Chapter 36
Chapter 36
Academy’s Gumiho is a Magic Genius – Chapter 36
After hopping in a taxi, I headed straight to the headquarters of one guild.
The name on the building was the Nine-Tail Guild.
There were only five such guilds in the country, and fewer than a hundred S-rank guilds worldwide. As the name suggested, it had extremely close ties to the Heavenly Fox Baek Family.
Back when he was the family head, it was a militant group spun off from the Heavenly Fox Baek Family, right?
The Nine-Tail Guild is Korea's strongest guild. It's got its personality flaws to match its power, but in terms of pure combat strength, it's the best. Well, yeah, since it spun off from the Heavenly Fox Baek Family's militant arm.
Hm? Wondering why a single family's militant group turned into an unrelated guild? You're curious about the backstory too, huh?!
Families like the Nine Heavenly Clans, made up of Einers, pass down their techniques to their descendants. But the Heavenly Fox Baek Family teaches theirs to the guild's players and executives!
The previous family head founded the guild and claimed those techniques as its exclusive assets. That let them rapidly train a bunch of strong players. Of course, their obsession with raw power dooms them to collapse in the late game.
Eve said:
The predecessor of the [Nine-Tail Guild] was the Heavenly Fox Baek Family.
It's a militant force they built by teaching their techniques.
That's why the [Nine-Tail Guild] takes orders from the Heavenly Fox Baek Family.
More precisely, from the council of elders rather than the family itself.
They show particular loyalty to the Fifth Elder.
Because he also serves as the guild master of the [Nine-Tail Guild].
The guild master expanded his influence through sheer force.
That propelled the [Nine-Tail Guild] onto the world stage.
But maybe their fixation on power was their downfall.
Authority. Martial might. Wealth.
Once they grabbed every kind of power available in mid-game, they began a slow decline.
And by the late game, they vanish entirely.
Maybe because they'd reached the absolute peak you can hit with brute strength alone.
They chased more power than they needed, rotting from the inside out.
Even as the guild crumbles.
They never change.
If they can get stronger, they'll do anything. That's the mindset of the players in this guild.
They're not like selfless heroes.
They prioritize profit and gain over nobility.
That's the true nature of the [Nine-Tail Guild].
"A place like that? I can swallow it whole, no problem."
It's a group doomed to disappear someday.
A power base that weakens at some point.
So before the Nine-Tail Guild falls apart, I take it over and bend it to my will. No issues there.
Thud, thud.
I stood at the guild headquarters' main entrance.
The guards moved to surround me but recoiled in shock when they saw my face.
Just like that, I entered the building without any ID and headed straight for the elevator.
I figured the guild masterno, the Fifth Elderwas on the top floor.
Right then, a voice reached my ears.
"G-Guild master...?! "
I wasn't alone in the elevator.
There was a female office worker in a suit.
With her slight build and low mana, she was clearly in admin.
Guild master?
"Did they have a position like that here?"
"D-Didn't you see it on the news?"
"Ah, so that's what they call it here."
She stared at me blankly.
Her trembling pupils were filled with fear directed at me.
I got ither "guild master" was meant for me.
With all the titles people use for me, it took a second to register.
TA, teacher, family head... and now guild master too.
Hell, I've collected every damn nickname.
If guild staff were calling me guild master, this should be doable.
I approached the woman.
"Eek...!"
"Not gonna do anything bad. Just one question."
"Y-Yes?! A-Ask anything, just spare my life...!"
She didn't look good.
Better ask quick and go.
"Know where the guild master is?"
"Th-The guild master?"
"Yeah, that guy in his forties with white hair and a white beard. The uncle with seven tails on his ass."
Just in case, I described him from the last meeting.
Her face turned pale.
She was utterly terrified.
Why the face?
Curious, I stepped closer.
She shrieked and flailed her hands.
"I don't know anyone like that!"
"No, I mean where's the guild master..."
"Th-The guild master is in the deepest room on the rooftop!"
What? She said she didn't know, but there it is.
I scratched my head, wondering if my reputation was that bad.
But something felt off.
If I were that scary, she'd have screamed from the start.
The sudden shrill scream was suspicious.
Did I say something that set her off?
I just described the guild master's looks... Oh, that's it.
Her scream wasn't at me.
It was at the white-haired middle-aged man I described.
The [Nine-Tail Guild]'s guild master.
I knew he was a tough nut, but just describing him causing this much freakout?
Did he rule through terror in internal politics or something?
Curiosity piqued.
Time to satisfy it.
Ding. I pressed the elevator button.
The top floor, per the woman.
Hit 9, and it shot up to the roof in seconds.
Mulling her words and reaction, I headed to the innermost room on the top floor. A massive, luxurious door greeted me.
As I pulled it...
Sizzle. Sparks flew from my hand.
The heavy feedback made me let go instinctively.
Ha, dj vu.
It reminded me of this morning.
A huge door, overwhelming pressure leaking from outside.
Felt just like before entering the meeting room.
Difference was, the morning meeting had the combined aura of nine elders and two siblings.
This was one man filling the void of ten others.
Gotta steel myself.
I took a deep breath in and out.
Act confident.
No need to be nice to him.
No reason to cower.
I'm the family head now.
Here as family head to meet an elder.
Steeling myself, I opened the door.
Creeeak. The door, marked "Guild Master Office," swung open with a whine. The first thing I saw wasn't the vast space or pricey decor.
It was a relatively small man compared to the room.
"Greetings, Fifth Elder."
"Family head, I heard you were coming. If you'd given advance notice, I'd have prepared some tea."
"Notice? What for? It's not like a family head can't drop by."
He responded with a mild, amiable smile.
Just like this, he seemed like a nice middle-aged guy.
So why was that employee so terrified?
A question flashed, but the answer came quick.
...Heavy.
Not just the atmosphere.
The very air and every strand of mana in the room were dyed in his color.
This space was undeniably his domain.
Everything revolved around him alone.
Proof he'd reached a considerable realm.
Now her reaction made sense.
The man before me was someone you had to fear.
He operated on a whole different level from normal players.
Boss or whatever, not fearing him would mean you're out of your mind.
Ah, but I'm not in my right mind, so I'm fine.
* * *
The Fifth Elder who welcomed me.
Or should I call him the Nine-Tail Guild master here?
Not exactly a warm welcome, but I sat on the wide sofa following his lead.
He sat across from me.
Then he busied himself brewing tea, clinking cups.
In the brief silence with no talk...
I glanced around, wondering what was here.
Then something caught my eye.
...A nameplate?
There was one on the desk.
The common kind listing position and name.
A normal guild would've put "Guild Master."
But he engraved something totally unrelated to the guild.
What the hell was he thinking?
It was an eccentricity beyond my imagination.
[High-RankerBaek Seok-ho]
Instead of Fifth Elder or guild master, he'd put his shining achievement.
High-Ranker.
Does being a High-Ranker make him that proud?
Could be.
Ranker and High-Ranker are system-awarded achievements.
Rankers are those the system deems exceptional in various fields based on power or deeds.
Among the people I've met, Nam Hwa-yeon was a Ranker.
She got the Ranker achievement and the Demon King title from the system.
I can still check her record in the status window.
Ranker's impressive, but High-Ranker is even loftier.
If Rankers are top in their fields...
High-Rankers are the absolute best in those fields.
Only 100 players worldwide can claim that achievement.
It's brag-worthy, sure, but engraving it on a nameplate? Is Baek Seok-ho more full of himself than I thought?
As I reevaluated him in my head...
Baek Seok-ho finished the tea and spoke, bringing the cups.
"It's been a long time since the family head visited."
"Yeah, first time since the previous head passed."
"......"
My answer shut him up cold.
The previous owner of this space, the guild master, was this body's biological father.
First visit since his death, so...
Tough for a family elder to respond.
Baek Seok-ho wet his dry throat with tea and took control of the awkward chat.
"We met at this morning's meeting after so long. You've grown tremendously."
"Ah, had to, with a group out to kill me."
"My, my. Must be tough all around."
"Haha, yeah, I've got a lot of enemies."
The protagonist and the villains.
And the man before me.
Factor in his forces, and countless people want my head.
To survive, I have to get stronger.
No lion drops its cub off a cliff in an environment this brutal.
"So, what brings you all the way here?"
"Shadows."
"......Could you elaborate?"
"Shadows got added to the list of groups after me."
Shadows.
Not some slang for assassins.
Literal shadows went for my throat.
They gained physical form and sliced at me like blades. Only two groups in my memory can do that.
"The Assassination Brigade?"
"Nah, they're emotionless like puppets. These had clear emotions."
Not them.
They'll come for me later, but it's not time for their bounty yet.
So the other one's the culprit.
I leaned across the table.
Whispered right in Baek Seok-ho's ear.
"Shadow manipulation. Felt familiar."
"......Is that so."
"Yeah. Looked just like the elders' shadows. Easy to mistake for the same ability."
"......"
Shadows. And shadows tied deeply to nine-tailed foxes.
Nine-tailed foxes embody the moon and shade.
Fits the [Nine-Tail] name perfectly.
Of course, that's not hard proof.
But it's all the evidence I have.
So, time to bluff.
Act like false info is real and throw him off.
Feels like my skills aren't growing, but my balls sure are.
"Right? Must be my mistake. Or... is it?"
"Haha, surely. Why would we old folks do you wrong..."
"Wonder if the First Elder thinks the same."
The First Elder, the Heavenly Fox Baek Family's core, the highest authority.
He was Baek Seok-ho's natural predator.
Similar talents, equal power. Opposite personalities.
I didn't know their beef...
But just mentioning the First Elder made Baek Seok-ho lose control for a split second.
!!
The air screamed.
His aura leaked wildly, swirling fiercely. A normal person might've passed out from the choking pressure.
But I sat calmly.
Even shot him an annoyed look.
"Tone down the killing intent."
"......"
"Not telling you to drop the pressure, but kill the intent. That's the bare minimum respect an elder shows the family head."
Respect.
That one word forced his hand.
Dunno the details, but as head of a power-obsessed guild, he was strict on power dynamics.
Plus, an elder baring killing intent at the family head? Unthinkable.
After I spoke, his leaking aura subsided.
Now we can talk properly.
"My apologies for the unseemly display."
"No biggie. Old folks act out, right?"
"You've been overly jesting lately."
"You really think so?"
I'd heard vaguely.
On joining the Nine-Tail Guild, everyone learns one skill.
Rack up achievements to become an exec, and they guide you to evolve it into one of nine skills.
Shadows were definitely one.
I probed just in case.
"How about a deal?"
"......What kind?"
His tone turned icy.
Looked like I hit the mark.
I smiled faintly.
"Put me in your guild."
Your guild.
Not our, but your. His eyes narrowed.
This was testing the waters.
Otherwise, no way he'd answer like that.
Did he realize I hold real power in the guild?
Nah.
No signs, no moves.
Even some elders don't know; no way Baek Seung-woo does.
The leash the previous head put on Nine-Tail's autonomy to check it.
Only the top execs, the "Nine Tails," know it can't bind them anymore.
Even if he knew, that powerless family head could do jack.
Baek Seok-ho chuckled affably.
"Haha, how could the family head join under me?"
"C'mon, don't be so rigid. Could be like training under you."
"Training... True, that'd benefit you. But what's in it for me to accept?"
"Benefit? Right there."
He was politely refusing.
Yeah, normally he'd have zero incentive.
If not for what I did today.
I stood briefly, grabbed the remote.
For the big TV in the corner of the guild master office.
Beep. Power on, crisp screen with news headlines.
Perfect timing.
[Korea's 3rd Unconquered Dungeon, 'Efnell's Garden,' Cleared. What Happened Inside?!]
[Eyewitness Reports of Massive Creature Inside. Was That the Boss Monster?]
[Easy (16)/Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul. 'The dungeon teacherno, Baek Seung-woo cleared it solo,' Goes Viral on SNS!]
[Man Who Cleared 'Efnell's Garden' Confirmed as Baek Seung-woo!]
"How's this? Good enough?"