Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant-Chapter 160

Things were progressing smoothly.

It was all thanks to the emergency press conference.

After the press conference, people within the Association both respected and feared Su-ho. He had always been popular, but now, his image was close to that of a "hero," making it impossible for anyone to treat him carelessly.

One of the biggest changes stemming from this was his work environment.

For instance, not only was it impossible to issue unfair orders to him, but if Su-ho proposed something in the interest of the public, rejecting it outright became difficult.

It was precisely the situation Su-ho had wanted.

As a result, many of Jeong Cheol-min's proposed projects were swiftly approved.

One such project was the Infinity training program for the Special Task Force Team 2’s exploration unit.

Naturally, the funding came from Nexus.

Once Kim I-kang, the administrative officer, gave the go-ahead, the support was immediately secured, and an article was published at the same time. Nexus used this as another opportunity to build up its positive image.

– As expected of the industry’s No. 1.

– Nexus made the right call recruiting An Su-ho. Their foresight is insane. LOL

– What are Hexagon and Prime even doing these days?

└ Don’t compare them to those tiny hole-in-the-wall companies.

└ Hexagon and Prime? LOL, third-rate garbage companies.

However, the biggest achievement of all was the Sealed Gate Conquest Project.

After reviewing the project report, Ma Do-won, the head of the Detection Department, furrowed his brows and asked,

"...You're planning to clear a Sealed Gate?"

"Yes, Deputy Team Leader An Su-ho will personally take action."

"Right, I figured he would. But he’s not going alone, is he?"

"No, Deputy Team Leader An Su-ho will be tackling it solo."

"What? That’s way too dangerous."

"Bringing team members along would actually be more dangerous. And besides, he and I have conducted a thorough analysis of the gate, so there’s no need to worry too much."

"Wait, Sealed Gates are places that even top-tier guilds have analyzed and given up on. How are just the two of you going to— No, never mind. I’m not about to argue against someone doing good work. I heard you've already cleared two, right?"

"Yes, that’s correct. The Dark Canyon we cleared last time is detailed in the attached report—"

"No, no, that’s fine. I’ll authorize clearance rights for Deputy Team Leader An Su-ho, so he can handle things freely from now on."

"Thank you."

Previously, Su-ho needed Jeong Cheol-min’s approval to enter Sealed Gates. But now, he had direct authorization.

In other words, whenever and wherever Su-ho wanted, the doors to Sealed Gates had to be opened for him.

And that wasn’t all.

Having control over Sealed Gates meant he could also decide whether to publicize the results of a conquest.

This was a significant advantage.

In certain cases, information about Sealed Gate conquests could be used as a strategic asset.

In fact, there had been several occasions when an embargo had been placed on such information.

"At this point, all the obstacles have been cleared away."

On top of that, a bill was being pushed to revise the laws regarding ownership of gate loot. Once that law passed, Su-ho’s limitations would be entirely lifted.

With everything in place, Su-ho decided it was time to start tackling some of the things he had been putting off.

First on the list was his stats.

"Status window, open."

[An Su-ho]

– Lv: 112

– Class: Crusader

– Traits: <New Blood> <Hercules Candidate>

– Strength (O): 38

– Stamina (O): 14

– Magic Power (O): 31

– Perception (R): 77

– Bonus Stats: 0

He had already reached level 112.

And yet, he still hadn’t managed to unify his stat colors.

Of course, by any standard, this was an incredibly fast growth rate, but from Su-ho’s perspective, it felt a little slow.

"First, I need to redistribute my stats."

At the moment, the only way to do that was by using an item.

And since Su-ho knew the crafting method for that item, he immediately called Choi Yoon.

– "...So you just need me to get that?"

"Yes, for now."

– "Alright, I’ll look into it and get back to you."

"Thanks. I’ll be waiting for your call."

– "Oh, by the way."

"Yeah?"

– "You looked really cool during the press conference."

Choi Yoon’s compliment.

Su-ho chuckled at that.

"Thanks. Want me to sign something for you?"

– "Ugh, please. Forget I said anything."

Annoyed, Choi Yoon quickly hung up.

Still smiling, Su-ho turned his gaze toward the stack of documents in front of him.

Might as well take care of some paperwork while waiting.

"So much to do."

The stat redistribution item was one thing, but work was work.

Aside from the Sealed Gate conquests, there was an overwhelming amount of other matters that required his attention. To maximize efficiency, Su-ho began reorganizing his schedule.

Several hours passed.

Just as he was finalizing his schedule, his phone rang—it was Choi Yoon again.

– "I found everything."

"Already?"

– "It’s me, Choi Yoon. This much is easy. But we have a problem."

"What kind of problem?"

– "Out of the three items you requested, I secured two. But the last one is going to be tricky."

"Which one?"

– "The Foolish Judge’s Hammer."

"And what’s the problem?"

– "I found the only person in the country who owns one... and they don’t want to sell."

"What’s their reason?"

– "They just don’t want to."

To craft the stat redistribution item, three materials were needed:

A Strange Sociologist’s BookmarkA Scolded Bureaucrat’s EraserThe Foolish Judge’s HammerNone of these items had any particular abilities.

They were similar to the Nameless Thief’s Socks Su-ho had collected when making Mumumu. These kinds of items had no options or special effects—they were purely thematic and commonly referred to as collector’s items.

No real functionality, but aesthetically appealing.

"Collector’s items are basically just pretty trinkets."

Su-ho asked,

"Is the owner a hammer collector or something?"

– "Huh? How did you know?"

"Of course."

"If that’s the case... I’ll have to meet them in person and negotiate."

– "Hmm..."

"Why do you sound hesitant?"

– "Meeting him in person is fine, but make sure our name doesn’t come up in the process. The hammer’s owner works for one of our competitor guilds. And he’s got a pretty high-ranking position."

Ah.

Now Su-ho understood why Choi Yoon had said this was difficult.

– "If it were a regular person, we could’ve tried offering money or negotiating somehow. But because of his affiliation, we couldn’t make a move. Our relationship with them is terrible."

Of course.

For Union, a group that prioritized personal gain above all else, it wasn’t worth causing trouble with a rival organization just for a single transaction.

Even if the client was Sword Saint An Su-ho.

Su-ho thought for a moment before asking,

"What’s his name?"

– "Song Kang-chul. He’s the vice president of Raid."

Song Kang-chul.

After some recollection, Su-ho remembered who he was.

"Right, Raid was a thing too."

If Union was the largest underground guild in the country, Raid ranked second.

Although they were officially second place, in terms of sheer size, they were nearly equal to Union.

However, in the future, a large-scale war would break out between Union and Raid. That war would mark the beginning of Raid’s downfall, eventually leading to its complete absorption by Union.

Su-ho asked,

"Was he the only one?"

– "Yeah. I checked every shop and private sale, but there were no others. Collector’s items like these usually get discarded if there’s no demand."

"Did you try reaching out to him?"

– "I sent someone to make indirect contact. But that guy’s a hardcore hammer fanatic—he refused outright. We couldn’t even negotiate further because if we pushed too hard, we’d only make the deal worse. He’s got an insane sense for these things."

"So, in short, you can’t get the hammer?"

– "Sorry. Even our director wouldn’t approve it. No matter how much money we offer, getting entangled with Raid is just too much of a hassle."

Su-ho considered his options before nodding.

"Got it. Still, thanks for the effort. I’ll handle Song Kang-chul personally. But you can get me his location, right?"

– "That part’s easy. But like I said earlier, we’re not involved in this transaction, understood?"

"You don’t have to worry about that."

– "I’ll text you the address."

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There was a saying Su-ho liked:

"Knock, and the door shall open."

No matter how obsessive a collector was, Su-ho had no prior connection with him. That alone meant he had better chances of negotiation than Union did.

Besides—

"Nothing is impossible."

At the end of the day, the one holding the hammer was just a person.

As long as their interests aligned, they’d hand it over.

"And even if they don’t... I’ll still get it."

Soon, Su-ho received a message with Song Kang-chul’s location.

***

After preparing, Su-ho drove to Euljiro.

Raid’s headquarters was located there. Once he arrived, Su-ho used Reverse Morphology to alter his facial features before stepping out of the car.

He approached the Raid headquarters, where a receptionist greeted him on the first floor.

"How may I help you?"

"I’d like to meet with Vice President Song Kang-chul."

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No, I’m just visiting."

"One moment, please."

The receptionist made a call, nodded a few times, then turned back to Su-ho.

"Apologies. Our vice president does not accept unannounced visitors."

As expected.

Given the nature of the place, it wasn’t surprising that they wouldn’t allow a random visitor to meet him.

Su-ho placed a business card on the desk.

"I’m here on behalf of An Su-ho."

"An Su-ho? You mean Sword Saint An Su-ho?"

"Yes."

The receptionist’s eyes widened at the name on the card.

She quickly made another call, and this time, the response was immediate.

"He said to send you up."

Su-ho smirked.

Business cards really did hold power in society.

Following the receptionist’s lead, he stepped into the elevator and soon arrived at the vice president’s floor.

Unlike a standard hallway, the elevator opened directly into an office.

The moment he stepped out—

WHOOOSH!!

A powerful gust of wind roared through the room.

It came from above.

Su-ho instinctively dodged.

BANG!!

A massive hammer crashed into the spot where he had just been standing.

Narrowing his eyes, Su-ho spoke.

"What the hell is this?"

"Oh? You actually dodged that?"

A muscular man with a shaved head.

Sunglasses perched on his nose.

A golden tooth replacing one of his canines.

Exactly as Su-ho had seen in the Library of Memories.

The man hoisted his hammer onto his shoulder and grinned.

"I figured some punk was trying to use the Sword Saint’s name, so I wanted to test you. Turns out, you’re not a total idiot. Who the hell are you?"

"Isn’t this a bit excessive? I did identify myself properly."

"Oh yeah? That’s An Su-ho’s business card, not yours."

Su-ho hadn’t expected that response.

But it made sense.

From Song Kang-chul’s perspective, it wasn’t unreasonable.

Understanding his thought process, Su-ho nodded and summoned Blood Club.

Song Kang-chul raised an eyebrow.

"What are you doing?"

"Proving myself."

"What?"

"You wanted proof, didn’t you? You’ll get it after I beat it into you."

"Haha! I like your attitude. Alright, bring it on!"

And just like that, before either of them even called for it—

The fight began.