The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low - Chap 120

Instinctively, he knew.

“An Awakened.”

Moreover, the boy’s aura was far from ordinary, hinting at something unusual. Jung Bin signaled to the hunters. The hunters, who had been closing in, quickly retreated in unison. Jung Bin pulled out a chain and wrapped it around his hand. Despite the sounds and presence they must have made, the boy didn’t look back at them.

A chill ran down his spine. Bae Won-woo, who had taken back the night vision goggles, alternated between looking through them and with his naked eye at the boy.

The boy still stood motionless, like an isolated island. His pants were so short that his ankles were exposed, and his bare feet stood on the ground. There was a calmness that didn’t match the horrific surroundings, where everything had melted away.

“…He looks a bit dangerous, Captain.”

Under normal circumstances, Bae Won-woo would have rushed to rescue the boy by now, but even he felt something was off in this eerie space. The air itself felt heavy as if it was being consumed by the black liquid. Jung Bin nodded silently in agreement. Bae Won-woo roughly scratched his short hair.

“No matter how you look at it, the kid seems to be the one who caused all this mess.”

“…”

“If we get too close, we might end up dead… Damn it, is this okay? Should we approach him?”

“No, wait.”

“Why?”

“We need to ensure safety first.”

The research facility that was rumored to kidnap people for experiments had melted away, leaving only one presence. The sole survivor, dressed in something resembling hospital clothes, was strangely spotless. The only thing that came to mind was a sinister possibility. After taking a deep breath, Jung Bin picked up a stone lying on the ground and threw it into the black liquid.

Ssszzz… The stone started to dissolve the moment it touched the liquid. It soon sank into the sludge with a puff of black smoke. Bae Won-woo’s mouth hung open. Jung Bin responded,

“It’s best not to approach recklessly. We need to find a detour.”

“Is that acid? Like hydrochloric or sulfuric acid? Or poison?”

“I’m not sure. We’ll have to analyze the composition, but… whatever it is, it’s definitely dangerous.”

Bae Won-woo frowned and looked at the boy. He muttered, belatedly realizing something.

“…He must be an Awakened.”

“Yes, seeing how he’s unharmed in the middle of all this.”

“Could he have just awakened?”

“That’s something we’ll need to confirm.”

Jung Bin straightened up from his crouch. The chain jingled softly. Bae Won-woo stood up awkwardly but stopped when Jung Bin shook his head.

“Please step back with the others. I’ll make contact.”

“But the whole area is covered in poison. Shouldn’t I, being more durable, go instead?”

“No matter how tough your body is, Hunter Bae Won-woo… I don’t think you could withstand this.”

Jung Bin nodded toward the black liquid. After hesitating for a while, Bae Won-woo reluctantly stepped back.

Newly awakened individuals are often poor at controlling their abilities. Moreover, their heightened senses can make them extremely sensitive. Getting too close could provoke them. After surveying the area, Jung Bin climbed onto a rock untouched by the black liquid.

“Can you hear me?”

The boy slowly raised both hands. Was he about to attack? Jung Bin tightened his grip on the chain, his face tense.

But the boy only wiggled his fingers. As if observing his own movements, his violet eyes followed the motion of his fingers. Next, he examined his feet. The boy rubbed the white floor with his soles and then took a step forward before sitting down with his legs stretched out.

Every movement was careful and puzzling, as if…

‘Like someone moving for the first time in a very long time…’

Jung Bin snapped back to his senses. The boy had long, unkempt hair that looked like it hadn’t been cut in ages. His clothes were too thin for being outside and too short for his body. The research lab that kidnapped people for experiments…

‘He must be a kidnapped victim.’

They needed to rescue the boy to find out what had happened. After taking a deep breath, Jung Bin called out,

“I am Jung Bin from the Awakened Management Bureau. I’ve come to rescue you.”

The boy, who hadn’t shown a hint of interest in him before, suddenly turned his head and stared at Jung Bin. His pale, almost ghostly face was expressionless. Just as Jung Bin was about to say something more,

The boy lifted both hands and wrapped them around his neck as if he were choking himself. Jung Bin’s eyes widened in shock, and he instinctively reached out.

“Wait…!”

Fortunately, the boy seemed to be checking something as he held his neck. The hands that had been gripping his throat slowly moved upward. The boy’s violet eyes didn’t seem to register Jung Bin as he ran his hands over his neck, jaw, and cheeks. Then he slowly blinked. The boy opened his mouth, revealing a pitch-black tongue.

“…Ah.”

“…”

“Mm, eh.”

His speech was clumsy. Like a child learning to talk for the first time, he mumbled sounds that didn’t form words. Finally, the first clear word he uttered was,

“J…ee.”

It was a name he couldn’t forget— a name that was all too familiar.

Jung Bin’s mouth fell open. The boy struggled to continue,

“How… much.”

But then he started coughing violently. Before he knew it, Jung Bin jumped off the rock and ran toward him.

***

The water from the red rubber hose poured out with a hiss. Jung Bin spat out the bitter contents that rose in his throat. Dark red blood mixed with the clear water and flowed away.

Even after taking an antidote, he was in this state. Or maybe he should be glad the antidote worked at all, he thought bitterly as he rinsed his mouth with water. He looked up. His face was as pale as a sheet.

‘It’s a good thing the others didn’t try to approach.’

After wiping his wet mouth with the back of his hand, Jung Bin stood up.

As expected, the substance covering the research facility was poison. What he hadn’t expected was just how potent it was— strong enough to affect even his S-grade body, which usually shrugged off most toxins. With such deadly poison everywhere, there was no hope of finding any useful information.

Swallowing the metallic taste of blood, Jung Bin thought,

‘It’s too dangerous to take him directly to the Awakened Management Bureau…’

The next best option was to stay in an abandoned house at the foot of the mountain, away from people. On the Day the Rift, a rift had appeared near the valley by the mountain, and the civilians living nearby had quickly packed up and moved to safer areas. Thanks to that, it was easy to find an empty house with running water.

Heavy footsteps approached from behind. Jung Bin turned around. Despite the chilly weather, Bae Won-woo was wearing a short-sleeved black shirt, his sleeves rolled up to his shoulders, as he scratched his head.

“Are you okay, Captain? That was the last of the antidote…”

“I’m fine. What about the target?”

“I cleared out a room and told him to go in, and he did so on his own. He’s quieter than I expected. Now I’m going to chop some wood and start a fire.”

Since J had gone missing in the West Sea rift, the Awakened Management Bureau had been in turmoil. J’s absence left a void too big to fill— one that no one could easily replace. J had handled more dungeons and rifts than any other hunter alone, so it was no surprise.

To fill the gap, the Bureau launched a massive recruitment drive for Awakened individuals. Bae Won-woo was one of the hunters urgently brought in through special recruitment. Jung Bin asked,

“Hunter Bae Won-woo, are you sure it’s okay not to return to headquarters? I can handle this alone.”

“Ah, it’s fine. This is nothing.”

All the other hunters had returned to headquarters. The boy’s abilities were dangerous, and with the Bureau facing a severe manpower shortage, they couldn’t afford to leave many people behind. But Bae Won-woo volunteered to stay. He cheerfully joked,

“There’s one room left, so I think the Captain and I can share it. Or I could set up a tent outside in the yard.”

“Let’s share. Have you talked to the target?”

“Yeah, I just asked if he was okay, if he was hurt anywhere, stuff like that. He answered pretty well with yes or no. But there’s something odd— his speech is kind of clumsy.”

Bae Won-woo crossed his arms and furrowed his brow.

“He looks pretty clean, and he’s taller than I thought. But his speech is awkward. Like they put a gag on him or something…”

“…”

“Eh, no point in speculating. How long will we stay here?”

Jung Bin stood up from his crouching position and turned off the faucet. The water, which had been trickling out, came to a stop.

“Until the target stabilizes and can fully control his abilities.”

“…What?”

“We’ll stay here until then. Bringing the target to headquarters before he can control the poison is too risky. It could endanger not only the headquarters but also civilians.”

“This is totally…”

“You’re free to return ahead of me.”

“No, that’s not it.”

Jung Bin stared at the firmly closed door. The boy seemed to be sitting quietly inside, barely making a sound. A kidnapping victim, the sole survivor, the one who brought down the research facility… The boy with the awkward speech had uttered a single word first.

“J…ee.”

J.

Why did the name of the hero trapped in the West Sea rift come out of this boy’s mouth? What kind of relationship did they have?

Jung Bin quickly moved to the firmly closed door. After clearing his throat lightly, the boy rustled inside. Jung Bin carefully opened the door. The boy sitting in the corner looked up. Jung Bin politely asked,

“How are you feeling?”

“Forget that.”

Jung Bin’s eyes widened at the boy’s cold voice. The boy’s violet eyes were fierce.

“How much… time has passed?”

“What…”

“The rift.”

The boy spat out the words.

“How much time has passed?”