The Game of a Legendary Genius Dark Mage

Chapter 27

Seonghyeon wasn’t completely certain—it was only a partial conviction, tempered by caution.

Why would anyone offer him such an enormous sum?

True, as the Overlord and with an Almighty-grade class, his value was undeniable. No, it was more than that.

One could even argue the offer was too small for someone of his stature.

But…

“They don’t know I’m the Overlord.”

There was no way Lee Seongyeong, the scout, knew about his status.

So why such an extraordinary offer?

Could it be a scam?

Would they delay the payment, only to treat him like a slave afterward?

Such suspicions bubbled in his mind, but he quickly shook them off.

Maybe it was a genuine offer, made in good faith.

Since he wasn’t sure, he decided to look into it. If he still had doubts, he could always ask his sister for advice.

Having settled on a plan, Seonghyeon placed his smartphone on the dining table and went to take a shower.

While he was showering, the sound of a capsule opening came from his sister Yoo Mina’s room.

“Ugh, I knew it. Playing too long makes me feel stiff.”

Yoo Mina stretched lightly as she walked into the living room.

After loosening her body, she headed to the bathroom to wash up, only to hear the sound of running water from the one Seonghyeon was using. Sighing, she decided to use the other bathroom instead.

On her way, however, she noticed Seonghyeon’s smartphone on the dining table.

Curious, her gaze drifted to the screen, where a strange message caught her attention.

“Huh?”

Sick Brothers?

A 1 billion won signing bonus?

A 100 million won annual salary?

Her eyes flared as she read the message, and she burst out,

“Those bastards!!”

How dare they try to get their hands on her brother?!

Enraged, Yoo Mina picked up the smartphone and almost sent an offensive reply consisting of just “ㅗ” (a crude Korean gesture). But her trembling hand paused mid-action, and she placed the phone back down.

Reading her brother’s messages without permission was one thing, but sending an impulsive reply? She didn’t even want to imagine how furious Seonghyeon would be.

“But… a 1 billion won signing bonus and a 100 million won salary?”

The offer was undeniably generous for a rookie.

Though she disliked the idea of anyone luring her brother away, she had to admit she was shocked by the sheer amount of money.

Yoo Mina knew well that Sick Brothers was a guild known for valuing skill above all else. They were infamous for not recruiting rookies unless the conditions were exceptional.

And yet, they were offering to recruit Seonghyeon—someone who had barely left the beginner village—on such favorable terms?

“What’s going on?”

Though irritated by the idea of someone staking a claim on her brother, she composed herself and assessed the situation rationally.

She was aware that Seonghyeon could see ghosts and that absorbing their experiences had significantly enhanced his abilities. But Sick Brothers?

Had her brother truly performed so exceptionally that even a guild like that was impressed?

She also recognized the name Lee Seongyeong. As a renowned and competent scout, his involvement added credibility to the offer.

“If Lee Seongyeong’s behind this… then it’s probably genuine.”

This led her to another possibility.

“Hero!”

Could her brother have transitioned into the Hero class?

Excitement bubbled within her, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. Unable to contain herself, she marched to the bathroom door and threw it open, yelling,

“Seonghyeon! Did you really become a Hero?!”

“Ahhh! What the heck?! Close the door, you crazy sister!!”

Even Seonghyeon, as calm as he usually was, lost his composure when she barged in. He hastily closed the shower booth and shielded himself, shouting at her.

But Yoo Mina wasn’t one to be stopped.

“Just answer me already!”

“No! I’m the Demon King! Now close the door!!”

“Huh?”

Confused, Yoo Mina tilted her head, only for Seonghyeon to retaliate by splashing water at her. Startled, she slammed the door shut.

Outside, she mumbled to herself with a puzzled expression.

“The Demon King? That’s strange.”

From inside, Seonghyeon’s exasperated voice bellowed,

“You’re the strange one!!”

After the commotion died down, Seonghyeon finished his shower and came out, glaring at Yoo Mina.

Seriously, who barges into the bathroom while their sibling is showering?

But knowing his sister wasn’t exactly normal to begin with, he let out a sigh.

Yoo Mina, however, seemed unbothered. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she asked,

“So, what do you mean by Demon King?”

“Ha… you really don’t feel any guilt, do you?”

“About what? Oh, sorry about earlier. Anyway, what’s this Demon King thing about?”

Her shamelessness left him shaking his head. She was family, after all. This kind of behavior was nothing new.

Giving up, Seonghyeon dried his hair with a towel and explained everything—how he met Helena, how he transitioned into his current class, and the events leading up to now.

As he spoke, Yoo Mina’s expression shifted dramatically. If her guildmates or friends saw her now, they’d be shocked by the range of emotions playing across her face.

Seonghyeon, unaffected, continued his story until he finally finished.

Yoo Mina’s expression turned unusually serious.

Seonghyeon tilted his head, puzzled.

“What’s with that face?”

When he asked, Yoo Mina looked at him and asked,

“So, Sick Brothers is trying to recruit you? But the offer seems too low, doesn’t it?”

“Huh? How do you… Oh, you looked at my phone?”

“Uh, yeah. Sorry.”

“Sigh. I was going to ask you about it anyway.”

“So, what’s the deal with Sick Brothers?”

Seonghyeon didn’t know much himself. He hadn’t revealed his status as the Overlord, so the offer seemed suspicious. But seeing Yoo Mina’s reaction…

“Maybe… it’s not a scam?”

Was the amount truly what they offered rookies? How much money did these guilds even have?

Scratching his head, Seonghyeon replied,

“I don’t know. When they asked if I’d summoned a unique undead and entered the Elite Dark Mage Training Center, I said yes, and then they made the offer.”

“Huh?”

Yoo Mina stared at him, dumbfounded.

Her brother was clueless about the world, wasn’t he? But then again, something clicked.

“Oh, right. Today was your first time, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“…Wow.”

For a moment, Yoo Mina couldn’t help but feel annoyed. Even if he was her brother, this was downright infuriating.

She shook her head and said,

“Anyway, this isn’t a scam.”

“What, the recruitment? The amount?”

“Yeah, the signing bonus of 1 billion and the 100 million annual salary are incredibly high.”

“Oh. Yeah, it’s a big offer for a rookie.”

“If Lee Seongyeong made the offer, it means he thinks you’re worth even more.”

“Oh.”

Hearing his sister’s words, Seonghyeon couldn’t help but gape.

So the offer was genuine.

As the thought of receiving 1 billion won crossed his mind, a euphoric feeling washed over him.

One billion won.

Though his family was well-off thanks to their father, Yoo Gwangjin, who ran a company, this was different.

To earn 1 billion won through his own ability—what a feeling.

“Lucky for you, you have an amazing sister.”

“Huh?”

The moment Yoo Mina’s voice shattered his euphoria, Seonghyeon’s gaze turned cold as he looked down at her.

It was as if his expression said, And who are you, exactly?

But Yoo Mina’s composure remained unshaken, her confident smile plastered across her face.

Where did she get that kind of confidence?

Sick Brothers was ranked 12th among all guilds. Could it be that his sister was part of a guild with an even higher ranking?

The thought crossed his mind briefly, but he quickly dismissed it.

There was no way someone as ridiculous as her could be in a guild ranked higher than Sick Brothers.

As Seonghyeon prepared to brush off her arrogance, she suddenly spoke,

“A signing bonus of 2 billion won, an annual salary of 500 million won, and 10% of the ticket sales for raids you directly participate in.”

“…What?”

Seonghyeon blinked in confusion.

Yoo Mina smirked as though she found his reaction amusing and added,

“This great one here—ranked 9th individually and a member of the 3rd-ranked guild worldwide.”

“Wha… Whaaa… WHAAAAAT?!”

“Kneel, little brother.”

“I humbly apologize for not recognizing my sister’s greatness!”

“Fufufu.”

In the end, money—no, his sister—truly reigned supreme.

3

Lee Seongyeong, the scout for Sick Brothers, was troubled.

Although he had recently managed to recruit a top-tier player named Yun from the Elite Dark Mage Training Center, it wasn’t enough.

He hadn’t seen Seonghyeon’s undead personally, but simply knowing that he had wiped out an entire goblin settlement alone spoke volumes.

“A player at only level 10 managed to annihilate a goblin village singlehandedly?”

It sounded impossible.

Yet, if Seonghyeon had learned all his skills at Rare grade in a single day at the Elite Dark Mage Training Center and had a high-class profession, it wasn’t entirely out of the question.

It would still require extraordinary talent and the right conditions, though.

In other words, Seonghyeon’s class was likely at least Epic-grade, and his abilities were exceptional.

Even with Yun in the guild, missing out on Seonghyeon would be a tremendous loss.

That’s why Lee had been anxiously awaiting a reply.

As time passed, he grew more restless.

Should I have added more perks to the offer?

The basics of negotiation involved starting with a middle ground and gradually offering more. Showing all your cards upfront was never a good idea.

Lee had adhered to that principle, but now he regretted it.

Just as he began to second-guess his approach, his phone buzzed with a message notification.

“It’s here!”

Recognizing it immediately, Lee eagerly opened Seonghyeon’s reply.

The first word made his heart sink.

[Seonghyeon: I’m sorry.]

An apology.

What went wrong?

Was it the terms? Did he need to sweeten the deal further?

Should he now offer everything at his disposal?

Lee had already secured considerable discretion from the guild leader, enabling him to propose terms well above his usual limits.

Even so, what came next dashed all his hopes.

[Seonghyeon: I’ve decided to maintain a good relationship with Rapid Guild. They made their offer first, so I apologize.]

Rapid Guild.

Ranked 3rd among all guilds.

Known as the fastest guild in Eternal World, it was practically untouchable.

Not even Sick Brothers could compete with Rapid Guild. Their terms were likely impossible to beat.

It made sense to give up. No matter what Sick Brothers offered, they couldn’t surpass Rapid’s prestige or resources.

Letting out a deep sigh, Lee muttered,

“Ah, so I lost him.”

Regretful but resigned, he acknowledged the reality.

Still…

“So Rapid Guild made a move, huh?”

Although their numbers were modest, Rapid Guild’s elite status had propelled them to 3rd place worldwide.

Many regarded them as the strongest guild despite their smaller size, and it was no exaggeration.

The fact that Rapid had recruited Seonghyeon only reinforced Lee’s instincts.

“I was right about him.”

At the very least, Seonghyeon’s class was Epic-grade. Or maybe even…

“Legendary?”

Lee smirked at the thought.

While it was disappointing to lose him, the confirmation of Seonghyeon’s talent was valuable information.

Opening his friend list, he sent a message to the Sick Brothers guild leader.

[Lee Seongyeong: Rapid Guild has recruited a new rookie. I made contact first, but it seems we lost out due to their offer.]

Even if they missed out, it was worth reporting.

Lee chuckled to himself as he typed, reflecting on the genius recognized even by Rapid Guild. Their guild leader’s discernment was as sharp as ever.

Accepting the loss, Lee resolved to focus on Yun instead.

Then, a thought crossed his mind—Seonghyeon’s slightly naive demeanor.

No way Rapid recruited him for some ulterior reason.

He shook his head, amused by the idea.

Rapid Guild wouldn’t do such a thing. Their leader’s integrity and professionalism were the foundation of their success.

4

In the office of the Rapid Guild leader, a sigh heavy enough to sink the floor escaped.

“Haaaa.”

It came from none other than Yoo Mina—better known in the game as Yuna, both the guild’s star player and their biggest headache.

“What am I supposed to do with her?”

The guild leader, Rapid, rubbed her temples, thinking about her friend Yuna.

In real life, they were close, so the leader had felt inclined to grant this request. It wasn’t hard to bring someone into the guild, after all.

Besides, the person in question was Yuna’s younger brother, Seonghyeon.

The leader had even met him a few times in real life and was willing to give him a chance.

Few members would oppose the idea, given the connection to Yuna.

But the conditions…

“A 2 billion won signing bonus and 500 million won annual salary?!”

The proposed terms were over 20 times the standard offer for a rookie.

Even for extraordinary newcomers, half that amount would be generous.

And the 10% share of raid ticket sales? That was pushing it too far.

“Who gives these terms to a rookie?”

This was outright madness.

Even if he was incredibly talented, such conditions were excessive.

Still, Yuna had promised to provide details about her brother’s abilities later. For now, the leader had agreed to consider it. If he didn’t meet the requirements, though, there’d be no hesitation in rejecting him.

Just then, a message arrived.

[Yuna: Here are my brother’s specs, lol.]

Attached was a screenshot of his stats.

The leader opened it and stared at the image.

Then, in a flash, she slammed her hands on the desk and shot to her feet.

“This is insane!!”