The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage-Chapter 204
The Black Star
Seong fell silent at the name.
The Black Star.
The leader of Overpalace.
A being recognized as the First Seat among the Nine Heroes.
To Seong, the Black Star had gradually started to feel like some distant benefactor—a mysterious figure watching over him from the shadows.
But regardless of personal impressions, there was no doubt—
The Black Star was an extraordinary NPC.
Just moments ago, Seong had been reviewing his fear-based skills, contemplating which abilities he should unlock using Overlord’s Codex.
But now, of all things—
The Black Star's name had surfaced.
When he first saw Penelope, the Branch Leader of Overpalace Pentamire, he assumed she had simply come to deliver another report.
Yet, here she was, mentioning a name he had nearly forgotten.
"What is he giving me this time?"
Then again—
Hadn’t the system itself been blocking the Black Star’s attempts to reward him?
Even Penelope had apologized before, stating that "the will of the world"—the system itself—had interfered with Overpalace's attempts to aid him.
That wasn’t too long ago.
And now, suddenly, the Black Star had something else to offer?
It was... odd.
Still, the Black Star had always been helpful.
There was no reason not to hear him out.
Seong nodded lightly, urging Penelope to continue.
Understanding his gesture, Penelope spoke.
"The Black Star has ordered that the Ancient Tome be delivered to you in the Sixth Region."
"Ancient Tome?"
Seong tilted his head, unfamiliar with the term.
But beside him—
Helena suddenly swallowed hard, her expression uneasy.
"O-oh?"
Seong noticed.
Helena knew something.
She was visibly shaken.
That in itself was unusual.
Typically, Helena was the first to explain whenever she recognized something.
But now?
She was silent.
"This is new."
Seong made a mental note to ask her later.
For now—
He let Penelope finish.
"You will learn more in the Sixth Region."
"Hmmm."
The Sixth Region.
He had already planned to move on soon.
It wasn’t off-limits or anything.
But—
"The Sixth Region is where class specialization happens, right?"
Each class profession had its own designated city.
Mages had to visit the City of Towers.
Clerics traveled to the City of Sanctuaries.
And Necromancers like him?
That was obvious.
The Sixth City.
Hexia.
The City of Necromancers and the Dead.
It was also home to Overpalace’s second-largest branch.
Following the Third Advancement in the Fifth Region, players were sent to class-based cities to hone their specializations.
Of course, there were no restrictions preventing him from visiting other cities first.
In fact, he had considered avoiding Hexia for a while.
Overpalace’s overwhelming loyalty was a bit excessive at times.
But now—
With the Ancient Tome waiting there...
"Guess I don’t have a choice."
"So I have to go to Hexia?"
"Yes."
Penelope answered firmly, leaving no room for argument.
Seong sighed.
"Well, it’s not like I have a reason to refuse."
Overpalace had been nothing but generous to him so far.
Sure, some of them were overbearing—
This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.
(cough Belmor cough)
But Penelope was still reasonable.
He could deal with it.
"Alright. I’ll go to Hexia."
"Understood. You will receive further instructions there."
Penelope bowed deeply.
"The Black Star also wishes to apologize. He believes it is Overpalace's fault for being unable to assist you properly until now."
"...That makes no sense."
Seong frowned.
Overpalace had already done more than enough for him.
What the hell did they mean by "lacking virtue"?
Regardless, Penelope remained bowed in respect.
Seong sighed and gave a small nod.
"Might as well prepare to leave."
He had already tested his new skills.
Nothing was holding him back anymore.
"Alright, thanks for everything. I’ll be on my way."
Penelope straightened, then offered a final farewell.
"I may not have the honor of seeing you again, Heir. But until that day, I pray for your health, prosperity, and unchallenged reign."
Her formality was almost overwhelming.
Even so, Seong merely gave a short acknowledgment and set off.
Once he was out of sight—
Penelope quietly reached for a black parchment.
With a burst of mana, she wrote her report.
A message directed to the Black Star himself.
She detailed everything—
That the Heir had departed for the Sixth Region.
That he had grown stronger than ever.
And that—
She had witnessed it firsthand.
6.
The Black Star’s Realm
Somewhere far beyond mortal reach—
A corridor stretched endlessly.
It was neither sky nor land.
A place where direction held no meaning.
Like an endless void—
A galaxy of shifting mirrors.
Step.
Step.
Step.
A figure walked the path.
Neither old nor young.
Neither man nor woman.
Their form was undefined.
As they walked, paper birds fluttered toward them.
They extended a hand—
And unfolded the first message.
It was from Pentagrid.
"The Crimson One has awakened from the Abyss."
The figure silently read the words.
Then—
They opened the next message.
It contained a recording.
A video transmission from Pentamire.
A familiar red-haired woman.
Helena.
But—
The figure did not focus on her.
Instead—
They gazed at the young man standing beside her.
And in a voice trembling with emotion, they whispered—
"At last... Our Lord has returned."
The words were not directed at Helena.
But at Seong.
A mix of devotion and longing filled their tone.
A gentle tremor in their voice—
As if they had waited for an eternity.
And then—
They whispered again.
"We have already sent the Ancient Tome to the Sixth Region."
"But for our Lord, that alone is not enough."
"A proper tribute must be made."
The endless corridor shuddered.
The universe itself seemed to resonate with the words.
The stars trembled—
Until all colors were drained from existence.
The world turned white.
And then—
A chorus of voices erupted.
[For Our Great Lord!]
[For those who falsely claimed the throne—]
[Their heads shall be offered!]
[A part of their necks...]
[In the Sixth Region...]
[Offer them upon the altar!]
[All in service of our Lord!]
The final proclamation was uttered with such trembling joy, as if the very world itself shivered in ecstasy.
And then—
The Black Star spoke in response.
“Waver not.”
A chorus of voices erupted.
[For our Lord is the one and only!]
[Even the past rulers have bowed before Him!]
[How could we not rejoice?]
The Black Star nodded solemnly.
A Lord who had seized the Staff of Sovereignty—
Who had revived the former ruler and made them his vassal—
Their true and rightful ruler.
"How could we not worship him?"
His voice was thick with emotion.
"My foolish comrades «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» of the past shall rejoice as well."
He had never been mistaken.
Helena’s will had never been mistaken.
And now, he could finally see it for himself.
"We must make the necessary preparations."
"Our Lord must never be hindered."
He vowed.
And vowed again.
And then, he spoke to the world.
"In the name of the First Seat of the Nine Heroes—"
"I declare the summoning of the Heroic Council."
7.
Atop E-World Corporation’s headquarters, a luxurious penthouse office sat, designed more like a high-end suite than a workplace.
There, seated in front of a single monitor, a man smirked in amusement.
A man whose face had appeared countless times across media outlets.
A man heralded as a once-in-a-century genius—
And the first to successfully realize true virtual reality.
Park Won.
He was staring at his screen, thoroughly entertained.
And then—
He murmured in genuine curiosity.
“What the hell is this?”
The Black Star’s announcement was displayed on his screen.
The summoning of the Heroic Council.
And alongside it—
A familiar player’s name.
Seong.
Eternal World was undeniably Park Won’s creation.
But—
It was not the game he originally envisioned.
At least, not entirely.
Park Won tilted his head, puzzled.
What had Seong done to make even the immovable Black Star react?
"Because of that homunculus modeled after Helena?"
It was just a shell, wasn’t it?
A mere doll?
That was what he had thought—
Until he saw Helena, fully alive and breathing.
He scratched his head.
"The hell is that thing?"
Even Immortal, the AI overseeing the game, had only responded with:
[Unknown Power Detected.]
And that only made him more curious.
What kind of force allowed Seong to move freely in a world designed to restrict players?
"Hmmm. I should keep an eye on him."
Previously, when reports of skill glitches had come in, he hadn’t cared much.
But now—
If even Overpalace’s Black Star was getting this involved...
That was another story.
It was unexpected.
But exciting.
Park Won grinned.
"Now this... This is what makes a game fun."
And then—
He issued a new directive.
[From now on, all reports related to ‘Seong’ must be escalated directly to me.]
He chuckled.
"I can’t just let a Heroic Council be convened without adding some spice."
His eyes glimmered as he scrolled through a list of high-ranking figures.
Like a child discovering a new toy, he whispered—
"Maybe it’s time for a little event."
[Baek Jiwoo, head of the Events Team. Schedule a meeting for a new in-game event.]
[Additionally, summon Assistant Manager Lee Won-sang as a reference for ‘Seong’s’ case.]
A moment later, two screams echoed from within the E-World headquarters.
But Park Won—
Simply smirked.
That wasn’t his problem.
0.
After hearing Penelope’s message, Seong couldn't help but feel intrigued.
Something was waiting in the Sixth City.
For a gamer, that was too enticing to ignore.
Was it a new main quest?
Or perhaps—
A clue to an undiscovered skill?
Maybe even—
A new vassal?
As he pondered, his gaze drifted toward Helena.
She was unusually quiet.
"Hmm."
Now that he thought about it—
The Ancient Tome Penelope mentioned...
It seemed to be connected to Helena.
And yet, she wasn’t saying a word.
"Helena?"
"Y-yeah?"
"You’ve been awfully quiet."
"W-well, um... I guess I’m just tired?"
Her nervous fidgeting was obvious.
Seong narrowed his eyes.
Helena averted her gaze.
Which was definitely not her usual behavior.
"Suspicious."
He debated pressing her for answers.
But before he could—
Helena suddenly panicked.
"I-I’m really tired! I’ll just, um, retreat to the Underworld for now!"
"Hmm."
"I-I'm serious!"
She clearly knew something.
But if he pushed—
It would probably be a spoiler.
Seong sighed.
"Fine. Come back when you’re rested."
"Y-yeah! See you later!"
Like a fugitive escaping interrogation, Helena vanished into the Underworld.
Seong watched her disappear, then sighed.
"What the hell is in the Sixth City?"
The more she avoided it, the more curious he became.
"Guess I need to hurry up and get there."
As he walked, another thought crossed his mind.
The Rapid Guild.
It had been a while since he last interacted with them.
Had they been doing well?
Perhaps he should check in on them soon.
But for now—
The mystery of Hexia was far more pressing.
With quickened steps, Seong set off.
Toward the Sixth City.
Toward Hexia.
