The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low

Chapter 271

With a small tap, Bae Won-woo set down his chopsticks. He’d agreed to go to this pasta place to suit his junior colleague’s tastes, but it wasn’t exactly his style. Even so, he’d managed to finish two plates. Across from him, Kang Ji-soo had already finished eating and was engrossed in a game on her phone. She glanced at him briefly.

“All done, Deputy Chief?”

“Next time, let’s go for some soondae soup.”

“Oh, come on. Why is your taste so old-school?”

“Hot soup gives you the energy to work, you know? You have no idea how sad I was when my favorite hangover soup place closed down.”

Just then, his phone vibrated. Bae Won-woo quickly pulled it out.

[365-Day Ul#ti#mate Gu#aran#tee…]

It was a spam message. Great. He frowned and blocked the sender. Kang Ji-soo clicked her tongue.

“Still waiting on that call?”

“Yeah. They’re supposed to be capturing one monster, so it shouldn’t take this long. Things feel strange lately, too.”

It had already been four days since Lee Sa-young and J had headed to capture a monster in the dungeon at Jongno 3-ga. Normally, dungeon investigations or clearing difficult dungeons could take a while, but this mission was supposed to be simple—a single monster capture. Bae Won-woo had expected them back the same night.

Kang Ji-soo tapped on her phone thoughtfully.

“That mutation…”

“Shh.”

Bae Won-woo quickly gestured for her to be quiet, and she clamped her mouth shut, rolling her eyes. He sighed, scratching the back of his neck.

“Be careful. These days, you have to be cautious about everything.”

“Got it. But… looks like you’re getting another call?”

“It’s probably another survey or spam ad call… huh?”

“What is it?”

“It’s from Team Leader Han?”

Bae Won-woo pressed the call button and put the phone to his ear. An uncharacteristic urgency filled the voice on the other end.

? This is Team Leader Han from HB Guild. Have the Shield Guy Hunters and the ones from Wave Guild who entered the erosion dungeon returned?

“Huh? No, not yet. Wait… is it the same over there?”

? Ha…

Han let out a deep sigh.

? It’s the same here. I’ve contacted everyone, and none of the Hunters who went into the erosion dungeon… none of them have returned yet.

“…”

A sense of dread washed over him. Hunters had entered the dungeon but hadn’t returned. Those who had experienced similar situations still carried the scars of their memories.

The West Sea Rift. Bae Won-woo asked urgently.

“Does Team Leader Jeong Bin know about this?”

? Team Leader Jeong checked it out as well because the delay seemed odd. Come to the Awakener Management Bureau as soon as possible. We need to discuss this.

“I’ll be right there.”

Bae Won-woo grabbed his coat and stood up suddenly, startling Kang Ji-soo.

“What… is this real?”

“Yes, yes. Use my card to pay and head back to the guild. I need to check in with the Bureau!”

He rushed out of the restaurant. Left alone, Kang Ji-soo picked up the card he’d left on the table and glanced out through the glass. White ash was falling outside—quietly, and quickly.

---

144 hours until Uijae’s death.

“Achoo!”

One day had passed since Uijae received his countdown. He was back in the hospital room. As he sniffled, a cup of warm ginger tea appeared to his right. The hand offering it wore thick protective gloves. Lee Sa-young stood beside him, clad in a full-body white protective suit—apparently borrowed from Nam Woo-jin, who wore it during Uijae’s check-ups.

‘This… feels a bit much.’

Uijae averted his gaze. On top of his thin patient gown, he was wrapped in a soft microfiber blanket and covered with a thick quilt. He even had a heated mat under him, courtesy of Gaeul, who had also personally wrapped a scarf around his neck. All for a simple cold. Wasn’t this a bit overprotective? Gaeul was busy refilling the humidifier with water, while Uijae spoke in a hoarse voice.

“Thanks, but… this seems a bit excessive.”

“Don’t underestimate a cold. It could develop into complications!”

“It’s… just a cold, cough, just a cold.”

“Besides, people who mutate into monsters all start with a cough! Stay alert!”

That was… a little scary. Come to think of it… Uijae’s mind wandered. The people protesting outside Ha-eun’s taekwondo studio had been coughing. And the folks at the fish market too.

‘If it’s not just a cold going around.’

If mutation was beginning here too… But then, why hadn’t there been any monster waves? It hadn’t reached the level where waves of monsters surged out. His head was heavy, and his thoughts fragmented. He could feel Sa-young’s intense gaze on his cheek. Gaeul let out a deep sigh.

“Thankfully, there are no signs of that yet… but we still need to run a thorough check-up. Even if you resist, it’s happening! Seriously, for someone who’s unwell to jump into a whitened sea…”

“Mm…”

Uijae quickly nodded, adopting a sullen expression. He’d learned that acting pitiful was the best way to end Gaeul’s relentless scolding. Even through the thick protective suit, Sa-young managed to cross his legs and asked,

“When will the examination begin?”

“Soon. The doctor is preparing it now.”

“The sooner, the better.”

“Yes, don’t worry!”

They really got along well. Uijae tried to wriggle free but ultimately gave up on leaving the warmth of the bed. His body felt so heavy, and the bed was so comfortable. Maybe this was some penalty from rewriting the records, as his recovery was unusually slow. The fever reducer was wearing off, and his head felt fuzzy again. Still, he managed to ask, coughing,

“How… how is Mackerel?”

“Mackerel is in isolation. He needs to be examined as well,” Gaeul replied, moving her hands busily.

“His body is showing traces of mutation from whitening, but he’s still maintaining his sense of self, and the transformation hasn’t progressed too far… which is lucky. If it had been otherwise…”

“We’d have killed him.”

Sa-young stated it bluntly. Kill him—before he fully mutated into a monster. To prevent any greater harm. Gaeul nodded, her expression tense.

“It’s unfortunate, but that’s the best option for now. The doctor is trying to find a treatment or preventive method, but… nothing effective yet.”

“…”

“Oh! Once the check-up is complete, he’ll be under Seowon Guild’s protection. The doctor is hoping to gather some information from him, and Mackerel has agreed to cooperate.”

“…I see.”

Uijae nodded. The countdown timer in his vision kept ticking down. When would his body recover? He buried his head in the soft pillow, closing his eyes. The moment he’d saved Mackerel kept replaying in his mind.

---

Because Romantic Opener, who had collapsed after opening the door, hadn’t yet regained full consciousness, they would need to stay in the secluded village a little longer with Mackerel. While Sa-young gathered dried branches to make a small fire near Uijae, Mackerel remained silent, lost in thought ever since Uijae had pulled him from the sea. Both Uijae and Sa-young left him alone, sensing that he might need this silence.

It was several hours before Mackerel finally spoke. Uijae was huddled under Sa-young’s coat, warming himself by the fire, while Sa-young leaned against a wall a short distance away. The whitened sea was silent, even the waves barely making a sound. Only the occasional ripple disturbed the quiet.

Amid that stillness, a low voice broke through.

“Why… did you save me?”

“…”

“Did you want to see me mutate? Or… watch me suffer until I die?”

Mackerel stood frozen, like a person trapped in the ocean. Uijae wobbled to his feet. The cold wind bit into him as he moved away from the warmth of the fire. Tightening Sa-young’s coat around himself, he trudged across the soft, ash-mixed sand toward Mackerel.

The sea was calm, as if nothing had ever happened. Uijae looked for that white shadow but couldn’t see it. He dug his toes into the soft sand.

“It’s true, I was the one who pulled you out. But…”

“…”

“It was your brother. He saved both you and me.”

“…”

“If not for your brother… both of us would have died.”

A smooth, cold touch. The white figure had lifted them, holding them up to keep them alive. Mackerel stared at the whitened sea, muttering.

“After the fish market collapsed, people died, and my brother… after he changed.”

“…”

“He… didn’t attack anyone. Didn’t do anything. He just lay there on the dry ground… like he was about to die.”

A breeze mixed with white ash blew through. There was no scent of the sea. Mackerel’s hair was still damp at the ends. He rolled up his sleeves, revealing faint scales on his forearm.

“I stuffed him into a container filled with seawater, then drove off without thinking. At the fish market, seawater and containers are everywhere.”

Uijae could

 imagine Mackerel wandering the ruins of the fish market, carrying his brother, now a monster. It wasn’t hard to picture; Uijae had been through something similar himself. On the day of the Rift, during the West Sea Rift… he’d searched tirelessly for any survivors.

That’s why each person he saved was so precious.

Mackerel mumbled as if to himself.

“At that moment, all I could think of was returning to the sea…”

“So that’s why you came here.”

Uijae stared at the white horizon. He’d rewritten the records, hadn’t he? If he hadn’t intervened, Mackerel would have died as well.

Cha Uijae had altered the past that had been set in stone. Would it change anything? He didn’t know. But he felt no regrets. Saving a life was enough. Uijae patted Mackerel’s back.

“Let’s go.”

“…Where?”

Mackerel gave a bitter smile.

“There’s nowhere to go back to.”

“Who says there’s nowhere?”

Uijae turned away from the sea and looked back. Sa-young still leaned against the wall, arms crossed. Uijae gazed at him and muttered,

“You can always make a place to return to.”

“…”

“It’s… not as hard as you think.”

There was a rustling sound nearby. Mackerel was getting to his feet. He rolled down his sleeves to hide the scales on his arms. Looking at Uijae, he nodded quietly.