Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant

Chapter 138

The grade of a gate was determined by various factors, but the greatest influence came from the initial measurement of magic power when the gate first appeared.

Now, they were saying the magic level of this gate had been measured at S-rank, so for the Gate Department, this was a state of emergency.

And with good reason, as the higher the gate grade, the greater the impact on the surrounding area in the event of a gate shock.

So, it was understandable that Jung Chulmin suddenly reached out to find Suho.

Suho immediately drove to the address provided.

Fortunately, it wasn’t far.

The gate had appeared at Youngwol Pavilion, located in Yeoju.

When Suho arrived at Youngwol Pavilion, access restrictions were already in place, and Jung Chulmin, who had been notified of his arrival, came out to greet him as he parked.

“You’re here?”

“I came as soon as I got the call.”

“Where were you to arrive so quickly?”

“I was in the Gwangju area, working on a quest there.”

“Really? Perfect timing, then. So, did you finish the quest?”

“There’s still a bit left of the trait quest.”

“Oh… I called you at a crucial time when you needed to concentrate. Still, I hope you understand; it’s not just any gate—it’s an S-rank gate.”

“Oh, of course. You were considerate of my schedule, but business is business. By the way…”

Suho looked around as he spoke.

“It seems like the others haven’t arrived yet?”

“Well, I was already here as the team lead, so I didn’t call everyone. For now, I just summoned the scouting team.”

The scouting team.

In the Gate Management Team, there were several squads.

The scouting team, which conducted the initial reconnaissance as soon as a gate appeared, and the strategy team, which attempted to conquer the gate if it was deemed manageable.

Lastly, there was the management team that oversaw the general administration of the gates.

A common trait of all these teams was that every single member was an awakened individual.

Furthermore, the scouting and management teams had fixed personnel.

‘The management team primarily handled administrative tasks and was therefore composed of lower-level personnel, whereas the scouting team took on the most dangerous assignments, so it was made up of the most seasoned hunters.’

Of course, “veteran” was a relative term limited to the “Special Management Team.”

In other words, compared to the strategy teams of other guilds, their performance was pitifully subpar.

‘There isn’t a single hunter in the scouting team above level 100; that says it all.’

Why was that the case?

It was obvious.

For national hunters, both the bonus for conquering a gate and the spoils of the gate belonged entirely to the state.

So, in reality, there was hardly any need for a strategy team.

If the scouting team could handle it, they took on the strategy work themselves.

Thus, expectations were never high.

From his past-life memories, Suho couldn’t recall any particular standout individuals.

Even so, Jung Chulmin had decided to call them in.

After all, they were still the scouting team of the second management team.

Jung Chulmin led Suho to the sensory team’s tent.

The atmosphere inside the tent was tense.

It had been a long time since an S-rank level of magic had been detected, so everyone was nervous.

If the gate ran wild and triggered a gate shock, it would be a major disaster.

At that moment, Son Dowon, the leader of the third sensory team, spotted them and greeted them warmly.

“You’re here?”

“This is Son Dowon, leader of the third sensory team and my colleague.”

“I’m Ahn Suho. I was recently assigned as the assistant team leader of Special Management Team 2.”

Upon Jung Chulmin’s introduction, Suho quickly greeted him.

Son Dowon smiled in return, welcoming him warmly.

“Call me Son Dowon. I heard about what happened during the Sensory Division assessment. By the way, is he the only one you called?”

In response to Son Dowon’s question, Jung Chulmin answered.

“I did call the scouting team, but even if they come, they won’t be of much help since this guy here has the highest level in our team.”

“This guy? What level is he?”

Suho answered on behalf of the question directed at Jung Chulmin.

“I’m level 100.”

In truth, he was level 104, but he intentionally stated 100.

If he honestly mentioned 104, they would start asking how he raised his level through gates, and he’d have to answer a lot of questions.

Hearing Suho’s level, Son Dowon raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Have you finished your Singularity Quest yet?”

“I haven’t even used my Singularity Leave yet.”

“Oh… So you were summoned during a crucial period. Wait a moment—are you planning to assign this guy to the scouting team?”

“I’m considering it. Honestly, we shouldn’t send the scouting team into an S-rank gate. What if they go in and just end up dying?”

“Then you didn’t call them?”

“Well, it’s work, so I couldn’t not call them. Besides, this guy isn’t formally assigned to the scouting team yet.”

“That’s true…”

Son Dowon stroked his chin, then looked at Suho.

“Suho.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’m not trying to pressure you; I’m just curious… you’ve been conquering sealed gates so far, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Would you have any interest in an S-rank gate? I mean, absolutely no pressure; I’m genuinely asking out of curiosity…”

“I’m interested in S-rank gates.”

“…Really?”

“Yes, really. And I share our team leader’s opinion. I understand that all our scouting team members are at lower levels. Rather than send them into an S-rank gate where they might die, I think it’s better to avoid it altogether.”

“What about you, then?”

“I don’t mind. If I get permission, I’d be willing to conduct a solo exploration.”

The moment Suho finished speaking, Son Dowon stared at him with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth.

“Is that so?”

“Hmm…”

In truth, Jung Chulmin had also thought of this possibility.

But no matter how capable Suho was, sending a subordinate alone into an S-rank gate felt reckless.

Suho, aware of his thoughts, added as if making a request.

“I find it easier to move on my own. If you’d permit it, I’d like to attempt a solo reconnaissance.”

“…Are you sure about this?”

“It’s still safer than a sealed gate, isn’t it? If no one goes, this S-rank gate will be auctioned off as unexplored, which would be a shame.”

Just as he said.

When the Korean Hunter Association gave up on exploring a gate, it was transferred to the Trade Team and auctioned off to the public.

Most high-level gates were handled in this way.

It was regrettable, but there was no other option.

The government lacked exploration personnel, and holding onto high-level gates only cost additional tax money for upkeep.

But now, the association had acquired a high-level asset.

An asset in the form of a Sword God.

Jung Chulmin, knowing this, had called Suho first.

Jung Chulmin nodded, saying, “Honestly, with you insisting like this, how can I refuse? But… you realize that unexplored high-level gates are very different from sealed gates. At least with a sealed gate, we have collected information, but with an unexplored gate, it’s a complete gamble. You know that, right?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Alright. If that’s how you feel… then, how much charge is left?”

“12%.”

“How long will it take?”

“Well, at the current rate, about 12 hours?”

“Hm, then you have time to prepare, and once the scouting team arrives, we can get their input.”

Twelve hours.

Suho nodded at the mention of the time.

‘That’s assuming we wait for it to open naturally.’

But time was precious.

If he were to enter alone, he didn’t want to waste twelve hours waiting.

He didn’t particularly need any preparation.

‘No matter how unexplored the gate is, as long as it’s within the timeline I lived, I would recognize it.’

Due to performance evaluations, Suho had once reviewed every gate worldwide.

And with the Library of Memories now, it was impossible for him not to know about a gate if he wanted to.

So, if it was possible, he planned to speed up the gate’s opening.

“Team Leader, could I step out for a moment?”

“Why?”

“Well, I came here urgently in the middle of a quest, so there are some places I need to inform.”

“Oh, if it’s that, go ahead. We still have twelve hours.”

“Thank you.”

Suho moved to his car and opened the Library of Memories.

Then, he searched for information on domestic S-rank gates that had opened in the current year.

After a while of reviewing the library, he finally found the most promising candidate that matched both time and place.

‘If it’s a gate that opened in Youngwol Pavilion around this time, it could only be this one… But was it really this gate that opened back then?’

The Youngwol Pavilion Gate, named after its opening in Yeoju’s Youngwol Pavilion.

There couldn’t be a duplicate.

Once a gate manifested in a place, it never reappeared there.

Could it be because of this?

After finding the records on the Youngwol Pavilion Gate, Suho couldn’t help but chuckle as he stroked his chin.

‘If this gate that’s about to open is really the Youngwol Pavilion Gate, then I’ve hit the jackpot.’

Therefore, there was no reason to hesitate any longer.

Suho immediately left the car and returned to the sensory team tent.

“All done with the call?”

“Yes, thanks to you. Um… By the way, Team Leader.”

“Hmm?”

“I have a proposal for Team Leader Son; could you join us?”

“A proposal? I’m curious; Son, are you busy?”

At his colleague’s call, Son Dowon came over and asked, “What is it?”

“Suho says he has a proposal for you.”

“For me?”

When Son Dowon tilted his head curiously, Suho spoke up.

“Team Leader Son, have you ever heard of fast opening?”

“Fast opening?”

“Yes, it’s a method used abroad to speed up the opening of a charging gate…”

“Abroad? I’ve never heard of it.”

Understandably.

Fast Opening was a technique that would become widely used later, but for now, it was being discreetly applied abroad.

Suho continued to explain.

“This technique isn’t widely known yet, so you may not be aware of it. Using the Fast Opening method, we can open gates faster.”

“You can open a gate faster? Without waiting for it to naturally open?”

“Yes, it involves injecting high-purity mana into the gate to accelerate its opening. With this method, there’s no need to wait.”

“A method like that…? But is it safe?”

“Safe…”

For now, Suho couldn’t guarantee safety.

A high-level mana-infused gate had a low chance of triggering a gate shock, but there was currently no way to suppress a gate shock.

‘To control a gate shock, you need a special skill or item…’

The time for creating such items hadn’t come yet, nor had the skill been discovered.

Though he could theoretically acquire it through effort and time, obtaining it for the sake of controlling a single gate shock seemed inefficient.

So, just this once, Suho decided to lie a bit.

The Youngwol Pavilion Gate contained high-level mana, but it hadn’t triggered a gate shock.

“If you’re worried about gate shock, there’s a way to distinguish it.”

“A way to distinguish gate shock?”

“Yes, would you like to hear it?”

Son Dowon’s eyes gleamed with interest.

“Alright, let’s hear it.”

Seeing this reaction, Suho smiled as he began his explanation.

The expression on Son Dowon’s face suggested he was almost convinced.