Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant novel Chapter 289

Su-ho blinked in surprise as the notification appeared.

‘Boss room?’

When his vision cleared again, he found himself surrounded by pitch-black darkness.

[Due to the Original Vampire effect, you are not affected by darkness limitations.]

The Vampire effect activated the moment he was enveloped by shadow.

Yet despite this, Su-ho’s sight revealed nothing but pure black.

‘Even with the Vampire effect active, I still can’t see anything?’

What was this?

Was this space truly only darkness?

Even the princess—who had entered hand-in-hand with him—was nowhere to be seen.

For a while, he stood alone on the cold stone floor, until an unfamiliar voice began to echo in his mind.

— Who are you?

The voice rang through his skull like a divine echo, reverberating through the void with a grandeur so vast it could be mistaken for the voice of a god.

The mysterious voice continued.

— This is the first time an outsider has set foot in this place. I shall ask again: who are you? Your answer will determine your fate.

Su-ho immediately understood this wasn’t some disembodied narration—it was directed at him.

So he answered without hesitation.

“I am the knight who escorted the princess here.”

— This place is meant solely for royalty. Even knights who serve them have never been permitted entry.

“She granted me permission. That’s the only reason I came in.”

— I see. Then why is it only you and the princess who have come? Do you not know what this place is?

“No, I don’t. I only brought the princess here because I needed a safe place for her to hide.”

— Hide?

“Yes. Right now, foreign invaders have breached the palace itself. To make matters worse, the princess is the only surviving member of the royal family.”

— ......

Su-ho calmly laid out the situation.

The voice fell silent.

And Su-ho patiently waited, knowing instinctively that this moment was the crux of a linked quest.

‘The fact that this is a boss room proves it’s the highlight.’

Gates came in countless forms, and likewise, boss rooms took on many faces.

For example, the “Swamp of Despair,” made of endless death stairs, or the “Fire, Steel, and Hammer” stage with massive Fire Dwarves swinging giant mallets—those rooms didn’t even contain boss monsters.

In other words, not every gate required a boss monster to conclude it.

In his previous life, the Palace of the Moon had been cleared simply by escaping with the princess—no combat, no boss.

But now, a new linked quest had triggered—one that didn’t exist in his past life—and instead of an attack, the boss room had begun with a conversation.

‘This kind of gate requires you to follow the narrative through dialogue—to respond in the direction the system wants.’

Then it happened.

Fwaash!

A path unfolded before Su-ho’s eyes.

It shimmered like mist, tinged with a mystical teal hue, and at its center, smoke rose and began to take on human form.

— What is your name?

It was the voice from before.

Su-ho answered clearly.

“My name is Henry.”

— I see. Your words have been verified. You are indeed the last knight of this kingdom.

As he spoke, the mist thickened around the figure.

Armor materialized around his body. A helmet encased his entire head, and in one hand, he gripped a massive sword shaped like a cross—taller than himself.

— My name is Hex. I am the knight who has protected this Palace of the Moon for generations.

And then a name card appeared above his head.

— Hex, Knight of the Moon Lv.???

The level remained hidden.

But the appearance of a name card meant one thing—this was an opponent to fight.

Hex continued speaking.

— Thanks to you, I have learned that our kingdom now stands on the brink of extinction. Thus, as a knight who has guarded it since its founding, I offer this proposal to you, the kingdom’s final knight.

“What sort of proposal?”

— If you are worthy, I would like to pass on my power to you—for the sake of our kingdom’s future and its honor. This power has only ever been inherited by members of the royal family. Never has it been passed to an outsider.

Su-ho’s eyes gleamed.

‘This is...!’

It was unmistakable.

A Trait Quest.

Just like the “Hercules Candidate” quest before—this was another opportunity to gain a unique trait.

His heart pounded.

Because not only was this a Trait Quest, but also, he had never once heard the keyword “Knight of the Moon” before.

‘This is an unknown power even to me.’

And that meant he had to claim it no matter what.

The system only revealed what it intended to be known. If even he, who had practically memorized the game’s mechanics, hadn’t heard of this, it meant this was an extremely rare and difficult-to-obtain ability.

All the more reason to stay calm and focused.

“What happens if I’m not worthy?”

— Then it will mark the end of the royal line.

Hex answered with quiet sorrow, as if accepting the inevitable.

Fair enough.

What future could there be for something that couldn't be protected?

‘Just like I was in the past.’

So Su-ho accepted.

There was no need to ask what the risks were.

No thought even crossed his mind to ask.

Failure was simply not a word in Su-ho’s vocabulary.

He nodded.

“I understand. I accept.”

Hex smiled at the resolute answer.

— Hmph. You truly are a worthy final knight. No hesitation. No petty questions. I see now why the princess entrusted you with this place. Very well. Since you have accepted, I shall now tell you what being worthy means.

He swung his sword once.

Teal smoke erupted around them, and the ground transformed into a vast stone arena.

[Hex, Knight of the Moon, is testing you.]

[A Linked Quest has been generated.]

[Guardian - 3]

— Grade: S

**# The princess has placed her trust in you and brought you to the royal sanctuary.

Hex entrusts you with the royal family’s final hope.

Earn his recognition and become the new Knight of the Moon.

If you lose to Hex, the quest will fail, and the gate will automatically close.**

A new linked quest had triggered.

Loud, disruptive Fear wasn’t always the strongest.

In fact, scream-based Fear was a double-edged sword—it immobilized the user during the scream.

Short-action Fear like Hex’s was far more effective.

‘Guess I should return the favor.’

Su-ho cast Weaken on Hex.

[Weaken is activating.]

Hex smirked.

— An interesting power you wield.

“You’re not bad yourself, Sir Knight.”

— Good. Then let’s see what you’re truly capable of.

With that, Hex lunged forward with a thunderous stomp.

Boom!

He closed the gap in an instant and swung his sword.

Vwooong!

The massive sword, shaped like a cross, moved like a halberd or giant club.

Su-ho instantly summoned his Blood Weapon and met the attack head-on.

Clang!!

The force was tremendous.

Truly worthy of the kingdom’s guardian knight.

Su-ho could say for certain—of all the opponents he’d faced since returning, this one had the most raw power.

But raw power wasn’t what concerned Su-ho.

He knew plenty of ways to beat strength.

What surprised him more was something else entirely—

The weak point marker.

Whenever Su-ho used his buffs, Eye of the Blacksmith activated automatically.

And that skill always highlighted the enemy’s weaknesses in red.

But on Hex?

There were none.

‘Yeah... a boss monster with both a Trait Quest and a linked quest should be this tough.’

‘Like I ever relied on weak points anyway.’

Clang!

Su-ho exploded with strength and pushed Hex’s sword aside.

Then, one beat faster, he swung his own blade.

[Steel Severance is activating.]

[Enhancement is applied.]

[The power of Steel Severance increases significantly.]

Whoosh!

The timing was perfect.

Not a half-beat—but a full beat faster.

He’d read Hex’s movement perfectly and drove his sword into his body.

But—

Clang!!

A harsh metallic clang.

The white and red arc of the Blood Sword halted at Hex’s armor.

His blade couldn’t cut through it.