The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low

Chapter 206

**The General Assembly.**

A type of general assembly that Ham Seok-jeong created to respond to the rapidly changing situations after the Day of Change. The location, time, and number of participants differed each time. Usually, the Awakener Management Bureau hosted these meetings, inviting hunters, but occasionally, individuals or guilds would host them as well.

In the conference room of the Wave Guild, there were only three people present. Cha Uijae, Lee Sayoung, and Bae Wonwoo. Uijae sat in the center, holding a tablet, while Bae Wonwoo stood at the podium, explaining the General Assembly. It was something Uijae had probably heard before, but Bae Wonwoo insisted they needed to go over it in detail.

Lee Sayoung sat a little further away from Uijae, half-listening as he worked on finishing up some leftover tasks. In the end, this felt like a one-on-one lecture solely for Uijae.

‘This feels a bit overwhelming.’

Uijae doodled on his tablet, pretending to take notes. Luckily, thanks to his mask, no one noticed he wasn’t paying attention. Bae Wonwoo pointed to the screen with a pointer.

"I attended when Sayoung was unconscious, remember? There were four or five meetings in three months."

Bae Wonwoo counted off with his thick fingers as he spoke.

"It feels like a direct decision-maker comes in place of the boss. Usually, the vice-guild master attends. The director doesn’t seem to expect much either."

"Are all the hunters who attend high-ranking?"

"Yes. Only rankers related to the current agenda are invited. Influential hunters get consistent invitations, and there are a few fixed members—like the Seowon Guild, the Wave Guild, the Samra Guild, and the HB Guild."

"They mostly invite large guilds."

"Yeah, but it’s all done quite secretly and persistently. They send official documents with different content but then contact people individually. Many just ignore the invitations."

"What do they talk about?"

"Oh… there's a lot to say about that. The last General Assembly was noisy because of the erosion dungeons. It was one of the main topics."

Bae Wonwoo scratched his head, his face scrunched up in frustration.

"Researchers from the Rift Management Agency requested permission to investigate the erosion dungeons. They even offered to pay the usage fee, so we said okay."

"Yeah."

"But then the Samra Guild adamantly refused to let anyone touch their dungeon. Seriously, it’s not like anyone asked for ownership. We just said we’d investigate and leave."

Uijae suddenly thought of Song Joheon’s smiling face. Once, he had believed Joheon was a trustworthy person. A former soldier, Joheon had the face of a seasoned veteran, someone who had seen it all. To a high schooler like Uijae, there hadn’t been anyone more reliable. But seeing him again now…

"……."

A thick, dark line appeared on the tablet’s screen. Bae Wonwoo sighed deeply.

"Anyway, the meeting dragged on for over an hour because of that. I thought I was going to die of boredom."

"So, to summarize, it’s just a place where people gather to talk."

"Yes, exactly. It's also where everyone tries not to lose face. But, hey, J, you don’t have to worry about those power struggles!"

Bae Wonwoo gave a thumbs-up. Well, that was true. Uijae had nothing to lose. When you don’t have much, things like this become easier. Uijae put his pen down on the tablet. Bae Wonwoo flipped through the files, muttering to himself.

"It seems like this General Assembly will deal with doomsday cultists. They’re a group that maliciously slanders hunters, spreading distrust and creating conflict… It seems they’ve gotten pretty big."

"……."

"They're also addressing the recent hunter abductions… Looks like there will be quite a few attendees."

"Are many hunters being kidnapped?"

"Oh, quite a few. Mostly independent hunters or those from small- to medium-sized guilds. And those who disappear… well."

Bae Wonwoo trailed off, clearing his throat awkwardly. Uijae clenched his fist.

The grizzly bear.

He had appeared with spikes covering his face and body—an ugly, grotesque sight. He must have ended up like that. Uijae turned his gaze to Sayoung. His black hair fell naturally, and his pale skin was striking. What if Lee Sayoung ended up looking like that? What if he couldn’t endure the gruesome experiments and his body and mind collapsed?

What if killing him was the only option?

"……."

Sensing Uijae’s gaze, Sayoung lifted his head and blinked. He mouthed the words, "What’s wrong?" Uijae shook his head, pretending nothing was wrong, and picked up his pen again.

The roots of both groups were the same. Prometheus. A group claiming that relying on the system’s power wasn’t enough and that humanity’s strength was necessary to prevent the end.

And to prevent the end, they believed the end must first come.

"……."

What is this unsettling feeling? Uijae squeezed his eyes shut. He could hear the sound of thunder approaching.

---

Rain poured down, droplets sliding off the leaves as they hit the forest canopy. In the depths of a forest, untouched by human feet, someone suddenly appeared amidst the overgrown grass. A middle-aged man in a suit, accompanied by a young man holding an umbrella, stood there. The younger man grumbled.

"Jeez… where are we?"

"According to the GPS… this is Inwang Mountain, Guild Master."

The younger man checked his device, shaking his head.

"Inwang Mountain is a popular hiking spot. How did they find such a remote place? I mean, it’s raining, but it’s way too quiet."

"It’s probably the work of a master."

"Excuse me?"

"People who’ve been to the Artisan Exhibition said they were given private waiting rooms. Some were even in pocket dimensions. It seems like they’re trying to prevent fights."

"…So, could this place also be a master’s pocket dimension?"

"Most likely. It’s the perfect place when it comes to security."

"That’s kind of creepy…"

The younger man shivered, but the older man scoffed and kept walking. The younger man hurriedly followed, holding the umbrella over him.

"Do you know where you’re going?"

"Can’t you see the light up ahead? That must be the place."

"Oh."

Just as the older man said, a house glowing with a faint green light came into view in the dark forest. As the younger man peeked around, the name on his Hunter ID flashed briefly in the light.

**Ryu Hanbaek.**

"Yes, Guild Master."

A rough hand grabbed Hanbaek by the collar and yanked him forward. His eyes widened as he was pulled close. The guild master hissed.

"I brought you along because the most recent disappearance was your closest colleague. But don’t act out. Understood?"

"……."

"This is a meeting for top-tier hunters. Under normal circumstances, you wouldn’t even know it existed. You're only here as a witness, so keep your head down and stay quiet."

"…Understood."

"Good. You’d better."

Hanbaek slowly nodded. The guild master let go of his collar and patted his shoulder, adjusting Hanbaek’s wrinkled shirt.

"Let’s do well, got it?"

"Yes!"

"Let's go."

The distance, which had seemed far away, was surprisingly close. Was it an optical illusion? Hanbaek glanced around as he closed his umbrella and shook off the raindrops. The guild master opened the creaky wooden door. The sound echoed as the scene inside unfolded.

"……."

"Well, this is…"

It was a gigantic round table conference room. It was too vast and grand to be inside a dilapidated wooden house. The flickering candlelight from the walls lit the room. At that moment, someone extended a hand to the guild master.

"You’ve arrived, Guild Master Magok."

"Ah, yes. Hunter Jung Bin. Nice to see you."

Jung Bin, dressed impeccably as usual, smiled warmly. After a brief handshake, he pointed toward a spot at the round table.

"We’ve prepared a seat for you over there. I’ll guide you."

"Oh, yes. Please."

The creaking sound of wooden floorboards was clear and crisp. It felt like a real, physical space. Hanbaek, his mouth slightly open, looked around. The guild master cautiously asked.

"Is this… a space created by a master?"

"Ah, yes. That’s correct. I don’t know what kind of fantasy movie the master’s been watching, but… I wish they’d make something a little more ordinary."

Jung Bin trailed off, a trace of concern crossing his otherwise calm face. The guild master tilted his head, puzzled.

"What?"

"Haha, it’s nothing. Please have a seat. The meeting will start soon."

After finishing the guidance, Jung Bin left to greet other guests. The guild master sat down, and Hanbaek stood behind him. As Jung Bin mentioned, most of the seats were already filled, with numerous rankers in attendance. Hong Yeseong blew bubbles into the air, Honeybee sat with his hat pulled low, Gyu-Gyu stretched out in his chair, yawning, and Nam Woojin massaged his tired face.

The director was also seated, though oddly, the seats on either side of her were empty.

‘Are they always left empty?’

As Hanbaek pondered, the door

 creaked open.

The atmosphere shifted.

"……."

"The stars of the scandal have arrived."

The guild master muttered in dissatisfaction. All eyes turned toward the entrance. The sound of boots echoed as they stepped forward. Lee Sayoung, still in his gas mask and long coat, made an impressive entrance. However, the presence of the person behind him was suffocating. Hanbaek, wiping away cold sweat, kept his eyes on the door. After a brief conversation with Jung Bin, Sayoung stepped aside. And then—

From the darkness, a black mask appeared.