The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage - Chapter 71

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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 71
Episode 71
Yoo Sung-hyun greeted the Innkeeper in return, noting how warmly he welcomed guests.
“Good day to you.”
“Dining or lodging?”
He got straight to business—impressive.
I was satisfied.
After all, I’d arranged to meet Ashin here.
It would be dining, not lodging.
“I’ll have a meal, please.”
“Hehehehe! What’ll it be?”
“Hmm, I’d like potato stew and rye bread, if you please.”
“Got it! Find yourself a comfortable seat and wait!”
“Thank you.”
Watching the warm-hearted Innkeeper call out something to the kitchen, I made my way to a table deeper inside.
There were no other customers.
I briefly wondered if the food might be poor quality.
But I hadn’t come here to eat—I’d come for a Quest.
So it didn’t really matter.
Eternal World had implemented taste nearly flawlessly, so culinary indulgence had become a trend here too.
Come to think of it, this was my first time eating anything in Eternal World.
I settled into my seat and waited.
Before long, a warm bowl of steaming potato stew and rye bread arrived.
‘Oh? This is better than I expected.’
The texture and flavor were just like eating real food.
The potato stew was perfectly seasoned—savory and rich—and the rye bread wasn’t too hard, making it ideal for dipping into the stew.
Tasting something so unexpectedly delicious, I finally understood why people came all the way to Eternal World for culinary experiences.
Shortly after I finished eating.
The Inn door opened and someone entered.
The dining area was positioned at an angle from the entrance, so I couldn’t see them, but I could hear.
Along with the sound of the door opening came the warm voice of the Innkeeper.
“Welcome—oh, what? Philip?”
The Innkeeper’s tone shifted to one of disappointment.
At that voice, I perked up with curiosity.
Then I heard a familiar voice.
“Hey now! I’m a customer too, you know?”
“What’ll you have today?”
“Well, I came on an errand, but since I’m here, I’ll have some potato stew.”
“Mind your manners. Alright, sit down. I’ll bring it right away.”
“Yes, yes!”
With a casual tone, footsteps approached toward the table.
Yoo Sung-hyun turned his head at the sound.
As expected, there was a familiar face.
“We meet again?”
Though I was hearing the name Philip for the first time, I already knew that voice and face.
It was none other than that rather young-looking Apprentice Blacksmith who had come asking someone to deliver a note, claiming I’d been stirring up trouble under the name Ashin.
It was him.
His name was Philip?
Well, it hardly mattered.
“Indeed.”
“Sigh, if I hadn’t owed a debt, I wouldn’t have taken on such an errand. What is debt anyway. Ugh.”
He sat across from me naturally while voicing his complaints.
I smiled faintly at the sight.
After all, our purposes were the same.
Couldn’t he sit without being told to?
I didn’t mind at all.
The Apprentice Blacksmith Philip chuckled upon seeing me like that.
Then he asked.
“So you really brought everything?”
“Of course.”
I answered confidently and took out twenty webbed feet from the Riverside Trolls from my inventory, handing them over.
Philip seemed quite shocked, his eyes widening like lanterns.
His expression was quite a sight.
I remained silent.
Philip, thoroughly astonished, scratched his head and muttered.
“I wondered what you’d have me do, but this is what you wanted caught? Phew, that fellow’s not in his right mind either.”
A message appeared along with Philip’s response.
[Hidden Quest, 『Ally of the Treasure Goblin Kah-hoo-koo』 cleared.]
[Rewards are given.]
[You have gained the trust of Ashin.]
[You have not yet received the note.]
[It will take some time before you can receive the next Quest.]
It wasn’t as difficult as I’d expected.
Rather, I was too preoccupied with Plinky, whom I’d met along the way.
Thanks to that, I’d even gained a good skill.
I had no complaints.
As I handed over the webbed feet to Philip.
He pulled out a bundle and wrapped the webbed feet inside, muttering while breaking into a cold sweat.
“Ugh, how am I supposed to carry this again.”
At his muttering, as if lamenting the ordeal, I looked at Philip as if asking if he’d forgotten anything.
Only then did Philip’s expression shift to one of realization, and he laughed sheepishly.
“Ah ha ha, I nearly forgot. Here’s the note.”
The moment I accepted the note Philip handed over.
A message appeared.
[Hidden Quest condition satisfied.]
[Linked Quest initiated.]
[Hidden Quest, 『Ashin, Ally of the Treasure Goblin Kah-hoo-koo 2』 has been created.]
『Ashin, Ally of the Treasure Goblin Kah-hoo-koo 2』
→《Hidden-Epic+》
→Linked Quest.
→Ashin, ally of the Treasure Goblin Kah-hoo-koo, is an exceptionally cautious individual.
Ashin has devised several trials to test you.
For the first trial, you brilliantly obtained the webbed feet from the Riverside Trolls. The second trial is none other than finding Ashin.
Visit the three Blacksmiths in the Village and uncover Ashin’s true identity and the reason for concealing it.
→Restriction: Holders of 『Treasure Map of the Treasure Goblin Kah-hoo-koo』, users who have completed 『Ally of the Treasure Goblin Kah-hoo-koo』.
→Reward: Critical clues and keys to 『Treasure Map of the Treasure Goblin Kah-hoo-koo』.
→Failure: Loss of critical clues and keys to 『Treasure Map of the Treasure Goblin Kah-hoo-koo』.
The linked Quest I’d been waiting for.
The moment I saw the reward, a smile bloomed naturally.
Once this Quest was complete, I could finally obtain the key.
And reading through the Quest details, I nodded to myself.
‘So the Quest is about revealing the true identity.’
If the first trial tested my strength, this second one must be testing my wisdom.
But Yoo Sung-hyun was already smiling, waving the note as he spoke.
“Don’t you think something like this is unnecessary? Ashin?”
“Huh? What do you mean? I was simply asking a favor….”
Philip blinked his eyes in genuine bewilderment, looking at Yoo Sung-hyun.
I knew it would come to this.
The Quest itself asked me to reveal the reason, didn’t it.
“Despite your youthful face, your hands bear the marks of a true craftsman—not the hands of an Apprentice Blacksmith.”
“Ah ha ha, I simply work twice as hard as others….”
“And more importantly, there’s a distance from the Blacksmith to here. When you saw me arriving, you sent me on an errand, yet it didn’t take me long to reach the Village. The time it took me to come running after hearing the name Ashin also doesn’t add up. You were at the third Blacksmith I visited, weren’t you? You found me far too quickly to have simply been sent on an errand. The timing doesn’t match.”
“Well, I owed a debt and they kept pestering me….”
“And finally, looking at the calluses on your hands, you don’t seem to craft large equipment like weapons or armor. Rather, you work on small things. Small things like keys. As far as I know, there’s no locksmith or jeweler in this Village.”
This was the reasoning Yoo Sung-hyun had uncovered.
Beyond that, there were other details in speech and behavior.
Actions an Apprentice Blacksmith wouldn’t take.
But wasn’t this much sufficient?
And most decisively.
‘I already knew his face from the beginning.’
After all, I wasn’t Yoo Sung-hyun—I was someone who had absorbed Kah-hoo-koo’s memories and experiences.
I had feigned ignorance to cooperate with the Quest for materials.
But a Quest like this one changed everything.
I decided to leave it at that.
Philip, who had been evasive until moments ago, wiped that expression away and readily acknowledged it.
“…You’re quite perceptive.”
“I have a certain eye for detail.”
Though it was the hunter Apik’s eye for detail, really.
If he hadn’t asked for a reason, Kah-hoo-koo’s memories alone would have sufficed.
But having absorbed those memories and experiences, they were mine as well now.
Without the hunter Apik’s keen perception, I would have struggled to notice.
The claim about there being no locksmith was a lie.
‘It’s fortunate I knew what a locksmith was from Kah-hoo-koo’s memories.’
There simply hadn’t been time to figure it out otherwise.
I had fashioned it roughly based on Kah-hoo-koo’s memories, and it seemed to fit perfectly.
[Hidden Quest, 『Ally of the Treasure Goblin Kah-hoo-koo 2』 cleared.]
[Receive your reward from Ashin Philip.]
Seeing that final message appear, I could finally breathe easy.
Though having acknowledged it like that, he couldn’t very well deny it now.
I was delighted.
Philip nodded, regarding me with what seemed like admiration.
“Honestly, I didn’t think you’d manage it. Kah-hoo-koo may be gone, but I couldn’t hand over his treasure to just anyone.”
“I understand.”
“I was simply trying to honor my friend’s final wishes, so please don’t hold it against me.”
“Of course I don’t.”
Philip’s expression grew somewhat relieved at my words.
But his face darkened just as quickly.
“I apologize to the rightful heir, but it will take some time to craft the key.”
“Ah.”
It was disappointing news for me, who had been thinking of heading to the raid immediately.
But what could I do?
It would take time.
My disappointment was plain to see.
Philip looked slightly flustered but spoke calmly.
“The materials are all complete with these webbed feet, but the crafting itself takes a while—still, if I hurry from now on, I should have it ready by tomorrow morning.”
“Hmm, it’s disappointing, but I understand. There’s no helping it.”
With my acceptance, Philip’s expression brightened considerably.
Not that I would cause any trouble.
But now that it was revealed I was connected to a goblin,
there was bound to be some awkwardness.
Yoo Sung-hyun didn’t give it much thought.
‘Then I’ll have to come pick it up tomorrow morning.’
That’s what I decided internally.
Just then, Philip spoke up.
“I’ll leave it here early in the morning. The Innkeeper here is trustworthy.”
“Ah, yes. I understand.”
“I’ll do my best to craft it.”
Watching Philip bow respectfully, I acknowledged his words and naturally exited the Inn.
Normally I would have paid for the meal, but Philip insisted on covering it, so I simply left.
The Quest was complete, and I had nothing pressing to do until tomorrow morning.
I was about to head out, thinking I might go hunting.
A voice came from outside the capsule.
[A voice message has arrived from outside.]
[Sung-hyun~ You need to eat dinner~]
It was unfortunate, but it seemed today’s session had to end here.
[The Eternal World awaits your return.]
With the now-familiar message, I logged out.
0.
As I stepped out of the capsule.
The delicious aroma filling the house made my mouth water involuntarily.
“Phew.”
Quite some time had passed since lunch.
My body responded immediately.
Judging by the smell, was dinner bulgogi?
The way the bulgogi’s aroma mingled with other scents suggested tonight was a feast.
Drawn by the aroma, I headed to the living room.
My father, Yoo Kwang-jin, who had unusually come home early, was helping my mother, Lee Na-kyung, prepare dinner in the living room.
“Oh, Sung-hyun’s here.”
“Welcome home, Father.”
“Yeah, work ended early today, so I came back sooner.”
Watching my father Yoo Kwang-jin look slightly embarrassed at my words, I chuckled quietly.
Noticing my amusement, Yoo Kwang-jin cleared his throat and continued helping Lee Na-kyung.
Lee Na-kyung also noticed I had emerged and spoke up.
“Ah, Sung-hyun’s here~? Go wash your hands. It’s almost ready.”
“Yes, understood.”
I considered helping my mother, but since Father was already helping.
There seemed no real need, so I went straight to the bathroom to wash my hands and returned.
While I was in the bathroom, my older sister Yoo Mi-na also emerged from her capsule, yawning widely, then her eyes widened as she spotted Father.
Father came home early for once?
No.
That look in her eyes.
“Dad! Dad! Today Yoo Sung-hyun….”
It was unmistakably the expression she wore when teasing him.
Yoo Sung-hyun tried desperately to stop Yoo Mi-na.
But his father, Yoo Kwang-jin, beat him to it.
“I heard you came in first place? That’s impressive. Well done. Ahem.”
“Ah, th… thank you.”
Yoo Kwang-jin offered his praise with a touch of embarrassment, nothing more.
Yoo Sung-hyun felt equally awkward.
It was always a bit strange between father and son when it came to compliments.
Still, it didn’t feel entirely unpleasant.
But his older sister, who had orchestrated this moment, was another matter entirely.
Yoo Sung-hyun shot a sharp glare at Yoo Mi-na, whose face had turned openly disappointed, and spoke.
“Go wash your hands.”
“Yes~ yes~”
“Everything’s ready now~ hurry and wash up~”
“Okay, I will~”
With their mother urging her as well, Yoo Mi-na had no choice but to head to the bathroom, quickly wash her hands, and return.
They had eaten together when Yoo Sung-hyun was discharged not long ago.
Yet somehow, this meal felt like it had been ages.
Various conversations naturally flowed between them.
Nothing particularly important.
Questions about whether the game was worth playing, and Yoo Sung-hyun’s answer that it was fun.
His father Yoo Kwang-jin mentioning that his company was doing well lately.
His older sister Yoo Mi-na mentioning she was preparing for a raid soon.
His mother Lee Na-kyung mentioning that her friend Jimin’s husband had an affair and ran off in the dead of night.
Wait, was that last one actually important?
In any case, as these conversations continued.
His mother Lee Na-kyung suddenly grew curious and asked Yoo Sung-hyun.
“You’ve been discharged, but aren’t you seeing your friends~?”
It was a somewhat perfunctory question.
But Yoo Sung-hyun happened to have plans, so he answered.
“Ah. Actually, I have plans tomorrow to go see the guys.”
His mother Lee Na-kyung nodded in understanding.
Yoo Mi-na, her face turning mischievous again, pretended to know something.
“Ah ah, you mean that promise with that girl~?”
At Yoo Mi-na’s words, the eyes of both Lee Na-kyung and Yoo Kwang-jin sparkled as they fixed their gaze on Yoo Sung-hyun.

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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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