Genius Regressor Makes Mythic Items

Platinum.

A radiant and holy color that filled the entire field of vision. Though it looked just splendid and divine, it could not be perceived that way alone. Because this was an arrogant light.

Fwoooosh!!

It was clearly a flame. The heat was so intense that Liquid streamed down Shimun’s face and onto his neck in multiple rivulets.

Drip.

However, it wasn’t sweat. Whether it was due to Michael’s consideration or because Shimun was “not a target for purification”, as Michael had said, within this platinum fire that could incinerate the world, Shimun felt no heat or burning sensation at all.

『The Mythical Weapon ‘Tarnhelm’ is being reverse summoned to its original owner, Constellation Alberich.』

A series of messages revealed the source of the liquid. The mythical weapon Tarnhelm, borrowed from the Constellation Alberich.

‘Though it was a temporary loan, to think the flames are powerful enough to melt a mythical weapon…’

Shimun poked at the oozing, jelly-like remains of Tarnhelm with his fingers.

Then,

『Constellation Alberich breathes a sigh of relief, saying ‘Thankfully it was just a loan…’』

Constellation Alberich’s response appeared.

‘Although it melted, it seems Tarnhelm itself isn’t damaged.’

Shimun chuckled at the thought.

In his ears,

『Screeeeam!!』

A piercing scream resounded. In this world of platinum, he saw the sole existence maintaining a dark pink hue: the massive form of Vrtra.

『Stop! Stoooop!!』

A shout powerful enough to shake the heavens and the earth. For a higher-tier deity, a shout wasn’t just a shout.

Screech!

The unique dark pink Dragon Force of Vrtra surged from her entire body like an aura.

Fwoosh!

The platinum flames that had been tormenting her began to be pushed back by the Dragon Force. Finally able to catch her breath, Vrtra’s charred and melted body rapidly regenerated.

『Michael! Do you really want to go to the end?!』

While her cheek, not fully healed, was still split open, she glared at Michael with terrifying eyes, enough to make a mortal’s heart stop just by facing her.

『Your Heavenly Realm hasn’t yet fully recovered from the aftermath of the Seven Archdemons!』

Full of hostility, she looked at Michael with fierce, dark pink eyes.

However, Michael dismissed her with a dry voice and pointed at Vrtra once more.

“Be silent.”

The platinum flames, pushed back by her Dragon Force, surged even more fiercely.

Fwoooosh!

Burning more violently, they pressed down on Vrtra’s massive form.

『Screeeeam!』

Another scream erupted from Vrtra. But despite the scream from her mouth, the fierce glare she directed at Michael grew even more ferocious.

Though her entire body was aflame, ‘At most, one more time…’

In the past.

From countless battles to the incident with the Seven Archdemons. Vrtra was well aware of the effectiveness of Michael’s sacred flames, having seen, heard, and at times experienced them.

Compared to their infamous power, ‘If I just endure one more…’

This current sacred flame was akin to a child playing with fire. The reason for such weakened power was none other than the amount of causality.

In other words, a lack of ‘fuel’ necessary for the flames. It was understandable.

If she had been exposed to the true sacred flames from Michael, a Divine-King level Constellation, she would have already suffered severe divine damage, and would have become a wretched being barely able to avoid becoming a Constellation, like the ash-dusted Quetzalcoatl.

Thus, ‘The amount of causality allocated to Michael is about to run out.’

From the moment Michael descended, her predictions about the quality and quantity of causality had been accurate.

This meant, ‘If I focus on defending until the moment his allocated causality runs out…’

An opportunity was bound to come her way.

With that, ‘Then I, Vrtra, will become the first to defeat a Divine-King of the Celestial Realm.’

The rewards for taking down a Divine-King were invaluable. Of course, she wasn’t facing Michael’s complete true form in this temporary descent.

But did that matter?

‘What’s important is the result.’

Grinding her teeth, Vrtra focused on enduring the torturous heat, gnawing away at her true form.

How much time had passed?

Fwoosh.

The flickering of the sacred flames burning her body began to wane.

Then, ‘Now!’

With a glint in her dark pink eyes, Vrtra roared like a beast, releasing all the power she had been holding back at once.

『Haaah!』

Fwooooosh!

Her dark pink aura surged dramatically. Just as she predicted, the platinum flames that had been oppressing her were easily pushed back.

Fssss…

Like flames that had nothing left to burn, they started to fizzle out powerlessly.

‘As I thought!’

Vrtra grinned with delight as the platinum flames gradually diminished. Then, with her mouth, and her two large serpent heads, and her massive arms forming a circle,

In the center,

Sssssss.

Taking in a deep breath, she began to draw in all the dark pink Dragon Force and everything around it into a swirling vortex.

『Fool! I gave you multiple chances!』

Vrtra shouted sharply.

『It’s too late to beg now; you will meet your end at my hands, Michael!』

With eyes filled with joy, greed, and pleasure, she glared at the now flame-less Michael.

『And thus, I, Vrtra the 4th Dragon Lord, shall rise.』

Even surpassing Apophis above her, and maybe even her mother, revered as the Great Mother of the Dragon Realm.

Even Cruach, who was rumored to be stronger than their father Tiamat, ‘I will crush them all… all of them!’

Might end up looking up to her. No, that’s how it would be. The Divine-King Michael of the Heavenly Realm was a being of such value.

Or so Vrtra thought.

“Truly repulsively… foolish.”

Until Michael’s unwavering voice echoed.

“You were aware, of course, that the quality of causality assigned to me is high but the quantity is low.”

Despite the enormous energy being amassed, “You dared to kidnap two offspring of the Heavenly Realm, the ruler of this place couldn’t have been ignorant of the consequences.”

Michael showed absolutely no sign of disturbance. To call his state ‘disturbed’ would be an understatement, his voice and demeanor bore no change in emotion or reaction.

He simply spoke in a dry, mechanical tone, like delivering a verdict.

“So I waited for you to drown in your arrogant scheming.”

To this,

『Haha! You’re the arrogant one! You must be almost out of causality by now. Such bluffing!』

Vrtra responded with a sharp tone, humming, she gathered her strength even more intensely.

However, the one who was supposedly the target of this vast energy, “I know very well the behavior patterns of arrogant beings like you.”

Michael showed no hint of threat perception.

“No, he was a bit different from you.”

As if pondering something, Michael rested his chin in his hand briefly before tilting his head slightly.

“He… wasn’t as foolish as to openly reveal his schemes like you.”

Nodding slowly.

“More meticulous, more cunning, more wicked. Yes… he was.”

Even before Vrtra’s gigantic true form, he seemed to be recalling someone.

“In comparison… you are…”

Michael muttered to himself. Did Vrtra perceive this as an insult?

『I’ve heard that angels can be crazy… but…』

With fury sparking in her eyes,

『You’ve completely lost your mind!』

She pulled her massive body back and,

『Just die!!』

With a roar filled with divine energy, unleashed her breath. That signal released the colossal vortex of energy she had gathered, Pouring out all she had amassed.

BOOOOM!!

However, “Ah, there is one thing in which you are alike.”

Michael continued mumbling mysteriously. The only difference this time was, his right hand was now raised towards the heavens.

Fwoosh.

A small spark fell into his hand.

Grasping it, in an instant, the spark formed into a sword.

Fwoooosh!

It was a sword as massive as Michael’s wings, yet he wielded it effortlessly, as if it weighed nothing.

“You both ultimately met my judgment.”

Swish.

He swung the sword gently and smoothly toward Vrtra’s oncoming breath.

『A-Ascalon?! Why do you have that!!』

Vrtra’s last reaction was one of utter shock.

“Repent.”

Slash!

Everything was cleaved in half.

*

『Even… Ascalon… is…』

Shock and disbelief,

『But Ascalon… was supposed… to be destroyed…!』

Even her voice, dripping with the essence of death,

Swoosh.

The dark pink breath that was shot out, Vrtra’s enormous true form, and the entire world filled with decadence and corruption, all split in two, right along the direction Michael had swung his sword.

As though something vital had been severed.

『My… my divinity…』

With her two remaining arms and serpent heads, Vrtra tried to hold her severed upper body. And with that, Everything was engulfed in the white flames.

Fwooooosh!

Understandably, Shimun, who had been witnessing all of this, had already begun reverse summoning. Yet, as Shimun’s body was wrapped in the light of the summoning, his right arm suddenly pulsed violently.

Thump!

‘What? What’s happening…’

Before Shimun could react, his right arm reached out towards the fallen Vrtra.

Swoosh.

Sizzle!

“Aahh!”

Then, like holding onto a blazing flame, a burning sensation erupted in his hand.

“Going somewhere suddenly…? Ah, it was because of this.”

Flap.

An all-too-familiar flapping of wings was heard.

“Hmm, with your stigma and that arm… well, it shouldn’t be a big problem. Well, Kim Shimun? I look forward to our next meeting.”

Flash!

Then, as Michael finished his cryptic farewell, Shimun’s entire body was enveloped in the summoning light and disappeared.

*

『You have successfully cleared the arena ‘Cradle of Indulgence’.』

『Your bound trait ‘Philosopher’s Stone’ receives a portion of the experience points.』

『Your level has increased by 30.』

『The level of the Philosopher’s Stone has increased by 25.』

Messages signifying the end of the arena. Then they crashed into the ground as if the camera that had been recording everything had fallen. The reason was simple.

“Urgh!”

Just before he was reverse summoned, Shimun clutched something with his right hand. From there, an overwhelming burning sensation coursed through it.

Sizzle!

The pain was so intense that, he instinctively activated his Dragonoid form.

Crack.

“Arghhh!”

For the first time since his regression, Shimun screamed. To this,

“Oppa!!”

“Appa!”

Kyuoo!!

Was it because they happened to be in the lab?

Shiyeon and Kyung, along with the Philosopher’s Stone, rushed over.

However,

“Stay back!!”

Even as he writhed on the ground, clutching his right arm, Shimun restrained them from approaching. Then, amidst the arena reward messages floating before him,

『‘Broken Silver Arm’ is absorbing the exposed divine energy.』

『You do not meet the requirements.』

『‘Broken Silver Arm’ is absorbing the exposed divine energy.』

『You do not meet the requiremen…』

Messages kept repeating, bombarding his view like a torrential downpour. Already drenched in sweat and reeling from intense pain, now his vision was obscured by these messages?

However, Shimun didn’t get frustrated. It wasn’t only because of the excruciating pain that left him unable to do anything but scream.

Although that was a reason too, the word that flashed repeatedly in the system messages,

‘Qualification…’

‘Qualification’ sparked an idea to solve this ordeal.

‘Michael also mentioned… the stigma…’

There was no need to think further. Shimun immediately focused on the center of his chest.

Hummm.

Another power residing where the Philosopher’s Stone was located, the power of the Stigma.

『‘Broken Silver Arm’ is absorbing the exposed divine energy.』

『You do not meet the requiremen…』

『‘Broken Silver Arm’ is reacting to the Stigma.』

『Qualification confirmed.』

The chaotic messages were suddenly organized.

Then, a mysterious sound of breaking bones.

Crunch.

However,

『‘Broken Silver Arm’ is accepting the Stigma.』

『This Stigma is different from the previous one.』

『Mythical stat Devil Energy and Dragon God’s gene identified.』

『Criteria satisfied.』

Crack!

Snap.

The constant breaking bone sounds were unmistakable to Shimun.

『‘Broken Silver Arm’ is undergoing a new binding procedure.』

With this series of messages, the overwhelming pain disappeared like a lie.

“Ah…”

As Shimun’s vision began to fade, drumming hoofbeats echoed.

Then,

“Attack!”

“Do not falter!”

“Show those Fomorian bastards our might!”

Deafening battle cries filled the air.