Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 32: Ancient Krug

Rhodes always dreaded the moment when he accidentally locked eyes with someone he didn't know.

If he looked away too quickly, it might come off as rude. But if he held eye contact for too long, it could be seen as a challenge.

This left him stuck in an awkward position.

Especially now—when the man who had been staring at him put down his glass and started walking toward him.

Luckily, Marcus was quick to break the tension. "Hey, Alzack! I was just talking about you."

Alzack raised an eyebrow. "Talking about me?"

"Yeah. This is Rhodes—you know him, right?"

Alzack nodded. "The guy who destroyed an entire forest?"

Marcus clapped his hands together. "That's the one!"

Rhodes nearly choked on his drink. "That's wrong!"

Both of them turned to look at him in confusion, as if wondering why he reacted so strongly.

Realizing he might've overreacted, Rhodes raised a hand. "Sorry, that was unintentional."

Now they looked even more confused. Did slamming the table really need an explanation?

"Never mind," Rhodes muttered, deciding not to dwell on it.

Taking a deep breath, he properly introduced himself to Alzack, then immediately tried to clear up the ridiculous rumor.

He was just a rookie wizard who had only been learning magic for a few days—how could he possibly have the ability to destroy an entire forest?

"The guild master told me the forest ended up that way because of a rampaging pack of beasts," Alzack said. "There were reports of strange birds, giant frogs, vicious wolves, and even flying dragons. Sounds like—"

He paused.

Rhodes froze.

'That really does sound like my summons.'

A cold sweat formed on his back.

Something wasn't right.

Thinking back, Rhodes recalled that when he first heard about the destroyed forest, he hadn't even known he could summon creatures.

After realizing his ability, he never gave it a second thought.

But now, connecting the dots;

Could it be that when I was attacked by that bear, my magic spiraled out of control, and I ended up summoning every wild creature I had access to?!

The more he thought about it, the more anxious he felt.

If it really was me, how much would I have to pay for all that damage?

Just as his existential crisis deepened, Marcus and Alzack had already moved on to another topic.

Marcus, clearly bored, was suggesting they organize some kind of event. After all, he was the guild's official host—he might as well put those skills to use.

"How about a shooting competition?" Alzack suggested, casually patting the pistol at his waist.

"Come on, who in the guild could even compete with you and Bisca in a shooting contest?"

Alzack instantly panicked. "D-Don't say that! Bisca, I—"

The poor guy was flustered beyond words.

Rhodes listened to his frantic response with amusement, enjoying the little bit of gossip unfolding before him.

As their conversation continued, Alzack somehow became Rhodes' next opponent.

Over the next few days, Rhodes underwent one battle after another.

Some fights were arranged by him, while others were set up by Marcus—who found too much joy in roping in new challengers. For fun, the guild members even took over the master's usual role as referee.

Meanwhile, Cana—who had just returned from a mission—took over the guild master's gambling racket, happily collecting bets on each fight.

For a time, the backyard of Fairy Tail had never been livelier. Of course, that also meant Rhodes and his opponents had to repair the walls a few times after their more destructive matches.

However, as the fights grew more frequent, the excitement wore off. The audience dwindled, and enthusiasm faded.

The biggest reason? The results were too predictable.

At this point, Rhodes had fought 19 matches and lost all 19.

Today was no different.

Another loss.

Rhodes slumped against the counter, resting on a round stool as he waited for his next shift.

Warm, after wandering off to snack on food from the tavern, returned and hugged Rhodes' leg in an attempt to console him.

Mira placed a small plate of broad beans on the counter and called Warm up for a treat.

As she absentmindedly combed his fluffy white fur, she spoke up. "Didn't you almost win against Reedus today?"

"Reedus went easy on me," Rhodes sighed. "I could tell he was holding back. It was hard for me to even land a hit."

Rhodes had always been grateful to Reedus. His painting magic had helped Rhodes quickly grasp the current world and ease a lot of his uncertainties.

"But seriously, his magic is totally unfair," Rhodes groaned. "He can draw anything into existence! Compared to that, my summoning magic feels so... stupid."

Today, Reedus had sketched a Scuttle Crab, sending a crab to fight against a crab.

At the same time, he still had the energy to draw a Poro, setting up an adorable face-off between his summoned creature and Warm.

Even though the painted Scuttle Crabs weren't particularly strong and crumbled after just one or two hits, Reedus could summon them in endless waves!

Under the relentless assault of these mass-produced imitation crabs, the two real Scuttle Crabs happily scuttled back toward the river in the canyon—leaving Rhodes frozen in place, staring in disbelief.

He was beginning to think he might be developing a serious case of firepower deficiency phobia.

Mira chuckled, watching his reaction. "Painting magic has its limitations. Almost every action requires Reedus to split his focus and manually control his creations."

She rested her chin in her palm and continued, "But summoning magic is different. As long as you give your summons a command, they can act on their own, right? That's your advantage."

She met Rhodes' eyes with a knowing smile. "In a way, Reedus biggest weakness is the same as yours. The fastest way to beat him is to target him directly."

She twirled a lock of hair around her finger and added, "And since he has to multitask while controlling his 'portraits,' even if he's skilled in combat, he can't fight at full strength."

Her voice softened. "So once you get stronger, or summon something really powerful, you'll surpass Reedus soon enough."

Rhodes blinked.

Everyone else in the guild had only seen him lose, lose, and lose these past few days.

But Mira—she had seen something different.

Unlike before, she hadn't needed to help him apply any bandages for several days now.

Even after close combat training with Gray, he wasn't covered in bruises like when he fought Natsu.

Sure, Gray probably held back more than Natsu had, but Mira could tell—Rhodes was getting smoother with his movements, parrying and counterattacking more naturally. His magic reserves had also increased, and his defensive techniques were improving with every fight.

She wasn't the type to say things just to make people feel better.

If she said he was getting stronger, then it was true.

Rhodes felt comforted by her words.

He realized something—Mira might say she wasn't a fighter, but she clearly understood battle far better than he did.

The way she analyzed everything... it reminded him of how pro gamers would critique casual players, calling them "bad" while actually knowing way more than them.

In this situation, he was the rookie, and Mira? She was the expert strategist.

Rhodes let out a sigh, cracking a small smile.

"Well, I already know what my next summon will be," he admitted, crossing his arms. "I was just venting."

Even in games, losing ten matches in a row was frustrating.

So of course, in real combat, he was going to have some emotions about it.

Thankfully, all the friendly matches over the past few days hadn't been in vain. The sweat he shed had not been wasted.

While Rhodes was practicing summoning Scuttle Crabs with Reedus today, he suddenly felt a shift—a dark mist that had been obscuring part of Summoner's Rift cleared away, revealing a hidden valley.

The ground was smooth and level, the rock walls high and polished, with patches of moss growing in the crevices, making the whole place feel damp and cold.

And in the middle of this secluded valley, two large "stones" stood motionless—one big, one small.

Rhodes, who knew the game mechanics well, immediately recognized them.

Ancient Krugs.

Often referred to as stone monsters, they were naturally tanky creatures, but their attack power wasn't something to be underestimated either. In fact, among all the regular monsters in Summoner's Rift, their offensive capability was quite high.

What made them unique was their ability to split—when the Ancient Krug was broken apart, it would divide into two smaller Krugs, and those would break down further into even tinier Mini Krugs.

However, despite this exciting discovery, Rhodes decided against summoning them today in his match with Reedus.

He might know their stats and abilities from the game, but this was real life. He had no idea how these creatures would behave once summoned.

Would they listen to his commands?

Or worse—what if they went berserk and attacked his guildmates?

That would be a disaster.

In a guild where recklessness was practically second nature, Rhodes firmly reminded himself of one important rule.

Don't be the one who causes trouble for everyone.

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