Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant - Chapter 111

Chapter 111

Kim Geon asked, holding the suit he had received.

“This… is my partner item?”

“Yes, normally it takes this orb form. I’ve decided to call it the Suit Ball.”

“Suit Ball?”

“Yes, why don’t you check its item information first?”

Following Suho’s suggestion, Kim Geon checked the information on the suit.

The moment he saw the second piece of item information, his eyes widened in surprise.

“W-Wait. This is an S-rank item?”

“Yes, that’s why it was difficult to obtain. It’s a rare find.”

“B-But why would you give me something so valuable…?”

“I promised, didn’t I? I told you I’d help you find work. I’d like for you to work as a Hunter. And for that, nothing is as beneficial for you as this. So, would you like to try it on?”

“This?”

“Yes, the item information mentions possession, right? Using it is simple. Just possess the suit like you would possess your brother’s body. After that, the usage should come to you naturally.”

“…Naturally…”

Kim Geon fiddled with the Suit Ball for a moment.

Then, as if he had made up his mind, he nodded.

“Alright.”

Kim Geon, after a brief hesitation, placed the Suit Ball on the empty bed.

As he activated his possession ability, he felt his body’s strength drain naturally, and the Suit Ball began to glow.

It was proof of a successful possession.

Suho quietly waited for the Suit Ball to transform.

And shortly after.

It started to squirm.

The Suit Ball began to expand, taking on a human shape, like clay spreading out.

Before long, a rather classic-looking assassin figure took form.

However, it was merely a shape; his body, like a doll molded from clay, held a single dark purple hue.

Then, at last.

A flash!

A yellow gleam radiated from his once-purple body, indicating Kim Geon’s consciousness had finally settled within it.

At the same time, the once-stiff meta suit began to move naturally, like a real human.

“…”

Possessing the suit, Kim Geon, in typical fashion, first examined his hands, moving his palms in awe to take in his surroundings.

Then, clenching his fists as though he was using his own body, he raised his head.

“Hunter…”

His voice quivered with emotion.

He was so moved that his voice almost trembled with tears.

Suho smiled as he asked.

“How is it?”

“…It’s incredible. It feels like it’s really my body.”

“I’m glad you’re satisfied.”

“It’s beyond satisfying. I’m so overwhelmed that I could cry…”

Kim Geon was sincere.

Until now, he had felt guilty about borrowing his younger brother’s body, but now he could enjoy that freedom without relying on his brother.

Suho spoke.

“It would be a shame to leave it at that if it means that much to you. If I’m not mistaken, there should be two modes in the suit. Did you find them?”

“Yes, there’s a first-person mode and a third-person mode.”

“You’re in first-person mode now, right?”

“Yes.”

“Try switching to third-person mode.”

“Switching to third-person… Oh, oh?”

The moment he switched to third-person mode.

Kim Geon couldn’t help but be amazed once again.

It was because, if first-person mode was similar to his usual possession method, third-person mode switched to an interface that felt incredibly familiar to Kim Geon.

With a trembling voice, Kim Geon said.

“T-This is… Ops, isn’t it?”

“Yes, precisely. It’s an interface similar to Ops.”

It was exactly as he said.

Upon switching to third-person mode, Kim Geon was no longer a ‘player’ but a ‘gamer.’

In other words, with third-person mode, Kim Geon’s character was in a setting where he could control his external form from an observer’s perspective, much like controlling a character in Over Strike.

‘So, this is why I needed to get the triple mode.’

Suho explained.

“I heard that the third-person mode of the Meta Suit creates a control environment based on the user’s most familiar setting. I was certain that, in your case, the Meta Suit would replicate the Over Strike interface.”

“This is unbelievable…”

“I assume even the keyboard and mouse are fully simulated. Give it a try. Judging by your suit’s exterior, it’s the same as your main assassin character in Ops, isn’t it? ‘Kenji,’ right?”

“Y-Yes. When I was asked to imagine a familiar form, Kenji came to mind automatically.”

“Kenji’s moves and basic skills should be replicated as well. The effects might not be there, but the motion itself should be there, so go ahead and try.”

At Suho’s suggestion, Kim Geon began operating his avatar, ‘Kenji.’

As expected, within the suit, Kim Geon seemed to be controlling Kenji in a familiar 27-inch screen environment, complete with keyboard and monitor.

When Kenji began to move, he moved precisely like Kenji from Ops.

‘Kenji is an assassin character who uses a sword. Using Kenji in first-person mode would prevent Kim Geon, who isn’t trained in swordsmanship, from fully utilizing it. But with the third-person Ops environment he’s so used to…!’

Kenji, moving fluidly and wielding his weapon with finesse.

These movements were all designated hotkey actions, ones that only Kim Geon, with his profound understanding of Kenji, could pull off.

“Indeed, Kenji’s peak movements are a sight to behold. As someone who used to play Ops, seeing Kenji life-size feels nostalgic.”

“Haha… Honestly, this feels like a dream. The feeling is just like playing Ops, but my character is in real life…”

“You know, right? It’s not only Kenji—if you want, you can become any character from Ops… or any other entity in the world. Want to give it a try? You know how to do it?”

“Yes, one moment.”

After a brief moment of fiddling with the suit, Kim Geon quickly seemed to master the controls and began altering his form.

This time, however, the form he chose was none other than Suho, standing right in front of him.

Suho chuckled as he saw Kim Geon transform into his mirror image.

“Did you change to look like me on purpose?”

“Haha, yes. With you right in front of me, it was easier to model it. I’m sorry if it bothers you.”

“No, not at all. I was actually going to suggest you try copying me at some point. But you haven’t learned how to change the colors yet? You’re still dark purple.”

“One moment.”

At Suho’s instruction, Kim Geon started manipulating the suit again.

Shortly after, the dark purple Suho took on a color shift like a chameleon and, finally, looked identical to the Suho standing before him.

Kim Geon asked.

“How’s this?”

“Perfect. You look so identical, it would be believable if you said we were twins.”

Suho brought over a nearby mirror, and Kim Geon marveled.

“Wow…”

“Alright, now familiarize yourself with the controls a bit more… Let’s move on to business, shall we? To get to the point, I’d like to hire you directly.”

“…Pardon? You, Hunter?”

“Yes, I’d like to hire you. That’s why I got you this partner item.”

With the Meta Suit, Kim Geon was an all-rounder ranked among the top ten Suho knew in the country.

With the Meta Suit’s ability to freely change appearances, Kim Geon could take on any role, be it a dealer, a tank, or an assassin.

‘Plus, the freedom to alter his appearance makes infiltration and tracking easy, and without fingerprints or hair, he leaves no trace.’

Additionally, in an emergency, he only needed to release possession and secure the Suit Ball, so the chances of Kim Geon dying while inside the suit were nearly zero.

For these reasons, Suho wanted to recruit him.

‘Only a Possessionist, and only Kim Geon, can operate this way.’

Suho continued speaking.

“Of course, the employment itself will be unofficial. As you know, I’m currently a civil servant. So, I’d like to register you with Nexus first, and then request your help through Nexus.”

“A-Are you serious? I don’t see how I could be of any help to you…”

“You’d be a tremendous help. As someone who desires nothing more than to end these gates, I’m always seeking skilled people. Ah, and don’t worry about compensation; I’ll make sure it’s satisfactory. In addition…”

Suho gestured toward Kim Geon’s younger brother, Kim Kwon, who lay on the bed.

“When my healing abilities evolve to the point where I can cure more than just ordinary illnesses, I’ll heal your brother first.”

“…!”

The mention of his brother’s treatment!

At those words, Kim Geon’s eyes opened wider than they ever had before.

“Y-You mean my brother can be treated?”

“It’s impossible with modern medicine, but with a Player healer’s supernatural powers, it’s achievable.”

“Is that… really true? I thought so at one point too, and I searched every bit of information I could find, but I’ve never seen any case, even with the highest-level healers, of anyone curing someone in a coma.”

“They’ve been doing it wrong. Just as each illness has its own cure, healers have different types of healing skills, like Heal or Recovery.”

It wasn’t a lie.

In fact, Isabella, Russia’s saint, was the first to cure a person in a vegetative state.

‘All I need to do is follow her method exactly.’

Kim Geon, stunned by Suho’s words, couldn’t respond for a moment.

However, regaining his composure, he answered firmly.

“If you recruit me, I’ll give it my all.”

“Good. Then, shall we go for the membership test?”

“Test?”

“I told you, I plan to hire you through Nexus. So, you’ll need to pass the Nexus membership test first, right?”

“Ah! Yes! I understand! But… how long will the test take? I don’t want to leave my brother alone for too long…”

At that moment.

Ding-dong!

The doorbell suddenly rang.

Checking, they saw it was Union-affiliated staff Suho had called for assistance.

Before opening the door, Suho spoke to Kim Geon.

“They’re here to look after your brother while you’re away. I called them just in case.”

“Ah…!”

“Before opening the door, would you mind changing your appearance? If they come in now, they might think I have a twin.”

“Oh, yes!”

Kim Geon changed his appearance back to Kenji.

Now that he thought about it, Kenji’s look stood out a bit.

“…Perhaps, it’d be better to go as yourself.”

“Haha, understood.”

After entrusting Kim Kwon, who was slumped in his wheelchair, to the staff, Suho headed to Nexus Academy in Paju with Kim Geon in suit mode.