The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage

[You have cleared the sub-quest, 『With the Enemies of the Past』.]

[You have cleared the main quest, 『Entrance to the Dark Castle』.]

[Rewards for both quests are granted.]

[You have obtained a clue about the current location of 『Dark Castle』, not the past.]

[The location of 『Dark Castle』 is in the Netherworld.]

[You can use the skill 『Netherworld』 to travel to the Dark Castle.]

[You have gained a massive amount of experience points.]

[Level Up!] ×13

[Your level has reached 92.]

[Upon reaching Level 80, a new skill for 『Overlord』 is unlocked.]

[You have acquired the Legendary-grade skill, 『Black Sun』.]

[Upon reaching Level 90, a new skill for 『Overlord』 is unlocked.]

[You have acquired the Legendary-grade skill, 『Dark Magic Bullet』.]

[A new main quest, 『To the Dark Castle』, has been generated.]

[Additional rewards can be obtained from 『Hero Hindel』.]

The flood of notifications scrolled before Seong’s eyes like movie credits. He observed each one carefully, a faint smile curling his lips.

His level had risen significantly, and he had unlocked two new skills. Furthermore, he had obtained a clue for the main quest.

And now, there was even an additional reward to look forward to.

Even for someone as composed as Seong, his lips twitched in excitement.

But still...

”So it’s in the Netherworld.”

The revelation that 『Overlord』 could also travel to the Netherworld surprised him.

It seemed completing the sub-quest was a prerequisite for unlocking this feature. The system messages confirmed as much.

”Hiding in plain sight.”

With the next destination set, Seong was eager to claim his rewards and review the follow-up quest. However, he couldn’t do so just yet—he was being approached.

”I truly don’t know how to express my gratitude.”

”Exactly! Honestly, if it weren’t for you, Seong, we’d all be dead here. Really, thank you.”

”Though it’s unwise to speculate on where life might take us, Plang is right. Truly, thank you. You saved our lives.”

”Agreed. Overwhelming gratitude.”

Plang spoke with heartfelt admiration, and Adeline echoed his words while expressing her thanks. Even Lyiaden managed to convey his gratitude, albeit in short, clipped phrases.

Though Seong felt slightly embarrassed, he didn’t deny their gratitude. After all, he had indeed saved their lives, even if he never intended to let them die.

It was time to receive the reward from Hindel.

”So, we discussed how we could repay you for your help. After some thought, this is our answer.”

”We couldn’t use this ourselves anyway, and we thought it might suit you.”

”Please, accept it.”

”A great skill!”

Hindel, along with Plang, Adeline, and Lyiaden, handed him a book—a skill book, by the looks of it.

Seong examined it curiously.

”Two?”

Could it be they were giving him two?

Still in slight disbelief, he took the books from Hindel. The system message confirmed his suspicion.

[From 『Hero Hindel』, you have obtained the Unique-grade skill book, 『Blood Venom』, as an additional reward.]

[From 『Hero Hindel』, you have obtained the Legendary-grade skill book, 『Blood Plague』, as an additional reward.]

”...!?”

A Unique-grade skill and a Legendary-grade skill—both at once.

Seong gulped, his gaze shifting to Hindel, who smiled warmly.

”These are dark magic skill books we obtained in the past. To prevent them from falling into the wrong hands, we kept them safe. It’s not much compared to what you’ve done for us...”

”What?”

Not much? Giving away Legendary and Unique-grade skills was ”not much”?

Seong was stunned.

Hindel smiled, stepping forward.

”Sadly, this is where we part ways.”

”It wouldn’t be right to ask for more help from you, after all.”

”This time, it was within your range of activity, so you helped us. Asking for more would be excessive.”

”Farewell.”

”Thank you so much. I’ve learned a lot thanks to you. It’s a humbling experience.”

Although their farewell felt a bit abrupt, Seong couldn’t deny he enjoyed the short journey with these NPCs of the past.

Still, parting was inevitable.

Curious, Seong asked where they were headed next.

”Oh, we’re planning to visit the capital of the Rieskan Kingdom.”

”There’s a knight of exceptional talent among the royal bloodline there. If possible, we hope to recruit them.”

”While Hindel is with us, we lack numbers in our vanguard.”

”We need a knight.”

Seong pondered this. Could their next destination be where something significant would occur?

Reflecting on the memories absorbed from Helena, he recalled the tragic outcome of Hindel’s journey.

”Hindel seemed so worn down in the end... unlike now, when he was outright hostile to Helena.”

It was during the attack by the Archmages and other elites that Hindel’s party perished, sealing Helena’s power while sacrificing their lives.

If Hindel’s change began in the Rieskan Kingdom, Seong might have found a crucial lead.

”Tracking Hindel’s footsteps aligns with my goals.”

As Hindel and his party bid their farewells, Seong smiled.

”I hope we meet again someday!”

”Bye-bye!”

”Stay well!”

”Until next time!”

Seong returned their farewells warmly.

The surroundings shifted, and he found himself back in the cave where he’d first entered the past.

Just as he prepared to review his rewards, a voice cried out.

”M-Master!? You’re finally back!”

”Ack!”

Fiora, who had been waiting in the cave, launched herself at him with surprising speed, nearly knocking the breath out of him.

Her face buried in his chest, she began to sob uncontrollably.

After calming Fiora, Seong finally turned his attention to the rewards.

Among them were the two newly unlocked skills: 『Black Sun』 and 『Dark Magic Bullet』.

He opened the skill menu with anticipation.

『Black Sun』

→ 《Legendary》

→ [Lv Max][Complete]

[Passive Effect][Active Skill]

[Cooldown: 30 minutes]

[Duration: 3 minutes]

”When the sun burns black, no light shall pierce the darkness.”

Exclusive skill for Overlord class.Summons a black, blazing sun in the sky, turning the entire area into the field of the Black Sun.All objects and allies within the field are imbued with the darkness attribute. Non-Overlord entities in the field suffer continuous dark flame damage.Allies with the darkness attribute gain +10% to all stats and movement speed.Dark attribute skills gain +10% effectiveness within the field.『Dark Magic Bullet』

→ 《Legendary》

→ [Lv 1][Growth-Type]

[Instant Effect][Active Skill]

[Cooldown: 1 minute]

”When the vile, black bullet split the heavens, the world sank into shadow.”

Exclusive skill for Overlord class.Fires a bullet forged from condensed darkness, akin to the abyss itself—swift, malevolent, and oppressive.Ignores all defenses, guaranteeing a hit. Upon impact, it deals abyssal and explosive damage simultaneously.After exploding, the dark bullet leaves a malicious residue that disrupts healing and regeneration.Seong examined the descriptions carefully, his eyebrows slightly raised in awe.

”Wow.”

『Black Sun』 was a skill that granted wide-area buffs and continuous damage within its field. On top of that, it boosted the power of dark attribute skills, making it an incredible support and offensive ability.

And then there was 『Dark Magic Bullet』, a potent offensive skill under the dark attribute tree.

Despite its cooldown being twice as long as his usual primary attack skills, its devastating power made it worth the wait.

”Defense-ignoring effect... just like Spirit of the Dead.”

It was short and straightforward, but Seong could already tell this skill would become one of his core abilities.

Up until now, his build had revolved around explosions, relying on corpses and poisons to deal massive area damage. While effective, it had grown somewhat repetitive.

But now, with these new dark attribute skills, a fresh build was emerging—a prospect Seong found highly satisfying.

”New builds are always welcome.”

Seong then turned his attention to the skill books from Hindel. Both seemed tailored for a blood-based build.

『Blood Venom』

→ 《Unique》

→ [Lv 1][Growth-Type]

[Passive Effect][Active Skill]

[Cooldown: 5 minutes]

[Duration: 1 minute]

Exclusive to dark magic professions.Infuses the user’s blood with a deadly venom that poisons anyone exposed to it.The venom quickly spreads through the victim’s bloodstream, affecting their entire body.This potent venom is difficult to purify or detoxify.『Blood Plague』

→ 《Legendary》

→ [Lv Max][Complete]

[Passive Effect][Active Skill]

[Cooldown: 5 minutes]

[Duration: 1 minute]

Exclusive to dark magic professions.A chain skill requiring 『Blood Venom』.Can only be activated when the target is poisoned by 『Blood Venom』.Spreads the effects of 『Blood Venom』 to all living entities within a 3-meter radius of the afflicted target.Upon expiration, the venom explodes, dealing significant damage.”What?”

These two skills were clearly designed to work in tandem: use 『Blood Venom』 first, then follow up with 『Blood Plague』 for maximum impact.

Countless strategies immediately ran through Seong’s mind. What if he combined 『Blood Venom』 with his existing skills, like Swirling Blood? The result could be a massive storm of venomous blood, amplified further with 『Blood Plague』.

”Incredible.”

The possibilities were mind-boggling. And these weren’t even all his options—he could incorporate these into his builds involving Shadow and Blood, expanding his repertoire even further.

”This was definitely worth it.”

The rewards from the main and side quests had exceeded his expectations. If the side quest was this rewarding, how grand would the main quest’s final prize be?

With excitement building, Seong opened his quest log to review his next objective.

Elsewhere, near the infamous Despair’s Gorge in Sermas—a perilous area beyond the reach of ordinary players—two figures strolled casually.

One was a serious-looking man gazing intently at the gorge, while the other was a cheerful individual sporting a wide grin.

The stern figure was none other than Luke, a successor to the legendary Hero Hindel. The grinning individual was Plinky, heir to the Sage.

As they ventured closer to the gorge, the ground began to quake.

Rumble... Rumble...

Something massive emerged, splitting the earth.

What stood before them could only be described as a giant—a gray-skinned, decaying undead. Its rotting flesh reeked, and its presence exuded a heavy aura of dark magic, enough to make even Luke and Plinky frown.

The undead giant alone would be a formidable opponent.

But atop its shoulder stood two more figures:

One was a pale man, his body stitched together, who wore a twisted smile. The other was a woman holding a doll, her eyes empty and devoid of light.

Even at a glance, their overwhelming presence was undeniable.

”Heh-heh-heh! I found you, Hero.”

Luke narrowed his eyes as Plinky muttered under his breath:

”The Three Calamities?”

The pale man grinned wickedly.

”Heh-heh! As expected of the Sage’s heir—you recognize us. Not that we were trying to hide.”

The Three Calamities, emissaries of Overpalace.

Luke had heard their names before, and now they stood before him.

Still, the pale man waved dismissively.

”Don’t worry—we’re not here to fight.”

The woman remained silent, but her body language suggested agreement.

Luke glanced at Plinky, who promptly dropped to the ground with a carefree laugh.

”What are you doing?” Luke asked, incredulous.

Plinky smirked.

”If they’re not here to fight, they’re just killing time. So let’s wait them out and let them leave.”

The pale man laughed.

”Heh-heh! Exactly what I’d expect from the Sage’s heir.”

Luke, meanwhile, felt a little embarrassed about his earlier tension.