Apocalypse with my SSS Harem Beauties-Chapter 197: Decision

Michael didn’t look away immediately. He kept his eyes fixed on the battlefield below for several seconds longer to watch as the last few monsters died under Ethan’s relentless gunfire and Samantha’s precise arrows.

The ease of it all unsettled him more than anything else. There was no struggle or resistance. Just clean and efficient killing from the two.

His jaw tightened. "If this keeps going... they’ll surpass us completely."

The thought settled heavily in his mind, refusing to leave.

Finally, he turned.

His movement drew the attention of the others, and for a moment all eyes shifted toward him. The tension in his expression had sharpened into something more decisive now, something that no longer lingered in uncertainty.

"We can’t wait anymore," Michael said, his voice firm. The group stilled. "We move on Red. As soon as possible."

The words landed heavily between them.

Rafe’s lips slowly curved into a grin, the hesitation from earlier completely gone.

"Finally," Rafe muttered, leaning forward slightly as if he had been waiting for this decision all along.

Selene sighed through her nose, her eyes narrowing with focus.

"About time," she added, stretching her shoulders as if preparing herself mentally.

Tobias didn’t speak, but the way his gaze sharpened made his stance clear enough.

Michael continued, his tone steady and carrying a deeper edge in it.

"If we wait any longer, they’ll just get stronger," he said. "And if that happens... we might not be able to stand on equal ground anymore. They might want us to submit."

He paused briefly.

"I’m not letting that happen again."

Silence followed again, but this time it carried agreement rather than doubt.

Hana and Darius exchanged a brief glance. There was hesitation in their eyes, a quiet unease that hadn’t fully disappeared. But neither of them spoke it out loud. In the end, they both nodded.

Their choice had already been made. Even when they were not fully agreed yet, the two knew that this group came first.

"Then it’s settled," Rafe said.

Michael gave a small nod. That was enough.

Without another word, they turned and began making their way down from the rooftop and they descended back into the streets below.

They needed more strength from the Shards. And they needed it fast.

—

Meanwhile, the battlefield below had fallen completely silent.

The mutated bodies lay scattered across the ground, dead. Their twisted forms slowly dissolve into faint traces of Ether. In their place, greenish shards that glimmering faintly against the dark soil remained.

Myles and the others stepped forward.

They moved through the aftermath, collecting the shards one by one. The faint glow reflected in their eyes as each of them gathered their share.

It didn’t take long.

Each of them ended up with a noticeable amount. At least twenty shards per person. That meant twenty stat points. A solid gain.

"Not bad," Victor muttered as he looked at the shards in his hand.

Myles gave a small nod before lifting his gaze forward again.

"Let’s keep moving," he said.

They advanced deeper into the zone.

The environment shifted again as they moved, the air growing heavier with Ether. The further north they went the more uneasy the atmosphere became. Even without seeing anything yet, the pressure alone was enough to make them more alert.

Daniel frowned slightly. "We’re getting close to Red’s area... aren’t we?"

Myles didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he slowed slightly before speaking.

"Right. If we see any sign of a group, we pull back immediately," he said. His tone was calm.

They all nodded.

"I’ll watch," Lilian said simply. Then she stepped forward slightly before her wings unfolded behind her.

Without another word, she lifted into the air.

Her figure rose smoothly and disappeared above the twisted structures as she took position as their scout.

Below, the group continued forward.

Then they saw figures moved ahead in the distance.

But these were different.

The moment they stepped closer, the difference became clear.

Purple and red hues spread across their bodies, mixed with thick and swirling Ether mist that clung to their bodies like a living presence.

Some of them resembled animals. Dogs and cats twisted into something feral and unrecognizable. While others still held human shapes but their movements were erratic, unstable, and far more aggressive than anything they had seen before.

Their breathing came in low and more guttural sounds. Their eyes burned with a violent intensity.

Even from a distance, it was clear that these monsters were different. They were stronger.

The group slowed again, their expressions tightening as they took in the sight.

Ethan tilted his head slightly as he watched the new monsters ahead, his fingers already moving with practiced ease as he checked his pistols. The metallic clicks sounded sharp in the heavy air.

"How strong are these things?" he asked while clicking his pistols again.

Victor stepped forward half a pace with narrowed eyes. His gaze sweeping across the horde as he measured their movements and the density of the Ether surrounding them. He didn’t rush his answer.

"I think they are stronger than the usual ones," he said finally. "But not strong enough for us to worry."

Clara frowned as she watched one of the creatures twitch unnaturally.

"That might be true for us," she said. "But if these things reach normal survivors it’ll be a disaster. We should wipe them out here."

Myles didn’t hesitate. He gave a small nod, his eyes already locked on the horde. "I agree."

One by one, the others echoed the same decision.

Above them, Lilian didn’t descend. Her figure remained high in the sky, steady and distant.

Myles glanced up briefly. She’s not coming down. She most likely doesn’t see them as a threat.

That alone was enough confirmation.

Myles moved first. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

His foot pressed against the ground and his body surged forward without hesitation, cutting straight toward the nearest cluster of monsters with his two blades drawn.

The others followed instantly behind him, their earlier stillness breaking into coordinated motion.

The moment the distance closed, the monsters reacted.

Their heads snapped toward the group all at once. Low, feral sounds tore out from their throats. Not quite like animals or humans. Something in between that carried new aggression and a new kind of corruption.

Then they charged. The clash happened in an instant.

Ethan’s pistols roared louder now at close range. Samantha’s arrows cut through the thick air, curving sharply as they targeted weak points without hesitation.

Victor stepped into the front line, his cleaver moving with controlled force as he met the first wave head-on.

The battlefield erupted.

—

Far away, inside his camp, Red stood still.

The atmosphere around him felt heavier than before. Not because of the environment but because of him.

Something had changed.

His presence no longer carried the same cold patience. It pressed everywhere with a sharper edge, something more aggressive and unstable.

His eyes gleamed faintly as he looked toward the direction of the distant zone, even though nothing could be seen from where he stood.

It excited him. A slow grin formed on his face, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

Before, he would have waited patiently and played with his prey. He would wait for Michael and his allies to come.

But that restraint no longer existed.

The dungeon trial’s closure. The disappearance of the team he sent. The growing presence of others gaining power in his territory.

All of it fed into the same thing building inside him.

Impatience, and a need to dominate.

Footsteps approached.

Peter stopped a few steps behind him, his posture straight despite the faint tension in his shoulders.

"The preparations are complete," Peter said.

Red turn immediately. Then he smiled.

"Good," he said, his voice low but carrying a dangerous weight. He finally looked back, and his eyes held a sharp gleam that didn’t belong to someone calm. "We will attack them tomorrow."

Peter didn’t move immediately after hearing that order.

Something about Red had been wrong ever since that moment he collapsed before. The change hadn’t been obvious at first, but now it had become impossible to ignore.

But Peter said nothing. Fear settled naturally in his mind, but it didn’t feel unfamiliar. In fact, it felt right. That’s how it’s supposed to be.

People followed Red not because they trusted him, and never because they liked him. They followed him because they feared him. His strength, his ruthlessness, and his willingness to do what others wouldn’t even consider. That fear had always been the reason their group survived this long and gained this much strength.

And now... that presence had grown even heavier. More dangerous.

Peter slowly lowered his gaze. That only made things better for him.

"I’ll inform the others," Peter said.

Red didn’t respond.

Peter turned and walked out of the tent without hesitation. The flap closed behind him, leaving the space silent once more.

Inside, Red remained still.

For a few seconds nothing happened. Then his shoulders shifted slightly as his head tilted downward. The faint smile on his lips slowly widened, stretching into a sharp grin.

His eyes changed.

The calm restraint that once lingered deep within them vanished completely.

Without reaching for anything, his hand lifted slightly.

A ripple moved through the air.

Then a short sword appeared in his grasp. It simply formed in his hand as if it had always belonged there.

Red looked at it.

His fingers tightened around the hilt, feeling the weight, the balance, the connection that now ran far deeper than before. Before, he had to carry it and hold it like a weapon.

Now, it felt like an extension of himself. A tool that answered to his will.

A slow grin spread across his face.

"I see..." he murmured.

The blade gave off a faint pulse, reacting to his grip.

Red lifted it slightly, watching the edge catch the dim light inside the tent.

"Let’s see how far you can go," he said quietly.

His eyes gleamed.

—