Investing in My Harem in the Apocalypse Makes Me Stronger

His expression slowly changed.

”Mythical rank?”

Several people nearby immediately looked over.

Jack continued reading the information, and his eyes widened further when he reached the Stat increases.

He did not waste another second.

The old combat gloves came off, replaced by the heavy gauntlets. The dark-gray metal adjusted around his hands and forearms the moment he equipped them, tightening until they fit perfectly despite their bulky appearance.

Jack slowly clenched one fist.

A heavy pressure gathered around his knuckles, and the brown-gold lines across the gauntlets brightened faintly.

His already massive arms looked even more threatening with the equipment covering them.

Jack stared at his hands for several seconds before looking toward Cain.

”Thanks.”

Cain nodded.

Jack’s expression became serious.

”I owe you a big one.”

”Just repay me by not dying inside.”

”That works.” Jack chuckled.

Cain then stopped in front of Ron.

Ron was already staring at him suspiciously.

”What?”

Cain opened his Inventory.

The spear appeared in his hand.

Ron immediately stopped breathing for a second.

Bluish-white Lightning crawled across the dark silver shaft before disappearing into the engraved patterns.

Even without touching the weapon, the Lightning Mana inside Ron’s body had already begun reacting.

Cain’s expression became increasingly irritated.

He already knew what would happen.

Ron would read the information, realize how ridiculous the spear was, then become completely insufferable for the rest of the day.

Cain extended the weapon toward him without even bothering to look in his direction.

”Take it.”

Ron stared.

”...For me?”

Cain’s eyebrow twitched.

”Who else here uses a spear and has a lightning element?”

Ron immediately grabbed it.

Crackling Lightning erupted around the shaft.

Bluish-white arcs climbed along Ron’s arm before sinking into his body, and the Divine Lightning Body responded almost instantly. The faint electricity that had previously flickered around him became much denser.

The weapon information appeared before his eyes.

Cain deliberately kept looking away.

Several seconds passed, but no sound came from Ron’s mouth.

Cain eventually became suspicious and glanced sideways.

Ron was simply staring at the spear with the widest smile Cain had seen on his face all day.

That was somehow even worse than bragging with his mouth.

Cain sighed in his heart.

”I kind of regret this.”

Ron ignored him completely.

His hand moved along the shaft as Lightning gathered around the spearhead. Every faint current released by his body seemed to flow into the weapon naturally, while the patterns engraved across its surface continued lighting up one after another.

Nathan noticed the change and looked toward the spear.

”That’s...”

”A Mythical-rank Item.”

Ron answered far too quickly.

Cain closed his eyes as it had begun.

”Ron.”

”Strength plus fifty. Agility plus eighty.”

”Ron.”

”And it has...”

Cain grabbed the back of Ron’s shirt and began dragging him toward the entrance.

”We’re leaving now.”

”Wait! I haven’t finished reading!”

”You can read while walking.”

”How the fuck am I supposed to read while you’re dragging me?”

”Not my problem.”

Several people laughed.

The tension that had surrounded the Invasion Entrance eased slightly.

Even Professor Holt smiled faintly before his expression became serious again.

Cain finally released Ron several meters from the portal.

The twelve people gathered together.

Elara stood near Cain with the silver crown resting on her head, faint Frost energy occasionally gathering around the embedded crystals.

Evelyne held the staff beside her. The pale-green crystal near its upper end glowed softly in response to the Life Mana circulating throughout her body.

Sonya remained on Cain’s other side, crimson-gold Fire Mana appearing briefly around her fingers before fading again.

Everyone else checked their weapons and equipment one final time.

Nobody knew what waited beyond the Gate.

That uncertainty should have made them hesitate, but Cain saw the excitement more than fear among the people he had chosen.

They had survived everything the apocalypse had thrown at them until now.

But this time, they were about to enter somewhere that was not Earth.

An entire dimensional territory belonging to the Zombie race attempting to invade their world.

A World-Class Mission.

Cain looked at Professor Holt.

”We’ll be back.”

Professor Holt nodded.

”Be careful.”

Cain turned toward the dark surface of the Gate.

”Let’s go.”

He entered first.

The moment his body touched the spatial surface, everything around him disappeared.

There was no feeling of passing through a doorway as direction itself seemed to vanish.

Cain could no longer tell whether he was moving forward or being pulled somewhere else entirely.

Darkness surrounded him, but his newly obtained Dragon’s Eyes reacted naturally.

Faint strands of distorted energy became visible throughout the void.

Some curved in impossible directions. Others crossed over one another despite appearing to exist at completely different distances.

Cain barely had time to observe them as the gravity suddenly returned.

His boots struck solid ground.

The instant Cain stepped into the Invasion Corridor, a familiar cold voice resounded through his mind.

[Ding!]

[World Announcement.]

Cain’s movement paused.

[Heavenly Dragon has entered the Invasion Corridor through the Southern Invasion Entrance.]

The announcement was not limited to him.

At that exact moment, every surviving human on Earth received the same notification.

Cain raised an eyebrow.

”So it announces everyone who enters?”

He had barely finished the thought when another notification appeared.

[World Announcement.]

[Heavenly Demon has entered the Invasion Corridor through the Eastern Invasion Entrance.]

Cain’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The Heavenly Demon.

The same person who had become the first human to reach the 1st Echelon.

Apparently, that bastard had not wasted any time either.

Before Cain could think further, another announcement followed.

[World Announcement.]

[Northern Tyrant has entered the Invasion Corridor through the Northern Invasion Entrance.]

Then another.

[World Announcement.]

[Radiant Sword Saint has entered the Invasion Corridor through the Western Invasion Entrance.]

[...]

[...]

More announcements continued appearing one after another as powerful Awakeners across the world began entering through the four Invasion Entrances.

Cain stared at the notifications for a moment before dismissing them.

It seemed he was not the only person who understood how valuable this World-Class Mission could become.

If anything, that made things more interesting.

Cain immediately lowered his body and rested one hand near the sword at his waist.