The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low - Chap 304
Thud. The man in the black suit collapsed. Crimson blood pooled over the white ashes. A familiar sight. He had seen it countless times in the West Sea rift. Mackerel rushed forward and caught Seo Min-gi. Cha Eui-jae stared blankly at them. And then, a dark shadow loomed over the two.
The lion’s paw slashed through the air once more. His body moved on instinct. And—
Bang!
A choked gasp escaped him before he could suppress it. Blinding pain struck his head. But Cha Eui-jae steadied his trembling body, using his spear for support, barely managing to stay on his feet. His vision swam. A sharp ringing filled his ears. The world around him fell silent, leaving only the ringing and the pounding of his heart. The taste of blood spread through his mouth— his lips must have split open.
“Hyung-nim!”
Cha Eui-jae pressed his throbbing temple. It felt wet. When he pulled his hand away, his palm was slick with bright red blood. At that moment, the emotion that took hold of him was—
‘It’s still red.’
Relief.
A breathless chuckle escaped him. Even though every movement sent waves of dizziness crashing over him, he couldn’t stop laughing. Through the relentless ringing in his ears, Mackerel’s voice broke through like an echo.
“Hyung-nim! Are you okay?”
Slowly, Cha Eui-jae turned his head. Mackerel and Seo Min-gi blurred into two, then three figures. But the fear in Mackerel’s wide eyes was crystal clear. With trembling hands, he pointed at Cha Eui-jae.
“Hyung-nim… your mask…”
“…”
Cha Eui-jae touched his mask with blood-stained fingers. The left eye section was shattered. No wonder his vision was so messed up. Hong Ye-seong had boasted about his craftsmanship so much, yet it broke from a single hit? Cha Eui-jae turned his gaze forward.
The lion stood with its paw still raised, staring at him in confusion. From its white fur and claws, drops of red blood dripped, one after another. Its pale eyes seemed to ask,
Why did you block it?
Cha Eui-jae ignored the monster’s silent question. Instead, he staggered forward and knelt beside Seo Min-gi. The lion lowered its threatening paw and began observing him quietly. Cha Eui-jae carefully spoke.
“…Seo Min-gi-ssi.”
With the mask broken, its voice modulation was no longer working. His real voice came out.
Seo Min-gi gasped, clutching his chest. Blood spilled between his fingers. The three deep claw marks were too severe. Especially the wound on his chest— it was deep enough to expose bone. He wouldn’t last long like this. Through the cracked lens of his sunglasses, his dark eyes fluttered open and closed, barely staying conscious. Cha Eui-jae forced himself to push through his dizziness and muttered,
“Don’t lose consciousness.”
“…Customer…”
Seo Min-gi struggled to speak. The pool of blood around him grew larger.
“Are… you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“…I’m sorry. I… should’ve… stopped it.”
“It’s not your fault.”
It was Cha Eui-jae’s fault for sending the monsters his way in the first place. He had pushed them away, calling them a nuisance. Yet, he hadn’t been able to protect him. Cha Eui-jae whispered, voice barely audible.
“It’s my fault.”
At that moment, Mackerel hurriedly pulled several potions from his inventory.
“I have potions, but they’re not enough for a wound like this. We need to take him to Doctor.”
“Yeah, take him now.”
“What about you?! You got hit too! Why the hell did you block it with your— I mean, it’s a miracle your head isn’t cracked open, but if you get a concussion, you’re screwed!”
“…My body moved on its own.”
“Are you sure you’ll be okay alone?”
“Just get him treated.”
Cha Eui-jae gripped his spear and stood. A quiet murmur followed.
“This time, I’ll stop them properly. I’m sorry.”
Mackerel bit his lip hard, then hoisted Seo Min-gi onto his back and ran. A trail of blood marked his path.
The lion let out a long roar as its prey escaped.
But it didn’t move recklessly. A sharp spearhead was aimed directly at its throat.
“…”
Cha Eui-jae squeezed his eyes shut, then forced them open again. The lion blurred, splitting into two, then three. But the hand gripping his spear remained steady.
Don’t hesitate.
Cha Eui-jae bit down on his tongue. The dull pain grounded him.
[Title ‘Conqueror of Solitude’ has been activated.]
Thud…
The air twisted. The long line of monsters behind the lion wavered. Amidst the persistent ringing in his ears, uneasy cries filtered through. But only for a moment. Then, one by one, from the very back of the line…
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
They fell to their knees.
Cha Eui-jae lifted his gaze. At last, even the master of the dungeon, the lion itself…
Thud.
Curled its four legs beneath itself and bowed its head.
“…”
They were waiting for the ruler’s judgment. Whether they lived or died, it was entirely his choice. Cha Eui-jae adjusted his grip on his spear.
[Trait: Strength Enhancement (S+) has been activated.]
[Unique Trait: Hand of the Master (S+) has been activated.]
[Unique Trait: The One Who Sees Through All (S+) has been activated.]
A flood of system messages appeared. A sharp sensation tingled at his fingertips. He took a slow breath. Unlike before, there was no sense of liberation. Instead, the spear felt heavier.
That was fine. He was more familiar with this weight. Cha Eui-jae raised his arm, spear in hand. Then, he pulled it back in a grand motion. He held his breath. His blue eyes captured the scene before him. It was not filled with those he needed to protect, but those he had to kill.
Cha Eui-jae closed his eyes. Still, his spear never missed.
Kwaaaaaang—!!
A blinding white light erupted.
…And finally, Cha Eui-jae slowly opened his eyes.
“…”
Silence.
The small monsters that had once been playfully darting around, the mothers that had protected them, every monster he had passed by—
All lay in pools of blood.
He pulled out his spear. Hot, white blood gushed out, drenching his hair and shoulders. His heart pounded wildly.
Thud… The massive lion collapsed to the ground. As Cha Eui-jae approached, the pale white lion gasped for breath, rolling its eyes to look at him. Its pure white pupils held a question.
Why are you attacking?
Why are you killing?
Confusion.
Cha Eui-jae did not answer. Instead, he raised his spear high. Those innocent, blinking eyes slowly closed.
Squelch.
Once again, white blood splattered. Cha Eui-jae turned away from the monster corpses. The dungeon break had been resolved. The fish market would no longer be in danger.
‘This should be enough.’
Then, he began to follow the scattered trail of blood. But before he could go far—
Thud.
His legs gave out. Cha Eui-jae collapsed onto the ground.
He slowly blinked his exposed eyes. The once-brilliant blue in his pupils gradually dimmed. Strangely, his body refused to move. A deep exhaustion pressed down on him.
‘…Tired.’
Through his blurry vision, white ash drifted through the air. His rapidly beating heart finally began to slow. In his hazy mind, a thought surfaced.
Would Lee Sa-young come?
He had always come at times like this.
He missed the black cloth that had shielded his vision. The gentle voice that spoke to him. The lukewarm warmth that seeped through his clothes. Cha Eui-jae let out a faint chuckle.
…There’s no way.
He erased the small hope as he always did.
In moments like these, when loneliness came crashing down, Lee Sa-young had always been there, never giving him a chance to feel alone…
But now, Lee Sa-young was gone.
He had to endure this on his own. Like he always had.
‘It’s not so bad.’
His quivering eyelids slowly shut.
‘I just have to get used to it…’
Darkness fell.
***
A sharp, acrid scent filled the air. His vision wavered.
People dressed in black suits gathered in the ruined hall. The sounds of sniffles and quiet sobs echoed through the space. Each person held something in their hands— paper flowers, it seemed. Their white petals were covered in black writing. Had they torn up books to make them?
One by one, they placed the flowers on the desk. Soon, it was his turn. He set down the flower and lifted his head. A smiling face met his eyes.
Jung Bin’s photograph was adorned with two black ribbons. Gray smoke curled up from the incense. The murmurs of the people reached his ears.
How did he pass away?
He was bitten in the neck by a suddenly mutated teammate… He tried to restrain them to prevent further casualties, but…
Was he hurt so badly that even the doctors couldn’t save him?
That, and… there was a risk of mutation.
But they’re developing a cure, aren’t they? Couldn’t they have at least tried—
It failed.
…
What do we do now? Without Team Leader Jung…
Who’s going to take command…?
Thick despair loomed over them. The end had drawn even closer.
This is it.
Scratch, scratch. The sound of a pen moving across paper broke the silence.
[Jung Bin is dead.]
***
The lingering scent of incense had vanished.
Cha Eui-jae opened his eyes.
A stark white ceiling greeted him. It felt strangely familiar— the sterile smell of disinfectant, the white curtains enclosing the space. A perfectly typical hospital room.
‘I’ve seen this scene often in the Memorial Dungeon…’
Had someone brought him to a hospital? Cha Eui-jae carefully pushed himself up. And then, he realized something was off.
‘…My mask is gone?’
His hands shot up to his face in a panic. There was no sign of his broken mask, just smooth, bare skin. He glanced around, but there was nothing black in sight that resembled his mask. A chill ran down his spine. At that moment, a voice came from beyond the curtain.
“Master, the patient is awake.”
That robotic tone, there was no mistaking it. It had to be the doctor’s assistant. Screech, screech. Footsteps, dragging lazily across the floor, approached. In a hurry, Cha Eui-jae yanked the thin hospital blanket over himself.
Whoosh! The curtain was flung open.
“Oh, you really are awake. And your brain seems intact, too.”
Beyond the white curtain, someone stood with their arms crossed. A voice, laced with laughter yet unmistakably mocking, asked,
“So? Did you make good use of the Artisan Exhibition ticket I gave you?”
…Fuck!
Realizing that hiding was useless, Cha Eui-jae flung the blanket off.
Nam Woo-jin smiled crookedly.
