Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant novel Chapter 17

It hadn’t been erased or lost.

To be precise, it had merged into the palm of Suho’s left hand. When he examined his hand, he noticed the shape of a key etched there—a mark indicating ownership of the Pocket Dimension House, just as Jang Pyung-ho had described.

The mark soon disappeared. According to Jang Pyung-ho, it would remain hidden unless he used the Pocket Dimension House.

Suho clenched his left hand and thought, *“I finally have my own personal fortress.”*

Calling it a "fortress" came from Jang Pyung-ho himself, as he had used the Pocket Dimension House like an impenetrable stronghold, especially for “smuggling.”

*“From drugs to national treasures—even people... there was nothing he wouldn’t handle.”*

Indeed, with the Pocket Dimension House, any smuggling operation became incredibly easy, as it could store living creatures, unlike other pocket dimensions. Moreover, its space could be expanded as long as his Mana stat was high enough.

Because of this, Jang Pyung-ho had utilized his skill extensively for smuggling, earning him the titles of “Smuggling King” and “Drug Lord.”

But even Jang Pyung-ho was eventually caught. Though he was practically invincible while inside the Pocket Dimension House, the drawback was that he couldn’t leave once he entered.

Thus, as soon as the Korean Hunter Association witnessed him entering the Pocket Dimension House, they surrounded the area and maintained a 24/7 watch until they captured him.

*“It took them over three years to finally catch him.”*

He was a stubborn one. He’d set up the Pocket Dimension House so well that he managed to hold out for over three years alone.

Having secured the Pocket Dimension House, Suho stepped back out and headed to the next floor without hesitation.

***

Meanwhile, as Suho continued climbing the Tower of Trials, small ripples spread through the Hunter industry.

- The top scorer in this year’s Hunter exam: Hunter Ahn Suho.

- Who is Hunter Ahn Suho?

Such buzz was typical each year, as the top scorer of the Hunter exam always attracted immense attention as a rising star. Accordingly, domestic guilds began preparing to recruit Suho, as the top scorer held the highest expectations among all new Hunters.

However, just as guilds were getting ready, a new article was published that sent shockwaves through the industry.

- [Exclusive] Hunter Ahn Suho, revealed to be a graduate of Nexus Academy...

- [Exclusive] Hunter Ahn Suho, single-handedly cleared the Guro Station Gate!

These articles were strategic PR pieces released by Nexus Academy.

Upon reading the news, guilds reluctantly backed off from recruiting him. If he was a Nexus Academy graduate, it meant he was a top prospect groomed by the Nexus Guild, the third-largest guild in the industry. Hexagon and Prime were left feeling blindsided, as they’d assumed the competition was solely between them, only to be upstaged by an unexpected third player.

Watching the flood of inquiries pouring into the Academy, Kim Soo-ae, the director, couldn’t suppress her smile. *“The three billion was well spent.”* Not only was the Academy gaining prestige, but she even received praise from the guild leader and vice guild leader.

However, neither Kim Soo-ae nor the Nexus Guild planned to stop there.

- “Prime got to him first? Doesn’t matter—offer whatever it takes to recruit him! Money isn’t an issue!”

The Nexus Guild Leader, like everyone else, was ambitious. As a leader, he didn’t want to miss out on this rare opportunity.

Kim Soo-ae felt the same, which is why she had already attempted to recruit Suho before. *“I failed last time, but this time I’ll make it happen...”*

This time, the Guild Leader’s orders were clear, meaning they could offer even more enticing benefits than before.

Just then, another article popped up.

- [Exclusive] Top scorer Ahn Suho: “My dream is to become a civil servant Hunter.”

The sudden release was not from their own press team. It was an article from PBS, Korea’s top player broadcasting station, making it all the more credible.

It was hard to believe. A top scorer could command the highest price as a private Hunter, so why would he want to become a civil servant Hunter?

Could it be a clickbait tabloid article? Unlikely, as PBS wasn’t a tabloid that spread false rumors.

But hadn’t Suho shown a positive response to her proposal? Confused, Kim Soo-ae read through the article carefully but still couldn’t understand Suho’s intentions.

*“Why?”*

Had something happened? Could the government have made him a secret offer behind their backs?

Kim Soo-ae bit her lip and called the guild leader, determined not to give up on recruiting Suho.

***

**[You have cleared the 29th floor.]**

**[Proceeding to the 30th floor.]**

Who knows how much time had passed? By the time Suho had cleared ten more floors, he finally succeeded in breaking the highest official record in the Tower of Trials.

After clearing the 29th floor, a system message appeared, congratulating him on setting a new record.

**[You have achieved the highest record in the Tower of Trials.]**

**[For this extraordinary achievement, the system awards you with 5 bonus stat points.]**

**[If you proceed to the 30th floor, your accomplishment will be broadcasted outside the tower.]**

**[Anonymous mode is available if you prefer to remain unnamed.]**

Five bonus stat points. He would receive more every time he broke the highest record, which was why he felt a bit of regret. If the previous record had been set lower, he could have accumulated more bonus stats.

After a brief moment of thought, Suho declined to reveal his name. While fame had its appeal, he felt it wasn’t too late to reveal his identity after completing the next floor.

*“Jo Jin-hwi, I’m sure you’re watching.”*

Though Jo had tried to put on a tough front, his journalist’s curiosity likely prevented him from ignoring the action. By now, he had probably either come to Pangyo in person or was watching through a personal broadcasting platform.

Suho hoped Jo Jin-hwi would be kept in suspense for as long as possible.

Keeping his identity anonymous, Suho stepped through the portal to the next floor.

***

**[The 29th floor has been cleared.]**

**[A new challenger is attempting the 30th floor.]**

The moment Suho chose to remain anonymous, the Tower of Trials began broadcasting his progress to those outside, just as it had notified him.