Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant novel Chapter 159

Su-ho arrived at the designated café on the outskirts of town, and as soon as Jo Jin-hwi stepped out of his car, he raised his hand in greeting.

"Ah, Pro-nim!"

Su-ho welcomed him with a nod.

"Thanks for coming all this way."

"Haha, not at all. It was actually a nice drive—I’ve been cooped up in my office writing articles non-stop, so this was a good excuse to get out."

Then, Jo Jin-hwi’s expression turned expectant.

His curiosity was obvious.

What kind of information is he going to drop on me this time?

Su-ho chuckled.

"You really are a journalist through and through. If you take on this case, you’ll be in for even more trouble than the last feature piece. You sure you’re up for it?"

"A chef has to work hard to make a delicious dish, just like a journalist has to struggle to bring the truth to the people! No need to worry—just tell me what you’ve got. What’s the scoop this time?"

He rubbed his hands together in excitement.

Su-ho pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it over.

It resembled an organizational chart, but it was unusual—aside from names and branching connections, there was no additional information.

Yet, as soon as Jo Jin-hwi scanned the names, he stiffened.

All of them were big names.

"...What is this?"

"This is a list of individuals connected to a large-scale Gate incident that I’ve been sitting on for a long time."

"A large-scale Gate?"

His eyes darted back to the list.

How the hell are this many people connected to a single Gate?

And it wasn’t just hunters or government officials.

There were politicians, law enforcement, corporate executives—even high-ranking members of the Grand Hunter Association.

Without giving Jo Jin-hwi time to ask more, Su-ho handed him another document.

It was a map, with various areas across Seoul and the greater metropolitan region shaded in different colors.

Yet, aside from those markings, there were no other labels or notes.

Jo Jin-hwi didn’t ask what it meant.

Instead, he silently analyzed the map.

His journalist instincts kicked in. He studied the locations, cross-referenced them with his knowledge, and after a long moment, his face grew somber.

Finally, he spoke, his voice careful and deliberate.

"Pro-nim."

"Yes?"

"I may not be an expert on real estate, but I do know a thing or two... The places you’ve marked—aren’t those all locations that have Save Zone Premiums?"

"Correct."

As expected of a seasoned journalist.

Jo Jin-hwi had a sharp eye and a wealth of knowledge.

After a moment, he placed the documents down and exhaled.

He didn’t speak right away.

But the deep furrow in his brow told Su-ho everything.

He was picturing it.

If these two things were connected, and if he was supposed to be the one to expose it, just how bad was this story going to be?

That was the thought that deepened the lines on his face.

Writers, after all, were natural storytellers—his imagination was already piecing the puzzle together.

After a long pause, Jo Jin-hwi finally spoke.

"...If I had to take a guess."

His voice was slow, careful.

He lifted the two papers, holding them side by side, his eyes narrowing.

"I’ve never heard of anything like this before, so I don’t even know if it’s possible... but these Save Zone Premium locations—were they planned?"

It was a cautious guess.

But Su-ho couldn’t help the small smile that crept onto his lips.

Jo Jin-hwi, however, only grew more tense at the sight of that reaction.

"No way. Don’t tell me...?"

"Yes," Su-ho confirmed. "Every location I marked has been designated as a Save Zone, meaning no new Gates will appear there. And every single person on that chart has profited—directly or indirectly—from that fact."

"...Holy shit."

The moment Su-ho finished speaking, Jo Jin-hwi swore under his breath.

His eyes widened in sheer disbelief, his fingers tightening around the papers before he suddenly set them down with a thud.

His hands trembled slightly.

Without a word, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it.

He took a long drag, inhaling deeply before exhaling a cloud of smoke.

Right now, the cigarette was his only sedative.

After another deep inhale, he finally spoke again.

"...Okay. But here’s the thing."

He tapped the map with a finger.

"Looking at this, I can only come up with a few ways these people could have profited. And maybe it’s just because I don’t know enough, but... is it possible to summon a Gate on purpose?"

A reasonable question.

Ah... I see how he’s thinking.

It wasn’t impossible.

There were some items that could artificially create a Gate.

But that wasn’t the case here.

"Summoning a Gate isn't entirely impossible," Su-ho admitted, "but it's not something you can do on a large enough scale to manipulate real estate."

Jo Jin-hwi exhaled in relief. "Then... did they just let Gate Shocks happen on purpose?"

"Yes."

"...What?"

"You heard me. You got the right answer."

Thud.

The cigarette slipped from Jo Jin-hwi’s fingers, falling to the ground.

He had thrown the idea out there, half-joking, never expecting it to be true.

Su-ho's voice was calm, almost too casual. "It’s exactly as you said. When I first found out, I didn’t want to believe it either. But it’s the truth."

"A-Are you telling me... that just for the sake of real estate profits, they let Gate Shocks happen—knowing how many people would die?"