The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage - Chapter 204
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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 204
204
Black Star.
I closed my mouth at that name.
The leader of Overpalace and known as the left-hand seat among the Nine Heroes.
To me, he had become a somewhat vague image—something like a tall uncle figure.
Still, there was no doubt he was a remarkable NPC.
I had been checking fear-type skills and pondering which skill to exchange the Overlord’s ancient tome for.
Yet here the name Black Star emerged.
I had simply thought Penelope had come.
But a forgotten name had surfaced.
What else could he possibly want to give me?
No, that doesn’t quite fit.
‘The world’s will—in other words, the system was blocking it, wasn’t it?’
When I found the Quest, hadn’t Penelope also apologized for the same reason?
How long ago was that?
It was a bit strange that Black Star would try to give me something now.
Still, Black Star had always been helpful.
I tilted my head with anticipation.
Let me hear what message he sent.
I looked at Penelope as if to say, go ahead and speak.
She, who had been bowing her head, understood my intent and continued.
“Black Star said there is a Record of the Previous Era in the Sixth Region, and he wishes to deliver it to you.”
“A Record of the Previous Era?”
At those words, I tilted my head in confusion, but Helena, upon hearing them, swallowed hard and spoke with unease.
“Uh, um?”
Penelope showed little reaction to Helena’s response.
Meanwhile, I found Helena’s reaction peculiar.
She seemed to know something.
But this reaction was new—refreshing, even.
Normally, Helena would have spoken up first, acting knowledgeable.
How curious.
Should I ask her once the conversation ends?
As I was thinking such thoughts.
Penelope continued speaking.
“I believe you will understand the details once you reach the Sixth Region.”
“Hmm.”
The Sixth Region, then.
It was about time I moved forward anyway.
It wasn’t a place I couldn’t reach.
However.
‘The Sixth Region was a city related to occupations, wasn’t it?’
Cities divided in detail by occupation.
For mages, they had to go to the Magic Tower city of their respective element, and priests went to the city of the sanctuary, or so I’d heard.
As a Dark Mage, Yoo Sung-hyun’s path seemed obvious enough.
The Sixth Region city, the city of Dark Mages and death—Hexia.
I had to go to Hexia, which was also famous for having a branch of the second-largest Overpellis.
After the third class advancement in the fifth Labyrinth Region.
Wasn’t it said that one would go to their respective occupational cities for serious skill refinement?
Still, there was no rule forbidding me from visiting other cities.
I had considered going to a different city first.
Overpellis’s affection for me had been so overwhelming that it felt burdensome.
But now I had a reason to go.
“Should I go to Hexia?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
Penelope answered with firm conviction.
I nodded reluctantly in agreement.
It was burdensome, certainly.
But they had helped me so much in return.
I couldn’t really refuse.
The Belmore Branch Manager had been quite overwhelming, but Penelope was manageable enough.
Hoping the same would be true there.
I answered.
“Understood. I’ll head to Hexia. I can get the details once I arrive there, right?”
“I am truly sorry, but that is indeed the case. Black Star himself has asked me to convey his apologies, saying that even this limitation reflects the shortcomings of our Overpellis.”
“…That can’t be right.”
Given everything they’d already done for me, they were far from falling short.
I couldn’t understand what they were talking about.
Regardless, Penelope continued to bow her head respectfully.
Seeing her like that, I figured I’d tested my skills enough.
I nodded, ready to prepare for the next region.
“Well then, thank you for everything. I’ll be going.”
“I may not have the chance to see you again, Successor, but I pray that until the day we meet once more, you shall enjoy good fortune and robust health.”
After acknowledging Penelope’s excessive courtesy, I headed toward the Sixth Region city.
Left alone, Penelope watched me depart for the next city, then expended her vast magical power to inscribe a report on black paper—that I had gone to the Sixth Region—and sent it to Black Star.
Along with everything she had witnessed.
6.
In a place where up, down, left, and right could not be clearly distinguished—as if the entire world were a mirror, or perhaps the universe itself—a long corridor stretched out, and someone walked through it.
Thud, thud, thud.
No one responded to the footsteps echoing through that cosmic corridor.
An unknowable entity—neither old nor young, neither woman nor man—wandered through that place, unfolding the paper birds that came fluttering down.
One paper bird had flown from Pentagrid.
A paper bird inscribed with news that a red-haired being from the abyss had awakened, accompanied by a video containing that red-haired woman from Pentamier.
The left hand of the Nine Heroes who had always looked down upon the world.
Black Star gazed upon the image in that paper bird, then slowly closed his eyes.
“…Indeed, our Lord it is.”
Those words were not directed at the red-haired woman.
At the young man standing calmly beside her.
They were spoken to Yoo Sung-hyun.
The voice, suffused with profound emotion and longing, trembled softly as it continued.
“I have sent the records passed down since ancient times from the Sixth Region. It is only fitting that I send something equally worthy in return. For our Lord.”
At Black Star’s murmur, the corridor—vast as the cosmos itself—trembled violently in response.
A light like a jewel embedded in the universe stripped away every color from the world, painting all existence in pure white.
The world vibrated and cried out as if singing, or rather, as if chanting.
[To our great Lord!]
[The necks of those who dared masquerade as false sovereigns!]
[We offer!]
[A portion of those necks!]
[To the Sixth Region!]
[Upon the Altar, lay those necks!]
[All things exist for our Lord!]
The final words carried such overwhelming joy that the very air seemed to tremble with ecstasy.
Black Star, hearing such a chant, opened his mouth in response.
“Waver not.”
[Our master is!]
[One alone!]
[Even the master of old!]
[Serves our master!]
[How can we contain such joy!]
Through communion with all the spirits, Black Star bowed his head in reverence.
Not content with merely obtaining the sovereign’s staff, he had resurrected even the master of old and made them his servant—such was the greatness of their lord.
“How could we not worship?”
He spoke with a voice drenched in emotion.
“My foolish comrades of old would rejoice at this.”
And in saying so, he affirmed that he had never erred.
That Helena’s will, which he had yearned for so deeply, had never been wrong.
Black Star was rejoicing in this certainty.
And so.
“All preparations must be made.”
For their lord who would soon reign anew.
I swore I would never become that.
I made the vow again and again.
Then I cried out to the world.
“By the name of Black Star, the Left Hand of the Nine Heroes, I declare this: I shall convene the Heroes Council.”
7.
A penthouse-like space situated on the highest floor of the I-World Headquarters building.
Before a solitary computer in that place sat a man with an intriguing smile on his face.
A man who had already appeared in several major media outlets, a genius of the century, and the one who had successfully implemented the first virtual reality—Park Won.
He gazed at his monitor and murmured as if genuinely fascinated.
“What is this?”
Even a genius of the century seemed unable to comprehend what he was observing—a recording of Black Star convening the Heroes Council.
And alongside it was captured the figure of Yoo Sung-hyun, the cause of it all.
Eternal World was certainly a game I had created.
Yet it was not the game I had intended.
To be precise.
Park Won tilted his head with intrigue as he studied his screen.
What on earth could that sluggish Black Star have done to motivate himself into action?
“Because of that homunculus modeled after Helena?”
It’s merely a doll with her appearance, nothing more.
Park Won had thought the same, but upon witnessing the breathing Helena, he scratched his head.
What in the world was that?
Even when he asked Immortal, the answer was always “an unknowable force.”
Honestly, I was curious.
What kind of power allowed such freedom of action within the world I had created?
I was truly curious.
And so.
“Hmm, I suppose I should observe this for now.”
When the skill error report had come in before, I hadn’t paid it much attention.
But to think it would move Black Star to this extent.
Black Star of Overpalace acting so proactively was unexpected.
Yet Park Won nodded as if genuinely amused.
“Yes, a game should be entertaining like this.”
Observing my creation moving freely.
I issued a single directive.
[Please forward all matters related to the ‘Yoo Sung-hyun’ user to me.]
“Well then, I cannot simply overlook something as entertaining as the Heroes Council.”
Park Won examined this and that, and like a child discovering an amusing toy, he murmured while reviewing the list of other heroes.
“Shall I open a small event?”
There was still considerable time before the Heroes Council.
But events should be prepared for in advance, shouldn’t they?
[Event Team Leader Baek Ji-woo. We will hold a meeting regarding the new event.]
[And we request that Deputy Lee Won-sang also attend as a reference regarding the player ‘Yoo Sung-hyun’.]
It seemed as though two screams echoed through the I-World Headquarters.
But that was none of Park Won’s concern.
0.
Upon hearing the message conveyed by Branch Manager Penelope, Yoo Sung-hyun couldn’t help but feel quite intrigued.
A new incident in the Sixth Region—how could it be otherwise?
As a gamer, I found it impossible not to be fascinated.
Could it be a new main quest?
Or perhaps a clue regarding a new skill?
It might even be a trace of new minions.
While entertaining such intriguing thoughts, I suddenly noticed Helena had grown quiet.
‘Hmm.’
Now that I think about it, didn’t she mention something about a previous record?
It seems to have some connection to Helena.
She’s still quiet, isn’t she?
“Helena?”
“Huh? Y-yes?”
“You’re being awfully quiet.”
“Y-yes. I’m j-just a bit tired, I think?”
Her flinching was rather suspicious.
As I observed Helena with narrowed eyes.
She turned her head away, pretending not to notice.
This wasn’t the Helena I knew.
Something was genuinely off.
Just as I was contemplating whether to ask.
Helena spoke urgently.
“I-I’m just so tired… I-I’ll go rest in the Underworld!”
“Hmm.”
“I-I’m serious!”
She definitely seemed to know something.
But asking would spoil things anyway.
I let it slide for now.
“Fine then. Come back once you’ve rested.”
“O-okay! I’m g-going now!”
Watching Helena flee into the Underworld, I wondered what on earth could make her act this way.
This only made me more curious.
I should head to the Sixth Region sooner.
As I took a step forward with that thought.
I suddenly recalled the Rapid Guild.
Now that I think about it, I introduced quite a few people to the Rapid Guild.
I wonder how they’re doing.
Such thoughts crossed my mind.
But right now, I was far more curious about what could possibly be in the Sixth Region that warranted such a reaction.
I quickened my pace toward the sixth city, Hexia.
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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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