The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low - Chap 271 deja vu
Clatter— Bae Won-woo set his chopsticks down. He had agreed to come to this pasta restaurant to match his subordinate’s taste, but it wasn’t really his style. Not that it stopped him from finishing two bowls. Across from him, Kang Ji-soo had finished her meal long ago and was playing a game on her phone. She glanced at him.
“Done eating, Vice-Guild Leader?”
“Next time, let’s go for sundae
soup.”
“Oh, come on. Why’s your palate so patriotic?”
“You need a hot bowl of soup to really feel like working. Do you know how sad I was when my go-to hangover soup restaurant shut down?”
At that moment, his phone buzzed. Bae Won-woo quickly pulled it out.
[365 Days of #Ultimate #Strength #Endurance…]
A spam message. Damn it. He frowned and blocked the sender. Kang Ji-soo clicked her tongue.
“Still waiting for a call?”
“Yeah. Capturing one monster shouldn’t take this long. And with how things are these days…”
It had been four days since Lee Sa-young and J went to capture a monster in the eroded dungeon near Jongno 3-ga. Sure, dungeon investigations or clearing difficult dungeons could take a while. But this time, it was just one monster. Bae Won-woo had expected them back by the same night.
Kang Ji-soo tapped on her phone as she spoke.
“That mutation…”
“Shh.”
Bae Won-woo quickly gestured for her to stop talking. She clammed up and shifted her eyes. He sighed and scratched the back of his neck.
“Be careful. We have to be cautious about everything these days.”
“Got it. But, uh… you’ve got another call?”
“It’s probably another survey or spam call… Huh?”
“What is it?”
“It’s Team Leader Han.”
Bae Won-woo answered the call and pressed the phone to his ear. On the other end, an unusually urgent voice asked,
—This is Team Leader Han from HB Guild. Have the hunters from Pado Guild who entered the eroded dungeon returned yet?
“Huh? No, not yet. Wait… you too?”
—Ha…
A heavy sigh came through the line.
—Same here. I contacted everyone. None of the hunters who entered the eroded dungeons have returned yet.
“…”
A sense of foreboding gripped him. Hunters who went into the dungeon but couldn’t return. They would all carry memories, like scars.
The West Sea rift. Bae Won-woo urgently asked,
“What about the captain— no, Team Leader Jung Bin? Does he know?”
—Team Leader Jung Bin found it strange that it was taking so long and has already checked. Please come to the Awakened Management Bureau. We need to discuss this.
“I’ll head there immediately.”
Bae Won-woo grabbed his coat and sprang to his feet. Kang Ji-soo’s eyes widened.
“What… is this for real?”
“Y-yeah. Here’s my card. Pay with this and head back to the guild. I’m going to the Bureau!”
He hurriedly left the restaurant. Left alone, Kang Ji-soo picked up the card he had tossed on the table and looked out the window. White ash was falling. Quietly, but quickly.
***
144 hours until Cha Eui-jae’s death.
“Ah-choo!”
Exactly one day had passed since Cha Eui-jae was given his terminal diagnosis. He was back in his hospital room. Sniffling, he was immediately handed a warm cup of ginger tea. The cup was offered by a hand clad in thick protective gloves. The owner of the hand was Lee Sa-young, dressed in a full-body white protective suit. Apparently, it originally belonged to Nam Woo-jin, meant for examining Lee Sa-young.
‘This… this is too much.’
Cha Eui-jae awkwardly averted his gaze. On top of the thin hospital gown, he was swaddled in a soft microfiber blanket and a thick quilt, complete with a scarf personally wrapped around him by Yoon Ga-eul. The warmth under him hinted at an electric heating mat as well. Wasn’t this excessive for a simple cold? Yoon Ga-eul was diligently refilling the humidifier with water. With a hoarse voice, Cha Eui-jae struggled to speak.
“Thanks, but… this is a bit much.”
“Don’t underestimate a cold. You never know what complications might arise!”
“I’m telling you, it’s just a cough.”
“Besides, everyone who turns into a monster always starts with a cough! You need to take this seriously!”
Now that was scary. Come to think of it… Cha Eui-jae recalled something. The protesters in front of Park Ha-eun’s taekwondo dojang were coughing. So were the people at the fish market.
‘If this isn’t just a seasonal cold…’
What if the mutation process was already underway in their world? But then why hadn’t there been a monster wave phase? It didn’t seem like there were enough monsters to call it a wave. His thoughts fragmented, likely due to his fever. Lee Sa-young’s gaze burned into him, and Yoon Ga-eul let out an exasperated sigh.
“Luckily, there are no signs of that here. But still, we need to do a detailed examination, just in case. Even if you refuse, we’re doing it! Honestly, how could someone unwell dive into a whitening sea…”
“Uh…”
Cha Eui-jae quickly nodded with a glum expression. He’d learned that acting pitiful was the best way to end Yoon Ga-eul’s relentless scolding. Lee Sa-young, somehow managing to cross his legs even in the bulky protective suit, asked,
“When will the examination take place?”
“Soon. The doctor is preparing now.”
“The sooner, the better.”
“Don’t worry, it won’t take long!”
They make a good pair. Cha Eui-jae tried squirming in protest but ultimately gave up on leaving the warm bed. His body felt too heavy, and the bed was too cozy. Was this the penalty for tampering with records or whatever? His recovery seemed frustratingly slow. As the fever reducer wore off, his mind grew hazy again. Still, Cha Eui-jae managed to cough and ask,
“What about Mackerel?”
“Mackerel is in quarantine. They also need to undergo an examination.”
Yoon Ga-eul replied, busy with her tasks.
“They’ve shown signs of mutation caused by the Whitening all over their body, but since they’re still retaining their consciousness and the mutation isn’t severe… that’s some relief. If it were worse…”
“They’d have been killed.”
Lee Sa-young stated it bluntly. Killed. Before fully transforming into a monster. To prevent further damage. Yoon Ga-eul nodded tensely.
“It’s unfortunate, but it’s the best option we have right now. The doctor is working on finding a treatment or preventive measures, but… nothing concrete yet.”
“…”
“Oh! But after the detailed examination, Seowon Guild will provide protection. The doctor is eager to gather more information. Mackerel has also expressed willingness to cooperate.”
“I see.”
Cha Eui-jae nodded. In the corner of his vision, the timer continued to count down rapidly. When would his body recover? He buried his head into the soft pillow and closed his eyes. The moment he pulled Mackerel out of the sea replayed over and over in his mind.
***
Because of news that Romantic Opener, who had fainted upon opening the door, still wasn’t back to normal, they had to stay a little longer in the quiet village with Mackerel. While Lee Sa-young gathered dried branches to build a small fire near Cha Eui-jae, Mackerel remained silent. Ever since Cha Eui-jae had saved him, he seemed lost in thought. Neither Cha Eui-jae nor Lee Sa-young tried to force conversation with Mackerel, who was huddled on the sandy shore. Sometimes, silence was necessary.
Mackerel finally spoke hours later. By then, Cha Eui-jae was warming himself by the fire, wrapped in Lee Sa-young’s coat, while Lee Sa-young leaned against a wall a little further away. The white-bleached sea lapped quietly, its waves devoid of sound. Occasionally, a gentle ripple disturbed the stillness.
Amid that quiet, Mackerel’s low voice broke through.
“Why… did you save me?”
“…”
“Was it to watch me transform? Or to make me live in agony until I die?”
Mackerel sat motionless, as if he were another figure etched into the sea. Cha Eui-jae staggered to his feet. The warmth of the fire faded as the chill of the wind hit him. Pulling Lee Sa-young’s coat tighter around himself, he trudged through the soft, ash-laced sand toward Mackerel.
The sea was as calm as if nothing had ever happened. Cha Eui-jae scanned the white expanse for a glimpse of those spectral shadows but found nothing. He wriggled his toes into the cool, soft sand and spoke.
“It’s true that I was the one who pulled you out. But…”
“…”
“It was your brother. He’s the one who saved both you and me.”
“…”
“If it weren’t for your brother… we’d both be dead.”
The sensation had been smooth and cold. That white shadow had held them steady, pushing them upward so they could breathe, so they could survive. Mackerel, who had been staring blankly at the pale sea, murmured.
“After the fish market collapsed, after the people died, and after my hyung… mutated.”
“…”
“He didn’t attack anyone. He didn’t do anything. He just lay there on the dry ground… like he was ready to die.”
The ash-laden wind blew softly, carrying no trace of the sea’s salty tang. The tips of Mackerel’s hair were still damp. On his forearm, where his sleeve had been rolled up, smooth, gleaming scales were visible.
“I stuffed him into a box filled with seawater and loaded him into the car. It wasn’t hard to find those things in the fish market.”
Cha Eui-jae imagined Mackerel wandering through the wreckage, carrying his mutated brother. It wasn’t hard to picture. He had done something similar before— during the Day of the Rift, and at the West Sea Rift. Back then, he had searched desperately for survivors.
That’s why the lone survivor had always been so precious. Mackerel muttered as if talking to himself.
“At the time, I could only think about getting to the sea…”
“So that’s why you came here.”
Cha Eui-jae stared out at the white horizon. They said the past had been overwritten. If he hadn’t saved Mackerel, he would have died here.
Cha Eui-jae had rewritten the recorded past. Would that change anything? He didn’t know. But there was no regret. He was satisfied with simply having saved someone. Cha Eui-jae patted Mackerel on the back.
“Let’s go.”
“…Where to?”
Mackerel let out a brittle laugh.
“I don’t have anywhere to return to.”
“Why wouldn’t you?”
Cha Eui-jae turned his gaze from the sea to look behind him. Lee Sa-young was still leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Cha Eui-jae stared at him for a moment and murmured.
“You can make a place to return to.”
“…”
“It’s not… as hard as you’d think.”
A faint rustling sound came from beside him. Mackerel was getting to his feet. He rolled down his sleeve to hide the scales on his arm and looked at Cha Eui-jae for a long moment.
Then, he nodded.
Sundaeguk is a typical Korean pork sausage soup that tastes savory and slightly sweet.
Update: yeah, I still have no clue
