Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant novel Chapter 5

But he hadn’t pierced deep enough.

The Hobgoblin Chief’s hide was indeed thick, and the level difference was a whopping twofold.

But that was fine.

Suho actually hoped the creature would last as long as possible.

Whoosh!

The Chief’s axe swung down at him, and Suho bent his waist to avoid it. Then, he sprung up like a coil, slicing along the beast’s inner ribs.

Ssshk!

Once again, the wound was shallow.

That thick hide was the culprit.

Unbothered, Suho moved around, slashing again.

Swish!

Another cut.

Thunk!

And another stab.

He repeated this process over and over—no, dozens of times.

Suho continued circling the Chief, never moving too broadly. He simply stayed close, creating wound after wound on the creature’s body.

The Hobgoblin Chief grew furious, thrashing desperately as if trying to catch its own tail, but none of its attacks landed on Suho.

The stench of blood hung thick in the air.

Combined with the humidity, the smell of the creature’s sweat mingled with the blood, creating a stifling odor.

But Suho wasn’t fazed. He gazed at the creature, now breathing heavily, and mocked it further.

“Is that all you’ve got?”

“Grrrr...”

The monster didn’t understand human speech.

Yet Suho was sure it understood his meaning.

Taunting wasn’t limited to words.

Enraged, the Hobgoblin Chief let out a bellow and swung its axe at him once more.

But this move, too, was overly broad.

Suho effortlessly twisted his body to evade the blow and thrust the Beginner’s Sword forward like a spear, aiming for an exposed gap.

At last, the blade punctured through what seemed to be an impenetrable hide, ripping through the thigh muscle in a fatal stab.

Squish!

Suho withdrew his sword immediately, and a fountain of blood spurted from the Chief’s thigh.

At that moment...

[You have a high understanding of the thrust technique.]

[The system is reassessing your talent.]

[Congratulations! Your Thrust skill has been upgraded to A-rank.]

[The piercing power of Basic Swordsmanship (B) has increased by 50%.]

His Thrust skill had risen from B to A rank, significantly enhancing his swordsmanship’s piercing power.

Finally, things were falling into place.

But there was no time for celebration—Suho suppressed his smile and focused on his next attack.

And that was just the beginning.

He resumed circling the creature and continued thrusting his sword. Thanks to the upgraded Thrust skill, it became much easier to create new wounds.

“Graaaargh!”

The Hobgoblin Chief screamed in pain, the sound escalating into another Fear.

The Chief’s roar was imbued with Fear, as a boss monster’s skill often carried additional effects.

But this time, Suho felt only a prickling in his ears—nothing more.

Of course.

The Fear effect only applies once.

Suho chuckled coldly to himself.

“Conquered fears never consume you twice.”

From then on, Suho began treating the Chief like a bull in a ring, piercing its body repeatedly.

Dozens of stabs later, the monster’s entire body was riddled with holes, blood pouring from every opening.

Thud!

Eventually, it fell to one knee.

But it wasn’t dead.

Of course, it wasn’t—Suho had avoided every vital spot on purpose.

Standing over the kneeling creature, Suho flicked the blood off his sword and muttered,

“Healing Light.”

[Casting Healing Light.]

[The designated area is beginning to heal.]

Healing Light.

A fundamental skill for healers that heals a selected area.

Suho’s left hand, which he’d pierced earlier to escape Fear, had already healed.

And not a single one of the Chief’s attacks had landed on him.

Yet he cast Healing Light once more—for the Hobgoblin Chief’s benefit.

You’re not allowed to die just yet.

It was as simple as that.

There was one more skill Suho wanted to extract from the creature.

It was a skill that would be even harder to acquire later, so he had to get it now, however tedious it might be.

The Hobgoblin Chief, unaware of Suho’s intentions, looked up in confusion at its healer.

What was happening?

Why was he healing it?

As their gazes met, the Chief could see no malice, no sympathy, no thrill for torture in Suho’s dry, hollow eyes.

As a beast that relied on instinct, the Hobgoblin Chief understood the look in Suho’s eyes.

Boredom.

Nothing but boredom.

It was as if the creature were nothing more than a tool in Suho’s hands.

A chill ran down the monster’s spine as it grasped this unsettling reality.

Once the Chief’s wounds had mostly healed, Suho drew his sword again.

“Let’s start over.”

Bang!

Suho kicked the Hobgoblin Chief in the chest, sending it sprawling backward.

“Kraaaagh!”

Enraged, the Hobgoblin Chief charged at Suho once more.

How much time had passed?

Even after all this time, the Hobgoblin Chief was still alive.

There was only one reason for that.

“Healing Light.”

It was due to Suho’s repeated healing.

He’d spent quite some time here and achieved notable progress.

When Suho lifted his hand to cast Healing Light, the Hobgoblin Chief visibly trembled with fear.

Suho cast Healing Light on it again, ignoring its fear.

Thud!

Tremble tremble...

This should do.

Any missing stamina could be replenished with healing skills.

[You possess such overwhelming presence that you have broken even the boss monster’s spirit.]

[The system is reassessing your talent.]

[Congratulations! You have acquired the skill Intimidate (A).]

At last, Suho had obtained one of the essential skills he’d sought—Intimidate.

Intimidate was a skill not just anyone could learn. When activated, it could suppress an opponent’s spirit to varying degrees.

And, of course, it’s also a defensive skill against all sorts of mental attacks.

Someone with natural charisma doesn’t easily break, and Intimidate draws on that strength.

In essence, Intimidate is heavily influenced by inherent talent.

Though you can learn it with a bit of trickery, as I did.

Having gained Intimidate, Suho raised his sword.

Sshhk!