The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage-Chapter 336

1.

Monday morning.

It was the day of the week most people hated.

But Seong woke up more refreshed than ever, stretching with a bright expression on his face.

“Hmm...”

His condition felt fantastic as he stretched.

He wasn’t just feeling good—his head felt light and clear.

It wasn’t just about good health today; it was that rare, perfect sensation.

One of those mornings where you just know things will go well.

With that in mind, Seong rose from bed with satisfaction.

Feeling great today.

As usual, he went out for a run on an empty stomach and showered afterward, leaving him feeling even better than he had upon waking.

Was it just because of the team dinner?

Later, Seong sat at the table for breakfast, feeling pleased.

“Hmm~? You’re in a good mood today, Seong~ Is it because of that dinner~?”

“Huh? Yeah... I’m heading out around lunchtime.”

“Hm~ Have a nice time~”

He glanced at his mother, Lee Na-gyeong, who gave him a strange smile.

And oddly enough, both his father Yoo Gwang-jin and his sister Yu Mina were also looking at him with weird grins while eating breakfast.

His morning had started off great...

Was this their way of warning me to brace myself for trouble?

He’d expected a good day, but now unease began creeping in.

Maybe it was just his imagination.

Seong finished breakfast and was about to head back to his room when—

“Seong, are you riding with me?”

“Nah, I’m getting a ride from Geon-dong.”

Geon-dong, who had sulked last time when Kim Yeong-min took the front seat, had arranged to attend the dinner with Seong today. Geon-dong, who worked with the Rapid Guild’s media team, had already made plans.

Hearing that, Mina tilted her head in mock disappointment.

“Hmm, really? Alright then. See you at the restaurant later.”

“Yeah.”

What’s with her?

There shouldn’t be anything for her to feel disappointed about.

He answered halfheartedly but still felt slightly uneasy.

Whatever—it wasn’t worth dwelling on. Seong let it go, returned to his room, and logged into the capsule.

He wanted to check if there were any updates from the Serul Tower.

Looking at the local bulletin board nearby—

『Tomorrow morning

– Weezle –』

It was short and simple.

They’d bring the information by tomorrow morning.

But Seong chuckled more at the fact that they included the name.

Guess they really like it.

Seong thought he’d chosen a great name and logged out again.

There wasn’t anything else to do, and it was almost time to head to the dinner location anyway.

Just as he came out of the capsule, a message from Geon-dong popped up.

[Lee Geon-dong – I’m out front at your place?]

[Lee Geon-dong – How long should I wait?]

Seong stared at the messages for a moment.

The restaurant was about an hour away from his house.

The meeting time was 1 p.m.

[Seong – Okay, be here by 11.]

[Lee Geon-dong – Okey dokey!]

Assuming there’d be traffic, that timing was just right.

The reason the location was so far was that big-name restaurants in Seoul had long waitlists.

So they had to book somewhere on the outskirts.

Still, they wouldn’t be late at this rate.

Seong began getting ready.

With two hours until 11 a.m., he had time to spare.

Let’s see what people are saying about the Badia incident.

Curious about the aftermath, he searched online.

Just like a monster movie, videos of the massive handprint in the plains, shot from aerial footage, were going viral.

Debate was raging about who was responsible.

[Title – Who left that handprint on the plains?]

[Author – EnchantFailGod]

『I’m telling you, that can’t be a player.

Only a single-ranker could possibly cause that level of destruction.

Maybe, maybe, a double-ranker, but...

How would a double-ranker even end up there doing something like that???

So it has to be an NPC!』

[TankNotTank]: I mean, I don’t think it was a player either... unless it was the Demon King, lol.

└ [EnchantFailGod (author)]: Maybe??? The blast radius is kinda similar. I don’t even know anymore.

[LegendaryLootThief]: Doesn’t the Demon King not even use necro-type spells? Did he ever?

└ [EnchantFailGod]: Nope. Never seen it either.

└ [NeedHealPlz]: So probably not him then?

└ [LegendaryLootThief]: Yeah, I’m leaning NPC.

Spells of that scale weren’t exactly common.

Seong was one of the primary suspects, but since he had never shown necromancer-type skills before, he’d been ruled out.

Even though I’m the one who did it...

Everyone assuming it was an NPC was pretty funny.

This is entertaining.

There were even more wild guesses flying around.

Then he saw one particularly sharp post:

[Title – Isn’t this some kind of story hook?]

[Author – HealDealerMaster]

『Let’s say that handprint on the plains was made by an NPC.

Highly likely.

But then—why did they do it? That’s what matters.

Why would an NPC with that kind of power suddenly appear in a war and do that? 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

There’s gotta be a reason.

What could it be?

I’m not sure—but considering it happened in war-themed cities and territories...

Maybe this is tied to a future event?

Like a big quest or /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ something.』

[WheresMyLegendGear]: Ohhh??? That actually makes sense???

[DPS4Life]: It is more about the “why” than the “who,” I agree.

[GoldMaxer]: WELP I’m heading straight to Badia to camp.

└ [GoblinLover]: Nah nah nah, if anything, it’s probably Weeron. The figure seemed aligned with them.

Hmm?

That was surprisingly sharp.

Sure, all the assumptions were technically off.

But the idea that something big would follow made sense.

If Seong was involved, even if not an official event, something major was bound to happen.

Especially with him investigating the Sword Saint’s plans and secrets.

There would be consequences.

Seong grinned as he read.

Not bad. Probably not wrong, either.

After gathering some general info, he checked the time.

Almost there.

It was already 10:30 a.m.

Time always flew when scrolling the internet.

Seong muttered to himself and began getting ready to head out.

He’d already showered in the morning, so he just needed to dress.

“Hm.”

Since he’d be meeting people for the first time, he decided to put on something nicer.

Not bad.

He looked decent, even by his own standards.

He skipped hairstyling and just used the dryer to quickly comb it through.

Fully ready, he walked into the living room where his mom, Lee Na-gyeong, was watching a drama.

“I’m heading out.”

“Hmm~ Take care~ Mina left already~”

“Ah, okay.”

He didn’t care much, but he responded politely and grabbed his car keys.

He stepped out and drove the Ferrari Roma he’d used recently out of the garage.

Just outside, he spotted Lee Geon-dong waving wildly.

Seong rolled up slowly, and Geon-dong practically ran to the car, climbed in carefully, and shut the door like it was sacred.

“Heh, I finally get to ride this.”

“Put on your seatbelt.”

“Of course!”

Seong chuckled as Geon-dong fastened his belt.

Then the crimson Ferrari roared down the road.

It wasn’t even that fast,

But the engine’s high-pitched rev made a thunderous note:

WAAAAAHHH—!!!

Hearing that, Geon-dong beamed with delight.

“Hell yessss!!! This is the good stuff!!!”

Seeing his friend so thrilled, Seong felt satisfied too.

He followed the navigation calmly.

Toward the dinner.

Unaware that he’d forgotten Yu Mina’s weird attitude that morning entirely.

2.

The large hanwoo beef restaurant Uiri Restaurant, located on the outskirts of Seoul, had been hectic since morning.

The reservation had been made in a hurry last week—

Over fifty guests, and they’d booked the entire place.

A massive reservation like that meant the restaurant had to prepare like crazy.

Still, the owner, Hwang Jin-gu, couldn’t stop pacing with visible anxiety.

Which made the staff uncomfortable too.

But Hwang Jin-gu had always been kind and generous with his employees, so they tried to reassure him.

“Ay, boss, you already got the deposit! Why worry?”

“Yeah, and you even took the reservation fee.”

“Y-yeah, but... what if they ask for a refund like the other crazies did?”

“...”

“...”

No one could argue with that.

Problem customers were unfortunately all too common in this business.

Any small restaurant owner would sympathize.

So, yeah, Hwang Jin-gu had every right to be nervous.

Still, they continued setting tables with care.

With over fifty guests expected,

They had to prep early or be overwhelmed.

The kitchen was already slammed,

And the dining floor was buzzing.

As the clock approached noon,

Hwang Jin-gu grew more anxious.

“We’ve already turned away ten groups... Is this really okay...?”

“It’s a private event—we had to.”

“B-but what if they don’t show...?”

“Not this again!”

This time it was part-timer Jang Hee-jin who scolded him.

They’d already committed.

If the guests didn’t show, they could call them.

But Jin-gu hadn’t called—too scared something would go wrong.

Hee-jin finally told him to just pick up the phone.

Then—

VRROOOM!!!

BRRRRMMM!!!

A sudden roar shook the air.

It sounded like thunder.

Looking outside, they saw several cars pulling into the Uiri parking lot.

Even Hee-jin, who didn’t know much about cars, could tell—

These were seriously expensive.

And there weren’t just one or two—there were three.

What the...

Were they celebrities?

Feeling a bit intimidated, Hee-jin stared at the cars.

It was still before 12.

There was a full hour until the reservation.

Should they turn them away?

But then—

From the cars emerged three unbelievably beautiful women.

“A-are they celebrities?”

“Uh, I-I think so???”

Even Jin-gu, who didn’t know idols, was stunned.

Hee-jin, who usually had a good eye for celebrities, was also dumbstruck.

He didn’t recognize any of them.

But each woman who stepped out was stunning.

They couldn’t help swallowing nervously.

Letting those customers go would be a tragedy.

It felt like blood-tears were flowing from Hwang Jin-gu’s eyes.

Then the shortest of the three—wearing subtle glasses—walked up and asked,

“We have a 1 o’clock reservation under An Yoo-jin.”

“!!!!!!”

“W-welcome!!!”