SSS-Class Overlord: My Harem Rules the Realms (18+)-Chapter 62: Investigation Starts.

Ethan’s boots clattered against uneven cobblestones as he tore through the crowd of panicked

civilians. Kael and Liora sprinted close behind him, cutting past clusters of stunned onlookers.

Dust rose in lazy spirals around them, illuminated by the torchlight from nearby sentries.

Evening had swept across Calsoz with brutal speed; the sky was smeared with bruised purple and inkdark clouds.

He skidded to a halt in an alley as the crowd spit him out, only to find... nothing. No trace of the

figure he’d glimpsed. Just the chaos of frightened faces, half-ruined buildings, and echoes of

distant roars.

Ethan’s chest heaved, pulse pounding in his ears. He backed up a step and let his gaze sweep

the narrow passage.

"Damn..." he muttered, voice rough. "They... they were heading this way."

Kael approached and leaned forward, breathing controlled but heavy. "Who was it?" he asked,

voice clipped. "If you’re thinking they were someone you know, I need details."

Ethan shook his head, running fingertips through his sweat-matted hair. "I—don’t know. Just a

silhouette. But... there was something familiar about their stance. The way they moved, the aura

—felt like someone I’ve met before."

Liora crept forward, eyes sharp and curious. "Is it someone important? Like... someone we

should worry about?" She tilted her head, eyes bright red in the gloom.

Ethan exhaled slowly and straightened his posture. "I’m not sure. But... I can’t shake the feeling

that it matters. For now, though? We go back."

He didn’t elaborate, knowing they wouldn’t understand. He tapped Warlord’s Fang against his

thigh. "Headquarters—now."

**~~ Calsoz Knight Headquarters ~~

The heavy oak door creaked closed behind Ethan as he entered the sprawling foyer. Oil-lamps

flickered against stone walls draped in tapestries, each emblazoned with crossed swords and a

gilded lion’s head. The clatter of armor from passing guards echoed softly.

He spotted Talric—Selene’s attendant—waiting near an archway that led to her chambers.

Talric bowed crisply. "Swordmaster Selene requests Captain Ethan Graves at once."

Ethan nodded and exhaled sharply. "On my way."

Behind him, Kael and Liora paused in the corridor, exchanging uneasy looks before following.

A silent guard opened the final door, revealing Lady Selene standing before a large war table.

Maps of Calsoz and its surrounding areas were pinned across it, along with colored markers and

glyphs marking beast sightings.

She turned as Ethan entered. "Captain Graves," she intoned, her steel-blue eyes flickering with

expectation. "Report."

He stepped in, stood at attention, lowered his gaze, then straightened. "Mission completed," he

began. "We pushed back the corrupted horde at West Gate. We faced orcs, ogres, goblins,

wolves—more than I can name—and they were different. Stronger."

Selene nodded, tracing a point near the western walls with her finger. "Red eyes, unnatural

aggression?"

Ethan’s gaze hardened. "Eyes glowing crimson. Their mana cores—far more powerful than the

usual caste. Even an ogre spewed corrupted mist that healed itself mid-fight. I... I think they were

designed that way."

He paused, glancing at Selene. "That’s why I’m worried. Someone is engineering them. Someone

making these beasts stronger. And fast."

Selene’s jaw tightened. "We’ve had reports from Stonehaven and Marad where farmers

complained of unnatural wildlife—wolves moving in packs of fifty. A tree-ent went berserk and

flattened half a village."

Ethan’s voice deepened. "Exactly. That... isn’t normal. It’s not random. It’s intentional."

She sighed low. "You’ve done well, Captain. We all know you’ve got sharp instincts... but now we

need proof. Intelligence. Someone—from within the Empire, likely from a covert cult or

underground."

Ethan nodded slowly. "I’m going to find them."

Selene pressed her lips into a thin line. "Do not act rashly. I’ll arrange for support in Calsoz and

beyond. We must put pressure on all reports—trace contamination lines, find patterns."

He met her gaze. "I understand." He drew in a deep breath. "Permission to continue the

investigation with full access to intelligence and Knight resources?"

Selene regarded him like a judge mulling a verdict. After a slow moment, she nodded. "Granted. I

expect updates."

Ethan bowed. "Thank you, Swordmaster."

She stepped forward, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "Beware though... whoever is behind it

is stronger than we know."

He felt the weight of her words—and the unspoken threat. "I’ll be careful."

He turned on his heel and strode out.

**~~ Ethan’s Quarters, Morning Light ~~

The door shut behind him with a soft click. Ethan loosened his cloak and lowered his head,

shoulders sagging as adrenaline flicked from his system. The room smelled of ancient oak and

parchment. A lone lantern burned on a desk, illuminating his equipment neatly laid out.

He paced a few steps, released a sigh—and cast a wary look at Liora and Kael lingering in the

hallway.

"I’ll need some rest," he said quietly. "And time to check my system for intel. Don’t go off unless

it’s urgent."

They nodded. Without a word, they filed back down the corridor.

Ethan closed the door before he exhaled again.

He strode to his desk and planted his hands on its surface.

The room was quiet except for the soft hum of the system interface as it powered on around him.

Pale blue panels floated in thin air, highlighting recent quest completions, stat updates, skill

statuses.

He propped himself on the edge of the desk and slid his fingers through his hair, restless.

"Alright," he said low. "Puzzle time."

He tapped the ’Scouting Reports’ panel. A series of flagged alerts appeared: Calsoz, Stonehaven,

Marad, Duskwatch. Pop-up summaries reflected sightings of aggressive wildlife, sudden monster

attacks near villages, missing knights. Each incident circled back to rumors of supernatural

"whispers in the night."

He opened the ’Bestiary Analysis’ panel. The categories he added earlier from the corrupted

creatures were highlighted, showing discrepancies in mana signatures compared to normal

beasts. Particularly elevated at the West Gate encounter.

"Someone’s funneling mana into them," he murmured. "Probably siphoning from an artifact or an

energy source... maybe the same kind that corrupted the Thorned Guardian and the Golem."

He opened the ’Log Notes’ section and began typing a flash summary:

"Red-eyed corrupted beasts, elevated mana cores, unnatural aggression and healing... patterns

across multiple cities. Linked to unknown entity—maybe cult. Selene agrees. Need to track

source, locations, supply chain. Priority: identify artifact channel."

He didn’t punch in his voice command... he couldn’t yet. It wasn’t safe.

He leaned back and paused. The system interface flickered.

"System... any intel on cults known to corrupt wildlife?"

A pause.

[System Query: Cults with mana-based corruption capabilities]

After a flicker, data returned:

Minor references found in forbidden texts. Name withheld.

No concrete location. Activity suspected near ’Obsidian Vale,’ ’Understone Ruins,’ ’Redwood

Cathedral.’

These groups historically hunted artifacts and meddled in core augmentation.

Ethan frowned, tapping notes carefully: Obsidian Vale, Understone, Redwood.

His heart picked up a pulse. These were all remote locations—but accessible, and historically

steeped in forbidden magic.

He tapped the ’Mission Prep’ panel. A map of Calsoz opened, flanked by markers at the three

suspect regions. Each promised high risk... but also high reward.

He let his gaze drift to Warlord’s Fang resting on the rack. Its black-shadow aura faintly pulsed.

"Alright..." he murmured. "Looks like I’ve got a cult to track. Time to plot travel routes, prepare

gear."

He activated the ’Quest Setup’ interface and created a new objective:

[Main Objective: Investigate Cult of Obsidian Crescent

[Sub-objectives: Travel to Obsidian Vale > Gather intel > Locate corruption source.]

[Secondary: Map remaining beast sightings across recent reports.]

A confirmation chime rang. The map updated with a pinpoint near Calsoz’s northern wall, just

beyond the city’s guard boundary.

He leaned forward and tapped it once.

"Route set: Obsidian Vale. Now I just need gear, allies, and intel."

He closed the panels and exhaled slowly, shifting on the chair. Every rank above him in the Knight

hierarchy suddenly felt like a looming figure at his back.

He rubbed his temples.

"I’m doing this... I’ll dig up whoever’s behind this madness. But I need to be ready."

His gaze flickered to the small window. The sun was setting beyond the rooftops, shadows

pooling in the streets below.

A soft knock sounded at the door.

Ethan’s head snapped up, heart clenching.

"Enter," he said quietly.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢