Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant novel Chapter 77

Rumble, rumble.

Son Baek-geum and Kim Goong-won trembled uncontrollably, kneeling on the floor. Their clothes were torn to shreds, and traces of their blood were splattered everywhere.

And yet, there wasn’t a single visible wound on their bodies.

Why?

Because Suho had healed them completely.

Dragging a chair in front of the two trembling men, Suho sat down casually.

“Man, I gotta say, the Stat Meter works like a charm.”

The Stat Meter.

It was an essential tool for Records Officers, taken straight from the Awakening Division’s supply room. Designed by the government, it allowed officers to gauge the stats of individuals without violating the system’s restriction against viewing others’ status windows. Though its accuracy was typically around 70%, Suho had managed to achieve a 100% success rate.

His method was simple.

He had beaten Kim Goong-won with the Stat Meter until the man told the truth.

Pointing the now-dented Stat Meter at Kim Goong-won, Suho spoke with a grin.

“Just so you know, if the numbers change the next time I check, it’s going to hurt even more. Got it?”

“Y-Yes! I understand!”

“Good. You’re all set now. Next...”

With Kim Goong-won’s status updated, Suho had no further business with him. Turning his gaze, he focused on Son Baek-geum, who was still kneeling.

Son Baek-geum, in his late thirties, had risen to prominence in Gangnam with Kim Goong-won’s help. Their encounter today had been purely coincidental.

‘Talk about good timing,’ Suho mused.

It was indeed fortunate timing—Son Baek-geum was one of those people who needed to be apprehended sooner or later.

However, arresting him now was a bit tricky. Suho was here as a Records Officer, conducting an on-site evaluation.

Still, how could he ignore a criminal kneeling right in front of him?

“Mr. Son Baek-geum?” Suho called out.

“Y-Yes...!”

“You said something interesting earlier.”

“W-What do you mean?”

“Something about bribing both the police and the Awakening Association.”

“...”

“So, who exactly did you bribe in the Association?”

To bribe someone—to grease palms in advance, ensuring silence or manipulating official duties to suit one’s interests. While the exact interpretation varied, it was clear the bribes had been for Kim Goong-won’s benefit.

And Suho couldn’t overlook that.

Here he was, living his second life as a civil servant for the sake of world peace, only to find someone spreading chaos like this.

Son Baek-geum quivered at the question, then tightly closed his eyes.

Suho let out a dry laugh. “Oh? Closing your eyes? Are you seriously closing your eyes when I’m asking you a question?”

“N-No, it’s not that! I wasn’t doing that! I was just... just about to answer!”

“Good. Because if you pull any more stunts like that, it’s not going to be fun for you. You’re not an Awakened, so you don’t need the Stat Meter—I’ll just use my bare hands.”

“...”

“Answer.”

“Y-Yes, sir! I understand!”

As Son Baek-geum stammered his response, shaking like a leaf, Gu Yeonhwa, watching the scene unfold from a distance, clicked her tongue.

“Wow... I knew he wasn’t an ordinary guy, but seeing him like this is terrifying. Don’t you think, Hyun-min?”

“I wouldn’t say terrifying—he’s just capable.”

“...?”

Gu Yeonhwa tilted her head, not fully understanding Kim Hyun-min’s response. But he meant it sincerely—he had firsthand experience with Suho’s competence.

The reason Suho had brought Gu Yeonhwa and Kim Hyun-min with him to Acro Tower was to ensure a quiet infiltration.

Even with his unparalleled skills, Suho couldn’t navigate the tightly controlled environment of Acro Tower alone. To bypass the security, he needed Gu Yeonhwa’s EMP ability, which could disable electronic devices, and Kim Hyun-min’s mobility skills.

The earlier blackout? That had been Gu Yeonhwa’s handiwork.

Returning his attention to Son Baek-geum, Suho repeated his question.

“So, who did you bribe?”

“Well... it was Vice President Park Kyu-min.”

“What?”

Now that was unexpected. Park Kyu-min was involved?

This revelation caught Suho off guard. Nodding, he pressed further.

“And?”

“That’s it.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes, just him. Only him.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, yes! I swear it’s the truth! Please believe me!” Son Baek-geum frantically waved his hands, trying to prove his sincerity.

Judging by his reaction, he probably wasn’t lying.

But Park Kyu-min...

‘So does that mean Park Kyu-min has no idea about the upcoming evaluation and awakening event?’

It seemed likely. If Park Kyu-min had known, he wouldn’t have allowed something that could jeopardize himself to be included in the assessment.

Still, this raised another question.

‘Then whose idea was it to include this task in the evaluation? Park Kyu-min’s personality would’ve ensured he made good on his bribe. Whoever included it must’ve deliberately targeted him.’

One name popped into Suho’s mind.

‘Could it be Pi Seong-yeol?’

It didn’t make sense for Section Chief Lee Moon-ho to include this in the evaluation just to deal with routine tasks. Park Kyu-min would have indirectly or directly influenced him.

If Lee Moon-ho still assigned this task, it must’ve been under pressure from someone else.

‘Whoever pressured Lee Moon-ho must either outrank Park Kyu-min or hold equal power.’

This narrowed the suspects down to two people: Chairman Jang Kyung-hwan or Special Division Head Pi Seong-yeol.

While Pi Seong-yeol didn’t officially outrank Park Kyu-min, his influence within the organization was widely regarded as stronger.

‘And considering Jang Kyung-hwan values Park Kyu-min as a trusted subordinate, he wouldn’t deliberately harm him.’

That left Pi Seong-yeol.

But even then, it didn’t add up.

‘Were those two on bad terms?’

Suho couldn’t recall any such friction.

Then why?

After pondering for a while, Suho reached a conclusion.

‘I’ll just wait and see.’

If news of Kim Goong-won’s capture reached either Pi Seong-yeol or Park Kyu-min, one of them would react.

There was no need to shake the Platinum Gang unnecessarily in the meantime.

‘Whatever happens, it won’t take long.’ freewebnovel.cσ๓

Standing up, Suho turned to Son Baek-geum and spoke.

“See you around, maybe.”

The Great Awakening Association Headquarters.

"Even the stat results are nearly perfect?"