The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage-Chapter 220

Silvanor didn’t look entirely unhappy.

There was some relief in his expression, but at the same time, there was an unmistakable trace of sorrow.

Yet, no matter what emotions swirled within him, his gratitude toward Seong was genuine.

Kneeling on one knee, head bowed, Silvanor paid his respects.

For a moment, Seong wondered if he had simply misread the situation.

He could guess what Silvanor was feeling.

Normally, Seong would have just read Silvanor’s memories to figure it out.

But since parts of those memories were blocked, he simply asked instead.

"Do you know any knights in Sisvaldt? Or at least, do you have any connections?"

Silvanor hesitated before shaking his head.

"Too much time has passed since I was active. I fear I would be of little help."

"Hmm. That makes sense."

It was a reasonable answer, but a frustrating one nonetheless.

However—

"If you wish to join a knightly order, there is always the option of taking an entrance trial."

"A trial?"

"Yes. No knightly order is ever at full capacity. There are always casualties in missions and knights who retire. You could take advantage of that. Additionally, since you already hold a knighthood, the process should be much easier."

"That’s true..."

"Of course, you would still need to prove your skill, but that should be no difficulty for you, my lord."

There was a hint of flattery in Silvanor’s words.

But he wasn’t wrong.

Seong had absolute confidence in his swordsmanship.

So did that mean he could head there right away?

As he considered his next move, Silvanor added—

"Having a recommendation would make things even easier, though acquiring one is no simple matter."

"A recommendation?"

"Yes. Sisvaldt is a city filled with knights and knightly orders. A recommendation from a knight residing there would make it easier for you to take the entrance trial. I am unfamiliar with the recent situation, but I doubt it has changed significantly."

Seong nodded at Silvanor’s words.

One way or another, he would need to take the trial.

The plan was simple: if he arrived and found no trials available, he would shift his focus to obtaining a recommendation.

Who knew?

Something useful might come up.

With that thought, Seong stored the rest of his subordinates and set out for Sisvaldt, taking Fiora, Helena, and Silvanor along for the journey.

0.

The city of knights, Sisvaldt, was home to several renowned knightly orders.

Among them, Equinox Knights was one of the most prestigious.

It was one of the top three knightly orders in Sisvaldt.

However, last year, a tragic accident had resulted in the sudden change of leadership.

With the {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} previous commander gone, concerns arose about the loss of the order’s traditions.

Players didn’t pay much attention to this shift.

But among the NPCs, it was a heated topic.

At first, there was doubt.

But soon—

"Pfft—Hahaha! Have you heard? The new commander of the Equinox Knights is a monster!"

"Yeah! I heard they dominated the recent mock battle against the Valkyrion Guard!"

"Wait, you mean that Valkyrion Guard? One of the three strongest knightly orders in Sisvaldt?!"

"Exactly!! Even the people who were complaining about tradition are admitting it now!"

"Damn! What was the new commander’s name again?"

"Ragna Eckrion."

"Oh, right! That was it!"

Laughter and gossip spread among the NPCs, and soon, players caught on as well.

However—

Where there is light, there is also shadow.

Rumors about Ragna Eckrion’s brutality began circulating alongside praise for their skill.

"That new Equinox Knight commander... they’re a bit much, don’t you think?"

"Why? What happened?"

"Call it knightly discipline if you want, but I heard they treat their knights far too harshly."

"Oh, come on! A knightly order has to be tough, doesn’t it?"

"Not this tough. Ever since they took over, the casualty rate has doubled."

"Doubled?! That’s... a lot."

Even those who had defended Ragna’s methods began hesitating.

It was one thing to push for excellence.

But if casualties were increasing, it was hard to ignore the issue.

Even so, strength was what made knightly orders respected.

Despite the criticism, Ragna Eckrion’s reputation only continued to rise.

Some even whispered that Equinox Knights had surpassed the other top orders.

And as the stories spread, the new commander of the Equinox Knights spent more and more time training alone in the combat hall.

There, within the empty training grounds, a single violet sword gleamed in the dim light.

A cold smile spread across Ragna Eckrion’s lips.

"It won’t be long now."

For a brief moment, the sword trembled in Ragna’s grip.

An illusion? Or something more?

Ragna stared at it, speaking softly.

"Just a little longer. Your soul will awaken soon."

Meanwhile—

On the other side of the screen.

A man watched Ragna Eckrion through a monitoring system.

His expression was one of pure frustration.

This man was Lee Jae-kyung, the Deputy Manager of NPC Control Team 2.

Scratching his head, he let out a long sigh.

[Progress: 78%]

It was almost time.

One of the major story arcs, separate from the usual events, was about to unfold.

The Event Team had finished preparations.

The Story Team had finalized everything.

And yet—

Lee Jae-kyung scratched his head in frustration.

"Ugh, seriously."

Players loved grand story events.

To them, it was just another major event filled with action, lore, and rewards.

But from an administrative standpoint, it was a logistical nightmare.

Entire regions were about to be caught up in the chaos.

And that meant many players would suffer losses.

Not just a few—but a significant number.

That was the part Lee Jae-kyung was most concerned about.

Once the grand story arc began—

Every single player in Sisvaldt would be affected.

"All because Ragna Eckrion is about to become a Dark Knight..."

If there were any way to prevent it, that would be ideal.

But unfortunately, it was almost impossible.

The only way to stop it was to join the knightly order and intervene early.

The problem?

Parties were never allowed to join knightly orders.

And Equinox Knights was one of Sisvaldt’s top three knightly orders.

Not just anyone could enter.

Even if a player somehow passed the trials—

At most, one person might get in.

And even then, they would only be accepted as a squire—not a knight.

How could a squire stop Ragna Eckrion?

It was unrealistic.

It would be like a military recruit trying to challenge a general to a fight—

And then actually winning with bare hands while the general had a full artillery unit.

Impossible.

...Or so he thought.

Then, suddenly—

Wait.

There is one, isn’t there?

Lee Jae-kyung’s eyes widened as he recalled a certain player’s report.

Hurriedly, he searched through the database.

And sure enough—

"Hmm... Player Seong, huh?"

If anyone could do it—

It would be him.

He already had a knighthood.

He had the skills to back it up.

But would Ragna Eckrion acknowledge him?

Probably not.

Besides, what were the chances Seong would even come to Sisvaldt?

Why would he?

Right now, he had everything he needed in Hexia.

Why would he leave?

That was what Lee Jae-kyung used to believe.

Until—

"Wait, what did you just say?"

[Uh... I just told you—Player Seong is heading toward Sisvaldt right now.]

Lee Jae-kyung blinked.

Slowly, he raised the phone back to his ear.

Just to be sure, he called Lee Won-sang.

"Hey, is this for real?"

The answer came without hesitation.

[Yes, sir. Seong is heading to Sisvaldt.]

Silence.

For a long moment, Lee Jae-kyung just stared blankly.

Then—

"Pfft—HAHAHAHA!"

He suddenly burst into laughter, hanging up without explanation.

Lee Won-sang, now completely confused, just stared at his phone.

Meanwhile—

Lee Jae-kyung watched the shared screen displaying Seong’s movements.

A smug grin spread across his face.

"Hah... Maybe he will stop it after all."

Normally, if a fully-prepared project were to fail, it would be a disaster.

But this?

If Seong intervened—

Everyone in the office would celebrate.

Lee Jae-kyung bit his lip in anticipation.

Would Seong actually collide with Ragna Eckrion?

It was unlikely. freёnovelkiss.com

But then again—

"That guy’s been causing chaos everywhere he goes... Maybe this time too."

Holding onto that faint hope, Lee Jae-kyung watched intently.

1.

The city of knights, Sisvaldt, was home to more than just knights.

Naturally, melee-based classes dominated.

But surprisingly, there were also many magic users.

Elementalists, summoners, black mages—

For ranged fighters, having a reliable frontline was crucial.

So it made sense for spellcasters to gather in a city full of knights.

Because of this, Sisvaldt was a melting pot of different classes and races.

Among them, many player-knights still dreamed of earning a true knighthood.

This meant they were always listening for news—

Any information that could give them an edge.

Today was no different.

But then—

A commotion erupted at the city gates.

"A HIGH ELF?!"

"Wait—Players can’t choose the High Elf race, right?!"

"Check for a player insignia!"

"Nothing! No NPC marker either!"

"A special NPC?!"

The sudden uproar sent shockwaves through the gathered players.

Elves were already playable, but High Elves were not.

Rumors claimed there were special quests that could unlock High Elf evolution.

But no one had ever actually achieved it.

So the moment someone spotted a High Elf,

A crowd instantly gathered.

Some out of curiosity.

Others, hoping this was a special NPC who could trigger a hidden quest.

It had barely been a minute since the news spread,

And already, a massive group had formed.

At the center of it all—

Four individuals stood, cloaked in robes.

The High Elf’s ears peeked out, betraying their identity.

And in that instant—

"POOF!"

"POOF!"

The four vanished in an instant.

"T-They disappeared?!"

"What the hell?!"

"One of them was a player!"

"The other three?"

"No idea! Maybe they were NPCs?!"

"Everyone, spread out and find them!!!"

Amidst the chaos,

One particular figure, still hooded, looked extremely troubled.

'I did not expect this...'

He hadn’t thought his appearance would cause this much commotion.

But—

He should have expected it.

Because the High Elf they had seen—

Was Seong.