Investing in My Harem in the Apocalypse Makes Me Stronger

Alex fought close to Jack, the greatsword in his hands matching his overwhelming physical strength far better than the way he had once fought with nothing but his body.

A 1st Echelon Zombie Race soldier rushed him with a long blade.

Alex stepped forward instead of retreating.

His greatsword swept horizontally.

CLANG!

The zombie’s weapon was knocked violently aside.

Before it could recover, Alex twisted his waist and brought the heavy blade back from the opposite direction.

SHHK!

The greatsword tore through the zombie’s torso.

Its upper body was sent spinning away before crashing several meters across the black-gray ground.

Alex barely spared the corpse a glance as another soldier approached from his right.

He shifted his grip and raised the greatsword.

The zombie brought its weapon down with both hands.

Alex met it head-on.

CLANG!

A crack appeared along the opposing blade.

Alex pushed forward with raw strength and forced the zombie backward. The moment its footing became unstable, he stepped closer and drove the greatsword through its chest.

Black blood spilled from the wound.

Alex planted one foot against the creature’s stomach and pulled the blade free.

Jack glanced toward him from nearby.

”Looks like that thing suits you.”

Alex rested the greatsword against his shoulder.

”Definitely better than punching everything.”

Jack laughed.

”Can’t argue with that.”

Another zombie charged before the conversation could continue.

Alex’s expression sharpened.

He stepped forward and brought the greatsword down.

BANG!

The zombie raised its weapon to block.

Its arms buckled beneath the impact.

Alex pressed harder and the damaged weapon finally snapped under the pressure.

His greatsword continued downward and tore deep into the zombie’s shoulder.

Alex ripped the blade free and kicked the creature away before following with another swing that finished it.

Not far from them, Professor Ian remained near Maya.

The two had already fought beside each other enough times that they no longer needed to constantly call out what they were doing.

Professor Ian forced one enemy backward, and Maya immediately took advantage of the opening. Her sword slipped beneath its guard and pierced through the throat.

Another zombie tried to circle around her.

Ian noticed the movement and intercepted it before the creature could close the distance.

Farther behind them, arrows continued crossing the battlefield whenever the fighting opened enough to provide a clean shot.

The several dozen 1st Echelon soldiers that had looked dangerous when they first emerged from the outpost were rapidly being reduced.

Their corpses already covered large portions of the battlefield.

Even so, Cain’s group was not completely untouched.

Maya lunged toward a zombie after noticing what looked like an opening.

The creature suddenly changed its grip and swept its long weapon sideways.

Maya noticed the deception too late.

She pulled back, but the blade still cut across her upper arm.

”Ah!”

Blood immediately stained her sleeve.

Professor Ian stepped in front of her and forced the attacker back with a heavy slash.

”You alright?”

”It’s fine. Just a shallow cut.” Maya gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on the sword.

A pale-green light reached her before she could move forward again.

Maya paused as the pain rapidly faded.

She looked toward the rear.

Evelyne stood several meters away with her staff raised. Soft healing light surrounded its upper end before flowing into Maya’s injured arm.

The bleeding instantly stopped.

Damaged flesh began closing beneath the torn sleeve until the wound was reduced to little more than a fading line.

Maya flexed her fingers.

”Thanks!”

”You’re welcome. Just be more careful.” Evelyne chuckled lightly.

”I will.”

Maya then immediately returned to Professor Ian’s side.

Evelyne lowered the staff slightly, but her attention continued moving across the battlefield.

She did not have to wait long before finding someone else.

Ron appeared near the edge of his Thunderstorm Domain after another violent burst of acceleration.

His right foot touched the ground, a sharp pain spread through his leg.

”Tch.”

His step faltered slightly.

Ron corrected himself immediately, but Evelyne had already noticed.

He had pushed Thunder God Overdrive beyond what his current body could comfortably endure.

The strain was not severe, yet something that minor could still become dangerous when every movement carried him across the battlefield at extreme speed.

Healing light reached his leg as the warm energy entered the strained muscle.

The pain quickly weakened.

Ron glanced over his shoulder.

Evelyne was pointing the staff toward him.

”Don’t force yourself too much.”

”I’m fine.” Ron straightened his body.

”You were limping.”

”No, I wasn’t.”

Evelyne stared at him.

Ron held her gaze for a second before looking away.

”My footing slipped.”

”Sure~”

Ron clicked his tongue.

”Why does everyone in this group talk so much?”

Evelyne’s eyebrow twitched.

”You’re seriously asking that?”

Ron vanished in another flash of Lightning before she could say anything else.

Evelyne stared at the empty space he had left behind.

”...That bastard.”

Cain nearly laughed.

At least none of the injuries so far were serious.

More importantly, Evelyne could deal with them without forcing anyone to withdraw from combat.

That alone allowed everyone to fight with far less hesitation.

Cain remained where he stood as he had already promised not to interfere unless someone genuinely needed his help.

So far, nobody did.

His gaze moved across the battlefield.

Ron was nearly unrecognizable compared with the sprinter who had once struggled against a single ordinary zombie inside their dormitory.

Elara had reached the point where several 1st Echelons entering her range could be suppressed by the cold alone.

Nathan controlled the battlefield from a distance, constantly preventing dangerous situations before they could fully develop.

Jack had finally gained equipment capable of turning his natural fighting style into something far more destructive.

Sonya was perhaps the clearest example of how much could change in only a short period of time.

The girl who had once relied on a weak Fireball could now manifest a miniature Sun and burn through 1st Echelon enemies from a distance.

Cain’s smile slowly widened as this was what he wanted.

Strength that did not depend entirely on him.

During the battle against the Zombie King, almost everything had rested on Cain’s shoulders. The others had contributed wherever they could, but the difference between them and the strongest enemy on the battlefield had simply been too large.

That gap had not disappeared as Cain was still far stronger than everyone else in the group, but the others were catching up to the world around them.

A loud roar drew Cain’s attention back toward Ron.

Only a handful of Zombie Race soldiers remained near him.

The thunderstorm surrounding that section of the battlefield had already begun dissipating.

Ron stepped forward and drove his spear through the chest of the nearest soldier.

Lightning erupted from the embedded blade.

The corpse was blasted away as Ron tore his weapon free.

Elsewhere, Sonya released one final Inferno Star before allowing her first Sun to return into her body.

Elara finished an injured zombie with a clean slash through its neck.

Nathan released another arrow that finally ended the battle as it entered through the back of the zombie’s skull.

The battlefield suddenly fell silent as there was no more fighting sound.