SSS-Class Overlord: My Harem Rules the Realms (18+)-Chapter 75: Abandoned Society?

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Chapter 75: Abandoned Society?

The cold wind seemed to sigh as Ethan stepped into the hidden pathway, the stones grinding

shut behind him, sealing off the slum’s distant noise.

Darkness swallowed them at first. Only the muted glow from Ethan’s conjured flame in his palm pushed back the shadows.

The walls were narrow, damp with moisture, slick like the inside of some buried beast. Muffled drips echoed as water trickled between ancient bricks.

Reyna glanced over her shoulder, gripping the hilt of her sword. "I don’t like walkin’ in the guts o’

the earth, don’t ya?"

Daniel walked close to Ethan, grey eyes tense, jaw working as if he was chewing down his nerves.

"Feels like we’re being watched..."

Ethan smirked faintly, the amber light flickering across the sharp angles of his face. "Then let ’em

watch. If anything jumps at us, it’s dying first."

The tunnel continued deeper, sloping down in a long spiral. The air grew colder, the smell shifting

from stale stone to something... different. Like earth, mixed with an iron tang.

Finally, the tight corridor flared into a wide, vaulted chamber. The torchlight revealed carved

columns, each wrapped in faded symbols.

Beyond it stood a massive stone archway yawning open, leading out into blinding daylight.

Ethan extinguished his flame with a snap of his fingers. "C’mon. Let’s see what’s hidin’ past

curtain number one."

They stepped through the archway and emerged blinking into an entirely different world.

A forgotten city lay before them.

Sunlight streamed from openings high above, filtering through gaps in the rock ceiling. The place

was huge—like a hidden crater turned into a town.

Twenty or thirty squat houses circled a stone plaza, each built from pale limestone that gleamed under the beams of light. Their flat roofs were covered in a thin layer of dust, and ivy crawled down their facades.

At the center loomed a large building, at least three stories tall, its wooden doors shut tight like a sealed vault.

Wind whispered through empty streets, carrying scents of dry earth and old stone. No voices. No

footsteps. Just silence, pressing in like the weight of centuries.

Reyna whistled low. "Holy shit... it’s a whole damn town, don’t ya?"

Daniel stared around him, eyes wide. "How does something like this even exist under the

slums...?"

Ethan scanned the rooftops, his black eyes glittering. "This wasn’t just hidin’. This was built to

stay hidden. Perfect for people who don’t wanna be found."

He turned back to the team, his voice clipped and all business. "Fan out. Check every house.

Look for supplies, signs o’ life, symbols—anything."

Reyna cracked her knuckles. "Aye, boss. Let’s see what vermin scurry outta the cracks, don’t

ya?"

Daniel nodded, still drinking in the sight as he drifted toward the nearest house.

Ethan moved quickly, pushing open doors, scanning bare rooms. Most houses were the same—a

single room with a low table, straw mats for sleeping, shelves coated in dust.

Here and there lay scattered utensils, clay jars still half-full of dried herbs, bowls crusted with residue. It looked as if people had lived here—and then vanished overnight.

He bent to examine footprints in one house, but they were too old and scuffed to read. His system

pinged him several times with minor notices—traces of human scent, traces of blood too faint to

analyze—but nothing concrete.

After an hour of searching, Reyna returned, scowling. "Nothin’. Not even a rat runnin’ around,

don’t ya? It’s like someone sucked all the souls right outta here."

Ethan nodded. "It’s too clean. That’s what bothers me."

Then Daniel’s voice echoed across the plaza, sharp with alarm. "Ethan! Reyna! Come here!"

Ethan shot a look at Reyna. "Let’s go."

They jogged over to a house on the far edge of the circle. Daniel stood just inside the doorway, his

face pale. The smell hit Ethan before he even stepped in. Rot. Metallic, putrid, thick enough to

coat his tongue.

Reyna gagged. "Mother o’ all gods—that’s foul enough to kill a bear, don’t ya?"

Inside, the small house was dim and close, the light filtering in through slats in the wooden

shutters. On the dirt floor lay dark, crusted stains—blood, soaking deep into the ground.

More splatters led across the room, up the legs of a battered couch. Even the walls bore spattered

streaks, as though someone had been hacked apart in here.

Flies buzzed lazily over patches of dried gore. The air was heavy, nearly choking.

Ethan squinted, frowning. "It’s recent. A week old at most."

Daniel pointed shakily at the couch. "Look... there’s something there."

Sitting on the cushion, half buried in congealed blood, was a case about the size of a toolbox. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

Leather straps were dark with stains, and metal clasps rusted.

Reyna stepped closer, jaw set. "Ya want me ta smash it open, don’t ya?"

Ethan glanced at Daniel. "Go ahead. You found it."

Daniel swallowed, wiping his palms on his trousers. He knelt by the couch and checked the

clasps. One was stuck, but he jiggled it free, popping the case open.

Inside sat a small block of poured concrete, smooth and gray. Embedded in its center was a

gleaming brass key, large and ornate, its teeth shaped like runic symbols.

Ethan’s eyes glinted with curiosity. "Interesting. Gimme that."

Daniel lifted the key free, flakes of dried blood clinging to the grooves. He handed it to Ethan, who

turned it over in his palm, examining the markings.

Reyna peered over his shoulder. "Think it opens somethin’ in that big house, don’t ya?"

Ethan flashed a sharp grin. "One way to find out."

He slid the key into his coat pocket and turned toward the towering building that loomed over the

plaza like a silent sentinel.

"Everyone on yer toes," Ethan said. "We’re movin’ in."

Together, they crossed the empty plaza. The wind blew dust around their boots, rattling the dry

leaves of ivy clinging to the stone walls.

The closer they got to the main house, the more the air seemed to thrum with a quiet, hidden tension.

Reyna cracked her knuckles again. "I swear, if somethin’ jumps out, I’m splittin’ it in half, don’t

ya?"

Daniel said nothing, eyes locked on the heavy wooden doors.

Ethan reached for the handle, feeling the cool iron beneath his fingers. He hesitated only a

moment before shoving one door open.

It creaked on ancient hinges, the sound echoing through the hollow chamber beyond.

A wave of cool air rolled out, carrying scents of stone, paper, and something far less pleasant

beneath.

Ethan tilted his head back, a dark gleam in his eyes. "Let’s see what secrets yer hidin’, shall we?"

And together, they stepped inside.

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