Investing in My Harem in the Apocalypse Makes Me Stronger

The young man held no weapon.

A 3rd Echelon commander rushed toward him with a sword, the blade cutting downward with enough force to split the stone beneath his feet.

The young man shifted his body.

His first step carried him just outside the path of the attack.

Before the commander could adjust, he took another, causing the commander’s attack to cut through empty space.

By the time the commander realized he had missed, the black-haired young man was already beside him.

Two fingers extended toward his chest, then dense black energy compressed around their tips.

The commander reacted quickly and brought his sword across his body.

Bang!

The finger strike landed against the flat of the blade.

The weapon bent inward from the force, and the commander’s entire arm was knocked aside.

He had barely regained his balance when the second 3rd Echelon attacked from behind.

A heavy black spear thrust toward the young man’s back.

He stepped again, his figure disappeared from between the two commanders.

The spear tore through the space where he had been standing.

The spear-wielding commander immediately tried to withdraw his weapon, but a palm struck his ribs before he could.

BOOM!

Black Demonic energy passed through the armor and entered his body.

The metal protection remained largely intact.

What lay beneath it was not so fortunate.

The commander coughed out a mouthful of dark blood as a violent explosion erupted from inside his body, throwing him across the plaza.

Before the young man could follow, the third commander had already entered the fight.

He spread both hands. Black chains formed from condensed Mana and shot across the plaza, twisting around the young man from several directions.

Then the black-haired man raised one arm.

A suffocating pressure descended over the area.

The chains visibly slowed.

The commander controlling them stiffened as the energy inside his body became harder to circulate.

His control faltered for a moment.

That was enough opening for the young man as he immediately crossed the distance between them.

His knee slammed into the commander’s abdomen.

Bang!

The impact folded the commander’s body forward.

Black energy gathered around the young man’s fingers, lengthening into several sharp claws.

He swept his hand across the commander’s chest.

Shhk!

The armor split apart.

Deep wounds opened beneath it.

However, instead of simply spilling onto the ground, a stream of dark-red energy was dragged from the injuries and pulled toward the claws.

Cain raised an eyebrow when he saw the stolen energy enter the young man’s body and a wound across his shoulder began closing.

”...Interesting.”

His eyes remained fixed on the black-haired young man fighting below.

He already had a very good idea who this person was.

Still, Cain wanted to see it for himself.

He focused, then information appeared before his eyes.

[Heavenly Demon]

[Talents: Heavenly Demon True Body (Origin-rank)]

[Energy: Heavenly Demon Qi]

[Mana Core: Heavenly Demon Mana Core — Perfected Stage]

[Skills: Heaven-Devouring Demonic Art, Heavenly Demon Great Palm, Nine Nether Demon Steps, Heavenly Demon Finger, Demon Subduing the Heavens, Heavenly Demon Suppression, Blood-Devouring Demon Claw, Heavenly Demon Annihilation Seal]

[Cultivation Method: Heavenly Demon Scripture]

Cain’s eyes lit up.

”Origin-rank...”

Cain finally understood.

”So that’s why this bastard has been ahead of everyone.”

He continued reading his talents and skills’ description.

— — —

[Heavenly Demon True Body — Origin-rank Talent]

[A supreme Demonic constitution possessing the foundation of the legendary Heavenly Demon.]

[Strength +200%. Agility +200%. Physique +200%. Mana +300%. Magic +300%.]

[Greatly increases physical strength, vitality, regeneration, Mana circulation, resistance to Demonic energy, and affinity with all forms of Demonic power.]

[The user’s Mana is continuously refined into Heavenly Demon Qi, an extremely dense and destructive form of energy particularly compatible with martial techniques.]

[The Heavenly Demon True Body possesses an extraordinary devouring ability, allowing the user to absorb Mana, Life energy, Blood Essence, and other compatible forms of energy from living beings, monsters, Energy Cores, Blood Crystals, and similar resources.]

[Foreign or contaminated energy absorbed by the user is automatically refined and purified before being converted into nourishment for the user’s body, Mana Core, and Heavenly Demon Qi.]

[The stronger and purer the energy absorbed, the greater the nourishment provided.]

[Foreign Talents and Skills cannot be directly absorbed.]

Cain stopped there for a moment.

”He can purify contaminated energy too.” Cain’s eyes narrowed slightly as he thought to himself.

However, the method was completely different from his own as Cain erased contamination through the True Ruin Energy, while the Heavenly Demon’s body refined it automatically after absorption.

That meant the resources Cain had considered a major advantage inside the Corridor were not useless to this man either.

Blood Crystals.

Zombie Race Cores.

Even the Life energy inside enemies.

Heavenly Demon could consume all of them.

Cain’s interest increased considerably.

He immediately continued.

[Heaven-Devouring Demonic Art]

[Allows the user to forcibly devour and refine compatible energy from external sources.]

[Through physical contact or sustained interaction with a target’s energy, the user may absorb Mana, Life energy, Blood Essence, and other compatible forms of power.]

[Absorbed energy is immediately refined through the Heavenly Demon True Body before replenishing Heavenly Demon Qi, restoring the user’s condition, or nourishing the Mana Core.]

[When used against living enemies, prolonged absorption gradually weakens their energy reserves and vitality.]

[The effectiveness of the devouring process decreases substantially against targets possessing significantly greater power or strong resistance to energy absorption.]

[Heavenly Demon Great Palm]

[Condenses a tremendous amount of Heavenly Demon Qi within the user’s palm before releasing it through a powerful palm strike.]

[Upon impact, the condensed Demonic energy penetrates external defenses and spreads through the target’s body before violently erupting from within.]

[The Skill possesses extremely high destructive power against internal organs, Mana pathways, and defensive structures.]

[Nine Nether Demon Steps]

[A supreme Demonic movement technique consisting of nine successive steps.]

[Each completed step increases the user’s movement speed, acceleration, momentum, and control over Heavenly Demon Qi.]

[The effects accumulate with each successive step, allowing the user to reach increasingly terrifying speeds.]

[At higher stages of the technique, the user’s movements become extremely difficult to perceive or predict.]

[Interrupting the sequence causes the accumulated momentum to gradually disperse.]

Cain looked toward the battle again.

That explained the strange movement.