Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant-Chapter 166

[The Gate has been cleared.]

[MVP of the Gate Conquest: ‘An Su-ho’.]

[Bonus experience granted for MVP selection.]

[One bonus stat awarded for MVP selection.]

[Level Up!]

[All stats increased by 1.]

[You have gained 1 bonus stat.]

A flood of system notifications filled Su-ho’s vision.

But this time, there were more than usual.

[All stat grades have reached Orange tier.]

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[As a special perk, the Unification Effect has been applied.]

[Remaining bonus stats will be distributed to unify all colored stats.]

[Stat information has been updated.]

Finally.

Su-ho clenched his fist as he read the notifications.

At last, he had acquired the Unification Perk.

Without hesitation, he pulled up his updated status window.

[An Su-ho]

Lv: 113Class: CrusaderTraits: ＜New Blood＞ ＜Hercules Candidate＞Strength (O): 24Endurance (O): 24Mana (O): 24Perception (O): 24Bonus Stats: 0At long last, all four of his core stats had reached Orange tier.

Su-ho grinned.

He was only Level 113, yet he had already achieved this milestone. He was willing to bet that not a single person in the world had reached this level of growth so quickly.

‘At this pace, I’ll surpass my past life’s record in no time.’

Just as he finished checking his status—

“The evil god has fallen!”

“The hero has slain the evil god!”

“Hurrah!”

“Hurrah!”

Cheers erupted.

The ship’s crew.

They had held their breath, watching in suspense as Su-ho fought the so-called Sea God.

And the moment he delivered the final blow, their anxiety turned into unrestrained celebration.

Meanwhile, the system began calculating the quest results.

[Calculating the remaining durability of the barrier.]

[Calculating the number of surviving mages aboard the ship.]

[Calculating the number of surviving crew members.]

[Calculation complete.]

[Highest score achieved!]

[For achieving the highest score, you are awarded 5 bonus stats.]

[Level Up!]

[All stats increased by 1.]

[You have gained 1 bonus stat.]

More notifications poured in.

Su-ho had maxed out all three quest objectives.

Of course, that was expected.

He had deliberately stayed close to the boss monster, absorbing its aggression to ensure the barrier, mages, and crew remained unharmed.

Without hesitation, he allocated all bonus stats into Strength, then updated his status window once again.

‘Now then... time to extract that.’

The locals’ gratitude wasn’t necessary.

After all, the moment the Gate disappeared, so would they—mere constructs of the system.

Su-ho had more pressing matters.

Standing before the Sea God’s partially submerged corpse, he raised his Blood Sword.

Thunk!

He sliced into the beast’s remains, carving his way inside.

Minutes later—

He found it.

Something as large as his own head.

The Sea God’s ink sac.

‘Finally got it.’

A Tier 1 Boss Monster’s Ink Sac.

Technically, it was classified as a material item, but its market value was... low.

After all, not many people went out of their way to collect monster ink sacs.

But.

‘That guy would go crazy over this.’

That was why Su-ho needed it.

Because only that person could lead him to a true giant at this point in time.

After securing the boss’s magic stone and other loot, Su-ho finally stepped out of the Gate.

*

“Oh, oh!”

“No way?!”

In front of the camera screen—

As the Gate Conquest Line appeared, signaling the successful clearing of the Gate, the monitoring team erupted into a frenzy.

Especially the deputy, who turned to Jeong Ho-yeon with an excited voice.

“Director! It looks like the Gate has been cleared!”

“Calm down. I can see it too.”

“What should we do now? Shouldn’t we open the barricade and start clearing out the barnacles?”

At the deputy’s question, Jeong Ho-yeon hesitated.

Should they?

But soon, he realized—there was no need to worry about that.

“No, that won’t be necessary.”

“Huh? What do you mean—”

“Just look.”

Jeong Ho-yeon motioned with his chin.

At the Gate’s exit, Su-ho had already emerged, cutting down the Dark Barnacles in a single stroke.

‘Annoying or not, it had to be done.’

Su-ho swiftly wiped out the remaining barnacles and stepped in front of the barricade, motioning with his hand.

Moments later, the barrier opened, and the soldiers welcomed him with open admiration.

“You’ve done an incredible job.”

“Seriously, you’ve saved us all.”

The soldiers were overwhelmed.

Even though Square assignments were generally considered easy, maritime Gates like this one—surrounded by barriers—were unpredictable and required constant vigilance.

But Su-ho had handled it effortlessly.

Even the damn barnacles, which barely flinched under gunfire, had been sliced apart like butter.

Su-ho simply nodded.

“I only did what needed to be done. Now that the Gate is cleared, I’ll be heading off.”

“Oh—yes! Thank you for your service!”

The soldiers, including Jeong Ho-yeon, saluted him with genuine respect.

Su-ho responded with a slight nod—

Then left Wolmido behind, heading straight for the next Sealed Gate.

*

[The Gate has been cleared.]

[MVP of the Gate Conquest: ‘An Su-ho’.]

[Bonus experience granted for MVP selection.]

...

[The Gate has been cleared.]

[MVP of the Gate Conquest: ‘An Su-ho’.]

[Bonus experience granted for MVP selection.]

...

Two.

That was the number of Sealed Gates Su-ho had cleared after the maritime Gate in Incheon.

In the process, he had gained three additional levels, and after clearing three Sealed Gates in a single day, he immediately reported to Jeong Cheol-min.

—W-What?! Three?!

“Yes. I just finished clearing the third Sealed Gate.”

—The hell... Are you some kind of monster?

“...That’s a little harsh, calling a subordinate a monster, don’t you think?”

—You know that’s not what I meant!

“It was just a joke.”

—Tch.

“Anyway, I’m calling it a day here. I’m planning to check out another region over the next few days. Is that alright?”

Hearing this, Jeong Cheol-min narrowed his eyes.

—Oh, I see how it is. That’s why you rushed through three Gates today, isn’t it?

“Yes, you’re right.”

—Of course... No, wait, at least pretend to be subtle! How are you so blatantly confident about this all the time?

“Better than lying, isn’t it? Just in case, I’ve placed an embargo on the second and third Gate clears, so you can stagger the reports. I’ll send the reports via email.”

—...Damn, you’re thorough. Fine. What’s this trip about?

“It’s a trade secret.”

—You and your damn secrets. Fine, do whatever you need.

“Thank you.”

With that, Su-ho secured the time he needed.

Ending the call, he immediately got into his car and drove toward Samcheok.

Because in Samcheok, there was someone he needed to meet.

Samcheok Harbor – Late Night

By the time Su-ho arrived, it was already late at night.

He didn’t care.

Samcheok Harbor was eerily quiet.

Once a bustling place, it had become a ghost town after the Gate Shock left it abandoned.

But somewhere here, the person he was looking for should be.

‘He said he’d be in Korea this year... in Samcheok Harbor.’

Unaffected by the darkness, Su-ho wandered the harbor.

It didn’t take long to find him.

It was easy.

There was no one else around, and more importantly—

The sheer density of magic radiating from him was impossible to miss.

A lone figure sat at the edge of a breakwater, fishing.

The scene was almost comical.

No lights, no lanterns—just a fishing chair and a rod, with the man sitting completely still in the darkness.

Su-ho carried over a spare chair, setting it down beside the man and sitting casually.

“Mind if I sit here?”

“...?”

The man turned, surprised, staring at Su-ho with a puzzled expression.

But Su-ho, unfazed, grinned and kept talking.

“Nice to meet you. First time seeing each other, right?”

“...Who the hell are you?”

“My name is An Su-ho.”

The moment he said his name, the man’s brow furrowed.

He tilted his head slightly.

“...That name sounds familiar.”

“It’s a common name. But you, sir, are Martin Park, correct?”

At that moment, the man’s dimly lit eyes sharpened instantly.

“...Who the hell are you?”

This place—this specific spot—was somewhere he had deliberately chosen for its seclusion.

Yet now, some stranger had not only sat next to him but called his name outright.

Of course, he was on guard.

But instead of answering, Su-ho simply reached into his coat and scattered a handful of powder into the air.

A luminous dust.

The particles glowed, illuminating the area and revealing the man’s appearance.

Martin Park.

A man in his late 30s.

His unkempt gray hair was as wild as his overgrown beard, giving him a rough, almost hermit-like look.

Su-ho smiled.

“Let me introduce myself properly. I’m An Su-ho, a civil servant of the Korean Hunter Association.”

“...A civil servant?”

“Yes. ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) And you are Martin Park, a Korean-American Hunter, also known as the ‘Painting Summoner’, correct?”

Exactly as Su-ho had described.

Martin Park was a Korean-American Hunter affiliated with the United States, a man known for his unique summoning abilities.

His eyes narrowed, his displeasure obvious.

“...Why the hell is the Korean government looking for me?”

Of course, he was wary.

Even if Su-ho wasn’t a government agent, he would’ve been on guard regardless.

But Su-ho laughed casually.

“Haha, you’re uncomfortable because I approached you so suddenly. I completely understand. But I didn’t come here on government business.”

“Then why did you come? And more importantly, how did you even find me?”

Su-ho smirked.

“I tracked you down myself.”

“...And?”

“The reason I came here is simple. I want to buy one of your paintings.”

“...What?”

At those words, Martin Park’s brows knitted together.

That was the last thing he expected.

Su-ho continued smoothly.

“I’ve been a huge fan of your work. I’ve seen all of your pieces and am eagerly awaiting your next release. So when I heard you were in Korea, I came all the way to Samcheok.”

Martin Park stared at him in disbelief, then turned back to the water.

“...Ridiculous. If you were really my fan, then you’d know I don’t sell my paintings.”

“I do know.”

“Then why the hell are you here?”

Su-ho chuckled.

“Because the real reason you don’t sell your paintings is simple—you’ve never been offered something worthwhile in return.”

“...Go on.”

“You’re a 2-star Hunter. You don’t need money. But every single person who tries to buy your paintings only brings cash.”

“Damn right.”

Martin scoffed.

“Then what exactly are you offering?”

Su-ho’s grin widened.

“Ink.”

“...Ink?”

“Yes. Specifically—black ink. That’s why you came to Korea, isn’t it?”

Martin Park’s eyes widened.

“...How the hell do you know that?”

“Haha, that’s not important. What is important is this.”

Reaching into his coat, Su-ho pulled out a dark, glistening object.

A massive ink sac.

The Sea God’s ink sac.

Martin Park’s expression froze.

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