Investing in My Harem in the Apocalypse Makes Me Stronger

Cain’s smile remained as he looked at the 3rd Echelon commander standing several dozen meters away.

The first exchange had told him enough.

His prepared True Ruin Energy attack had not been anywhere near the full extent of what he could currently produce, yet the commander had still been forced backward and needed to actively suppress the destructive energy spreading across his weapon afterward.

That was enough to satisfy Cain.

A 3rd Echelon was certainly powerful.

However, the one standing in front of him was nowhere close to being something he could not deal with.

Naturally, Cain did not allow that realization to make him careless.

This was the first time Dragon’s Eyes had allowed him to properly examine a genuine 3rd Echelon being.

For all he knew, another being at the same Echelon could possess monstrous Talents or an abnormal physique that allowed it to overwhelm others of the same rank.

Cain himself was already the perfect example of why Echelon alone could never determine someone’s true strength.

Still...

At least he finally had a reference.

And now that the conversation was over, Cain had no reason to continue testing the commander little by little.

Reinforcements were already on their way from the central base.

Which meant that the longer this battle lasted, the more annoying the situation would become.

Cain immediately became serious, the Solar Origin inside his body responded.

A brilliant golden-white light suddenly erupted above him.

The 3rd Echelon commander’s expression changed as heat swept across the Anchor Plaza as an enormous Sun manifested high above Cain.

Golden-white flames rolled continuously across its surface, illuminating the dark settlement until even the black stone buildings surrounding the plaza reflected its radiance.

The temperature rose sharply.

Several nearby Zombie Race soldiers instinctively retreated from the sudden wave of heat.

The commander remained where he stood, but the frown on his face deepened.

He had already witnessed Cain’s strange dark-gray energy.

That alone had been dangerous enough to damage his weapon.

Now another completely different energy had appeared.

And this one carried enough pressure that even before Cain attacked, the commander could feel the Mana gathering around him becoming increasingly violent.

He immediately understood that allowing Cain to finish whatever he was preparing would be a mistake.

”Attack!”

His voice spread throughout the plaza.

The Zombie Race soldiers hidden among the surrounding buildings finally moved.

Nearly a hundred 1st Echelons rushed from the roads and structures around Cain’s group, while the stronger 2nd Echelons advanced from different directions.

The commander moved at the same moment as mana surged through his body.

His feet shattered the stone beneath them as he shot forward with the saber held beside his waist.

Cain barely paid attention to the surrounding soldiers, since he believed that the others could handle them.

His eyes remained fixed on the commander.

Golden-white light gathered around Cain.

One lance appeared beside him.

Another formed on the opposite side.

More condensed Solar flames rapidly gathered in the surrounding air until twelve brilliant lances floated around Cain’s body.

Each one was two meters long. Their surfaces burned with dense golden-white flame, but the energy remained so heavily compressed that their shapes did not flicker like ordinary fire.

The commander saw them, then his expression changed again.

Cain raised his hand and flicked his wrist.

Five of the twelve lances moved as they spread around.

The 3rd Echelon Zombie that was already less than twenty meters away suddenly changed direction.

Cain’s eyes followed him easily.

”Go.”

The five lances instantly vanished.

BOOM!

The first crossed the remaining distance with terrifying speed.

The commander twisted his body and swung the saber.

Dense Mana covered the blade before it struck the incoming lance from the side.

The collision erupted violently.

Golden-white flames burst across the plaza.

The commander was thrown sideways, but his feet touched the ground and he immediately forced himself to move again.

However, the second lance was already there.

He lowered his body.

It passed above his shoulder close enough to burn through part of the armor protecting his back before continuing into one of the buildings behind him.

BOOM!

The entire front section of the structure exploded.

The commander ignored it as there were still more that was going after him.

A third lance approached from his left.

Another came from farther above.

The final one traveled directly toward his chest.

The commander released everything he had been holding back as mana erupted from his body without restraint.

The dark armor covering him became wrapped in a dense layer of energy, while the saber in his hand released enough pressure to crack the surrounding stone before he even swung it.

He swung his saber.

CLANG!

The third lance changed direction after the impact and buried itself in the plaza.

The resulting explosion tore open a large section of black stone.

But that brief moment of defense cost him time.

The commander looked up, his eyes opened wide when he saw that the fourth lance had already descended.

He shifted his upper body.

But it wasn’t enough as the golden-white weapon pierced through his left shoulder.

BOOM!

The explosion tore his entire arm away.

Dark blood sprayed across the plaza as the commander stumbled.

For the first time, the composure he had maintained since Cain entered the town disappeared completely.

Fear appeared in his eyes.

The fifth lance arrived.

The commander tried raising his saber with his remaining hand.

His movements were slower by now.

Unfortunately for him, the weapon never reached a defensive position as the Origin Solar Lance struck directly through his chest.

For an instant, the commander’s body froze around the glowing weapon.

Then the compressed solar energy erupted from within.

BOOOOOOM!

Golden-white flames swallowed him.

The explosion spread outward across the plaza, forcing several nearby Zombie Race soldiers to shield themselves from the heat.

Cain remained standing where he was.

His clothes moved beneath the violent wind created by the blast, while the massive Origin Sun continued burning above him.

Several seconds later, the flames began dispersing.

Cain stared toward the place where the commander had been standing.

A large crater had appeared in the plaza.

The saber lay near one edge with half of its blade already melted.

As for the commander...

There was barely anything recognizable left.