The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low

Chapter 164

The woman grinned broadly, her smile filled with mischief.

"Oh my, look at me! I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Jang Misook. You can call me 'Aunt,' or better yet, 'Sis.'"

"..."

"Hoho! Was that too much?"

Uijae opened his mouth slightly, instinctively reaching up to check his gas mask. Thankfully, his face was hidden. He bit down on his lip. The moment she said 'Aunt,' it felt like the ground had dropped out from under him.

"..."

He glanced at Jang Misook’s face and her perfectly normal hands. Of course, this woman bore no resemblance to *that* aunt. At least, she shouldn’t.

"Come on, let's get going. He’s waiting, and his patience is thinner than a thread..."

Jang Misook muttered as she turned and started walking. Uijae, almost following her without thinking, stopped in his tracks. His face twisted inside the gas mask. What held his feet in place was the thought of the backlash he’d face for disobeying Sa-young’s orders.

It’s not that Sa-young was scary, but...

*‘He’ll complain about me acting on my own again...’*

Sa-young could be really hard to appease when he was upset!

Just imagining the time and effort it would take to placate him again made Uijae groan internally. He could already hear Sa-young’s sarcastic voice...

*‘Oh, really? And then?’*

*‘Ah... Is that so?’*

*‘Great job... You know that wasn’t a compliment, right?’*

Damn it. Uijae gritted his teeth.

*‘It’s like I’m shackled...’*

If the intent was to put him in chains, it had succeeded. The old Uijae, who used to act on impulse, now actually took time to think. He scuffed the ground with the heel of his shoe, continuing to mull it over.

It’s better to stay put than to wander into unfamiliar territory. The only thing he knew about the fish market was that Mackerel was here somewhere. The gap in information was too wide.

Though he didn’t like following Sa-young’s orders, there was one undeniable fact. Uijae no longer had to act alone—there were people he could rely on for help. Whether it was Sa-young or Minggijeok, he could trust that others would back him up.

"..."

Jang Misook stopped ahead of him and turned, her face full of curiosity.

"What are you doing, standing there? Let’s go, already."

"Uh..."

Clearing his throat, Uijae spoke haltingly.

"The Guild Master... He told me to wait here."

"What?"

"Sorry."

Laughter erupted from Jang Misook. She laughed so hard it echoed through the fish market. After a long while, she finally wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Oh my, it’s been ages since I’ve heard something like that. You must be new?"

"..."

Was this really something to laugh about? Before Uijae could ponder further, his phone buzzed. Jang Misook, still grinning, gestured with her chin.

"Go on, check it. You’ve got a text."

Uijae pulled his phone from his jacket pocket. Sure enough, a text message had arrived. Actually, more than one.

The sender was…

---

**Sa-young:** *It’s gonna take a bit longer.*

**Sa-young:** *You can follow the woman named Jang Misook.*

**Sa-young:** *I’ll be there soon.*

---

Sa-young.

Uijae hesitated for a moment, then typed a brief reply.

---

*Got it.*

---

Beep. Sent. Just as he put his phone back in his pocket, Jang Misook spoke again.

"Still, it’s good that you’re cautious. Trust is important, especially in times like these."

"..."

"And waiting here was the right move. This is the edge of the safe zone."

"...What?"

"You’ll understand once we get there."

Jang Misook gave him a warm smile, as if asking, *Do you believe me now?* She pointed at her earpiece and shook her head with a sigh.

"Anyway, let’s go. He’s been nagging me nonstop."

---

The fish market was a dungeon.

That wasn’t a metaphor; it was literal. Behind his gas mask, Uijae’s blue eyes scanned the area. With every step he took, the surrounding space reconfigured itself.

The shop selling live fish transformed into one selling freshly fried tempura, then morphed into a seafood stall. He tried to discern a pattern, but there wasn’t one. This place operated entirely on the whims of its owner. Each step made the sound of gears clicking and shifting, rearranging the maze. It was enough to make him feel dizzy.

The place was a living, breathing labyrinth.

"You’re not that surprised, huh? Most people nearly faint the first time."

"Ah... no, I’m surprised."

Uijae’s response was mechanical, earning another burst of laughter from Jang Misook.

"You’re not very good at lying!"

"..."

*Am I really that bad at lying?* Uijae pursed his lips. Jang Misook pointed to the side alley, which was shifting in real-time.

"Want to know something funny? There’s even a lost and found here."

"A lost and found? ...Really?"

"Why would I lie? All sorts of rookies come here, eager to trade information, only to get lost. Happens dozens of times a day."

Jang Misook seemed used to the constantly changing scenery, effortlessly navigating through the maze. Without a guide, it would be impossible not to get lost. Now Uijae understood why Sa-young had insisted he stay put. He could have ended up wandering aimlessly until he landed in the lost and found. That would’ve been a nightmare.

*‘Good thing I listened.’*

Uijae shifted the conversation to distract himself.

"So, what should newcomers do?"

"Register first! Then wait until they’re assigned a guide."

"...Not just anyone can get a guide, I take it?"

Uijae glanced around. Despite the shifting scenery, the shop owners went about their business leisurely, though their eyes gleamed sharply. They had the eyes of merchants.

"You’ve got good instincts. That’s right. This place runs on information, so only those with valuable info get a guide assigned. Guilds usually get guides for their entire group. That’s why you’re an odd case. You should’ve come straight to me when you got here."

"...I didn’t know."

"Hohoho, well, it made for a good laugh."

"......"

Uijae asked, slightly begrudgingly,

"Are all the shop owners here Awakened?"

"Some are, some aren’t."

"How do you ensure the safety of the ones who aren’t?"

"Safety?"

Jang Misook turned to look at him, then laughed heartily again. By now, Uijae was starting to think he’d feel lonely without her booming laughter.

"Oh, don’t worry! This place is safer than most."

"..."

"Anyway, here we are."

The place she stopped at looked just like the other stalls. Water continuously circulated through tanks filled with swimming fish. The salty, fishy smell filled the air.

The sign overhead blinked. In pink letters, it read, *Jangmi Fish Market.*

"...Oh, you’re here."

A gloomy voice greeted them. Uijae scanned the area and found the source. A young man with a shaggy head of hair was hunched over, washing a knife. A dark, heavy aura seemed to hang around him. He was dressed colorfully in a blue plastic apron, red rubber boots, and pink rubber gloves. His face was obscured by long bangs.

Jang Misook clapped Uijae on the back.

"This is my son. Say hi."

"Huh? Oh, hello."

Her son bowed his head without a word. Jang Misook chuckled.

"He’s a bit shy... Come inside and sit down. Son! Slice up some halibut."

"Okay..."

Her son put down the knife and slowly walked over to the tank, net in hand. Uijae shook his head.

"I’m fine witho—"

"You can’t leave without trying a piece. Come on in!"

Before he knew it, Uijae found himself seated on a cushion. Jang Misook had ushered him inside, quickly cleaning the table, setting out utensils, a water bottle, and napkins with practiced ease. Her hands moved so fast that it was impossible to keep up. Not that Uijae couldn’t keep up—he could—but...

*Is she Awakened?* He watched her closely, wondering if her skills could be useful for his hangover soup restaurant job. But then he stopped himself.

*‘I guess I won’t be going back there anytime soon…’*

He stared blankly at the side dishes being placed in front of him. Today, he missed the automated pet feeder—no, the kimchi and side dish self-serve station—back at his hangover soup restaurant.

*‘I wonder how everyone’s doing…’*

He never thought he’d miss those annoying regulars. Where were they eating now? Were they starving? Even though his time as a part-time worker at the soup restaurant had been much shorter than his time as a Hunter, it still tugged at his heart.

"Here’s the halibut sashimi!"

A white plate suddenly appeared in his line of sight, piled high with tender, translucent slices of halibut. Damn, that looks

 good. Uijae snapped out of his daze. Jang Misook smiled warmly.

"I’ll close the door so you can take off your mask and enjoy it."

She was indeed a thoughtful guide for the Wave Guild. With a soft click, the sliding door closed. Uijae looked up. The room was now sealed, but a man was sitting across from him—Jang Misook’s son.

His shaggy, navy blue hair covered his face.

"......"

Without a word, Uijae unwrapped his chopsticks and snapped them apart. The sharp crack echoed through the room.

Suddenly,

**Swoosh!**

Without flinching, Uijae caught something flying toward him with his chopsticks. He frowned and examined it. It was a stiff business card.

---

**Noryangjin Fish Market**

**Mackerel**

---

Reading the card, Uijae sighed. He crumpled the card in his fist. His posture, once straight, slouched slightly.

"Hey."

"......"

"You know who I am, right?"

"......"

The navy-haired head nodded slightly. Of course he does. Uijae threw the crumpled business card at the man’s head.

"Don’t throw things at the dinner table!"