The Hunter's Gonna Lay Low-Chapter 231

There was a bustle of footsteps. Most of the Wave Guild hunters had gone outside to deal with the situation, leaving behind low-ranking hunters or non-awakeners handling desk duties. That is, except for Bae Wonwoo, who was wandering the hallway, tablet in hand, his gait slow and aimless. His phone vibrated. Bae Wonwoo peeled off a bandage from his face using his thumb and forefinger and held his phone to his ear.

"Yes, this is Bae Wonwoo from the Wave Guild... Oh, Hunter Yang, are you busy? No, I’m injured too... Oh, it’s nothing major. Just a minor car accident."

Yang Hyejin’s voice rose slightly.

—Car accident? Are you sure you’re alright?

"Oh, yeah, it’s fine. Just the car’s a bit banged up. But why are you calling?"

—Ah, I was wondering if you could check something for me. I can’t leave my post right now...

"If it’s something I can handle, sure. What’s the issue?"

—I’ll send you the location data. Could you look into it in detail for me?

"Location tracking? That’s not really my specialty..."

Numbers already started flashing before Bae Wonwoo’s eyes. This kind of task was more suited to someone like Mackerel or the ever-capable Minggijeok. Bae Wonwoo could handle blocking attacks but wasn’t great with technical work. But what could he do? Both of them were busy, so he would have to muddle through. He clicked his tongue.

"I’ll try my best."

—Just sent it via text. Our Alba seems to be in that area.

"Alba?!"

Bae Wonwoo’s voice suddenly rose. Yang Hyejin sounded embarrassed.

—Yeah... I sent them to infiltrate the place, but they haven’t come out for a while. I checked the location, and they’re in some weird mountain.

This was a matter as serious as the apocalypse itself. Bae Wonwoo quickly looked around, found an empty seat, and sat down. He entered the location data Yang Hyejin had sent into the satellite map. But then...

“...Huh?”

Bae Wonwoo squinted and stared at the monitor. He then unlocked his tablet and placed it next to the monitor. The small dot on the tablet was moving toward the red destination marker on the screen. He muttered under his breath,

"That’s strange..."

—What is? Is there a problem? Is something wrong with our Alba?

"No, it’s just..."

No matter how much he looked, it was the same location. His head moved back and forth, his brows furrowed deeply.

"Huh?"

He needed to think. Bae Wonwoo tapped his fingers on the desk. Lee Sayeong had said he was going to look for J. It made him uneasy to send him alone, so he had sent Kang Jisoo instead. The dots on the tablet showed their current location. And, at their destination... was the Alba from the haejangguk shop...

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in his head. Bae Wonwoo jumped up from his seat, panic-stricken.

"N-No way..."

His voice came out in a thin, trembling bleat, like a goat.

"Kidnapping?!"

—Kidnapping? What are you talking about?

"Sorry! I’ll call you back!"

Bae Wonwoo hastily ended the call and dialed another number.

---

“Stop.”

At the sound of the low voice, the red motorcycle came to a screeching halt, its heavy engine slowly quieting down. The rider in the red helmet turned to look back.

"What is it, Leader?"

The black helmet, which was somehow maintaining its balance without the rider touching the handlebars, responded.

"If we go any farther, we’ll be spotted."

"The road’s clear all the way up."

"We need to move the supplies."

The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.

"What if we just keep going?"

"It’s better to avoid unnecessary conflict."

The black helmet gestured toward the mountain ridge with a tilt of the chin.

"Let’s head that way."

"Hiking? Ugh."

"It’s the best way. Less chance of being seen."

A hand gloved in black removed the helmet, revealing messy black hair and a pale face. Lee Sayeong lightly stepped off the motorcycle and looked up at the mountain. His dark purple eyes took in the barren slopes. He slowly closed his eyes and breathed in deeply.

Kang Jisoo, who had been grumbling, also removed her helmet. She pulled out her phone from her hoodie pocket and held it to her ear.

"Yes, Deputy Leader. What? Uh-huh. Really? Oh..."

Kang Jisoo’s face twisted strangely as she sidled up to Sayeong, walking sideways like a crab.

"Hey, Leader."

Sayeong barely nodded, signaling her to speak. Kang Jisoo, still holding the phone away from her ear, where the other party was loudly shouting, continued.

"Deputy Leader says something about Alba."

At that, the purple eyes beneath thin eyelids flickered open.

"...What?"

"Apparently, Alba is at the place we’re heading to. The location data they got matches exactly where we’re going. Isn’t that crazy?"

"...How did they get the location?"

"Seems a Rift Management Hunter gave Alba a watch with a tracking function. When Alba didn’t show up, they checked the location."

"..."

"Anyway, Deputy Leader’s in a panic, saying Alba might have been kidnapped. What should we do?"

Sayeong pressed his fingers against his temples as if he were battling fatigue.

"Tell him we’ll rescue Alba on the way."

"You heard that, Deputy Leader? I’m hanging up now!"

Kang Jisoo quickly ended the call, exhaling a long sigh. She ignored the incoming call and looked up at the steep mountain. As someone who worked with plants, this mountain full of flora was like home turf for her, but still...

"..."

She glanced at Lee Sayeong standing next to her. His surroundings radiated a sinister aura, and her own unease grew. She fiddled with the gas mask artifact hidden in her pocket. She could hear the plants in the mountain whispering anxiously. They, too, understood instinctively.

A predator full of malice had arrived.

‘Sorry, nameless mountain...’

Without hesitation, Lee Sayeong vaulted over the guardrail and landed on the soil. The moment his feet touched the ground, the earth around him blackened and died. Kang Jisoo shut her eyes tightly and followed him. A bitter smell filled the air. She covered her nose and mouth with her sleeve.

How far had they climbed? And how many small creatures had died along the way? The scent of death was soon replaced by the smell of oil and faint disinfectant, along with the presence of larger beings. Lee Sayeong glanced at Kang Jisoo.

"Kang Jisoo."

"Yes, Leader?"

"You brought your gas mask, right?"

"Of course."

"Put it on."

"Uh... how long are you planning to do this, Leader?"

"..."

His pale lips curled into a faint smile. Damn, I should climb up into a tree or something, Kang Jisoo thought, resigned to her fate. She had known she’d have to deal with this level of danger as soon as she agreed to accompany him. She quickly put on her gas mask and secured it tightly, then leaped away from Sayeong to distance herself.

"...Hmph."

Now left alone, Lee Sayeong resumed walking lightly, as if taking a casual stroll. His movements were effortless. He bit off the end of his glove and pulled it off with his teeth. Then, he brushed aside the branches blocking his view with his bare hand. Sizzle... The branches melted away, turning black and dissolving. The path opened, revealing a clearing with cargo trucks and soldiers carrying guns.

The air grew cold, but only for a moment.

Click! Click! Click! The soldiers all raised their guns at once, pointing them at him.

“Who are you?!”

Sayeong calmly took in the scene. These soldiers weren’t in his memory. But...

"They’re bothering me..."

The smell they gave off pricked at his brain. One of the soldiers shouted.

“Isn’t that... Lee Sayeong?!”

“What’s Lee Sayeong doing here? How did he find this place?!”

The murmuring among the soldiers grew louder. Hesitation crept into their grips on their guns. Sayeong didn’t miss that hesitation. Waiting for the smallest opening was his specialty.

His black shadow vanished.

“...?!”

Then, suddenly, he reappeared behind one of the soldiers, gripping his gun. Sssss... The handle of the gun began to melt, the sharp smell of acid filling the air, and the soldier’s hand started to dissolve along with it. The soldier opened his mouth to scream—or at [N O V E L I G H T] least tried to.

A black hand clamped around his throat. Sayeong’s lazy voice whispered.

"Not allowed."

"..."

"If you make noise..."

Darkness fell. A pitch-black wave swept silently over everything—guns, people, screams, and laughter alike.

"..."

In no time, the black wave had receded beneath his boots. The soldiers who had raised their guns had disappeared without a trace. Only Lee Sayeong remained, standing in the same spot. He clasped his hands behind his back.

"Now then..."

Even though he had dealt with the situation quietly, everything had probably been captured on the surveillance cameras. He could hear multiple footsteps rushing toward him. Sayeong turned to face the blinking red light of the cameras and smiled.

"How many more do I have to kill before

the leader shows up?"