Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant

Chapter 87

Nam Hae-won waved his card with a satisfied grin.

“What’s the point of having money if you don’t use it? With this, I don’t need to lug around a heavy bag and hurt my arms.”

“Well, aren’t you something…” Su-ho muttered, shaking his head.

“Wow, Hae-won hyung’s way of thinking is next level. I should learn from him,” Seo Gi-won added enthusiastically.

“Learn what? Does that look like healthy spending habits to you?”

“Still, he earned that money fair and square, and it’s not like he spent it on anything bad. I’d say it’s reasonable.”

“...Fair point.”

Now that he thought about it, that made sense.

Buoyed by Seo Gi-won’s support, Nam Hae-won wore a smug expression as he plopped down at the dining table.

“It’s my money, so it’s my choice how I spend it, right? Besides, I’ve always wanted to travel like this at least once. You have no idea how hard it was living in that dingy little place in Yeongdeungpo all those years.”

“Fair enough. Do whatever you want. But first, eat.”

“Wow, let’s dig in!”

Nam Hae-won started eating with obvious joy, his face lighting up at each bite.

Watching him, Su-ho couldn’t help but notice how much he’d changed in the time they hadn’t seen each other.

“You know,” Su-ho said, “your face looks a lot better now. I’m not joking—it’s like your skin has cleared up.”

“Probably because I’m not stressed anymore. They say the biggest enemies of healthy skin are stress and UV rays.”

“Hmm, that makes sense. So, does this mean your break is over?”

“Yep, completely over. I’ve been everywhere I wanted to go across the country, so I think I’ve gotten it all out of my system.”

“Where left the biggest impression?”

“Busan.”

“Donkin Donuts?”

“Are you seriously making jokes that old? That store closed down after a Gate incident.”

“Is that so? Then… gukbap?”

“Gukbap’s great, but surprisingly, Busan is all about street food.”

“Street food? There’s no shortage of that in Seoul.”

“Busan’s different. There are these amazing tteokbokki and gimbap places. Maybe it’s the local pride mixed in, but it tasted incredible.”

“Listen to this guy talking about ‘pride’ when he just finished rehab. What kind of pride are we talking about?”

“Ugh, come on! It’s not that kind of pride. I mean vibes, okay? Vibes!”

“Alright, sorry. So, what now? Got any plans?”

“Not really. I figured I’d think about it after I got back. Besides, I don’t need to make any more of the Hammer Series, right?”

The Hammer Series, the anti-narcotics Su-ho and Hae-won had developed to combat the Changshik gang’s drug victims, was no longer necessary now that all the victims had been treated.

At that, Seo Gi-won, who had been quietly listening, smirked and asked slyly, “Then can we send Hae-won hyung to that place now?”

That place clearly referred to the Digitization Dungeon.

Now that Hae-won’s rehab was complete and the Changshik gang’s victims had been helped, it was indeed time for him to start leveling up, just as Seo Gi-won had hinted.

But Su-ho shook his head.

“No, Hae-won still has one more thing to do with me.”

“Something to do?”

Both men looked at Su-ho curiously.

Su-ho bit into a slice of pizza before answering, “Making clothes.”

“Clothes?”

“Yeah, but not the kind you’re thinking of. These are clothes only you can make.”

“Clothes like that exist?”

“They do. But let’s eat first.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hae-won stacked two slices of pizza together, dipped them generously into garlic sauce, and took a big bite, his appetite matching his newfound enthusiasm for life.

***

After the meal, Su-ho began hauling the delivery boxes that had started arriving upstairs to Nam Hae-won’s lab on the second floor.

Watching the boxes pile up in his workspace, Hae-won asked in disbelief,
“Team Leader… What is all this?”

“I told you, we’re making clothes.”

“This much stuff?”

“We’re only making one outfit. All this is just the materials for that one piece.”

“What kind of clothes are you even trying to make? Are you sure this is even clothing?”

“What else would it be? You think I’m making fake clothes?”

At Su-ho’s response, Hae-won opened one of the boxes and frowned as he looked inside.

“What’s all this? You said it was for clothes, but it’s just a bunch of… stones?”

“Not just stones. Those are Slime Stones.”

“Slime Stones?”

“You’ve never heard of them?”

“I know what they are, but…”

Slime Stones were fragments of a slime monster’s body. When pieces of a slime detached from the main body, they hardened into rock-like substances through exposure to mana.

On their own, Slime Stones had no particular function—they were just solidified bits of slime.

But for the outfit Su-ho was planning to create, they were crucial.

Hae-won picked up one of the stones and held it under a light.

“These really are Slime Stones… But as far as I know, these are junk-tier materials nobody even bothers picking up. Are you sure you need them for this?”

“I wouldn’t have bought them if I didn’t.”

“How are they supposed to help?”

“They’ll serve as the fabric for the outfit. Your job is to synthesize them all into a single piece.”

“All of these?!”

Hae-won’s eyes widened in shock at Su-ho’s words.

It wasn’t surprising—half the lab was already filled with boxes, and more were still being brought in by the delivery staff.

But Su-ho remained calm.

“Don’t worry. The overall size won’t increase. Instead, the item’s properties will change. Just focus on synthesizing them into one solid material. Using your synthesis trait is the only way to ensure the result doesn’t explode or fail halfway through.”

“Hah… This is way too much, though. Look, they’re still bringing more boxes in!”

“If it’s not enough, we’ll get more later. Look on the bright side. You need to level up anyway, right? Synthesis gives you experience points, doesn’t it? This is probably the easiest leveling opportunity you’ll ever have.”

“Well… That’s true, but… What will you be doing while I’m stuck with all this?”

“Me? I’ll be gathering the other materials. Slime Stones are the only ones I can buy with money. The rest… I’ll have to get on my own.”

“Ugh… Fine. But what exactly is this final item supposed to be?”

“You’ll find out as you synthesize. Once you hit the point where no further synthesis is possible, it’s finished.”

“That makes no sense… Are you serious?”

“Of course, I am. Now, I’m counting on you. Get to it.”

After giving Hae-won his task, Su-ho headed down to the underground garage.

With a low hum, Su-ho’s car smoothly exited the parking lot, disappearing into the night as he set off to gather the remaining materials.

***

After driving for some time, Su-ho arrived at a quiet village on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province.

Parking his car in a discreet spot, he made his way toward his destination.

There it is.

The place Su-ho had reached was an old rural home surrounded by a low stone wall. As was typical of such areas, the houses were spaced far apart, creating a sense of isolation. The spacious yard seemed to double as a storage area, with various items scattered around.

[ Grayscale Solitude activated. ]

Su-ho activated Grayscale Solitude, erasing his presence entirely.

Stepping into the yard, he moved quietly, scanning his surroundings.

The yard was silent. There was no guard dog, and the owner appeared to have gone to bed early; the lights in the master bedroom were off.

After confirming that no one was around, Su-ho began to inspect the items scattered throughout the yard.

This is the place.

The property resembled a medieval market, with items ranging from armor that looked straight out of European history to statues, ceramics, and other objects of unknown origin. To an untrained eye, it might appear to be a collection of junk rather than antiques.

But Su-ho knew better.

This was one of the locations connected to incidents involving so-called "Cursed Items," which had caused harm to civilians.

Activating a skill, Su-ho began his search.

[ Mana Detection activated. ]

With Mana Detection, Su-ho’s senses flared to life, identifying traces of mana in the surrounding area.

He scanned the items carefully, his eyes eventually settling on a suspicious object emitting a faint red aura.

It was a waist-high statue in a seated pose, resembling a traditional Korean Bangasayusang (Maitreya in contemplation). While its form mimicked that of a Gilt-Bronze Maitreya Bodhisattva statue, Su-ho recognized it for what it truly was—a vessel of ominous energy.

Su-ho picked up the statue without hesitation and moved it to a more isolated location.

“...”

The statue remained eerily silent, as if trying to hide its presence.

Once he was sure no one would disturb him, Su-ho set the statue on the ground and summoned his Blood Sword.

[ Blood Weapon activated. ]

The blade materialized in his hand, its crimson edge glinting in the moonlight.

Without hesitation, Su-ho swung his sword.

Schwing!

The statue split cleanly in half, its upper portion sliding apart.

As soon as the cut was made, a red mist began to pour out of the statue.

A screeching metallic sound erupted—a noise straight out of a horror movie.

The mist thickened, coalescing into the broken halves of the statue. A grotesque, blood-like substance began to bind the pieces together, merging them back into a single form.

Crack! Clatter!

The statue reassembled itself, now infused with a sinister, glowing red light in its eyes. It moved, as though suddenly imbued with a will of its own.

“Looks like I found it.”

The entity animating the statue was a Parasite Spirit. More specifically, it was a malevolent soul bound to an artifact known as the Soulstone.

“People started dying mysteriously not too long ago. The culprit turned out to be cursed items like this one.”

The Soulstone was an artifact designed to trap spirits—specifically, evil ones. Over time, however, the spirit trapped within began to treat the artifact as its home. While it remained dormant most of the time, any attack on the Soulstone would trigger a violent response, earning it the label of a cursed item.

“It’s like a hermit crab in a shell.”

Cases of harm caused by Parasite Spirits had gone unnoticed for years. This was because the spirits used the energy of their victims to repair their Soulstones, then concealed their presence once more.

Now, the Parasite Spirit inhabiting the statue began to transform it into a soldier-like figure, adopting a combat stance as it prepared to attack Su-ho.

[ Iron Slash activated. ]

Before the statue could move, Su-ho struck again with his sword.

Schwing!

The blow split the statue vertically this time, reducing it to quivering halves on the ground.

The statue’s remnants trembled violently, releasing another burst of red mist. This time, however, the mist surged toward Su-ho.

The Soulstone had been destroyed, forcing the spirit to seek a new host.

[ The Parasite Spirit invades your mind. ]

[ The Parasite Spirit begins to possess your body and shatter your psyche. ]

The mist seeped into Su-ho’s body, attempting to take control.

It might have succeeded—if not for Su-ho’s unique trait.

[ Dragon’s Blood activated. ]

[ Dragon Armor’s Draconic Endurance nullifies all mental corruption. ]

The Parasite Spirit’s invasion faltered as the Dragon Armor’s inherent ability blocked its effects.

“...!”

The spirit, realizing it had encountered an unimaginable force, began to panic.

But Su-ho’s Dragon Armor wasn’t finished.

[ Dragon Armor’s Draconic Endurance begins purifying the Parasite Spirit. ]
[ Dragon Armor’s Draconic Endurance begins absorbing the Parasite Spirit. ]

The armor’s purification effect cleansed the spirit, breaking its hold on the material world.

[ The Parasite Spirit has been fully purified. ]
[ No knowledge could be gained from the absorbed Parasite Spirit. ]
[ The Soulstone has been liberated. Item information updated. ]

Holding the liberated Soulstone in his hand, Su-ho smiled.