Harem Legion: Queens of the Apocalypse-Chapter 172 Still No Black Crystal

Day twelve in Willowglen Village.

Last night, Megan and Amber estimated that by around noon today, the meteorite hill would be fully dug out. So at the crack of dawn, after a rough breakfast, everyone who could move got up and headed for the hill.

This wasn’t a regular mountain. A real one? With just army shovels, even 12,000 men couldn’t finish it in twelve years, let alone twelve days. But this one, made of that soft black dirt found only in meteorites, was different. Easy to dig, not much fight in it.

There were no openings at the summit, only around the base - they’d found 22 entrances over the past days. Around the middle of the hill, there were over 40 more. Early on, they’d had people working every spot. But as the mountain hollowed out, those mid-level entrances started collapsing. Not safe anymore.

Magnus was there himself today. The dirt left was nearly gone, and he refused to give up on that black Crystal. He still remembered what those things had done for him - not once, not twice, but three times.

First time he touched one, he jumped back in time to this life.

Second time, in Meteorite Town, he got that black-ring tattoo out of nowhere. The Crystal’s effects tripled for him. Could even summon and put it away like it belonged to him alone.

Third time was at the Anomaly Zone, on that stone pillar. Got himself a private space - pocket realm kind of deal - and awakened a second time. Though, that last awakening might’ve had nothing to do with the Crystal, since Abigail and Emma both awakened with him that time.

But the first find - he still remembered that strange pull in his chest... hand tingling like it’d pressed against glass. It had felt real then. This time? In Willowglen? Nothing. Days came and went, and every so often he’d swing by the hill, trying to sense that call - but it never came.

Still, the dirt left was all they had. One last shot. He had to try.

"Start digging," someone shouted.

Two thousand workers got moving.

The 22 entrances, big and small, had men lining up, shovel in hand. A few at a time went in, scooped out a shovel of black soil, then circled back through the middle to drop it off. Down by the mountain’s base, a clear patch had been cut out.

Ten female team members crouched around it, sifting through the soil with sharp eyes. Two squad leaders hovered nearby, collecting any Crystal that turned up. What they didn’t want, male prisoners loaded into carts and pushed away. Everything ran like clockwork.

Magnus remembered - it had been his own hands that dug up the last black Crystal. Like it was waiting for him. This time? Nothing. And those Crystals? No one else could even see ’em.

So he dug again, right at the entrance, swung his shovel with all he had. Nothing. Passed the dirt to a prisoner. Swung again. Still nothing.

He kept at it till noon. The workers pulled back, rotating for food in the village. A few of the entrances were tapped out. Magnus had found nothing.

Soaked in sweat, he sat down, lit two cigarettes back to back. Then stood, wiped his hands on his pants, picked another entrance. One that’d been dug out already. Crawled into the belly of the hill and went at it again.

By three in the afternoon, it was over.

All 22 entrances cleared. Every last pile of black dirt hauled out. The meteorite hill was now a hollow shell.

Magnus dropped down where he stood, deep inside that empty gut of the mountain. Lit another smoke, head tilted back, staring up at the curved shell of meteorite above. It was a sight to see - like some towering fortress, walls drilled full of holes, with light spilling through them. If this were still an age of peace, this place could’ve been a tourist spot.

Molly, Lucy, Megan, and Amber all stepped inside. They looked up, scanning the hollowed-out meteorite. It was done - dug clean through.

"Magnus..."

Molly walked over to Magnus, sat beside him, and leaned her back against his. Eyes roaming the cavern walls, she mumbled, "So? Feel anything? Pride maybe?"

"Sure..." Lucy sat on the other side, resting beside them, "Feels better than conquering the two of us, huh?"

As if you two needed conquering...

Magnus didn’t answer. He just sat there, smoking in silence. His mind stayed on that damn black crystal he’d never found - still a heavy regret.

After more than ten minutes sitting inside the belly of the mountain, Magnus stood up and brushed the dust off his pants. Amber came up and asked, "Chief, we calling it a day? Everyone’s beat."

He let go of his crystal obsession and nodded. Time to head back. The prisoners hadn’t caused trouble recently. A few runners got shot early on - more than twenty - but the rest shaped up real quick.

After dinner, Megan and Amber came to Magnus’ room, like usual. They’d tallied the crystals. He stored them away in the Black Space.

The total haul: 6,671 crystals.

Fire Crystals: 2,442

Water Crystals: 2,276

Metal Crystals: 1,775 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Earth Crystals: 94

Life Crystals: 79

Nature Crystals: 5

They had no plans to leave the next day. Ten team members had been scouting with Ian outside the mountains these past few days, making sure the path to the underground granary stayed clear.

So far, everything was calm.

Magnus gathered a dozen squad leaders in his room for a meeting. Ian, Willowglen Village’s head, joined in. They discussed planting ginseng on two near hills using Earth Crystals.

The mountain cold had set in. Ian figured the seeds might survive now. But Ian disagreed - said the surface temperature was still too high, likely to burn the seeds dead.

Magnus made the call: tomorrow, everyone - over 2,000 of them - would be planting ginseng seeds.

After the meeting ended, people went their ways - some resting, others prepping for tomorrow.

At the door, Ian slapped his forehead, "Damn, forgot the serious stuff! Commander Magnus, we’re outta firewood in the village. Burned through all the corn stalks. You saw the wildfires a few days back, right? Some trees half-burned into charcoal - we need to keep those."

"No problem, we’ll save ’em for you."

Magnus got up, ready to walk him out. He didn’t think it was a big deal. But the old man hesitated at the door, rubbing his hands and muttering, "Thing is... once you all leave... what do us old, sick, and young do? We’ll freeze."

Magnus paused, confused. "Ian, we’re the ones who owe you all for the help. If there’s something you need, just say it."

"Well... it’s just, cooking without firewood..."

Seeing the village head’s unease, Magnus patted his chest. "Alright. Before we leave, we’ll get everyone up that mountain again and cut wood for a full day. Enough for all of you. Sound good?"

"Perfect! Perfect!" Ian left, grinning ear to ear.

Magnus walked him to the door, then turned around to head back. But just as he took a step, something flashed in his mind - the Ice Regiment, and that unanswered riddle from his past life...