The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage - Chapter 348
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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 348
348
Could it really be true that the inheritor of the Galaxy Sword Dance belonged to Overpalace?
When I heard they were in Nocturne, I had my suspicions, but—
It actually turned out to be real.
I’d anticipated it might happen, yet experiencing it firsthand felt surreal.
Of course, I felt a bit sorry for the Sword Saint, but well, it couldn’t be helped.
In any case, Yoo Sung-hyun had no choice but to ask the fundamental question after thinking that far.
“But wait—if you’re from the Inspection Unit, what brings you here?”
We’d already met and even sparred before.
Learning that she was connected to Overpalace made things feel oddly suspicious.
Was this encounter truly coincidental? That question nagged at me.
At Yoo Sung-hyun’s words, Nina first startled and waved her hands dismissively.
“P-please, lower your tone of speech.”
“Ahem, understood.”
Still, she was the inheritor of the Galaxy Sword Dance—wasn’t she a bit too lacking in Overpalace’s atmosphere?
Yoo Sung-hyun felt perplexed noticing this.
But it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
So I let it be for now.
Regardless.
That was one matter, but the look in my eyes asking what business brought her here—
Nina answered again.
“I received a mission to investigate this Forest area…”
As she spoke, Nina also seemed to think something was odd, tilting her head slightly.
Indeed, her mission was with the Inspection Unit.
Yet there was no particular reason for her to venture into the Forest.
Her duty was to inspect Dark Mages or those within Overpalace.
A mission to go to the Forest was rather peculiar.
Yoo Sung-hyun thought the same and became half-convinced.
This was likely—
Just as Yoo Sung-hyun was becoming certain of this.
A voice came from behind them.
“If I’ve caused any displeasure, I sincerely apologize. It seemed you were searching for Nina, so I took the liberty of issuing the order.”
A man in a neat black suit appeared alongside a courteous apology.
I was startled at first—he looked quite different from the other Overpalace members.
Usually, they appeared with the distinctive characteristics of Dark Mages plainly evident.
So I expected the same this time, but instead he wore a pristine formal suit like those medieval nobles might have donned.
No robes, and at first glance, one might simply think him a nobleman by his appearance.
As Yoo Sung-hyun observed him—
He bowed his head and waist respectfully, speaking to Yoo Sung-hyun.
“I apologize for the late introduction. I am Nocturne, the one who rules this city. I named the city after myself.”
“I see.”
From those words alone, I could deduce the truth.
Though he didn’t radiate overwhelming power, there was something about him.
I realized he must be an extraordinarily formidable being.
I had the distinct impression he possessed at least Lord-class skills.
Yet Nocturne continued to bow respectfully before me.
“Right, it wasn’t unpleasant, so don’t worry.”
“Ah, how gracious you are, our master. Your words alone fill me with gratitude.”
“…Yes.”
I couldn’t help but feel somewhat awkward under such lavish treatment.
No matter how many times I received such courtesy, I never quite adjusted to it.
In any case, now that we had met.
I wondered if we should head to the Castle.
At that moment, Nocturne smiled softly and gestured gracefully toward the ground.
Then he asked me a question.
“Your seat appears uncomfortable. Would you mind if we moved to a different location?”
The moment I nodded in agreement.
The surroundings gradually melted away, and what had been a Forest mere moments before slowly transformed into the interior of a building.
The change happened so instantaneously, like a midsummer night’s dream, that I couldn’t help but feel genuinely startled.
Since I now possessed quite a few Lord-class skills myself.
I had become quite adept at perceiving the flow of energy.
Yet I hadn’t detected what Nocturne had just done at all.
How was that even possible?
As that question arose within me.
Nocturne spoke with a subtle smile.
“It’s merely a trivial technique of mine. Among the arts of ruling the night, many are connected to dreams.”
“Hmm.”
When I expressed my curiosity, Nocturne explained.
Of course, even with that explanation, I didn’t immediately grasp it.
“I transformed the place where we were into a dream and made you awaken from it, then designated this location as the destination. It’s rather a complex technique.”
Helena, who stood behind me, explained the details more thoroughly.
And Nocturne gazed at Helena with eyes tinged with a certain melancholy.
But that was only momentary.
Soon Nocturne turned back to me with a bright smile.
“Shall we get down to the main topic now?”
“Of course.”
As I said this, Nocturne moved as if there were no question about it, creating a sofa, and I naturally took a seat upon it.
Then.
“To be frank, I noticed you entering the city much like insects creeping in.”
“Hmm.”
So he’d known from the start after all.
It would’ve been strange if he hadn’t.
That’s what Yoo Sung-hyun thought.
Just then, I caught sight of Nina.
If the bug—the Intelligence Knight Order—had been detected coming in, couldn’t Nina’s very existence have been concealed?
Instead, traces were left, drawing all of the Intelligence Knight Order here?
In that moment, I grasped the intention immediately.
Could it be?
“You deliberately lured them here?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Since those creatures would pursue the traces of the Galaxy Sword Technique to the very end, I had Nina, who is in the Inspection Unit, leave traces to lure them here.”
“Ah.”
At those words, I nodded in acknowledgment that it made sense.
Even Wizzle at Serul Spire Tower knew that the Sword Saint was searching for traces of the Galaxy Sword Technique.
There was no way Overpalace wouldn’t know.
And the fact that the owner of that Galaxy Sword Technique was none other than me.
Overpalace would have known that too.
It was all for me—deceiving those creatures with Nina at the forefront.
As my thoughts reached that point, I fell into brief contemplation.
If it was Overpalace’s doing from the beginning.
Then there’d be no need to worry about the Intelligence Knight Order at all, would there?
‘I’ve already seen the successor of the Galaxy Sword Technique.’
The secret technique hadn’t been fully mastered yet, so it was somewhat lacking.
But as long as I’m affiliated with Overpalace, I could see it anytime.
So it became something not worth worrying about.
Then should I head to the other information—the Celestial Ruins?
The Celestial Ruins are the ninth region.
Of course, with my strength, I could perform impressively even in the ninth region, which is accessible from level 275 onwards.
But I’m already here in the eighth region.
It felt a shame to skip this and ascend directly.
So when I was deliberating slightly.
A message from Belladrina arrived.
-Your Majesty, I have obtained useful information.
“Oh?”
I perked up.
Belladrina quickly relayed the information.
-Yes, have you perhaps heard of the Masked Lord?
“Hmm… I’ve heard of it before.”
Isn’t it one of the lords inherent within the Overlord?
I remembered it appearing in the Lord’s Codex.
Back then, I had chosen the Inferno Road.
But the Masked Lord had also piqued my interest quite a bit, so to see it mentioned here.
I focused on Belladrina’s message with considerable anticipation.
Belladrina had brought good news.
-I’ve discovered that there exists a sealed thought-form of the Masked Lord.
“!!!”
This was truly excellent news.
Did she not know where it was located?
Seizing the moment before I could ask, Belladrina spoke.
-Unfortunately, they weren’t able to uncover the location, but the Sword Saint’s faction is gathering as many lords and swordsmanship techniques comparable to them as possible. Among what hasn’t been secured yet, the Masked Lord is what could be considered most useful.
It had been quite a short time.
Yet she had extracted information up to that point.
Truly impressive.
As I was marveling and feeling satisfied at that.
Nocturne bowed respectfully and spoke.
“I humbly apologize, but I happened to overhear your conversation.”
“It’s fine.”
“From what I’ve heard, it seems you are searching for the tomb where the Masked Lord is buried—is that correct?”
“…?”
A tomb?
Was the location of the thought-form a tomb?
But how did Nocturne know that place was a tomb?
I looked at Nocturne with a questioning expression.
Nocturne smiled broadly and explained.
“In fact, I was the one who constructed that tomb, so I know the location well.”
“??????”
Since he had said he named this city after himself.
I knew he had lived quite long, but there was such a connection?
Dumbfounded by this absurd revelation, I stared blankly at Nocturne.
Nocturne smiled slightly and spoke.
“I shall provide you with a map. Ah, and there’s something else I should give you… hmm.”
Nocturne frowned as if annoyed.
Helena, standing beside me, also muttered irritably.
“Seriously, the world’s will is such a pain.”
At Helena’s words, Nocturne nodded in agreement.
Then.
“To deceive the world’s will, this is the only way.”
Nocturne said so and snapped his fingers.
Text materialized before my eyes.
[Scenario Quest, 『The Masked Lord’s Tomb』 has been created.]
A Quest suddenly appeared.
And.
[This is a linked Quest.]
[Rewards will be enhanced based on your actions.]
After reading all those lines, Yoo Sung-hyun looked at Nocturne.
Nocturne smiled faintly and spoke.
“I’ll provide you with a reward once you return.”
This felt only slightly different from outright giving it away.
In the first place, revealing the location of the Masked Lord’s Tomb itself seemed like a reward already.
Yoo Sung-hyun had such thoughts.
But he didn’t bother voicing them.
‘Well then, shall I go take a look?’
A fairly useful Quest had appeared after all.
8.
Meanwhile, Captain Gust of the Intelligence Knight Order was holding up a crystal sphere while bowing his head.
The relocation of the base to Nocturne was completely finished.
Without making a single mistake.
Yet a strange current continued to be felt.
Should I call it intuition?
Should I call it a premonition?
For whatever reason.
There was an inexplicable unease.
But Gust, having suppressed his emotions, ignored such sentiments and continued his report.
Not long after, the form of the Sword Saint appeared in the crystal.
Communication through the crystal was initiated to receive the report, and Captain Gust opened his mouth.
“The traces of the Galaxy Sword Dance have disappeared without leaving even a shred of clues. We are pursuing it, but unless it appears again, it seems it will take quite some time before we discover it.”
-…Sigh.
At Gust’s words, an exasperated sigh escaped from the Sword Saint, and Gust’s body trembled.
After all, the Sword Saint was his master.
He followed orders regardless, but the mission had essentially amounted to near failure.
He couldn’t help but be afraid.
As Gust trembled so.
The Sword Saint shook his head and spoke.
-Continue the search. And what about the acquisition of other Lords or sword techniques?
At those words, Gust answered with some confidence in that regard.
“Currently, other sword techniques have been difficult to identify, but we recently obtained clues regarding a Lord.”
-Hmm?
“The Masked Lord—records indicate that the power of one who once dominated the continent lies buried there. We haven’t discovered the location yet, but it seems it should take priority over the Celestial Ruins.”
At that report, the Sword Saint pondered for a moment, then nodded.
-Focus all efforts on searching for the Galaxy Sword Dance and the Masked Lord.
“Yes!”
As the report concluded, Gust exhaled deeply and murmured to himself.
“I’ll need to leave those who handle intelligence work behind and divide the attendants in half—deploying them to search for the Silver River Sword Dance and the Masked Lord’s Tomb.”
Of course, Gust had no way of knowing.
That there were already those heading in that very direction.
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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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