Genius Regressor Makes Mythic Items

Chapter 22. Asking Around (1)

TL: xLordFifth
ED/PR: The reader

“Sigh…”

A deep sigh.

The owner of that sigh, Kim Shimun, pressed his forehead, cooling down his throbbing head.

The number of viewers, which had been three at the start, had ballooned to three thousand without Kim Shimun realizing.

Even more astonishingly, it had soared to four thousand before the massacre by the Black Goat.

“So,”

Struck by the absurdity of the situation, Kim Shimun momentarily turned off his broadcast voice and said,

“So, you’re telling me that a person named DonKing came to me first and committed a rudeness, and someone named Hu Yunryong joined in with him?”

[The Constellation Zeus nods solemnly.]

“And you tried to ignore it, but then DonKing’s viewers started flocking in, escalating the level of criticism?”

[The Constellation Black Goat puckers her lips and nods.]

[The Constellation Black Goat bares her teeth, suggesting if you offer achievement points, they’d “take care of” DonKing.]

Kim Shimun immediately shook his head at the Black Goat’s suggestion.

“That won’t do.”

It wasn’t just that he hadn’t expected the Constellations to act as managers.

If a Constellation intervened before the regular arena began, Galaxy Arena wouldn’t just stand idly by.

Especially if the force behind the intervention were the achievement points he had given.

‘If I ignore the Black Goat’s complaints outright, the stats provided by Chosen by the Constellations will vanish into thin air.’

A drop from All Stats +3 to +2 could happen.

Given that it involved stats equivalent to 4 levels in strength, agility, and resilience.

“Now, now, Black Goat-nim. Let’s take a breather, shall we?”

Kim Shimun soothed the Black Goat in a gentle tone.

“I understand the situation now, so I’ll turn the manager privileges and chat back on. Going forward, don’t worry too much even if such chats continue.”

[The Constellation Black Goat says she doesn’t pay mind to humans anyway.]

“Of course, of course. I’m always thankful that you care about me.”

Kim Shimun continuously soothed with a gentle smile.

Fortunately, it seemed to have an effect.

[The Constellation Black Goat’s cheeks redden slightly at your words.]

[The Constellation Black Goat shyly nods.]

[The Constellations Zeus and Sky Devil snicker.]

‘Whew, dodged a bullet there.’

Perhaps it was due to his past experience with the forthright woman, Go Malsuk.

Kim Shimun, somewhat accustomed to handling this type of character, sighed in relief and shared the hastily concocted plan.

“I still wish that your existence remains unknown.”

The interest of a Constellation at this time, and even in a previous life, carried immense value.

Of course, such ends often came unfavorably.

‘A prime example would be, If I can’t have it, I’ll destroy it!’

In a world where a single player chosen by a Constellation could even dictate national power, naturally, all manner of scams, enticements, and even assassinations unfolded aimed at the Constellations’ protégés.

At this point where ranks are being assigned, surviving these would clearly be impossible.

Therefore,

“So, I was thinking along these lines…”

He had to keep the matter of the Constellations absolutely hidden.

Fortunately,

[The Constellations nod in agreement with your suggestion.]

Knowing well the complex relationships of human affairs,

The three Constellations all nodded to the scenario Kim Shimun had laid out.

“Then, I’ll ask all three of you. I’m going to turn the broadcast screen back on.”

After taking a breath, Kim Shimun restored the broadcasting screen and the Constellations’ managerial rights that he had revoked earlier.

Then,

-What happened? Where did the screen go?

-Is he disciplining the managers right now?

-Huh? Wasn’t this arranged by the streamer?

-Why would he have turned off the screen with such a serious face then? Must’ve been something the managers did on their own.

-It’s always the fans causing issues wherever you go.

-Oh! It’s back on!

The chat buzzed with conversation amongst themselves.

“Dear viewers, there seems to have been a slight misunderstanding.”

Kim Shimun turned on slow mode for the chat.

“The managers were preparing something for boring old me…and it turned out this way. I apologize.”

He concluded neatly with an apology, continuing to follow the fictional scenario he had created.

At this,

-Ah, it was quite the attention grabber. It was somewhat interesting.

-Interesting? Is it fun to attract attention using Constellations?

-I found it fun though? For a newbie and abyss broadcaster, this kind of attention is a must.

-The bait was legendary. Well done, managers.

The tone of the chatroom quickly shifted to a more favorable one.

Of course, there was a minority with negative opinions.

-BS! Where else would you find such a crazy broadcast?

-Just gaining attention through provocation only lasts a moment. How impressive can it really be? LOL.”

-Talk about a provocation broadcast special, they could never escape from the abyss. Seriously.”

One.

-What do you mean they can’t escape from the abyss? Are you unaware of how cleverly they’re raking in money?”

-There are far worse people out there, yet here come the judges turning all serious, huh?”

-Seriously LOL. Other broadcasts feature actual criminals, and here we are making a fuss over some minor provocation LOL.”

-It’s the true fans. They can’t take a joke as a joke.”

-Managers, I had a blast!”

-Wow! Keeping them around as managers, you pass the character test!”

-Aww~! Count me in too, throw me a bone!”

Unlike other players who boldly cut ties with controversial figures, drawing a clear line,

the fact that Kim Shimun stood by his people deeply impressed others.

Negative public opinion was quickly crushed.

Then,

-I’m actually happy about any form of provocation. It’s better than finding a mere troublemaker; I found a true gem of the abyss.”

-Agree. I’ll learn a lot from watching Kim Shimun’s broadcasts from now on!”

-I’m a local of the abyss, and this arena really made an impression on me.”

[Nayagold has donated 100 AP.]

“Bro, keep broadcasting! I’m loyal, loyal!”

Receiving his first AP donation,

[Achievement ‘First Donation’ has been achieved.]

[You have earned 100 Achievement Points.]

As notifications of achievements appeared one after another,

“Thank you for your donation, Nayagold.”

Kim Shimun expressed his deep gratitude with a gentle smile.

His gratitude was genuine.

‘Broadcast donations already!’

While the patronage of constellations was certainly significant,

in the long run, donations and attention from the general viewership were crucial.

Broadcasting had been a main source of achievement points for Kim Shihyuk and Go Malsuk in their past lives, hadn’t it?

As proof,

[Achievement ‘5,000 Viewers Reached’ has been achieved.]

[You have earned 500 Achievement Points.]

The achievement window indicating that the viewer count had soared past 5,000 popped up.

‘Good. As the broadcast grows, I’ll be earning achievement points on a regular basis.’

It was sort of a salary, wasn’t it?

Kim Shimun was naturally pleased with the prospect of earning a steady flow of achievement points.

-Um, what’s with that smile?”

-But, looking at him now, he’s actually handsome?”

-Really. He’s just lightly smiling, and I’m grinning like an idiot.”

-He might be a con artist, but I’m in.”

-Oh! Count me in too!”

The chat room immediately reacted to Kim Shimun’s smile.

Additionally,

[The Constellation Black Goat expresses discomfort towards multiple chat messages.]

As the previously quiet Black Goat showed signs of re-entering the fray,

“Oh! The arena is not over yet, so I will focus on the remaining matches.”

Kim Shimun quickly changed the subject.

“I’m still new to broadcasting, so I’ll turn off the chat room for now. Please keep the chat respectful.”

Effortlessly, Kim Shimun turned off the chat room and,

Snap.

Activated [Lunar Owl’s physique] with a flick of his finger, moving swiftly to locate the remaining survivors.

* * *

Upon dealing with the last remaining player and returning home,

[You have successfully cleared the ‘Abandoned Frozen Mine’ arena.]

[With an overwhelming performance of 25 kills, you are the final survivor.]

[Your clear rewards have been increased due to your performance.]

[You have completed the mission of the Constellation Heavenly Demon.]

[You have earned 500 Achievement Points.]

The system welcomed Kim Shimun with exciting notifications.

[The bound trait ‘Philosopher’s Stone’ receives a portion of the experience.]

[You have leveled up by 5.]

[The Philosopher’s Stone’s level has increased by 3.]

[As a clear reward, you have received a ‘Drained Mine Core’.]

“Wow! The rewards are spectacular.”

Just for a placement test, leveling up by 5?

Considering that the Philosopher’s Stone also increased by 3 levels, it was like gaining experience worth about 8 levels.

In addition to successfully completing the mission from the Heavenly Demon Constellation and obtaining a valuable material item.

However, Kim Shimun did not immediately celebrate because.

“Huh? The screen turned off again.”

“The arena must be over. It seems that last person was the final one.”

“I’ve never seen a player race through an abandoned mine like this. Can you even see ahead?”

“For real, this should be called. ‘abandoned mine run’. It’s insane.”

The broadcast was still on.

Perhaps for the sake of the player’s privacy.

Since the broadcast to Earth is cut off as soon as they return, the screen broadcast stops immediately.

“But it looks like this guy didn’t commission a standby screen or anything.”

“Right. No memes or anything, it seems.”

Fortunately, the location of his studio apartment was not revealed.

Seeing the continuous flow of messages in the chat, Shimun realized with a start.

“Come to think of it, I don’t have anything for a broadcast standby screen.”

A different screen to show when the broadcast isn’t being aired.

Since it was his first broadcast, such details hadn’t been set up yet.

For that reason, the viewers were greeted with a black background and just Shimun floating around.

“I’m new to broadcasting, so I haven’t prepared a standby screen yet. I’ll make sure to set one up soon.”

-Shimun, instead of illustrations, you can just post a selfie.”

-Yeah, just post any selfie, even if it’s bad. It’d still be fun.”

-If it’s hard to find something, email me. I’ll try my best to make something for you!”

-Absolutely possible!”

Perhaps it was because the arena had ended but the viewer count of 5,000 people wasn’t decreasing.

The chat was continuously active.

Shimun felt a warm feeling swell in his chest.

“It’s my first time receiving so much attention…”

Although there were some sharp comments among them.

The chat was fundamentally filled with goodwill.

Shimun, who lived his life with magic inactivity and at level 1, had never experienced such a situation.

“I was once one of those viewers.”

Perhaps that’s why he was even more moved.

With sincerity, he responded.

“Thank you all for watching my lacking broadcast. I’ll come back better!”

-Oppa! How can you end the broadcast with a smile like that!”

-Deceiver! Blur his face!”

-Absolutely possible!”

With a slight smile, Shimun turned off the broadcast.

It was just a chat window disappearing, but…

-…”

Suddenly, silence fell.

With a chuckle, Shimun shook his head.

“This could become addictive.”

“Don’t get too addicted. You’re mine.”

Was it dissatisfaction just with viewing the chat?

At the Philosopher’s Stone’s fresh voice,

“You rascal.”

Shimun gently stroked the stone.

Then, he remembered.

“I should finish checking the system window.”

He brought up the system window that he had dismissed.

[As previously announced, the rank placement matches for player Kim Shimun have ended.]

[Based on MMR, Platinum rank is suitable. However, considering level and stats, further adjustments will be made.]

[Adjusting…….]

“Fortunately, it’s not straight to platinum.”

No matter how overwhelming his performances were in every match, it was just three games.

Considering the average level of the Platinum rank,

It logically made no sense to be placed in Platinum rank with his current status.

Fortunately, it seemed that the Galaxy Arena side knew that as well.

The message of. “Adjusting” lasted quite a while.

About 10 minutes later?

[Adjustment complete.]

[Player Kim Shimun is given two options.]

[1. Be placed in Gold rank. Apply an additional 10% experience and rewards until the promotion match to Platinum rank.]

[2. Be placed in Silver rank. Apply 30% reduced experience and rewards until the promotion match to Gold rank.]

[Please choose. (1 / 2)]

Faced with unexpected options, Shimun tilted his head.

“Choice options?”

The very concept of. ‘two choices’ was meaningless.

Anyone would choose option 1.

It was the wisest to ascend to Platinum rank as quickly as possible.

However,

“Why would they divide it into two options?”

Having experienced a previous life, Shimun was well aware of this system.

“The Galaxy Arena wants me to reach Platinum as quickly as possible.”

It was clear from the condition of. ‘10% additional experience and rewards’ mentioned in option 1.

However. “Why did they even bother creating option number two?”

It seemed like a choice that only led to penalties, didn’t it?

The systems Kim Shimun knew of didn’t engage in such inefficient actions. The past arenas were proof of that.

They didn’t care about the character or intentional trolling of those matched.

Didn’t they match players solely based on MMR, an objective criterion?

With such a system, there would be no need to divide options like this.

“Just giving conditions that fit option one would have been enough.”

In the worst case, with his current level at twelve, he could have been thrown into the platinum rank.

And then the system would announce:

“Congratulations~ You have achieved the feat of reaching the platinum rank at level 12 for the first time~.”

“Right,” Kim Shimun thought. That was exactly something the system would do.

So why bother creating an option two?

Kim Shimun stared hard at option two.

“Even if I choose option two, it’s not a huge loss for me.”

A 30% reduction in experience and rewards didn’t matter much.

Given Kim Shimun’s trait of not being too concerned about items, he didn’t need to cling to rewards.

Of course, because of the Philosopher’s Stone sharing experience, the reduction felt significantly painful.

“But even so, if I continue to perform well in the arenas, that’s all that matters.”

Even with a 30% reduction.

At most, the rewards would be similar to what others received.

Nothing much would change from the current situation.

“After all, it’s practically penalty-free for me…”

That damned system surely knew that.

Yet, why offer such a choice?

While Kim Shimun pondered, a voice reached his ears.

“Brother, what are you spacing out for? You need to check that quickly!”

The nagging voice of the Philosopher’s Stone snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Ah!”

A possibility flashed through Kim Shimun’s mind.

“What if the system had a reason it could only put me in silver?”

Unlike when this arena began, if the strict system had a. ‘reason’ it had to assign him to silver?

“Could it be?”

There was only one variable he could think of in the current situation.

“Inventory!”

Kim Shimun quickly opened his inventory.

What appeared was an ore that shone too brightly to be silver ore.

Perhaps because it wasn’t from an abandoned mine?

The allure of the silver ore seemed extraordinary.

Of course, it was.

[Mithril Ore]

Grade: S

A metal lighter yet stronger than steel, with high magical conductivity.

It was indeed mithril, an S-class material item.

Mithril was not only precious in the field of production but occasionally used in magical applications, making it extremely valuable.

It was also an invaluable material for alchemists.

“Oh my! The purity is quite high, too? With this quality, it could be used almost anywhere…”

“Philosopher’s Stone, let’s appraise this.”

Kim Shimun was unwavering.

“Huh? The information window is already up, why bother?”

“I need to check something.”

“Alright, fine. But even if it’s small, considering it’s mithril ore, expect it to consume quite a bit of malleability.”

“That’s fine. Just do it.”

Mithril, deeply associated with alchemy.

The Philosopher’s Stone, capable of appraising mithril, began the appraisal instantly.

The feeling of malleability being drained was palpable and the mithril ore faintly vibrated.

Then.

[Doria Mountain Mithril Ore]

Bound to: Kim Shimun

Grade: X

Mithril ore from the Doria Mountains, once a sacred site to the dwarves.

– When used during arena matching, you will enter. ‘Fervent Nightmare Mine’.

– Limited to one participant.

Looking at the changed information on the mithril ore,

“Exactly…”

Kim Shimun carefully held the transformed mithril ore and gazed down at it.

“So, this was the reason.”