Harem Legion: Queens of the Apocalypse-Chapter 5 Million for the End of the World

Power and money get things moving - even if it’s just the butler.

Not even thirty minutes had passed when Magnus got a call from Wade. Five truck drivers had already arrived at Zero Mile. He immediately told them to wait at the gate of Shunchang Heavy-Duty Truck Store. The clock showed 3 hours and 57 minutes left. Things were getting real.

Three trucks, one Dongfeng Warrior and one Cruze. Magnus took the lead in a Warrior himself, followed by the other five drivers, six vehicles in total. They sped toward the Titan Mart near University Town. Time remaining: 3 hours and 38 minutes.

Wade was already there, soaked but steady, bringing fifty security guards - fifty-one people total - crowded outside the main entrance. When he saw Magnus’s convoy, Wade ran through the rain without a word.

Before he could speak, Magnus cut him off, "Got the cash ready?"

"All set. Three million in cash, fifty guards, no shortage. But what about Miss Emily? Did you bring her with you?"

"Listen," Magnus’s voice turned hard. "Emily is fine. I just need you to follow my orders for the next four hours. Do that, and I guarantee she’ll be standing in front of you safe and sound. If not, feel free to call the authorities. Got it? Don’t ask questions. Just cooperate."

With that, Magnus hefted the duffel stuffed with three million and walked straight into Titan Mart. Over his shoulder, he tossed an order at the security guards: "Wait here. I’ll call you in to load stuff later."

Wade bit his lip, wanting to speak. In the end, he stayed silent and followed Magnus into the store. He was dying to find out what this young man had in mind.

"I want your store manager. Now."

Magnus slapped five hundred-dollars bills onto the service counter.

Less than two minutes later, the store manager came running down the stairs, clearly alarmed. Mid-forties, balding a little, sweat mixing with rain on his forehead.

Magnus pulled him to a quiet corner and shoved twenty grand into his hands. "This is for you. I need a favor."

"W-what kind of favor?" The man stared at the cash, breathing unevenly.

"I’ll hand you a list. As long as you have the item, I want all you’ve got. I’ll pay by card," Magnus said quickly. "All I need to know is - can you do it fast? I’ve got the manpower."

The manager froze, dumbfounded for a second, then nodded like his life depended on it. "Yes! I can do it! I’ll get started right away!"

Magnus strode up to the service desk with the manager, grabbed pen and paper, and scribbled out a list fast as lightning. He handed it to the clerk and ordered, "Copy this, quick." Then he pulled Wade to the entrance and yelled for all the security guards to come in.

After that, he returned to the desk, grabbed his list, pulled a stack of cash - one million in bills - straight from his backpack, slammed it on the counter, and said, "This is your deposit. Check it now. If it’s short, I’ll bring more later."

Turning to Wade, he barked, "Keep twenty guards here to load the goods. I’m taking the rest to the next stop."

Wade looked like he was about to question him again, probably about Emily, but Magnus shoved him back with a glance sharp enough to shut him up. Magnus didn’t stop. With a wave, he signaled thirty guards to follow and rushed out. He climbed into the SUV while the others piled into a supply truck. They had 3 hours and 23 minutes left. This stop had cost them 15 minutes - mostly from writing out that damn list.

But the list wasn’t random. Every item was sorted by urgency and priority.

Top of the list: insecticide, motorcycle gear, helmets, towels, and cooking oil - they weren’t just essentials, they were survival tools, perfect for DIY torches and protection.

Food: meat and fruit cans, biscuits, bottled water, sausages, instant noodles, and calorie-heavy snacks like candy, chocolate, Sachima, peanuts, and beef jerky.

Second-tier food included rice, noodles, packaged meats, fish balls, frozen dumplings, dessert soup balls, snacks, seasonings, and sugary drinks.

Gear: stainless steel lunch boxes, vacuum flasks, utensils, cookware, quilts, sheets, tissue, and paper goods.

Twenty-three minutes flew by. Only three hours left on the clock.

They rolled up to the next mega-supermarket. Two big trucks parked out front. Took ten minutes to settle things with the store manager. Left twenty guards there to load. Down to 2 hours and 42 minutes.

Magnus took ten guards and another truck to a commercial street, targeted a big hardware shop.

Nail guns - modified. Shovels. Watermelon knives. When the world goes to hell, these were gold. Nail guns and knives - brutal up close. Shovels? Torch-makers. Wrap an oil-soaked towel on the blade, ignite it - instant weapon. Great for dealing with centipedes, spiders, and mosquitoes. Even good for burning through webs or digging out meteor debris.

Cash got the job done. Within ten minutes, they stripped the store clean of those three items. On top of that, Magnus grabbed welding gear, an electric screw gun, rolls of steel plate, rebar, and other support materials.

With 2 hours and 33 minutes left, he went all in.

Ten guards at his side, they raided three smaller hardware shops, an outdoor gear store, and three motorcycle stores along the street. By the end of it, there was only 1 hour and 37 minutes left on the clock...Time to head back. Magnus regrouped with Wade, split the remaining cash among the fifty bodyguards, and filled up all three cargo trucks. Each truck carried over 55 cubic meters of supplies - packed full.

"I didn’t ask your reasons, fine," Wade said, voice tense. "But we’ve done everything you asked. Now it’s time for you to let Ms. Quinn go."

There was 1 hour and 9 minutes left on the clock. Wade sat in the passenger seat of the military-grade SUV, the guards now dismissed with their pay. Magnus kept his hands steady on the wheel, driving carefully - fast enough to stay on schedule, but slow enough not to lose the truck convoy. They were still forty minutes out from Springvale University.

Emily hadn’t called once. He’d tried her thrice, all calls dead. Phone off. That knot in his chest twisted tighter. In his last life, she’d been trapped in Dormitory Three - he remembered she’d called for help repeatedly. That meant her phone had been on. But not this time.

Had his return screwed up her fate?

If so, her blood would be on him.

"What the hell did you do to Ms. Quinn?" Wade finally snapped.

"She’s fine," Magnus replied, glancing over. His voice was steady, calm like still water. "In an hour, she’ll be back at your family’s villa in the northern district."

He pulled the vehicle over to the roadside, shifted to park. "If you head back now, you should catch her there."

Wade didn’t move. "Why should I believe a word from you? Do you even realize what you’ve been doing?"

"Look," Magnus raised his phone, showed him the ticking countdown. "One hour, seven minutes left. If I don’t make it in time, she might actually be in danger. And right now... you’re wasting that time."

Wade’s expression twisted as he yanked the door open. "You damn well better keep your word. Otherwise, Ironcrest Realty’s not going to let this go."

He slammed the door and stormed off, rattled and fuming.

At T-minus 31 minutes, one military SUV, three Foton cargo trucks, and Emily’s white Cruze all rolled safely into the underground parking lot. Two sleeper coaches also arrived. Magnus kept back two drivers, had them bring the buses underground. Then he sealed the steel shutter again.

Twenty-four minutes left.

Twenty-four minutes until the end of the world.