The F-Rank Guild Master Has Too Much Money Chapter 28

 

 

As I pointed to the mountain of resumes piled up, Choi Tae-hyuk nodded. We moved the stack onto the table, sat on the sofa, and started flipping through them together.

 

[Since I’m an F-rank, I can maintain a strong bond with the Guild Master…]

 

What kind of nonsense is this? I’m a god.

 

Maybe if they were an S-rank, sure—but an F-rank forming a “bond” with me? Ridiculous.

 

[I’m a C-rank electric hunter, but I’m no less than an A-rank…]

 

How could a C-rank ever compare to an A-rank? Are they joking?

 

At least the hunters who wrote self-introductions put in some effort. Some didn’t even bother attaching one.

 

‘This is a total mess.’

 

I glanced at Choi Tae-hyuk. His brows were furrowed—clearly, he felt the same. I wanted to interview them out of courtesy for applying to our guild, but this was too much.

 

“Is there anyone decent?”

 

“About three of them look okay.”

 

The résumés he handed me included one recently awakened non-human hunter, and two who wanted to transfer for higher pay and better benefits—one a Potion Hunter, the other a Smoke Sorcerer.

 

“These ones should be interviewed.”

 

“Alright.”

 

“If we’re done here, may I head out first?”

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“I think I’ll hit the gym.”

 

I nodded, and Choi Tae-hyuk left the Guild Master’s office. Just as he stepped out, Gumiho entered, like a baton pass.

 

“Guild Master. About the Kanghyeon Guild dungeon—we just got permission for one location. Today, 3 PM.”

 

“Today?”

 

That’s sooner than expected. Did they go in and come back without clearing it?

 

“Where?”

 

“Yeongdeungpo.”

 

She handed me a document with the approval and dungeon details.

 

An A-rank dungeon behind Yeongdeungpo Station. Desert-type, fire attribute.

 

‘Hmm. Not a good match for me.’

 

Even with Choi Tae-hyuk, it wouldn’t help much. Fire cancels out electricity.

 

“I’ll go myself.”

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to take Bom and Mr. Choi Tae-hyuk?”

 

“It’s fine. I’m not planning to clear it.”

 

“What about Saphi?”

 

Saphi disliked everyone except me.

 

It could stay alone in the dorms just fine, but lately it had been acting up—complaining about food, whining when left alone, even breaking the bed…

 

It was still manageable, but leaving it unsupervised could cause problems.

 

“I’ll take it with me. Also, call the Hunter Association and arrange to sell some Mana Stones.”

 

“Mana Stones?”

 

Thanks to constant donations—sometimes 100 at a time, sometimes 1,000, even 10,000—I had over a million in storage.

 

Since only 10,000 could be sold at once, it was better to offload them gradually.

 

“If we say we’re selling 10,000, they’ll probably send someone in person.”

 

I pulled several pouches—each bundled in stacks of 1,000—from my inventory. Gumiho’s eyes widened.

 

“Where did you get all these?”

 

“I just stockpiled them.”

 

After handing over ten pouches, I told her to sell them all today. She still looked stunned as I shrugged it off, woke Saphi from the dormitory, and left the guild with it.

 

* * *

 

Unlike the Myeongdong Ant Nest, this dungeon had already been conquered and was considered safe by the public.

 

☆Off We Go! has donated 300 Mana Stones.☆

Off to the dungeon today. What’ll you haul in this time?

 

☆Dungeon Conquest! has donated 300 Mana Stones.☆

Not really a “conquest” run—more like a casual loot grab with Aether.

 

I wrapped Saphi in a coat, and we took a taxi to the building where the dungeon was located. Once a dungeon is conquered, barricades are set up around it to keep civilians from wandering in by mistake.

 

The guild that won the bid would then station a guard at the entrance. Their job was to alert the guild if civilians or unauthorized hunters tried to enter, so the task was usually given to a low-ranking hunter.

 

Newly generated dungeons, such as Ant Nest, are open to anyone, but once a guild claims one, you need official permission to enter.

 

“How’d you get here?”

 

Unlike the hunters I’d seen at the auction house, this man looked like a low-ranked hunter with a sloppy appearance.

 

I pulled out the dungeon entry approval and handed it over. 

 

“I’ve got clearance for the 3 o’clock run today.”

 

“Oh, you’re that F-rank guild master who recently got an S-rank to join, right?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Go on in, then.”

 

The man smirked and gestured toward the door. His condescending grin made me pause, but he just kept smirking.

 

The dungeon break had been broadcast live on TV. Didn’t he see it? …Or does he think Choi Tae-hyuk was the one who defeated all the monsters?

 

I ignored him and started to walk past, but he spoke again.

 

“Are you sure you want to go in alone? You should probably bring that S-rank who was on TV.”

 

“I’ll go in alone.”

 

“We don’t interfere, even though it’s our guild’s dungeon. If something happens to you, it’s not on us.”

 

I thought the F-rank ridicule had ended after my TV appearance, but hearing it here still made my anger flare.

 

‘Should I say something? Or just show him a glimpse of power?’

 

I glanced at him. One flick of my wind could crush him flat. Taking a deep breath, I let it go and moved on.

 

Anyway, he was part of the Kanghyeon Guild.

 

When the end of the world comes, they might still be useful. Best not to pick a fight.

 

But… for someone like him to be a member? Was Kanghyeon Guild rotten on the inside? Are they really the number one guild in the country?

 

I pushed open the door and was met with a gate of white light. The moment I stepped in, brilliance swallowed me whole.

 

Blinded, I squeezed my eyes shut. When I opened them again, the scenery had completely changed—and the sight before me was nothing like what I expected.

 

Huh? How did this happen?

 

* * *

 

The approval papers Gumiho had given me were for a desert-themed dungeon. But what unfolded before my eyes was a water dungeon.

 

It was like stepping into the Arctic—glaciers, rivers, and endless snow. The snowfall grew heavier and heavier, turning into sleet.

 

I unwrapped Saphi, draped my coat over it, and let it roam free. Saphi fluttered its wings, waddled about, and tried catching snowflakes on its tongue.

 

It landed in a deep snowbank and yelped from the cold.

 

“Kyu!”

 

‘Saphi’s so cute when it does that.’

 

It shivered for a moment, then got excited and started rolling around, leaving tiny pawprints in the snow.

 

‘This isn’t the right place. We need to get out quickly.’

 

Seeing Saphi so fascinated, I realized this dungeon wasn’t where Saphi belonged. I had clearly been told it was a fire dungeon, but this was water—did Kanghyeon Guild misinform me?

 

A sudden icy gust blew through. I waved my hand, shifting it into a warm breeze, and the snow turned to raindrops. At this rate we’d get soaked and freeze, so I clicked my tongue and canceled the wind. The snowfall resumed.

 

“Aren’t you cold, Saphi?”

 

“Kyu!”

 

Saphi was thrilled. It folded its wings and trotted alongside me.

 

Behind it, pawprints about the size of Yun-seo’s fist marked the snow. When Ji Yun-seo comes later, the two of them will have a great time together.

 

☆Saphi Is So Cute! has donated 300 Mana Stones.☆

Saphi looks so happy. So cute, eating snow with its tongue.

 

☆Absolutely Lethal has donated 300 Mana Stones.☆

Those pawprints… this feels like my grave. Too cute!

 

Saphi trotted happily on all fours, when suddenly, a snowball rolled toward it.

 

“Kyuu?”

 

‘Why is it moving? There’s no wind.’

 

The perfectly round snowball came to a stop right in front of Saphi. Tilting its head in curiosity, Saphi reached out with a chubby paw.

 

“Huh?”

 

Two black eyes opened on the snowball.

 

“Huh?!”

 

Then a wide mouth split open.

 

Startled, I scooped Saphi up just as the mouth snapped shut where its paw had been.

 

“What the hell is this?”

 

More snowballs began rolling toward us across the windless field. Unlike the first, these already had eyes and mouths.

 

“The dungeon respawned already?!”

 

“Kruaargh!!”

 

At the monster’s cry, I bolted with Saphi in my arms. I could have wiped them out in an instant with my power, but I didn’t know how many floors remained—I couldn’t afford to waste it recklessly.

 

I ran straight ahead, but then a snowball even larger than the rest rolled into my path.

 

No way. It can’t be. Please, no.

 

☆Bigger Monster Alert! has donated 300 Mana Stones.☆

Aether! That’s a monster! Run!

 

The giant snowball opened its massive mouth. Smaller ones pressed in from behind and ahead.

 

☆Slice! has donated 300 Mana Stones.☆

Get your sword! Sword!!

 

☆Can’t Run Away! has donated 300 Mana Stones.☆

Cut them down with your sword!

 

No choice. I clenched my fists and hoped there weren’t many floors left.

 

Wind gathered in my hands, taking the form of a sword—the same one I’d created for Choi Tae-hyuk. The one the gods themselves had spoken of.

 

☆While I Wasn’t Looking has donated 300 Mana Stones.☆

You’re using a sword now! Did you evolve from wind to sword?!

 

☆The Aesthetics of Power has donated 300 Mana Stones.☆

Condense it more—it’s easier to swing when compressed.

 

I compressed the wind again and again until it became a perfect blade, then hurled it at the giant snowball.

 

The sword sliced through with a sharp whoosh, reducing it to a cloud of snow dust. Then it vanished as if it had never existed.

 

Thankfully, the dungeon path was straight. In the distance, I could see the glow of another gate.

 

Whether it led outside or to the second floor didn’t matter—escaping these snowballs was all that counted.

 

“Stay still,” I told Saphi, who was flapping its wings in panic.

 

I gathered all my strength and sprinted even faster.

 

Crush!

 

“Keeeeeee!!”

 

What was that?

 

Something crashed down with a deafening thud.

 

I glanced back and saw a massive whip—or was it a chain?—slam into the snow, scattering powder into the air.

 

Huh? What the hell is that?

 

I froze and followed the length of the weapon to its end. There stood a man holding a black umbrella.

 

☆Huh? has donated 300 Magic Stones.☆

Who’s that guy? Why did he suddenly show up?

 

“…Yeon Do-jin?”

 

Yeon Do-jin cracked his golden whip, and with a single strike, the snowball monsters burst apart into drifting flakes.

 

“Kweee?”

 

The largest snowball recoiled, rolling backward. The others scattered as if waiting for the signal, retreating into the whiteout.

 

When the snowballs vanished, only the sound of falling snow remained. Yeon Do-jin’s eyes fixed on me.

 

True to the rumors of his mysophobia, Yeon Do-jin wore a black suit and leather gloves. His long, curly black hair contrasted sharply with the icy blue of his eyes.

 

“Ji Yeon-woo. Twenty years old. F-rank wind hunter. Leader of the Yeon Guild—currently with S-rank Choi Tae-hyuk, S-rank Ji Yoon-seo, and A-rank An Bom.”

 

What?

 

Ji Yoon-seo isn’t even officially registered yet! How does he know that? And I was the only one with clearance for this raid—so when did he get in?

 

“I’m the only one who’s supposed to be here right now. Normally Kanghyeon Guild doesn’t just barge into a raid someone else has approval for…”

 

“You entered the A-rank Ant Nest alone.”

 

He had no intention of answering me. I pressed my lips together and carefully set Saphi down.

 

The more Yeon Do-jin spoke, the sharper my senses grew. His killing intent was on a level completely different from the ant queen’s.

 

“You even erased every trace of the ant queen… and handled the Myeongdong dungeon break.”

 

The sound of leather brushing leather filled the silence.

 

“And that technique you just used to wipe out the snowballs.”

 

The golden whip lashed forward. I thrust out my hand, summoned the wind, and swung. My blade of air met the whip mid-strike, and it coiled around my wind-formed sword.

 

“…Interesting.”

 

Yeon Do-jin laughed. And in that instant, his infamous nickname surfaced in my mind—one tied to fighting.

 

“…Mad Dog.”

 

‘That guy’s just a clean freak—a mad dog obsessed with fighting. They say whenever an S-rank hunter shows up, he’ll challenge them right away. And once he bites, he never lets go. Honestly, sometimes I think it’s a blessing that I’m only a low-rank hunter.’

 

Yes. Before I reset, everyone called Yeon Do-jin the “Mad Dog”—an S-rank attacker who stormed into dungeons just to challenge any other S-rank he could find.