The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low - Chap 243
The speeding Damas suddenly slowed to a crawl. Right in front of a tall skyscraper, Mackerel parked the car tight against the curb, whistling as he stared up at the building.
“Ah~ truth is, this is my first time visiting too.”
Mackerel rubbed his palms together, smacking his lips.
“Since we’re here, I’d like to look around a bit. The longer you can stay, the better, you know?”
I thought he’d just come along to settle a debt, but apparently, he had some other ulterior motives. Cha Eui-jae shot him a sidelong glance.
“So you came here just to indulge yourself.”
“Aww, if I go in with you, it’ll be like a free pass, right? After all, you’re J-nim.”
Not quite. Stubborn as a mule, and if he sets his mind to it, he can disappear like a ninja without leaving a trace. Cha Eui-jae folded his arms, leaning his head against the glass window.
“I’m not on good terms with him right now.”
“Then make up. Isn’t that why you’re here?”
That annoyingly bright smile was getting on his nerves. Without responding, Cha Eui-jae carefully got out of the car. Cramped from being squished inside, his whole body felt stiff. Stretching his arms, he gave a long yawn. Mackerel slammed the Damas door shut and looked up at the towering building.
“So, here’s the thing… doesn’t seem like they’ll just open the doors nicely for us, right?”
“Not a chance.”
“And I don’t suppose he’d show me his face, either.”
“Would he?”
“Usually, you’d need an employee or visitor pass just to get through the lobby. Plus, with the kind of research they’re doing here, security must be pretty tight.”
Cha Eui-jae glanced at Mackerel, silently asking if he had any tricks up his sleeve. Mackerel shot finger guns into the air with a cheerful grin.
“Well then, shall we go in anyway?”
***
‘Ah, I really don’t want to work.’
Ice clinked in his coffee as the youngest member of the Pado Guild’s lab trudged along, balancing a carrier full of coffee with a face as fierce as a mountain bandit in a white lab coat. Staring at numbers on a monitor all day felt like a new kind of torture, not to mention running errands for his seniors.
‘Sure, it’s a stable job, but…’
Lately, even that didn’t seem like a guarantee. The youngest sighed heavily.
The people gathered in this lab had come together with a mission; to open the West Sea rift and rescue the people trapped inside. Outwardly, it was labeled “rift research,” but they all worked hard for the mission. Just as their research was about to shine, the rankings updated and suddenly… J appeared.
People were shocked, and the lab was in an uproar. J, the most famous hunter who had entered the West Sea rift and practically a national hero, had returned on his own, apparently escaping the rift by himself.
Sure, it was good that he was back, but then what was the point of our mission? Was our lab done for? Just as anxiety over job security gripped them, someone appeared with their paychecks in hand; Hunter Lee Sa-young.
One day, he’d appeared out of nowhere and said,
“Keep doing what you were doing.”
“Yes? Yes…”
“But you’ll need to add something else to your work.”
“Something else?”
“Start researching the eroded dungeons too. And this, and that.”
The black-clad man, who loomed like the Grim Reaper, flicked through a thick stack of files. A senior who glanced at the files stood with his mouth agape. The youngest quickly checked the contents. Every known eroded dungeon’s location, characteristics, and various other data were packed inside. Smiling, their gas-mask-wearing boss said,
“The data might not be accurate, so… you’ll need to go on-site to confirm it, right?”
Boss… They swallowed their unspoken words.
Anyway, since that day, the lab staff had been traveling for dungeon fieldwork. They were still working, but morale was at an all-time low. The most affected was the passionate head of the lab, Professor Jang. It was like he’d burned out; he either sat lethargically or slept curled up in a corner. The oldest lab researcher had to shake him awake.
‘Does this place even have a future?’
After the bizarre day when monsters rained from the sky, they were once again assigned to dungeon fieldwork. The one who received the most assignments? The youngest. He sniffled and wiped his nose, feeling his desire to quit grow stronger.
Then he heard a scuffle in the lobby. Perfect timing. Might as well watch some workplace drama. He’d been so jealous reading posts on Blind Posts about the brawls between J and the boss. The youngest followed the sounds of footsteps, shuffling along. And then—
“Do you know who this person is?”
“Hey, keep it down…”
“This man here cut off the head of a grade 3 monster with a single oak leaf at age five and wiped out eight grade 1 monsters with a single pine cone at age eight!”
“Shut it! Apologies.”
Silvery hair swayed as a young man with dark blue hair covered his companion’s mouth and turned his head. The first thing the youngest noticed was his tall, lean physique, followed by a black mask that covered his entire face. His gaze briefly landed on the youngest, then shifted away. A distorted voice met his ears.
“I’m here to see Guild Leader Lee Sa-young. Is he in?”
“Oh, the Guild Leader isn’t here at the moment…”
“Pfft, let’s not lie here, okay? I already know.”
“I-I, s-s-s-sorry.”
The youngest’s grip weakened, and the coffees fell to the floor, spilling everywhere. The thought of getting scolded by his seniors had long faded. A cold breeze crept toward his slippered feet, and the smell of coffee filled the air, but none of that mattered.
“J!!”
The youngest took a step forward, then—
Slip—
The world tilted.
Everything moved in slow motion. The dark blue-haired young man’s incredulous expression, the shocked faces of the staff, even J. The ceiling came into view. He thought of his parents, who’d attended every graduation from kindergarten to college, and of his dog Poppy, waiting for him at home. Was this what they meant by “your life flashing before your eyes”? Mom, your youngest is going down. He closed his eyes.
And then.
“…Hey, you okay?”
Could a distorted voice sound soothing? The youngest could confidently say yes. The world shook roughly, and he opened his eyes to find a black mask inches from his face.
“You okay?”
“Uh—ack!”
The youngest flailed, trying to get up, but it was no use. A firm hand gripped his shoulder and waist, steadying him. Somehow, J had rushed over to catch him. The youngest slapped his cheeks with both hands and screamed.
“Aaah! I’m so sorry! Thank you, J, J!”
“Yeah, that’s me… you sure you’re alright? You nearly hit your head.”
“Maybe his head was always a little… off?”
“I’m, I’m, I’m a fan. A fan, and… our team are fans, and, Professor’s a fan too…”
“Professor?”
The dark blue-haired youth’s eyes glinted with interest. He whispered something mischievously in J’s ear. J’s head turned toward the youngest, who was clasping his hands shyly like a teenager. J took a breath and leaned closer.
“So, you work here?”
“Uh, yeah, yes! I do!”
“Oh… I see. You work in the lab, huh?”
“How… how’d you know? Are you psychic?”
“Just a hunch, you’ve got that brainy look.”
“Really?”
Since puberty, all he’d ever been called was a “bandit.” Now, his rugged face turned red. He heard a faint chuckle, and then J asked softly.
“I came here to see Guild Leader Lee Sa-young.”
“Yes, yes!”
“Think he might be here?”
“Haven’t heard anything… but I could check!”
“How so? I’m curious.”
“Well, I could ask the seniors… or there’s a training facility in the basement! We could check the access logs! Even the Guild Leader would leave a record!”
“Ah… could you help with that? I really need to see him today.”
“B-but…”
Should he? His last bit of common sense whispered a warning. But then—
“Please, I’m counting on you. Okay?”
That soft, distorted voice blew away his last shred of reason. The youngest nodded frantically.
“O-of course! For J, anything!”
The youngest sprang to his feet and hurriedly took out his phone. Somewhere nearby, he thought he heard a sigh.
***
The bandit-like researcher managed to confirm that Lee Sa-young, Bae Won-woo, and a mysterious individual were indeed recorded in the access logs. He even guided them to the elevator to the basement and lent them his own access card. Clinging to the end, he held onto J’s pant leg persistently.
“Please visit our lab sometime! There are many people who want to meet you, J!”
It took a lot to shake him off— his grip was as clingy as a Kraken’s suction cups. Mackerel, who’d been blubbering this whole time, wiped away his tears.
“Ah… That was too funny. Honestly, I didn’t expect you to be so good at the honey trap game! That was so natural it surprised even me.”
Gritting his teeth, Cha eui-jae replied,
“Shut up.”
“Well, it worked, didn’t it? Make enough noise, and someone will come to check. Among them, there might be some devoted fans of yours.”
The giddy Mackerel kept babbling. Cha Eui-jae sighed, leaning against the cramped elevator corner as it continued descending. The complex noises gradually faded. Instead,
Creeeeak…
An ominous sound filled the silence. Thump, thump— a faint vibration was felt. The smile faded from Mackerel’s face. Just as he was about to say something, Cha Eui-jae clamped his hand over his mouth, focusing on the sound.
Thud, thud, thud…
The sound of something piercing flesh and bone. And mixed in between—
A faint groan.
The veins in Cha Eui-jae’s hand stood out.
