The F-Rank Guild Master Has Too Much Money Chapter 2

 

 

A moldy basement.

 

A barely functioning computer.

 

An old TV crackling with static.

 

I couldn’t stop a hollow laugh from escaping as I stood there, drenched from the rain, staring at my room.

 

It had been a while since I remembered… But I am Aether—the God of Wind.

 

The second son of the Supreme God, I once lived in divine luxury. With a mere flick of my finger, angels rushed to serve me in a realm free from hunger, sorrow, or pain.

 

And yet… look at me now.

 

If this were just a game to kill time, maybe I could accept it. But who would’ve thought I’d end up living as an actual human after all that?

 

I sank to the floor, gripping my head in frustration.

 

It all began that day—just after I finished creating the seventh world and was about to collapse into bed.

 

That was when he started spouting nonsense.

 

“If a human had the power of a god, could they stop the apocalypse?”

 

“I’m tired. What kind of question is that?”

 

“Humans seem to enjoy those kinds of stories—where someone suddenly acquires godlike powers and prevents the apocalypse set in motion by the gods.”

 

“If they have godlike power, obviously they’d stop it.”

 

“Would they, really?”

 

“Yeah, yeah. Can I sleep now?”

 

“There’s a world scheduled for destruction. Let’s bet. Can a human with god’s power save it or not?”

 

“Brother, I’m trying to sleep! Get out!”

 

“Loser grants the winner any wish. Deal?”

 

“Fine! Whatever! Let’s do it! Now leave!”

 

At first, I assumed it was just a simple wager—one of those typical divine games where gods grant power to humans, turn them into heroes, and have them battle other gods.

 

I figured this time would be no different.

 

But then I realized—the chosen hero wasn’t some random mortal.

 

It was me. I’d been turned into a human and cast into the role.

 

“You bastard, Corne! Why the hell am I the human?!”

 

I screamed at the ceiling, knowing full well there would be no answer. If he were the type to answer, he wouldn’t have turned me into a human over a stupid bet.

 

Rage boiled within me—I thought I might die from sheer anger.

 

I forced myself to breathe.

 

“Fine. I’ve come to my senses. I’m going back.”

 

I was done with this pathetic mortal life. I was going to return to my peaceful divine realm.

 

The bet was supposed to be about a human with godlike powers—not about me becoming human.

 

This ridiculous, one-sided game? I’m not playing along. I’m going back to the divine realm!

 

With a quiet breath, I stepped over to the sink in the corner of the room and pulled out a knife.

 

“I’m going back.”

 

Suppressing the fury bubbling inside, I brought the knife to my wrist.

 

Even in this human body, I instinctively flinched. Memories flooded my mind—like a life review, something I’d never gone through, not even at the moment of death.

 

That humiliating job interview where they mocked my high school diploma.

 

The convenience store manager who paid me under minimum wage, forced me to work weekends, and claimed I should be grateful just because I was an orphan.

 

People who pretended to be kind, handing me expired leftovers like some pitiful stray.

 

And the landlord who treated me like a thief, accusing me of running off with a measly 5 million won deposit.

 

‘Maybe living as a human will be useful when I make the next world.’

 

I let out a dry, bitter laugh. No other god had ever experienced something like this.

 

Just as I was about to press the knife down with full force, a sudden thought froze me.

 

“Wait… if I die, will I actually return as a god?”

 

Human and animal souls enter the cycle of reincarnation. Gods who descend for fun return to their realm after death.

 

Since my soul is divine, I should return.

 

And yet… something didn’t feel right.

 

‘What is this awful feeling? It’s like forgetting to wipe after taking a dump.’

 

Just then, light burst through the dark, windowless basement. I looked up, and from the ceiling poured a blinding glow. A familiar voice echoed directly in my mind.

 

【Aether. Don’t tell me you forgot? If you commit suicide, you can’t return as a god.】

 

I didn’t hear it with my ears—it rang straight through my head.

 

“Is that… a divine message? Corne? Is that you?”

 

【You’ve really forgotten what Father declared to be the greatest sin?】

 

“You bastard. Is that what matters right now? What is this nonsense?! Just send me back!”

 

【My dear little brother. Sorry, but I can’t do that.】

 

His voice brimmed with laughter. Was he seriously laughing right now?

 

“Little brother? You dump me in this mess and dare to laugh?”

 

【We’re in the middle of a bet, remember?】

 

“You said you’d give a human the power of a god. What’s the point of turning me into a human?”

 

【That’s up to me, isn’t it? The condition was ‘a human with godly power.’ You turning into a human fits that perfectly, wouldn’t you say?】

 

He chuckled again.

 

‘Fits perfectly,’ my ass.

 

You shameless, twisted lunatic—you’re the kind of bastard even a Balrog would gladly hang out with.

 

“I’m done! I’m not playing this unfair bet! Cut the crap and change me back! Or I’ll just kill myself!”

 

【Suicide is the greatest sin, as decreed by Father. Do that, and you’ll forfeit your status as a god.】

 

“Yeah, right. That rule only applies to humans. You think I don’t know that?”

 

【You are human now.】

 

The knife slipped from my grasp and clattered to the floor.

 

【Even a god, once bound to a human body, is considered human. And as a human, committing a grave sin like suicide results in losing your qualification as a god.】

 

‘Oh Father… why did you create that insane bastard?’

 

“Then just send me back! I never agreed to become human! End this stupid bet!”

 

【So you’re admitting defeat?】

 

“Fine. Whatever. Just send me back already.”

 

【Really?】

 

His voice, filled with smug laughter, sent a chill down my spine.

 

I didn’t respond. I was too uneasy. Corne continued:

 

【Don’t forget—the loser has to grant the winner any wish. That was the deal, right?】

 

“Tch. What do you want? My temple? My angels? One of the worlds I made? Fine, take it. Just send me back—”

 

【I want everything you have. Even your divine power. All of it.】

 

His words hit me like a brick. My mind went blank.

 

“…Brother, are you insane?”

 

【How many times do I have to tell you? Don’t make reckless bets. Consider this a life lesson.】

 

“I said I’m not doing the bet! I’m backing out! Just turn me back!”

 

【You already agreed. I even placed a binding vow on you that day.】

 

Suddenly, I remembered it.

 

He had woken me from deep sleep, taken my hand, and bound me to the vow while I was half-asleep.

 

“…You’re crazy. Completely crazy! How could you do this to me?!”

 

【Then, good luck, my little brother.】

 

“Don’t call me that—just turn me back!!”

 

My brother, who had been responding up until now, suddenly went silent.

 

…Wait. He didn’t just vanish, did he?

 

“Brother?”

 

No response.

 

“Corne?”

 

He wouldn’t seriously leave me like this… right?

 

“You son of a bitch!!”

 

One of the fundamental laws for gods is that they must always keep their promises—especially if a vow is bound by divine restrictions. Breaking such a promise doesn’t just strip you of your power; it means you can no longer exist as a god.

 

I had no idea what was going through Corne’s mind.

 

He and I were the only two high gods, born directly from Father’s will. There was nothing he lacked—nothing he could possibly envy.

 

So why? Why would he want my power?

 

If I admitted defeat, things would technically return to normal.

 

But…

 

‘My divine power would be gone.’

 

Just imagining that sent a chill through me.

 

A god without divine power is no different from a drifting cloud in the divine realm.

 

I had been born from the Supreme God’s hand and lived with every privilege imaginable as a high god. And now I was expected to just give all that up?

 

‘No. Absolutely not.’

 

If I wanted out of this ridiculous bet, I’d have to abandon this body. And the only way to do that… was to die.

 

But suicide was off the table. That left only murder.

 

I thought back carefully—right before the regression. I’d been stabbed through the stomach with a spear, and while it hurt like hell, I hadn’t died.

 

Corne even said that was just to trigger my awakening.

 

The only time I truly died… was when that tentacled monster hurled me from a great height.

 

‘So murder doesn’t work either.’

 

I had considered the possibility, but it was no surprise.

 

If death by external force had worked, I would’ve returned to the divine realm before I even remembered I was a god.

 

Clearly, Corne had designed it so that any unwanted death would simply trigger another regression—just like now, resetting me to age 20.

 

In the end, it meant I had no choice.

 

I had to play along with this damn bet.

 

Worse yet… no matter what happened, I had to survive.

 

Back when I watched the other gods create heroes and play their little games, it all seemed like fun.

 

But now that I was the hero? It was pure hell.

 

Heroes in those kinds of worlds always suffer. And many of them meet tragic ends.

 

Win or lose, one thing was certain: the road ahead would be filled with hardship.

 

“Damn it… that crazy bastard. You’re absolutely fucking crazy. CRAZY!!”

 

I screamed at the ceiling, my voice echoing off the moldy walls.

 

If I didn’t let it out, I felt like my blood pressure would skyrocket and trigger another regression on the spot.

 

“Hey, you! Quiet down up there!”

 

“It’s still daytime!”

 

“My kid’s studying for college exams!”

 

“Son of a…”

 

“If you don’t shut up, get out of the building!”

 

That nosy old lady again. Like your kid’s even gonna pass the damn exam. Why take it out on me—

 

“Huh?”

 

The tears that had been streaming down my face suddenly stopped.

 

I was 31 years old when I died.

 

Just a miserable man scraping by under a low-ranked hunter, barely making ends meet.

 

But now, I was 20 again—a recent high school graduate and a regressor sent back to the past.

 

I pulled out my phone.

 

November 20, 20XX.

 

I tried to remember what had happened on this day.

 

“Let’s see…”

 

Right. On November 20, 20XX, at exactly 6:00 p.m., an A-rank dungeon exploded in the heart of Myeongdong.

 

I checked the time. It was already past six.

 

I scrambled over to the old TV and switched it on. The screen flickered, and a news anchor’s voice came through:

 

『Breaking news: At 6 p.m. today, an A-rank dungeon exhibiting S-rank wave activity has appeared at the Myeongdong Station intersection. Casualties have yet to be confirmed…』

 

I stared at the screen in a daze, then slowly looked down at my palm.

 

“Humans seem to love stories like that—where someone suddenly gains godlike power and stops the destruction decreed by the gods.”

 

Godlike power…

 

I focused for a moment, and a small whirlwind formed in my palm.

 

I clenched my fist—and it vanished.

 

Lifting my head, I let out a laugh.

 

“Hah… hahahaha.”

 

Corne might’ve done all of this just to mess with me, but he missed one crucial detail.

 

The divine power granted to human heroes is less than one percent of true divine power—because a human soul simply can’t handle more than that.

 

But me?

 

Even if my body is human now, my soul is still that of a god.

 

And divine power doesn’t dwell in flesh—it’s etched into the soul.

 

Which means it doesn’t matter whether I’m in a human body or a god’s—I can still use divine power.

 

To put it in hunter terms, divine power isn’t just S-rank. It’s SSS-rank and beyond.

 

Living like some pathetic nobody when I possess this kind of strength? What a joke.

 

I leapt to my feet. An A-rank dungeon had opened today—and that meant there were billions of won to be made.

 

Besides, this world Corne created? It’s a place where money can buy anything.

 

“If I can’t return to the divine realm just yet… then I’ll live like I never left it.”

 

A bet?

 

As long as I still have my power, that ridiculous bet won’t be a problem.

 

I’ll play the hero when it’s convenient, enjoy wealth and luxury in this world, and stop the destruction when the time comes. Easy.

 

“My wish is to make you my pet dog!! Just wait, you bastard!!!”

 

“Hey, kid! I said keep it down!!”