no other.... That idea alone stirred his feelings.

Before everything changed, before this broken world swallowed everything whole, he had been a nobody. Just another face in the crowd. No influence, purpose, or power.

He had hated that version of himself.

Now... things were different.

Now he had a chance.

A real one.

And the ones saying it weren’t ordinary people. They were beings from a higher realm. Beings that were strong enough to stand above everything he had seen so far.

If even they believed in his potential... Then how far can he actually go?

Excitement began to rise in his chest.

Lilian and Seraphina exchanged a glance. A subtle one, but filled with understanding. Lilian’s lips curved slightly into a faint smirk, while Seraphina’s grin widened.

They could see it clearly that he was already convinced.

Myles exhaled slowly before asking, "So... what do I need to do?"

Seraphina answered this time without hesitation.

"For now?" she said, leaning back slightly. "Get stronger. That’s all."

Her tone remained casual, but her eyes stayed sharp.

"When the time comes, we’ll tell you what you need to do."

Myles nodded slowly, accepting it. Then another thought surfaced.

"What about my friends?" he asked.

Lilian answered him this time.

"As long as you become strong," she said calmly, "you can protect them. And move forward together."

Her words settled firmly in his mind.

That was enough. Myles nodded again more firmly this time.

"Alright."

"It’s about time we head back," Lilian said.

Seraphina stretched lightly before adding, "I won’t return with you for now. It’ll draw too much attention. I’ll come later."

Myles nodded. That made sense.

"Yeah."

With that settled, he slowly pushed himself up and began to get dressed again. His body still carried a faint lingering warmth, but his mind had already shifted forward toward what comes next.

—

A heavy and suffocating atmosphere settled over the camp.

Red walked slowly through the center of it. His boots pressed against the rough ground with steady steps. Around him, his troops moved with urgency. Weapons were checked, their armor were adjusted, and supplies were prepared. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

The entire camp buzzed with tension as they readied themselves for the raid he had already decided on.

But none of them dared to meet his eyes.

Red’s gaze moved across everything. Those eyes looked sharp, cold, and dangerous.

Everywhere he looked, the air itself seemed to tighten.

Those unlucky enough to glance in his direction immediately lowered their heads or turned away with a shudder ran through them before they even realized it. It wasn’t just fear or instinct. Something deep inside their souls reacted to the presence he carried. Those predatory and unforgiving presences.

Red continued walking without saying a word, his expression calm but his eyes gleaming faintly with something dark. Something violent waiting beneath the surface.

"Red!"

A voice cut through the tension. Fast footsteps followed.

Red’s eyes shifted slightly to the side even before the man reached him.

Peter ran toward him, his breathing uneven and his face tight with urgency. The moment Red saw his expression, he already understood that something had gone wrong.

Peter stopped directly in front of him, forcing himself to straighten despite the pressure that came from standing so close.

"There’s a report," Peter said quickly, his voice low but strained. "The group we sent into the dungeon... the twenty-man squad... They’re all dead."

For a moment, Red didn’t react. His steps stopped completely.

His eyes remained fixed forward, unmoving.

Then a flicker of shock crossed his face. Then what replaced it was far worse. His expression darkened. A low grunt escaped his throat as his jaw tightened.

"Useless..." he muttered. His hand clenched slightly at his side. "Fucking useless trash!"

The air around him seemed to grow denser.

The nearby people stiffened immediately, some of them freezing in place as the pressure intensified. Suddenly no one spoke or moved. It was as if they felt that even breathing felt dangerous.

Red slowly turned his head toward Peter.

"Twenty people," he said, his voice low and controlled, but carrying a clear edge of anger beneath it. "And not a single one made it or came back to the surface."

Peter swallowed but forced himself to answer.

"Yes."

Red clicked his tongue in irritation.

"Pathetic."

His gaze lifted slightly toward the distance, toward the direction of the entrance to the underground.

For a moment, his eyes narrowed. Then a faint smile began to form. Not an amused smile but a smile of irritation that turns into something dangerous.

"Good," he said quietly.

Peter blinked slightly, caught off guard.

Red’s smile widened just a little.

"If they all died..." he continued, his tone sharpening, "then it means there’s something worth taking down there. More than what we thought."

His eyes gleamed again, this time with clear intent for violence and anticipation.

"Prepare the main force," Red said without hesitation. "We’re going in ourselves."

—

Heavy tension followed every step Red took as he led his main force forward. No one among them looked ordinary. Every single person carried themselves with a steady and hardened presence of people who were ready to kill.

Their armor fit tightly against their bodies, marked with scratches and stains that told of countless battles survived. Their eyes stayed sharp, alert, and ready.

These were not expendable scouts. These were his core. The strongest people under his command.

They approached the massive obelisk that stood like a silent guardian over the area. Beside it, the circular platform etched with faint lines and symbols that glowed waited.

This was the entrance to the dungeon.

Red stopped just a few steps away from it.

"Activate it," he said flatly.

Peter stepped forward immediately. He reached the center of the circular platform and placed his hand over the activation point, just as they had done before.

Peter frowned slightly and pressed again, channeling his intent more clearly.

A faint flicker of red light suddenly appeared in front of his eyes.

Peter’s expression changed.

"Red," he said slowly, his voice tightening as he read a translucent red interface hovered before him.

[Dungeon Status: Closed]

[Reason: Reset in progress]

[Access Denied]

The words hung there, cold and absolute.

Peter’s throat felt dry.

"It’s... not activating," he said, forcing the words out. "The dungeon is closed. It’s said it’s waiting for a reset."

Silence fell. A heavy, suffocating silence.

For a moment, nothing moved.

Then...

Red’s head lowered slightly. The air around him changed.

A deep, guttural sound escaped his throat.

Then a roar erupted from him. It wasn’t something human.

The sound tore through the space like a violent shockwave, rough and distorted and sounded like something primal and monstrous.

It vibrated through the ground and into the bodies of everyone standing nearby. Several people flinched instantly. Some of them even staggered back a step without realizing it.

—