The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage-Chapter 167

A ghost cat.

Seong had expected ghosts to exist alongside the cat merchants.

But to see a spirit loitering right at the entrance was a bit surprising.

Still, he didn’t show it outwardly.

Casually, he absorbed the cat ghost’s memories.

[‘Unknown Power’ has allowed you to accomplish something impossible at your current level.]

[Intelligence +2, Wisdom +2, Dexterity +1 permanently increased.]

Hmm... the stat boost is nice, but...

The memories weren’t particularly useful.

The cat ghost had been a soldier stationed here for years before becoming a spirit.

Most of its memories were about routine duties and responsibilities.

"Outsiders are interesting, nya~! Nobody ever came while I was on duty, so this seems fun, nyaong!"

The ghost chattered excitedly.

But Seong didn’t pay it much attention.

Instead, he turned to the living cat soldiers.

Two feline guards stood at the massive city gates, gripping their spears.

With their small frames, bipedal stance, and helmets with openings for their ears, they looked incredibly cute.

But...

Something about their tense posture made them seem oddly pitiful.

Of course, they were just doing their job.

Seong had been about to speak to the trembling soldiers when something caught his eye.

Their spears. Their helmets.

And the breastplates covering their small bodies.

None of this is ordinary gear.

Come to think of it, even in the cat ghost’s memories, the soldiers had worn quality equipment.

Focusing his vision, he checked the item grades.

‘Unique?’

Each piece of gear was at least Unique-grade.

Sure, Seong had been picking up Unique-grade items like pebbles lately.

But that didn’t change the fact that such items were incredibly rare.

Even Epic-grade gear was valuable.

Yet these guards were fully equipped with Unique items?

Their adorable appearance and nervous stance aside, they were probably formidable warriors.

He had no intention of forcing his way through.

This called for diplomacy.

"I was exploring and happened to stumble upon this place," Seong said politely.

As he spoke, Helena and his summons stepped back, keeping their guard up just in case.

The cat soldiers tilted their heads.

"Hmmm, nyaaa~ Even so, we can't just let an outsider in, nyaong!"

"That’s right, nya!"

Their synchronized response was almost comedic.

Was there a way around this?

Forcing entry wasn’t an option.

They weren’t marked as monsters—only NPCs.

Attacking them would instantly raise his infamy.

Best to stay patient.

"If you want to enter our city, you must pass the trial, nya!"

"Then we will welcome you properly, nyaong!"

The twin-like guards spoke in perfect harmony.

Seong nearly chuckled but managed to keep a straight face.

The two of them tried to look serious and imposing.

But their expressions were far too cute.

Digging through the ghost’s memories, he recalled what the trial was about.

"The trial is a card game, nya!"

"A truly difficult gamble, nyaong!"

Ah. Of course.

Seong glanced at his summons.

Helena looked amused, while the others nodded, ready to follow his lead.

It wasn’t like he had a choice.

If he wanted to enter, he had to play their game.

"Alright. I’ll take the trial."

"Fufufu, it shall be a harsh trial, nya!"

"Fufufu, the outsider will surely lose in an instant, nyaong!"

The two guards grinned mischievously.

Or at least, they tried to.

Instead of looking sly, they just looked adorable.

Seong followed them as they opened the city gate.

Wait... they’re just opening the gate this easily?

Suppressing a chuckle, he walked in.

Helena strolled up beside him.

"So, are you any good at gambling?" she asked.

"Hmm... I know the rules of poker, at least."

"Aha! Then go win, Seong!"

"I’ll try."

He wasn’t exactly confident.

But if he lost, he’d have to find another way inside.

Though... he had a feeling he already knew an alternative.

Still, the best option was to win here and now.

"Fufufu, this is our lounge—er, I mean, the trial chamber, nya!"

"Fufufu! This is where you will face the trial, nyaong!"

The two guards tried to sound ominous.

But the trial chamber...

Was obviously a break room.

No matter how he looked at it, it was a lounge.

A cat tower stood in the corner.

There was a cat wheel.

Ropes, hammocks, and boxes were scattered around.

Clearly, this was a well-equipped relaxation space.

Seong sat at the table they guided him to.

They proudly brought out a deck of cards.

A deck of playing cards Seong was very familiar with.

The moment the cards hit the table—

[Hidden Quest 『Gatekeepers of Ninyaru, the City Above the Labyrinth』 has been generated.]

A hidden quest?

Might as well check the rewards.

『Gatekeepers of Ninyaru, the City Above the Labyrinth』

→ 《Hidden》

→ Ninyaru is believed to be a city of cat merchants that occasionally appears in the labyrinth.

You have followed various clues to reach its entrance, but two formidable guards are blocking your way.

Naturally, they cannot let just anyone in.

Thus, they have proposed a trial.

And that trial... is none other than gambling!

If you can entertain them with a game of chance, these fearsome guards will grant you passage into Ninyaru.

If you win quickly, there will be additional rewards.

→ Requirements: Players who have discovered the entrance to Ninyaru.

→ Reward: Entry permit to Ninyaru.

→ Failure: No entry permit + 2 hours of gambling.

Seong had been expecting something serious.

But this was... an incredibly adorable quest.

At the very least, it meant he’d be allowed in.

Even if he failed, he’d still get the entry permit.

The only catch was that he’d have to entertain the guards for two hours.

So, it was better to win quickly.

Wasting time here wasn’t ideal.

He needed to wrap this up fast.

"Fufufu, the three of us will gamble, nya! Whoever runs out of chips first goes bankrupt, nyaong!"

"Fufufu, the last one holding chips wins, nya! The game is poker, nyaong!"

"Understood."

As Seong nodded, the cat soldiers set aside their spears and helmets.

They shuffled and dealt the cards with practiced ease.

Clearly, they played a lot.

When Seong picked up his hand, it was ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) surprisingly decent.

But without knowing what cards they had—

How should he bet?

As he hesitated—

"I won’t let a fresh-faced recruit steal all the fun, nya! That one’s got a one pair, nyaong!"

Seong smirked as the ghost cat whispered hints to him.

1.

"UWAAAH!!! Are you the god of poker, nya!?"

"H-HNYAANG!!! I lost too, nyaong!"

There was no way Seong could lose when he knew their hands.

In an instant, he crushed them.

The cat soldiers wiped their tears and begrudgingly admitted defeat.

For someone to defeat them so quickly...

This outsider was truly extraordinary!

"Your skill is amazing, nya. Take this, nyaong!"

"Here’s your city entry permit, nya! Keep it with you at all times, nyaong!"

"Thank you."

[Hidden Quest 『Gatekeepers of Ninyaru, the City Above the Labyrinth』 has been completed.]

[Rewards have been granted.]

Seong accepted the permit with a polite nod.

The cats waved enthusiastically, their fur fluffing up in excitement.

"Take care, nyaong!"

"That was fun, nya!"

"If you need help, just ask, nyaong!"

Even the cat ghost saluted him as he left.

As Seong walked toward the city, Helena pouted.

"Tch. I thought it’d be a fierce gambling match..."

"It would’ve been funnier if they were more competitive."

"But thinking about Nyao... this actually makes sense. Then again, Nyao should be an adult now. Maybe things will be different?"

Nyao.

The cat merchant Helena once looked after.

What had become of them?

Seong nodded, curious.

"The beastfolk of the labyrinth—especially the feline ones—are usually cute and playful when young, but as they age, they either get fat or turn into predators."

"Oh?"

"Nyao was royalty, so he definitely had the potential to be the latter."

That made things even more interesting.

Royalty, huh?

What kind of person was he now?

And how would he react to Helena’s rebirth?

It was worth paying attention to.

Seong stepped forward with anticipation.

The tunnel stretched on.

Then—

Lights shimmered at the far end.

Even though it should’ve been nighttime by now—

The city was glowing.

What kind of place is this?

His curiosity spurred him onward.

As he emerged from the tunnel—

His breath caught.

The streets were illuminated with dazzling magical lights.

Countless bipedal feline figures strolled between the buildings.

Above them, tiny, glowing dragonfly-like creatures flitted about.

Vendors lined the streets, their voices ringing out in lively chatter.

"You don’t see fresh goods like this every day, nya!"

"Today's fish is the freshest, nyaong!"

"Luxury treats in stock, nya!"

Though their cries varied—

One thing was clear.

This place was nothing like Pentagrid.

The scale. The vibrance.

It was mesmerizing.

"Wow."

Seong had never expected to find a city like this in a game.

It felt more like a real magical city.

As he admired the view—

A message popped up.

[You have entered the Hidden City: 『Ninyaru, the City Above the Labyrinth』.]

[You are the first to discover this Hidden City!]

[Title 『One Who Steps into the Unknown』 acquired.]

[Title 『Butler of Ninyaru』 acquired.]

[First Discovery Bonus granted.]

[All quest rewards in 『Ninyaru』 are doubled.]

[You are now in possession of the Unique Item 『Labyrinth Merchant’s Whistle』.]

[The effects of 『Labyrinth Merchant’s Whistle』 apply to the entire city.]

First discovery.

Two new titles.

And an item that applied city-wide effects.

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Does this mean I get discounts?

Not bad.

Coming to such a dreamlike city was already rewarding.

But double quest rewards and discounts?

It was the perfect bonus.

As Seong took in the cityscape, fully immersed in its charm—

The residents noticed him.

A towering human among a crowd of feline folk.

The reaction was instant.

"NYAANG?! A human!?"

"Whoa! Not just any human—an outsider!"

"Nyaong?! It’s my first time seeing an outsider!"

"No, no, sweetie. This is the first time a human has entered!"

"Ohhh! I didn’t know that, nya!"

Some cats ended their sentences with nya and ong.

Others spoke more normally.

It seemed that younger ones used the cutesy speech.

As they gawked at Seong in fascination—

A familiar voice rang out.

"Ahh?! C-Customer?! How did you get here, nya!?"

A cat Seong knew.

Becky.

The merchant cat rushed toward him in disbelief.

Somehow—

He’d run into Becky again.

"It’s good to see you here."

"N-Nyaooong!?"