The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low - Chap 260
“First things first!”
Honeybee raised her index finger.
“We’re low on food and water, and there are no monsters here to hunt for supplies… We need to get out of here as quickly as possible. That’s our top priority. Agreed?”
“How?”
“We’ll have to figure that out now.”
“Oh… I thought you had some brilliant plan since you sounded so confident. Do you think just talking will make an exit appear?”
“We have to assess the situation first, you idiot!”
As if playing catch earlier wasn’t enough, they were veering off topic again. Cha Eui-jae stepped between the two, trying to calm them down.
“Hold on. Let’s not fight, and let’s follow Honeybee’s suggestion to assess the situation first.”
“See? Someone here knows what he’s talking about.”
Lee Sa-young crossed his arms, challenging her to continue. Cha Eui-jae let out a small sigh.
“What ways are there to get out of a dungeon?”
“Either find the entrance we came in through or kill the dungeon’s boss. But neither of those is possible right now.”
“As you can see, there’s nothing here.”
“The erosion is definitely expanding in real time, right?”
“That’s right. The castle should be in this direction, but it’s completely gone without a trace.”
“…”
“This speed, though… it’s strange. I’ve never seen it before.”
“Same here.”
For a moment, Lee Sa-young and Cha Eui-jae exchanged glances. Could this have anything to do with Lee Sa-young stepping down from his role as the warden? ‘Hong Ye-seong’ was just a distraction and couldn’t hold the destroyed world in place. Lee Sa-young seemed to be thinking the same thing. He cracked his knuckles as he spoke.
“How about we keep moving?”
“Blindly?”
“Since the dungeons are linked, it’s likely connected to other eroded dungeons, too. An exit over there might still be intact.”
“Sounds like an endless journey…”
Honeybee bit her lip in frustration but nodded.
“Alright, then. Let’s start moving. Before it’s too late.”
The world after the apocalypse was silent.
In this halted world, only three people remained, leaving traces of their existence. Three pairs of footprints stretched across the white ash. Cha Eui-jae looked up at the hazy sky. It was a familiar sight, making it hard for his heart to stay calm.
The monster he killed had been human. Once again, he was trapped in a ruined world.
He thought he’d finally moved on, but now… He clenched his teeth. His head was buzzing, his heart racing. He struggled for breath, and a cold sweat formed on the back of his neck. He’d rather fight a monster than wander aimlessly through this wasteland.
He felt like he was going to be sick.
His steps slowed. He looked at the others ahead of him. Would he just be holding them back? Moving constantly was probably the best option for everyone.
He closed his eyes tightly.
Should he say something?
He didn’t want to show weakness…
Just then, Cha Eui-jae felt a gentle hand grasp his arm. He opened his eyes to find Lee Sa-young standing right in front of him, concern etched on his typically striking face.
“What’s wrong?”
Honeybee, who had been walking ahead, had also returned to check on him. Cha Eui-jae parted his lips, but the words were stuck in his throat. A gentle voice encouraged him.
“Is there something you want to say?”
“…”
It was hard to reveal his inner thoughts. It always has been. People were never interested in the human side of a hero. But…
Slowly, Cha Eui-jae raised his head. He was confident that Lee Sa-young would listen, would care.
“I’m really sorry, but…”
“Yes?”
“Do you think we could take a break?”
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“No, not exactly…”
He wasn’t sure if it was fortunate or unfortunate that his face couldn’t be seen. Since he was hiding it, he had to say a little more. He couldn’t expect them to understand without explaining. He fiddled with his hands behind his back, speaking slowly.
“It’s just… a bit much.”
“…”
“When I was in the West Sea Rift… I saw things like this for too long. So…”
“Oh.”
Honeybee covered her mouth. Cha Eui-jae lowered his head shyly, not daring to look at their expressions. When was the last time he honestly shared his weakness? He couldn’t even remember.
A familiar, nonchalant voice replied lightly.
“Well, good timing. I wanted a break, too. My legs are tired from all this walking.”
“Want me to carry you?”
“No thanks! Go find us a place to rest.”
“And is it okay to boss me around like this?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? You’re the liveliest one here. Now get moving!”
Honeybee swung a fist in the air, and Lee Sa-young shrugged and started walking off to search for a spot. Honeybee then approached Cha Eui-jae and took out something from her inventory, handing it over. It was a water canteen.
“Drink if you’re thirsty. Ah, wait, maybe you can’t with that mask on? Just tell me when you’re done, and I’ll look away.”
“Oh, no. I’m fine for now.”
“…”
“…”
An awkward silence lingered between them. Honeybee looked up at the sky briefly, then sighed irritably and turned toward Cha Eui-jae.
“Thanks, by the way.”
“Huh? For what?”
“For telling me it was okay to cry.”
She looked down, her eyes slightly reddened.
“To be honest, I didn’t want to cry. Makes me look weak, you know? It’s not the first time I’ve seen a teammate die. I’ve even had to let go of hopeless ones myself.”
“…”
“But…”
Honeybee was still carrying the scrawny monster on her back. She didn’t seem burdened by it, as if it were the weight she was meant to bear.
“If I don’t cry, who will? I’m the only one here who really knew them.”
“…That’s true.”
“…Anyway, that’s that. Looks like Lee Sa-young found a spot. Let’s go.”
Lee Sa-young, crouching on the ground, waved them over. Honeybee spun around and began walking toward him, the monster’s legs dragging along the ground. Cha Eui-jae understood her feelings. He, too, had scoured piles of bloody remains before, hoping to find even a small bone fragment.
As Cha Eui-jae approached, Lee Sa-young stood up and pointed at the ground with his index finger.
“There’s a trail here.”
“A trail?”
“Something’s been through here.”
“…”
Though it was slightly covered in ash, they could clearly see the marks— a line of evenly spaced, straight impressions. It looked like wheel tracks. Since they weren’t entirely covered, it must have been recent. Honeybee’s eyes sparkled.
“Could it lead to another dungeon?”
“Possibly.”
Cha Eui-jae looked up at the sky. Ash continued to fall steadily. After taking a moment to steady himself, he spoke.
“Let’s follow it before it gets covered up.”
“You sure you’re okay to keep going?”
“Seeing a bit of hope helps.”
Cha Eui-jae cracked a joke, and Honeybee gave a small laugh before grinning. Without further prompting, they started walking along the trail.
The wheel tracks continued for quite a distance. They were broken up in parts, but they reappeared shortly after each break, becoming clearer as they went. Hope began to grow, a sense of certainty that they might encounter another living being. That they might find a way out.
After walking for who knew how long, they sensed someone nearby. Instinctively, Cha Eui-jae held his breath and crouched down. Lee Sa-young and Honeybee did the same.
Cha Eui-jae scanned the surroundings quickly. But there was no sign of any living being.
‘What’s going on?’
Was his ability malfunctioning? Lee Sa-young and Honeybee looked fine, though. Was there something his Tracker’s Eye couldn’t detect? He blinked several times. Whatever it was, it was getting closer. Eventually, Cha Eui-jae released his ability.
Then—
“Is someone there?”
A voice called out.
They exchanged glances. This was it; they’d finally encountered another living being. The speaker sounded like someone they could communicate with. Should they try talking? After all, if it was an enemy, they could always handle it then. So, who should do the talking?
First, the man in the black mask. Definitely suspicious-looking.
Second, the flamboyant man. Disaster would strike the moment he opened his mouth.
Third, the beautiful woman carrying a monster on her back.
…
Cha Eui-jae signaled to Honeybee to put down the monster she was carrying. She set it down and stood up.
“Haah, guess it’s up to me…”
Honeybee proudly brushed her hair back and called out.
“I’m Honeybee from HB Guild. Who’s there?”
“…”
There was a faint muttering, and then a young man appeared. He was wearing a worn, fluorescent yellow vest and a scratched yellow safety helmet, looking rather bewildered.
“Hunter Honeybee? What are you doing here?”
There was something familiar about him. Cha Eui-jae squinted, studying his face, then his eyes widened.
It was the regular from the hangover soup restaurant— the rookie always accompanying Yang Hye-jin from the Rift Management Bureau.
“This area is restricted… Did you come to investigate?”
More than that…
“Oh, ah, yeah. That’s right, we came to investigate.”
His face looked far older than his years.
