The F-Rank Guild Master Has Too Much Money – Chapter 5

Author: CleiZz

Whooooshhh!

Pebbles and sand were sucked into the swirling vortex inside the cave.

A hurricane-like wind raged wildly, its howls echoing off the walls as though it would tear the entire cave apart. Yet strangely, the wind that raged so violently everywhere else brushed against me like a gentle breeze.

The queen ant, alarmed by the storm that seemed capable of devouring everything in its path, flailed her long legs in agitation.

-Bibibibi—

The sharp sound of her legs scraping together seemed to be a call for reinforcements. One by one, soldier ants began emerging from behind her, charging at me without hesitation.

But by now, the hurricane—now as large as I was—swallowed the soldier ants whole.

-Kyeeek!!!

Screams echoed as the wind shredded their bodies to pieces, leaving behind only bodily fluids splattered across the floor.

I frowned slightly and pushed the hurricane forward.

It surged ahead, growing even larger.

Whether the ants charged or not, the wind sucked them in and tore them apart like a meat grinder.

With nothing else to do, I sat back on the floor and relaxed, watching it all unfold like I was enjoying a thrilling movie.

Blankly, I stared at the endless stream of messages popping up before me.

☆ Spectacle has sponsored 100 Mana Stones. ☆

So that’s how divine power can be used… I should try it too.

☆ NopeNotIt has sponsored 100 Mana Stones. ☆

Only possible because it’s wind-type and he’s a high-ranking god. Other gods can’t pull this off.

☆ TooCoolForWords has sponsored 100 Mana Stones. ☆

This guy’s insane. Seriously awesome.

Lines of text appeared and vanished rapidly—it really felt like multiple gods were watching me in real time.

Meanwhile, the hurricane had grown to match the queen ant’s size.

She desperately tried to resist, anchoring her legs into the ground.

A loud thud rang out as she stubbornly held her position against the storm.

But the wind only grew stronger. Her delicate wings began bending in the opposite direction.

Her wings trembled as if trying to hang on—then were ripped away and swept into the storm.

“Kkkiieeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!”

The piercing screech was so deafening that I set my phone down and covered my ears—but even then, the queen ant’s scream still pierced through.

“Ugh… So loud. Next time, I’m bringing earplugs. What else should I pack?”

I didn’t know how much time had passed, but once the queen ant’s shrieking finally stopped, I lowered my hands and stood up.

☆ AddThisToTheGuide has sponsored 1,000 Mana Stones. ☆

Congrats on clearing your first dungeon!!

☆ CongratsOnClearing has sponsored 1,000 Mana Stones. ☆

Here’s a celebratory treat!!

☆ ProudOfYou has sponsored 1,000 Mana Stones. ☆

Congratulations on Aether’s first dungeon clear!!

☆ GodOfLife has sponsored 1,000 Mana Stones. ☆

May you be reborn as something greater in your next life, not a monster.

As the queen ant died, the messages exploded—appearing and disappearing in a frenzy.

For this level of performance? Kind of an overreaction, don’t you think?

The hurricane that had taken down the queen ant gradually began to shrink as I approached.

Just before it completely dissipated, it dropped something into my hand—a necklace glowing with a mixture of dark and blue light.

‘A monster that drops something like this… how could its life not be valuable? And it’s S-rank, too.’

An S-rank Queen Ant’s Necklace.

The first of its kind. Unseen in any dungeon before, and even in the future, only two would ever exist.

And now, one of them was mine.

☆ ClassChangeSuccess has sponsored 100 Mana Stones. ☆

Are you becoming a Hunter now?! (•ิ_•ิ)?

A Hunter, huh… Yeah. If I want to stop the apocalypse, I have to become one.

Honestly, all I ever did before was build the worlds my father told me to, then spend my days eating, sleeping, and playing around. I was practically famous for being a slacker in the divine realm.

But if I want to live in luxury and splendor, I need money in this world. That’s why I even entered this ant cave in the first place.

If it weren’t for that bet, I wouldn’t have even glanced in the direction of a dungeon. And yet here I was—with the Queen Ant’s necklace and a flood of sponsorships.

A glowing portal appeared where the queen ant had once stood.

I shoved the necklace into my pocket and glanced around the cave.

It looked like the queen ant’s personal lair, but there was nothing else worth taking. Just getting the necklace was already a huge gain.

Satisfied, I stepped into the gate.

Just like when I first entered, I was engulfed by light.

* * *

When I opened my eyes—

“You’re okay?! I told you not to go in there!”

Lee So-mi stood before me, her face flushed with anger and concern.

Unlike when I entered, she wasn’t alone this time.

Standing beside her was Kang Geon-hee, an S-rank Hunter, along with several others who appeared to be A-rank Hunters.

Despite her furious expression, she seemed genuinely worried, her eyes scanning me from head to toe. I simply shrugged and stepped out of the gate casually.

“Are you hurt anywhere? Any injuries?”

“I’m fine,” I replied.

“You’re drenched in sweat… I told you this place wasn’t safe! It’s a miracle you made it out alive. Take this as a blessing and don’t ever go near a dungeon again!”

I had already told her I wasn’t just some ordinary guy, but clearly, she hadn’t heard—or hadn’t believed—a word of it. Tsk, tsk.

“Ms. Lee So-mi.”

“Yes?”

“There’s no need to go in. I’ve already taken care of the queen ant.”

Since she was worried about me, I figured I’d return the favor by letting her know the boss was dead.

But her expression changed with those words. Standing beside her, Kang Geon-hee finally spoke up.

“Was it an ant nest inside?”

“Yeah.”

“And you took down the queen ant?”

“Yup. Cleared it and came right out,” I said with a casual grin.

The A-rank Hunters behind them began whispering among themselves in disbelief.

It was clear they didn’t think I could’ve entered an A-rank dungeon alone and killed the queen ant.

“Do you have any proof?”

One of the A-rank Hunters stepped forward skeptically.

I slid my hand into my pocket and wrapped my fingers around the necklace.

Showing it and getting it appraised would be undeniable proof that I had defeated the queen ant.

But…

‘They might try to take it.’

I remembered a low-rank Hunter who once ran a convenience store telling me that higher-ranked Hunters sometimes stole loot from weaker ones.

Lee So-mi and Kang Geon-hee didn’t have bad reputations in the past… but temptation was a tricky thing. The moment they saw an S-rank item, especially something as rare as this necklace, things could change.

I wouldn’t lose in a fight—but if I lost control and ended up killing someone… that’d be a whole other problem.

“Go check for yourself.”

One of the A-rank Hunters let out a short laugh, clearly thinking I was just putting on a show.

I didn’t care if they believed me or not. I had already said what I needed to as a gesture of thanks. Whether Lee So-mi checked it herself was her choice.

“Hold on a moment.”

Kang Geon-hee, who had been silently standing next to Lee So-mi with an unreadable expression, took a step forward.

“You might not realize this, but insect-type dungeons like ant nests are tough—even for someone like me, an S-rank, to handle alone.”

He wasn’t wrong.

Human stamina and a healer’s mana weren’t infinite. Most dungeons gave you room to breathe between battles—but insect-type dungeons didn’t. Monsters swarmed endlessly, giving you no time to rest.

In a past timeline, Lee So-mi and Kang Geon-hee, both known for their stamina as top-tier combatants, had once cleared this exact dungeon with a team of B-rank healers from the Kyunghee Guild. It had taken them three days and two nights.

“Did you awaken recently?”

“Huh?”

“I heard from Lee So-mi that you used wind-type abilities. Did you awaken as an SS-rank wind-type Hunter, perhaps—”

“Would you like to join our guild?”

Lee So-mi suddenly cut him off, flashing a bright smile as she grabbed my hand.

“Our guild isn’t the wealthiest, but we’re a great team! Good benefits too!”

The expressions of the A-rank members standing beside her shifted instantly.

“Vice Guild Master, it’s too soon to say he really cleared the dungeon!”

“He’s probably faking it just to get into the guild. I doubt he even cleared it.”

Despite their complaints, Lee So-mi kept smiling at me, completely unbothered.

A guild, huh…

The gods sometimes created loyal companions so humans wouldn’t wander aimlessly while playing hero.

Ordinary people probably needed partners like that.

But I wasn’t ordinary—I was a god. And to me, companions were just a hassle.

I gently pulled my hand from hers and said,

“I’ll have to decline.”

I always found it easier to work alone.

“What? Why? We’re a great guild! If it’s because of those guys, I’ll deal with it!”

At Lee So-mi’s words, the A-rank Hunters behind her flinched.

“Deal with it,” huh… and what exactly are you planning to do?

“If you have any conditions, we’re willing to accommodate them.”

Kang Geon-hee also stepped in now, extending the guild invitation himself.

“Sorry, but I’m not interested in joining any guild.”

“If you truly cleared the dungeon on your own, continuing to go solo could be dangerous. I know it might sound biased, but our guild genuinely prioritizes our members’ well-being—you’d find it a great place to work.”

“I’ll manage.”

My firm response earned a nod of understanding from Kang Geon-hee, but Lee So-mi looked genuinely disappointed.

“Healers are here!”

At the call, Kang Geon-hee turned and made his way back to the other Hunters, while Lee So-mi reached into her pocket and pulled out a small business card.

It had Gothic lettering on a simple white background—her personal card.

“If you ever change your mind and decide to join a guild, please reach out.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

I tried to refuse, not wanting to take the card, but she pressed it into my hand with an absurd amount of force.

“You’re only saying that because you don’t know enough about us. If you search online, you’ll find plenty of info. Take a look, and please contact us if you change your mind!”

She clearly wasn’t going to leave me alone until I accepted, so with a sigh, I gave a small nod. That finally satisfied her, and she stepped back with a cheerful smile.

“Not that I doubt you or anything, but since we’re here, we’ll still check out the dungeon.”

“Go ahead.”

“Really—just to confirm. Not because we don’t believe you.”

“There’s a pile of mana stones on the first floor. Feel free to take them.”

“Thanks for the heads-up!”

Flashing a cheerful smile, Lee So-mi jogged back to the A-rank guild members. I watched her briefly before turning and making my way toward Namsan.

* * *

The Hunter Association’s headquarters stood near Namsan Tower.

While you could handle transactions at any branch, rank evaluations could only be done at the main building.

Back in high school, I’d been evaluated as F-rank. But since I hadn’t awakened any skills at the time, I never registered as a Hunter.

Now that I planned to register properly, I also intended to undergo a rank reevaluation—so I made my way to headquarters.

Even though I’d regained my divine powers and realized who I truly was, I was still in a human body… and climbing that hill was exhausting.

Recalling the many times I visited here in my past life as a low-ranked Hunter, I followed the familiar uphill path until the Association building came into view—a structure made entirely from dungeon byproducts.

Fireproof, shockproof, and resistant to both physical and magical attacks, it was said to be sturdier than the Blue House. At the time, it had caused quite a stir.

‘The Blue House ended up undergoing massive renovations because of that.’

I pushed open the glass doors—also made from dungeon materials—and stepped inside.

The first floor buzzed with activity—reporters chasing headlines, guild members promoting their guilds, and people like me waiting for the rank evaluation.

I grabbed a queue number and an Association pamphlet from a stand by the door, then found a seat.

My number was 428. They were currently calling 405.

Roughly 50 people ahead of me.

I casually flipped through the pamphlet.

The first floor was for rank evaluations, the second floor for consignment auctions, the third for the guild center, and the fourth for item sales.

Nothing had changed since my previous life.

‘Once I finish the evaluation, I’ll head to the second floor.’

The Queen Ant’s Necklace had once been auctioned by the Kyunghee Guild and bought by the U.S.-based Ace Guild for 400 billion won.

Four hundred billion. Just thinking about it made me grin.

First thing I’d do: buy a luxury home with a panoramic view of the Han River.

That would mark the beginning of my new life—well-fed, well-dressed, and living large.

Smiling to myself at the thought, I leaned back in my seat.

There’s a saying: when poverty enters a house, happiness jumps out the window.

But with money comes laughter—and with laughter, happiness follows.

Snapping out of my daydream, I glanced around just in time to see someone placing their hand on a round orb.

“Please… please…”

The orb glowed red.

“Congratulations, you’re B-rank.”

“Yes!!”

The man clenched his fist in triumph, and the staff member gave a polite round of applause. Almost immediately, headhunters began approaching him.

His face lit up like he’d just hit the jackpot.

Even a B-rank Hunter earned a base annual salary of 80 million won.

At A-rank, that figure doubled. And once you reached S-rank, the numbers skyrocketed to levels most people couldn’t even imagine.

And that was just for mid-tier guilds.

If you were truly skilled and managed to join a top-tier guild, your salary could easily exceed a billion won. That’s why, when kids today were asked about their dream job, most would answer “Hunter” without a second thought.

Well, in my case, a billion won was about to become pocket change anyway.

“Number 428, please come forward.”

When my number was called, I stood up and walked over to the staff member.

“Please enter your name and resident registration number.”

I followed the prompt and typed my information into the keyboard. The moment I hit enter, the staff member’s expression changed.

“It says here you were evaluated as F-rank back in high school.”

“I’ve developed abilities since then. I’d like to be reassessed and officially registered as a Hunter.”

The staff member clicked their tongue—clearly thinking I was wasting their time. It was the kind of look reserved for someone chasing a hopeless dream.

They were probably used to people showing up clinging to a sliver of hope. Occasionally, someone who’d awakened as F-rank would later improve, and that rare possibility kept places like this busy.

But I wasn’t one of those hopefuls—I was the real deal.

“Place your hand here.”

Without so much as an explanation, the staff member lazily held out the orb.

Fortunately, this wasn’t my first time, and my memory was sharp. I didn’t need instructions.

The black orb was a simple evaluation device made from monster byproducts.

When you placed your hand on it, it would glow a specific color based on your rank:

Green for F, blue for D, yellow for C, red for B, gold for A, and white for S and above. The purer the white glow, the higher the tier—ranging from S all the way to SSS and beyond.

If the orb lit up, you’d move on to a more detailed assessment.

‘He probably thinks I’m just another delusional wannabe. Let’s see how shocked he gets.’

I placed my hand on the orb, ready to show off, and drew on the divine power within me.

‘If it registers as SSS-rank right away, that might cause trouble. Let’s keep it simple… S-rank should be safe enough.’

☆ ExcitedHeart has donated 100 Mana Stones. ☆

I wonder what Aether’s rank will be? This is more nerve-wracking than creating humans for the first time!

☆ HopingForS has donated 100 Mana Stones. ☆

Aether’s a high-ranking god among gods! Of course he’ll be S-rank!

☆ IdiotWhoWantsS-Rank has donated 100 Mana Stones. ☆

SSS is the highest, dumbass. Obviously, it’s gonna be SSS-rank.

I nodded along, amused by the gods’ chatter, and glanced down.

But the orb didn’t light up.