The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage - Chapter 357

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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 357
357
0.
The Riescan Kingdom’s Intelligence Knight Order had roughly five vice-captains, three of whom handled information while only two actively conducted fieldwork as operational vice-captains.
One of them was Haldrin, and the other was Marco, who could be called Gust’s loyal subordinate.
Marco had been separated from Haldrin and was searching for traces of the Galaxy Sword Dance, yet the traces of the Galaxy Sword Dance that were certainly discovered in Nocturne remained difficult to find.
Thus, Marco was suffering through an ordeal trying to locate traces that were incomprehensibly invisible.
‘This isn’t easy.’
In the meantime, he had maintained repeated contact with Haldrin, but when the communication suddenly cut off, he felt something odd.
What could he be doing that would cause the communication to drop?
Compared to Marco, Haldrin had no particular variables, which only made it more puzzling.
Marco was operating in Nocturne, after all.
Naturally, the risks had to be enormous.
The lord of Nocturne under Overpalace’s rule was nothing short of a legendary figure.
As the lord of Nocturne whose records existed from hundreds of years ago, the danger was unavoidable.
Haldrin, on the other hand, had no particular variables to speak of.
What could possibly be in the Masked Lord’s Tomb?
At most, only the Exploration Expedition was conducting reconnaissance in the surrounding area.
Yet seeing the communication cut off, Marco’s expression darkened with foreboding.
‘Should I send reinforcements over there?’
He hadn’t reported to Captain Gust yet, but it seemed better than searching for the invisible traces of the Galaxy Sword Dance here.
Just as he was about to move.
The moment he tried to connect the communication channel to report to the captain, he saw a strange darkness writhing.
Marco turned his head at the suddenly appearing darkness, but.
There was nothing there.
‘…There’s definitely something.’
But Marco was no fool.
He had clearly detected movement, and just because it disappeared didn’t mean the anomaly had vanished.
The moment he quickly drew his sword to move.
He suddenly thought everything felt like an illusion.
With that thought, he felt the surroundings writhing distinctly, and Marco realized.
‘I’m inside an illusion.’
He had entered what was commonly called an illusory spell.
With that realization, terrifyingly frightening hands began extending from the ground around him, and despite being someone who had his emotions suppressed, he recognized the fear he felt, confirming that his subordinates were not around him.
Realizing that no one was there, he drew a short dagger from his waist to break the illusion and stabbed it directly into his own neck in one motion.
Spurt——!!!
Splash——!!!
The best way to break free from an illusion was to apply shock.
Just as he was smiling, preparing to awaken from the illusion, a fountain of blood sprayed from his neck, and gradually the light faded from Marco’s eyes.
As the light completely vanished from Marco’s body as he collapsed, losing his radiance.
Before them appeared Nocturne—a nightmare made flesh, the ruler of Pentagrid City—who smiled wickedly and murmured.
“How curious… It does happen from time to time. People who mistake reality for a dream and commit reckless acts.”
As Nocturne spoke with that smile, he swept his hand over Marco’s corpse as if he were a magician.
Marco’s body and all traces of blood vanished without a trace.
As if it had all been a dream.
Nocturne slipped away from that place with unhurried grace, murmuring.
“I hope this proves somewhat helpful to my master.”
As Nocturne vanished, dozens of Intelligence Knight Order members—including Marco—disappeared clinging to him.
Gust of the Intelligence Knight Order was among them.
Nocturne’s nightmare-like form could not be found anywhere in that space.
The Intelligence Knight Order had vanished as well.
1.
Yoo Sung-hyun’s party opened the door to descend further.
But unlike the rooms that had shifted before, the floor itself opened to reveal a staircase, and their expressions grew peculiar.
What could possibly await them on Underground Level 4?
Following the inscription on the stone tablet, Yoo Sung-hyun’s party descended the stairs, all wearing their masks.
According to the map’s three-dimensional cube layout, Underground Level 4 also contained sixteen chambers total, and since Yoo Sung-hyun’s group occupied the 2×2 coordinate position, the chamber below would be the same.
Curious about what might differ in this deepest section, they entered.
Something was indeed different.
As they slowly descended the spiral staircase, torches embedded in the walls ignited one by one, creating an ominous atmosphere.
“Hmm, the atmosphere is rather gloomy, isn’t it?”
“We can’t know what might emerge, so everyone stay alert.”
Though everyone was on guard, Yoo Sung-hyun led the way down without hesitation, and his Retinue followed him.
The Exploration Team members brought up the rear behind Yoo Sung-hyun.
As they descended the stairs one by one, Yoo Sung-hyun sensed a peculiar energy.
His Retinue felt it too.
“Hmm? It’s quite powerful.”
-Your Majesty would face no difficulty whatsoever.
“Of course not.”
-Y-yes, naturally.
At their words, Yoo Sung-hyun scratched his head awkwardly.
Yet the power he felt was genuinely formidable.
It was considerably stronger than the Intelligence Knight Order members they’d just fought.
With such anticipation, he descended further.
They arrived at a chamber that resembled a stage.
True to the inscription on the stone tablet, everyone gazed around in wonder at the stage-like appearance, and viewers filled the chat with curiosity.
-Wow, the atmosphere is incredible.
-For real;;;;
Haha, nothing’s coming out here, right?
-Huh??? There’s something in the center?
-For real? Wow, it’s actually happening;;;;;;
-What is it?
As the viewers flooded the chat, naturally Yoo Sung-hyun and several members of the Exploration Team could sense it too.
Something standing in the center of the stage.
And once they all descended and stood upon the stage.
Suddenly, light illuminated the stage.
I could now see clearly what had been in the center.
It was none other than.
“Just as I thought—a doll.”
It was identical to the masked dolls I had encountered thus far.
The only difference was that unlike the dolls above, this one shimmered with a golden radiance as if crafted from gold itself, and most notably, nothing whatsoever was depicted on its mask.
As I gazed at it, curious about what kind of mask it might be.
Suddenly, a system message materialized in the air.
[A total of 13 masks have now entered the depths.]
[Power is being transferred to the mask upon the stage.]
The moment the Exploration Team members read that message, they couldn’t help but look at me with expressions of realization.
It meant the difficulty scaled proportionally with the number of people present.
In other words, the greater the number of Exploration Team members relying on me, the heavier the burden placed upon me—so their expressions turned apologetic.
But they didn’t know.
‘This is good.’
After all, I had found everything far too tedious until now, lacking any real challenge.
I drew forth the full power of the Blood Lord.
I had verified Belladrina’s power as well, but since I hadn’t yet extracted all of the Blood Lord’s strength, I watched with eager anticipation, and sure enough, the doll standing in the center began to transform.
Creak. Creak. Crack.
With grotesque sounds, the doll’s body gradually deformed.
Unlike before, its skeleton and form increasingly became human-like, softening as if it had truly acquired a living body.
I waited patiently, observing the transformation.
As the doll’s body continued to change, something slowly began to be inscribed upon its mask.
And those who witnessed it murmured in bewilderment.
“A cloud?”
“Mist?”
“What is it? It looks like some kind of gas?”
Though the cloud-like pattern mixed black and violet hues, resembling a storm cloud, I could be certain from the doll’s appearance.
A doll dressed in formal attire befitting nobility, placing one hand respectfully upon its chest and greeting with proper courtesy.
Seeing this, I couldn’t help but recall a figure from Overpalace whom I had met before arriving here.
“Nocturne?”
As if confirming my words, a rosy mist erupted from the doll’s body like billowing clouds, enveloping the entire stage.
And I instinctively grasped what kind of power this was.
‘Dreams!’
After all, one of the things mentioned when speaking of ruling the night was dreams.
Sung-hyun quickly perceived the threat and drew upon the Blood Lord’s power, tearing through the rosy mist with violent force.
Simultaneously, he conjured droplets of blood so minuscule they were nearly invisible, hurling them in a torrential assault that dyed the surrounding rosy mist a deep crimson.
Yet.
Whoooosh———!!!
Flames suddenly erupted from within the rosy mist, incinerating the fragmented blood and reducing it to vapor in an instant.
The metallic stench of blood dispersed in all directions as the droplets evaporated, but from Sung-hyun’s grasp, iron particles extracted from the vaporized blood took form, slashing through the flames with blood-forged blades.
The flames transformed back into rosy mist, returning to the puppet’s grasp.
Blood was a mask corresponding to Floor 3, while the Dream Mask now mimicking Nocturne was positioned at Underground Level 4.
The hierarchy was unmistakably clear.
Yet Sung-hyun smiled as though genuinely amused.
Meanwhile, the viewers and Exploration Team members stood bewildered, unable to comprehend what had transpired.
-??????
-What just happened?
-It looks like they attacked each other????
-?????What is this???
As both viewers and team members remained dumbfounded, Belladrina, exasperated, offered her explanation.
-Blind despite having eyes open. His Majesty blocked the spreading dream with blood, and the dream transformed into flame to evaporate the blood, but His Majesty then materialized the iron particles remaining in the evaporated blood, slashing through it and returning it to the puppet.
“Y-You mean that’s what happened?!”
“Wait, all that exchange happened in just that brief moment??”
The Exploration Team members watched the battle unfold on an entirely different dimension, grateful for Belladrina’s explanation, while the viewers could only express their appreciation for such considerate commentary.
-Thanks Demon King’s Retinue!
-Wow, actually explaining it lol
-Surprisingly kind despite appearances lol
-Oh? They’re fighting again!
-Insane, what happened this time!?
Something seemed to have occurred once more, but unable to comprehend it, the team members found themselves instinctively looking toward Belladrina again.
And Belladrina spoke with obvious irritation.
-Useless creatures. Just now His Majesty attacked first with blood, and the opponent negated it by transforming it into a dream, so His Majesty charged in directly.
It felt as though they had gained a commentator, yet no one dared voice their thoughts.
They feared that carelessly provoking her would result in her refusing to explain further.

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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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