The Game of the Greatest Black Mage
Chapter 147

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]

Chapter 147

『Monarch Helena's Staff』

→《Legendary》(Growth-type)

→Though a great deal of time has passed, its aura remains intact, revealing it as the staff of a great monarch.

→This is the staff used by the great monarch known as the Overlord, Helena, during the time she shed her youth and became a true ruler.

→Overlord Exclusive Item.

→Mana Recovery +30%.

→Power of all Black Magic-type skills +30%.

→Can transform into any item of an equal or lower rank currently held in the inventory.

→When transformed, the staff's original options remain in effect.

→However, in the case of an item below Legendary rank, it is upgraded to Legendary rank upon application.

→Once a day, stores an amount of mana equal to the user's maximum mana.

→This stored mana can be used freely at any time.

→The item grows when special conditions are met.

*As before, when copying the Giant's Strength Belt, Strength, Agility, and Stamina will increase by 20%.

‘Whoa.’

The effects were enough to make him sigh in amazement.

The base performance was already stunning, but to think it would upgrade a copied item of a sub-Legendary rank to Legendary.

Wasn't this effectively the same as equipping two Legendary items?

It was an unbelievable effect.

He had thought the Hero Hindel's Sword was incredible, but seeing this Monarch Helena's Staff…

‘This is ridiculous.’

Of course, the Hero Hindel's Sword might eventually awaken the sword skills embedded within it, but Monarch Helena's Staff was also capable of further growth.

They weren't even in the same league.

Looked at from any angle, Monarch Helena's Staff was overwhelmingly superior.

As Seonghyun reacted with a level of joy that made him sigh involuntarily, Branch Manager Belmore, who stood beside him, began to shed tears as he muttered,

“Ahhhh, as expected!!! You are the true Successor!!! To awaken the staff to such an extent!!! No!!!! Even for the true Successor, this is a great achievement!!! To have already evolved the Monarch's Staff so magnificently!!!”

“……Ahem.”

The praise was on the level of gold-plating something with pure gold and then studding it with jewels, but Seonghyun didn’t say anything.

He couldn't exactly rebuke someone for giving him a compliment.

In any case, as Seonghyun copied the Giant's Strength Belt and equipped it, his Strength, Agility, and Stamina all rose at once.

[『Monarch Helena's Staff』 is now copying 『Giant's Strength Belt』.]

[『Giant's Strength Belt』 is a Unique-rank item.]

[The rank will be upgraded for the options to apply.]

[The copied item, 『Giant's Strength Belt』, will be applied as the Legendary item, 『Great Giant's Belt』.]

[Strength +20%, Agility +20%, Stamina +20%, and Attack Power +5% have increased.]

[The original options of 『Monarch Helena's Staff』 are also still in effect.]

“Whoa.”

‘I don't think I'll need to copy any other item from now on.’

With Strength, Agility, and Stamina all increasing by a uniform +20%, there was nothing more to say.

As Seonghyun was marveling at the stats and about to check his status window, Branch Manager Belmore bowed deeply before him and spoke.

“This lowly one, Belmore, shall take his leave now. If there is anything else you need, please do not hesitate to call upon me…!!!”

With those words, he vanished with a poof.

‘He’s like a ninja.’

It was a bit peculiar, but since he was being treated so well, Seonghyun decided to just accept it and move on.

So, what to do now?

It wasn't that he didn't have a plan.

When he sorted through the things to do in the fifth region, there were three main options.

First, there was Melisia's laboratory, said to be in the underground labyrinth of this city.

Even though Melisia had been dead for some time, there would surely be much to gain.

Second, there was Viscount Paragon.

He had already formed a connection with the Viscount, who was the lord of this territory.

The Viscount also seemed like he had a quest he wanted to give.

Visiting the lord's castle wouldn't be a bad idea.

The third and final option was the last of Kahku’s warehouses, located in the fifth region.

This was the region where the fourth warehouse was located, so visiting it was a viable option.

It wasn't in Pentagrid, but traveling to another city wouldn't be a problem.

However.

‘There's no need to go to another city just yet.’

The first two options were right here in Pentagrid.

For now, there was no reason to travel elsewhere.

More than anything.

‘My sister also said there are a lot of unique NPCs in Pentagrid.’

He might be able to get some unique quests.

For that reason, it seemed like a good idea to stay a little longer.

‘Alright then… let's go to Melisia's laboratory first.’

With the auction, the quests, and Over Palace, he had been putting off the labyrinth.

He was in a labyrinth city, yet he had done everything but go to the actual labyrinth.

However.

‘I’ve been on for too long.’

There was a program in place to protect the user's health by preventing them from logging on for too long.

‘Maybe I should stop here for today?’

Wandering around to find the murderer had taken up quite a lot of time.

‘Tomorrow, I’ll test the staff in the labyrinth and head to the laboratory.’

With that thought, Seonghyun logged out.

[The Eternal World will be waiting for you.]

7.

The dead of night.

A late hour when the activities of users began to dwindle, and even NPCs were seeking sleep.

The Over Palace branch in Pentagrid.

When Branch Manager Belmore returned there, he wore a stern expression.

Exuding an overwhelming black magic power that pressed down on all in his presence, he strode into the Over Palace branch fortress with the confident gait of one looking down upon the world.

It was a world away from the subservient demeanor he had shown in front of Seonghyun.

All the Black Mage NPCs of Over Palace bowed their heads to show their respect for Belmore, and the branch executives hurriedly gathered around him.

“The lord of Pentagrid, Paragon, has made contact with the Successor-nim.”

“However, it does not seem to be for any special reason; it appears he intends to entrust him with that request, the one most outsiders have failed.”

“Another noteworthy point is that the Successor-nim solved the murder case with great ease, sire.”

“It seems that because of this, Lord Paragon has taken notice of the Successor-nim.”

“Shall we dispose of Lord Paragon?”

Chilling suggestions were part of the conversation.

However, Branch Manager Belmore listened silently without any particular reaction, as if the situation were entirely natural.

While Over Palace was not a group that killed indiscriminately, they were utterly serious about protecting Seonghyun, their designated Successor.

That was why they could consider such drastic options.

They spoke of eliminating a city's lord so casually.

That was how immense the power wielded by Over Palace was.

If Viscount Paragon had seen Belmore and Seonghyun speaking, instead of leaving before the auction began, he would never have considered entrusting a quest to Seonghyun.

In any case, Branch Manager Belmore thought for a moment before shaking his head.

“The likes of Lord Paragon can be removed at any time, but as long as the Will of the World is watching us, we are not in a position to interfere excessively. Therefore, let the lord assign him that much.”

“Yes, I understand, Branch Manager.”

“In that case, if he makes any untoward moves, we will dispose of him.”

At the last executive’s words, Branch Manager Belmore gave a slow nod.

The meaning was clear: if Paragon ever became a threat to Seonghyun, he was to be eliminated.

Everyone could accept this.

To them, Seonghyun was a god-like being.

No, to be precise, he was a being who would become a new god.

It was only natural for them to be so sensitive.

After hearing all the reports, Branch Manager Belmore addressed the executives.

“Today, the Successor-nim has liberated the Monarch's Staff.”

“Ooooh!!!”

“To, to have already liberated the Monarch's Staff!!!”

“Tr-truly astonishing!!!”

“Hah!!! As expected of the Successor-nim!!!”

As the executives reacted with unified astonishment, Branch Manager Belmore also showed a very pleased expression.

Their behavior was no different from that of a fan club, but their power was immense.

That same Branch Manager Belmore gathered them and spoke.

“Relay this to the Black Star. Tell him that the Successor-nim has already liberated the Monarch's Staff.”

“Yes!!! We will deliver the message without fail!!!”

“The Black Star will be pleased!!!”

“Ahhh!!! For him to grow so much already. It is nothing short of ecstatic.”

With those words, the executives moved to send a letter to the Over Palace main fortress.

It required a great deal of black magic to send a letter to the Black Star.

After the executives disappeared, Branch Manager Belmore entered his office.

With a thoughtful expression, he tapped his desk.

Tap, tap.

“Hmm.”

He had felt Seonghyun’s presence within Pentagrid, and then he felt it disappear.

He would have returned to his own world, so Belmore wasn't particularly worried. It wasn't as if he was ignorant about the outsiders.

‘Tomorrow, he will likely enter the labyrinth.’

Thinking this, his expression grew slightly impatient as he moved his hand.

From thin air, he retrieved a compass that absorbed light with its black, inky sheen and muttered,

“He needs to visit the labyrinth soon so I can give this to him. I’m burning with impatience.”

He wanted to give Seonghyun everything at once, but the Will of the World had an established order.

It seemed he would have to wait a little longer.

He then put the black, inky compass away.

It was an item that, had Seonghyun seen it, he would have recognized as the one for his 3rd class advancement.

0.

When Seonghyun stepped out of the capsule, he could tell from the window in his room that it was quite late at night.

Still, he had logged in after eating lunch, so he wasn't particularly hungry.

‘Should I skip dinner tonight?’

As he was thinking that, the phone he had left on his desk began to ring.

Bzzzzz—.

Bzzzzz—!

‘A call? Who could it be at this hour?’

With that thought, Seonghyun went to his desk and opened his phone.

It wasn't an unexpected caller.

The person on the screen was none other than Lee Geondong.

‘What’s this? Is there a problem with the editing?’

He answered the phone with that thought.

“Hey, what's up? Is something wrong?”

It was natural for him to think this.

He had only sent the video files this morning.

Of course, he couldn't imagine that the editing would have been finished already.

But what was this?

[What are you talking about? I finished it and sent it. That's why I called.]

“What?”

At those words, Seonghyun checked his email with an expression of disbelief.

There really was an email from Lee Geondong, and when he checked it…

‘Huh.’

It had really arrived, fully edited.

‘Is this for real? That’s incredibly fast.’

‘Did he just rush it and send it over?’

He knew that was unlikely, but you never knew.

He might have just slapped it together in a fit of desperation.

“You didn't just rush through this, did you?”

[-Are I crazy? To throw away a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by doing a sloppy job?]

“...Yeah, that's true.”

[-I did it properly, and I even reviewed it three times.]

“Wow, you really do work fast.”

[-I worked on it until I felt I couldn't possibly do any better. If it gets rejected after this, then there's nothing to be done. Anyway, thanks for the opportunity.]

Hearing him talk like this, it seemed he had really given it his all.

Seonghyun acknowledged this and replied.

“Okay, I’ll send it to the guild then. I’ll let you know when I get the results.”

[-Yeah, thanks! Whew, I need to get some rest. I’m exhausted from concentrating for so long.]

“Alright, get some rest.”

After hanging up, Seonghyun laughed in disbelief.

“Hah.”

To think his friend had such a talent.

‘Alright, shall I send it to Rapid—no, Ahn Yoojin—for review?’

‘I hope it passes.’

Now that it was sent, should he get to sleep quickly and head straight to the labyrinth?

What would Melisia's laboratory have in store for him?

The potions and various items from her memories came to mind, but he knew the system wouldn't just hand everything over.

It would only give him a portion.

That's what made him so expectant.

Wasn't she a brilliant alchemist who had even handled the Fragment of the Demonic Dragon's Heart?

Obtaining even one of her creations would be a significant gain.

He wondered what he would get.

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]