The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low - Chap 88
[The new grade for the Jongno 3-ga underground dungeon is S+ grade.]
“S+ grade?”
The priority levels for rifts, which require high-priority strategies, are divided from grade 1 to grade 10, whereas dungeons, which are less dangerous than rifts, are classified from S to F grades. This classification was proposed by the United States. Initially, the system also used alphabetic labels for both rifts and dungeons, but the notation was changed in accordance with international law.
Until now, there had never been a dungeon rated higher than S-grade. People speculated that there might be an L-grade above S-grade because of the extraordinary Hong Ye-seong. In other words, even Cha Eui-jae, who had explored countless dungeons and rifts, was encountering this new grade for the first time. Cha Eui-jae quickly turned to Lee Sa-young, who would likely have more information.
But Lee Sa-young, squinting his eyes and staring into space, seemed equally clueless. He muttered lowly.
“This is a first…”
The sudden change in dungeon grade upon Cha Eui-jae’s entrance had happened before at the West Sea Rift; Jongno 3-ga underground dungeon was the second instance. It felt as if the dungeon was waiting for him to arrive. The anxiety gnawed at one side of his brain.
‘Because of me.’
…No, there was no time to indulge in such feelings. Getting lost in emotions would only hinder him. Cha Eui-jae slapped his cheeks with both hands and stood up.
“Do you have any data on this dungeon?”
“There is some, but it was taken before the dungeon was restructured. It’s probably useless now.”
Lee Sa-young frowned slightly and stared at Cha Eui-jae’s face, seeming somewhat dissatisfied. He continued.
“Besides, with the dungeon being restructured, it’s basically a completely new dungeon. We’ll have to investigate.”
“…”
An unknown dungeon. Cha Eui-jae stared blankly at the white ash swirling outside. It was a familiar sight. Both the eroded and restructured dungeons resembled the West Sea Rift. Only J knew this fact. What was the relationship between the erosion phenomenon and the West Sea Rift? Just as Cha Eui-jae’s thoughts began to sink deeper, a low, mocking voice pulled him back to consciousness.
“By the way.”
Lee Sa-young twisted his lips.
“Do you have a masochistic hobby or something?”
“What nonsense… Do you enjoy talking nonsense?”
“Well, your actions make it seem that way.”
Lee Sa-young slowly stood up and reached out, touching Cha Eui-jae’s red cheek with his fingertips, then lightly rubbed the skin with his thumb, whispering.
“Why don’t you try again? I don’t usually enjoy hitting, but… I can make an exception.”
“This punk, is your head screwed on straight, damn it.”
No, calm down. Cha Eui-jae pulled away from the hand rubbing his cheek and collected himself. Otherwise, he might punch Lee Sa-young in the stomach. He heard Lee Sa-young whining about his wrist being grabbed but pretended not to hear. One good thing about being with Lee Sa-young is that he never stops talking, so Cha Eui-jae doesn’t have time to get lost in his emotions.
“You’re talking so much; you must be feeling better. Get ready. We need to move. We have to get back quickly.”
“Well, alright.”
Lee Sa-young responded cheerfully, tilting his head.
“But do we need to rush so much?”
“You said you came in with Jung Bin. We need to join up with him.”
“That’s true, but we should also move cautiously and understand this dungeon. Jung Bin will do the same. He’s not weak.”
Cha Eui-jae didn’t doubt Jung Bin’s abilities. Even if it was an S+ grade dungeon, Jung Bin could hold his own for a while. The issue was Hong Ye-seong and Yoon Ga-eul, who were with him. They were innocent bystanders caught up in this, and it was uncertain if they could even protect themselves.
But explaining all this would only complicate matters. Cha Eui-jae hoisted his pole onto his shoulder, pretending not to notice. Lee Sa-young leaned in slightly, adding.
“You don’t need to hide your face now. Pulling up your hood won’t hide that face. Are you just going to let Jung Bin see you?”
“…”
The most annoying person is the one who only speaks the truth. Then, maybe they should kill the dungeon boss before meeting up with Jung Bin. Cha Eui-jae was about to share this simple solution when Lee Sa-young murmured as if he realized something.
“Ah… I get it now.”
“What?”
“That time, you rushed and got caught by the rift master, didn’t you?”
Lee Sa-young sighed deeply, shaking his head, which annoyed Cha Eui-jae. He jabbed Lee Sa-young in the waist with his pole.
“What’s with you?”
“Never mind. Let’s move. We can put a gas mask on you…”
Mumbling, Lee Sa-young stepped out of the ruins first. As Cha Eui-jae exited the ruins, Lee Sa-young held up some debris next to the entrance. Once he put it down, the shaky entrance collapsed. And as if responding to the noise, monsters appeared from all directions. Cha Eui-jae knew these monsters well. Their eyes and bodies were scorched white.
Kiyeeeek!
As the lead monster screeched, the others rushed forward. Cha Eui-jae swung his pole without hesitation. Boom! The monsters caught by the pole fell to one side. As Cha Eui-jae was about to strike down, something black flew towards them. A sweet scent spread. Covered in black, sticky substance, the monsters melted away without a sound. Cha Eui-jae looked to his side. Lee Sa-young, having removed his gloves, was wiggling his fingers towards them. Their eyes met. Lee Sa-young smiled brightly.
“From what I see… we make a pretty good team.”
As Lee Sa-young said, their movements synced as if they had practiced together before. More accurately, Lee Sa-young perfectly anticipated Cha Eui-jae’s movements, using his poison exactly where Cha Eui-jae’s pole would stop. After several rounds of battle, the hesitation from fighting alongside someone for the first time gradually disappeared.
A large figure covered in black poison slowly crumbled. Cha Eui-jae flicked his pole. Lee Sa-young, indifferent, observed the monster. Cha Eui-jae suddenly spoke.
“Hey, you.”
“Yeah?”
“Before awakening… were you really sick?”
As soon as he spoke, he wondered if it was too sudden, but the words were already out. Besides, he felt relieved after saying it. He didn’t want to see that pale, bound face again. Lee Sa-young answered without looking at him.
“I don’t know.”
It was an ambiguous answer. Did he not want to talk about it? Cha Eui-jae frowned slightly. Lee Sa-young smirked.
“I can hear your brain working.”
“You have a talent for being rude, don’t you…”
“Well, I’m not going to tell you. It’s a secret.”
“What?”
“You’ve kept a lot from me, too.”
Cha Eui-jae, about to retort, shut his mouth. It was true. The things he hadn’t told Lee Sa-young had piled up like a snowball, following him everywhere. Lies beget lies. What would be the outcome of the lies that had piled up? Cha Eui-jae, who had lived in lies since awakening, hadn’t yet seen the end of those lies.
“Well, it’s okay. Even if you lie.”
“…”
Cha Eui-jae looked up. Lee Sa-young continued calmly, hands behind his back.
“And you’ll probably figure out my secret eventually. You should.”
His purple eyes met Cha Eui-jae’s. Cha Eui-jae was well-acquainted with the trust directed at him. He had received so much of it after awakening. The emotions hidden beneath the guise of trust were the same. Admiration, pity, disdain, envy, jealousy… Cha Eui-jae didn’t bother to unmask the trust. He didn’t want to face the hidden emotions.
But the trust in Lee Sa-young’s gaze… held something Cha Eui-jae didn’t know. Something so bright he wanted to uncover it.
“Geez… they never stop coming.”
Lee Sa-young grabbed the neck of a monster charging at Cha Eui-jae. Ssss. The monster screeched and writhed before melting into a black puddle. Lee Sa-young murmured lazily.
“And I get why you’re anxious, but… it’s okay, Hyung.”
“…”
“There are so many S-grades in this dungeon.”
No, you don’t understand. That’s the problem.
Cha Eui-jae looked at the blackened monster with a grim face. Currently, there are eight S-grade hunters in South Korea. And among them…
‘Is it possible for more than half of them to be in this dungeon?’
Lee Sa-young didn’t know that Hong Ye-seong and Yoon Ga-eul were in this dungeon. But Cha Eui-jae knew the pain of knowing. Five out of the eight S-grades gathered in one place. Cha Eui-jae had experienced this enough times to know.
When more than two S-grades gather… something big will happen!
