The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low

Chapter 218

"Ah, damn." Uijae hastily pulled his cap down lower over his face. What were the odds of running into someone here? Regardless, Yang Hyejin strode over quickly and grabbed his arm firmly.

"Hey, it's you, right? The part-timer from the hangover soup restaurant in that alley. It *is* you, right?" 

"Uh..."

Despite all the acting skills he'd diligently practiced, they failed him in this sudden crisis. A multitude of possibilities flashed through his mind like a panorama. Greet her cheerfully—then be questioned about how he could smile right now. Pretend not to recognize her—only to be accused of ignoring her. Act like he’d lost his memory—would that even work?

"Oh my god... It really *is* you."

In the meantime, Yang Hyejin had finished scanning him from head to toe, mumbling in disbelief. Considering that he was still wearing the hangover soup restaurant's part-timer uniform, denying it would have been difficult. Uijae raised both his hands in an attempt to calm her down. However, instead of calming down, her eyes flared with anger.

"Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea how worried we were?"

"Uh, what?"

"You closed the shop and vanished without a word! Do you know people thought you’d been kidnapped? We looked *everywhere* for you!"

But I left a notice on the door, didn’t I?

"And of all times to disappear, it had to be when Hunter kidnappings were on the rise! Do you know how much stress you caused everyone?"

Kidnapping?

"We thought you might have been dragged into some dungeon as a laborer!"

Laborer?

"We even made a chat group to find you! A whole chatroom just for you. It’s filled with all-stars, mind you. Even top Hunters who normally don’t bother replying to messages were in there!"

A chatroom?

"Thank goodness your grandmother told us we didn’t need to keep looking. Jeez... I’ve got to update the chatroom now. Ugh, unbelievable..."

Hyejin sighed dramatically, clutching her forehead, before hurriedly pulling out her phone. Uijae, suddenly hit by this whirlwind, could only slap his own forehead internally.

‘What have these humans *done*?’

All this fuss over one part-timer going missing. Meanwhile, while his regulars were searching for him, Uijae had been creating distractions to cover for Lee Sayoung’s absence….

‘……’

Yet, strangely enough, he felt warm inside. Like holding a freshly heated stone pot in his hands. After sending a flurry of messages, Yang Hyejin let out a long sigh. Then, she twirled a baton absentmindedly.

"Still, you look healthy, so that’s a relief. What have you been up to?"

"Uh, well, I’ve had some things to take care of."

"In times like these, everyone’s got things to do. Is it sorted out now?"

"Hm… not yet."

"Hah... So that’s why you’re wandering around in dangerous places? Are you part of a guild now? Sent out to gather intel or something? Who’s your guild leader?"

At the mention of a "guild leader," one face immediately floated to his mind: Lee Sayoung’s crooked grin. Well, technically, Sayoung was a leader, right? Uijae was working with the Wave Guild, after all…. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes, trying not to laugh. Unfortunately, Hyejin seemed to interpret that as a yes. Her face flushed with anger.

"This is outrageous! What kind of guild lets a D-rank Hunter wander around like this on his own? Tell me the guild leader’s name! If it’s hard to say, at least give me the initials. Is it a blacklisted guild or something?"

In a matter of moments, the Wave Guild had become a shady, blacklisted organization. Before Hyejin could launch into another tirade, Uijae swiftly intervened.

"Ah, no, no, it's not like that. It's fine. But who were those people? The ones you were just chasing away?"

"Who? Oh, those guys in white clothes?"

Hyejin stepped closer, lowering her voice to a whisper, her expression turning into a scowl.

"They're crazy. Stay away from them."

A sharp judgment. Interesting. Uijae listened closely, keeping his face serious. Hyejin, apparently having a lot to say, continued in a hushed tone.

"On the surface, they look like some kind of charity or relief organization, helping people and whatnot... but they’re a cult."

"A cult?"

"Yeah. I mean, look at how they set up those tents as if they were just waiting for something to happen. It’s obvious they’re up to no good. They’re hostile towards Hunters, too."

"Why are they hostile towards Hunters?"

"That’s what I’m trying to figure out. When we tried asking them a few questions, their expressions changed instantly, like we were trash or something. Told us to get lost."

"Should I go and ask them?"

"What? You? But I told you, they hate Hunters. And you’re a Hunter too."

"Do I *look* like a Hunter to you?"

Loose gray hoodie, worn-out jeans, dusty sneakers with frayed soles, and a black cap pulled low. Sure, his physique and face were handsome enough, but his outfit? Definitely not typical Hunter gear. Hunters usually decked themselves out in flashy, eye-catching equipment. Hyejin gave him a once-over with a serious expression.

"Can I be honest?"

"Sure."

"You look like an unemployed guy buying beer from the corner store."

"……."

"And I mean that in a good way."

She gave Uijae a pat on the shoulder, then leaned in conspiratorially.

"Hey, are you confident in your acting?"

"I could debut as an actor, no problem."

"Where does this confidence come from? Are you secretly training to become a celebrity? So, can you approach those guys and find out who they really are, why they’re doing this, and if it’s related to the monster attacks from the sky?"

"Of course."

"Do you have a phone?"

"No, mine broke."

"Oh no... It’s hard to get a new one these days. Hold on a second."

Hyejin rummaged in her pocket and pulled out what looked like a wristwatch. But instead of a regular watch, it had a square display like a smartwatch. She tapped it lightly.

"This is the watch we use. It’s less conspicuous than an earpiece and looks pretty normal. It works like a regular smartwatch—no web browsing or anything, but you can send messages, make calls, and track your location. Take it."

"Thank you."

Uijae fastened the smartwatch and started fiddling with it. That’s when he noticed a rather significant issue.

"...The background image…."

It had the official Rift Management Bureau logo on it, plastered across the screen. The thing might as well scream, ‘I work for the government!’

Hyejin coughed awkwardly.

"Ahem, yeah, it’s government-issued. Just, uh, change it to a basic screen."

"...Got it."

"Anyway, be careful. Don’t go too deep into it. Even if you don’t get much info, it’s fine. If things look dangerous, get out safely. Your safety comes first, got it?"

"Of course. Don’t worry."

Uijae smiled brightly. Then, he whispered.

"Could you do me one favor?"

"Hm? Of course. What is it?"

"Could you get mad at me? Like, really angry?"

Under a white tent, similar to the ones you’d find at school sports days or company outings, people were bustling around. Some were struck by debris, others injured by monsters, and some had sprained their ankles while fleeing. The injured lay on the white groundcloth, groaning and whimpering. The people in white moved amongst them, busy treating their wounds.

Then, suddenly—

"Get lost, right now!"

A sharp female voice rang out. All eyes turned toward the tent entrance. In the distance, a woman wearing a fluorescent vest was pointing aggressively at a man in a gray hoodie. She continued yelling at him before spinning on her heel and storming off. Left behind, the man awkwardly scratched the back of his neck and kicked at the ground, glancing around. A man packing up supplies clicked his tongue.

"Another Hunter..."

"Was it a fight between Hunters?"

"No, the guy looked like a civilian. We were going to bring him here, but that Hunter woman chased him off. Tsk..."

"Should I go get him now?"

"No need. He’s coming on his own."

The young man in the gray hoodie was trudging towards the tent, looking dejected. The people in white exchanged glances before putting on friendly smiles. One of them stepped outside to greet him.

"Hello, what brings you here?"

"Um… I was wondering… if my sister was here?"

The young man mumbled softly, barely above a whisper. The people in white exchanged another look, this time filled with sympathy.

"Did you lose your sister?"

"Yeah... We were just out for a bit, and then... the monsters came. Everyone started running… and I lost her hand."

"Ah, I see… You must have been through a lot."

The man sighed and took the young man’s hand in his. His grip was surprisingly strong, though his hands were trembling. The man spoke gently.

"Can you describe what your sister looks like? Or would you like to come inside and take a look yourself? There’s some blood, though

… It might be hard to see."

"Can… can I look myself? My sister is a high schooler, she wears glasses…."

"Of course. Please, come this way."

The man took the young man by the hand and led him into the tent where the injured lay. The young man glanced around nervously but followed diligently. After a moment, the man looked back at him and asked.

"I heard a commotion earlier... Do you mind if I ask what happened?"

"Oh, that... it was nothing really..."

The young man trailed off, bowing his head.

"I thought she was a Hunter, so I asked if she’d seen my sister… but she got angry, saying she was too busy for that."

"Ah… I see."

That’s just like Hunters. Instead of helping people, they push civilians around, caught up in their own issues. The man frowned slightly, then patted the young man’s shoulder.

"You’ve been through a lot. Take a look around."

"Yes, thank you..."

The young man wandered between the cots, looking around quickly. Strangely quickly. Was he a Hunter? But his outfit seemed far too shabby. Besides, his story seemed genuine—he *had* seen the woman chase him off.

The young man reached the end of the tent and turned back, his shoulders slumped.

"…She’s not here. Thank you for letting me look…."

When someone experiences loss, their heart often becomes vulnerable, leaving room for others to step in.

The man took the young man’s hand again, this time even more kindly.

"Our team has people stationed all around. Shall we ask them as well?"

"R-really? Could you do that?"

The young man’s head shot up. His cap had been pulled low, so it was hard to see before, but now his face came into view—it was quite handsome. If they played their cards right, they could probably recruit him. The man smiled brightly.

"Of course. Why don’t you wait here while I make some calls?"

"Yes, yes! That sounds great!"

"Good. Are you hungry? We have some food—nothing fancy, but enough to keep you going."

"Oh, I couldn’t..."

"Nonsense. We help each other, don’t we?"

"You’re so kind. Thank you so much."

"Well then, wait by the chairs outside. I’ll be back soon."

"Yes!"

The man disappeared outside the tent. The young man adjusted his cap. Underneath, his eyes gleamed an icy blue.