The F-Rank Guild Master Has Too Much Money Chapter 41

 

 

Things had gone smoothly at first.

 

Before coming to the dungeon, I’d read online that sometimes candidates who passed the interview didn’t show up for the practical test, so I’d been a little worried. But both of them had arrived even earlier than scheduled.

 

Just in case, I had brought along the healer, An Bom—but the two of them worked together seamlessly, taking down monsters with ease.

 

‘To think we’d find talents like them.’

 

Everything was going perfectly according to plan.

 

“Should we even call that a humanoid monster?” asked An Bom, who was watching the two with me, as she pointed at the monster.

 

It had arms and legs, but its body was that of a fish. In one hand it gripped a long club shaped like a coral branch.

 

Maybe it was trying to look threatening, but each time it banged the club on the ground, a loud creak rang out, the floor dented, and deep scratches formed. Getting hit even once looked like it would be fatal.

 

Still, despite its high attack power, it was only a C-rank monster with weak defense and low HP. Against Seo-ho—the snake beastkin who fought with his slow but powerful bow—and Jeon Ha-eun, who attacked from range with smoke, it wasn’t a problem.

 

“Shouldn’t we just classify it as a fish-type monster?”

 

I made the suggestion, and An Bom tilted her head thoughtfully.

 

While we chatted casually in the back, Choi Tae-hyuk kept his eyes fixed on Seo-ho and Jeon Ha-eun, tense and alert in case something happened.

 

The weather was warm, the sky was clear, and the sound of the waves made it feel almost like a pleasant vacation. I turned my gaze toward the sea, feeling content. That was when the wave rolling toward me suddenly froze.

 

“Huh?”

 

The creaking of the fish monster, the refreshing breeze, even the air itself—all of it stopped.

 

I whipped my head around.

 

Seo-ho and Jeon Ha-eun, locked in combat. Choi Tae-hyuk, never once looking away from them. An Bom, brushing her hair back in the wind. Time had stopped for everyone.

 

“Huh?”

 

【Aether.】

 

At the sudden voice, I looked up to see a small silver fox gently descend from the sky.

 

“Shayna?”

 

【Sorry!】

 

Shayna lowered all four paws to the sand and buried her face.

 

“What? You’re the one who stopped time?”

 

Without answering, Shayna lifted her head and spoke again.

 

【I tried to stop it, but Corne—!】

 

“Corne?”

 

【I really am sorry. I tried to stop it, I really did! But I couldn’t. You have to remember that—I tried!】

 

“Shayna… what are you even talking about?”

 

Suddenly, Shayna leapt up and dissolved into sparkling dust.

 

【I swear I tried to stop it! You have to remember that!】

 

Her fading voice echoed away, and then the sound of waves and battle returned. But only for a moment.

 

The once calm sky darkened, clouds swirled, and fierce winds began to howl.

 

“Huh? Why did the weather change all of a sudden?”

 

Even as An Bom spoke, the gentle waves surged high enough to crash down on us. Startled, the fish monsters scrambled back into the sea. Once they’d vanished, a deafening thunderclap split the air.

 

[Dungeon interference has begun. Dungeon difficulty has increased. B-rank Sea Dungeon → Upgraded to A-rank Stormy Sea.]

 

“A-rank?”

 

“Guildmaster, what’s going on?”

 

The message wasn’t visible to just me—everyone stared at me with bewildered expressions.

 

☆ Yahoo! has donated 100 Mana Stones. ☆

I’ll take this dungeon! Fighting, Aether!

 

☆ So Exciting! has donated 100 Mana Stones. ☆

At last, our masterpiece begins!

 

As the pop-ups flashed one after another, the truth sank in. The gods, who had only been watching until now, had finally begun interfering directly in my life.

 

“Guildmaster?”

 

Choi Tae-hyuk approached, probably because of the look on my face. I waved him off and let out a long sigh. I really thought it was over.

 

I’d thought I could finally relax and live easy—but now dungeon interference?

 

The gods had stabbed me in the back.

 

“You promised I’d only walk on flower paths! And now you’re changing your minds?!”

 

☆ LoveYou♥ has donated 100 Mana Stones. ☆

Even if the flowers have thorns, it’s still a flower path, right? Fighting!

 

☆ I Wanna Try Too has donated 100 Mana Stones. ☆

Should I tell Corne about this? Or Shayna?

 

“Guildmaster, what are you talking about?” An Bom asked.

 

“Did something happen?”

 

Seo-ho, Jeon Ha-eun, and An Bom moved closer, worry written all over their faces.

 

True to the dungeon’s new name, Stormy Sea, rain began to pour. In an instant we were drenched. I buried my face in my hands, feeling utterly defeated.

 

My mind was a mess.

 

The gods’ interference. The sudden dungeon upgrade.

 

‘How am I even supposed to explain this?’

 

“Guildmaster, are you alright?”

 

“…No. No, I’m not.”

 

‘Screw it. I don’t know either. What do you expect me to say?’

 

But despair wasn’t an option. Even if I could stop the wind, the rain was another matter. If we kept getting soaked, our body temperatures would plummet.

 

And worse—even aside from the A-rank upgrade, there was no guarantee the gods hadn’t tampered with the monsters. If they were just ordinary A-rank monsters, this team could handle it.

 

But monsters made by the gods? That was another kind of A-rank entirely. We had to clear this dungeon fast, before our stamina and body heat gave out.

 

I raised my head sharply, meeting the anxious gazes fixed on me.

 

“As you’ve all seen, the dungeon has suddenly been upgraded from B-rank to A-rank.”

 

“What exactly is dungeon interference?”

 

“Does it have something to do with you shouting earlier?”

 

Jeon Ha-eun’s words made me flinch, but I shook my head.

 

“No. I don’t really know either. I just yelled because I was pissed when it happened. What matters is this—the dungeon’s been upgraded to A-rank, and we don’t know what kind of monsters we’ll face now.”

 

Everyone’s expressions hardened.

 

First, I stopped the raging wind. Even with the gods’ interference, the source of the wind was me, so I could shut it down in an instant. Once the wind died, the wild waves settled too.

 

“Given the circumstances, I’ll end the practical test here. Both of you are accepted into the guild—let’s clear this dungeon together.”

 

Seo-ho and Jeon Ha-eun nodded. I turned to Choi Tae-hyuk and An Bom.

 

“Choi Tae-hyuk, join the raid. An Bom, support us from the rear with healing.”

 

They both agreed with a nod. Monsters could appear at any moment, so the only thing hanging between us was a tense silence.

 

“A full clear might be too much. For now, let’s avoid unnecessary fights and head toward the gate.”

 

“Guildmaster, please stay in the rear with An Bom and Jeon Ha-eun,” Choi Tae-hyuk said.

 

I shook my head.

 

“No. I’ll be in the front.”

 

“You only just recovered!” An Bom exclaimed in dismay.

 

Choi Tae-hyuk gave me a look that clearly said he agreed with her.

 

“You know I cleared the Ant Nest alone.”

 

“And then you vomited blood and collapsed right in front of me,” An Bom shot back.

 

☆Oh! has donated 100 Mana Stones☆

Is that a fact attack?!

 

“That was just because I didn’t know how to control my strength back then. I even went one-on-one with Yeon Do-jin—”

 

“And you couldn’t get out of bed for a week,” Choi Tae-hyuk added.

 

☆Call a Healer has donated 100 Mana Stones☆

Our poor Aether just got nailed!

 

“Yeon Do-jin is SS-rank. Besides, when I rescued Yun-seo, I was fine.”

 

“Because Yun-seo lured away the boss and you didn’t fight it.”

 

“…”

 

☆Poor Aether has donated 100 Mana Stones☆

Aether just got roasted by a fact attack!

 

“Please stay in the rear,” Choi Tae-hyuk said firmly, leaving no room for argument. Left with no choice, I swallowed my protests and fell back.

 

With Choi Tae-hyuk and Seo-ho leading the way, Jeon Ha-eun, An Bom, and I followed slowly behind. On second thought, saving my strength and unleashing it only in a truly desperate situation might not be such a bad idea.

 

We pressed forward through the downpour, the rain so heavy it blurred our vision. After a while, a strange sound reached my ears.

 

Shrrr. Thock.

 

It was faint, easily drowned by the waves and shifting sand.

 

“Wait a moment.”

 

At my words, everyone stopped. In the silence, broken only by the waves, I listened again. This time, the sound was clear.

 

Shrrr. Thock.

 

“Everyone, prepare for battle.”

 

“What?”

 

I gritted my teeth, staring toward the sea. Dark clouds swallowed the sun, and the already dark sea was shrouded in mist rising from the rain.

 

“Jeon Ha-eun, can you disperse the fog?”

 

“Yes. Mist is just another kind of smoke.”

 

“Then clear it, please.”

 

Jeon Ha-eun tilted her head slightly before extending her hand. The thick fog gathered into one place, revealing the dark waters of the sea. And then the source of the sound appeared.

 

“What the hell is that!” Seo-ho cried, clutching his bow.

 

The first thing visible was a massive tentacle. It looked like a squid’s arm, except the suckers were the size of a grown man. It clung to a boulder amid the crashing waves.

 

Following the tentacle upward, I saw sharp spines and, finally, a grotesque head that looked like something straight out of an alien horror.

 

“So disgusting!”

 

“Were squids always shaped like that?”

 

When Jeon Ha-eun tilted her head in confusion, An Bom shook hers violently.

 

“Of course not!”

 

Unlike an ordinary squid, when its maw suddenly gaped open, rows of jagged teeth glistened amid streams of dripping mucus.

 

“…What is that?”

 

Maybe it had planned to ambush us, but once it realized we’d spotted it, the creature began moving closer. Its sheer size made it impossible to fight without intel.

 

‘Will it work this time too? Clairvoyance!’

 

[Deep-Sea Monster — Kraken (Rank A)]

 

Defense: 70,000

Attack: 80,000

 

Skills:

 

– Tentacle Swing (A-rank)

– Acidic Spit (A-rank)

– Crushing Surge (B-rank)

 

• An A-rank deep-sea monster.
• Attacks with massive, elongated tentacles. Contact with the suckers drains life force.
• Secretes acidic slime from its maw that melts enemies.
• Coated in slippery mucus that dampens physical blows.
• Exceptionally fast underwater.
• Can spew black water to conceal itself.
• A monster never before seen in this world, handcrafted by the gods.
• Resistant to water and lightning. Feels no pain from physical attacks.
• Weak to divine power, such as healing magic.

 

‘We’re screwed.’

 

My vision dimmed.

 

Our current forces were Choi Tae-hyuk, who wielded swords and lightning, and Seo-ho, who commanded water and a bow—exactly what this monster resisted. The only relief was its weakness to divine power.

 

☆Isn’t It Amazing? has donated 100 Mana Stones☆

We really poured our hearts into this one!

 

☆Isn’t It Amazing? has donated 100 Mana Stones☆

No way you’ll beat it easily! Took us three days to make!

 

‘Shit. We’re dead.’

 

“Listen up, everyone.”

 

I pulled the tense group together and shared the intel I’d gained through Clairvoyance.

 

“Then… what do we do?”

 

“We have to rely on divine power.”

 

“Divine power?”

 

I nodded and pointed at An Bom.

 

“Healing magic is fundamentally based on divine power.”

 

“What?” An Bom’s eyes widened in shock.

 

“You didn’t know?”

 

“No. I went through healer training, but they never once mentioned that.”

 

“They probably avoided calling it divine power since it implies allegiance to a particular god. The Healer Association wouldn’t want that kind of trouble.”

 

“How do you know all this, Guildmaster?”

 

“I’ve just heard things here and there.”

 

I couldn’t exactly admit it was because I was a god, so I brushed it off. The others seemed to accept the excuse, but Choi Tae-hyuk kept watching me with a searching gaze.

 

“Heading back to the gate is too far. Even if we tried to run, it would catch us. We’ll have to fight here.”

 

“But Choi Tae-hyuk and I…” Seo-ho began.

 

“It’s not that your attacks will be useless. You can still keep its attention. Choi Tae-hyuk, Seo-ho—split up and divide its focus.”

 

“What about me?” Jeon Ha-eun asked, shaking the ash from her burnt leaves and slotting in fresh ones.

 

“You’ll attack with me while protecting An Bom.”

 

“No! Guildmaster!”

 

“Your body still isn’t fully healed,” Choi Tae-hyuk warned.

 

“Right now we need every hand we can get. Spitting blood or breaking bones is still better than dying.”

 

“But—”

 

“Enough. I’ll take care of myself. Besides, we have new guild members watching.”

 

At that, both Choi Tae-hyuk and An Bom fell silent. The only fortunate thing was that Jeon Ha-eun and I could both attack from a distance—me with wind, her with smoke—while guarding An Bom.

 

“An Bom, you’ve trained in ranged healing, haven’t you?”

 

“Yes, but I’ve never actually used it before.”

 

“Have faith. You’re our hope.”

 

An Bom nodded, though her expression remained uneasy. I turned my head—and saw that the Kraken, once far out at sea, was already closing in fast, as if it might crawl onto the beach at any moment.

 

“Then let’s begin!”

 

At my command, Seo-ho veered left, and Choi Tae-hyuk charged right.