The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage - Chapter 54

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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 54
Episode 54
I absorbed Fiora’s memories and experiences.
Now I could fully comprehend the magnitude of loss Helena’s absence had inflicted upon her.
That sensation of having one’s soul torn away was something Yoo Sung-hyun could never truly empathize with.
Yet I accepted it calmly.
She would walk alongside me now.
Besides, Helena was here as well.
-Th-thank you so much, Master.
Though her demeanor was timid to the extreme, Yoo Sung-hyun understood.
The formidable power concealed beneath that meekness.
‘Hmm, I don’t have an appropriate vessel for Fiora at the moment…’
It was problematic.
Though there were vacant Death Legion soldiers available, none possessed a body befitting Fiora’s station as the supreme sovereign of all doppelgangers.
But if I left matters as they were, Fiora would never be able to keep pace with me.
There was no choice.
Yoo Sung-hyun opened the Underworld.
-Grrrrrrr.
A Death Legion soldier erupted forth, releasing a savage cry.
A specter bearing an uncanny resemblance to a mole.
It was Barfur’s Specter.
Though more spirit than flesh, a spectral entity nonetheless.
The system treated specters as bodies, allowing me to anchor a soul within it.
As another Barfur’s Specter born from Add More, its essence remained vacant.
Thus it had languished in the Underworld, its intellect severely diminished.
“Will you take residence here? I’ll find you a superior form later.”
-H-huh! Th-this vessel is already quite sufficient!?
“Well, it is a specter, but…”
-Th-thank you! I’m simply overjoyed to serve you again, Master!
Fiora eagerly anchored her soul into the vacant Barfur’s Specter, another creation born from Add More in the Underworld.
The Barfur’s Specter, which had emitted bestial, guttural sounds, soon displayed a gentler gaze.
It turned its body this way and that, examining itself.
Satisfied, it nodded.
-I-I believe I can adapt to this form adequately!
“Excellent, then.”
As expected of the Elder Shapeshifter, the supreme doppelganger species, she could acclimate to various forms.
“I’ll summon you next time.”
-Th-thank you so much!
Even as she stammered and displayed her timid nature,
Fiora expressed her gratitude repeatedly as she descended into the Underworld I had opened.
‘An unexpected windfall.’
Fiora’s soul proved far more valuable than I had anticipated.
More precious than any of the other souls I currently possessed.
Souls with such experience and capability were rare indeed.
The stat increase alone amounted to a staggering twenty points—far beyond mere experience and memory.
It was undeniable proof of just how formidable Fiora’s soul truly was.
‘So the second advancement is complete?’
The accounting concluded there.
The event scene—what was commonly called a cutscene—had ended entirely.
Yet the ashes left behind by Fiora’s death remained untouched.
The ashes from the cutscene were still present.
Or rather, had I extracted the remnants myself?
If I had seized the remnants, they should have vanished.
After all, it was a corpse.
So why did it still linger?
“Hmm? What’s this?”
I voiced my confusion aloud.
Something stirred within the ashes—I could see it writhing.
Despite everything being burned away, leaving only ash.
What could possibly remain?
Looking more closely.
“Huh?”
I gazed at the spot in bewilderment.
Then, from within, a tiny droplet-like shadow burst forth.
It resembled a slime in form.
Judging by that shape.
Could it be of the same race as Fiora?
Though I couldn’t be certain.
Immediately, I recalled Fiora’s memories.
Only then could I discern its true identity.
‘A Young Shapeshifter.’
The moment I recognized its nature.
Countless messages materialized in succession.
[You have completed your second advancement.]
[You become the master of Helena’s Garden.]
[From this moment forward, you may enter Helena’s Garden at will.]
[The power of Helena left behind in Helena’s Garden is fully transmitted to you.]
[The power of the past Overlord is inherited.]
[Past power has been inherited.]
[A reward is granted.]
[You have acquired the job-exclusive Almighty-grade skill ‘Death Legion Commander’ as a reward for your second class advancement.]
[You have acquired the job-series Unique-grade item ‘Shadow Mirror’ as a reward for your second class advancement.]
[You have become the master of the supreme monster beast ‘Shapeshifter’ as a reward for your second class advancement.]
[You have tamed a monster beast.]
[You have acquired the title ‘Monster Beast Tamer’.]
[You have tamed a supreme monster beast.]
[You have acquired the title ‘Master of Monster Beasts’.]
[**Warning**]
[The supreme ‘Shapeshifter’ of the doppelgänger lineage is a being born with the qualities of a king.]
[The consciousness of the ‘Shapeshifter’ is more distinct than that of other pets.]
[It may disobey commands, and constant effort is required to handle the ‘Shapeshifter’.]
Countless notification messages.
Yoo Sung-hyun felt a sudden wave of dizziness and shook his head.
It was only natural to feel disoriented when such a lengthy stream of text appeared all at once.
‘Why is there so much?’
I examined the messages with a hint of bewilderment.
I found myself confronted with substantial reward details.
Starting with the ability to access Helena’s Garden.
A new Almighty-grade skill, a job-series Unique-grade item, and the supreme monster beast Shapeshifter had become my pet?
On top of that, two titles as well.
Including the Monster Prodigy I obtained earlier, my total titles had increased by three.
“Hah.”
A gasp of admiration escaped me as I first examined the titles.
From Monster Prodigy to Monster Beast Tamer and Master of Monster Beasts.
『Monster Prodigy』
→《Unique》
→A title granted to users who clear the second class advancement trial without taking damage.
→Evasion rate increased by 20%.
→Movement speed increased by 30%.
『Monster Beast Tamer』
→《Unique》
→A title granted to users who have tamed a monster beast.
→Attack power of monster beast-type summons increased by 5%.
→Attack speed of monster beast-type summons increased by 10%.
『Master of Monster Beasts』
→《Legendary》
→A title granted to users who have tamed a supreme monster beast.
→All skill cooldowns of affiliated monster beasts reduced by 20%.
→All attack speed of affiliated monster beasts increased by 20%.
→All attack power of affiliated monster beasts increased by 10%.
‘Wow! This is all incredible?’
The Monster Novice title was literally about evasion and body control.
The effects were quite substantial.
A twenty percent increase in evasion rate, no less.
On top of that, movement speed increased by a full thirty percent.
Looking at the other two titles alongside this tongue-wagging option.
The Master of Demons and Monster Trainer titles had similar effects to what I’d obtained when summoning the Demon Knight.
However, there was something disappointing.
‘It doesn’t have the “first in history” tag?’
Unlike when I got the Demon Knight, the “first in history” part was missing.
That meant there was already another player who had dominated a superior monster before me.
The options differed slightly from what I’d obtained with the Demon Knight.
It was disappointing.
Still, it was undeniably excellent.
‘It would be interesting to meet a player who handles monsters someday.’
Yoo Sung-hyun turned his attention to the other rewards with that thought.
Next, what caught my eye was a skill.
I tried to check the skill immediately.
But at that very moment, a message appeared.
[The Epic+ grade item, 『Apprentice Lord’s Staff』, resonates with the Unique grade item, 『Shadow Mirror』.]
‘Huh?’
The Apprentice Lord’s Staff is reacting.
Now that I think about it.
The Apprentice Lord’s Staff was a growth-type item, wasn’t it?
Yoo Sung-hyun recalled that fact and
immediately checked the Shadow Mirror.
『Shadow Mirror』
→《Unique》
→Though the principle remains unknown, this mirror can replicate items reflected within it.
→In some places, it’s said that doppelgängers possess sacred artifacts with such effects.
→A Dark Mage class item.
→You can transform and use this item as one of your possessed items.
→Items of this grade or lower can be used at maximum performance.
→For items of higher grade than this one, only partial effects can be copied.
→If you possess a special item, something extraordinary may occur.
*『Apprentice Lord’s Staff』 resonates.
‘What?!’
The Shadow Mirror alone possessed tremendous effects.
But to think I could strengthen the Apprentice Lord’s Staff through this.
Yoo Sung-hyun blinked his eyes repeatedly upon confirming this fact.
What if I reinforced the Apprentice Lord’s Staff with Shadow Mirror right here? What would happen?
‘Could it get worse?’
An inexplicable unease bloomed within me.
But it quickly faded.
The system had said that reinforcement never resulted in degraded performance.
Yet I wondered if it could possibly improve this much.
Yoo Sung-hyun deliberated for a moment.
But the decision came swiftly.
‘Let’s do it.’
If it won’t get worse.
There’s no reason to hesitate.
Once Yoo Sung-hyun made up his mind.
A system message appeared right on cue.
[Will you reinforce the 『Apprentice Lord’s Staff』 with 『Shadow Mirror』?]
*Warning!*
-Upon reinforcement, options will not degrade, and 『Shadow Mirror』 will disappear.
[Are you certain you wish to proceed?]
[Yes / No]
Why ask again about a decision already made?
Yoo Sung-hyun accepted immediately.
Then.
The Shadow Mirror clutched in my grip transformed into shadow, staining itself with darkness.
The Shadow Mirror, now a viscous darkness that stretched like liquid, radiated black luminescence and crept toward the Apprentice Lord’s Staff held in my other hand like some alien organism.
It enveloped the staff with a creeping motion, much like black iron particles clinging to a magnetized object.
The Shadow Mirror soon seeped entirely into the staff.
The staff, originally crafted from oak, transformed into an elegant, dark-hued instrument that absorbed all light without a glimmer.
In dim lighting, one might not even notice I was holding a staff—it was that black.
I swallowed hard as I beheld the unmistakably refined staff.
A message appeared as if in response.
[Congratulations! The Epic+ grade item, 『Apprentice Lord’s Staff』, has awakened the latent power within it through 『Shadow Mirror』!]
[Through successive evolution, it surpasses the original effects of the 『Apprentice Lord’s Staff』.]
[The Epic+ grade item, 『Apprentice Lord’s Staff』, completes its evolution into the Unique+ grade item 『Young Helena’s Staff』.]
‘Helena!?’
The moment I saw that name, I reflexively opened the item description.
And there it was—an item with options that defied all reason.
『Young Helena’s Staff』
→《Unique+》(Growth-type)
→Though countless ages have passed, its power remains undiminished, revealing itself to be the staff of a great lord.
→It is the staff used by Helena in her youth—the great lord once called the Overlord.
→Exclusive to the Overlord.
→Mana recovery increased by 15%.
→Dark Magic series skill power increased by 10%.
→You can transform this item into one of the items you currently possess and use it.
→Items of this item’s grade or lower can be used at maximum performance.
→For items higher than this item’s grade, only some effects can be copied.
→When changed to a different item, the existing options can still be used as is.
→The item grows when special conditions are met.
*When changed to equipment items other than weapons, it does not conflict with your existing main weapon.
‘…Is this, is this not cheating?’
Even if it weren’t Unique+ grade but Legendary, it would be an unbelievable option.
While retaining the effects of Shadow Mirror, the existing effects had become far more powerful than before.
If this were the case.
‘I could equip a sword while also receiving the benefits of a staff…right?’
Normally, one could only wield a single main weapon.
That’s why I carried a staff at my waist as well, but in truth, I rarely used it.
Unless it was a secondary weapon like a dagger or a paired weapon like dual swords where two counted as one, equipping something in both hands would only apply one effect.
But if this were possible, I could use Apprentice Hindel’s sword while transforming the staff into an item like a belt, allowing me to apply the effects of two main weapons.
This second class advancement reward alone might have been sufficient.
Yet the two greatest rewards still remained.
I picked up the Young Shapeshifter, who hadn’t fully awakened yet, in my hand.
A size so small it fit in one palm.
It was somewhat gelatinous, almost like a slime.
But the texture was indescribably soft and squishy.
This is a top-tier demon beast?
‘For something like that, it’s far too cute.’
I thought this to myself while considering whether to place the still-sleeping Shapeshifter in the Underworld, then shook my head.
Since it hadn’t awakened yet, placing it in the Underworld seemed too harsh, so I simply held it in one hand.
Since it hadn’t awakened, I couldn’t open its pet information.
There was one last thing to confirm.
The Almighty-grade skill I obtained after advancing to my second class and inheriting the Overlord’s power.
I immediately opened my skill window.
『Legion Commander of Death』
→《Almighty》
→[Lv Max][Complete Form]
[Continuous Effect][Passive Active]
Command a legion that is death itself, undying and eternal, obedient to the lord’s will.
All things shall kneel before the lord.
→Exclusive skill for Overlords.
→Expend mana to raise special death soldiers, or appoint existing death soldiers as legion commanders.
→Legion commanders possess power on an entirely different dimension from death soldiers.
→The number of Legion Commanders that can be created increases based on level.
→Command the Death Legion to lead your forces.
*Upon reaching level 100, a new Death Legion Commander can be appointed and summoned.
‘This… is what?’
Command, it said.
So I create legions under my command and they function like military units?
The explanation alone might be difficult to understand.
But I have an excellent point of reference.
The Demon Knight summoning skill.
Recalling that skill made it simple.
Appoint a single Death Soldier as a Legion Commander and elevate them to a level comparable to the Demon Knight.
That understanding would suffice.
After all, Baltar, the blood-crimson Demon Knight, was also commanded by me.
Of course, my Death Soldiers already possess an excellent command structure without needing such arrangements.
Rather, that was precisely what made it beneficial.
‘With this, I can have Baltar and the Legion Commanders direct the Death Legion whose intelligence increased through Add More.’
Then, whom should I appoint as Legion Commander?
For a moment I hesitated, but it was already decided.
Fiora, who obtained a new soul and was placed in Barfur’s Specter, was excluded.
I couldn’t provide her with a suitable body immediately.
Appointing her as Legion Commander now would be no different than appointing the shell of Barfur’s Specter.
It was better to appoint Spirit Barfur, who actually contained the true Demon Beast Barfur’s essence.
Among those I currently possessed, Spirit Barfur was the most powerful Death Soldier.
The most efficient choice, one could say.
Since I could appoint one for every 100 levels, just like with Demon Knights.
If I needed more later, I could simply appoint them then.
So be it.
I immediately summoned Barfur’s Specter.
-Ehehehehe, Spirit Barfur stands before you, my master.
Spirit Barfur continued to display his loyalty.
Without delay, I appointed him as Legion Commander.
A teal radiance poured down from above Spirit Barfur’s head.
He naturally knelt, bowing his head in reverence.
Then, accompanied by a noble song echoing from somewhere, teal radiance enveloped Spirit Barfur’s form.
Where darkness had once been the base with teal energy flowing between the gaps.
Now it was reversed.
Teal radiance wrapped around Spirit Barfur as the power of darkness danced around him like an aura.
[『Spirit Barfur』 has been appointed as a Death Legion Commander.]
[He grows stronger and leads the Death Legion.]
-I swear! Spirit Barfur! I pledge to serve you with even greater loyalty, my master!
A response and voice brimming with even greater vitality than before.
Yoo Sung-hyun murmured with evident satisfaction.
“Then shall we go test it out?”
I wished the Young Shapeshifter, still slumbering, would awaken by now.

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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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