The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low

Chapter 292

Yoon Gaeul leaned against the tightly shut door, letting out a sigh. Despite her sudden entry into the Memorial Dungeon, she seemed to be adapting quite well. In truth, it wasn’t so much adaptation as it was familiarity.

‘It’s probably thanks to the me of this world….’

Memories of this world surfaced in her mind one by one.

In the ruined world, there was no time to rest. The areas turning into wastelands increased by the day, rifts kept forming endlessly, and Hunters were constantly on the move, dealing with rifts and monsters. They slept wherever they could find a spot in the library, curled up in exhaustion, unsure of when they would be summoned to the field again.

The number of patients seeking refuge at the Seowon Guild grew steadily. From minor scratches to…

...humans starting to mutate.

Dr. Nam Woo-jin, the Seowon Guild leader, arranged a separate space to house the mutants. Their symptoms included persistent coughing, coughing up a white translucent liquid, and parts of their bodies twisting or mutating. Just before fully transforming, their aggression spiked, and they lost all rationality.

Hunters personally took the lives of patients who reached the pre-mutation stage. It was to ensure they remained human rather than becoming monsters, and to prevent them from harming civilians. Yet, most Hunters hesitated, unable to take that final step…

Creeeak. The door opened. Gaeul extended the towel she was holding.

“H-Here’s a towel.”

“…Oh, thank you.”

Most of these tasks fell to Jeong Bin or Lee Sa-young. Jeong Bin volunteered out of a sense of responsibility, while Lee Sa-young was chosen for his ability to handle things cleanly and without a trace.

It seemed today’s cleaner was Jeong Bin. He wiped the white blood splattered on his suit with the towel Gaeul handed him. His usual gentle smile was absent, replaced by a hardened expression. The man who always greeted people warmly now exhaled a brief sigh before forcing a stiff smile at Gaeul.

“I’ll take care of incinerating the towel. Please get back to work.”

“Ah, yes…”

He turned and walked away. The sound of his leather shoes grew distant with each step. Gaeul peeked through the slightly ajar door. The floor was soaked with a translucent white liquid, and in the depths of the room lay the motionless shape of a person.

“……”

She squeezed her eyes shut and quickly turned away, walking briskly to distance herself from the door. She didn’t stop until she reached the ruined library. The library was noisier than usual. Hunters were rewrapping their bandages, grabbing their weapons, and rushing out of the building. Something must have happened. As Gaeul looked around in confusion, someone grabbed her—one of the library staff.

“Ah, there you are, Gaeul! What high school did you say you went to? What about your home?”

“Huh? High school?”

“Hey! Don’t say anything! Never mind that, Gaeul.”

“Oh? Ah, yeah, don’t worry about it. Just a slip of the tongue.”

The staff member backed away awkwardly. Whispers from those around reached her ears.

“A gate opened.”

“The whitening has started.”

“Wasn’t the monster wave over?”

“Right? What should we do?”

“They probably couldn’t evacuate in time. We have to check…”

“Do you think anyone survived?”

Gaeul clutched her chest tightly, her heart pounding in anxiety. She knew what was coming next. She had already seen it—all of it—through fragments of dreams.

Why did it have to happen now?

The thought crossed her mind, but she knew she had to move. She had a role to play.

***

Uijae moved his arms and legs, testing his body. They moved quickly and effortlessly now. Finally, it felt like he could move properly. Ever since the sudden news of the monster wave broke, his body had astonishingly returned to form. The reason was obvious. It wasn’t fear of death—it was the overwhelming sense of duty to save others. Or perhaps it was a favor from the system, urging him to fulfill his role.

‘Well… my eyes still don’t work, though.’

He glanced at the crimson numbers floating in his dark vision.

[00:01:03]

Time left until death.

But unlike before, the pain didn’t cripple him to the point of immobility. It could have been thanks to his poker-face trait, but more likely…

He turned his head toward the rustling sound beside him. It was Lee Sa-young. Uijae asked cautiously.

“…Are you really going to stay by my side?”

“Would you believe me if I said no?”

Sa-young answered nonchalantly. Uijae smirked, spreading his hand open. Soft ash brushed against his palm and fingers. The words Sa-young had whispered before came back to him.

Die in front of me.

Don’t think about dying alone.

Being alone is lonely…

Uijae clenched his fist tightly, his nails digging painfully into his palm. The wounds on his hand from wiping away Sa-young’s tears had already healed when his abilities returned.

Sa-young, I won’t be lonely, but…

‘What about you?’

What about you, left alone?

Uijae knew the Lee Sa-young that would remain after Cha Uijae disappeared. He knew the Lee Sa-young who would shut himself in a dark room, who would foolishly wait endlessly.

Uijae asked quietly.

“…You shouldn’t do anything, you know that, right?”

“I know.”

“You’re just supposed to watch. Don’t interfere.”

“I said I know.”

“……”

“I’m prepared for that.”

What kind of expression is on his face right now? Uijae suddenly wondered. He gestured for Sa-young to come closer. The sound of Sa-young’s footsteps grew nearer until he was right in front of him. Uijae reached out toward his face, his fingers brushing against the cold, hard surface of a gas mask instead of soft skin.

“……”

His fingers searched through disheveled hair until they found the locking mechanism of the mask. Click. The lock disengaged, and the gas mask fell to the ground with a soft thud. Uijae reached out again, this time touching his bare face. A sharp jawline, full lips, soft cheeks. His fingers moved higher, brushing against long eyelashes that fluttered as Sa-young blinked deliberately.

Finally, Sa-young grasped the hand that had been exploring his face and pressed his cheek against the palm. As he spoke, a faint vibration and warm breath touched Uijae’s hand.

“…How is it?”

“What?”

“Do you get it now? How I felt?”

“……”

Ah.

A startled gasp escaped Uijae’s lips, and a small chuckle got trapped against his palm. He tilted his mask slightly, pushing it aside. The cold wind brushed against his nose and lips.

Moments later, warmth cut through the chill as something soft pressed against his lips. Uijae parted his mouth as though he had been waiting for it. A moist, pliable tongue slipped inside, exploring him. Their tongues intertwined, and his body jolted. There was sweetness. It had been so long since he’d tasted sweetness.

The thick tongue roamed his mouth for what felt like ages before finally withdrawing. Uijae exhaled deeply, rubbing his damp lips. His neck and ears burned. He rubbed at his ear and spoke brusquely.

“He wasn’t… this shameless.”

“Humans grow, you know.”

Sa-young quipped, his voice teasing.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to run off with that bright red face.”

“Shut up.”

Uijae adjusted his mask. In the distance, the presence of monsters began to surface. One, two, ten, twenty, a hundred… They kept multiplying endlessly. The time had come. Uijae pulled a spear from his inventory, the familiar weight in his hand reigniting his instincts.

Fight.

Fight!

Uijae slowly blinked, then turned to Sa-young, grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him close. Pressing his mask to Sa-young’s cheek, he whispered.

“I’m going.”

“……”

The head caught in his hand moved slowly, nodding up and down. Uijae let out a low laugh.

“This time…”

“……”

“I’ll be the one waiting.”

A gloved hand rested over Uijae’s.

A quiet murmur responded, “…I’ll come quickly.”

The monsters’ howls split the sky. Uijae patted Sa-young’s hair, then balanced himself atop the railing. The wind whipped past him, scattering his hair and the ash around him. He took a deep breath.

And then—

Whoosh—

He hurled himself toward the direction of the monsters’ presence.

***

Gaeul ran.

“I’ll hold them off here, so run.”

As he had ordered.

“I’ll finish this quickly and come back. Trust me.”

Leaving him behind, alone.

“When I give the signal, don’t look back. Just run.”

Just as the Yoon Gaeul of this world had done.

But Gaeul didn’t run all the way. While sprinting toward the Seowon Guild, she turned back, returning to the battlefield. The area that had been flooded with monsters was now eerily silent. Gaeul waded through the mountain of monster corpses, making her way forward. Finally, she stopped.

There, she saw—

“…Hunter Lee Sa-young?”

Lee Sa-young was there, kneeling on the ground. The hem of his black coat was soaked in white blood. Beyond him, partially obscured, were the legs of someone cradled in his arms. Gaeul instinctively knew.

It was J.

She tried to step closer, but something stopped her in her tracks. She listened carefully. There were only two sets of breathing and heartbeats. There should have been three.

…Ah.

She realized.

J was dead.
Just as fate had decreed.

But—

“……”

Nothing had changed. The eerie silence, the blood-soaked ground glistening with white ichor, the metallic stench of blood. Everything remained the same. Slowly, Gaeul opened her eyes. J’s lifeless body, Lee Sa-young holding him tightly, and the mountain of monster corpses were all still there.

“Why…”

Gaeul looked at the towering pile of monster corpses, gauging its height. The mountain reached the sky, and at its peak, a white hole spun endlessly, swirling like a vortex.

Nothing had changed.

Even with the death of a hero.

She murmured, “Why… hasn’t the world disappeared?”

“……”

A cold voice answered her.

“This place is a world reconstructed from memories.”

“Then…”

“It means that even if J dies, the world continues.”

Even with the death of a hero, the world did not vanish. The people who survived would continue living. Until the end consumed the world. Gaeul’s trembling voice posed the question.

“Does that mean… we have to stay here?”

“……”

“Until… everyone is dead?”

Lee Sa-young didn’t answer.

And that was the answer.