The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage - Chapter 349

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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 349
349
0.
“Haaah.”
Yoo Sung-hyun emerged from the Capsule with a long, drawn-out yawn.
Was it the accumulation of fatigue?
A lingering sense of exhaustion still clung to me.
Though it wasn’t anything severe.
After finishing a casual meal with family.
In the late evening hours.
Before bed, I scoured the internet searching for information.
My older sister Yoo Mi-na was well-versed in matters concerning the Eternal World.
But this time was different.
So when I searched.
“Hmm.”
As expected, little came up.
The region where the Masked Lord was supposedly buried was none other than an area that had never been revealed until now.
An Unexplored Region.
Typically areas that had yet to be developed.
But from the Eighth Region onward, such zones appeared frequently.
It was a point where leveling became difficult, and players began falling behind in competition.
Besides, if there was only hunting, what enjoyment would there be?
To provide new content, Unexplored Regions began appearing after the Eighth Region, with an Exploration Expedition system to explore them.
And the location of the Masked Lord was supposedly in one of these Unexplored Regions.
In truth, there was no major problem.
‘I do have a map.’
Since I’d received both a map and a Quest.
Finding it would be simple.
But I needed to search how much of the surrounding area had been developed.
However, no matter how much I searched, detailed information didn’t appear.
So I could only gather rough information.
‘It seems like it’s been developed quite close by?’
Without detailed information or maps, I could only make educated guesses.
A massive Stone Mountain near a tomb.
Seeing that it matched the Stone Mountain recorded by one of the users belonging to another Exploration Expedition, I could conclude we’d come quite close to the location.
Concealment wouldn’t be difficult.
The problem was.
‘If the Exploration Expedition has come this far, the Intelligence Knight Order will find it soon.’
Just before I logged off today.
Belladrina had informed me that the Intelligence Knight Order was attempting to locate the Masked Lord.
I need to log in tomorrow and head straight to the tomb.
After gathering basic information about the tomb, Yoo Sung-hyun contemplated his next move.
‘One of the powers of the lords sleeping within the Overlord was the Masked Lord, wasn’t it?’
When he had written the Lord’s Treatise, it had clearly stated as much.
The system wouldn’t deceive him.
Which meant…
‘If I obtain the Masked Lord, I might be able to awaken immediately.’
The remaining half was sleeping within the Overlord.
I absolutely had to obtain this.
With that thought and a flutter of anticipation in his heart, Yoo Sung-hyun quickly drifted off to sleep.
Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough—whether I’d obtain the Masked Lord or not depended on it.
And so Yoo Sung-hyun fell asleep.
His mind filled with thoughts of finding the Masked Lord’s tomb as soon as possible.
1.
The Unexplored Region was a word that captivated explorers well.
Despite their questionable character, weren’t there quite a few who admired Columbus for discovering the New World?
The thrill of discovering something new, a new region, was far stronger than one might imagine.
And the Exploration Expedition was where such users gathered.
They were distributed quite widely from the Eighth Region onward, and the expedition members in the unexplored areas near Nocturne were among those very people.
Discovering new ruins here or traces of new ancient civilizations was rewarding, but some had the goal of building new villages or cities if they found suitable land.
The expedition, composed of such individuals, began today with vigor.
“Phew, is there a ruin sensed near Stone Mountain?”
“Even using skills, I can’t detect anything?”
“Sometimes higher-grade magic or skills conceal things, so search through the legends too.”
They didn’t merely inquire—they gathered various information from the NPCs around them as if they were archaeologists, and traced paths based on ancient legends and tales.
This was how ruins were discovered quite frequently.
Of course, there were far too many wild goose chases.
There were sections where traps and monsters appeared in abundance.
But it wasn’t a problem.
Though they were explorers.
That didn’t mean their combat prowess was weak.
After all, this was the Eighth Region, accessible only to those level 250 and above.
They too were quite formidable.
Moreover, it wasn’t only users gathered here.
“Hmm, there were a few legends about that Stone Mountain nearby?”
“Oh? Already? Where did you find it?”
“I had an acquaintance who knew about Nocturne, and they mentioned that Nocturne is an older city than expected.”
“Ah. As expected of a city ruled by the living legend Overpalace.”
At the words of Borokan, the archaeologist serving as the expedition leader, the eyes of the expedition members nearby gleamed with light.
Whether user or NPC, they were all devoted to uncovering the history of the past and developing unexplored regions.
Everyone focused on Borokan’s words.
“From what I’ve heard, this area was once the land of the Masked Ones, quite some time ago.”
“The land of the Masked Ones?”
“Oh! I’ve heard about that! A city where only those wearing masks gathered together? I think I heard there was a nation like that.”
“Exactly that. Perhaps the remnants of that nation, or city, lie somewhere nearby? I’ve heard that after the being who ruled over those Masked Ones died, they all scattered.”
“Oh!?”
“Wow! That’s incredible!!!”
Everyone fell into a frenzy of excitement.
Though they didn’t know of the Lord of Masks, they seemed to have heard some legends connected to it.
As I shared various pieces of information, the members of the Exploration Expedition all moved with unified excitement.
Exploring an Unexplored Region wasn’t something accomplished by simply wandering about aimlessly.
Exploration included surveying the terrain alongside maps, identifying what lay in the surrounding area, and determining what existed or didn’t exist beneath the ground.
While everyone was busily moving about in this manner.
Several figures concealed themselves within the shadows.
Thereafter, among the flickering shadows, voices that only they could hear were directed toward one another.
-The Exploration Expedition has explored more than I expected.
-Yes, sir. Thanks to that, we were able to arrive here comfortably.
At the vice-captain’s words, one of the members nodded in agreement.
Their true identity was none other than the Intelligence Knight Order of the Riescan Kingdom.
Like the others, they too possessed information they had obtained.
Vice-Captain Haldrin questioned one of his subordinates.
-Did you obtain the information?
Since they had agreed to gather here after collecting information separately.
One of the knights immediately responded to Haldrin’s question.
-The information we gathered indicates that something existed around Stone Mountain in this vicinity.
Should we operate based on Stone Mountain as a reference point?
While absorbed in such thoughts.
Gruger, who could be called Haldrin’s left arm, spoke.
Though his usual manner of speech was casual, when making reports like this, Gruger’s tone shifted to one of formality.
-Using Stone Mountain as a reference point is correct, but I believe it would take considerable time to search the entire surrounding area. Rather than exploring the vicinity, I think it would be better to wait and observe how those Exploration Expedition members move.
-Hmm.
Indeed, the journey here wasn’t without difficulty.
But from here on, conducting our own investigation would be no different from starting from scratch.
Haldrin found himself in contemplation as well.
He had to judge this coldly.
Yet efficiency was equally important.
Just as Haldrin was deliberating.
Gruger drove the point home with his words.
-Even if those Exploration Expedition members discover something, we can simply enter first.
-You’re right. Let’s wait then. In the meantime, gather more useful information—that would be more efficient. I’ll observe the Exploration Expedition’s movements from here, so all of you gather intelligence.
-Yes.
-Understood.
At Haldrin’s words, several of them bowed their heads in acknowledgment before quickly dispersing.
Watching them all scatter in unison, Haldrin—who had initially suspected Gruger—nodded with satisfaction.
‘It seems it was just a misunderstanding after all.’
That strange sensation I’d felt before must have been nothing more than a false alarm.
With that thought, I continued to monitor the Exploration Expedition that had been moving since morning.
How much time had passed after that?
It was afternoon now, the sun beginning to dip toward the horizon.
Well past lunch, one of the Exploration Expedition members suddenly cried out urgently.
“W-we’ve discovered an unidentified Ruins near Stone Mountain!”
At that member’s cry, Haldrin’s eyes gleamed with interest.
The tedious waiting had finally come to an end!
Haldrin hastily reassembled the Knights Order members. While the Exploration Expedition members were still examining the exterior of the Ruins near the entrance, Vice-Captain Haldrin led the Intelligence Knight Order swiftly inside.
The Intelligence Knight Order, led by Vice-Captain Haldrin, entered the entrance rapidly.
Shortly thereafter, the system within the Ruins became visible.
[Current personnel inside the tomb: 15]
“…?”
The Intelligence Knight Order numbered ten.
Yet fifteen people inside the tomb?
Seeing this, Vice-Captain Haldrin of the Intelligence Knight Order muttered.
“Could there be an Exploration Expedition member who slipped in without our notice?”
“That’s unlikely. If there were, there would have to be traces of entry from the entrance. But since even we didn’t detect such traces, it certainly wouldn’t be an Exploration Expedition member.”
At his subordinate’s response, Haldrin nodded as well.
That meant things had gone awry.
To obtain the Mask Lord’s treasure, one had to pass through the tomb faster than anyone else.
Haldrin spoke urgently.
“There are predecessors who arrived before us. We capture them.”
Just as he spoke and attempted to advance further into the tomb.
A system message appeared before their eyes.
[You have entered the tomb.]
[The Mask’s Trial begins.]
With the sudden appearance of the system message, their figures near the entrance vanished in an instant.
As if the Mask itself had swallowed them whole.
The Intelligence Knight Order, having vanished thus, reappeared within a vast Underground Cavern.
It was a place where precisely hewn stones were arranged in order.
As they arrived and stood there with bewildered expressions.
The anomaly became immediately apparent.
There were only five members when there should have been ten.
And before them, another message appeared.
[The Mask’s Trial can be conducted in groups of five.]
In other words, they had been divided into groups of five.
The moment the numerical advantage disappeared, Haldrin’s expression hardened noticeably.
Afterward, as if to see what kind of trial this would be, he began loosening his body casually.
Gruger, who had been observing all of this, transmitted the information somewhere, and upon seeing it, Belladrina bowed her head toward Yoo Sung-hyun and reported.
-The rats have entered the tomb as expected, Master.
At that report, Yoo Sung-hyun nodded.
It was about time they arrived.
“Now the real struggle for supremacy begins.”
“Aha, this should be entertaining. Fesil designed quite an interesting tomb.”
“Hmm~ Indeed.”
-This should be fun!
-It’s time to demonstrate my true abilities.
Helena answered Yoo Sung-hyun’s words, and the other servants responded as well.
At last, three or more teams had gathered.
The trial was about to begin.
But then.
[A new team enters the tomb.]
[Current personnel inside the tomb: 30 individuals]
It seemed the Exploration Expedition members had entered as well.

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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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