Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant novel Chapter 271

“Holy shit...”

“...Ah...”

“...Whew...”

As expected, gasps of disbelief burst out all around.

Most people reacted that way.

And Su-ho was pleased.

As I thought—everyone loves this kind of thing.

He’d planned it this way on purpose.

He had just used Overwhelm to simulate psychological stress in reality, so presenting the combat test with an avatar modeled after himself would only heighten the effect.

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason. This wasn’t a test—it was an evaluation.

If defeating me were the only way to pass, that’d be downright cruel, wouldn’t it?

Still, he didn’t just set his avatar for the sake of pressure.

Beyond appearance, Su-ho had structured the evaluation criteria in detail, based on each candidate’s class and level.

That’s why he used his own avatar.

Compared to other helper ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) players, Su-ho believed he could make a much more accurate assessment based on what he personally knew.

He continued his explanation.

“You’ll want to give it your best. The assistant program in front of you is modeled after me.”

“...Ah.”

“That just makes it worse...”

“Insane...”

A wave of groans followed.

Su-ho was enjoying their reactions when something unexpected caught his eye.

It was none other than Park Yong.

Is he... smiling?

He was sure of it.

Park Yong, who’d been glaring like he wanted to eat someone alive, was now smiling.

And not just any smile—it was the kind that naturally bubbles up from genuine joy.

What’s going on?

What’s making him so happy?

Curiosity piqued.

I’ll have to see for myself.

Su-ho manipulated the system, switching perspectives to the assistant avatar assigned to Park Yong.

No need to approach him directly.

This simulation didn’t rely on real-world physiques or techniques. The assistants here weren’t clones conjured by skills—they were virtual constructs created by the program.

That included Su-ho’s own avatar.

There was no need for him to personally monitor the candidates either.

The system would auto-record, assign partial scores, and log everything.

Su-ho swapped the viewpoint to Park Yong’s avatar feed.

When the switch completed and Su-ho’s vision aligned with the assistant in front of Park Yong, he confirmed it.

Park Yong was smiling.

No—he was outright beaming now.

Su-ho drew his sword and spoke.

“You look like you’re enjoying yourself.”

“Damn right I am. Wouldn’t you be?”

Huh?

He responded?

To be honest, given his demeanor up till now, Su-ho had expected silence.

But the guy answered without hesitation.

And he spoke informally—like he was talking to a program.

Ah...

The reason became clear in the next sentence.

“A program like you wouldn’t understand how I feel right now.”

So that’s it.

Park Yong thought Su-ho was just a program.

And frankly, that made sense.

Everyone else was interacting with similar helper avatars.

Su-ho actually found it convenient.

If someone as tight-lipped as Park Yong believed he was just a program, maybe he’d talk more freely than anyone else.

So Su-ho asked again.

“How do you feel?”

“Ecstatic. You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to cross swords with Ahn Su-ho. And to think my wish would come true this soon.”

You wanted to cross swords with me...

Hearing that left Su-ho with a strange feeling.

You haven’t changed a bit—then or now.

It made sense. Even in his past life, Park Yong had been obsessed with dueling him.

He still remembered the day they met.

After Su-ho had gained the nickname Sword Saint.

He was already a serial killer back then.

A sword-obsessed maniac—Park Yong.

More precisely, someone obsessed with mastering his own Light Sword Technique and having it recognized as the strongest.

That obsession led him to hunt down the most skilled swordsmen in the world.

Eventually, that pursuit brought him to Su-ho.

After all, Su-ho had been publicly acknowledged as the Sword Saint.

Looking back, he really was insane.

Su-ho was part of the Grand Hunter Association at the time. Their encounter could only end in two ways:

Su-ho dies, or Park Yong is defeated and captured.

And yet, he walked straight up to me on his own.

That’s what made him a lunatic—and why he’d earned the nickname Mad Sword.

He never considered anything beyond the strength of swordsmanship.

That’s why I made sure to break his spirit early during the license exam.

Park Yong raised his sword and said:

“Of course, you’re not the real Ahn Su-ho. Even if you're based on him, you’re still just a copy. But—”

He raised his guard.

“You’re the perfect testbed for analyzing his swordsmanship.”

And with that, he began to focus.

The smile that had hovered on his lips vanished completely, replaced by a deadly aura—one usually reserved for staring down monsters.

Su-ho mirrored his stance.

He had already defeated Park Yong once in his past life.

And this version wasn’t the peak Park Yong—it was a newly licensed Hunter only a few months in.

Honestly, he could have stood there casually and still toyed with him.

But Su-ho didn’t do that.

The past-life Park Yong might have deserved that treatment, but this one had approached him respectfully.

In that case, I should return the favor.

And Su-ho’s idea of respect for someone like Park Yong...

Was teaching him, just like he wished.

More precisely, guiding a still-immature swordsman down the right path.

That was what he believed to be the proper response.

Everyone had different needs and aspirations, so the way they were taught should be different too.

So Su-ho deliberately left an opening.

A tiny one.

And—

Tat-tat-tat!

Park Yong lunged in.

Su-ho almost smiled instinctively.

No, hold it in.

I’m just a program. If I show emotion, it’ll raise suspicion.

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