NoveLight ™
Helena?
The Demon King?
Seong stared blankly at Helena, struggling to believe what he had just heard.
Initially, the introduction as the Demon King and the reactions of the surrounding ghosts had been intimidating, even slightly frightening. But as the moments passed, he sensed something different.
Helena, like every other ghost he had encountered, exuded an overwhelming fondness for Seong.
It was unmistakable—Seong's abilities allowed him to perceive it.
But then, why was the Demon King standing in front of a memorial to Hero Hindel?
As that question formed in his mind, Helena seemed to read his thoughts. With a soft laugh, she provided the answer.
“Ha-ha, this is the place where I died, after all.”
“Ah.”
Seong suddenly understood.
If this was where Hero Hindel had died, it made sense that the Demon King might have fallen here as well.
As one mystery was resolved, another surfaced in its place.
“She’s human?”
The title "Demon King" typically conjured images of a ruler of demons or fiends.
But by every measure, Helena didn’t resemble a demon at all.
Her appearance was entirely human.
Was she not a demon?
Then why was she called the Demon King?
As these questions filled Seong’s mind, Helena, with an air of familiarity, nodded as if she understood.
“You’re confused about a lot, aren’t you? To put it simply, I am human.”
“What?”
“It’s just that... I had an exceptional talent for dark magic.”
“Ah.”
It began to make sense.
Ghosts often retained traits from their living personalities.
Though all the spirits Seong had encountered so far harbored goodwill toward him, their individual temperaments still shone through. The rough and violent ones carried an edge even in death.
But Helena exhibited none of that.
And yet, the question of why she was called the Demon King lingered—until now.
Her prodigious talent in dark magic alone was enough to earn her the title.
Thinking about it, even during Earth’s medieval era, people were labeled witches simply for being different. A peerless talent for dark magic? That was more than enough to be branded the Demon King.
“Ha-ha, even without harming people or conducting experiments on humans, they feared me. That’s how I ended up clashing with the Hero.”
Helena laughed brightly as she spoke, though her tone carried a hint of melancholy.
Despite the injustice she must have felt, she accepted her fate with grace rather than bitterness.
Even after all this time, it couldn’t have been easy.
Seong understood that sentiment deeply.
Hadn’t he himself been ridiculed and ostracized for his ability to see ghosts? The memories of being shunned and making life harder for his family still lingered, raw and painful.
It was a familiar kind of sorrow—one that could only be met with quiet resilience.
It was that same resilience that shaped Seong into the calm and composed person he was today.
“There were so many things I wished I could have passed on—my knowledge, my power—but I couldn’t.”
“I see.”
“But then! Look what I found!”
“…?”
“Someone with greater talent than I ever had! You’re extraordinary!”
Seong blinked, stunned. Greater than the Demon King herself? That couldn’t be right.
As if sensing his denial, Helena interjected before he could speak.
“Even at my peak, I couldn’t see spirits as clearly as you do. I couldn’t converse with them or absorb their memories and experiences like you can!”
“Wait, how do you know I can do that?”
Helena’s smile widened. “Because I know. That’s the kind of talent you have!”
Seong’s heart began to race.
Could it be?
If he could absorb the memories and experiences of Hero Hindel to become a Hero, was the reverse also true? Could he… become a Demon King?
Helena’s demeanor suggested as much.
But was it truly possible?
As Seong’s expression grew tense, Helena spread her arms wide.
“My memories, my experiences, my power—everything! I’ve found my successor!”
“Ah!”
“Take it all!”
With those words, a soft turquoise light began emanating from Helena.
Both of them instinctively understood what was happening.
The process of transferring memories and experiences—the way it would unfold—was clear.
The warm light enveloped Seong, seeping into him gently but steadily.
“This is…”
Simultaneously, Seong felt it—the flood of Helena’s memories and emotions.
Her years of solitude, hiding, and relentless research, marked by an unshakable loneliness.
And he couldn’t help but empathize. He had endured similar isolation himself.
But one thing was clear.
While Seong had overcome his struggles, Helena had ultimately given in.
In her final battle with Hero Hindel, her anger and resentment toward humans had erupted.
She fought ferociously, overwhelming the Hero and his party at every turn.
Even as they neared defeat, the people cheered for Hindel, and it was then that Helena realized the truth.
She was not needed in this world.
And so, she surrendered.
Despite having the upper hand, she offered her heart to the Hero’s blade.
In that moment, Hindel too understood—she was no Demon King.
But it was too late.
When Seong opened his eyes, now glowing with a deep turquoise light, his resolve was unwavering.
“I’m different.”
He would not give up. He had never given up.
“Just wait. I’ll show you something new.”
Though he spoke aloud, Helena was no longer there to hear him.
Her soul had dissipated, whether through fulfillment or the transfer of her memories and experiences, Seong couldn’t tell.
But one thing was clear.
“I’ve gained something even greater than a Hero.”
The profession of Overlord, once Helena’s title, was now his.
[‘Unknown Power’ has allowed you to surpass your current limits.]
[Intelligence +10, Wisdom +10, Spirit +10 have been permanently increased.]
As the notifications appeared, Seong felt Helena’s hopes and dreams take root within him.
One was coexistence with humanity.
The other?
“The pinnacle of the Overlord’s path.”
The destination Helena could not reach.
Seong intended to go all the way.
Now, he had a purpose in Eternal World.
2.
Lee Won-sang stood uneasily, watching Seong silently bow before the statue of Hero Hindel.
Something about it sent chills down his spine.
Seong had been standing there for a long time, unmoving.
“What’s he doing?”
His junior, Oh Jin-hyuk, glanced at him curiously.
“Sir, why are you so on edge? He’s just a player.”
Won-sang let out a frustrated sigh.
“Jin-hyuk, have you ever seen anyone use ‘Unknown Power’ before?”
“No.”
“Ever heard of a ranker—single or double—gaining permanent stat increases with it?”
“No, sir.”
“And yet here he is.”
“…Oh.”
The reality sank in, leaving Jin-hyuk at a loss for words.
[User ‘Seong’ has once again surpassed limits using ‘Unknown Power.’]
[Intelligence +10, Wisdom +10, Spirit +10 have been permanently increased.]
"Ahhh! What is that?!"
“Ahh!”
The stat increase that had previously climbed by only 10 points in two separate instances had now jumped by an astonishing 30 points in one go.
Both Lee Won-sang and Oh Jin-hyuk couldn’t help but scream, their shock reverberating through the office. Other employees shot them annoyed glares but didn’t comment—after all, they’d acted similarly in their early days dealing with erratic player behavior.
This time, though, the situation was far more serious.
An increase of 10 points alone was monumental.
But an increase of 30 in one go?
It was unthinkable.
“This... Senior, what do we do?”
“...Ha, if we call the team leader while they’re on leave, we’re dead. But not calling it in would be worse, wouldn’t it?”
Oh Jin-hyuk had a point. With no other options, Lee Won-sang reluctantly prepared to contact their supervisor, who was supposed to be enjoying a well-earned vacation.
Before he could make the call, the video feed showed Seong moving.
“What’s he doing now?”
His reaction made it clear how traumatized he already was by Seong’s actions.
Onscreen, Seong discovered something behind the statue of Hero Hindel and began searching the area, eventually heading north.
Recognizing where Seong was going, a chill ran down Lee Won-sang’s spine.
“That... That’s...?”
“Hmm? Is there something there?”
Oh Jin-hyuk tilted his head, puzzled. Could his senior know something about Hindel Village’s hidden features that he didn’t?
He tried to recall the list of hidden pieces in the area but found nothing substantial. Any items of value had already been obtained—mostly by Seong.
“There’s nothing left, right?” Jin-hyuk asked, furrowing his brow.
“That’s because you’re still a junior employee,” Won-sang said with a sigh. “There’s classified data on Hindel Village’s hidden pieces only accessible to senior staff and above.”
“Wait, what? There’s something like that?”
It made sense, Jin-hyuk realized. Employees weren’t even allowed to play Eternal World freely because such information could lead to unfair advantages.
“Yeah. One of the best professions in Eternal World is hidden there.”
“Wait, what?! In a beginner’s village?”
“It’s not surprising. Most hidden professions are found in high-level areas, but this one exception was buried here in Hindel Village. No one’s ever unlocked it, though...”
Trailing off, Lee Won-sang bit his lip as he stared at the screen showing Seong.
The conditions and clues were so challenging that no one had found it in the past year.
Yet, it seemed like Seong had.
Still, Won-sang seemed unusually calm—or perhaps slightly unhinged—as he watched with a strange, almost manic smile.
“Senior? Are you okay?” Jin-hyuk asked cautiously.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. There’s no way he’ll get it.”
“Huh? Why not? He’s clearly found something behind the statue.”
Sure enough, Seong had discovered faint engravings behind the statue of Hindel and his companions.
When Jin-hyuk’s unease prompted him to ask further, Won-sang chuckled darkly.
“Ha-ha-ha! To get the profession, he’ll need to pass a trial—and it’s absurdly difficult.”
“Oh, so there’s still hope?”
“Hope? It’s not even hope. He’ll fail. This trial is the kind you can’t solve unless you’ve practically lived in the library.”
“Wait, has he ever been to the library?”
“Nope. Not once.”
“Then…”
“If he fails, no one can ever access it again. Ever.”
That was a small comfort. Jin-hyuk smiled in relief as his senior’s confidence bolstered his own.
“Phew, at least that’s good news. If he’d managed to unlock it too, we’d be in big trouble.”
“Exactly! That’s the kind of thing you’d need a Demon King’s ghost to solve, and as if ghosts exist!”
“Ha-ha-ha! Right, what a ridiculous idea!”
“Anyway, do we still need to report this to the team leader?”
“...Yeah, we have to.”
“Ah.”
Jin-hyuk silently prayed for his senior to survive the inevitable fallout.
3.
Seong continued walking purposefully, his destination clear.
North of the graveyard, beyond its furthest edge, lay an unassuming plot of land.
Helena’s memories had given him not only her life’s experiences but also the events that transpired after her death.
Though she had been rejected by humanity, Helena still had followers who revered her.
Hoping to see her resurrected, they had buried her remains alongside those of Hero Hindel and his companions. They had also hidden a gem imbued with her power nearby, ironically leaving clues encrypted on the heroes’ statues.
“No wonder no one’s found it,” Seong muttered, shaking his head.
Even knowing what to look for, deciphering the clues had been no small feat.
Guided by Helena’s memories, Seong reached a large, unusually spacious grave.
It stood apart from the rest, its size hinting at someone of great stature or importance.
Approaching the grave, Seong pressed firmly on the inscriptions etched into the headstone.
The ground trembled violently.
With a low rumble, a section of earth opened up to reveal a staircase carved from stone.
Seong descended without hesitation, as though he’d always known it was there. Behind him, the entrance closed, leaving the graveyard silent once more.
At the bottom, Seong found a large stone chamber.
At its center was a simple altar, atop which floated a radiant turquoise gem, glowing with an ethereal light.
[You have discovered the hidden piece, Chamber of the Sovereign.]
[Chamber of the Sovereign will now test you.]
[Failure will result in the permanent closure of Chamber of the Sovereign.]
The warnings were dire.
If Seong failed, no one would ever have another chance.
Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself.
As he focused, countless text prompts appeared before him.
[1. What is the correct gender of the one called the Demon King?]
[2. What is the correct name of the Demon King?]
...(and so on).
Seong chuckled softly.
“These are easy.”