The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage - Chapter 217

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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 217
217
“Hmm.”
The Dark Lord mentioned it earlier too.
And now Helena.
From the context, it seems they’re talking about skill integration.
There’s definitely a sense of having transcended something.
Skills have integrated, and darkness-type abilities activate through imagination alone.
Should I call it transcendence?
That’s the kind of atmosphere it has.
‘I never thought the game could become like this.’
I manipulate darkness through imagination alone.
It sounds easy at first glance, but the reality is far different.
Imagining darkness and making it writhe and move?
It’s harder than accomplishing something I’ve never done before from scratch.
However.
The moment I thought of the darkness I’d created as a spear in my palm expanding instantly.
Its size grew massive.
Whoooosh!
Then, as I imagined the spear splitting apart like dispersing into several arrows.
The colossal spear divided and transformed into hundreds of arrows.
Shwooosh!!
Finally, as I imagined those arrows shattering into pieces like shards of glass, it happened exactly as intended.
Crash!!!
Tens of thousands of arrows scattered into fragments.
Seeing this, I smiled with satisfaction.
Meanwhile, the Minions watching this stood with their mouths agape.
-Kuhahahaha!!! As expected of the Lord!
-Truly remarkable, my Lord!
-Wow, that’s incredible!
-Y-yes, you’re amazing as always, Master!
“H-huh. You’ve become the sovereign of darkness.”
“…Even so, you’ve mastered it in one go. You’re truly extraordinary.”
Each of the Minions was no ordinary being.
Yet all of them couldn’t help but marvel at my display.
They understood how difficult it was to freely manipulate power through imagination.
They had no choice but to admire me.
Even Serpina was expressing her amazement.
Helena suddenly laughed and exclaimed.
“Ahahaha! Our Yoo Sung-hyun is amazing!”
I’m not sure why Helena is bragging about this.
Regardless.
I offered a brief assessment of the state before me.
‘The degree of freedom is incredible, but the mana consumption is no joke.’
Creating a spear out of tens of thousands of glass shards.
It consumed more mana than controlling tens of thousands of Death Legion soldiers.
It was an inefficient ability to that extent.
So that’s why the existing skill had the clause that it could still be used as before.
It guarantees freedom while maintaining the original consumption rate.
Since I can create the necessary dark-attribute skills on the fly.
It’s fair to say this is actually beneficial.
If I could just manage the mana consumption, I could use dark-attribute skills endlessly and freely.
Is that why she said I’d transcended?
“So what do you mean by transcended?”
At my question, Helena pondered for a moment.
Apparently satisfied, she nodded.
“Well, to put it simply, you’ve become a true sovereign.”
“Hmm.”
I didn’t quite understand, to be honest.
But it seemed to mean I’d transcended in some way.
A true sovereign, she said.
Which means.
“Can all sovereign-class people become true sovereigns?”
“Usually, yes. But Overload is a bit different. Becoming a true sovereign is also evidence that you can become a Transcendent.”
“A Transcendent?”
I asked in return.
Text appeared before my eyes.
[You have acquired the 『Transcendent』 keyword.]
“Yes, you can’t become a Transcendent yet, but it means you’ve laid the foundation to become one. I can’t tell you everything just yet.”
“I see.”
Helena trailed off, her expression turning troubled.
It seemed the system had some involvement in this.
It was disappointing, but what I’d learned so far was quite valuable.
I recalled the portions of Helena’s memories I could read.
Memories about Transcendents surfaced.
Those who had awakened to a sovereign’s true power.
At my current level, I’d only just crossed that threshold.
‘There seems to be something in the lore.’
I’d learn more gradually.
Even Helena’s memories had their limits in what I could see, so I had no choice but to investigate directly if I wanted to know more.
In any case, I had obtained an interesting skill.
Though the mana consumption was severe.
With this much freedom and flexibility,
‘the possibilities for what I can do have expanded tremendously.’
Above all, by combining it with existing skills, I could accomplish various things.
Yoo Sung-hyun gazed at the other two Lord-tier skills with anticipation.
The Lord of Fear and the Lord of Blood.
Could I obtain them both if I exceeded ten stages like Darkness?
It didn’t seem particularly likely.
But I was thinking about it just in case.
As expected, Helena opened her mouth.
“The conditions for awakening true power differ for each one.”
“Hmm. This time the Lord of Fear’s skill effect changed as well.”
“Once the first stage is unlocked and you advance to the second stage, you might gain true power. In the case of Darkness, it’s possible the previous owner was directly captured, making it easier to achieve.”
“I see.”
The conditions seemed more troublesome than I expected.
The Dark Lord must have been a special case.
That was somewhat disappointing.
But actually, it was good.
If I obtained everything too easily, my interest might die instead.
Yoo Sung-hyun nodded while thinking that way.
Finding them one by one was enjoyable.
Then let me look around to verify this new skill.
‘Hmm.’
There were no monsters remaining in the Dark Forest.
Since the darkness had disappeared, sunlight shone from above rather than it being dark as the name suggested.
It would be difficult to test it here.
‘Let’s leave.’
Helena’s diary had been sealed anyway.
And my business in Wooden Drum Village was finished.
There was nothing more to do here.
It seemed better to leave.
After all, this was the Hexia Castle Basement.
There were no more areas to explore.
And it wasn’t a good place to test the skill.
Let me go outside and test the skill at a hunting ground.
Thinking that way, I sent the Minions back to the Underworld except for Helena, then retraced my steps and passed through the Playground where Narsha and Berto were.
I was able to reach the entrance to the Hexia Underground Basement again.
I knew from seeing it before.
I’ve seen it before, so I know.
A considerably large door.
I paused for a moment, studying it.
‘Hmm.’
This was the door that had opened automatically when I first entered the basement.
But would it do the same now?
As I stepped forward and the door remained sealed, I found myself staring at it with a puzzled expression.
Helena spoke with an amused smile.
“Why don’t you try using the Dark Lord?”
“Ah.”
After all, I had come to this place for no other reason than to obtain the Dark Lord.
Wouldn’t the door open if I demonstrated that power?
Helena’s suggestion made sense.
I immediately activated the Dark Lord.
Then.
Shhhhhhh.
From beneath my feet, an unreal darkness began to spread as if absorbing all light itself.
Darkness manifested exactly as I imagined it.
And as I manipulated that darkness freely, extending it toward the door.
A portion of the darkness was absorbed into the door.
The basement door, which I hadn’t even noticed opening, now stood wide ajar.
“Thank you, Helena.”
“Hehe, you would have figured it out with just a little more thought, wouldn’t you?”
Despite her modest words, Helena looked quite pleased with herself.
I smiled slightly at her expression before stepping toward the door.
Just as when I first entered the basement, my body was pulled through as if by suction.
And I emerged in front of the Hexia Underground Basement door, as expected.
However, there was one difference from when I had entered.
“…Huh?”
“Welcome back. I shall escort you.”
Standing before the door was not Kalina, who wore that grotesquely twisted puppet mask.
But rather other Dark Mages.
In truth, it mattered little who stood there.
Yet the unexpectedness of it made me pause.
Then something echoed from beyond the castle walls.
Or rather, should I call it a tremor?
Boom.
Krrrrrunch.
Despite the considerable distance to the castle exterior, the vibrations and explosive sounds reached me with unmistakable clarity.
What could be happening?
I tilted my head curiously at the disturbance.
The Dark Mages bowed their heads toward Yoo Sung-hyun and cried out in unison.
“Kalina is currently subjugating the enemies that have invaded Hexia.”
“There is no need for concern, my lord.”
“…Subjugating?”
Enemies daring to assault Hexia?
Against Overpalace, the organization that could be called the strongest in the world?
I turned to regard the Dark Mages, my expression clouded with questions.
The Dark Mages pretended not to know, offering no further explanation.
Instead.
“Shall we take you to Kalina then?”
I studied them, thinking they wouldn’t refuse such a request.
“We shall guide you at once.”
“We shall summon Kalina immediately.”
“We shall obey the Lord’s will!”
If anything, they were going even further.
A summons?
Wasn’t Kalina busy?
Could they even summon her?
She was engaged with enemies.
I thought she must be occupied.
Yet not long after the Dark Mages cried out their proclamation.
I felt something distort behind me and turned my head.
Space warped in an instant as skeletal white hands tore through the fabric of reality, and something burst forth.
Then Kalina, her grotesquely twisted doll mask removed and her dark blue hair streaming, immediately bowed her head and exclaimed.
“You have awakened the power of darkness. My congratulations. Welcome back, my lord.”
“…But you seemed so busy….”
Bewildered by her swift arrival, I asked uncertainly.
Kalina answered without hesitation.
“In this world, there is nothing more pressing than the call of the successor.”
“…I see.”
“Once more, my congratulations on awakening the darkness.”
“Hmm.”
She was indeed a formidable opponent.
To discern it so immediately.
But then again, she was a being who governed a castle of such magnitude.
Strength was only natural.
Beyond that.
Who could the enemies be that such a powerful NPC as Kalina was facing?
Curiosity stirred within me, and I asked.
“More importantly, what kind of enemies have invaded?”
Could there possibly be an organization that Overpellis would consider an enemy?
If that were the case, it might actually be interesting.
As Yoo Sung-hyun entertained such thoughts.
Kalina lowered her head slightly and answered as if it were nothing significant.
“Yes, there is no one worthy of being called an enemy. The Hero of this age came without fear, so I merely frightened and drove them away.”
“…???”
It felt like I had just heard something incredibly difficult to comprehend.
Yoo Sung-hyun sat in stunned silence for a moment before his eyes widened.
“A Hero?”
That Hero from last time—the one I had to abandon—had returned again?
Why this time?
0.
A long furrow stretched through the Forest near Hexia.
It was not something that had existed before, but rather a furrow that had been created just moments ago.
And at the end of that furrow.
“Cough, cough.”
A Young Man spitting blood crawled out from the furrow, muttering to himself.
“I… I thought I was going to die.”
None other than the Hero of this age, though still not quite worthy of being called a true Hero—Hero Luke—crawled out from the furrow spitting blood and glanced at his necklace.
“Hah.”
An extraordinary item that saved his life three times a day.
Yet its light had faded, now tinged a dull gray.
Which meant.
‘Did I nearly die three times?’
Hero Luke clicked his tongue in disbelief at the sight and sprawled flat on his back.
They had not even invaded the Castle—merely setting foot in the City had provoked such an assault.
They had warned him to avoid clashing with Overpellis as much as possible.
It was certainly true.
Last time had been fortunate.
Overpellis’s emissaries had simply waited without laying a hand on him before departing.
Just as I was beginning to contemplate what to do upon realizing that moment had been fortunate.
A skeletal hand of pure white bone tore through space, and someone appeared.
Click, click.
Thud, thud.
The sharp sound of high heels and the heavy sound of boots.
As Hero Luke rose to his feet, fully on guard at those sounds.
He heard something unexpected.
“…Hindel?”
The Young Man spoke the name of his predecessor Hero without hesitation.
Yet the Young Man’s gaze did not meet his own, but looked elsewhere.
What in the world is happening?

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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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