The F-Rank Guild Master Has Too Much Money Chapter 72

 

 

“What is this?”

 

Choi Tae-hyuk stepped out of the principal’s office and reached out, feeling along the wall. With a click, the lights turned on—and the office was literally crawling with snakes.

 

Centered around a massive serpent, dozens of smaller ones writhed across every surface except the desk.

 

The large snake was tightly coiled around several oversized eggs. Surrounding those eggs was the very reason we had come here in the first place—glowgrass, emitting a faint, intermittent light.

 

“What should we do?”

 

“The gate is in there too.”

 

The glowing gate was positioned behind the massive snake, likely serving as the exit condition after reaching the fifth floor.

 

“Do you know what that snake is?”

 

“Judging by the pattern, it’s a Yuk-sam.”

 

☆ Yuk-sam… has donated 100 Mana Stones.☆

Yukgaejang (spicy beef soup)… pork belly…?

 

☆ So Far has donated 100 Mana Stones.☆

It sounded like an impressive name… but suddenly—Yuk-sam… 63?

 

“Yu…k-sam?”

 

What kind of name is that?

 

Choi Tae-hyuk, unable to see my expression as he remained focused on the snake, continued in a serious tone.

 

“Monsters are named by the country where they’re first discovered. Yuk-sam was first found in the Yeouido Dungeon, so it was named after the 63 Building—hence, ‘Yuk-sam.’”

 

Truly, it was an arbitrarily assigned name, with no regard for the monster’s appearance or traits.

 

“What about its weaknesses?”

 

“None are known. It’s said to be non-aggressive as long as it doesn’t have eggs.”

 

Non-aggressive without eggs. Right now, this Yuk-sam had three.

 

I had wondered why gathering the herbs had been so easy… only for something like this to appear.

 

“…So that thing will attack too.”

 

☆ Not Us has donated 100 Mana Stones.☆

Hearing there’s going to be a fight makes me excited.

 

☆ Now It’s Getting Serious has donated 100 Mana Stones.☆

Is the fight finally starting? The monster wave was such a letdown—this better deliver!

 

☆ Battle Time! has donated 100 Mana Stones.☆

Feels like it’s been forever since we’ve seen a real fight. I’m hyped.

 

Watching the pop-ups with the same feeling one might have toward a bunch of immature kids, I quietly muttered inwardly.

 

‘Clairvoyance.’

 

[Great Snake Yuk-sam – A Rank]

Defense: 30,000

Attack: 20,000

 

Skills:

• Tail Sweep (A Rank)
• Poison Spray (A Rank)
• Summon Small Snakes (B Rank)

 

– An A-rank serpent.

– Attacks using its long tail.

– Sprays poison from its mouth.

– Normally docile, but becomes highly aggressive when guarding its eggs due to strong maternal instincts.

 

High attack or defense wasn’t much of an issue. With S-rank Choi Tae-hyuk here—and with me supporting him—we could handle it without too much trouble.

 

But the real problem… was the poison. If we were poisoned mid-fight, there was no healer to detoxify us.

 

Choi Tae-hyuk and I peered inside before quietly closing the principal’s office door again. It seemed wiser to come up with a plan first.

 

I held out the flower stems I had been carrying toward the gathered Plarins.

 

“These aren’t needed anymore. Now that we’re on the fifth floor, you should all disperse. Don’t come this way.”

 

「Are you going in there?」

 

“Yeah. If we want to return to our original world, we have to.”

 

I wasn’t sure if they fully understood what I meant by “original world,” but since we’d likely never see these mobs again after today, there was no point explaining further.

 

“Here, take them back.”

 

One of the Plarins stared intently at the flower stems in my hand before speaking.

 

「We’ll help you.」

 

“Huh?”

 

At the leader Plarin’s signal, the smaller ones gathered around us. They circled us and lightly tapped our bodies with the flower stems. Each time the buds brushed against us, yellow powder scattered into the air.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

「Snakes rely on scent. We need to mask yours.」

 

Once our bodies were fully coated in the yellow powder, the Plarins clung tightly to us.

 

「Let’s go! We can move now!」

 

The leader stepped forward first. As the door creaked open, the snakes flicked their tongues in unison. Their behavior made it clear they were sensing their surroundings, and my body stiffened—but the leader Plarin walked straight in.

 

When I saw it approaching the snakes, I instinctively reached out, but it moved faster than I could react. Even as it drew close, the snakes didn’t attack. Instead, they showed no interest, curling their bodies as if reassured.

 

“Wow…”

 

「You have to go.」

 

「Let’s go! Let’s go!」

 

Following their lead, we began to move. When the smaller snakes tensed again at the Plarins’ movement, I flinched and paused—but seeing them relax just as quickly, I forced myself forward.

 

“…We need to take that.”

 

At my quiet remark, the Plarins at the rear approached Yuk-sam. Unlike the smaller snakes, Yuk-sam showed no wariness toward them.

 

They carefully gathered the glowgrass near the eggs. Once they had collected it all, they returned and offered it to me.

 

「Here. This is what you needed, right?」

 

“Thanks.”

 

I stored the glowgrass in my inventory and continued forward cautiously. After passing the smaller snakes, we finally reached the area near Yuk-sam.

 

Then, the Plarins at the rear spread out and formed a formation.

 

Together with their leader, they began to wave the flower stems and dance.

 

Their green dresses swayed gently like flowers in the wind, blooming open and folding back in a mesmerizing rhythm.

 

From the stems, the same pollen drifted softly through the air. Some of the more excited Plarins even began to sing as they twirled between the snakes.

 

☆ Wow has donated 100 Mana Stones.☆

So pretty. It’s like a fairy dance you’d only see on the Fairy Queen’s birthday.

 

☆ Ahh, That Reminds Me has donated 100 Mana Stones.☆

Remember when Shayna tried flirting with the Fairy Queen and almost got beaten to death by the fairies?

 

☆ Back Then— has donated 100 Mana Stones.☆

Aether laughed the loudest. That hearty laugh made me fall for him all over again.

 

☆ Aether’s Great Adventure has donated 100 Mana Stones.☆

If you want to keep watching, maybe stop bringing that story up?

 

For a moment, I was so captivated by the dance—just like the fairy dances from back then—that I completely lost myself. But the Plarins behind me nudged my back, urging me forward. We passed by Yuk-sam and safely reached the gate. The leader Plarin twirled in a circle before approaching us.

 

“Thank you.”

 

At my whispered words, the leader Plarin smiled brightly and waved its flower stem. The pollen that had stuck to us drifted into the air along the stem, gathering into a small circular clump.

 

The ball of pollen touched the leader Plarin’s outstretched palm and transformed into a tiny seed. Looking at it, the Plarin beamed and handed it to me.

 

「Please take this.」

 

“Huh? A seed?”

 

「Just plant it in good soil. Please take good care of it from now on.」

 

After bowing in thanks, the leader Plarin collected the flower stems from Choi Tae-hyuk and me and disappeared among the snakes.

 

“Mya-mya!”

 

“Mya-mya!”

 

The Plarins who had been beside us chirped what sounded like farewells and left as well.

 

“Guild Master, we should go now.”

 

Choi Tae-hyuk, who had been keeping watch on the snakes the entire time, held out his hand.

 

“Hiss!”

 

Whether it sensed our scent or not, one of the small snakes suddenly rushed toward us. I grabbed Choi Tae-hyuk’s hand, and we dashed toward the gate. Glancing back, I saw Choi Tae-hyuk strike the charging snake with his pen, and then everything was swallowed by light.

  

* * *

 

When I opened my eyes again, the vast grassy field we had seen before entering appeared once more.

 

“It’s over.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Although I hadn’t exerted much strength or moved much physically, I felt a little tired.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

As I followed Choi Tae-hyuk, I suddenly felt a heartbeat-like pulse and warmth in my palm. The seed, formed from the yellow pollen, seemed almost alive. Noticing I had stopped walking, Choi Tae-hyuk came closer.

 

“Is that the seed the Plarin gave you?”

 

“Yes. It’s incredible—it’s beating like a heart, and it’s warm too.”

 

“I’m worried it might be dangerous.”

 

“Hmm. Let’s see.”

 

‘Clairvoyance.’

 

[Plarin’s Seed (Unmeasurable)

 

– A seed infused with the pollen of the Plarins and the leader Plarin’s special power.

– If planted in good soil, it will grow into a Plarin.]

 

“Ah.”

 

“Did you find something?”

 

“It says it’s a seed that will give birth to a Plarin. That must be why it feels warm and is pulsing like a heart.”

 

Choi Tae-hyuk stared intently at the seed, so I placed his hand over mine. His eyes widened, fascinated by the warmth and pulse.

 

“I should stop by the flower market on the way. Since I didn’t get this on my own, you need to take care of it too, okay?”

 

“Yes. Understood.”

 

Choi Tae-hyuk smiled faintly again. I wasn’t sure what was making him so happy, but his smile made me smile as well.

 

* * *

 

“Yeon-woo, can I give this some water?”

 

“No, I watered it this morning.”

 

It had been a week since we returned from the school dungeon. As Gumiho had told me, Yeon Do-jin did not attend the Kanghyeon Guild’s founding anniversary event. Since there was no reason to go if Yeon Do-jin wasn’t there, I sent the cheapest defense-boosting tie from Gumiho’s gifts and skipped the event.

 

During that week, I had been busy selecting the children for school and handling various tasks, but I still cared for the seed every day.

 

Yet not a single sprout had appeared. I had bought the most expensive fertilizer, soil, and nutrients from the flower market, but there was no change. I even checked it with Clairvoyance, but the information remained exactly the same.

 

“Is the seed rotten or something?”

 

“No way. It’s not an ordinary plant—it’s a Plarin seed.”

 

I had initially dismissed Emelyn Kiyo’s words, but I couldn’t help feeling a bit anxious.

 

‘Should I try digging it up?’

 

“Guild Master! Oh, when did Guild Master Emelyn arrive?”

 

“She just got here. Yun-seo, come here.”

 

I gestured to Ji Yun-seo, who had just returned from work with Gumiho. She ran toward me with the monsters.

 

“Uncle!”

 

I lifted Yun-seo into my arms and kissed her forehead, making her giggle.

 

“Is this a monster?”

 

“Kkuu?”

 

Saphi, who had come with Gumiho, tilted its head and landed on my shoulder. On Bia’s head sat the nightingale Cloud, while Leo the lion and Mango the snake followed behind Kero.

 

☆ Aether has donated 100 Mana Stones.☆

Looking at this, you’ve got quite a big family. Better work hard to earn money.

 

☆ Right? has donated 100 Mana Stones.☆

If we weren’t here, you’d be in trouble! So treat us well!

 

☆ Exactly! has donated 100 Mana Stones.☆

So let’s just go to a dungeon once! Just tell us which dungeon it is and we’ll give you something really good!

 

If I told them which dungeon it was, they’d obviously start scheming again—so why would I ever tell them?

 

Clicking my tongue inwardly, I introduced the monsters to Emelyn Kiyo.

 

“This is Bia, whom you saw last time, and this is Saphi. They are the monsters I raise. Here is Kero the Cerberus, Leo the lion, Cloud the nightingale, and Mango the snake.”

 

“You have a lot of family.”

 

“Except for Saphi and Bia, the rest belong to Yun-seo. They’re tamed monsters, so they won’t attack.”

 

Emelyn Kiyo nodded and crouched to look at them. As expected of tamed monsters, the four stared at her gently, despite her being a stranger.

 

“Uncle, who is she?”

 

“I’m your uncle’s friend. I’m Emelyn Kiyo. Nice to meet you.”

 

“Hello! I’m Ji Yun-seo.”

 

“Yeah. I know.”

 

“How do you know?”

 

“I saw you at the Kanghyeon Guild.”

 

As I set Ji Yun-seo down, she tilted her head in confusion while Emelyn Kiyo kept her eyes on the monsters. Eventually, she looked at Ji Yun-seo.

 

“Do you want to be my friend?”

 

“Friend?”

 

“That’s pretty shameless.”

 

“Friendship has nothing to do with age.”

 

Emelyn Kiyo shrugged, locked eyes with Ji Yun-seo, and gave her a warm smile. Seeing Ji Yun-seo smile back genuinely, I accepted the documents Gumiho handed me.

 

Should I say she had great social skills—or that she was simply incredible?

 

Emelyn Kiyo, who had been persistently trying to befriend Ji Yun-seo, was now hugging her. Watching the scene, I turned to the documents Gumiho had given me.

 

“We’ve received the guild battle application.”

 

“A guild battle, huh?”