Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant

Chapter 126

Su-ho followed Jeong Cheol-min into an empty meeting room.

Jeong turned on the lights and said, “Let’s talk here.”

“You’re avoiding someone, aren’t you?”

“Of course. If I stay out there, the other team leader will keep talking my ear off. Want some coffee?”

“I’ll make it.”

“How are you going to make it when you don’t even know where anything is?”

“I noticed where everything was earlier. Just a moment.”

Su-ho headed to the pantry with practiced ease and returned shortly with two cups of hot Americano.

Jeong took a sip and chuckled. “Not bad. How are you good at even making coffee?”

“Haha, it’s not exactly rocket science. By the way, are you going to show me my desk later?”

“What? Haha, of course. Were you about to get upset because I didn’t show it to you first?”

“Come on, I’m not that petty. So, what should I start working on?”

Jeong smiled at Su-ho’s enthusiasm. “You’re eager, huh?”

“It’s my first day as a full-fledged employee. Of course, I’m excited.”

“That’s the right attitude. But about what we discussed earlier—were you serious?”

Jeong was referring to their previous conversation about the tasks the Special Management Team hadn’t been able to handle, like tackling sealed gates.

Su-ho nodded. “I don’t say things I don’t mean.”

“I know that… I figured you’d say that. Honestly, it’d be ridiculous not to use someone as skilled as you for gate missions. But you know how it is. You’re such a high-value asset that if something went wrong, people would start pointing fingers.”

“At who?”

“Who else? Jang Kyung-hwan and Pi Seong-yeol, obviously.”

That was inevitable.

The Gate Division had only gotten Su-ho because public opinion had prevented his transfer to the Special Division. If they recklessly assigned him to a dangerous mission and he got seriously injured or killed, the blame would fall squarely on Jeong.

“He’d take the heat like no one else.”

It wouldn’t just be criticism—he’d be completely blacklisted.

For most people in Jeong’s position, Su-ho’s request would be hard to grant.

But this was Jeong Cheol-min.

A typical office worker might be focused on self-preservation, but Jeong had recognized Su-ho’s potential from the moment they met. He had even imagined what it would be like to work with someone like him, solving problems that the Special Team could never tackle on their own.

And now, Su-ho had proven himself to be more capable than Jeong had dared to hope.

Su-ho grinned and asked, “So, are you going to put me to use or not?”

“How could I not? As much as it pains me to send my subordinates into trials and tribulations, we’re Awakened civil servant hunters. It’s our duty to rise to the challenge. Especially you—An Su-ho, the Sword Saint. Speaking of which…”

Jeong stepped over to his desk and returned with a set of documents. These were records of gates that Jeong had personally organized.

He handed them to Su-ho and said, “You know it won’t be easy to get approval for this work through normal channels, right?”

“Yes, I imagine it would get rejected the moment it hit the department head’s desk.”

“That’s why, if you really want to tackle these tasks, we should go with your approach.”

“My approach?”

“Act first, report later. And maybe sprinkle in a bit of media exposure.”

“If you openly handle a sealed gate as part of the Gate Division and get some favorable articles published, the Association President, who’s so sensitive to public opinion, will have no choice but to back you.”

Hearing this, Su-ho nearly burst out laughing. The plan aligned perfectly with what he had envisioned.

“This is why I can’t help but like Jeong.”

This was exactly how Su-ho had wanted to handle things. However, since he had a direct superior, he had wanted to follow proper procedures and get official approval to avoid disrespecting Jeong.

Su-ho smiled and asked, “Do you really think this will work?”

“Why wouldn’t it?”

“Honestly, I thought the same thing. But I held back because I didn’t want to act on my own.”

“You’re something else... Alright, let’s go for it. I’ve even narrowed down the options to relatively safe targets. Of course, calling a sealed gate ‘safe’ is a stretch, but you get the idea.”

“Got it!” Su-ho said enthusiastically.

Jeong began explaining the gates he had shortlisted, and Su-ho listened intently.

“Not bad.”

There weren’t many sealed gates that could be considered bad choices. Due to their high difficulty, most of them came with decent rewards. Su-ho had planned to clear all the gates owned by the Association anyway, so he decided to start with one of Jeong’s suggestions.

“Do I get to choose?” Su-ho asked.

“I’d like to give you the freedom to choose, but it might be better to pick one with solid reasoning, just in case.”

“That makes sense.”

Su-ho scanned the list and pointed to one. “Then I’ll go with this one.”

“Why that one?”

“The gate’s characteristics don’t affect me.”

“What do you mean? Why not?”

In response, Su-ho activated a skill and began explaining it to Jeong.

Jeong’s eyes widened in shock. “So everything you’ve done so far has been…?”

“Yes. That’s why it won’t be an issue for me.”

“I see… With that, this gate would definitely be advantageous for you. But is your level high enough?”

“It’s more than enough.”

Having convinced Jeong in one go, Su-ho deactivated the skill and smirked.

In truth, his reasoning was just a convenient excuse. The real reason he had chosen this gate was much simpler.

“It’s the closest one to the Association.”

Of course, saying that outright would make him seem crazy. So he provided a more practical explanation.

“When can I head out?” Su-ho asked.

“I’ll call the gate manager and let them know. You can go whenever you’re ready.”

“Then I’ll leave right now.”

“Right now?”

“Yes. It’s work hours, isn’t it?”

“Unbelievable... Fine. I’ll prepare the necessary paperwork, so don’t worry about that.”

“Oh no, it’s alright. I’d like to write the first report myself.”

“Do you even know how to write a report?”

“Piece of cake.”

“Forget it. I’ll handle it. If I’m not doing the paperwork, what’s the point of me being team leader? You handle the fieldwork, and I’ll handle the rest.”

“You need to get promoted soon. And make sure to pull me up with you.”

“Yeah, right. Like someone who climbed up by exploiting their subordinates would actually help them later.”

“Haha.”

Su-ho stood up and picked up the two empty coffee cups. “I’ll throw these out on my way. See you later.”

“Later? You talk about sealed gates like you’re just going for a casual stroll.”

“Well, we’ll see, won’t we?”

Su-ho walked out first.

Watching him leave, Jeong shook his head in disbelief.

***

As soon as Su-ho left the meeting room, he called Jo Jin-hwi.

– "Yes, Mr. An."

“I’m heading to a sealed gate now. Would you like to come along for coverage?”

– “Oh! That’s fantastic news! I’ll head out right away.”

“Alright, I’ll send you the location via text. I’ll be waiting at the entrance.”

With Jo Jin-hwi on board, the final preparations were complete.

Su-ho got into his car and started driving.

The gate wasn’t far away.

It couldn’t be, as this particular gate was located in Seoul.

When Su-ho arrived at Gaehwa Station on the outskirts of Seoul, he met up with Jo, and they switched to Su-ho’s car.

Jo, getting into the passenger seat, remarked, “I could drive, you know.”

“It makes more sense for the authorized personnel to be behind the wheel when entering a sealed zone.”

“Fair point. By the way, how long do you think this gate will take?”

“Not long. By my standards, the difficulty isn’t that high.”

“You’re probably the only person in the world who can talk about sealed gates like that.”

“Haha, you might be right.”

When they arrived at the sealed zone, military personnel stopped Su-ho’s vehicle for inspection.

However, upon seeing Su-ho’s government-issued ID, they immediately granted him entry.

Watching this, Jo furrowed his brows in amazement.

“Wow... This is power, isn’t it? True. Official. Power.”

“Haha, it’s not power; it’s just part of the job.”

“Oh, forgive me, sir. Your humble servant is overwhelmed by the majesty of your government authority.”

After indulging in some banter, they finally arrived at the square.

When Su-ho’s car pulled up, the site manager came out to greet him.

“You’re from the Great Korea Hunter Association, correct? I received the notification. I’m Im Yeon-hyeon, the manager here.”

“I’m An Su-ho. I also brought a reporter with me.”

“A reporter?”

At the mention of a reporter, Im Yeon-hyeon’s eyes sparkled with interest.

It wasn’t hard to figure out why. Bringing a reporter to a sealed gate was a bold move, signaling a high level of confidence in the mission.

And this wasn’t just anyone—it was the renowned Sword Saint, An Su-ho.

Clearing his throat, Im asked cautiously, “Ahem, as you’re surely aware, you know what kind of gate this is, correct?”

“Yes, I’m well aware. That’s why I’m here.”

“How long do you think it will take to clear it?”

“Well, I’ll have to see once I get started, but based on my calculations, it shouldn’t take too long.”

“Understood.”

Hearing that it wouldn’t take long, Im’s smile grew even wider. Perhaps he was entertaining the thought of finally being relieved of this post.

Noticing this, Jo leaned in close to Su-ho as they walked and whispered, “That guy’s strange. Being a square manager is considered one of the cushiest jobs. Why does he look so happy about this?”

“Who knows? While it’s true that the position is comfortable, it doesn’t really help with career advancement.”

“Ah? It doesn’t?”

“Only tough assignments improve your evaluation scores. Since squares are relatively safe, they don’t contribute much to promotions, unless something very special happens.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Well, I’ll be going now.”

Su-ho gave a polite bow and entered the square.

Following the open path, he soon came across an ancient-looking portal.

[You are entering the gate.]
[Loading gate information.]
[Swamp of the Mountain]

– Entry conditions: None.
– Maximum participants: 2.

The Swamp of the Mountain was the sealed gate Su-ho had chosen to clear.

Although it had no specific entry conditions, the maximum number of participants was limited to two.

“That’s what makes it tricky.”

As soon as Su-ho entered the gate, his surroundings began to shift.

***

Upon entering the gate, Su-ho found himself enveloped in pitch-black darkness.

The surroundings were shrouded in shadows.

But Su-ho quickly adjusted.

[Due to the effects of Original Vampire, you are unaffected by darkness.]

Thanks to the Vampire Effect, his vision adapted seamlessly to the dark environment, revealing the arched ceiling above him, shaped like that of a cave.

However, this was no ordinary cave.

“Let’s test the rumors, shall we?”

Glancing around, Su-ho summoned his Blood Sword and stabbed it into the wall of the gate’s interior.

That’s when it happened.

– KUUOOOOOOOOHHH!!!

The entire cavern began to tremble.

A deafening scream reverberated through the space, tearing at the air.

The sound echoed endlessly, as if the very walls of the gate were alive and reacting to his intrusion.