Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant-Chapter 197

"Haa... Haa..."

"It’s finally..."

"Over...!"

Thud!

Virus Dungeon.

At last, the final unranked player, Nam Hae-won, had reached level 100.

It had been a grueling process.

Aside from eating and sleeping, they had done nothing but hunt.

The moment Nam Hae-won ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) reached level 100, everyone left the dungeon and returned to reality. Immediately, Gu Yeon-hwa called Su-ho.

— I’m on my way.

Hearing the news, Su-ho headed straight to the Banshees’ location.

Arriving with a grin, Su-ho asked,

"So, everyone’s finally hit level 100?"

"Yeah, we barely managed it."

"Alright, who here still hasn’t completed their Class Quest or Trait Quest?"

Several people raised their hands.

Su-ho nodded and said,

"Unfortunately, we’ll have to put that on hold for now. It’s not urgent. Instead..."

He pulled out thick stacks of documents from his inventory.

"Since you’ve all reached level 100, it’s time to start this."

"This is... That thing you mentioned last time?"

"Yeah, that thing. It’s time to start building your special recruitment credentials. So I gathered everything—lists of wanted criminals nationwide and various gang organizations."

"...Wow."

"Oh, damn..."

The reactions were mixed.

But Su-ho was serious.

Keeping them hidden away in an outside guild was only a temporary solution. If he wanted to operate them efficiently, the best way was to keep them under the Association’s name—under his command.

"From now on, you must operate as a group. Results are important, but above all, your safety is the top priority. In that regard, we need to appoint a team leader to lead you all. Does anyone have a nominee?"

At that, Seo Gi-won asked,

"Aren’t you the team leader?"

"I’ll likely be heading into the Special Division and taking the rank of Director. So, we need a new leader for the team."

"Oh, I see."

As the confusion cleared, the Banshees exchanged glances.

Then, Gu Yeon-hwa raised her hand.

"I nominate Geon."

"And why is that?"

"Because if it weren’t for Geon, we never would’ve beaten your avatar during training."

"That’s true."

"She’s right."

"Honestly, I agree."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Truthfully, Su-ho had already considered Kim Geon for the leader position.

But he had still asked for nominations because Gu Yeon-hwa had been the original leader of the Banshees.

Fortunately, Gu Yeon-hwa was quick-witted and nominated Kim Geon herself, allowing for a smooth transition with no disputes.

Su-ho formally asked,

"Geon, what do you think?"

"If you assign me the role, I’ll do my best."

"Good. Then from now on, Kim Geon is the leader of the Banshees. Gu Yeon-hwa will be the vice leader. If Geon isn’t available, Yeon-hwa will step in. Any objections?"

"Nope."

"Alright, then let’s keep it simple. A round of applause."

Clap, clap, clap!

They really were obedient.

Smiling, Su-ho pulled out two business cards and handed them to Kim Geon.

"When you capture villains, first call the number on this first card. This belongs to the current Team Leader of Investigation Department 2 in the Great Korea Hunter Association. I’ve already informed them in advance, so just mention my name, and they’ll process it accordingly."

"Understood."

"The second card is for situations where you need support while hunting villains. Call this number if you need backup. This organization will provide assistance, no matter how unreasonable your request is. I’ve already arranged everything."

The second card belonged to Choi Yoon.

Truthfully, Su-ho had wanted to give them Union’s representative’s contact information, but since he was busy absorbing the Raid Guild, Su-ho had requested Choi Yoon to act as a substitute.

The request had been immediately approved, making Choi Yoon the dedicated support for both Su-ho and the Banshees.

"Wh-why me?"

"Do you not want to? If so, just let your representative know."

"N-no, that’s not what I meant..."

"Then I’ll be counting on you."

"Hngh..."

Su-ho continued his explanation.

"I’ve written down all major villain traits and strategies in these documents. Use them as much as possible. During this period, my goal is to cut out all the cancerous tumors in this country. I despise when major operations get disrupted by lowlife scum.

So, take this opportunity to build up your reputation. I want the name Banshee to strike fear into criminals before they even think of acting."

"Like Batman?"

"Yeah, like Batman. If you ever feel like you can’t handle a mission, call me. I’ll come and destroy them myself."

"Understood!"

"Oh, and take these."

Su-ho handed them three credit cards.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

"If you ever need money for operations, use these. I’ve disabled notifications on them, so spend freely."

But before Kim Geon could take them, Gu Yeon-hwa snatched them up. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

"Can we really use these however we want?"

"Yes, spend as much as you need."

"Really, really?"

"...Wait, you’re earning money now, so why are you so excited?"

"Because spending other people’s money feels different! Especially when it belongs to the country’s top hunter!"

"Have you not seen the Hunter Rankings? I’m not the top hunter. My pure level alone doesn’t even place me in the top 100."

"But if we count achievement points, like your Sealed Gate record, you’re in the top 10."

"...Whatever. Anyway, start immediately. The Reconstruction Gate Project is moving quickly, but legal procedures will still take some time."

"Understood! Oh, but what should we call you now? Since Geon is Team Leader, does that mean...?"

"Call me Director. Once I officially become a Division Director, you can call me that instead."

"Got it!"

"Alright, then, let’s move out."

Su-ho never intended to take over the Great Korea Hunter Association for peace and security.

His final goal was the complete eradication of Gates.

And in that process, dealing with Awakened villains would be nothing but a nuisance.

‘Do I really have time to waste dealing with thugs?’

But at the same time, he couldn’t completely ignore them either.

More importantly, he didn’t want to ignore them.

That’s why he chose to utilize the Banshees.

By establishing the Banshees as a powerful and symbolic enforcement group, and making Cheongok Prison a true hellhole, crime rates would naturally plummet.

After sending the Banshees on their first mission, Su-ho took out his phone and called Kim Seung-hwan.

— Yes, Hunter.

"How’s the operation going?"

— The documents you provided were so detailed that we barely had to do any cross-referencing. I was just about to contact you.

"What happened to the Association officials?"

— All of them were dismissed. The Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Pi Seong-yeol, and all the executives under him... Officially, this is a Reconstruction Gate case, but with so many casualties, it’s basically just a matter of whether it’ll be considered mass murder or manslaughter.

It was only natural.

This wasn’t just corruption—it had led to mass deaths.

‘This wasn’t just murder. It was slaughter.’

However, South Korea didn’t enforce the death penalty.

Even if they were sentenced, they would rot in prison for life.

Which, in Su-ho’s mind, was far worse than a swift death.

‘After everything they’ve done, death would be too easy a punishment.’

Nodding, Su-ho said,

"Understood. Keep up the good work. Also, do you know where Son Baek-geum is right now?"

— Son Baek-geum? Hold on.

Su-ho hadn’t asked Kim Seung-hwan to track Son Baek-geum.

Nor had he planned to.

After all, Son Baek-geum had accumulated wealth illegally and was undoubtedly a villain in his own right.

But... since Son had helped in this operation, Su-ho figured he might as well compensate him personally.

— He’s currently under non-detention investigation. His only crime is running illegal gambling dens, so for his exact location, you’ll need to ask him directly. Do you need his number?

"No, I’ll handle it. Thanks."

Ending the call, Su-ho immediately dialed Son Baek-geum.

Before the fourth ring, Son picked up.

— Yes, Hunter.

"Where are you, Baek-geum?"

— I’m at a hotel.

"I’m coming. Wait for me."

Su-ho immediately drove toward Peymond Plaza Hotel upon hearing the word hotel.

When he arrived on the first floor, Son Baek-geum was already there, waiting for him alongside his subordinates.

Su-ho pulled up near the entrance without bothering to park properly and spoke.

"If someone saw this, they’d get the wrong idea. Why are you all standing around like this?"

"My apologies. There have been too many people after me lately, so I had to station some men around. And, of course, I couldn’t just sit back and not come out to greet you, Hunter."

At that, Su-ho let out a small chuckle.

Because Son Baek-geum’s words were true.

Some people—no, most people—believed that the Reconstruction Gate scandal had come to light because of Son Baek-geum.

To some, he was laughably being called a "benevolent gangster."

But to the cartels profiting from Reconstruction Gates, he was a dead man walking.

That was why he was being so cautious.

Power struggles were far more complicated than people thought.

But people themselves were far simpler than they thought.

Especially foolish people—who cared little for others’ misfortune but saw their own suffering as the most important thing in the world.

And when such people suffered, they tended to blame others rather than themselves.

Right now, Son Baek-geum was the perfect scapegoat for many.

Su-ho followed Son Baek-geum up to his office.

The entrance was heavily guarded, and once inside, the two of them were left alone.

Only then did Su-ho speak.

"I came to settle accounts."

"Settle accounts?"

"The Reconstruction Gate scandal has been exposed, and the investigation is progressing smoothly. You’ve done your part. It’s time for me to let you go."

"Wait... are you saying...?!"

Son Baek-geum’s eyes widened.

Su-ho smiled.

"Come closer."

"A-Ah...!"

Son Baek-geum approached, his body trembling slightly.

Like a lamb before a god.

"First, let’s undo everything I promised to."

Su-ho pressed his fingers against several points on Son Baek-geum’s body.

[ Pressure Point Seals Have Been Released. ]

A system alert appeared, notifying him that Son Baek-geum was free once more.

"You can now be a man again."

"Finally... at last...!"

"I’ve lifted everything else as well. You can start living as a person again."

"Thank you...! Thank you...! Truly, thank you...!"

Son Baek-geum recalled the miserable days he had endured.

The forced suppression of his desires had left him in mental agony.

He had been barely alive.

Rumors had spread that the boss of Baekgeumpa, the largest gang in Gangnam, was a eunuch or that he had switched preferences.

But now—his suffering was over, and happiness awaited.

‘As soon as I get out of here, I’ll...!’

Just as his fantasies began to take flight, Su-ho spoke.

"But this comes with a condition."

"...What?"

A condition?

What was this now?

Son Baek-geum’s heart dropped.

‘Is he about to order me around again?!’

But Su-ho didn’t care for his reaction and continued,

"Let’s keep working together."

"W-what kind of work?"

"I’ve been thinking about it... Power never leaves a vacuum. Right now, I’m waging a nationwide war on crime.

But no matter how many villains I eradicate, new ones will always appear to take their place."

"A-and?"

"It’s better to have the lesser evil than the worst possible one.

So, I’ve decided to put someone I can control in that space. Baekgeumpa will be that lesser evil.

Of course, that’s under one condition—that you operate within legal boundaries."

"What are you saying...?"

"I’ll deal with Awakened villains, and you will handle the ordinary gangsters.

I’ll even expand Baekgeumpa to a nationwide organization—so you will oversee the entire country.

If you do that, you can continue to live like a person.

Do we have a deal?"

"..."

"Do we?"

"...O-okay."

"Good. Then our negotiation is complete."

Su-ho smiled brightly and shook hands with him.