Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant - Chapter 54
Chapter 54
“Ah, Ahn Suho, Hunter?”
A startled Choi Yoon called Ahn Suho’s name, but Ahn Suho didn’t answer.
Instead, he summoned his Blood Sword, pointing it at Bang Dueok’s underlings and asked,
“Want to continue?”
At those words, Bang Dueok’s subordinates exchanged glances before slowly lowering their weapons.
There was no need for revenge.
In fact, the second-in-command of Bang Dueok’s group was the first to lay down his weapon on the ground and said,
“Let’s avoid any more trouble and just leave.”
As expected of the second-in-command.
He was quick to catch on.
If they let Ahn Suho go like this, he could take over Bang Dueok’s group for himself.
In response, Suho pointed his sword at the second-in-command and said,
“Bring back the entrance fee.”
“What?”
“You broke the rules, so you owe me a penalty.”
“…Understood.”
At those words, the second-in-command went into the tent, retrieved a bag containing the entrance fee, and handed it over to Suho.
Without checking the contents, Suho stored it in his inventory, then said to Choi Yoon,
“Shall we go?”
“Ah, yes!”
The two quickly got into Choi Yoon’s car, started it up, and began to drive away from the area.
As Bang Dueok’s group faded from view, Choi Yoon said,
“Thank you.”
“You should definitely thank me.”
“Huh?”
“I don’t accept empty gratitude. Pay me back next time.”
At this confident demand, Choi Yoon looked at Suho with a slightly baffled expression.
“You have quite a stern side, don’t you?”
“It’s just practical. Besides, I would have had to step in anyway.”
It was true.
Honestly, Choi Yoon wouldn’t have been able to handle the situation on her own.
“…I’m genuinely grateful.”
In response, Suho handed her his phone.
“Put in your direct line. I’ll be in touch.”
“…Alright.”
After saving Choi Yoon’s number, Suho remained silent for a while.
As they crossed back over the border and re-entered Paju, Suho got out near the academy instead of heading back to Paju Village.
Before they parted, Choi Yoon asked,
“Is it okay if I contact you first?”
“If you find a decent gate, yes.”
“Heh, got it.”
Without further hesitation, Suho walked away from her.
Choi Yoon watched Suho disappear in her rearview mirror and eventually chuckled.
“Way better than I thought…”
Vroom!
She restarted her car and drove off.
***
A few days passed.
During that time, Suho didn’t enter any gates or other locations but logged into Infinity to help train his team members.
As a result, the team members could now hold out against Suho’s avatar for an impressive full minute.
“Stop.”
“Huff… Huff…”
“Oh…”
“Phew…”
At the signal to stop, the team members collapsed on the floor, breathing heavily.
Suho nodded as he looked at his panting team.
“After a few intense days of training, you’re starting to look more capable.”
At those words, Seo Giwon spoke up.
“…Wouldn’t it be strange if we didn’t improve?”
“Of course. You should be improving; after all, I’m the one training you. And tomorrow is the day.”
“Tomorrow?”
“The gate raid I mentioned earlier is scheduled for tomorrow. Everyone needs to gather here by 9 a.m. We’ll head to the gate together from here.”
“So suddenly?”
“I told you to stay ready. So, are you saying you can’t handle it?”
“Oh. No, it’s fine.”
“Gates appear suddenly; that’s the nature of them. That’s why I’m letting you finish early today. Go rest up and come back in top condition.”
With those words, Suho took out his wallet and handed each person two 100,000-won bills.
“Grab some meat, hit the sauna, and I’ll see you all tomorrow. Good work.”
After saying this, Suho took Seo Giwon and returned to Kaiser Cheongdam.
Jo Jin-hwi wasn’t there.
It was only around 3 p.m., a time when he would typically still be at work.
As Seo Giwon slumped onto the sofa, exhausted, Suho spoke up.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m just trying to rest.”
“What rest? You’re going hunting with me.”
“…What?”
“You’re not at level 60 yet, are you?”
“Oh, no, I’m not.”
“Let’s get you to level 60 today so you’re ready for tomorrow’s gate. You haven’t done as much physical training as the others, right? So you should at least bring another skill to the table.”
“Ah…”
Suho was right.
As a mage, Seo Giwon hadn’t been pushed as hard in physical training.
‘Well, I’ll make him learn it later.’
But that time wasn’t now.
For someone like a mage, developing decent weapon skills in just a few days was unrealistic.
As Suho began setting up his laptop, Seo Giwon, watching, asked,
“By the way, hyungnim.”
“Yeah?”
“With my ability, can’t we level everyone together? Why am I the only one…”
“We should test it first.”
“Huh?”
“I grouped everyone into a team, but they haven’t actually worked together on anything yet. We need to build a minimum level of camaraderie before we can do anything collectively.”
“Oh…”
He wasn’t just saying it to be polite.
Even though he knew the future and had returned to the past, he still needed some basic rapport since he hadn’t worked with them formally yet.
For that purpose, he had chosen the Earth Keepers dungeon.
Suho smiled and extended his hand to Seo Giwon.
“Right now, you’re the one I trust most. So let’s get ready.”
“Oh… Yep!”
Seo Giwon’s eyes sparkled at Suho’s words.
***
The next day.
By 9 a.m., Suho’s team had gathered at the academy, where a van prepared by Guild Master Bae Dong-hyuk was already waiting.
And not only that.
Alongside the van, the customized equipment Suho had ordered for each member was also ready.
After having the team members change into the gear, Suho spoke.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
The vehicle started moving.
The Nexus hard gate wasn’t far from Seoul.
As they approached the gate, they saw the private square Nexus had built to control the Earth Keeper’s’ Mine.
In front of the square, Nexus members who had arrived early were bustling around, and as Suho stepped out of the car, Bae Dong-hyuk, who had arrived first, approached him.
“Hunter Ahn, thank you for coming all this way.”
“It’s nothing. The ride was comfortable, thanks to you. By the way, is that the Earth Keeper’s’ Mine over there?”
“Yes, it is. And, as you suggested, we’ve composed the mining team with everyone except Hunter Ahn’s team.”
It was true.
The people gathered weren’t just random laborers; they were professional Earth Keeper’s wearing Nexus uniforms, indicating that Nexus had invested significantly in putting this team together.
Suho glanced around at them and spoke.
“We’ll make sure not to incur any losses. Now, let’s proceed with the briefing.”
Nexus had already provided detailed information on the Earth Keeper’s’ Mine.
Of course, Suho already knew this place well, even the parts Nexus was unaware of.
But it would have looked suspicious if he hadn’t reviewed it, so he formally opened the file a couple of times.
After entering the control room, Suho sat the executives around a table, stepped forward, and pointed at the map of the mine Nexus had prepared.
“The strategy itself is simple. This mine, overflowing with Magic Stones, is also full of kobolds, colloquially called Earth Keeper’s. If we drive them out, we can monopolize the Magic Stones within the mine. So, we’re going to clear out all the Earth Keeper’s in the mine, collect as many Magic Stones as possible, defeat the boss, and conquer the gate.”
A concise explanation.
Everyone’s mouths fell open slightly.
Then, Administrator Kim Lee-gang asked,
“That’s it?”
“Yes. The documents you sent didn’t include information on the boss monster, correct? And when the boss fight begins, I’ll be handling it alone, so there’s no need to worry too much about the safety of the mining team. Now, does anyone have any questions?”
The executives looked at each other.
What more was there to ask about such a straightforward briefing?
Though it seemed dubious, they had no choice but to trust him.
After all, this was Suho.
Suho continued,
“To summarize one last time, all profits from this gate will belong to Nexus.”
Because it was a sensitive matter, Suho addressed it first.
Bae Dong-hyuk and the other executives looked visibly relieved by Suho’s consideration.
“Then, we’ll be counting on you, Hunter Ahn.”
“Yes, I’ll do my best.”
Everything was set.
Some guilds hold rituals before tackling a tough gate, but Suho had requested that they refrain, so now only the actual entry remained.
Before entering the gate, Suho exchanged greetings with Mining Team Leader Ahn Sung-won.
“Stay at the very back. Once we signal, you can start mining at your leisure.”
“Yes, I’ll trust you, Hunter Ahn.”
Finally, led by Suho, the entire raid team began entering the square.
Just as Suho reached the gate portal,
[Entering the gate.]
[Retrieving gate information.]
[Earth Keeper’s’ Mine]
– Entry Condition: Level 88 or below.
– Maximum number of entrants: 56.
The Earth Keeper’s’ Mine allowed up to 56 people.
Therefore, apart from the six-person raid team, the remaining 50 members were all Earth Keeper’s.
Suho, along with the rest of the raid team, began entering through the gate portal.
***
The moment they crossed the portal and entered the gate,
Their surroundings changed, revealing an ordinary forest.
But just a bit further ahead, there was the mine entrance, guarded by kobold Earth Keeper’s.
Once Suho confirmed that all raid team members had entered, he addressed his team.
“You know the drill. Dae-han, you stay in the rear while Giwon supports you, and everyone else follows me in formation.”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll lead the way and clear the path first. This will be a lengthy mission, so manage your stamina wisely. Above all, remember that the Earth Keeper’s’ safety is our top priority.”
“Yes!”
“Stay sharp. This isn’t Kunlun; if you die here, there’s no coming back.”
Once everyone nodded, Suho summoned the Phantom Spear.
Then, he threw it directly at a Miner kobold guarding the entrance.
Crunch!
As it pierced one kobold’s head, he immediately transformed the weapon into a Blood Spear with Blood Weapon, spearing through another kobold’s head.
After retrieving both the Phantom Spear and Blood Spear, Suho formed a new Blood Sword and absorbed the fallen kobold Earth Keeper’s’ blood.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, he headed straight into the mine.
From the back, Mining Team Leader Ahn Sung-won, who had been watching Suho’s actions, muttered in awe.
“Wow… He’s really unstoppable.”
“Isn’t he?”
“Hm? You sound like you’ve never seen him like this before.”
“We haven’t. This is our first time seeing the team leader in action.”
“Oh…?”
“Let’s follow him quickly.”
“Yes.”
The raid team members finally began to follow Suho into the mine slowly.