The Dungeon Cleaning Life of a Once Genius Hunter

“By the way, Junwoo.”

It was barely ten minutes since we entered the dungeon.

Amid the ongoing corridor cleaning, Team Leader Park cautiously began speaking.

“What is it?”

“Well… I’m not one to pry into your relationship with that Hunter over there, but…”

“And?”

“What exactly is she doing here?”

“…”

Both of us instinctively turned our heads.

There stood Kim Minjoo, grappling with a mop as she battled the bloodstains smeared across the corridor floor.

“I brought her.”

“Well, of course, you did! I sure didn’t!”

“Given how Manager Hee-jang’s return is still up in the air, it’s better to have one more pair of hands, don’t you think?”

“In general, sure. But her…?”

Team Leader Park sneaked another glance at Kim Minjoo.

Then he lowered his voice considerably.

“She’s a Hunter, though…”

I could tell instantly what he was implying.

No matter how you look at it, the cleaning team is the lowest-ranked department in the Association. Meanwhile, the operations team—Hunters—are its most prized personnel.

To draw an analogy, the cleaning team are like commoners or even slaves, while Hunters are the nobles.

Park’s point was simple: what is someone of noble status doing in this dingy place, cleaning up filth?

But honestly… it’s not like I brought her along willingly.

What stubbornness…

A sigh escaped my lips before I could stop it.

After I gave her that bit of advice that day, Kim Minjoo suddenly came to me with the ridiculous idea of wanting to learn swordsmanship.

Of course, I turned her down on the spot.

But starting the very next day, she began showing up. Every single day.

Our schedules were likely leaked by the logistics team because, without fail, she’d be waiting in front of the dungeon after every cleaning job.

For a whole week straight!

Finally, unable to take it anymore, I told her last night that I might consider her request if she helped out with the cleaning.

Honestly, I thought that would be enough to deter her. Surely, she’d say, “Ah, no thanks, cleaning is a bit…” and give up.

I mean, really, what kind of Hunter would do this kind of menial labor?

Or, even more basic than that, who would take a vacation only to spend it cleaning?

…But I had underestimated her determination.

Kim Minjoo actually showed up for work with the cleaning team.

And now she’s here, silently going about her cleaning duties.

A bona fide B-rank Hunter, scrubbing down a dungeon as part of the cleaning team.

On the surface, I tried to appear unruffled, but deep down…

What the hell? Why would you actually come? And why is a B-rank Hunter doing this? Aren’t you embarrassed? No, forget that—what if you start showing up every day? Then what? Dammit, this is so awkward. How did it even come to this…

I was, quite honestly, losing my mind inside.

“Excuse me, this won’t come off.”

“Huh? What?”

Kim Minjoo’s voice broke my spiral of thoughts.

The title “teacher” was something she decided on her own.

Clearly, her plan was to embarrass me to death.

“You need to use the cleaning solution. Don’t just rub at it like an idiot.”

“Oh…”

I walked over and grabbed the mop out of her hands.

“Look here. This is human blood, and this is monster blood. If both are mixed, you can’t clean them the same way. Use a mop for one and fire to burn away the other. Got it?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“This sticky stuff here is monster flesh. Using solution to remove it would waste too much. Scrape it gently with a knife instead. Collect the scraps in one place. And after you use the knife, make sure to wipe it immediately. Monster blood can corrode the blade.”

“…Yes.”

“What’s with that face? You don’t want to do this? Well, it’s true that a Hunter doing this kind of work is a bit much. Maybe you should just quit and go back—”

“No, it’s just… Cleaning is more intricate than I thought.”

“…”

Kim Minjoo, stroking her chin, looked genuinely intrigued.

Watching her, Team Leader Park let out a hearty laugh, clearly entertained.

“Hah! Junwoo, you’re finally a real cleaner now!”

“Well, tha—”

I quickly clamped my mouth shut.

Good grief.

What was I about to say just now?

Was I seriously about to thank him?

Thank him for recognizing me as a cleaner?

Me, Kim Junwoo, the world’s first SSS-rank Hunter?

Damn it. I want to cry…

Overcome with a sudden wave of self-loathing, my shoulders slumped.

I trudged back to my spot, dragging my feet.

But I didn’t even get a moment to gather my thoughts before a sharp gaze bored into me.

Turning my head, I found Moon Soyeon staring at me with a distinctly displeased expression.

“…Uh, is something wrong?”

“Nothing at all.”

She hastily averted her gaze.

“Teacher, I’m done here. What should I do next…?”

“Oh! Then how about coming with me over there? That’s okay, right, Team Leader?”

Before Kim Minjoo could even finish her sentence, Moon Soyeon swooped in and snatched her away.

Kim Minjoo looked visibly flustered.

“Huh? Uh… But there are a lot of corpses over there. Won’t it be too much for just the two of you?”

“It’s not every day you get to work with a Hunter! Isn’t that right, Miss Hunter?”

“…Sure, I guess.”

Kim Minjoo answered dryly.

And so, Moon Soyeon led Kim Minjoo down the corridor.

“Hey, hey.”

Watching the two walk away, Han Sanghyuk nudged me.

“I’m betting on the Hunter to win. What about you?”

“…”

Me too.

An awkward silence settled over the corridor.

Moon Soyeon was already regretting her impulsive action.

She’d brought Kim Minjoo along, but now that they were together, she had nothing to say.

It was only natural for the atmosphere to grow increasingly uncomfortable.

Why did I do something so out of character? Stupid…

As Moon Soyeon sighed and berated herself internally, Kim Minjoo broke the silence first.

“You look tired. Are you okay?”

“Huh? Oh, I’m fine. Really.”

“I don’t think so.”

“…Haha.”

Kim Minjoo quickly gave her a once-over.

The lie was so obvious it might as well have been written on her face.

“Honestly, I haven’t slept well for the past few days.”

“Did something happen?”

“Not really… It’s nothing serious.”

It was clear she didn’t want to elaborate.

Since it wasn’t a story she was eager to tell, Kim Minjoo didn’t press further.

“Forget about me; tell me about yourself, Miss Hunter. This is actually my first time having a proper conversation with a Hunter.”

“There’s not much to tell… Just that I became a Hunter because of my father.”

“Whoa. Your father was a Hunter too? So you’re working together as a father-daughter duo?”

“No. He got dismissed. Shoulder injury.”

Kim Minjoo recounted a story she’d nearly experienced herself with calm detachment.

“When he reported it to his superior, they told him to stop faking it and just do his job… His teammates kept giving him dirty looks, like he was lazy for wanting to take a break. He didn’t want to burden anyone, so he pushed through, and that only made it worse.”

“What?! That’s terrible! They’re supposed to be colleagues! How could they—”

“No.”

Her voice was firm.

Kim Minjoo’s gaze turned sharp.

“There are no colleagues in the Association. There are only ranks—those below you and those above you. My father… never made it past B-rank. Not until the day he was let go.”

“T-That’s just…”

“To be honest, who would care about a Hunter stuck at B-rank forever? They’d be lucky to even be seen as human. In the end, my father was nothing more than a tool they used and discarded.”

Her teeth ground audibly.

For a moment, Moon Soyeon worried she might have cracked something.

“Anyway, that’s just how the Association works. It’s all about hierarchy. They’re harsh on the weak and endlessly deferential to the strong. Even among Hunters, that’s how it is…”

She stopped herself from saying, Imagine how much worse it must be for the cleaning team.

Not that she meant to insult anyone, but it wasn’t something you said to the person in question.

Whether Moon Soyeon was aware of this or not, she simply waited for Kim Minjoo to continue, her gaze earnest and unwavering.

Ahem. Clearing her throat, Kim Minjoo steered the conversation in another direction.

“You like the ‘Teacher,’ don’t you?”

“…Does it show?”

“Well, anyone could see it.”

Kim Minjoo finally cracked a smile.

Whether it was from innocence or boldness, the way Moon Soyeon immediately latched onto the subject struck her as quite endearing.

“Well, I just think he’s very responsible. Oh, but on the first day, he did absolutely nothing. And on the second day, he showed up an hour late! So I thought he’d quit soon, but… now he works harder than anyone else.”

“I see.”

Moon Soyeon, without being prompted, began eagerly sharing her thoughts.

Kim Minjoo listened without any sign of irritation.

“And he knows so much about dungeons and monsters. Seriously, there’s nothing he doesn’t know! His information is even more accurate than what we get from the logistics team… and sometimes he knows stuff that’s not even in the reports! Isn’t that amazing?”

“Of course…”

“Of course?”

“…Never mind.”

My instincts weren’t wrong.

That man wasn’t just some janitor.

That’s what Kim Minjoo thought.

No matter how observant someone was, it was nearly impossible to discern a person’s condition in such detail just from the knife wounds on a corpse.

Unless they were a Hunter with extraordinary skill and experience.

And if this man also knew more about dungeons and monsters than even the Control Team…

I can’t afford to let him slip away.

Kim Minjoo bit her lip.

“Anyway, don’t worry. I don’t have any personal interest in him.”

“R-Really? Then why do you visit Junwoo every day?”

“…Didn’t I say earlier? That everyone here is cruel to the weak but endlessly submissive to the strong.”

“Yes… You did.”

“Soyeon, I can’t stand that. I think it’s absolute garbage.”

Kim Minjoo still wore a smile.

But to Moon Soyeon, it didn’t look like a smile at all.

“That’s why I have to become strong. And for that, I need his help. That’s all.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Kim Minjoo realized her mistake.

She’d said way too much to someone she’d only just met. As if Moon Soyeon would care about her ambitions or reasons.

The weight of her words seemed to sour the mood, and she felt a pang of guilt.

“Uh… So what you’re saying is…”

“…?”

“You’re definitely not his ex, right?”

As it turned out, there was no need to worry.

***

Once everyone had finished cleaning their respective areas, we began regrouping to head toward the boss room.

“You know those types of bosses. The ones who constantly push their luck trying to make a move.”

“Seriously! I’ve dealt with one like that before too…”

From a distance, I saw Moon Soyeon and Kim Minjoo chatting as they approached.

They seemed to have grown surprisingly close in such a short amount of time.

What could’ve possibly happened in just thirty minutes?

“Alright, as I explained earlier, today’s boss is a venomous monster. I know you all know what you’re doing, but be extra careful today. That said, as long as it doesn’t touch your skin, you’ll be fine, so don’t panic too much.”

Once everyone was gathered, Team Leader Park delivered his final safety reminders.

“Yes.”

“…Ah, yes!”

One response was a beat late.

The culprit was Moon Soyeon.

“What’s wrong, Soyeon? Is something the matter?”

“N-No. It’s just that the protective suit feels a bit uncomfortable today.”

“Oh, is it because it’s old? Where does it feel uncomfortable?”

“It’s hard to raise my arms properly… but I think I can still work just fine.”

She rotated her arm in a circle to demonstrate.

Watching her, Han Sanghyuk let out a deep sigh.

“Speaking of which, don’t you think it’s about time we got new protective suits? One even got torn last time, so we don’t have any spares left. Can’t you ask the Association to increase the budget? What if there’s an accident?”

“Do you think I haven’t tried? They keep saying there’s no money. What am I supposed to do?”

“Seriously… They work us to death and still pinch pennies wherever they can.”

For once, I found myself agreeing with him.

Even though my protective suit was one of the newer ones, there were still visible stains and worn spots all over it.

“For now, let’s make do with what we have. Alright, if everyone’s ready, let’s head in.”

With that, Team Leader Park led the way into the boss room.