The Game of the Greatest Black Mage
Chapter 153

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]

Chapter 153

2.

A dark chamber.

Only the candles hanging on the walls faintly illuminated the space.

The areas beyond were so dark that you couldn't see if there was a pit, or if something else was there.

But the sound of footsteps moving forward could be heard.

Trudge, trudge, trudge, trudge.

Seonghyun and Viscount Paragon were among them.

Viscount Paragon, holding a torch, was walking ahead in the dark chamber, but it was Seonghyun who looked even more eager to press forward.

“If you go straight this way, the labyrinth entrance will appear.”

He could have asked if there were no guards protecting this place, but he didn't.

He had already seen the heavily armed soldiers guarding the path on the way down, so there was no need to ask.

Besides.

-This place has been treated with special magic.

‘I see.’

According to Helena, countless magical treatments had already been applied to this place, so there was no need to worry needlessly.

After Viscount Paragon guided him to the path, Seonghyun nodded to show he understood.

As Seonghyun was about to depart immediately, Viscount Paragon spoke, his face etched with the deep wrinkles of worry.

“Please, be careful.”

The past few months—not even a full year—had clearly shown how much he had suffered.

Seonghyun replied, as if to comfort him.

“Of course. After all, I am an outsider.”

“Haha, that's the first time those words have sounded so reassuring. Here, take this. It's a torch that never goes out.”

As Viscount Paragon tried to hand him the torch, Seonghyun shook his head.

And then.

Ssssss.

From the black shadow behind Seonghyun, countless pairs of turquoise eyes glowed.

At the sight of a number of eyes that could be called a legion, Viscount Paragon stumbled backward without even realizing it, even though he knew Seonghyun was on his side.

‘When did so many get there?’

As his pupils trembled with fear, Seonghyun spoke.

“I don't really have a need for a torch.”

“…I-Is that so?”

“Yes. I'll be back.”

They were just common words, but to Viscount Paragon, no words could have sounded more reassuring.

He felt that he had done the right thing by entrusting the quest to this man.

Trudge, trudge, trudge.

The sound of his footsteps faded into the distance.

Thud, thud.

Stomp, stomp.

Sssslither.

Trudge, trudge, trudge.

But at some point, the number of footsteps increased.

As Seonghyun descended into the labyrinth, Viscount Paragon heard the countless footsteps and swallowed dryly.

“Huh.”

For some reason, this time, he had a good feeling.

3.

The central part of the underground labyrinth reeked like a stagnant, unmanaged reservoir.

And the thick, dark fog that blanketed the area was giving off that stench.

It was an unpleasant place.

However, Seonghyun paid it no mind and walked quietly through it.

There were no presences to be felt nearby.

He didn't have a particular skill to sense them, but he moved based on the memories and experiences he had absorbed so far, feeling the malice contained within the thick fog.

Then, he sent out the scouts he had summoned before coming here.

The soulless Chimeras of his Death Legion.

‘Hmm.’

Even if only the central part was sealed off, this was still a labyrinth. It was far too vast for Seonghyun to search all by himself.

As Seonghyun sent them out, the three familiars gathered around him spoke.

-Hey Nocturnium, does it still not work here?

“…That's right.”

-I-It's okay.

At Leonik's question, Nocturnium answered, grinding his teeth as if his pride were deeply wounded. Fiora then comforted him.

Helena smiled softly at the three of them, while Seonghyun was more focused on tracking the positions of his scouts.

Since he didn't have a vision-sharing skill, he had to track their presences one by one and check if any disappeared to know the location of enemies or traps.

However, he tilted his head in confusion as he felt the Chimeras he sent far away were still fine.

“Are there no traps either?”

At his reaction, Nocturnium explained.

“Perhaps if someone has survived here for a long time, they may have dismantled all the traps, sire.”

That could certainly be the case.

‘If there are no traps, then I can move more freely.’

Seonghyun immediately grasped the situation and made his Chimera and Homunculus death soldiers move even faster.

And as they moved faster, they were able to explore a much wider area.

Then, the presence of one of the death soldiers vanished in the labyrinth.

The moment he pinpointed the location, Seonghyun began to move without a word.

FWOOSH!

The moment Seonghyun moved, the three familiars moved as well.

Seonghyun moved swiftly.

He was slower than Anemor, but he couldn't bring out Anemor here.

Being a labyrinth, there wasn't enough room to summon it.

At best, he could call on Barpur, but Barpur's speed was similar to his own running speed, so he didn't bother summoning it.

Just in case, he sent more death soldiers toward the location, but they too disappeared, and at a rapid pace.

Even more.

‘It's coming this way.’

The opponent had realized the direction the chimeras were coming from and was now approaching him.

‘A person with good judgment, I see.’

‘Let's see what you've got.’

With that thought, Seonghyun unleashed more of his Death Legion.

The Chimera legion was no longer needed; scouting was now meaningless.

The first legions he sent out were the Goblin Legion and the Lesser Demon Kaishak Legion.

When he sent those two legions, they didn't disappear as futilely as the Chimeras this time.

Sensing this, Seonghyun increased his speed.

Tatatatatatat.

However.

‘Three of them already?’

Only a moment had passed, but three goblins had already been taken out.

It wasn't because the Goblin Legion's level was low. They had already been grown to their limit in the Netherworld, so they were still at a decent level to be used now.

The fact that they had been defeated so quickly meant one simple thing.

‘That means the opponent is just that strong.’

And just before Seonghyun arrived, the entire Goblin and Kaishak legions were wiped out.

They had been annihilated.

Of course, he could have used the Death Legion skill to raise them again, but he didn't.

There was no point; it was clear they wouldn't be much help in this battle now.

If they were defeated that quickly, it was obvious.

They would only be a burden if they were present in the fight.

It would be better to summon only those on the level of his main familiars.

Thinking this, Seonghyun snapped his fingers and summoned Barpur and Balthar from the Netherworld as reinforcements.

Drakhanos?

‘He said it was better for him to rest for a while, right?’

He had exhausted a great deal of power in the recent battle with Mirajine, the Lord of Illusions, and had said he would recuperate for the time being.

Although he was the most skilled among Seonghyun's familiars, his age was a considerable factor.

‘I should let him rest.’

He had told him to rest, so he only summoned up to Balthar.

-Khahaha! The time has come to show off my perfected swordsmanship!

-Thank ye for callin' me.

The arrogant Balthar and the simple-hearted Barpur.

With those two summoned, all five familiars had completed their battle preparations.

The opponent was a raid boss.

As he prepared to record the video, he remembered that he had forgotten to ask about doing a live stream again. But, she had said she was busy lately.

Sending the video file would probably be fine.

With that thought, Seonghyun ran forward.

And then, something came flying.

SHWIIIIIIK—!!!

As something shot through the air, Nocturnium stepped forward and hurriedly created a wall from the labyrinth floor to block it.

No, he almost blocked it.

KRA-CRUNCH—!

The wall shattered helplessly. Although it had slowed the projectile's speed, its force still remained.

As the object was about to reach Seonghyun, Barpur, Balthar, and Fiora intercepted it with a giant hand, a blood-red greatsword, and a hand transformed into a shield, respectively.

KRAKAKAKAKA!!!

It was imbued with so much power that it took the three of them together to barely block it.

The projectile was a spear-shaped rock, which looked like it had been carved from the walls of this very labyrinth.

In that moment, Leonik shot out toward the direction the rock spear had come from, emitting an ultramarine aura.

CLAAANG!

CHWAAAAAAA!!!

A fierce collision rang out, and with a shockwave of force, Leonik was rapidly pushed back.

He was outmatched in strength and couldn't block it alone.

As Seonghyun watched this with narrowed eyes, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching from that direction.

Click, clack, click, clack.

The sound of footsteps was entirely leisurely, even though Leonik had just charged.

Seonghyun listened to the approaching footsteps and remained silent.

It wasn't that he didn't want to move.

He had been forced into a state where he could not move.

It seemed he had found the right place.

An event scene state, where he couldn't even move a fingertip.

In this state, Seonghyun could see a woman walking from the far end of the passage.

A woman so caked in layers of old blood that it was impossible to guess how long it had been.

She looked less than human, even worse than a beast.

But her eyes and her spear were shining brightly as she approached.

“So you block my attack...”

A subtle anticipation was laced in her voice.

And that voice was filled with a terrible malice, hostility, and killing intent that Seonghyun had never felt before.

Like a child who had just received a fun new toy, the corners of her mouth drew into a wide grin, as if they would tear.

The woman looked at Seonghyun and spoke.

“You, you're strong, aren't you? Like that woman.”

There was no way he wouldn't know who "that woman" was.

The female user who wielded a single sword.

She had to be talking about her.

Which meant.

‘Was she also an Almighty rank?’

She probably was.

As Seonghyun came to this conclusion, Helena also spoke to him.

-She's not an opponent you and the familiars can handle alone just yet.

Seonghyun certainly felt that way too.

And the system messages confirmed it.

[The Hidden Raid Boss, 『The Worst of Pentagrid, Carmine』, has appeared.]

[The Hidden Raid will begin shortly.]

!!!WARNING!!!

You are not in a party!!!

DANGEROUS!!!

There is an excessive level difference!!!

DANGEROUS!!!

The system messages were ringing a considerable alarm bell.

But the more they rang, the wider Seonghyun’s smile became.

‘This makes it a little fun.’

As he was thinking that, he felt control return to his body.

And at that moment, Carmine moved.

F-f-f-f-f-flash.

He almost lost track of her movements, which were so fast, but based on the memories and experiences he had absorbed, he was able to quickly grasp them.

And just as Seonghyun had, the other familiars also tracked her and moved.

The first to charge forward was Leonik, who had attacked her initially.

Emitting an ultramarine aura, he channeled all of that energy into his sword and unleashed his unique, domineering swordsmanship, attempting to restrain Carmine.

However.

With a spin.

Carmine casually twirled her spear at the charging Leonik, attempting to gently deflect his swordsmanship.

But Leonik’s style was a domineering one.

He swung his sword with enough force to slice her spear in two.

KAAAAANG—!!!

-!!!!!!

He felt an incredible repulsive force, and a tingling sensation ran through his hand. As an undead, his body wasn't damaged by such a thing, but Leonik was swiftly pushed back.

In terms of skill, they were evenly matched.

However, Carmine held the overwhelming advantage in strength, so Leonik had no choice but to retreat. Balthar then appeared, blocking the way in front of him, and shouted.

-I'll show you the results of my training! You're next for training, Leonik!!!

Balthar shouted with a sincerity that showed he truly never wanted to go back.

‘Just what kind of training are they doing?’

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]