The F-Rank Guild Master Has Too Much Money Chapter 49

 

 

The pain throbbing at the back of my head snapped me awake. Even with my eyes open, I couldn’t see a thing in the pitch-black darkness around me. Then, pop-ups started flooding in all at once.

 

☆ YouWokeUp! has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

You’re bleeding from the head—are you okay?!

 

☆ GetUp! has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

You’re awake, right? If you’re alive, move!

 

☆ IToldYouToBeCareful! has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

I warned you, but you didn’t listen! You are okay, right?!

 

You should’ve told me earlier! Who warns someone right before something happens?!

 

The gods, unable to read my thoughts, were all panicking at once.

 

“Ugh…”

 

Breathing felt difficult—something was stuffed into my mouth. My hands were tied behind my back, and my feet were bound together, leaving me completely immobile.

 

…Just like one of those kidnapping scenes you only ever see in dramas. Had I made some kind of enemy?

 

Maybe someone who’d sold me the Myeongdong property wanted it back? Or was this just a random abduction for ransom?

 

I tried to think, but dizziness fogged my mind, leaving it blank. First things first—I needed to deal with the ropes on my hands and feet. But just as I began to gather strength, I heard footsteps approaching.

 

“Looks like he’s awake, huh?”

 

A loud clang echoed as a metal door opened. Someone grabbed me roughly and hauled me upright.

 

Rip.

 

A sharp pain flared across my temples as blinding light flooded in. My eyes adjusted, and I realized the thing that had been covering them was blue duct tape.

 

“So, you’re awake.”

 

I turned toward the sharp, clear voice. Sitting in front of me was a short-haired woman—red high heels, black leather pants, and a white shirt. Beside her stood two men: one tall and lanky, the other broad and muscular, both dressed similarly.

 

“You’re Ji Yeon-woo, Guildmaster of the Yeon Guild, right?”

 

My eyes were free, but my mouth was still gagged, so I could only nod. My head spun badly. Why was I so dizzy? A concussion? Or blood loss?

 

☆ HowDareThey! has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

They hit a god and kidnapped him?! They deserve divine punishment and worse!

 

☆ Aether! has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

Don’t just sit there—wipe them out!

 

☆ HoldOn! has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

It’d only take one hit. Aether must have a reason for holding back.

 

As the gods said, I could end this with one strike. But I didn’t. I needed to know why they’d gone through the trouble of kidnapping me.

 

“There’s someone who wants to talk to you. Bring him.”

 

One of the men pulled a rough cloth sack over my head. Hands grabbed me and dragged me forward.

 

‘Maybe I really should’ve just gone straight home.’

 

The more they moved me, the worse the dizziness became. The urge to collapse and rest only grew stronger—until the men finally stopped.

 

They sat me down again, and the cloth over my head was pulled off.

 

“Good day, Guildmaster Ji Yeon-woo.”

 

Across from me sat a man with a wide grin—his face oddly reminiscent of Zhu Bajie.

 

“I told them to bring you here respectfully, but I guess this is what counts as polite these days.”

 

“This is polite. Otherwise, we’d have dragged him here half-dead.”

 

“Sorry if my guys were a bit rough,” the man said, laughing heartily. “I just asked them to bring the Guildmaster of Yeon Guild for a chat. Seems they took that a little too literally.”

 

What’s so funny? My situation? Or his own words?

 

Too tired to care, I simply stared back at him.

 

He smiled wider. “Let me introduce myself. I’m Kim Wan-su, Guildmaster of the General Inter Guild.”

 

General what? Never heard of it—neither before nor after my regression. These days, it seems like anyone can just start a guild.

 

“I’m here to propose a merger.”

 

A merger? He really kidnapped me… for a corporate acquisition?

 

☆ Merger? has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

What’s a merger? Does any god know?

 

☆ CameToFindYou has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

Two gods becoming one, apparently.

 

☆ WhatIsThat? has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

Creepy. Why would anyone want that?

 

I frowned, and Kim Wan-su, misreading it, chuckled.

 

“We’re not asking to merge with you. Someone in a higher position wishes to merge with the Yeon Guild. We’re merely facilitating a peaceful acquisition on their behalf. Surely an F-rank guildmaster like you would prefer to hand things over to someone more… qualified?”

 

He pushed a piece of paper toward me.

 

Across the top, in bold, were the words ‘Acquisition & Merger Consent Form.’

 

Below that, the page was completely blank—except for a signature line at the bottom.

 

☆ A Consent Form? has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

Why is it blank? Shouldn’t there be terms and conditions?

 

☆ WhyYouAsk? has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

Because they want everything—for free.

 

‘Unbelievable.’

 

When I looked up in disbelief, Kim Wan-su just shrugged.

 

“I know it seems sudden. But that’s life, isn’t it? If you just sign, it’ll be good for both of us.”

 

As the gods said, they weren’t proposing a merger—they were trying to take everything I’d built for nothing.

 

“Mmph! Mmph!”

 

“Oh, right. I forgot to remove that. Can’t have a proper talk like this. Hurry and ungag him.”

 

A man behind me grabbed my face.

 

Rip.

 

A sharp sting burned around my mouth as the same blue duct tape peeled away.

 

“Now we can talk.”

 

“Just—cough, cough—”

 

My throat burned, and my voice came out hoarse.

 

“Oh, sorry,” Kim Wan-su said casually. “We used a mild sedative, just in case.”

 

A sedative. That explained the dizziness and heaviness in my limbs. Damn it.

 

Still, low stamina or not, that didn’t mean I couldn’t fight. I cleared my throat and forced my voice steady.

 

“Let’s get straight to the point. If you let me go now, I won’t report this.”

 

That was the last bit of generosity I could offer. My body ached, my head throbbed, and I was far too tired for this nonsense.

 

‘I just want to go home.’

 

At my words, Kim Wan-su smiled, and the kidnappers around him burst into laughter, throwing their heads back like idiots as I frowned. The woman standing behind Kim Wan-su stepped forward slowly.

 

“Seems like you still don’t understand your situation.”

 

Slap!

 

☆ A-AreYouInsane! has donated 100 Mana Stones!☆

Did she just hit Aether?!

 

☆ Wow! has donated 100 Mana Stones!☆

It’s been a while since I’ve been this pissed. Aether, why are you just sitting there?! Kill them now!

 

☆ God Of Mercy has donated 100 Mana Stones!☆

Even I can’t defend this. They’ve gone too far.

 

My head snapped to the side. Before the sting on my left cheek faded, another slap came from the opposite direction.

 

Slap!

 

“You think this is a joke just because the Guildmaster’s smiling? This isn’t a game.”

 

The woman grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked my head back.

 

“Ugh.”

 

“If you need a scar on that handsome face to come to your senses, just say so. I’ll carve one in for you.”

 

At some point, a gleaming knife had appeared in her hand.

 

“Whoa, whoa, enough. Let him go—you’ll scare the Guildmaster.”

 

At Kim Wan-su’s words, the woman released my hair and stepped back, her heels clacking sharply against the concrete.

 

“Guildmaster Ji Yeon-woo,” Kim Wan-su said smoothly, “we’d prefer to handle this peacefully. I’m a pacifist at heart, you see.”

 

I spat out the blood pooling in my mouth and muttered, “Screw you.”

 

The smile on Kim Wan-su’s face cracked. With a sigh, he shook his head and rose from his seat.

 

“Seems you’re not ready to talk yet. We’ll continue this conversation later.”

 

He smiled faintly and turned away. The woman who had slapped me—and the two men beside her—stepped forward.

 

“Then why don’t we have a little chat first?”

 

The woman kicked the chair out from under me. Bound hand and foot, I hit the floor hard.

 

“Ugh!”

 

Pain shot through my whole body from the impact.

 

“Hey, sis, why waste your energy here? Leave it to us. We’re feeling left out.”

 

“Yeah, why bother? Let me handle it.”

 

After a few punches, the fog in my head cleared a bit. Seriously—did they think I was just a punching bag?

 

‘Damn it. Fine.’

 

Alright, let’s have that chat. Let’s really talk.

 

But then—

 

‘What?’

 

The wind didn’t blow. I tried to summon my power, calling for a whirlwind. Nothing. Not even a breeze stirred.

 

I twitched my fingers again, focusing, but my strength was gone—everything remained still.

 

“Sis, I think he’s trying to use his power.”

 

The man smirked and gestured with his chin. I looked down and saw a red, glowing gem embedded in the handcuffs binding my wrists.

 

‘Ability-suppressing cuffs? From the Hunter Market? …And they actually work on me?’

 

☆ Huh? has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

You can’t use your power right now?

 

☆ Divine Power has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

They can suppress it? That kind of thing exists?!

 

“Oh, so the rumors were true—you’re more than just an F-rank. Were you planning to use your abilities? Did you think we’re idiots?!”

 

The woman grabbed my hair and slammed my head into the floor. Pain exploded at the back of my skull.

 

Before I could even groan, a heavy blow drove into my stomach, stealing my breath.

 

“Sis, we just need him alive, right?”

 

“No need for you to tire yourself out, sis. We’ll handle it.”

 

“Fine.”

 

“Yeah, go take a break.”

 

“Yeah, get some rest.”

 

Thud!

 

“Ghhk!”

 

My breath caught again. The men kept kicking me. All I could do was curl up and endure it. The air was cold, yet sweat poured down my body. I had no idea how long they kept at it.

 

Eventually, one of them grabbed my hair and dragged me across the floor. The pain tearing at my scalp was unbearable, and every tug sent a fresh wave of agony through me.

 

☆ RightNow! has donated 100 Mana Stones!☆

Can anyone contact Shayna?! Hurry, Aether’s gonna die at this rate!

 

☆ No! has donated 100 Mana Stones!☆

Call Corne! Tell him Aether’s dying!

 

☆ Any God Who Can Descend? has donated 100 Mana Stones!☆

Is no one there? What about Aether?!

 

I couldn’t tell if my ribs were cracked or shattered. Every breath felt like running a 100-meter sprint.

 

“Hey, you like water?”

 

They’d dragged me into a bathroom. One of the men crouched beside me and spoke in a disturbingly calm voice.

 

“I hate water. Because this is what happens.”

 

Then he grabbed my hair—and shoved my face straight into the toilet bowl.