The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low - Chap 317

Cha Eui-jae readily accepted the ticket. Meeting with Yoon Ga-eul would likely provide him with valuable information. In fact, there were many things he wanted to ask. Just as Yoon Ga-eul had once shown him fragments of a dream… just as he had entered the Memorial Dungeon without using the proper entrance. Maybe, just maybe, he could enter the dungeon again.

‘Then I wouldn’t even need to get a magic stone.’

Perhaps his excitement showed in his actions, because Jung Bin chuckled softly.

“Since I’ve known you, J-nim… I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look this happy. I’m glad I gave it to you.”

“…”

Cha Eui-jae froze, the fingers that had been moving busily, and the tension in his body, all at once. Jung Bin seemed to suppress laughter, covering his mouth and turning his head before clearing his throat to speak again.

“But… do you know what this ticket actually is?”

“Yes, I do.”

“You do? Hm… But J-nim, didn’t you skip the Artisan Exhibition? Where did you see it?”

Oh no!

The hand that had been fiddling with the ticket went stiff again. That’s right, back then, Cha Eui-jae had visited in disguise as the secretary of the Pado Guild’s guild leader. Still, there were plenty of excuses he could use. Cha Eui-jae toyed with the ticket and answered.

“…Hong Ye-seong-ssi bragged about it. Said he made something like this.”

Most problems could be solved by name-dropping either Hong Ye-seong or Mackerel. Somehow, it felt like his lying skills were steadily improving. Cha Eui-jae ignored the creeping guilt rising in his chest. Jung Bin nodded lightly and smiled.

“Ah, I see. Did he also tell you what it does?”

“He said it’s a key to the space he created.”

“That’s right. Would you like to try using it right now?”

Cha Eui-jae nodded, held the ticket in hand, and closed his eyes.

A moment later, when he opened them—

He was in a classroom.

‘…Not the waiting room?’

The scene before him was entirely different from the sterile waiting room. A half-open window with curtains fluttering in the breeze, desks and chairs neatly lined in rows, a green chalkboard. Each desk was meticulously detailed with textbooks, college prep workbooks, doodles, even half-eaten snack bags, like someone had lifted a real classroom and placed it here.

Cha Eui-jae blinked, stunned.

‘…It’s been so long.’

It must’ve been around ten years since he last saw a classroom. With unfamiliar yet nostalgic feelings, Cha Eui-jae looked around. Maybe it was the long absence, or maybe he had missed this sight more than he realized, but his heart fluttered strangely. He walked toward the chalkboard and picked up a piece of white chalk. As he drew a line, the soft sensation felt foreign.

“…”

He stared quietly at the white line he’d drawn.

Just then, he sensed someone’s presence by the door.

“Ah, J! You’re here!”

Yoon Ga-eul stood at the door in comfortable clothes. Her expression was brighter than the last time he saw her. She approached, worried, and looked Cha Eui-jae up and down.

“Umm, are you okay? You didn’t look well at all right after you came out…”

“I’m fine. That time…”

Damn. So many people he needed to apologize to. Cha Eui-jae swept his hand over his mask and gave a polite bow.

“You must’ve been surprised. I’m sorry. I… wasn’t in my right mind then. But I’m okay now.”

Yoon Ga-eul frantically waved her hands and shook her head.

“N-no! It’s okay. I understand completely. You… couldn’t bring out Lee Sa-young-ssi, right?”

“…Yeah, that’s right.”

“I was just wondering about that. Like, was it completely impossible? Or…”

“He pulled his hand away, saying he couldn’t go. I ended up coming out with only one of his gloves.”

“Hmm…”

Yoon Ga-eul stepped up beside Cha Eui-jae and picked up a piece of chalk. Tilting her head as if deep in thought, she began speaking.

“I, um… I’ve been thinking. There might be a reason Lee Sa-young-ssi couldn’t come out. So I drew this circle.”

“They said the Memorial Dungeon was created from the memories of people from the destroyed world, right? And the biggest source of those memories is probably… Lee Sa-young-ssi. Do you think that’s right?”

She shaded in most of the chalk circle she’d drawn. Cha Eui-jae nodded in agreement.

“Probably. Sa-young lived in that ruined world the longest, after all.”

“Then maybe the dungeon can’t even exist without his memories. Like a battery? Or a key component? Something crucial that keeps it running.”

“Then…”

Cha Eui-jae gently bit his lip.

“…You’re saying the dungeon itself held onto Sa-young. To maintain itself.”

“It’s just a theory for now, but probably… Or maybe Lee Sa-young-ssi knew that and chose to stay behind himself…”

Snap! The chalk in his hand broke. Cha Eui-jae brushed off the white chalk dust and muttered.

“Nam Woo-jin-ssi’s notebook is connected to the Memorial Dungeon. Then… could that be because Sa-young stayed there and kept the link active?”

“Um, I’m not exactly an expert on the Memorial Dungeon, but… that sounds plausible. I was only able to see fragments of the past world because of the other me, after all.”

In other words, Lee Sa-young had chosen to act as a bridge between the Memorial Dungeon and this world. Since when was he so self-sacrificing? Cha Eui-jae ground his teeth. Yoon Ga-eul stole a glance at him.

“…J, are you okay?”

“…I’m fine.”

He couldn’t lose control in front of Yoo Ga-eul again. She wouldn’t even be able to protect herself. Cha Eui-jae took a deep breath, trying to calm his emotions. Park Ha-eun, Grandma, all kinds of people, the annoying regulars at the hangover soup restaurant, Lee Sa-young…

‘Seriously though, since when did he ever do anything for someone else? What a joke.’

Trying to calm down was useless. The moment his thoughts veered toward Lee Sa-young, irritation spiked up like the spines of a blowfish. Cha Eui-jae began pacing quickly back and forth on the teacher’s platform, then suddenly looked up. No, there was still a way.

“Student Ga-eul, you entered the Memorial Dungeon without going through the entrance, right?”

“Huh? Yes, I did.”

“Then is it possible to send my consciousness into the Memorial Dungeon too?”

“…Maybe? Hmm, wait a moment…”

Yoon Ga-eul looked around, troubled.

“…It might be possible. You brought Lee Sa-young-ssi’s glove with you, right?”

“Ah, yeah.”

Cha Eui-jae pulled a crumpled black glove from his pocket. Yoon Ga-eul let out a sigh of relief.

“Hold that tightly in your hand. And you’ll need to lie down first.”

Cha Eui-jae nodded quickly and pushed all the desks and chairs against the wall. A circular patch of floor was now revealed in the center of the classroom.

He lay down flat on the ground. His hands, holding the glove, were neatly folded over his chest. Yoon Ga-eul sat cross-legged beside him and placed both her hands on his solar plexus. Her hands began to glow. Like a kaleidoscope, dozens— no, hundreds —of colors and patterns spilled across her skin. With her eyes closed, Yoon Ga-eul spoke.

“The Memorial Dungeon is also a kind of memory, a fragment of the past… so if there’s a point of contact, it can probably be bridged. It’s lucky you brought the glove.”

She paused briefly to catch her breath.

“…Do you remember the first time I showed you a fragment? At the end, you got dragged into that strange, dark room.”

“I remember.”

That room where Lee Sa-young had shut himself in. Yoon Ga-eul let out a small groan.

“Back then, the owner of that fragment reacted because they strongly recognized you. We’re going to try using that method… except this time, we’ll be the ones reaching out.”

Cha Eui-jae didn’t understand a word of what she was saying, but he nodded anyway. She was the expert, she’d know what to do. The kaleidoscope-like light spread from her hands to Cha Eui-jae’s torso. As he stared into the brilliant light, his consciousness began to fade.

“Ah! And since only a part of your consciousness is going…”

Yoon Ga-eul’s voice drifted, as if from far away.

“…Communication might be… impossible… and you won’t be able to stay long… either…”

What?

Cha Eui-jae tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids wouldn’t budge. His consciousness sank deeper and deeper. Just before it completely faded, one final thought flickered across his mind.

‘Next time, lead with the warning, Student Ga-eul…’

***

…Cha Eui-jae opened his eyes.

He was in a cozy room, lit with a soft crimson glow. He stood in one corner of the room. A large bed sat in the middle, its covers bulging slightly as if someone lay beneath them. Cha Eui-jae carefully took a step forward. He tried to muffle his footsteps, but the silence in the room was unnaturally deep. He looked at his hands and body. Translucent.

‘Is this like when I viewed the fragments?’

A situation where, like in a movie, he could only observe but not interfere. Cha Eui-jae clicked his tongue. So much for giving Lee Sa-young a piece of his mind. Not that he’d hear him anyway. With a defeated sigh, he trudged toward the bed. The person lying under the covers was hidden up to their head.

‘Can’t even tell who it is like this.’

He tried tugging at the blanket, just to test it. But his hand passed right through without resistance.

‘Nothing ever comes easy, huh.’

And then—

Creeaak…

The door opened. A sliver of white light slipped through the crack, only to be quickly swallowed by the silhouette of a dark figure. Cha Eui-jae stared at the door. The footsteps halted.

“Have you been waiting, Hyung?”

A languid voice asked.