The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low

Chapter 263

Honeybee’s eyes narrowed in frustration.

“Are you really just going to dive straight into the point like that?”

“You all must have given him some kind of explanation, right? Beating around the bush is just a waste of time. Besides…”

Nam Woo-jin glanced at J.

“You said you still remember who you are. So, you should be able to handle it.”

“……”

“And as you know, we’re seriously short on manpower. Just because you’ve lost some memory doesn’t mean you get to sit around doing nothing.”

How irresponsible. Uijae clenched his fists behind his back. Nam Woo-jin pushed open the tightly closed door and entered.

In the middle of the dark room stood a massive machine that resembled a telescope, and three blue mana stones orbited around it in a slow, circular motion. Unable to bear the sharp stares from Honeybee and Uijae, Sa-young sheepishly pointed at the machine with his index finger.

“What’s that?”

“That’s a White-Out Detector.”

What the heck is that? Honeybee and Uijae poked Sa-young’s back again. With a scrunched-up face, Sa-young asked once more.

“…What is that?”

“Have you forgotten what White-Out is?”

“Oh, I guess I have.”

“And you guys didn’t explain it to him?”

“We didn’t know he didn’t know.”

Honeybee and Uijae both shamelessly chimed in. Nam Woo-jin glared at them with his white eyes before sighing deeply.

“…You really haven’t done anything, have you? You were found in the wasteland, weren’t you? White-Out refers to the phenomenon where land, influenced by the apocalypse, turns into a dead zone where no life can survive. The wasteland is an area where White-Out has progressed. Any area touched by the white ash becomes a barren, lifeless land where not even a single blade of grass can grow.”

“And why does that happen?”

“I already told you. This world is being destroyed by the apocalypse. White-Out is a result of the apocalypse.”

Nam Woo-jin spoke of destruction and apocalypse with an indifferent tone. Sa-young squinted his eyes slightly.

“So, you’re just accepting the destruction?”

“Of course not. We’re still fighting.”

“……”

“But at this rate… well.”

Nam Woo-jin swallowed his words. Uijae folded his arms behind his back, deep in thought. In their world, the first sign of the apocalypse was the appearance of monsters. What about here?

“Could you explain the stages or order of the apocalypse? That might help us.”

“Stages? Ah…”

It seemed like a good question. Nam Woo-jin nodded and began manipulating the detector. Soon, the image of a large monster with its mouth wide open appeared in the air. It was a Big Mouth—the same kind of monster that had appeared in their world, devouring humans.

“The first sign was the appearance of the Big Mouths. After the black holes transformed into white holes, these creatures suddenly began appearing all over the world. They consumed everything—humans, buildings, anything.”

“……”

“They can’t see well, but they are highly sensitive to presence and smell. And the things they devour… vanish completely. ‘Obliteration’ is a more accurate term.”

Honeybee lowered her eyes and sighed.

“It’s as if their stomachs are connected to the cracks between worlds. No matter how much they eat, their hunger is never satisfied. They just keep eating… and eating. Until the moment they die.”

“……”

“The number of Big Mouths naturally decreased over time. We learned how to deal with them, and at some point, they just stopped appearing. The next stage was… the monster wave.”

Uijae and Honeybee both looked up at the same time. A monster wave, something that hadn’t yet occurred in their world.

“Monsters affected by White-Out began pouring out of dungeons and gates. It was like a war of attrition. Fortunately, we were able to handle it, but the monsters affected by White-Out scatter white ash as they die.”

“……”

“In the end, the more monsters we kill, the faster White-Out spreads.”

“…What’s the next stage?”

“We’re in it right now.”

His white, burning eyes fell on the three of them. Under the blue light of the mana stones, Nam Woo-jin’s appearance seemed inhuman. He smiled grimly.

“Mutation.”

“……”

“Humans are turning into monsters.”

Honeybee’s expression hardened. Everyone was likely recalling the same memory. The monster that had once been her comrade was now hidden behind Seowon Guild. Who knew how long it would stay there.

“Not many people know, but everyone here does. Even if one of us forgets.”

“Is there any way to stop it? Or a way to turn people back once they’ve become monsters?”

Honeybee asked, her tone sharp. Nam Woo-jin shrugged, as if to say, “You already know the answer.”

“Why ask when you already know? There’s no way to stop it. No way to turn them back. All we know is that humans exposed to White-Out for extended periods seem to mutate faster… That’s all we’ve got.”

“……”

“We’re working with other healers and researchers to find a vaccine, but… who knows if it’ll be possible.”

His voice sounded defeated. Honeybee bit her lip hard, her clenched fists trembling. Uijae stepped forward to shield her from view.

“Thank you for your time, Doctor.”

“J.”

Nam Woo-jin crossed his arms and fired off sternly.

“Take care of yourself. You don’t have to do everything. Saving the world is only possible if you’re alive to do it.”

“……”

“You’re a walking time bomb. Your body could give out at any moment. Be careful. If it feels like too much, run. And come to me immediately. Understand?”

Uijae blinked. His body felt heavy. Ever since stepping into Seowon Guild and taking on the role of J, the weight had lingered. But he couldn’t show it. He nodded slowly. His heart ached with a sharp sting.

“Yes.”

“…Go on. I won’t keep you any longer. You’ll need to stay by Sa-young’s side anyway.”

Nam Woo-jin waved them off, and the door slammed shut behind them. Honeybee, walking mechanically forward, suddenly stopped. She turned to face them with a determined expression.

“We don’t have any other urgent places to go, right?”

“I could come up with something, but for now, no.”

“Then, I’d like to go to HB Guild.”

“……”

“You don’t have to come with me. I just want to go alone…”

Her voice trailed off, losing strength. She probably wanted to visit Matthew. In their original world, he had been in a coma for a long time. Uijae understood that feeling well. He nodded slowly.

“Alright.”

“……”

“Go ahead. We could use more information on the others anyway. Let’s meet up in front of Seowon Guild later. Jung-bin will be there.”

Honeybee looked to Sa-young for his opinion. He simply gave a light nod in response. Then, suddenly, Honeybee grabbed Uijae in a tight hug, squeezing him so hard it nearly knocked the breath out of him. Uijae blinked, taken aback by the unexpected warmth and pain. Honeybee whispered softly,

“Thank you.”

The wind-like embrace ended quickly. After letting go, Honeybee turned and sprinted off with purpose. Watching her quickly disappear into the distance, Uijae rubbed the shoulder she had hugged, only to feel more weight settle on it. Sa-young had leaned against him. Uijae asked dryly,

“…What are you doing?”

“Why aren’t you hugging me?”

“That was Honeybee hugging me, and it was her decision.”

“Yeah, but… I saw you patting her on the back.”

“……”

Of course, he noticed. Better to end this now before it gets any more awkward. Uijae spread his arms wide. Sa-young wrapped his arms around Uijae’s waist and pulled him close. His solid body filled Uijae’s arms. Uijae gently patted Sa-young’s back. His soft hair brushed against Uijae’s cheek, ear, and neck, tickling him.

“Happy now?”

“…Your heart’s beating fast.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I can hear it… mixed with some troubling sounds too…”

Sa-young’s large hand slipped between their chests, settling over Uijae’s heart. His mysterious purple eyes locked onto Uijae’s mask. Damn, I thought this was jealousy, but it’s more like a health check. Uijae tried to push Sa-young’s chest away, but his arms didn’t have much strength.

‘What’s going on?’

It was disorienting. His fingers instinctively clenched against Sa-young’s chest. The arms around his waist tightened, squeezing harder. Even a simple hug was starting to hurt.

This is bad.

Uijae gritted his teeth and muttered,

“I’m flustered.”

“Flustered?”

“Because it’s so damn romantic, you idiot…”

“……”

Sa-young blinked slowly, and a smile crept into his purple eyes. His long lashes fluttered before he leaned in and pressed his lips to the smooth black mask.

“Ah… Is that it? You’re flustered?”

“If you understand, back off! What if someone sees us?”

“Don’t worry. I’d notice if anyone was around.”

“I don’t care, just—”

“You’re in pain, aren’t you?”

“What the hell—”

Sa-young squeezed Uijae’s waist

 tighter, and a small cry escaped his lips. Uijae bit down hard, lowering his head. A sharp pain shot through him, making his whole body tremble. Sa-young loosened his grip and gently supported Uijae’s faltering body. A light kiss landed on Uijae’s temple, now damp with cold sweat.

“Stubborn.”

Uijae tried to steady his ragged breathing, but his vision kept blurring.

“…You bastard…”

“I’m sorry. But if I didn’t do this, you would’ve kept denying it.”

The last thing Uijae felt was the soft touch of Sa-young’s hand stroking the back of his neck before everything went black.