The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage - Chapter 19

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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 19
Episode 19
0.
I save the best for last.
Rewards were no exception.
‘Let me check the titles first.’
The titles I’d earned this time were the evolution of Brawler into Master of Combat, and Adventurer of Justice.
Two in total.
『Master of Combat』
→《Epic》
→A title awarded to users who own Brawler and have achieved victory against users with stark level differences.
→Increases attack power by 5% when engaging humanoid monsters, users, or NPCs as enemies.
『Adventurer of Justice』
→《Rare》
→A title awarded to users who have defeated users or NPCs bearing infamy.
→Increases rewards by 10% when defeating entities bearing infamy.
‘Oh.’
Adventurer of Justice would be difficult to use immediately, but Master of Combat was quite useful.
A title that applies to all humanoid types.
The versatility was excellent, and the effect was substantial.
Since skeletons were classified as humanoid from the start.
The scope was wider than expected.
Even Adventurer of Justice, difficult to use immediately, looked quite promising.
‘Then next would be….’
Death’s Aura, which had leveled up.
『Death’s Aura』
→《Legendary》
→[Lv 5][Growth-type]
[Passive Effect][Active]
[Cooldown 25 minutes]↓
[Duration 4 minutes]↑
All the dead shall offer their blood and bone to their sovereign.
The sovereign achieves immortality through the dead as sustenance.
→Exclusive skill for Overlords.
→Devours the souls and bodies of the dead within a 50m radius.↑
→Consumes them as nourishment.
→The living who touch the aura are engulfed in agony.
→The dead consumed as nourishment can now be brought under the command of the Legion of Death.(NEW!)
‘Wow.’
I was already familiar with the newly added effect.
I’d read Helena’s memories, after all.
But the cooldown had decreased while the duration and range expanded.
I could feel the difference somewhat, but seeing the numbers laid out so clearly, I was genuinely impressed anew.
‘Definitely.’
It was far more effective than dealing continuous damage.
With this, I could use Legion of the Dead without killing directly.
An absolutely essential skill.
After testing it on Beziron, the psychological effect was tremendous.
Panicked at having his undead stolen, he created openings in his defense.
‘It’s a natural predator skill against Necromancers.’
I felt satisfied watching myself grow steadily as a Dark Mage.
If Beziron heard this, he’d jump up screaming it was overpowered.
‘Next is the item?’
The item Beziron had left as a gift.
『Sturdy Novice Dark Mage’s Robe』
→《Rare》
→A sturdy robe crafted for novice Dark Mages.
→Remarkably durable, it boasts exceptional defense despite being a robe.
→Defense +2% increase.
→Slight increase in Dark Magic skill potency.
So Dark Mages really do mean robes, huh?
The effects are solid and it looks quite practical to use.
Beziron left behind quite a lot.
At this point, I’m on par with the village chief of Hindel Village!
The slight skill potency increase is a nice option too,
but my eyes were drawn more to the defense.
‘With defense boosted like this, it’s quite substantial.’
Even a beginner like Sung-hyun knew this.
Defense on robes was uncommon after all.
So now it’s time for the main course?
[Extracting Dark Mage exclusive Unique Skill Book, 『Skill Book – Proliferating Dead』.]
[Conditions are met for this Skill Book.]
[Will you use it?]
[Yes / No]
Why even ask?
The answer was already decided.
[Using Unique grade Skill Book, 『Skill Book – Proliferating Dead』!]
[Acquiring Unique skill, 『Proliferating Dead』!]
『Proliferating Dead』
→《Unique》
→[Lv 1][Growth Type]
[Continuous Effect][Passive]
→Exclusive skill for the Necromancer class line.
→Reduces mana consumption by 10% for Undead Summoning or Undead Creation skills.
→Mana reduction increases as the skill levels up.
“Wow.”
Sung-hyun, who had remained composed while reviewing the rewards, let out an exclamation of admiration.
A passive skill!
A skill that reduces mana consumption by 10% for Undead Summoning and Undead Creation skills?
The reduction increases as the level goes up.
‘So it’s essentially a skill that lets me summon or create more undead.’
Now I understood why Beziron attacked first.
Though Beziron was still wrong to attack.
For a Dark Mage, especially a Necromancer, this was undoubtedly a skill worth drooling over.
I didn’t know how far the reduction could go, but if it reached a maximum of 50%,
the number of undead would effectively double.
Just imagining that power made my body tremble with excitement.
And that was just the beginning.
『Elite Dark Mage Academy Recommendation Letter』
→《Unique》
→Restriction: Dark Mage class line, Level 10 or above.
→A recommendation letter that grants admission to the Elite Dark Mage Academy.
→If you bring this letter, something special might happen?
‘The perfect dessert to cap it all off.’
Another unique hidden piece.
A recommendation letter to the Elite Dark Mage Academy, no less.
I’d need to raise my level to at least 10 first, but my next destination was now clear.
As my destination became set,
Gerik seemed to notice and spoke with a grin.
-Well now! I’m mighty glad about that, I am! I’ll be headin’ back then! I do hope you’ll have yourself some fine success, friend!
“Thank you so much for everything.”
-Aw shucks! Don’t mention it! I was just keepin’ it safe on Pahm’s request, that’s all! Don’t you go wanderin’ too far now!
Watching Gerik depart with his irrepressible charm, I couldn’t help but smile.
There were no beings as pure-hearted as the ghosts who always stood by my side.
I wanted to help them in return, but they stubbornly refused my aid.
It was frustrating, to say the least.
They asked only that I use their help well—nothing more, nothing less.
Well then, I’d have to honor that wish.
‘Time to hunt.’
Just two more steps until Level 10.
The amount of experience I was gaining had increased.
It might take a while, though.
‘With Death’s Aura and the Legion of the Dead at my disposal.’
If I hunted in a drive before my mana depleted, things might change considerably.
For now, while waiting for the cooldown to reset, where should I hunt?
The moment I left the Cabin, I arrived at the Common Cemetery.
Still plenty of skeletons.
Well, let me test how effective this title really is.
My level had risen, but I hadn’t distributed the bonus stats yet.
So my attack power and damage should remain the same.
A simple comparison would suffice.
“Clatter, clatter.”
No need to look far—there was a skeleton right nearby.
I rushed forward and swung the shovel I’d picked up earlier at the skeleton’s skull.
Crack!
A heavy, chilling sensation in my hands!
[Critical Hit!]
[The effect of 『Single Strike』 activates!]
[You gain experience.]
The skeleton’s skull shattered in a single blow.
Its body crumbled to dust as it collapsed.
My attack power had definitely increased.
Before, I would have needed three or four hits at least.
To bring it down in a single strike thanks to the title’s effect.
‘Wow.’
Even I was taken aback.
I thought even with the increase, I’d need at least two hits.
But a single strike.
This changes everything.
Should I keep going until Death’s Aura’s cooldown resets?
I stretched lightly to loosen up my body.
At the same time, I drew upon the experience of the gravedigger Gerik and the memories of the Former Instructor Ghost.
I focused on the memories themselves, just as I had with Helena’s help.
“Huuuuh.”
I exhaled a long, thin breath as my eyes sank deeper.
Two streams of memory flowing like a panorama.
Or should I call it history.
The lives of Gerik and the Former Instructor Ghost poured in unfiltered.
Within it, I distinguished myself clearly.
No, it happened naturally without even trying.
Just as one doesn’t mistake themselves for the protagonist while watching a film, I read through their histories like watching two separate movies.
I learned that the Former Instructor Ghost’s name was Eddie, and that Gerik had a deceased wife.
My eyes, concentrated with intense focus, took on a teal hue.
The faint teal glow suffused the space around me, casting a subtle luminescence.
That aura-like radiance enveloping me felt both mysterious and possessed an undeniable magnetism that drew all eyes.
“Wait?! That’s the player from earlier!”
“We should approach them now with an offer!”
“No way! I saw them first!”
The Guild scouts who had been bickering and moving closer froze in their tracks, unable to advance past the aura I radiated.
‘W-what kind of atmosphere is this?!’
‘I-it’s hard to even speak to them?!’
‘Th-that’s incredible concentration.’
Just as one notices when someone is deeply focused despite surrounding noise, and the world seems to quiet around them—
so too did the scouts experience this.
They couldn’t see the mysterious teal aura of my concentration, but there was an unmistakable presence.
Especially for Guild scouts accustomed to reading people, they all instinctively stopped in their tracks.
Gulp——!
Even the sound of someone swallowing became audible in the sudden silence.
I began to move.
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap!
Sprinting without pause, I scraped the ground relentlessly, swinging the shovel upward in a scooping arc that barely grazed the earth.
As it struck the ground, sparks erupted with a sharp crack.
Those sparks bloomed in the air, tracing a crimson arc along the shovel’s trajectory.
And at the end of that arc was a skeleton’s skull.
Crack———!
[Critical Hit!]
[The effect of 『Single Strike』 activates!]
[You gain experience.]
Without even glancing at the message, I adjusted my stance toward the skeleton beside me.
Extending my opposite leg as if stepping forward from my previous stance, I twisted my hips and shovel, swinging in the opposite direction.
Whoosh———crack!
[Critical Hit!]
[The effect of 『Single Strike』 activates!]
[You gain experience.]
The message chimed again.
I ignored it and swung toward another skeleton.
Cracks and sharp sounds interwove as skeletal dust scattered through the air.
“Wh-what is that…?!”
“Is that… a shovel?!”
“Wait, is that a shovel?!”
“A shovel?! I, I thought it was a sword!!!”
“M, me too!!!”
The scouts gasped in unison, their eyes snapping toward Sung-hyun as if they’d been struck.
No matter how I looked at it, the way he wielded that shovel was pure swordsmanship.
Or should I call it sword technique?
The kind of movement you’d only see in martial arts novels—ones I’d watched as a child, and still caught glimpses of whenever I had time to spare.
These scouts had witnessed skilled swordmasters, warriors who seemed to defy the laws of combat itself.
But had any of them ever seen someone like this?
No one could answer that question.
‘Even the early footage of top rankers didn’t look like this….’
‘…Would someone like that really join our Guild?’
‘…Recruitment is out of the question, but damn, he’s incredible.’
Recruitment had long since vanished from their minds.
When they considered whether their Guild could even contain someone of this caliber, not a single person in that room could nod in agreement.
They could only watch—all of them—as Sung-hyun moved.
And the spectators weren’t limited to the scouts.
“Insane?!”
“Wh, what is that?!”
“Is he seriously pulling off a massacre with a shovel??”
“That’s actually possible??”
“I, I guess a shovel counts as a blunt weapon?”
“Wow, this is like a mad movie….”
The hunters who’d been fighting nearby found themselves mesmerized, unable to tear their eyes away from the spectacle.
Skill was one thing, but watching that swordsmanship—or shovel technique?—made it impossible to look away, almost against their will.
You could call it a bewitching charm.
Unaware of all the eyes upon him, Sung-hyun’s gaze suddenly sharpened as time passed, and he activated a skill.
A teal-hued heart materialized from his back.
And the sound of that heart’s beating.
Thump———!
As the pulse echoed out, a teal mist engulfed everything within a fifty-meter radius.
The scouts and other users fell within the range, but it didn’t matter.
The skill had no effect on non-hostile targets.
Though Sung-hyun didn’t know that.
The moment the teal mist erupted, the users gasped in unison.
“Wh, what is that?!”
“Mist…?!!”
“A, a skill?!”
It was an anomaly, but they quickly recognized it as a skill Sung-hyun had activated.
The mist poured forth from the heart-shaped form on his back, after all.
There was no way not to understand.
I was simply grateful that the attack didn’t land.
“Wait, does a swordsman have a skill like this?”
“No? Usually warriors and swordsmen learn area-of-effect skills much later, right?”
“Huh? Then what is this?”
“W-well, I don’t know?”
As the users stood bewildered, something extraordinary happened.
The skeletons touched by the mist opened their mouths as if vomiting something toward the sky.
“Shaaaaaaaaa!”
“Shaaaack!”
“Shaaaaaaa!”
Then a teal-colored aura similar to the mist began to pour forth from their mouths.
Sung-hyun’s eyes widened as he activated Legion of the Dead.
The pristine white bones of every skeleton within range began to darken as if shadows were layering over them.
Even the teal aura radiating from those black shadows.
Faced with this transformation so different from the previous skeletons, everyone could only gape in astonishment.
“H-he wasn’t a warrior?!”
“H-he wasn’t a swordsman?!”
“I-I thought he at least had knight-class skills?!”
“W-what?! How is a necromancer fighting so well?!”
“No, more than that—there’s no bracelet! He’s not even level 10!!”
Sung-hyun, whom they thought was a swordsman, was actually a Dark Mage?
A necromancer, no less?
But it didn’t end there.
Sung-hyun issued a command.
Every skeleton moved in unison and began slaughtering everything around them.
-Clatter! Clatter!
-Click-click! Click!
-Tap-tap! Clatter!!
“C-clatter?!”
“C-clatter?!”
Though undead clashed with undead, Sung-hyun’s Legion of the Dead displayed overwhelming dominance.
Absolute overwhelming force!
The black skeletons radiated their teal aura, sweeping away every pale white skeleton in their path.
It was nothing short of a massacre.
“T-this can’t be…”
“W-what kind of skeletons are those…?!”
“I-I’d have trouble defeating those myself…??”
“A-a skill usable by a mere beginner?!”
“S-scoop of the century!!!”
The scouts and other users erupted into chaos.
The fact that Sung-hyun, who hasn’t even reached level 10 yet, could use such a skill meant only one thing.
His job class was higher than Normal grade.
To display such overwhelming presence and power.
“At, at least Epic?!”
A gulp echoed through the silence.
Everyone held their breath, watching Sung-hyun’s magnificent display.
Sung-hyun paid them no mind, his eyes fixed on the messages appearing before him.
[You have gained experience.]
[You have gained experience.]
[You have gained experience.]
….
[Level Up!]
[You have reached level 10.]
‘The hunting is going well.’
Indeed, when it came to hunting, Necromancer was unmatched.
With a brief exclamation of satisfaction, I examined the messages that followed.
[Upon reaching level 10, the Job Training Center has been unlocked.]
[You may now use the 『Elite Dark Mage Academy Recommendation Letter』.]
‘Now I can go.’
This time, it was time to use the hidden piece.

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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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