SSS-Class Overlord: My Harem Rules the Realms (18+)
Chapter 96: Reyna Dumbass.

Chapter 96: Reyna Dumbass.

The moment Ethan’s boot touched solid ground on the other side of the bridge, he let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

Behind him, Daniel stumbled forward, muttering, "Holy shit, I thought we were done for."

Reyna landed beside him with a heavy thud, flexing her arms, trying to look cool. "Phew," she exhaled. "We really saved our asses. That damn sludge didn’t look friendly at all."

Liora stepped last, her boots splashing through the remaining mist clinging to the broken stone. "That wasn’t water," she said grimly, wringing moisture from her sleeve. "It was acidic mana. If we had fallen in... our bones would’ve turned to ash in milliseconds. That thing maybe was around couple of years old."

"Charming thought," Daniel replied, dragging a sleeve across his brow. "Melted to paste under some ancient soup."

Ethan ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Let’s just keep moving. The faster we get through this place, the less likely we end up like the last idiots who wandered in here."

The group pressed on, weaving through broken pillars and damp corridors, the path growing narrower the farther they went.

The chill was constant, pressing into their skin like invisible fingers. And though the bridge was behind them, none of them could shake the feeling they were still being watched.

Eventually, the tight passage gave way to a wider room. It looked... normal.

Simple stone flooring. A few faded tapestries on the wall, barely hanging on to threads. Dust swirled lazily in the air as their boots disturbed it.

There were no skeletons. No strange glyphs. Just a long room stretching ahead with a door at the end.

Reyna cracked her knuckles. "Finally," she grinned. "A room that doesn’t reek of death. Let’s move before this one starts growling at us too."

She strode forward confidently.

Too confidently.

Just as she was about to step across the threshold, Daniel’s eyes widened. "Wait—!"

He lunged and grabbed her by the collar, yanking her back hard.

The moment her foot retreated from the edge, the floor ahead snapped.

FWIP-FWIP-FWIP!

Thousands of tiny slits opened on both sides of the walls, unleashing a blinding hail of razor-sharp arrows.

They tore through the space Reyna had almost entered, burying themselves in the stone with a sound like bones cracking.

Reyna blinked, frozen in place.

"...What the fuck?!" she blurted, spinning on Daniel. "You almost gave me whiplash!"

Daniel glared at her. "That’s why you look before you leap, you fucker."

Reyna bared her teeth in an annoyed grin. "Tch. I was just testing the waters."

"Right," he muttered, shaking his head. "Next time, test it with a stick."

"I am the stick," she muttered.

But before they could bicker more, Liora stepped forward. Her brows were narrowed, eyes glowing faintly crimson.

"Hold on," she murmured. "I can clear this."

The air around her pulsed. She raised her hand, slicing her palm cleanly with a small dagger. Blood pooled and hovered in the air like it was alive, spinning faster and faster in a crimson spiral.

"[Blood Ignition]."

With a sharp flick, she launched the glowing blood into the trapped chamber. The moment it touched the space ahead, the room exploded with heat.

BOOM!

A wave of scorching pressure roared through the chamber. Every hidden mechanism—tripwires, pressure tiles, and rune-stones—erupted in bright flame as the blood magic fed on the mana that powered them. Traps combusted in a chain reaction, until all that was left was a smoking path and melted metal.

Liora crossed her arms and gave a small hmph. "That should do."

Reyna whistled low. "Damn. That’s one way to clean a room."

"I’m adding that to your tab," Liora said, without turning.

Ethan raised a brow. "What tab?"

"The compensation tab," she said casually. "You dragged me here. You’re paying for every drop of blood magic I use."

Ethan chuckled under his breath. "Fine. Add it to the list."

With the traps neutralized, the group made their way through the chamber, the scent of scorched stone clinging to the air.

At the far end, they found a large arched passageway—but it split in two. Two tunnels diverged, each leading into unknown darkness.

They halted.

Daniel looked at both. "Of course. It couldn’t just be one door. Nooo, that’d be too easy."

Liora’s eyes flickered with faint light as she studied both paths. "I’m sensing strong mana signatures from both. One is colder... steady, like flowing ice. The other is volatile—burning hot, like something is angry."

Reyna sniffed the air. "So one leads to a pissed-off fireplace, the other’s a frozen crypt."

Ethan narrowed his eyes. "Then we don’t go together. We split. Cover more ground, and if there’s anything dangerous, we’ll find out quicker."

Daniel raised a brow. "You sure that’s smart?"

"No," Ethan said bluntly. "But it’s necessary."

He pointed.

"Daniel, you’re with me. Liora, go with Reyna. Take the colder tunnel."

Reyna blinked. "Wait, you’re separating me from the meatshield?"

Daniel grinned. "You’ll manage, blood queen."

Liora looked mildly amused. "Let’s go before the walls try to eat us again."

As the group split, the tension in the air grew heavy. Neither path looked inviting. Neither promised safety.

Ethan turned toward his tunnel—the one that radiated heat. He could already feel the faint vibration of something... pulsing within. A heartbeat in the stone.

"We move fast," he told Daniel. "If you see anything move, cut it."

Daniel cracked his neck. "That’s the only kind of advice I like."

On the other side, Reyna and Liora stepped into the cold corridor. Ice crystals lined parts of the walls, and their breath fogged with every step.

"Next time," Reyna muttered, "I’m picking the damn tunnel."

Liora’s voice echoed ahead. "You just want to avoid paying that compensation."

Reyna smirked. "Damn right."

And just like that, the team moved deeper into the underground ruin—into paths unknown, into danger that waited in silence.

Whatever lay ahead... it was not meant to be disturbed.