The Game of the Greatest Black Mage

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]

Chapter 76

After an intense battle, victory was finally in his grasp.

It had been a brutal fight—so much so that Seonghyun had even died once.

If he hadn’t pushed himself that far, he might not have won.

Was it because this was his first victory of this kind?

Seonghyun clenched his fists tightly, overwhelmed with joy.

"I actually won!"

Would he have been able to win if he hadn’t launched that ambush from behind?

He wasn’t sure.

He might have lost.

That’s how strong Crescentra was.

Savoring his victory, Seonghyun turned to the flood of system messages confirming his triumph.

He had glanced at them earlier, but he hadn’t taken the time to read them properly.

This time, he would.

[You have defeated the Hidden Raid Boss, 『Ancient Royal Guardian Golem, Crescentra』.]

[Level Up!] ×12

[You have reached Level 77.]

[Reaching Level 70 has unlocked a new skill for 『Overlord』.]

[You have acquired the Legendary-rank skill, 『Flames of the Dead』.]

[Contribution belongs solely to one player.]

[Raid classified as a solo raid.]

[Boss was defeated solo.]

[Rewards have been enhanced.]

[First-time defeat bonus granted.]

[Rewards have been further enhanced.]

[As this was a solo raid, all rewards will be given to player 『Seonghyun』.]

[The treasure vault designated for rewards is empty.]

[Rewards will be adjusted.]

[Calculating new rewards.]

[Rewards will be tailored specifically for player 『Seonghyun』.]

[Defeat bonus: A new skill for 『Overlord』 has been unlocked.]

[You have acquired the Almighty-rank skill, 『Transcendent Death』.]

[Defeat bonus: Acquired Legendary-rank skill book, 『Skillbook – A Thousand Bloodied Swords』.]

[Defeat bonus: Acquired Legendary-rank item, 『Hourglass of Reversal』.]

[First player to defeat the Hidden Raid Boss, 『Ancient Royal Guardian Golem, Crescentra』.] @@novelbin@@

[You have obtained the title, 『Crescentra Slayer』.]

[As the first to clear the Hidden Raid, you have the option to disclose raid information.]

[If disclosed, additional rewards will be granted for each dungeon clear over the next three months.]

[Information can be made public at any time of your choosing.]

[If another raid party clears the dungeon before disclosure, the information cannot be revealed.]

"Holy—"

A flood of system messages, too many to process at once.

His vision swam for a moment, and even his head throbbed from the sheer volume of notifications.

But he methodically went through them one by one.

First and foremost—his level had increased.

A staggering 12 levels.

Now, he was Level 77.

'Wow.'

Even before, his growth had felt fast—but this was on another level.

Naturally, breaking past Level 70 had also unlocked a new skill.

Flames of the Dead.

Judging by the name, it sounded like an offensive skill.

Seonghyun opened the skill description.

『Flames of the Dead』

→《Legendary》

→[Lv 1][Growth Type]

[Passive Effect][Active]

[Cooldown 10 minutes]

[Duration 3 minutes]

Flames that burn souls in the blazing hell will bless the dead and scorch the world.

→Overlord Exclusive Skill.

→Summons the Flames of the Dead by consuming mana.

→Summoned creatures engulfed in the Flames of the Dead gain +30% to all stats, +20% to all speeds, and +10% to all attack power.

→Deals continuous damage when a summoned creature engulfed in the Flames of the Dead confronts an enemy.

'…This is…?'

A skill that perfectly compensated for the lack of buffs he had felt during the battle with Crescentra!

He had obtained an extremely useful skill at just the right time.

It was a bit disappointing that it could only buff a single summoned entity and couldn’t be applied to himself, but…

The sheer power of the skill was undeniable.

The effect was so impressive that he couldn’t help but admire it.

While he couldn’t use it on a living being like Balthar, he could apply it to Fiora.

'This is going to be insane.'

This was an incredibly valuable skill.

And the next reward?

Another Overlord-exclusive skill.

Since the treasury had been empty, the system had seemingly created a custom reward for him—an Overlord-exclusive skill.

A massive gain.

And it wasn’t just any skill.

It was Almighty-rank.

Transcendent Death.

Even the name was overwhelming.

Brimming with anticipation, Seonghyun opened the skill window.

『Transcendent Death』

→《Almighty》

→[Lv Max][Completed Type]

The Overlord, who rules death, will transcend even death.

All the dead are blessed.

→Overlord Exclusive Skill.

→Allows transcending the body of an undead that has reached its limit.

→Consumes one level of the Overlord upon use.

Currently usable undead

[Entity Name—Anemor]

[Entity Name—Barpur]

[Body of the Demonic Beast Barfur]

'Huh.'

He saw a skill that exceeded his expectations.

It was so absurd that he could only let out a hollow laugh.

A skill that transcends the body of an undead that has reached its limit.

There was a disadvantage of lowering his level upon use, but the effect was so powerful that it would have been strange otherwise.

If he could enhance the undead's body with just one level, it was a huge gain.

There were also entities immediately available for use:

Anemor, Barpur, and...

'Barpur's body?'

Now that he thought about it, he had just put it in the Netherworld without using it.

It was because he lacked the level to make it undead.

But now, it seemed that the deficiency had been filled.

It was clearly indicated in the skill.

Should he raise it as part of the Death Legion?

As soon as he had that thought, another message appeared.

[You can transcend the Wraith of Barpur, appointed as the Death Legion Commander, and the Demonic Beast Barpur's body into one by using Transcendent Death.]

[The appointment as Death Legion Commander will be maintained, and the cost of Transcendent Death used at this time will be a decrease of 2 levels.]

'Huh?'

What's this?

Is it a combined evolution?

He read it, slightly puzzled, and realized it wasn't a bad thing.

It would combine and transcend the body and wraith into one.

It would lower 2 levels, but it was actually a good thing.

It even had this kind of function!

Seonghyun used it immediately.

Why hesitate?

He immediately opened the gate to the Netherworld and took out Wraith of Barpur and the Demonic Beast Barpur's body.

As soon as he was summoned, Wraith of Barpur, who had entered during the battle, had a worried expression.

Immediately, he worried about Seonghyun's safety first.

-Master, are you alright?!

"Yes, I'm fine. Just stay there."

-Yes? What do you mean... Huh? Come to think of it, isn't that my body?

As Wraith of Barpur looked puzzled, not knowing what was happening, Seonghyun reached out and used Transcendent Death.

It was different from skills that consumed mana or health.

It felt like the very strength in his body was completely lost.

[Level decreased by 2, becoming level 75.]

[The 10 additional stats acquired have been removed.]

He could raise his level again, so it was fine.

As he used Transcendent Death, a teal aura burst out from Seonghyun as if exploding.

Then, it settled into Wraith of Barpur and the Demonic Beast Barpur's body.

The teal aura became a slender thread between Wraith of Barpur and the Demonic Beast Barpur's body, connecting them.

As the two, once one, were joined by the thread woven from teal light, Wraith of Barpur could feel it, along with a sense of overflowing power.

That he was returning.

The wraith, which had wandered aimlessly, was regaining its original body.

The mystical teal aura enveloped them and wove them into one.

-Ah, aaaaah! Aaaaaaah!

He wept tears of joy, as if receiving a tremendous blessing.

Like a lost and strayed child finally returning home.

Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of strands of teal threads slowly narrowed the gap between them.

The threads, joined as if stitching them together, gradually decreased, embedding Wraith of Barpur into the Demonic Beast Barpur's body.

As the wraith was etched into Barpur's body, like embroidering a design, Barpur, who had become a wraith, or rather a spirit, regained his body.

Barpur's body, resembling a mole, trembled.

His limbs twitched and slowly began to move, and as the teal aura began to flow through his entire body like blood, the sound of a heartbeat was heard.

Thump—!

Thump——!

Thump———!

As a fiercely beating heart emerged, the teal aura gradually spread throughout Barpur's body, etching its frame with darkness and engulfing his body like a blazing flame.

The bones of his body became darkness, and the burning teal flames became muscles, bones, and skin, resurrecting the Demonic Beast Barpur.

As an eternally immortal being.

Flash——!

As the glittering flames of teal light, like his eyes, awakened, the form that had resembled a giant mole disappeared.

He became a humanoid demonic beast with a mole's claws, standing on two legs.

Though he still resembled a mole's exterior, at first glance, he looked like a mole beastman.

His size was enormous, with a height of 3 meters, enough to put Balthar to shame, and the surging teal flames around him were truly awe-inspiring.

He had truly become a being worthy of the title of Legion Commander.

"Wow..."

As Seonghyun admired him, a message appeared, as if everything was complete.

[Death Legion Commander—Demonic Beast of Death, Barpur, has awakened, transcending death.]

[The existing Wraith of Barpur is imbued into the body.]

[The Overlord's authority is imbued into the Demonic Beast of Death, Barpur.]

[The Demonic Beast of Death, Barpur, receives the blessing of the immortal.]

[The Demonic Beast of Death, Barpur, transcends his previous power and gains new strength.]

[Undead who have transcended death will infinitely grow, responding to their master's growth.]

[The Death Legion Commander cannot be additionally summoned with Add More.]

'This is no joke.'

Until now, only Fiora and Balthar had fought in the front, and Wraith of Barpur had not been able to.

Since he was a demonic beast that originally had a body, he couldn't adapt to the wraith form and his combat power decreased.

That's why Fiora, despite having the same body, showed a much stronger presence.

However, now, in terms of sheer physique, he was a powerful figure, perhaps comparable to Balthar.

Although he couldn't be summoned additionally with Add More, it wasn't disappointing.

It was a transcended body, after all.

-Choong! Barpur, reborn as the Demonic Beast of Death! I greet my master!!!

Barpur, with a loud voice, knelt on one knee and bowed his head.

He had gained a reliable ally.

"You've become strong, it's good to see."

-Thank you! Hehehe!!! I am happy to show my master an even more improved version of myself in the future!!!

It's all good, but he's a bit loud.

Seonghyun nodded in acknowledgment and put him back into the Netherworld.

Then, the next one is Anemor.

'Is evolving Anemor a bit... premature?'

Evolving Anemor right now might be good.

Transcending death consumes levels and becomes a vessel that can grow eternally.

It's very good, but the body containing Anemor's soul is Kalisha's body.

It's more efficient to switch souls when Anemor's body can be revived, and then put Anemor into it.

'Let's evolve Anemor later.'

It's not like there's a skill with a cooldown anyway.

After transcending only Barpur, Seonghyun looked at the next reward.

The next thing he got was a skill book.

And it was a Legendary rank skill!

He wondered what kind of skill it would be, and then it suddenly occurred to him.

'Isn't this the first Legendary rank Black Mage skill?'

Thinking about it, it was.

Add More was a summoning class.

It was ambiguous to call it a Necromancer exclusive skill.

In the end, this was the first Legendary rank skill exclusive to the Black Mage class.

What kind of skill would it be?

He couldn't really guess just from the name.

Without hesitation, he immediately used the skill book.

[Using Legendary rank skill book, 『Skill Book—Thousand Blood Swords』!]

[Acquired Legendary rank skill, 『Thousand Blood Swords』!]

『Thousand Blood Swords』

→《Legendary》

→[Lv Max][Completed Type]

[Instant Effect][Active]

[Cooldown 30 minutes]

→Black Mage class exclusive skill.

→Consumes mana to create and control a thousand blood swords from the caster's blood.

→The thousand blood swords deal slash or pierce damage upon hitting an enemy, then explode, dealing explosion damage.

→The number of thousand blood swords is determined by the caster's level and class advancement stage.

*Currently creatable blood swords: 150 (75 x 2)

The skill description appeared immediately.

And Seonghyun made a dumbfounded sound when he saw it.

'Huh???'

It was a blood magic spell that summoned a thousand blood swords.

Not only did the swords deal damage on impact, but they also exploded upon striking their target.

On top of that, he could create and control them freely.

Its versatility was undeniable.

Seonghyun scratched his cheek as he processed all of this.

And to top it off, controlling them didn’t even consume mana.

'Isn’t this kind of a broken skill?'

As long as he didn’t miss, he could control an absurd number of blood swords.

Of course, he couldn’t summon all 1,000 just yet—his level and class advancement were only at the second stage.

At Level 75, with a 2nd class advancement, he could only control 150 swords for now.

Even so, it was still ridiculously overpowered.

With flying blood swords at his command, the skill’s utility potential was massive.

Maybe he should try it out right now?

Normally, he would test skills while hunting, but for utility-based skills like this, experimenting right away wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Seonghyun stretched out his hand, palm open, and activated the skill.

A single droplet of blood rose from his palm.

His deep crimson blood floated into the air…

And then—it multiplied.

One by one, more droplets appeared, rapidly filling the air.

As the countless blood droplets hovered in place, they began to boil and swell, their forms shifting.

Before long—

Each droplet hardened into a blade.

A deep, blood-red sword.

From hilt to blade, every part of the sword was dyed in crimson.

A total of 150 swords hovered in the air.

Seonghyun imagined one of them flying toward him—

And sure enough, a single blood sword smoothly obeyed his will, drifting toward him in perfect silence.

Just as expected—no mana was consumed.

"Wow…"

Seonghyun muttered in awe as he instinctively gripped the sword.

Even from a light touch, he could tell—the durability of the blade was incredible.

He gave it a small swing.

—Whoosh!

The blade sliced through the air effortlessly, the motion silky smooth.

"Oh?!"

It was the textbook definition of a perfectly honed blade.

And he had 150 of them?

Without even thinking, he imagined the swords aligning themselves flat, forming a staircase.

—Clang! Clang! Clang!

Immediately, the blood swords moved into place, constructing a floating crimson staircase before him.

Seonghyun stepped onto it.

Even with his weight, the swords didn’t budge an inch.

Then, he imagined the staircase rising into the air.

And sure enough—it did.

Riding on swords…

'Wasn’t this called Sword Control?'

Seonghyun chuckled, recalling a technique from the martial arts novels he often read.

Controlling 150 swords simultaneously—

The possibilities were endless.

For his final experiment

'Attack that crystal pillar with just ten swords.'

Outside the raid field, Seonghyun pointed at a crystal pillar in the distance.

At his command, exactly ten blood swords shot toward the pillar and embedded themselves into it.

—Thud! Thud! Thud!

The sound of impact echoed almost simultaneously.

Seonghyun watched and thought to himself, 'How strong will the explosion be?'

He waited, curiosity tinged with excitement.

But.

No explosion came.

"……?"

Hadn't the skill description said that the swords explode after dealing slash damage?

Even after rereading it, the description remained unchanged.

Yet, the ten blood swords remained firmly lodged in the crystal pillar, completely still.

The moment he found it odd, a thought flashed through his mind.

'Wait… Does the skill not register terrain as a valid target?'

The description clearly stated that the explosion occurs when an attack lands on an enemy. In other words.

'It only activates on targets recognized as enemies?'

And since there was no explosion, the swords didn't disappear.

That meant—

At Seonghyun's mere gesture and imagination, the embedded blood swords responded instantly.

They detached from the pillar, moving in perfect unison transforming into a shield, then scattering outward in formation, surrounding an area before reshaping into a protective dome-like barrier.

As long as they didn't land on an enemy, he could use them infinitely.

'……Isn't this completely broken?'

This skill was ridiculously overpowered.

Even if it got nerfed later, he couldn't complain.

'Is this actually going to get nerfed?'

It probably should.

But if it didn't? That would be amazing.

For now, it was time to check his other rewards.

Moving on, Seonghyun examined another item he had received—the Hourglass of Reversal.

Its name didn't tell him much, so he quickly pulled it from his inventory to inspect it.

Seonghyun tilted his head in curiosity.

『Hourglass of Reversal』

→《Legendary》

→Said to be crafted by a being beyond time itself, yet no record of this being exists in any timeline.

→The flow of time can be altered and forever shaken.

→Consumes sand to reset the cooldown of any skill to 0.

→The hourglass holds a maximum of ten grains of sand and generates five grains every midnight.

→If all sand is consumed, there is a random chance the Hourglass of Reversal will break.

In other words—at minimum, he could ignore skill cooldowns five times per day.

If used wisely, he could stretch that to nine.

An insanely powerful item. Just this alone was already game-breaking.

But what if he combined it with his skill?

[A grain of sand from the Hourglass of Reversal has been consumed to reset the cooldown of 『A Thousand Blood Swords』.]

Seonghyun stretched out his hand again and activated A Thousand Blood Swords.

The 150 swords that were already summoned remained in place.

Meanwhile—a new set of 150 blood swords materialized in the air.

'……Did I just double my blood swords?'

What the hell was he supposed to do with this?

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]