Apocalypse with my SSS Harem Beauties-Chapter 121: The Real Deal

Lilian studied their faces for a moment longer, then gave a small nod.

"Alright," she said. "The first thing we do is training."

A few of them blinked.

George frowned. "We’ve been fighting nonstop. Leveling up, surviving. Isn’t that already training?"

Lilian shook her head. "No. What you’ve been doing so far is relying on the system."

That word drew their attention immediately.

"The system you see," she continued, "is an imitation. A framework imposed on this world to help guide newly awakened beings. It translates Ether into numbers, skills, levels, and growth you can understand." Her gaze sharpened. "But it is not true power."

Silence fell on the room.

"It gives you results but it does not teach you how to wield Ether itself. You grow faster. But only within the limits it defines," Lilian continued.

Myles’ eyes narrowed slightly. He also surprised by this.

"So what you’re saying," Daniel spoke carefully, "is that we’re borrowing power, not owning it."

Lilian looked at him. "Exactly."

A ripple of unease spread through the room.

"You all felt it. That moment in battle when something moved before the numbers caught up. When your body reacts faster than your skills should allow after being exposed to Ether for some time. That wasn’t the system."

Ethan clenched his fist. "Then what was it?"

"Its your Ether," Lilian replied. "Your own core."

She took a step forward.

"The Etherfall didn’t just give you access to a system. It awakened something inside your bodies. A core and a connection to Ether that exists even without levels or skills."

Samantha swallowed. "Then why does the system exist at all?"

"Because without it most of you would have died before learning how to survive."

Myles felt something click inside his mind. "So training means learning how to use Ether without relying on the system."

"Yes," Lilian said. "You need to separate yourselves from it and develop your own core."

Some looked confused, some looked thoughtful.

Kade frowned. "How do you just... stop using it?"

"You don’t reject it outright," Lilian answered. "You ignore it with your mind and focus on your mind."

She raised one hand.

"Close your eyes. Don’t look at your status. Don’t think about skills or cooldowns. Focus inward."

They hesitated, then slowly nodded and were already trying.

"Ether flows through your body even now," Lilian continued. "Most of the time, the system intercepts it and shapes it to easier form and spends it for you." Her voice softened slightly. "I want you to feel what’s beneath that."

Myles closed his eyes.

At first, there was nothing. Just the lingering ache in his muscles and the memory of exhaustion.

Then... he felt a flow of warm energy like a faint pulse deep in his chest. It felt slow and heavy.

His breathing steadied.

"That warmth is your Ether reservoir. Not the number you see. The real one," Lilian said, as if sensing it.

George’s brow twitched. Clara’s posture straightened.

"For now your training will be simple. It will be painful but simple," Lilian went on.

She began to explain.

What they would do were to sit, breathe, and circulate Ether through their bodies without activating any skills.

They need to draw it from the core, guiding it through their muscles, bones, and organs, then returning it back. Over and over.

"Remember, pain is normal for newly awakened beings like you," she said. "Dizziness too. If you feel like your body is tearing itself apart, you need to stop. A human vessel has limits."

Victor exhaled slowly from the sofa. "Figures."

"This process strengthens your body first by adapting it to your Ether," Lilian said. "Not your numbers. Your muscles will adapt, your nerves will sharpen and your tolerance to Ether will increase."

She looked at Myles.

"Only when your body can endure it can your power truly grow."

Myles opened his eyes. The faint pressure he felt earlier responded, pulsing once in acknowledgment.

"And after that?" Clara asked.

Lilian’s gaze turned distant.

"After you reach a threshold we need to move."

"To where?" George asked.

"To a higher-level zones," Lilian replied. "Areas where Ether density is greater. Where enemies are stronger and the system alone will not save you."

A few expressions tightened.

"Those places will force your cultivated power to respond, adapt, and evolve. This is necessary if you really want to get stronger."

Myles met her eyes. "And the danger?"

Lilian smiled faintly. "Far greater than anything you’ve faced so far."

Silence followed.

Then Ethan straightened, his jaw tight. Samantha nodded beside him. Daniel’s gaze hardened. Even Victor, pale and injured, let out a dry chuckle.

"So we train until our body is about to break, then we walk straight into another hell," George said with a bitter chuckle.

"Yes," Lilian said simply.

Myles looked at his companions, knowing that no one stepped back.

"It’s good that you understand," Lilian said softly. "Then we begin now."

—

High within a raging dimensional tunnel, scarlet light tore across the void.

A woman streaked through the fractured space like a comet. Crimson hair streamed behind her in blazing strands, each lock laced with divine fire. Wings of burning radiance spread wide from her back.

She glanced over her shoulder.

Far behind, distortions churned violently. Shadows of pursuing entities tearing through layers of space in pursuit.

A flicker of tension crossed her sharp features.

Then she accelerated.

Divine fire roared brighter around her body, devouring the lingering traces of her presence.

The tunnel twisted, attempting to collapse around her passage, but she cut through it.

When the pursuing pressure finally weakened and faded into the distance, she slowed.

Her expression changed. The worry was gone and replaced by a calm satisfied smile. A faint sneer tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Heheheh. Eat shit," she muttered.

Short crimson armor clung to her athletic frame, crafted from a material that shimmered like molten metal made into elegant form. A layered battle skirt flowed around her thighs, revealing powerful legs marked with glowing sigils.

Tan skin gleamed beneath the firelight. Her skins were flawless yet hardened by countless battles. Every curve of her body carried both beauty and strength, the form of a warrior forged in divine flames.

She stretched one wing lazily, embers scattering into the void.

A moment later, space rippled ahead of her.

A circular portal burst open. Through it, a distant world felt unstable, chaotic, and drenched in freshly awakened Ether.

Her eyes narrowed with interest.

Without hesitation, she folded her wings and surged forward.

Flames spiraled around her as she entered the portal.

The dimensional tunnel sealed behind her with a violent snap, leaving only drifting embers in the dark.

—