The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage-Chapter 317

2.

Outside the mine, the subjugation forces waited.

They didn’t know when the recon party would return.

As they stood around, unsure of what to expect, a strange aura suddenly surged from within the mine.

A black pillar of light shot upward, piercing through the mine and into the sky, as if trying to stab the heavens themselves.

That suffocating dark aura sent a shiver through everyone nearby.

They could all feel it—it was different from demonic energy.

Even so, the overwhelming power instilled creeping fear in their hearts.

Watching it unfold, Subjugation Commander and Solnites Knight Commander Kairo stared, his eyes trembling.

That black pillar—it gave off a wave he recognized all too well.

An energy that disdained the world and stood above all.

“...A Lord?”

It was the aura of a Lord.

No, more accurately—it was the aura of someone ascending to become a Lord.

Gritting his teeth, Kairo cursed.

The Kingdom of Rieskan, more than anyone else, knew the truth:

Dark mages had no actual ties to demons.

That understanding—the restructuring of their perception—had begun with Helena.

Yet it was they who had spread rumors that dark magic was evil and in league with demons.

So, they knew better than anyone—

That this overwhelming force meant a new dark Lord was being born.

Sensing Kairo’s reaction, the other subjugation soldiers—unaffiliated with Rieskan—gathered around.

“C-Commander! What is that?!”

“Y-you seem to know something...”

“Is that the work of demons?”

Most of them weren’t dark mages.

There were a few, yes—but even they couldn’t understand what was happening.

They only knew this power was far stronger than anything they’d ever encountered.

Kairo seized the opportunity.

“It seems... there’s a dark mage who has made a pact with demons. From the sheer force of that dark energy, I’d say he’s aligned with a demon noble.”

“Th-that means!?”

“W-we’re in serious trouble, aren’t we!?”

“W-wait—what about the recon team!?”

The moment the panic spread, Kairo didn’t miss a beat.

“I fear... the recon team won’t survive. We can only hope they somehow make it back alive.”

The seed was planted.

He had made them believe it was the work of an evil dark mage.

Even the dark mages among them couldn’t deny it—none of them had ever witnessed power like this.

With that fear planted, Kairo pushed his next move.

“Even if the Hero’s disciple returns... given the power of that dark energy, there’s a chance he’s already been corrupted. We should remain cautious, even if the recon team makes it back.”

And just like that, everyone nodded in agreement.

The subjugation force—successfully deceived—was in the palm of Kairo’s hand.

“Idiots.”

Kairo sneered inside.

Still, with this awakening, he knew the truth.

No one but the recon team had gone into the mine.

That meant one of them was the dark mage now awakening.

It would draw attention—every enemy in the mine would be pulled to that location.

At first, Kairo had trembled at the thought of a dark Lord being born.

But now?

That fear vanished.

With such a colossal aura, all the demons inside the mine would inevitably gather there.

Including mid-rank and high-rank demons.

No matter how powerful the Hero’s disciple was, he couldn’t survive that.

“After that, the plan proceeds as scheduled.”

Without the Hero’s disciple, the rest of the subjugation force would fall easily.

And if their powerful bodies were harvested for fuel—

The Kingdom of Rieskan would become stronger than ever.

He had no doubt.

Believing that no more surprises could come,

Kairo calmly watched the pillar rise toward the sky,

Wondering how long it would last.

3.

As expected, the swelling dark magic drew demons like moths to a flame.

Especially because it was dark magic.

To demons, dark magic was a cheap imitation of demonic energy.

A disgrace to their pride.

So naturally, they surged in—determined to annihilate the source.

Among them were mid-rank demons.

Like waves crashing into «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» the shore, the enemy poured in.

The low-rank demons were handled by Babaros, Serpina, Barfur, Valtar, and Leonic.

The mid-ranks were met by Seong, Helena, Fiora, and Silvanor.

One demon emerged surrounded by thick, swirling demonic energy and used a mid-tier magic skill to seal part of Seong’s body—

His right leg stiffened and wouldn’t move.

To make things worse, Seong’s stats were already significantly reduced.

“Kahahaha! Pathetic, for a mere human!”

“...Hmm.”

This was no ordinary foe.

Seong wasn’t fighting with all of his subordinates this time—

So he couldn’t eliminate them before they cast spells.

Still, he didn’t panic and tested his movement.

Thanks to his Overlord ability, the magic only worked halfway.

His leg wasn’t completely sealed—he could still move it slightly.

The mid-rank demon’s grin twisted in irritation.

“I’ll make you beg for death.”

His body began to shift.

He transformed into a swordsman—wielding a longsword.

Unlike low-rank demons who could change weapons or forms by element,

This transformation was more complete—perfect.

This fight would be much tougher than expected.

The demon swordsman moved first.

He closed the distance with such clean speed that he left no afterimages in the air.

Seong’s eyes widened slightly.

“Impressive.”

Not just speed.

His posture, his steps, his coordination—all superb.

Muscles drawn to the limit, the demon slashed with lightning-fast precision.

But Seong’s sword answered with light—

A luminous brilliance wrapped around his blade and blocked the demon’s strike.

CLANGGGGGG—!!!

The clash of steel and force exploded outward in shockwaves.

Anything that touched the sound was sliced apart.

SHRRK! SHRRK! SHRRK!

CRACKKKKK—!!!

Everything nearby was torn to shreds in an instant.

But the two energies neutralized each other—

Neither landed a hit.

The demon scowled.

Even with stats sealed, they were evenly matched.

That wounded his pride.

But he knew—if not for that seal, he might’ve already lost.

Grinding his teeth, the demon pushed Seong back and leapt away.

BOOM—!!!

But Seong didn’t budge.

The demon was the one who lost his footing.

As he raised his sword in panic,

Seong’s shining blade came crashing down.

CRASSSHHH—!!!

The blinding light engulfed the demon.

Though he blocked with his sword,

His arms trembled violently from the force.

The power was absurd.

Even with the seal—how could he still be this strong?

He didn’t understand it.

But he raised his blade again.

This time, his sword was wrapped in demonic energy—sharper than ever.

His body began to blur, transforming into a sleek, deadly silhouette.

He moved at blinding speed—far beyond before.

Truly, he had become a phantom blade.

But Seong calmly met his gaze.

“I don’t just wield this sword.”

As he spoke, the light and starlight on his blade turned pitch black.

Darkness itself—darker than anything found in the demon realm—consumed the blade.

The demon’s instincts screamed.

Something was wrong.

But he was already in motion—

Too late to stop.

He lunged to cut Seong down—

But the darkness was already there.

He didn’t even see the strike.

A deep, gaping wound opened in his chest.

It swallowed even the light.

And then—

[Activating sword skill: 『Darkness』.]

[Due to overwhelming darkness, target is consumed.]

[『Mid-Rank Demon, Ahrotu』's vision has been sealed.]

“A—aaah!”

His sight vanished.

Total blackout.

What followed was pure fear.

Seong’s sword lit up again with starlight and galaxies.

It flew toward the now-blind Ahrotu.

He couldn’t see it.

Couldn’t block it.

The blade pierced his heart,

And Ahrotu vanished into oblivion.

After that, Seong’s subordinates finished off the remaining mid-rank demons one by one.

Seong was the fastest, followed by Helena.

Fiora and Silvanor worked together to defeat their target.

They couldn’t do it alone—but it worked.

Three mid-rank demons were defeated.

And the swarming low-ranks were all slain.

“Phew... we took down about forty low-rank demons,” reported Barfur.

“And three mid-ranks here.”

Including the ten they fought when they first arrived,

That made fifty low-ranks and four mid-ranks total.

Now the remaining enemies were:

“Three mid-ranks, one high-rank... and about forty more low-ranks?”

“Yes, looks that way.”

The mid-ranks were no joke—

So could they handle the high-rank?

A troubling thought.

But no one said it aloud.

They glanced at Will, still in the middle of his Awakening,

Then nodded at one another.

They had to hold out—no matter what.

Once this was over, the scenario would likely end.

“I’ll take the high-rank,” Seong declared.

He had some stamina left after fighting the mid-rank.

It made sense for him to take on the toughest opponent.

The rest divided accordingly:

Helena would handle one mid-rank alone.

Fiora and Silvanor would take another together.

Valtar and Leonic would handle the last.

Serpina and Barfur would deal with the remaining low-ranks.

Then Seong summoned his last reserves.

Space was tight, but he could manage.

Drakanos, Shivren, and Noirtein appeared.

There was no room for more.

These three would support the team and aid Seong if things got dire.

The enemy’s presence could already be felt approaching again.

“Whew... this feels like the final wave.”

“I’ll try to draw the high-rank out,” said Seong.

And with that, the battle for the finale began.