The Dungeon Cleaning Life of a Once Genius Hunter

Accidents happen in an instant.

This was a typical dimensional dungeon.

An alien space disconnected from Earth, yet one without traps or complex paths, making it the type of dungeon with the fewest casualties.

Until we entered the boss room, that fact held true.

But then…

“Soyeon? What’s wrong, Soyeon!”

Team Leader Park’s urgent voice echoed.

While dismantling the boss monster, Maximum Slime, Moon Soyeon suddenly collapsed.

At first, we thought it was exhaustion. She had seemed particularly tired recently.

But upon checking her condition, it became clear that this was much more serious.

Stiffening limbs, lips turning blue, labored breathing.

This was definitely…

“…She touched the slime. She’s been poisoned.”

“What?! But she’s wearing a protective suit—there’s no way!”

Han Sanghyuk looked incredulous.

But his doubt didn’t last long.

As soon as we laid Moon Soyeon flat, the tear on the side of her protective suit was glaringly obvious.

“F-First, get her out of here immediately! Call for the support team! Junwoo, you and the Hunter carry Soyeon! Quickly!”

“Hey, Kim Junwoo! What are you doing, you idiot?! Move!!”

Han Sanghyuk’s voice was almost a scream, but I didn’t budge.

“…Teacher?”

I was sorry, but even if we rushed her out now, it would be too late.

The poison from Maximum Slime was deadly. If it made direct contact with the skin, the golden window of survival was only about five minutes.

Sure, the support team had antidotes, but they couldn’t arrive in five minutes, nor could we reach them that fast.

Unless we could teleport, the chances of saving her were…

I shook my head as I thought, It’s hopeless.

But then, as Moon Soyeon’s face turned completely pale, something flashed in my mind.

“…The last resort.”

For some reason, the lizard story I always joked about came to mind.

The tale of tail-shedding.

An extremely inefficient and damaging method of self-harm.

But a necessary sacrifice to survive.

…Tch, how uncharacteristic of me.

“Kim Minjoo.”

“Y-Yes?”

“Draw your sword.”

As soon as I spoke, Kim Minjoo pulled her sword from her inventory, though she looked utterly confused.

“It’s simple. Just make one clean cut. You can do that, right?”

“…W-Wait, you’re not suggesting we cut Soyeon?”

“No. Cut me.”

Kim Minjoo’s eyes widened in shock.

She couldn’t comprehend what I was saying.

She lowered the sword and raised her voice.

“W-What are you trying to do?!”

“What the hell are you saying?!”

“Junwoo! What’s wrong with you?!”

Voices of panic erupted from all around.

Impatient with their reactions, I let out a small sigh.

“Everyone, shut up. We don’t have time for this. Let’s go.”

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but… fine.”

Kim Minjoo quickly composed herself, gripping the sword firmly.

She took her stance, her gaze steady.

“Balmu.”

[Skill acquired: Balmu]
[Skill activated]

Wait, I didn’t tell her to use a skill—

Slash!

A pain so intense it left me light-headed tore across my abdomen.

Blood gushed out like a waterfall, soaking the ground.

[Attack on the caster detected]
[Switching to combat mode]
[Skill activation: Hyper Boost acquired]

My entire body felt like it was on fire.

This was a movement skill only usable in combat.

I’d never thought I’d need it while doing cleanup work…

“I’ll take Soyeon to the support team. See you there.”

“W-What are you talking about? Even by taxi, it’d take at least thirty minut—!”

Whoosh!

Team Leader Park’s voice faded away.

Instead, the sound of wind tearing past my ears took over.

***

“You got here just in time to save her.”

Association Support Team Affiliated Medical Center, Emergency Room.

The medical staff who had completed the treatment spoke in a calm tone.

At the same time, sighs of relief erupted from everyone around.

“Fortunately, she regained consciousness right away… After monitoring her condition for a while, she should be able to go home.”

“Th-Thank you so much!”

Team Leader Park bowed deeply, almost 90 degrees, to the young doctor who was practically his son’s age.

“Oh, and as for that gentleman over there…”

“Kim Junwoo.”

“Yes, Mr. Kim Junwoo, please stop by the administration office on your way out. For the stitching fee.”

The doctor gestured toward my abdomen, which was wrapped in layers of bandages.

Unbelievable. Charging me for this? How much could a few stitches possibly cost?

As the doctor left, the rest of us naturally gathered around the bed.

Moon Soyeon, who had narrowly escaped death, gave a sheepish smile.

“Seriously, are you trying to make people worry to death?!”

“Hey, that’s no way to talk to someone who just got hurt.”

“Are you okay, Soyeon?”

“Of course! I’m perfectly fine.”

Moon Soyeon laughed softly, but despite her cheerful expression, Han Sanghyuk looked like he was about to explode.

“Haah, damn it. How does a protective suit tear just from moving your arm a bit?”

“Hey, no swearing in the hospital.”

“Who wouldn’t swear in a situation like this? Honestly, isn’t it ridiculous that they haven’t replaced our suits in over six months? Hunters get all new gear with just a word, but what about us? This is absurd!”

“Hey, hey, calm down…”

“What? Am I wrong?!”

At Team Leader Park’s subtle signal, Han Sanghyuk finally shut his mouth and glanced nervously at Kim Minjoo.

“Oh, uh, I didn’t mean it’s the hunters’ fault or anything…”

“It’s fine.”

Kim Minjoo answered without even looking at him.

The atmosphere turned cold in an instant.

Everyone seemed to think Han Sanghyuk had offended an active hunter, but judging by her expression, Kim Minjoo was simply lost in thought.

“Anyway, take this chance to get some proper rest. I’ll take care of filing for worker’s compensation.”

“…Will it be approved?”

“Of course! You were injured on the job. Don’t think about anything else and just—”

“Uh, Junwoo? Where are you going?”

Moon Soyeon interrupted Team Leader Park and called out to me.

“Just getting some fresh air.”

I gave a vague answer and walked out of the hospital room.

The hallway was bustling with medical staff coming and going.

My footsteps felt lighter than ever as I crossed the corridor.

“This… is working out better than I expected.”

I couldn’t hold back a grin.

This was an opportunity.

The perfect chance to secure funding.

[Oblivion Flames – Unlock Condition: Increase Dungeon Cleanup Team Budget]
The outdated equipment due to budget constraints.

The safety of the cleanup team had long been a cracked plate, destined to shatter eventually.

Now that a team member had been injured, this was the perfect time to push for a budget increase.

Leaning on this incident, they would have no choice but to provide support, if only for the sake of appearances.

“Heh heh…”

With this, I’d already gained two skills.

At this rate, my days with the cleanup team were numbered.

***

“What’s up with that guy…?”

Han Sanghyuk glared at the door that had slammed shut behind me.

“His expression was so serious. Do you think something’s wrong?”

“Of course he’s mad.”

“Ah, it must be because I caused so much trouble…”

“No, it’s because you got hurt.”

At Moon Soyeon’s self-reproach, Team Leader Park shook his head.

“That guy might seem like a jerk, but he cares deeply about his teammates. You can tell just by looking at him.”

Team Leader Park’s confident expression made Kim Minjoo glance at him quietly.

“Cares deeply about his teammates…”

Yes, if it’s him, he surely…

Kim Minjoo repeated those words to herself and turned her gaze toward the tightly shut door.

“But still, isn’t that guy such a mystery? I can’t tell if he’s a genius or just crazy.”

“…Why? What happened?”

Moon Soyeon tilted her head in confusion.

“Oh, you wouldn’t remember. That guy saved you. He even used a skill to do it!”

“Junwoo saved me?!”

“That’s right! Damn, I’ve worked cleanup for a while, but I’ve never seen anyone use a skill on the job…”

“Junwoo saved me? And I didn’t even thank him… What should I do?”

Han Sanghyuk clamped his mouth shut, seemingly unable to process anything after hearing about the skill usage.

“By the way… Minjoo, ma’am?”

Meanwhile, Team Leader Park cautiously turned toward Kim Minjoo.

“Yes?”

“What do you think of Junwoo?”

“Well, he seems like a good person, but his looks aren’t really my type…”

“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant. I mean as a hunter. What do you think of him as a hunter?”

“…Ah.”

Kim Minjoo’s face turned slightly red but quickly returned to its usual calm.

“As a hunter…”

“That guy honestly doesn’t belong here. You’ve seen it too, haven’t you? His knowledge of dungeons and monsters, not to mention his strategies, seem better than most hunters.”

“Are you asking if I can move him to an operations team?”

“Yes. I know it’s a long shot, but if there’s even a small chance…”

Kim Minjoo nodded.

She didn’t need Team Leader Park to tell her; she already knew.

From everything she’d seen so far, Kim Junwoo’s transfer wasn’t just possible—it was inevitable.

“Compared to most hunters, he’s far superior in experience and skill. I can vouch for that. But the problem is…”

“Th-There’s a problem?”

“Yes. The issue is that he’s in the cleanup team.”

The moment Kim Minjoo finished speaking, Han Sanghyuk shot to his feet.

“Wait a minute, ma’am. Are you saying being in the cleanup team means he can’t move up?”

“No, it’s the opposite.”

“…What?”

“His actual abilities are beyond my comprehension. He’s far better than a B-rank like me. He probably knows his own capabilities better than anyone. And yet, he chose to join the cleanup team instead of an operations team. What does that tell you?”

“That he wanted this job?”

“Exactly. I can’t think of any other explanation.”

Kim Minjoo looked around at the team members.

Judging by their stunned expressions, the revelation had left a significant impact.

Who in their right mind would willingly choose cleanup work?

Even a random passerby would likely refuse.

And yet, Kim Junwoo had the skills to become a hunter at any moment.

The idea that someone like him would want to stay in the cleanup team…

The team members were caught in a mix of shock and admiration, torn between the two feelings.

“Junwoo has incredible skills, but he probably doesn’t want to get involved in the hierarchy of the association or hunters. Or maybe, compared to a place where camaraderie is nowhere to be found, he prefers the cleanup team.”

“If that’s the case… I can’t recommend him hastily.”

“Exactly. He would definitely be a top-tier hunter if he joined the operations team, but… unless he wants it, we can’t force him. In fact, bringing it up might even be rude.”

“Then, there’s nothing we can do. This conversation has to stay secret from Junwoo.”

“Yes, I think that’s for the best.”

The atmosphere grew solemn.

Amid the quiet, Han Sanghyuk, who had been deep in thought, subtly spoke up.

“Just a thought, but… if Junwoo really cares that much about his teammates… he’s not seriously going to go confront the association, is he?”

Everyone’s eyes widened in surprise.