Apocalypse with my SSS Harem Beauties-Chapter 88: Back Outside

George walked forward until he stood right before the Soul Forge Altar. The dim green veins pulsed slowly beneath the stone.

Myles stepped closer and touched his shoulder. "You sure you want to try first?"

George turned his head slightly and smiled, calm and certain. "Yeah. I’m the one with this Forgemind skill, remember? If anyone can understand this thing and the fragment, it should be me. Even if I fail, at least we’ll know what to expect next time."

Myles studied him for a moment before nodding. "Alright. Be careful."

The others stayed quiet but the look in their eyes showed silent agreement. No one argued. Everyone knew someone had to test it first.

George raised his right hand. The Bone Core Fragment floated above his palm, glowing with silvery colored veins.

He closed his eyes and began channeling his MP into it. Threads of blue light seeped from his hand and sank into the fragment’s surface.

The shard trembled. Its white hue shifted into a deeper ivory glow as small cracks of light appeared across it. The air vibrated and the altar responded to the flow of magical power.

George focused his thoughts, imprinting his intent into the fragment. He wanted to have a forge hammer that was strong and good enough to shape metal or any kind of materials into equipment or weapons later.

The bone then pulsed violently, then floated from his palm onto the altar’s center.

The moment it touched the surface the veins across the floor flared to life. Greenish light spread outward, snaking through the stone flesh walls like veins that carry energy.

Everyone stepped back. A low ringing sound filled the room followed by a rising vibration that shook the floor. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

This was different from where they used the Ether Shards on the Altar before, they all thought the same.

Myles gritted his teeth, watching the process with narrowed eyes. The Soul Forge Altar starts to come alive. Layers of energy rotated above the fragment like translucent rings and filled with strange runes

The fragment melted into pure light. Then the bone was breaking apart and scattering into a spiral of glowing dust. The runes absorbed the essence, spinning faster, their color turning from green to brilliant gold.

Then, the light converged. A column of golden light erupted upward.

For a brief second the room felt the pressure of whatever power resided within the Altar.

Then it ended.

The light faded slowly, leaving behind a single object resting in the center of the altar.

It was a hammer.

Its handle gleamed with dark metal veins. It looked sturdy and well-balanced, while its head shimmered with a soft golden glow. Intricate runes etched across its surface.

George stepped forward with hesitant steps. When he picked it up, the hammer pulsed and resonated with his magical power as if acknowledging him as its wielder.

He exhaled shakily, then smiled. "It worked!"

The others released the breaths they had been holding.

Samantha clapped her hands, grinning wide. Ryan let out a whistle of awe. Victor cracked a wide smile.

Myles’s lips curved faintly. "Looks like you were right, George."

George lifted the hammer and turned it under the altar’s light. "Yeah... and it’s better than I imagined. Look, it has a golden color!"

The Soul Forge Altar dimmed again, as if going back to sleep after granting its gift.

"Now we know that George succeeded... does anyone else want to try it?" Victor asked, his tone calm but curious.

The group exchanged glances. The golden hammer in George’s hand gleamed brightly, almost calling to them. It was like a temptation no one could ignore. They could get the same quality of things too!

But then, Clara was the first to speak.

"Uhmm... actually, I don’t really want to try it. At least not now." She hugged her weapon close, eyes flicking nervously toward the altar.

"Why?" Daniel asked.

Clara shrugged slightly. "I’m not confident in my luck right now," she admitted with a bitter smile.

Daniel paused, then slowly nodded. Her words made sense. George had the Forgemind skill, something that likely increased his success rate. The rest of them didn’t have that kind of advantage.

The thought made the others hesitate too, including Myles. They turned quiet, their eyes drifting between the Soul Forge Altar and the Bone Core Fragments in their hands.

It wasn’t just hesitation. It was a calculation.

They already had more than enough from this run. Magical weapons and a lot of level up. The fragments were precious, maybe even irreplaceable. Using them carelessly could be wasteful if they fail.

Finally, one by one, they voiced their thoughts.

"Let’s just save it for later," Ryan said with a shrug.

"Yeah," Samantha agreed. "We’ve gotten enough for now. There is no point risking it."

Ethan exhaled a relieved laugh. "I don’t want to use it either."

Myles nodded with the decision. "Alright then. We will keep the Bones for when we know more, or when we really need them."

With that, the group turned away from the altar.

They walked out of the room and into the corridor that had once been a subway tunnel. The walls were still fused with dark flesh and glowing shards, the scent of blood also still lingering in the air.

They made their way through the winding path, past collapsed sections and corpses of mutated humans.

Eventually, they reached the vortex again, the place where it had all begun.

The swirling portal still floated in the air. Its center glowing faintly with blue and purple hues.

Myles took one last look at the group and said, "Let’s go back."

One after another, they stepped into the vortex. The light swallowed them whole, the world twisting and pulling before everything turned dark.

When the light returned, the chill of the real world hit their skin again.

The sky above was gray and heavy. The air reeked of rot and smoke. Buildings lay shattered and broken. This just looks like the same world they had left.

They were back.

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