The F-Rank Guild Master Has Too Much Money Chapter 81

 

 

“I’ll be heading out first, then.”

 

Hunter Association Chairman Shin Seo-chul bowed and left the office, but Yeon Do-jin didn’t look away from the documents until he was gone.

 

“What exactly are you trying to do?”

 

At Choi Tae-hyuk’s question, Yeon Do-jin finally raised his head and set the papers down.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

As if he found the situation amusing, a faint glint of amusement flickered in his eyes behind his glasses.

 

“Bringing up that matter—”

 

“That’s not going to be good. Not for you, Choi Tae-hyuk. Since it’s not Ji Yeon-woo.”

 

Choi Tae-hyuk frowned. Yeon Do-jin clicked his tongue and removed his glasses.

 

“Why do you hate hearing the truth?”

 

“Mr. Yeon Do-jin.”

 

Yeon Do-jin stood and moved to sit on the sofa in front of the desk.

 

“Sit. I’m sure we both have plenty to talk about.”

 

“No. I have nothing to say.”

 

“If you had nothing to say, you wouldn’t have come here.”

 

Leaning back on the sofa with one leg crossed, Yeon Do-jin gestured to the seat opposite him.

 

“Sit and talk. I don’t have a habit of looking up at people.”

 

Pressed for time—he needed to finish this quickly and get back to Ji Yeon-woo—Choi Tae-hyuk reluctantly sat down across from him.

 

“Didn’t you promise not to approach Ji Yeon-woo?”

 

“That promise… wasn’t it you who broke it first, Choi Tae-hyuk? Asking me to find Ji Yeon-woo—doesn’t that imply I’m allowed to approach him?”

 

“That’s—!”

 

“And besides,”

 

Yeon Do-jin tossed the documents he had been reading onto the table.

 

“If I step back, Ji Yeon-woo will be torn apart by those sharks. Is that what you want?”

 

Choi Tae-hyuk picked up the papers. They contained everything—background investigations on the Yeon Guild, profiles of its members, and even a detailed record of Ji Yeon-woo’s movements.

 

“What is this?”

 

“The work of sharks trying to take a bite out of their prey.”

 

“Hah.”

 

“You can’t suppress them with money, so you have to crush them with power, don’t you think?”

 

“They’re not opponents you can suppress with power.”

 

“That’s exactly why they go after those around him. Ji Yeon-woo… he’s softer than you think.”

 

At those words, Choi Tae-hyuk clicked his tongue. He didn’t show it, but Ji Yeon-woo was weak when it came to his people. Especially the children—he treated them as if they were his own.

 

Choi Tae-hyuk set the documents down, his complicated emotions clearly visible on his face.

 

Yeon Do-jin stood and slowly walked toward the window.

 

Beside Abel’s Tower, Hunter Association Chairman Shin Seo-chul was a man driven by ambition for recognition.

 

The reason he had established his base in Abel’s Tower rather than within the Hunter Association itself was precisely because of that ambition. There was no place more important than Abel’s Tower.

 

As Yeon Do-jin approached the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the hall below, he spotted Ji Yeon-woo talking with Gumiho. 

 

“You don’t have to value him so much. I’m not going to kill him.”

 

“No, you already killed him once.”

 

“You’re the same.”

 

Choi Tae-hyuk clenched his teeth.

 

Leaning against the window, Yeon Do-jin crossed his arms and tilted his head.

 

“I like this version of Ji Yeon-woo. He’s interesting—entertaining.”

 

“Ji Yeon-woo isn’t a toy.”

 

“If he were, he’d already be in my hands. You know that, don’t you?”

 

Choi Tae-hyuk’s face twisted instantly. Yeon Do-jin let out a short, amused laugh.

 

“So if you don’t keep your promise, then from my perspective, restarting everything wouldn’t be such a bad option.”

 

“Yeon Do-jin!!”

 

Yeon Do-jin stared straight at him.

 

A man willing to risk his life for the greater good. A man who seemed to have no personal desires at all.

 

That was how Yeon Do-jin saw Choi Tae-hyuk.

 

And yet, the fact that such a man could hesitate… made Ji Yeon-woo even more interesting.

 

Grinding his teeth, Choi Tae-hyuk spoke.

 

“I can handle it even without being SS-rank.”

 

“Can you?”

 

“What are you trying to say?”

 

Still leaning against the window frame, Yeon Do-jin uncrossed his arms. The faint smile vanished instantly, replaced by a blank expression.

 

“Entering that SS-rank dungeon this time—it was an accident.”

 

Choi Tae-hyuk stiffened.

 

“That means the situation is worse than we expected. If things get even worse from here… think about what I might do.”

 

“Don’t lay a hand on Ji Yeon-woo.”

 

As if ready to lunge at any moment, Choi Tae-hyuk tensed with restrained fury. Yeon Do-jin, however, simply turned away and looked out the window.

 

“Of course. I have no intention of touching him right now. But the future is uncertain. If the plan falls apart, I won’t hesitate to start over. If you don’t want that, then do what you’re supposed to do.”

 

Outside, without Gumiho by his side, Ji Yeon-woo stood alone, leaning against a wall. The eyes of every hunter were fixed on him.

 

Perfect prey.

 

An F-rank with money was already tempting enough—but even the people around him looked just as easy to devour.

 

The world of hunters was survival of the fittest. The strong took everything. And in that world, Ji Yeon-woo was the ultimate target.

 

“Leave after the guild battle ends. This is your last chance.”

 

“Cut the bullshit.”

 

Clicking his tongue softly, Yeon Do-jin continued.

 

“If the current Ji Yeon-woo is interesting, then the next one will be even more so. Don’t you think?”

 

“Yeon Do-jin!!”

 

Ignoring Choi Tae-hyuk’s raised voice, Yeon Do-jin turned back toward the window. Ji Yeon-woo had always been uninteresting before—just a kind, ordinary man.

 

And yet, Yeon Do-jin couldn’t understand why people like Emelyn Kiyo and Choi Tae-hyuk—who were no different themselves—were so completely drawn to him.

 

If Ji Yeon-woo had stayed the same as before—simply decent and unremarkable—Yeon Do-jin wouldn’t have cared at all.

 

But for some reason, in this cycle, interesting things kept happening around him.

 

‘This time too.’

 

Boom!!

 

At the sound of the explosion, Choi Tae-hyuk shot to his feet. Yeon Do-jin lightly tapped the glass window with his fingers as he spoke.

 

“If neither option works, then there’s only one conclusion.”

 

Hurrying over to the window, Choi Tae-hyuk’s brow furrowed deeply. From the second floor, he could see explosions erupting around Ji Yeon-woo below. Just as he was about to rush outside, he heard— 

 

Click. 

 

The sound of the door locking.

 

Choi Tae-hyuk tried to break it down, but the door—made from top-grade dungeon materials—wouldn’t budge easily.

 

“Yeon Do-jin!!”

 

“I was a little reluctant to kill him with my own hands, but this works out just fine, doesn’t it?”

 

“Open the door!!”

 

The whip in Yeon Do-jin’s hand lashed out and coiled tightly around Choi Tae-hyuk, restraining him.

 

“You’re the one who threw away my offer.”

 

The whip wrapped around him completely, even sealing his mouth, before lifting him off the ground and pulling him over to Yeon Do-jin’s side.

 

“Mmph—!”

 

Bound and suspended in the air, Choi Tae-hyuk was forced to face the window as Yeon Do-jin fixed his gaze on Ji Yeon-woo and broke into a wide grin.

 

“Let’s sit back and watch. Whether he dies… or survives.”

 

* * *

 

“Who are you?”

 

“You don’t know me?”

 

With a pumpkin-like face and a scruffy beard, he had a look that should’ve been impossible to forget—but I had no recollection of him at all. 

 

“I don’t.”

 

“Hah. This won’t do. If you’ve formed a guild, shouldn’t you at least recognize the faces of the top guild masters?”

 

Top guild masters?

 

I didn’t know all of them, but I recognized most. They often appeared on TV or in the news. Yet I had never seen a face like this before. 

 

“Which guild are you from?”

 

“Aema Guild.”

 

My expression immediately soured. 

 

☆ Guild Name has donated 100 Mana Stones. ☆
Disgusting. Don’t even associate that with Aether.

 

☆ Just Look at That Face has donated 100 Mana Stones. ☆
He looks filthy. Ugh, gross.

 

“Why are you making that face?!”

 

Seeing my reaction, the man’s expression twisted in anger. He stepped forward threateningly, as if ready to strike, so I took a step back and spoke.

 

“Do you need something?”

 

“You think I’d waste my time talking to a dumb bastard like you if I didn’t?”

 

The insult made me let out a small, involuntary laugh. 

 

“You’re asking what I want? I’ll support your guild, so join ours.”

 

The answer was absurd.

 

Who did they think they were, telling me to join them? If anything, even if they crawled under me, I might not accept them.

 

When I didn’t respond, the man seemed to assume I was intimidated, so he kept rambling about how great his guild was and how I should be grateful for the offer.

 

“…I’ll talk to my guild master—”

 

“Hah. You’re not even the guild master?”

 

I stared at him silently. The man flinched slightly, then raised a hand in a threatening gesture. 

 

“Do you know the General Guild?”

 

“What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”

 

“So you don’t.”

 

I’d only asked in case there was any connection to the people who had kidnapped me—but apparently not.  

 

“Hey, get lost. Stop talking nonsense.”

 

“Damn it. Looks like you still don’t understand the situation,” the man snarled. 

 

“You’re the one who doesn’t understand the situation. If you were me, would you want to join a guild like that? Aema Guild? Sounds like only horses would join. And judging by you, even horses would probably refuse.” 

 

“You fucking bastard!”

 

In an instant, the man grabbed me by the collar.

 

“A crazy bastard needs to be hit before he comes to his senses, right?”

 

I dodged the punch, grabbed the hand holding my collar, twisted it, and swept his leg.

 

Bang!

 

True to his heavy build, he crashed heavily to the ground.

 

Murmurs spread through the crowd. I twisted his arm a bit further, slipped out of his grip, and casually dusted off my clothes.

 

Officially, I might be an F-rank, so most people didn’t know—but inside, I was a god. Someone like this bearded brute was no more than an ant in my eyes.

 

“Would it kill you to leave when I ask nicely? Seriously, low-level trash always begs to get beaten.”

 

☆ Super Awesome has donated 100 Mana Stones. ☆
Aether is so damn cool.

 

☆ Swearing Seriously has donated 100 Mana Stones. ☆
I was shocked by the swearing, but now my heart’s racing from that throw. Aether ♥

 

☆ Watch Out! has donated 100 Mana Stones. ☆
Watch out, Aether!

 

Sensing a surge of heat behind me, I cloaked myself in wind. 

 

Boom!

 

A deafening explosion rang out, and smoke filled the air before my eyes.

 

“Kyaaah!”

 

“Get down!!”

 

“Fuck. Where did this bastard come from?!”

 

Amid the chaos and screams, the man glared at me, seething.

 

‘Is he a fire-type hunter?’

 

“If it’s not Choi Tae-hyuk backing you, then you’re nothing but an F-rank! Who do you think you are?!”

 

Before he could finish, a fireball shot straight at me. I used wind to deflect it—only for the flames to explode behind me.

 

“Heh. Dodging it, are you?”

 

Several more fireballs formed behind him. He rushed in again, launching them all at once.

 

But there were still hunters and civilians behind me who’d come to watch the guild battle. The hunters were one thing—but I couldn’t let the civilians get caught up in it.

 

Seeing them scrambling in panic, I cloaked myself in wind to shield them from the incoming fireballs. 

 

Boom!

 

☆ Why Are You Only Dodging! has donated 100 Mana Stones. ☆
Then fight back already. Hurry.

 

☆ At Least Someone Help has donated 100 Mana Stones. ☆
Shouldn’t someone help? Why is no one doing anything?

 

The Hunter Law strictly prohibited interference in a one-on-one hunter battle. It was a rule created to prevent catastrophic fights from escalating into full-scale guild wars.

 

“Hahahaha! You bastard, I’ll show you hell!”

 

“You crazy bastard.”

 

My words only made him angrier, and the fireballs kept multiplying.

 

I glanced around while blocking the attacks—and saw that most civilians had already evacuated.

 

“Alright then.”

 

In the middle of the incoming fireballs, I created a swirling vortex.

 

“What kind of cheap trick is that—?!”

 

“Cheap or not, you’ll see soon enough.” 

 

The vortex swallowed the incoming fireballs like a vacuum, transforming them into an even larger blaze.

 

The flames spiraled within the vortex, growing rapidly under my control until it became large enough to engulf him.

 

The fire, now infused with my will, slowly began moving toward him.

 

“What—what is this?!”

 

I dispelled the vortex and reshaped it. The wind took the form of a flaming humanoid and grabbed him upside down with one hand.

 

Fire-type hunters were resistant to flames, so fire alone wouldn’t hurt him. But against raw physical force—no one could stand their ground.

 

“Alright. Let’s start with a hit.”