The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 21

020

Area 10, where the non-combat personnel were waiting, was a scene of quiet confusion.

Despite the change in leadership, the Hunters simply watched each other, unsure of what to do. They were clueless about what was going on, wearing blank expressions.

A sigh escaped me. Right from the start.

Kim Min-joo… that girl actually managed to bring these idiots this far.

She’s truly amazing.

“This is absurd. Hey, you.”

Just then, Team Leader Im Dong-bin spoke, as if dumbfounded.

“You seem to be mistaken. I’m the team leader here. Did you think you became the boss just by taking over a leader position? Some young punk with no operational experience…”

“I probably have twice as much experience as you do.”

“…What?”

“And, did you think I wouldn’t know? Trying to throw your rank around in a dungeon. What does you being the team leader have to do with anything here?”

I stared straight at Team Leader Im Dong-bin.

His face flushed with embarrassment.

This is a dungeon, and more importantly, a dungeon operation.

During an operation, the ‘Leader,’ who is the highest decision-maker on-site, decides and controls everything.

That Leader handed over command to me.

Im Dong-bin should know better than to try and weasel his way out using his team leader title.

“You… you were a Hunter?”

“Hmm, why does everyone I meet ask if I’m a Hunter? Is it that important?”

“It is important! A cleaner who isn’t even a Hunter is trying to take command on-site? Are you trying to kill us all? This isn’t something that will end with disciplinary action!”

“So, what you’re saying is… instead of a rookie like me with no experience, a veteran Hunter like you should be in command?”

“O-Of course! If you understand, hand the command back to me. If you hand it over now, I’ll make sure the cleaning team doesn’t get disciplined.”

Seriously…

How can you offer such an unappealing condition?

I scratched my head, an awkward expression on my face.

“Well, I don’t care whether the cleaning team gets disciplined or not… Seeing you just reminds me of the old days, and it pisses me off.”

I took a step closer to Team Leader Im Dong-bin.

“It was good, wasn’t it? Getting easy achievements all this time.”

“W-What are you talking about…”

“You are hereby excluded from the operation. Don’t do anything here, and don’t even think about taking anything.”

“……!”

Exclusion from the operation.

The highest level of disciplinary action during an operation, stripping away the right to participate in the subjugation, as well as all allowances and achievements from this subjugation.

“Shut your mouth, you little shit. Bugs will fly in. Is this your first time getting disciplined?”

His expression was completely blank.

Well, he probably never imagined that a team leader would receive such disciplinary action in his own operation.

I snatched the radio from him.

“Ah, this is cleaner Kim Jun-woo from Cleaning Team 3. I’m announcing to all subjugation team members. As of this moment, Team Leader Im Dong-bin is excluded from the operation. So, let’s all do our best with the remaining members.”

The radio crackled with noise.

“And as you heard, Hunter Kim Min-joo has handed over command to me, so from now on, follow my instructions.”

“…”

“Answer!”

“……Yes, yes.”

“Ah, understood.”

The voices were quite reluctant, but I didn’t really care.

I turned to face the Hunters who were waiting.

“Okay, first… Teams B and C, who are doing nothing right now, go help the cleaning team.”

“…….”

“Um… I see. Teams B and C are all excluded from this operation for disobeying orders.”

Area 10 instantly became noisy.

I lightly ignored them and brought the radio back to my mouth.

“Team A~ Team A. Respond.”

“Yes, yes! Team A receiving!”

“Put Kim Min-joo on.”

A moment of silence.

“Yes, sir!”

She responded with a very tense voice.

“We’re short on personnel right now, so you guys will have to work a little harder. Are you currently subjugating Area 11?”

“That’s right. But this monster…”

“That bear bastard is immune to attacks for 10 minutes when attacked. Place the ‘Guardian’ class [tank characters specializing in defense] in front. ‘Healer’ class [support characters specializing in healing], focus on single target buffs for the Guardians instead of area buffs.”

I waited for a moment and continued.

“When the immunity time is over, it will charge at the guy in the front. The guy with the highest strength stat should step forward and just take the hit when it charges. It won’t hurt much. Then you immediately counter. You… you’ve been working on your left-hand grip strength, right?”

“Of course.”

“Good. Do it exactly like that.”

There was no reply.

Instead, the sounds of the team members in battle occasionally came through the radio.

About 30 minutes passed like that.

“Area 11 cleared!”

A voice mixed with rough breathing was heard.

“Okay. Area 12 is a ghost-type monster. It penetrates physical attacks, so the swordsman class should fall back. Mage class, don’t bother with skill combos, just spam the strongest one you have.”

“Yes, sir!”

Area 12 cleared in 50 minutes.

“Next! It’s a hallucination-type monster, so deploy those with high stamina stats. Healer class, throw all your purification skills! You don’t have to force close the distance, just hit and run well.”

“Leader! Can we use potions to break the hallucination?”

“Yeah. The highest-grade potions will work.”

“……What if we don’t have any?”

“Then knock them unconscious by hitting them in the head.”

Exactly 40 minutes.

Area 13 cleared.

“The last one isn’t a big deal. Just beat it with strength. You can take it down if you push through with skill buffs.”

“Yes, sir!!”

“Understood!”

Loud answers.

No further radio communication was needed, so I yawned and stretched.

Then, with a much more relaxed expression, I looked around again.

The gazes of Team Leader Im Dong-bin and the B and C team Hunters were all fixed on me.

With the same expressions as the team members who used to look at me back in my active days.

‘Well, anyway, this is the end….’

“I-It’s impossible!”

At that moment, incomprehensible words came through the radio.

“What? What’s impossible?”

“Sir! Everyone is too exhausted, and their skill power isn’t coming out properly!”

“Their stamina stats have dropped too much! At this rate…”

“Haa…….”

With a deep sigh, I scratched my head vigorously.

Seriously, how can Hunters not even be able to catch that one….

“Everyone, fall back and wait.”

“……Yes?”

I headed to the last area.

As soon as I arrived at Area 14, the gazes of the A team Hunters simultaneously focused on me.

Of course, Kim Min-joo was the same.

“S-Sir…….”

A nervous voice.

I reached out to her, who was covered in wounds.

“Sword.”

“……Yes?”

“Lend me your sword.”

Kim Min-joo handed me the sword with a dazed expression, and I approached the monster.

Of course, I didn’t forget to activate the skills I had recently unlocked.

“Over-immersion.”

“[Acquired Skill: Over-immersion]”

“[Skill Activated]”

“[The effect of all skills used by the caster during combat is greatly increased.]”

“Hellfire.”

“[Acquired Skill: Hellfire]”

“[Skill Activated]”

Soon, black flames rose from Kim Min-joo’s sword.

Krrr―

The monster also seemed to sense the threat, baring its huge teeth. It raised its front paws, which were as big as my torso, and began to rush towards me at a terrifying speed.

‘Scary….’

If I got hit by those front paws even once, the cleaning team would have to vacuum-pack my head.

Well, of course…….

That won’t happen.

Kwaang―!!

“[Attack Detected on Caster]”

“[Combat Stance Activated as of this Moment]”

“[Acquired Skill: Hyper Boost]”

“[Skill Activated]”

“[The caster’s movement speed is greatly increased during combat.]”

Immediately after easily dodging the attack, before the monster could even get back into attack mode.

I gripped the sword and plunged into the monster’s embrace.

Puk―

“[Acquired Skill: One Counter]”

“[Damage increased by 3,000% when attacking a weak point.]”

“[Damage increased by an additional 3,000% due to the Over-immersion skill effect.]”

As soon as I stabbed the sword right into its heart, the massive body staggered greatly for a moment.

Kooong, with a roar, it crashed to the ground.

“…….”

“…….”

Silence swept over us at the same time.

I rubbed my eyes and opened my mouth.

“Let’s go. My eyes are itchy because of the dust.”

With that, I turned my back and left the area first.

***

The subjugation of all areas was completed.

However, the Hunters of Team A were still frozen in Area 14.

“W-What is it…?”

“What on earth just happened…?”

Everyone had an expression that they couldn’t believe what they had just seen.

Kim Min-joo also seemed to have received quite a shock.

But only for a moment.

‘I wonder how much more you’re going to surprise me….’

Soon, she smiled.

But other than Kim Min-joo, no one could understand what had just happened.

“This is ridiculous…….”

“C-Could it be that person? The one Hunter Kim Min-joo is said to be learning from…….”

“Just who is that person?!”

“What else could he be?”

At the Hunters’ fuss, Kim Min-joo said in a rather calm voice.

“He’s a cleaner.”

“…….”

“…….”

Now it’s my turn.

Kim Min-joo thought so and opened her mouth once again.

“I hope everyone will keep what happened here a secret.”

“……Yes?!”

“Why, why? Shouldn’t we be scouting him right away instead of keeping it a secret?!”

“We have to tell the Association! That there’s someone like that in the cleaning crew! He’s not someone who should be in the cleaning team!”

Kim Min-joo shook her head.

“What’s important to him isn’t that kind of thing.”

“What do you mean…?”

“Money, fame, power. In terms of Hunters, skills, stats, weapons… he’s not interested in those things. He’s someone who just wants to work with his colleagues in a place he likes.”

“…….”

“So, just know that there’s someone like that. And never tell anyone else. I’m asking you.”

“……Understood.”

The Hunters of Team A answered simultaneously.

Shock.

Awe.

And eyes that felt a firm resolve.

***

Association Seoul Headquarters, Headquarters Chief’s office.

“Are you crazy?”

Headquarters Chief Seo Min-cheol was on the verge of exploding.

“Are you out of your mind? How can a team leader be excluded from such an important operation?!”

“……I’m sorry.”

Team Leader Im Dong-bin’s voice was barely audible.

The reporters he had gathered, even forcing it, to spread the cleaning team’s mistake had backfired.

Immediately after the dungeon subjugation, the fact that Team Leader Im Dong-bin was excluded from the operation spread rapidly among the reporters and was heating up the internet.

Of course, no one knew the details.

But the fact that the team leader of the operation team had been disciplined in his own operation was clearly a shocking incident.

“It seems that Hunter Kim Min-joo and that cleaner guy colluded…….”

“Who do you think you’re talking to! Who doesn’t know that you tried to screw over the cleaning team and steal Kim Min-joo’s achievements, and that’s how this happened?!”

Im Dong-bin’s lips trembled.

How did the Headquarters Chief know that?

There was no way for him to know that the team members of Team A had told the Headquarters Chief everything.

“So, who did you think you were messing with! Is your backer God? You don’t even know your place!”

“……Are you going to put all the blame on me now?”

It was true that he had done something wrong, but it was unfair for Team Leader Im Dong-bin to be driven like this.

“What? What did you just say?”

“When I said I’d suppress the cleaning team guys, you gladly wrote down the mandatory participation list, Headquarters Chief…….”

“Hey!”

A murderous intent flashed in Headquarters Chief Seo Min-cheol’s eyes.

“Do you think I’m your friend? Just because I’m being nice because of Soo-yong’s senior, you don’t know your place?”

“…….”

Team Leader Im Dong-bin immediately backed down.

“Hah… Now that it’s already spread on the internet, I can’t just let this go. I’ll think about how to deal with it, so go back and write a report.”

“…….”

“What are you doing? Get out.”

At Headquarters Chief Seo Min-cheol’s command, Team Leader Im Dong-bin lowered his head and left the office.

But Seo Min-cheol’s anger showed no signs of subsiding.

It wasn’t just that, but it was true that he was also involved in this incident, as Im Dong-bin had said.

“What do we do? If Senior Im tells that cleaner that the Headquarters Chief also helped…….”

“Shit…….”

Team Leader Lee Soo-yong asked with a worried voice.

Of course, he wasn’t worried about the Headquarters Chief, but only about his own line.

‘I should have known from the moment that bastard came out so confidently…….’

Headquarters Chief Seo Min-cheol tore at his hair.

If he messed up, this time he would be fired. So, before that happened, he had to somehow cut off the connection with Im Dong-bin.

“Hey, Soo-yong.”

“……Yes.”

“Hunter Kim Min-joo…….”

Headquarters Chief Seo Min-cheol hesitated to speak.

But after much deliberation, he finally opened his mouth with difficulty.

“What do you think about giving her a team leader position?”