The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage-Chapter 196

The four-party members surrounding the woman referred to as "Embris" watched her closely.

Seong looked at her, genuinely puzzled.

He had never seen her before.

But she insisted this wasn’t some kind of setup?

Isn’t that usually the kind of line people use to start a conversation?

If it weren’t for that, why would she ask if they had met before?

As Seong tilted his head in confusion, Helena let out a playful chuckle, her eyes glinting mischievously.

“Heh~ You sure are popular~”

“Agh, seriously!! It’s not like that!!! I just thought... she looked familiar, that’s all...”

With Helena joining in on the teasing, the woman called Embris waved her hands in denial, her face turning a deep shade of red before she quickly retreated to her spot.

The small incident caused a ripple of amusement among the gathered players, chuckles spreading across the room.

It was a funny situation, after all.

And with every laugh, Embris' face grew redder.

At that moment, Seong came to a realization.

‘Did she recognize me as the Demon King?’

No, if that were the case, she would have asked outright.

That didn’t seem to be it.

Then what was it?

Seong mulled over it for a moment.

And then, upon hearing her name, something clicked.

‘Second place?’

Wasn’t Embris also the name of the leader of the party that ranked second in the recent large-scale event?

Just to be sure, he ran a quick search.

The answer popped up immediately.

Confirmed—Embris was the name of the second-place party.

Of course, Eternal World allowed duplicate usernames.

But...

‘She’s probably the same person.’

At least, that’s what it seemed like to Seong.

She hadn’t made any obvious moves, but something about the atmosphere and the way her four-member party composed itself felt... different.

It gave off the unmistakable air of strong players.

And it wasn’t just Seong who picked up on that.

Helena glanced at him and remarked, “They seem pretty capable.”

“Yeah. I think so too.”

-Huh?

Fiora tilted her head, genuinely confused.

Well, from Fiora’s perspective, she still considered herself weak.

So her reaction was understandable.

What about the other parties?

None of them particularly stood out.

They must have been skilled enough to receive a quest from Moore Trading Company—one of the top firms in this city.

But none of them caught Seong’s or Helena’s eye.

After waiting a bit longer, two more five-member parties arrived, bringing the total headcount to thirty.

“Oho, they’re finally coming.”

“Are we finally going to meet the owner of Moore Trading Company?”

“Man, it’s rare to even get a glimpse of him.”

A few players murmured among themselves.

And then, someone stepped onto the stage-like platform at the front of the room.

The figure was an NPC, flanked by several guards.

His clothes weren’t flashy or extravagant, yet there was a quiet dignity to his refined attire that exuded authority.

A young man appeared—too young, in fact, to be the owner of a trading company.

He looked no older than his early twenties.

Yet, the moment he stood before them, he commanded the room with an effortless charisma.

Several players found themselves unconsciously swallowing their saliva.

To them, he was just an NPC in a game.

But there was something about his presence that made it clear—this was not someone to be taken lightly.

Seong, too, watched the young man with quiet admiration.

‘In my memories, he was still just a kid who needed protection...’

Perhaps that was simply the way a parent sees their child.

No matter how much they grow, they will always seem like someone who needs safeguarding.

Seong hadn’t expected him to possess such ability.

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This young noble, the head of a top trading company—not just in this city, but one of the five most powerful firms in the entire region—stepped forward, bowed his head, and spoke.

“Please, adventurers from distant lands. I beg of you—find my father, who has gone missing in the depths of the Pentamere Forest Labyrinth.”

He was pleading for his family.

Lowering his head.

There was something solemn about his gesture.

Some of the gathered players found themselves rubbing their noses, their expressions turning oddly sentimental.

It was as if the emotions of the moment had struck them unexpectedly.

Seong felt something similar.

After all, he carried Vitor Moore’s memories.

He couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of warmth.

The son he had once seen as a mere child had grown up like this.

That emotion lingered.

But Seong remained clear-headed.

As the gathered parties processed the request, a system notification appeared.

[A Unique Linked Quest, "The Disappearance of the Former Head of Moore Trading Company," has been generated.]

→ The former head of Moore Trading Company and father of the current leader, Jerod Moore, has gone missing in the Forest Labyrinth.

→ Find traces of his whereabouts.

The first quest had been issued.

The objective: to find clues about his disappearance.

“I am truly grateful,” Jerod said.

The moment he finished speaking, several parties immediately sprang into action, rushing out of the room.

Some were moved by Jerod’s sincerity and vowed to find his father as quickly as possible.

Others were more competitive, determined to complete the quest before anyone else.

But Seong didn’t move.

Why?

[Quest Item: "Vitor Moore’s Identification Badge" is in your possession.]

[You have completed the Unique Linked Quest, "The Disappearance of the Former Head of Moore Trading Company."]

[You were the first to complete it.]

[Additional rewards granted.]

[You have gained massive experience.]

[Level up!]

[You have reached Level 152.]

Jerod’s gaze settled on him.

“I’ve been told that the person who remained here has already found my father’s traces.”

Seong had stayed behind because a merchant had hinted to him about this in advance.

But he hadn’t expected to instantly clear the first quest like this.

Acknowledging Jerod’s words, Seong stepped forward and handed over Vitor’s identification badge.

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Jerod accepted it with a somber expression and murmured, “My father... always carried this with him, no matter what. He used to say that his badge alone could secure a loan of a thousand gold coins.”

Seong nodded.

He remembered Vitor’s words well.

"Your credibility is your greatest asset."

That was something he always used to say.

Jerod seemed to steel himself.

“My father... may already be dead.”

A cold statement.

But beneath it burned an emotion as fierce as fire.

Seong remained silent, sensing the weight of his words.

Jerod turned to the room.

“My apologies to those who just left. We will be selecting only two additional parties—the fastest among them—to join us.”

It seemed like this was going to be a high-difficulty quest.

That much was obvious, considering the number of parties that had initially gathered.

Three parties total.

Seong contemplated the setup.

Jerod clenched his fists, his voice laced with barely suppressed anger.

“Revenge cannot be achieved by mediocre adventurers.”

“I understand,” Seong replied.

“Forgive me, but would you mind waiting for the others to return?”

“Of course.”

Jerod nodded in gratitude.

Then, as a token of appreciation, he handed Seong a generous reward.

[You have received 10,000 gold as a reward.]

"Whoa."

A Unique Quest indeed.

Receiving 10,000 gold as the first reward was no joke.

That was the equivalent of about 100 million won.

Earning that much from a single quest—it truly lived up to its reputation as a major trading company’s request.

If someone told him to wait and paid him 100 million won for it, well, waiting was the obvious choice.

When Seong acknowledged that, Jerod gave a respectful nod.

“Then, I’ll return once the other parties arrive.”

“Yes, understood.”

“I appreciate your patience. Until then.”

Jerod suppressed his anger and returned to his duties.

Seong watched him go before returning to his seat.

At that moment, Helena mused, “Hmm, revenge isn’t exactly noble, but... there are times when it’s necessary.”

“True.”

-Y-yeah. B-but you should also know how to forgive...

Fiora chimed in hesitantly.

Meanwhile...

“I wonder which other party will arrive alongside the girl who tried to hit on Seong?”

Helena’s teasing remark made Seong chuckle.

“Hah... who knows.”

“Whoever they are, they won’t be better than you.”

With that, they waited patiently.

The four-person party would almost certainly return.

The only question was—who would the other party be?

2.

The players raced toward the depths of the Pentamere Labyrinth.

Among them, however, one party moved at an overwhelming speed.

While others were still reaching the main square of Pentamere, this party had already arrived at the entrance of the Forest Labyrinth.

It was Embris’ party.

Now, suddenly labeled as ‘the woman who tried to hit on Seong,’ Embris swallowed her frustration and pushed forward faster than anyone else.

Her teammates glanced at each other.

Had they teased her too much?

Well, maybe.

But if they didn’t tease her now, when would they ever get another chance?

“So, Embris, what was that about?”

“...What?”

Embris responded curtly to her teammate Chako, clearly on guard, worried they’d start teasing her again.

But Chako shrugged.

“Hey, I’m not Menma. I wouldn’t tease you just for the fun of it. I’m just curious. Normally, you’d just let things slide, but you actually spoke up this time. That’s unusual.”

“Yeah, you usually just say ‘Oh, he’s handsome~!’ and leave it at that, but this time you actually talked to him.”

“He was kinda good-looking, though.”

Embris shot a glare at Menma and Usagi.

Chako quickly intervened before things escalated.

“I’m serious. Did he really look familiar to you?”

“I swear I’ve seen him before.”

“Hmm... when?”

“I don’t know... but it felt real.”

If Embris said she had seen him before, then she definitely had.

What was strange was that she couldn’t recall exactly when or where.

Embris had an excellent memory—if she had met someone before, she always remembered.

As the discussion continued, Menma spoke up while running.

“He did seem really skilled.”

“But why isn’t he coming?”

“He might be slower than us, but he should at least be ahead of the other parties by now. Shouldn’t we have seen him already?”

They all exchanged puzzled looks.

Then, Embris spoke as if she had just realized something.

“He never moved from his spot.”

“What? He’s taking his time on purpose?”

“Wow. Is he really that confident?”

“This is kind of insulting.”

Despite their words, they were all grinning.

Now they had to prove themselves.

Determined to show him what they were made of, they pushed forward at an even greater speed.

They moved like shadows melting into the labyrinth—swift, precise, and silent.

This wasn’t just a matter of raw stats.

It was a display of pure skill—only those who knew how to fully utilize their abilities could move like this.

As they scouted through the labyrinth, they spotted something.

Faint wheel tracks pressed against the labyrinth’s overgrown walls.

Subtle. Nearly invisible unless one was paying close attention.

Just to be sure, they touched the ivy-covered walls where the tracks led.

Nothing.

No reaction.

But as soon as they confirmed that, a system notification appeared.

[You have discovered a clue.]

[Return to Moore Trading Company to report your findings.]

It hadn’t even been thirty minutes.

And they had already found a key clue.

They rushed back to the city.

This time, they had to be first.

They were certain of it.

When they returned to Moore Trading Company and reentered the meeting room...

“Oh, second place is here.”

“Helena, please.”

Helena smirked at them while Seong sighed.

“...”

“...”

Embris and her team were momentarily speechless.