The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage - Chapter 317

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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 317
317
2.
The Subjugation Force waited outside the Mine.
When would the scouts return?
As they stood in anticipation, a peculiar presence emanated from within the Mine itself.
A pillar of black light surged upward as if piercing through the very stone of the Mine.
Arrogantly tearing through the heavens, the dark aura that shrouded everything in gloom caused the soldiers to shudder involuntarily.
Everyone could sense it was different from demonic energy.
Yet as they felt that overwhelming presence, fear began to creep into their hearts.
And Cairo, the Captain of the Subjugation Force and Knight Commander of Solnaitz, watched with trembling eyes.
That pillar of black light carried a resonance he knew all too well.
The attribute of one who transcends the world and reigns supreme over all humanity.
“…A Sovereign?”
It was the aura of a Sovereign.
Or more precisely, the aura of one ascending to become a Sovereign.
Sensing this, Cairo ground his teeth in frustration.
Others might not know, but the Riescan Kingdom understood well.
That Dark Mages had no connection to the Demon Race.
Helena had established this truth and created it anew.
Yet it was they who had spread rumors throughout the world that Dark Magic was evil and that its practitioners had made pacts with demons.
Because of this, he understood clearly.
That aura was proof—a Dark Mage had just been born as a Sovereign.
At that very moment.
Sensing Cairo’s reaction to what he witnessed, the Subjugation Force members who had no connection to the Riescan Kingdom rushed toward him.
“C-Captain, what on earth is that!?”
“Ah, you seem to know something….”
“Is it the work of the Demon Race?”
Among those asking, there were scarcely any Dark Mages.
Though a few did exist among them.
Even they only recognized it as overwhelmingly potent Dark Magic.
They had no idea why it was occurring.
Seeing them thus, Cairo seized the opportunity and cried out.
“It appears… there is a Dark Mage who has made a pact with the Demon Race. Given how formidable this Dark Magic is, I suspect a Dark Mage in league with a noble is responsible for what we see here.”
“Th-Then!?”
“G-Good heavens, this is dire!?”
“W-Wait, then what of the scouts?”
Chaos erupted in an instant.
Cairo seized the moment and spoke.
“It seems unlikely the scouts will emerge unscathed, but we can only hope they return safely.”
First, the incitement was complete.
That one was indeed an evil Dark Mage.
And the Dark Mages themselves had no choice but to agree somewhat.
After all, it was dark magic they’d never witnessed before.
After finishing the incitement in that manner.
Cairo launched yet another wave of manipulation toward the Subjugation Force.
“Perhaps, no matter how accomplished a disciple of the Hero may be, such formidable dark magic could mean they’ve already fallen to corruption. It would be wise to remain vigilant even when the scouts return.”
Everyone had no choice but to nod in agreement, and watching the deceived Subjugation Force members, Cairo laughed inwardly with contempt.
‘Fools.’
Observing the awakening of a lord taking place down there now, Cairo could discern the truth of the situation.
There were no humans in that mine.
Except for the scouts, that is.
Which meant one of the scout members was a Dark Mage, and they were currently undergoing their awakening.
It would inevitably draw all eyes.
At first, I trembled with shock at the notion of a lord’s awakening.
But soon, all my worries and fears washed away like water.
With such an aura, all the Demons within the mine would have sensed it.
They would have no choice but to converge naturally.
Both intermediate and superior Demons as well.
So no matter how accomplished a disciple of the Hero they are, they cannot possibly return alive from there.
‘After that, everything will proceed according to plan.’
Without the Hero’s disciple, these numerous Subjugation Force members could be disposed of quickly enough.
And if I grind down those powerful bodies, the Riescan Kingdom will gain even greater strength in my grasp.
I had no doubt about it.
Thinking that now there wouldn’t even be a minor variable left.
Cairo watched the spectacle with ease.
Wondering when it would all end.
3.
As expected, drawn by the rampaging dark magic, the Demons rushed in like madness.
Especially because it was dark magic.
To the Demons, dark magic was a counterfeit mimicking demonic energy, so to preserve their honor, they naturally recognized it as something that must be eliminated.
Of course, they charged forward to destroy it.
Among them, intermediate Demons certainly existed.
Demons pouring in like waves.
The lower-tier Demons were mostly being handled by Barbaros, Serpina, Barphor, Baltar, and Leonik, while the intermediate Demons were being dealt with by Yoo Sung-hyun, Helena, Fiora, and Silvanor as they appeared.
A Demon appeared, scattering demonic energy around, and that Demon used an intermediate-tier demonic skill to seal one of Yoo Sung-hyun’s limbs.
One foot frozen solid, unable to move.
Moreover, Yoo Sung-hyun’s all stats were currently significantly diminished.
“Kuhahahaha!!! How pathetic for a human!”
“…Hmm.”
A mid-tier Demon was indeed different.
Unlike before, it didn’t fight alongside its Minions.
It was difficult to eliminate it before it could use its magical skills.
But Yoo Sung-hyun paid no mind and tested his body’s movement.
Fortunately, whether it was the Overload’s ability or not.
The magical skill only applied halfway, so it wasn’t perfect, but I confirmed I could move somewhat.
The mid-tier Demon that witnessed this furrowed its brow sharply.
At the same time.
“I’ll make you beg for death instead.”
The creature spoke in an ominous tone as its body transformed.
After the transformation, it took the form of a Swordsman wielding a longsword.
While lower-tier Demons changed their weapons and appearance by attribute.
Mid-tier Demons surpassed them far beyond.
It displayed the perfect form of a Swordsman.
Just as I thought this battle would be more difficult than expected.
The mid-tier Demon Swordsman moved first.
With a clean movement that left no afterimage in the air, Yoo Sung-hyun regarded the mid-tier Demon with surprise.
‘Its movement is quite impressive.’
It wasn’t simply fast.
Every aspect—the way its feet struck the ground, its gait, and the ability to move its body—all were exceptional.
As the mid-tier Demon Swordsman, having pushed its muscles to their limit, swung its blade toward Yoo Sung-hyun, it rushed forward faster than sound, and at the clash of its sword strike, light erupted.
But it wasn’t light bursting from the mid-tier Demon Swordsman’s blade.
Rather, radiance coiled around Yoo Sung-hyun’s sword.
The sharp radiance blocked and held back the mid-tier Demon Swordsman’s blade.
Screeeeeech——!!!
The sharp cutting sound clashed against each other and spread like waves through the surroundings.
Everything touched by that sound began to be severed.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Craaaash——!!!
The surroundings were instantly torn apart, and countless sharp wounds appeared everywhere.
Yet those two forces didn’t touch each other, and their energies completely canceled each other out.
The mid-tier Demon Swordsman frowned at this.
Despite the extreme advantage, it had sealed both stats and body with magical skills.
Its pride seemed wounded by reaching a stalemate.
But thinking that it might have been defeated just now if that weren’t the case, it ground its teeth, poured strength into its blade to push Yoo Sung-hyun back, then retreated as well.
Boom——!!!
Suddenly, tremendous force erupted and pushed Yoo Sung-hyun back.
But that tremendous force was blocked as if intercepted by empty air, and Yoo Sung-hyun wasn’t pushed back.
As the mid-tier Demon Swordsman retreated and its stance became slightly unbalanced, it quickly raised its blade, and Yoo Sung-hyun’s radiance-coiled sword was swung down to that spot a moment too late.
Screeeeeech——!!!
The radiant light coiling around the blade savagely sought to devour the intermediate-rank Demon Swordsman, but he managed to block it—though both arms trembled violently as he gripped his sword.
It was a power beyond comprehension.
How could he remain so formidable even with seals in place?
It was a phenomenon I couldn’t fathom.
Yet the intermediate-rank Demon Swordsman raised his blade once more, preparing to strike at me.
Demonic energy coiled around his sword, sharpening it beyond measure, and his own body grew increasingly honed and nimble as if being carved away.
The intermediate-rank Demon Swordsman then moved at an extreme velocity, his speed incomparably faster than before.
Sheer swiftness incarnate.
I widened my eyes as I beheld the intermediate-rank Demon Swordsman and spoke.
“I don’t have only this blade.”
With those words, pitch-black darkness began to envelop the sword that had been suffused with radiant and galactic energy simultaneously.
Darkness itself—deeper than the demonic energy that filled the Demon Realm—stained the blade.
The intermediate-rank Demon Swordsman sensed that something had gone terribly wrong.
But he had already committed to his charge.
There was no other choice.
So he pressed forward, attempting to cleave me in two—but darkness was already there.
Darkness had already arrived.
A long gash appeared across his chest without him knowing when he’d been struck, and soon that wound became darkness itself, a void that swallowed even light, consuming the intermediate-rank Demon Swordsman.
And then.
[Sword Art Skill ‘Darkness’ is activated.]
[Due to the overwhelming darkness, you are consumed by shadow.]
[Consumed by darkness, the vision of ‘Intermediate-rank Demon, Ahrotu’ is severed.]
“Ah, aaah!”
His vision blackens and vanishes.
His sight disappears in an instant.
And what follows is terror.
My blade strike blazes forth once more, carrying starlight and galactic essence toward the intermediate-rank Demon, Ahrotu—and without sight, he cannot see it, cannot block it.
His heart pierces through, and Ahrotu vanishes as if dissolving away.
After me, my servants were able to dispatch the intermediate-rank Demons one by one.
I was the fastest, followed by Helena.
After that came Fiora and Silvanor.
Fiora and Silvanor couldn’t face one alone, so the two of them handled one together.
Yet they were inevitably slower than Helena or me.
In any case, we eliminated three intermediate-rank Demons at once, and we dispatched all the lower-rank Demons that poured down upon us.
“Phew, we’ve eliminated approximately forty lower-rank Demons.”
“Here we have three intermediate-rank Demons.”
When we first set out with the Subjugation Force, we were ambushed by ten lower-rank Demons.
So we’ve now eliminated fifty lower-rank Demons.
Four intermediate-rank Demons.
Which means the remaining ones…
“Three mid-tier and one high-tier. And roughly forty low-tier Demons, I’d say?”
“Yes, that appears to be the case.”
The mid-tier alone proved formidable enough that concern rippled through me—whether we could truly face a high-tier opponent.
Yet no one voiced it aloud.
We simply watched Will awakening, exchanged glances with one another, and nodded.
We had to endure. What choice did we have?
If we could just hold out here, this scenario would likely be over.
“I’ll take the high-tier.”
I still had reserves left from facing the mid-tier.
It made sense for me to confront the high-tier.
The rest of us divided our forces and decided who would handle each of the three mid-tier Demons.
As before: Helena would take one, Fiora and Silvanor would take one, and Baltar and Leonik would take the last.
Serpina and Barphor would handle the low-tier Demons.
Then I summoned the remaining Minions.
The space was cramped, but there were those who could still operate here.
I summoned Dracanoss, Sibren, and Nuartein.
Anything beyond that would be impossible—the space was simply too narrow.
With Dracanoss, Sibren, and Nuartein handling the low-tier Demons, they would assist me if things grew critical.
I could feel the momentum of enemies surging forward once more.
“Phew, this feels like it might be the last wave.”
“I’ll try to lure the high-tier first.”

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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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