Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant - Chapter 51
Chapter 51
Bang Dueok, the Woodcutter.
That was the nickname he earned when he gained notoriety for human trafficking.
The reason he was called the Woodcutter was simple.
For a long time, human traffickers referred to kidnapped people as “logs,” and Bang Dueok consumed so many people that he was like a woodcutter.
‘So, that guy was also part of the Union?’
Later, Bang Dueok would be captured by the Korean Hunter Association’s Special Division and sentenced to life imprisonment.
However, during the investigation, no documents indicated he was affiliated with the Union.
So it seemed strange.
Suho asked,
“Is that man the owner of this gate?”
“Yes.”
Apparently, Bang Dueok was the gate owner.
This was information not even found in the Library of Memories.
Which made sense, as all he knew was that Choi Yoon managed the Twisted Forest.
Then, as Bang Dueok stood in front of the two, he looked at Suho and let out a laugh.
“Well, well, Ahn Suho, the famous Hunter, in person? What brings someone as renowned as you here?”
In response, Choi Yoon answered in Suho’s stead.
“Why else would we come? It’s because of the gate. We discussed this earlier — can we enter right now?”
“Yes, you can. But…”
Narrowing his eyes, Bang Dueok looked Suho up and down before speaking.
“I’ve been thinking… even if it’s someone else, for a Hunter like you who cleared two Sealed Gates on his own, it doesn’t really add up.”
“Sorry?”
“Well, let’s be honest. Why would a gate owner sell entry tickets? It’s because they assume people can’t clear the gate, right? But if it’s you, Ahn Hunter… it’s just…”
Just as expected from someone nicknamed the Woodcutter; he had a sharp mind when it came to things like this.
And he did have a point.
Just as he said, Suho’s goal was to clear the gate after only paying the entry fee.
But so what?
Wasn’t that the risk involved in selling gate entry tickets?
Just as Suho was about to respond,
“So, are you trying to raise the price now that we’re here?”
It was Choi Yoon who spoke first.
With a firm expression, she crossed her arms and stared straight at Bang Dueok.
Bang Dueok, with a sly grin, tried to step back.
“No, no, I was just thinking out loud… there’s no way I’d raise the price right here on the spot, right?”
Seeing Choi Yoon’s resolute attitude, Bang Dueok closed his mouth.
It wasn’t that he feared Choi Yoon herself.
But he had to be mindful of the Union she was affiliated with.
Watching Choi Yoon, Suho nodded inwardly.
‘As expected of Choi Yoon. She mediates things well, just like a seasoned broker.’
Thankfully, this meant he didn’t need to step in himself.
If things had gone south, Suho had been prepared to cut down everyone here.
He wasn’t worried about the aftermath.
They were nothing more than criminals, after all.
Even if things got complicated, Pi Seongyeol would take care of it.
Choi Yoon nodded and spoke to Suho.
“Looks like we’re all set. Shall we pay up and go in now?”
Thanks to her mediation, Suho took out a bag of money and handed it to her, and she counted the bills in front of Bang Dueok, taking two bundles as her share.
“This is the agreed commission.”
“Isn’t 20% a bit too high?”
“The safer the platform, the higher the commission. Besides, you should consider yourself lucky — I brought a customer to an unadvertised gate.”
“Except that customer is Ahn Suho.”
Instead of responding, she simply smiled and turned to Suho.
“Everything’s ready. I’ll wait outside until you come out, so please go ahead and enter.”
The reason she waited outside was to ensure the safety of the ticket buyer.
There were many cases where thugs ambushed unsuccessful ticket buyers as they exited.
Thus, it was essential for gate brokers to possess not only skill and information but also the power to guarantee the safety and fairness of the transaction.
‘That’s why gate brokers are so rare.’
As Suho nodded, Bang Dueok took out an item from his pocket and activated it.
The gate, hidden by the item’s effect, finally appeared before everyone’s eyes.
Bang Dueok grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth.
“Good luck.”
Suho exchanged a glance with Choi Yoon before heading toward the gate portal.
[ Entering the gate. ]
[ Retrieving gate information. ]
[ Twisted Forest ]
– Entry Condition: Level 99 or below.
– Maximum Entry: 8 people or fewer.
The gate information displayed.
It was the same information he remembered from his past life.
After confirming the entry conditions, Suho stepped into the gate portal without hesitation.
***
Upon entering the gate, the surroundings changed.
Green foliage.
Or rather, what once had been green foliage.
This place, modeled as a vast jungle, resembled an actual jungle at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it was clear it was withering away.
After all, this was the “Twisted Forest.”
‘I never thought I’d actually come to the Twisted Forest in my lifetime.’
Though he hadn’t been here before, he knew exactly what kind of place this was.
There had once been a person who rose to fame for discovering items here.
And Suho had come here to acquire just that.
Summoning Guiyeongchang, Suho slowly advanced forward.
After a while,
Creeeak… Crack.
The sound of wood splitting echoed.
Stopping in his tracks, Suho widened his field of vision.
At the same time, he activated a skill.
[ Mana Detection activated. ]
As Mana Detection took effect, odd green glows appeared in his field of view.
The green, mana-emitting entities were wrapped around several trees, indicating they weren’t ordinary trees.
Moving with a crackling sound, they were tree-type monsters known as “Ents.”
“Grrrooo…”
The Ents twisted and rose, like zombies rising from the ground.
Rising up, they revealed their ghostly faces, with yellow eyes hidden somewhere within their wooden bodies.
– Twisted Ent Lv. 91
– Twisted Ent Lv. 90
– Twisted Ent Lv. 93
The Ents were at a minimum level of 90.
The first three to appear were all that high.
Suho activated a skill on the Guiyeongchang in his hand.
[ Holy Power activated. ]
As Holy Power activated, a pure white light wrapped around Guiyeongchang.
Among the Ents rising up, Suho threw Guiyeongchang toward one.
[ Spear Throw activated. ]
Crash!
Propelled by Spear Throw, Guiyeongchang flew straight into the middle of one Ent’s forehead.
At the same time, Suho activated Blood Weapon and summoned a Blood Sword into his hand.
“Normally, an axe would be better for chopping wood, but you’re not ordinary trees.”
In that instant, two Ents roared and charged toward Suho in rage at his initial attack.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The enormous trees, towering over four meters tall, extended their claw-like hands as they rushed toward Suho.
Suho gripped the Blood Sword with both hands.
He didn’t enchant it with Holy Power.
There was something he wanted to check.
As one Ent swung a massive hand down toward him, Suho firmly swung his sword vertically with both hands.
[ Decapitate activated. ]
Slice!
A brilliant white arc swept through, forming a crescent.
But the sword didn’t slice all the way through.
It halted around the Ent’s forearm.
The wood of the Ent’s arm was simply too tough.
“Hmm.”
Suho tightened his grip and withdrew the sword.
Then, he swung it again.
This time, it sliced cleanly, severing one of the Ent’s massive hands.
“Graaaagh!”
The Ent let out a shriek.
But it wasn’t out of pain.
These creatures didn’t experience pain.
They merely raged at the loss of a part of their body.
Then, the second Ent thrust its hands forward like spears, attacking Suho.
Boom!
The ground where Suho had stood caved in deeply.
But Suho wasn’t there.
He’d seen its movements and moved away in advance.
Standing several steps back, Suho narrowed his eyes in thought.
‘Is it because they’re level 90? They’re not cut down in one strike.’
Suho’s current level was 59.
The Ents’ levels started at 90, a gap of at least 30 levels.
If his memory was correct, the creature ruling over the Mine of the Earthlings was far stronger and more durable than these Ents.
‘I should start preparing.’
Though this world had turned into something like a game, it didn’t operate like an online or VR game.
Even with similar levels and conditions, a single variable could mean death at the hands of a far weaker opponent in this reality.
Just like that nameless swordmaster in the Nameless Sword Gate.
So Suho raised his sword again and approached the creatures.
He deliberately refrained from using Holy Power.
What he needed to do from now on had to be achieved purely by his own strength, without any assistance from auxiliary abilities like Holy Power.
***
How much time had passed?
Suho slowly advanced forward.
In the Twisted Forest, he continually wielded his sword against all the creatures as though they were training dummies.
He didn’t perform horizontal or diagonal slashes.
What he executed was solely a vertical
slash, a skill called “Decapitate.”
Because of this, the advance was far slower than in his previous gate battles.
But that was fine.
After all, patience was bitter, but its fruit was sweet, and the item Suho was after was notoriously difficult to acquire.
He was confident in obtaining it.
After all, it was a level he had reached once before.
Suho checked his status window.
[ Ahn Suho ]
– Lv: 63
– Class: Healer
– Trait: New Blood
– Strength (R): 42
– Vitality (R): 25
– Mana (R): 25
– Perception (R): 25
– Bonus Stats: 0
From hunting monsters alone, he had raised his level by four.
All the bonus stats gained in the process had been invested in Strength.
That wasn’t all he gained.
Upon reaching level 60, Suho examined his new Healer skill.
[ Heal ]
– Grade: F
# Light of Healing A → Heal F
# As Light of Healing reached its highest grade, it evolved into a much stronger healing skill, “Heal.”
# Consumes mana to quickly heal a designated area with minor regenerative ability.
The new skill’s name was none other than “Heal.”
Heal was an upgraded skill of Light of Healing. Although it had reverted to F rank, its effectiveness surpassed even the A rank Light of Healing.
‘Until level 40, I received one class skill per level. Then at level 50, all previous class skills were upgraded to A rank… from level 60 onward, they undergo sequential upgrades again.’
At level 100, another choice would present itself.
A significant choice that would offer a career transformation.
After confirming his skills, Suho began to advance slowly once more.
After some time,
[ The boss monster has appeared. ]
At last, Suho came face-to-face with the master of the Twisted Forest.