The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage - Chapter 51

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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 51
Episode 51
2.
Yoo Sung-hyun, who carried every issue in the public eye, remained oblivious to such facts.
Or rather, unconcerned, he activated the Overlord’s compass.
The transferred location was a dark and colossal Stone Chamber.
Around him, ethereal magical flames—if one could call them torches—flickered with an otherworldly glow.
Though these lights lay gently across the surroundings, their illumination proved insufficient.
Standing before the Stone Chamber, its darkness undiminished, Yoo Sung-hyun beheld an immense gate—vast enough for giants themselves to pass through, befitting the chamber’s colossal scale.
The great gate’s surface bore intricate carvings depicting countless undead and demons in reverent poses, gazing upward toward a solitary woman suspended in the heights.
‘Quite the atmosphere.’
Judging from the sculpture’s form and silhouette,
it was unmistakably Helena, the previous Overlord.
A location perfectly suited for a second advancement.
As Yoo Sung-hyun approached the gate,
the countless undead and demons carved into its surface began to glow with crimson eyes.
The red-eyed undead and hordes of demons crawled forth from the gate,
and swiftly filled the entire Stone Chamber.
Hundreds of undead and demons flooded the chamber, radiating savage intent as they prepared to surge toward Yoo Sung-hyun.
Yet they differed from my Death Legion—these were ordinary undead and demons.
Since this was the Overlord’s second advancement location, I wondered if they might be connected to the Death Legion,
but it seemed they were not.
Simultaneously, a message appeared.
[Prove your right to rule.]
At that system message visible only to me, I nodded.
Not out of confidence,
nor because there was no problem.
It was not that sort of gesture.
Simply,
a test was precisely what I needed.
I had acquired two new skills, after all.
Without hesitation, I opened the gate to the Underworld, which blazed with cyan light, and the Death Legion began to pour forth.
Among them, Baltar strode out confidently but collided with an invisible barrier, his expression turning bewildered.
-Huh? Wh-what?
Watching the flustered Baltar, I spoke.
“Don’t come out.”
-Y-yes!??
“If you emerge, this will end too easily.”
-Ah, ah, Successor! N-no, Lord…!
With that, I closed the gate to the Underworld.
Baltar’s words trailed off.
I wanted to test out my new skills, but if I included Baltar in this battle, the fight might end before I even got a chance to experiment.
That’s why I had excluded him from the summoning in the first place.
So then, where should I start?
‘Let me see what these new skills can do.’
Roughly fifty soldiers from the Death Legion clashed against the undead and demon forces crawling out from the doorway.
In that moment, Yoo Sung-hyun extended his hand first and unleashed his newly acquired skill.
Creeping Darkness.
As he cast the skill.
Darkness writhed in my grasp before erupting like arrows in all directions.
The spreading darkness plunged into the shadows of the Death Legion like spears, then dispersed in all directions like a thick, creeping fog.
The darkness settled eerie and dense across the ground, and as it spread to envelope the entire Death Legion.
An extraordinary darkness surged forth once more, coiling around and embracing the Death Legion.
The Death Legion, already radiating an ominous teal aura, absorbed this darkness and their bodies began to harden even further.
-Kekekek!
-Kikikiki!
-Keruk! Kerha!
-Kekekekeke!
-Clatter! Clatter!
The entire Death Legion roared out in a cacophony.
Not the usual chants or worship.
Just uncontrolled roars of unleashed power, and the enemy forces crawling from the doorway flinched, momentarily retreating in shock.
But the Death Legion did not hesitate.
They charged forward and trampled their foes.
Buffed by Creeping Darkness, the Death Legion was absolutely unstoppable.
Crack! Splinter!
-Kyaaaaaaaa!
-Kieeeeeee!
-Clatter! Clatter!
Every swing of Barfur’s Specter’s arm swept away multiple undead and demons indiscriminately, and the Lesser Demons Kaisak mowed down at least two enemies with each swipe of their sharp tails.
The Goblin Undead and Skeleton Mercenary units fought not with their usual systematic tactics but in individual combat, overwhelming their opponents one by one.
The more enemies they felled, the darker and more turbulent the darkness wrapping around their bodies became.
As the darkness thickened like rising mist and spread ominously around them, Yoo Sung-hyun watched with satisfaction and smiled.
What an incredible buff.
As I marveled at this.
Against those enemies who managed to withstand the attacks, sharp hands of darkness suddenly erupted from the ground and began clinging to them relentlessly.
Was this a debuff effect of Creeping Darkness?
No, that wasn’t it.
‘The spread darkness provides the debuff effect, but what are these hands?’
Soon, those hands increased from four to five.
Behind the creature covered in clinging appendages, an unknowable dark presence materialized, and the hands plastered across its body began strangling its neck in unison.
Despite being undead, the creature gasped as its throat was crushed.
It thrashed about in agony.
—Gack!
Even the undead, already dead, trembled with terror and struggled to break free.
Yet it could not escape that iron grip, nor did it manage to.
The presence approaching from behind extended its hand toward the creature.
Then the five hands that had been strangling its neck gradually transformed into the shape of a scythe, and the presence grasped that scythe and pulled.
Screech.
The sound of death echoed forth, and terror began to spread.
Gradually, more creatures with clinging appendages began to appear, and Yoo Sung-hyun watched, nodding his head in satisfaction.
‘Impressive.’
Those clinging appendages were none other than the Mark of Death.
Since it was a passive skill, I wondered how it would activate.
So this was how it functioned.
Its power was quite formidable.
Moreover.
‘It said this effect applies not only to the Death Legion but to me as well, right?’
It appeared to inflict unavoidable damage.
If I utilized this cleverly in combination with other abilities, it could become an extraordinarily devastating follow-up technique.
Yoo Sung-hyun pondered various applications while contemplating this.
Then surveyed the battlefield with evident satisfaction.
Though the enemy forces vastly outnumbered us.
The battle was resolved in mere moments.
By the time no enemy forces remained visible, the creeping darkness effect had not yet fully concluded.
In less than five minutes, I had eliminated forces several times my own number.
Then.
[Praise be to those who have proven their lordship.]
[Let the door open for those who have proven themselves.]
The message appeared.
The massive stone door within the Stone Chamber opened of its own accord.
As the enormous, weighty stone door slowly swung open.
It created tremendous vibrations throughout the surrounding space.
Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble.
Along with the vibrations of the opening door, Yoo Sung-hyun withdrew the entire Death Legion back into the Underworld and prepared to walk toward the entrance.
No—I had merely thought of doing so without taking a single step.
Yet in that instant, my surroundings transformed completely.
From the vast Stone Chamber to a place shrouded in darkness on all sides.
The transition was abrupt.
Yet I felt no particular surprise.
It was always happening.
First, let me survey my surroundings.
As I did, though dim, I could make out what lay around me.
Should I call it gloomy?
Or perhaps desolate?
Everything was shrouded in darkness, making it difficult to see clearly.
Yet one thing.
The altar placed before me was visible in its entirety.
‘What kind of place is this?’
I knew it was a location for second-class advancement.
But what had it originally been?
I couldn’t quite grasp it.
With an altar present, could it have been a place of ritual sacrifice?
Yet it seemed connected to Helena somehow, and I doubted she would have conducted such ceremonies.
As I entertained these speculations.
Multiple flames began to ignite across the darkened altar.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Like torches.
Beautiful cyan-green flames flickering to life.
Thanks to those spectral flames hovering in the void like will-o’-the-wisps, I could now discern my surroundings.
It wasn’t illuminating a place that had already existed.
As the flames ignited.
The surroundings gradually brightened as if being born anew.
And there, the landscape revealed itself.
All around was drenched in crimson, and save for the immediate vicinity of the altar, an endless abyss of sheer cliffs stretched out without end.
And from all directions, countless waterfalls plummeted into that abyss.
Yet unlike ordinary waterfalls, these cascaded torrents of blood, scattering crimson droplets in all directions.
Even the pale yellow moonlight hovering above the altar seemed to be dyed red, creating an illusion of crimson luminescence.
Whoooooosh——!
The refreshing sound of the waterfall was soon rendered eerie by the ominous crimson hue.
Yet I gazed upon my surroundings with an expression of wonder, marveling as I deduced one thing.
‘Is this because of Baltar?’
Before reaching level 50.
At level 40, I had summoned a Demon Knight using my summoning skill—the Blood Demon Knight Baltar.
This landscape matched the name perfectly.
At first, I thought it might be Helena’s altar.
But this appeared to be the altar of the Blood Demon Knight, Baltar.
As I reached this conclusion.
The cyan-green flames ignited upon the altar stacked layer upon layer, merging into a single colossal inferno.
The cyan-green flames undulated as facial features materialized above them.
The fire itself seemed to come alive, sprouting eyes, nose, and mouth as it rippled open, revealing shimmering flames.
-I behold a descendant of the Mother of All Things, she who commands all that is dark.
“Oh.”
I hadn’t expected the flames to speak.
Yoo Sung-hyun expressed his surprise.
The teal flames laughed with delight.
-For one so exalted to be a descendant! She would be pleased indeed.
As the flames recalled Helena, their eyes flickered with something almost melancholic.
Yoo Sung-hyun agreed with those words and spoke.
“Well, she does seem to like it.”
-…?
Yoo Sung-hyun agreed as if it were the most natural thing.
The flames regarded him with a hint of bewilderment.
‘What’s this? Is the descendant rather arrogant?’
A descendant who had never even seen Helena spoke with such certainty.
From the flames’ perspective, it was certainly a bit unsettling.
But since they had spoken first,
there was no grounds for complaint.
Above all, they could not voice such presumptuous words to the sole heir.
Though he appeared arrogant,
if he were Helena’s descendant, he had every right to be.
The flames cleared their throat softly and continued.
-Ahem, I welcome you, descendant.
With those words, teal flames erupted outward, and sparks burst forth in all directions like fireworks.
A spectacle of unparalleled brilliance.
Did they wish to hold a grand welcome ceremony?
Yoo Sung-hyun was somewhat startled by the display’s magnificence.
He hadn’t expected to be welcomed in such a manner.
Perhaps it was because he had proven his qualifications?
They were quite gracious.
“I’m honored to meet you as well. I am Yoo Sung-hyun.”
The flames completed their welcome and bowed their head in respect to his greeting.
Though the flames hovered as if only their head bobbed in the air,
it was nonetheless a gesture of deference.
Yoo Sung-hyun hesitated on how to respond.
For now, he remained still.
Then,
-Oh! The Blood Altar! You have summoned the Blood Demon Knight Baltar!!
Yoo Sung-hyun nodded as he watched the flames cry out in admiration.
So it was indeed Baltar’s altar.
Watching Yoo Sung-hyun nod, Azraphm approached with an expression of admiration tinged with a hint of regret.
-Sigh, you must have endured quite the ordeal. While that’s true of the other demon knights as well, Baltar is particularly exacting, wouldn’t you say?
“…?”
Baltar was exacting?
What could that mean?
Perhaps he was particular about undergarments, for instance.
But hearing the explanation, it didn’t seem to carry that meaning, so I remained silent for now.
-You must have suffered greatly in spirit.
“Hmm?”
-But now all is well. Here at the Blood Altar, even Baltar will swear his loyalty to the Heir!
Only then could I grasp what Azraphm was explaining.
I should have suspected as much.
I offered no comment to Azraphm’s words.
I simply opened the gate to the Underworld in silence and summoned Baltar.
-L-Lord! Y-You’re finally summoning me!? This Baltar is eternally grateful!
-Ugh! A-Ah, I’m not yet prepared!!! P-Please stop summoning Lord Baltar… Eh?
-Hm? Aren’t you Azraphm? Oh my? Then this place must be….
As Baltar made that deduction,
I gestured toward Baltar as if he were already subdued, and spoke to the one called Azraphm.
“He’s already sworn his loyalty. Why would I need anything else from him?”
-Uh…, uh… Well?
I gazed at Azraphm with an expression that seemed to ask: Why are you asking me that?

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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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