The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low

Chapter 260

"First of all!" 

Honeybee raised her index finger.

"We’re low on food and water. There aren’t any monsters we can hunt for food either… so the top priority is getting out of here as quickly as possible. You agree, right?"

"How do we do that?"

"Well, that’s something we’ll have to figure out from here."

"Oh… For a second there, I thought you had some brilliant plan, speaking so confidently. Do you think an exit will just appear if you say so?"

"Hey, we need to assess the situation first, you idiot!"

The conversation was once again derailing after their earlier chase game. Uijae quickly positioned himself between them, cutting in.

"Hold on. Let’s not argue. Let’s do what Honeybee said and figure out what we’re dealing with first."

"Exactly. You get it." 

Sa-young crossed his arms, as if daring Uijae to impress him. Uijae sighed softly.

"Okay, so what are our options for getting out of this dungeon?"

"Either we find the entrance we came through or we kill the dungeon’s master. But neither of those seem possible right now."

"As you can see, there’s nothing here."

"So, it’s confirmed that the corruption is happening in real-time, right?"

"That’s right. There should’ve been a castle here, but it’s completely disappeared."

"......"

"But this is unusually fast. I’ve never seen anything like it before."

"Same here."

For a moment, Uijae and Sa-young’s eyes met. Could this have something to do with Sa-young stepping down from his role as the Gatekeeper? The ‘Hong Yesung’ incident had only been a distraction. It hadn’t stopped the world’s collapse. Sa-young seemed to be thinking the same thing, as he cracked his knuckles and spoke.

"How about we just keep moving?"

"Without a plan?"

"Since the dungeons are connected, there’s a good chance we’ll find another Corruption Dungeon. Maybe the exit there will be intact."

"That’s a really uncertain adventure…"

Honeybee bit her lip in frustration but nodded.

"Fine, let’s get going. We shouldn’t waste any more time."

---

A world after the apocalypse is silent.

In a world where everything had come to a standstill, only three people were alive, leaving traces behind. Three sets of footprints trailed across the white ash. Uijae looked up at the ashen sky. The scenery was familiar. That’s why he couldn’t calm down.

The monster he had killed had been human. And now, he was trapped in a world that had already perished once more.

He thought he’d be fine by now. Uijae gritted his teeth. His head buzzed, his heart pounded, and his breath came in shallow gasps. Sweat formed on the back of his neck. He would have preferred killing monsters over wandering aimlessly through this wasteland.

He felt like throwing up.

His steps began to slow. He watched the backs of the others moving ahead of him. Was he becoming a burden? They needed to keep moving for everyone’s sake.

He closed his eyes tightly.

Should he say something?

He didn’t want to show weakness….

Just then, he felt a gentle hand grab his arm. Uijae opened his eyes. Sa-young had silently approached, standing right in front of him, his usually flamboyant face showing concern.

"What’s wrong?"

Even Honeybee had turned around and was now close by. Uijae’s lips moved, but the words were stuck in his throat. A soft voice urged him.

"Do you have something to say?"

"......"

It was hard to voice what was in his heart. It always had been. People didn’t care about the human side of a hero. But—

Uijae slowly raised his head. He was sure Sa-young would listen and care.

"I’m really sorry, but…"

"Yeah?"

"Could we take a break?"

"Are you hurt?"

"No, it’s not that…."

Uijae wasn’t sure whether to be thankful or embarrassed that his face was hidden behind his mask. He had to speak a little more, since he couldn’t expect understanding without explaining. He fidgeted with his hands behind his back, speaking slowly.

"It’s just… I’m exhausted."

"......"

"I’ve seen too much of this, back when I was in the West Rift. This kind of thing. It’s… overwhelming."

"Oh."

Honeybee covered her mouth with her hand. Uijae slowly lowered his head. He didn’t have the courage to look anyone in the face. When was the last time he had shown such vulnerability? He couldn’t even remember.

Then, a playful voice spoke up lightly.

"Perfect timing. I wanted to rest too. My legs are killing me from all this walking."

"Want me to carry you?"

"No thanks. Just find a place to sit down and rest."

"You sure it’s okay to boss me around like this?"

"Why not? You’re the one in the best shape here. Hurry up!"

Honeybee waved her fist in the air, and Sa-young started walking, albeit reluctantly. She turned to Uijae, pulled something out of her inventory, and handed it to him. It was a water bottle filled to the brim.

"If you’re thirsty, drink. Oh, wait, can you even drink with that mask on? I’ll turn around while you drink, so just let me know when you’re done."

"No, I’m fine right now."

"......"

"......"

An awkward silence settled between them. Honeybee stared off into space for a moment before letting out an exasperated sigh. She turned sharply to face Uijae.

"Thanks for earlier."

"For what?"

"For telling me it was okay to cry."

She lowered her gaze, her eyes still swollen and red.

"To be honest, I didn’t want to cry. It makes me look weak. I’ve seen plenty of comrades die. Sometimes I had to send off comrades who had no chance of survival with my own hands."

"......"

"But…."

She was still carrying the emaciated monster on her back, as if it were nothing. It was as if the weight of it belonged to her alone.

"If I don’t cry for them, who will? I’m the only one who knew them here."

"…That’s true."

"…Anyway, that’s all. It looks like he found a spot. Let’s go."

Sa-young was crouching on the ground, gesturing for them to come over. Honeybee quickly turned and walked toward him, the monster’s legs dragging along the ground behind her. Uijae understood how she felt. He, too, had dug through mountains of corpses, hoping to find even a small bone fragment.

As Uijae approached, Sa-young stood up and pointed to the ground with his finger.

"There are tracks here."

"Tracks?"

"Something passed through here."

"......"

The tracks were faintly covered by ash, but they were clearly visible. They formed uniform, straight lines, as if made by wheels. Since they weren’t completely buried, it must have happened fairly recently. Honeybee’s eyes gleamed.

"Could it lead to another dungeon?"

"Maybe."

Uijae looked up at the sky. The ash continued to fall steadily. He took a deep breath and spoke.

"Let’s follow them before they’re completely covered."

"You sure you’re okay to keep going?"

"Seeing a bit of hope has given me some strength."

Uijae joked. Honeybee snorted and flashed a grin. Without saying another word, they began following the long trail of tracks.

The wheel tracks continued for quite some distance. Though they were occasionally interrupted, they reappeared not far ahead each time. And as they continued walking, the tracks became more distinct. With each step, their hope grew stronger. There was now a certainty that they would find another living being—someone they could communicate with, someone who could help them escape.

They had walked for a while when Uijae suddenly sensed movement nearby. Instinctively, he held his breath and crouched low. Sa-young and Honeybee followed suit.

*Tracker’s Eye!*

Uijae quickly scanned the surroundings, but still, no living creatures appeared.

‘What’s going on?’

Had his ability malfunctioned? That couldn’t be it—Sa-young and Honeybee both seemed fine. Could there really be something invisible to his *Tracker’s Eye*? He blinked several times. All the while, whatever it was that his ability couldn’t detect was getting closer. Finally, Uijae deactivated his ability.

And then—

"Is someone there?"

A voice called out.

They all looked at each other. They exchanged silent glances, communicating their thoughts. Finally, they had encountered another living being. And judging by the voice, it was someone they could talk to. Should they try to engage? It was worth a shot. After all, even if this person turned out to be hostile, they could handle it. The question now was, who would speak first?

First, there was the man in the black mask—immediately suspicious.

Second, the flamboyant-looking man—he’d likely cause trouble the moment he opened his mouth.

Third, the beautiful woman carrying a monster on her back.

…….

Uijae motioned for Honeybee to put down the monster she was carrying. She quickly complied, setting the body down and standing up.

"Sigh, I guess it’s up to me…."

Honeybee straightened her hair with a flourish and called out loudly.

"I am Honeybee of HB Guild. Who’s there?"

"......"

There was a soft murmuring sound, and then a young man stepped out. He was wearing a faded

 fluorescent green vest and a scratched yellow hard hat. The man’s expression was dazed.

"Honeybee Hunter? Why are you here?"

He looked oddly familiar. Uijae squinted, studying the man’s face, then his eyes widened.

It was the rookie that Hang Hye-jin, from the Dimensional Rift Management Bureau, always brought along with her.

"This is a restricted area…. Are you here to conduct an investigation?"

More…

"Ah, yes, exactly. That’s right. We’re here to investigate."

She was certainly quick on her feet.

______________________

TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars and likes of the translation - it inspires me and gives me the strength to write more. Thank you~!