The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage - Chapter 324

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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 324
324
The moment Yoo Sung-hyun had that thought.
From the direction of the Corridor came footsteps—somehow laden with darkness.
Tap. Tap.
At that sound, the assembly fell silent.
No, it wasn’t merely silence.
Every sound except those footsteps was rejected from existence, erased from the world itself.
And there, only those footsteps echoed through the void.
Tap. Tap.
Those few who heard it, and Yoo Sung-hyun as well, sensed what was approaching.
‘It’s consuming sound.’
Those footsteps were devouring every sound around them.
True silence incarnate.
And he could sense it too.
Whoever walked from that place possessed an ability tied to silence itself.
And simultaneously.
The light around them flickered and died in stuttering pulses.
Sensing this, Yoo Sung-hyun wondered if this was a lord of darkness like himself, but he quickly shook his head.
‘It’s different.’
Not darkness.
It felt deeper, more profoundly dark.
But Yoo Sung-hyun couldn’t discern it all.
As those footsteps reached the front.
The assembly remained enveloped in silence.
And surveying them all, a figure removed their robe.
Yet even with the robe cast aside, their identity remained unknowable.
They seemed female yet male, childlike yet ancient and withered.
A form of pure chaos where no shape could be discerned.
And no one could open their mouth to speak.
Or rather, when they did, no sound emerged—that was the truth of it.
Even those gathered here, lords or those beginning to step into transcendence.
Even they dared not infringe upon that power.
Yoo Sung-hyun swallowed hard as he looked toward Black Star.
‘So you were already transcendent from that point.’
Witnessing that tremendous sight, Yoo Sung-hyun marveled.
Then Helena spoke from within.
-It makes sense. After all, she was the oldest disciple.
‘I see.’
In that voice, tinged with something almost melancholic.
Yoo Sung-hyun remained silent, unable to ask further questions.
Then.
“I express my gratitude for gathering here.”
Unlike the oppressive manner in which power was being scattered about.
The courtesy in that tone left everyone in the hall utterly astonished.
But their surprise was premature.
“I must apologize for being unable to introduce myself properly. I would be grateful if you would simply call me Black Star.”
Though he spoke thus.
The authority of silence still permeating the surroundings prevented anyone from uttering a word.
In the midst of this, Black Star continued speaking.
“I believe you all understand why we have gathered today, so I shall forgo explanations and proceed directly to outlining what we must accomplish.”
Black Star wasted no time and began the briefing immediately.
He did not reveal how Helena’s war had begun.
But he explained the current state of affairs.
“Currently, my master and my lord, Helena, is engaged in combat with the Grand Duke in the Underworld. However, the cowardly Grand Duke has erected a barrier using the essence of vile demonic energy, blocking everything that would flow from the Demon Realm, so Helena is merely defending against his attacks.”
At that explanation, wouldn’t Helena be able to tear through such a barrier with her power?
As such a thought crossed Yoo Sung-hyun’s mind.
Helena looked at him as if to say, what nonsense is that?
-What exactly do you think I am….
‘Well… the strongest, obviously?’
-Hmm, even if you flatter me like that, nothing comes of it… Anyway, I could have torn through it and advanced as you say, but if I had, the Grand Duke could have infiltrated other demons as well, so I had to remain in the Underworld. Tearing open the space would have endangered the Underworld itself.
‘Ah.’
So this is why we’re launching an infiltration operation, I realized.
Once I understood the situation.
I turned my attention back to Black Star’s continuing explanation.
“Therefore, we must destroy the five essences stationed in the Demon Realm. I will hold back the Duke, the Grand Duke’s subordinate, and the demons of various other noble houses. I ask that you all infiltrate the fortress where the five essences are hidden and destroy them.”
Hearing this, Yoo Sung-hyun tilted his head in confusion.
If the passage to the Demon Realm is blocked, how can we infiltrate?
The moment such a thought arose.
Black Star, understanding this as well, kindly explained.
“As I mentioned earlier, all passages to the Demon Realm are currently sealed. You may wonder how infiltration is possible. The method lies right here.”
Saying so, Black Star spread his hand.
Light unfolded like a hologram.
And a map appeared.
None other than a map of the Riescan Kingdom.
And there were five marked cities.
“Whether the Riescan Kingdom and the demons have joined hands or by sheer coincidence, there exist places called ‘rat holes’ throughout the Riescan Kingdom. While large numbers cannot pass through, small groups can travel in both directions through these passages.”
So if we infiltrate through those passages.
It turned out there were fortresses containing the demonic essences.
Quite the convenient arrangement, wouldn’t you say.
And everyone present narrowed their eyes upon realizing they were in the Riescan Kingdom.
Once this matter was resolved, wouldn’t it be the Riescan Kingdom next?
With that thought, they all exuded a sharp, cutting edge.
Black Star observed them and gradually began explaining.
“First, we’ll divide into teams and examine the five locations we’ll be attacking.”
As he spoke, he distributed the team assignments.
At that moment, Yoo Sung-hyun, Barbaros, and Will became one team, and upon spotting the two of them, Will’s face lit up noticeably.
It had been quite some time since they last met, and the passage of years was evident on Will’s features.
Yet he still retained the appearance of a young man.
Yoo Sung-hyun and Barbaros likewise welcomed him warmly and took their seats once more.
Most were divided into teams of five.
Besides Yoo Sung-hyun, Barbaros, and Will, two others occupied their positions.
One appeared to be a Swordsman, and the other likewise seemed to be a close-combat specialist.
‘The balance seems well-suited.’
With that thought, I refocused on Black Star’s explanation.
Black Star continued speaking.
“The essence of Mana is not something easily destroyed. Each fortress has two high-ranking Demons stationed, along with a noble of Baron rank.”
High-ranking Demons and Baron rank.
Recalling the high-ranking Demon Sermagra, I thought this would be no trivial matter.
And Black Star spoke.
“Currently, there is no one in this room capable of defeating a Baron-ranked opponent.”
A somewhat grim statement.
Yet everyone had no choice but to accept reality.
A Baron, regardless of the title, was still a Demon who had received a noble rank.
How could such a Demon be taken lightly?
That was precisely why the Grand Duke, though merely Baron rank himself, had stationed them there.
“Therefore, should you encounter a Baron-ranked Demon, I recommend you evade and await reinforcement from another team.”
Judging that while they couldn’t engage such opponents, a team of this caliber could at least escape, Black Star spoke thus.
Everyone nodded, having committed the objective to memory.
I too was curious about just how powerful a Baron-ranked Demon was.
But scenario books weren’t calibrated to match one’s level.
So I had no choice but to endure.
Even Sermagra, a high-ranking Demon, had been formidable.
And carelessly jeopardizing the mission was something I couldn’t afford.
As I nodded in agreement.
Black Star spoke one final time.
“I wish you all success. Your safety matters more than the operation itself, so please refrain from combat if you encounter Baron-ranked Demons.”
At Black Star’s words, spoken as though for everyone’s sake, all felt a subtle emotion and nodded in turn.
The operation was important, but you were more important—at that moment when everyone was nodding to those words.
I suddenly felt as though my gaze had met Black Star’s face and eyes, which bore an enigmatic quality I couldn’t quite discern.
And then.
‘…?’
I tilted my head in confusion at the sight of them gazing warmly and smiling.
Black Star greeted everyone in that manner and withdrew.
Could it be that they had recognized me?
At that thought.
-Of course! Who else would it be! Ahem.
Helena answered with pride.
And when Yoo Sung-hyun also marveled at how impressive it was.
Helena continued speaking.
-They could even contact their counterpart in reality, you know?
‘To that extent?’
-Yeah, with that one’s abilities, it’s definitely possible.
With those words, Yoo Sung-hyun tilted his head as if uncertain.
But Black Star was on my side anyway.
So I didn’t worry too much about it.
They had never caused me harm either.
However.
‘They’re not coming to bring me something, are they?’
It was always a burden.
But I was always grateful regardless.
So I wondered for a moment if they would actually come.
After Black Star disappeared, the silence finally lifted, and the team members could converse with each other.
“It’s been quite a while for both of you.”
Will spoke with a sentimental expression, looking at Yoo Sung-hyun and Barbaros.
2.
In the Dimensional Gap, where chaos reigned instead of Overpalace’s massive dark palace, a being opened its eyes and surveyed its surroundings.
Yet there was nothing around it.
The being stared intently at one point.
Soon the chaos unfolding there surged and flowed inward.
As the chaos gradually gathered in one place and took form.
It became the shape of a person, yet chaos itself remained unchanged.
Chaos took the form of a person and became Black Star.
Thereafter, the transcendent who had touched the Black Star accepted memories flowing from the distant past—or rather, from a past that never was.
Memories that should not exist, that must not exist.
Black Star read those memories that could only be obtained because the world’s will had scattered chaos indiscriminately.
“The Lord has come to know much.”
I smiled contentedly, facing my past self, now the current Lord.
Simultaneously.
“And has achieved much growth as well.”
Black Star saw through everything and fell into thought for a moment.
This time, I cannot bend the world’s will to my design.
There are limits to what I can bestow.
Yet from the chaos, Black Star crafted something anew.
And reflected in that crimson blood, deep as the lifeblood of creation itself, was none other than a great war unfolding across the Wasteland.
Black Star gazed upon it and murmured.
“The Necromancer Lord shall soon be realized. It is time to awaken the next lord.”
Black Star murmured thus and reminisced.
Where would be the finest place for awakening?
With that thought, I soon recalled a certain location.
Was there not a battlefield where the kingdom harboring that impudent child and the empire where the Mana Saint dwells perpetually wage war?
Since Yoo Sung-hyun already knows of it.
I need only reveal a small secret regarding that place.
With that thought, Black Star emerged from the chaos.
And returned to the Fortress City of deep, absolute darkness.
The castle of Overpalace, boasting a size greater than any ordinary city.
Black Star, having returned to that place, cried out.
“Guide.”
At that cry, chaos wove itself through the void, manifesting like a hologram.
And took form.
The figure, appearing as a man, soon lowered his head in greeting to Black Star.
And then.
“Guide our master along the path of blood befitting them.”
[As you command.]
The male figure that answered thus vanished.
Black Star nodded with satisfaction and murmured.
“I wonder if the Sword Saint, that child, shall provide our Lord with amusement once more.”
To entertain without tedium, most satisfactorily.

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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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