The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage - Chapter 352

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 352
352
Should I call it an unexpected collaboration?
And with such a remarkable figure at that—would anyone truly wish to decline?
Though Baren certainly held considerable standing among independent streamers, he could hardly compare to Yoo Sung-hyun, one of the primary stars of the Rapid Guild, which now approached fifty million subscribers.
The subscriber count alone differed by a factor of one hundred.
That alone said everything.
Naturally, the viewers erupted into chaos as well.
It made sense—Yoo Sung-hyun hadn’t streamed in quite some time.
-Insane???
-The Demon King for real???
-Those pieces of equipment aren’t ordinary, are they? Just look at the shine—the luster is completely different;;;-
-Wait, we’re seeing the Demon King here lolol?
-Lololol what’s the Rapid Guild doing!!!-
As the viewers descended into frenzy, Baren found himself at a loss, uncertain how to react.
What expression should he show?
After all, weren’t they inside the Ruins?
When you thought about it, they were competitors.
As if reading Baren’s very thoughts, one viewer spoke up.
-But isn’t this bad? Aren’t they competitors here?
-Oh? You’re right???
-ah… … It’s a shame Varen.
-Lololol already done for. But yeah, that’s true.
The viewers, upon realizing this, quickly concluded that Baren was finished and lamented his fate.
The Demon King encountered within the Ruins.
While this alone made for compelling content, unfortunately the setting within the Ruins posed a problem.
After all, they were ultimately competitors.
It could only end in death—one killing the other.
While most predicted this outcome, Yoo Sung-hyun harbored similar thoughts.
‘Should I kill him?’
It was a natural consideration.
Honestly, Yoo Sung-hyun didn’t believe he’d struggle against those five.
However.
-Sung-hyun, there’s an NPC mixed in there too.
-Yeah?
There was precisely one thing that gave Yoo Sung-hyun pause.
None other than the presence of an NPC.
That’s why he felt some reluctance.
Killing an NPC within the Ruins carried no real penalty to speak of.
To reiterate, this was a place of competition after all.
But that didn’t mean I wanted to kill NPCs who had done nothing wrong.
Users could be resurrected, but NPCs couldn’t.
Helena, understanding my hesitation, had explained it to me directly.
Though I had already sensed as much.
Either way, it was an awkward situation.
Baren found himself in an equally difficult position.
‘Will I actually die…?’
Though he bore the fearsome title of Demon King, no one had witnessed him engage in unsportsmanlike conduct or kill innocent people.
Well, except for those he’d killed during competitions.
So despite his uncertainty, Baren trembled slightly, a flicker of fear crossing his features.
But he couldn’t simply remain idle.
There were other members of the Exploration Team present.
Yet all of them were paralyzed by the Demon King’s overwhelming presence.
Especially the NPC members of the Exploration Team, who didn’t even know who the Demon King was, trembled violently before Sung-hyun’s devastating power.
Baren had no choice but to decide.
‘We don’t mind dying, but not Uncle Hacon.’
With that resolve.
Courage surged forth like a spring.
“D-Demon King?”
Baren suddenly spoke up.
And watching him, the viewers expressed their condolences.
I’m crying so hard / Boo hoo hoo hoo
If you’re going to kill me, please make it painless.
-That’s right ㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠ
-It was a good ruin.
The chat had become a sea of tears.
Of course, Sung-hyun couldn’t see it, and Baren had no time to glance at the chat.
Sung-hyun responded to Baren’s call.
“Yes?”
“As members of the Exploration Team, we can disarm various mechanisms and traps, and we can explore all hidden secrets. If you take us with you, we’ll demonstrate our abilities. And of course, we’ll hand over all items and rewards we discover.”
At Baren’s resolute attitude, all the Exploration Team members’ faces filled with emotion, and the chat seemed touched as well.
Crying/Sobbing (or “Wah wah wah wah”)
-To take care of the investigation team members ㅠㅠㅠ
-ㅠㅠㅠㅠDon’t kill Demon King Varenㅠㅠㅠ
Since it was Baren’s channel after all.
Many messages appeared hoping the Demon King Sung-hyun wouldn’t kill Baren.
And then.
Sung-hyun’s expression actually brightened at Baren’s words.
Though hidden behind the mask.
“Excellent. There’s no need for us to fight then.”
At Yoo Sung-hyun’s words, the faces of all the Exploration Team members brightened, and while Sung-hyun’s Retinue didn’t say anything in particular, their expressions suggested relief at avoiding unnecessary conflict.
Thus, the two teams merged into one.
And.
“When we inserted the deer mask into the finely grooved slot, the door opened, so it seems this is the system for originally reuniting with our teammates.”
“Hmm, that makes sense.”
Though Yoo Sung-hyun didn’t know, Baren began exchanging information as he passed along such details.
And the moment Yoo Sung-hyun heard such talk, he asked.
“Hmm, then how many of the fifteen are NPCs?”
At Yoo Sung-hyun’s question, Baren could immediately discern the intent behind it.
Users would face penalties if they died, but it wasn’t a major concern, whereas NPCs were different.
Baren answered Yoo Sung-hyun’s words directly.
“Two more remain.”
Since one was here, that made three total.
Yoo Sung-hyun nodded at that information.
He formulated a plan to rescue them as much as possible.
Of course, clearing this Tomb as thoroughly as possible was a given.
Once the objectives were set.
They decided that if Baren found similar mechanics or new mechanics in the next area, he would inform them.
The moment Yoo Sung-hyun joined them, the viewers’ reactions became intense.
-The Demon King? For real?
-Wow, it’s actually the Demon King?
-Why is such an esteemed person on this shabby channel???
-???????How is this real? Why are you in the Exploration Team????
-Demon King?
-Wow, look at that firepower
Until now, Baren, who had been too tense to properly watch the chat, was shocked by the sudden surge in activity.
It was inevitable.
[Current Viewers – 247,562●]
“??????”
Countless question marks flooding in.
Baren, unable to comprehend it, asked while looking at the viewer count.
“Everyone… why are you here?”
At such a surreal number, he posed the question to the viewers.
The viewers found it quite amusing and began chattering.
-Hahahaha
-That reaction is cute haha
-Hahahaha this is your first time seeing a stream explode?
-Haha the Exploration Team stream does have low viewership normally.
-Wow, pulling aggro with just one Demon King, this kind of firepower is impressive.
-It’s understandable hahahaha
Baren felt that partnering with a major corporation was indeed different from what he’d experienced before.
He never imagined that half of his subscribers’ viewership would flood in like this.
Seeing Baren so flustered,
Yoo Sung-hyun tilted his head curiously and asked.
“Are you streaming live?”
“Oh, yes. I always keep it on when investigating unexplored areas….”
Baren’s demeanor screamed his hope that he hadn’t offended anyone.
However, Yoo Sung-hyun didn’t seem particularly concerned.
“I see, I understand.”
Since it ended right there, Baren exhaled a sigh of relief.
Haha, it is pretty scary though.
I would’ve been scared too lol
I already gave up lol
-This is the first time I’ve seen a Demon King in competitive content who doesn’t kill everyone?
You’re always so strict, but you’re being lenient this time haha
After Baren relaxed a bit,
he looked at the system message still displayed after clearing the deer mask.
[Do you wish to challenge the next trial?]
[Yes / No]
[If you end the trial now, you may exit with all rewards obtained so far.]
It seemed he’d need to press this to move to the next room.
The Exploration Team members had all finished resting, and Yoo Sung-hyun’s group was fully prepared as well.
When Baren pressed Yes to accept the challenge,
the entire room shook violently and began descending.
Just as he thought another trial was beginning,
the room shifted, and countless masks suddenly appeared across the walls.
And those masks bore shadowy silhouettes like multiple afterimages.
But that wasn’t what mattered.
Baren and the Exploration Team members caught glimpses of several corpses through the narrow gap before the room fully transitioned.
They appeared to be bodies that had collapsed in the previous room.
The moment Baren saw them, he reported to Yoo Sung-hyun.
“We saw corpses of other people besides us.”
“If there are corpses, they must be an NPC group?”
“They weren’t wearing our Exploration Team uniforms.”
At that explanation, Yoo Sung-hyun nodded in understanding while observing something the team members couldn’t see.
-Ah, ah, glorious Overlord!
-How did we not realize this sooner!
-Our true master!
It was awkward to say, but they were the freshly deceased ghosts of the Intelligence Knight Order.
Yoo Sung-hyun let out a soft chuckle at the sight of them.
[You displayed abilities beyond your current stats through ‘Unknown Power’.]
[Agility +3 Stamina +3 permanently increased.]
[You displayed abilities beyond your current stats through ‘Unknown Power’.]
[Agility +2 Stamina +4 permanently increased.]
[You displayed abilities beyond your current stats through ‘Unknown Power’.]
[Agility +4 Stamina +3 permanently increased.]
After seeing my stats increase for the first time in a while, I even read their memories.
And then.
“What is that shadow-like pattern?”
“Hmm, is it really just a shadow?”
“We might find out once it appears….”
While the Exploration Team members were still puzzled, I casually spoke up.
“Proliferate.”
At my word, the wall opened just as it had before, and a masked puppet emerged.
But unlike before, the creature began to multiply—what had been a single entity suddenly became five.
Then it surveyed me and Baren’s group before multiplying once more.
Now there were ten.
At how rapidly they had proliferated, Baren and the Exploration Team members grew considerably wary and muttered.
“This is going to be more troublesome than expected?”
“Right….”
“Everyone, be careful.”
I didn’t know how strong each individual puppet was, but there was nothing stopping these ten entities from multiplying again.
While everyone was tensing up like that.
I moved first.
My first move was deceptively simple.
It was merely raising my hand, yet the result exceeded all imagination.
Black shadow materialized beneath the puppets.
The darkness then became sharp spikes that erupted upward, and violet flames engulfed their tips—burning them to ash the instant they pierced through.
Whoooosh!
Crackling flames———!
As the proliferating masked puppets writhed in agony.
Ten droplets of blood bloomed from my palm, floating upward before rapidly shooting toward the puppets.
The blood droplets transformed into crimson crescents, their edges sharp as blades, severing the creatures’ necks in a single stroke.
Shhhhwick———!!!
A cascade of skills unleashed in a single moment.
It happened so instantaneously that the proliferating masked puppets vanished without so much as a reaction, and a new masked puppet appeared before me in mid-air.
“It’s over.”
At my casual remark, everyone exchanged bewildered glances and stared at me.
-???????
-What????
-What????
-It just vanished???
Baren was no different from the viewers.
“??????”
All the members of the Exploration Team, who had braced themselves for considerable annoyance, scratched the back of their heads in bewilderment, and one of them muttered under their breath.
“Well… at least we can search for some gimmick.”
That assessment was spot on.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————