Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant

Chapter 8

‘What is this?’

New system notifications appeared before him.

These were notifications Suho had seen right before he died, but he had no memory of actually reading them.

‘The system sent me back to the past?’

He hadn’t known at all.

After all, when these notifications popped up, Suho’s consciousness was nearly gone.

‘I remember reaching the state of Unity of Body and Sword and acquiring my first SS-rank skill. But a transcendent?’

Yet the system had spoken clearly.

[ As the first to reach the realm of transcendence, the system offers you a chance to grow stronger. ]

[ Rebooting Player Ahn Suho’s system. ]

The system had granted him another chance because he’d become the first to reach transcendence.

So, did that mean his return to the past wasn’t a coincidence?

It certainly seemed that way.

Thanks to this, Suho knew that everything he was experiencing wasn’t a dream or an illusion, but reality.

‘Good.’

He’d been slowly coming to terms with the fact that he’d returned to the past.

That was why he’d sought out the Library of Memories.

But while he accepted it, he still hadn’t been fully convinced.

He had lacked solid evidence to remove any lingering doubt.

But now, with the system’s confirmation, everything was clear.

From here on, he just needed to move forward.

‘Alright, let’s do this.’

The important thing was that he’d returned to the past, giving him the chance to prepare for the disasters that awaited him.

This realization strengthened Suho’s resolve to once again join the civil service.

With his knowledge of future events and legitimate government power combined, he might even end the gate crisis far more quickly than in his previous life.

‘And I’ll keep those bastards in check as well.’

But he had a lot to prepare before he could do any of that.

Having acquired the Library of Memories, Suho sat down and quietly began planning his future.

Studying for tomorrow’s written exam?

With the Library of Memories, why would he need to worry about that?

Even without the Library of Memories, passing the written exam was a trivial matter.

Suho began organizing his thoughts.

* * *

After roughly laying out his plan, Suho left the association and immediately hailed a taxi to Paju.

Since he had already committed to becoming a civil servant, he intended to maximize efficiency.

A short while later, the taxi arrived in Paju, and Suho found himself at none other than ‘Nexus,’ the largest and most prestigious private hunter academy in Korea.

The place resembled a massive townhouse complex, and Suho nodded as he glanced at the banner listing the names of successful candidates hanging on the front wall.

Advertising success rates was a tried-and-true marketing strategy for any academy.

And Suho’s first objective was precisely that.

Upon entering the academy, Suho approached the front desk.

“I’d like to see Director Kim Suae.”

“The Director? Do you have an appointment?”

“No, I came unannounced. I have something to discuss with her one-on-one.”

“Uh… If you don’t have a scheduled appointment, it’s difficult to arrange a meeting on such short notice.”

“Tell her that the person who solo-cleared the Unpredicted Gate at Sindorim Station earlier today has come to see her. She’ll respond immediately.”

“Si-Sindorim? Just a moment, please!”

A private meeting with the academy director wasn’t difficult to secure.

After all, Suho had a unique advantage—he revealed that he was the one who had cleared the Unpredicted Gate at Sindorim Station earlier that day.

Thanks to this, Suho was quickly led to the director’s office.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Kim Suae, the director of Nexus Academy.”

Director Kim Suae.

She was an executive of the Nexus Guild, the third-largest guild in the country, and Nexus Academy was a subsidiary of the guild, akin to an affiliated company.

Suho introduced himself in response to her greeting.

“I’m Ahn Suho.”

Kim Suae, wearing a professional smile, replied.

“Yes, Suho. I heard from the front desk that you’re the one who solo-cleared the Unpredicted Gate at Sindorim today?”

Suho’s story had already spread rapidly through the media.

Although his full image hadn’t been released due to privacy rights, there was enough information for people to recognize him.

Suho nodded at Kim Suae’s question.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Incredible. But what brings someone of your caliber to our academy…?”

From Kim Suae’s perspective, this was the most pressing question.

If he’d solo-cleared an Unpredicted Gate, he was clearly a proven hunter.

Could he be looking for a teaching position?

But Suho’s answer shattered her expectations.

“I’m here to propose a scholarship arrangement.”

“A… scholarship?”

“Yes. Tomorrow, there’s a hunter license exam at the Korean Hunter Association, correct?”

“That’s right. We have 400 candidates from our academy alone participating this year.”

“As expected, Nexus Academy is on a different scale. I’ll also be taking the exam tomorrow.”

“What? You?”

“Yes, I’m currently an unregistered hunter. And for the record, I awakened just today.”

“…?”

Hearing this, Kim Suae blinked in disbelief, questioning her own hearing.

It made sense—if what he said was true, then someone who awakened today had solo-cleared an Unpredicted Gate.

From her perspective—and that of any ordinary person—this was simply incomprehensible.

Shocked, Kim Suae stammered as she reconfirmed the facts.

“W-Wait a moment. Did I hear correctly? You mean to say you awakened today, you’re an unregistered hunter who’s taking the exam tomorrow, and you’re the one who cleared the Unpredicted Gate at Sindorim today?”

“Yes, you heard correctly.”

“Oh my…”

She’d heard correctly.

So, it was true—but could this really be happening?

As Kim Suae’s jaw dropped, Suho continued his explanation.

“Anyway, after clearing the gate, I went to the Korean Hunter Association to register. An official there pulled some strings so that I could take both the written and practical exams tomorrow. That’s why I came here. I plan to aim for the top score in this year’s exam.”

It might have sounded like outrageous arrogance to anyone else, but Suho didn’t think so at all.

In fact, he was completely certain he’d be the top scorer.

Of course.

He was the one who had once vanquished one of the Five Calamities.

To Suho, the hunter license exam was child’s play.

Finishing his statement, Suho took a sip of the cold tea served to him.

Kim Suae was at a loss for words, her mouth still open in astonishment.

Eventually, she composed herself, adjusted her glasses, and asked calmly.

“Judging by your confidence, it sounds like you’re almost certain you’ll be the top scorer… Did you study in a related field, or have you been preparing for the exam for a long time?”

“No, not at all.”

At his answer, Kim Suae furrowed her brows.

“…Even so, don’t you think you’re being a bit overconfident? Solo-clearing an Unpredicted Gate is certainly impressive, but the hunter exam is an entirely different matter. The average pass rate each year is under 20%, so how can you…”

“That’s precisely why I’m making this proposal. If I don’t achieve the top score, you can simply ignore me as if I’d never been here. Just give me the scholarship if I actually become the top scorer.”

This approach was something typically seen in test prep academies.

Some hunter academies made similar offers, but usually, the top and second scorers were elite trainees cultivated by major guilds, so it was rare for scholarship contracts like this to be made.

That was why Suho was suggesting it first.

This situation was a rare opportunity, after all.

Kim Suae asked.

“Then, one more question. If a scholarship is your goal, there’s the top-ranked Hexagon Guild and second-ranked Prime Guild, so why did you come to Nexus, ranked third?”

“Because Nexus has the most to gain.”

“What?”

“As far as I know, Nexus Academy hasn’t produced a top or second scorer in recent years, despite being the largest academy in the country.”

“Well…”

Suho’s sharp observation left Kim Suae momentarily speechless.

He was right.

After a brief pause, she coughed awkwardly and tried to explain.

“Ahem, that’s true… But the top and second spots are usually taken by promising recruits that major guilds have been training for a long time. We don’t really concern ourselves with that…”

“So, you’re not interested in my proposal? Very well, I’ll take this offer to Hexagon or Prime instead…”

“N-No! Who said we’re not interested? You’re too quick to assume!”

As Suho rose from his seat, a panicked Kim Suae hurriedly stopped him.

It was only natural.

This was practically a golden opportunity falling into her lap.

Already stressed over Nexus’s inability to produce a top or second scorer, this was an offer she couldn’t refuse.

Seeing her hold him back, Suho looked at her quietly.

Then he sat back down and spoke.

“Then I’ll take that as a yes?”

“Yes, we’re very grateful for the offer. Now, let’s proceed…”

“Yes, let’s discuss the scholarship amount.”

This was the crux of the matter.

After all, Suho had come here primarily for the money.

Kim Suae asked.

“Alright. May I first ask how much you had in mind?”

“How much is the official scholarship amount for the top scorer?”

“Officially, we refund the full tuition for the year and provide an additional 30 million won as a congratulatory bonus. If the candidate wishes, they can also join our Nexus Guild directly.”

Thirty million won.

It was indeed the largest scholarship among hunter academies.

But Suho wasn’t here for a mere thirty million.

“I see. I understand the official amount. But you’re not planning to offer me just the official amount, are you?”

“Of course not. Could you tell me the figure you have in mind?”

“After taxes, I’m thinking around 300 million won.”

“Th-Three hundred million?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t… isn’t that a bit too much?”

Once again, Kim Suae’s mouth fell open.

But Suho’s expression remained firm.

“If you think it’s too much, then don’t do it. I can just go make the same offer to someone else. But if I do become the top scorer, the additional benefits that come with that would more than justify the 300 million, wouldn’t they?”

Unconsciously, Kim Suae found herself nodding.

She couldn’t argue—Nexus Academy spent billions each year on advertising alone.

‘If word got out that the person who solo-cleared the Sindorim Unpredicted Gate was an alumnus of our academy…’

The economic benefits would far exceed the 300 million he was asking for.

There was no reason to hesitate.

“Alright. We’ll give you 300 million.”

The contract was sealed.