Academy's Gumiho is a Magic Genius

I took a taxi to the headquarters of a certain guild.

The name written on the building was the "Nine-Tail Guild."

It is one of only five S-rank guilds in the country and fewer than 100 worldwide. As the name suggests, it has a very close relationship with the Cheonho family.

'During the previous family head's era, it was a martial organization derived from the Cheonho family.'

The Nine-Tail Guild is the strongest guild in South Korea. As strong as it is, it has its flaws in terms of character, but its pure martial prowess is unmatched. Well, it did originate from the martial organization of the Cheonho family.

Hmm, why did a martial organization of a family branch off into an unrelated guild? Are you curious about the backstory too?!

The Nine Heaven families pass down their unique techniques to future generations. In the case of the Cheonho family, they teach these techniques to the guild's hunters and executives!

"When the previous family head established the guild, he made those techniques the exclusive property of the guild. Thanks to that, they were able to rapidly train many strong hunters. Ah, of course, despite that, they became too obsessed with power and were destined to collapse in the later stages."

Eve said.

The predecessor of the Nine-Tail Guild was the Cheonho family. It was a martial organization built by teaching their techniques.

Thus, the Nine-Tail Guild follows the orders of the Cheonho family.

To be precise, it follows the instructions of the Elder Council rather than the family itself.

Among them, they are loyal to the 5th Elder.

Because he also serves as the guild master of Nine-Tail.

The guild master expanded his influence and status by advocating the logic of power.

Thanks to that, Nine-Tail was able to rise as a global guild.

But perhaps their obsession with power was their downfall.

Authority. Martial power. Financial power.

After obtaining all the power they could in the mid-stages, they slowly declined.

In the later stages, they completely disappeared.

Perhaps it's because they reached the highest peak attainable by power alone.

They greedily sought more power than necessary, rotting from within until they burst.

Even as the guild collapsed.

They never changed.

'If it makes them stronger, they'll do anything. That's the kind of hunters who belong to this guild.'

They are not selfless heroes.

Instead of nobility, they prioritize practicality and profit.

That is the essence of Nine-Tail.

"Since it's that kind of place, it's fine if I take it over, right?"

It's a group that will disappear someday.

A power that will weaken at some point.

So, before Nine-Tail collapses, I'll take it over and manipulate it as I please. There shouldn't be any issues.

Step by step.

I stood at the main entrance of the guild headquarters.

The guards tried to surround me, but upon recognizing my face, they flinched and stepped back.

Entering the building without a pass, I immediately boarded the elevator.

The guild master, no, the 5th Elder, must be on the top floor.

Just then, a voice brushed past my ear.

"G-Guild Master...?!"

I wasn't the only one in the elevator.

There was also a female employee in a suit.

Judging by her weak muscles and low mana, she must be an office worker.

But why did she call me Guild Master?

"Is there such a position here?"

"W-Weren't you just on the news?"

"Ah, I see. That's what they call me here."

She was staring at me blankly.

Her trembling pupils were filled with fear.

Ah, so that "Guild Master" was directed at me.

I have so many titles that I didn't realize she was referring to me at first.

Instructor, Teacher, Family Head. And now Guild Master.

Wow, I've collected quite a variety of titles.

But if a guild employee calls me Guild Master, I guess it's possible?

I approached the female employee.

"E-Eek...!"

"I'm not here to cause trouble. Just answer one question."

"Y-Yes?! I'll answer anything, just please spare my life...!"

Her condition doesn't look good.

I'll just ask and leave.

"Do you know where the guild master is?"

"T-The guild master?"

"Yeah, that guy in his 40s with white hair and a white beard. The one with seven tails on his butt."

Just in case, I described what I saw during the last meeting.

Her face turned pale.

She looked utterly terrified.

Why is she making that face?

Curious, I moved closer.

"Kyaaah!"

She screamed and waved her hands.

"I don't know anyone like that!"

"No, I'm just asking where the guild master is..."

"T-The guild master is in the deepest room on the rooftop!"

What's this? She says she doesn't know, but she clearly does.

I scratched my head, wondering if my reputation was that bad.

But thinking about it, it's a bit strange.

If she was that scared of me, she would have screamed from the start.

Her sudden scream is puzzling.

Did I say something that triggered her?

'I just described the guild master's appearance... Ah, that's it.'

The employee's scream wasn't directed at me.

It was directed at the middle-aged man with white hair I described.

The guild master of Nine-Tail.

I knew he was a symbol of rebellion, but I didn't think describing him would make her collapse like that.

Is he using fear to suppress internal politics?

Suddenly, I felt curious.

Well, I should satisfy that curiosity right away.

Ding!

I pressed the elevator button.

The top floor, as the employee mentioned.

Pressing the button for the 9th floor, I reached the top in an instant.

Recalling her words and reaction, I headed to the innermost part of the top floor. There, a large and luxurious door greeted me.

As I tried to pull the door open.

Sssss!

Sparks flew from my hand.

The heavy sensation made me let go of the door without thinking.

Ha, this feels like déjà vu.

For a moment, I remembered what happened this morning.

'A massive door, an overwhelming pressure that could be felt even from the outside.'

It felt similar to entering the meeting room earlier.

The difference was that during the morning meeting, the pressure came from the combined aura of nine elders and two siblings.

Now, it felt like one person was filling the pressure of the remaining ten.

I need to brace myself.

I took a deep breath in and out.

'Act confidently.'

There's no need to be kind to the other party.

Nor is there any need to feel intimidated.

Right now, I am the family head.

I'm here to meet the elders as the family head.

Steeling myself, I opened the door.

Creeeak!

The door with the sign "Guild Master's Office" screamed as it opened. What greeted me wasn't a spacious room or an expensive interior.

It was a relatively small man compared to the space.

"Hello, 5th Elder."

"Family Head, I heard you were coming. If you had given me notice, I would have prepared some refreshments."

"Notice? It's not like there's anywhere the family head can't go."

He responded with a gentle smile.

From this alone, he seemed like a kind middle-aged man.

But why was that employee so terrified?

For a moment, I wondered, but the answer came quickly.

'...It's heavy.'

It's not just the atmosphere that's heavy.

The air around him, even the mana, was tinged with his colour.

This space was unmistakably his domain.

Everything revolved solely around him.

It's proof that he's reached a considerable level.

I understood the female employee's reaction.

The man before me is someone you can't help but fear.

A being on a different level from ordinary hunters.

Whether he's a superior or not, if you're not afraid of him, you're not in your right mind.

Ah, but since I'm not in my right mind, it's fine.

***

The 5th Elder welcomed me.

No, here, I should call him the guild master of Nine-Tail.

It wasn't exactly a welcoming atmosphere, but I followed his escort and sat on a large sofa.

He sat across from me.

Then, he said he'd make some tea and clinked the teacups.

For a moment, there was a silent pause in the conversation.

Wondering what was here, I looked around.

That's when I noticed something.

'...A nameplate?'

There was a nameplate on the desk.

A common nameplate where one writes their position and name.

In a normal guild, it would say "Guild Master."

But he had engraved a title completely unrelated to the guild.

What was he thinking when he engraved that?

It was an act beyond my imagination.

[High Ranker—Baek Seok-ho]

Instead of his position as the 5th Elder or guild master, what was engraved on the nameplate was his glorious achievement.

He was a High Ranker.

'Is he proud of being a High Ranker?'

That could be it.

Rankers and High Rankers are a kind of achievement selected by the system.

Rankers are those who have reached an outstanding level in their field, as evaluated by the system based on martial prowess or achievements.

Among the people I've met, Nam Hwa-yeon was a Ranker.

She received the title of Demon King along with the Ranker achievement from the system.

Her records can still be checked by opening the status window.

'Being a Ranker is a great achievement, but being a High Ranker is even more prestigious.'

If Rankers are those who have reached an outstanding level in their respective fields.

High Rankers represent the very best in each field.

Only 100 hunters can boast of that achievement.

'It's certainly an achievement worth boasting about, but to engrave it on a nameplate? Baek Seok-ho is more self-conscious than I thought.'

While I was reevaluating Baek Seok-ho in my mind.

Having finished brewing the tea, Baek Seok-ho brought the teacup and spoke.

"It's been a long time since the Family Head has visited here."

"Yes, it's the first time since the previous family head passed away."

"...."

My answer left Baek Seok-ho speechless.

The previous owner of this space, the guild master, was my biological father.

Since it's the first time I've come since his death.

As an elder of the family, it must have been awkward to respond.

Baek Seok-ho moistened his dry throat with tea and took the lead in the conversation again.

"I saw you at the meeting this morning after a long time. You've really grown."

"Ah, that's because there's a group that wants to kill me, so I had no choice."

"Oh dear. You've been through a lot."

"Haha, I have quite a few enemies."

The protagonist and the demons.

And even the man before me.

Considering the forces under his command, countless people are after my life.

An environment where I have to grow stronger just to survive.

Even a lion pushing its cub off a cliff wouldn't raise its child in such a harsh environment.

"So, what brings you here?"

"Shadows."

"...Could you elaborate?"

"Among those targeting me, shadows have been added."

Shadows.

It's not a euphemism for assassins or anything like that.

Literally, shadows have been targeting my life.

Physical shadows, materialized like blades, coldly aiming for my throat. There are only two groups I know of that can do this.

"The Assassination Brigade?"

"No, they're a group with restrained emotions, like puppets. The ones I killed definitely had emotions."

It's not them.

They're a group that will target me in the future, but it's not their turn to have a bounty on my head yet.

Then the other group must be the answer.

I leaned over the table.

I whispered into Baek Seok-ho's ear.

"The ability to manipulate shadows. It felt familiar."

"...Is that so?"

"Yes, and oddly enough, it resembled the abilities used by the elders of the family. Enough to mistake it for the same ability."

"...."

Shadows. Coincidentally, shadows are deeply connected to the Gumiho.

The Gumiho is a creature associated with the moon and shadows.

It fits perfectly with the guild name Nine-Tail.

Of course, that alone isn't enough evidence.

But this is all the evidence I can present.

So, I have no choice but to bluff.

I'll bluff with false information to blind him.

Somehow, I feel like my confidence is growing even though my skills aren't.

"Right? Am I mistaken? Or am I not?"

"Haha, surely that must be the case. Why would we old folks do such a thing to the Family Head..."

"Would the 1st Elder think the same?"

The 1st Elder, the center of the Cheonho family and the most authoritative elder.

He was Baek Seok-ho's natural enemy.

Similar talents, equal abilities. But completely opposite dispositions.

I don't know what feelings they have for each other.

But just mentioning the 1st Elder made Baek Seok-ho lose control of his emotions for a moment.

───!!

The air screamed.

The energy subtly leaking from Baek Seok-ho's body swirled violently. An ordinary person might have fainted from the suffocating sensation.

But I remained seated calmly.

Instead, I spoke with a displeased expression.

"Suppress your killing intent."

"...."

"I won't tell you to lower your aura, but suppress your killing intent. That's the minimum courtesy an elder should show to the family head."

Courtesy.

That single word forced his actions.

I don't know the exact reason, but as the leader of Nine-Tail, who is obsessed with power, he seems strangely strict about the rules of power.

Moreover, it's unthinkable for an elder to show killing intent to the family head.

After hearing my words, the energy leaking from Baek Seok-ho subsided.

Now we can have a proper conversation.

"My apologies, I showed a moment of weakness."

"It's fine. That's just how it is when you get old."

"You've been teasing me too much since earlier."

"Do you really think so?"

I don't know much, but I've heard this.

When joining Nine-Tail, everyone is taught one skill.

As they accumulate achievements and become executives, they are guided to evolve into one of nine skills.

I'm sure one of them is shadows.

I decided to probe just in case.

"Shall we make a deal?"

"...What do you mean?"

Baek Seok-ho's tone turned distinctly cold.

It seems I hit the mark.

I smiled subtly and replied.

"Let me join your guild."

'Your' guild.

Not 'our' guild, but 'your' guild. Baek Seok-ho's eyes narrowed.

This is clearly testing the waters.

Otherwise, such an answer wouldn't come easily.

***

'Did he realize that the guild's real power lies with me?'

No, that's not it.

There were no signs or movements.

Even some elders don't know, so Baek Seung-woo couldn't possibly know.

The leash that the previous family head put in place to curb Nine-Tail's autonomy.

Only the highest-ranking executives, the 'Nine Tails,' know that the leash can no longer bind them.

Even if he knew, there's nothing this powerless family head can do.

Thus, Baek Seok-ho replied with a smile.

"Haha, how could the Family Head come under me?"

"Hey, don't think so rigidly. You could take me in as a trainee."

"A trainee... That certainly has its merits for the Family Head. But what's in it for me to accept your proposal?"

"What's in it for you? It's right there."

Baek Seok-ho was politely refusing.

Well, originally, there would have been no benefit for him.

If I hadn't done what I did today.

I got up for a moment and looked for the remote.

The remote to operate the large TV in the corner of the guild master's office.

Beep!

The power turned on, and along with a clear screen, several news headlines appeared.

Perfect timing.

[South Korea's 3rd unclaimed dungeon, 'Efnell's Garden,' has been cleared. What happened inside?!]

[Reports of seeing something massive inside. Was it the dungeon's boss monster?]

[Lee Ji: "The dungeon was cleared by Teacher, no, Baek Seung-woo alone," causing a stir on SNS!]

[The one who cleared 'Efnell's Garden' has been revealed to be Baek Seung-woo!]

"How about this? Is this enough?"

***

Hey readers!

Want to read ahead? 📖 Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster.

🔹patreon.com/aarvan🔹

Thanks for being awesome! ❤️