The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage

Chapter 40

2.
The users in Orin Village could barely contain their excitement.
It wasn’t often that an event was held in a second-tier village.
And this time, it was a large-scale event!
Excitement buzzed through the air, as users flocked to the central plaza to receive quests.
What was already a busy area was now packed to the brim.
“Hey! Stop pushing!”
“Everyone, wait your turn!”
“I’m joining the event too!”
People scrambled to receive the event quests, while others who already had their assignments rushed to meet their teammates.

“Wow, look at this crowd! It’s insane…”
“Looking for Team 62!”
“Hey, which team are you on?”
“I’m Team 39.
Even the NPCs couldn’t hide their delight, envisioning the revenue this influx of users would bring.
“Haha, so many outsiders gathering here.”
“This must be a blessing for the village!”
“Surely, this is thanks to the chief’s wisdom, haha!”
From a high vantage point in one of the large houses overlooking the plaza, a middle-aged man with a sly glint in his eye watched the scene unfold.
At first glance, he appeared kind and benevolent. But when he opened his narrow eyes wide, the greed lining his features became apparent.
He absentmindedly stroked his goatee—a habit of his when scheming.
“Keh keh keh, they’re gathering so well.”

The middle-aged man was none other than Jaile, the chief of Orin Village.
Of course, he was an NPC.
While some users treated Eternal World’s NPCs like those in other games, Jaile was not to be underestimated.
Like many NPCs in Eternal World, he possessed advanced AI, capable of thinking and acting as if he were a real person.
He was a man willing to sacrifice others for his ambitions and crush anyone in his way—all while carefully concealing his true nature.
Had the users known about him, they would have marveled at how eerily human he was.
But Jaile had thoroughly hidden his dark intentions.
Few even among his fellow villagers knew his true colors.
“If I gather enough outsiders, I’ll finally claim the treasures of Roks’ Tomb.”

The Tomb of Roks, discovered by Jaile, was a sprawling labyrinth filled with deadly traps and monsters.
It wasn’t a place the village chief could venture into alone, no matter how well he knew its layout.
But if hordes of outsiders surged in like a pack of wild dogs?
There would come a moment when the labyrinth was temporarily emptied.
Jaile planned to seize that chance to claim the hidden treasures for himself.
With a greedy smile, Jaile scanned the sea of users.
“These outsiders are the perfect hunting dogs to fetch my treasures.”

Suddenly, he noticed something unusual.
Among the crowd, one user’s eyes briefly glowed green as they looked straight at him.
“Hm?”

The user stared at Jaile with an intensity that suggested they knew exactly where he was.
For a moment, Jaile felt a chill run down his spine.
The user had black hair and dark eyes, but for an instant, their gaze gleamed with an eerie, greenish hue.
Jaile instinctively stepped back, trembling slightly.
When he looked again, the user had disappeared into the crowd.
“W-what was that?”

Was he imagining things? Was his mind playing tricks on him?
Or perhaps—
Could they be after my treasure?”

The thought made Jaile uneasy. He shook his head to dispel the idea.It couldn’t be.
He was the first to discover the map to Roks’ Tomb.
No one else knew where the hidden treasure lay.
“There’s no way they could know.”

Jaile reassured himself, forcing his nerves to settle.

3.
The user whose eyes had briefly glowed green? None other than Seonghyeon.
After locking eyes with Jaile, Seonghyeon had quickly moved on.
His brief impression of the man was simple:
“He looks greedy, no doubt about it.”

The man’s appearance screamed scam artist.
It perfectly matched what the ghosts had told him.
“Guess the saying about good fathers and bad sons isn’t always true.”

The previous chief was said to have been wise and virtuous.
Yet his son was anything but.
Still, Seonghyeon wasn’t particularly interested in Jaile’s scheming—he already knew what the man was up to.
For now, the quest was his priority.
『Tomb of Roks』
→《Rare》
→ According to Jaile, the chief of Orin Village, the recently discovered Tomb of Roks has been causing him much distress.
Roks was a powerful wizard who once lived in Orin Village but harbored a wicked heart despite his great talent.
The presence of the tomb has left Jaile deeply troubled.
Assist Orin Village by securing the tomb and making it safe.
You may also discover something valuable within.
→ Level Restriction: Below Level 50, second job advancement not completed.
→ Reward: 10 gold + items obtained in Roks’ Tomb.
→ Note: This quest requires teams of two.

Warnings:
You will be expelled from the tomb if you do not enter with your assigned teammate.
If your teammate dies, you may proceed alone.
It was a detailed quest description, with a Rare grade.
The promise of loot from the tomb was enough to drive users wild.
But to Seonghyeon, who knew the truth, it was nothing more than a cheap trick.
“How transparent can they get?”

Had it not been for the ghosts’ information, Seonghyeon might have been unaware of Jaile’s true intentions.
Moreover, he already knew where Roks had hidden his treasures.
This time, Seonghyeon’s goal was to claim them before Jaile could.
The only issue was the team requirement.
Like other dungeons, Roks’ Tomb used a party system.
Thankfully, it required only pairs, which was far less cumbersome than forming a full party.
“Let’s see who my partner is.”

With many users having already departed, the plaza wasn’t as crowded as before, though it was still bustling.
Scanning the remaining crowd for anyone calling out for Team 99, Seonghyeon spotted someone unusual.
A user wearing a large straw hat, with long hair tied like a horse’s tail, was chewing on a twig and chuckling softly to themselves.
“Fufufu.”
They wore traditional-looking clothing reminiscent of hanbok and carried a long sword at their hip, their hand resting casually on the hilt.
The person looked like a wandering ronin or a nameless warrior straight out of a historical drama.
At first glance, they could easily be mistaken for an NPC.
But the icon above their head confirmed they were a user.
“Huh, someone really committed to the role.”

As Seonghyeon considered moving on, the eccentric user spoke.

“Fufufu, I am the Greatest Swordsman of Joseon. Let the one assigned to my team step forward at once!”

“…Huh.”
4.
Seonghyeon froze when the self-proclaimed Joseon’s Greatest Swordsman spoke.
“Fufufu. Let the member of Team 99 step forward!”
His shoulders twitched involuntarily.
With a face full of dread, he turned his head back toward the eccentric figure, who had locked eyes with him.
Seeing Seonghyeon flinch, the swordsman chuckled with a knowing glint in their eyes and began striding toward him.
“Why me…”
Seonghyeon shut his eyes in resignation.
He hadn’t wanted to associate with people like this—well, except for his sister, and even that was more out of obligation.
As the swordsman approached, Seonghyeon finally got a closer look.

“Wait… they’re a woman?”

From a distance, he hadn’t been able to tell.
Up close, it became obvious: the person was a woman disguised as a man.
She had thickened her voice to sound masculine, and her appearance was deliberately crafted to pass as a man.
Given that gender couldn’t be customized in Eternal World, she had likely chosen this elaborate cosplay on purpose.
“She’s… serious about this.”

This wasn’t just a role-playing quirk—it was genuine obsession.
The sheer dedication radiating from her made Seonghyeon sigh.
“She’s the real deal.”
There was no avoiding it.
As they were both assigned to the same team, he had no choice but to deal with her.
With reluctant acceptance, he asked, “Are you also in Team 99?”
“Indeed! You must be my partner. Fufufu, worry not! With the mighty Joseon’s Greatest Swordsman, Kim Chaegeon, as your ally, there is no challenge we cannot overcome!”
“……”
Seonghyeon was at a loss for words.
“Kim Chaegeon? Isn’t that an actual historical figure?”
The name sounded familiar. In some fictional works, Kim Chaegeon was often portrayed as Joseon’s greatest swordsman.
For someone to use such a name and role-play this hard…
“Maybe this will make good content.”

The thought briefly crossed Seonghyeon’s mind. After all, the Rapid Guild had asked him to make his videos more entertaining.
Perhaps he could learn a thing or two about creating a strong concept from someone like her.
“Excuse me,” Seonghyeon began hesitantly. “I’ve been asked to record for the guild. Would it be alright if you appeared in the footage?”
“Hoh? So you are affiliated with a martial guild! I suspected as much, given your impressive aura! Very well, I grant my permission. It is not for nefarious purposes, after all.”
The moment she agreed, a message appeared before Seonghyeon:

[User 『Joseon’s Greatest Swordsman Kim Chaegeon』 has agreed to be recorded.]

The notification was as absurd as her nickname.

“Seriously? Her full nickname is 『Joseon’s Greatest Swordsman Kim Chaegeon』?”

Seonghyeon shook his head in disbelief.

“This person is absolutely nuts.”

After taking a moment to collect himself, Seonghyeon asked, “Shall we get going, then?”
“Fufufu, of course!”
Her eccentric speech patterns were exhausting, but Seonghyeon couldn’t deny her skill.
As they began walking, he observed her movements carefully.
Her stride carried the unmistakable traces of martial training.
Even compared to the memories of figures like Apik, the former drill instructor and hunter, her movements stood out.
“She’s actually pretty good.”

Although he found her personality overwhelming, Seonghyeon had to admit her abilities were reassuring.

[You have joined a party with 『Joseon’s Greatest Swordsman Kim Chaegeon』.]
[The party interface has been activated, excluding job details.]
『Seonghyeon – Lv. 34 – (????)』
『Joseon’s Greatest Swordsman Kim Chaegeon – Lv. 36 – (????)』

Seonghyeon noticed that Kim Chaegeon, like himself, had hidden her job.

“What could her class be?”
5.
The path to Roks’ Tomb was anything but smooth.
The distance was long, and the terrain was rough.
“Kiiiak! Kihaak!”
“Kerk! Kerkh!”
To make matters worse, goblins ambushed them along the way.
However, both Seonghyeon and Kim Chaegeon handled them with ease, strolling leisurely as if on a casual walk.
When goblins appeared, they were dispatched with a single strike before the pair resumed their pace.
Seonghyeon soon got a glimpse of Kim Chaegeon’s skill.
She crouched low, as if about to topple forward, and pushed off the ground with explosive force.
Her movements blurred as she surged forward, unsheathing her sword in a flash.
A fine line appeared across the goblin’s neck, which promptly detached and rolled to the ground.
Thud. Thud-thud-thud.

[Your party member has slain an enemy. You have gained experience.]

Startled, the remaining goblins tried to flee, but Seonghyeon calmly stepped into their path and swung his sword.
With a clean slash, two goblins were bisected.
[Critical Hit!]
[The effect of 『One Strike!』 has been activated!]
[You have gained experience.]

Despite the brief skirmish, neither of them seemed tired or winded.
For them, it was little more than a warm-up.
“She’s even better than I expected.”

Her movements didn’t show any signs of skill activation. It was pure physical prowess, leveraging her stats and martial techniques.
Compared to Manhu, a previous party member, Kim Chaegeon was clearly in a different league.
Seonghyeon wasn’t the only one impressed.
“To think he could cut down two goblins with such fluidity.”

Kim Chaegeon, too, was astonished by Seonghyeon’s abilities.
Though she prided herself on her skill and the moniker of Joseon’s greatest swordsman, she couldn’t deny that Seonghyeon was her equal—or perhaps superior.
Still, one question lingered in her mind.
“Forgive me if this is rude, but may I ask you something?”
“Sure. What is it?”
“Are you not a swordsman?”
Her question was a breach of etiquette, as both of them had concealed their job details.
But Seonghyeon didn’t mind.
“No, I’m not.”
“…!!”
Her eyes widened in shock.
Despite his remarkable swordsmanship, he wasn’t a swordsman?
Kim Chaegeon lowered her head slightly, tipping her straw hat forward in a gesture of gratitude.
“Thank you for answering.”
“It’s no big deal.”
Internally, however, Kim Chaegeon was reeling.

“He’s not a swordsman, yet he’s this skilled?”

Her awe only deepened, realizing there were levels to mastery she hadn’t yet reached.

As they continued, the path eventually opened up to reveal a massive cave entrance teeming with users.

『Event Dungeon: Roks’ Tomb』

Warning: Upon entry, all participants will start in separate locations.