The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage - Chapter 139

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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 139
139
2.
I wasn’t heading straight to the next area.
It was lunchtime, after all.
A proper rest was necessary.
Might as well.
Killing two birds with one stone.
[What??? Is that really true???]
“Yeah, have you been fooled your whole life?”
[Uh… I suppose I have been, mostly….]
“Have I ever lied to you?”
[No, you haven’t.]
Yoo Sung-hyun chuckled slightly while on the call with Lee Geon-dong.
He said he’d send the video file, edit it, and then send it to Rapid’s side.
Apparently, they always react well to it.
I wondered if it was really something to be that excited about.
But then again, it could be an incredible opportunity.
I figured it could work out that way.
It wasn’t a bad chance to build his own career, after all.
[What’s the deadline?]
“There isn’t one, really.”
[Okay, so the faster the better, then.]
“Isn’t quality the priority?”
[Of course! Quality is a must!]
Good quality and speed—that’s obviously ideal.
Anyway, as Yoo Sung-hyun spoke, he remembered An Yoo-jin’s warning.
“Just so you know, if the guild doesn’t like the video, it could get rejected, right?”
[Hey! Of course! Anyway, I’m really grateful. With Rapid Guild, they don’t even conduct interviews carelessly.]
“It’s nothing.”
[It’s not nothing. From your position, you’d have to ask for that kind of favor. You’re not usually one to ask for things.]
That’s true.
I wasn’t someone accustomed to asking others for favors.
But since it was for a friend.
I could make an exception for this much.
[I’m really grateful. If it works out, I’ll buy you soju—no, wait, whiskey.]
“Oh? Whiskey? I like that.”
[I’ll get it done and send it as fast as I can!!!]
With that, the call with Lee Geon-dong ended.
Yoo Sung-hyun shook his head with a wry smile.
That stingy bastard is actually buying premium liquor.
He must be grateful for something.
As Yoo Sung-hyun tried to hang up and leave.
Just then, his older sister Yoo Mi-na, who had just emerged from the Capsule, peeked through his doorway and spoke to him.
“What are you doing?”
“A friend said they’re an editor. I was going to introduce them to Sister Yoo-jin.”
“An Yoo-jin? To her?”
At Yoo Sung-hyun’s words, Yoo Mi-na’s expression hardened noticeably.
But Yoo Sung-hyun’s reaction wasn’t much different.
Both he and Yoo Mi-na knew An Yoo-jin’s personality well.
She was particularly strict about these kinds of things.
“Pfft, An Yoo-jin—she’s nice to us because we’re family, but if you lack skill, she’ll show absolutely no mercy…”
“I know. Still, it’s a good opportunity though.”
“…Yeah, that’s true.”
Even his older sister Yoo Mi-na acknowledged that.
Both Yoo Sung-hyun and Yoo Mi-na had gotten in easily through Yeon’s connections.
But Rapid Guild was legitimately ranked 3rd among Eternal World guilds.
There were even rumors it could rise to 2nd place soon—a world-class guild of that caliber.
If anything, it was a workplace with far better treatment than a major corporation.
There was no way such a place would let just anyone in.
An Yoo-jin, the leader of Rapid Guild, was also quite meticulous about its operations.
In any case.
Since Yoo Sung-hyun understood this.
Yoo Mi-na didn’t say anything more.
“You two~ come eat if you’re done~”
As the two of them were chattering away.
Mother Lee Na-kyung’s voice called from the kitchen.
Both of them came out to eat.
Without saying much, they both washed their hands quickly and sat down at the table.
Though it seemed simply prepared, it was still a feast, so both of them started eating without complaint.
“Mom has some business to take care of, so I’ll be back soon~”
“Yes, have a safe trip.”
“Okay~ see you soon~”
Yoo Sung-hyun and Yoo Mi-na said this, racing to respond.
While they were eating.
Yoo Mi-na suddenly asked with curiosity.
“What do you have to do in Dune Wild Trail to get a knighthood? I tried asking yesterday, but you went out to drink because your friend was discharged.”
“Oh? I just went out because a friend said they were being discharged.”
“Anyway, how did you get the knighthood? It must be really tough without knowing a knight NPC.”
Yoo Mi-na asked with curiosity, having apparently challenged it quite a bit herself.
Yoo Sung-hyun answered casually.
“I got it as a reward for clearing a mission in a hidden field called the Knights’ Hall.”
“Wow, that’s something to envy. So that’s why you’ve been quiet for five days?”
“Something like that.”
“Hmph, why don’t I get anything like that? Is it Ghost again this time?”
Watching his older sister speak with unnecessary aegyo, Yoo Sung-hyun frowned but nodded obediently.
If he didn’t, she might just keep going.
At his response, Yoo Mi-na shook her head regretfully.
“Sigh, seriously, what a broken ability.”
“If you’re jealous, why don’t you go see Ghost too?”
“…I really wish I could.”
She spoke nonsense.
Suddenly, Yoo Mi-na asked.
“So is it time to head to the next region now?”
“Yeah, I just came out to eat before heading out.”
“Ooh? Where are you going? There are so many cities.”
When asked if he had a specific destination in mind, Yoo Sung-hyun shook his head.
How could he possibly have one?
He was planning to head to whichever city had a carriage.
Would she perhaps suggest a good place?
Yoo Sung-hyun’s expression showed a hint of anticipation.
“Hehehehe, look at our Sung-hyun relying on his older sister. Mmhmm!”
“If you don’t want to tell me, then don’t.”
“Ehhey, why are you like that? Your sister finally gets to do something sisterly.”
…
“Alright, alright, I get it.”
When Yoo Sung-hyun glared at her with genuine intensity.
His older sister Yoo Mi-na raised both hands in surrender.
“Do you know what the concept of the fifth region is?”
“Yeah, it’s called the Labyrinth, right?”
“Ooh, you’ve even done your research?”
“It’s my job, after all.”
Subtly praising Yoo Sung-hyun.
Yoo Mi-na continued.
“Then this is easier to explain. Pentagrid’s underground labyrinth is relatively pleasant compared to other labyrinths. Plus, there are some unique NPCs there, so it should be good for doing Quests.”
“Quests?”
Until now, there had been no mention of Quests, so why suddenly Quests?
Yoo Sung-hyun asked back with that implication.
Yoo Mi-na waved her hand dismissively as if it were bothersome.
“Yeah, if you don’t do Quests, you’ll have to stay in the labyrinth city for quite a while.”
“Well, Quests do have good efficiency.”
“They do. And the Labyrinth cities all have their own charm in breaking those Quests. I guess you could say the Quest generation rate is higher compared to other villages?”
“Are you certain about that?”
“Not exactly certain, but from a big data perspective, the frequency distribution is definitely higher than other places. It’s not a massive difference, but it’s definitely noticeable.”
Yoo Sung-hyun nodded at Yoo Mi-na’s words.
A city where Quests were the main focus.
And hadn’t I just completed an interesting Quest moments ago?
I’d even obtained the keyword “Master of Illusions.”
And I’d picked up some decent items to boot.
Yoo Sung-hyun was pondering this briefly when—
“Oh right, there was some interesting news recently about Pentagrid.”
“Interesting news?”
“Yeah, apparently there was an NPC murder case recently. And it showed up as a Rare-grade linked Quest.”
“Hmm.”
“A lot of users were speculating it might be one of the hidden Quests, but apparently they all came up empty?”
At that, Yoo Sung-hyun’s interest was definitely piqued.
A murder case.
If there was a victim—
“Since I can see ghosts, wouldn’t it be easy to solve?”
Sister Yoo Mi-na looked at me with interest in her eyes.
Yoo Sung-hyun smiled faintly and nodded.
This one definitely appealed to me.
If no one else had solved it—
The rewards would be worth anticipating, wouldn’t they?
Once Yoo Sung-hyun showed interest.
“Hehe, was I helpful?”
“Yeah, you really were this time.”
“Huh, your sister’s got it.”
So we’d gathered information and eaten, and now—
Should I get going?
Yoo Sung-hyun started to stand.
“Leaving right away?”
“Yeah, though I should do the dishes first.”
“Oh? Sure. I’ll take you up on that today~”
Yoo Mi-na thanked me and placed the dishes in the sink.
Yoo Sung-hyun washed the rest.
After putting away the remaining side dishes, I entered my room and looked at the Capsule.
Should I continue where I left off?
The next Village.
Or rather, from the fifth region onward, they’re cities now.
It was time to head to the next city.
‘Pentagrid, was it?’
What kind of place would it be this time?
Yoo Sung-hyun boarded the Capsule with anticipation swelling in his chest.
3.
The fifth region.
The first city.
The caravan wagon heading there was packed with quite a number of players crammed inside like cargo.
Since it was an essential route when moving from the Dune Wild Trail to the next region, the number of players was considerable.
It resembled the scene from when I first left the Beginner Village for the First Village.
But the atmosphere was starkly different from back then.
Now there was a sense of having shed the novice skin.
It couldn’t be helped, really.
Having been brutally beaten down by villains in the Dune Wild Trail.
There was no way to look inexperienced anymore.
Now that I’d surpassed level 120.
I couldn’t call myself intermediate yet.
But I’d definitely left the novice stage behind.
As evidence, everyone now sat together with their own teammates or party members.
Solo players were extremely rare.
In other words.
To move beyond the novice stage, it’s typical to have a team to journey with.
Yet in that cargo hold sat one suspicious player in a black robe, sitting alone in solitude.
‘Hmm, should I have just ridden with them?’
It was none other than Yoo Sung-hyun.
I’d boarded alone because I thought riding with my subordinates would draw too much attention.
Instead, riding alone drew even more attention.
Dressed in Dark Mage attire and riding alone?
It was bound to look suspicious.
The other players grew wary, stealing glances at the icon above my head.
They were probably checking whether my player indicator was glowing red.
In the tense atmosphere.
Unable to bear the tension, someone from one of the teams asked a teammate beside them.
“Um, was Pentagrid where we’re headed?”
“That’s right. Pentagrid.”
“I’m pretty excited since the fifth region has a Labyrinth concept.”
“Be careful. A lot of players die in that Labyrinth if they accidentally wander into high-level zones.”
“Nah, it’s fine. I heard if you just follow the map carefully, there’s nothing to worry about.”
An essential item in the Labyrinth city.
The map of the Magic Tower.
Sung-hyun’s ears perked up with interest as well.
He hadn’t heard about the map from his older sister Yoo Mi-na yet.
Sung-hyun leaned in attentively.
“Oh, that map they distribute from the Magic Tower?”
“Yeah, with just that, your current location gets marked and a record of everywhere you’ve been is saved.”
It certainly seemed useful.
Sung-hyun found himself wondering if he should head to the Magic Tower.
“Wow, cities really are different—there’s even a Magic Tower. So can you enter any Magic Tower?”
“No, you have to enter based on your attribute.”
“What? Really? That’s annoying. And if you’re not a mage class, you can’t even access the Magic Tower at all.”
“Right, and even if you’re a mage, you can’t just enter any of them. Since NPCs manage it, they test your abilities, and users below a certain level can’t get in.”
“Wow, that’s pretty harsh.”
They’d clearly done their homework, spouting out genuinely useful information.
So if you weren’t a mage class, you couldn’t even obtain the map.
And the fact that you had to pass a test just to enter was surprising.
The game was definitely designed with teamwork as a prerequisite.
Teamwork offered far better experience efficiency anyway.
Unless you were an overwhelmingly powerful player, no one traveled alone.
Which was precisely why Sung-hyun stood out so much.
There couldn’t possibly be an overwhelmingly powerful player at this level.
Recently, Sung-hyun had earned quite the reputation as the Demon King.
But this Sung-hyun, sitting alone in the carriage, could never be connected to that title.
Even if overwhelmingly powerful players did travel alone, that only applied in hunting grounds.
Normally they brought backup teams with them.
The structure made any connection impossible.
In any case, Sung-hyun was checking things off and wondering if he should head to the Dark Mage Magic Tower.
Then it suddenly occurred to him.
‘Wait, the Dark Mage Magic Tower means…’
The moment that thought crossed Sung-hyun’s mind.
“So you’re a Dark Mage, which means you’re heading to ‘Overpalace’, right?”
Flinch!
Sung-hyun flinched at the word ‘Overpalace’.
The two chattering passengers must have noticed his reaction.
The one who appeared to be a Dark Mage teammate chuckled.
And muttered.
“Well, I’m obviously going to Overpalace. All Dark Mages go to Overpalace regardless of their specific attribute. But do you know what?”
“What?”
“Overpalace has stricter standards than other Magic Towers—more than half the applicants fail.”
“Wow, that’s brutal.”
“Well, plenty of Dark Mages can’t get in either. So don’t be discouraged if you fail. Me? I’ll obviously pass. Oh wait, were we talking too loud?”
He said it outright, his gaze fixed on Yoo Sung-hyun.
As if to say: I’ll stay, but you’ll be cast aside.
It could have been Yoo Sung-hyun’s misinterpretation, perhaps.
But it certainly seemed that way.
The teammate chatting beside him must have noticed how blatant it was, because he gave a subtle elbow nudge as a warning.
Then.
Whiiiine!
Screech!
Whiiiine!
A considerable commotion erupted from outside.
Given that the fortress walls were visible right before them, it seemed they had arrived.
But why was it so chaotic?
The players grew confused by the inexplicable disturbance.
A loud voice boomed from outside, shouting.
“This is the branch director of Overpalace Pentagrid. Stop the cargo wagon.”
A voice brimming with authority and power.
The calm atmosphere that had prevailed moments before vanished without a trace.
Why was the Overpalace branch director here???
That was all anyone could think.
Could there be a player involved in some crime here?
Yoo Sung-hyun’s eyes trembled violently in particular.
‘Surely not… that can’t be it?’
With that thought, I turned my head to look.
Since the wagon had no roof, I could see the Dark Mages of Overpalace walking in confidently from within the fortress walls.
Even an uninformed player could sense the oppressive aura—it was far from ordinary.
Everyone trembled at the fearsome reputation that came with the name Overpalace.
For ordinary players, Overpalace was recognized as one of the strongest organizations in existence.
It couldn’t be helped.
Especially since it was called the holy ground of Dark Mage NPCs.
Countless dark rumors circulated about it as well.
As everyone in the cargo wagon trembled.
“H-hey. You, you said you were g-going into Overpalace, so q-quickly do something.”
One of the teammates who had been chatting earlier repeatedly jabbed the teammate who had been boasting about entering Overpalace in the ribs.
But.
“I-I c-can’t j-just step forward and d-do what!?”
Judging by the way he stammered while trembling.
It seemed there was nothing he could do.
As the Dark Mages of Overpalace arrived at the caravan in two neat columns.
They bowed their heads to the Dark Mage in a black robe sitting at the very end and shouted.
“We are honored to receive your presence, esteemed one!!! As branch director of Overpalace Pentagrid, it is our greatest privilege to serve you!!! We have prepared a carriage, so please transfer to it here.”
“A, a person of great standing?!”
“That kind of person was actually riding in our cargo wagon?!”
“Who, who is it?!”
Everyone aboard the cargo wagon was equally astonished.
Yoo Sung-hyun exhaled deeply, realizing his suspicion had been correct.
“…sigh.”
As he released that profound breath,
every player’s gaze in the cargo wagon shifted toward Yoo Sung-hyun, wondering who could have provoked such a reaction.
Could it be?
That person sitting alone?
Despite receiving such scrutiny,
Yoo Sung-hyun accepted their stares without concern and pondered.
‘How did they even find out?’
As he rose from his seat,
the branch director of Pentagrid in Overpalace bowed deeply to Yoo Sung-hyun and exclaimed once more.
“Thank you so much for gracing our Pentagrid branch with your presence!!! I am Branch Director Belmore Arcadius!!! I shall serve you with utmost care so as not to tarnish the honor of Overpalace!!!”
Anyone could see the exceptional treatment being afforded.
The teammate who had been chattering and boasting moments ago turned ashen.
The teammate beside him likewise paled and asked,
“You, who exactly did you just brag to?”
“….”
That teammate remained silent, face drained of color.
He simply trembled like an aspen leaf.

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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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