Apocalypse with my SSS Harem Beauties-Chapter 135: Proposal

The moment Michael mentioned the altar, Myles and the others did not show confusion or disbelief. Their expressions remained steady, almost indifferent, as if they had already encountered something similar before.

That lack of surprise did not go unnoticed. Michael’s gaze sharpened slightly. The five others of his members inside the tent exchanged quick glances with silent confirmation passing between them.

These people were not hearing about an altar for the first time.

"You already know what it is," Michael said, studying Myles carefully.

"Yes," Myles replied without hesitation. There was no reason to pretend that he didn’t know. That would only lower their perceived value.

"How?" Michael pressed. "You found one somewhere outside this zone?"

"We can’t tell you about that," Myles answered firmly. His tone left no space for negotiation.

Michael sighed slowly. Disappointment flickered across his face, but he restrained it quickly.

Trust had not been established. Expecting them to say anything that could become their advantage now would be naïve. He understood that much.

"Alright," he said after a moment. "Then at least tell us this. What exactly does that altar do?"

Myles glanced briefly at Lilian and Victor before returning his attention to Michael.

"It’s called a Soul Forge Altar," he said. "It can refine Ether shards and possibly other materials directly into raw stats without stat points required. It can also grant skills depending on what’s sacrificed."

Silence settled over the tent.

Michael’s five companions stiffened almost imperceptibly. Their eyes widened. One of them muttered a low curse under his breath. They had expected something valuable but they had not expected something that could bypass the system’s natural growth restrictions.

Michael himself leaned slightly forward, interest flashing openly now.

"Direct stat enhancement?" he asked. "Without consuming allocated points?"

"Yes," Myles confirmed. "Permanent addition to your stats."

The reaction inside the tent shifted from cautious negotiation to restrained excitement. This was not just a powerful resource. It was a strategic turning point. A group that controlled such an altar could accelerate growth beyond normal leveling constraints.

"That’s... incredible," Michael said quietly. Then his voice grew firmer. "We have to secure it. With that altar, we could stabilize this zone. We could push deeper."

His eyes locked onto Myles. "Will you help us?"

Myles did not answer immediately. Behind him, George folded his arms. Ethan’s jaw tightened. Lilian remained still, observing every subtle fluctuation in the others’ breathing and Ether flow but with a relaxed and almost indifferent manner.

They wanted that altar as much as Michael did. Based on the map and Michael’s earlier description, the altar size was pretty big. That implied higher-tier rewards.

But what they wanted did not override their caution.

The battle to reach it would be intense. A powerful monster guarding a high-value altar meant significant risk. And once the creature died, what then? In a world ruled by strength and scarcity alliances often ended the moment the objective was achieved.

Myles weighed the variables carefully. Cooperation increased their probability of success but it also increased the probability of betrayal.

Michael ran a hand through his hair and sighed sharply, the composure he had maintained until now thinning at the edges.

"We can’t waste time like this," he said, his voice tightening. "We don’t know what kind of monsters will move into this sector next. Something stronger and something more vicious than what we’ve faced so far will come. I just know that. If we stay at this level, we won’t survive. We have to get stronger."

There was urgency behind his words. Not reckless desperation, but pressure. As if something beyond simple ambition drove him forward.

His eyes carried that intensity, a weight that suggested a strong target rather than abstract fear.

Victor broke the momentum without hesitation.

"We understand that. But let’s be honest. Can we trust each other?" he said bluntly.

The tent fell silent again. The question was not offensive. It was realistic.

Several of Michael’s companions shifted slightly, hands brushing against belts or resting near weapons by instinct.

Michael did not let the silence stretch long.

"We have to," he replied firmly. "We don’t have a choice. The monster guarding that altar isn’t just strong. It’s intelligent. It observes us and then it can adapt to our fighting in the middle of the battle. We tried approaching it twice. Both times it changed tactics in the fight. If we don’t combine forces, we don’t stand a chance."

A strong, intelligent monster.

The words settled heavily in Myles’s and his companions’ chest. He remembered the battlefield not long ago when they had faced another overwhelming monster.

Nadine’s death still lingered like an unhealed scar beneath the surface. Power alone did not guarantee victory. The intelligence that the monster had, would make things worse.

He turned his head slightly toward Lilian. She stood relaxed, almost detached, as if the conversation didn’t concern her.

When she felt his gaze, she met his eyes calmly and raised one brow in silent question.

"That monster..." Myles began, leaving the rest unsaid.

Understanding flickered across her expression. She extended her perception subtly, recalling the oppressive signature Michael had described earlier.

After a brief pause, she shook her head lightly.

"I don’t think so," she said. "I don’t feel it."

He had not spoken the name aloud, but both of them knew what he meant. The Seed of Power. If the creature carried one, the situation would escalate beyond ordinary risk.

Lilian’s answer steadied him. There was no Seed. That meant the battle, while dangerous, remained within calculable limits.

"We’ll think about it," Myles said at last, looking back at Michael. His tone carried neither rejection nor commitment.

Michael studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. For now, you can stay in one of our tents."

The meeting dissolved for now.

Myles and his companions stepped out of the command tent and were guided across the yard to an empty tent near the inner wall.

They entered the tent with lingering thoughts on what they must do next.

—