Genius Regressor Makes Mythic Items

Chapter 51. Uninvited Guest (3)

“Yes, so if you could conclude it like that and the press…”

trailed off the voice of my younger brother in the background.

“Damn, the kid sure is making a fortune,” Shimun mused, looking around the opulent interior.

“The very epitome of luxury, considering it’s Gangnam. And a penthouse at that…”

Gangnam and penthouse—these two terms perfectly encapsulated the grandeur of his younger brother, Kim Shihyuk’s home.

It was expected.

Known as Ranker’s Palace, this place was predominantly inhabited by ranker-level players or those of equal stature.

Not to mention, the boy was the son of the former president of the Awakened Association and one of Korea’s rankers.

Having just one of these qualifications would make living here no big deal.

So, it was even less surprising for someone as fortunate as his brother, who possessed both.

Shimun pressed down on the armrest of a couch that looked extravagantly expensive, then fixed his eyes on a luxurious door coated with security magic.

“Right. Speaking of which, Yujeong used to live here too, didn’t she?”

Yujeong.

Like Shihyuk, she was a fortunate child with everything from her family background to her abilities, being the only daughter of Holy Trinity.

“Yes, I’ll take care of it that way. I’ll handle the association side of things.”

The call seemed to have ended.

Kim Shihyuk hung up and approached him.

“Hyung, are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital?”

His brother asked, sounding concerned.

“Cut it out, will you? What are you, a broken record? That must be the seventh time you’ve asked.”

A large man grumbled from behind him.

It was Park Jinwook, the Night Hunter.

“If I were your hyung, I would have punched you right at the fourth time.”

“Senior.”

Shihyuk growled lowly, which Park Jinwook blatantly ignored.

“Come on, our VVIP guest. Have a precious drink, make yourself at home, and relax.”

He offered a glass filled with a lime-green beverage.

“Thank you. Hm?”

Shimun’s eyes widened slightly as he inspected the drink.

“Is this Elventea?”

“Ha-ha! As expected from a high-level Alchemist, you recognize it at one glance. Yes, it is.”

Elventea.

A tea made from ingredients occasionally obtained from the elves, a species that appeared in the platinum rank and higher.

It was coveted not only for its unique taste, which did not exist on Earth, but also for its ability to slightly enhance one’s stats.

Naturally.

“Are you sure it’s okay to offer me something so valuable?”

It was a beverage that even the fairly wealthy could not easily afford.

After all, given that only high-rank players could obtain it, the distribution of Elventea was quite limited.

Yet here it was, being offered so casually.

“What does it matter?”

Park Jinwook shrugged as if it was nothing.

The reason was simple.

“It’s not even mine, so why not?”

“Senior, is that something you say in front of the owner?”

“Look at this kid. So, are you saying it’s a waste for your hyung to drink it?”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying!”

Seeing his usually calm brother get agitated brought a smirk to Shimun’s face.

“Phew. I’ll deal with you later, senior.”

Kim Shihyuk gave Park Jinwook a sidelong glance and then took a seat opposite Shimun.

“Hyung. What exactly happened?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, obviously the explosion incident! I was really shocked when I received your call!”

“I’m curious about that too. Shimun-ssi, what exactly happened?”

Park Jinwook also showed interest, settling next to Shihyuk.

Shimun took a sip of the Elventea, moistening his throat.

[Agility increased by 1 due to the efficacy of the Elixir.]

Perhaps it was thanks to a series of high-grade Elixirs he had consumed earlier. Watching the agility stat slowly climb, Kim Shimun couldn’t help but crack a slight smile and said, “That is…”

Exactly.

Boom!

“Hey! Kim Shihyuk! Where is my orabeoni… Huh?”

He was about to speak.

That was before a harsh cacophony erupted from the previously luxurious entrance.

***

Like a tape cut off.

The high-level security spells brutally torn away.

Kim Shihyuk pressed down on the veins popping on his forehead as he closed the mangled door.

Clang.

Perhaps because it had been opened with too much force before, the door, now bent out of shape, failed to close properly.

“Ah… Yujeong, seriously!”

Frustration was written all over Kim Shihyuk’s face.

“I said I’m sorry. And maybe use a better door next time? It shouldn’t break just because I pushed it a little.”

“What! This is exactly like the doors at your house!”

“Was it? Hehe. Anyway, sorry.”

“Hey! You don’t look sorry at all!”

With Yujeong smirking annoyingly and Kim Shihyuk showing an emotion other than a smile for once, Kim Shimun smoothly stepped between the two siblings and pointed at the sofa.

“How old are you two to still be acting like this? Stop it and go sit down.”

He then flicked his fingers towards the door.

Click.

Whirr.

As if time rewound, the door regained its original form.

Kim Shimun swiftly shut the restored door.

“What are you doing standing there? Sit.”

Staring blankly, the two siblings finally responded.

“Uh? Oh, okay.”

“Yes, orabeoni.”

As the two obediently moved to the sofa, Kim Shimun sighed softly and heavily sat down.

“Yujeong, I appreciate your concern for me. But breaking doors is not the right way to do it. You understand?”

“…Yes.”

“The broken security spells, you’ll fix them.”

Not that his younger sibling couldn’t afford to reinstall the security spells in such a place.

“This is beyond money. You understand what I mean, right?”

A basic issue of relationships.

Kim Shimun made sure to clarify and settle this point.

“Yes, orabeoni.”

As Yujeong nodded with a smile, Kim Shimun turned to Kim Shihyuk.

“Shihyuk, it’s not like Yujeong did it on purpose, so don’t be too hard.”

“Yeah, hyung. I’m okay. She’s always been like that, tearing through everything. What is she, an ogre or something?”

“Ha! Ridiculous. Hey, Kim Shihyuk. It’s because I have a high strength stat!”

“Sure. Next, ogre.”

“That’s the truth!”

Irritated by Kim Shihyuk’s teasing, Yujeong’s eyes blazed with anger.

“Shh! You two, do you take me for a fool?”

At this, Kim Shimun’s gaze sharpened.

“Ahem! Yujeong. You know my account number? Send it there.”

“…Yeah, okay.”

Kim Shihyuk and Yujeong awkwardly averted their gaze, effectively ending the conversation.

And Park Jinwook, witnessing all of this, couldn’t help but shake his head in disbelief.

“Damn, to think I’d see such a scene in my lifetime…”

It was unimaginable.

‘These two monsters, actually not daring to move a muscle.’

If he were to tell this story to players above diamond rank, they’d probably laugh at him, asking if he’d gone mad from the aftereffects of some arena disease.

After all.

The idea of those two monsters being wary of someone’s opinion was utterly implausible.

‘They don’t even care about the eyes of the Association President or the Chairman of Holy Trinity…’

Park Jinwook found himself filled with a profound curiosity and awe towards the being known as Kim Shimun.

As the atmosphere inside the penthouse stabilized, Yujeong immediately turned to Kim Shimun with a question, “But, orabeoni, how did all this happen? A terrorist attack?”

Kim Shihyuk and Park Jinwook also silently turned their attention to Kim Shimun, awaiting his response.

“Well, you see…”

Kim Shimun began, giving them a brief explanation of the sudden explosion that was deemed a terrorist attack. After a moment of hesitation, he shared more shocking news.

“What did you say?!”

“Desperado?”

“Kim Shimun-ssi, is that really true?”

He explained that the assassin was a promising member of Desperado, a revelation driven by two motives.

Firstly, “Desperado, huh… We need to look into this.”

“It’s me, Dayoung.”

They intended to utilize the resources of the underworld, specifically the information network of the Night Hunters and the Holy Trinity Guild.

Secondly, Kim Shimun, with his lips tightly sealed, fixed his gaze on Kim Shihyuk, whose eyes had darkened.

‘He seems to have some idea.’

Desperado was known as the world’s worst villainous organization, comprised entirely of members ranked diamond or higher. However, maintaining such a group purely through strength proved challenging in this complex world.

Kim Shimun, having experienced a previous life on Earth, knew all too well the kind of support such a criminal group must have to survive.

‘The United States and China, to name a few.’

These countries had, at times, hired Desperado for unimaginable illegal acts for their benefit, a testament to their power.

And on a more personal note, ‘Our esteemed Awakener Association president.’

Referring to him as an uncle or a small father, despite being wary of such terms – given their relationship and the fact that the current Association president was technically his uncle, as he was to Shihyuk as well.

With a meaningful look from Kim Shimun, shihyuk exclaimed, “Brother, could it be…!”

“Shihyuk, stop there. Nothing’s been confirmed yet.”

Kim Shimun interrupted him, then asked, “What’s the Association saying? With so many witnesses, they must know it wasn’t just an accidental explosion.”

“Indeed, they’re saying you need to come and make a statement.”

The first generation player and founding president, their father, had passed the mantle of leadership to their uncle, making Shihyuk’s position in the Association particularly significant.

Even with Shihyuk’s influence, covering up this incident seemed impossible. After all, the explosion had occurred in downtown Seoul – not something that could be easily dismissed, even by the potential next Association president.

‘Looks like Uncle Kim Muyeol isn’t going to let this slide,’ Kim Shimun thought, recalling the earlier conversation where Shihyuk mentioned handling the Association’s response.

“Brother, you don’t have to go. I’m now a ranker. I can stop it somehow,” Shihyuk attempted to reassure Kim Shimun with a gesture of his hand.

“No, there’s no need for that.”

Kim Shimun dismissed the idea with determination.

‘They’ve sent Desperado, not just any assassin. I can’t just sit idle.’

After all, he was already planning to investigate who was behind the assassination attempt, and what better lead than the one knocking at his door?

“Contact the Association. I’ll go now.”—

The Awakeners Association.

Since the appearance of the Galaxy Arena and the Awakeners in 2015, it has existed as a kind of branch in every country around the world, centered on the World Awakeners Association. In Korea, it is located in Gangnam, not too far from Ranker’s Palace.

“Welcome. We have been expecting you.”

Guided by a staff member, Shimun stepped out in the underground parking lot and looked around.

‘No reporters.’

Despite being the entourage of Kim Shihyuk, one of the hottest players in South Korea at the moment. The swarm of reporters that usually followed him was nowhere to be seen. It must mean that the current visit was being carried out in secrecy. The reason was simple.

“Shihyuk, thank you.”

“Huh?”

“Thanks to you, the face of the main character in the Sillim terror incident wasn’t revealed.”

“That’s only natural, hyung. There’s nothing good about getting your face known for that kind of thing.”

The son of the founding president, the nephew of the current president, and our ranker younger brother had powerfully lent his help. Perhaps because he always experienced what public and media attention could be like? He had offered his consideration without even being asked.

“This elevator….”

“It’s fine. We’ll go by ourselves from here.”

“Understood, Shihyuk-nim. Then, please excuse me.”

Kim Shihyuk sent off the guiding staff member. Once inside the elevator alone, he opened his mouth.

“But hyung, are you really okay?”

“With what?”

Shimun answered nonchalantly, to which Kim Shihyuk hesitated before replying.

“That… You were uncomfortable around uncle.”

“Brat, you’ve grown up enough to try and soften your language. Just say it outright. You were scared of that guy!”

“H-hyung!”

Kim Shihyuk jumped in surprise. Seeing his brother’s reaction, Shimun cracked a faint smile.

‘Certainly, around this time, I was afraid of my uncle.’

It wasn’t just because of his sharp demeanor but because he had been particularly harsh to him during his childhood.

‘I didn’t understand back then.’

Why his uncle, who should have been comforting him, was so harsh.

‘But not anymore.’

It’s my second time through life. With the passage of time and experience, his perspective from when he was young had changed significantly, and naturally, he could see right through his uncle’s intentions.

And the fear he had once felt, knowing its reason, was no longer fear.

Ding.

“Young master, you’ve arrived.”

As the elevator doors opened, A man of remarkable presence bowed deeply to Shihyuk. Shimun let out a small chuckle.

‘As always.’

Despite clearly seeing him, he showed respect only to Shihyuk. It was expected. Since his uncle’s right-hand man had always treated him as if he didn’t exist since he was young. But Kim Shimun, who used to be intimidated by such actions, was no longer the same.

“Secretary-General Choi Changwook is as respectful as ever. Is the Chairman inside?”

Shimun asked with an unfazed, leisurely smile.

“…Yes. He has been awaiting you.”

Choi Changwook, his eyes twitching like a golem, glanced at Shimun with a puzzled look before opening the door.

‘Hmm?’

A strong scent of wood sharply pricked his nostrils. Considering his uncle’s taste, it was expected. What was curious was.

‘Are they using an air freshener? It’s oddly bitter.’

The smell was an odd mixture of a bitter scent that did not match the wood fragrance. Into Shimun’s ears, “You’ve arrived.”

A sharp, baritone voice pierced through.