‘What is this?’

    The system notifications were unfamiliar.

    These messages had appeared moments before Suho’s death, yet he had no recollection of ever seeing them.

    ‘Is the system the reason I was sent back to the past?’

    He hadn’t known.

    When these notifications appeared, he had been nearly unconscious, hovering on the brink of death.

    ‘I remember reaching the peak of the Unity of Sword and Soul, mastering my first SS-rank skill. But transcendence?’

    The system had clearly stated:

    [ The system recognizes your achievement of transcendence and grants you an opportunity to grow even stronger. ]

    [ Rebooting the system for player Ahn Suho. ]

    It was because he had been the first to achieve the realm of transcendence that he was being given another chance.

    So, was his return to the past not a coincidence?

    It seemed that way.

    This realization confirmed that everything he had experienced was real, not some dream or illusion.

    ‘Good.’

    He had slowly begun to accept that he had returned to the past.

    After all, that was why he sought out the Library of Memories.

    But acceptance was one thing; certainty was another. There had been no undeniable proof.

    Now that the system itself was vouching for this reality, there was no more room for doubt.

    ‘Alright, let’s do this.’

    The important thing was that he had returned to the past, which allowed him to prepare for the calamities he knew would come.

    With this knowledge, Suho solidified his resolve to rejoin public service.

    With his foreknowledge and the backing of national authority, he might be able to end the Gates crisis far faster than in his previous life.

    ‘And I’ll keep an eye on those traitors too.’

    But to do all this, he needed ample preparation.

    Armed with the Library of Memories, Suho sat down and quietly began drafting a plan for the future.

    Studying for tomorrow’s written exam?

    Why would he worry when he had the Library of Memories?

    Even without it, passing the written exam would have been easy.

    Suho began organizing his thoughts.

    ***

    With a rough plan in place, Suho left the Association and immediately hailed a taxi to Paju.

    Now that he had resolved to become a civil servant again, he intended to maximize his efficiency.

    After a while, the taxi pulled into Paju, and Suho arrived at none other than Nexus, the country’s most prestigious and largest private Hunter academy.

    The academy was massive, like a small town, and Suho nodded as he saw the banner listing successful candidates’ names displayed on the outer wall.

    Nothing attracted new students like proof of success.

    That banner was Suho’s first target.

    Inside the academy, Suho went to the front desk and said, “I’d like to meet with Director Kim Soo-ae.”

    “The Director? Do you have an appointment?”

    “No, I came here unannounced. I have a matter to discuss with her one-on-one.”

    “Oh... It’s usually difficult to arrange a sudden meeting without a prior appointment.”

    “If you tell her that the person who solo-cleared the unanticipated Gate at Sindorim Station earlier today is here, I’m sure she’ll agree to meet.”

    “Si-Sindorim? One moment!”

    Securing an exclusive meeting with the academy director wasn’t hard.

    After all, Suho had a unique advantage—revealing that he was the one who had single-handedly cleared the unanticipated Gate at Sindorim Station that afternoon.

    “That’s why I’m proposing this. If I don’t take the top spot, you can just write it off as a loss. Only grant me the scholarship if I truly become the top scorer.”

    This approach was common among prep academies.

    While Hunter academies occasionally made similar offers, the top scorers were typically elite trainees groomed by large guilds, so actual scholarship contracts of this kind were rare.

    That’s why Suho offered it first—such cases were uncommon.

    She asked, “Then let me ask one more thing. If your goal is the scholarship, why not go to Hexagon, the top-ranked guild, or Prime, the second? Why choose us, Nexus, ranked third?”

    “Because Nexus has the most to gain.”

    “What?”

    “If I’m not mistaken, Nexus Academy hasn’t produced a top or second-place finisher in the past few years. Despite being the largest academy in the country.”

    “Well...”

    His words struck a nerve, and she couldn’t continue.

    It was true.

    Clearing her throat, she offered an explanation of sorts.

    “Hm-hm, that is true... but usually, top spots go to elite trainees nurtured by major guilds, so we don’t really....”

    “So, you’re not interested in my proposal? Fine, I’ll go to Hexagon or Prime....”

    “No, wait! Who said we’re not interested? Goodness, you’re in quite a rush.”

    As Suho rose to leave, a flustered Kim Soo-ae hurriedly stopped him.

    Of course, this was an opportunity like a golden apple falling into her lap.

    Already frustrated by Nexus’s lack of top spots, she could not resist such an enticing proposal.

    Noticing her eagerness, Suho looked at her, then sat back down.

    “So, I can take that as a yes?”

    “Yes, we’re very grateful for your proposal. Now....”

    “Yes. Let’s discuss the scholarship amount.”

    This was the core of the deal.

    After all, Suho’s main reason for coming here was the money.

    Kim Soo-ae asked, “Alright. Could you tell me how much you have in mind?”

    “What’s the official scholarship amount for the top scorer?”

    “Officially, we refund the entire tuition for the year and provide a separate prize of 30 million won. And if the candidate wishes, they can join our Nexus Guild immediately.”

    30 million won.

    Indeed, Nexus offered the highest scholarship amount among Hunter academies.

    But Suho wasn’t here for a mere 30 million.

    “Understood. But you wouldn’t offer just the official amount to me, would you?”

    “Of course not. Could you tell me what amount you had in mind?”

    “After taxes and deductions, around 300 million won.”

    “Th-three hundred million?”

    “Yes.”

    “Isn’t that a bit... excessive?”

    Once again, her jaw dropped, but Suho’s

    stance was firm.

    “If you think it’s too much, feel free to decline. I can make the same offer elsewhere. But consider the additional benefits Nexus would gain from having me as the top scorer. In that case, 300 million won wouldn’t seem excessive at all, would it?”

    Without realizing it, she nodded.

    Indeed, Nexus Academy spent billions each year on advertising alone.

    ‘If word got out that the solo clearer of the unanticipated Gate at Sindorim Station was a Nexus graduate....’

    The resulting financial benefits would dwarf 300 million won.

    There was no more need to hesitate.

    “Alright. We’ll grant you 300 million.”

    The contract was sealed.