The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage - Chapter 67

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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 67
Episode 67
Yoo Sung-hyun, a player searching for a specific NPC in a village where everyone had come to enjoy leisure, wandered about with a tilted head.
Where on earth was the blacksmith’s shop?
Serodin Village itself wasn’t particularly small.
There were three blacksmith’s shops alone.
‘I’ll just have to visit them all.’
Yoo Sung-hyun thought simply and asked other NPCs and players to find the blacksmith’s shops.
And then.
“Ashin? We don’t have anyone by that name at our blacksmith’s shop.”
“My age is fifty?! Hey, you! I haven’t eaten that little! What? You’re asking if there’s someone named Ashin? Pfft, how could someone’s name be Ashin!”
“Hmm, I’ve lived in Serodin for over forty years, but I’ve never heard of anyone named Ashin.”
How could they not have him?
I’d hit a roadblock from the start.
They said there was an NPC named Ashin at the blacksmith’s shop in Serodin, but he wasn’t anywhere.
Where did things go wrong?
Just in case, I even asked the ghosts near the blacksmith’s shop.
But they said they’d never heard of anyone by that name.
If even the ghosts didn’t know, how could I find him?
Blocked from the very beginning.
This wasn’t something I’d anticipated.
‘What do I do about this….’
While Yoo Sung-hyun had tended to breeze through quests involving ghosts and various hidden pieces.
This was quite difficult.
There wasn’t even a clue.
Just in case, I unfolded the map again.
It still only said I needed to find Ashin at the blacksmith’s shop in Serodin and receive the key.
It seemed to be written in Kah-hoo-koo’s handwriting.
He appeared to be a collaborator, but had he already taken the key and run off?
That would be troublesome.
No, if that were the case, wouldn’t it have been marked differently on the map from the beginning?
It was certainly an item called a treasure map.
But it was no different from how the system would inform me.
Thinking up to that point.
A thought suddenly crossed my mind.
‘Hmm, wait? The name Ashin could be an alias, or perhaps their real name, and they might be working while hiding their identity.’
If Ashin had heard that I was looking for them, wouldn’t they react?
Since I hadn’t particularly observed the other blacksmiths’ reactions when I mentioned the name Ashin at the blacksmith’s shop, I couldn’t be certain.
Maybe I should go back just in case.
I never thought they wouldn’t be there, so failing to observe their reactions had become my downfall.
I need to go back and verify this myself, sooner rather than later.
But I can’t just stand here doing nothing either.
This is becoming troublesome.
So Yoo Sung-hyun decided to return to the blacksmith shop once more.
From a distance, a blacksmith came rushing over in a panic.
‘What’s this?’
At first glance, he was clearly dressed as a blacksmith, and judging by his youthful appearance, he seemed to be an Apprentice Blacksmith.
Yoo Sung-hyun observed him carefully, drawing upon the keen eye of the hunter Apik from his memories.
Upon spotting the blacksmith rushing toward him, I waited.
As if perfectly timed, the young blacksmith called out upon seeing Yoo Sung-hyun.
“Huff! Gasp…! Huff! Phew, you’re the customer who visited the blacksmith shop earlier, aren’t you? The one looking for someone named Ashin?”
“Yes. That’s me.”
“Ah, I was worried you might have gone far away, but I’m glad I caught you.”
There was clearly something important here.
Yoo Sung-hyun remained silent.
The young man who appeared to be an Apprentice Blacksmith handed me a note.
In that brief moment, I examined the youth’s outstretched hand.
A blacksmith’s hand, bearing the telltale calluses and burn scars of the trade.
His rough hand brushed against mine as he pressed the note into my palm.
“Phew, I was asked to deliver this note. Just let them know you received it safely later. Well then, I’ll be going!”
The Apprentice Blacksmith left hastily, as if his duty was fulfilled.
Perhaps he needed to hurry back inside to continue his work?
Yoo Sung-hyun watched the departing Apprentice Blacksmith with a slightly puzzled expression before shaking his head.
In any case, it wasn’t important at the moment.
I examined the note first.
The words written on the slightly crumpled paper were quite blunt.
『It seems you’ve found Kah-hoo-koo’s map, but I still don’t trust you.
To honor my late friend Kah-hoo-koo, I will test you as he had intended from the beginning.
First, you must pass my trials before I show myself.
The first trial is to bring me 20 webbed feet from the trolls at the Riverside.
Once you’ve gathered them all, wait for me at the Greenpine Inn.』
A note brazenly stating that trust couldn’t be given without trials.
Upon reading it, Yoo Sung-hyun couldn’t help but smile wryly.
So that’s why I couldn’t find him.
He really had been hiding all along.
Interest kindled within me as I smiled.
A Quest window appeared before my eyes.
[Hidden Quest conditions have been satisfied.]
[Hidden Quest, 『Ally of the Treasure Goblin Kah-hoo-koo』 has been generated.]
『Ally of the Treasure Goblin Kah-hoo-koo』
→《Hidden-Rare》
→Linked Quest.
→The treasure goblin Kah-hoo-koo wandered through various villages collecting all manner of rare items.
In the process, he gathered collaborators, and in Serodin Village, he stationed one called Ashin.
However, Ashin trusts no one but Kah-hoo-koo, so he refuses to reveal himself to you.
The abilities of the collaborators who created the four vaults are considerable.
Ashin is one such collaborator.
To test you, Ashin has issued several trials.
First, he desires that you bring him twenty webbed feet from the Riverside Trolls.
Earn his trust.
→Requirement: Possess 『Treasure Goblin Kah-hoo-koo’s Treasure Map』.
→Reward: Ashin’s trust, next Quest.
→Failure: Loss of crucial clues and keys from 『Treasure Goblin Kah-hoo-koo’s Treasure Map』.
It had been ages since I last saw a Quest window like this.
Was it the first time since that first day?
Did I receive one on the second day as well?
I have a memory of receiving one when I went to Rocks’ Tomb.
Either way, it feels like forever.
The first one was merely a simple quest.
But this is my first linked quest.
‘This should be interesting.’
Yoo Sung-hyun moved forward with evident curiosity.
So essentially, he’s asking me to hunt Riverside Trolls.
It’s simple enough—just catch them and bring back what he wants.
‘Wasn’t it said that I should walk along the Trin River to hunt Riverside Trolls?’
It was fortunate that I gathered information about Serodin Village beforehand.
Let me head straight to the hunting grounds.
1.
Serodin Village was popular among users, but it was naturally also an excellent resort among NPCs.
Whether NPC or user, people’s thoughts tend to align.
There were many NPCs who had come to enjoy themselves.
Among them, certain individuals stood out distinctly.
They all wore haggard expressions and disheveled appearances, yet their restless fidgeting made them appear even more pitiful.
However, everything about their attire and demeanor was extraordinary.
The clothes they wore were all fine fabrics, and their aged appearance suggested they were the sort who would hold important positions anywhere.
When such individuals gathered together like this.
Eyes were naturally drawn to them.
Especially their restless demeanor and apparent urgency in searching for something caught the attention of several users.
Usually in such cases, it leads to a Quest.
Yet their refined clothing and dignified bearing.
And most of all, until such an advanced age?
Could this be a Hidden Quest?
Even if it isn’t, it’s the kind of Quest that should offer generous rewards!
Convinced of this, several users approached them.
“Is there perhaps something troubling you…?”
“Ah! No! There isn’t! We’re fine!!!”
“Really!!! We’re absolutely fine!!!”
“Hehehehe!!! W-we’re truly fine, so please go about your business!!!”
They waved their hands frantically, not just refusing help but completely shutting down any assistance.
If that were the case, they shouldn’t be broadcasting their anxiety and restlessness so obviously.
They were making anyone who looked at them feel uneasy.
The NPCs had long since grown uncomfortable and avoided the area around them.
Though some of them appeared rather unusual.
No one wanted to get entangled with such people.
The users had approached them at first.
But after being rejected several times, even that ceased.
Regardless, they wore grave expressions, swallowed hard, and created a magical barrier around themselves so only they could hear as they muttered amongst themselves.
“What are we to do about this?”
“Plinky has somehow….”
“Shush! What if someone reads our lips and figures it out?!”
“That’s right. We’re talking about that person.”
It appeared that someone quite important had disappeared.
I couldn’t tell who they were or why these people were making such a fuss.
But they all whispered amongst themselves.
“But more importantly, when was the last time we saw that person?!”
“Ah, it was when we were all about to enter the swimming pool by the riverside!!!”
“Oh no! We should have kept watching until the end!!!”
“The Tower Master warned us… Ah. If we’ve lost such a great successor in a place like this and something happens to them…?!”
“Ahhh. P-please don’t say such inauspicious things.”
“L-let’s search through the village first. They couldn’t have gone far.”
“We must handle this in absolute secrecy, so let’s search only amongst ourselves.”
“Ah, Goddess of Alchemy, please. Protect that person.”
They conversed with great earnestness amongst themselves, making quite a fuss.
They appeared to be quite high-ranking officials from the Alchemy Tower.
But now they looked like parents who had lost their child.
Or should I say, like grandparents?
In any case, they hurriedly scattered in all directions, searching through Serodin Village to find this person called Plinky.
Yet nowhere in the village could they find Plinky.
They searched through every corner of the village like hunting for rats, but found nothing.
So they gathered together to confer.
Where on earth could he have gone?
Not skyward, nor into the ground either.
Then, suddenly.
“Ah!?! S-surely he didn’t go to where the monsters appear!??”
“M-monsters?!”
“Good heavens!!! That, that can’t be….”
I wanted to deny it.
But I couldn’t bring myself to.
“Ah, but think about it. If he came here, what would capture his interest….”
“He has absolutely no interest in sightseeing or amusement….”
“He pursues only knowledge….”
“So, if it were a monster unique to this place or one that yields special materials….”
As we spoke, several theories came to mind.
A grotesquely formed monster.
And one powerful monster came to mind.
“Ah, a-a surely not the, the Riverside Troll?”
“Aah! Wise one…!!!”
“Y-you, Goddess of Alchemy!!!”
“W-we have no time for this! Let us make haste to where the Riverside Troll might be!”
We narrowed down the possible locations.
Our movements were swift.
Please, let him be safe.
He was far too important.
I dared not imagine what calamity might befall if anything happened to the descendant of the Sage, once a member of the hero party that defeated the woman called the Demon King in ages past.
2.
The Trin River—the largest and widest of the three rivers running through Serodin Village.
Following it upstream, one could see clear, pristine waters and vast meadows.
It was quite a magnificent sight.
Even Yoo Sung-hyun, who rarely expressed wonder in ordinary circumstances, found himself pausing at the view, unable to help but marvel.
The great river gleamed beneath the setting crimson sun, its clear waters shimmering, while the cool breeze flowing from the river gently rustled the grasses of the meadow.
It was a beautiful sight.
The cool wind reached Yoo Sung-hyun as well, seeming to sweep away even the slight fatigue he had felt on the journey here.
‘Wow.’
This was really a game.
A sight so beautiful it was hard to believe.
As Yoo Sung-hyun paused to admire the view.
I could see something crouching near the nearby brush.
A small figure with a translucent appearance.
A ghost?
Or was it using a concealment skill through an item?
I looked more carefully, somewhat confused.
I could see a figure with a haggard face and an emaciated body devoid of any vitality, nodding off repeatedly.
‘Not a ghost, then?’
For a moment, judging by appearance alone, I’d thought it was a ghost.
But it wasn’t.
This was definitely a living person.
And judging by the marker above their head, an NPC.
But why were they semi-transparent and dozing off in a place like this?
I couldn’t understand it, but should I just ignore them and pass by?
“Ugh! Materials!?!”
“…?”
The person jolted awake as if seized by a sudden fit.
Since they were up, I figured I’d just ignore them and move on.
The moment Yoo Sung-hyun tried to pass by with that thought.
“Wait!? A, a person?! Could you possibly help me!?”
“Huh?”
[You have obtained a clue to a Hidden Quest.]
I’d somehow gotten entangled with an NPC who seemed peculiar and important.

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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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