The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low

Chapter 256

I didn't think I would end up coming here again.

They found themselves in the underground dungeon at Jongno 3-ga. To be specific, this was the very dungeon that Uijae had stormed through with Hong Yesung, Kkokko, and the student Gaeul. It was also the place where the dungeon had been reconstructed, causing them all sorts of trouble.

Though this time, he was with Lee Sa-young.

Lee Sa-young strolled casually toward the management office. The Hunter inside, who had been dozing off, suddenly snapped his head up as they approached. He seemed vaguely familiar, and then Uijae remembered—it was the same Hunter who had been knocked out cold by Kkokko during their previous visit. He was still stationed at his post, with an ID card around his neck displaying the logo of the Rift Management Bureau and the name *Lee Min-hoon.*

‘Good thing he didn’t get fired,’ Uijae thought, nodding slightly in sympathy toward the poor soul. However, Lee Min-hoon seemed to interpret the gesture as a threat. His eyes darted between Uijae and Sa-young, growing wide with alarm. He abruptly shot up from his seat and gave them a 90-degree bow. The motion was so abrupt that the hat perched on his head tumbled to the ground.

“Ah, h-hello! What brings you here?” he stammered.

Sa-young merely nodded in acknowledgment.

“Two of us. We're here to investigate the Corrupted Dungeon.”

“J-just the two of you?”

“That’s right.”

“I understand! Please be careful!” Lee Min-hoon, stiff with nerves, hurriedly opened the window of the management office and handed over two access cards. Without sparing him a glance, Sa-young swiped the card at the machine by the door. With a heavy grinding sound, the thick door slowly began to open.

Uijae clenched his fist, offering Lee Min-hoon a small gesture of encouragement. But instead of being reassured, the poor man’s lips twitched, and froth began to form at the corners of his mouth.

Sa-young, waiting by the door, scolded him. 

“Why do you keep scaring people?”

“Hey, it wasn’t a threat—it was encouragement. You don’t understand.”

“Encouragement? It looked more like you were shaking your fist, threatening to kill him if he talked.”

“...Let’s just drop this.”

“You should keep in mind people can't see your expressions with that mask on.”

At the end of the long tunnel, the faint shimmer of a dungeon entrance came into view. Sa-young stopped just in front of the entrance and, with an "Ah," held out his hand toward Uijae.

'Still a kid at heart, huh?' Uijae chuckled quietly to himself as he took Sa-young’s hand. But Sa-young turned to look at him with wide eyes.

“Huh?”

“What?”

“Why are you holding my hand? Did you want to?”

“Wait, you’re the one who held out your hand first.”

“I was asking for the sword.”

“Sword? What sword?”

“You didn’t bring Hong Yesung’s sword? Since I can’t take anyone alive with my abilities, we’ll need it.”

“…Well, you could’ve said something! How was I supposed to know you meant the sword?”

As Uijae moved to pull his hand away, Sa-young was quicker, interlocking their fingers tightly and softly brushing Uijae’s hand with his thumb. Uijae felt heat rising to his neck as Sa-young smiled, his lips curling up.

“Let’s just hold hands. Now that we’ve started.”

“….”

“I feel more at ease holding your hand….”

The contact between their skin sent a tingling sensation through Uijae. Damn it, he'd gotten caught up in it again. Without another word, Uijae opened his inventory and handed over Hong Yesung’s sword. Sa-young strapped the long sword to his waist, and it suited him well, as if it had always belonged to him. Watching this, Uijae spoke up.

“Hold on, I’ve got something to say.”

“Mm?”

“The last time I was here, the dungeon was reconstructed.”

“Ah, yeah.”

“It could happen again.”

Sa-young lowered his eyes, deep in thought, before responding.

“After that day, when the investigation team went in, the dungeon had returned to its original state. It definitely changed in response to you.”

“...”

“Have you been inside other Corrupted Dungeons?”

“A few times. But nothing special happened.”

“Then it was probably just an unusual case. But if the dungeon gets reconstructed again and we end up separated….”

Sa-young gave their interlocked hands a small shake.

“You’ll come find me.”

“...”

“You can do that, right?”

A strange sense of déjà vu washed over Uijae. Had they had this conversation before? But before he could pinpoint the source of the feeling, Uijae found himself nodding, as if entranced.

“Yeah.”

“Good. Let’s go, then.”

Together, they stepped into the blue glow of the dungeon entrance.

Once the faint dizziness subsided, Uijae cautiously opened his eyes. The warmth of Sa-young’s hand was still there. He glanced to the side, and Sa-young was watching him intently, absently rubbing Uijae’s hand with his fingers.

“Glad everything’s intact.”

“Stop touching me….”

The area around the entrance was a forest with thick grass and tall trees. However, the forest didn’t stretch far, and beyond the shadows of the trees, Uijae could see a barren wasteland covered in white ash. Sa-young pointed toward the stark landscape.

“That’s the Corrupted Zone. It’s slowly expanding.”

“So the entrance will get swallowed up soon.”

“Probably.”

“What happens when it’s completely covered?”

“No one knows. But since this dungeon has the highest corruption rate of any known Corrupted Dungeon….”

“...”

“We’ll be the first to find out.”

Uijae moved closer to the boundary where the forest met the Corrupted Zone. Jagged fragments jutted from the ash-covered wasteland, and the horizon beyond was completely white. Uijae pointed toward it.

“Ever been to the edge? Looks pretty far.”

“No. For safety reasons, the investigation team only explored areas that had already been confirmed. We don’t know where the edge is, and the dungeon has been reconstructed before…. There are also concerns about food and safety.”

Sa-young glanced at Uijae.

“Do you want to go?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, then.”

Sa-young’s boots crossed the boundary into the wasteland with a light step. Why was he agreeing so easily? Uijae had braced himself for an argument, but now he relaxed his shoulders and followed along, muttering under his breath.

“…You’re surprisingly agreeable.”

“It’s better to keep an eye on you while you do something than let you sneak off like last time.”

“When did I ever?”

“Oh, there are so many times you don’t even remember? How about here, when you came with Jangin and that high schooler?”

“...”

“I mean, seriously, I was investigating with Jeongbin, and then the dungeon got reconstructed. And then you show up out of nowhere, slaughtering monsters.”

Uijae pressed his lips together, refusing to speak. He had done so many reckless things that arguing with Lee Sa-young was pointless. Sa-young, arms crossed, didn’t let up with his teasing.

“I thought you remembered, since you brought it up. Guess your memory isn’t great.”

“You’re not exactly innocent when it comes to sneaking around, either.”

“Mm, seems we’re perfect for each other.”

Uijae gave Sa-young’s calf a light kick. Sa-young just laughed out loud, seemingly unfazed, and brought their clasped hands to his lips, brushing a kiss across Uijae’s knuckles.

“Let’s go as far as we can. We’ve got basic supplies, after all.”

Crunch, crunch…. Their footprints stretched long over the ash-covered ground. Uijae glanced back. The entrance to the blue-tinged forest had long since disappeared from view. They had walked for more than two hours without encountering a single monster. Walking beside him, Sa-young mumbled.

“That’s odd.”

“The investigation team ran into monsters?”

“Yes. They even fought some.”

Sa-young’s violet gaze swept the area. Aside from their breathing, there was only silence.

“It’s unnervingly empty.”

Uijae approached a rock jutting from the ground and brushed off the white ash. It was half-buried in the ground, but it was a signboard, the kind you’d see on any ordinary street. However, the letters on it were unreadable, written in a strange script. Uijae studied the writing carefully.

‘It’s the same as the writing in that book from the Seowon Guild….’

A book found in the dungeon, a signboard from reality found in the dungeon. Uijae ran his fingers along the edge of the sign.

At that moment—

*Clunk!*

“….”

Both of them froze. Uijae raised a finger to his lips, signaling for silence. Sa-young’s hand quietly moved to the hilt of his sword. There was movement, not far from them. A monster? No, this was….

The presence of a person.

Uijae whispered in a low voice.

“Anyone else enter the dungeon besides us?”

“No.”

“Any missing people?”

“None.”

“Not a single one?”

Sa-young shook his head. Then who could this presence belong to? Uijae quickly sn

atched the sword from Sa-young’s waist, still in its scabbard. Sa-young looked at him in surprise, but Uijae knew this was necessary. Beating someone with a sheathed sword would end things faster than using his fists.

“Just borrowing it for a bit.”

“Ah, so you think saying ‘borrowing’ makes it okay after you’ve already taken it?”

“We’re in a rush, stop nitpicking! Go hide over there.”

“You’re gonna fight?”

“It’ll be quicker if I do it. Besides, you can’t use poison here.”

Sa-young raised his hands in mock surrender and ambled over to a nearby rock, barely bothering to hide behind it.

<Tracker’s Eye!>

Uijae swiftly scanned the area. Two flickering flames were approaching them. Gripping the sword, Uijae took a few steps forward. Suddenly, a shadow flitted through his vision. His skin prickled, sending chills down his spine. He quickly raised the sword.

*Clang—!!*

A powerful impact reverberated through the sword. Immediately after, something sharp and silver shot toward his neck. Uijae jerked back, dodging just in time.

‘A sword?’

For a sword, it had a strange flexibility. Uijae swung the sheathed blade to block the incoming attacks.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

His opponent was aiming solely for his vital points, their movements precise and clean. Definitely not a monster. In that case, maybe they could talk? Uijae hurriedly called out.

“Wait! Just wait a second!”

“….”

The relentless strikes ceased. The sharp object that had been threatening his throat was a finely crafted rapier. The figure, cloaked in black, slowly pulled back their hood. Uijae’s eyes met familiar brown ones, squinting in confusion. Cautiously, he spoke.

“…Honeybee?”

The brown eyes widened in recognition.