The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low - Chap 278
The tension beside him was palpable. That guy was bringing up a sensitive topic again! Cha Eui-jae hastily patted Lee Sa-young’s broad back, but the stiff muscles showed no sign of relaxing. This wouldn’t do. Cha Eui-jae stood behind Lee Sa-young and clamped both hands over his ears. Large hands covered Cha Eui-jae’s in response.
“What are you doing?”
“Just stay still for a bit. Hey, Hong Ye-seong, stop talking about dying so casually. Do you want to die?”
“No, that’s unfair! I was just stating an objective fact!”
“Use softer expressions. Say something like, ‘It could shorten your lifespan.’”
“That’s basically the same thing, isn’t it?”
“Sa-young, you stay quiet too.”
“But isn’t it pointless to cover his ears? He can still hear everything.”
“You too, Hong Ye-seong, keep quiet.”
After a couple of attempts to pull Cha Eui-jae’s hands away, Lee Sa-young gave up and instead started poking them to be annoying. Hong Ye-seong grumbled.
“Unbelievable. I give a warning, and this is the thanks I get. You’re going to seriously shorten your lifespan at this rate.”
Quick feedback was something to be praised, Cha Eui-jae thought brazenly.
“What are you talking about? Who could possibly live longer than me?”
“You’re really not making a convincing argument. Especially after the things you’ve done.”
“…”
Lee Sa-young tried to turn his head, but Cha Eui-jae held it firmly in place. Lee Sa-young grumbled, asking what he’d done this time, but Cha Eui-jae ignored him, pursing his lips.
‘…What’s he referring to this time?’
Too many things came to mind. Was it the time he coughed up blood and collapsed when he synchronized with his past self here? Or when he turned Lee Sa-young into an amnesiac? Was it when he hauled Mackerel out of Haenam? Or when he brought Mackerel to the Seowon Guild? Or maybe when he chatted with Yoon Ga-eul in a dream and got blinded as a penalty?
‘…I’ve done too much, haven’t I?’
At this point, it would only be fair if Lee Sa-young glared at him. Cha Eui-jae removed his hands from Lee Sa-young’s head and folded his hands together in a contrite gesture. Lee Sa-young’s voice was incredulous.
“What are you doing now?”
“I get it. I’ve got too many guilty moments.”
“Oh… really?”
Ignoring the sharp gaze piercing him, Cha Eui-jae asked politely,
“Hong Ye-seong, my friend. What could I have possibly done?”
“Are you seriously asking? You saved Mackerel! He was supposed to die there!”
Ah, that one was something Lee Sa-young already knew about, so it didn’t matter. Regaining his confidence, Cha Eui-jae unfolded his hands and pointed accusingly at Hong Ye-seong.
“So, should I have let him drown instead of saving him? He was sinking right in front of my eyes!”
“Ahhh, stop saying heroic things like that! I have PTSD!”
“PTSD? You’re not the only one! I’ve got it too!”
“Cock-a-doodle-doo!”
A rooster’s cry echoed in the distance. As the argument escalated into a chaotic shouting match, Lee Sa-young intervened.
“Let me ask something. If we change the predetermined future here, will it affect our world?”
“Of course not! It won’t change anything. This is a space reconstructed from memories. The people here aren’t alive— they’re remnants of memory. The original world this place is based on is already destroyed.”
“…”
“You guys are… how should I put it? Right, you’re like actors stepping into a play with a fixed ending. Got it? Understand?”
“Then it doesn’t matter who we save, right? The ending’s going to be destruction anyway.”
“No, it matters! Every character has a predetermined conclusion. Changing that violates the system’s rules. You don’t know what kind of penalty you’ll face.”
Ah, so that sudden weakness earlier must have been a penalty. If it weren’t for Mackerel’s brother, he might’ve drowned. Gratitude welled up in Cha Eui-jae. He’d have to buy him a meal when they returned.
A fixed ending.
They knew the ending. Cha Eui-jae dies. Lee Sa-young is left alone. The world is destroyed. Yet Hong Ye-seong remained as cheerful as ever, showing no sign of fear about the apocalypse. Cha Eui-jae asked suddenly.
“Why are you so unaffected?”
“Huh? Because I’m aware that I’m not real. I’m different from the others, you see.”
“So, you know the world is going to end soon. But how can you…”
“Well, you guys came here.”
“…”
“You came looking for clues about the apocalypse, right? That means there’s still hope on your side.”
For some reason, Cha Eui-jae felt a lump in his throat. It wasn’t sadness— it was the lack of words. Gratitude and comfort felt insufficient. Cha Eui-jae couldn’t utter a single thing.
Hong Ye-seong smiled brightly. His radiant face looked just like…
“Keeping everyone here was worth it!”
The sun.
…Okay, maybe with a bit of exaggeration.
***
Hong Ye-seong and Kkokko came to the gate to see the four of them off. Since Romantic Opener was still wandering in a dream, Honeybee carried him.
The descent was steeped in silence. Thanks to Hong Ye-seong, perhaps, there were no traces of the Whitening in Jirisan. With each step down, they were greeted by the fresh scent of trees, grass, and damp earth.
“…”
“We’ve all done our part by leaving this behind!”
What kind of emotions must the people who left these memories behind have felt? What was going through Hong Ye-seong’s mind as he gathered memories to create this dungeon? His smile, as if relieved, weighed heavily on them.
“…Hyung.”
“J!”
The sound of someone calling broke through his deep thoughts. Cha Eui-jae hastily raised his head. The flickering flames of the others who had been walking ahead had come to a halt. Cha Eui-jae reacted a beat too late.
“Huh? Oh. Why are you calling me?”
“…Are you really okay? The tree’s right in front of you.”
“Sorry, I was thinking about what we just heard.”
“You mean what Hong Ye-seong said?”
“Yeah.”
Honeybee quipped with a casual tone.
“Well, isn’t the conclusion pretty clear? We need to gather as much information and as many clues as we can about the apocalypse. That’s the purpose of this world, after all.”
“That’s true.”
“Hmm. Should we start with Seowon Guild?”
“Nam Woo-jin probably knows the most.”
“We’ll have to find a good time to grill him. There might also be something worth salvaging from their library…”
Honeybee murmured as she resumed walking. Cha Eui-jae reached out to touch the tree that was directly in his path. If he’d gone just a little further, he would’ve walked right into it. He’d have to be more careful. As he instinctively sidestepped the tree, he added,
“And we should gather everything as quickly as possible.”
“Why?”
Because if they took too long, he’d die. Swallowing that thought, Cha Eui-jae gave a more plausible reason.
“Who knows how time flows differently here compared to outside? We should move fast.”
“Ah, that’s true. No point in gathering information if it’s too late to use it.”
“Then we should wake this guy up first. It’ll take ages to get to the Seowon Guild.”
All eyes turned to Honeybee, who was still carrying the slumbering Romantic Opener, whose flames flickered faintly in soft hues. Lee Sa-young cracked his knuckles with a loud snap as he approached.
“I’ve got the perfect remedy… lay him down.”
“…You’re not going to kill him, are you?”
“Of course not. I’m his guild leader, after all.”
A dull thud marked the moment Honeybee set Romantic Opener down. Then came the sound of something heavy being dragged along the ground. Romantic Opener’s flickering flame was being pulled by a purple one.
Honeybee asked in a suspicious voice,
“Where are you taking him?”
“Just for a chat.”
Lee Sa-young’s voice grew more distant. Honeybee clicked her tongue and kicked the ground, sending dirt scattering. The silence that followed was filled with birdsong and the chirping of insects. Birds… it had been a while since he’d heard them. As Cha Eui-jae tuned into the sound, Honeybee broke the silence.
“Since we’ve made it this far, I might as well tell you. I already told Lee Sa-young, but you probably don’t know.”
“Yes?”
A soft thud followed as she kicked a stone along the path.
“I see visions of people dying. I’ve been seeing them even before we entered this place. Like their heads dangling or…”
“…”
“It might sound crazy. But… it feels like I’m seeing how these people in this world died.”
Cha Eui-jae said nothing. The sound of fingers raking through hair reached him, along with the faint sound of uneven breathing. Honeybee’s voice dropped.
“…If we knew how they died, do you think we could stop it?”
It could be a futile hope. But Cha Eui-jae couldn’t help but nod. He had thought the same thing countless times.
“…Maybe.”
From afar, a sharp scream echoed. Honeybee sighed and patted Cha Eui-jae on the shoulder.
“Thanks. That’s oddly comforting.”
Her hand fell away, and Cha Eui-jae abruptly asked,
“Do you… see me too?”
“…”
Honeybee turned to him. What kind of image of himself would she see? Would it be a version of him with blood pouring from his head? But her answer was unexpected.
“I don’t know.”
“…What?”
“I’ve never seen how you die. It’s always been like that.”
“…”
“So, I’ve always thought it was strange.”
“…”
“Well, doesn’t that mean you won’t die? Let’s think positively.”
Honeybee deliberately kept her tone light. However—
Cha Eui-jae stared at the flashing red numbers in the corner of his vision. The countdown to his death was clear. He had also vividly seen the memory of himself dying through Lee Sa-young’s perspective.
The dragging sound grew closer. Lee Sa-young shoved something forward with a dull thud.
“Open the door.”
“Y-Yes!”
The voice was brimming with vigor, followed by the creak of a door opening. Amidst the fresh scent of grass, the musty smell of old books and disinfectant wafted through.
Cha Eui-jae halted his thoughts and stepped toward the scent of books.
