Chapter 160
The work proceeded smoothly.
Everything was thanks to the emergency press conference.
After the conference, people in the association respected Suho, while also being cautious of him; Suho had always been popular, but now, his image had become nearly that of a ‘hero,’ making it impossible for anyone to treat him carelessly.
Among the changes brought by this was the transformation of his working environment.
For instance, not only was it impossible for anyone to issue unjust orders, but it also became difficult to casually reject any suggestions Suho made that were for the benefit of the public.
This was exactly the situation Suho had wanted.
As a result, many of the projects proposed by Jung Chulmin were also approved in large numbers.
This included things like the Infinity-based training for members of Special Team 2’s reconnaissance squad.
Of course, the support for this came from Nexus.
The support was approved by Administrator Kim Lee-gang, and as soon as it was, an article was published, allowing Nexus to further enhance its positive image.
– As expected from the industry’s top.
– Nexus had great foresight when they brought in Ahn Suho, lol.
– What are Hexagon and Prime doing these days?
└ Don’t compare them to those small-time companies.
└ Hexagon and Prime, lol. Just minor leagues, lol.
However, the biggest achievement among all this was undoubtedly the Sealed Gate Strategy Project.
Upon receiving the project report, Division Chief Ma Duwon of the Detection Department frowned and asked again.
“…Are you saying you’re going to attack a Sealed Gate?”
“Yes, Assistant Team Leader Ahn Suho plans to tackle it personally.”
“Sure, Assistant Team Leader Ahn Suho will be going himself, but he’s not going alone, right?”
“No, Assistant Team Leader Ahn Suho will go alone.”
“What? Isn’t that too dangerous?”
“Going with other team members would be even more dangerous. Plus, with thorough analysis by me, we plan to strategize, so you don’t need to worry too much.”
“Well, Sealed Gates were analyzed by other major guilds, but they failed and gave up. So, what are you and he planning to do… no, never mind. Who am I to interfere when you’re doing good work? I heard you already conquered two, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. The Dark Canyon we tackled last time, too, and if you look at the attached documents…”
“No, no, it’s fine. I’ll grant Assistant Team Leader Ahn Suho authority so that he can go freely from now on.”
“Thank you.”
Originally, entering a Sealed Gate required orders from Jung Chulmin, but now Suho himself had gained direct authority.
In other words, from now on, Suho could open the gates to a Sealed Gate whenever he wanted.
That wasn’t all.
Having authority over a Sealed Gate also meant that he could decide whether or not to disclose the results of a strategy.
This was actually a significant matter.
Sometimes, information about a Sealed Gate could be used as a strategic card.
Thus, there had been instances in the past where an embargo had been imposed on a few occasions.
‘At this point, it’s almost as if all the obstacles have been cleared.’
Furthermore, changes to the law regarding loot ownership were also in progress, so once that change was finalized, all restrictions would essentially disappear.
Because of this, Suho decided it was time to finally start on the tasks he had been putting off.
He began with his stats.
“Check status window.”
[ Ahn Suho ]
– Lv: 112
– Class: Crusader
– Traits: ＜New Blood＞ ＜Heracles Candidate＞
– Strength (O): 38
– Stamina (O): 14
– Magic Power (O): 31
– Sense (R): 77
– Bonus Stats: 0
He had already reached level 112.
Yet he still hadn’t unified his stat colors.
While this was still an incredibly fast growth rate, by the standards of an ordinary person, it felt slightly delayed by Suho’s own standards.
‘I’ll need to start with stat redistribution.’
Currently, redistributing his stats was only possible with the aid of an item.
Since Suho knew the combination method for that item, he called Choi Yoon directly.
– …So, I just need to get that, right?
“Yes, for now.”
– Alright, I’ll look into it and get back to you.
“Thank you. I’ll wait for your call.”
– Oh, by the way.
“Yes?”
– You looked amazing during the press conference.
A compliment from Choi Yoon.
Suho chuckled at that.
“Thank you. Should I give you my autograph?”
– Seriously? Forget it, I’m taking back the compliment.
Suho’s teasing made Choi Yoon hastily end the call.
With a smile, Suho shifted his gaze to the pile of documents before him.
He intended to work on other tasks while he waited.
‘There’s so much to do.’
The stat redistribution item was just an item, but work was work.
Particularly, aside from the Sealed Gate Strategy, there were mountains of other issues that needed his attention, so Suho began adjusting his schedule to maximize efficiency.
How much time had passed?
Just as his schedule started to take shape, he received another call from Choi Yoon.
– I found everything.
“Already?”
– It’s me, Choi Yoon. This much is a piece of cake. But there’s one problem.
“What’s the problem?”
– Of the three items you mentioned, we can secure two, but one of them is a bit tricky.
“Which one?”
– The Hammer of the Stupid Judge.
“Why is that one difficult?”
– I found the only domestic owner, but they don’t want to sell it.
“Why?”
– Just doesn’t want to sell.
To create the stat redistribution item, three specific items were needed.
1. The Bookmark of the Strange Sociologist
2. The Eraser of the Scolded Civil Servant
3. The Hammer of the Stupid Judge
None of these items had any special functions.
Similar to the ‘Nameless Thief’s Sock’ that he’d collected before to create the MuMuMu, these items were simply “collector’s items” with no options or effects—just items that people collected for their unique concepts.
They had no options, but they were aesthetically pleasing.
‘Collector’s items are really just like collecting pretty knick-knacks.’
Suho asked.
“Is the owner some kind of hammer collector?”
– Huh? How’d you know?
“Of course… I’ll meet with them personally and try negotiating.”
– Um…
“What is it?”
– I don’t mind you meeting with him, but please don’t mention our guild in the process. The hammer’s owner belongs to one of our competitor guilds and holds a fairly high position.
Ah.
Only then did Suho realize why Choi Yoon had said it was difficult.
– If it were an ordinary person, we could have negotiated with money or something, but it’s tricky because of who he’s affiliated with. Our guild isn’t on good terms with theirs.
Right.
From Association’s perspective as an organization that prioritizes individual benefit, they wouldn’t want to stir up trouble with a competitor over a mere transaction.
Even if that request came from none other than Sword God Ahn Suho.
After some thought, Suho asked.
“What’s his name?”
– Song Gangchul. He’s the vice president of Raid Guild.
Song Gangchul.
Suho searched his memory and recalled who he was.
‘Right. Now that I think about it, there was a guild called Raid.’
If Association was the largest underground guild in the country, then Raid was about second in rank.
Though ranked second, Raid’s size was actually quite similar to Association’s.
Eventually, after a large-scale war between Association and Raid, Raid entered a decline and was eventually absorbed entirely by Association.
Suho asked.
“Are there no other options besides Song Gangchul?”
– No, we scoured all shops and private trades in the country, but we confirmed there were none. Collector’s items are usually discarded if there’s no demand for them.
“Did you try contacting Song Gangchul?”
– We tried indirectly, but that man is such a hammer fanatic that he refused outright. We couldn’t even get to the negotiation stage. He’s incredibly sensitive about it, and we didn’t want to provoke him only to hurt our bargaining position.
“So, you’re saying you can’t get the hammer?”
– I’m sorry. Even our leader wouldn’t approve. No matter how much we pay, it would only cause headaches to get entangled with Raid.
After a moment’s contemplation, Suho nodded and replied.
“Understood. Thanks for your hard work. I’ll meet with that Song Gangchul myself. You can at least get his location, right?”
– That’s not difficult. But like I said earlier, we want our name kept out of this deal, okay?
“No need to worry.”
– I’ll text you the address.
Suho had a favorite saying.
If you knock, it will open.
Even a collector with a strong desire to hoard would likely be more open to negotiation with Suho than Association.
Besides,
‘There’s nothing in this world that’s impossible.’
Ultimately, it was a person holding the hammer.
As long as mutual interests aligned, he was sure to hand it over.
‘Though, even if they don’t align, I’ll still get it.’
Soon, a message arrived on Suho’s phone, containing Song Gangchul’s location.
***
After getting ready, Suho drove to Euljiro.
Raid’s headquarters was located in Euljiro, and after using Reverse Transformation to alter his appearance, he got out of his car.
When Suho headed toward Raid’s headquarters building, a front desk employee greeted him.
“How may I help you?”
“I’m here to see Vice President Song Gangchul.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
“No, I just stopped by.”
“Please wait a moment.”
The front desk employee made a phone call, nodded a few times, and then spoke to Suho.
“Apologies, but our vice president has a policy against sudden visits.”
As expected.
Given the location, he didn’t expect an immediate meeting.
Suho handed over his business card and spoke.
“I’m here on behalf of Mr. Ahn Suho. Would it still be difficult?”
“Ahn Suho? Sword God Ahn Suho?”
“Yes.”
The female employee’s eyes widened as she saw Suho’s business card.
She made another call, and soon, the response was positive.
“You may go up.”
The immediate permission made Suho smile.
In society, a business card indeed held great power.
With the receptionist’s guidance, Suho boarded the elevator, and soon, he arrived on the vice president’s floor.
The elevator opened directly into the office, not the hallway.
The moment Suho stepped out of the elevator—
Whoosh!!
A violent gust rushed toward him.
It came from above.
Instinctively, Suho dodged.
Boom!!
A large hammer struck the spot where Suho had been standing.
Narrowing his eyes at the hammer’s wielder, Suho asked.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“Oh, you dodged it?”
A muscular man with a shaved head.
His gold tooth replaced where his canine should be was exactly as Suho had seen in the Library of Memories.
Hoisting the hammer onto his shoulder, he spoke.
“I wanted to test out who dared to use the Sword God’s name, but you’re not entirely worthless. Who are you?”
“Isn’t that too rude? I clearly identified myself, didn’t I?”
“That’s a business card from Sword God, not yours, isn’t it?”
An unexpected response.
So that’s how he saw it.
Understanding Song Gangchul’s perspective, Suho nodded and summoned his Blood-Red Club.
Seeing Suho’s weapon, Song Gangchul asked.
“What are you doing?”
“Proving myself.”
“What?”
“You wanted proof, right? I’ll make you recognize it after taking a beating.”
“Haha! You’re a fun one! Alright, I’ll accept that challenge with pleasure.”
In that instant, without anyone taking the lead, the two men charged at each other.