Harem Legion: Queens of the Apocalypse-Chapter 49 The Army Is Falling Apart

Water. That was the damn root of everything - the riots, the chaos.

There was still enough food in the army, but water? Wrecked. Centipedes and spiders had poisoned what little was left. Even detox tabs didn’t help much - couldn’t clean it entirely.

After drinking that half-clean water, soldiers started dropping from poisoning. Only a handful of Awakened could take it. Then things just got worse.

Salem, Ridgehaven, Southark - those cities had no bomber support. When the soldiers launched assaults, it turned into bloody messes. Losses stacked up. Units started to scatter. Regiments, battalions, companies - even entire platoons vanished overnight.

Word spread. The countryside had cleaner wells with underground sources. Supposedly untouched. Compared to city water, that alone was enough reason for troops to flee.

And they went. By the thousands. Nothing could stop it.

Cliff’s twenty thousand troops? Just lucky. They were dug into Lightwater Residences when they overran a big indoor swimming center. Over forty survivors tried to hold it, but the pools weren’t contaminated. That saved them - temporarily.

All over Northreach Province, gunfire and smoke painted the sky. Of the 80,000 in the Seventh Sovereign Vanguard, 30,000 had already turned. Only Baxter’s main force held the line - and even that was getting shaky. The remaining three divisions - another 30,000 - ready to fall any moment.

"Commander! Urgent report - our military airport’s down!"

The Fifth Division’s deputy commander came rushing in, forehead slick with sweat.

"It wasn’t the enemy. Our own men did it. From the Seventh. Sent a clear threat - they need water. If we don’t give it, they’ll start blowing up planes."

Baxter slammed his fist down. "Water? Hell no! You tell those bastards I’ve got not a single goddamned drop! They want the planes? Let ’em blow the whole damn fleet! I swear I’ll let every last one of ’em die of thirst before I give up our stash!"

He wasn’t just blowing off steam. Sure, jets were valuable, but giving water now? That would instantly turn his own troops against him. He knew it.

But the other side? Their desperation would only grow. Starved of water, dying of thirst - they’d do anything. Bomb the airfield? Sure. March straight into Springvale with blood in their eyes? Even likelier.

Hell, it wasn’t even a guess. It was inevitable.

*****

If the Emberleaf Legion had kept their bombers, the Ice Regiment wouldn’t have lasted nine months last time.

That was the key to Magnus’s confidence now.

"All their bombers were destroyed," Magnus said offhandedly - but he hadn’t expected to hit the truth dead-on.

"Destroyed?" Sophia stared at him, confused.

"Yes," Magnus said firmly. "Both military and civilian airports were demolished. Because the main Springvale reservoir’s poisoned now. Troops couldn’t get clean water, so the Seventh descended into mutiny. Their biggest problem now is simple - water."

He remembered it all. Back then, the Ice Regiment fought off looters and deserters from the military. Their weapons? Stolen right from the hands of dead or defected soldiers. That’s how most warbands formed in the early days. That’s how the old world collapsed."Alright, enough talk."

Magnus stood up, grabbed a map, and called everyone over. He circled a spot with his pen. "Only 15 kilometers from here. It used to be a big lumber processing plant. There’s a workshop, warehouses, and they just shipped out a load recently, so those warehouses are empty. Plenty of room for our trucks."

Emily frowned. "Didn’t you say the airfield was bombed? Why bother finding a base?"

"Finding a temporary base doesn’t mean we stop looking for meteors." Magnus explained patiently. "Look at the map - " He drew a wide circle. "There are villages all around. From the base, we can rest, resupply, then split up to search each village for meteorites."

Sophia narrowed her eyes. "Split up? What if our people run into rogue troops? You said the Seventh Vanguard turned traitor over water."

"They’re around the southern airfield, likely off to rescue Ridgehaven and Southark City. Up north? So far, quiet. That’s why I insisted on heading this way."

That was also why the Ice Regiment had managed to hold on in his past life. But in less than half a month, Northern routes to Rockford would be crawling with deserters.

Still, for the next 12 days, this area was safe enough.

Magnus’s calm confidence had the women speechless. Then Sophia blew up. "Why the hell do you know all this? Where’d you hear it from? You always dodge our questions! Playing mysterious all the time! I don’t buy it! I don’t trust a word outta you!"

"Big sis, come on!" Grace quickly grabbed her sister’s arm. "He hasn’t lied once. Think about it - what’s he got to gain from tricking us?"

"You’re naïve, that’s your problem!" Sophia snapped, still mad. But Grace’s words left the rest thinking...

Yeah. What would he gain?

Supplies? Technically, the trucks and gear were already his. What else was there?

Bodies? That was a joke. If there was one thing this team didn’t lack, it was women. And Magnus hadn’t shown interest in anyone.

So, how did he know so much? None of them could figure it out. He wasn’t talking, and no one could force it out of him -

Well, maybe except Sophia.

The talk wrapped up. It wasn’t even 8 PM yet. Magnus grabbed a torch and a box of Red Bull, heading to the outer SUVs to deliver water and chat a bit with the women on watch.

An hour later, done with his rounds, he turned back toward the sleeping truck, firelight in hand. Just before he reached it, a slender figure jumped off - waving her torch nervously.

It was Sarah.

What’s she doing?

He stood still, watching her jog over. She stopped right in front of him, tugged gently on his arm and looked up.

"Magnus... can you come with me to one of the empty trucks?"