Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant-Chapter 419

Artemis’s permission was granted.

As soon as Su-ho received her permission, he vigorously shook out both arms to the sides.

Then the caked soot on the surface of his body fell away, and Su-ho immediately restored his stamina.

[ Heal is activated. ]

[ Recovery is activated. ]

Thanks to his high Mana stat, the damage from the goddess’s punishment could be restored in an instant.

The problem was the golden deer.

Su-ho looked at the golden deer, its body pierced and blood pouring out.

Golden-Horned Warrior Who Guards the Snowy Mountain Lv.???

The Golden-Horned Warrior who guards the snowy mountain.

Give me a break.

Where here does it say “Artemis’s divine beast”?

But what meaning would complaining have at this point?

This was all Hera’s scheme anyway.

Shaking his head inwardly, Su-ho reached out to the golden deer and used a skill.

[ Heal is activated. ]

First, Heal.

When he used Heal, light flashed over the golden deer’s body and the skill effect began to burst.

Then the wounds began to regenerate.

‘As expected, it does recover.’

Of course it does.

What variable could a mere deer possibly present?

It was the very instant he thought that.

Splurt!

The wound that had closed burst open again.

Not only did the affected area split apart, the blood spurted anew.

“......!”

W-why is this happening?

As Su-ho’s eyes widened in shock, Artemis’s silhouette, watching, let out a sneer.

Utterly dull-witted. Did you think that no matter how much you wield the power of Iji, some mere human of your caliber could heal the treasure of a god?

He had nothing to say.

Honestly, because this era is ruled by the System, he hadn’t even considered there might be a difference between something like “a god’s treasure” and anything else.

Su-ho narrowed his eyes.

‘No, it won’t be something that simple.’

Su-ho began to think again.

A god’s treasure?

Caliber?

That would be a diversion.

Because no matter how great Artemis is—one of the Twelve of Olympus—she is, in the end, an existence under the dominion of the System.

Then this wouldn’t be a simple problem of caliber or whatever.

‘Even if my Mana is purple in color, it’s probably because of some other kind of issue.’

What is that other issue?

Affinity? Attribute? A different Heal?

In the worst case, he would even have to consider fighting Artemis.

At that moment, an item popped into Su-ho’s head, and he immediately checked its information.

[ Fox Bead ]

Grade : S

# A very old spirit orb carried by the wicked spirit Hakumen Konmō Kyūbi no Kitsune.

# It contains the powerful yokai power of a fox yokai.

‘Right, if it’s the Fox Bead, maybe......!’

The use for the Fox Bead had already been decided.

That was because, so long as the consumer’s durability could support it, the moment it was swallowed it produced a powerful force, and as the first manifestation of that force, a powerful regeneration effect would dwell.

‘I’d originally planned to use it on that guy, but.......’

It couldn’t be helped.

Given the situation, he had no choice but to test it right now.

It was a bit of a waste, but he decided to think positively.

It was only early mid-phase of the Great Upheaval; he didn’t want to be fighting a god already.

‘Well, even if Artemis won’t truly descend, a Transcendent with proper grounds can exert power equal to the System.’

If it came to that, it would be horrific just to imagine.

An Artemis of that degree was someone he, as he was now, couldn’t guarantee life or death against.

Therefore, seeing is believing—Su-ho pried open the mouth of the golden deer, whose condition was worse than before, and shoved the Fox Bead straight in.

Then, for the guy who didn’t even have the strength to chew, he poured water down; the water entering its mouth forced the golden deer to swallow the Fox Bead whole.

Artemis narrowed her eyes and quietly watched that act.

“.......”

The golden deer was still.

Could it have failed?

That won’t do.

It was the instant he thought that.

[ The Golden-Horned Warrior Who Guards the Snowy Mountain has ingested the Fox Bead. ]

[ The Golden-Horned Warrior Who Guards the Snowy Mountain begins absorbing the Fox Bead. ]

System notifications.

It was a success.

The golden deer began to absorb the Fox Bead, and as proof of that success its body, which had seemed about to die any moment, began to recover at a frightening speed.

‘Yeah, that’s it!’

As the treatment succeeded, Su-ho clenched his fist.

What a relief.

If this move hadn’t worked, he would have had no choice but to fight Artemis.

‘I was even thinking of throwing a tantrum at the System if things got desperate—thank goodness.’

Artemis’s silhouette still said nothing.

Her gaze was fixed on the recovering golden deer, and a little later, when the golden deer regained its strength, stood, and shook its head, Su-ho swiftly flicked his eyes toward Artemis.

“As promised, I have completely healed the goddess’s deer.”

.......

Artemis said nothing.

Why isn’t she speaking?

Surely she isn’t going to nitpick something weird, right?

But fortunately, Artemis was cut from a different cloth than the base Hera.

Good. I accept your measure.

“Thank you, Goddess.”

I will take the deer back.

“Just a moment, Goddess!”

Just as Artemis was about to act to take the deer back, Su-ho urgently called Artemis’s name.

Artemis’s brow furrowed again.

What is it?

Artemis, by nature, does not like conversing with men.

All the more so if that man is human.

Because Artemis is also the goddess of chastity and maidens.

But that was Artemis’s preference; for Su-ho, there was an issue he had to address.

“I am currently taking Lady Hera’s test. And the test I’m taking now is to deal with the deer who is the owner of this place and your treasure, Goddess. If you simply take the deer away, I’m not sure what I should do.”

This was an important matter.

Su-ho was proceeding with a Gate and a quest; the System quest window had clearly said there would be no condition changes after clearing, but this case was a bit special.

So?

“Pardon?”

Why should I care about your problem?

Ha, seriously.

Are you a thug?

Hera secretly brought your deer and used it as test material—why are you just letting that slide?

Don’t tell me you’re watching your step because of hierarchy?

Fine, if it’s something like that, I understand.

But I’ve got my circumstances too.

Circumstances as important to me as that deer is to you.

After a brief agonizing, Su-ho answered.

“Could it be that you’re doing this because you fear Lady Hera?”

What?

“Surely not. Of course I would never think that. If Lady Artemis were acting out of fear of Lady Hera, you wouldn’t have been taking the deer away in the first place.”

The words you spit are truly peculiar. If you want to live, you’d better watch that mouth. So, what is it you want to say?

Good.

Though the answer carried a subtle warning, she was, at least, starting to pay attention to what Su-ho was saying.

Su-ho got straight to the point.

“I do not wish for the two of you to end up in conflict because of me. So while I’m fine with you taking back the deer that was originally yours, please help so that Lady Hera will not be angered by your taking it.”

.......

Artemis fell silent again.

Su-ho glanced up at the sky.

Hera, are you watching?

What will you do now?

He waited for her mouth to open again, and after a while, at last, the answer he wanted flowed out.

Very well.

Artemis snapped her fingers.

Then the golden deer’s body shone and soon disappeared without a trace.

Artemis vanished as well.

“......?”

Silence.

Why is there no change at all?

In the quiet with not a single System notification line, unease suddenly welled up in Su-ho.

It was then.

[ The Gate has been cleared. ]

[ The MVP of the Gate clear is ‘An Su-ho’. ]

[ Additional experience is granted for MVP selection. ]

[ A bonus stat is provided for MVP selection. ]

[ Your level has increased. ]

[ All stats have increased by 1. ]

[ You have acquired 1 bonus stat. ]

System notifications poured down.

The Gate had been cleared.

Seeing the notifications, Su-ho curled his lips upward and clenched his fist.

‘That’s right!’

Although one of the usual clear notifications—regarding defeating the boss monster—didn’t appear, he had, at any rate, completed the most important Gate clear.

Of course, these weren’t the only notifications Su-ho needed to see.

It was then.

[ The quest has been completed. ]

[ You have achieved the third labor among the Hero’s Twelve Labors. ]

[ The System grants you the qualification to possess the power of Heracles. ]

[ Trait information will be modified. ]

[ Having achieved a great deed, the System gifts you 10 bonus stats. ]

Fresh System notifications poured in.

At last, the quest was resolved and the moment had come to be recognized for the third labor’s qualification.

‘Still, she is a goddess in name—she handles matters decisively.’

He had worried: what if, even between goddesses, the power struggle meant it wouldn’t be handled?

Hera is so capricious, after all.

But Artemis had pulled it off splendidly, and Su-ho was able to obtain the compensation without incident.

Smiling, Su-ho checked the modified {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} information for the Heracles Candidate trait.

[ Heracles Candidate ]

①②③×× × ××××× ×

# One who possesses the minimal qualifications to obtain the power of the hero Heracles.

# Only the Heracles Candidate who is the first to complete the Twelve Labors can become the true Heracles.

① While the Heracles Candidate possesses the Heracles trait, additional attack power for bare hands, swords, blunt weapons, and bows increases by 100%.

② While the Heracles Candidate possesses the Heracles trait, affinity to the Fire attribute increases by 100%, and poison resistance and bodily regeneration increase greatly.

③ While the Heracles Candidate possesses the Heracles trait, all speeds consisting of bodily actions, including reaction speed, increase by 100%, and they do not tire even after running for a long time.

After viewing the trait information, Su-ho stroked his chin.

A 100% increase in speed.

It seemed this reward was being given because, in the original narrative, he captured the golden deer without using weapons—only by long-distance running and bare hands.

‘Whatever the case, a 100% increase is among the very good ones.’

Having finished confirming the reward, Su-ho headed for the generated exit portal.

Then, after briefly looking up at the sky and flashing a light smile at Hera, who would be watching him, he threw himself into the portal.

Clack.

Seeing that, Hera clicked her teeth together.

*

Meanwhile, in one of the subordinate bodies under UN Headquarters, the World Mana Detection Organization (WMD), an ominous current was flowing.

“Hm?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Sam, look at this. Mana just started abnormally concentrating in Australia.”

“Let me see—huh? With readings like this, isn’t it practically a machine error?”

A machine error.

But astonishingly, the WMD’s mana-detection machines, boasting the largest scale in the world, had never once produced an error.

Yet the mana reading displayed on the screen before their eyes was at a level humanity had never once seen.

It was then.

[ As the Second Great Upheaval begins, the generation of the First Big Gate will commence. ]

A public System notification rose before the eyes of Players all over the world.