The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low - Chap 94
A fragment of the world, a piece of a world that had met its end, showing a mirror-like reflection of that destroyed world.
But weren’t fragments supposed to appear only in Yoon Ga-eul’s dreams? Why did a piece of the past world come out of the dungeon master of the restructured dungeon? Yoon Ga-eul put the fragment in the pocket of her pajama pants and shouted below.
“Hey, can I take a closer look?”
A dungeon where the master has died enters a stable period until a new master regenerates it, making resource gathering and investigation easy. So, taking a closer look wouldn’t be very dangerous. It seemed Lee Sa-young made the same judgement as he nodded.
“Do as you wish.”
“Yes! I’ll be careful!”
Yoon Ga-eul disappeared back into the golem. Cha Eui-jae silently watched Lee Sa-young leaning on him. Lee Sa-young was staring blankly at the ruins. Soon, as if feeling Cha Eui-jae’s gaze, he turned his head.
“What is it?”
“Nothing… Do you know what Ga-eul was holding?”
Since rankers shared information about the apocalypse, Lee Sa-young must also know something about it. Perhaps he knew more about the fragments. Cha Eui-jae feigned ignorance and asked, and Lee Sa-young squinted his eyes.
“Ga-eul?”
Oh no. The way he repeated the question made Cha Eui-jae sense he had made a mistake. While Cha Eui-jae secretly gritted his teeth, Lee Sa-young lazily mumbled.
“I didn’t even know that girl’s face or name, but you call her by name, you two seem very close. Right?”
“We’re not close, damn it. We’re not close.”
“Should I believe that?”
“Yeah. I’m closer to you than to her. So shut up.”
Cha Eui-jae reached out to cover Lee Sa-young’s eyes and pushed him back. Lee Sa-young grumbled sulkily as he was pushed back.
“Why do people flock to you even when you’re just standing still…”
“Anyway, do you know what that shiny thing was?”
“Huh? Ah…”
Cha Eui-jae felt the sensation of eyeballs moving under the eyelids that touched his palm, as if rolling his eyes. It felt ticklish, making Cha Eui-jae want to pull his hand away.
“I think I’ve heard of it… Huh, I can’t remember.”
“…”
“I don’t know, that kind of thing.”
He remembered every little thing and held grudges about every single one, yet he claimed not to remember something so important? Regardless of Cha Eui-jae’s incredulous expression, Lee Sa-young just shrugged his shoulders. His brazen face suggested that prying further would be futile.
Cha Eui-jae propped his chin and sighed softly.
‘It’d be better to ask Ga-eul directly.’
“As I said earlier…”
“Hm?”
“You don’t need to know everything.”
Before he knew it, Lee Sa-young was staring straight at Cha Eui-jae.
“Knowing means taking responsibility for it.”
“…”
“I wonder if you’re ready for that, Hyung…”
Cha Eui-jae, staring at the black scab on the pale lips, suddenly asked.
“What about you?”
“Huh?”
“Are you ready?”
“Of course.”
The reply came without hesitation. Lee Sa-young smiled broadly, showing off.
“I’ve been ready for a long time… just waiting for the day to take responsibility.”
“…”
The black fingers gently scratched his palm and then pulled away. Cha Eui-jae unconsciously clenched his hand.
“So, you can… be a bit more selfish.”
“…”
Cha Eui-jae opened his mouth slightly, then closed it. What was the deep source of that unfathomable trust? Lee Sa-young gently tapped the scab on his lips, twisting them.
“Just don’t touch me like that.”
Alright then.
Someday, he’d drink Lee Sa-young’s blood and show no reaction. Someone as deeply distrustful of humanity as Lee Sa-young needed to have his bad habits shocked out of him through extreme measures.
Grinding his teeth inwardly, Cha Eui-jae stood up and strode away. Rather than arguing with that guy until his head exploded, he thought it better to check on Jung Bin’s condition once more.
Jung Bin lay on the silver mat, hands neatly folded. Although his right arm was splinted and bandaged, the work was somewhat clumsy. Lying sideways beside him as if he were at the Han River bank, Hong Ye-seong pulled out his wireless earphones and looked up.
“Oh, Secretary Kim. Done with your lovers’ quarrel?”
“I’m holding a spear.”
Cha Eui-jae thrust the spear at Hong Ye-seong, who shamelessly babbled on.
“Who was flirting and bickering first? I was being considerate.”
“Damn it, are you blind… Oh, right.”
Cha Eui-jae rummaged through his inventory and pulled out a round magic stone. Hong Ye-seong, who spotted the stone, gaped and then straightened his posture. He knelt, holding out his hands.
“A magic stone!”
“Let’s finish our deal with this. Don’t come looking for me at dawn again.”
“What about the hangover soup?”
“Ask them to pack it for you.”
“Oh, I wanted to try it.”
Grumbling, Hong Ye-seong waved his hands as if to hurry. Just as Cha Eui-jae was about to place the magic stone in his hands, he snatched it back. Hong Ye-seong’s eyes widened.
“What, what’s this? Why take it back?”
“Since I didn’t give it to you yet, it’s not taking it back. Anyway, Do me one more favor.”
“What is it?”
Cha Eui-jae squatted down to meet Hong Ye-seong’s gaze and whispered, covering his mouth with one hand.
“Answer quietly so no one can hear. Make me a mask in exchange for the magic stone.”
“A mask?”
“Yeah. One that covers the whole face, changes the voice, allows for comfortable breathing, and doesn’t obstruct vision. Nothing flashy in design.”
Cha Eui-jae carefully listed the requirements, folding each finger. Hong Ye-seong scratched his head and said bluntly.
“That’s just asking for a J mask. Are you revealing yourself?”
“…Huh?”
Their eyes met. Hong Ye-seong’s clear eyes sparkled brightly. Cha Eui-jae unconsciously opened his mouth a bit.
T-this guy…
Hong Ye-seong blinked, tilting his head.
“Oh, wait. Is this a breach of our contract? But I didn’t dig on purpose, just noticed. That’s not a breach, right? I tried so hard not to take an interest.”
How did he know?
In that moment, a contract scrawled messily with ink-soaked brushes flashed in his mind.
[Clause 1 of the contract between Hong Ye-seong and Secretary Kim.]
[The oddball Hong Ye-seong shall not be curious about or investigate Secretary Kim, whom he met today. He shall not attempt to dig into his background. This also applies to others whom he might instruct to do so.]
Damn it. The contract was entirely made to prevent Hong Ye-seong from investigating his background. Of course. Until just a few hours ago, he hadn’t expected to enter a dungeon with Hong Ye-seong!
Hong Ye-seong was more perceptive than he thought, and he had showcased his skills too much. Cha Eui-jae clenched his fist unconsciously. Could physical memory deletion work on this guy?
Then, Hong Ye-seong stretched and replied.
“Well, making a mask is easy, so don’t worry. Just give me the stone already!”
“Easy?”
“How long do you think it will take? A week tops. I’ll send it to Kkokko once it’s done.”
Hong Ye-seong winked and gave a thumbs up, striking the same pose as in the photo on the Artisan Exhibition banner. It instilled a strange sense of trust.
Cha Eui-jae shoved the magic stone into the hands of the world’s top artisan. Hong Ye-seong screeched like a monkey, elated. After a while, he shouted to Yoon Ga-eul.
“Hey! Student! Any magic stones over there? A monster this strong must have some decent ones!”
“Magic stones? Uh, what do they look like?”
“Usually round like this… Eh, I’ll come find it myself.”
Hong Ye-seong ran towards the golem. He stuck to it like a frog and began climbing. Watching his innocent back, Cha Eui-jae felt a vague unease.
…Doesn’t he know everything by now? With an awkward expression, Cha Eui-jae ruffled his hair. Lee Sa-young, who had approached from behind, spoke languidly.
“Didn’t you come here with a purpose too?”
“Huh? Yeah.”
After the excitement subsided, the purpose of their visit to this place came back to mind: investigating the eroded Dungeon. This place resembled both the West Sea Rift and the world that faced the apocalypse. It was bound to be related to one of them.
Moreover, the master of the reconstructed dungeon, which had reacted to Cha Eui-jae’s title, possessed a fragment from the world Yoon Ga-eul had retrieved from her dreams.
Indeed, it seemed like Cha Eui-jae’s very presence was the trigger…
Just as Cha Eui-jae was about to delve deeper into his thoughts,
“Cock-a-doodle-doo!”
“Whoa!”
Kkokko let out a loud crow and took off from the golem, flapping its wings. Yoon Ga-eul and Hong Ye-seong were each hanging from one of Kkokko’s feet.
The flight, which seemed precariously close to ending in a fall, fortunately concluded safely. Though Hong Ye-seong did crash face-first into the ground. Yoon Ga-eul, with a flushed face, took out the fragment from her pocket.
“Look at this, the fragment!”
The white shard had a few strands of black light swirling around it. Yoon Ga-eul quickly explained,
“This is the first time I’ve found a fragment outside of a dream. No other eroded Dungeon has had fragments appear either. The difference with this dungeon is…”
As Yoon Ga-eul’s gaze swept over the ruined surroundings, it briefly met Cha Eui-jae’s before quickly darting away as if burned. She seemed to have the same thought.
The eroded dungeon, restructured in response to Cha Eui-jae, had an interior and monsters reminiscent of an apocalyptic landscape.
At the core of all these issues was Cha Eui-jae.
Should he share this information? There were too many connections between the apocalypse and the West Sea Rift for him to handle alone. Yoon Ga-eul murmured awkwardly,
“First, let’s discuss this outside since it’s dangerous here…”
Cha Eui-jae nodded slightly and added,
“And once we leave, the authorities will likely question us, so let’s get our stories straight here. Tell Jung Bin when he wakes up.”
“What should I tell him?”
Yoon Ga-eul asked, her face tense. Cha Eui-jae pulled up the hood that had slipped off long ago and turned away from Yoon Ga-eul and Hong Ye-seong. Behind him, Lee Sa-young was waiting.
Cha Eui-jae gazed at Lee Sa-young quietly. He recalled the first time they met, the moment they made a contract, carrying out Lee Sa-young’s request, visiting the Artisan Exhibition together, and the time Lee Sa-young collapsed. He also remembered holding the fallen Lee Sa-young, helpless to do anything.
Reflecting on it, Lee Sa-young had been present at every moment since the West Sea Rift.
Cha Eui-jae now knew that if Lee Sa-young called for him, he would come immediately. And if Cha Eui-jae called, Lee Sa-young would come too. Enough time had passed, and enough trust had been built. For Cha Eui-jae, who had lost everything and was rebuilding his life anew, this trust was as deep as the ocean.
Knowing there was someone waiting for him was a joy he understood better than anyone, and he couldn’t ignore it.
Cha Eui-jae took a step toward Lee Sa-young, maintaining eye contact, and said,
“Tell them that J is back.”
Lee Sa-young smiled as if he had been waiting for this.
