The Game of the Greatest Black Mage

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]

Chapter 45

“Why would I… kill you?”

“Huh?”

Nanjiro had momentarily lost his composure due to the overwhelming destructive power that had turned the cave upside down, but...

Come to think of it, that was true.

There was no reason for Seonghyun to kill him.

He had unconsciously been intimidated by the immense explosive power.

He had mistakenly thought that the only reason someone this strong would party with him was to PK.

Realizing this, Nanjiro apologized with an awkward expression.

“S-sorry.”

“It’s alright. That can happen.”

With so many notorious players around,

It was understandable to be misunderstood like this.

Anyway, Seonghyun brushed it off and recalled the power of the explosion.

‘Amazing.’

The power and range were both considerable.

With a combo like this, he should use it often in the future.

Although it had the drawback of a long cooldown,

That would decrease as he gained proficiency and leveled up.

Now that he had checked the skill combo,

‘Should I clear this quickly?’

It was late, and it was time for him to log out.

Just then, something strange caught Seonghyun's eye.

From the fragments of the Big Ant's corpse that had been shattered by the Corpse Explosion, a green gas was slowly rising.

Even though the corpse was damaged, the Corpse Poison was still applied to the fragments.

‘Oh?’

If the Corpse Poison was still applied even after the corpse exploded, what if he first applied Corpse Poison, then used Corpse Explosion for explosion damage, and then used Exploding Poison on the poison that spread everywhere?

Perhaps there were even more ways to combine the skills than he had thought.

Seonghyun kept those ideas in mind.

Since he had come this far, he should experiment with everything before leaving.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes! Yes!”

Together with Nanjiro, who was strangely disciplined,

‘I-I must never go against him.’

Nanjiro felt like he had boarded a very comfortable bus.

1.

[You have cleared the 2-player dungeon, Big Ant Nest.]

[You gain experience!]

[You acquire 10 gold as a clear reward.]

[Level Up!]

[You have reached level 38.]

It took less than 10 minutes to clear the dungeon with Nanjiro.

Considering that it usually took an hour to clear the Big Ant Nest with a 2-player party, this was an incredible speed.

He even leveled up in the process.

It seemed that the experience points from clearing Rox's Tomb had been added, resulting in the level up.

Nanjiro, with an expression that looked like he was about to cry, repeatedly bowed his head to Seonghyun and thanked him.

"Wow! Thank you so much! Really!!"

"You're welcome. Have fun."

"You too, Seonghyun!!"

Seonghyun chuckled as he watched Nanjiro happily scurry away.

Party hunting wasn't so bad.

Anyway, he had come up with various combo ideas and gained a lot.

'It's much easier since I can create combos.'

He liked that his options had increased.

He had also fully utilized the effects of his skills and the Apprentice Sovereign's Staff.

Now it was time to log out.

It was getting late.

Just then, Seonghyun suddenly remembered something he had forgotten.

'Ah, right.'

Kim Chegeon's request.

He had been thinking about sending it and got distracted by experimenting with his staff and skills.

He should send it along with the video file he had recorded earlier, mentioning Kim Chegeon.

Whether or not to accept her was up to Rapid Guild.

Seonghyun scratched his cheek as he sent a direct message to Rapid Guild.

'But I wonder if this video is okay?'

Kim Chegeon appeared in it, and due to their notoriety, Wooz and Karlak's faces were also clearly visible, as their anonymity wasn't protected.

They were in the wrong, so they wouldn't complain about appearing in the video, right?

It was something that was systematically allowed.

Also, it didn't seem like he had followed the requested concept, but...

He had recorded the video, so he should send it.

[Seonghyun - [Attached video]]

[Seonghyun - If you watch the video, there's a strange swordsman who appears as a party member. She asked if she could have an interview with Rapid Guild, so I'm contacting you.]

[Seonghyun - Oh, and I'm not sure if the video concept is well done. If there's a problem, I'll re-record it and send it to you.]

'I guess this is fine?'

He added "strange swordsman" because he couldn't quite call Kim Chegeon a skilled swordsman.

It would be awkward if she was criticized for being strange during the interview.

With that thought, Seonghyun sent the message and put it out of his mind.

He had sent it, so it was no longer his responsibility.

He had no idea what kind of ripple effect his video would have.

2.

In the naturally fortified base of Rapid Guild, there was a room where the lights were always turned off last.

It was the Guild Master Rapid's office.

Today, as usual, when most of the guild members had left the base for hunting or raids, only Rapid remained, handling various tasks.

She had hired employees to handle these paperwork and guild tasks, but...

There were also matters that Rapid had to handle personally, so she had no choice but to stay late.

In particular, there was also the impact of the recent Seonghyun incident.

"Sigh..."

It was a great thing that an outstanding rookie had joined.

But what if it was an incredible rookie who could potentially change the game?

It was even better, but it also made things more complicated.

Some might question how much of a difference a single person could make, but it was quite common in Eternal World.

The recruitment of a single high-ranking solo player could change the rankings of guilds.

In fact, it didn't even have to be a high-ranking solo player.

Even recruiting a double ranker could change a guild's ranking in this industry.

In this landscape, the recruitment of a talent who showed the potential to become a future single ranker was enough to raise alarm bells for rival guilds.

'Indeed, the surveillance has increased.'

Tensions were already high due to Yuna,

And now Seonghyun had appeared on top of that.

It was a real headache.

Especially since the rookie's video was incredibly well-made.

It had only been a day since its release, yet...

'It already has 4 million views?'

Even though Rapid Guild's channel had 20 million subscribers, this number of views was exceptional.

In just one day, no, strictly speaking, it hadn't even been a day since she uploaded it this morning.

But 4 million views was certainly not a figure to be ignored.

It wasn't for nothing that the Rapid Guild executives were suggesting Seonghyun as the face of Rapid.

Usually, a guild's rankers or top forces were put forward as the face, but the skilled members of Rapid Guild all disliked such things.

This air of mystery had actually increased their fanbase, but...

They hadn't been able to produce videos, so the channel hadn't been growing.

But with Seonghyun's video, they had gained 4 million views and 300,000 subscribers in just half a day, so it was understandable that they were making a fuss.

'The next video needs to be just as good...'

That wouldn't be easy.

If the impact they had already made was repeated, the excitement would die down.

Rapid knew this, so she was a little worried that Seonghyun might feel pressured.

Just then, messages popped up.

He had already filmed a video?

Rapid was surprised by that, but the following messages were also puzzling.

'Hmm? What's this?'

A strange swordsman wanted an interview?

It was a strange request at first glance, but she could understand.

He had sent a video of a party hunt, so he was asking if the party member could have an interview.

'Hmm, I should definitely clarify this with Seonghyun.'

Rapid Guild was a guild that didn't accept members even if they had a high class rank if their skills were lacking.

It was better not to recommend someone unless they were exceptionally skilled.

She hadn't mentioned this because she didn't expect him to make a recommendation just one day after joining.

And yet, here he was, making a recommendation.

Rapid thought she should give him a warning and,

With a slight feeling of regret, she played the attached video.

'Party hunting is a far cry from the Demon King concept.'

She hadn't watched it yet, but...

It seemed she would have to tell him to re-film the video.

As Rapid watched the video,

'Ah! What a shame.'

She couldn't help but sigh in regret.

The event dungeon, Rox's Tomb.

It was an event dungeon she had heard reports about.

She hadn't mentioned it because there was no one to pair with Seonghyun.

And yet, he had entered this place.

'It's a good place for video material.'

Event dungeons, where one had to compete with countless users, always made for good video material.

However, as it was a party hunt, it was difficult to portray the Demon King concept.

That's why it was even more regrettable.

If he had found a more suitable partner, they might have created a usable video.

'Oh?! Seonghyun is that good with a sword? Did he take after his sister? No, wait...'

Unlike his sister Yoo Mina, Seonghyun wasn't very athletic.

But he was showing considerable skill with the sword against the Imp, Kaishak.

His timing and reflexes in using skills were excellent.

To think Seonghyun had this kind of sense...

He wasn't just someone with a good class.

Rapid, impressed, also observed the swordsman, Kim Chegeon, who was wielding her sword alongside Seonghyun.

'That swordsman is also quite something.'

Based on skill alone, she was above the cutoff line.

She would need to observe further, but...

She was certainly worthy of an interview.

She had intended to warn Seonghyun that he shouldn't recommend just anyone, but...

'I can't say anything now.'

His eye for talent was impressive.

Rapid couldn't help but admire him.

Seonghyun was definitely something special.

However, the video was still a bit iffy.

'The swordsmanship is good, and the skills are excellent. But...'

Would the public really want to see this?

Unlike the rookie video that showcased the Demon King's power, this one, while impressive, showed Seonghyun skillfully using his sword and skills to kill the Imp, Kaishak. It wasn't what the public wanted.

It was a shame, but...

That was the reality.

'I guess I'll have to discard this video and tell him to film a new one...'

Just as Rapid was about to turn off the video,

A woman's voice rang out from the video.

-Oh my? More users? This is a reward, right, Karlak?

-...It's fine inside the dungeon.

"Huh? Echo Willow?"

Why were they here?

As two members of Echo Willow appeared and immediately prepared to fight, Rapid had long forgotten about turning off the video.

The following scene, where Seonghyun resurrected Kaishak as an undead and had it fight, was thrilling, but when Kaishak's head exploded...

"Ah..."

Rapid, who was watching, let out a sigh.

It was a shame.

And then, the member of Echo Willow, having won the battle, stood up triumphantly and declared,

-...That must have been your strongest undead, and your only one at that. Now, I'll kill you.

He had suffered a critical injury to his heart, but it wasn't fatal.

The damage was at a level that could be healed with a potion.

But at that moment,

-Hmm, only one?

Seonghyun, who seemed to be in a crisis, muttered with an indifferent attitude,Nôv(el)B\\jnn

And Rapid watched with bated breath.

Seonghyun lightly raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

Snap!

Countless teal portals appeared behind him, and from within those portals, 'they' emerged.

The Death Legion, who only obeyed the Demon King's commands.

As they manifested on the ground,

A teal heart appeared in Seonghyun's hand, and the head of Kaishak, which had been destroyed, was restored and revived.

The surrounding air instantly froze, and the two guild members of Echo Willow trembled in fear.

It was truly the reign of the Demon King.

"Wow..."

Rapid couldn't think of any other words to express herself.

She just let out an exclamation of admiration and thought,

'If I cut this part out and just focus on the battle with Echo Willow, I can perfectly capture the Demon King vibe!'

It was a video with the presence of absolute evil, Echo Willow, and their punishment.

This alone would be popular enough, but...

Look at this directing that made it seem like the reign of the Demon King.

The two cruel and vicious members of Echo Willow were trembling in fear.

It was a truly satisfying sight and a video that perfectly expressed the fear of the Demon King.

'To think I was going to discard this.'

How foolish of her!

Rapid briefly berated herself and prepared to edit the video immediately.

She could have left it to the employee in charge of videos, but...

Rapid was also skilled in video editing.

There was no one in the guild who was better at it than her.

She had a lot to do, but this was something she had to do herself.

Just then,

'Hmm, then I have to arrange an interview for this person as well.'

As she was thinking about how to arrange the interview, a good candidate came to mind.

He wasn't exactly free, but...

'He said he already met him with his alt account, right?'

He was the one who had been reprimanded.

She should send him this time.

'If it's the second village, it must be that dungeon. It's a good place for an interview.'

Now that she had a good idea,

Rapid was about to start editing when she sent messages to the one who had been reprimanded, Kim Jinwoo, and Seonghyun.

She sent Kim Jinwoo an order-like message telling him to go to where Seonghyun was tomorrow for the interview, and she sent Seonghyun a request-like message asking him to help with Kim Chegeon's interview tomorrow.

She thought it would be good to send Kim Jinwoo with him to that dungeon.

[Kim Jinwoo - Ah! Really! I shouldn't have gone... Sigh. Alright.]

Kim Jinwoo replied with a resigned "Alright," and...

[Seonghyun - I needed a party, so this works out perfectly. Thank you.]

Rapid smiled as she saw Seonghyun's grateful reply.

'I'm really looking forward to tomorrow.'

She was curious to see how the three of them would clear the dungeon, and a fantastic video would be uploaded tomorrow.

3.

Seonghyun, who had come out of the capsule feeling refreshed after sending the video, immediately made eye contact with his mother, Lee Nakyeong, who was in the living room.

Instead of scolding Seonghyun for playing games until now, Lee Nakyeong welcomed him with a warm smile.

"You're finally out? Aren't you hungry?"

She could have scolded him for playing games,

But instead, she was worried if he was hungry, and Seonghyun felt a warm feeling in his heart.

Well, she probably knew that his sister, Yoo Mina, earned a lot, even if she didn't know exactly how much.

It was understandable.

Even if she didn't know, Lee Nakyeong wasn't the type to scold him for playing games.

Seonghyun thought for a moment, but he wasn't particularly hungry, perhaps because he had eaten out with Yoo Mina earlier.

"Ah, yes. I ate a lot for lunch, so I'm fine."

"Oh my? Is that so? You went out and ate a lot with Mina earlier?"

"Yes. I think I'll be fine for dinner."

"I was wondering whether to prepare dinner or not since your father said he'll be late, but that's a relief~"

"Yes, then please rest."

"Haam. I should get going too."

As Lee Nakyeong yawned tiredly and went into her room,

Seonghyun felt sorry for her, who had been waiting for him to come out.

She must have been planning to make him dinner when he came out.

'She doesn't have to do that.'

Since she had gone to rest, he would have to tell her next time.

With that thought, he drank some water because he was thirsty and returned to his room.

He saw that an alarm was ringing on his phone.

'Has she already replied?'

Seonghyun opened his phone with a puzzled expression.

As expected, a message from Rapid had arrived.

It was a request asking if he could enter a dungeon with Kim Chegeon and a Rapid Guild interviewer tomorrow.

Entering the dungeon wasn't a problem.

But what dungeon was it?

He checked the name of the dungeon.

'Fortress of the Past?'

It was a name he had heard before.

He remembered that it was a kind of test, like how he had defeated the scarecrow in one blow in the tutorial.

Seonghyun searched for more information.

Various information appeared.

'Oh, it's a record-type dungeon that you can only enter once?'

Uniquely, it was a dungeon that could only be entered once below level 50, and...

Only exactly three people could enter.

There was no concept of clearing, and waves occurred.

And it recorded how far each user progressed.

Apparently, one had to clear at least 10 stages to be recognized as a ranker?

It even gave a significant amount of experience points.

'There's no reason to refuse, right?'

He needed to level up anyway.

Seonghyun immediately replied that he would be happy to.

Even though she was a bit strange, going to a dungeon with a skilled person like Kim Chegeon was a welcome opportunity.

Plus, there was also an interviewer.

An interviewer from a guild like Rapid would surely be quite skilled.

Anticipation bloomed within him.

'Fortress of the Past.'

A record-type wave dungeon.

It seemed like tomorrow would be fun.

Of course, before entering the dungeon,

'I have to clear out the warehouse first.'

He hadn't forgotten what he had to do.

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]