Genius Regressor Makes Mythic Items

Crash.

An expensive glass shattered into pieces. Yet, he didn’t even glance at it.

“What did you just say?”

Chairman Lee Suncheol growled, baring his teeth.

– As I reported, starting from the facilities in Gwangju and Changwon, the rest have been infiltrated by Association personnel.

“How is that even possible!”

His voice rose in intensity. It was no wonder.

“All of a sudden, five facilities are infiltrated by the Association? How can the Association even know about the existence of these facilities in the first place?”

Up until now, the research labs had operated without any issues. But now, suddenly, there were people involved.

-It appears that the intruders we reported on earlier survived.

The voice on the other end of the phone, belonged to Dr. Choi Woosuk, filled with genuine bewilderment.

-It’s quite fascinating. The void should have been fatal even for a Diamond player. Nevertheless, rather than merely dispersing a certain amount, we sent them entirely to the other side, and yet they somehow managed to return.

His voice brimming with the distinctive curiosity of a scientist regarding how they escaped.

“Is that what’s important right now?!”

Lee Suncheol’s eyes grew fierce, noticing the scientist’s preoccupation.

“The fact that there were intruders in the first place is the problem! Where did the leak come from?”

– I’m investigating, but there’s no need to worry too much. All crucial data has been destroyed.

“Dr. Choi, I asked where the leak came from.”

– … I do have certain suspicions.

The voice on the phone hesitated briefly.

Then,

– I believe it might have leaked from within Holy Trinity.

“Nonsense!”

Lee Suncheol shouted immediately.

“I’m the only one in Holy Trinity who knows about these experiments.”

There were a total of six research labs where Dr. Choi Woosuk’s experiments were conducted. And those places were all registered on paper as facilities related to Arena production.

There was no clue that these were laboratories conducting human experiments.

– Didn’t you say that Lee Yeonhee seemed to have noticed something?

“That wasn’t what I meant.”

Lee Suncheol shook his head resolutely.

“I spoke with Yeonhee not long ago. She had no idea what those labs were for.”

She had come to him a while back, practically yelling about the location of the labs. If his lioness-like daughter had known the exact locations of those labs, she wouldn’t have bothered coming to him. She would have gone there herself.

However,

– But Chairman, could she not have been pretending not to know? She’s a seasoned first-generation ranker after all.

Choi Woosuk’s suspicion remained.

“Don’t speak nonsense.”

Lee Suncheol scoffed.

“If she had noticed the facilities, I guarantee you wouldn’t have been able to complete the disposal work properly.”

– I know how formidable Ms. Yeonhee is, but isn’t that an exaggeration? She’s still not in her full state, right? I heard she’s only at Gold level.

As Choi Woosuk continued his doubt, “You really don’t know that girl at all.”

Lee Suncheol shook his head in exasperation.

“Do you think her prowess is merely her physical strength as a player?”

Of course, she’s followed the elite path as Holy Trinity’s heir, but…

“That’s not what I mean.”

Cutting off Choi Woosuk, Lee Suncheol frowned.

“I’m talking about the network she has built as a first-generation ranker. That’s something money can’t buy.”

So you’re saying that even other first-generation players would move?

“More than that. The players and factions they’ve nurtured would all move. Then…”

Rumors about Holy Trinity conducting secret human experiments would spread like wildfire.

If it reached that point, it wouldn’t just be Lee Suncheol at risk, but the very existence of the group could be in jeopardy.

Lee Suncheol swallowed the rest of his words, but Choi Woosuk, sounding as though he had heard everything,

– Surely, it wouldn’t go that far? She is also Holy Trinity’s vice president.

Expressed his disbelief, but Lee Suncheol firmly concluded.

“She is exactly the kind of child who would do just that. She values her convictions more than the Holy Trinity I’ve built my entire life.”

– You have quite an admirable daughter.

Choi Woosuk expressed a peculiar admiration.

Knowing it wasn’t a compliment, “Indeed, she is.”

Lee Suncheol rubbed his rough beard with a bitter expression.

“Sigh…”

A sigh escaped naturally.

‘Where did it all go wrong?’

A thought that arose every time he clashed with his daughter. As with all children, Lee Yeonhee wasn’t always such a defiant child. He had hoped for a son, but when she showed exceptional talent, he did not differentiate.

On the contrary, he raised her with even greater dedication to ensure that being a daughter wouldn’t be a disadvantage. He poured everything he had into raising her.

He even meticulously organized Holy Trinity’s internal structure to ensure there would be no issues when she took the helm. He even selected a loyal spouse to match her strong-willed character.

‘And then she brought home some lowly nobody!!’

She introduced an unheard-of man as a prospective husband, betraying her father’s expectations.

‘If she couldn’t forget him, couldn’t she have met him as a lover after marriage?!’

To the elite, it was common and unremarkable. For generations, marriages among the upper echelons were merely tools for maintaining power.

But, ‘What was so special about that infatuation? How ungrateful!’

She didn’t just bring home a man without pedigree; she had the audacity to defy her father. After all he had done to raise her.

How could this have happened!

Then realization struck.

‘Yes, it started then.’

He identified the moment he and his once-proud daughter started to drift apart.

“She went completely mad over that lowly man!”

Not only had she abandoned the father who sacrificed everything for her, but now she was even baring her teeth.

Bang!

Unable to control his emotions, Lee Suncheol slammed the desk harshly.

‘This is why raising a daughter is useless!’

It wouldn’t have been like this if it had been a son. Everything went awry because she was born a daughter with a propensity for sentimental emotions.

Did he hear that?

– Chairman? Are you alright?

Choi Woosuk’s voice came from the other end of the phone.

“…Sorry, I got a bit excited.”

Chairman Lee Suncheol pressed his temples.

“So, are you sure there is no evidence of the research left behind?”

– Absolutely. Even if they breach the facility in 10 minutes, they won’t find anything.

“I’ll trust you. But what about you? Kim Muyeol is notoriously tenacious.”

– I’m planning to go to China for a while.

“China, huh….”

Lee Suncheol pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded.

“That does seem safest. Have you arranged for transportation?”

– I’ve already made contacts. They’ll send someone to move me directly.

“Someone? So, they’ll teleport you, it seems.”

– Most likely. Isn’t it fascinating? Achieving what modern science cannot through magic.

“But they still can’t negate death.”

He spoke with a hint of sarcasm.

Choi Woosuk cautiously asked,

– How’s your health these days?

“Same as before. Occasional pain and spitting blood.”

– If you’d like, I can send you some samples.

“Samples?”

Lee Suncheol raised an eyebrow.

“Didn’t you say it’s still unfinished?”

– True, but… it’s been refined in small quantities; you should see considerable effects.

“What do you predict the side effects will be?”

– I can’t guarantee, but they should be minimal, and you might not experience any if you’re lucky.

“Minimal, huh…”

Lee Suncheol tapped the armrest with his fingers. But his hesitation didn’t last long. Minimal side effects.

Plus, if the primary effects are substantial, keeping some as a backup wouldn’t be a bad idea.

“Alright. Send a few samples just in case.”

– Understood.

“Oh, and about the intruders you mentioned – you’re sure it was Kim Shimun and Kang Dayoung?”

– Absolutely certain.

“Is that so…”

Lee Suncheol fell silent for a moment. Furrowing his brows in contemplation, he then.

“Alright. Contact me once you arrive in China.”

– Yes.

With that farewell, the call ended.

“Kim Shimun…”

Why did this bastard, mere an illegitimate child, occupy his mind more than his ranker granddaughter?

The wrinkles around Lee Suncheol’s eyes deepened.

‘This isn’t good.’

Although invisible, an unsettling feeling, like an unknown crack, seemed to creep and spread within his chest. Lee Suncheol had experienced this feeling before.

‘Something is slightly going awry.’

When his once-proud daughter began to defy him.

Yes, it felt exactly the same as back then.

*

A fresh, verdant green. A small fragment that seemed to encapsulate nature itself emitted a bright glow. Kim Shimun placed it directly at the center of his chest.

Swish.

Like powder dissolving in water, the fragment seamlessly melted into Kim Shimun’s body.

Soon,

『You have acquired a Fragment of the World Tree’s Seed.』

『The options for the title ‘Companion of the World Tree’ have grown.』

『With the growth of the title ‘Companion of the World Tree,’ the buffs of your guild have been enhanced.』

Messages swiftly popped up before his eyes. Kim Shimun reviewed them and opened the title window.

『Companion of the World Tree』 – Growth-type

A title bestowed upon the companion of the World Tree.

40% increase in guild members’ experience points.

90% increase in the stat growth rate of guild members.

“As expected, the buffs increased significantly.”

A smile naturally formed on his face.

‘Last time the buffs grew, the experience points increased by 10% and the stat growth rate by 20%.’

Experience points rose from 20% to 30%.

Stat growth rate increased from 50% to 70%.

So, ‘Despite the required achievement points still being max, I thought the buff growth might be reduced.’

Contrary to his concerns, the growth buffs increased by the same amounts as before—10% for experience points and 20% for stat growth rate.

Perhaps sharing the same sentiment as Kim Shimun, – Hehe. Sweet, isn’t it?

The Philosopher’s Stone in the flask, which had approached unnoticed, chimed in with a cheerful voice.

– And you know that your title, Pioneer of Alchemy, has also grown, right?

“Of course.”

Kim Shimun nodded promptly. After acquiring Ars Magna, along with gaining a alchemy energy of 20, the title Pioneer of Alchemy had also evolved.

“Let’s take this opportunity to check.”

Kim Shimun reviewed the title section again.

『Pioneer of Alchemy』 – Growth-type

A title bestowed upon an alchemist who has achieved the mythological products of alchemy.

Receives a significant bonus in alchemy-related activities.

The alchemy energy consumption decreases by 35%.

The effectiveness of alchemy increases by 25%.

“Oh, all the options have grown?”

– Yes. The alchemy bonus increased from ‘moderate’ to ‘significant,’ and both the consumption reduction and effectiveness increased by 10%. Haven’t you noticed the difference?

With the Philosopher’s Stone tilting its head quizzically, Shimun scratched the back of his head.

“Well… honestly, I didn’t.”

– Well, considering the toughest opponent you’ve faced since Sargas was that crazy person, Marlina, it’s understandable.

“Calling her ‘crazy’…”

Marlina, a member of the world’s largest villain organization, Desperado. Kim Shimun couldn’t help but chuckle at the Stone’s description, particularly since he knew Marlina from his previous life.

The eyes of the Philosopher’s Stone narrowed.

– Did I say anything wrong? Even without Naglfar, you would have easily bested a necromancer of her level.

“I can’t argue with that.”

Naglfar, a creation of Hel one of the Death Constellations.

As a mythic item, it was incredibly effective against necromancers. However, Shimun was more than capable of subduing Marlina with his raw power alone.

Before even encountering Marlina, he had been defeating Diamond level opponents. Moreover, possessing fraudulent stats, he had built an inherent resistance to necromancy.

With a slight smile, Shimun glanced at his cellphone nearby. The Philosopher’s Stone peeked out, curious.

– What are you looking at so intently?

“Because of Dr. Choi Woosuk.”

– Aw, I thought you were watching something naughty or something… Ugh!

Kim Shimun’s swift chop struck the flask. The Philosopher’s Stone clutched its forehead with its alchemic arm, tears welling up in its eyes.

– Hey! What’s wrong with looking at that! I’m curious about your tastes too!

The Philosopher’s Stone audaciously spouted nonsense. Kim Shimun let out a small sigh and spoke.

“The Association has moved. By now, the other side is probably aware and making their moves too.”

– Ah, so you’re waiting for contact? You did pinpoint their locations, after all.

“Exactly. Especially in this area, I fully trust Uncle’s abilities.”

Kim Shimun naturally propped his chin and gazed out the window.

“It’s just a matter of time before Dr. Choi Woosuk is caught. He won’t even have a place to sleep, let alone continue his research.”

– I see. Since he can’t stay in the country, he will try to flee overseas, primarily to China where Zhongli Cui is?

“Correct.”

China, with its vast expanse, would allow him to continue his research undisturbed.

– Wait a minute. Shouldn’t you be doing something then? If Choi Woosuk escapes overseas, what if— Oh!

Realizing something, the Philosopher’s Stone looked at Kim Shimun with astonishment.

– You’re waiting for Dr. Choi Woosuk to flee, aren’t you?

“Exactly.”

As Kim Shimun nodded, the Philosopher’s Stone continued.

– If he stays in the country, he’ll eventually be caught, but that would take too long?

“You’re quite smart, aren’t you, hyun-ah?”

Kim Shimun smiled and affectionately stroked the top of the hovering flask.

“He’ll likely try to slip away as quickly as possible. There’s a good chance someone from the Continental will come to pick him up.”

– Right, he’s crucial for the dragonification research. But if he escapes, might you lose track of him?

“I told you, I trust Uncle’s capabilities in these matters. Despite being the association president, he’s well-versed in such things.”

Even before becoming the head, and even recently, he’s successfully smuggled an assassin squad from the Continental.

“Once Choi Woosuk makes a move, he’ll get caught in Uncle’s information network.”

No sooner had Kim Shimun finished speaking,

Brrr.

A vibration sounded.

It was the phone placed beside him.

The screen showed the name ‘Kim Muyeol’ flashing.

‘Was I right or what?’

With a smile, Shimun answered the call.

– Kim Shimun. We’ve found him.

The awaited news came from the phone.