Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant

Laughing at Grid's clever plan, Su-ho spent some time feeling out the strength he had gained through Dominion Core before calling Jack.

"Jack."

- I'm listening.

"How much stronger do you think I've gotten with Dominion Core?"

After thinking for a moment at the question, Jack replied.

- At the very least, you've grown several times stronger.

"That much?"

- That much.

"Really? Is that so...."

At the words that he had grown several times stronger, the corners of Su-ho's mouth rose without him realizing it.

Actually, it was only expressed as several times, but for the rate of stat increase to be this high just from obtaining a single skill was truly absurd.

At that moment, Jack, who had been watching Su-ho smile, said,

- Master.

"Yeah?"

- Sorry if this sounds like I'm raining on your parade, but although you've clearly grown stronger, you need to become far stronger than this. The Independent Game is a place where monsters beyond what you imagine exist.

- I agree with that shadow. The ones participating in the Independent Game will have not just one SS-rank skill but at least over a dozen.

Grid chimed in as well.

Good grief, these bastards really do all have a knack for raining on someone's parade.

"I know. But can't I at least enjoy this for now? Am I not even allowed to be happy about this much?"

- I'm just saying.

"Fine. I was planning to catch up on the upgrades I'd been putting off anyway. So then, how much time is left until the East-West War?"

- 100 days remain.

"100 days? That much?"

- That much?

At Su-ho saying it was a lot, Grid looked at him with a pathetic expression.

- If a huge war that would decide the fate of your world were suddenly set to break out 100 days from now, would you still be saying that?

"Sorry. I wasn't thinking far enough ahead. But do you know what form the East-West War takes?"

- It's nothing special. The barrier will suddenly disappear. And then the bastards who were waiting beyond the barrier will come pouring out in a disorderly flood.

"That's it?"

- What else? Did you think it would be some outstanding contest of tactics?

"It really has no foundation whatsoever."

- That's the West Demon Realm.

"But the fact that it's so baseless makes it even scarier."

- That's why it's more terrifying.

"...."

Su-ho thought for a moment, then spoke.

"Can I take a look at that barrier right now?"

- The barrier?

"Yeah. I feel like I need to see it directly before I can get even the outline of a countermeasure."

- Understood.

Grid immediately created an exit portal.

- Come.

He headed for the exit portal following Grid.

Then his view changed in an instant, and a cliff came into sight. Beyond the cliff, a huge orange membrane glowing with a faint translucent light was spread out like an aurora.

"Wow."

The enormous barrier stretched upward so high that it seemed to have no end to the sky, and it covered the entire horizon to the point that its end could not be seen.

The interesting thing was that despite being translucent, nothing beyond it could be seen.

Pointing at the barrier, Grid said,

- The official name of that barrier is Phaediac. It's a name taken from the absolute shield once used by the first Demon King, and it was named with the meaning of protecting the East Demon Realm at all costs. Naturally, it is formed from highly advanced sorcery, and throughout history no being has ever dispelled Phaediac or inflicted any damage on it.

"But the system lifted this absurd shield in one shot as if it were nothing but a lie, right?"

- Right. On the day Phaediac was lifted, everyone in the East Demon Realm thought they were dreaming.

Grid frowned as he recalled that time.

Su-ho watched Phaediac for a while, then soon summoned Cheolma and began soaring up into the sky.

Grid followed as well.

Su-ho kept flying and flying until the entire continent could be seen at a glance.

At last, after successfully reaching the point he wanted, Su-ho sat atop Cheolma and looked over the continent of the Demon Realm.

Then Su-ho's head tilted slightly to the side.

"Huh?"

- What is it?

"The shape of the Demon Realm continent is pretty different from what I was expecting."

- What kind of preconception were you imagining this time?

"It wasn't a preconception. I just pictured something on the scale of a continent in the world I live in. But this place...."

Contrary to Su-ho's imagination, the Demon Realm continent was smaller than expected.

And the continent, which he had expected to spread wide like a broad steak, was surprisingly shaped more like a ribbon with a narrowed center.

Grid nodded.

- The Demon Realm wasn't divided into the West Demon Realm and the East Demon Realm for nothing. The first Demon King knew that too, and that's why he installed Phaediac at the center of the continent, at its waist.

"Then to put it another way, if we just defend this central waist area well, then the West Demon Realm bastards won't be able to cross over to the East Demon Realm side, right?"

- In theory, yes.

"Then let's block this place. I was worried about how we'd cover the whole wide continent, but if it's like this, that's a different story. We just have to hold this one spot, like Zhang Fei at Changban Bridge."

At Su-ho's words, Grid once again wore that same pathetic expression.

- ...I don't know what Zhang Fei at Changban Bridge is, but this is a very different problem from when you conquered the African continent. It sounds nice to say we'll block the center, but how are you going to stop all of this vast land by yourself no matter how many members your Black Army has? And what about the sky? Do you have any countermeasure for the sky too?

"That's what I need to think about from here on. But I don't think that thinking is going to take very long."

- Based on what?

"Because a few things are already coming to mind. Anyway, it was a good call coming here to see the barrier for myself."

That wasn't swagger. He meant it sincerely.

After seeing the barrier and the shape of the continent, the rough outline of a countermeasure for the East-West War had begun to form in his mind.

Soon, Su-ho spread out his fingers and began calculating various things.

"But you really can't participate in the East-West War?"

- I can't. I exist only symbolically.

"You can't participate in the fighting only, or you really can't do anything at all?"

- I just can't take part in the battle.

"Then what about the other Demon Realm people? Come to think of it, the mission regarding the East-West War was given to you, not jointly generated for the players in the form of a quest."

- That's only because the timing hasn't come yet. The preparation period the system gave me is 100 days, but the players are scheduled to be given a 90-day preparation period. During the ten days that appear in between, I have to do my own preparations.

"It's really complicated. So because you're not a player, you can't directly intervene in the fighting, but you still have to prepare? And one of your preparations is me?"

- Something like that.

What kind of absurd difficulty was this, exactly?

As he shook his head at the ridiculous difficulty, a thought suddenly came to him.

"Wait a second. Then why isn't a quest appearing for me? I even got a direct request from you."

- Because what I asked of you was as your partner.

"What kind of nonsense is that?"

- Don't feel wronged. The East-West War itself is an event aimed at the people of the Demon Realm. It may sound like this when put into words, but from another point of view, you're in a position where you can be free of responsibility and obligation regardless of whether this world is destroyed or not, aren't you?

"Hm, hearing it put that way, it definitely does make sense."

He decided not to feel any more wronged about this part.

Because anyway, if not for the East-West War of the Demon Realm, there wasn't really any suitable place for him to raise his level.

"Then now that I think I've seen the rough outline of the plan, shall we start the detailed preparations?"

- What's the next plan?

At that, Su-ho raised a finger and then pointed it at himself.

"Me."

- You?

"First, I need to raise my own specs. With 100 days, it feels like there'll still be plenty of time left even after doing everything I need to do."

- Are you really planning to handle the entire West Demon Realm by yourself?

"Not like I can't. Up to now, I've lived as a one-man army—no, a one-man thousand, a one-man ten thousand, a one-man hundred million."

He was the one who had gone around handling problems all over the world by himself, including the vast African continent.

It wasn't on this scale, but he had also experienced war three separate times, including the Titanomachy, the Gigantomachy, and the Olympomachy, so it wasn't as though he had no war experience at all.

'At least that's how it seems to me.'

At Su-ho's overflowing confidence, Grid was about to say something, then stopped himself.

Because Su-ho, more than anyone, yearned for growth and victory, so since he had already decided not to offer pointless worry and to trust and employ him, he chose to support him blindly.

- I look forward to it.

"You can. They say even a cat's paw is needed when it comes to war itself, but I have no intention of letting the East Demon Realm people you love get hurt even by a fingernail. Anyway, get some rest. I'll call if I need you."

- Where are you planning to prepare? If you need a place, use the Demon King Castle. The Demon King Castle is mine, but it is also yours, since you are my avatar.

"It's fine. I've got a place that's just as safe and comfortable as your Demon King Castle."

Snap!

When he flicked his fingers, a door leading into the Subspace House opened.

"Then see you later."

After finishing his farewell, Su-ho entered the Subspace House.

***

Right after entering the Subspace House, once Grid disappeared from view, Jack emerged from the shadows and asked,

- Do you really have a plan?

"I do. Did you think I'd just put on airs in front of the Demon King? And like I said earlier, for now I'm going to focus on raising my specs. Since it looks like this is going to become a war I have to handle alone anyway."

- That seems far too reckless and far too greedy.

"I'm the Avatar of the Demon King of Greed. I've got to be this greedy at least. And besides, the goal is to reach level 400. Honestly, I don't even know whether I could fill out level 400 even if I fought the war alone and killed everyone in the enemy camp. And above all, if I'm going to prepare for the future that's coming, I have to finish this war by myself no matter what."

- What future?

"The Independent Game."

Su-ho's eyes turned serious.

"Umbra swept up all the shadows in the Spirit Realm to prepare for the Independent Game. But even so, he still lost. Then shouldn't I at least put in effort on that level too?"

- I see. If you secure all the shadows of the West Demon Realm people in this war, that'll be an enormous increase in military power.

"I think I get why Grid told me to pour everything into raising my magic stat first. If I'm going to cover the entire bloated Black Army, then while I still can, I need to diligently pile up magic power—no, True Demon. Now then, with that in mind, first of all, this."

Su-ho took out an item.

It was a rune, and its identity was none other than the Rune of Heracles.

Su-ho checked the information on the Rune of Heracles.

[ Rune of Heracles ]