Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant - Chapter 97

Chapter 97

However, Suho was serious.

In the long run, he knew he should join the Special Department, but for now, there was more to gain in the Gate Department.

‘If I joined the Special Department, I’d probably end up chasing people around.’

Moreover, staying in the Gate Department allowed him to build a connection with Jung Chulmin.

Since he had returned to the past, the bond between them wasn’t as close as it had once been.

‘That’s the most regrettable part. Losing all the relationships I had built.’

But it was alright.

Jung Chulmin was a good person, and there was no reason he couldn’t rebuild the camaraderie and rapport they’d once shared.

In fact, having already experienced it once, he was confident he could establish a stronger connection than before.

‘Of course, it won’t be exactly the same…….’

But if there were benefits, there would also be downsides.

Suho thought this was a price he had to be willing to pay.

Hearing Suho’s words, Jung Chulmin looked at him for a while, then narrowed his eyes.

Soon, however, his brows relaxed, his lips parted, then closed again.

It was confusion.

If it had been an ordinary person, or rather, if anyone else had said this, he would have laughed it off as nonsense.

But it wasn’t just anyone—it was Suho.

Ahn Suho, the Sword God.

He had tackled several Sealed Gates alone, and he might genuinely become the unprecedented legend of the Korean Hunter Association.

Thinking of this, and knowing Suho was in a completely different league, Jung Chulmin unconsciously swallowed dryly.

Above all else—

‘I want to work with Suho too……!’

This was the most enticing prospect.

After a long pause, Jung Chulmin asked.

“Are you serious?”

“Of course, I am. I’m not in a position to joke around with you, am I?”

“……”

He was even humble.

Jung Chulmin nodded and asked.

“Alright. But no matter how I think about it, I can’t see how I can help. Can you explain your plan first?”

“Of course. It’s actually quite simple. Right now, Director Pi Seongyeol is making sure everyone knows he intends to bring me over to the Special Department as soon as training ends.”

“That’s…….”

“Frankly, you’ve noticed that too, haven’t you? I was there with you, after all.”

“……”

He couldn’t deny it.

Jung Chulmin wasn’t a fool, and with years of experience in public service, he could easily pick up on such cues.

Suho continued.

“So, I decided to keep it simple. If Director Pi has the power to appoint personnel as he likes, then I’ll bring in someone with more authority than him.”

“Someone with more authority than the manager? There are officially only two such people in the association, but…… don’t tell me you’re thinking of the Vice President?”

No way.

Pi Seongyeol never thought of himself as being on the same level as Park Kyumin from the start.

Suho shook his head.

“Of course not. I was thinking of the President.”

“The President?”

“You said it yourself. There are two factions within the Association, but there’s one person who stands apart from both.”

“Yes, well. That would indeed be the President. But he stays out of it because he’s the top leader and doesn’t care. How do you intend to involve him?”

“If he’s uninterested, we’ll make him interested. The President’s next goal is to aim higher than the Korean Hunter Association. What if internal issues hindered his promotion?”

“……He’d step in to resolve it, right?”

“Yes, that’s it exactly. I plan to use media play to prompt the President into action. A headline like…… ‘The Korean Hunter Association, the Royal, and the Special Department’ should do the trick, don’t you think?”

“……!”

Jung Chulmin’s eyes widened in surprise.

The Korean Hunter Association, the Royal, and the Special Department.

To anyone, these three keywords would immediately suggest an unacceptable, corrupt promotion structure.

“Currently, I’m the only one referred to as ‘Royal’ in the Association. If there truly were a Royal and I was assigned to the Special Department, wouldn’t the public be outraged?”

“It’d be more than just noisy. Journalists would flood the headlines with sensational stories day after day.”

“That would place enormous pressure on the President. And at that point, if I were assigned to the Gate Department instead of the Special Department, the controversy would die down quickly, wouldn’t it?”

“It would, but…… there’s no guarantee that it would specifically be the Gate Department.”

“That’s why I’m asking for your help, Team Leader.”

“……Pardon?”

“If a commotion breaks out, any department besides the Special Department will have to take me in. From Director Pi’s perspective, would he want to send me to the Management or Awakened Departments, both aligned with the Vice President? The remaining options would then be the Resources Department or the Gate Department…… and I have no desire to join Resources.”

“Why not…… No, I can understand why.”

“Yes, if I went there, I’d be hounded every day to produce research results and might end up dying from overwork. So I need your assistance, Team Leader. After all, the Gate Department is already under Director Pi’s jurisdiction, and we’re already acquainted. Director Pi will likely place me in the Gate Department, planning to bring me over later.”

That truly was the most ideal outcome.

As Jung Chulmin nodded, Suho smiled softly and said.

“And, above all, I want to work with you, Team Leader.”

“Haha, you keep emphasizing that. Are you really serious?”

“Absolutely, I am. In fact, you’re the only person I feel close to here in the Association.”

“‘Only person close to you?’ Everyone likes you.”

“Liking me and being close to me are two different things. They all burdensome to me. Especially the President, Vice President, and Director Pi. Oh, and the Resources Department is obviously included. That’s why I want to work with you, Team Leader. Besides……”

Suho shifted his gaze, looking at the wide plains of the Iron Valley stretched out before him.

“As I mentioned in my interview, my goal is the end of all Gates. If I’m in the Gate Department, I’ll be the first to know about any Gates that appear, won’t I?”

A reason that was both personal and realistic.

Because of this, there wasn’t much to argue against.

Jung Chulmin swallowed a bitter laugh and turned his gaze forward.

After mulling it over for a while, he turned back to Suho.

“Alright. But I can’t guarantee anything. I might look like I have authority, but Team Leader isn’t as powerful as it seems.”

“Oh, but I believe in you, Team Leader.”

“Don’t place too much trust in me. I’m really not that influential.”

“Haha, even so, I want to believe.”

“Sigh……”

Jung Chulmin closed his mouth.

Then, after ruffling his hair, he pulled out a cigarette from his pocket.

“Mind if I smoke?”

“Of course, go ahead.”

Flick—Ssssss……

The cigarette lit up and began to burn.

He needed it after the overwhelming things he had just heard.

Suho sipped his coffee and said.

“This is all quite amusing. This coffee, showing me around the Iron Valley… Isn’t this all a Gate Department tradition to lure people in?”

“……How did you know that?”

“Everyone just casually mentions it. ‘Be careful about this if you join the Gate Department~’ they say.”

“Oh, geez……”

“But, doesn’t this mean your plan succeeded? I’m sitting here saying I want to join the Gate Department myself.”

“True. If I had known this would happen, I would’ve taken you to some Gate closer to Seoul.”

“Oh, but that would be different. I actually wanted to visit the Iron Valley.”

“Do you have a reason?”

“There’s a rumor, right? That if you capture all the lions here, something amazing appears.”

“……Who told you that?”

“The internet.”

“That’s all nonsense. You know why this Gate was designated as a Sealed Gate, don’t you?”

“Of course. It’s because there was no boss monster, so it was designated a public Gate, but then a boss monster suddenly appeared one day, right? Wasn’t it called the Monster Lion?”

The Monster Lion.

It was exactly as it sounded.

This place had originally been a public Gate, similar to the Tower of Trials.

Public Gates had several conditions.

1. They had to be accessible.

2. Monsters had to be summoned continuously.

3. The Gate would not be cleared even if all monsters were defeated.

Whether or not there was a boss monster didn’t matter much.

As long as the Gate remained uncleared, it didn’t matter.

But then, a “Monster Lion” suddenly appeared in what was thought to be a permanently public Gate like the Iron Valley.

The name ‘Monster Lion’ wasn’t just a nickname.

Its actual name was Monster Lion, so it was called that.

And that wasn’t all.

This creature, in a Gate with a level cap of 99, was a one-star monster exceeding level 100 and was far stronger than any other monsters of similar levels, completely disrupting the ecosystem of the public Gate with its overwhelming strength.

So, initially, quite a few people had attempted to challenge the Monster Lion.

‘In the face of its overwhelming power, many players died.’

Its most challenging feature, in particular, was its incredibly tough hide, similar to steel.

‘It’s known to be practically indestructible.’

Thus, it earned the nickname “Indestructible Hide.”

It was no exaggeration.

Several elite teams, each composed of 40 players below level 99, had challenged the Monster Lion, but none had managed to leave a single scratch on its hide.

And so, the Iron Valley was sealed.

No point in sending players against a creature impervious to both physical and magical attacks.

Jung Chulmin spoke.

“But that’s not the only problem.”

“A different issue?”

“Yes. Its hide is one thing, its magical resistance another, but this crazy monster began leveling up over time.”

It was true.

Although it started at level 100, the creature’s level had already surpassed 110.

It hadn’t been leveling by devouring players.

It simply grew stronger over time, steadily increasing its level on its own.

“So we had no choice but to seal it. With the entry limit set below level 99, how could anyone defeat a monster now over level 110?”

They couldn’t.

No, under normal circumstances, it was impossible for an ordinary player.

But Suho was no ordinary player.

Smiling, Suho asked.

“But what if I could defeat it?”

“……You?”

“Yes, I have a feeling I can.”

Jung Chulmin set down his coffee cup and slightly parted his lips.

“Was the Monster Lion your target from the beginning?”

“Haha, I won’t deny it.”

“Oh, geez……”

Jung Chulmin laughed dryly.

But at this point, who couldn’t guess Suho’s intentions?

Suho spoke.

“Please, could you make it happen?”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, I’m absolutely serious. I haven’t entered a Gate in so long because of the training, and honestly, my body’s itching for action.”

“But even so, do you know what this place is……?”

“That’s why I’m asking for your help while you’re still here. I’m no longer with a guild, and as a member of the Korean Hunter Association, I can’t just enter any Gate at will. Procedures need to be followed.”

“Ugh……”

“Think of it this way. Honestly, Sealed Gates are a drain on the nation’s taxes, so if I clear it, it’s a win-win, right?”

“That may be true, but…… now you’re considered a national asset, so letting you act recklessly would cause trouble.”

“That’s why I’m secretly asking for your help. During our internal evaluation here, the Monster Lion suddenly attacks us. In the chaos, I step in to protect you and end up fighting the Monster Lion…… How does that sound?”

“Are you saying…… you think that’s believable?”

“And one more thing.”

“One more?”

“Aren’t you curious?”

“About what?”

“How I’ll handle a fight in a Sealed Gate.”

A subtle smile on Suho’s face.

And at that moment—

Gulp—

Jung Chulmin swallowed dryly, almost involuntarily.

Because truthfully, he was curious.

To see how Ahn Suho, the Sword God, would conquer a Sealed Gate.