Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant novel Chapter 171

How long had it been?

During that time, Yuk Kyung-bae had gone through countless emotional shifts.

He had tried getting angry.

He had tried begging.

He had even tried cursing.

But none of it mattered in the face of overwhelming pain.

Especially when Su-ho ensured that he never got used to it—constantly switching up the variations to keep him suffering.

Applying pressure points to inflict internal agony was just the beginning.

He healed him quickly enough to prevent shock-induced death but slow enough to maximize the suffering.

Whenever Yuk Kyung-bae’s mind threatened to break, Su-ho used the Ring of Joy and Sorrow to keep him conscious.

The floor was now covered with his blood, sweat, and tears—as well as... other bodily fluids.

It was inevitable.

Once a person experiences pain beyond a certain threshold, their body loses all control.

Eventually, when Su-ho had inflicted enough suffering to meet his personal quota, he finally lowered the whip.

"Hah."

He hadn’t even bothered to move to another location.

Even though there was a warehouse nearby where Im Chang-sik was locked up, Su-ho had chosen to beat him down right here—on the fabricated streets inside his Subspace House.

Why?

Because for someone like Yuk Kyung-bae, who prized his public image above all else, being treated like trash on the street was a psychological wound in itself.

Wiping the sweat off his brow, Su-ho finally spoke.

"Mr. Kyung-bae."

"Y-Yes!!"

"Sit up properly. Let’s talk."

"A-Alright!!"

He wasn’t so broken that he had lost his mind.

Nor did he dare to pretend to be.

By now, he had learned beyond a shadow of a doubt—

Any kind of deception would only bring more pain.

Su-ho continued.

"Do you know why I came to see you?"

"W-Well..."

Yuk Kyung-bae frantically racked his brain.

So far, Su-ho had done nothing besides beat him to a pulp.

But Su-ho wasn’t about to let him figure it out himself.

He didn’t have that kind of time.

"Loot Ownership Policy."

"Ah! A-Ah!"

"Why did you do it?"

"I-I'm sorry! I wasn’t thinking! I was just so furious that Jang Kyung-hwan blamed me, so I acted rashly—!"

"So."

Su-ho took a step forward.

"Why the hell would your personal feelings affect national policy?"

"I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I was wrong! Please, I’m truly sorry!"

That single step felt like the foot of a demon king pressing down on his chest.

So terrifying that he bowed so hard his forehead slammed into the ground, tears and snot running down his face.

Even after pissing himself dry, his body somehow found more urine to expel.

Su-ho watched him, his expression twisting in disgust.

"What a pathetic excuse for a human."

He had seen countless tragedies unfold in his past life.

He had access to Memory Library, which meant he could calculate and optimize his actions for the best possible future.

But that also meant—

He couldn’t punish every evil.

Some had to be ignored for the sake of efficiency.

And yet, this kind of interference was something he couldn’t forgive.

If Yuk Kyung-bae had just stayed out of sight, maybe he would have survived a little longer.

Maybe, if he were lucky, he could have been saved when the world finally found peace.

But instead, he had thrown away that last shred of fortune with his own two hands.

Technically, he was destined to be wiped out anyway when the Redevelopment Gates started.

But the misery and suffering he was about to endure now?

That could have been avoided.

Su-ho’s eyes flickered as he recited the information from his Memory Library.

"Yuk Kyung-bae, current Party Leader. Even with the world in ruins, you’re still a lawmaker, living in luxury. Former First President of the Grand Hunter Association, responsible for treating national Hunters like disposable trash. Oh? And you never served in the military? Medical exemption due to mental illness? What a joke. Were you actually crazy, or did you just bribe your way out?"

Su-ho kept reading.

"Oh? Your son also got an exemption. Your wife faked her academic credentials, plagiarized her thesis, and even had someone ghostwrite for her. And your daughter? She’s a drug addict? Interesting."

"Then there are your mistresses... How many sponsor girls do you have? Oh? Looks like you’ve even been with underage girls." fгeewebnovёl.com

With every word, Yuk Kyung-bae’s face grew paler and paler, eventually draining of all color.

It was inevitable.

Most of these scandals hadn’t even been exposed yet.

"I suppose all of this gets revealed later, during the Redevelopment Gate incident. Bit by bit."

Su-ho smiled coldly.

"You look like you’re wondering how I know all this. Too bad—that’s my real ability. You think I conquer Sealed Gates alone just for fun?"

Closing the Memory Library, Su-ho looked down at him.

"Tell me, Mr. Kyung-bae. Do you think wearing a lawmaker’s badge means the world will always protect you? Do you really believe that badge will keep you safe from Gates and monsters?"

"I-I’m sorry! I wasn’t thinking!"

"Not thinking?!"

A pulse of raw killing intent rippled outward.

A presence so oppressive that it mimicked the effects of Overwhelm, pressing down on him like an invisible mountain.

"Listen well. I don’t kill people like you."

Su-ho bent down slightly, staring at the cowering politician.

"People like you—who’ve already lived full lives, indulging in every pleasure—don’t deserve the mercy of a quick death."

His voice was calm.

But the sheer certainty behind his words made the air feel frozen.

"You’ve been marked by me, Mr. Kyung-bae. From this moment forward, you don’t get to die. Even if you want to, you won’t be able to. If anything happens to you, I’ll hunt down your family. Your relatives. Your friends. Even the bastard children you’ve had with your mistresses."

"!!!"

His eyes widened more than they ever had before.

Because that last part—

That was a secret even his closest aides didn’t know.

His illegitimate child.

The one thing in the world he actually cherished.

The one person he truly loved.

Su-ho’s gaze sharpened.