The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 67

066

A small bar near Itaewon.

[Breaking News.]

The baseball broadcast playing on the old TV in the corner was cut off for a breaking news report.

[The large-scale, simultaneous Intercept incidents that occurred throughout Seoul starting at 6 PM have finally come to an end around 10:30 PM today.]

The news was enough to startle even Yang Min-ho, who usually paid little attention.

Yang Min-ho held his glass, staring at the TV with a stiff expression.

[During the Intercept, the Earl Grey Guild accidentally entered an Orange-grade dungeon and lost contact. However, the newly appointed Head of Operations for the Otherworld Association, Kim Jun-woo, and Operations Team 1 immediately launched a rescue operation, successfully saving all guild members.]

Most of the customers in the bar reacted with relief.

Of course, the news was anything but fortunate for Yang Min-ho.

[Furthermore, Head of Operations Kim Jun-woo has taken responsibility for today’s Intercept through a cooperative relationship between the guild and the association. He has also forged cooperative agreements with all guilds in Seoul under reasonable conditions. This fact is rapidly spreading among citizens, and voices supporting Kim Jun-woo are growing once again…]

Yang Min-ho finally turned away from the TV.

“Haha….”

A burst of laughter escaped him without his realizing it.

A cooperative relationship with the association?

Reasonable conditions?

‘Is that bastard really insane…?’

Yang Min-ho continued to laugh in disbelief.

Just then, his phone rang.

Unsurprisingly, it was Assemblyman Jung Hoon.

“…Yes.”

「What, what the hell is going on! Why is the association signing cooperative agreements with guilds?!」

“This is also unexpected for me.”

「Unexpected? How can you say that! The election is only a few months away, and this will only increase the association’s approval ratings. How are you going to take responsibility for this!」

“Assemblyman.”

Yang Min-ho’s voice dropped sharply.

“Who do you think you’re yelling at right now?”

「…….」

Assemblyman Jung Hoon couldn’t bring himself to speak.

“Anyway, I also regret this situation. It’s a blemish on my career, not just yours.”

「W-wait a minute! You’re not thinking of quitting here…!」

“You saw the news, didn’t you? That bastard is even crazier than I thought. It seems like it would be better for us to part ways here before things get too dangerous for each other.”

Click.

Yang Min-ho hung up the phone and downed the rest of his drink.

To think he would embrace the guilds in that situation.

Not only did he carry out a rescue operation on behalf of the guilds, but he also signed a cooperation agreement that the guilds had been wanting for years.

The guild’s opinion has already shifted to the association.

Then it’s only a matter of time before that crazy bastard hears that I instigated the Intercept.

Of course, he can’t touch me with his position as the head of the Korean Association… but if things get too noisy, it could cause problems with ‘that side’s’ affairs.

‘I should take a break for a while.’

It was at that moment, as he was about to get up in a hurry.

“Where are you going?”

A man approached, his voice low and filled with murderous intent.

“Sit down for now. I have something to say.”

“……”

The moment he faced the man, Yang Min-ho’s eyes sharpened.

It was the protagonist of the news, Head of Operations Kim Jun-woo.

‘How does this bastard know I’m here…!’

Of course, Yang Min-ho knew him.

But regardless of what he knew, there was no way he would know him.

Unable to understand, he stood still, glaring at the man.

“I said sit down, you bastard. Before I break your legs.”

The man’s eyes flashed.

It was on a completely different level from the listless appearance he had seen on TV.

A presence that genuinely sought to devour his opponent.

A presence that would make even the current number one hunter in the country falter.

***

“……”

Yang Min-ho still didn’t budge.

Knowing there would be no end if he just waited for an answer, I sat down next to Yang Min-ho and spoke first.

“You had a pretty eventful day, huh?”

“……Do you know me?”

To play dumb now?

How absurd.

“Whether I know you or not is none of your business.”

I leaned back against the chair and continued.

“Honestly, I don’t care what kind of request you received or what kind of bullshit you’re doing… but you should have at least stayed within the lines. How can a hunter play with people’s lives?”

“…Haha, hahahaha.”

The moment I heard that laughter in my ear.

A certain voice played in my head.

[Acquired Passive: Mysophobia]

[Passive Activated]

“Hey, is it funny?”

“……”

I don’t know how far this bastard is crazy.

I knew he was the type to do anything for a request, but I never thought it would be to this extent.

“……Well, it seems like you know everything, so I can’t deny it anymore.”

Yang Min-ho readily admitted and continued.

With everything exposed, he still has more to say.

It’s truly absurd.

“But I don’t understand. Did I kill anyone? Surely you’re not saying it’s because I gave the wrong dungeon grade…….”

“Stop talking nonsense. Do you think I don’t know you intentionally gave the wrong grade?”

“You’re more perceptive than I thought.”

Yang Min-ho’s smile deepened.

There was also wariness mixed in. It was similar to the expression he had when he looked at me in my past life.

“Anyway, I’m tired today, and I don’t want to cause any more trouble since everything’s over, so I’ll let it slide this time. But…….”

I pointed at Yang Min-ho’s chest with my index finger.

“Don’t let me see you again. If you interfere with my work one more time, I won’t let it go.”

“……I don’t have any reason to listen to you. You’re the head of operations at the association, but not to me, right?”

“So, you’re going to ignore my kind warning?”

“What if I do?”

“Want to come to the dungeon for a bit? I’ll kill you.”

“Haha, a janitor talking big…….”

Yang Min-ho let out a scoff.

“Surely you don’t know who I am, do you?”

“I know.”

“Then what confidence do you have?”

Yang Min-ho took a step towards me.

I could feel a different energy from his eyes than before.

‘Seriously, he’s acting tough just because he’s the number one in the country.’

A bastard who couldn’t even make eye contact with me.

“I think you’re coming on strong because you think I can’t use my powers outside the dungeon, but I’m a freelancer. I don’t really care about getting suspended.”

“Hey, I think you’re misunderstanding something…….”

I lowered my head because I felt like I was going to burst out laughing.

The current officially ranked number one in the country, Yang Min-ho.

A hunter of the mage class.

Even before my regression, he was quite famous as the number two in the country, right behind me.

At the same time.

“What makes you think I can’t?”

A greenhorn who couldn’t even reach my toes until the day he died.

“……”

“……”

We just glared at each other silently for a moment.

But that didn’t last long either.

“S-shouldn’t we call the police…?”

“That’s that person. Head of Operations Kim Jun-woo!”

“Why is Head of Operations Kim Jun-woo here?”

“Call the association first. It looks like a fight’s about to break out.”

The surroundings instantly became noisy.

Yang Min-ho scanned the surroundings.

The moment he saw one of the customers making a call somewhere, he turned his back.

“Be careful in the future. If you cross the line again…….”

I shouted my last warning at Yang Min-ho’s back as he hurriedly tried to leave the store.

“You’re really dead then.”

***

Association, Seoul Headquarters.

Operations Headquarters Office.

「I was truly impressed!」

As soon as I answered the phone, Guild Leader Cha Seok-hyun’s booming voice pierced my ear through the receiver.

“Don’t flatter me too much. It’s embarrassing.”

「Hahaha! But I can’t help it. It wasn’t just any ordinary thing, was it?」

It was what I had been hearing all morning from everywhere, enough to make my ears bleed.

I don’t know why they’re making such a fuss.

「To think that just one operations team succeeded in an Orange-grade rescue operation is honestly unbelievable. No matter how skilled the hunters are, the success of subjugation depends on the command from Orange-grade and above… It’s really hard to believe that you’re from a janitorial background.」

“Haha…….”

I just laughed awkwardly without saying anything else.

There was no point in saying that the one operations team didn’t actually help at all, as it would only unnecessarily escalate the story, so I kept quiet.

「Ahem, anyway, the main point is not that…….」

Cha Seok-hyun carefully continued, changing the subject.

「Are you perhaps going to give our guild a cooperation agreement as well……. The thing is, we weren’t at the scene, so we didn’t receive the contract……. Haha!」

He laughed awkwardly, as if he was embarrassed even after saying it himself.

I chuckled and replied.

“I’ll send you one.”

「Ah, what about the Aphrodite Guild…….」

“Should I send it to the same address?”

I could hear an excited voice over the phone.

It seemed like he was saying something to his employees.

The reaction was 180 degrees different from when we first met.

「Then I’ll be waiting, Head of Operations!」

“Yes. I look forward to working with you.”

As I ended the call, Team Leader Pyeon was waiting demurely in the office.

I wondered when she had come in.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. What’s the matter?”

“The management department has tallied the specific damages caused by last week’s Intercept. Would you like to take a look?”

“It’s okay. What’s the point now? What else?”

“Everything else is… good as a result.”

Team Leader Pyeon smiled, fluttering the documents.

“The guilds that signed the contract this time are very motivated. The amount of subjugation has increased by 40% compared to last week. Anyway, 100 a month was the limit with the current number of operations team members, but being able to subjugate an additional 40 dungeons without any expenses is definitely a benefit. It’s like getting 5% of the subjugation revenue for free.”

“I see.”

“We started at a loss, but at this rate, we’ll be able to make up for the damages quickly.”

Team Leader Pyeon slammed the file shut.

“You’re amazing. I never thought you’d be thinking this far ahead……. I’m ashamed that I thought you were just throwing out words because you were too lazy to start a big deal for a moment.”

“……There’s no need to be ashamed.”

Because that’s actually right.

“Also, the favorability towards the association has skyrocketed… Head of Operations, you’ve really solidified your position with this incident. They say you’re a true leader who won’t happen twice in this era. Well, I agree. Hahaha!”

“Whatever…….”

I’m leaving in three weeks, so what’s the point of solidifying my position now?

That being said, it seems that Team Leader Pyeon also doesn’t know that I’m about to retire.

“Well, I’m relieved that everything’s good anyway. Now that all the hunters in Seoul, except for freelancers, are affiliated with the association, we won’t have a shortage of personnel in the future, right?”

“Of course. There won’t be any major problems with subjugation.”

That’s enough.

I’ve achieved all the goals I originally intended.

“That’s a relief. Oh, how’s the research facility expansion going?”

“It’s still under construction, but several pieces of equipment have already been brought in. Well… Lee Ah-young said she can’t wait until it’s completed and has already started researching time stones.”

What a personality……. [Referring to Lee Ah-young’s eagerness and impatience.]

Well, that’s just like her.

I leaned back against the chair.

Anyway, the happenings of one night were somehow resolved.

I hoped that it wouldn’t reach the ears of the higher-ups at all… but well, it was impossible since it was openly on the news.

Thanks to that, I got an earful from Director Lee Doo-shik from the morning, but fortunately, there was no special story from the association president.

Yang Min-ho hasn’t been heard from since that day, so it’s over with this.

I should rest a little for the time being until I retire…….

“H-Head of Operations! Team Leader Pyeon! Emergency situation!”

“……Damn it.”

As if there was no time to turn on the happy circuit, Deputy Hwang Dong-hui appeared, violently throwing open the office door.

“What is it this time…….”

“The otherworld wave we caught near Incheon Port the other day! Our predictions were correct.”

My face and Team Leader Pyeon’s face hardened at the same time.

“An underwater dungeon has appeared.”

Team Leader Hwang Dong-hui said in a tense voice.

I asked calmly, trying my best.

“What’s the grade? What’s the grade?”

“It’s a Red grade.

I’m going crazy.

“Summon all operations teams. Right now.”

I immediately grabbed my coat and got up from my seat.