Genius Regressor Makes Mythic Items

The situation was quickly resolved.

First,

『The expulsion of the Constellation Quetzalcoatl is temporarily halted.』

Quetzalcoatl’s expulsion was momentarily paused. Along with a beam of light,

『A special realm for damage compensation negotiations is being created.』

『In the special realm, no powers or force can be used.』

The destroyed area transformed into a white-lit space. Indeed, it resembled the white version of the black void space of the arena waiting room.

Two beings entered that space.

Shimun and the now similarly sized Quetzalcoatl stood in front of the broken altar.

“Galaxy Arena? Please ensure that all conversations here are kept confidential. Even you shouldn’t be able to hear them.”

Shimun made this request while staring into the void. The reason was simple. As much as possible,

‘Even though the recent guild war cleared things up to some extent, there are still those inside connected to the dragonkin.’

He did not want to give any information to the dragonkin spies within the arena.

Before Shimun’s eyes,

『Player Kim Shimun’s request is accepted.』

『The special realm will be isolated from all dimensions.』

A message quickly appeared, and intangible waves spread throughout the special space. Watching the message floating in the air,

『Kim Shimun, just what are you?』

Quetzalcoatl voiced a question he had been holding since entering the special realm.

『Are you not afraid? Or is it the ignorance typical of mortals that makes you unaware of the danger?』

“What are you talking about?”

『The Galaxy Arena!』

Quetzalcoatl looked at Shimun with disbelief.

『How can a mere player make such demands to the Galaxy Arena, both just now and before?』

“Shouldn’t a Constellation know this? The Galaxy Arena pursues fairness. I made a legitimate request.”

As if it were no big deal, Shimun replied with a nonchalant look.

『Exactly! My point is, how do those wicked beings comply with a mere player’s request?!』

Quetzalcoatl’s eyes gleamed as he raised his voice, but that was as far as he went.

『Hmph…… Well, it’s not without reason that the New Kings are interested in you. Or is it because of them that you are being treated this way?』

He sighed deeply and muttered to himself.

『Anyway, what compensation do you want for the damage?』

He regained his composure.

『As I said, I didn’t gain anything from this. The death energy I painstakingly prepared was devoured by you.』

“You keep saying there’s nothing gained, but don’t be mistaken.”

Chernozem.

Quetzalcoatl targeted the vast vitality of one of the three major granaries on Earth. Thanks to the prompt response, the Northern Eurasian continent didn’t turn into a land of death like in the previous life.

“What I want is compensation for ‘the damage you caused’.”

『Yes, I get your point. But…….』

Quetzalcoatl trailed off, genuinely looking troubled rather than scheming something else.

Eventually,

『Regarding the vitality extracted from Chernozem, I truly have nothing to give you.』

Quetzalcoatl shook his head.

“Why?”

『Even though I intervened, the incident at Chernozem was due to Malik and his lackeys.』

“You didn’t directly intervene, so there’s no causality?”

『For a mortal, you know a fair bit about causality.』

He looked at Shimun with a hint of curiosity.

『You are correct. Besides, I didn’t even receive a sacrifice. Not a single one.』

“You mean the altar.”

『Indeed. The altar you destroyed served two roles.』

First, creating the Feathered Serpent’s formation, establishing Quetzalcoatl’s domain while converting and storing the area’s vitality into aura.

『And the other was concealing it from the view of the Galaxy Arena.』

So, as soon as Shimun destroyed the altar, the Galaxy Arena noticed his actions and immediately imposed sanctions.

『Therefore, even if you request compensation for Chernozem, all I can give you is for my covert intervention.』

After all, the primary initiators of this entire ordeal were Malik and his subordinates. The Earth’s players, to be specific.

Even though Quetzalcoatl orchestrated it, he hadn’t directly used much power or force.

As it had been performed through a formal procedure called the altar,

“The compensation won’t be much, then.”

『Indeed.』

The compensation Quetzalcoatl could offer was not substantial.

『However, if you wish, I can still scrape something together for you.』

“Really? But it doesn’t seem like you’ll give it away just like that.”

If he were going to give it away that easily, he wouldn’t even bother mentioning it.

As if to prove this,

『You’re quite perceptive. If you can answer one question, I’ll do my best to provide compensation.』

“Wait a minute. Before you ask your question, what exactly would you give as the maximum compensation?”

『In the Galaxy Arena’s ranking, it would be… an SSS-Rank item.』

“Hmm.”

Shimun sucked in a breath. For a reason not unlike his own thoughts, ‘I had a rough idea, but the taste is worse than I expected.’

SSS-Rank items. They were the highest grade items currently available on Earth. Valuable even in the regular arena, but that was all.

‘Items don’t mean much to me, plus it’s probably an item related to necromancy anyway.’

Considering that aura wasn’t even a particularly useful stat for him, to say nothing of necromancy?

Of course, ‘Selling it would fetch a high price… but money’s not that important.’

Wasn’t Shimun already beyond the need for money thanks to various ventures?

A mythic-grade item like Qenneh might be different, but SSS-Rank items held little appeal.

Furthermore, ‘As expected… the compensation I can get is roughly at this level.’

Having somewhat anticipated the level of compensation, Shimun propped his chin up for a moment before speaking,

“Let’s change the direction a bit, then.”

『What do you mean?』

“Let’s base the compensation for the damage you caused on a trade instead.”

『A trade?』

Quetzalcoatl tilted his head in confusion.

Shimun continued,

“You’ll suffer significant losses if you return like this, right?”

『Are you mocking me?』

“No. I’m stating the obvious.”

Perhaps he felt insulted, Quetzalcoatl responded with a gleam in his eyes.

『Of course. Expulsion is not a big deal, but if those bastards are talking about severe sanctions, it’ll come with a hefty penalty.』

“And you sponsored Malik for this event, so there must have been some expenses.”

『You! If you’re trying to ridicule me…』

Just as Quetzalcoatl’s anger was about to erupt, “I’ll cover those losses for you.”

『…. What?』

At Shimun’s words, Quetzalcoatl blinked.

『How do you intend to cover them? Do you plan to offer the remaining life force from Chernozem?』

“No way.”

Why would he have gone through all this trouble to get here?

Shimun gave a wry smile.

“The sacrifice you want doesn’t necessarily have to be Chernozem’s life force, right?”

At this,

『…. True. So that’s what you mean? Well, you do possess necromancy, so it’s not impossible.』

Seems he understood something. Quetzalcoatl nodded slowly.

『I don’t know your intention behind this offer, but… I have no other choice. Fine, I accept your proposal.』

“Good to hear. And you do understand that this trade is an extension of compensating Earth’s damages?”

『Of course. I’ll bear all causality and costs incurred for this trade. If you want, I’ll even send my minions.』

“In return, I’ll perform the sacrificial ritual with your support.”

Thus, the disaster that turned Northern Eurasia into a land of death in his previous life would be averted,

‘And I can deploy the disaster wherever I want.’

A Galaxy Arena-style nuclear bomb, so to speak.

Quetzalcoatl asked, looking at Shimun who was smiling satisfactorily.

『Now that the problem is resolved, answer my question. How did you remain unaffected by the power of death?』

Instead of answering, Shimun opened his inventory and pulled out something.

Of course,

『Th-that, that is?!』

Quetzalcoatl looked beyond astonished, showing even signs of convulsions.

***

A hum.

The special realm disappeared.

『Extend your hand.』

As soon as Shimun emerged outside, he complied with the now somewhat subdued Quetzalcoatl’s request.

Swoosh.

Green and gray aura seeped into the back of his hand.

『A contract with Constellation Quetzalcoatl has been established.』

A message indicating the contract’s establishment appeared.

Following that,

『Commencing the expulsion of Constellation Quetzalcoatl.』

Although there was no need for any farewells,

Whoosh!

The Galaxy Arena promptly created a black hole to expel Quetzalcoatl.

‘They sure are swift.’

Shimun chuckled at the Galaxy Arena’s efficient handling.

『Once again, we apologize for this incident. We will be more vigilant in the future….』

The Galaxy Arena’s parting message appeared.

“Wait, hold on a second.”

Shimun urgently interrupted the Galaxy Arena. The reason was simple.

“Quetzalcoatl’s involvement is one thing, but you bear responsibility too for being unaware of it, right? Ending it like this isn’t acceptable.”

There were still more culprits to deal with.

『….』

A moment of silence followed.

Then,

『The damage in question is a result of Constellation Quetzalcoatl’s unilateral actions. It has nothing to do with us.』

The Galaxy Arena’s response was firm.

‘I knew it.’

Shimun responded with a cynical smile.

“The devastation of Chernozem is as you say. But what about the people who died in this incident?”

『….』

Another silence ensued.

He always felt this way, ‘The Galaxy Arena is extremely sensitive about casualties outside of the arena.’

Especially, “The deceased were all players, and at least of Gold rank.”

The casualties this time were all players. Moreover, players who were Gold rank or higher, who had significant value.

“Earth isn’t even a regular arena yet, and you know better than anyone how damaging this is.”

So,

“Just apologizing to me isn’t going to cut it. At the very least, Ukraine, which suffered the most damage from this incident, should receive significant compensation.”

Even aside from him, Ukraine, which took a direct hit from this incident, definitely deserved compensation.

After a brief pause,

『Had you only demanded compensation for yourself, we might have let it pass… You do indeed deserve the stigmata.』

“Huh?”

A message with an unusual tone for the Galaxy Arena popped up.

『Very well. Player Kim Shimun, your demand is fair and just. I will personally see to it that it is carried out.』

***

A pure white light, radiant with nobility, shone brightly.

However,

“Gaaah!”

The scene below it conveyed a completely different atmosphere. A Black man, eyes rolled back and blood foam dripping from his mouth.

Just minutes ago, he had been a key member of the notorious villain organization Desperado and the world’s top necromancer.

“Guh, guhahh!”

Malik was convulsing on the floor, reduced to a pitiful state. Into Malik’s ears, a voice flowed, “Speak quickly.”

A clear voice matching the purity of the light urged. But it seemed Malik was in no state to speak.

“Guh… gurk!”

His mouth filled with blood foam, Malik could only tremble violently. The hand of Yujeong shone white once again.

And her hand, “That’s enough.”

Was caught by a voice that was both businesslike and cold. Yujeong turned her head, still holding onto her divine energy.

“Why? Didn’t you say you were here to help me?”

“I am helping, as you can see.”

A woman with impeccably smooth blonde hair and angular glasses, Olivia, pointed her chin behind her. There lay thick ice walls radiating cold.

It wasn’t just behind her.

“You said you needed an isolated space, so I provided one.”

On either side of Yujeong and behind her, as well as above, ice walls smoothly shaped to perfection sealed off the space like an igloo without an entrance, completely isolating them.

“Surely you didn’t expect me to assist in such a futile interrogation, did you?”

“Futile interrogation? I’m extracting crucial information about Desperado, the world’s largest villain organization.”

“He seems to have given all the information he can.”

Olivia adjusted her angular glasses nonchalantly.

Of course, “I’m saying this because you keep pouring divine energy on him.”

Her calm gaze met Yujeong’s directly. Yujeong, staring back at Olivia, let out a chuckle.

“The most important information hasn’t come out yet, has it? Like the location of Desperado’s headquarters.”

“You’ve heard the answer to that multiple times—it’s a cell structure, even core members don’t know each other’s locations.”

“Oh, do you believe that? The words of an infamous villain?”

“I don’t know. It seems to me that you don’t want to believe it, just to vent your anger.”

“…”

Yujeong’s face, which had been smiling, stiffened at those words. Olivia should know how dangerous Yujeong’s hostility could be.

“Of course, I understand. I’m well aware of what happened to Holy Trinity and your grandfather.”

Olivia continued in her usual businesslike tone.

“But what you are doing now is driven by—”

Suddenly,

Boom!

With a thunderous noise, Olivia’s figure wavered. Yujeong’s fist, which had somehow appeared right in front of her, was embedded in the ice wall she had been leaning against.

Then, “You… understand? You?”

A clear voice, but that trembling voice sounded like the growl of a beast.

At least, “Don’t bullshit me, Denson.”

To Olivia, it wasn’t a delusion.

“Do you think I’m doing this just because of Holy Trinity and my grandfather?”

The Unbreakable Saintess, renowned for her serene demeanor, now looked with eyes overflowing with murderous intent.

“Of course, that’s part of it, but with Desperado… I have a much bigger debt that you can’t even imagine.”

She was glaring at Olivia. Considering Yujeong’s strength, it wouldn’t be strange if Olivia’s life ended there and then.

“I apologize for mentioning something without being fully informed, but this situation doesn’t seem right.”

Olivia responded firmly without backing down.

“…”

Yujeong, who had been staring silently at her, finally said,

“Hoo, I’m sorry.”

With a short sigh, she returned to her usual serene smile.

Of course, “They took someone precious from me. So…”

Crunch!

“I might have gotten a little carried away.”

She smashed Malik’s head with her mace.

Then, after shaking off the blood, Yujeong retrieved her mace.

“I didn’t mean any harm. You understand, right?”

Yujeong smiled brightly and glanced at the broken ice wall. Olivia, who had been watching her silently, also responded, “Cancel.”

She waved her hand and removed the ice wall that had isolated them from the outside.

Then,

“Yujeong! Olivia!”

A familiar male voice called out from outside.

To which she, “Orabeoni!”

Waved her hand cheerfully and walked towards him. As she passed Olivia, she softly whispered, “It’s quite odd. Someone as moral as you being a senior member of a place like the American Dream.”

And then,

“Orabeoni. Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?”

“Of course not. Are you okay? What about the others?”

Using the conversation between Shimun and Yujeong as a background wall, Olivia murmured to herself,

“Indeed….”

Later that evening,

『Breaking News! Outbreak in Ukraine?』

『Platinum-grade Outbreak emerges! Ukraine handled it solo!』

『Is Desperado involved in this Outbreak? Multiple core members like Death Lord and Dimension Trickster!』

『The World Awakener’s Alliance expresses regret towards Ukraine for not complying with the Awakener Law.』

From various portal sites to international news, headlines were dominated by news of the Outbreak in Ukraine.

『Shock! There are rewards for an Outbreak?』

『Ukraine granted a national buff as a reward!』

『Outbreak rewards apply to mercenaries as well?』

『Two ranker mercenaries involved? List of participating mercenaries』

The unusual compensation buffs became a major topic, flooding the news.