The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage-Chapter 253

5.

Before All Disease’s Spine and Corroding Stomach were destroyed—

Before Seong’s broadcast was suddenly cut off—

Seong was a little bored.

No one had arrived at the path to the Corrupted Heart yet.

Honestly—

‘Did I kill them too fast?’

He wondered if he had wiped out the enemies too quickly.

Of course—

Wow, what’s that new skill???

That darkness skill looks sick;;;

Did he change classes to something darkness-related?

Now that I think about it, aren’t most of his summons covered in darkness too?

Oh? You’re right???

Chatting with the viewers helped pass the time.

But it wasn’t enough to fully keep him entertained.

After all, there wasn’t much he could say about his class.

“It’s not just darkness-related. Think of it as a dark mage instead.”

If nothing else, Rapid had told him to keep quiet about his class details.

So he wouldn’t say too much.

While he was interacting with viewers—

A system message appeared.

[The path to 『the Corrupted Heart』 has opened.]

The confirmation that All Disease’s Spine and Corroding Stomach had been destroyed.

Finally, he had something to do.

‘Good.’

The viewers were just as excited, spamming the chat.

Damn, he’s going in first!!!

His strategy was crazy;;;

Checked the other locations, and he sent his subordinates to secure contribution points there too;;;

Seriously, dude’s brainpower is insane...

The chat was filled with people acknowledging Seong.

But now that he was about to enter the Corrupted Heart, Seong didn’t care too much about the chat.

More than streaming, he was excited about finally fighting again.

Just as he was about to step inside—

Something unexpected appeared.

[Conditions Met.]

[『First Place in Contribution within Apophis’s Interior』 (Complete)]

[『Overlord』 Third Advancement (Complete)]

[『Overlord』 Story Quest: 『Helena’s Diary 1』 (Complete)]

[Possess at least 3 Monarch-class skills exclusive to 『Overlord』 (Complete)]

What? Why is this showing up now?

Judging by the viewers’ reactions—

It seemed like only he could see it.

Seong hesitated, wondering how he should react.

And then—

[Conditions met. Instead of 『the Corrupted Heart』, you will be transported to the Hidden Stage: 『Apophis’s Heart』.]

[All external connections will be severed.]

“Huh?”

That was all he managed to say—

Before everything disconnected.

The broadcast ended.

And he felt himself being transported somewhere.

Darkness completely engulfed him.

It had been dim before—

But at least there had been some light to make out his surroundings.

Now—

There was none.

‘Is this something Overpalace set up?’

A Hidden Stage that only the highest contributor could enter.

Hidden stages were great and all—

But being thrown into one this suddenly felt a bit disorienting.

Before he could fully grasp the situation, he noticed something was missing.

The chat was gone.

The broadcast indicator was gone.

Just in case, he tried recording.

It worked—

The recording icon appeared.

‘At least it’s still recording.’

Since the system itself had cut the connection—

He could just give this footage to Rapid later.

The view count would probably be insane.

With that, he set aside the external issues.

Now, he had to figure out what this Hidden Stage was.

Apophis’s Heart.

Which meant—

‘So the Corrupted Heart isn’t actually Apophis’s real heart?’

That seemed to be the implication.

Seong organized his thoughts and reached out into the darkness.

Instantly—

All the darkness around him became his possession.

Everything he looked at became perfectly visible.

“Hm.”

From what he could see—

It looked the same as Apophis’s Interior.

The only difference was the complete absence of light.

The walls and floors were fleshy, like organs.

A pinkish hue, shifting slightly with a pulse-like movement.

It was unnerving—

But not enough to throw him off.

However—

Boom—!

Thud——!

Boom——!

Thud———!

A faint vibration ran through the ground and walls.

Seong immediately recognized the sensation.

A heartbeat.

The thudding pulse echoed through the area, and something felt off.

If he could feel the heartbeat here—

Why hadn’t he felt anything before?

Wasn’t he right in front of the Corrupted /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ Heart earlier?

‘So... this place is really inside Apophis’s body?’

Was the other location just something shaped like Apophis?

He didn’t fully understand yet—

But he could grasp the general idea.

This Hidden Stage—

Was the true interior of Apophis.

Having reached that conclusion, Seong looked down the long passage ahead.

‘A solo instance.’

Which meant—

His team would have to handle the Corrupted Heart without him.

Seong walked forward, thinking about what lay ahead.

A curious smile spread across his face.

6.

Since the Eroding Venom Spring and the Corrupted Heart were quite far apart—

Helena had yet to reach the Corrupted Heart.

Unlike the other subordinates, her movement speed was significantly slower.

And while making her way there—

She suddenly felt it.

Seong had disappeared.

Thud—!

While soaring through the air alongside Fiora,

Helena’s movement came to an abrupt halt.

Fiora, who had been in the form of a swift bird, also reverted to her original form,

Landing on the ground and carving out a long trench in the process.

Shaaahhh——!

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Tilting her head at Helena’s sudden stop,

Fiora gave her a questioning look.

Helena glanced at Fiora and spoke.

“Hmmm... Seong just vanished.”

Huh? W-where did he go?Seong’s presence had disappeared.

No matter how much she tried to search for him,

She couldn’t sense him anywhere.

Helena’s delicate face slightly furrowed in displeasure.

She closed her parasol, tapping it lightly against the ground as if it were a cane.

A gentle tap.

And at that moment—

Tap.

The faint tremor spread outward,

Sending ashen energy rippling in all directions.

A depthless abyssal energy spread across the landscape,

Allowing Helena to perceive everything within its vast reach.

She saw the destroyed Eroding Venom Spring,

The crumbling All Disease’s Spine,

And the severed heads of the Corroding Stomach.

Even the traces of an intense battle unfolding before the Corrupted Heart.

But nowhere—

Nowhere could she find Seong.

“Hmmm... This is troublesome.”

Y-you really can’t find him?“Yeah, seems like it.”

She had a vague idea of where he might have gone.

But she couldn’t be certain.

As Fiora fidgeted anxiously,

Helena smiled softly and patted her head.

‘If Seong is gone, there’s a high chance my adorable disciple prepared something for him.’

After all, Apophis’s entire domain was like a gift box prepared specifically for Seong.

It was obvious.

Now, the important question—

What should Helena do?

Simple.

Right now, Seong holds the highest contribution score.

While she wasn’t aware of the exact system mechanics,

She understood that Seong’s performance here was crucial.

And as his subordinate, her actions would also add to his achievements.

Which meant—

Her role was clear.

“We’ll go on our own, Fiora.”

H-huh!? W-what about Lord Seong...?In the past, Fiora would have blindly followed Helena’s words.

But now, worried for Seong, she hesitated.

Rather than feeling offended,

Helena found it endearing.

She gently stroked Fiora’s head again.

She was nothing more than a phantom of the past.

Revived by Seong’s power,

But she considered even that power to be his.

So, together with Fiora—

Helena devoted herself entirely to Seong.

“Seong will be fine. Our job is to do our part. That’s the best way to help him.”

A-ah! O-okay!“Then let’s go take down the Corrupted Heart.”

With that, Fiora once again transformed into a bird,

While Helena unfurled her parasol and floated into the air.

But unlike her light, graceful ascent—

Her speed was astounding.

And in no time,

She reached the Corrupted Heart before anyone else.

Unlike Seong—

Helena looked at the scene before her and smiled mischievously.

“A heart that doesn’t beat, huh...”

H-huh!? Y-you’re right?!Fiora realized it too and tilted her head in confusion.

A pathway leading to a heart,

Yet there was no pulse, no heartbeat.

As the two advanced toward the Corrupted Heart,

Monsters began to emerge.

Serpent-like beastfolk, formed from black blood.

Sssssskkk.

They flicked their tongues menacingly,

Brandishing weapons made of blood and revealing deadly fangs.

A clear intent—

They would never let Helena and Fiora pass.

Yet—

Helena and Fiora showed no signs of concern.

A spear of celestial energy formed mid-air,

While abyssal tendrils surged up from the ground, binding the enemies.

The celestial spear shot forth—

Piercing each monster directly through the heart.

At the same time—

Fiora’s eyes gleamed,

And she unleashed a blast of energy.

Not quite as powerful as a dragon’s breath—

But still a devastating wave of force.

The bodies of the impaled monsters disintegrated into dust.

With that, the path was cleared.

Helena and Fiora hurried forward—

Faster than anyone else.

7.

A path draped in darkness.

Seong walked forward in silence.

How long had he been walking?

The further he went—

The heartbeat grew louder.

Thud—!

Thump———!

It felt like his own heart was beating in sync.

He remembered a friend once saying—

If you stood right next to a massive speaker at a club,

You’d hear your own heartbeat even louder.

Was this the same feeling?

As he advanced,

A wide-open chamber came into view.

The walls, floor, and ceiling were all fleshy,

With thick veins sprawling in every direction.

All emanating from a single point.

And at the center—

Ba-dump.

Ba-dump—

Ba-dump!

A massive, pulsating heart.

Bigger than Seong himself.

Like a whale’s heart, but even larger.

Seong instantly knew—

He had reached the true heart.

This place was real.

And soon—

A battle would begin.

His instincts were right.

Ba-dump!

The heart suddenly throbbed powerfully.

And then—

Something burst forth from within.

A white serpent, like a parasitic worm.

At first, it was small.

But as it emerged, it rapidly expanded.

Until it filled the entire chamber.

Then—

The enormous serpent turned,

Opened its gaping maw toward the heart—

And swallowed it whole.

At that moment—

[Hidden Stage: 『Apophis’s Heart』 is about to begin.]

Seong prepared for battle.

But then—

A strange thought crossed his mind.

‘Is that Apophis?’

It looked like Apophis’s true form.

But wasn’t he the Black Serpent God?

Shouldn’t it be black, not white?

As that thought crossed his mind—

He noticed something even stranger.

Atop the giant white serpent’s head—

A translucent, cyan-colored phantom.

Another serpent.

Sssssskkk?“...?”

A ghostly serpent.

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