The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage - Chapter 33

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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 33
Episode 33
3.
Adum Cave.
A five-person dungeon where goblins and hobgoblins appeared in mixed groups.
It was considered a difficult dungeon even by Sekan Village standards.
The hobgoblins and goblins charged ferociously, and their numbers were far from negligible.
Perhaps it was because so many goblins inhabited this place?
Various traps and poisons were scattered throughout.
It wasn’t for nothing that this dungeon was designated for five-person parties.
It was also why Manhu’s group had chosen this as their hunting ground.
Only with this level of difficulty would they die early and often.
What good were excellent items?
If the skill to wield them was lacking.
Once they fell into a trap or when goblins swarmed, isolating the two at the front meant it was over.
They would simply die on their own.
This time should have been no different.
“Hmm, this is too easy for a five-person dungeon.”
“??????”
“?!?!?!?”
“!!”
“Wow! Sung-hyun! Seriously, that’s incredible.”
I sheathed my sword after collecting it.
Truth be told, there really wasn’t much to it.
The hobgoblins and goblins that charged forward.
There was only one superior monster—the hobgoblin—but that hobgoblin was usually the real problem.
It had issued systematic commands to the goblins.
It would be a mistake to think of them as the same as the goblins from before.
But before my blade, they fell no differently than any goblin I’d faced before.
“Hmm, is that all?”
“R-really incredible!!”
“Y-you’re quite impressive….”
“Y-yes, you are….”
“Indeed you are.”
Grind.
For a moment, I heard the sound of teeth grinding, but I deliberately ignored it.
It was certainly easy.
‘Is it because of the sword?’
Hindel’s sword.
Its performance was certainly reliable.
I’m sorry to the steel sword I wielded so well at the beginning, but there’s no comparison.
Even accounting for that, though.
‘This is too easy?’
Judging by their reactions, Manhu’s party seemed surprised as well.
Sung-hyun laughed inwardly at the thought.
‘Is this really all there is?’
At most, they’d set up some goblins as a trap.
It was a thought that would have made Manhu’s victims—or Manhu himself if he’d heard it—burst with indignation, but fortunately, no one was around to hear it.
As Sung-hyun swept through the goblin horde like that.
Manhu’s trembling eyes immediately checked the party window.
『Jinu-Lv.23-(Sword Shield Warrior)』
『Sung-hyun-Lv.25-(????)』
『Amir-Lv.26-(Archer)』
『Nuel-Lv.27-(Elemental Mage)』
『Manhu-Lv.29-(Swordmaster)』
Their levels were clearly lower than his own.
So how were they displaying such martial prowess?
At first glance, it wasn’t relying on skill power.
The subtle cyan-blue light was only visible to Sung-hyun or those with keen senses—it wasn’t visible to them.
How could they possibly know?
Manhu muttered anxiously, biting his lip.
‘L-luck was on their side.’
Since he’d been in and out of Adum Cave countless times, it was rare for only one group to appear at the beginning.
And of all times, only one group appeared right when Sung-hyun stepped forward.
But that’s fine.
The number of creatures that would appear next wouldn’t end with just one group.
Getting cocky after dealing with just one group.
‘How presumptuous.’
Adum Cave—the true terror of this dungeon was only beginning now!
…That’s what Manhu thought.
When three goblin groups appeared at once.
Without fail, Sung-hyun stepped forward first, and they were swept away like autumn leaves in the wind.
Jinu, the sword shield warrior beside him, neither tanked nor drew aggro, instead darting between the creatures with his sword gleaming with brilliant blue aura, striking with precision.
With his free hand, he wielded another dagger sharp as an awl, sweeping through them.
In less than five minutes, all the goblin groups were annihilated.
“Wow!! You’re really amazing, Sung-hyun!”
“…Hmm, it’s nothing special. We should be careful as we go deeper—it could get dangerous.”
“….”
“….”
“…Sigh.”
Watching him, Manhu stared at Seong-hyun as if his soul had left his body.
How could a person be like this?
When three goblin packs came charging at them in Adum Cave, shouldn’t he at least show some injuries out of courtesy?
Not only was his stamina untouched, he didn’t even look tired.
And while Manhu’s group hadn’t set out to kill Seong-hyun…
Why was Jinu just standing there watching?
It was nothing but incomprehensible.
Watching Manhu, Amir and Nuel typed in the chat, bewildered.
[Amir-What do we do about this? Does that even make sense?]
[Nuel-This is really troublesome. Should we just let it slide like this?]
Their chat exchange.
It made sense.
Though they hadn’t managed it yet, there were still various things left to try.
[Manhu-There are still plenty of traps. Swordsmanship doesn’t work on traps anyway. Let’s just wait and see what he does.]
Nuel and Amir both agreed with that message.
Pure combat power and traps were entirely different matters.
Besides, this party had no rogue.
There was no one who could disarm traps.
Of course, Nuel could do it.
But would he help?
Seong-hyun, rushing ahead as expected, would surely tumble pathetically into a trap.
Some members of the group harbored such expectations.
“Oh, there’s a trap here too. I’ll disarm it and we’ll move on.”
“Wow! Wait, Seong-hyun hyung, you’re even good at disarming traps!?!?”
“…That’s what I’m saying.”
A groan escaped.
What kind of warrior disarms traps?
Moreover, as if he possessed the keen sight of a seasoned hunter, he had disarmed every trap, even those far in the distance.
Yet Seong-hyun still spoke.
“The traps are quite obvious. Still, there might be even more dangerous ones ahead, so please be careful too, Jinu.”
“Yes! I’ll keep that in mind!!”
“…”
Was he mocking someone?
The trap Seong-hyun had just disarmed was the most difficult trap in this Adum Cave.
The expressions of Manhu’s group, who knew the truth, were rapidly hardening.
‘…Now there’s no…’
way.
Usually by this point, there were no living users left.
He had breached it far too leisurely.
Did this even make sense?
Absurd physical abilities, ridiculous communication skills, and now sensory perception on top of it all?
Where does a broken character like that even exist?
Manhu ground his teeth so hard they nearly shattered, glaring at Sung-hyun.
‘Could it be… is he one of us?’
A hunter like themselves, preying on players’ items?
No, that couldn’t be it.
If he were, he would have made his move already.
Then what in the world was his true identity?
As Manhu entertained these thoughts.
Sung-hyun, conversely, watched Manhu’s group and harbored his own doubts.
‘When exactly are they planning to attack?’
According to what the Child Ghost had said, they were supposed to trap him.
Surely they didn’t actually believe these pathetic traps and monsters would work.
Though that was precisely the case, Sung-hyun dismissed the notion.
No one would die to something this trivial.
He concluded that Manhu’s group hadn’t revealed their true strategy yet.
‘Ah! They’re probably planning to make their move at the boss.’
That would certainly be more lethal if they waited until then.
I’ll need to prepare for that moment.
Unaware of Manhu’s thoughts.
Sung-hyun made his conclusion.
Meanwhile, Manhu’s group was holding an emergency meeting.
[Amir—What do we do now, seriously?]
[Manhu—Hmm.]
[Nuel—He came through even that trap unscathed. Shouldn’t we just give up?]
[Amir—I suppose so?]
[Nuel—All that’s left is for us to attack him directly…]
[Amir—That’s… well, that’s a bit much.]
Amir showed resistance to Nuel’s suggestion.
And truthfully, she had a point.
Initiating combat against a player carried severe penalties.
It was something difficult to commit to without serious resolve.
Manhu wouldn’t normally go that far either.
But.
“…”
Manhu glanced at Sung-hyun, who was methodically slaughtering goblins and looting their items.
More precisely, at the apprentice warrior Hindel’s sword wrapped in the blue aura that Sung-hyun wore at his side.
Should he simply let that go?
In that moment, a burning desire ignited in Manhu’s eyes, tinged with greed.
No. That was impossible.
Better to bear the risk than abandon it.
[Manhu attacks from the boss chamber.]
Events unfolded exactly as I had anticipated.
4.
Adum Cave, one of the dungeons in Sekan Village.
Unsurprisingly, the boss here was a hobgoblin named Adum.
Species classification: Hobgoblin Warrior.
Unlike goblins, which were small as children, hobgoblins stood at adult height, making them formidable foes for players.
Being humanoid monsters with cunning intelligence, they were treacherous opponents.
Their weapon mastery was exceptional, and careless players often found themselves on the receiving end of counterattacks.
The hobgoblin Adum in this final boss chamber of Adum Cave was no exception.
Even alone, he was a considerable threat—but beside Adum stood four more hobgoblins.
This was precisely why the dungeon was rated for five players.
“Hmm.”
“Wow, four hobgoblins and Adum the Hobgoblin Warrior!?”
Jinu gasped, his tension rising simultaneously.
The boss chamber came into full view for everyone.
A spacious natural cavern, and within it, a larger hobgoblin seated as though he were the king of this place.
[Lv.35 Hobgoblin Warrior ‘Adum’]
Adum the Hobgoblin Warrior, whose name alone glowed in crimson—distinctly different from the others.
As he rose to his feet.
The other hobgoblins around him stirred as well.
[Lv.32 Hobgoblin]
[Lv.31 Hobgoblin]
[Lv.30 Hobgoblin]
[Lv.30 Hobgoblin]
As Adum rose and the hobgoblins took their positions.
I glanced naturally toward Manhu and his companions.
They hadn’t made their move yet.
Then it was only natural that I strike first.
My eyes blazed as I seized the hilt of the apprentice warrior Hindel’s sword at my left side and charged forward.
Behind me, Jinu belatedly followed with shield and sword in hand, matching my low, ground-skimming assault.
Until now, I had fought alone, but with boss Adum present.
He meant to lend his strength.
And this time, Manhu too gripped his sword and dashed forward with surprising speed.
Though he ran at a leisurely pace, Manhu felt it.
‘Faster than me?’
That this one’s speed surpassed his own.
How was that even possible?
His level was clearly higher, so his stats should have been superior as well.
If I were to exert my full power, it might be different, but otherwise, my current speed is abnormally fast.
It’s only possible because I’ve melded into this world more than anyone else, utilizing every stat to its fullest.
I dashed forward as if shot from a bow, and before the hobgoblin could even react to my draw, I severed its neck.
Shing!
[Critical Hit!]
[The effect of 『One Strike』 activates!]
The sharp blade trembled as it sang, leaving a crimson line across the hobgoblin’s neck.
Blood gushed from that line like a fountain, but the creature endured, its tough neck muscles holding it together.
“Krrgh! Kekek!”
Though it thrashed in agony, still burning with fighting spirit, the moment it tried to turn its body toward me as I passed—
Jinu, wielding an enormous shield, charged forward and cried out.
“Take this!!”
Crash!
As if struck by a carriage, the hobgoblin tumbled across the ground several times before being sent flying backward in a pathetic heap.
Without hesitation, I drew my sword fully, gripping Hindel’s apprentice blade in my right hand and a tiger’s fang dagger in my left.
Then I immediately rushed at another hobgoblin.
Having witnessed what befell its ally, this hobgoblin was prepared and swung its club toward me.
Crack!
The club and sharp longsword collided, both bouncing back.
I pressed into the hobgoblin’s guard, my right sword merely adjusting its stance while my left fang dagger thrust forward relentlessly.
Thunk thunk thunk thunk!
[Critical Hit!]
[The effect of 『One Strike』 activates!]
[Critical Hit!]
[Critical Hit!]
[Critical Hit!]
All four thrusts landed as fatal blows.
The hobgoblin’s eyes rolled back white, and it began to tremble violently.
I kicked the creature away while simultaneously swinging the longsword in my right hand.
[Critical Hit!]
Shing!
With a sharp cutting sound and the critical hit message appearing, the creature rolled across the ground.
It collapsed.
Yet somehow, the hobgoblin was still alive, its toughness remarkable.
I was about to finish it with my blade when the other goblins refused to remain idle.
“Kergh! Kekek!”
“Kefu! Kefuuu!”
Two hobgoblins charged forward, utterly frenzied.
Even for me, the sight seemed somewhat overwhelming.
Yet I maintained my composure in that situation and prepared to swing my blade with unwavering resolve.
But in that instant, a chill ran through me, and I dodged away from my position just as a colossal sword crashed down exactly where I had been standing.
“KEEEEEHHHHH!!”
WHOOOOSH!
A roar-like cry accompanied the massive blade as it struck downward, fracturing the cave floor and sending countless shards scattering through the air.
Was this the boss’s appearance?
Just as I gripped my sword and was about to attack the boss—Adum.
WHOOOOSH!
A scorching heat sensation from behind!
If I took that hit, I wouldn’t die outright, but I’d certainly suffer grievous damage!
Simultaneously, messages flashed before me.
[Party member ‘Nuel-Lv.27’ is attacking you.]
[Entering complete hostile state.]
[Party member ‘Nuel-Lv.27′ has left the party.]
[This user bears an infamy mark.]
[Attacking them will not accumulate infamy.]
It was a critical moment, but I moved as though I had already known what was coming.
Because I had known before the heat even reached my back.
As I evaded it, Nuel spoke with a tremor in his voice.
“You dodged that?!?”
It had been a truly devastating strike.
And seeing the situation unfold, Jinu cried out in shock.
“No, wait. An attack on an ally?!?”
Unlike Jinu, who was caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events, I spoke as though the moment had finally arrived.
“Finally showing your true colors.”
Seeing me speak as though I had known all along.
Manhu and his companions were equally bewildered.
But it didn’t matter.
Now that they had made their move, there was no turning back.
We would simply fight with everything we had.
With our superior numbers and the boss monster as an additional factor, victory should come easily.
Manhu thought this and shouted at Amir and Nuel.
“There’s nothing those two can possibly do….”
As he spoke of their helplessness, trying to seize the advantage.
“Two?”
I responded to Manhu’s words with a rare smile.
Then.
A massive teal-colored portal materialized behind me, and goblin undead wreathed in darkness with teal energy surging around them poured forth.
Their number was a staggering twenty.
And.
-Kehehehe! The time for slaughter has come!! For my master!!
A specter materialized, scattering malevolent energy in all directions.
Swathed in black darkness, it unleashed waves of cyan-tinged aura that crashed toward us.
The very air grew heavy—multiplied in weight several times over.
Before such overwhelming presence, Manhu and his companions’ eyes began to tremble violently.
Not merely their eyes, but their legs and arms quivered like aspen leaves in a gale.
[Lv.40 Soldier of Death—Specter, Barphor]
An undead far more formidable than this dungeon’s boss had arrived.

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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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