Apocalypse with my SSS Harem Beauties-Chapter 195: Change In Attitude

Michael kept his gaze on Myles’ tent for a while longer, unmoving.

The faint light of morning continued to grow, slowly pushing away the darkness of the night.

Around him the camp began to stir bit by bit, but his focus never left that single point.

"He didn’t even try to hide it..."

His eyes narrowed slightly before he finally turned away.

Without another glance, Michael walked back inside his own tent. His steps were slow but his expression remained tight. His thoughts move rapidly behind his calm exterior.

He pushed the flap of the second compartment of the tent open and stepped inside.

The interior was quiet, filled with the slow breathing of those still asleep. Five figures rested inside, their bodies still heavy with exhaustion from the previous day.

Michael didn’t hesitate.

"Wake up," he said, his voice firm and cut through the silence cleanly.

Rafe groaned first, shifting on the ground as he forced his eyes open. Selene followed with a soft sigh, clearly annoyed. Tobias, Hana, and Darius stirred shortly after, each of them waking with sluggish movements.

They all looked tired.

"Let’s gather for a meeting," Michael said.

"Seriously...?" Rafe muttered, rubbing his face as he sat up. "We just woke up and you’re already calling a meeting?"

"At least let us breathe first... damnit..." Selene said while letting out a long yawn beside him.

The others shared the same feeling, though they didn’t bother to say it out loud. Their expressions alone made it clear enough.

Michael didn’t react. He didn’t care.

He simply stood there, looking at them one by one with a sharp and serious gaze.

That alone was enough to silence them. So the complaints stopped without needing to be forced.

A few moments later, the five of them gathered around the circular desk inside the tent. They sat down in their usual spots. But their posture remained slightly slouched from lingering sleep.

Michael remained standing for a second before taking his seat.

"I saw something last night," he said. That was enough to pull their attention in. "I saw Myles," he continued. "And that winged woman. They flew somewhere together and just got back this morning."

The air shifted slightly.

"I think they’re planning something."

Hana frowned immediately, her brows drawing together.

"Isn’t that a bit too much?" she said. "Myles already agreed to help us fight Red. Wouldn’t it be better to trust them?"

Michael’s gaze snapped toward her.

"Trust?" he repeated. His voice hardened. "After everything we went through because of Red... you’re asking me to trust?!"

Silence fell instantly.

No one spoke.

They all saw the anger in his expression. Not just anger, but something else. A big scar that had been left behind by whatever he had experienced before. He’s still carrying it until now.

Rafe leaned back slightly, his earlier laziness gone.

"Yeah... I agree," he said. "We should be more careful with Myles’ group. They’re hiding something. They all have magic weapons with skills. That’s not normal. And they won’t even explain where they got them."

Tobias sighed, his gaze drifting for a moment.

"And that woman..." he said. His expression turned more serious."Lilian. She’s not just some awakened human. I saw what she did back then. That wasn’t human aura."

Hana, Selene, and Darius fell silent, their expressions turning troubled. Doubt began to settle in, slowly replacing their earlier certainty.

Michael watched them. Then he spoke again.

"Today, we need to gather more Ether Shards," he said. "We need to get stronger. That’s the only way we stop feeling anxious about them."

He paused slightly before adding, "And don’t say anything that makes them suspicious."

One by one, they nodded and agreement settled across the group.

The meeting ended just as quickly as it began.

They pushed themselves up. They were now more alert than before. Quietly, they began preparing for the day ahead.

—

The camp fully awakened about an hour later. They all gathered again.

Morning light spread across the clearing, casting shadows from the tents and the towering crystal gate that stood circling the area. The steady and constant faint vibration of Ether pulsed from it, as if reminding everyone of the power that protected them.

One by one, the groups assembled in front of the opening that became a gate.

Myles stood with his team while Lilian remained beside him, quiet as always. Across from them, Michael arrived with his five companions, his expression already composed and unreadable.

For a moment, no one among them said anything.

Then Myles stepped forward slightly.

"Today, I think we should gather Ether Shards together. Both groups," he said, his tone calm.

"No." The answer came instantly. Michael’s voice cut through the space with far more force than necessary. The sharpness in it caused a few of them to pause, the reaction too abrupt to ignore.

For a split second, the tension rose.

Then Michael sighed quietly and adjusted his tone.

"It’s better if we don’t stay in the same area," he added, his voice calmer now. "We’ll cover more ground that way. It’s more efficient."

Myles looked at him for a moment.

Then he nodded.

"Alright," he said simply. "We’ll find another location."

Michael watched him carefully, but something inside him didn’t settle.

Myles’ group would grow stronger without him being able to see it if they managed to gather Ether Shards as well.

His gaze sharpened slightly.

"What about the western side?" Michael asked. "Did you find anything there?"

Myles shook his head.

"Nothing useful," he replied. "Just brown soil and those worm monsters with human heads."

A few people frowned at the description.

"Somehow they didn’t have any Ether Shards," Myles continued. "Not even one."

Michael nodded once curtly. "I see."

His thoughts moved quickly again, weighing the information.

"Then we’ll go east again," he said. "Same as yesterday. And you can go wherever you want."

He didn’t wait for agreement.

That was the end of it.

Michael turned immediately after speaking and began walking away. His group followed without question, falling into formation behind him as they left the gate.

No farewell or further discussion.

Myles watched them go.

Beside him, Victor frowned slightly, his eyes narrowing as he followed Michael’s retreating figure.

"He looks weird today. More tense," Victor muttered.

Myles let out a sigh.

"Yeah," he said.

His gaze lingered for a moment longer before shifting forward again.

Something had changed in that group. Maybe it is time to become more vigilant as well.

"Let’s go."

—