Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant-Chapter 415

At Su-ho’s demand, Grid’s eyes narrowed.

Then he stared at Su-ho for a while before opening his mouth.

You’re a real thug.

“Take it as a compliment?”

Compliment my ass—take it exactly as you heard it.

“I did take it exactly as I heard it. So, can you or can’t you?”

...This matter requires temporary authorization.

Authorization.

He must mean permission from the system.

Understood.

It was information even Amaterasu couldn’t easily say.

‘So I built a proper basis the system could accept.’

For someone like Grid, with whom such deals are possible, this case constituted “a just price.”

Grid folded his arms, closed his eyes, and kept silent for a long time.

Then, after quite a while, he slowly lifted his eyelids and let out a sigh.

Phew.

“How’d it go?”

Authorization granted.

“Yeah?”

At the words that authorization had been granted, the corners of Su-ho’s mouth lifted.

Of course.

As long as you match the conditions it set, the system will permit anything within those bounds.

When Su-ho smiled, Grid clucked his tongue as if fed up.

The more I look at you, the stranger you are. What kind of being are you, to know all this?

“Was that a question? Then is that perhaps a trade?”

Forget it. I should just stop talking.

“Suit yourself. So, what’s the method?”

Have you ever heard of something called Ilwol Jiche?

“Ilwol Jiche?”

At the words Ilwol Jiche, Su-ho began rifling through the Library of Memory.

But even after searching the entire Library of Memory, Ilwol Jiche was a term he was hearing for the first time.

“First I’ve heard of it. What is it?”

A type of constitutional trait. A very special constitution in which the power of the sun and the moon both coexist.

“Aha?”

So that’s why it’s Ilwol Jiche, huh?

A constitution where both the power of the sun and the moon coexist, of all things.

Hearing that, the corners of Su-ho’s mouth couldn’t help but rise.

Ilwol Jiche was, to anyone’s eyes, the perfect answer Su-ho was seeking.

Is that answer enough?

“Plenty. Then how can one obtain Ilwol Jiche?”

I can answer, but let’s draw the lines clearly. The matter of the whereabouts of Ilwol Jiche counts as a separate trade.

“Of course it should. But don’t get cute and split an answer you could give at once—if you try that kind of thug move, it’ll have a grave impact on our partnership. You know there are still five Great Demon Players left, right?”

...Tch.

“Oh-ho?”

Listen to this guy.

“Tch,” my ass.

This is why dealing with demons is exhausting.

If you don’t draw the lines clearly, they act like hidden terms sneaked into the contract.

‘But am I any different.’

He decided to coolly acknowledge what should be acknowledged.

So the answer?

“Do it that way. So what’s the method?”

The method itself is simple. Combine a Fragment of White Night and a Fragment of Polar Night, and an item will be produced that can make you Ilwol Jiche. Use that to become Ilwol Jiche. For reference, Fragments of White Night drop from monsters in the White Night Zone, and Fragments of Polar Night drop from monsters in the Polar Night Zone.

At Grid’s answer, Su-ho folded his arms and narrowed his eyes.

‘Fragments of White Night and Polar Night, huh.’

Indeed, at this level it was quality information enough.

Su-ho nodded.

“Thanks. That helps plenty.”

Then we’re done here?

“Where do you think you’re going. There’s still the third trade left, isn’t there?”

Tch.

“What’s with the tch... fine, I’ll keep the third trade in reserve.”

Keep? You think this is some bar?

“Can’t I?”

Nothing says you can’t. Fine. Now hand over the rune.

Sensing the deal was wrapping up, Grid started rubbing his hands like a fly again, and only then did Su-ho hand over the Rune of Lust to Grid. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

At last!

The moment the Rune of Lust entered Grid’s hand, his eyes grew the largest Su-ho had ever seen.

For a time he gazed at it as if entranced, and after he had admired it enough, he did something astonishing—he gaped his mouth wide and swallowed it in one bite.

Gulp!

Though the Rune of Lust was as big as his own bulk, Grid, without a shred of hesitation, swallowed that huge thing in one gulp.

And once the Rune of Lust had completely vanished into Grid’s belly—

Fwaaaah!

Grid’s body began to glow red.

Ahhh...! This is it...!

A face that had gone past tingling into ecstasy.

Could it really feel that good?

It was like watching a cat caught up in catnip.

‘Well, he looks way creepier than a cat, though.’

At any rate, with one of the Seven Deadly Sins handled, Grid should be quiet for a while.

Su-ho checked ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) the time.

‘Hm, there’s still time before that starts.’

If you had to pick the single biggest event among those to arise with the start of the Second Great Upheaval, it was of course “that.”

The moment it occurs, a system notice pops up to every Player in the world, and if Su-ho’s memory was right, there wasn’t much time left until it happened.

No, it was right around the corner.

‘There’s still a bit of leeway before it blows, so I should handle one more task.’

If there was time, he’d handle even more.

Among the tasks he had to process, Su-ho picked one he could deal with lightly right now, and immediately summoned Cheolma.

“Cheolma.”

“Hihihing!”

Mounting Cheolma, Su-ho said to Grid,

“It seems the immediate business is done, so I’ll head out first. Later.”

Even at Su-ho’s farewell, Grid was so lost in ecstasy he didn’t even answer.

No matter.

It wasn’t a farewell expecting an answer anyway.

Before long, Cheolma took to the air, and Su-ho, on Cheolma, began heading for the northern sky.

*

Vroooooooom!!

North of the Rockies.

In this snow-covered alpine region, a single jeep was tearing along at a furious pace.

It wasn’t racing for sport.

It was fleeing to stay alive.

“Floor it! Floor it more!!”

“Fuck, it’s already at max output!!”

Hump and Jeffrey were Players who used to be professional hunters.

Living in Jasper near the Rockies, they had settled here and made a living hunting nearby monsters. The moment the Second Great Upheaval occurred recently, they knew the entire Rockies had turned ominous.

But even so, they couldn’t stop hunting.

They had families to protect, and with the world in this state, there were almost no choices left to make a living.

So Hump prayed today as well.

To survive safely for just one more day and to grant the daily bread into their hands.

But perhaps God was out of office today.

Of all days, they had run into one of the very beings you had to avoid most in the Rockies.

A herd of elk, one of the rulers of the Rockies.

“Muuuuooooohhhh!!”

Thudthudthudthudthudthudthud!!

A towering howl.

A pounding of hooves that sounded like it could cause an earthquake.

All made by the elk herd.

Their proper name was “Mega Elk,” terrifying creatures with levels distributed around 200.

No wonder—ordinary, non-monster elk... especially adult elk living in highlands, run 2 to 3 meters in body length, but Mega Elk, classified as monsters rather than animals, clock in at a minimum of 5 to 6 meters.

On top of that, Mega Elk move in herds like normal elk, so the destructive power manifested by the group is on another level.

That was when—

Vroooooom... click, click, clatter...!

“Uh?”

“What, what’s wrong?”

“I-I think the gas just ran out...!”

“What? No, fuck, I told you to fill it to the brim!”

“I did! I did fill it! But we’re running hard unlike usual, so it hit empty already!”

“Goddammit...!”

The car at full tilt was their only hope.

But the moment the fuel gauge hit bottom, that only hope shattered to pieces.

“Muuuuoooooooohhhh!!”

The cries of the Mega Elk from behind.

The sound chilled their marrow to the point their blood went dry, as if it were the Grim Reaper swinging his scythe.

Yet in this desperate situation, the two had no options to take.

Return Stone or Travel Stone?

Those pricey items were a pipe dream.

Their lifeline was a single jeep heavily reinforced by personal mods.

As the speed gradually bled away, Hump squeezed his eyes shut.

Then he slowly lifted his eyelids and spoke in a grim tone.

“Let’s get out, Jeffrey.”

“Get out and do what?”

“Run as hard as we can. If we cut down a slope, we might live.”

“What is that....”

“So we just sit here and die?”

“...”

The two fell silent.

Then Jeffrey pulled an emergency mana supply unit from the back seat and said,

“You take the slope.”

“What?”

“With this, I can keep the car moving a little longer. I’ll be the decoy. You cut down the slope and go home.”

“What are you saying? What about you?!”

“So we both die? Don’t be stupid. At least one of us has to make it back alive to take care of the families left behind.”

Jeffrey spoke in a grave tone.

“And driving’s my department. You can drive, but I drive better. And you’re smarter than me. So take care of my family. No—please. My friend.”

“...”

Hump bit down on his lip.

But he couldn’t afford a long hesitation.

“Muuuuooooohhhh!!”

The fucking Mega Elk.

Their cries were closer than before.

In the end, Hump had no choice but to decide.

“No—you’re the one who’ll make it back alive, Jeffrey.”

“What?”

“I’ll draw their eyes. Run as far as you can. Take care of my family.”

“What did you say? Hey! Hey! Hump!”

But before Jeffrey could even finish stopping him, Hump got out of the car and ran toward the direction the Mega Elk were chasing from.

“Hump!!”

“Shut up and run!!”

Hump receded from sight at speed.

It was too late now to turn the car around.

They bore too much on their shoulders to die together, and if he kept being stubborn, he couldn’t let Hump’s sacrifice be in vain.

“I’m sorry... I’m sorry...!”

He plugged the emergency mana supply unit into the personally modded mana engine.

In an instant the fuel gauge filled, and Jeffrey hit the accelerator.

Vrooooom!

The car sped away.

Hump, too, watched the receding car and smiled bitterly.

“Yeah. You live. Make sure you live...!”

Running, Hump pulled a massive kite shield from his inventory.

Though Hump had indeed been a nimble hunter by trade, his position was tanker, and his specialty was Damage Return—absorbing damage with a massive shield and reflecting it back at the enemy.

‘I’m the only one who can possibly halt the Mega Elk by using Damage Return.’

Of course, he might fail that halt on the very first try. But if he did this, they’d look at him alone instead of the car.

Hump thought that was enough.

“Muuuuooooohhhh!!”

Thudthudthudthudthud!!

Rrrrrrrrrrrrumble!!

The cries of the Mega Elk.

At the same time the very earth trembled, and Hump began to feel the herd’s approach through his whole body.

Gulp.

Hump swallowed dry.

He didn’t ask for some grand miracle.

Only a price equal to the lives he’d put aboard.

Before long, the Mega Elk began to appear in his sight.

What had looked like dots took shape in an instant, formed a mass, and became an enormous terror sweeping in like a tidal wave.

“Oh God, please...”

Hump gripped the shield handle tight.

And gathered mana.

Begging that he be allowed to use Damage Return just once.

“Muuuuoooooooohhhh!!”

The Mega Elk were at arm’s reach.

They would collide any second now.

He wasn’t even dead yet, but a life-flashing-before-his-eyes sensation skimmed past.

And as he resigned himself to everything and braced for the impact a few seconds away—

KABOOOOOOOM!!

A thunder like the heavens and earth split.

Lightning fell from the sky.

No—a person fell.

It was Su-ho.