SSS-Class Overlord: My Harem Rules the Realms (18+)
Chapter 53: Knight’s Quarters.

Chapter 53: Knight’s Quarters.

The dungeon fell silent at last, dark and echoing around Ethan’s battered form. He stood there,

chest heaving, the crimson crystal still pulsing ominously in his palm.

He tilted his head, smirking despite the exhaustion weighing down his limbs.

"Oh... so I got this core this early in the story, huh?" he murmured, flipping the red stone once in

his fingers. "Figures the next main scenario’s gonna be tied to this thing, too."

He stared at the core for a moment, eyes thoughtful and sharp. Then his grin returned.

"Well... let’s see what I’ll end up using you for."

He lifted his free hand and with a quick flick of his fingers, summoned his system interface. The

crystal shimmered, dissolving into faint red particles as it vanished into his system inventory.

[Item Stored: ███████████ (Evil Artifact)]

Ethan let out a deep breath, feeling the ache in every muscle. He reached for the hilt of his

Warlord’s Fang, twirled it once in a smooth, stylish spin, and slid it back into its sheath with a

clean, satisfying shink. Shadows coiled briefly around the blade before fading away.

"Still the coolest sword ever," he muttered, shaking out his arms and stretching until his joints

popped.

Just as he was about to take a step, a fresh volley of system windows slammed into his vision in

rapid succession.

[DING! Level Up!]

[DING! Level Up!]

[DING! Level Up!]

...

Ethan blinked as the notifications kept rolling.

"Holy shit... how many levels am I getting off one stupid tree rock?"

He scrolled through the pop-ups until the barrage finally stopped.

[Level: 90 Achieved.]

[Stat Points Earned: 60.]

A grin spread across his face. "Well damn. That’s a pretty nice haul."

He quickly tapped through his menus, allocating the points equally across all his stats. A warm,

buzzing power spread through his body like liquid fire. His aura flared around him for a moment,

black and violet shadows dancing over his shoulders.

[Updated Status:]

[Ethan Graves]

[Level: 90]

[HP: 640/640]

[Mana: 880/880]

[Strength: S-]

[Agility: S-]

[Intellect: S-]

[Endurance: S-]

[Charisma: S-]

[Luck: S-]

[Dominion Points: 0]

[Potential Rating: SSS]

[Harem Slots: 0/10]

[Stat Points Available: 0]

Ethan clenched a fist, feeling raw power hum beneath his skin.

"Heh... S-rank stats. Feels pretty damn good."

He gave the dungeon one last look over his shoulder.

"Alright, time to bail."

With quick steps, Ethan made his way through the winding corridors of the Hollow Sanctum,

leaping over rubble and dodging collapsed roots. Eventually, the dungeon’s magic thinned, and

cool daylight spilled through a narrow fissure ahead.

He pushed his way out into sunlight, brushing dirt and dust off his cloak.

"Later, haunted forest dungeon."

Squinting into the morning light, Ethan opened his system map. He zoomed out, dragging a

glowing icon until it hovered over a city labeled:

[CALSOZ — KNIGHT SECTOR]

A confident smirk curved his lips.

"Guess it’s time to check in on the knight side of my résumé."

He set off at a brisk pace. The winding forest eventually gave way to rolling hills and cobblestone

roads. Hours later, the stone spires and high white walls of Calsoz came into view, glimmering

beneath the midday sun.

Massive banners bearing the crest of the Imperial Knights rippled in the breeze over towering

gates.

As he neared the city, the clang of swords, the barked cadence of drills, and the stomp of

armored boots echoed through the streets.

Ethan maneuvered through the busy avenues, ignoring the curious looks of merchants and

townsfolk. Ignored the random whispers of those people about him. He flipped open his system map again and marked his path toward the Knight

Quarters.

Soon, he found himself standing before a grand compound of marble and steel, its gates flanked

by two stern-looking guards in white-and-gold plate.

One of them crossed a spear in front of Ethan’s chest.

"Halt. Civilians are not permitted in the Knight Quarters."

Ethan sighed and reached into his cloak. He withdrew a small, intricately engraved crest, silver

and obsidian, bearing the insignia of a sword and shield entwined in flames.

The guards’ eyes widened as he held it up.

"...That’s a Knight’s Crest," one guard murmured. "But... you’re an adventurer."

Ethan rolled his eyes. "Yeah, it’s a long story. Now are you gonna keep me out here looking pretty,

or can I go in?"

The guards exchanged a quick look, then stepped aside, spears snapping to attention.

"Forgive us, Sir Knight. Proceed."

Ethan gave them a lazy salute and strode into the courtyard.

Inside, rows of knights sparred with blunted blades, sweat gleaming on polished armor. Squires

rushed past carrying stacks of weapons, while officers barked orders from the sidelines.

Everywhere Ethan went, heads turned. Murmured whispers followed him like shadows.

"Is that...?"

"That’s Ethan Graves, isn’t it?"

"Didn’t he fight Vandelion?"

Ethan just kept walking, pretending not to notice the stares. He smirked under his breath.

"Man, feels weird being the rumor for once."

He made his way through stone corridors until he reached a large set of ornate doors marked with

a sigil of crossed swords. He knocked once and pushed them open.

Inside was a spacious office filled with maps, weapon racks, and towering bookshelves. Behind a

massive wooden desk sat a woman in gleaming silver armor. Her hair was raven-black and tied

into a sleek braid, and her steel-blue eyes seemed to cut through stone.

Her presence radiated power—but with a calm confidence rather than the crushing aura of

Vandelion.

She looked up, one eyebrow arched.

"Well. Look who finally decided to show up."

Ethan stepped forward and bowed deeply, voice respectful.

"I am Ethan Graves, Swordmaster," he said.

The woman leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. A faint smirk tugged at her lips.

"So you’re that kid who managed to lay a strike on Vandelion himself?"

Ethan straightened, a wry grin on his face. "Guilty as charged."

She tilted her head, regarding him with cool interest. Then her eyes glimmered with amusement.

"Interesting. Very interesting indeed..."

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.