Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant novel Chapter 85

“Ugh...”

How much time had passed?

As his senses returned, Park Gyu-min groaned. Then, like someone waking from a nightmare, he gasped and opened his eyes wide.

For a moment, panic overtook him, but he quickly regained his composure, controlling his breathing.

“A kidnapping! That bastard An Su-ho said I was kidnapped...!”

He remembered it vividly. It wasn’t a dream—it was all real.

Slowly, he raised his head to take in his surroundings.

“Where... am I?”

He tried to survey the area, but his view was obstructed by wooden boards, making it hard to discern his location.

I’ll have to get up, won’t I?

Reluctantly, he decided to lift himself.

At least the place wasn’t completely dark—there was light, indicating he was indoors.

He cautiously raised his body, peeking over the boards.

“...!”

The moment he looked beyond, he froze. His breath caught in his throat.

His head dropped back down, and he curled into a ball on the floor.

Thud, thud, thud—

His heart raced uncontrollably.

What was that? What did I just see?

His mind reeled, trying to process what his eyes had glimpsed.

The scene beyond the boards looked like something out of a horror movie, smeared with blood and gore. The most terrifying sight was a figure crouched at the center of it all.

“That... that was a person...! It had to be a person!”

Clenching his teeth, Park Gyu-min stifled the scream threatening to escape. But fear crept through his body, making him tremble uncontrollably.

“Where the hell am I? What did I do to deserve this? Why are they doing this to me?”

In moments of crisis, the human mind works at lightning speed. Yet no matter how he spun his thoughts, he couldn’t think of a way out.

He could do nothing but lie there, paralyzed with terror. After all, he wasn’t an awakened player or a Hunter—just a powerless civilian.

And then...

“Grrrrrr...”

A guttural growl reached him from beyond the boards, like the wail of some monstrous beast.

Sh-sh-sh...

The sound of something scraping across the floor.

It was moving.

And the noise was growing louder.

Why is it getting louder?

A chilling realization struck him—it was coming closer.

His heart pounded wildly in his chest.

What do I do? What can I do? What choice do I have?

The sound was now mere inches away.

Finally, when he couldn’t bear it any longer, Park Gyu-min’s fear erupted.

“AAAAAHHH!!”

Unable to hold back, he scrambled up, bursting out of the boards. The wooden planks shattered as he fled like a madman.

But he didn’t get far.

In the stark white room, he ran straight into a wall, slamming into it with a sickening thud.

Pain barely registered in his mind—his terror drowned out everything else.

“AAAHHH! HELP ME! PLEASE! SOMEBODY, ANYBODY! PLEASE SAVE ME!”

He was on the brink of losing his sanity.

And then...

Clink, clink...

The sound of chains rattling brought the movement to a halt.

Park Gyu-min blinked through his tears, trying to understand. He could see now that the figure was chained around the neck.

“Grrr...”

The creature tugged at its chains but lacked the strength to break free. After several futile attempts, it collapsed in place.

Finally, Park Gyu-min’s screams subsided. Still trembling, tears and snot streaming down his face, he began to examine the figure.

It’s... a person?

In disbelief, he whispered, “A... a person...?”

“That’s right, it’s a person.”

The voice startled him, coming from just beside him.

He turned his head, and there stood Su-ho.

With that single word, Su-ho summoned a weapon into his hand—a blood-red club crafted through his Blood Weapon skill.

CRACK!

[Heal Activated.]