The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage - Chapter 359

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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 359
359
2.
In the Capital of Rieschan Kingdom, within a room where the air hung heavy and an oppressive atmosphere permeated every corner, the Sword Saint sat at its center.
With a scowl etched across his face like some malevolent spirit, the Sword Saint showed no hint of approval as he questioned the subordinate prostrated before him.
“What did you say?”
“…I-I apologize, my lord.”
“Speak again.”
A coercive aura dominated the space, and the subordinate felt as though his neck might be severed if he misspoke even slightly.
Yet sensing that further delay would mean his own death, the subordinate carefully opened his mouth while remaining prostrate on the floor.
But in that instant.
A flash of steel——!!!
A sword strike grazed past his side.
It scorched the floor as though something sharp had carved through it, and the subordinate swallowed hard at the blade strike that had occurred before he could even comprehend it.
It was the Sword Saint urging him to speak faster.
The subordinate had no choice but to open his mouth.
“…I-I beg your pardon, but all contact with the Intelligence Knight Order stationed in Nocturne has been severed.”
“Verification?”
“We dispatched other informants, but all communications from Nocturne were cut off again. It appears the lord of Nocturne, the Dream Lord Nocturne, has taken notice.”
The Sword Saint nodded as he listened to the subordinate’s precise report.
Then.
A sharp sound.
The subordinate’s neck was severed in an instant, and the Sword Saint rose from his seat.
The thought that some mere Dream Lord would dare crawl before him ignited his fury, yet there was nothing to be done.
There was nothing the Sword Saint could accomplish at this very moment.
Pain flickered across the Sword Saint’s wrathful face.
It was pain arising from a wound to his soul that had yet to fully heal.
“Damn it.”
The Sword Saint muttered thus, biting his lip.
He wished to strike back at that arrogant Overlord and at Overpalace itself.
Yet for now, there was nothing he could do.
Should he perhaps seek another approach?
But no clear strategy came to mind, and the Sword Saint could only struggle in anguish and rage for a long while.
Still, there was one consolation.
‘Since all perished in Nocturne, traces of the Galaxy Sword Dance, or perhaps the Mask Lord, may yet remain.’
A naive thought, born from the Sword Saint’s unfamiliarity with field operations.
Thus, since the Galaxy Sword Dance had been discovered in Nocturne, the Sword Saint set aside thoughts of it and instead recalled the recovery of the Mask Lord, summoning a knight order.
His direct knight order—one without any external complications.
A knight order assembled solely through skill, without employing Demon power, so the Sword Saint placed great expectations upon them this time.
As they entered the Sword Saint’s chamber.
“You summoned me.”
Rindel Silverrain, captain of the Mirror Knights, immediately bowed his head in a gesture of loyalty.
The moment he appeared before the Sword Saint, even a fleeting illusion of reflected light seemed to shimmer.
Though his strength paled in comparison to the Sword Saint’s at present.
The Sword Saint observed Rindel—a most devoted knight whom he believed would certainly ascend to the ranks of the powerful in time.
Since Rindel was already capable of operating even in the Tenth Region by outsider standards, the Sword Saint issued his command with confidence.
“Have your informants gather intelligence and retrieve the Mask Lord. I intend to add him to the Mask Lord’s Knights.”
“Yes, I shall see it done as you command.”
Rindel Silverrain, head bowed, departed the Capital of Rieschan Kingdom alongside his fluttering cloak and his knights.
Their destination: the unexplored regions of the Eighth Region.
According to the informants, the Mask Lord slumbered within a Ruins discovered near where the Exploration Team was conducting their investigation, and just as Rindel was about to depart in haste.
One of the informants brought along by the knights received word from the capital and urgently approached Rindel.
“C-Captain?! The Ruins where the Mask Lord was presumed to be sleeping has vanished, they say.”
The mission began to creak and groan from the start.
Rindel, who knew the Sword Saint’s brutal temperament, felt his handsome features darken.
“…This is troublesome.”
Yet from the moment he had accepted the mission and departed the capital, there was no turning back.
Rindel steeled himself and cried out.
“Someone has obtained the Mask Lord. We shall slay them and reclaim him.”
If something had been taken from them, it was only right to retrieve it.
Thus the Mirror Knights, following their captain Rindel’s command, mounted their steeds and rode swiftly toward the unexplored regions of the Eighth Region.
3.
A throne surrounded by countless masks.
And upon each of those masks was carved one of the masks Yoo Sung-hyun had collected thus far.
Observing this sight, Yoo Sung-hyun watched the spectacle with fascination.
At the same moment Yoo Sung-hyun and his servants set foot in this place.
A stone monument suddenly materialized before the throne.
Since something was inscribed upon this monument, Yoo Sung-hyun examined it as well.
As expected.
“Hmm, a history is inscribed here.”
The text spoke of the Mask Lord’s era of activity, when he had achieved tremendous renown.
The Mask Lord had been even more famous than Will Baghdad, the Necromancer Lord, so Yoo Sung-hyun was curious about how he had perished.
And the monument bore that very tale.
[We gathered to stand against that creature.
The fall of an old friend was unbearable to witness, and so quite remarkable figures assembled to witness the end of our comrade.
Myself, Fesil the Mask Lord, along with Nocturne the Dream Lord, Morbas the Lord of Erosion, Aizen of the Mirror Blade Artz, and Caldian of the Clone Sword Dance—five lords and lord-tier knights in total.
Yet we five gathered to oppose our old friend challenged him together, only to manage sealing him away.
Underestimating that creature’s power proved fatal, and I suffered a mortal wound.
I was among the fortunate ones.
Morbas, the Lord of Erosion, vanished without even leaving a corpse during the battle, and Aizen of the Mirror Blade Artz crumbled away, leaving only a single sword behind.
Caldian, the master of the Clone Sword Dance, managed to seal that creature, but ultimately lost his life and collapsed. Only I, Fesil, and the Dream Lord Nocturne survived.
However, among those two, I too suffered a mortal wound and could not escape death.
Moreover, though we sealed it, that seal was merely incomplete, and there was no guarantee it wouldn’t awaken after I fell into slumber. We needed a mechanism to prevent that.
That is why, before my death, I resolved to leave all my legacy in this place.
Whoever receives my inheritance.
I earnestly pray that you will honor my wishes, complete the mask, and grant my old friend—now sealed away—a final rest.]
A long and tragic tale.
As Sung-hyun read that story, he felt something peculiar and tilted his head in confusion.
Then, suddenly.
‘While other lords might not know, it seemed Helena was aware of both Nocturne and Fesil, the Mask Lord…’
If that were true, then this “old friend” must be one of Helena’s minions as well?
The moment that thought crossed his mind.
A message appeared before Sung-hyun.
[Special condition confirmed.]
[Overlord status verified.]
[A hidden stele manifests.]
Another stele appeared and revealed itself to Sung-hyun.
[Our old friend, now fallen into corruption—once the beloved pet dragon of the Demon King Helena. Now corrupted.
Deathbone Dragon, Belzarak Draxion.
Please grant that creature eternal peace.]
The moment Sung-hyun saw it, his expression became one of vindication, while Helena beside him could only wear an awkward look.
Helena’s pet dragon, no less.
It was absurd, yet somehow understandable.
Well, it was Helena, after all.
In any case.
“Five lords attacked together and still lost. That’s rather shocking.”
At Sung-hyun’s words, Belladrina lowered her head with a troubled expression and replied.
-Belzarak is more than capable of such a feat. After Lady Helena’s death, that creature was at the height of its power. Had it not been consumed by sorrow, I suspect all five of them would have perished.
“…To that extent?”
-B-Belzarak Uncle is truly terrifying.
Fiora, who also knew Belzarak, chimed in at Sung-hyun’s remark.
Even as Sung-hyun wondered if he could defeat such a creature now, he thought it might be manageable.
The minions Sung-hyun commanded were no trivial force either.
Moreover.
There was even what one might call a cheat code among them.
Thinking thus, Sung-hyun looked at Helena.
“Hmm, what do you think?”
“Ugh.”
At Sung-hyun’s question, Helena let out a troubled groan and fell into thought for a moment.
Then.
After finishing her thoughts, she nodded.
“It seems doable. Since time has passed, the sealed soul of Belzarak Draxion has probably escaped anyway. You handle souls well, so that’s not a problem, but only his physical body remains—it’ll be quite tough, but I think we can manage it.”
If even Helena found it difficult, just how strong was Belzarak Draxion?
Yoo Sung-hyun smiled faintly at the thought and headed toward the Mask Lord’s throne.
After all, I had just obtained one of the overwhelming powers.
As Yoo Sung-hyun reached out toward the mask resting upon the throne and grasped the final mask in his hand.
[You have obtained the Mask Lord’s Mask.]
[Hidden Ruins, ‘Mask Lord’s Tomb’ cleared.]
[All rewards have been replaced with ‘Mask Lord’s Mask’.]
[You have acquired an enormous amount of experience points.]
[You have acquired the Almighty-grade skill, ‘Mask Lord’.]
[Accumulating vast experience and the power of lordship satisfies the conditions.]
[‘Mask Lord’ seizes an opportunity for awakening.]
[Level Up!]×6
[You have reached Level 253.]
[Achieving a 10-level milestone activates the Almighty-grade item, ‘Overlord’s Grimoire’.]
[Reaching Level 230 unlocks new conditions.]
[Instead of unlocking a new skill, you may awaken ‘Mask Lord’.]
[Will you awaken ‘Mask Lord’?]
As the prompt asking whether to awaken the Mask Lord instead of learning a new skill appeared.
Yoo Sung-hyun pressed yes without hesitation, as if questioning why he was even being asked.
Then.
[‘Mask Lord’ awakens and ‘Multifaceted Lord’ unveils its true power.]
At the words revealing true power, Yoo Sung-hyun grinned and murmured.
“So, shall we go hunt down a dragon?”
At Yoo Sung-hyun’s words, his minions followed in unison behind him.
Deathbone Dragon, Belzarak Draxion.
The moment my next target was decided.

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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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