Genius Regressor Makes Mythic Items

Chapter 33. The Smell of a Scheme

“Wow! This coffee tastes really good.”

“Does it?”

Kim Shimun replied with a light grin. But deep inside, or more precisely, in the very center of his heart, he did not feel the same.

-How could anything taste bad to that body?

The Philosopher’s Stone grumbled. This time, Kim Shimun did not firmly stop it.

‘Well, I did target this, after all.’

An Hojin did indeed have a rather plump figure, but it was common among middle-aged men.

Even so, considering his significantly protruding belly and chubby cheeks,

‘It’s obvious he enjoys alcohol, cigarettes, and either sweet or spicy flavors.’

Kim Shimun easily figured out his taste and ordered the sweetest coffee available.

“This flavor is so mysterious, I can’t tell if it’s vanilla or hazelnut!”

“I’m glad it suits your taste.”

While An Hojin kept marveling at his syrup-drenched coffee, Kim Shimun sipped on his drip coffee.

Then,

“Manager An.”

With eyes armed with innocence, Kim Shimun began,

“You did come to make a recruitment offer, right?”

“Ah! Oh! This coffee is so delicious, I forgot my manners.”

Quickly wiping his mouth, An Hojin pulled out a bundle of documents from his bag.

“Here, this is the contract from Holy Trinity.”

‘Holy Trinity Guild, not just Holy Trinity?’

Kim Shimun internally reiterated that part and began to read the contract carefully.

“There might be a lot here that you are unfamiliar with. Let me explain slowly…”

“Sorry, but may I read it through first and then ask questions?”

Caught off guard by Kim Shimun’s request, An Hojin blinked in surprise.

But only for a moment.

“Ha! Of course! You should always read contracts carefully, shouldn’t you?”

With a smug smile, An Hojin brought the coffee back to his lips. All the while, his gaze remained fixed on Kim Shimun.

What’s he going to figure out by looking at it?

That was clearly the look he had.

It was expected.

A abyss rank player making his debut in his twenties, combined with that innocent face,

‘Talk about a golden goose.’

To An Hojin, such a naive target couldn’t be more perfect.

‘That damned Park Minchul, that son of a b****. If he had recruited this golden goose earlier, we would have been milking the special arena broadcasts by now!’

What would happen to that annoying colleague once this recruitment was reported to the chairman?

Before that,

If this recruitment succeeded, what crumbs of success would fall to him?

‘At the very least, I would get a manager position at Holy Trinity Guild. That person appreciates results, after all.’

Then, even those high-horse awakened ones would have to obey a non-awakened’s orders.

‘Even Deputy Woo? Heh heh heh!’

Lost in thought, An Hojin chuckled to himself.

Of course,

– Brother, why don’t we just punch this creep and go home? We have a lot to prepare.

‘Just bear with it a bit longer. Given his smirking, it seems he’s almost taken the bait.’

Kim Shimun saw right through An Hojin.

Naturally,

The entire situation had been orchestrated by Kim Shimun from the start.

Kim Shimun quickly skimmed through the contract.

The Philosopher’s Stone sighed upon reviewing the contract terms.

– Wow, brother. I might not know much about these contracts, but this seems like a lot of it treats you like a fool?

‘Yeah. It’s filled with toxic clauses.’

Too many to count.

Almost half of them?

‘Typically, guilds default to a 1 year contract, but this one is 6 years. And the annual support fund doesn’t even reach 20 million won, tied up in a performance-based system…’

The more Kim Shimun read, the more his jaw dropped.

‘Equipment on loan till the end of the contract, and various consumables to be bought with activity points from Holy Trinity’s store…mandatory participation in the arena at least 5 times a week…’

The details grew more disturbing.

Barely maintaining the facade of innocence, Kim Shimun was appalled.

The degree to which Manager An Hojin’s recruitment contract—

No, slave contract, was outrageous just by looking at it.

Though eloquently phrased,

‘This isn’t just treating someone like a fool. It’s treating them like livestock.’

Even for a abyss player,

Following the arena activities as stipulated in the contract could make at least 50 million won a year in salary alone.

Add to that the potential for jackpot loot or other reward increases, one could make a fortune.

Yet, even such windfalls were subjected to a ‘performance-based system,’ with half of the reward items’ value taken as fees?

And then converting that into points only redeemable at Holy Trinity’s store, forcing usage there,

‘This contract doesn’t deserve to bear the name Holy Trinity. ’Even the notorious Scorpio Guild wouldn’t draft a recruitment contract this carelessly.

Kim Shimun carefully checked the Holy Trinity seal stamped on the contract several times.

‘Wait a minute. Now that I think about it…’

His eyes caught a phrase next to the Holy Trinity seal.

‘Isn’t this just Holy Trinity?’

The Holy Trinity Guild always specifically includes the words ‘Holy Trinity Guild’ in any context.

Whether this indicates a different direction from the Holy Trinity Group or a desire to remain unaffected by the group was unclear.

However, the Holy Trinity Guild always attached the word ‘guild’ in all official settings.

Yet, the contract presented by Manager An Hojin contained only the word ‘Holy Trinity’.

Kim Shimun’s eyes, hidden behind a mask, grew cold.

‘Considering he mentioned Holy Trinity earlier too. Now it’s clear.’

Manager An Hojin.

As expected, he was not affiliated with the Holy Trinity Guild.

‘He’s definitely connected to President Lee Suncheol. Additionally…’

The cause of Yujeong’s future ordeal.

Or at least one of the characters involved was now evident.

“Hehe, Mr. Kim Shimun. Is there any part you don’t understand?”

An Hojin, who had since finished his coffee, rubbed his palms together, grinning.

Kim Shimun wanted nothing more than to punch him right then and there.

“Yes. I have a personal question.”

There was one last thing he needed to know.

Kim Shimun forced down his instincts.

“Of course! Ask anything.”

“Being a manager at Holy Trinity, you must be quite close with Ms. Lee Yujeong, right?”

Yujeong.

At that name, An Hojin’s previously sneaky smile wavered for a moment.

But it was fleeting.

Perhaps coming as a scout was a mistake.

“Hahaha! Ms. Yujeong, you say? Of course!”

An Hojin quickly returned to his original expression.

“Luckily! Actually, I’m a huge fan of Ms. Lee Yujeong!”

“Is that so.”

“Yes! Honestly, who wouldn’t be a fan? She’s got a great personality, skills, and she’s… well, beautiful too.”

Kim Shimun bashfully lowered his head, even expressing a hint of shyness.

– Urgh!

Despite a strong reaction being heard,

Kim Shimun, eyes sparkling, clasped his hands together, ignoring the response.

“I know it’s a bit much to ask but… could you possibly get Ms. Lee Yujeong’s autograph for me?”

“Ah. Well, you see, as you might know, Ms. Yujeong isn’t typically one for giving autographs… Moreover, being the guild master, she’s incredibly busy…”

“So, you’re saying I won’t even get to meet her, being a rookie? Please, I’m begging you!”

An Hojin scratched his head at Kim Shimun’s pleading.

Though his smile remained, a hint of difficulty surfaced.

Kim Shimun knew.

‘He must be feeling cornered.’

Kim Shimun was aware of his own worth.

At the very least, a diamond-ranked prospect.

It felt odd to say it himself.

However, judging by his viewer numbers up until the last broadcast and his accomplishments so far, he was bound to become a top-ranking player.

At the very worst, a player of equivalent caliber.

A scout like him should not fail to make such calculations.

Moreover,

‘I didn’t ask anything about the contract.’

It’s a common mistake among young, unexperienced Awakened individuals.

Accidentally shackling themselves with a contract at a lower level, botching the first step of their player career.

Those like Kim Shimun, who don’t inquire about the contract contents at all, fall into this category.

Therefore,

“Ahem!”

If An Hojin’s aim was to take advantage of him, he couldn’t possibly refuse this request.

There was only one option left.

‘He’ll accept the offer but try to buy time.’

After all, getting Yujeong’s autograph wasn’t specified in the contract.

Once the stamp was on the document, there was nothing they could do later, even if they were to back out.

And sure enough,

“Very well.”

An Hojin, sipping from his empty cup, broadened his shoulders as if making a generous decision.

“Really?”

“Indeed. However, given that Ms. Yujeong handles not only arena matters but also duties within the Holy Trinity Group, it might take some time.”

“As expected.”

With this, it was confirmed.

For some reason,

‘Chairman Lee Soonchul is indeed planning to establish another power, separate from the Holy Trinity Guild.’

A power comprised of players, no less.

“That’s right! Ha! So, right here on the bottom of the contract…”

Thinking he had already won Kim Shimun over, perhaps.

An Hojin pushed the contract forward with a grin, oblivious to the coldness in Shimun’s eyes.
“-Oppa, now that we’ve figured everything out, can’t we just kill him?”

“The Philosopher’s Stone, don’t even joke about things like that.”

“Hehe! Half serious, though. But, since this world seems sensitive about murder, let’s just beat him up, alright?” Shimun couldn’t help but smirk at the dangerously playful suggestion from the Philosopher’s Stone. “Though we’ve got the information, there’s no need to go that far. There are other ways to use him.”

“Use this person against them, you mean?”

“Exactly.” Without signing the contract, the upper hand was his. Utilizing this to uncover the reasons behind An Hojin’s actions. “We might get a clue about President Lee Suncheol’s reasons for wanting to build a faction with players.” Just as Shimun was about to speak, a commotion erupted. “Oh my!”

“Gasp!” It came from the entrance of the café. Neither Shimun nor An Hojin paid any attention to it, until. “Manager An!” Bang! Not until their table was struck. There was no need to ask who it was. With a beauty that could only be described by the words pure and clear. And then. “Oh my, is it for real?”

“Honey, this is true, right?”

“Never thought I’d see a Ranker here…”
Without realizing, Shimun called out her name.
“Yujeong?”
Unlike Shimun’s expectation, Yujeong merely glanced at him and then turned her attention to An Hojin.
From her position, only the back of her beautiful head was visible, but. “Ah, ah, Miss!”
An Hojin’s face went pale, losing his playful smile.
“Manager An, how dare you do this without my permission? Manager Park clearly…”
Yujeong’s clear voice faded away. Because.
Sarak.
“Eek! Miss! That, that is!” Yujeong had picked up the document on the partly broken table and was rapidly scanning through it. Then.
“Ha…!”
Her voice trembled as much as the paper she gripped tightly. Clearly.
‘She’s really angry, just like ten years ago.’
Shimun could tell Yujeong was on the brink of an explosion. Normally not like her, she would raise her voice, letting out all her emotions.
However, perhaps the ten years hadn’t been in vain. Glancing at Shimun again, she lowered her head and then.
Crack.
“… Manager An, come with me. Now.”
With a chilling sound of something splitting, “Gulp! Ah, Miss! Just a moment! Let me explain!” Yujeong grabbed An Hojin by the collar and stormed out of the café.
“……”

“……”
As if a storm had passed, silence settled over the small café. “That was Yujeong, right?”

“Did you see her face? I was so surprised! Never thought I’d see Yujeong with such a scary expression…”

“So it was all just image management.
Reality is so different.”

“Why would a Ranker come here in the first place?” Knowing full well Yujeong’s consideration in not making their acquaintance obvious, Shimun also got up from his seat.
* * * [Welcome to the Galaxy Arena.]
[This arena’s theme is a Dungeon, with a total of 50 participants.]
[‘Cooperation’ is added as a condition.]
[Participants will form teams of five members each.]
[The arena will begin when all participants are visible.] Appearing with a burst of light, Shimun was. -Siha!

-Siha!

-I came running as soon as I saw the notification!

“Nice to meet you, everyone.”

Kim Shimun lightly greeted in response to the rapidly filling chat window and looked around.

‘It’s a forest.’

A dense forest.

But unlike during the tutorial, it wasn’t just dense with trees.

The warm sunlight, and the nameless grass and flowers were also abundant.

Even those who didn’t like nature would admire the beautiful scenery, but

‘This isn’t good…’

Kim Shimun’s expression was not very pleasant.

-What? It’s an outdoor map?

-Of all places, a dungeon on the outside, LOL.

-Well, if it’s Finger-mon, there shouldn’t be a problem.

-Lol. Let’s have Hyung flick his fingers and burn down this entire forest. Just looking at this place makes me feel like I’m going to get mentally ill!

The viewers reacted similarly.

The dungeon arena was divided into two types: outdoor and indoor.

In the case of outdoor maps,

From the weather to finding paths, there were many more annoying factors than indoor, causing players to avoid them.

However, Kim Shimun quickly relaxed his expression.

‘No, this is actually good.’

After Yujeong disappeared with Director An,

Kim Shimun had gone home to make an elixir.

Of course, it wasn’t an elixir that he drank immediately after making, as before.

‘I put all the elixirs I made in the aging device.’

-That’s right. You didn’t set the aging time too long either. By the time this arena ends, it should be over 50% aged.

Elixir aging.

A process that slightly improves the performance of an elixir.

Aging the elixir involved a very demanding process.

Of course, it wasn’t a problem for Kim Shimun and the Philosopher’s Stone.

Or rather, it couldn’t be a problem.

Because,

‘I spent 500 achievement points to make that aging device…’

He had spent achievement points equivalent to a 1 Astrape class to make an elixir aging device.

Originally, he planned to consume the elixir and start the arena,

‘Stats aren’t urgently needed right now.’

Since his specs were already beyond silver-ranked,

He chose to improve the efficiency of the elixir as much as possible.

“By the way, isn’t anyone coming?”

No sooner had Kim Shimun finished speaking,

“Eh? A dungeon?”

“Damn! It’s an outdoor map!”

“Damn it! If only we had someone with detection traits…”

Three men and women appeared.

They all had hyena patterns on their gear.

‘It seems they’re from the same guild.’

Kim Shimun, who had not so fond memories of . -man guild parties,

His clear eyes hardened slightly, but

Poof.

His eyes widened when he saw the last matching member.

It wasn’t just Kim Shimun.

“Whoa!”

“That person is!”

-Huh? Isn’t that the guy?

-Who’s that?

-Ng? Someone famous?

The matched people and the chat window were also in shock.

For a reason.

“Ah, fuck. An outdoor map?”

Eyes somewhere between a cat and a fox,

Sharp nose and jawline, provocative lips, and physique.

Undoubtedly, the overall appearance was full of sexiness but,

“What? Starting with nonsense right away. Watch it, before you get caught.”

The rough speech, strong dialect accent, and casual gestures reminded one more of a backstreet thug than of sexiness.

-Lololol Kim Shimunz, this arena is doomed LOL.

-What’s going on? Who is that woman?

-That’s the crazy bitch famous in the deep sea. The arena’s goal was . -person cooperation, it’s over.

-This guy looks totally shocked. Look at his face LOL.

-Even for Finger-mon, there’s no answer to named trolls!

-Kim Shimun, hang in there!

The chat window buzzed with Kim Shimun’s reaction.

But Kim Shimun wasn’t shocked because of the woman’s shocking behavior.

The reason he was shocked was only one.

‘What, Malsuk? Why are you here?’

It was because of an unexpected reunion with an old friend.