The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage - Chapter 11

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 11
Episode 11
Helena?
A Demon King, no less.
Sung-hyun stared blankly at Helena, unable to believe what he was hearing.
Though she’d introduced herself as a Demon King at first and the surrounding spirits had made quite a fuss about it, I could sense something immediately.
Helena, like all the other spirits so far, displayed infinite affection toward me.
I could feel it through my abilities.
But then, why was a Demon King standing before a statue commemorating the hero Hindel?
The moment that thought crossed my mind, Helena, noticing my confusion, offered an explanation.
-Ha ha, this is where I died as well, you see.
“I see.”
Now it made sense.
If this was where the hero Hindel had died, it was plausible that the Demon King had also perished here.
As my confusion cleared, another question arose.
‘Isn’t she human?’
Typically, when one hears “Demon King,” the image that comes to mind is a king of demons or ruler of the infernal races.
Yet Helena, by every appearance, seemed far removed from any demonic nature.
She looked entirely human.
Not a demon at all?
Then why was she called a Demon King?
Multiple questions bloomed in my mind.
Helena nodded as if to say it was understandable.
As though all my doubts were familiar to her.
-You must be confused about many things, yes? To put it simply, I am human.
“Really?”
-However, I possessed an extraordinary—truly extraordinary—talent for dark magic.
“Ah.”
Now I understood.
Even as spirits, the dead retain the personalities they had in life.
While all of them showed goodwill and affection toward me fundamentally, those who had been rough and brutal in life bore those marks still.
But Helena was nothing of the sort.
And she bore no resemblance to a demon’s appearance.
So my question about why she was called a Demon King had been answered entirely.
An exceptional talent for dark magic alone.
That singular gift was more than enough to earn the title of Demon King.
After all, even in medieval Earth, wasn’t anyone even slightly unusual branded a witch?
With such remarkable talent in dark magic, being called a Demon King was only fitting.
-Ha ha, even though I never conducted human experiments or caused harm to people, I suppose they still feared me. Thanks to that, I ended up clashing bloodily with the hero, though.
As Helena spoke with a refreshing smile, a hint of sadness flickered across her expression.
Though I had every right to feel wronged, I accepted the truth calmly rather than voice my grievances.
Even with time’s passage, it wouldn’t have been easy.
I already understood those emotions and feelings well enough.
Hadn’t Sung-hyun also been pointed at and ostracized for seeing ghosts?
The memory of tormenting not just himself but his family as well still ached and saddened him.
Because of that, I couldn’t help but understand his heart.
Wronged and sorrowful, yet all I could do was accept it calmly and with composure.
There was nothing else I could do.
This was one reason Sung-hyun’s nature had always been so composed and serene.
-I had many regrets. I hoped this knowledge and power I possess would be passed on, but it couldn’t be.
“I see.”
-But you know what?! Finding you like this?!
“…?”
-I’ve never seen talent this extraordinary!!! Someone with talent surpassing even mine!!
Talent greater than Helena, the one called the Demon Lord?
That couldn’t be.
Sung-hyun tried to deny it, but Helena was faster.
-Even I back then! I could never see souls and ghosts with such clarity!! And I never even imagined being able to converse like this and absorb memories and experiences!!
“Huh?”
How did she know I could obtain memories and experiences without being told?
If she truly had expertise in dark magic, did that mean she could discern such things?
Sung-hyun felt his heart pounding without his control.
Could it be?
I had obtained the memories and experiences of Hindel to change classes into a hero.
But could I become the opposite—a Demon Lord?
Judging by Helena’s tone, it seemed possible.
But was such a thing truly feasible?
Tension settled across Sung-hyun’s face.
-My memories and experiences! My power! A successor has finally come to inherit everything!!!
“Ah!”
-Here! I’ll give you everything I have!!!
Helena spread both her arms wide as she spoke.
Instinctively, both Helena and Sung-hyun understood.
How to obtain memories and experiences, and how to give them.
From Helena’s outstretched arms, a pale cyan radiance burst forth.
The radiance enveloped Sung-hyun warmly like an embrace, slowly seeping into him.
“Ah, this is….”
At the same time, I felt it.
Helena’s memories, and her emotions.
The loneliness of fleeing and hiding through all those long years, living quietly and researching alone.
I found myself empathizing with that overwhelming torrent of emotion without even realizing it.
Because I had experienced the same.
But at the same time, the distinction was unmistakable.
I had overcome it, yet Helena ultimately surrendered.
I could feel it in the final battle against Hindel.
At first, she fought with resentment bursting forth toward Hindel and the people who attacked her.
And throughout, she demonstrated overwhelming dominance over Hindel and his companions.
Helena maintained composure to the very end, while Hindel and his party were on the brink of defeat.
But the people cheered for Hindel until the end, and Helena realized something watching them.
I am an existence unnecessary to this world.
So she surrendered.
Against all odds, she offered her heart to the blade of the dying hero.
Hindel too felt it in that moment.
That she was not the Demon Lord.
But it was far too late.
Having fully inherited her memories, I opened my eyes, radiating a deep teal light.
‘I am different.’
I will not surrender.
And I did not surrender.
So.
“I will show you a different side than before.”
I spoke, but Helena could not hear my words.
Her soul crumbled and vanished as she transferred all her final memories and experiences to me.
Whether she achieved enlightenment or simply ceased to exist while sharing her memories and experiences, I did not know.
But one thing became abundantly clear.
‘I can obtain something greater than a hero.’
The Demon Lord’s—no, Helena’s profession.
Overlord.
[‘Unknown Power’ demonstrates strength transcending your stats.]
[Intelligence +10, Wisdom +10, Mental Fortitude +10 permanently increase.]
My stats rose permanently.
I came to understand the two things Helena had yearned for.
One was coexistence with people.
And the other was.
‘The pinnacle of Overlord.’
The place Helena never reached.
I was determined to climb to that height.
Eternal World now had a purpose.
2.
Lee Won-sang trembled with unease, watching me stand in silent tribute before the statue of Hindel.
A chilling sensation crawled down my spine.
Lee Won-sang stood there for quite some time, motionless.
Was there really something there?
Watching Lee Won-sang’s anxious gaze and gestures fixed solely on the user, ignoring all the others around him, his subordinate Oh Jin-hyuk tilted his head in confusion.
I understood he’d gained an enormous amount and that something irregular had occurred, but was it really to this extent?
Why was he so uneasy?
This was Oh Jin-hyuk’s thought.
“Senior, do you really need to be on guard like that?”
“Guard against what?”
At Lee Won-sang’s sharp voice, I flinched and scratched my head.
Should I have just kept quiet?
But I’d already opened my mouth.
“Well, that user Sung-hyun. He cleared Hunter’s Forest from Hindel Village and even obtained treasure, but… that part was genuinely terrifying. The way he went in like he knew something and just started digging, and hidden pieces appeared immediately, it was really…”
“So what’s your point?”
“Ah, no, I mean, he’s irregular and all, but I didn’t think you needed to pay that much attention to him.”
“You don’t understand why I’d focus on a beginner instead of single-digit or double-digit rankers?”
“…Uh, well…”
I couldn’t answer, but honestly, that’s exactly what I was thinking.
Single-digit rankers, or double-digit rankers—I couldn’t see why this user warranted such scrutiny over them.
It was genuinely incomprehensible.
In a way, it was a natural question.
But Lee Won-sang let out a heavy sigh and asked.
“Hey, Jin-hyuk.”
“Yes?”
“Have you ever seen a power you couldn’t explain?”
“Ah, no?”
“Have you ever seen a single-digit ranker use some inexplicable strange power to increase their stats?”
“Uh, no?”
“Then what about him?”
“Ah…”
His stats increased permanently.
In Eternal World, each single stat point played such a crucial role.
Oh Jin-hyuk knew this well too.
“But surely it won’t increase anymore, right?”
“Why?”
“W-well, logically speaking, a total of 10 has increased so far, and if it goes beyond that…”
“If it does?”
“Uh…”
At Lee Won-sang’s words, Oh Jin-hyuk couldn’t bring himself to answer.
There was simply nothing to say.
I had no idea what this “unknown power” truly was, and since even Immortal didn’t know, there was nothing I could say about it.
And then, with perfect timing, a notification chimed.
[User ‘Sung-hyun’ displays power transcending stats through ‘unknown power’.]
[Intelligence +10, Wisdom +10, Mental Fortitude +10 permanently increase.]
“Ahhhhh! What the hell is that now?!”
“Ugh!”
Stats that had only risen by 10 twice before had now skyrocketed by 30 this time.
I couldn’t help but be shocked by the insanely higher numbers compared to last time.
The other employees glared at Lee Won-sang and Oh Jin-hyuk, who had screamed, but they let it slide.
After all, they’d done the same when users acted out unexpectedly.
But the situation itself was far more serious now.
A 10-point increase alone was extraordinary.
But a 30-point increase all at once?
This couldn’t be ignored.
“S-Senior? What do we do?”
“…Ugh, the team lead is on vacation, and if we contact them, I don’t think we can handle the fallout….”
“But wouldn’t we get in more trouble if we don’t report it?”
Oh Jin-hyuk’s point was valid, so there was no choice.
As Lee Won-sang prepared to contact the team lead who was resting on vacation leave.
Sung-hyun in the video began to move.
What was he trying to do this time?
Judging by how scared he looked, he must have been through quite an ordeal.
After discovering something behind the statue of Hindel, Sung-hyun looked around cautiously, searching for something as he headed north.
Lee Won-sang, recognizing that familiar behavior, muttered under his breath.
“That, that place is…?”
“Huh? Is there something else there?”
Did the senior, who didn’t know much about Hunter’s Forest, actually know something about a hidden piece in Hindel Village?
Oh Jin-hyuk tilted his head at the thought.
Was there something there?
No, there really wasn’t anything special?
Even when he recalled the lists he’d seen before, there was nothing in particular.
There were some minor items, but that user had already obtained most of what was available.
There shouldn’t be anything else for Sung-hyun to obtain here.
Just as he was thinking that.
“Ah, you’re still at the employee level, so you wouldn’t know. There’s something in the materials that only those at the associate level and above can access. A hidden piece in Hindel Village.”
“What? There’s, there’s something like that?”
Information accessibility varied by rank.
It made sense that it could be that way.
E-World didn’t prevent all employees from playing Eternal World without reason.
There was a possibility of unfair play with this kind of information.
In any case, that’s when Oh Jin-hyuk asked the question.
Lee Won-sang nodded, looking at a loss.
“There is one of the best jobs in Eternal World, you know.”
“What?! In the Beginner Village?!”
“It’s no wonder you’re shocked. Most hidden jobs are buried in high-level areas, but this is the only one hidden in the Beginner Village. That’s why it hasn’t surfaced until now, but….”
Lee Won-sang trailed off, biting his lip as he watched Sung-hyun on the screen.
The conditions and clues were so demanding that even after a year had passed, no one had discovered it.
But wasn’t that user Sung-hyun the one who just found it?
So why was my senior so composed?
Actually, he seemed to have lost his mind.
Watching him stare at the screen with a giddy laugh, I wondered if the stress had truly driven him mad.
“S-Senior, are you alright?”
“Ah, I’m fine. Fine. There’s absolutely no way he’ll get it.”
“Huh? Why? It looks like he just discovered something.”
Indeed, Sung-hyun had discovered what looked like scratched letters behind the statues of Hindel and his companions.
As the anxious Oh Jin-hyuk asked tremulously, Lee Won-sang laughed and replied.
“Hehehehe, to obtain the job, you have to pass a test, and it’s genuinely difficult.”
“Oh! Then there’s hope?”
“No, it’s beyond hope. He absolutely cannot solve it. Absolutely. Has that user ever frequented the library?”
“Huh? No. I don’t think so.”
“Then even if he died and came back, he couldn’t solve it. That’s the type of test it is.”
“Then that hidden piece….”
“If that user fails, no one will ever be able to obtain it again. Anyone.”
It was actually fortunate.
Watching his confident declaration, Oh Jin-hyuk smiled as well.
Well, the senior must be right.
“Still, thank goodness. What would we have done if he’d obtained that too?”
“Hahaha, right?”
“He absolutely cannot solve it unless he sees a demon lord ghost or something.”
“Hahaha! Where would ghosts exist in this world!”
“Exactly what I’m saying!”
“So we don’t need to report this to the team leader?”
“…No, we still have to.”
“Ah.”
Oh Jin-hyuk silently cheered for his senior, who was about to get thoroughly scolded.
3.
Sung-hyun strode forward with long, purposeful steps.
His destination lay further north from the Common Cemetery in the north of this place.
It was the far end of the Common Cemetery.
Helena’s memories were not limited to those from her lifetime.
I received her memories after death in their entirety as well.
Though she was someone abandoned by people’s choices, she too had her followers.
Those who dreamed of the resurrection of Helena, called the Demon Lord.
After Helena’s death, they had entombed her corpse in this place where Hindel the Hero and his companions were buried.
Moreover, they had hidden a jewel containing her power somewhere, but ironically, they inscribed the clue in cipher upon the statues of Hindel the Hero and his companions.
‘That’s why no one could ever discover it.’
Even Sung-hyun, who knew of the cipher’s existence, had difficulty finding it, but after confirming it once more, I made my way to the northern section of the Common Cemetery.
And there was a single gravestone bearing the same cipher.
Unlike the other gravestones, this one occupied considerably more space.
As if someone of great stature had been buried there.
I approached the expansive gravestone and pressed firmly against the cipher inscribed upon it.
The ground trembled, and the broad earth before the gravestone began to open.
Creak, creak, creak, creak, creak.
Stone steps carved from masonry.
As if I already knew, I descended the stairs slowly and naturally.
As I entered, the door closed naturally, and all fell silent as if nothing had happened.
After descending for quite some time, there stood a rather expansive stone chamber.
Within the chamber, there was nothing remarkable save for a stone altar, and above it, a single beautiful turquoise jewel hovering and drifting.
[Hidden Piece, you have entered the 『Lord’s Stone Chamber』.]
[Hidden Piece, the 『Lord’s Stone Chamber』 tests you.]
[Should you fail the test, the 『Lord’s Stone Chamber』 will seal itself.]
A daunting message.
If I failed, no one would ever be able to obtain it now.
I exhaled softly and opened my eyes as if ready.
Countless characters materialized before my vision.
[1. What is the correct gender of the one called the Demon Lord?]
[1. Male 2. Female 3. Demon Race 4. Neutral 5. Both]
[2. What is the correct name of the Demon Lord?]
[1. Helena 2. Harbella 3. Har 4. Amoste Mülriud 5. Quasar]
…(continued)
These were questions I could never answer incorrectly.
“Easy.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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