Chapter 36
At the same time, countless system notifications flooded Suho’s vision like a cascade of stars.
[ The MVP of the Gate clearance is ‘Ahn Suho’. ]
[ Additional experience points are awarded for being selected as MVP. ]
[ A bonus stat point is awarded for being selected as MVP. ]
[ You have successfully cleared a Gate that no one else could conquer alone. ]
[ For achieving a remarkable feat, the system gifts you 5 bonus stat points. ]
[ Your level has increased. ]
[ All stats have increased by 1. ]
[ You have acquired 1 bonus stat point. ]
The additional bonus stats came flooding in.
Given that this was a hard Gate responsible for countless deaths, the system acknowledged Suho’s accomplishment, recognizing the Gate’s clearance as an extraordinary achievement.
Moreover, the Gate was mostly devoid of any formidable monsters except for the Nameless Swordsman, so the experience points were substantial enough to push Suho from level 51 to level 52 in an instant.
Suho looked at the split remains of the Sword Emperor’s hollow body and muttered to himself.
“In hindsight, he’s such an easy opponent. Why did I struggle so much back then?”
Yet, despite everything, he still felt grateful to the Sword Emperor.
It was the kind of memory that would occasionally cross his mind on Teachers’ Day.
Naturally so, since it was the first time in his life that he had ever been so obsessed with mastering swordsmanship.
Out of curiosity, Suho summoned the Gwiyeong Spear and stabbed it into the Sword Emperor’s body, but, as expected, there was no shadow to absorb.
The same was true for Bloodsucking.
The Sword Emperor was just a spirit, a spectral remnant of some nameless sword ghost without blood or a shadow.
Psss…
The Sword Emperor’s body dissolved and disappeared.
All that remained was the old sword he had wielded.
Suho picked it up to check its information.
– Rank: F
A worn sword once wielded by the Nameless Swordsman.
An F-rank sword.
Its name and description were as simple and straightforward as it could get.
At first, Suho thought of it as nothing more than a memento left behind by the Sword Emperor and stored it in his inventory.
Years later, while organizing his inventory overflowing with items, he would eventually take it out again and, with the help of a nearby acquaintance, discover its true value.
After examining the nameless sword for a moment, Suho gripped both the blade and the hilt and applied some force.
The worn-out sword broke in two with a crack, just as it appeared.
At that moment, the hidden effects of the nameless sword, which had gone unnoticed for years, were revealed through a system notification.
[ Sword Mastery has been activated. ]
[ The soul of the Nameless Sword has merged with your swordsmanship. ]
[ The information of Suho Sword has been updated. ]
[ You have mastered Suho Sword (S+). ]
The information had changed.
Simultaneously, Suho Sword, which had been S-rank, now had an additional effect and was upgraded to a plus rank.
Suho checked the updated information of Suho Sword.
– Rank: S+
# A unique swordsmanship created by Ahn Suho.
# It adheres to the basics, with an exceptional balance between offense, defense, and evasion.
# The soul of the Nameless Sword has fused with Suho Sword, elevating it to a plus rank.
# Suho Sword now has the potential for limitless growth, influenced by the will of the Nameless Sword.
After reading the updated information, Suho nodded in satisfaction.
There was a reason he had specifically chosen the Nameless Sword Gate as his first sealed Gate target.
Not only because it could be cleared without special items or preparation using just his swordsmanship, but more importantly, because of the Nameless Sword itself.
‘Now, my swordsmanship is truly just beginning.’
Suho Sword was something he had been using as naturally as breathing.
But now that it had evolved to a plus rank with the potential for further growth, Suho could finally begin mastering the ultimate techniques known as absolute skills.
With the skills absorbed and the Gate cleared, Suho turned toward the exit portal that had appeared before him.
***
In the control room.
About half an hour after Suho had entered the Gate, Kim Jong-woo, who had been watching the camera feed, spoke.
“It looks like it’s going to take a while. I’ll go on a quick patrol.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
But just as Kim Jong-woo was about to leave—
“Huh? Huh?!”
Jo Jin-hwi, who had been watching the screen, suddenly jumped to his feet.
At the same time, Jung Cheol-min also shot up from his seat.
“The Gate! The Gate is—!”
“What?!”
Kim Jong-woo came running back in a hurry.
Looking at the screen with an expression of disbelief, he stammered.
“The Gate… has been cleared?”
“Hurry, let’s get out there! Quickly!”
When a Gate is cleared, the lines of the Gate visible from the outside begin to shift.
It’s the visual sign that people on the outside use to know if the Gate has been conquered.
And right now, the lines of the Gate were beginning to collapse.
In disbelief, Kim Jong-woo ordered the Gate’s entrance to be opened, while Jo Jin-hwi grabbed his camera and recorded the Gate line’s collapse before leaving the control room.
The three of them rushed to the front of the Square, their hearts pounding as they waited for Suho to emerge.
And not long after, Suho appeared from the shadows within the Square, wearing a faint smile.
“Suho-ssi!”
“Hunter-nim!”
Overcome with excitement, Jung Cheol-min and Jo Jin-hwi shouted Suho’s name and ran toward him.
Kim Jong-woo, though not as close to Suho as the others, couldn’t help but chuckle in disbelief.
As the two charged at him as if they were about to throw him into the air in celebration, Suho calmed them down.
“Please, both of you, calm down.”
“How can we be calm?! You just cleared a sealed Gate! You cleared the Nameless Sword Gate that caused over 200 casualties!”
“And that’s not all! It hasn’t even been 30 minutes! You cleared it in less than 30 minutes! How is that even possible?!”
Both men were clearly overwhelmed with excitement.
Finally, Kim Jong-woo, who had been watching from the side, spoke up.
“You did well, Hunter-nim.”
“No, it was easy,” Suho replied casually.
“Ea…Easy?”
“Yes, it was a very easy place for me.”
“Hah… that’s just unbelievable…”
Suho replied plainly, but even to Kim Jong-woo, it didn’t seem like arrogance or a bluff.
There was no hint of pride or conceit in his expression.
He looked as though he had just done something completely ordinary, like someone who had simply gone for a walk and returned.
Suho continued,
“Now that the Gate has been cleared, shall we take some pictures?”
“Pictures?”
“Yes, let’s take a photo together for documentation. Just to certify the accomplishment, not for commemorative purposes.”
It was exactly as he said.
Taking photos would be useful for submitting as evidence for reports and press releases.
That’s why Suho had brought Jo Jin-hwi along. After all, a picture taken by a PBS reporter would lend undeniable credibility.
At that moment, Kim Jong-woo hesitated, looking troubled.
“I’m a soldier, so I’d prefer not to be in any photographs…”
Sensing the situation, Jung Cheol-min quickly chimed in.
“Ah, Major, this isn’t just some commemorative photo. We’re taking it for official documentation purposes! It’ll be submitted to government offices! And the Nameless Sword isn’t just any Gate—it’s classified as a major disaster area by our country. Hunter Ahn Suho has just accomplished a great feat! If the Gate hadn’t been cleared, the government would’ve had to keep pouring taxpayers’ money into managing it. But thanks to Hunter Ahn Suho, we’ve saved a significant amount of those hard-earned taxes—”
“Oh, no! I’m sorry! Let’s take the picture right away.”
Moved by Jung Cheol-min’s passionate argument, Kim Jong-woo quickly recognized his mistake and agreed to cooperate with the photo session.
Seeing this, Suho couldn’t help but smile to himself.
‘As expected from Cheol-min Hyung.’
And so, the three of them successfully took what would become an iconic photo, one that would soon heat up the media across Korea.
***
On the way back to Seoul after the photo session, Suho asked both Jung Cheol-min and Kim Jong-woo to keep the Nameless Sword Gate clearance under embargo for about half a day.
He needed to meet with the Nexus Guild first to proceed with everything in the right order.
That’s why, as soon as the photos were taken, Suho headed straight to the Nexus Guild. It would have been unreasonable to ask them to keep the embargo in place until the next day.
‘It’s not like government agencies are obligated to listen to me.’
Especially in Kim Jong-woo’s case. As a soldier, his first priority was always to report to his superiors.
When Suho arrived at Nexus, he was greeted by several executives who had come in response to an urgent call.
He showed them the certified photos on the tablet he brought and said,
“As I mentioned over the phone earlier, I successfully cleared the Nameless Sword, a sealed Gate classified as a national disaster area, earlier today. These are the photos that serve as proof. The people in the picture with me are officials from the Association and the Square’s manager, Major Kim Jong-woo.”
Everyone’s jaws dropped in shock.
In particular, Bae Dong-hyuk was the most taken aback.
Although he had been informed over the phone, seeing the actual photos made it all the more unbelievable.
And with good reason—Bae Dong-hyuk had only received the contract for the sealed Gate that very afternoon.
Who wouldn’t be shocked to learn that the Gate had been cleared just a few hours after it was contracted, and to see proof of it?
Suho then introduced Jo Jin-hwi, who had come with him.
“And this is Jo Jin-hwi-sshi, my personal reporter from PBS. Since he was with me to take the photos, you don’t need to worry about any forgery or manipulation.”
“I’m Jo Jin-hwi,” he said, handing out his business card to verify his identity.
Waving his hands in disbelief, Bae Dong-hyuk said,
“Oh, no, we weren’t suspecting any forgery at all. But… how did you do it?”
“How did I do what?”
“All of it! How did you manage to get the sealed Gate contract, and how did you clear it so quickly? In just a few hours? You’re aware that over 200 players have died in that Gate, right?”
Suho responded nonchalantly, as if it were no big deal.
“Well, I met the Association Chairman in person and got his permission for the sealed Gate contract. As for clearing the Gate, I just went in and defeated the enemy.”
“What?”
“I’m telling the truth. There’s nothing more to it. That’s exactly how it happened.”
“Hah, unbelievable…”
It was indeed the truth. There was no need to embellish his achievements, and Suho wasn’t the type to do so anyway.
With that, Suho moved straight to the main point.
“So, I believe I’ve proven my abilities. Shall we proceed with the contract? You can decide on my pay, but I have only two conditions. First, I want your full support during my time at Nexus. Second, if I pass the public recruitment exam, I want to be released from the contract. I’ve already discussed this with the Association Chairman. I’ve had offers from several large guilds, but I told them that if a guild is willing to accept these conditions, I would join them temporarily to gain practical experience.”
Bae Dong-hyuk wasn’t the type to deceive anyone, but as a guild master, he still had to be cautious.
After a moment of contemplation, Bae Dong-hyuk quietly gave the order.
“Bring the paperwork.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
And with that, Suho’s membership in the Nexus Guild was officially set in motion.
