Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant novel Chapter 315

The training grounds were quiet.

Given the timing, everyone was too busy handling their tasks to spare time for sparring.

Standing at the center of the training area with his hands behind his back, Su-ho asked,

“What level are you at?”

“133, sir.”

“Hm? That low?”

“I’m still in the upper-middle ranks.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Su-ho scratched his head.

Since his own level was so high, he hadn't paid much attention to anyone else’s level.

Well, no big deal.

If it came down to it, he could just use the Ring of Sacrifice to boost the level temporarily.

Su-ho continued.

“Alright. Come at me.”

“Understood. But... this is my first time here—where are the wooden swords?”

“You don’t have a real sword?”

“Sir?”

“Use a real sword. You should have one in your inventory.”

“Well, yes, but... are you serious?”

“You want to make me say it twice? What, you think I’m bluffing?”

“It’s not that...”

“If you get hurt, I’ll heal you. Did you forget I’m a Healer? And besides, it’s not like you’ll ever hit me in the first place.”

“...Understood.”

Was that last line too much?

He knew it was.

He’d said it on purpose to provoke him.

You need to be pissed off to show your real intent.

If handled properly, anger made for excellent fuel.

Provoked, Park Yong drew his sword from his inventory.

As he gripped his blade, he said,

“Then I’ll swing with the intent to truly cut.”

“Good. If a man draws a sword, he better at least slice a radish. Not that you’ll be slicing anything this time.”

Twitch.

A vein pulsed on Park Yong’s forehead.

But he was still a professional swordsman.

He quickly calmed his temper and took his stance.

True to his word, Su-ho didn’t draw his sword.

He simply locked eyes with Park Yong, never looking away.

Park Yong was the first to move.

Whoosh!

A clean, straight slash.

But it carried force.

Su-ho kept pace with Park Yong’s footwork, maintaining distance.

Park Yong’s brow furrowed slightly before immediately chaining into a combo.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Bang!

Swing. Swing. Thrust.

But nothing landed.

Su-ho remained composed, mirroring Park Yong’s movements with his signature relaxed expression.

Maybe that’s why—

The longer it went on, the more rushed Park Yong began to feel.

Whoosh whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh! Bang!

Thrust, stab, slash, swing.

His swordsmanship was tight and unembellished.

His footwork was clean.

It was clear he’d studied deeply.

He wasn’t a man who swung based on instinct—he was someone who meticulously researched and refined swordplay that suited him.

And yet, even with all that, Su-ho narrowed his eyes.

Whoosh whoosh! Squeak! Squeak! Whoosh! Squeak! Whoosh whoosh! Bang!

The sound of swinging steel.

The friction of his shoes skidding on the training hall floor.

For a while, no words were exchanged—only the sound of their sparring echoed.

Then, for the first time, Su-ho extended his palm.

Smack!

His palm struck Park Yong’s jaw.

An upward blow from below—Park Yong’s head snapped back, his brain shaken from the direct hit to his pressure point.

His eyes rolled for a split second, but he quickly regained consciousness, dazedly standing in place.

Su-ho asked,

“Feeling clearer now?”

“...Yes.”

“I saw your swordsmanship. What do you think is lacking in it?”

“...To be honest, I don’t know. That’s why I asked for this spar—to find out.”

Su-ho nodded.

“Why did you become a swordsman?”

“Because I love swordsmanship. I trained with a sword even before I Awakened.”

He knew that.

In his past life, Park Yong had been a criminal. During the investigation into his background, Su-ho had learned nearly everything about him.

And in that regard, Park Yong was someone who truly loved the sword for its own sake.

Most people trained swordsmanship to carry on a family legacy or for revenge or some similar reason. But Park Yong trained simply because he loved it.

“Have you developed a unique sword skill yet?”

“Not yet, sir.”

“Why do you think that is?”

“Because I’m not good enough.”

“Then, by your standard, I’m the best swordsman in the world?”

“Yes, sir. Even including foreign swordsmen, you’re the best to me.”

“Then if you defeat me, that makes you the world’s best.”

“Logically speaking, yes.”

“Then from today on, I’m your goal.”

“Sir?”

“Don’t aim for anything else. Just focus on defeating me. That single obsession will shape your swordsmanship—and that’ll become your identity. Until the day comes when you surpass me, I’ll support you completely.”

Anyone else might say that was nonsense.

But Su-ho meant every word.

Mad Swordsmanship was born from obsession and madness in pursuit of victory.

And in his past life, Park Yong had shown up specifically to challenge Su-ho, who had already become famous as a swordsman.

After a brief silence, Park Yong bowed deeply.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Just as you said... I joined the Grand Hunter Association because of you, Chief. I’ve also dreamed of defeating you one day. But I hadn’t developed my own sword skill, so I didn’t think I had the right to say it out loud. Thank you for bringing it up first.”

Su-ho let out a small chuckle.

“Honesty suits you. I figured it out when I saw how obsessed you were with sparring and training. But don’t expect it to be easy. You’re still a civil servant—you’ve got ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) responsibilities. Practice after you’ve done your job. That’s my only condition.”

“Of course. I’ll fulfill my duties and train afterward.”

“You’ll need to level up too. Since you’re in the Special Division, like it or not, I’m going to start throwing you into Gates.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll survive every Gate until the day I can beat you.”

“Okay. Any questions?”

“No questions, but I do have a request.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“If you don’t mind... would you show me your Guardian Swordsmanship just once?”

“Shall I?”

If he was going to give him a target, it’d be better to show him an example. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Su-ho thought for a moment, then installed a few training dummies in the arena to demonstrate.

He then displayed Steel Severance, Cloud Severance, and Heart Slash.

The metal dummy was cleanly bisected, distant targets were sliced all at once, and from a layered cluster of targets, only the one in the back was severed cleanly.

He didn’t show Cutting the Ring.

That could wait.

“My swordsmanship is purely practical—designed for conquering Gates. I developed it by enhancing traditional forms through system and skill synergy to overcome the limits of the human body. We’re not martial artists from a wuxia novel, so named forms and flashy moves don’t mean much. Sure, it’s all connected at the end of the day—but too much knowledge just gives you headaches. That’s the curse of knowing too much.”

Putting away the Blood Weapon, Su-ho continued,

“With that in mind, I’ll give you your first assignment. You’ve heard of the sealed-level Gate known as the Nameless Sword Gate, right? I’ll create an exact replica of the Sword Emperor from that Gate in Infinity. Go beat him first. That was the guy I defeated to start being called the Sword God.”

“Understood.”

“Good. Then focus on passing the rest of your exams. And prepare well for the upcoming Purification-Reunification Operation. I’m off.”

“Yes, sir. Take care.”

Su-ho left the training grounds first.

And the moment he was gone, Park Yong returned to the multipurpose room and immediately resumed studying the prep material.

A spark of life had returned to his eyes—a light that hadn’t been there before.