Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant novel Chapter 82

Kim Geon's widened eyes trembled as if shaken by an earthquake.

For a moment, he was speechless. Then, glaring at Su-ho with venomous intensity, he growled.

“So, what now?”

“Pardon?”

“Are you going to report my brother as an unregistered player now? Fine, go ahead! You think I wanted to do this? You think I had a choice? My legs are paralyzed from an accident, my brother is a vegetable, and we have no parents or money. This was the only way for us to survive! What else could I do? Hell, maybe it’s for the best now—just report us both. At least in prison, we’d get some care!”

His voice was filled with bitter despair as he poured out his frustrations.

But everything he said was the truth.

Kim Geon had once been a decent Hunter, reaching level 50 and obtaining a personal trait. However, a gate raid left him severely injured and paralyzed from the waist down. To make matters worse, his younger brother—an ordinary person—was hit by a car in a hit-and-run accident, leaving him in a vegetative state.

The brothers’ lives had spiraled rapidly downward.

Having lost their parents in a gate-related incident years earlier, their savings quickly evaporated under the weight of hospital bills and daily expenses. Eventually, they were forced to move to the outskirts of the city, barely scraping by with irregular meals.

Then, when it seemed like all hope was lost, his brother awakened as a player—a miracle, but also their last and only chance.

For someone like Kim Geon, whose Possession trait only worked on players with lower overall stats, his brother’s awakening was a lifeline.

After that, he kept his brother’s awakening a secret, using his brother’s body to work part-time jobs and manage both his own incapacitated body and his brother’s vegetative state during the periods of possession.

Why keep it a secret?

There was no choice.

His brother, still technically a vegetative patient, was receiving disability benefits. If they reported the awakening, those benefits would be cut off. Furthermore, only he, with his Possession trait, could confirm the awakening. So, as long as he kept his mouth shut, no one would know.

They hadn’t done anything illegal apart from this.

Kim Geon had done everything in his power just to ensure the survival of both brothers.

As Kim Geon glared at Su-ho with eyes full of resentment, Su-ho responded calmly.

“Who said anything?”

“What...?”

“I told you, didn’t I? I’m here to help you two. So calm down, and hear me out. I don’t lie.”

Kim Geon was momentarily stunned by Su-ho’s composed tone. Then his brows furrowed again in suspicion as he asked cautiously.

“And why should I trust you?”

“I’ll stake my name on it.”

“Your name? Are you kidding me? Who the hell are you to think your name means anything?”

“It’s natural to think that. But if I lie, you’re free to report me to the press. That would hurt me too, wouldn’t it? By the way, my name is An Su-ho.”

“An Su-ho?”

“Yes. Haven’t heard of me? The Sword Saint, An Su-ho.”

“The Sword Saint, An Su-ho?”

Although Su-ho felt slightly embarrassed, he used his title as proof of identity—it was the clearest way to establish trust.

Moments later, recognition dawned on Kim Geon.

“The Sword Saint, An Su-ho?!”

His eyes widened in shock once more.

There’s no better tool for proving one’s identity and gaining someone’s trust than fame.

Su-ho didn’t bother hiding his renown and openly revealed everything to Kim Geon.

Eventually, Kim Geon accepted Su-ho’s sincerity and canceled his possession.

“Ugh...”

As the possession was released, Kim Gwon’s body slumped forward while the real Kim Geon, lying on the bed, let out a groan.

Slowly regaining consciousness, Kim Geon strained to push himself into a seated position.

Finally upright, he addressed Su-ho.

“...Are you satisfied now?”

“Yes, that’s all I needed to confirm.”

At Su-ho’s words, Kim Geon let out a deep sigh before using his arms to maneuver himself into a wheelchair parked beside the bed.

Watching him move with practiced ease, Su-ho remarked.

“You’re quite adept at this.”

“I’ve been living like this for years. Now, what exactly do you mean when you say you’ll help us? What’s your plan?”

Kim Geon’s voice was desperate. Even if the offer seemed too good to be true, his situation left him with no choice but to cling to any hope.

Su-ho nodded and said with a faint smile.

“There’s an old saying: ‘If you want to help a homeless person, don’t give them money; give them a job.’”

“...Are you calling me homeless?”

“No, Mr. Kim Geon. I’m saying I want to help you find a job.”

“A job?”

“Yes. How about resuming your work as a Hunter?”

“...What?”

Frowning, Kim Geon stared at Su-ho in disbelief.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes?”

“Are you familiar with the concept of a Partner Item?”

“But I know,” Su-ho said confidently, “exactly what Partner Item suits someone with the Possession trait.”