SSS-Class Overlord: My Harem Rules the Realms (18+)
Chapter 51: Boss Battle.

Chapter 51: Boss Battle.

The chamber still vibrated faintly from the fall of the Verdant Core Golem, as if the dungeon itself

were sighing in relief.

Ethan flicked splinters and dust from his cloak, then blew an errant vine strand off his shoulder.

His hair, damp with sweat, stuck in uneven spikes around his forehead.

"Gods above..." He exhaled, grinning despite the ache in his arms. "Note to self—next time

someone says ’nature walk,’ decline."

He spun Warlord Fang once around his hand, then sheathed it with a sharp metallic hiss.

Shadows snapped back into the blade as it settled across his back.

At the far end of the chamber, the huge wooden doors glowed with a thin red seam of light,

pulsing in a slow, almost organic rhythm. Ethan tilted his head, suspicious.

"Well... nothing ventured, nothing gained."

He strode forward and pressed his palm to the warm wood. A low groan echoed as enormous

roots slithered aside, pulling the doors open with a grinding rasp.

Cool air wafted over him, tinged with moss, damp stone, and the faint metallic zing of

concentrated mana. He stepped across the threshold and froze.

The new chamber was... beautiful.

The ceiling arched impossibly high, a cathedral of stone and living roots spiraling upward into

darkness. Emerald veins of mana glowed along the walls like constellations. Pools of crystalline

water mirrored the light, creating rippling patterns across mossy floors. Curtains of vine hung like

living drapes, shifting gently in a breeze that seemed to come from nowhere.

Ethan blinked. "Well, damn."

He gave a low whistle. "I’ve been in fancy palaces that didn’t look this good."

Then his gaze shifted to the chamber’s center—and he let out a short bark of laughter.

Standing like a colossal forest deity was the Verdant Core Golem.

Fifteen feet tall. Body sculpted from mossy boulders and gnarled wood. Thick emerald veins

pulsed between plates of bark and stone. Each arm was a battering ram of vines and rock, ending

in fingers like tree trunks. Vines slithered across its surface, occasionally snapping into the air like

whips.

And lodged in the Golem’s chest, half-hidden by wooden plates, spun a massive, brilliant crystal

—the Verdant Core. Light shimmered and danced inside it like a trapped storm.

Ethan folded his arms. "Well, look at you. Nature’s answer to a steroid addiction."

He sauntered closer, stopping about twenty feet from the towering construct. His eyes sparkled

with mischief.

"Alright, everyone, gather ’round! It’s time for Ethan’s Monster Dissection Hour!"

He gestured dramatically toward the Golem, his voice shifting into a parody of a TV host’s

enthusiastic pitch:

"Height: fifteen feet of pure landscaping nightmare!"

He paced to the side, waving at the Golem’s boulder-thick arms.

"Build: boulders, bark, and more vines than my neighbor’s backyard."

He swept a hand upward, toward the Golem’s faintly glowing core.

"Special features: glowy veins. I mean, look at this guy—he’s basically a forest disco ball."

The Golem’s giant head slowly turned toward Ethan, emerald eyes narrowing.

Ethan pointed at the creature. "Aaaand the crown jewel—this spinning light show in your chest.

That’s the weak spot, folks. Glows real bright when he’s gearing up for his ultimate moves. Stab it

enough times and boom—timber!"

A deep grinding roar echoed from the Golem’s chest. Vines bristled and twisted like snakes.

Ethan gave a half-smile. "Oh, don’t look so offended. You know it’s true."

He dropped into a low stance, fingers gripping the hilt of Warlord Fang. His grin sharpened into

something feral.

"Let’s have a go, big guy. Should be a cup of tea bringing you down."

The Golem let out a roar so deep it rattled dust from the ceiling. It lunged forward, each step

booming like thunder through the mossy tiles.

Ethan laughed, sidestepping as vines lashed the air beside his cheek. "Here comes the welcome

hug!"

The Golem slammed both fists into the floor. Roots exploded upward, slicing through the air like

spears. Ethan flipped backward, cloak swirling as wooden spikes shot past his boots.

"Tip number one—big tree dudes are sloooooow!" he shouted, landing lightly. "I could knit a scarf

while he winds up an attack!"

The Golem’s chest plates split open. Green light spilled out, growing in brilliance.

"Bingo."

Ethan blurred forward, shadows swirling around his legs. Warlord Fang’s blade gleamed as it

crashed against the exposed crystal.

—CLANG!—

Emerald sparks burst in a shower of fractured light. The Golem staggered, vines flailing in panic.

"Second tip—stab the disco ball. It’s basically the off-switch."

The Golem recovered with surprising speed, swinging a massive vine-whip at Ethan’s side.

He ducked and vanished into black mist.

"[Shadowstep]—not just for looking cool!" he called from behind the Golem. "Also great for

smacking stone butts!"

He lunged forward, delivering a slash to the Golem’s joint. A deep crack split its mossy knee.

"Third tip—magic beats wood every time!"

Ethan’s hand swept outward, shadows spiraling into a sphere.

"[Nightmare Veil]!"

Black mist slammed into the Golem’s chest, seeping into its bark. Ice-like crystals spread across

its surface, freezing vines mid-snap. The Golem gave a strangled groan, movements sluggish and

stiff.

"Like a log in winter!" Ethan cackled.

The Golem’s core flashed brightly. Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

"Time to finish this."

He surged forward. With a precise thrust, Warlord Fang pierced deep into the glowing core.

—CRAAAACK!—

Emerald light exploded outward. The Golem released one final bellow... and collapsed. Its

massive form slammed into the chamber floor, sending tremors rippling through the mossy

ground.

Green motes drifted through the air like fireflies.

Ethan staggered back, sweat streaming down his temples. He sheathed Warlord Fang and blew

out a shaky breath.

"And that... ladies and gents... is how you chop down a forest on legs."

He bent, placing hands on his knees. "Man. I gotta check my loot—"

But he paused mid-sentence.

The doors leading out of the chamber remained tightly shut. No shimmering portal. No triumphant

fanfare.

Ethan straightened slowly. "...Uh. Why isn’t the dungeon closing?"

He glanced around, the hair prickling on his arms.

A chill swept the room. The green glow from the moss flickered, dipping into a sickly yellow.

Suddenly, crimson letters exploded across his system interface:

[WARNING: Unknown Predator Detected.]

[WARNING: Extreme Threat Approaching.]

[WARNING: Danger Level—Catastrophic.]

Ethan swallowed hard. "...Okay, that’s... that’s new."

His eyes darted around the silent chamber. The shadows seemed deeper than before. Even the

moss on the walls curled inward, as if recoiling from something unseen.

"...Don’t you dare tell me it’s a second phase."

He tightened his grip on his sword.

And then...

The shattered remains of the Verdant Core Golem began to twitch. Cracks glowed red between

the fallen stones.

Ethan stared. "No way..."

A pulse of crimson mana erupted from the fragments, washing over him in a wave of heat and

static.

He stumbled backward, jaw clenched. "Fuck."

From within the rubble, a single, sinister red glow ignited—like an eye opening in the darkness.

The chamber pulsed around him, rumbling with an unseen heartbeat.

Ethan dropped into a low stance, voice grim.

"...Looks like it’s time for round two."

And the Chapter ends there, an ominous shadow rising from the fallen Golem’s remains.