The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage-Chapter 206

Leaving behind the awestruck players and NPCs, Seong entered the fortress.

As he took in the interior, he couldn’t help but be impressed.

"Wow."

Seong had previously visited Pentagrid’s lord’s castle, one of the lordly estates in the fifth-tier cities.

But compared to this place, Pentagrid’s castle was nothing.

Calling it a large mansion would have been more accurate.

Here, the scale and grandeur were on an entirely different level.

As Seong silently marveled at the architecture, the sound of footsteps echoed through the vast lobby.

Click. Clack. Click. Clack.

It sounded like a single set of footsteps.

But the presence he felt was far greater than just one person.

Startled, Seong turned his head.

The footsteps drew closer, revealing a woman leading a procession of figures behind her.

At the forefront stood a woman with deep midnight-blue hair, shimmering with an ethereal glow. Silver ornaments adorned her hair, resembling a celestial river of stars.

Her elegance was undeniable.

However, her porcelain-white skin contrasted sharply with the grotesque, twisted doll mask covering her face.

A chilling sense of unease lingered around her.

Even at a glance, it was clear she was no ordinary figure.

Seong swallowed.

"She’s stronger than Belmor or Penelope."

Her aura exuded pressure, the kind that could overwhelm someone simply by existing.

It was similar to Kars Grimcrow, the Crow-masked Envoy of Overpalace.

However—

"She’s not as strong as Kars."

For someone ruling over a city, she was still below Overpalace’s envoy.

In fact, the two standing beside her seemed stronger than she was.

Normally, in a game, it would be difficult to gauge someone’s power like this.

But thanks to the memories and experiences of ghosts, Seong could estimate their strength.

Even so, this woman was undoubtedly powerful.

More than that—

She was definitely the master of the undead army patrolling the fortress.

Not just a guess—it was a certainty.

The aura surrounding the undead legion outside was identical to hers.

As Seong studied her, she suddenly removed her grotesque mask.

Her face was young, strikingly beautiful, and delicate.

Seong was momentarily caught off guard by how young she looked.

But before he could react—

The woman immediately dropped to her knees and bowed deeply.

Even Seong, who had grown accustomed to surprises, flinched.

“We greet the true successor of Overpalace—our Lord!”

"WE GREET OUR LORD!!!"

Her voice was elegant and refined, yet the words she spoke were utterly absurd.

Even for someone as composed as Seong, this was a bit much.

And yet—

Everyone behind her followed suit, the countless black mages falling to their knees before him.

The overwhelming sight made Seong gulp nervously.

Still bowing, the woman continued.

“I am Kalina de Noxhyle. Though I may be lacking, I am the branch leader governing Overpalace’s Hexia division. While you remain here, I shall serve you with utmost devotion.”

Her voice carried genuine loyalty.

Seong was taken aback for a moment.

But how many Overpalace-related figures had he encountered by now?

At this point, it wasn’t all that surprising anymore.

Maintaining his composure, he simply replied:

“Understood. Rise.”

The moment Seong kept his response brief, Kalina immediately stood up.

Despite her childlike features, she carried a heavy sense of responsibility.

She was probably around his own age, which made this even more uncomfortable.

But he ignored it.

He had come here for a reason.

Just as he was about to get to the point, Kalina spoke up again.

“Would you allow me to give you a tour of your new residence?”

“......?”

"New residence?"

Not only did he not plan on staying here, but he also didn’t want to.

Sensing his reluctance, Kalina explained.

“This fortress was originally the residence of the previous Lord. It has been modified to ensure absolute security. Given the events ahead, it would be best for you to remain here for now. However, if you find it uncomfortable, you may come and go as you please!”

Seong slowly nodded as he listened.

"If that’s the case, I might need to stay here temporarily."

There could be class-specific quests or storyline progression tied to this place.

He hadn’t considered that.

Understanding this, he nodded in acknowledgment.

“Then allow me to guide you.”

As Kalina began leading the way, the other black mages bowed once more before vanishing in an instant.

It was so sudden that Seong found himself mildly impressed.

But instead of dwelling on it, he followed Kalina through the fortress.

Given the sheer size of the structure, the tour was lengthy.

But there were only three key locations to remember:

The dining hall.His personal chamber.The underground chamber where Helena once resided.The underground chamber was firmly sealed, as it was only opened when necessary.

"Hmm. This won’t be simple."

The fact that Helena was involved made him curious.

However—

Even standing near the door, he could feel the thick, unsettling darkness seeping through the cracks.

It was downright eerie.

Even though they were both Overlords, Helena had been one for an incredibly long time.

There was no telling what remained in that chamber.

Seong didn’t believe Helena would leave anything truly dangerous behind.

But...

So much time had passed.

"It might have changed into something sinister on its own."

Overpalace must have had a reason for building their branch atop this place.

That alone made him wary.

While Seong was deep in thought, Kalina approached him.

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She carefully retrieved something precious from inside her robe.

Then, with a solemn expression, she handed it to him.

“This is an item discovered here—something belonging to the previous Lord, as per Black Fortress’s findings.”

As she spoke, Seong accepted the object.

Holding it in his hands, he frowned slightly.

It was neither a book nor a simple notebook.

If anything—

It was closer to a sketchbook.

And the moment Seong laid eyes on the writing inside—

A message appeared before him.

[You have obtained the **Overlord-exclusive quest item, 『Helena’s Diary!』.]

[Reading 『Helena’s Diary!』 will trigger a job-exclusive quest.]

The system notifications flashed before Seong’s eyes.

But instead of focusing on them, he looked at the actual diary in his hands.

The words 『Helena’s Diary!』 were scrawled across the cover in childlike handwriting.

And beneath that, written in adorably clumsy letters—

『Do not read!!!』

Seong scratched his head, recalling what Helena had told him earlier.

She had said she wouldn’t be able to come out for a while.

"Was it because of this?"

She must have known about the diary’s existence.

Helena’s personal diary...

If that was the case, then it made sense why she was hiding.

"Judging by the handwriting, this must be from her childhood."

Considering that Helena was over a thousand years old, this was practically a relic of history.

Still...

“Hmmm.”

Should he really open and read it?

If this were just a game, he wouldn’t have hesitated.

But Helena wasn’t just some NPC.

She traveled with him, making this feel a little wrong.

Reading someone’s personal diary while they were still around...

It felt intrusive.

But then again—

"If she really didn’t want me to read it, she would have told me not to."

Given that she shut herself away in the underworld out of sheer embarrassment, Seong could guess her personality.

She might have been too ashamed to stop him outright, but deep down, it seemed like she was already accepting the inevitable.

Besides, this was a system-generated quest.

Not reading it wasn’t really an option.

With that, Seong opened the diary.

[You are opening the **Overlord-exclusive quest item, 『Helena’s Diary!』.]

As soon as he flipped the cover open, his body froze.

It was as if an event scene had been triggered.

Seong was locked in place, unable to move.

Before him, the pages of the diary unfolded like a storybook animation.

From somewhere unseen, a voice began to narrate—

It was the voice of a young girl.

Bright, playful, and filled with joy.

Yet... something about it felt oddly familiar.

And then—

『Today, I drew a cat and a dog!』

『The cat went “meow!” The dog went “woof!” They ran around everywhere!』

『I said, “Let’s play together!” And they giggled and said, “Let’s play hide and seek!” Then they disappeared from the drawing!』

『Ahhh! Where did they go? Where did they go?』

『“Come into the darkness, and you’ll find us!” said the cat! The dog laughed too! I can play hide and seek really well!』

『Wait for me, cat and dog! I’ll find you for sure! I’m good at this, right?!』

The innocence of a child was evident in the writing.

Yet...

"Why does this feel eerie?"

Something about the words "They disappeared from the drawing" and "Come into the darkness" sent a chill down his spine.

Even more unsettling—

As the girl’s cheerful voice continued narrating, faint laughter filled the air.

"Hahaha!"

"Hehehe!"

The atmosphere took a drastically chilling turn.

Seong, feeling uneasy, turned his attention back to the diary.

The page contained a drawing.

It looked like a child’s doodle—but somehow, it gave off an eerie sensation.

In the center of the picture, there was a girl with bright red hair.

But something was missing.

"It’s... torn?"

On either side of the red-haired girl, the page was ripped apart—as if something had been there but was now gone.

"Did... the cat and the dog ‘disappear from the drawing’ like this?"

As soon as Seong processed this realization, a system message appeared—

[You have triggered the **Overlord Story Quest: 『The Vanished Cat and Dog』.]

→ Find the missing cat and dog.

A straightforward quest.

But then—

Seong’s eyes widened.

The once-sealed underground chamber door... was now wide open.

"When did that happen?"

The massive iron doors had been firmly shut before.

Something like that opening wouldn’t have gone unnoticed.

Even Kalina, staring at the now-open door, tilted her head in confusion.

“When did that open?”

“...Good question.”

Seong wanted to ask her, “You’re the master of this place. Shouldn’t you know?”

But given the atmosphere, he kept it to himself.

From within the darkness beyond the door, faint sounds echoed.

"Woof."

"Meow."

Dog and cat cries.

A sound ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ that should have been ordinary—but instead, it sent a shiver down his spine.

"Am I really supposed to go in there?"

For a moment, Eternal World’s genre felt like it had suddenly shifted.

The entire setting had transformed into a horror game.

But—

Seong had seen ghosts his entire life.

This much?

It wasn’t enough to faze him.

Without hesitation, he stepped toward the underground chamber.

As he entered, Kalina spoke softly from behind him.

"Please... be careful."

And the moment his foot crossed the threshold—

The massive doors slammed shut behind him.