Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant novel Chapter 176

Hwang Ga-on was a well-known warrior-class player.

Despite his massive frame, he was surprisingly agile, making him an effective hybrid user capable of both dealing and tanking damage simultaneously.

On top of that, his combat sense was exceptional, often handling the workload of two players on his own.

"Especially in one-on-one battles, I’ve rarely lost."

His Infinity Duel win rate was over 90%. That statistic alone was proof enough of his extraordinary prowess.

Because of this, Hwang Ga-on always kept an eye on other powerful players. Naturally, he was well aware of the Sword Saint, An Su-ho.

Especially the fact that Su-ho had single-handedly cleared multiple sealed Gates—a feat bordering on the absurd.

However, the Gates he had cleared were relatively low-level, and rumors suggested that he relied on tricks rather than raw strength.

"On top of that, he suddenly appeared out of nowhere as a swordsman player and was specially appointed as a Rank 5 civil servant. Anyone can see that he’s a government-backed project player."

That wasn’t just Hwang Ga-on’s own assumption.

Unbeknownst to Su-ho, one of the most popular conspiracy theories surrounding him claimed exactly that.

After all, he had burst onto the scene like a comet, performing one absurd feat after another.

So naturally, Hwang Ga-on had wanted to meet him.

More specifically, he had wanted to fight him.

And now, that opportunity had finally arrived.

Closing the distance in an instant, Hwang Ga-on brought his twin axes together, raising them behind his head before slamming them down like a war hammer.

It was his signature move—Thunder Strike.

"This is the end!"

As he thought that, his axes descended upon Su-ho with devastating force.

Yet, Su-ho did not move.

He stood there, unmoving, watching the twin axes fall toward him.

Hwang Ga-on, seeing Su-ho remain still, was certain of his victory.

At this distance, at this reaction speed, there was absolutely no way he could dodge.

However, at that moment—

Ssschkk!

A crisp slicing sound rang through the air.

What?

Was it just his imagination?

No. He had definitely heard it.

A sharp, cutting sound that only someone on the battlefield could detect.

Yet, Su-ho remained still.

That was when—

"Huh?"

Su-ho’s unmoving form changed.

A moment ago, he had been standing still, yet somehow, his blade had already passed beside Hwang Ga-on.

It was an outward slash.

And Hwang Ga-on was within its trajectory.

That realization struck him with a strange sense of unease.

If the blade was extending outward, that meant it had already cut through him.

But he felt nothing.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, something strange happened.

His strength drained away.

The descending twin axes, once as heavy as thunder, suddenly floated in the air as if they were feathers caught in the wind.

A fleeting moment.

Time seemed to slow.

Then—

Boom!

The axes, weightless just a second ago, crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.

They had been severed at the handle.

"......!"

Hwang Ga-on’s motion was completed.

His arms followed through with the downward strike.

But nothing happened to Su-ho.

The only difference was that Su-ho had extended his sword outward.

Yet, with that single exchange, the fight was already over.

Retracting his sword, Su-ho spoke.

"I was going to sever your arms, but I spared you and cut the axes instead."

"......"

Hwang Ga-on stood frozen, as if he had gazed into the eyes of Medusa.

It was too shocking.

Me? Of all people? Did I just lose my Thunder Strike?

It had happened right before his eyes. He had felt it with his entire body.

Yet, it took him a moment to fully process the reality of what had just occurred.

And when he finally replayed the moment in his head—

A chill ran down his spine.

Thud!

His legs lost strength, and he collapsed onto his knees.

"How... how is this possible...?"

If his fans had witnessed this, they wouldn’t have believed it.

Hwang Ga-on, nicknamed "The Viking" for his aggressive fighting style and refusal to surrender, had just lost his will to fight in a single exchange and had even fallen to his knees.

But he had no choice.

Hwang Ga-on was a high-level player, one of the best.

And because of that, he could sense the insurmountable gap between them.

Yes.

This was a wall.

The kind of wall he had only encountered a handful of times in his life.

Like when he had been beaten up by older kids back in elementary school.

That raw, primal sense of overwhelming defeat.

Watching the dazed Hwang Ga-on, Su-ho finally withdrew his Blood Sword.

Clicking his tongue, he looked down at the kneeling warrior.

"For someone with such good instincts, you sure got drunk on your own talent."

A shame.

If Hwang Ga-on had been a little humbler, he could have become an even greater hunter and contributed to eradicating Gates.

But it was too late.

Too many people had witnessed this, and two barriers had already been broken.

Most importantly—

Hwang Ga-on had tried to kill him.

"Ah, no. I was just having a drink before bed."

– You drink before sleeping?

"Just a little, like a post-work drink... But what’s up?"

– The first phase of preparations is nearly complete. We just need to release the article... But if you were about to sleep, we can meet in the morning or around lunchtime instead.

"Ah, no! Let’s meet right now! Where are you?"

– I’m on my way to Seoul from Suwon. I’ll come to you. Are you at Kaiser or your officetel?

"Kaiser."

– Alright, I’ll be there soon. See you in a bit.

The call ended.

"Whoa..."

Jo Jin-hwi checked the time, then stared at his phone again.

It was almost 4 AM.

He had already drunk quite a bit and was about to pass out, but now he was wide awake.

No matter how much he tried to clear his head, the combination of a hot shower and a substantial amount of whiskey made it hard to stay focused.

"Should I... throw up?"

It was a serious dilemma.

At this rate, purging the alcohol from his system might be the only way to keep his mind sharp.

Just then, his phone vibrated.

A message from Su-ho.

Jo Jin-hwi opened it—

And his eyes widened.

"W-What?! Is this... Hwang Ga-on?!"

In the picture, Hwang Ga-on was unconscious, restrained in cuffs.

Behind him, a broken corridor wall was visible.

In the corner of the image, a small plaque read:

"Suwon District Prosecutors' Office."

"W-Wait, what?! This happened at the Suwon Prosecutor’s Office?!"

His drunken haze evaporated in an instant.

Morning.

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