Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant novel Chapter 269

“KYAAAAAH!!”

“Gkkhhhkkk...!”

“Aaaaugh...”

Was this hell?

Screams and sobs echoed throughout the field.

If you closed your eyes, it truly sounded like a place of torment.

But if you opened your eyes—it was just absurd.

Everyone was clutching a knotted cord and weeping.

Like something out of a cult ritual.

And finally, it was someone Su-ho knew personally.

It was Park Goong’s turn.

“Next, Park Goong.”

“Yes, I’m ready to begin.”

Unsurprisingly, none of the Banshee members had been eliminated during the first stamina test.

In fact, not one of them had fallen into the middle or rear groups.

They had all belonged to the leading group and only retired near the end.

That didn’t mean they had all lasted until the very final stage.

Those with relatively lower levels had dropped out earlier, but all had recorded solid results.

Why such strong performance?

Because they all knew exactly what kind of person Su-ho was.

‘No tricks. Face things head-on. But not recklessly—deal with it smartly and with flexibility.’

That was the style Kim Geon had always taught them.

Former OPS Rank 1 Kim Geon was a master not just of combat, but of observation and analysis. He had sized up Su-ho early and trained his team accordingly.

It wasn’t about trying to curry favor.

From Kim Geon’s perspective, it was only natural.

Su-ho was going to be their boss permanently—training the team to match the superior’s style would maximize overall efficiency.

The same logic applied to the mental evaluation.

As Su-ho prepared to use the Ring of Joy and Sorrow on Park Goong, he thought:

‘Let’s see how well Geon trained them.’

He hadn’t leaked anything about the test content.

All he had said was that it would assess basic stamina, flexibility of thought, core mental resilience, and overall combat capability.

That’s generic enough to say to anyone.

Even so, Kim Geon had replied, “Understood.”

That’s why Park Goong had been chosen as the first of the Banshees to attempt this stage.

If the youngest member of the Banshees could pass, then the others almost certainly would too.

And so, Su-ho activated the skill.

[ Using the Ring of Joy and Sorrow. ]

[ Applying 'Black' emotion stored in the ring to the target. ]

Shuaaa!

The concentrated Black energy extracted from Im Chang-sik surged into Park Goong.

And then—

Drip—

Tears slid from Park Goong’s eyes.

A flood of negativity pierced into his thoughts and tugged at his most vulnerable emotions.

The primary mechanism: delusions of victimization fueled by falsehoods.

Even small painful memories were inflated, twisted into grand, personal tragedies.

In Park Goong’s case, it was when he had to give up archery tournaments after awakening—and when his mother’s ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) store had struggled due to poor business.

The Black clung to those wounds, expanding them into something worse than delusion—a personal hell.

However—

“Snf!”

Mid-cry, Park Goong furrowed his brow and tightened his jaw.

His hands trembled.

But he grit his teeth and focused on the knot.

In no time, he had successfully untied it.

Without hesitation, he handed it to Su-ho and immediately began running the track.

Tears still streamed down his face.

His jaw still trembled.

But Park Goong ignored all of it and sprinted forward with everything he had.

By the time he reached the finish line, over 30 seconds remained.

Su-ho checked the time, nodded, and approached to use the ring again.

[ Absorbing emotion from the target. ]

Shuaaa!

As the Black was drawn out, Park Goong collapsed to the ground.

The extreme tension left him, and his legs gave out beneath him.

Su-ho offered his hand with a smile.

“Mr. Park Goong, you pass.”

“Thank you!”

Park Goong grabbed Su-ho’s hand and stood up.

His hand still shook. His lower eyelid quivered. But he was okay.

Unlike those who had failed before him, his mouth curled with relaxed confidence.

“Next...”

Su-ho called the next name.

Park Goong exited the track and slumped among the waiting participants.

Kim Geon approached him.

“Congratulations. You passed.”

“Thank you. But wow... that was no joke.”

“It was tough?”

“Yes. It felt like all the worst emotions I’ve ever experienced came crashing down on me, multiplied by dozens. You really can’t take that test lightly.”

“But you held out?”

“Yeah, well... the emotions were overwhelming, but I knew it wasn’t real.”

“That so? Then it wasn’t so bad.”

He meant it literally.

Park Goong had managed to endure the onslaught of Black because he knew it was an illusion.

Of course, knowing doesn’t always protect you.

But Park Goong had been through things just as bad as Im Chang-sik’s Black—and had survived.

That made this relatively manageable.

The same went for the other Banshees.

Kim Geon’s mental training had helped, but more importantly, they all had experience overcoming similar trauma and knew how to ground themselves.

Then—

“Whoa...”

“What the hell?”

“Did he just break the record?”

Gasps echoed from the front of the group.

The source? One applicant had completed the knot and run the track in under thirty seconds.

Even Su-ho was surprised.

‘This guy...’

The applicant was none other than Park Yong.

Despite being under the influence of Black, he didn’t shed a single tear.

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