The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low

Chapter 262

“What?”

“Pfft!”

Honeybee covered her mouth and turned away, laughing. J’s shoulders were also trembling slightly. Was this really happening? Jung-bin, still bewildered, muttered to himself as he picked up the scattered papers from the floor.

“Did you come here because you accidentally involved civilians while dealing with a mutation, or maybe you took care of something else that was bothering you while handling a mutant...? Isn’t that why you’re here?”

“…No.”

Sa-young gritted his teeth and replied. Honeybee was laughing so hard that she was gasping for air at this point. Jung-bin was now completely flustered. If it wasn’t a major incident, then why?

“I can’t think of any other reason why all three of you would come to see me at once….”

Is that really not it? The words almost escaped his lips, but he swallowed them back. If he said something like that, he had a feeling Sa-young would take it out on him. Clearing his throat, Jung-bin interlocked his fingers.

“I apologize for my suspicions. So… what brings you here?”

“Well~… there’s a bit of an issue?”

Honeybee rolled her eyes. She was always dashing about, but seeing Sa-young, who usually avoided him, and J, who often rested due to his health, here together meant it must be something significant. Jung-bin’s expression turned serious, and he leaned forward slightly.

“I’m ready. What’s the issue?”

“It’s Sa-young.”

The moment Uijae spoke, all eyes turned toward him. He grabbed Sa-young's arm, preventing him from pulling away.

“Sa-young’s memory is… a bit off.”

“What?”

Jung-bin tilted his head in confusion. Honeybee, grabbing Sa-young's other arm, held him firmly, as if the two were wardens escorting a prisoner. She wiped the tears from her eyes with her fingers and added,

“Yeah, it seems like he’s lost some memories. He’s become really nice!”

“What…?”

Jung-bin’s eyes widened as he stared at Sa-young. Sa-young, clearly annoyed, sighed deeply, glaring up at the ceiling.

---

A little earlier, in the wasteland, Honeybee suddenly spoke up as they walked.

“I’ve been thinking about it.”

“If it’s something useless, keep it to yourself.”

“Shut up. Given the situation, I think we should go with the amnesia tactic.”

“Not even worth listening to.”

Sa-young scoffed, crossing his arms. Honeybee turned around and angrily retorted.

“Oh, why not! We need information. If we just ask for a rundown of the situation, it’ll look weird!”

“You’re suggesting that we’ve replaced the versions of ourselves from this world?”

“Most likely. If this is a destroyed world and the people we know are here, then we probably exist here too. But there can’t be two versions of the same person in one place, right?”

It was similar to what Hong Yesung had said. He had borrowed Kokko’s body to avoid there being two of him. Honeybee raised her index finger.

“That guy earlier recognized me as Honeybee, right? But if I suddenly started asking, ‘What year is it? What day is it?’, wouldn’t that seem strange? And also…”

She glanced up into the air. A white system window had appeared, just as the remnants of a city began to appear on the horizon.

---

[Blend in without arousing suspicion.]

---

Could this be the dungeon’s clear condition? It was certainly different from the usual. No dungeon name, no description—just a single command. And for the trio, who couldn’t help but stand out, it was a tall order. Hunters who fought at the frontlines of the apocalypse wouldn’t exactly go around asking,

‘Excuse me, how far along is the apocalypse?’

‘Who’s dead and who’s alive right now?’

‘Has this place fallen?’

They’d be treated like lunatics. Probably everyone was thinking the same thing. Even Sa-young, who usually spouted opposing opinions, shrugged as if to say, “Do whatever you want.” This was Uijae’s moment to shine. With a confident fist, he asked,

“So, who’s going to get amnesia?”

“What’s with the fist? Don’t tell me you’re planning to knock someone out?”

“Can’t I?”

“Let’s just act. We’re only pretending. Anyway, I can’t do it—I’m not good at acting.”

“You mean you can’t go wild if you’ve got amnesia, right?”

Honeybee kicked like a bee, and Uijae’s mouth twitched behind his mask. Well, Sa-young wouldn’t exactly act, so it was up to him. Just as he raised his hand,

“I’ll do—”

“I’ll do it.”

Sa-young cut him off, stepping forward. Uijae stared at him, bewildered. Seriously, you think you can pull off acting? But his astonishment didn’t seem to register behind his mask. Instead, Sa-young gave him a subtle, almost mocking smile and clicked his tongue.

“Someone who can’t even lie properly is going to act…?”

“What are you talking about? If I hadn’t become a Hunter, I would’ve been an actor, you know.”

“Sure, let’s say you do act… But then…”

Sa-young tilted his head and smirked—a clear mockery.

“Didn’t things always blow up afterward?”

“….”

Recalling past incidents, Uijae lowered his head in quiet resignation. His acting had been objectively good, but in the end, he always solved things with his fists. Sa-young sighed deeply, pressing his hand to his cheek.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have someone like Seo Min-gi here to clean up the mess….”

Damn it!

“Well, if Sa-young does it, I suppose no one will be suspicious.”

Even Honeybee sided with Sa-young. Betrayal. Uijae shot a sharp glance at Honeybee, but she only placed a finger on her lips and cheerfully remarked,

“No one will find it strange if he keeps his mouth shut!”

It was an innocuous but painful truth.

---

Sa-young had memory issues.

Jung-bin wasted no time and immediately took the three to Nam Woo-jin. The head of Seowon Guild was holed up in a basement room, which was filled to the brim with books and papers. The dim, reddish light from a flickering lamp cast shadows on the books. There was a rustling sound, and soon, a man in a white lab coat emerged. His long white hair, tied back, swayed slightly.

“What is it? I told you not to disturb me unless it was important.”

Thank goodness. He didn’t look like a mummy yet. Uijae inwardly sighed in relief. Nam Woo-jin seemed a little thinner but otherwise fine. For now. Jung-bin gestured to Sa-young standing behind him.

“Hunter Lee Sa-young is having memory issues.”

“Memory?”

Nam Woo-jin frowned slightly, then tilted his head, expecting an explanation. Jung-bin asked,

“We were in such a hurry, I didn’t have time to ask—was it caused by a monster?”

“I don’t know. I don’t remember.”

Sa-young replied with a deadpan expression. Amnesia was surprisingly convenient. Whatever it was, he could just claim he didn’t remember. Uijae discreetly gave Honeybee a thumbs-up. Nam Woo-jin scratched his head in frustration and looked at Uijae.

“J, what about you? Weren’t you resting?”

“Oh, I came because Sa-young was having issues.”

“And your health?”

Jung-bin also looked at Uijae with concern. For some reason, Uijae’s mouth moved on its own.

“I’m feeling a bit better now. Thank you for asking.”

“You seem fine. Still, since you’re here, you should get checked. We don’t want you collapsing again. And Honeybee?”

“Huh? Oh, I was the one who found Sa-young! And I contacted J.”

“I heard you went into a restricted zone. Did you find him there?”

“Ah, yeah. That’s right.”

“And what were you doing there?”

“Well, uh…”

Despite claiming she couldn’t act, Honeybee’s lie began to stretch. She glanced at Uijae, who swiftly intervened.

“I asked her. There’s something I’ve been looking for, but it’s difficult for me to move around, so I needed her help.”

“Can you tell me what it is?”

“No, not yet. Once I’m sure, I’ll let you know.”

“…Understood. So… did a monster steal his memory?”

Jung-bin, looking troubled, rubbed his chin as he pondered. Nam Woo-jin crossed his arms and asked,

“Did he lose all his memories or only specific ones?”

“It seems to be only specific memories. He remembers me, Honeybee, and you, Jung-bin. But he’s forgotten recent events entirely.”

While Uijae spoke smoothly, Sa-young remained uninterested, still gazing up at the ceiling, clearly displeased. Honeybee stiffly pointed to Jung-bin and Nam Woo-jin.

“We could explain, but we brought an expert to do it. Didn’t we?”

“An expert? You didn’t explain it yourselves?”

“I’m not good at explanations!”

“I’m not great at it either.”

It was clear enough. They were the kind of people who preferred to punch their way through problems.

Nam Woo-jin sighed deeply and waved for them to follow. Good, it worked. Jung-bin, wearing a gentle smile, excused himself.

“Sorry, but I have work to finish, so I

’ll take my leave.”

“Very well. You three, follow me…”

Nam Woo-jin, shuffling in his worn-out Crocs, led them down a long hallway. His brusque voice floated over his shoulder as they followed.

“Let me tell you this up front. This world is ending.”

Ah, straight to the point, huh?