The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage

Chapter 32

0.

A massive black fortress loomed, shrouded in a dark, ink-like hue.

It was a sight so beautiful that anyone with an eye for art would be left swallowing hard in admiration.

The exterior was steeped in a somber darkness, emanating an ominous energy from each of its bricks.

This fortress, more impregnable than any other, seemed to forbid intrusion entirely.

A peculiar black paper bird, delicate and mysterious as if crafted from the darkest parchment, fluttered towards the fortress.

Effortlessly passing through the sinister black veil encircling the fortress, the paper bird continued its flight into the deepest part of the structure.

The heart of the palace—the colossal audience hall where one could meet the king—was steeped in a desolate silence.

A single old man stood there, gazing at the vacant throne with an air of melancholy.
But could he truly be called an old man?

Though deep wrinkles covered his face, there was a youthful quality to his smooth, alabaster skin.

It was impossible to discern his true identity, age, or even gender.

As the figure extended a hand, the black paper bird landed upon it as though it had been destined to do so.

Moments ago, it had been soaring through the air, heading towards the audience hall. Now, without warning, it appeared in his grasp.

The figure unfolded the bird.

“……”

Reading the words inscribed on the black paper, the figure closed his eyes, gazing at the long-vacant throne with a look of sorrow.

When he opened his eyes once more, they burned with desire, ambition, and an inexplicable fire.

“Go to Sekan Village,” he said, his words carrying the weight of a decree.

The single utterance caused the shadows within the palace to stir, as if toasting with fervor.

The shadows began to chant, almost like a hymn:

Bow before him!

Worship him!

He is coming!

The rightful master of the palace!

Let us offer our palace to him!

We are his servants!

Present the palace as an offering!

Then, as suddenly as they had erupted, the shadows vanished, as if a machine had been switched off.

Silence enveloped the audience hall once more. Only the figure remained, his fiery eyes turning his body.

“The time has come to offer our palace, the Overpalace, to our Lord.”

The Overpalace, which had remained unmoving for so long, finally stirred.
Its master, one of the Nine Heroes, the Black Star, rose from his heavy seat.

1.

Returning to Sekan Village, I headed toward the central square.

There were more people gathered now compared to earlier.

When I first arrived, it had been surprisingly early in the morning—more like dawn than morning.

This had allowed me to speak with the former village chief, Gwen, without much interference.

But now, the square was bustling with activity.

The majority of the crowd consisted of users, creating a chaotic atmosphere.

The noise was enough to make even someone as composed as me furrow my brow slightly.

“Looking for party members for Adum Cave! We’ve got three, need two more! No more spots for rogues!”

“Looking for someone to join us for Jackal Forest! Just one spot left! Melee warriors only!”

“Party for Persi Hill recruiting! I’m a skilled ranger! Please, join us!”

“Party forming for Pruba Mountain entrance. You’re the last one we need!”

“Please! Let me join a party! I’m a graduate of the intermediate rogue training center, but no one’s even talking to me!”

Finding a party in this cacophony seemed like a challenge in itself.

‘Should I just go solo?’

Even in this second village, where party play was almost mandatory, there had to be solo hunting grounds if I looked hard enough.

Maybe I should just leave this noisy mess behind.

As I was mulling over my options, I felt someone approaching from behind.

Who could it be?

Turning around, I saw a user cautiously making their way toward me.

He was a young man, with an innocent demeanor and a boyish face.

He looked like he had just entered adulthood—or perhaps he was still a high school student.

In that brief moment, I scanned his equipment.

‘Seems competent.’

His gear was slightly inferior to mine but consisted mostly of rare-grade items.

Normally, this would suggest he was someone with money. But I thought the opposite.

After all, I had equipped myself entirely with items I had obtained myself.

It was a small misunderstanding, but it didn’t matter.

Was he looking to recruit a party member?

As I turned fully toward him, the young user asked nervously,
“Excuse me, are you looking for a party?”

“Yes, for now,” I replied.

“For now? Oh! If you’re okay with it, would you like to join our party? We’re just one person short.”

The young user gestured toward a group behind him.
It consisted of three people: a female archer, a male mage, and a male swordsman.

Adding the young man, their party totaled four.

‘Perfect timing.’

Just as I was about to agree, I heard an eerie voice.

-“You murderers! You’ll pay for this! Take that! Take that!”

A ghostly child was flailing his arms and legs at the three party members behind him, calling them murderers.

What had I just seen?

As I blinked in confusion, the young user asked,
“Uh, is something wrong? Oh! Do you know them?”

“No, this is our first meeting,” I replied.

“Ah, I see! Those are my party members over there.”

“I see,” I said, nodding.

The ghostly child had called them murderers?

Noticing my odd expression, the ghost approached me swiftly.

-“They’re bad! Really bad people! They lure others into the cave and kill them! They push them into traps on purpose and don’t even try to save them!”

“Oh?”

I let out a small chuckle, smiling as I pieced the situation together.

The three behind the young user were targeting players.
Now that it had been pointed out, their behavior seemed suspicious.

The female archer crossed her arms, her expression smiling yet unwelcoming.
The male mage looked toward me, his mouth smiling, but his eyes cold.
The swordsman rubbed his chin, his calculating gaze giving away his intentions.

Even without Apik’s memories and experience, it was clear: these people reeked of danger.

I had already learned this lesson in Vegron.

‘Player killers.’

The ghost’s testimony and their demeanor confirmed it.

“Were they people you already knew?” I asked the young user.

“Oh, no! I just joined their party. They’re close to each other, but I just met them.”

“Got it,” I said.

I’d figured out enough. The young user was their target.

“Where are you headed?” I asked.

“Adum Cave! It’s a five-person dungeon!”

“Good. Let’s go.”

This seems like the perfect place to use my summons.

When I expressed my intention to join the party, the swordsman, who had been tapping his chin as though finalizing calculations, narrowed his eyes in a greedy smile.

Beside him, however, the ghostly child’s reprimand echoed loudly.
-“You’re in big trouble now! This distinguished person here will teach you a lesson!”

Naturally, his words couldn’t be heard by the others.

2.

The party I joined, headed for Adum Cave, had the young user as its leader.
His nickname was Jinu, and he was level 23, slightly below me.

A minor detail he shared was that he had just turned 20, newly stepping into adulthood.

I introduced my level and nickname as well, and the three suspicious users greeted me with warmth.

“Oh, pleased to meet you. I’m Amir, an archer, level 26.”
“Ahem, I’m Nuel, a mage specializing in elemental magic. Level 27.”
“Haha, it’s fate that brought us together like this, isn’t it? I’m Manhu, as you can see, a swordsman, level 29. The three of us already knew each other.”

At first glance, nothing about their introductions seemed suspicious.
In fact, their demeanor was polished, seemingly practiced.

To the untrained eye, it was convincing.
But to someone like me, equipped with a hunter’s keen perception, it was a farce as thin as paper.

[Party Chat – Private Messages]

[Amir]: “So, are we really doing this?”
[Nuel]: “We have the numbers advantage, so it’s worth it.”
[Manhu]: “Take a proper look at that Seonghyeon kid’s gear, you idiots. Use your eyes and actually think before saying anything.”
[Amir]: “Sorry…”
[Nuel]: “There’s even an epic item in there.”
[Amir]: “Wow… you spotted that already? Manhu, you’re impressive.”
[Manhu]: “If you get it, shut up and follow my lead.”

The three were already scheming via their party chat.
As expected, they had targeted me for my gear.

[Party Chat – Continued]

[Amir]: “You don’t think he’s caught on, do you?”
[Nuel]: “How could he? We’ve never been caught before.”

The two exchanged casual remarks, but Manhu scanned the party window with a sharp, annoyed glare.

Party Members:

Jinu (Lv.23 – Shield Warrior)

Seonghyeon (Lv.25 – ?????)

Amir (Lv.26 – Archer)

Nuel (Lv.27 – Elemental Mage)

Manhu (Lv.29 – Swordsman)

Manhu seemed slightly perturbed by the fact that I hadn’t disclosed my class, but he didn’t think it was a problem.
Judging by my equipment, he was confident he could deduce my role.

He quickly sent another message.

[Party Chat – Private Messages]

[Manhu]: “Make sure you idiots act properly. Don’t let anything slip. That Jinu guy is a shield warrior, and Seonghyeon seems to be a dual-wielding swordsman like me. Don’t underestimate him, and when I give the signal, Nuel and Amir, you attack first.”
[Amir]: “The signal is when we disband the party and form our own, right?”
[Manhu]: “Stop asking obvious questions.”
[Nuel]: “Got it.”

 [Amir]: “Understood…”

They hadn’t even considered the possibility that I might already be aware of their plot.

Who would imagine that party members could suddenly turn hostile?
Especially since there wasn’t even a hint of hostility from their overhead icons.

It made sense not to be suspicious. After all, attacking another player first would accrue infamy, a punishment that could eventually lead to being barred from villages or even jailed by guards at the entrances.

But there was a way to avoid that penalty.

‘This game is truly something else.’

If they didn’t directly kill their target, they could avoid the infamy penalty.
For example, they could lure someone into a dungeon trap and simply let them die.

No direct attack meant no infamy.

These three had likely already pulled this trick on five or six players, raking in loot.
Even with decent jobs or skills, they couldn’t resist the allure of easy wealth.

‘Of course, this is their last hurrah.’

Manhu chuckled inwardly as he eyed Jinu and me standing at the entrance to the dungeon.

Jinu’s gear was entirely rare-grade. Mine was a step above, even including epic-grade items.
And hanging on my left hip was a sword that radiated extraordinary energy.

To Manhu, it was clear that this was no ordinary sword—it had to be at least epic-grade.

‘That sword is mine.’

Confident in his abilities, Manhu didn’t even entertain the thought of losing.
He was a proud graduate of the advanced swordsman training center.

There was no way he would lose to someone like me, who was four levels below him.

As we entered Adum Cave, however, something felt off to him.

“Uh… what’s going on?” Manhu muttered.