Jung Chul-min stared at Suho with wide eyes.

    “Are... are you joking?”

    “I’m not joking.”

    Suho’s expression was dead serious.

    This wasn’t a lie.

    Perhaps because of that, Jung swallowed nervously at Suho’s unwavering seriousness.

    After a moment of silence, he asked, “But... how?”

    “It’s a secret.”

    “A... secret?”

    “Yes.”

    “Oh...”

    Jung’s disappointment was evident.

    Understandable, considering they were talking about a Sealed Gate.

    Suho thought to himself, *‘Sealed Gates are all designated with S-rank difficulty, which is why they’re called Sealed Gates in the first place. Of course he’d be curious to know how I can clear it.’*

    But Suho had no intention of revealing his strategy. He didn’t have to, nor was there a rule requiring him to disclose his methods before being allowed to enter a Sealed Gate.

    Even if Jung were to resist or demand an explanation, there was little he could do since Suho already had the president’s approval.

    And this wasn’t the first time Suho had unexpectedly cleared something; he had conquered the Tower of Trials alone, a feat many thought impossible.

    Jung had no choice but to believe him.

    Suho added, “Think of how I discovered the strategy for the Tower of Trials. It’s similar. If you trust me and let me into the Formless Sword Gate, I’ll start there and gradually clear the other Sealed Gates too.”

    “Y-you’re planning to clear other Sealed Gates as well?”

    “Yes.”

    “Ha...”

    Clearing the Formless Sword Gate was hard enough to believe, and now Suho claimed he’d go through other Sealed Gates too...

    Jung’s mouth fell open, and at the same time, he sensed that Suho wasn’t bluffing.

    After all, Suho was like a tiger among men, and who was he, a mere human, to understand a tiger’s intentions?

    Resigned, Jung let out a sigh.

    “...Alright, then. I’ll make the arrangements and contact you as soon as it’s ready.”

    “Actually, why don’t we head out now? I’m already prepared.”

    “Right now?”

    “Yes. The Formless Sword Gate is in Gyeongju, isn’t it?”

    “That’s true, but... are you serious?”

    “Yes, as they say, strike while the iron is hot. I’d like to get this done today.”

    “Oh... one moment.”

    At Suho’s urging, Jung stepped aside to make a call.

    A few minutes later, he returned with an awkward smile.

    “They said it’s possible. Would you like to travel with us to Gyeongju?”

    “No, I’ll head there separately. I have someone I need to bring along. I already know the gate’s location, so I’ll meet you at the entrance.”

    “...Understood.”@@@@

    With that, Jung let out a slight chuckle, preparing to leave.

    ***

    “Almost there.”

    Roaring along the highway was Jo Jin-hwi’s sedan.

    After leaving the KHA building, Suho had called both Jo and Nexus Guild Leader Bae Dong-hyuk.

    The call to Bae was to inform him of Suho’s success in securing the Sealed Gate entry, and he had called Jo to request his presence as a journalist to document the journey.

    Originally, Suho planned to take a train, but since Jo offered his sedan, it made more sense to travel together.

    Upon entering Gyeongju, they arrived at the Sealed Gate’s entrance shortly thereafter.

    The gate was under military guard, and the atmosphere was tense.

    The monsters from Formless Sword, however, were generally controllable with standard weapons.

    At the far end of the Square, a portal shimmered, marking the entrance to the Formless Sword Gate.

    *‘It’s been a while since I’ve been here.’*

    Suho had been here before.

    Seven times, to be precise.

    The first time he’d entered, he barely escaped with his life after failing to defeat the boss monster within.

    Unlike other gates, Formless Sword allowed players to leave without killing the boss.

    Determined, Suho had trained relentlessly after his first failure to prepare for another attempt.

    However, he failed five more times, experiencing six consecutive defeats in total.

    Yet, he never gave up.

    On his seventh attempt, driven by sheer grit, he finally conquered the Formless Sword Gate.

    *‘This gate holds a special meaning for me.’*

    No one knew the strategy for clearing this gate better than Suho.

    While everyone else had failed, he had succeeded after countless trials.

    The moment Suho set foot into the gate, messages began to flash.

    [Entering the Gate.]

    [Retrieving gate information.]

    [Formless Sword]

    - Entry Condition: Open to all.

    - Max Entry Capacity: 1 person.

    Though anyone could enter, only one person was allowed, which exponentially increased its difficulty.

    Suho’s vision flickered as he stepped forward.

    ***

    “He’s inside now.”

    “Ha... do you think he’ll be alright?”

    “All we can do now is trust.”

    In the command room outside the Square, Jung Chul-min, Major Kim Jong-woo, and Jo Jin-hwi watched the monitor with tense expressions.

    They saw Suho disappear into the gate, and Kim Jong-woo voiced his worries.

    “No matter how you look at it... I’m still uneasy. This isn’t a place you can clear just by having high stats or a high level.”

    “True. Inside the Formless Sword Gate, the Sword Emperor awaits.”

    “And Hunter Ahn Suho is... a healer, isn’t he?”

    At this point, Jung spoke up in Suho’s defense.

    “That shouldn’t matter.”

    “Shouldn’t matter?”

    “Yes. From what I’ve seen, Hunter Ahn Suho is only a healer by title.”

    “Only a healer by title?”

    “That’s right. Of all the Hunters I’ve ever seen... no one wields a sword like Ahn Suho.”

    Kim frowned.

    “...Are you serious?”

    “Yes. I was present for his practical exam, and even

    though he was a healer, he passed by taking down all the monsters with a sword.”

    Jo Jin-hwi, surprised, clarified, “Wait, aren’t healer exams usually about protecting a patient until you yourself are taken down? They’re supposed to assess a healer’s willingness to sacrifice themselves for others, right?”

    “Yes, exactly. But instead of sacrificing himself, Ahn Suho focused on ensuring the patient’s survival. He picked up a nearby sword and killed every single orc that came his way.”

    “Insane...”

    This story was news to Jo, as the only thing that had circulated was that Suho had graduated top of his class.

    Reflecting on Suho’s unconventional approach, Jung mused, *‘I may not know his exact strategy, but maybe... this time, the Sword Emperor will finally fall.’*

    With a renewed sense of anticipation, the three men watched the screen, their eyes filled with hope.