Genius Regressor Makes Mythic Items

Chapter 25. Preparations

TL: xLordFifth
ED/PR: The reader

“Then, please send the materials over to this side. I’ll contact you as soon as the remedy is complete.”

“Yes, please come in!”

Park Jinwook, who came out to the door, bowed at a 90-degree angle. From a distance, he looked like a gangster assisting a young master of some organization.

As the office door closed, Kim Shimun turned around.

“Aren’t you coming in?”

It was his younger brother, Kim Shihyuk, who had been silent all along.

“Hyung, I don’t understand.”

“What? That I can create a mana pertrification cure?”

“Not just that, but why are you suddenly… looking for people? Are you investigating the incident from 10 years ago too, ugh!”

Kim Shihyuk, who was speaking with a nervous expression, staggered.

More precisely, it seemed he did it on purpose.

Because.

“H-Hyung?”

“Kid, stop being so melodramatic.”

It was a flick on the head from his brother, who was revered like the sky. For someone who had become a ranker, the speed was so slow it made him yawn.

But Kim Shihyuk didn’t dare think about avoiding his brother’s hand. Well, it was also a small petulance reminiscent of their childhood longing.

Whether he knew his younger brother’s heart or not,

“I’ve said it, that incident was an accident.”

Kim Shimun laughed lightly, seeing his brother holding his forehead.

“An accident…”

“Yes, an accident! The suspects were well-known awakened criminals, right? It was just a matter of being bitten by some crazies. More importantly.”

Kim Shimun, now serious, patted his brother on the shoulder.

“It’s all in the past.”

“Hyung…”

“So Shihyuk, you and Yujeong too, I hope you would stop thinking about that incident now. It’s something I don’t want to recall.”

Even while saying this,

‘Well, it’s funny that I’m saying this.’

Kim Shimun ridiculed himself inwardly. Before his regression, didn’t he still cut off contact with his siblings around this time?

It was the same when he met Yujeong. Maybe in a very small corner of his heart, he might have been blaming his siblings without realizing it.

Especially at this young age, even more so. But,

‘Not anymore.’

He had already shaken off that incident by talking about it with Shihyuk of his previous life. No. He had straightened his thoughts long before that.

More than ten years of discontinued ties had been enough time for him to reflect on his past self.

“Stop dwelling on the past and look ahead.”

“I might feel bad saying this, but… I never imagined you would say such things.”

“Well, I’m surprised too, buddy.”

To change the upcoming future, one mustn’t be tied down by the past. Isn’t he himself, having recovered from mana disability and walking a different path, a prime example of success?

So,

“Shake off the past and look forward. You have a bright future ahead of you.”

This talented younger brother must move forward. Especially since he’s to become the hope of Earth, even more so.

“You know how a country’s strength is divided by the number of rankers it possesses, right? There are high hopes for you.”

“…I never knew you were so patriotic.”

“Kid. I’m not. I’m just worried about losing affiliation.”

“Affiliation?”

“It’s in the status window.”

“Oh.”

Kim Shihyuk affirmed softly. Then he tilted his head slightly.

“But does affiliation mean anything? As far as I know, it’s the only useless item in the status window.”

Kim Shihyuk blinked in response to Kim Shimun’s question. Having lived as a refugee without any affiliation, Kim Shimun knew all too well how important belonging was.

With that damned system message:

[This category will be disabled.]

He would face penalties in achievement stores among other functionalities. This would inevitably lead to the most fatal outcome for a player: stunted growth. Yet,

“They don’t understand the importance of affiliation at this time.”

There was no risk of losing one’s affiliation since it wasn’t a regular arena. Kim Shimun naturally rolled his eyes, continuing the conversation,

“I did get some information about affiliations.”

“Information?”

At that, Shihyuk’s face turned even more curious, tilting his head slightly,

“And to think I just checked the hyung’s transaction history. You have a really good source of information, don’t you?”

To anyone passing by, Shihyuk appeared the epitome of innocence and integrity. However,

“It’s strange. If you had such a good source, why bother giving me the task?”

A sly arch of the younger brother’s eyebrow signified clear suspicion.

‘Smart kid. As perceptive as ever.’

Underneath that innocent facade, the young prodigy had always been quick-witted since childhood. Nevertheless,

“Shh. I wasn’t going to tell you this, but…”

Having seen through the uniqueness of his younger brother from an early age, Kim Shimun, without a hint of hesitation, revealed a prepared answer.

“I’m feeling generous today. Inventory.”

What Kim Shimun produced from his hand was,

“This is an ore? Why?”

“Just check the information and quit the chit-chat.”

Was it to check the information display?

“Hey, brother! This is!”

Kim Shihyuk’s eyes widened in shock.

“Right. It’s an entrance item. Got lucky and snagged it.”

“Incredible! Entrance items, I’ve hardly ever gotten those myself! Wait. If you got this, then…”

“Yes, I’ve recovered from my magical inability. Finished the rank placement not too long ago.”

“Oh.”

To Shihyuk, already considered beyond human for his rank, this was a monumental realization. He slumped powerlessly to the ground. For onlookers, it was a surprising sight. Yet, for Shihyuk, it was a natural response.

‘Brother’s magical inability… recovered?’

The arena disease he and Lee Yoo Jung had caused, which stole away a bright future of a magical stat of 10.

The guilt of having ruined the future of the being he had relied on since childhood was indescribable. And now, that disease was cured?

Perhaps sensing Shihyuk’s emotional turmoil,

“Tsk. Kid, making me repeat myself.”

Kim Shimun pulled up his brother with a bitter smile, carelessly dusting off his clothes.

“Didn’t I say? Forget about the past.”

“But, brother!”

“What? Grown bold, talking back to your brother?”

At that, Shihyuk’s mouth snapped shut. His eyes, filled with an array of questions, reflected immense effort.

Kim Shimun dismissively added,

“Anyway, it’s about the affiliation. Got to know it while acquiring this entrance item. Just remember that.”

Realizing his brother’s reluctance to delve into past topics,

“Is that so… So you learned about it while getting this entrance item?”

“Yep. You can see it’s an X-rank, a grade we haven’t seen before. Obviously no small matter.”

Remembering that the process of obtaining entrance items usually involves ‘quests,’ it made sense for Kim Shimun to have information on affiliation.

‘The kid. Believes it just like that.’

Not even a shadow of doubt crossed his younger brother’s face, stirring a pinch of guilt in Kim Shimun, but that was it. Kim Shimun neatly stored the entry item, [Doria Mountain Mithril Ore], into his inventory.

“We’ll see once we get in, but losing one’s affiliation isn’t going to be advantageous, that’s for sure.”

“Definitely… If it’s related to the entry item, it must be significant. Special arenas always provide valuable information.”

“Right. It seems like affiliations will matter at some point, so it’s worth paying attention to it now. You’re a ranker, after all.”

“Got it. Thanks for the info.”

Well, it wasn’t like there was much to worry about.

It was already a well-known fact.

No matter what, once an affiliation is set, it doesn’t change.

“Anyway, I’ve got to prepare for the arena, so I’ll be off now. Call me if you need anything.”

“Okay. Oh! Hyung.”

As Kim Shimun casually waved goodbye and began to leave, Kim Shihyuk cautiously spoke up.

“I’m saying this because I’ve completed my assignment, but since you’re entering a special arena too…”

“If you’re going to talk about power-leveling, I swear, you’re dead. Don’t you know that it hinders proper growth?”

Kim Shihyuk flinched and carefully added,

“No, I was just thinking of giving you some items. You’re in the magic category, right? It’s hard to get magical equipment early on.”

“I mentioned before, I’m actually an Alchemist. But, I really don’t need it.”

It wasn’t because Alchemists weren’t significantly affected by equipment.

He could confidently say he was well-equipped to receive the best gear.

He was, after all, handling mythic-grade weapons.

But for now,

‘It’s better not to have any items.’

Given that his matching MMR was already nonsensically high, he couldn’t even imagine what kind of matchups would await him if his gear improved too.

For Kim Shimun, it was better to have no gear at the moment. This would also facilitate underestimation from his opponents, an added bonus.

“Sounds just like you, Hyung. Alright.”

“What do you mean, ‘like me’? Anyway, I’m off. Call me.”

“Yeah. Take care.”

Kim Shihyuk nodded with a reluctant expression. As Kim Shimun was about to turn away, he suddenly stopped.

“Wait. Shihyuk.”

“What?”

“What do you do with the material items you get from the arena?”

“Material items? I just keep them until I go to the Agora to sell or just discard them. Don’t really need them.”

As expected.

‘A ranker wouldn’t care much about cash transactions for material items.’

Although a ranker like him would undoubtedly acquire high-quality material items, unless it’s something of high value like Mithril, he likely wouldn’t pay much attention to their disposal.

Material items were essentially junk to someone of his stature. Kim Shimun smiled slyly and said,

“Shihyuk, now that I think about it, there is something you can give to your Hyung.”

* * *

The door closed with a creak.

The fresh-faced young man trudged in and flopped down on the sofa.

“Why haven’t you left?”

“Why would I? It’s my day off.”

“You know, wouldn’t it be good to learn even half of what your Hyung knows?”

“Impossible. I can never be like my Hyung.”

“Bastard.”

“It’s true…”

Park Jinwook shook his head disapprovingly at the insufferably whiny junior.

“So, what are you going to do now?”

“About what?”

“Your brother. Are you going to power-level for him?”

Although Park Jinwook knew Kim Shihyuk was not the type to engage in such deeds,

‘He seemed to hold Kim Shimun in high regard.’

Considering how he treated his younger brother, a little power-leveling seemed like nothing.

“He won’t accept it.”

“He won’t accept it? That sounds a bit off, doesn’t it?”

“It’s exactly as you say. My brother refuses to take power-leveling help.”

As Park Jinwook pulled out a new cigarette to light, his eyes widened in disbelief.

Could that really be?

“Really? He refuses power-leveling from you?”

It’s no ordinary offer; it’s power-leveling from a Ranker.

Of course, there would be complex preparations and likely numerous penalties involved.

But for a newbie who’s just completed placement, it’d be a difficult offer to refuse.

“He says that if he accepts power-leveling, his growth won’t be proper, so he refused.”

“Huh? Ha, hahah!”

Park Jinwook suddenly burst into loud laughter, continuing for a while before he wiped the tears from his eyes.

“Wow! The more I hear, the more I like him. A newly placed person knows about these things?”

“My brother has always been exceptional, even from a young age.”

“I mean, considering how he was testing me out, he’s definitely not ordinary.”

Has there ever been anyone who managed to handle the Night Hunter like that?

He couldn’t say for sure. This is the first time Park Jinwook has experienced such emotional ups and downs since his magicite hardening condition set in.

‘It looks different, yet blood doesn’t lie, I suppose.’

Park Jinwook chuckled bitterly, lighting his cigarette.

“What about equipment support? He’s refusing that as well?”

“Yes. He said he didn’t need equipments. Instead, he agreed to receive material items.”

“Materials… wise choice. Alchemists are famously unaffected by item stats.”

The question of why such a wise person chose to be an alchemist remained unasked.

‘With his caliber, he must have his reasons.’

The nerve of this low-level player, daring to tease in front of a diamond, even mentioning a cure for a condition that doesn’t exist anywhere in the world.

‘This is quite intriguing.’

Could it be intuition?

The sensitive senses of a diamond-ranked assassin kept hinting at it. There’s something about this player, Kim Shimun. Park Jinwook allowed himself a rare smile, feeling a sense of anticipation.

“Then for our dear, esteemed client who will provide my cure, I guess I should quickly take care of their request.”

“Speaking of which.”

Just then, Kim Shihyuk, who had been sprawling on the sofa, lifted his head.

“That woman, was her name Go Malsuk?”

“That’s right. Why?”

“Please look into her more closely.”

“I don’t take jobs lightly to begin with… Wait. Are you asking for an investigation separate from your brother’s request?”

“Yes. Everything from her identity to her past, and if she’s a player, her traits as well.”

“Man, I didn’t see it coming. You have that taste? Snatching your brother’s woman…”

“Senior, I didn’t enter the arena today so I’m feeling quite energetic, you know?”

Kim Shihyuk’s fist tightened, a sharp contrast to his refreshing smile. The veins visible on his hand made even a diamond-ranked assassin swallow hard.

“Cough! I was just joking. But really, why ask for a separate investigation?”

Park Jinwook quickly changed the subject under Kim Shihyuk’s stern gaze.

After a moment, Kim Shihyuk sighed softly and looked up at the ceiling.

“I have a feeling he’s hiding something.”

“Hiding? You don’t think he’s lying about the cure, do you?”

“No, not that… It’s just that I feel there’s something more he’s not telling me.”

“Why bother digging then? He doesn’t want to talk about it.”

“That’s true but…”

Kim Shihyuk’s eyes narrowed slightly as he continued to gaze at the ceiling.

“It feels similar to what happened 10 years ago.”

“Similar how?”

“Like when he said, ‘Don’t worry about anything, just stay hidden there.’ It’s the exact same feeling.”

Kim Shihyuk murmured lowly, aware of how frightened his junior got whenever that incident from 10 years ago was mentioned.

Park Jinwook remained silent, just smoking his cigarette.

White smoke drifted before Kim Shihyuk’s eyes, who glanced at the ceiling. Normally, he would have complained about the smoke, but

“I’m tired of it now.”

Instead, Kim Shihyuk deeply inhaled the smoke.

“Being protected by someone from the background.”