A Day in the Life of a Dungeon Investigator
My eyes opened before the alarm even had a chance to ring. The familiar ceiling, the familiar scent. Just days ago this room had felt slightly foreign, but now even that unfamiliarity had become comforting.
“Five days of reckoning, complete,” I murmured quietly.
The vacation had been three days, but with the weekend attached it made a full five. It was the first time I’d taken this long a break from work since entering the dungeons. To be precise, it wasn’t so much a break as a chance to recalibrate my body.
Ever since absorbing the dungeon core, my senses had changed. Mana flowed steadily through me, and my fingertips trembled with a light, constant energy. Reactions at my fingertips were far quicker and smoother than before. Heavy objects now felt light in my hands, and the resistance when moving things with telekinesis had dropped dramatically.
Standing before the mirror, I raised my hand and lifted a small water cup. It used to wobble before; now it spun gently in midair. I counted silently, extending the duration. Five seconds, ten, twenty—
“Good.”
Yet a part of me still felt uneasy. The fights inside dungeons were still rough and clumsy. More instinct than technique. Every swing of the sword came late, my stance unstable.
“This isn’t fighting. It’s just surviving.”
The words echoed back at me. In the end, I scribbled a few lines on the memo pad on my desk.
Swordsmanship — Beginner. I’ve earned enough for gear, so now it’s time to move my body properly.
“From now on, let’s stop rolling around on the ground and fight with some style.”
I muttered it like a promise to myself. The power of the dungeon core had settled inside me. My center of gravity felt anchored, and strength no longer scattered but flowed evenly to my fingertips. For the first time, I felt like I could actually control my own power.
Setting the cup down, I thought, “I need to make time this weekend. Before I go tumbling through another dungeon… I should at least learn some swordsmanship if I want to keep surviving.”
Sunlight streamed through the window. My eyes stung for a moment. It felt like a signal that the short break was ending.
Opening the office door, the familiar air greeted me. The smell of coffee, dust, and faint traces of mana. It was the same scent as always, yet today it felt slightly different.
“Clocked in. Vacation’s over, back to the daily grind.”
I rolled my shoulders once before even turning on the monitor. The screen displayed the records from the Chuncheon E-01 dungeon. Stabilization value 5.3, residual mana coefficient 2.0 — unstable sector. The numbers were just data, but behind them lay blood, sweat, and a balance that had barely held.
[Gate Status: Natural Extinction]
The short phrase caught my eye.
Thank goodness.
It wasn’t a sigh, but a quiet sense of relief. The dungeon being completely closed meant what I’d done hadn’t been in vain.
Osan, Jinjeop, Pyeongtaek— the dungeons I’d visited over the past six months scrolled past in the list. Every single one carried the same line.
[Gate Status: Natural Extinction]
The monitor’s glow lit the back of my hand. Until now I’d thought of these numbers as nothing more than report data, but now they looked different.
This is my job. Proof that I’m still alive.
“Confirmed natural extinction. No anomalies.”
It was the same report line I always used, but this time my voice carried a small, firm resolve.
Starting today, I’ll do things a little differently.
Leave results, not just records.
I leaned back in my chair. The office air settled calmly around me. The chill outside the dungeons and the stillness here were ultimately the same reality. This wasn’t an escape anymore. It was a return.
A new beginning as an investigator.
“Jihoon.”
I looked up at the voice behind me. Team Leader Yoo Mira stood holding a coffee cup.
“How was your vacation?”
“Good, Team Leader. I rested well. My body feels a bit looser.”
“That’s good. You had back-to-back dungeon deployments, so resting was the priority.”
She set the cup down and continued.
“You have the headquarters re-evaluation next week, right? Contract renewal for your second year and salary negotiation.”
“Yes, I’m preparing for it.”
“Let me know if you need anything. I’ll adjust your schedule. Just make sure your reports are properly organized.”
“Understood.”
“Let’s get through this one safely too. The atmosphere at headquarters evaluations has been a bit sensitive lately.”
“I’ll be careful.”
In the afternoon I headed to the measurement room beside the training wing. The investigator-exclusive measurement room had a sealed structure. Walls covered in gray alloy, the air scattered with microscopic mana particles.
“Jihoon, the measurement room is free.”
The staff member opened the door for me. Inside, a circular measurement device sat at the center. Orb-shaped mana reactors were embedded in the floor at regular intervals, and panels on the ceiling emitted a soft glow.
I strapped the sensor onto my wrist. The moment the cold metal touched my skin, a faint vibration traveled to my fingertips.
“Measurement preparation complete. Mana flow test commencing.”
The mechanical voice rang out. I took a breath and raised my fingers. The orbs on the floor slowly began to rise. A light current slid along my arm. The heat at my fingertips grew denser, and the flow of mana spread through my entire arm. When I pushed a little harder, the orbs trembled and light flared across them.
This much is fine.
The mana inside me circulated smoothly. The pressure flow of the surrounding air shifted, and the equipment’s vibration hummed low in my ears.
“Good, stop.”
I lowered my hand with a whisper. The orbs dropped back into place and silence returned. The machine emitted a low tone signaling the end.
I exhaled and wiped the sweat away. In truth, I could have pushed further. Reaching C-rank standards wouldn’t have been difficult. But if the increase was too dramatic, it would draw attention. That wouldn’t be good for me. So I always held back. Just enough to show, and nothing more.
The door opened and a familiar voice called out.
“Hey, data checks on your first day back?”
It was Oh Jaehoon.
“Preparing for next week’s evaluation. Felt like my senses had dulled a bit.”
I spoke while scrolling through the monitor’s readings.
“I was checking the last measurement results, and the mana circulation was more stable than I expected.”
“Hold on, is this real? You’ve completely surpassed E-rank? You’re almost at the D-rank threshold.”
“Yeah. The numbers came out pretty stable this time. Absorbing mana while running dungeons seems to have helped.”
“Dude, going from F-rank to near D-rank in a year and a half is basically a record.”
“It is unusual. Still, it’s not an impossible number.”
“Must’ve gotten lucky.”
“Luck doesn’t explain this. It’s genuinely fast.”
He hesitated for a moment before continuing.
“Did you take some kind of elixir or something? Your circulation is at the level of someone using supplements.”
“Elixir? Have you been drinking, hyung?”
“Me? Two bottles. Bought them with last quarter’s bonus. C-rank mana purification elixir. One bottle’s about two hundred and fifty million, so two would be five hundred million.”
“Five hundred million? Hyung, how did you…”
“Salary alone wouldn’t cut it. My family helped out a bit.”
“My family’s pretty well-off. In exchange, I send half my paycheck straight to my parents every month. It’s a win-win.”
“As expected, your background is solid.”
“I can’t even dream of something like that yet.”
“You’ll need it soon enough. Once your mana density rises, circulation gets blocked. Without elixirs, your body will break down first.”
“Then at the evaluation I’ll just say this.”
“What?”
“‘I took some elixirs.’ If your rank rises too fast, it only brings trouble. They say civil servants who stand out too much don’t last long.”
Jaehoon laughed and nodded.
“That’s true. The higher-ups prefer the quiet ones.”
After a brief pause, I asked,
“By the way, hyung, aren’t you aiming for B-rank at next year’s regular evaluation?”
“Me? I’m still C-rank. I’m thinking of taking the B-rank test next year.”
“You’ve already exceeded the performance requirements.”
“Rank doesn’t rise on performance alone. Your body has to withstand it. Mana circulation needs to be stable, and output has to exceed a certain threshold.”
“That’s why I’m saving up for another elixir. Two bottles still aren’t enough to clear the blockage. The mana doesn’t reach the end.”
“So you’re just brute-forcing it with your body.”
“Exactly. From C to B, gear and skills don’t matter. Your body has to hold up, and your mana circulation has to keep pace. Still, I’ve pretty much earned back the cost of the elixirs. That’s something.”
“We could do it because we spend less on personal gear. Haha, I’m still F-rank so I can’t even dream of that.”
“That’s the most comfortable spot. F-rank might have cheap body value, but long lifespan.”
The lights in the measurement room slowly dimmed. As I removed the sensor from my wrist and caught my breath, the heat at my fingertips still lingered.
Now it’s different from before.
I gathered the records and returned to the office. The scent of coffee drifted from the end of the hallway.
“Jihoon, perfect timing.”
Team Leader Yoo Mira looked up and spoke. Behind her, the rest of the team had already gathered.
“An abnormal gate reaction has been detected. Uijeongbu E-13 has shifted into an unstable sector.”
“Uijeongbu’s relatively close.”
Jaehoon set down his coffee as he spoke.
“Still, looks like overtime tonight.”
Doyoon grinned while rolling his shoulders.
“At least it’s nearby, so that’s a relief.”
“The official mission is on-site investigation and residual mana measurement,” Team Leader Yoo Mira said, closing her tablet. “Stabilization if necessary.”
“Dungeons are noisy again today,” Sorin muttered quietly.
“That’s why we’re here.”
“Board the vehicle in ten minutes.”
A new vehicle waited in the parking lot beneath the office. A deep gray van with the “D.I.B. — Dungeon Investigation Bureau” logo emblazoned on its side.
“Not an SUV this time.”
“Budget came through. From now on, all regular investigation teams are switching to H-vans.”
Jaehoon explained as he opened the door.
“Hunter-type large van. Mana-shielding bulkheads, heating and cooling panels, vibration suppression—the works.”
The interior was spacious. There was still room left even after loading two sensors and six bombs. It was a nine-seater configuration, each seat equipped with an equipment compartment and charging port. Mana-shielding pads lined the ceiling.
“We won’t have to split into two vehicles anymore.”
Jaehoon climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine.
“Back in the SUV days, we had more gear than people.”
Doyoon laughed as he took a seat in the back.
“With this, we can reach Uijeongbu in one go. No worrying about the equipment shaking.”
The lights came on, brightening the inside of the van. Jaehoon nodded.
“This really feels like a mobile field office.”
The tablet screen lit up with a map. Team Leader Yoo Mira zoomed in.
“Our destination this time is Uijeongbu E-13. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Hyeonmu Guild. We’re handling the first investigation.”
“Hyeonmu Guild covers the capital region, right? Including northern Seoul?”
“That’s right.”
Doyoon pointed at the map with his finger.
“The Hunter Management Agency divided the country into four zones. Hyeonmu handles the capital region, Jujak the Gyeongsang region, Baekho Chungcheong and Jeolla, and Cheongryong Gangwon and the East Sea. Jeju is under Hallasan Guild, the mountainous areas of Gangwon under Taebaeksan Guild, and the northern independent zone under Baekdusan Guild. This time, the support unit under Hyeonmu conducted the initial exploration.”
“Other regions have similar structures?”
“Yeah. Jujak has Phoenix Guild, Cheongryong has the Cheongryong Intelligence Agency, and under Hyeonmu there’s the administrative intelligence team called the Hyeonmu Intelligence Office. Each manages information in their own sector.”
Doyoon shrugged.
“In the end, it’s all about money.”
“That’s why the pay isn’t bad.”
Team Leader Yoo Mira added with a smile.
“Hunter salaries are 5.5 million for F-rank, 7 million for E-rank, and nearly 100 million for D-rank. C-rank and above come with guild contracts, so earning in the hundreds of millions is standard. Top ranks can make billions.”
Doyoon counted on his fingers as he spoke.
“Of course, 40% of dungeon profits go to the guild, but in reality they earn even more than their salary.”
“We investigators have a fixed base salary.”
“But we get hazard pay for every dispatch. Hunters earn money every time they enter a dungeon, while we earn every time we write a report. For them the dungeon is their paycheck account; for us, the report is.”
“Still, we get to split the mana stones collected during combat. If we include them in the report, the bonus flies away. The real bonus comes from skimming a little.”
“If the headquarters audit team heard that, they’d launch an investigation immediately.”
A short laugh rippled through the van. Sorin tilted her head back.
“Still, reaching SS-rank would change your life, right?”
“That’s a myth.”
Jaehoon scratched his head and laughed.
“We’re just reports and coffee.”
I laughed too.
“Still, that’s reality. Someone has to record the danger, and someone has to read it.”
The van rose to the surface. Sunlight brushed against the vehicle’s body. The engine hummed low as we headed toward Uijeongbu. The new vehicle’s vibrations were barely noticeable. Only a steady resonance remained.
After the investigation ended, the vehicle slowly made its way back along the road. Night had fallen outside the window, and Uijeongbu’s lights rippled like waves. The headlights probed the dark mountain path. Reflected light on the glass brushed against Jihoon’s face.
The inside of the van was quiet. No one spoke, but they all carried the same thought.
That today, too, had ended safely.
Staring at his own reflection in the window, Jihoon murmured in a voice that slipped out like a breath.
“Another day passes like this. Still, today was safe too. I have to endure tomorrow as well… until the day the dungeons end.”
The words were short, but the weight of the day lingered within them.
He quietly added in his heart,
This weekend, I’ll have to come back and absorb more dungeon cores. For now… let’s prepare for the next investigation.
The vehicle drove quietly toward the northern branch. The night air brushed coldly against the window, and within that chill, the traces of today slowly cooled.