Apocalypse with my SSS Harem Beauties-Chapter 136: Suspicious

Myles sat down on one of the wooden chairs inside the tent, the fabric walls muting the noise from outside into a dull murmur.

For several seconds no one spoke. The weight of the decision pressed against the air between them.

Lilian walked past Ethan without hesitation and took the chair he had been about to sit on. Ethan stopped immediately and stepped back, giving it to her without complaint.

She only gave him a small nod, her expression calm and distant. To her, the others were merely Myles’ companions. She did not share closeness with them, only alignment of interest.

"Alright," Myles said at last, breaking the silence. "I think we should join the assault. The altar is big. If Michael’s description is accurate, it could become another major source to strengthen us."

Victor crossed his arms. "I still don’t trust them."

"I don’t either," Myles replied. "But we don’t need to, right?"

That answer made Victor sighed. He understood what Myles meant. Trust was unnecessary and control was what mattered.

Clara shifted in her seat, her brows slightly drawn together.

"I don’t like this situation," she admitted. "But I want that altar."

One by one, the others voiced similar positions. Ethan wanted the growth opportunity. Samantha saw the strategic value. Kade’s eyes burned with ambition at the thought of refining his power further. Daniel analyzed the risk but did not deny the potential gain. George remained practical.

None of them trusted Michael’s group. But all of them wanted the altar.

Silence returned, heavier but clearer this time. Eventually their gazes drifted toward the same person.

Lilian.

She noticed it immediately and let out a soft chuckle. A faint smile curved her lips, amused by the unspoken expectation placed upon her as if she was the only one who could give them an answer.

"I think it’s fine," she said lightly. "If they attempt to betray us, I’ll just kill them all."

The simplicity of her statement froze the air for a brief moment.

There was no arrogance in her tone, or exaggeration. Just certainty.

They were reminded again of what she truly was. She was a being from another world. An existence operating on a different level beyond most threats and survivors in this realm.

If she chose to, she could likely erase everyone in that camp before they understood what had happened.

The realization was both reassuring and humbling.

Luckily for them, she was on their side.

Myles gave a small nod. That settled it.

"We’ll cooperate with them," he said. "But we stay sharp."

George leaned forward slightly. "We can’t look too relaxed, though. If we appear overly confident, they’ll get suspicious."

"Right," Myles agreed. "We move carefully. We prepare like this is a battlefield from the start and keep looking vigilant."

The decision was made. Cooperation without trust and alliance without friendship would be created. And if the betrayal really came they would be ready.

—

Inside his own tent, Michael finally allowed the mask to slip.

The moment the flap closed behind him he released a long breath and dragged a hand down his face before pushing it back through his hair.

Frustration tightened his earlier calm features. The calm and measured leader from earlier was gone. In his place stood a man pressed against a wall he could not see but could clearly feel.

"I have to get that altar. Fast," he muttered under his breath.

The thought that followed burned sharper than any fear of monsters.

"If I get stronger, I’ll be able to kill Red."

The name echoed in his mind like a wound that refused to close.

He still remembered that day with painful clarity. The smoke, the screams. The look in his wife’s eyes before the blade fell on her neck and sliced it.

Red had not just killed her. He had enjoyed every drop of blood he drew from his wife. His beautiful wife! A sadistic grin carved into his face as if the world’s collapse had given him permission to reveal what he truly was.

And Red had not been alone. He had gathered followers quickly, building his own gang through violence and intimidation. Gathering people with the same mind as him.

What haunted Michael most was not just the cruelty. It was the speed of Red’s growth. The strength he displayed had been abnormal. He had such overwhelming strength. As if he had leapt several stages ahead in a matter of days since this apocalypse started.

Michael still did not understand how. But in a world flooded with chaotic energy and broken laws of reality, impossibility no longer existed.

"That altar... that altar is the key. I need it."

If the big altar truly granted permanent stat reinforcement, then it was more than a resource. It was leverage. It was the difference between being prey and becoming the hunter.

With Myles’ group involved, the chances increased. He could sense their power. The way they carried themselves and the quality of their weapons.

That weapon that they wield, all of it was magical equipment. The way they fought with coordinated movement and controlled Ether flow against the wyvern. They were not ordinary survivors who stumbled into strength. They were tempered.

A shadow shifted at the entrance of his tent. The five who had escorted Myles earlier stepped inside one by one. Their expressions were serious.

"What are you going to do?" one of them asked quietly.

Michael looked at them without hesitation. "We need them. We can’t assault that monster by our power alone."

"What if they stab us in the back?" another one of them asked. "What if they kill the guardian with our help, and take the altar for themselves?"

Michael clenched his jaw. His fingers tightened at his sides.

"That’s a risk we have to take," he said finally.

Because the alternative was worse. Without the altar, he would never reach Red. And that was not an option.

Without them knowing it, each of them have the same suspicions against each other.

—