Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant novel Chapter 694

After Paro apologized.

Paro and all the other smiths returned to their respective places.

Watching the smiths leave, Su-ho said,

"It's still nice to see that they're all genuinely serious about this work."

"Thank you for saying so."

"I'm only saying what I felt. By the way, what should I do now? I've released all the seals on the legacies you gave me, but the descriptions say that acknowledgment is still required."

"Then you simply need to receive that acknowledgment."

"Aren't you the one who gives it to me, Elder?"

"No."

"What?"

"Follow me."

The Lord of Ten Thousand Gold City clasped his hands behind his back and began walking ahead.

What?

Wasn't he supposed to receive acknowledgment from the Lord of Ten Thousand Gold City?

Swallowing his question, Su-ho followed him for the time being.

After following him for quite a while, they arrived at a small temple.

'A temple?'

Why was there a temple here?

The moment they passed through the entrance of the ordinary-looking little temple.

BZZZT-

For an instant, Su-ho's vision rippled as though waves had passed through it, and the flow of the air changed.

At the same time, what appeared before his eyes was a stone statue of a man resembling an Asura, standing firmly all alone.

The statue looked to be about two meters tall.

It stood with a fearsome expression, its arms crossed while holding a sword in one hand and a hammer in the other.

Standing before it, the Lord of Ten Thousand Gold City said,

"Allow me to introduce him. This is Man Geum-jang, the First Lord who founded Ten Thousand Gold City."

Surprisingly, the statue depicted the First Lord.

But something felt strange.

Was a stone statue or monument normally introduced like that?

If it were merely a statue, one would say it was a statue of someone. But the Lord of Ten Thousand Gold City had introduced it as though the statue itself truly were Man Geum-jang.

At that moment, Su-ho's eyes widened.

"Elder. I may be reading too much into this, but could it be......."

"That's right. What you're thinking is correct. That isn't merely some stone statue. It truly is Man Geum-jang."

"......!"

Su-ho's eyes widened even further.

He had wondered if that might be the case, but it really was true.

But how?

What had happened?

Reading Su-ho's expression, the Lord of Ten Thousand Gold City continued.

"It's not a particularly unusual story. Rather, in this age, it would probably count as a fairly common, ordinary, and tragic one."

This age.

At those words, Su-ho understood immediately.

"Was Man Geum-jang also a Player?"

The Lord of Ten Thousand Gold City nodded.

"He was the first and greatest Player of our world. At the same time, Man Geum-jang was someone who reached the highest position a Player can attain."

"By the highest position, do you mean a Constellation?"

"That's right."

"Then he must have challenged the indie game as well."

"All three times. And even the final bet."

Su-ho tilted his head.

"Then why did he end up like this? Even if someone uses up all four opportunities, the System doesn't turn them into something like this."

At that, the Lord of Ten Thousand Gold City smiled bitterly.

Then he slowly continued.

"Do you love the world you live in?"

"Yes. I do."

"Enough to throw away your life for it?"