Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant

Chapter 118

“It hurts! I said it hurts!!”

“So noisy.”

Jo Gwangho’s painful groans grated on Suho’s ears.

So, he pressed down on Jo’s Ahyeol and Gusimhyul Acupoint Strikes for added effect.

With that, Jo Gwangho trembled, unable to move at all, only shaking pitifully.

It must have been agonizing.

Suho had pressed on all the pain-inducing Acupoint Strikes, including the worst of them.

‘Glad I raised my strength in advance.’

In Cheongok, even the most notorious criminals barely reached the 1-star level.

The reason there were no higher-level criminals was that they were usually executed on the spot, as capturing and transporting them to prison wasn’t feasible.

So it was a relief.

Although Acupoint Strikes might seem like a cure-all, they had to be pressed directly with a finger to be effective, and if the opponent’s health or defense level was too high, Acupoint Strike techniques wouldn’t work at all.

However, 1-star players could generally be subdued with an orange-grade strength stat.

Suho looked down at the trembling Jo Gwangho.

Jo’s nickname was Iron Clod.

He was called that because his body was as hard as reinforced steel.

Like Yoon Hyun-chul, he practiced martial arts and, thanks to a personal trait that hardened his body, had become one of the strongest in Cheongok.

But unlike Yoon Hyun-chul, Jo Gwangho was incredibly cunning and calculating.

While Yoon Hyun-chul had been driven to murder by uncontrollable rage, Jo had committed numerous murders and assaults purely out of malice.

Suho waited patiently until Jo Gwangho was saturated with pain.

After checking the time, he finally released all the Acupoint Strikes.

“Gasp… gasp…”

Even though the Acupoint Strikes had been released, Jo Gwangho couldn’t get up.

The pain’s aftereffects lingered.

The ground where he lay was soaked with his sweat, saliva, and tears, and the fear of being unable to move his body persisted even though the pain had subsided.

Suho pulled a chair in front of Jo and sat down, speaking to him.

“Gwangho.”

“Uh… ugh?”

“You’ve been living a bit too comfortably, haven’t you?”

“W-what do you mean…?”

“A scumbag like you, awakened by chance, earning money and living luxuriously… only to end up here because you were caught assaulting and killing your teammates inside a gate. Yet even here in Cheongok, you rule over others like a king.”

“……”

“Despite how you look, you’ve got a sharp mind… you built a faction here, living comfortably off others. Now, shouldn’t you face the punishment you truly deserve?”

“W-what do you mean by that?”

Without further words, Suho grabbed Jo Gwangho by the scruff and made him sit on the chair.

“Sit up straight.”

“Y-yes!”

His body still felt weak.

But his mind was sharper than ever, and his mental focus kept his weary body in line.

“Hm.”

Suho stared at Jo Gwangho for a while.

He was calculating.

What punishment would make Jo Gwangho reflect and suffer for the rest of his life?

The answer wasn’t hard to find.

You’ve lived enjoying far too many privileges.

Suho pressed down on a few more Acupoint Strikes on Jo Gwangho’s body.

[ Acupoint Strike Activated. ]

[ Acupoint Strike Activated. ]

[ Acupoint Strike Activated. ]

He applied pressure to multiple points.

Among them were points that would prevent him from speaking, along with Gusimhyul on his left ankle and Gusimhyul on both hands.

This should suffice.

Because of the Acupoint Strikes, he wouldn’t be able to speak, his hands would be too weak to hold even a spoon, and he’d have to drag his left foot wherever he went.

Suho briefly considered crippling him, as he had with Son Baek-geum, because Jo had a history of assault, but he decided against it.

Barely able to hold a spoon, and plagued by his own desires, Jo would suffer greatly from within.

‘That’s the punishment you deserve for your crimes.’

Having finished his task, Suho stood up.

Jo Gwangho hurriedly tried to shout something.

“Hngah!”

Startled, Jo Gwangho realized he couldn’t speak, as if his vocal cords had been tied.

That was the effect of Ahyeol.

Suho didn’t respond.

Instead, he gave a warm smile and left the visitation room.

Kim Geon followed him out.

Checking the time, they found it hadn’t even been an hour.

Suho and Kim Geon headed back to where Kim Goong-won was waiting.

The visitation room was thick with smoke, and when Suho arrived, Kim Goong-won jumped up from his seat.

“Looks like it worked.”

But did he really need to leave a cigarette behind?

The room was so full of smoke it looked like a raccoon den.

Using his magic, Suho gathered the smoke into a cloud and sat down in front of Kim Goong-won.

The pages were densely filled.

It seemed he had racked his brains to remember everything he could to stay alive.

Suho asked,

“Is it all done?”

“Yes, I’ve written almost everything.”

Suho skimmed through a few pages before tucking them into his jacket.

These were all meant for Kim Seung-hwan.

Although the drugs were made by the awakened Kim Goong-won and fell under the jurisdiction of the Special Department, the clients who took them were mostly ordinary people, so Kim Seung-hwan would be the perfect one to handle their cases.

Suho continued,

“Have you done some reflecting?”

“Yes, a lot of it.”

“Then do one more thing.”

“…Something more?”

“Why? Don’t want to?”

“N-no, I’m just curious about what it is.”

“You know Yoon Hyun-chul?”

“Yoon Hyun-chul…? The Hidden Dragon, Yoon Hyun-chul?”

“Yes, that Yoon Hyun-chul. He’ll be cleaning up Cheongok starting tomorrow, so stick close to him and serve as his lackey.”

“Huh? But why? Isn’t he the lone-wolf type who doesn’t mess with others as long as they don’t mess with him?”

“I struck a deal with him. So from now on…”

Suho explained to Kim Goong-won what he needed to do.

He added a warning not to think of his proximity to Yoon Hyun-chul as a privilege, and that he should be prepared if he tried to exploit it.

“Got it?”

“Yes, yes, understood!”

His voice was loud.

Of course, it was.

Suho’s advice was the best way for him to survive in Cheongok.

At that moment, Kim Goong-won, who had been glancing nervously, spoke up.

“But… uh…”

“Yes?”

“There’s… I don’t know if you’re aware, but besides Yoon Hyun-chul, there’s someone else in Cheongok who’s just as strong…”

His voice trailed off.

He was likely talking about Iron Clod Jo Gwangho.

Judging by his hesitant tone, his fear of Jo Gwangho seemed significant.

It made sense.

Even now, Kim Goong-won was paying Jo Gwangho for protection.

Suho chuckled and said,

“I know. I just dealt with him on my way here, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

“…You mean Jo Gwangho?”

“Yes. I’ll check in around the end of each month, so have your reports ready.”

“Yes, understood!”

“Well then, take care.”

With that, Suho had completed his business in Cheongok.

He nodded to Kim Geon, and the two finally left the prison.

Warden Kim Gil-yeon came out to see them off until the very end.

Before getting into the passenger seat, Kim Geon patted Kim Gil-yeon’s shoulder and said,

“Thanks for your hard work, and let’s meet again. And about what happened today—don’t acknowledge me even if you see me again. Understood?”

“Yes, I’ll remember.”

“From now on, I’ll only send this friend, so be prepared.”

At Kim Geon’s remark, Suho gave a slight nod.

Kim Gil-yeon returned Suho’s gesture with a smile, and with that, Suho’s car left Cheongok.

Once they were far from Cheongok, Kim Geon transformed his appearance back to his original form.

“Good work.”

“You worked harder, Team Leader.”

Suho chuckled at Kim Geon’s polite attitude.

“You did well for your first mission.”

“It wasn’t much; I just followed orders.”

“Don’t you have any questions?”

“Well…”

Hesitantly, Kim Geon finally voiced his question.

“This… it’ll be okay, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Pretending to be the Special Department Director.”

Suho laughed.

“Don’t worry. I know Warden Kim Gil-yeon well. He’s the type to constantly look out for his superiors. The Special Department Chief is a scary figure publicly, so he’ll be careful to avoid any trouble.”

“Got it.”

“But your question was so unexpected. I thought you’d ask about something else.”

“Like what?”

“Like what you saw today.”

“Oh, you mean the inmates in the visitation room?”

“Yes.”

“Can I really be curious about those things?”

Suho laughed again.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I read somewhere that too much curiosity leads to unhappiness. I’m finally close to happiness now; I don’t want to go back to being miserable.”

So that’s why.

You had to grow up fast because you faced hardships early on.

Suho laughed and said,

“Good attitude.”

“I’m just following your lead, Team Leader. You’re the one who saved my brother and me.”

“You have a good mindset. It’s late; let’s head back to Seoul.”

“Should I drive?”

“You know how to drive?”

“I got my license as soon as I became an adult. At one point, I even owned two cars. Really, I can drive. I’m not even tired since I’m in suit mode.”

“Go ahead, then.”

The two pulled over, switched seats, and continued toward Seoul.

***

After dropping Kim Geon off in Paju, Suho headed back to the safe house.

‘Looks like I have a few days left.’

The leave granted by Pi Seongyeol was about a week.

He had wrapped up the matters with Son Baek-geum, Kim Seung-hwan, and Cheongok in just one day.

Getting assigned to the Gate Department through media play was a bonus.

Only minor issues remained.

So Suho planned to make the most of the remaining six days.

‘I’ll spend the next six days exclusively raiding gates.’

Suho picked up his phone and dialed a number.

– “Oh~ Suho!”

The call was answered almost immediately.

The person who answered was Choi Yoon, a gate broker from Union.

If Suho was going to focus on gate raiding for six days straight, Choi Yoon’s help would be essential.

Suho asked,

“I want access to some gates. Do you have any listings?”

– Hah, is that all you have to say after calling after so long?

“Then what?”

– At least ask how I’ve been! I know all about what you’ve been up to.

“You’d know from the news. So, do you have listings?”

– You’re as stiff as ever. What kind are you looking for?

“I have a few requirements. Ideally, somewhere discreet and specialized for leveling up. Difficulty doesn’t matter, as long as the monsters are 1-star or above.”

– 1-star and above… are you sure difficulty doesn’t matter?

“It doesn’t.”

– In that case, I do have a few. However, some of them have level restrictions. What’s your level right now?

“75.”

– Three come to mind. Are you in Seoul? Do you want me to recommend one close by?

“Location doesn’t matter. I’ll take all three.”

– You must be loaded. Got it. What time?

“I can go right now.”

– In a rush, aren’t we? Why are you in such a hurry?

“I just want to tackle it while I have time. So, can we start now?”

– Yes, but there’s a nighttime surcharge at this hour.

“No problem.”

– You’re no fun. Any other requirements?

“Gates related to dragons, vampires, poison, and the full moon.”

– Quite the unique theme, huh?

“Do you have anything?”

– Uh… I do have one that meets your initial criteria, but it’s a bit far. Is that okay?

“It’s fine.”

– Alright, I’ll send you the address. Come over right away.

“Got it.”

As expected of Choi Yoon.

Right after the call ended, Suho received a text message with an address.

He keyed it into the navigation and turned the car around.