Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant

Chapter 22

Suho smiled as he looked at them.

‘Right, I was wondering why they weren’t coming.’

The staff soon formed a human barrier to prevent people from approaching.

And through that barrier, Jung Chulmin appeared, standing just beyond the safe line, and dialed Suho’s number.

The recipient was, of course, Suho.

Suho answered the call and asked.

“Yes, Team Leader.”

– Mr. Suho, I can’t tell if what I’m seeing right now is a dream or reality.

“It’s reality, assuming you haven’t taken anything unusual, Team Leader.”

– I would never… Suho, you’re always beyond anything I could imagine. So, here’s the thing—would you mind accompanying us back to the Association?

“May I ask why?”

– This is an unprecedented incident, isn’t it? The government has been operating this gate as a public one because they believed it was absolutely impossible to conquer.

“I understand that, but isn’t there no reason for me to go to the Association? There’s no official pretext, is there?”

Suho didn’t even need to see it to know.

The Association President or Vice President probably ordered them to bring him in.

Reason?

Probably just to take a photo.

Those politicians, once members of the National Assembly, were always meticulous about managing their image.

‘They must’ve ordered them to drag me in for a photo op. Chulmin’s probably had to do these kinds of things a lot.’

For that reason, he had no intention of heading to the Association.

Even if he went, it would be on his own terms, or for a necessary reason.

He had no intention of going just because those two summoned him to take free photos.

At Suho’s words, Jung Chulmin was flustered and spoke.

– That’s true, but… given the scale of this situation, we have to conduct an investigation of some sort.

“You didn’t conduct investigations like this when other large guilds cleared hard-mode gates. If you need any information, just request it.”

– ….

Jung Chulmin fell silent.

He had nothing to say.

But that didn’t mean he was going to give up.

Even though he was just a public servant, he was promoted to team leader at a young age because he was good at his job.

– Understood. Then, would it be all right if we just escorted you outside? In situations like this, if you move carelessly, there could be a crowd crush.

“No need. I can find my own way out.”

– Pardon?

“I’ll be in touch again soon, Team Leader.”

At that moment—

– Huh? Huh?

Jung Chulmin was taken aback.

The Suho he’d been watching just moments ago had suddenly disappeared.

The others noticed as well.

“Huh? What happened?”

“Where did he go?”

“What’s going on?!”

“Hey, where’s Ahn Suho?”

But Suho had already slipped past them and exited the Tower of Challenge.

[ Monochrome Solitude is activated. ]

Thanks to the very first Nameless Nameless Nameless he synthesized to boost his stats.

Suho casually exited the area, spotting a yellow Ferrari ready to depart from a nearby parking lot, and climbed into the passenger seat.

As the passenger door suddenly opened, Jo Jin-hwi, startled, turned to look defensively.

“Ah! What the… Oh? Mr. Suho?”

“Let’s go.”

“H-how did you get out?”

“I dodged them and made my way here.”

“That’s odd. I was watching the side and rear mirrors the whole time.”

It wouldn’t show up in any mirrors.

No matter how carefully a regular person looked, the first Nameless Nameless Nameless induced perception distortion.

Soon, the yellow Ferrari roared to life, and the two of them headed onto the highway.

Once they entered the highway, Jo Jin-hwi pulled out one of his business cards from his pocket and handed it to Suho.

“Allow me to formally introduce myself. Jo Jin-hwi, senior reporter at PBS.”

PBS reporters held ranks from junior reporters to senior reporters, lead reporters, and finally chief reporters.

So, in terms of company hierarchy, Jo Jin-hwi was around the equivalent of a deputy.

Suho replied.

“Ahn Suho. Since I already introduced myself on the phone, I don’t need to go further, do I?”

“Of course. You’ve already told me all I need to know. But… may I ask just one thing?”

“You’re a reporter, so go ahead.”

“I’ve been thinking about it, but I can’t understand it. Why a civil servant? With your abilities, you could name your price anywhere.”

Suho responded with a slight smile.

“They’d pay well, I’m sure. But no matter how powerful private guilds are, could they ever be stronger than the government?”

Jo Jin-hwi’s eyes widened.

He’d never met anyone who thought of it that way.

“Are you serious?”

“I am.”

“But when you think about it, don’t private guilds have more power in terms of raw strength? The collective force of private guild hunters is on another level compared to government hunters.”

“They’re still just private citizens, aren’t they? But does that really matter so much? Frankly, if we’re just talking about force, they have enough strength to stage a coup and then some. But what could they possibly gain from it? At most, a fleeting sense of accomplishment. Their true brilliance lies in belonging to the infrastructure that the nation provides.”

“Well…”

He wasn’t wrong.

Sure, if they went overseas, like to the U.S., they could receive treatment as good as, if not better than, in Korea. But would Korean-born, native Koreans be able to fully enjoy living luxuriously in a foreign land?

The answer was “no.”

‘Why else would people who fled overseas to avoid military service still want to come back to Korea?’

For native Koreans, it was nearly impossible to find complete satisfaction in an unfamiliar foreign land with different climates and cultures.

That’s why, no matter how powerful they were, even hunters from the biggest guilds wouldn’t cross the line with the government.

If they wanted to enjoy power, they’d have to do it in Korea.

Suho continued.

“As I mentioned before, I genuinely want the end of gates. But an individual can’t achieve that alone, so I need affiliation. And in that process, I chose the government as the most efficient means.”

“Hmm… I see. But you do realize this, right? Out of all the players I know in Korea… no, in the history of Korean players, no one’s made an impact like you have. There were a few notable figures, but they didn’t surpass you.”

Suho thought of some of those historical star players.

But in his previous life, none of them had rivaled him in fame or impact.

It wasn’t a surprising fact.

Suho nodded lightly.

“I know. Which is why I want to be affiliated with the government even more.”

“Will you be applying for the upcoming open recruitment? Though I have to say, assigning someone of your caliber to a Grade 9 frontline position seems like a waste.”

“I’m not taking the Grade 9 exam.”

“Pardon? Then, the Grade 7?”

“No, I’m planning to apply for the Grade 5 open recruitment.”

“…Excuse me?”

For a moment, Jo Jin-hwi’s jaw dropped.

“Are you serious?”

“You keep asking if I’m serious; I’m always serious.”

“Oh my…”

“Oh, and please don’t write this as an article.”

“Why not?”

“I have a particular build-up in mind, and it’s too soon to make this public.”

“Could I know about it?”

“Of course. I don’t see why not.”

At Jo Jin-hwi’s question, Suho briefly explained his plan.

Once again, Jo Jin-hwi’s jaw slowly dropped.

“Oh, so that’s your plan?”

“That’s why I asked you to refrain from mentioning it.”

“Great idea. But by the way, that thing you just mentioned, I just thought of something. Does it have anything to do with being a Nexus Academy scholarship student? And, before that, are you actually a Nexus Academy graduate? It doesn’t seem that way to me.”

Suho chuckled at that.

“Well, it’s in the contract, so I can’t disclose it.”

“Oh, come on. I wouldn’t go around blabbing. Would I throw away the big fish that is Suho just for a tidbit of information? That would be shortsighted.”

That was true.

He might be a flashy reporter, but he had strong professional pride.

Suho decided to share with him, to build some camaraderie.

Nothing built bonds like sharing secrets.

“I approached them first about the scholarship. It’s a common enough move, isn’t it?”

“I figured… But were you that desperate for money?”

“Yes, well. I’d recently dropped out.”

“Oh, right. You dropped out because of corruption within the department?”

It was such an old memory that it didn’t even anger him anymore.

Sensing the conversation might get lengthy, Suho naturally shifted the topic.

“It’s a thing of the past and doesn’t matter anymore… Anyway, I’ll help you with all the media buzz. Just use me for your exclusives and strengthen your position within the company.”

This time, it was Jo Jin-hwi who laughed.

“You’re really planning to make use of me, huh?”

“If I’m befriending a reporter, I might as well make the most of it.”

Jo Jin-hwi nodded.

“Then there’s no need for a dedicated interview on Newsroom, is there? As long as I maintain exclusives with you, my standing will only rise.”

Newsroom interviews.

In Suho’s view, that was the top-tier type of interview.

But he wasn’t ready for such a grand stage yet.

“Exactly. Since I plan to release official information exclusively through you, there’s no need to complicate things.”

“Works for me. I won’t have to go chasing after exclusives. By the way, are you heading home?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Are you sure about that? By now, your personal information’s probably leaked, and people might be camped outside your house.”

“It’s fine. I’ll just enter the same way I left the Tower.”

“Instead, why don’t you stay at my place for a while?”

“At your place?”

“No hidden intentions. I live alone in a fairly big house. If you’re okay with it, you can stay there for a while. The guest room is well-equipped, and the security’s tight—only residents can get in.”

“Where do you live?”

“Kaiser Cheongdam.”

“Wow.”

Kaiser Cheongdam.

One of the top luxury residential complexes, with prices reaching into the billions.

Certainly fitting for a flashy journalist.

Suho asked.

“That’s quite a place. You must not be an ordinary rich kid. I know you’re a ‘gold spoon’ from your blog.”

There were levels to the “gold spoon” status.

But Kaiser Cheongdam was beyond the reach of any ordinary wealthy individual.

To this, Jo Jin-hwi smiled quietly.

“Ordinary rich kid… Well, being the youngest son of a chaebol family isn’t exactly ordinary, is it?”

“The youngest son of a chaebol?”

What was he talking about?

When Suho widened his eyes, Jo Jin-hwi spoke as if it were nothing.

“You know the Daesan Group, right? I’m the Chairman’s youngest son.”

“What? But isn’t the Chairman of Daesan Group… a bit old?”

“My eldest and second eldest brothers have different mothers. My mother was the Chairman’s mistress. So, I’m… technically illegitimate. You understand now?”

“Ah…”

“It’s a secret I haven’t even told my coworkers. But I’m telling you since it seems we’ll be seeing each other for a long time. Oh, and by the way, though I received some support from my father, I have no influence within Daesan Group. I don’t even own shares. He offered me a subsidiary, but I turned it down. I may know how to hold a pen, but business management? Not my thing.”

“That’s interesting.”

“Isn’t it? We might end up closer than we thought.”

Suho laughed.

He could relate.

He thought there was a chance they’d become closer than he’d initially expected.

VROOOM!

Jo Jin-hwi’s yellow Ferrari sped down the highway.