Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant-Chapter 158

Seeing is believing.

Without hesitation, Special Management Team 2 set off for Nexus Academy in Paju.

Though they were technically on duty, obtaining approval wasn’t difficult—after all, Team Leader Jeong Cheol-min himself was part of the group.

Su-ho had arranged in advance with Director Kim Soo-ae to secure access to an S-rank training facility under the pretense of a tour.

The moment the team stepped inside, they couldn’t contain their awe.

“Wow...”

“This is the Nexus...”

“This is insane.”

Their reactions were understandable.

For most of them, the only training they had ever experienced was the basic drills before the hunter qualification exam.

In terms of quality, the gap between their past training and this was akin to comparing a neighborhood soccer club to a professional Premier League team.

After bringing the team into the Infinity training system, Su-ho activated the same program used by the Banshees.

The setting: Kunlun.

Even Jeong Cheol-min was not exempt—since he was the one approving this, he had to experience it firsthand.

As they adjusted to the hyper-realistic simulation, Su-ho stood before them and addressed the group.

“Now, let’s discuss the training I mentioned earlier.”

“Are you personally going to train us, Team Leader?”

“Something like that.”

With a snap of his fingers, a sword materialized in the hands of every team member, himself included.

“I could explain this a hundred times, but it’s better if I just show you.”

“That makes sense...”

“So, come at me.”

“...Excuse me?”

“I said, attack me.”

“...What?”

“If you don’t come at me, I’ll come to you.”

Before they could process his words, Su-ho dashed forward and swung his sword.

Schwing!

In an instant, every team member—except for Jeong Cheol-min—was decapitated.

“W-what the—?!”

Their heads flew into the air.

The sight left Jeong Cheol-min utterly speechless, his mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air.

Thud!

Headless bodies collapsed to the ground in various directions.

Even blood sprayed.

But then—

Flash!

A burst of light erupted, and suddenly, the beheaded team members respawned, reappearing midair before crashing down to the ground.

“Oof!”

“Ugh...”

“Gah!”

Since they had fallen from a slight height, some landed on their backs, while others rolled unceremoniously onto the ground.

Jeong Cheol-min, still reeling from shock, turned to Su-ho and demanded, “Su-ho... what the hell was that?”

“Training.”

“Training?”

“Our team doesn’t have enough members, and we can’t afford to carry healing potions like a dedicated support unit would. At the same time, we can’t limit ourselves to only clearing the safest Gates. Given our circumstances, we need to maximize our existing resources.”

“...And this is how you plan to do that?”

“Yes. From my perspective, the best way for us to improve is through training. Back when I was with Nexus, we used Infinity for this purpose, and the results were outstanding. There’s a reason they say training should be as close to real combat as possible. And since none of us have multiple lives, this is the next best thing.”

It was a practical solution.

Su-ho’s impressive speech at the press conference hadn’t magically generated new support overnight. They still had to work with what they had.

So, Su-ho chose the most effective option: self-improvement through intense training.

He continued, “Since our performance is also measured by regulatory duties, our overall evaluation won’t suffer too much. But we can’t completely abandon exploration. So, for now, I’ll take on both exploration and raid duties alone.”

“What? That’s too much for you, don’t you think?”

Su-ho chuckled at the concern.

“Not at all. You’ve been in a Gate with me, Team Leader—you know that, given the current level of our team, having them join me would be more of a liability than a benefit. Instead of forcing unprepared members into dangerous raids, it’s better to focus on training them. After all, we don’t have to enter every Gate as a full team.”

He glanced at the team members still rubbing their sore backsides from their rough respawn.

“Besides, let’s be real—whether you like it or not, you’re going to be working in the Grand Hunter Association for a long time. Are you really going to stay at the bottom forever?”

“...That’s a fair point.”

“I do expect things to improve eventually, but we’re a government agency. There’s a process to everything. It’ll take time. Until then, I want to operate as efficiently as possible.”

Jeong Cheol-min folded his arms, deep in thought.

His contemplation didn’t last long. He had no real reason to oppose Su-ho’s plan.

However, there was one issue.

“...How are we supposed to get these virtual training devices? You do realize our budget can’t afford something like this, right?”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. Nexus has agreed to provide the equipment.”

“...Nexus?”

“Yes. They were so moved by my speech that they decided to support us.”

“...What?”

Had such a discussion already taken place?

Jeong Cheol-min considered pressing for details but decided against it.

Sometimes, it’s better not to ask.

“...Well, that’s generous of them.”

“Of course! Nexus’s representatives are incredibly honorable people.”

“...Sure, let’s go with that.”

“Great. I’ll draft the paperwork and get it approved... but wait, does that mean I have to participate in this training too?”

“It’d be best if you did. But I won’t force you.”

“...That’s basically forcing me.”

Jeong Cheol-min sighed in resignation.

“Fine... I’ll do it.”

“Haha, good choice. As someone in a leadership position, it’s better if you don’t let your level lag too far behind. That said, I’ll be giving you a different training regimen. This facility is specifically designed for sword training.”

“Different training?”

“I’ll explain later. For now...”

Su-ho clapped his hands, calling everyone’s attention.

Then, with another snap of his fingers, a perfect replica of himself appeared beside him.

“T-Team Leader... there are two of you?!”

“This is my avatar. I’ve programmed it to replicate my swordsmanship and movements. From now on, you’ll be training against it as if it were me.”

He gestured to his duplicate.

“The avatar also has basic instructional programs, so just follow its guidance. You can call it Instructor.”

The avatar nodded in agreement.

Su-ho smiled.

“Alright, get to work. Make sure to clock out on time. I’ll coordinate with the Team Leader about scheduling and logistics later.”

“A-Are you leaving?”

“I still have a lot to discuss with the Team Leader. Keep at it. Good luck.”

With a casual wave, Su-ho logged out with Jeong Cheol-min.

A few moments later, the Instructor avatar took a step forward, drawing its sword.

“What are you looking at, you bunch of trash? Move your asses and fight!”

***

After logging out, Su-ho and Jeong Cheol-min made their way to the first-floor café of the training center. They ordered coffee and settled into their seats.

Su-ho got straight to the point.

"As I said earlier, the team will focus on training, and I’ll handle the rest of the workload."

Jeong Cheol-min scoffed.

"How much do you plan to take on by yourself?"

"All of it."

"...All of it?"

"Yes. Every sealed Gate currently under our association’s management, as well as any new Gates that appear."

Jeong Cheol-min almost dropped his coffee.

"Wait, what? Are you serious?"

"I’ll push myself as far as I can. Awakened hunters grow stronger by clearing Gates. High-difficulty Gates are the best training ground for that."

"And if you die in the process? You’re pushing yourself way too hard."

"This job comes with risks. Police officers, soldiers, firefighters—they all put their lives on the line. Hunters are no different. This is the duty I signed up for when I joined the Grand Hunter Association."

"...Damn, you always have an answer for everything. So, what do you need from me?"

"Let’s start by launching a few projects under your name."

"Projects?"

"I’ll feed you all the achievements you need. You just have to use them to climb the ranks."

"Me? Not you?"

"Come on, no matter how skilled I am, I’ve barely been here. Even as a special recruit, I can't just jump ahead immediately. I’ll rise on my own when the time is right. For now, you need to get promoted. The reason national hunters have suffered for so long is that there hasn’t been a single competent person in charge."

"...Damn."

Jeong Cheol-min had no counterargument. Su-ho was right.

But even though he agreed, he hesitated to respond.

Su-ho smirked.

"Stop calculating and second-guessing things. Just do it. If something doesn’t work out, I’ll make it work."

Jeong Cheol-min let out a long sigh.

"Fine. What’s the first step?"

"Let’s start simple and effective—clearing sealed Gates."

"...You madman. That’s why you said you’d clear all of them, isn’t it?"

"Those Gates need to be cleared anyway. If someone’s going to take the credit, I’d rather it be you."

"...Damn. Thanks, kid."

"If you’re grateful, then put in the work and climb the ranks. After everything that happened, no one will dare oppose us."

"Yeah. People who actually do their jobs should get the support they deserve. But..."

"But?"

"...Never mind."

"What is it?"

"It’s nothing."

Jeong Cheol-min had started to say something but held back. No point in bringing it up now.

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But Su-ho had a good idea of what was on his mind.

"He’s worried about my future. Wondering if I’ll end up in Special Investigations sooner or later."

Su-ho chuckled.

"Don’t worry. That issue will resolve itself soon enough."

"...What makes you think you know what I was going to say?"

"If you don’t say it, I won’t either."

"You’re really gonna play like that?"

"Absolutely."

"You bastard."

Jeong Cheol-min shook his head with a sigh.

"Anyway, how are we handling training logistics? You want them commuting to Paju?"

"As long as you approve it, they can train there."

"That’s not a problem, but are you sure the Nexus rep agreed to this?"

"Opportunity knocks only so often. If a headline comes out about Nexus supporting the Grand Hunter Association, their value skyrockets. Do you really think they’d pass up that kind of publicity just to save a bit of money?"

"...Kid, you sure know how to talk."

"Then let’s get things moving."

Su-ho stood up, ready to leave.

"I’ve got another meeting. I’ll make sure the necessary contacts reach you soon."

"Yeah, I’ll take care of the team."

With that, Su-ho left the training center and immediately called Kim I-kang, the operations manager at Nexus.

As expected, the approval came instantly.

It wasn’t just anyone requesting support—it was Su-ho. And, as he had said, the PR benefits alone were worth it for Nexus.

"Great. Then please coordinate the details with Team Leader Jeong Cheol-min. Oh, and remember, this was Nexus’s idea, not mine."

Kim I-kang laughed on the other end.

"Of course, Hunter An. You can trust me to handle it smoothly."

"Good. I appreciate it."

Hanging up, Su-ho immediately dialed his next contact—Jo Jin-hwi.

The journalist answered promptly.

"Yes, Pro-nim?"

"I should’ve called sooner, but I’ve been busy."

"No worries. Did everything wrap up smoothly on your end?"

"Yeah. Thanks to you, I got everything I wanted. Now, it’s up to the others to handle the rest. But speaking of that... can we meet?"

"Right now?"

"Yeah. You finished your special feature—time to start preparing the next article."

A beat of silence.

Then Jo Jin-hwi’s voice sharpened with interest.

"Of course. Where are we meeting? I’ll start my car right now."