Apocalypse with my SSS Harem Beauties-Chapter 170: After Rest

The dungeon chamber had grown quiet now. Far below the ruined world, Myles and his companions sat within the wide rocky ground of the 12th floor where the Ether flowed more densely than anywhere they had discovered before.

The faint glow of energy drifted through the air, gently stirring the dust and stones scattered across the ground.

His friends had entered meditation. They sat cross-legged in a circle, eyes closed, focusing on drawing the Ether into their cores.

Around their bodies faint currents of energy gathered, forming thin shimmering auras.

Myles watched them silently.

Then he lifted his gaze toward the ceiling that now showed a view of the sky. He could see something he had almost forgotten.

A clear blue sky.

It looked just like the sky before the Etherfall had descended upon the world. Bright, peaceful, and untouched. Like it was simply another ordinary day.

For a moment, Myles felt his chest tighten. That day had disappeared now.

The world he once knew had vanished, replaced by monsters, ruined cities, and endless danger.

Maybe... he would never see the world the way it used to be again.

He sighed quietly.

Unlike the others, Myles didn’t close his eyes.

He had already realized something unusual about himself.

His friends needed to concentrate deeply, empty their minds, and focus on guiding the Ether into their bodies. Only then could they slowly nurture their cores.

But Myles didn’t need to do that anymore.

The Ether moved toward him naturally.

Even while sitting casually and observing the surroundings, the same quality of energy flowed steadily into his core. It was as if his body had already learned how to draw it in without effort.

He could nurture his power while simply watching the world around him.

His gaze slowly moved across the group. Each of them had followed him this far.

They had fought beside him, bled beside him, and faced situations where death was only a single mistake away.

Myles never expected he would grow attached to them like this.

But now he realized it had already happened.

Somewhere along the way, they had become more than just companions.

Maybe it was because they had faced danger together so many times.

When people fought side by side and survived together, something invisible connected them.

They began sharing the same burdens, fears, and determination to survive.

Myles didn’t want to see any of them die. Not anymore.

A quiet movement beside him broke his thoughts.

Lilian sat down next to him.

She looked at him with a gentle smile, though the expression carried a deeper meaning behind it.

"You’re absorbing Ether much more smoothly than the others now," she said softly. "Even without focusing."

Myles turned to her, his expression calm.

"You noticed."

She nodded lightly.

"You really are special, Myles."

He held her gaze for a moment before asking the question that had been lingering in his mind.

"Do you think I’ll really awaken the Seed of Power?"

"Yes," Lilian answered immediately. There wasn’t even a hint of hesitation.

Myles blinked slightly at the certainty in her voice.

"When?" he asked.

Lilian shook her head.

"I can’t say for sure. This world is full of chaos right now. The flow of fate here is unstable. I can’t predict the exact timing in this lower world."

Myles slowly nodded. He had expected that answer.

"I just hope it happens soon," he said quietly.

His gaze drifted back toward his friends.

"If the Seed awakens sooner... maybe I’ll be able to protect them better."

He paused briefly.

"There’s no telling what kind of trouble we’ll run into next. If I’m stronger... I’ll feel more at ease."

Lilian didn’t reply immediately.

She simply looked at him.

Her expression remained calm, but deep within her mind, different thoughts were moving.

Thoughts Myles would not want to hear right now.

She had seen many worlds. Many heroes. Many men who tried to protect everyone.

Most of them failed.

Not because they were weak.

But because protecting everyone was impossible.

Even the strongest beings in existence could not shield every person they cared about.

Some companions would fall. Some bonds would break.

And sometimes, the desperate desire to protect everything could slowly twist a person from the inside.

Lilian had seen it happen before.

Men who chased strength to protect others, only to become consumed by that obsession.

In the end, they became something far more dangerous than the enemies they once fought.

Some of them even ended up harming the very people they wanted to save.

She quietly released a soft sigh.

Myles still looked toward the sky, unaware of the thoughts passing through her mind.

Lilian watched him for a long moment.

She didn’t know how to prepare him for what the future might bring. Because if the path ahead unfolded the way she feared...

Myles might become incredibly powerful. But power alone would not protect everyone he cared about.

However, in the end, she didn’t need to think too deeply about it. She only needed Myles. The others... were not as important.

They were simply beings born in this lower world. Their lives, their potential, even their struggles, none of it carried the same weight as the man sitting beside her.

Myles was different.

He possessed something rare. Something that could grow into something far greater.

The Seed of Power within him was not something ordinary people could awaken. If nurtured properly, it could turn him into a being capable of standing far above the rest of this world.

And if that happened... He could become a very useful existence.

Of course, Lilian knew she would feel a little regret if the others had to be left behind someday. They had fought together after all.

But regret was not something she couldn’t handle.

She had already witnessed the nature of the cosmos long before the Etherfall had ever reached this world.

The universe was not fair. It had never been fair.

It was closer to a jungle where the strong ruled and the weak disappeared without leaving a trace.

With the Etherfall’s effect spreading everywhere, the world would only grow more chaotic.

Stronger beings would rise and weaker ones would fall. That was the natural order of things.

Lilian let out a quiet breath. There was no need to worry about those distant possibilities right now.

Time slowly passed within the trial dungeon.

The Ether flowing through the chamber gradually calmed as the group absorbed more and more of it into their cores. The faint glowing currents around their bodies slowly weakened as their bodies reached their limits for the moment.

One by one, the auras around them faded.

Then, almost at the same time, everyone opened their eyes.

Myles stood up first and glanced at each of them briefly before looking toward Lilian.

"We can continue to the 13th floor," he said.

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