Genius Regressor Makes Mythic Items

Chapter 55. Dragonkin (2)

TL: xLordFifth
ED/PR: The reader

Growlll!

A colossal roar echoes—among the countless cries heard in a past life, this was undoubtedly unforgettable.

‘This sound!’

Snapping to his senses, Kim Shimun instinctively lifted his head. And for good reason. How could he forget the cry that had claimed the lives of so many players?

‘A dragon?!’

Dragons, the most formidable among the various species, deemed the strongest of the Dragonkin. Its overwhelming physique, coupled with high-tier magic based on that body, was essentially a living calamity.

‘In the world…’

With eyes wide in shock, Kim Shimun froze as he stared straight ahead. The cause of the cry wasn’t a dragon, however. While it somewhat resembled one, what faced him was larger, more ornate, and more imposing than any dragon he knew.

Moreover, Kim Shimun was familiar with its existence.

‘How could the Dragon Emperor be here!’

Not just one but five enormous dragons. No, Dragon Emperors, gathered, looking down upon him. The mere sight of these emperors, too vast to take in at once, presented an immense pressure.

Then.

‘Wait a minute.’

Stunned by the sight of not one but five Dragon Emperors, Kim Shimun paused.

‘If there are five emperors, shouldn’t I be unable to even breathe properly? And now that I think about it, I can’t even make a sound.’

But before Kim Shimun could grasp the situation, thump.

The largest among the five emperors stepped forward. A colossal dragon wrapped in blazing flames, its form like a piece of the sun itself. Dark red flames flowed from its mouth, matching its appearance.

“This is where you belong, Father.”

Ahhh.

Even though there should be no connection between this massive Dragon Emperor and himself, why did his heart ache at the word ‘father’?

Yet, Kim Shimun couldn’t respond. It wasn’t just because of an inexplicable pain tugging at his heart.

‘My mouth… it won’t move!’

It was as if his muscles and nerves had crumbled, completely losing their function. Not just that feeling, ‘Wait. What’s this?’

Facing the gazes of the five Dragon Emperors, Kim Shimun looked down at his body only to see, ‘Why is my body like this?!’

In front of the crimson Dragon Emperor, even the largest among them didn’t come close to half of Kim Shimun’s massive form. If these emperors were mountains, then Kim Shimun’s body could be described as a mountain range made of those peaks. Though shattered and primarily composed of blood rather than a proper form.

Following that, -So it is…

Without moving, Kim Shimun’s mouth independently formed words. Perhaps due to his vastness compared to the emperors, his voice felt otherworldly, tinged with a strange resonance.

Indeed. It felt like it transcended that which is mortal.

“As if you know everything until the end! Do you truly not know? Father, you have been defeated!”

-Fate is such a thing. In my case, it was merely cruel. You too will understand once you ascend to this position.

Was he dissatisfied with the answer? The face of the crimson dragon emperor, who called himself father, contorted severely. It should have instilled great fear, looking like the sun on the verge of explosion.

“No, that won’t happen.”

Was this sudden possession the reason? Shimun felt no trace of fear at all.
Just.

-How regrettable. It’s not a position you can avoid by simply refusing.

Nothing but regret and sorrow filled him.

“No, I will not become a dragon god. I cannot afford to become as weak as you.”

The crimson dragon emperor turned his head away.

Then, the four dragon emperors who had been silently observing the situation, with eyes colored in dark blue, dark pink, gray-brown, and green, slowly nodded their heads.

Locking eyes with the green-eyed emperor, Shimun felt.

‘Ah!’

His heart tightened once again.

“It’s a waste to just vanish after becoming a dragon god, isn’t it? To end up as one of us.”

-… What are you talking about?

“Exactly as I said.”

Thud.

The crimson dragon emperor, referred to as father, took another step forward.

“Dragonkind is superior to any other species in this universe. We are the proof of that.”

Bringing his face up close suddenly, his eyes, the same crimson as his body, shimmered as he spoke.

“To be satisfied with just one position? Is that even a reasonable statement?”

-Cruach, that’s…

“Enough of that nonsense! Father, do you still not understand? This is all the trickery of those jealous of our dragonkind’s superiority!”

Was it because of the flames that enveloped his massive body?

-Cruach, that is arrogance.

“Arrogance? We’ve been revered as divine beings, or even gods, across numerous dimensions. There’s no denying that.”

Or was it the desire filled within?

“Besides.”

Cruach, the crimson dragon emperor, scanned the other emperors with his smoldering eyes, saying, “Don’t we all have the ‘right’ to ascend to a higher constellation?”

-Blasphemy! Even if you have the ‘right,’ there is only one ‘position’ allowed in the dragon realm. That’s the law!

“That’s the funny part. What about those four then? What about the being that rules over that place!”

-That place is an exception. It’s an out-of-standard world!

“Ha! Of course, there are exceptions everywhere.”

Cruach raised his glowing arm. In his grasp, a sphere floated up.

“So, I’ve found an exception too.”

‘What, what is that!’

Shimun gasped in horror.

A crimson sphere.

Within it, a pupil slit long like that of a reptile.

It was the last set of eyes Shimun saw before his regression.

“They told me quite easily how they obtained multiple positions.”

-You fool! I’ve always warned you to be wary of that place! Especially that one you’re allying with…

“Father, do you still not get it?”

And then, “That I, and our dragonkind, no longer need your teachings.”

Crack!

Straight into Shimun’s chest. Precisely, into the chest of this vast being he was possessing.

“I’ll handle that place on my own. You just…”

The heat rising in his body grew even fiercer.

“Just vanish like this, after distributing what you have to us.”

His body felt as if it was being torn apart, piece by piece, by a blazing blade.”Our Dragon Realm will return to the time before a Dragon God was birthed. And then…”

A sense of emptiness engulfed the surroundings as even that torment seemed to be sucked away. It wasn’t a mistake.

Crack.

Indeed, the massive, battered body and blood were being absorbed by the five Dragon Emperors. Following this.

“From those uncivilized beings, unworthy even of ‘qualification’, we will seize the ‘position’ that rightfully belonged to us.”

Madness beyond arrogance. The Dragon Emperors, each holding a fraction of the body, emitted tremendous auras.

[A ‘Tiamat’s Blood’ has successfully assimilated with the Philosopher’s Stone.]

A message rose, and Kim Shimun’s vision went dark.

* * *

“Ugh!”

As if he had been sleeping deep underwater for a long time. Awakened, his consciousness sharply brought back his senses. The first sensation he felt was, unmistakably…

“Eurgh.”

Dizziness.

Hand on his forehead due to the intense headache, Kim Shimun regulated his breathing to ease the dizziness.

‘Those dragon bastards… to think they had such a plan.’

As his whirling thoughts settled, the visions he saw earlier also quickly organized themselves.

‘Now I get it. Why China was particularly unaffected by the outbreak.’

Even the United States, another superpower, was not spared from the outbreak. Especially from outbreaks related to the Dragonkim, which posed a high risk.

‘There must be Dragons behind China.’

Otherwise, it made no sense why China was particularly spared from the vast damages caused by the Dragons.

After all, the United States, having absorbed the players of all countries destroyed starting with Europe, and China, which managed to barely absorb those from the Asian region, could be competing due to the peculiarly concentrated outbreaks in China alone, wasn’t it?

The problem was.

‘Why they were so desperate to kill Shihyuk…’

Kim Shihyuk, even if a high-ranking player from a fallen nation, once he defected to China, became its protector. Moreover, Shihyuk was called one of the two guardian deities of Asia along with Zhang Liqiu.

Despite the difference in the number of players compared to the US. The individual combat power of Chinese players was regarded far superior, wasn’t it?

Yet, china was so desperate to kill my younger brother. Until now, I thought it was due to Spear King Zhang Liqiu’s ugly inferiority complex. But after seeing the vision, the memory of Tiamat, my thoughts changed slightly.

‘There’s a high possibility that the Dragonkin was involved. Probably due to that ‘position’ and ‘qualification’ that Cruach mentioned.’

Regarding ‘qualification’, there were parts I roughly understood.

In the past life, it was only the younger brother Kim Shihyuk.

And in this life, even I possess a certain trait, don’t I?

‘Stigma. If they attempted assassination because of this trait?’

Of course, it might not be. But at least, ‘the Dragonkin requested assassination from continental powers.’

This much seems to fit.

“Sigh… This is all speculation, though.”

Kim Shimun sighed, sweeping his bangs back.

‘It’s too early for any certainty.’

For this premise to stand, first, Shimun needed to know if China really is involved with the Dragonkin.

And fortunately, groundwork had been laid for that already.

‘Uncle will find out.’

Our esteemed uncle, Kim Muyeol, just needs to find out which country between the US and China made the assassination request to Desperado. Everything will become clear then.

‘Let’s think about it once the results come through. For now, let’s check on my physical condition.’

As he organized his thoughts, messages he had forgotten about caught his eye.

[Due to the influence of ‘Tiamat’s Blood’, ‘Snake Eyes’ is added to the trait ‘Odin’s Eye’.]

[The ‘Obsidian Tablet’, bound to the Philosopher’s Stone, reacts to the influence of ‘Tiamat’s Blood’.]

[The Philosopher’s Stone gains the attribute of Dragonification (Dragonification).]

‘What? Dragonification? What’s all this?’

Even before he could finish reading the incoming messages, another wave flooded in.

[You have restored a mythic item through creative alchemy.]

[Your Alchemy Energy increases by 10.]

[The options for the title ‘Pioneer of Alchemy’ grow.]

[The Philosopher’s Stone perfectly assimilates the essence of the Dragon God.]

[The grade of the Philosopher’s Stone increases.]

[The stat Dragon Force is added as a bound stat to your Alchemy Energy.]

A deluge of messages overwhelmed him again.

‘There’s a tremendous amount going on.’

Given the fantastical experience he just went through, it wasn’t all that surprising. Shimun got up from the ground and calmly checked his body.

‘Nothing seems oddly out of place.’

Despite the intense heat and pain, the atrocious agony it inflicted, his body was remarkably intact.

Shimun looked down at the center of his chest.

“The Philosopher’s Stone, are you there?”

-Ugh… I’m alive…

A voice tinged with exhaustion leaked out. The Philosopher’s Stone at the center of his chest felt warm like an overheated machine.

-But what happened? You were convulsing even in unconsciousness. Did you have a nightmare?

“Unconscious? Ah.”

He realized he had been unconscious. Reflecting on the possession-like experience made it all the more understandable.

“Then you didn’t see it?”

-Huh? See what?

“That’s… never mind. I’ll explain it to you later.”

-It’s really frustrating when you stop like that, but I guess I’ll hear it out later. I sweated bullets trying to stabilize that so-called divine blood.

Understanding roughly what had transpired through the messages, Shimun responded.

“You did well. But I’m glad your grade went up.”

He gently stroked the center of his chest as he spoke.

-Hehe! Well, yes. So much for divine blood, it was quite something. I feel significantly stronger!

“Right?”

-Yeah. But are you okay?

“Me?”

Shimun tilted his head, lightly shook his limbs, and after a brief check, replied.

“Hm. I seem to be fine?”

-Fine, you say?

“Yeah. Well… I do feel lighter, somehow.”

It felt like he had been bundled up in heavy clothing and had just taken it all off. That was how light and free his body felt.

-… Really? That’s curious. No matter how exceptional my oppa is, to assimilate the essence of a god without any penalty and instead feel lighter…

“Huh? What did you say?”

-Ah, nothing! It’s good if you’re feeling fine! Oppa, I’m really tired? I’m going to sleep for a bit.

The Philosopher’s Stone, ending its sentence awkwardly, seemed to dodge the subject. However, Shimun knew it wouldn’t do anything to harm him.

“Alright, you’ve worked hard. Rest well.”

Shimun sent it off with a gentle smile. Perhaps it fell into a deep sleep immediately, as the warmth of the Philosopher’s Stone gradually decreased.

Shimun began to re-read the messages that had appeared one after another.

‘I’ll have to check on the Dragonification later.’

Dragonification, like an attribute added to the Philosopher’s Stone, similar to the way an obsidian tablet functions.

With the Philosopher’s Stone now asleep, checking on Dragonification was difficult.

‘Well, no rush.’

Shrugging his shoulders, Shimun immediately went on to, “Status window.”

He opened the status window.