Reincarnated with an SSS-rank Tamer System: My Harem of Villainesses-Chapter 63 – Decisions Under Pressure

The beast’s red eyes glowed in the darkness with an intensity that seemed to pierce the soul, and for several seconds no one in the group dared to move.

The creature’s growl still echoed against the stone walls, like a final warning before the attack.

Adam felt his body tense as his mind worked at full speed. Nox’s anxiety inside him had reached an almost unbearable level, so intense that for a moment it was difficult for him to think clearly.

But then, just as he was about to be swept away by the little dragon’s panic, he understood.

Nox wasn’t afraid of the beast itself.

He was afraid for him. For Adam. For what might happen to him if he faced that thing.

’Easy,’ Adam thought, addressing his partner through the bond. ’I’m getting out of this.’

He didn’t receive a clear response, but the anxiety lessened slightly, as if Nox had sensed his determination. And that was enough for Adam to regain control of his thoughts.

The entire group was in danger. That much was obvious. That creature, whatever it was, was not something they could handle with the same lack of coordination they had shown until now. If they kept acting on their own, they were going to die. All of them.

So Adam made a decision he had been avoiding since this damned group activity had begun.

"Sophia!" he shouted, his voice echoing throughout the chamber. "I need a large-scale light spell! Illuminate the entire cave, now!"

The elf turned toward him with a surprised expression, clearly bewildered by the fact that someone was giving her orders.

Her eyes blinked a couple of times, and Adam could see the indignation beginning to form on her face.

"We don’t have time for this!" Adam added before she could protest. "Just do it!"

Something in his tone must have convinced her, because Sophia looked away from him and quickly began gathering mana in her palms.

Magical energy glowed between her fingers, growing in intensity as she murmured the words of the spell.

It took several seconds to complete, and Adam noticed she was using more power than necessary, probably because she didn’t have time to carefully calibrate the expenditure.

But it worked.

A sphere of white light shot out from Sophia’s hands and ascended toward the ceiling of the chamber, where it exploded in a blinding radiance that flooded every corner of the place.

The shadows vanished instantly, and for the first time since they had entered, they could see exactly what they were facing.

Adam felt the air escape from his lungs.

The creature was enormous. It easily stood six meters tall, and its body was composed entirely of rock and crystals that glowed with a reddish tone beneath the light of the spell.

It had a vaguely reptilian shape, with four legs as thick as columns and a long tail that dragged across the ground behind it.

Its head was massive and angular, with jaws capable of crushing stone, and those red eyes that were now staring at them with fury.

It was a golem. A cave golem of colossal proportions.

’A-rank,’ Adam thought as he quickly assessed the beast. ’At minimum. Maybe even higher.’

They didn’t have time to analyze it further, because the moment the light revealed its form, the golem attacked.

Its front right leg rose into the air and slammed down against the ground with brutal force.

The impact shook the entire chamber, and a shockwave of debris and dust blasted outward in every direction.

Fragments of rock flew through the air like projectiles, and the crash was so loud that Adam felt his ears ring.

The group reacted on instinct. Everyone jumped backward at the same time, covering their faces with their arms as the debris flew around them.

Adam landed several meters away, coughing from the dust he had inhaled, but otherwise unharmed.

When he looked up, he saw that the others had also managed to dodge the attack, although some had minor cuts from the stone fragments.

The golem roared again, and this time the sound was so powerful that the cave walls trembled.

The creature was furious—that much was obvious—and it wasn’t going to stop until it destroyed the intruders who had invaded its territory.

"Listen!" Adam shouted as he got to his feet. "Gareth, I need you to keep it busy from the left! Don’t try to hurt it, just distract it and don’t let it hit you!"

Gareth stared at him with wide eyes, but nodded and began moving toward the indicated flank.

"Sophia, attack it with elemental magic from a distance! Aim for the joints—they’re the weakest points on this kind of golem!"

The elf didn’t protest this time. She simply began casting another spell while positioning herself behind a rocky formation.

"Lihua, I need you to use your wind magic to deflect any debris it throws at us! And if you see an opening, attack the eyes!"

Lihua raised an eyebrow with interest, but said nothing as the air around her began to swirl with energy.

"And what about me?" Fernis interrupted sharply, his expression making it clear he wasn’t happy with the situation. "Who put you in charge of—?"

"You’re attacking from the right!" Adam replied before he could finish. "Use your sword to look for cracks in its rock armor! When you find one, tell us and we’ll concentrate our attacks there!"

Fernis looked at him with a mixture of indignation and resistance that was impossible to ignore.

His eyes burned with resentment, and for a moment it seemed like he was going to refuse to follow his orders.

The golem took a step forward, and the ground trembled beneath its weight.

"Listen," Adam said, lowering his voice but not taking his eyes off Fernis. "I don’t care if you hate me after this. I don’t care if you want to punch me when we get out of here. But right now, if we don’t work together, we’re going to die. All of us. So you can swallow your pride for ten minutes, or you can stand there while that thing crushes us one by one."

The words hung in the air between them, harsh but necessary. Fernis held his gaze for several seconds, and Adam could see the internal battle raging behind his eyes. Pride against survival.

The golem roared again and began to advance.

"Fine," Fernis spat bitterly as he drew his sword. "But that doesn’t mean that—"

"I know," Adam interrupted. "Now move."

Fernis clenched his teeth, but obeyed. He ran toward the golem’s right flank while his sword glowed with mana, and Adam felt a small sense of relief when he saw that they at least had something resembling a formation.

Then a voice came from his side, soft but carrying something he couldn’t quite identify.

"Interesting."

Adam turned his head and found Lihua looking directly into his eyes. The wind swirled around her like an invisible cloak, tossing her hair in every direction, and on her lips was a smile he hadn’t seen before.

It wasn’t arrogant or mocking like the previous ones. It was... different. As if something had genuinely excited her for the first time in a long while.

"Let’s see how far we get," she murmured without breaking eye contact.

Adam held that gaze for one second longer, and then a similar smile appeared on his own face.

It wasn’t a smile of amusement or confidence. It was the smile of someone who knew he was about to face something dangerous, and who, in some twisted way, was eager to begin.

"Let’s find out," he replied.

And with that, both of them launched themselves into the battle.