The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage

Chapter 26

Hidden Piece, Treasure Goblin Kahkuku’s First Vault.

That’s right.

The term “Kahkuku’s First Vault” implied the existence of a second and third vault as well.

Of course, Seonghyeon knew the locations of all of them.

Kugugugugu.

The heavy sound of the vault door opening echoed, revealing the interior.

It wasn’t an awe-inspiring sight filled with magnificent treasures or a vault entirely packed with gold and jewels.

The vault was modestly decorated, designed to accommodate a single person comfortably, and at the center of the living room sat a fairly large treasure chest.

Its size was roughly 1 meter in width and 50 centimeters in height—a substantial chest.

When Seonghyeon boldly opened it, a golden light burst forth, illuminating the room.

Hwaaaah!

“Wow.”

Even the usually calm Seonghyeon couldn’t help but gape at the sheer number of gold coins and the ring sitting atop them.

The reward was enough to dazzle anyone.

As Seonghyeon checked the chest, the system promptly reacted.

[You have acquired 555 gold coins.]

[You have obtained a Rare+ grade item, 『Ring of Protection』.]

555 gold coins.

Adding that to the 104 gold coins Seonghyeon had earned in the beginner village brought his total to 659 gold coins.

Considering the exchange rate of 1 silver to roughly $1, and 1 gold equating to 10 silvers, the amount totaled at least 9 million won.

As the calculations spun rapidly in his mind, Seonghyeon’s eyes widened.

“At least 9 million?”

Money earned in just a single day.

If it had been another player instead of Seonghyeon, they would likely have chalked it up to good fortune for finding a Hidden Piece today, excluding it from their average earnings.

But Seonghyeon was different.

With the ability to locate ghosts, he essentially had a cheat key to discovering Hidden Pieces.

Although he couldn’t expect to make a million won every day, even half of that—500,000 won—was significant.

“Heh.”

No wonder people claimed Eternal World was a lucrative game.

Recalling his sister Yoo Mina’s words, he gulped.

The reason so many people tried to make money through gaming was now crystal clear.

He’d realized it when he earned over 100 gold coins in the beginner village, but now it hit even harder.

Seonghyeon shook his head to calm himself.

“Luck won’t always be on my side.”

Even finding the ghosts who led to Hidden Pieces was ultimately a matter of luck.

Having understood that, he composed himself.

Knowing it was possible to earn good money was enough for now. It was time to evaluate the rewards.

“I got the 『Ring of Protection』 and a title. Let’s check the title first.”

The title, Hunter of the Strong, sounded like it might specialize in increasing attack power.

With that thought, Seonghyeon opened the title menu.

『Hunter of the Strong』
→《Rare》
→A title granted to users who hunt monsters with a level difference of at least 10 or more.
→Increases defense by +10% when fighting higher-level enemies.

“Hmm.”

Not bad, but not particularly exciting either.

Increased defense was always helpful, but…

“Have I ever taken a direct hit before?”

Aside from intentionally getting hit by goblins while testing poison buffs, not really.

Still, having it might come in handy someday. It wasn’t like he could avoid every attack forever.

Next, he turned his attention to the Ring of Protection.

Its name suggested it was a defensive item.

『Ring of Protection』
→《Rare+》
→A ring imbued with a mysterious protective magic that activates simply by being worn.
→Increases defense by +10%.
→Generates an automatic shield equal to 5% of the wearer’s max HP once per day in emergencies.

“Oh?”

It wasn’t just about boosting defense.

The ability to generate an automatic shield once a day could prevent fatal or unexpected attacks.

This was incredibly valuable.

Satisfied, Seonghyeon’s lips curled into a small smile as he stood up.

His business here was done.

Time to head back.

“Let’s return to the village and log out.”

It had been an eventful day.

Though he wanted to play more, it was getting late.

He thought of his mother, who often complained that Yoo Mina always came out late for dinner.

It made sense now.

Even Seonghyeon found it hard to tear himself away.

With that, Seonghyeon headed toward the village of Persville.

Of course, he didn’t forget his next task.

“I should contact them once I reach the village.”

He recalled the business card he received earlier and contemplated.

They’d asked him to reach out if he was interested, promising the best conditions in the industry.

First, he’d register the messenger code.

“I’ll contact them once I log out.”

Since Eternal World had an app, he could continue the conversation via his smartphone.

He was curious to see just how amazing their offer would be.

1

From the developers’ perspective, Treasure Goblin Kahkuku was undoubtedly a nightmare of a monster.

This crazed goblin had amassed vast wealth spanning from the first village to the second, third, and even fourth villages.

Its intelligence was astonishing, with business acumen rivaling that of humans.

Capturing it was as difficult as it was challenging to fight.

Kahkuku roamed from the first to the fourth village, visiting each settlement. Tracking it down and defeating it was no easy feat.

So, when this treasure goblin appeared in the first village and was defeated by a beginner player, the developers were ecstatic.

And when Kahkuku’s compass went missing, they cheered even louder.

With the first, second, third, and fourth vaults now out of reach, they couldn’t be happier.

Lee Wonsang, an assistant manager, had been among those celebrating with raised hands just the other day.

So why was it now…

“…It’s been looted?”

Hearing his subordinate, Oh Jinhyuk, speak those words, he gritted his teeth.

But it was fine. Really, it was.

“No, it’s trivial.”

“Pardon?”

Oh Jinhyuk looked genuinely concerned, wondering if his senior had lost it.

But Lee Wonsang glanced at him with a pitying expression and said,

“At least it wasn’t the third or fourth vault.”

“Oh!”

“If those had been looted, we’d be in real trouble. The first village only had the 『Ring of Protection』 and 555 gold coins.”

“True!”

“So, don’t bother filing a report on this.”

“What a relief.”

“Exactly.”

Lee Wonsang watched as Seonghyeon logged out of the game and headed back to the village. Relief washed over him.

“Looks like that’s it for today. Finally, I can go home.”

Just as he was about to rise from his seat, Team Leader Ji Hyejeong called out to him.

“Assistant Manager Lee Wonsang, come to my desk.”

“Ah…”

Her tone was calm, but for some reason, an ominous feeling crept into him.

When Lee approached Ji Hyejeong’s desk, she fixed her gaze on him, her expression unusually stern.

“Have you heard of Overpalace?”

“Of course. Unlike the white mages who split into factions like the Tower of Fire and the Tower of Ice, it’s a united organization created by dark mages. It’s considered the strongest group of mages in the lore.”

Lee Wonsang replied as though giving a lecture, and Ji Hyejeong nodded, indicating she already knew. Then she continued,

“Do you also know that Overpalace serves the previous Overlord, Helena?”

“Huh? Wh-what?”

“…Haaa.”

A deep sigh escaped her lips.

Overpalace, the most powerful mage organization in the game, revered Helena, the former Overlord.

What reaction would they have to Seonghyeon, the newly crowned Overlord? The outcome was as clear as day.

“Th-they revere Helena, so they’re connected…”

“They definitely are.”

“R-right, of course.”

Ji Hyejeong hammered the point home as Lee Wonsang tried to deny reality.

There was no way such a connection wouldn’t exist.

“And by the way, the group that created that ridiculous quiz? That’s also Overpalace.”

“Ah.”

So, they had crafted the quiz because of their devotion to Helena.

And Seonghyeon, who had answered everything correctly?

“He has proven himself fairly and become the Overlord.”

“Ah.”

Lee Wonsang let out a series of dumbfounded noises.

It was inevitable. Based on Seonghyeon’s current trajectory, he was already becoming a storm within the game.

And if he combined forces with Overpalace? The possibilities were beyond imagination.

Seeing Lee’s blank stare, Ji Hyejeong said firmly,

“We must delay their meeting for as long as possible.”

“Yes, understood!”

“We can’t directly intervene, but do whatever you can to keep them apart.”

Lee Wonsang nodded in agreement.

“There’s been no sign of Overpalace involvement yet, so it should be fine.”

“Even if we have to create quests with extra rewards, make sure they steer clear of Overpalace.”

“You want me to use extra rewards to lure him away?”

Even for someone as wild as Seonghyeon, offering additional rewards would mean handing him something extraordinary. But Lee Wonsang nodded resolutely.

This had to be done.

“Can you do it?”

“Of course.”

Seeing his determination, Ji Hyejeong nodded, reassured.

When he set his mind to it, Assistant Manager Lee Wonsang was one of the most reliable people she knew.

As the two were engrossed in their discussion, Oh Jinhyuk, another staff member, watched nervously, wondering if Lee Wonsang was being scolded.

While fretting, he happened to glance at Lee’s monitor, where a sudden video feed had popped up.

“Huh? User Seonghyeon logged out, so why is there still activity?”

Typically, the feed showed NPC actions linked to a specific user, but as a rookie, Oh Jinhyuk didn’t fully grasp the mechanics.

Curious, he checked the screen and saw a familiar NPC sending a letter somewhere.

“Hindel Village’s chief?”

And then the chief muttered,

“The successor has appeared. The palace will soon move.”

Oh Jinhyuk tilted his head, failing to grasp the gravity of the statement.

“Huh, just an NPC doing its thing.”

He thought nothing of it and dismissed it.

Had Lee Wonsang known, it would’ve made him weep blood. But Oh Jinhyuk, still oblivious, remained unaware of the situation’s seriousness.

2

The capsule opened, and Seonghyeon emerged.

Though long gaming sessions usually left players exhausted, he felt invigorated.

“Hmm, no stiffness at all.”

Thanks to the memories and experiences gained from ghosts, his body had reaped significant benefits even in the real world.

Feeling this instinctively, Seonghyeon stepped out of his room.

The house was quiet, indicating no one had returned yet. His mother, Mrs. Lee Nakyeong, was out, and his father, Yoo Gwangjin, hadn’t come home from work.

And his sister, Yoo Mina?

That was obvious.

“Still logged in.”

When he opened her door, her capsule was still running. Seeing this, Seonghyeon grabbed his smartphone.

He opened the Eternal World app, which he had already downloaded.

The app was incredibly useful, allowing users to check character information, use the in-game messenger, and access systems like currency exchange and the auction house. No one playing Eternal World went without it.

As Seonghyeon browsed the app, one registered user popped up in his messenger list.

Since he had only added one person, their name stood out. Without hesitation, he sent a message:

[Seonghyeon: Hello, I’m the person you gave your card to at the Goblin Village. I’d like to know more about the conditions you mentioned.]

“Now, I just have to wait.”

Being ranked 12th in the overall guild rankings, the guild was probably busy and wouldn’t respond immediately.

As Seonghyeon was about to take a shower, a notification sound rang out.

Ding!

“Huh?”

Surprised, he checked his phone to find an immediate reply from Lee Seongyeong, the scout who had given him the card.

“That fast?”

The urgency to recruit him was clear. How desperate were they to respond so quickly?

Curious about the offer, he opened the message.

[Lee Seongyeong: Hello! This is Lee Seongyeong from Sick Brothers. Thank you for reaching out! Normally, we offer rookies a signing bonus of 500 million won with an annual salary of 50 million won. However, for you, Seonghyeon, we’re offering a signing bonus of 1 billion won and an annual salary of 100 million won. We’re also willing to discuss additional conditions, so feel free to reach out anytime. Thank you!]

“What… what is this?”

Seonghyeon’s eyes widened as he swallowed hard.

An annual salary of 100 million won was as expected.

But the signing bonus?

“Did they just say 1 billion won?”

Thinking he might have misread, he checked again.

It was indeed 1 billion won.

A signing bonus of 1 billion and an annual salary of 100 million.

Staring at the message, Seonghyeon couldn’t help but think,

“This has to be a scam.”