Genius Regressor Makes Mythic Items

The green light shimmered in all directions. Unlike the refreshing greenery of nature that usually comes to mind when one thinks of recording. The greenery here seemed to alchemize poisonous substances. It was thick and acrid.

And at the center of it all. From a place as vast as a giant mountain.

『Aaaaah!!』

A piercing scream echoed that made one’s temples throb.

“Still in that state.”

A man with dark blue eyes frowned slightly as he watched. The reason was simple. A huge mountain. No, a giant creature had been screaming so intensely.

“Mother, how long has it been?”

“It’s been more than a full day.”

It had already been over a day.

Hence, “A day… it will collapse soon, then.”

Just as the dark blue-eyed man said, it was about to lose consciousness soon. Sure enough.

『Guh… guh…』

The incessant echo of the scream diminished.

Soon.

Rumble.

The giant creature’s body collapsed entirely to the ground.

“Click.”

A middle-aged woman with greenish-gray hair clicked her tongue lightly.

“Recover.”

She extended her hand towards the fallen creature, speaking softly. Then,

Whoooo!

A formidable dark green aura resonated and seeped into the fallen creature.

Sizzle!

With intense sparks flying.

Shhh…

It was like pouring water into a broken jar. The creature’s lower half, which was half blown away, showed no sign of recovery.

At this, “Click, as I heard before I came…”

The man’s dark blue eyes, set in his rough facial features, twisted further.

“It truly seems impossible to recover, even with your power, Mother.”

To this, “It can’t be helped.”

The middle-aged woman sighed.

“It’s not just a regular injury, her divinity has been damaged.”

“I thought at least the body could be recovered within your domain, Mother.”

“It’s the holy fire of Michael. Nidhogg.”

She shook her head slightly.

“It faced that dreadful power head-on. Even in the Sanctuary of Inception, it’s hard to recover easily.”

She looked at the fallen creature with green eyes.

Precisely, “Moreover, it’s not just Michael’s holy fire at work.”

“What? Then what…”

“You might not feel it, but there’s another power at play in Vrtra’s injury.”

At the severed part of the creature where the green aura kept being absorbed.

“Though Michael’s power is great, if I and the sanctuary’s power concentrate, we can recover the body to some extent. However…”

She trailed off.

“But?”

Nidhogg slightly raised an eyebrow and questioned back. However, the answer came from a heavy voice behind them, not from her.

“If it’s a power close to the concept of antagonism or annihilation, the story changes.”

Turning their gaze, they spotted.

“Especially if it’s the power of Dragon Slayer…”

A blackish-red eye with reptilian, elongated pupils emerged.

“You’ve arrived.”

“First Dragon Lord.”

Echidna and Nidhogg bowed slightly in greeting. Unlike before, perhaps because this was not a formal occasion?

“What do you think, Mother?”

Cruach, as always, did not display the dignity of the First Dragon Lord.

“Cruach, as you have seen, that child cannot return to how she were before.”

Echidna also answered not as the Second Dragon Lord but rather as a mother to Cruach.

“Is it because of the loss of divinity?”

“Indeed.”

“The loss is too large. She lost more than half of their divinity.”

At Nidhogg’s words that followed, “I quickly went to the Cradle of Indulgence, but there was no trace of Vrtra’s divinity left.”

“That would be the case.”, Cruach nodded slowly.

“We only realized it after it had already happened…”

Originally, there was no restriction on crossing dimensions. Vrtra had personally ventured into her domain. Who could have imagined that Vrtra, who was in her own domain, would be so utterly defeated and barely make it back alive?

Naturally, her divinity, which had no medium to anchor, was all but gone.

“Michael’s Holy Flame, imbued with the power of the Dragon Slayer, must have burned it all away.”

No matter how high-ranked a Constellation’s divinity might be, before the holy flame of an archangel bearing antagonistic power, it could do nothing but perish.

Cruach’s gaze shifted from Vrtra to the green-gray-haired middle-aged woman.

“So I have a question, Mother.”

He directed his question to Echidna.

“Weren’t all divine items with Dragon Slayer powers sealed long ago by a treaty?”

“That’s right.”

“Then what is that?”

Cruach gestured towards Vrtra.

“I am quite puzzled myself. It looks like Ascalon, but after the fall of the Seven Archdemons, it should have been…”

“That’s not all.”

Cruach interrupted Echidna’s words.

“I have received reports from my envoys. Gram has resurfaced as well.”

The unexpected information caused.

“Th-That Gram?”

“Is that true?”

Even Echidna and Nidhogg were slightly taken aback. Cruach silently nodded towards the two Dragon Lords.

Especially, “I don’t doubt you, First Dragon Lord, but… it’s hard to believe.”

Did he know something?

“If Sigurd had used Gram, there’s no way I wouldn’t know…”

Nidhogg’s face darkened further. Watching this quietly, Cruach spoke.

“I’ve informed Dephina about that matter, Nidhogg. You should expedite the rebuilding of the Black Forge.”

“Understood.”

“And, Mother, you must somehow restore Vrtra. Anything you need will be granted.”

Cruach spoke firmly. But Echidna, sensing the cold intent underlying his words, hesitated.

“Somehow… you say.”

She asked back with a reluctant expression. Cruach, perceiving his mother’s hesitation, cut her off decisively.

“Due to this incident, the Giants are watching closely. We still need them, so in any way possible, we must publicly display Vrtra’s vitality.”

Echidna, reading Cruach’s intentions, nodded with effort.

“Got it. I will do so.”

Trying to soothe her, Cruach continued.

“Don’t worry too much, Mother. After all, there aren’t many who can take that position, are there?”

Startled by her son’s naturally following words, fortunately.

Swish.

With those words, Cruach’s eyes disappeared. Watching the spot where her son’s eyes had vanished, Echidna turned.

“Nidhogg, you must assist your mother.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Alongside Nidhogg, who bore a similar face to hers.

“As the First Dragon Lord commanded, we must show a Dragon Lord’s vitality. Regardless of suitability, gather the divinities…”

She moved forward.

*

Conditional Cooperation.

Perhaps because it was a formal arena where lives were at stake, or maybe because the failure repercussions were extraordinary.

Since the debut of the formal arena, it was an arena condition appearing quite often in the ranks from Diamond and above rather than lower ranks.

Yet, just as it was during the informal arena days, it was rare for conditions to be enforced this strictly before even entering the arena.

‘Being a Master Rank promotion match and all, the difficulty of this arena must be considerable.’

With memories of past lives, Shimun could predict that this promotion match’s difficulty would be significant.

Of course, if the two-person cooperation condition hadn’t been enforced, Shimun, skilled in exceptional combat abilities, felt confident enough to clear it solo.

Instead of seeking out someone with mere combat prowess, he looked for a reliable partner to have his back. Fortunately, he found two people fitting this requirement.

Both were of the same Diamond rank and executives of the Shimdrasil guild. They were trustworthy individuals even in his past life memories: the Night Hunter Park Jinwook and Winter Queen Olivia Denson.

Ah.

Another addition.

“Me! Me! Me! Meeee!!”

One of the world’s notorious madwomen.

“I also hit Diamond rank this time! I even finished my debut match!”

Heavenly Demon Go Malsuk joined as well.

Was it because of her proficiency in Heavenly Demon Divine Art?

Or perhaps due to her SSS-Rank trait, heaven-Slaying Star?

“Night Hunter and Winter Queen, their names are too grand! For someone as ill-tempered as you, I am perfect!”

Fwoooom.

She exuded a sinister aura, her eyes glittering with intensity.

“Malsuk, I think you misspoke.”

Shimun, facing her intimidating presence without flinching, corrected her calmly.

“It’s not ‘someone like you’ being ill-tempered, but ‘someone like me’ being ill-tempered.”

As expected.

“Yeah! Someone ill-tempered like me… No, you bastard!”

Her menacing aura shifted to a murderous intent in an instant, but it stopped there. Just when she seemed ready to explode, she clenched her fists, veins bulging, and said through gritted teeth, “… Anyway.”

Her body trembled slightly as she struggled to contain herself.

“There’s no one else like me for handling chores and cleanup, right? Those two have reputations to uphold.”

She spat out the words. Shimun, gazing at her blazing eyes, thought, ‘Well, when you put it that way…’

Finding an unexpected logic in Go Malsuk’s assertion, he turned his head.

“What do you two think?”

He addressed the two people standing behind him, Park Jinwook and Olivia, with whom he had already spoken before Go Malsuk appeared.

Among them, “I don’t particularly take pride in my name value.”

Olivia, adjusting her angular glasses slightly, said, “Given the guild tasks I’ve recently assumed, I’m not sure I can handle a duo for the promotion match. Moreover…”

She paused momentarily,

“Being in the same field… well, yes. Technically, we are both mage class. I think a duo with me would be inefficient.”

She declined with a somewhat wistful smile. However, “Shimun, I don’t care about name value or whatever.”

Park Jinwook’s response differed.

“I, Park Jinwook, would gladly lay down my life for you.”

Speaking with solemn and earnest eyes, like a soldier heading to war, “I too can be a stepping stone! No! I wouldn’t even make a sound if you used me as a scrub brush!”

Go Malsuk quickly retorted.

At the absurdity of it all, “Malsuk, what are you suddenly…”

Shimun was about to say something when, “Then I can be beyond a scrub brush! I can be a disposable wet tissue!”

Park Jinwook’s statement, even more absurd than Malsuk’s, burst forth.

“You son of a… Well then, I!”

As Malsuk prepared to retaliate even more fiercely,

“That’s enough.”

Stepping in to halt the childish and nonsensical battle, Shimun spoke.

“I don’t know why you’re doing this, but let’s handle it this way.”

He proposed an alternative solution.

*

At the Ranker’s Palace’s sparring ground. Built for the Sword Saint Kim Shihyuk and Saintess Lee Yujeong, this place had a history of being repeatedly destroyed by various third parties.

And the main culprit.

“I’ll intervene immediately if it gets dangerous.”

Shimun stood at the center of the sparring ground, looking at the two facing each other.

“And resolve it fairly with skill. No complaints afterwards.”

Shimun glanced at Park Jinwook and Go Malsuk.

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

Seeing them nod in agreement, Shimun retreated to the spectator area.

“Heh, we could just spar in the arena. Why do they insist on real-life duels…”

Sighing briefly, a clear voice reached his ears.

“But people watching wouldn’t feel the realism then.”

It was the Unbreakable Saintess, Lee Yujeong.

“They both want to show their real-life skills to you, orabeoni. And don’t worry too much.”

She smiled her characteristic pure smile.

“I just recently advanced to Master Rank as well. My stats have gone up a lot, so I can cover most injuries.”

She spoke gently.

“So you must be even busier now. Thank you for making the time, Yujeong.”

Shimun sighed in relief and expressed his gratitude. Yujeong had been running alongside his brother, Kim Shihyuk, in the unofficial arena from the beginning.

Even though in his past life he hadn’t seen her become a high-ranker due to ‘that incident’, before it happened, she and his brother had easily broken through to the Grand Master Rank with their skill.

Naturally, “Not at all.”

Her recovery abilities, which had earned her the nickname “Saintess” were unparalleled.

“I’ve been mainly participating in the arena lately, so I was curious to see how my holy magic performs in real life.”

Sensing Shimun’s concern, Yujeong reassured him softly.

“Thank you.”

Shimun nodded with a trustworthy face and turned his gaze back to the sparring ground. Although he was seated in the position of a judge, there was no need to give any signal.

Already, “Hey, muscle-head. How about surrendering cleanly without drawing blood?”

Go Malsuk, who was all fired up, and Park Jinwook had already started the duel.

“Malsuk, you seem to be mistaken…”

Spinning a dagger in his hand, “You’ve just barely reached Diamond rank?”

Park Jinwook motioned with his chin.

Then, in the blink of an eye, he disappeared into black smoke.

Swoosh.

“And I’m at the top tier of Diamond.”

With a whisper into Go Malsuk’s ear, a black thin line was drawn across Go Malsuk’s white neck.

Slash.

TL’s Corner:
Oh no, Malsuk lost.