Apocalypse with my SSS Harem Beauties-Chapter 171: Soldiers

Without hesitation, George, Daniel, Ethan, Samantha, Clara, Kade, and Victor rose from their cross-legged positions. Dust scattered lightly as they stood.

For a short moment the group simply looked at one another. Then grins slowly appeared across their faces because they could all feel it.

The change inside their bodies was unmistakable. The Ether they had absorbed on this 12th floor had strengthened their cores and body more than before. The strange energy now circulating within them moved more smoothly than before.

They were stronger now. Much stronger than when they had first entered the dungeon so their confidence also grew stronger in challenging what comes next.

No one said it out loud, but they were all thinking the same thing. They were ready to go deeper into these floors now.

Lilian stood up calmly beside Myles. Without wasting time, she walked toward the circular stone platform resting at the center of the chamber.

Ancient runes carved along its rim faintly glowed. She raised a hand and the runes reacted immediately.

Soft amber light spread across the surface of the platform, forming a circular pattern that slowly brightened.

"The passage is ready," Lilian said.

One by one, the group stepped onto the platform.

As soon as everyone stood within the circle, the runes flared again. The amber light rose around them like a curtain.

For a moment, their surroundings disappeared within the glow.

Then the light faded and the group reappeared somewhere else.

Wind that brushed across their faces harder than before. When their vision cleared, they realized they were standing within another open landscape.

A wide grassy field stretched before them. Tall blades of grass swayed under a stronger wind than the plains they had faced on previous floors.

The sky above remained clear, but the air here carried a pressure that made the environment feel more tense.

No one relaxed. Almost immediately, everyone began scanning their surroundings, searching for enemies.

It didn’t take long for them to find them.

Victor suddenly raised his arm and pointed into the distance.

"There!"

Everyone turned toward the direction he indicated.

Far across the field, roughly five hundred meters away, a large group of figures stood waiting. There was an army of rows of armored warriors standing in tight formation.

Their armor gleamed under the daylight, but something about it looked unusual.

They were not standing randomly like the goblins or the rock creatures from previous floors.

They were organized as if waiting for this battle.

Samantha had already drawn her black bow. An arrow rested against the string.

Beside her, Ethan pulled out his twin pistols and cocked them smoothly. His single remaining eye narrowed as he studied the distant figures.

Myles kept his gaze forward.

"Samantha. Ethan," he said calmly. "What do you see?"

Ethan squinted slightly.

"They look strong," he said after a moment. "I think that armor is not normal metal."

Samantha nodded while continuing to observe them.

"He’s right," she added. "There’s energy beneath the armor that reinforced it."

Myles narrowed his eyes. "So they’re tougher than what we fought before." His gaze swept across the formation again. "And more organized."

Before this floor, their enemies had always been scattered creatures—goblins, beasts, rock creatures. They attacked without coordination or intelligence.

But this time was different. These warriors were standing in disciplined lines. Their formation was steady. Which meant they were capable of thinking.

"Same numbers as the goblins and rockmen before," Daniel muttered quietly while counting.

Everyone nodded.

From behind them, Lilian observed the battlefield silently.

Her eyes briefly glowed faintly as she examined the warriors.

After a moment she spoke.

"They are not clones."

The group turned slightly toward her. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"They are real entities," Lilian continued calmly. "Each one is different."

Myles looked forward again and took a step forward."Start moving."

Immediately the group began advancing across the field.

But they were not the only ones moving.

Across the grassy plains, the armored warriors suddenly moved as well. Then the entire army began marching forward.

Moments later they charged.

The distance between the two forces rapidly closed.

They met in the middle of the grassy field and they collided with a thunderous crash that echoed across the plains.

The armored warriors arrived first in a tight defensive formation, large shields raised in front of them. Their movements were precise and disciplined and synchronized with the soldiers beside them.

Myles and the others immediately launched their attacks.

With a powerful roar, George swung his massive hammer in a wide arc. The weapon crashed directly into the front line of shield-bearing warriors.

The impact was strong enough to shake the ground. Three warriors received the blow at the same time.

But instead of being launched through the air like most enemies George had faced before, the shield bearers merely skidded backward several meters, their boots digging into the soil as they struggled to absorb the force.

The shields trembled violently. But they held.

George’s eyes widened in shock. Before this, no enemy had ever managed to withstand his hammer strike when he used this much strength.

"Huh..." he muttered.

For a split second he stared at them. Then his expression hardened.

"Then I just need to swing harder."

While George attacked the front line, the others launched their own strikes.

Daniel rushed in with his double blue blades strikes, aiming for openings between the shields. Clara unleashed bursts of spear thrust that slammed into the armored wall.

But the warriors barely faltered. Their defense remained tight and disciplined, their formation refusing to break.

No matter where the companions attacked, another shield quickly shifted to cover the weakness.

"There’s no gaps!" Daniel shouted while deflecting a shield bash.

Their enemies were not simply strong. They felt as if they were trained.

Then suddenly the formation changed.

The shields in the front row split apart like a gate opening. In the same instant, long spears thrust outward from the second line.

A forest of spear points rushed toward the companions.

"Spears!" Ethan warned.

Myles reacted immediately. He twisted his body sideways, knocking one spear away with his weapon while stepping back to avoid another thrust aimed at his chest.

Around him, the others responded quickly as well.

They managed to block, dodge, or parry the sudden counterattack.

But the speed of the maneuver caught them completely off guard.

Before they could reorganize, movement appeared on both sides of the battlefield.

The warriors at the edges of the formation suddenly split away.

Two flanking groups rushed forward with surprising speed.

Within seconds they moved past the companions and curved inward behind them.

The maneuver was smooth and coordinated.

Myles’ eyes sharpened as he realized what was happening.

By the time the companions reacted, the enemy units had already closed the gap.

Armored figures now surrounded them in a wide circle. Kade looked around and cursed under his breath.

"We’re surrounded!" he shouted.

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