Genius Regressor Makes Mythic Items

Chapter 53. The New House

TL: xLordFifth
ED/PR: The reader

It was spacious.

No, to put it more extravagantly, it was vast.

A duplex structure was just the beginning, with numerous large rooms and bathrooms, and even a rooftop garden.

“Truly befitting of Ranker’s Palace.”

This luxury penthouse was so opulent, it could make your eyes pop out at any moment.

“So, let me get this straight.”

What was even more astonishing was.

“This place is only 4 billion won?”

That this place was only priced at 4 billion won.

Of course, this wasn’t a price Shimun had looked up himself.

“Yep. To be exact, it’s 4.1 billion won.”

“That’s right, orabeoni. It was initially not planned to be sold, so the price came out to be quite cheap.”

Kim Shihyuk and Lee Yujeong nodded in unison as if they had rehearsed it. Even if one were to scrutinize the relationship between the two, it made no sense how well-matched they were.

“Could it be that this place was exposed to radiation, or there’s a high-ranking undead from an outbreak hiding here, or something like that?”

To Shimun, the fact that this place was valued at merely 4 billion won. No. 4.1 billion won seemed even more unbelievable. But it wasn’t something he could doubt indefinitely.

“Ah, brother. You and your jokes.”

“Really. Hehe, brother is always so funny.”

The source of this pricing information were the actual residents of the current Ranker’s Palace. Moreover, residents of one of the most expensive and luxurious floors, no less.

“Ha…”

Shimun sighed lightly, pressing his forehead.

‘So, is this place really 4.1 billion won?’

Kim Shihyuk and Lee Yujeong. Just looking at the specs and background of these two made doubt impossible.

‘Why is it so hard to believe?’

Shimun found it hard to believe what the two younger ones were saying. It wasn’t merely because of their close relationship.

‘Even considering my past life, I know that the prices at Ranker’s Palace were definitely in the hundreds of billions of won…’

The prices of Ranker’s Palace he had only seen in news articles in his past life. Of course, it’s not officially an arena yet, and there aren’t many diamond-ranked players around yet.

But even considering all that, the price did not make sense. Most importantly.

‘Why exactly 4.1 billion won?’

This was precisely the part that Shimun was questioning.

‘Even with the minimal furniture, to bring in alchemical equipment, you’d need at least 400 or 500 million won.’

Of course, that would still be insufficient, but it would cover the immediate necessities.

But isn’t it curious?

[Kim Shimun: Your hyung is correct, right? Thanks to you, I really hit the jackpot with the reverse bet, lol.]

[Kim Shimun: 4.6 billion, sweet deal! Glug~!]

‘Why do I keep thinking about the message I bragged to Shihyuk with?’

A house for 4.1 billion, and 500 million for the rest of the household expenses. What was this pricing that seemed to match exactly with the message mentioned above?

Shimun deeply pondered with furrows in his brow.
Perhaps sensing his unease, “Um… hyung? If you’re worried, you can just live at my place. I’d actually prefer that.”

“That’s right. Plus, we can’t have another terrorist incident. This is a matter of safety before residency, so please take your time to think it over, orabeoni.”

Kim Shihyuk and Lee Yujeong spoke in a somewhat urgent tone.

Almost immediately after, “Still, it would be best if you make a decision as soon as possible. Opportunities like this don’t come around twice…”

Observing Kim Shimun’s reaction, Lee Yujeong added another comment. Could that have been the deciding factor?

“Alright. Let’s do it, sign the contract.”

“Really?”

“You’ve made a wise decision. Hyung!”

Eventually, Kim Shimun decided to make the purchase.

Of course, “Suddenly pitching it at 4.1 billion, and to top it off, the only residents being just the two of you, there’s more than one or two things that are odd about this.”

He did not conceal his doubts until the end.

“But to sell a house like this for 4.1 billion, when we have the means? We need to buy such properties right away.”

“Uh… Right! Brother, that’s correct!”

“…Ye-yes! You have to buy it when you can!”

Kim Shimun might not have known the current market value of Ranker’s Palace. Yet, he was aware of the fact that the price of this Ranker’s Palace could soar into the hundreds of billions. A house jumping from 4.1 billion to hundreds of billions?

‘Can’t pass this up.’

Who could resist?”

* * *

Moving wasn’t difficult. In fact, calling it a move was almost laughable.

‘Everything’s been blown to bits, what’s there to move.’

Thanks to Jason Clarke’s spectacular explosion show. From essentials collected with difficulty, to clothes and furniture, everything had turned to ashes in an instant. Still, furnishing the new house wasn’t challenging.

“Hyung! It’s a housewarming present!”

“I kind of figured you’d buy it, orabeoni, so I prepared in advance. Oh! If it’s alright, may I arrange the furniture?”

Kim Shihyuk and Lee Yujeong. As soon as the purchase was completed, these two younger siblings had brought in furniture. Was it just furniture though?

“Not knowing exactly what you’d like, I prepared clothes in various designs. We’re similar in size, you know.”

“Glasses go here, food ingredients that don’t need refrigeration go over here. This bar should be filled with wine and spirits, and craft beers…”

“The computer and training room are all set up with the latest gear.”

“Since you have dry skin, brother, use this when showering, and this after. For your face, start with a toner, then serum, essence, and move straight to cream…”

From things to eat, wear, use, wash with, to apply, an unimaginable amount of household goods had been moved in.

‘All happened so fast, it was quite a shock.’

Just two hours. That’s the time it took to fill this vast penthouse. It was expected. Dozens of workers swarmed in, setting up furniture and belongings without a moment’s hesitation, as if they had run a simulation.

Especially when they filled the refrigerator with food and brought it over whole, it was almost shocking.

Anyway, “Wow! This tastes amazing. Is it because it’s expensive?”

Not having to lift a finger on moving day, and still being able to enjoy a cool craft beer like this, wasn’t that enough?

“Maybe I’ll have another.”

As Kim Shimun, who was about to see the bottom of his glass, moved towards the bar, -Oppa, maybe that’s enough. You said earlier not to drink too much by yourself, remember.

A cheerful voice echoed from within. It was the Philosopher’s Stone.

“Did I, did I really do that?”

-Yeah, totally. I heard everything, you know?

“But still, one drink wouldn’t hurt, right?”

-Oppa!

“Alright, alright, I get it.”

Sighing in resignation under the Philosopher’s Stone’s counsel, Shimun put down his empty glass. His gestures expressed an undeniable sense of longing, stirring the Philosopher’s Stone within to softly flutter.

Indeed.

As if it were shaking its head in disapproval.

-Tsk, tsk! If you were going to do that, you should’ve when the kids suggested a housewarming. They were even offering to cook.

“That’s not possible. After all they’ve given, they deserve a proper treat.”

As Shimun firmly shook his head, the Philosopher’s Stone continued.

-Huh, so you were just playing dumb all along?

“How could I not know?”

With a slight chuckle, Shimun looked around. Although the house had been bought with his own money, ‘Considering the circumstances, those two must have definitely manipulated the market’s price.’

And not to mention the lifestyle befitting this penthouse.

“Having them cook on top of all they’ve done would be crossing the line by miles.”

-But you know, they probably wouldn’t see it that way. Thinking like that might even upset them.

“Maybe so. They are genuinely kind souls. But still, what’s not right is not right.”

Shimun felt this way, not just as their senior by age. Even if they were family, or something close, taking such generosity lightly did not align with Shimun’s character.

“I’ll treat them properly later.”

-Hmm. Brother, I get the feeling it’s not just about a meal, is it?

“As expected, my little lucky charm, you’re quick to catch on.”

-Hehe! I do have a knack for noticing things!

The Philosopher’s Stone chuckled, pleased.

-But what will you do? Looking at those two, it seems they lack nothing.

“Good question. As you said, my younger siblings are doing so well, they really aren’t lacking. But…”

Prompted by the Philosopher’s Stone’s question, Shimun smiled and immediately moved.

“It’s not that they don’t want anything.”

Having lived among high-rankers like Shihyuk and Malsuk, Shimun knew well what they desired. Walking through a corridor made of glass, Shimun opened one of the doors to a room.

Unlike the lavishly decorated other rooms, this one boasted only vast space without any furniture or decor.

-“This is supposed to be the lab, right?”

“Exactly.”

Fortunately, most of the materials were stored in the inventory, safe from loss. However, the alchemy tools were a different story, lost to an explosion.

Especially, ‘aging device was regrettable.’

The loss of the elixir aging device, funded with achievement points, was especially painful.

Yet, having purchased a new house, the intention was to start afresh by dedicating this room to a lab.

-Ah, I see now. Oppa, you’re planning to make elixirs for them, aren’t you?

“That’s right.”

What do the powerful desire? Having spent a past life amidst high-rankers, Shimun knew well.

‘It’s power.’

What high-rankers and numerous nations coveted was always power. Emperor Zhang Liqiu also made such a choice, driven by his desire for power. The reason for their relentless pursuit of power was simple.

“The higher the realm, the stronger one becomes with even minor growth…… but achieving that minor growth is incredibly difficult.”

As leveling up itself becomes slower. And reaching enlightenment is what’s demanded at the highest ranks. Eventually, one has no choice but to turn to items or elixirs to create a gap with others.

“High-grade precious elixirs can’t just be bought with money.”

As one’s level increases, so must the grade of the elixirs consumed. Naturally, high-grade elixirs available on the market are mainly rewards from the arena rather than being produced.

In other words, they are often so scarce that they are hard to come by.
But.

“Not for me.”

In a previous life, I, who even concocted the mythical elixir as an alchemist, was at level 1. Even then, many top-tier players had requested high-grade elixirs.

“Because I know all the elixir recipes that haven’t been discovered yet.”

Of course, making them with rare ingredients would present some difficulty, but I could produce decent elixirs.

Most importantly.

“There’s also elixirs, but once the lab is complete, I have something to tell Yujeong.”

-You have something to tell?

Kim Shimun nodded calmly.

“Auntie, or Yujeong’s mother, is very sick. She has the Arena disease, just like me.”

-Ah!

A sigh from the Philosopher’s Stone followed.

-You’re planning to make a cure for the Arena disease, aren’t you?

“Yeah. It might be difficult at the moment, but when the time comes, I plan to reveal that I can make a cure for the Arena disease.”

-That’s great. Then it’ll be easier to gather the ingredients for the cure. Yujeong is a ranker, after all.

“That’s one reason.”

But first, I need to find out exactly what her mother’s condition is.

‘If such a strong auntie is in a coma because of the disease, making a cure with my current abilities will be impossible.’

I probably need to reach Platinum, the rank of top-tier players, to make it feasible.

Having organized his thoughts, Kim Shimun opened his inventory.

“Since I’m here, let’s make whatever tools I can in advance.”

-Okay~! I’ll do the overall design! I’ll arrange it to be super-efficient!

The Philosopher’s Stone was excited at the prospect of building a laboratory.

“Buddy.”

Kim Shimun chuckled, about to fetch the materials for smelting, including wood.

“Ah.”

His gaze fixed on a particular spot in his inventory.

‘I forgot about this.’

Scratching his head, Kim Shimun promptly took it out. It was a reward from the Arena he got when he met Marnel.

[Degraded Serum]

Grade: F

A serum transformed by the eons of time.

The liquid contained in a unique glass bottle that resembles the scales of a reptile.

As soon as Kim Shimun checked the information.

[Constellation Zeus leaps up from his constellation.]

[The eyes of the Constellation Black Goat twinkles.]

[The eyes of the Constellation Heavenly Demon bulges.]

[The face of Constellation Odin, once cheerful, turns terrifyingly stern.]

A torrent of unexpected messages surged forth.