The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 7

006

Morning, on the commute bus.

Luckily, I snagged a seat quickly.

I felt a few glances here and there, but I turned to look out the window.

It’s been a week since I started this routine every morning.

It’s been a whole week of coming to work, thinking I’d quit as soon as I got my skills back.

In that time, I’ve cleaned 25 dungeons.

Disassembled 30 monsters.

I’ve used up 6 ten-liter containers of chemicals.

And the number of skills I’ve unlocked is a whopping…

A movement skill unlocked with a rather unexpected condition: Hyper Boost.

[Greatly increases the caster’s movement speed during combat.]

It’s a skill that’s quite effective in subjugations… but only when paired with attack skills. What am I supposed to do with just this one?

Plus, I can’t even use it for cleaning work because it only activates during combat.

‘Ha, damn it…’

Yeah. It’s still a skill, so… it’s better than nothing.

However, I can’t even think about unlocking other skills right now.

Logically, there’s no way I can achieve an average annual salary of 60 million, or become the number one preferred job, or anything like that.

I don’t even have a clue where to start or how to do it in the first place.

‘Damn it, there’s no solution to this.’

My sighs echoed every 30 seconds inside the bus.

Of course, there were some relatively easy conditions among them.

[One Counter – Unlock Condition: Increase interest in the dungeon cleaning team within the Association]

[Hellfire – Unlock Condition: Expand the budget for the dungeon cleaning team]

…things like that.

Unlike the others, these are quite abstract conditions.

Since specific numbers aren’t set, these are the ones most worth aiming for in the current situation.

Especially increasing interest within the Association.

If I cooperate with subjugations based on the information I know from the next 10 years, the Association’s interest will surely rise in an instant.

If I meet the guys who were on my team, should I try talking to them?

‘……There are over ten thousand hunters, what are the odds of running into them?’

Sigh, I dropped my head.

At this rate, I’ll be stuck cleaning for the rest of my life.

I stared out the window, feeling dejected.

At the same time, I discovered something astonishing.

“……Shit.”

I had already missed my bus stop a long time ago.

***

Near Sadang, in an old shopping center building.

“What? Why are there only two people? Are the rest late?”

Only Han Sanghyuk and Moon Soyeon had arrived.

“Is the team leader you? He said the chemicals were running low and he went to buy some.”

“Heejang said he’s taking a few days off for personal reasons.”

Han Sanghyuk and Moon Soyeon answered alternately.

“It’s been 10 minutes; what kind of chemicals take that long to buy?”

“I know. It’s been 10 minutes; why are you crawling out now?”

“I missed the bus stop.”

Han Sanghyuk chuckled.

I guess he thinks it’s a joke.

Han Sanghyuk’s attitude has become almost angelic compared to the first day.

He’s still sharp, but he’s not swearing, so what…

I guess he really didn’t expect me to not quit after a week.

“I bought coffee. Drink it while you wait.”

“What are we waiting for? We can just go in by ourselves first.”

Han Sanghyuk pointed to the plastic bag on the floor, but I lightly ignored him and headed towards the dungeon entrance.

Then Han Sanghyuk shook his head.

“It’s not over yet.”

“What’s not?”

“The subjugation. It’s still in progress.”

“……Ha, geez.”

A hollow laugh escaped me.

This isn’t a dungeon I subjugated.

I don’t know the details, but… at best, isn’t it a mid-level ‘Blue Grade’ dungeon?

Besides, it’s a building-type dungeon with few risk factors.

Even if I’m being generous, it’s definitely not a place where they should be delaying the scheduled subjugation time, so why are they so flustered?

“Sigh……”

That being said, I can’t go in and subjugate with them.

What can I do? I have to wait.

Even if they’re late, it’ll only be 5 or 10 minutes.

…Thinking that was a mistake.

10 minutes.

20 minutes.

And 30 minutes passed.

‘What kind of incompetent bastards are 30 minutes late from the scheduled time?’

I’m about to lose it.

Even if they’re a bunch of dimwits, if they’re going on a Blue Grade subjugation, they should at least be C-grade, right?

Ha, if I were still active…

“Oh, they’re coming out.”

“……!”

Just in time, it seems the subjugation is over.

Han Sanghyuk spotted them first and spoke up, and I immediately turned towards the dungeon entrance to check them out.

Of course, I wasn’t looking at them kindly.

I was just curious to see what kind of rookies they were.

‘Tsk, just by looking at them, they’re all D-grades.’

Unsurprisingly, the hunters emerging after finishing the subjugation were people I didn’t even recognize.

They’re in such a mess after subjugating just one Blue Grade dungeon…

Sigh, it’s the end of the world. The end of the world.

I was glaring and scanning each and every one of them.

Finally, my gaze stopped on a woman who came out of the dungeon last.

‘Oh, oh, wait… that girl?’

My eyes widened.

It’s a familiar face.

Long black hair. White skin that looked like an actress, a delicate appearance that doesn’t suit the dungeon at all.

I’m sure. It’s that girl.

A hunter who used to be on my team, and my direct subordinate.

Kim Minjoo.

“……?”

At that moment, Kim Minjoo seemed to notice my gaze and turned her head.

“Do you need something from me…?”

“……No.”

Kim Minjoo asked, looking bewildered, but I answered dryly and turned my back.

I tried to act calm, but my true feelings weren’t like that.

I instinctively frowned at her unexpected appearance.

‘Damn it, why did I have to meet that girl of all people?’

I said I’d talk to a hunter from my team if I happened to run into them.

Sorry, but that woman is an exception.

Whether she knows me or not, I don’t want to ask her for a favor. No, I don’t even want to get involved.

A rude girl who cursed me without knowing her place.

A bitch who hated me for no reason.

When I had no choice but to suggest her retirement due to her injury, didn’t she curse at her superior without even acknowledging him?

Tsk, she’s got a terrible personality and is only full of pride.

‘She doesn’t even know I was saying that for her own good.’

I shook my head as if I had tasted something bitter, recalling those memories.

“Junwoo?”

Moon Soyeon spoke with a worried tone.

“……Yes?”

“Do you know that hunter?”

“No. I don’t know her at all.”

“You were staring at her so intently, though?”

“Just… she looks a bit like someone I know.”

“……I see. Your expression became so fierce that I thought she was your ex-girlfriend.”

“……”

“S, sorry. I was just kidding.”

Moon Soyeon bowed her head, genuinely embarrassed.

Only then did I realize that I had a truly murderous look in my eyes.

‘Sigh, whatever. It’s only a loss for me to care.’

Anyway, she has nothing to do with me now. It’ll only give me heartburn if I think about it more.

Anyway, I hope I don’t run into her again.

“Everyone’s here? How was it? Is the subjugation over?”

Team Leader Park showed up only after the operation team had all disappeared. Then he immediately looked flustered.

“What? Why is the atmosphere like this? Did something happen?”

“……No. It’s nothing.”

“Bullshit, it’s nothing! That bastard just met his ex-girlfriend……”

“Shut up. Unless you want to die.”

The mouth that immediately closes.

“What are you doing? Let’s get to work quickly.”

In a somewhat awkward atmosphere, I took the lead and entered the dungeon.

***

A Blue Grade building-type dungeon.

A place where an entire building has been turned into a dungeon, and the scenery inside is completely different from what it looks like from the outside.

Even though it’s a building that’s only 30 years old, the inside looks like it’s at least 1000 years old.

“Junwoo, did you study this place in advance too?”

While looking around the building, Moon Soyeon asked.

For a week, I’ve been getting too many questions about how I know so much about dungeons and monsters.

I dismissed the suspicion by saying ‘I studied in advance,’ but even I think it’s a ridiculous lie.

Still, judging from the reaction, it seems to have worked somehow.

“No. I don’t know this place well, except that the boss is a humanoid monster.”

Well, it’s not a dungeon I subjugated.

“Alright, everyone! As you all know, byproducts are hard to spot in building-type dungeons. You have to search every nook and cranny to clean them. Especially under the stairs, blood tends to pool up, so pay attention.”

“Yes~.”

“Well, fortunately, the building is small, so it seems like we can divide the work. Junwoo, you go to the boss room with me.”

“……Yes.”

Team Leader Park and I immediately went up the stairs to the 3rd floor.

A narrow and dark hallway.

Entering the room at the end revealed a fairly cramped space.

The boss, ‘Vega,’ is seen dead in the center, half-cut.

A humanoid monster.

“Ugh…… I hate humanoid ones. They always look like human corpses.”

“Yeah, well.”

Team Leader Park had a rather uncomfortable expression.

But I didn’t have any particular feelings and examined the corpse.

A monster in the form of a woman. The size is only 160cm [approximately 5’3″].

Well, at this level…

“I think we can just carry it out without disassembling it.”

“Yeah, that would be good.”

Team Leader Park nodded, seemingly relieved.

He immediately moved.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

“……No. Nothing.”

I stood in place for a moment, lost in thought, and then approached the corpse a beat late.

Something was strange.

In my memory, ‘Vega’ is not a particularly dangerous monster.

If you’re careful with the fast movements and catch the attack timing appropriately, the strategy shouldn’t be too difficult.

But…

‘Kim Minjoo struggled against this?’

10 years ago, Kim Minjoo’s hunter rank was B-grade.

It sounds like that, but even just being B-grade is a rank you can’t look down on.

In particular, I remember that I valued her unique skill of handling a sword quite highly at the time.

If she hadn’t retired due to her injury, she had the potential to reach S-rank.

Yeah, even if the person is a bitch, she had the ability.

Anyway, she’s definitely not at the level where she’d struggle against a boss in a Blue Grade dungeon like this…

“Hey, why are you spacing out? Don’t tell me you’re going to make me carry it alone?!”

“Ah…… I was just thinking about something else for a moment.”

Team Leader Park was frustrated with me stopping my movements, so he urged me once more.

Yeah. What does potential have to do with me? I’m not going to see her again anyway.

As I organized my thoughts, I picked up Vega.

The sword marks all over the corpse caught my eye.

My brow furrowed.

‘Wait. That girl, could it be…?’

I unwillingly realized something.

“Hey, Junwoo! Why are you leaning towards me?! Are you not carrying it right now?!”

“Ah……”

I hurriedly supported the monster.

After that, I didn’t have to try not to pay attention to her.

I didn’t even have the time to care in the first place.

It just so happened that today was a ‘bad luck day,’ and it just so happened that two large-scale individual dungeons were discovered, so I was crazy busy.

When I came to my senses, it was already close to midnight.

I had already completely forgotten what had happened in the morning.

I was just tired and thinking of hurrying home…

“Shit, the last bus is gone.”

It was a day that was unlucky until the end.