Genius Regressor Makes Mythic Items

Chapter 156. River of the Underworld (3)

The River of the Underworld.

Galaxy Arena featured a plethora of maps, many of which were notoriously treacherous. The various iterations of the River of the Underworld map fell into that category.

And there was one common feature that all River of the Underworld maps shared. Namely, “Don’t stare too long. It might kill you.”

The river’s lethal power. More precisely, its potency.

“If you, having just made it to Platinum, get even a drop on you, you’re dead instantly.”

“Oppa, I saw that earlier, so I know.”

The woman pouting her lips had been peering into the river.

“I was just curious. Wondering if you really cross a river like this when you die in real life.”

“Well…”

The man who was called oppa, looked at his sister with understanding eyes. From ancient times to the present, there were mysteries that had never been solved.

And the afterlife remained one of the biggest enigmas that even modern science couldn’t explain.

“When you first get matched for this map, you inevitably think like that at least once.”

Every human was bound to ponder about life after death. And the mysterious entity that appeared on Earth, this Galaxy Arena, manifested countless things that seemed straight out of fantasy.

And that included the afterlife.

“With its necrotic energy and necromancy, it comes stocked with related items and monsters.”

Necromancers.

In other words, dark mages who control the undead. Along with them, innumerable undead creatures, and various death-related items. Galaxy Arena materialized what humans could only imagine about death and beyond.

And the River of the Underworld map was no exception.

“Still, little sister, don’t think too deeply about it.”

The man sighed briefly and spoke.

“I understand your curiosity, but do you think you’re the only one who’s wondered? The concept of the afterlife has been a constant mystery since the first generation.”

“And still, no one’s solved it?”

“Of course not. Even if you try to learn more, just brushing against the river’s water is instant death. And you’re immediately summoned back once the arena ends.”

It was practically ensured by the management of Galaxy Arena.

‘Don’t even dream of anything beyond the specified objective.’

That was the feeling it gave. From the first generation until now, whenever a map related to the underworld was matched, countless players tried to explore its secrets.

But none could surpass the system’s barriers and all failed. Even those specialized in death couldn’t make headway.

“Even Named-level necromancers failed to uncover the secrets of the afterlife. So stop worrying about useless things and focus on the arena.”

The man waved his hand dismissively. At that moment, “Now that we’ve passed the entrance, the real battle begins…”

“Kek! Absolutely.”

A light, high-pitched voice interrupted the man’s words. Without even verifying the identity of the speaker, swish!

He immediately drew his main sword from his waist and slashed in the direction of the voice. A dense shimmer of air. High-level sword ki emitted from the man’s blade.

By the end of his strike,

Swish!

a clean, semi-circular sword aura flew through the air.

At least middle-tier Platinum rank. Possibly even upper-tier, judging by the power of the aura.

But,

“Kya-haa!”

The owner of the short, high laugh simply waved her hand nonchalantly.

“Bone Shield.”

With her words,

Crackle.

bone fragments materialized from nowhere and gathered in front of her.

The bones quickly fit together like a puzzle, forming an impenetrable shield.

Crash!

The sword aura slammed into the bone shield.

“Oh.”

A high-pitched voice followed in admiration.

“You. You’ve got some skill, don’t you?”

The bone shield was partially chipped by the sword aura. The gray-haired woman smirked upon seeing it.

“You’ll make excellent material.”

To which, “Y-You’re!”

the man who had launched the sword aura turned pale.

The reason was simple.

‘A frivolous voice, gray hair, and an African American…’

If his memory served him right, that woman wasn’t just a Platinum ranker but a world-renowned player.

Of course, “Death Lady Marlina?”

“Oh my, you know me?”

in a very notorious way.

“… How many people wouldn’t know you?”

Perhaps due to tension, the aura around the man’s sword grew even denser.

Then,

Pip.

A brief sound of something cutting through the air echoed. The black woman known as Marlina smirked and flicked her fingers.

Pat-pat.

As if guided by some unseen force, the bone shield moved to block her side.

“Kek! Not bad? I heard you just reached Platinum…”

Marlina tapped the two arrows embedded in the bone shield.

“You can even manage such cute surprise attacks.”

“Cute my foot! Next time, your head’s coming off!”

The man’s sister drew her bow again, but that was all.

“Kik! Calm down, cool off a bit~.”

Marlina mockingly waved her hand.

“No!”

Seeing the magic circle forming at the tip of her fingers, the man frantically swung his sword towards his sister.

But unfortunately,

Whoosh.

the surging water of the River of the Underworld engulfed her.

She couldn’t even scream,

Thud.

as she collapsed into ash on the boat.

“Damn it!”

The man gritted his teeth, using his sword aura to block the water.

“Marlina! You damned criminal witch!”

He poured all his aura into his sword and leaped directly at Marlina.

It was only after he moved that he realized, ‘Oh no!’ that Marlina wasn’t on a boat like his but something made of white bones.

And,

Clatter.

Behind her stood an array of skeletons with glowing eyes in their empty sockets—an unmistakable presence for any necromancer.

‘This is bad!’

The man’s face contorted in dismay as he brought his sword down.

Marlina, seemingly having noticed his reaction, “What a loving brother and sister duo. The sister dies, and the brother gets all worked up?”

She smirked.

However, unlike before, her expression was now filled with annoyance as she tilted her head.

Pip-pip-ping.

Swish!

Dozens of arrows, spears, and axes flew towards him from behind her.

“Urgh!”

The man, who had been swinging his sword, was cut down and collapsed in front of Marlina.

Clatter.

Skeletons that had approached surrounded and restrained his limbs as he fell.

“Really… If only my own brother could learn something from this…”

Marlina kneeled beside him, gently stroking his hair.

“If it were him, instead of getting angry, he’d probably throw me into that river and tell me to experience death firsthand.”

Her gentle hand began to show signs of irritation. Marlina grabbed his hair roughly, forcing the dying man to meet her gaze.

“So… I’ll have to take you instead. Such a good brother.”

Hiss.

An ominous energy slithered from her hand that gripped his hair. As if it was being infused into his brain.

“Gahhhh!!”

The dying man’s eyes rolled back, his body convulsing violently. And then, “Animate Dead.”

A voice completely devoid of humanity, an echo of death, spilled from the man’s lips. Standing up, Marlina observed her handiwork with satisfaction.

“Wow! A ghoul, huh? As expected, good material makes a good undead.”

With a vacant expression, the man now hung limp like a broken puppet. Marlina embraced the newly created ghoul with joy.

“Now then, good brother? Time to bring your sister too, right?”

She commanded the ghoul. Without a trace of hesitation,

Thud.

The ghoul man delivered his sister’s ashen corpse to Marlina.

The resurrected sister, having shed all her flesh and muscle, stood solely as a skeletal figure.

“I’m sorry. Good brother, I’d like to raise your sister as a ghoul too, but…”

Marlina looked at the ghoul man standing dazedly, her expression filled with regret.

“She’s weaker than you, and it would require too much resource. You know how vital resource management is for a necromancer.”

Chuckling, she tapped the ghoul man’s shoulder.

“But I’ll make plenty of other friends for you. Don’t feel too bad and go wait over there.”

Following her words, the ghoul man shuffled towards one side of the bone-constructed ship.

There,

“Groooan…”

“Uhhhh…”

like the ghoul man, nearly ten corpses, retaining their pre-death appearances, loitered.

“Kikik! Not only is the map perfect for me, but I also got high matchmaking. Ah! I love it too much!”

Marlina exclaimed jubilantly as she looked at these undead creatures. Her eyes sparkled as she rallied her spirits.

“Looks like that’s enough power for now. Time to settle down and really get started…”

Precisely,

“What is that…?”

as she began to gather her forces.

At the entry’s end and the true beginning of the River Styx,

Whoosh!

everything changed with the sudden appearance of a massive cruise ship.

***

Kim Shimun’s chat window. Though Kim Shimun, the stream’s host, wasn’t even glancing at it,

– I’m shook!

– What kind of ship is that?

– Could it be necromancy? Necromancers do a lot of that stuff.

– Yeah, they’re always making things with bones and flesh.

– Now he’s even using necromancy?

– Well, he is Kim Shimun…

The chat window was flooded with messages despite the slow mode Kim Shimun had set. It was only natural.

– No, as a necromancer myself, even with materials, making a ship this large is impossible.

– Yeah, no matter the help, a Platinum ranker can’t make something this big.

– Even a Diamond ranker would struggle.

– This ship’s aura feels different from usual necromantic auras.

– I want to go in there and see for myself… lick it…

– I seriously want to observe this up close. Would love to see it in person.

The massive ship Kim Shimun had alchemized, a death ship seemingly made with materials often used in necromancy. No, this enormous death cruise was a mystery even to professional necromancers.

And.

‘Kim Shimun, just who are you really…’

The rugged man experiencing all of this in real-time, Choi Jinsu, furrowed his brows tightly.

“Thanks. I’ll drink it well.”

He watched Kim Shimun accept and drink some juice given to him by what appeared to be a ghost.

Swish.

The ghost, who had handed over the juice, bowed and disappeared. Choi Jinsu, somewhat taken aback, approached Kim Shimun.

“Kim Shimun.”

“Ah, Jinsu, would you like to try this? It’s a special juice, and it tastes like mango.”

“No, I don’t like mang… That’s not the point!”

It almost felt like they were on a relaxing cruise. Caught off guard by Kim Shimun’s nonchalance, Choi Jinsu nearly fell for it. He shook his head vigorously and spoke.

“Are you just going to stay put like this?”

“What else would we do?”

Although Choi Jinsu was the one asking, Kim Shimun’s counter-question left him speechless. The reason was simple.

“You saw it yourself at the entrance. This ship can withstand a lot of attacks.”

“T-That’s true, but still…”

The initial part of the Styx River. To get into the massive cave-like entrance presumed to be the start, Kim Shimun and Choi Jinsu faced an almost unbelievable barrage of attacks.

It was expected. No matter how vast the Styx River might be, resembling an ocean, how could a massive ship of death pass unnoticed?

‘Withstood sword auras, magic, even holy power.’

Holy magic, based on holy energy, typically has immense offensive strength against undead and demons. Given that this enormous ship was made of deathly materials, it should have been damaged by a direct hit from holy magic.

‘It just vanished like melting snow.’

Necromancy that nullifies holy magic?

This was a sight Choi Jinsu had never seen before, and he couldn’t forget the expressions of the support staff who experienced it firsthand.

Meanwhile, the cause of all this, Shimun, nonchalantly sipped the juice handed to him by a ghost.

“Don’t worry about unnecessary things and have a seat. The chair’s surprisingly comfortable.”

He pointed to the chair made of bones and flesh next to him.

“Ha… Whenever I get involved with you, it’s always like this…”

Shaking his head, Choi Jinsu reluctantly walked over and sat beside Kim Shimun.

Soft.

“Huh?”

Perhaps because it was mixed with flesh, the chair was indeed more comfortable than it looked, just as Kim Shimun had said.

But only for a moment.

“But are you sure it’s alright to be so relaxed?”

He soon asked with a serious expression.

“You mentioned that the Styx River’s unpredictability isn’t an issue, but this ship doesn’t seem completely invincible.”

“That’s true. Since now, only the relatively skilled players remain.”

Kim Shimun nodded in agreement.

“Based on my observations, there are only two or three players on this arena who pose a threat. And…”

Kim Shimun’s voice trailed off, his gaze fixed forward, towards the bow of the ship.

Crash!

A grinding noise and strong vibrations shook the vessel. From the heavy vibrations, it seemed they had collided with something significant.

Then, “Looks like one of them is here now.”

As if on cue from Kim Shimun’s words, numerous objects fell onto the deck. White skeletons with ominous glowing eyes. Seeing this, Shimun’s lips curled into a slight smile.

“Looks like the most dangerous player decided to show up.”

The number of skeletons climbing onto the deck increased steadily, ranging from warriors to archers and mages.

“Groooan…”

Unlike the skeletons, ghouls, who retained their appearance from when they were alive, also started boarding the ship.

“Oh my, what a nice ship!”

Finally, the owner of these sudden intruders revealed herself.

“The aura and materials… Seeing it up close, it’s even more impressive! My brother couldn’t make something like this!”

“Grr!”

By now, Choi Jinsu had transformed into a beast resembling a mix of a bear and a wolf.

Then, “Wait… Is that her?!”

The previously unflinching Choi Jinsu suddenly hesitated.

“Gray hair, necromancy, and a black woman… Could it be Death Lady?!”

“Kik! People recognize me everywhere I go? My fame precedes me~.”

Death Lady Marlina. A top-rank Platinum rank mage class player. But nearly every player viewed Marlina with hostility. Not just because she was a necromancer who dealt with death.

“It’s hard not to recognize you. You’re Malik’s sister, after all.”

“Well, my brother is kind of famous.”

Death Lord Malik.

One of the members of the world’s strongest villain group, Desperado, was her brother. Marlina herself was part of Desperado, designated as a villain.

“But could you stop using the title ‘Death Lady’? It gives me the creeps every time I hear it.”

“That’s something you should discuss with your brother, not us.”

A clear, melodious voice answered in Choi Jinsu’s stead.

“It’s your brother Malik who calls himself the Death Lord.”

“Ugh! Because of that damned brother, I swear!”

Rubbing her arm where she felt the chills, Marlina then turned her glinting eyes towards Kim Shimun.

“It’s you, right? The owner of this ship.”

“That’s right.”

At Kim Shimun’s confirmation, Marlina chuckled.

“I won’t tell my brother what you just said. How about you hand over this ship to me?”

“Sorry, but I can’t. It’s not something I created; I can’t trade it.”

“In that case, I definitely want it even more. It must be a spell or an artifact.”

Marlina smiled brightly. But behind that smile, her eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

“You know who I am, right?”

“Of course. We just talked about it.”

“If you know, then hand it over. Then I won’t have to hunt you down and kill you after the arena ends.”

So naturally discussing murder and robbery even in the real world, Marlina’s demeanor was chilling. Kim Shimun, however, merely chuckled.

“You’re laughing? Are you mocking me?”

Marlina’s smile faded into a cold glare.

“I know you. You’re Kim Shimun, the up-and-coming star who lives in Korea.”

Considering that she was a member of Desperado, the tone of her statement was particularly menacing.

“I must be quite famous if even Desperado knows about me.”

Kim Shimun remained seated in his chair, casually grinning. His nonchalant demeanor seemed to aggravate Marlina.

“Of course you are. Mogadam-nim, one of us, was practically foaming at the mouth, vowing to blow you to pieces.”

Marlina mentioned another member of Desperado, the bomber Mogadam.

However, “Oh, tell him to drop by when he has time. I have some business with him too.”

Kim Shimun replied with a leisurely wave of his hand, showing no fear.

“…You’re really insane, aren’t you?”

Marlina’s face went completely blank at Kim Shimun’s relaxed attitude.

“It’s too late to beg. In this arena and in reality, don’t expect to die peacefully.”

She glared at Kim Shimun with a murderous gaze and spat out her venomous words. Then, “Go. Cut off his limbs and bring him to me.”

She commanded.

Clatter.

“Grrr!”

Hundreds of undead on the deck charged all at once.

“Hrymr.”

Kim Shimun casually raised his hand and glanced behind him.

Then, “Kikik. You called me, esteemed guest?”

An elderly man in a tattered robe hobbled out, leaning on a staff.

“We have some unwelcome guests.”

Kim Shimun calmly pointed at the charging undead.

“Right, right. In a place where even high-ranked beings dare not tread, a bunch of lowly maggots have boarded.”

Despite his frail appearance, the old man called Hrymr exuded a commanding aura.

“If the master hears of this, he’ll have my hide.”

The old man, hrymr, emitted an overwhelming presence.

“Curse these blasted maggots. Get lost at once!”

He banged his staff on the ground furiously. It seemed like a typical old man’s outburst, but, the hundreds of charging undead crumbled to dust helplessly.

Crumble.

“Th-this can’t be!!”

Marlina’s eyes, previously filled with murderous intent, widened to the point of tearing.