The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low - Chap 82
Title: [Anonymous] Deleting in 10 Minutes
Yae-syeong did Yae-syeong stuff.
But then the auction was stopped halfway.
In the meantime, 240 broke Gyu-Gyu’s shoulder.
240 got tied up by Jung Bin.
Then cousin got hit with a paddle by Hornet and passed out.
When they came to, Hornet was checking the headcount with a sword, so they almost passed out again.
Matthew handed out roasted sticky rice cakes and told everyone to go home.
So they went home.
The end.
Believe it or not, it’s up to you.
Comments (34)
—Is this an Artisan Exhibition or a coliseum?
—Each part is unbelievable.
—If you’re going to lie, at least do it sincerely——
—Strangely, the details feel vivid…
—Shouldn’t there be a report if someone’s shoulder was broken? This is unsettling…
⤷Are you from the secretary team? Is 240 still not at work? I have something to report.
⤷No ㅜㅜ Instructions come via email, but they haven’t come to work.
Cha Eui-jae slowly read the posts, but instead of feeling reassured, his doubts only increased. If Lee Sa-young wasn’t coming to work and only sending emails, there was enough possibility that Bae Won-woo was handling business under the name Lee Sa-young.
Just as Cha Eui-jae, biting his lip, was about to start browsing other posts, Choi Go-yo, who was whistling while drawing on his tablet, suddenly raised his head. His gaze fixed somewhere in the air. Cha Eui-jae glanced up slightly too.
+82 [CH.1]《A megaphone has been used.》
+82[CH.1]《Writing megaphone message…》
A red megaphone icon appeared on the right side of the view. But Cha Eui-jae consciously kept his head down and his eyes fixed on his phone. The megaphone was from the Hunter channel that he had sealed after the Artisan Exhibition. Cha Eui-jae glanced sideways at Choi Go-yo, who was probably seeing the same thing with his mouth agape.
‘If you look or acknowledge it, you’ll be screwed.’
Soon, big letters with bright red color and neat white borders suddenly popped into view.
+82 [CH.1]《 Jung Bin has used a megaphone.》
📢 [4] Jung Bin: Please maintain channel security. Hong Ye-seong-ssi, we won’t hold you accountable, just confirm you’re alive. If you’re alive, just drop a dot ^^
So he uses a precious megaphone just to confirm if Hong Ye-seong is alive? Cha Eui-jae, staring blankly at the text, quickly calculated in his mind.
Surely, that guy was wrapped up like a kimbap and taken away by the awakened agents. He said he was going back into the mountain, right? Though he was distracted by Lee Sa-young, Hong Ye-seong’s desperate cries were so vivid they stuck in his memory. Choi Go-yo murmured.
“Crazy… Could he have been kidnapped? Wow… if he really was kidnapped, the country would be in chaos. This is serious.”
Cha Eui-jae felt the urge to shut Choi Go-yo’s mouth. Each of those remarks tended to become unavoidable flags. But before he could stop him, Choi Go-yo planted another flag.
“Or did he run off because he wanted meat? Have you checked any chicken shops?”
Then three messages arrived on Choi Go-yo’s phone in quick succession. Cha Eui-jae casually checked the notifications. Since he was using the phone, the contents were immediately visible.
Seo Min-gi: Hong Ye-seong escaped during transfer to Bukhansan, whereabouts unknown.
Seo Min-gi: Most personnel of the Awakened Management Bureau are being deployed for Hong Ye-seong’s search and protection.
Seo Min-gi: Please contact Romantic Opener.
‘Shit.’
[Trait Poker Face (B) activated.]
Thanks to the ever-reliable Poker Face trait, Cha Eui-jae maintained a calm expression and composed voice as he handed the phone back like he hadn’t seen anything.
“Thanks for showing me. But you got a message.”
“A message? What is it?”
Choi Go-yo’s face changed color several times as he checked Seo Min-gi’s message. He turned pale, then red, then blue. He jumped up and hastily packed his things.
“Sorry! I have to go right away.”
“Already? At least have a bowl of hangover soup before you go.”
“No, no. Something urgent came up.”
“What kind of urgent?”
“I, uh, can’t tell you. It’s classified.”
“Classified?”
“…Really can’t tell you! I’ll come back with the Vice-Guild Leader next time!”
Choi Go-yo darted out of the hangover soup restaurant like a bullet. Only then did the restaurant regain its calm. Jung Bin’s megaphone chat still lingered prominently before his eyes.
‘No way…’
There were too many things coming to mind about why Hong Ye-seong might have suddenly escaped. But Cha Eui-jae decided,
‘…Let’s just focus on business.’
to ignore it for now.
***
Fortunately, the security of channel 1 seemed to be well maintained, as most regular hunters appeared completely unaware of Hong Ye-seong’s escape. They were just curious about who had won the weapons auctioned at the Artisan Exhibition. And channel 1 hunters, like Bae Won-woo or Honeybee, didn’t show up until the shop was closed.
After finishing all the business and closing the shop, preparing the ingredients needed for tomorrow, it was already dawn. Cha Eui-jae sighed briefly as he finished the dishes and took off his rubber gloves.
Then,
“Cock-a-doodle-doo.”
A strangely familiar rooster crow was heard. It was too clear to be dismissed as a hallucination. The sound came from outside.
Opening the door, Cha Eui-jae looked around and slowly lowered his gaze. Inside a blue Baccas box placed next to the hangover soup shop door, a smooth, white something was curled up. Noticing Cha Eui-jae’s gaze, it lifted its head and looked up at him.
Round but soulless black bean-like eyes. Smooth white porcelain-like body. Overall, it looked like a slightly foolish porcelain chicken.
It was Kkokko.
“Bawk?”
Cha Eui-jae quietly stepped back and closed the door.
Click, clack.
From beyond the door, Kkokko’s curious clucks were faintly heard, but Cha Eui-jae ignored them and went to the kitchen to get a ladle. Holding the ladle that fit perfectly in his hand, he stared into space.
‘Let’s organize my thoughts.’
First, Hong Ye-seong, who was being transferred to Bukhansan, disappeared. Bukhansan is a mountain in Seoul, so it’s physically close to the hangover soup shop. Thus, he could be found nearby. Second, Hong Ye-seong was crazy about magic stones. And that magic stone… Cha Eui-jae glanced at his inventory.
‘It’s still in my inventory…’
He regretted not giving it away back then! Gritting his teeth, he recalled that just before being taken away, Hong Ye-seong had seen Secretary Kim. He even tried to call for Secretary Kim. Though the memory was a bit blurry, he was sure their eyes had met.
Porcelain chicken Kkokko, made by Hong Ye-seong and only adheres to his commands. Why was Kkokko placed in a Baccas box by the hangover soup shop door instead of being with its master?
“Cluck, bawk, bawk…”
The clucking sounded ominous. It wasn’t a greeting or a call to Cha Eui-jae, and it certainly wasn’t a curious sound. It was more like clearing its throat before shouting…
‘Fuck!’
Cha Eui-jae quickly opened the door and brought Kkokko inside along with the box. For a moment, Kkokko seemed to show a hint of disappointment. Sighing, Cha Eui-jae tapped its blunt beak with a finger.
“Hey, where’s your master and why are you alone here?”
“Bawk.”
“…No, don’t answer. I feel like it’ll be troublesome if I know.”
“Bawk?”
Kkokko, tilting its head, stretched its neck towards the door. Cha Eui-jae also turned his head.
In the middle of a dark street with only a faint streetlight, a bright blue hiking outfit with sunglasses, a hat, a black mask that clung to the face, and a colorful handkerchief around the neck— someone who looked like a prime member of a hiking club stood in front of the door.
‘Suspicious.’
It was 2:30 AM now. It was too late to dismiss this person as a regular hiker passing by. Usually, hikers descend before dusk. And this wasn’t a regular customer either; it was an unfamiliar face.
Cha Eui-jae glanced at Kkokko, who was quietly nestled in the box. Kkokko that suddenly appeared at the door. A hiker who appeared like a ghost once Kkokko was brought inside. So perhaps this hiker…
“Bawk.”
Kkokko stretched its neck a bit more. The keen intuition that had saved Cha Eui-jae’s life several times crawled up his neck. Swiftly, Cha Eui-jae placed Kkokko on the table and locked the door.
Click. A peculiar standoff unfolded with just a door between them. The hiker pushed up their sunglasses with a hand holding a hiking stick.
“Excuse me.”
“…”
“Can I ask you something?”
Gripping the ladle tighter, Cha Eui-jae quickly responded.
“I don’t believe in it.”
“I’m not a cultist. I’m not here to convert you. I’m non-religious.”
“We don’t buy water purifiers, newspapers, or hexagonal water.”
“I’m not a salesperson. I’m not part of a pyramid scheme. I just need to ask you something.”
“Sorry, but we’re closed.”
“Please, just listen. I urgently need to find something. If I don’t, I’ll die.”
“…”
A flash of lightning struck. The mention of death made his plea even more persuasive. The hiker’s sunglasses gleamed white. Shortly after, a low rumble of thunder followed. Raindrops began to fall, one by one.
And Cha Eui-jae saw it.
‘Oh, fuck.’
“Have you seen…”
The hiker, drawing out his words, took an egg from his pocket, peeled it, and pulled down his mask. His exposed lower face looked disturbingly familiar. He took a bite of the boiled egg. Skillfully, he ate only the white, revealing the round, well-cooked yellow yolk.
Lightning struck again. Behind the sunglasses, his eyes with rotating golden patterns flashed brightly.
“A round, pretty magic stone, like this yolk.”