The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage - Chapter 48

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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 48
Episode 48
Kim Che-gun momentarily missed the remark and tilted his head in confusion.
The Sword Hall warrior casually redirected the conversation as if it were nothing.
“The interviewer for this session is someone named Jinu.”
“Ah! Delighted to meet you! I look forward to your guidance today.”
“Ahem, it seems Yoo Sung-hyun hasn’t arrived yet, so let’s wait a bit longer.”
“Oh! Is Yoo Sung-hyun coming as well?”
“Ah, it seems you didn’t hear about it.”
Indeed, Kim Che-gun had only been told to arrive by 10 a.m. for the interview at this location.
He hadn’t heard that Yoo Sung-hyun would be participating either.
Since the Rapid Guild had conveyed the information, there was no need to mention who else was attending.
It had nothing to do with the interview itself.
The Sword Hall warrior—or rather, Jinu—scratched his head with a somewhat embarrassed expression.
‘Now that it’s come to this, it’s a bit awkward.’
Seeing that he’d given out the skill book, he should have figured it out anyway.
Jinu sighed and moved on with that thought.
Kim Che-gun seemed quite excited at the mention of Yoo Sung-hyun’s arrival and murmured to himself.
“This will be an excellent opportunity to test how much my skills measure up to Yoo Sung-hyun’s.”
“Hmm?”
“Is something the matter?”
Kim Che-gun looked at Jinu with surprise.
Was there something odd about it?
Conversely, Jinu was equally surprised looking at Kim Che-gun.
Usually, people with such a concept rarely acknowledge others’ abilities.
It was unexpected that he held Yoo Sung-hyun in such high regard.
If he’d done a party play session with Yoo Sung-hyun once, that could explain it.
Because it was none other than Yoo Sung-hyun.
There’s a reason he’s called the greatest rising star.
Even so, if Kim Che-gun, despite his concept, immediately acknowledged Yoo Sung-hyun.
Perhaps his character was better than appearances suggested.
‘I should check this aspect as well.’
Jinu thought this to himself and responded.
“Ah, it’s nothing much. I was just impressed that you hold Yoo Sung-hyun in such high regard.”
“Hehe, though I call myself Joseon First Blade, I’m not one to disparage others’ abilities.”
“Hmm….”
Watching Kim Che-gun continue to call himself Joseon First Blade, Jinu scratched his cheek.
The face certainly appeared to be that of a beautiful Western woman.
Yet he called himself Joseon First Blade.
Wasn’t there already someone called that in the community?
“Is it possible you’re joining the Rapid Guild because of Yoo-na, or rather, Yoo-na?”
“Hehehehe, why speak of such things? My sole objective is that person alone.”
“Ah… I see.”
Jinu answered thus while shaking his head inwardly.
A grand ambition was admirable, certainly.
But he suspected it might be impossible.
Around the time Jinu was entertaining such thoughts.
Someone in familiar attire was walking toward them from the distance.
Checking the time, it was exactly one minute before 10 AM.
Jinu watched the approaching figure with an expression of disbelief.
It wasn’t merely that they’d arrived precisely on time.
Gulp.
Jinu wasn’t the only one regarding him this way.
Kim Che-gun beside Jinu was also holding his breath, watching in admiration as the figure approached.
The way he walked toward them was nothing short of overwhelming.
An aura that distorted the surroundings slightly, as if heat shimmer rose from the air itself.
It was Yoo Sung-hyun.
He was definitely different from before.
‘…I saw him just yesterday, but something about his presence….’
‘Huh, truly it is Master Sung-hyun.’
Only a single day had passed since these two last saw Yoo Sung-hyun.
Yet could he have changed this much?
Unknown to them both, it was one of the effects born from summoning the Demon Knight.
Without realizing it, they found themselves overwhelmed by Yoo Sung-hyun’s presence, and as he approached.
They could only take a subtle step backward.
Seeing the two retreat slightly, Yoo Sung-hyun tilted his head with a puzzled expression and asked.
“What’s the matter?”
“Ah, ah, aha. No, that, rather we meet again. Master Sung-hyun.”
Jinu, naturally deflecting from Yoo Sung-hyun’s question, offered an awkward greeting.
Yoo Sung-hyun seemed somewhat surprised as well, nodding his head.
He’d assumed it would be the Rapid Guild.
But he hadn’t known they were skilled enough to conduct interviews.
The character Jinu bore no particular guild emblem or mark indicating guild membership.
He must be an alt character.
Yoo Sung-hyun thought thus far and responded.
“Hmm, so it is. I’d roughly intuited as much.”
“I too am delighted to see you.”
“I’m glad to see you as well.”
The greetings were brief.
They were already somewhat familiar with each other’s faces.
Then Jinu promptly explained the schedule.
They hadn’t gathered here just to play around, after all.
“Ahem, since Sung-hyun is here as well, I’ll explain today’s schedule. You’ve likely heard of the Fortress of the Past already, but to give a brief explanation—it’s a three-person record-type dungeon where three people enter simultaneously and handle waves of monsters approaching from three different directions.”
Since I already knew this information, I listened in silence.
“As for me, since I’m using an alt character, I’ll declare my surrender from the first wave and simply observe how many waves Joseon First Blade Kim Che-gun manages to clear. Sung-hyun, this isn’t an interview for you, so you can take it easy if you’d like—but since this is a dungeon you can only enter once, it would be best to give it your all and see it through to the end.”
“Understood.”
“Ahem, no problem here.”
Both of them nodded at Jinu’s briefing.
Seeing no objections, Jinu looked at the two of them and spoke.
“Then let’s head in.”
The briefing was already complete, after all.
There was no need to drag things out.
Both of them nodded eagerly in agreement.
There was no reason to wait.
It felt comfortable and good.
And Sung-hyun thought to himself.
‘I might get to see Baltar and the shadow transfer effect in action.’
Baltar, the underwear thief, was supposedly strong after all.
Let’s see what he can do.
3.
Located at the very heart of the Rapid Guild, in what could be called the safest place—Guild Master Rapid’s Office.
Even in the Rapid Guild Fortress, a natural stronghold and the safest location, this office was undoubtedly the most secure.
Yet today, something felt off.
Because of one person.
While Rapid diligently worked on editing, she sighed upon seeing Yoo-na sitting on the sofa with her mouth hanging open in obvious irritation.
“Sigh…”
At the sound of Rapid’s sigh, Yoo-na shot a sharp glare.
But she didn’t say anything in particular.
She merely spoke curtly.
“What, what is it.”
“Aren’t you going to level up?”
“…I will.”
Then go to the hunting grounds.”
“…”
She hadn’t thrown a tantrum after hearing what Sung-hyun said to her.
Yet she was expressing her irritation so plainly with her entire body.
Though Yoo-na usually presented herself as cold and rational, Rapid—who was her friend even in reality, not just as a guild member—knew this side of her well.
Whenever Sung-hyun was involved, Yoo-na always became like this.
“Sigh. This is troublesome. I’ll have to tell Sung-hyun about this.”
“…You could just go yourself.”
When Yoo Sung-hyun was mentioned, Yoo-na finally rose to her feet.
She was clearly dissatisfied with being placed in Luna Team, the rookie first group.
But what could be done about it?
That team lacked even the basic numbers, and it was the strongest team in terms of skill.
Assigning her to Luna Team was only natural.
Though the team members were certainly peculiar.
Well, to put it kindly, they were peculiar—but honestly, calling them a mess wouldn’t be far off.
In any case, as Yoo-na stood to leave Guild Master Rapid’s Office, Rapid casually broached the subject.
Rapid gently brought up the topic.
“Well, it’s about time, isn’t it?”
“Time for what?”
“For Yoo Sung-hyun to enter the Fortress of the Past.”
“Huh?”
Yoo-na tilted her head as if she hadn’t known.
Rapid, in turn, widened her eyes as she looked at Yoo-na.
Could she really not have known?
She wondered if she’d brought it up unnecessarily.
But Yoo-na spoke as if it were no big deal.
“Yeah, it’s about time he went in.”
“Right, most people enter before level 50 anyway.”
Then Rapid suddenly asked out of curiosity.
“So, how many waves do you think Yoo Sung-hyun will make it through?”
At Rapid’s question, Yoo-na couldn’t help but smirk.
As if the question were far too obvious.
Then Yoo-na stood and left Guild Master Rapid’s Office as she spoke.
“Obviously higher than me.”
With those words, Yoo-na stepped outside, and Rapid was left momentarily dazed by her departure.
Afterward, Rapid checked the publicly visible Fortress of the Past rankings.
[1st Place 『Yoo-na』- wave 35 (1:37:58)]
[2nd Place 『Dark』 – wave 32 (1:29:32)]
….
….
(Continued below)
I chuckled softly at Yoo-na’s overwhelming record.
“A new first place is going to be born?”
As if that could happen.
She must have said it out of affection for her younger brother.
I decided to let it pass at that.
No matter how exceptional Yoo Sung-hyun was as a rookie, there was no way he could surpass Yoo-na’s record.
If he did, though.
‘An enormous shockwave would surely ripple through the rankings.’
But would it truly be so dramatic?
Still, wouldn’t Sung-hyun at least crack the top ten?
He does possess an Almighty-class job, after all.
‘I’m curious to see how far he’ll climb.’
Yet Rapid harbored no illusions that Sung-hyun would surpass Yoo-na’s record.
4.
True to its name, the Fortress of the Past was a rather dilapidated structure.
Untouched by human hands, ivy clung to the fortress walls, and patches of moss could be seen clinging here and there.
Within the fortress walls lay nothing but ruins—a place where no living soul could possibly dwell.
The fortress, devoid of even a whisper of human presence or warmth, had three fortress walls jutting out in different directions.
And each of those walls had its gates standing wide open.
Defending the positions before those gates was the dungeon’s objective.
What made it interesting, however, was this:
It wasn’t a matter of losing if even one of the three positions fell.
Even if one position was breached, the others remained completely unaffected.
Moreover, each was recorded as an individual record only.
Below level 50, there was no better place to assess an individual’s true capabilities than here.
The Special Job Training Institute existed, certainly.
But at level 10, it felt somewhat inferior to the Fortress of the Past.
Thus, the Fortress of the Past was valued more highly.
This was precisely why the Rapid Guild conducted interviews here.
‘If you can’t prove yourself here, you’re not worth much.’
No matter how high your job rank—even Unique or above—some things simply couldn’t be done.
Conversely, if an Epic-rank applicant had impressive records here, they’d be accepted.
That’s how much the Rapid Guild prioritized actual skill.
If you were skilled enough, you were in.
‘That’s why so many unusual people have gathered here, though….’
But that wasn’t Jinu’s concern.
Jinu had already abandoned his own test and climbed atop the fortress wall, positioning himself where he could observe the two candidates.
Sung-hyun’s abilities were already proven, so he was eager to see how far he’d rise.
As for Kim Che-gun, who was interviewing today—
‘He’s a talent Sung-hyun recommended, so he should have something to show for it.’
Jinu didn’t harbor particularly high expectations.
He simply assumed that since the candidate had come through a recommendation, they’d perform adequately.
Though the personality seemed a bit unusual, that alone wouldn’t determine acceptance.
As Jinu mulled over these thoughts,
system text materialized across the sky.
Large, visible to all—the system message appeared.
[The waves that once crashed violently upon the Fortress of the Past, now forgotten, surge forth once more.]
[『Wave 1』 begins.]
At the familiar message to Jinu but strange to the other two, Kim Che-gun began preparing for battle.
Kim Che-gun drew his sword and unsheathed it, aligning the blade in a lower stance before stepping back with his right foot and lowering his posture.
Even at a glance, he appeared quite skilled with the sword.
Jinu, having learned swordplay himself, couldn’t help but admire such an impressive stance.
“Hmm?”
A proper combat stance—one that would allow for effective sword strikes while charging forward.
Moreover, there was no awkwardness or hesitation in that posture.
Assuming a timely sword stance meant possessing genuine mastery of the blade.
Most importantly, the sword tip remained perfectly steady.
Jinu, having trained in swordplay himself, now understood that Kim Che-gun wasn’t just spouting nonsense about being the Joseon First Blade.
He certainly displayed profound expertise in swordsmanship.
After briefly admiring Kim Che-gun’s form and deciding there was little cause for concern, I turned to look at Sung-hyun instead.
He was making no preparations whatsoever.
‘What?’
Even if the Necromancer’s effect allowed him to summon at any moment.
Wasn’t he being far too relaxed?
Had he already fallen into arrogance or overconfidence?
Or was he planning to summon later to conserve mana?
Such thoughts made my expression darken.
Either way, battle preparations were already necessary.
At the very least, he should draw that sword he wielded so well and prepare—so that when those monsters arrived at our doorstep, we’d at least have a chance to react.
Yet he made no preparations at all.
‘He’s being far too carefree….’
Given Sung-hyun’s abilities, overflowing confidence was understandable.
I myself had no confidence in victory if I were at his level.
But if he was already drowning in arrogance like this, it would be troublesome.
What could I do?
With such thoughts, I ran my hand through my hair in frustration.
A habit of mine when complicated thoughts arose.
Look—already, the legion of monsters approached from afar.
Though goblins and low-tier monsters were charging forward, making the sight rather pathetic and unremarkable.
It was still only Wave 1, after all.
But how long could he last in that stance?
‘For now, I’ll just observe and offer feedback.’
Perhaps it would be better for him to come to his senses by taking a harsh blow here.
I already knew Sung-hyun’s abilities well enough.
Just as I was about to move on with that thought.
When the wave of monsters, which had been quite distant, finally drew near.
A teal-colored portal opened behind Sung-hyun’s back.
As the connection to the Underworld was established.
Jinu thought the commander would appear from there.
But he was mistaken.
Squelch. Squelch.
A sound like footsteps through a wetland filled with water echoed out.
From within the teal-colored portal.
I could vividly sense that a being with a physical form was approaching.
How long did that sound continue?
Squelch, squelch.
Grrrrrgh.
A figure emerged from the teal portal with blood-red skin, advancing with confident strides.
A knight clad in impenetrable armor capable of withstanding any attack, wearing a helmet, yet with five horns visibly and menacingly jutting toward the sky.
As he appeared, dark clouds began spreading across the entire sky.
With the emergence of this being that defied the heavens, the sky darkened in an instant, and a bloody tempest began swirling around the knight.
As the knight extended his hand, the blood tempest materialized into a single sharp blade.
Upon seeing that entity, Jinu felt all thought come to a halt.
A demon knight.
There was no other word to describe it.
The moment Jinu’s mind went blank white.
The blood demon knight swung his blade.
Whoooosh—!
Though it seemed to reach nearby, the distance to the monster was still a good fifty meters.
Yet the sharp crimson blade wielded by the blood demon knight created a blood-red crescent moon-shaped slash that spread wide and shot forth.
Shhhhcrack!
Not a single monster in wave 1 could withstand that blade strike.
In one blow, all the monsters were split in half, and a message appeared before Sung-hyun.
[You have perfectly defended against 『wave 1』.]
[This will be recorded.]
[Vast experience points are being accumulated.]
[All experience points will be awarded after final recording.]
Jinu also saw the message and thought.
‘What… what did I just witness????’
As Jinu stood in shock, doubting his own eyes.
Only Kim Che-gun’s cheerful voice reached him from a different direction, having not witnessed the strike.
“Hehehehe! Now that’s showing off one’s true abilities!”

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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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