The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 327

326. Side Story – Episode 4

The Blue-grade building-type dungeon, the site of the dungeon interference…

No, in this place, now upgraded to Yellow grade or higher, I slowly composed myself, facing a giant, cat-shaped monster.

And then.

[Unique Skill: Demon King]

Ssssk—.

As black energy slowly flowed from my body, my exclusive weapon immediately absorbed it, turning black.

Exclusive weapon, Sentinel Blade.

[User: Kim Junwoo]

[Identity verification in progress]

[Identity verification complete]

[Usage permitted]

[The weapon is activated according to the user’s skills.]

Zzzzzz—.

Soon, the crude and rough sword, covered with all sorts of parts, began to vibrate.

And at the same time.

Thud—!

[Acquired Skill: Extreme First Style – Sword Control]

I immediately activated the skill and leaped toward the monster.

Kaaaaaak—!!

The monster also roared loudly and swung its huge forepaw at me.

I immediately twisted the sword I was holding.

Clang—!

Deflecting the attack, I spun my body and stepped onto its forepaw.

Flash—!

I jumped once more into the monster’s embrace.

“Hmph…!”

Then, I raised my sword and swung it precisely toward the monster’s neck.

But.

Thwack—!

‘……!’

Far from cutting its neck in two, the sword got stuck without even piercing the skin.

‘Shit…….’

Before I could panic, in that moment of hesitation to pull out the sword.

Bang—!!

“Ugh…!!”

Once again, a huge forepaw flew at me.

This time, I couldn’t even think of dodging, and I had no choice but to take the attack head-on.

Kugugugung—!!

“Kugh!”

I was slammed down, creating a crater several meters deep in the ground.

“H, Hunter Kim Junwoo!”

“Are you alright!”

Voices rushed toward the crater, seemingly concerned about my condition.

But.

“……Get lost, all of you!”

I immediately came out of the crater and said without even looking at them.

“B, but…!”

“It’s impossible to subjugate it alone!”

“It would be better to wait until the monster escapes and then subjugate it with another team…….”

“Who knows when that will be?”

The subjugation team members’ answers were cut short.

“Even though the escape deadline isn’t far off, it could be as early as a week… or as late as a month. Do you think you can hold out here during that time?”

“Th, that’s…….”

“No matter what, it’s impossible alone.”

“It would be better if you let us help too…….”

They almost pleaded.

In fact, I know it too.

Even for an A-rank hunter, facing that thing alone is just crazy.

But the fact that I, an A-rank, am struggling this much without information means, conversely, that those bastards have no chance of winning.

‘First of all, their positions aren’t compatible…….’

What I learned from the attack just now is that the monster’s skin is thicker than I imagined.

That alone gives me a sense of how to respond.

Skin with near-immunity to melee attacks.

But currently, out of the eight subjugation team members, there are only two ranged fighters.

Even then, one is a priest who can’t be expected to provide firepower, so in the end, only one of us can attack.

Of course, even that is just being able to attack… how much can a D-rank hunter actually do?

In that case.

“Don’t make me say it twice, everyone fall back.”

It’s better to just do it alone.

[Unique Skill: Demon King]

Ssssk—.

Wiping the blood from my mouth with my sleeve, I approached the monster again.

The black energy emanating from my whole body began to seep into my weapon again.

My unique skill, Demon King.

A versatile ability without a fixed form, capable of both attack and defense.

It’s the skill that made me the fourth A-rank in the country, but unfortunately, I still couldn’t fully control this skill.

Since there’s no set form, it was quite difficult to manifest the skill I wanted in the right place at the right time.

Therefore, external help was needed to control the unique skill more precisely.

That’s how my exclusive equipment was created.

Sentinel Blade.

A controller and weapon that absorbs black energy and allows me to handle my skills in a more formalized form.

I took a breath and gripped it again.

Then, I raised it toward the monster.

[Acquired Skill: Destroyer]

Clunk, clunk—.

At the same time, the appearance of the equipment was transformed to match my skill.

The form of a large cannon.

Black light glowed at the end for a moment.

Bang—!!

A powerful bombardment flew toward the monster.

Kaaaaaak—!!

The explosion directly hit its left eye.

The monster covered its face with its forepaws, and taking advantage of the moment when its vision was obscured, I leaped again.

I climbed onto the monster’s foot and quickly began to climb up to its head.

Hook, huff—!

Perhaps sensing the danger, the monster closed its eyes and wildly swung its forepaws.

I narrowly avoided the attacks and once again reached the monster’s neck.

And.

Thud—!

Instead of aiming for the monster’s neck, I jumped once more from there.

Soon, my body soared high enough to reach the ceiling of the boss room.

From this height, I could even look down on the monster’s crown [the top of its head].

‘Since ranged attacks alone won’t work anyway…….’

My skill doesn’t have separate positions, but in terms of firepower, it’s closer to melee [close-quarters combat].

Ranged skills are just for creating smoke [diversions].

To cut off that bastard’s breath, I have to fight at close range somehow.

The surest way is to cut off its neck, but as I confirmed earlier, that’s difficult.

Then.

The crown.

I have to aim precisely for that most vulnerable part of all living things.

[Acquired Skill: Hellfire]

Clunk—.

The moment my weapon transformed back into a sword.

Whoosh—!

Black flames rose on the blade.

And at the same time.

Whooooosh—!

I began to fall vertically toward the monster’s crown.

[Acquired Skill: Hyper Boost]

Bang—!

Accelerating once more in mid-air.

The tip of the sword turned red, heated by frictional heat, and I felt a pain as if my whole body was tearing apart.

It’s working.

This should be enough to penetrate.

Just as the sword was about to pierce the monster’s head.

Ssssk—.

“……!!”

As if it had finally regained its senses, the monster raised its head, and at the same time, its huge eyes looked directly at me.

Crack—.

It opened its mouth wide.

The deep, dark abyss of its mouth, with no end in sight.

I was now falling into it on my own.

‘Damn it…….’

Too late.

I’ve already gained speed and can’t stop.

The moment I thought that.

[Unique Skill: Thousand Hands Guanyin]

Thwack—!

Kaaaaaaaak—!!

I heard a scream echoing right in front of me.

For some reason, my body fell to the ground instead of into the monster’s mouth.

Thud—!

Before I could even figure out what had happened, a woman kicked off the ground in front of me and leaped.

None other than Kim Minju.

“Hey, hey! Stay still…!”

I immediately tried to stop her, but she was already in mid-air, rushing toward the monster.

And in her hands…… she was holding nothing.

‘Did she perhaps throw her sword…….’

With that thought, I looked at the monster.

Sure enough, her sword was stuck in the cheek of the monster, which was now writhing in pain.

‘To charge in with her bare hands without a weapon……?’

Is she crazy, really?

The moment I muttered that and got up.

Tap—!

Kim Minju had already grabbed the sword stuck in its cheek again.

[Unique Skill: Thousand Hands Guanyin]

Ssssk—!

She immediately swung the sword toward its neck.

Of course.

Thwack—!

She, too, got stuck without piercing the monster’s thick skin.

“Let go!! It’s dangerous if you hold on!!”

I shouted, but Kim Minju was still holding onto the sword.

After being swung around for a while as the monster thrashed.

Snap—.

“Kuaaaaak!!”

With the sound of something twisting, she finally let go of the sword and fell to the ground.

At the same time.

[Unique Skill: Demon King]

Thud—!

I immediately leaped into the air, passing Kim Minju as she fell.

Thwack—!

I shoved my weapon once more into the place where Kim Minju’s sword was stuck.

Thanks to that, Kim Minju was slammed into the ground, but there was no time to worry about that.

This was the last chance.

“Shit, shit!”

Bang, bang—!

Thanks to Kim Minju stabbing the sword and moving it around, a gap opened in the skin.

I kicked the weapon that I had inserted into that gap, continuing to push it inside.

Kaaaaaak—!!

The monster began to thrash madly.

Hanging on desperately while grabbing its fur, I continued to shove the weapon into the small gap for a while.

Swoosh—.

Finally, it pierced through the skin and went deep inside.

At the same time.

[Acquired Skill: Destroyer]

Clunk—!

The weapon transformed while deeply embedded in its neck.

Black light gathered.

Zzzzzz—.

Kwagwagwagwa—!!!

A huge explosion occurred.

***

“It, it’s coming out!!”

“Medical team, get ready!”

“Assess the injured and start treatment quickly!”

Cheongdam-dong, in front of the dungeon entrance.

The control team and support team personnel, who had rushed to the front of the dungeon upon hearing the news that the subjugation was complete, were on standby.

As soon as the subjugation team appeared, Team Leader Pyeon Changhyeon immediately deployed them.

However, a man walked out, brushing off the medical team as if it were a nuisance.

“Y, you’ve worked hard.”

“…….”

A person whom even the control team leader himself could not easily treat [handle diplomatically].

None other than Kim Junwoo.

Team Leader Pyeon glanced at the other subjugation team members.

From the looks of it, most of them seemed fine.

The only person who seemed to be injured was one person.

A sudden situation that had not been prepared for at all.

They completed the subjugation without major damage in a situation where there was no proper information or personnel.

Even so, for some reason, Kim Junwoo seemed very angry.

“F, first of all, just in case, please go to the center for an examination. The operation report can be submitted later at your convenience…….”

“No.”

Kim Junwoo cut off Team Leader Pyeon’s words and answered.

“I will submit the report by the end of today. I’m fine, so don’t worry.”

A dry voice.

The moment he passed by him and left the scene.

“Hunter Kim Junwoo!”

An uninvited guest suddenly blocked his path.

And it wasn’t just one person.

“I heard that a dungeon interference situation occurred, is that true?”

“Did you enter without knowing at all? Or did you proceed knowing it?”

“Who is the team member who got injured now?”

“As the person in charge of the site, how do you plan to take responsibility for this?”

Dozens of reporters.

Suddenly, they had stormed the scene.

“Wh, what?! Why are the reporters here?”

“I, I don’t know.”

“Who the hell leaked the information……?”

Team Leader Pyeon Changhyeon was also greatly embarrassed by the sudden situation.

However, there was no one among those present who could explain this situation.

Team Leader Pyeon Changhyeon gritted his teeth.

It’s not often that reporters storm a site like this.

In the first place, unless it’s a pre-arranged event by the association for publicity purposes, information shouldn’t reach them until the operation is completely finished.

This… someone deliberately leaked information to the reporters.

Without even discussing it in advance, unilaterally.

‘Which bastard is it…….’

That’s what he thought, but what’s important now wasn’t that.

“What are you doing! Escort Hunter Kim Junwoo to headquarters and guard him so that he can’t be approached!”

“Y, yes. Understood!”

Deputy Hwang Donghui immediately began to move as Team Leader Pyeon shouted.

At the same time, the control team staff immediately began to restrain the reporters, but they didn’t seem willing to easily clear the way.

As they blocked Kim Junwoo’s path and continued to pour out questions.

“Kim Junwoo.”

Two men in suits appeared.

At the same time, Team Leader Pyeon Changhyeon’s eyes widened.

None other than Operation Team Leader Lee Sooyong and Operation Headquarters Chief Seo Mincheol.

The mainstays of the Seoul headquarters had appeared on the scene in person.

“…What’s going on?”

However, Kim Junwoo’s expression was calm at their appearance.

Then, Headquarters Chief Seo Mincheol gestured.

At the same time.

“……Wh, what?”

“Crazy…….”

“Something’s up…….”

Everyone at the scene couldn’t help but be shocked.

That’s because those who appeared in front of Kim Junwoo were.

“Are you Hunter Kim Junwoo of Operation Team 1, Seoul Headquarters?”

“……Yes.”

“You are currently suspected of manipulating the subjugation plan and violating operation rules. We need you to come with us for investigation.”

Belonging to the association’s audit team.

They were from the Operation Truth Investigation Committee.