The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low

Chapter 291

The Seowon Guild still smelled of old books and disinfectant today. It wasn’t exactly a pleasant smell. Uijae was acutely aware of the hand resting on his shoulder as he walked. Lee Sa-young stayed glued to his side, as if worried he might collapse at any moment.

…

Of course, this was just as unwelcome. Every time he felt Sa-young’s presence so close, cold sweat would break out, and his body tensed involuntarily. Yet neither Uijae nor Sa-young said anything about it.

An hour ago, as soon as Uijae had taken the phone, Gaeul had shouted:

— I’m sorry, but please come to the Seowon Guild right away! It’s really urgent!

And just like that, the call had ended. Sa-young had looked visibly displeased but hadn’t stopped Uijae from agreeing to meet with her. What could he have done if Sa-young had refused? They needed to gather any information they could in this situation.

And besides…

There wasn’t much time left before Uijae’s death. He followed as Sa-young led him forward. The sound of a door unlocking reached his ears, followed by a rush of warmth and the faint scent of green tea. It must be a lounge.

"Ah, J! You’re here!"

Gaeul’s voice called out. Uijae checked to ensure his mask was in place before responding.

"Yes. You’re Gaeul, right?"

"That’s me! You’re the J I met briefly back then, right? Oh, but… your hand’s bandaged? Did you get hurt?"

Uijae rubbed his hand, feeling the rough texture of the bandages.

"Oh, this? Yeah, a little."

"Oh no, but… is it serious? What about a potion or something?"

"It’s fine. It’ll heal soon anyway. No need to waste a potion in a world like this."

Gaeul hesitated, muttering something like still… under her breath, but Uijae shook his head firmly.

He couldn’t exactly tell her that his hand got scraped while wiping Sa-young’s tears.

When Sa-young had cleaned and carefully bandaged his hand, he hadn’t said a word. Nor had Uijae questioned why Sa-young chose not to use a potion and instead tended to the wound himself. He had simply extended his hand, imagining Sa-young’s expression as he did so.

Gaeul let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, I’m glad… When I woke up here, the world felt so vivid that I was completely shocked."

"You got here through a dream, didn’t you?"

"Yes, but… normally, it’s like watching a movie. This is the first time I’ve moved around like this with full self-awareness."

The sound of Gaeul waving her arms around, cutting through the air, reached Uijae. He checked the red countdown in the darkness: 21 hours. The moment of his death. The predetermined end. Less than a day remained.

…

He didn’t want to die. But his death was already decided. There was no running from it. Uijae lifted his head.

"Gaeul."

"Yes, J!"

"Do you remember when we first met?"

"The first time? Ah… yes! You mean when I came looking for that hangover soup restaurant, right?"

"Right. And do you also remember what you showed me back then?"

"Huh? …Oh."

Gaeul’s voice darkened. The glimpses of a ruined world she had shown him. How she had searched the desolation for traces of her friends and neighbors, only to encounter monsters. How J had stood in her defense, telling her to run. And… how Lee Sa-young had been holed up, a recluse in his room.

Ignoring the oppressive presence he felt at his side, Uijae continued.

"That time will come soon."

"What? But, I mean, I…"

"It’s okay."

Uijae ignored the trembling in his body. Whether it was because of Sa-young or his fear of death, he wasn’t sure. Or perhaps he just didn’t want to know. He pushed on with his words.

"Do as you remember. Got it?"

"……."

"This world is reconstructed from the memories of a ruined one anyway. So just… do what you did then."

"But if I do that, J…"

"It’s fine."

Uijae smiled faintly.

"That’ll just mean my role in this world has come to an end. Maybe I’ll be the first to leave."

"……."

"Understood, Gaeul?"

After a long pause, Gaeul finally responded in a low voice.

"…Yes, I understand."

What kind of feeling was it, knowing that the person at your back was going to die, yet still being told to run away? A stifled sob and the sound of a sniffle reached Uijae's ears, followed by the rough sound of someone scrubbing at their skin to dry tears.

Just then, footsteps approached from behind.

"…What’s this? I heard crying from the lounge, and it turns out to be this. What the hell did you say to make the kid cry? Was it you again, Lee Sa-young?"

The brusque voice belonged to Nam Woo-jin. The arm draped over Uijae’s shoulders flinched slightly.

"That’s unfair suspicion… I didn’t even open my mouth," Sa-young replied, feigning innocence.

"There’s no way it was J who made her cry."

"Why not? It could’ve been him."

"…What?"

"N-no, it’s not like that! Neither of you did anything wrong!"

Gaeul hurriedly interjected. Nam Woo-jin clicked his tongue, clearly unimpressed, and snapped at them.

"Whatever the case, if you’re done talking, clear out of the lounge. We need it for patient care."

"Have there been that many patients?"

"They’re isolating the ones showing signs of mutation. If they’re left with the general patients, and something happens, no one will be able to escape. Everyone would die."

"……."

The hand gripping Uijae’s shoulder tightened, Sa-young clearly unaware of his own strength. Uijae jabbed Sa-young’s side with his elbow, only for pain to shoot through his arm, as if he had struck a slab of iron.

"Ah, damn it!"

The sharp pain brought tears to his eyes. Was that going to leave a bruise? Rubbing at his aching elbow, Uijae heard Sa-young chuckle quietly beside him.

"What’s with the comedy act? And what happened to your hand?" Nam Woo-jin asked incredulously.

"Uh, well…."

"I bandaged it for him. This time, he wanted to fight with his fists. Like a boxer," Sa-young quipped before Uijae could explain.

Nam Woo-jin muttered under his breath.

"Tch… If you’re human, use a weapon. Unless you plan to use the spear for a barbecue."

"Haha… yes, I’ll keep that in mind," Uijae replied awkwardly.

"Anyway, if you’re done talking, get out. Our guild members are waiting!" Nam Woo-jin barked. Sa-young lightly tapped Uijae’s shoulder, signaling it was time to leave. Just as Uijae turned to go, something fell to the floor with a soft thud.

"Huh? What’s this? A book?"

Nam Woo-jin bent to pick it up. The sound of pages flipping followed.

"Hmph, all blank. What, is this some kind of notebook? Whose is it?"

Uijae instinctively scanned the air. It was the notebook he had deliberately checked to ensure was blank before stashing it in his inventory. Somehow, it had fallen out on its own.

Almost as if it was meant to.

Uijae’s mouth opened on its own.

"It’s a notebook."

"J, is it yours?"

"Let me give it to the doctor. He probably has more to record than I do."

"A gift from the floor, huh? Not exactly thoughtful, are you?" Nam Woo-jin laughed lightly, clapping Uijae on the shoulder.

"Alright, I’ll take it. I’ll probably keep better records than you, anyway. Thanks, I guess."

"Guildmaster! We’ve prepared all the medical supplies and bedding!"

"Good. Come in and clear the tables and sofas," Nam Woo-jin instructed as he began speaking to the staff outside the door. Uijae glanced back. The sound of Gaeul’s sniffles had stopped.

***

"Hopeless."

A crumpled piece of paper rolled across the floor before coming to a stop.

Nam Woo-jin’s cramped office at the Seowon Guild was a disaster zone. Crumpled papers, shards of broken mugs, and illegible scribbles filled the whiteboards around the room. Woo-jin himself slouched in a chair, his hair disheveled and his glasses askew, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"There’s no solution. None."

On the small monitor atop his desk, a mutated monster flailed its limbs wildly, unaffected by the newly developed vaccine. Could they ever reverse a monster’s mutation? Was it even possible to stop the process in the first place? Reverting a monster back to a human… was that a feasible goal?

"Ha…"

Woo-jin took off his glasses and rubbed his face roughly. It felt like he was running into a wall. Every effort led to nothing, and no matter where he looked, there was no path forward. Even the organization Prometheus, which was supposed to be an ally, felt more like a rival. And it seemed they were just as stuck as he was.

"…Damn it!"

Woo-jin abruptly stood, kicking his desk hard. Thud! Books and papers tumbled to the floor, adding to the already chaotic mess. Standing in the middle of the wreckage, Woo-jin gripped his head and let out a deep sigh.

And then—

"……."

Among the scattered papers, an old book caught his eye. It was the same one the Awakener Management Bureau had attempted to decode, without any success. Not a single word had been deciphered.

"Useless garbage."

Woo-jin picked up the book roughly and flipped open the cover.

At that moment, a blinding white light poured out from the pages.

The incomprehensible symbols inside began to shift—

[…J gave me a notebook. A gift from the floor, of all things. Honestly, I’m baffled.]

[Still, I suppose I’ll use it. Maybe jotting things down will help somehow.]

[Let’s see if anything useful comes of this.]

The letters transformed, becoming legible.

Even more shocking, they were written in Woo-jin’s own handwriting.