Chapter 212

The spider that had shown a determined will and committed suicide in a seemingly noble manner turned friendly toward Seonghyun as soon as it became a ghost, flipping its feelings like a hand and trying to speak immediately.

It was a ridiculous and even grotesque sight, but Seonghyun didn’t care much.

He thought it was understandable and just left it be.

Seonghyun could have already known if he wanted to.

“No, you don’t have to tell me.”

- Ah! Understood!

Seonghyun said that and absorbed the spider’s memories and experiences.

However, he did not read the memory of who the spider’s master was.

[You showed abilities beyond current stats through ‘Unknown Power’.]

[Strength +6 has permanently increased.]

Anyway, if he asked Helena, she would answer.

After absorbing the memories and experiences and gaining stats,

The phrase for Hidden Raid Boss defeat popped up.

[You have defeated the Hidden Raid Boss, 『Minion of Darkness Gilber』.]

[An exclusive Hidden Raid Boss of 『Overlord』.]

[Replaced with special rewards.]

[You cleared the 『Overlord』 Story Quest, 『Wood Drum Village』.]

[Acquiring rewards.]

[You have gained massive experience!]

[Level Up!] ×3

[You have reached Level 168.]

[As a defeat reward, you can now play 『Diary's Memory 2』.]

[Playing 『Diary's Memory 2』 leads to the next quest.]

[As a defeat reward, you have acquired the Legendary-grade material item 『Aura of Darkness』.]

[As a defeat reward, you have acquired the Legendary-grade material item 『Body of the Spirit Tree』.]

Last quest gave a meager experience reward,

But this time gave quite a lot, enough to raise three whole levels.

After that, Seonghyun could see the new material items he had obtained along with a message that he could read the diary’s memory.

Same items as last time.

The Aura of Darkness and the newly obtained Body of the Spirit Tree.

‘Body of the Spirit Tree?’

Seonghyun’s eyes sparkled looking at that.

Last time in Ninyaru, he had gotten items to make Silvanor’s body.

He had delayed because he lacked some materials.

If it was the Body of the Spirit Tree,

It seemed like he could make Silvanor’s body.

Wouldn’t it be the perfect body for an elf too?

Seonghyun thought hopefully as he put it aside for now.

He would make Silvanor’s body later, but for now watching the diary’s memory was the priority.

“Dark Lord, huh.”

“...First time I’ve heard that.”

“Me too.”

- I... I don’t know much about it either.

- Hmm, I’m hearing about it for the first time too.

- If the lord commands me to find out, I would do so immediately!

- Mutter mutter.

Hearing the restless vassals, Seonghyun opened the gate to the Netherworld as if it was no trouble and sent most of them there.

Nocturnium was highly skilled at detection, and Serphina’s abilities in the darkness were also outstanding, so he left the two behind.

He wanted to send them all, but he recalled a few who would complain, asking who would take care of things otherwise.

So he left at least those two.

“I will scout the surroundings.”

“Hmmm, this is my first time in the Forest Shrouded in Darkness.”

Nocturnium and Serphina seemed glad to be left and immediately began to scout the area.

Leaving those two, Seonghyun played the new diary memory.

Like with previous event scenes, Seonghyun’s ghost-like body was transported somewhere.

However, the scenery didn’t change much.

‘Oh?’

Except for the presence of young Helena, it was still the Forest Shrouded in Darkness.

There were no notable changes around.

The only difference was that the darkness was much denser than now.

It also proved that Seonghyun was weaker than young Helena.

He didn’t mind much and focused intently on the unfolding story.

The story resumed from after Helena defeated the minion of darkness, Gilber, just like Seonghyun.

Strictly speaking, Helena hadn’t killed Gilber like Seonghyun had.

Instead—

“Grrrrr!”

“You, nasty long and thin man!!!”

Helena shouted sharply as she reached out and absorbed every bit of Gilber’s darkness.

The body of the already long, thin spider shrank more and more.

Even the spider with no abilities became powerless.

The spider, drained of darkness, was smaller than the size of a thumb joint and utterly harmless, so it immediately fled into the forest.

Waving at the fleeing Gilber, Helena said,

“Don’t be bad again!”

Though she used vassals, it was surprising how easily Gilber was dealt with.

How could Gilber have survived Helena’s attack?

That’s why it lived.

Gilber, drained of all darkness, had taken three thousand years to recover its power.

It had been defeated by Helena.

That was why it had taken three thousand years.

Had it been defeated by someone else, it might have become a terrifying creature over that time.

After that, Helena roamed deep inside the Forest Shrouded in Darkness again, but

There was no significant progress.

That day, she failed to find Narisha and Berto and returned empty-handed.

Helena returned to her actual home, not to Wood Drum Village.

The story continued with time passing quickly.

It moved to the next day.

Helena arrived again at Wood Drum Village and happily played with the spirit trees,

As if she had completely forgotten about the master of darkness,

She no longer ventured deeper into the Forest Shrouded in Darkness.

‘Oh dear.’

It seemed Helena had forgotten about Narisha and Berto.

That was a bit pitiful.

But since Helena was still young, Seonghyun thought it was natural she might forget.

How much time passed?

Helena returned home.

Then the darkness grew thicker again and attacked Wood Drum Village, saying,

【Sacrifice that child to me.】

The spirit trees desperately resisted,

But the power of the master of darkness was too overwhelming.

They succumbed to the darkness, and everyone was inevitably dyed in it.

The event scene ended there.

Seonghyun returned to the normal world.

Then a phrase appeared before his eyes.

[The Overlord Story Quest, 『Assault of Darkness』 has been generated.]

『Assault of Darkness』

→Just as darkness once assaulted Wood Drum Village in the past, it may happen again this time.

→Please standby in Wood Drum Village.

→The Assault of Darkness will continue in 10 hours.

A new quest.

Assault of Darkness.

It seemed to continue as an attempt to assault Wood Drum Village just like when Helena was young.

But now the young Helena was gone, so Seonghyun could not understand why it would happen again.

Of course, he could find out by searching through Gilber’s memories.

But that could be done anytime.

He didn't think about it now.

Even if he did not know the reason, maybe it would be revealed gradually.

Assault of Darkness.

‘But why does the village chief not know about this?’

The chief had said Helena went on her own to the Forest Shrouded in Darkness and absorbed the darkness.

But now it was assaulting the village too.

He did not mention anything about that.

Maybe Seonghyun should ask him again.

And the Dark Lord.

‘This will definitely be an interesting quest.’

Seonghyun thought so as he returned to Wood Drum Village.

If he didn’t have to search for it himself but it came to him,

It felt much easier than expected.

Then,

‘I could even set traps.’

Seonghyun thought so and checked how many corpses were left from the previous wars in Ninyaru and Basilica.

He was satisfied with the surprisingly large number remaining.

He started preparing things and was about to ask the village chief a few questions when,

[External alert incoming.]

[Seonghyun!!! You have to get out quickly!!! Right now!!!]

It was his sister’s urgent voice.

What was going on?

At Yoo Mina’s urgent voice, Seonghyun hurriedly went outside.

[Eternal world, E-World, will be waiting for you.]

4.

Deep in the Forest Shrouded in Darkness, wounded darkness writhed, spreading eerily around.

Long ago, it had ruled the entire forest as a great darkness.

But it still hadn’t recovered from wounds sustained so long ago.

Trembling, the darkness felt the power emanating from faraway Wood Drum Village and muttered,

The power of the cursed child...

It could sense that power.

But it was very weak.

Weaker even than the faint power it felt from that child over three thousand years ago.

So weak it was embarrassing to compare with back then, but still the same power.

Could it be the descendant of that child coming?

No matter.

Though injured and drained back then, still unable to recover,

This time it would absorb that power and become an even greater lord.

With that thought, the darkness opened its eyes wide.

It could have scattered its vicious darkness to rule the spirit trees of Wood Drum Village again.

But that arrogant child had absorbed the darkness dwelling in the spirit trees and even their memories, wiping out their fear of darkness.

So it could no longer dominate the spirit trees.

But it didn’t matter.

- I shall assault and burn the village to ashes.

Though Wood Drum Village had power that made access difficult,

He was the lord of darkness.

If he went there himself, the now-weak sound of those wooden drums would mean nothing.

This time, he would personally reduce Wood Drum Village to ashes.

And he would make the arrogant intruder, who had inherited the power of the cursed child, his as well.

But the time was not right yet.

- Just a little more… I must gather more power.

The lord of darkness, the Dark Lord, gathered up the darkness he had scattered across the Forest Shrouded in Darkness and strengthened himself.

Seeing what happened to Gilber, he needed to be stronger.

If things went as they had before, it would be history repeating.

He had to reclaim power he could be confident in.

As the Dark Lord absorbed his power,

The darkness covering the forest began to thin.

Slowly disappearing.

But the Dark Lord muttered as if that was not enough.

- More… I need more. All darkness, come to me.

0.

As his sister called urgently, Seonghyun came outside.

The capsule opened, and Yoo Mina appeared immediately.

What was the emergency that made her call like that?

Seonghyun came out, puzzled.

Yoo Mina sighed in relief and said,

“Phew. They are doing electrical work in the apartment today and tomorrow.”

“What???”

“Electricity will be cut off from 3 PM to 5 PM this afternoon. And again tomorrow from 9 AM to 11 AM.”

“Ah?”

Checking the time, Seonghyun saw it was 2:50 PM.

Losing power during connection was definitely troublesome.

“Even if the power goes out, it’s not dangerous because you’re inside the capsule.”

“Ah, I see.”

Yoo Mina had experienced this last time.

If power cuts, the connection safely terminates.

The problem was opening the capsule door after disconnection—sometimes it could not open due to power loss.

Because of that experience, Yoo Mina was reacting sensitively.

That was a bit reassuring.

While thinking so, Yoo Mina asked Seonghyun,

“I’m going to the capsule room. What about you?”

“Hmm…”

He had just finished preparing, and with the assault ten hours away,

There was no need to enter immediately.

“I’m fine.”

“Oh, I see. Then I’ll go. The connection cut right before a raid, so I have to hurry!”

Watching his sister leaving like that, Seonghyun smiled faintly, thinking she was usually quite serious.

Not long after Yoo Mina left,

When the electricity was cut and the lights all went out at once, Seonghyun smiled again.

‘I guess I should go out for now too.’