Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant - Chapter 100
Chapter 100
Crunch!
Suho threw the summoned Ghost Shadow Spear toward the shadow of the dead monstrous lion, embedding it.
Instantly, there was a reaction.
[The Ghost Shadow Spear is responding to the shadow of the monstrous lion.]
[The Ghost Shadow Spear absorbs the shadow of the monstrous lion.]
[The Ghost Shadow Spear is strengthened.]
The Ghost Shadow Spear, which hadn’t been fed in a while, greedily absorbed the monstrous lion’s shadow.
Suho watched the scene with satisfaction.
“Eat plenty, my Spear.”
Watching the Ghost Shadow Spear, he felt an odd sense of pride, as if caring for a pet.
He hoped that this monstrous lion would finally awaken its third level of consciousness.
Suho then opened his status window.
[Ahn Suho]
– Lv: 74
– Class: Healer
– Trait: New Blood
– Strength (R): 86
– Health (R): 36
– Mana (R): 36
– Perception (R): 36
– Bonus Stats: 2
He had gained a level and received 2 bonus stats.
Suho invested all his bonus stats into Strength and then looked over to Jung Chulmin, who was approaching while calling his name.
“Suho!”
He looked unharmed, as though he’d carefully avoided injury.
Suho felt genuinely relieved.
If Jung Chulmin had gotten hurt, it would have upset him.
When Jung Chulmin closed the distance, Suho greeted him with a smile.
“You’re here? Are you unhurt?”
“Oh, of course. Thanks to you, I’m perfectly fine. And you, Suho, are you alright?”
“I’m fine. Otherwise, how could I have taken down the monstrous lion?”
“Well, that’s true… but Suho, I was honestly on the edge of my seat. How did you come up with the idea to face the monstrous lion head-on?”
“I thought there was no other way.”
“Pardon?”
“There’s this scene in a martial arts novel I once read. The hero subdues an enemy with an indestructible body by choking them. I tried it on a whim, and it worked.”
“What… Are you serious?”
“Yes, I’m serious. You saw it yourself.”
As Suho answered with a bright smile, Jung Chulmin looked at him with a slightly incredulous expression.
“To think he actually went head-to-head with a monstrous lion for such a reason… I knew he wasn’t ordinary, but could he possibly be a bit of a nut?”
Looking closely, Jung Chulmin thought Suho had a slightly crazy side.
Suho chuckled at Jung Chulmin’s mixed expression and said.
“Anyway, I’m grateful to you, Team Leader. Thanks to you, I managed to clear another Sealed Gate.”
Suho bowed his head in thanks, causing Jung Chulmin to hurriedly wave his hands in embarrassment.
“Oh no, it’s nothing. What did I even do? I should be the one thanking you on behalf of everyone. Thanks to you, we’re saving taxpayer money again.”
The amount of manpower and taxpayer money needed to manage a Sealed Gate was no small thing.
In this regard, Jung Chulmin genuinely felt grateful to Suho.
More than anyone, Jung Chulmin sincerely cared for the country and its people.
Suho smiled as he spoke.
“Then, could I perhaps collect the loot as well?”
“Loot?”
“Yes, the loot.”
Suho pointed to the monstrous lion’s corpse.
Right, he still had to settle the matter of the loot.
By law, loot obtained from gates cleared by public servant Hunters belonged to the state.
This was a notorious law that would only change after a major reform within the Korean Hunter Association.
‘But for now, this ridiculous law is still in effect.’
However, Suho had no intention of turning over the monstrous lion’s loot to the state.
How could he give away such treasure?
But he had even less intention of deceiving Jung Chulmin.
He believed that gaining Jung Chulmin’s trust and favor required openly asking for permission, even for something as small as this.
“Hmm…”
At Suho’s question, Jung Chulmin rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
By the book, the loot from Iron Valley should be returned to the state…
“Yes, Suho, you can have it.”
Even someone as rule-abiding as Jung Chulmin thought this law was absurd.
Suho smiled at Jung Chulmin’s cool response.
Of course, Team Leader Chulmin.
I knew he’d say yes.
Suho asked.
“Are you sure I can take it? It’s against the rules, isn’t it?”
“That’s true, but you’re still on probation as a public servant. During the probation period, you’re not yet a full public servant.”
“Huh?”
“And besides, I didn’t see anything. We were too busy fighting the monstrous lion to worry about loot collection.”
“Heh, you’re right about that.”
Suho laughed at Jung Chulmin’s clever response.
Just then.
[The Ghost Shadow Spear has fully absorbed the shadow of the monstrous lion.]
The Ghost Shadow Spear had finished its meal.
Suho watched it with a slightly tense expression.
At that moment.
[Mana supply is now sufficient.]
[The consciousness of the Ghost Shadow Spear awakens.]
[Congratulations. You have succeeded in awakening a part of the Ghost Shadow Spear’s consciousness.]
[Item information has changed.]
A new set of system notifications popped up.
Suho’s face lit up with delight as he quickly checked the updated information of the Ghost Shadow Spear.
[Ghost Shadow Spear]
– Grade: S+
# The Ghost Shadow Spear, now at its third level of consciousness.
# Having absorbed immense mana, it has partially unlocked its past power, significantly boosting all its abilities.
# It recognizes the first person to awaken its consciousness as its master, allowing the skill “Ghost Shadow (S)” to be used directly from the owner’s shadow.
# If damaged, the Ghost Shadow Spear can be repaired and resummoned anytime using shadow and mana with the effect “Shadow Regeneration (S).”
# It can immobilize targets by biting their shadow with the skill “Shadow Restraint (S).”
# While embedded in a target’s shadow, it inflicts continuous bleed damage every second with the “Shadow Bleed (S)” effect.
# The skill “Shadow Penetration (S)” allows for guaranteed penetration against any target covered in shadow.
Suho’s face tingled with excitement as he reviewed the Ghost Shadow Spear’s information.
He had finally obtained it.
The “Shadow Penetration” option, one of the core skills used by the King of Shadows.
“Shadow Penetration allows the Ghost Shadow Spear to pierce any defense as long as the target is covered by shadow, no matter how tough.”
Even if the target were made of diamond… or, say, the highest-level Nemean lion.
“Only two more stages left now.”
The Ghost Shadow Spear’s consciousness, as Suho knew it, was divided into five stages.
Having unlocked up to the third stage, only two remained.
“It’s growing faster than I expected.”
Compared to his past life as the King of Shadows, this growth rate was incomparable.
Greatly satisfied, Suho dismissed the Ghost Shadow Spear and then approached the Nemean lion.
“Looking at it again, it’s incredibly big.”
If it were any larger, his arms would have been too short to choke it.
Suho summoned his Blood Sword and gripped it firmly.
Then he swung it at the beast with all his might.
[Severing Steel activates.]
The moment he swung the sword, Empty Void Style activated.
But.
Clang!
The Blood Sword, leaving a red trail, only sparked intensely against the beast’s hide, failing to leave even a scratch.
“It really doesn’t work.”
He had swung just to check, but he hadn’t expected it to work.
Thinking he was wise not to have tried slashing from the beginning, Suho watched as Jung Chulmin spoke up.
“Hmm, as expected, its hide is different with Indestructible Body. Not even the Sword God can cut through it.”
“The hide, yes.”
“Pardon?”
“I can’t cut the hide alone.”
Finishing his words, Suho swung the sword once more.
Severing Steel activated again.
Swish!
This time, a clean slicing sound echoed as the Nemean lion was cut.
Jung Chulmin, who had heard the sound clearly, widened his eyes.
But no matter how he looked, the hide was intact.
Then what exactly had been cut?
At that moment.
Thud—
Something fell from the Nemean lion to the ground.
What fell?
It was none other than the monstrous lion’s “claw.”
Suho picked up the claw and checked its information.
“A clean cut.”
The claw had been sliced smoothly.
Since it was registered correctly in the item information, it was a perfect harvest.
Suho canceled the Blood Sword and, gripping the claw—now about the size of a small dagger—in a reverse grip, began cutting open the lion’s chest.
To Jung Chulmin’s amazement, the lion’s hide, which didn’t even budge under the Blood Sword or Severing Steel, started splitting cleanly as if measured by a ruler.
Jung Chulmin’s eyes widened in surprise as he watched.
“H-How? The hide?”
“It’s because the claw is sharper than the lion’s hide.”
“Really? Seriously?”
“Seriously. You’re seeing it yourself.”
“Well, that’s true… This is unbelievable…”
Jung Chulmin clicked his tongue in disbelief.
Ironically, while the monstrous lion’s claws were sharp enough to cut its hide, the hardness of the claws was still softer than the hide itself.
Which was why the claw had been cut by the Blood Sword.
“It’s said that even Heracles used its claws to skin it.”
After opening the lion’s chest, Suho reached inside and began searching for its heart.
After a moment, he felt a heart larger than his own hand, and without hesitation, he squeezed and crushed it.
[You have completed the first task of the Hero’s Twelve Labors.]
[The system grants you the qualification to obtain the power of Heracles.]
[A new trait is added.]
[You have become a ‘Candidate for Heracles.’]
[You have achieved a great feat, and the system rewards you with 10 bonus stats.]
As Suho crushed the monstrous lion’s heart, a flood of system notifications appeared before him.
He checked the information of the newly categorized trait, “Candidate for Heracles.”
[Candidate for Heracles]
# ①×××× × ××××× ×
# A person with the minimum qualifications to obtain the strength of the hero Heracles.
# Only the candidate who completes the Twelve Labors first can become the true Heracles.
① As long as they possess the Heracles trait, a candidate for Heracles receives a 100% increase in additional attack power with bare hands, swords, blunt weapons, and bows.
Impressive options.
Although he’d heard about it once before, seeing the Heracles trait in person was a first.
“It was said that an additional option is added with each labor completed.”
After reviewing the options, Suho closed the information window.
And, without realizing it, he chuckled to himself.
“I expected to claim all sorts of power after my return, but to think I’d already have dual traits before even reaching 1-star.”
As long as one had the ability, multiple traits could be acquired.
But since it was extremely rare, having multiple traits was typically only seen among the strongest.
“Of course, having many traits doesn’t automatically make one strong.”
Afterward, Suho invested all his bonus stats into Strength.
Then, he gathered the hide and claws left behind by the monstrous lion as loot.
“These are rare materials.”
They would significantly strengthen Suho’s power in the future.
After gathering the loot, Suho turned to Jung Chulmin.
“Shall we go now?”
“Yes, let’s head out right away.”
Finally, the two completed their internal evaluation and exited the gate.