Clatter.
Rumble, rumble.
Familiar sights and the sound of work filled Shimun’s vision.
『You have successfully cleared the Arena ‘Styx, river of the Underworld’.』
『You have demonstrated overwhelming performance.』
『Clear rewards increase according to your performance.』
『The bound trait ‘Philosopher’s Stone’ receives a certain amount of experience points.』
『Level increased by 6.』
『Philosopher’s Stone level increased by 4.』
『‘Water from the River Styx’ obtained as a clear reward.』
The arena completion rewards were doled out in a stream. But Shimun had no time to pay attention to them. Understandably so.
‘Well… having lived twice, you aren’t exactly a mortal, are you?’
‘Hopefully, there won’t be a third time.’
The Queen of the Night, Nyx.
Before leaving Tartaros, her whispering words lingered in his mind.
“She knows about my regression…”
It was not just surprising but shocking. But above all, it raised questions.
‘How? How on earth does she know about my regression?’
He experienced firsthand that Nyx was a Protogenoi, a being even high-ranked constellations and the Galaxy Arena dared not meddle with.
But, ‘Even the Black Goat didn’t notice my regression?’
Shub-Niggurath, who Nyx referred to as a friend, and who actually had a presence rivaling Nyx, had no clue about his regression.
How did Nyx alone know about his regression?
The question didn’t last long.
-That’s because my sister is related to the one who regressed you.
An eye in a flask.
The Philosopher’s Stone hovered nearby, floating towards him.
“The one who regressed me… that censored entity?”
Yes. So I can’t tell you in detail, but that entity is currently sleeping. It’s related to her.
“Sleeping? But what does that have to do with Nyx…”
Then, Shimun exhaled a soft sigh.
“Because one sleeps at night?”
-You could say that, but… just consider my sister connected to its sleep.
“And since I was regressed by its power, Nyx knows about my regression?”
-Precisely. There might even be others who know.
“Others?!”
Shimun’s eyes widened in surprise. The Philosopher’s Stone nodded silently.
– A Protogenoi like my sister are all connected to its dreams. All the Protogenoi likely know.
“Hmmm…”
Shimun’s brows furrowed slightly. But that was all.
“Well, it doesn’t matter even if they know. It’s not like I’ll run into another Protogenoi.”
– Exactly. They mostly stay in Tartaros and don’t participate in the Galaxy Arena.
“Philosopher’s Stone, just to be sure. Nyx wouldn’t reveal my regression to anyone, right?”
– No, no, no. Absolutely not.
The Philosopher’s Stone shook its head vehemently, causing Shimun to smile in relief.
“Of course, that makes sense. She even seemed somewhat friendly towards me.”
-“Somewhat” friendly? She was blatantly showing you favor.
“Blatantly?”
-Yes!
The Philosopher’s Stone’s eye quivered with intensity.
– She personally evaluated and restored the Shard of Tartaros that the Arena tampered with.
“She did.”
– The fact that she went out of her way to do that is proof of her enormous favor towards you.
“Is it really that significant?”
– Of course! Normally, she would’ve taken it straight to Tartaros.
“Well…”
It was because of the Shard of Tartaros that Nyx raised her voice against the Galaxy Arena.
As Shimun nodded, the Philosopher’s Stone spoke in a softer tone.
-Even though she seemed gentle and considerate, she’s actually more intense than the Black Goat in some respects.
“Wow. Really?”
Being more extreme than the Black Goat?
Shimun’s eyes widened at such an unbelievable comparison.
-Absolutely!
The Philosopher’s Stone nodded vigorously.
-Hardly anyone has ever received a gift from Nyx. And a mortal? Oh, crap!
With a non-existent hand, it slapped its face—or rather, pressed against the flask’s surface.
-Zeus and all the constellations watching you must have been utterly shocked.
“It’s hard to believe. It’s just one item.”
-Except that item comes from Tartaros, given by the Goddess Nyx. That’s no small feat.
“…What does that even mean?”
-It means it’s incredibly significant! Anyway, if you ever get into a minor spat with any Constellation, you can just mention her name.
“What? Without her permission?”
-Didn’t she already give it?
The Philosopher’s Stone gestured towards the Shard of Tartaros in Shimun’s hand with its gaze.
-Besides, she kept your regression a secret. Trust me, even if you go around dropping her name, she wouldn’t bat an eye. I guarantee it!
The Philosopher’s Stone boasted confidently,
“That’s reassuring to hear.”
Shimun chuckled and patted the flask gently,
-Ah! Don’t just pat the top, pat elsewhere too!
The Philosopher’s Stone wriggled and winked, inciting Shimun to quickly pull his hand away and focus on the floating rewards instead.
‘A 6-level up… I guess it feels a bit meager because my level is higher now.’
Shimun’s eyes showed a hint of disappointment.
In reality, if he included the 4-level increase of the Philosopher’s Stone, it totaled a 10-level increase.
Yet, having been spoiled by rapid leveling, it felt insufficient.
Fortunately, ‘Still, at this level, getting this much experience is quite decent. Not bad at all.’
With a semblance of conscience, Shimun quickly brushed off the disappointment and opened his status window.
“First, let’s invest everything into Alchemy Energy….”
As always, he allocated all 6 of his newly gained stat points into Alchemy Energy,
“Wow!”
He couldn’t help but be impressed. No wonder, “197, huh? That’s almost double my level!”
Shimun’s current level was 117.
The sight of the number 197, almost double his level, was quite vivid.
‘The reward from the Black Forge played a big part, but it seems the additional points from Ars Magna had a significant impact as well.’
Ars Magna.
Having acquired the pinnacle of alchemy, often referred to as enlightenment, Shimun had gained an additional 20 points in Alchemy Energy.
Adding the 12 levels from the Black Forge and the recent 6 levels, his Alchemy Energy had reached a staggering 197.
‘Although it’s just 3 points short of 200… there won’t be as drastic a change as when surpassing 100.’
Unlike the tremendous growth he experienced when surpassing 100 in his main stat, crossing from 100 to 200 didn’t bestow the same level of growth.
Still, in simple terms, he was twice as strong as when it was 100.
For Shimun, it was more than double.
Because, “Let’s see. So, Magi and Dragon Force…”
The stats associated with Alchemy Energy, Magi, and Dragon Force, each benefitted from half of the Alchemy Energy stat.
“So they both reached 101 each.”
With his base Alchemy Energy at 197, and the additional +5 from the title 『Chosen by the Constellations』, his total Alchemy Energy amounted to 202.
Reaching 101 for each from half of that value.
‘In essence, I’ve gained 202 extra stat points just from allocating stat points into Alchemy Energy.’
This meant that by focusing on one main stat, he achieved a remarkable efficiency of 404 points.
“Alchemy Energy. The more it grows, the more overpowered it feels.”
-It is overpowered. Whose stat do you think it is?
The Philosopher’s Stone said smugly.
“Yes, it’s all thanks to you, my dear Philosopher’s Stone.”
-Kyaung! I like “Philosopher’s Stone” but how about just calling me Philo? It’s a cute name.
“Alright.”
Shimun chuckled and tapped the flask containing the Philosopher’s Stone before opening his inventory.
A large glass bottle outlined with bones appeared.
Swish.
Shimun looked at the swirling ashen liquid inside.
“Water from the River Styx, huh? Given that it’s an S-rank item, there’s quite a bit of it.”
The Water from the River Styx.
While not as potent as the Styx he had crossed in the arena or other rivers of the underworld with unique names, it was still an ingredient on par with potent poisons.
Moreover, it was a versatile item useful for various creations and even necromancer potions.
‘This would fetch a good price if I sold it…but…’
Given its S-rank quality, the quantity and quality were high. It was suitable even for Diamond-grade craftsmen or necromancer summoning rituals.
However, “I’ll stockpile it.”
Shimun stored the Water from the River Styx back into his inventory.
-Good thinking. You never know when it’ll come in handy.
“Exactly.”
Alchemy, a field straddling both the magical and production areas, often found uses for the Water from the River Styx in its practice.
Most importantly, ‘Money isn’t an issue right now.’
From renting out arena disease cures to growth buffs, Shimun already had plenty of money. Stockpiling items was much more beneficial than selling them.
“Oh, right. I need to synthesize the Fragment of the World Tree’s Seed.”
-Yes, you promised that woman, Olivia, didn’t you?
The Philosopher’s Stone reminded him as Shimun nodded.
‘It’s time to upgrade the growth buff levels.’
The rewards from this arena weren’t exactly disappointing but didn’t fully meet expectations. Enhancing the growth buff from the World Tree would help offset the seemingly insufficient experience points.
“Philo, the Fragment of the World Tree’s Seed still costs only 10,000 points, right?”
Yes.
Luckily, he had enough achievement points available.
“Alright, then let’s start with the alchemy…”
Just as Shimun was about to snap his fingers,
Bang!
“Hyung!”
“Orabeoni!”
“Shimun-ssi! Are you alright?”
Kim Shihyuk, Lee Yujeong, and Park Jinwook burst in, almost breaking down the door. Shimun stared at the three in surprise.
“What’s going on? Why are you all here?”
“What do you mean? You provoked Desperado.”
“Precisely. That’s practically a declaration of war!”
“And your broadcast suddenly cut off, which scared us even more.”
Their voices were full of worry. It was only then that Shimun realized why they had rushed to his side.
‘Because of Desperado.’
Desperado, the world’s largest villain organization. Known for their psychotic criminal acts, it was only natural for them to fear a retaliatory strike the moment the arena ended.
‘They even have a history of it.’
Back in the dingy one-room apartment in Shillim, none other than Jace Clark, the apprentice of Bomberman Mogadamme, had shown up.
While he hadn’t been particularly flustered during the actual attack, his colleagues’ concerns were understandable given Desperado’s history of sending operatives after him.
‘It feels…oddly touching.’
Even in his previous life, si-hyuk and Malsuk had taken good care of him. But being on the receiving end of such genuine concern felt strange yet positive.
“Calm down, everyone. We’re in Ranker’s Palace. No matter how brazen Desperado is, they can’t reach us here, especially not within a day.”
Shimun reassured them with a genuine smile, calming the three down. But the weight of Desperado clearly weighed heavily on the three of them.
“That’s because you don’t know those bastards well enough, Shimun-ssi!”
“Hyung, we’ve encountered their core members in the arena. They are truly insane. Nothing is too crazy for them.”
“Exactly, orabeoni. They even have a history of blowing up the White House.”
The three responded firmly and without hesitation.
Then, “No, this won’t do. We’ll double the security. Let’s adjust our arena schedules and take turns watching over his penthouse.”
“Alright. Since I just finished my arena, I’ll start today.”
“Then Lee Yujeong, you take today. I have some guild matters to take care of, so I’ll stick around too.”
They were already planning a surveillance schedule amongst themselves.
“There’s no need for all that. I can set up traps and defenses…”
Just as Shimun was about to dissuade them,
Whirrr.
A familiar sound emanated from his inventory.
‘This is it!’
Before Shimun could react,
Swoosh.
The inventory opened on its own.
Shaa!
A dark, ominous energy shot out towards the three.
Being top-rank players, “An ambush?”
“Targeting the senior?”
“Be careful!”
They quickly drew their weapons and tried to slash through the extending darkness, but it wasn’t enough. The magi pierced through the aura of the two rankers effortlessly.
“This… this is the energy of the night…!”
“Senior!!”
The darkness engulfed Park Jinwook, who had been trying to counter it with similar energy.
Before they could grasp the situation, Park Jinwook disappeared into the darkness, causing the two rankers to hurriedly search for the source.
Then, with bewildered faces,
“Hyung…?”
“O-orabeoni?”
They stared blankly at Shimun. It was understandable. Why would their own elder brother suddenly attack Park Jinwook?
However, they didn’t misinterpret the situation.
Ssss.
The darkness that had swallowed Park Jinwook began to swirl more intensely, and then spat him back out.
Then,
“Ha, haha…”
Looking at his hands with a bewildered face, Park Jinwook was at a loss. His hands were enveloped in a faint, dark aura.
Contrary to his title “Night Hunter,” Park Jinwook was trembling all over. With shaky eyes, he looked at Shimun.
“Shimun-ssi? What is this? Why has my trait suddenly grown to SSS rank?”
“What? What did you say?”
“It’s grown to SSS rank?!”
“Well… you see…”
Kim Shihyuk and Lee Yujeong also turned to Shimun in shock. And the cause of this commotion, scratched the back of his head with an incredibly awkward expression.
*
Click-clack.
The sound of high heels echoed through the spacious hallway. A woman in a crisp office outfit walked towards a large, luxurious door. The secretary, upon seeing her, quickly stood up.
“Ah! Vice-Chairman…”
“No need. Continue with your work.”
The woman raised her hand to stop the secretary.
Knock, knock.
“Chairman, it’s me.”
She knocked on the large, luxurious door and then stepped back a couple of paces.
Just as she halted her steps,
Creak.
The door opened, and a portly middle-aged man stepped out with a genial smile.
“Haha! Who do we have here? Is it not our pillar of Holy Trinity, Vice-Chairman Dohu?”
He ran a hand over his deeply receding hairline with a friendly grin. However,
“Manager Ahn Hojin, this is the company.”
Lee Yeonhee responded with a cold smile. To anyone knowledgeable about her situation, it would appear more as an emaciated smile than a cold one.
Vice-Chairman Lee Yeonhee had been in a coma for several years due to an arena-related illness. However, “Haha! Yes, Vice-Chairman. I have made a grave mistake.”
Ahn Hojin, certain that the smile was a cold one, quickly bowed his head. Looking down at Ahn Hojin’s thinning crown, Lee Yeonhee spoke.
“Manager Ahn, have I perhaps made a mistake?”
“Pardon? N-no, Vice-Chairman!”
“Is that so? So, Mr. Ahn is still a manager?”
Raising an eyebrow slightly, Lee Yeonhee’s lips also curled upward. Recognizing that her smile was genuine this time, Ahn Hojin nervously clenched his fist.
“Ah… Haha! Yes, that’s right.”
He chuckled amiably.
“Well, rank isn’t all that important, is it? As long as it’s a position where you can serve the Chairman well, that’s what matters.”
“Yes. You haven’t changed one bit. I like that.”
With that, Lee Yeonhee gave a genuine smile and brushed past Ahn Hojin, entering the chairman’s office.
As soon as she passed.
‘You damn b**…’
Ahn Hojin’s expression turned icy, as if he were someone else entirely.
However, despite his inner thoughts, he carefully closed the door and left, suppressing his boiling emotions.
Once she confirmed Ahn Hojin had left, “Father, what’s the meaning of this? What exactly happened while I was unconscious?”
She immediately shook the documents she was holding and approached the elderly man seated in the office.
“Tsk. It’s been a long time since you’ve seen your father, and you can’t even spare a word of greeting?”
Resting his chin on his hand, the elderly man stared out the window.
“Did I raise you like this?”
Turning his gaze towards Lee Yeonhee with sunken eyes, chairman Lee Suncheol spoke.
TL’s Corner:
Father and Daughter Face-Off.