Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant-Chapter 363
A special access pass limited to the Chairman of Sumiyoshi was issued.
This was a direct card from Paranormal Ability, made solely for Yasuda Hiro.
Of course, it would be Su-ho who used it.
And it would be Su-ho who took all the loot.
Honor was unnecessary.
Fame, popularity, and the like—those would all go to Hiro.
From the start, Su-ho hadn’t come to Japan seeking notoriety or celebrity.
Su-ho checked once more the list of sealed gates he had received access to from Miyamoto, along with the pass.
'This one looks good to start with.'
It had taken him some time to handle everything after sneaking into Japan to settle matters.
But now that all the petty nuisances were cleared away, it was time to do what he had come here for.
Su-ho rode Cheolma toward his destination.
The place he flew to on Cheolma was the Izumo region in Shimane Prefecture.
Specifically, the Hinakawa River in southwestern Shimane.
Shimane, located north of Hiroshima, was a region known for delicious fruit and many tourist attractions.
As he neared the Hinakawa River, Su-ho could see the square of the sealed gate, as well as the Self-Defense Force managing it.
'As expected, it’s the JSDF running it.'
In Korea, squares were managed by the military too.
So why would Japan be any different?
Landing at a suitable spot, Su-ho transformed into Hiro’s appearance.
Then he mounted a mana bike and headed for the gate entrance.
“Stop right there.”
The Self-Defense soldier on guard blocked him.
Su-ho handed over the access pass issued by Paranormal Ability.
“Paranormal Ability issue? P-please wait a moment.”
The soldier hurried off somewhere, and before long, returned and respectfully opened the way.
“My apologies for not recognizing you. Please, enter.”
“Yes, thank you.”
It seemed orders had already been delivered to the gate office.
As expected of the Vice Minister.
His authority was on another level.
Before long, as Su-ho approached the gate, the director of the management office rushed out.
“Chairman Yasuda, you’ve arrived.”
“Hello, Director. I assume you’ve received the official notice from Paranormal Ability?”
“Yes, in fact we have, and we’ve been on standby.”
“On standby? You knew I’d be coming here?”
“N-no, I only meant... we’ve been tense, waiting.”
“Ah, I see.”
For a second, Su-ho had misunderstood.
He nodded.
“Please open the square. I’ll enter right away.”
“Yes, of course! But, um...”
“Yes?”
“Did you come alone?”
“Yes, why?”
“Then... are you entering the gate alone as well...?”
The director blinked at him.
Su-ho, a little bemused by the reaction, nodded.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I-is that safe?”
“Isn’t the entry limit here one person anyway?”
“Well, yes, but... it just feels...”
“I’ll be fine. So please, open the square.”
“But...”
“Director?”
“S-sorry! I’ll open it right away.”
'Good grief, making me repeat myself again and again.'
If this happened at every site, it would get irritating.
But fine, he’d endure.
There was no helping it.
Soon the square opened, and Su-ho found himself once more at the portal within.
The moment he stepped inside—
[ You are entering the Gate. ]
[ Retrieving Gate information. ]
[ Old Legend ]
Entry Requirement : Level 199 or higher.
Maximum Party Size : 1.
Bare-bones information.
The entry requirement was nothing but level, and even the name of the gate was ambiguous.
That was why it had been sealed.
It didn’t demand unusually high stats, but the high level restriction alone made it impossible to attempt.
Meanwhile, the gate had continuously leaked mana outward, summoning many monsters.
'Though those monsters weren’t particularly dangerous...'
Still, they hadn’t been able to do anything about it.
Of course, by now Japan had a fair number of Players over level 200.
But none had challenged this place.
Because the one-person entry limit made it seem too risky.
'At this point in history, a two-star Player is rare indeed.'
But Su-ho knew exactly what this gate was.
And he knew the strategy to clear it.
That was why he entered without hesitation.
[ Entering Old Legend. ]
Fwaaash!
Blinding light.
His vision shifted.
And Su-ho found himself on a quiet forest path.
'So it begins.'
The forest looked tranquil.
Su-ho walked slowly along the trail.
Before long, he spotted a middle-aged couple collapsed on the path, weeping.
'So they must be the couple.'
Su-ho approached without hesitation and asked in a gentle voice,
“Excuse me. May I ask why you’re crying?”
“Sniff, sob... who are you?”
“I’m just a passerby. But seeing the two of you weeping so sorrowfully, I couldn’t walk past.”
“That’s... huuuhhh!”
The woman, about to answer, broke down in sobs again.
So the story came from the husband instead.
“Sigh... truth is, in our region lives a very ancient evil god. It holds the villages hostage, demanding one maiden each year as a sacrifice. And this year... our daughter was chosen...”
At that point, even the man’s grief overcame him, and he burst into tears.
It was easy enough to understand.
What parent would want to hand over their precious daughter as a sacrifice to a demon god?
Su-ho nodded.
“I see. That’s your plight. You must be deeply grieved.”
“Yes... tomorrow, we must give her up, and as her parents we can do nothing. It’s unbearable...”
“I understand. In that case, I think I can help.”
“What?”
“Pardon?”
They both stared at him in shock.
“Wh-what do you mean...?”
“You said it’s an evil god? Then such a god deserves to be destroyed. So I’ll help you. All I need to do is defeat it, yes?”
“Y-yes?”
“Somehow I think it’s up at the top of that mountain, isn’t it?”
“Th-that’s right... b-but who are you?”
“Just a passerby. I’ll go slay the god. Don’t worry, just stay home and rest.”
Su-ho gave a polite bow and started toward the mountain peak he’d indicated.
The couple could only watch his back as he walked away, dazed.
“What on earth...”
“H-honey, should we believe what he said...?”
Suspicious words, indeed.
But they had no other choice.
“...Let’s believe. There’s nothing else we can do right now.”
“Yes...”
At her husband’s words, the wife began to pray for the nameless stranger.
'This will end more easily than I thought.'
After meeting the couple, Su-ho climbed the mountain with light steps.
The Old Legend Gate was one of the most famous in Japan.
It had remained uncleared even into the mid-Cataclysm, which only made it more infamous.
Why? Because of the high level requirement, the one-person limit, and the lack of clues.
But eventually, someone had conquered it, and that person became one of Japan’s legendary Players.
That meant Su-ho’s timing—before the mid-Cataclysm had even begun—was perfect.
Soon he reached near the summit.
[ You have entered the Boss Room. ]
At last, he stepped into the boss room.
The moment the system message popped, the scenery changed.
Thick mist. A roaring waterfall, pounding the eardrums.
And then—
[ The Boss Monster has appeared. ]
Kugugugugugu!!
The ground shook as if in an earthquake.
From the depths of the waterfall canyon, the ruler of this domain finally emerged.
Kyaaaaaaaaaaah!!
[ Yamata no Orochi uses Boss Monster-grade Fear. ]
[ Dragon Blood is activated. ]
[ Fear nullified by Dragon Blood’s "Dragon Mind" effect. ]
The boss monster’s Fear.
And the accompanying system message.
Su-ho saw its name from the system alert before he even saw its nameplate.
And he smiled.
'At last... Yamata no Orochi!'
Yamata no Orochi, the Eight-Forked Serpent, with eight heads and eight tails—one of the most famous monsters in Japanese mythology.
That was why this gate was called Old Legend.
'Of course, there are other "Old Legend" gates too.'
All of them tied to Japanese myth, all designated as hard, sealed gates.
And these were exactly the ones Su-ho had come to Japan for.
The so-called “Legend Series” gates offered more than any others.
Su-ho narrowed his eyes at the nameplate.
Yamata no Orochi Lv.224
As expected of a Legend Series boss.
The entry requirement was level 199, but the ruler here was level 224.
For anyone but a top expert, a solo raid was unthinkable.
Then the main head among the eight opened its serpent eyes and spoke.
A human I’ve never seen before... Did the villagers hire you to kill me?
Fitting for a god of evil, it didn’t just screech but began a calm dialogue.
Su-ho chuckled.
“Strictly speaking, not hired. I volunteered. I told them I’d get rid of you.”
What? Kuhahaha! To think I’d hear such jokes in my lifetime.
Yamata no Orochi laughed thunderously.
Then its expression turned cold as ice.
Very well. Then you must ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) pay the price for your jest. Betrayal, a day before the promised offering. Hmph. Tomorrow will be interesting indeed.
“We’ll see. If tomorrow ever comes for you.”
What?
Thud!
Su-ho stomped the ground.
[ Blessing is activated. ]
[ Holy Enchant is activated. ]
[ Mana Perception is activated. ]
[ Endurance is activated. ]
[ Enhancement is activated. ]
[ Eye of the Blacksmith is activated. ]
Buffs flared one after another. And then—
[ Weaken is activated. ]
He cast Weaken on the serpent.
Its eyes widened in shock.
What is this...!
“I told you. Tomorrow won’t come for you.”
With those words, Su-ho swung his blade at blinding speed.
[ Cloud Severance is activated. ]
[ Enhancement is applied. ]
[ Cloud Severance’s power is amplified. ]
Sshhhrrrk!!
The blade swept in a massive arc.
And Su-ho’s strike carved an unprecedented trail through the air, slicing all eight of Yamata no Orochi’s heads at once.
Chapter 363
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