The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low - Chap 143
Cha Eui-jae opened his eyes.
He was standing in the middle of the familiar dining hall of a hangover soup restaurant. The warmth that had touched his hand had vanished like a mirage. Cha Eui-jae absentmindedly fiddled with his now empty hand. Despite being in a place that felt like home, his heart felt strangely hollow.
He wished he could have stayed just a little longer. Just 10 minutes, even 5 minutes would have been enough. It had been a long time since he felt such regret.
What should he call this feeling of regret?
“…”
Thud… The ground trembled. It seemed like debris had fallen nearby. The framed autograph on the wall shook and then fell with a thud. It was Jung Bin’s autograph. Cha Eui-jae blinked. Now wasn’t the time to be thirsting for some unknown emotion. He dusted off Jung Bin’s autograph and placed it back on the table.
He then strode over to the counter. Beneath the POS machine lay J’s mask, and a small yellow memo was stuck to it. Written in neat, elegant handwriting, it said;
[I’m leaving it here because I know you’ll definitely return to the hangover soup restaurant. You don’t need to thank me. —A Small Miracle Seo Min-gi]
Does this guy see the future or something? Either way, Cha Eui-jae was grateful. He put on the mask and skillfully opened the drawer beneath the cash register. Neatly placed were the ledger, a dusty bouncy ball that seemed like Park Ha-eun had put it there, a few colored pencils, and then,
“…”
A watch.
Cha Eui-jae carefully lifted the watch. Rattle… The silver watch was a mess, unlike how it had looked in his memory. The glass was cracked and shattered, it was worn out as if it could crumble at any moment, and it was rusted in spots. The minute and second hands weren’t moving.
‘It seemed perfectly fine when I gave it as payment for the meal.’
Moreover, upon closer inspection, the watch had a unique design. There were three small circles inside the watch, two of which were covered with something white, making them invisible. It looked like oil paint had been smeared over them. The last circle was a small clock within the watch, and,
Tick.
It was moving. The only thing that was.
‘This is your third and final chance.’
Just as ‘Hong Ye-seong’ had said. Cha Eui-jae stared at the slowly moving second hand. The only working clock pointed to 10 o’clock. Soon, a white window appeared.
[◼◼◼ Wristwatch (◼)]
[Modified by a recluse artisan living in ◼◼◼ to extend the number of uses.]
[But it could not escape the flow of time and silver.]
[It can no longer be used.]
[This is your final chance.]
[Creator: ◼◼◼]
‘Why does the item description feel so ominous?’
Moreover, he felt a strange sense of déjà vu while reading it. The phrase “a recluse artisan.” He was sure he’d seen it somewhere before…
“Ah!”
Cha Eui-jae put down the watch and pulled out the Basilisk’s Fang. The Basilisk’s Fang had remained silent ever since it invoked its right to remain silent. As he grasped the sword and shook it wildly, the information window popped up.
[Basilisk’s Fang (S)]
[A sword forged from the Basilisk’s Fang by a recluse artisan living in ◼◼◼. Only those deemed worthy are permitted to wield it.]
[Creator: ◼◼◼]
Recluse ‘artisan.’ The Basilisk’s Fang, which called Hong Ye-seong its father, bore an engraving by Hong Ye-seong on its blade. However, the Hong Ye-seong he knew said he had never made the Basilisk’s Fang.
‘When he kidnapped me, I thought he was talking nonsense, but…’
Hong Ye-seong was innocent. Both the Basilisk’s Fang and this watch appeared to be the work of the ‘Hong Ye-seong’ he encountered in the Memorial Dungeon. Cha Eui-jae clicked his tongue.
Hong Ye-seong, who was a bit dull but not a bad guy, was quite different from the sly and suspicious ‘Hong Ye-seong.’ At least his desires and inner thoughts were as clear and straightforward as the bottom of a pristine lake.
‘Should I treat him better next time…’
Cha Eui-jae grabbed the watch with the hand that had been holding the Basilisk’s Fang.
At that moment,
[Condition fulfilled.]
[Entering ◼◼◼◼ ◼◼.]
His vision turned black. Cha Eui-jae gritted his teeth.
‘What now, damn it!’
***
“This isn’t perfect on its own…”
A man’s voice echoed from within the pitch-black darkness.
“Though the person who was the pivot was powerful, leaving behind some residual strength… It’s not enough on its own. It’s like a single-use battery with a bit of charge left. The fact that there’s any left is a miracle in itself, but if you try to turn back time with just this, it’ll fail before you even get started.”
“…”
“Then… is it unusable?”
Gradually, the darkness receded, revealing the surroundings. They were inside a cluttered workshop. The first person to come into view was Hong Ye-seong, who was scrutinizing a watch in his hands, magnifying glass perched over his eyes. After a moment of groaning, he let out a long sigh.
“…This is J’s item, you said? J used this to turn back time? Before?”
“Yes, according to what I remember.”
The clear voice belonged to Yoon Ga-eul. Yoon Ga-eul, who had grown since Cha Eui-jae’s last memory, murmured softly.
“I would appreciate it if you could give us a clear answer. Can we use this to turn back time? Just like J did.”
“…”
“You know what happened. We succeeded in driving out the apocalypse, but we suffered too much damage. This world won’t recover. It’ll slowly edge towards destruction.”
“Hmm…”
Hong Ye-seong glanced out a small window.
“Please, Master Artisan. We need hope…”
Yoon Ga-eul mumbled with a trembling voice. A heavy silence fell over the room. Finally, after another deep sigh, Hong Ye-seong scratched his disheveled hair.
“It might be possible, but someone will have to make a sacrifice… Maybe even more people will have to sacrifice themselves…”
“Sacrifice?”
“It would be more accurate to say that the lacking power of the item would be supplemented by human strength. Honestly, I can’t say for sure if it’s possible. I don’t know what kind of side effects might occur or how long you’d have to endure it. It’s completely uncharted territory… But are you still willing to try?”
“—One thing.”
A low, raspy voice interrupted. The voice belonged to someone leaning against the corner of the workshop with arms crossed. His pale complexion, sharp, sensitive features, and long black coat with a black sword strapped to his waist made him stand out. Violet eyes glinted sharply through his disheveled hair.
It was Lee Sa-young.
“If you succeed in turning back time with that…”
“…”
“Will it guarantee that they’ll come back to life?”
There was no need to specify who he was talking about; everyone knew, even Cha Eui-jae, who watched as a bystander. Yoon Ga-eul slowly, but firmly, nodded.
“Yes. Because J did it… that’s why we’re here now.”
“…I see.”
Lee Sa-young uncrossed his arms.
“That’s enough for me.”
His black hand grasped the watch without hesitation.
At that moment.
The surroundings turned completely black and white, and everyone froze. Having experienced it once before, Cha Eui-jae didn’t panic this time. As he waited calmly, a golden pattern appeared in Hong Ye-seong’s eyes. The fast-spinning Eyes of Appraisal connected with Cha Eui-jae, and amidst the threads of wisdom that wriggled within the Eyes of Appraisal, an inexplicable compassion was found. He muttered softly.
“It seems it’s your turn this time.”
***
Cha Eui-jae blinked. The cash register and the POS machine of the hangover soup restaurant greeted him. It seemed his consciousness had been drawn away while he was standing.
“Now it’s your turn?”
What the hell did that mean? Anyway, ‘Hong Ye-seong’ sure had a knack for speaking in vague riddles.
“At least there’s something to be gained from this…”
He fiddled with the watch, thinking hard. Let’s break this down. Originally, the watch was a one-time-use item, but because the first pivot, Cha Eui-jae, was so powerful, the item didn’t disappear after turning back time. So, when Yoon Ga-eul and Lee Sa-young faced a second apocalypse, they used the watch that the late J had left behind to turn back time.
They used a one-time-use item for a second time, and in an imperfect situation, so of course, there were bound to be side effects. Lee Sa-young bore all those consequences alone as a “shackle” to contain the situation…
“Was it too much for one person’s power?”
In the end, the destroyed world influenced the current one, causing erosion. Frustrated, Cha Eui-jae ran his hands through his hair. He felt uneasy. No one understood the loneliness of being left behind better than Cha Eui-jae did.
Wandering through an empty world, enduring a loneliness that might never end.
“What a ridiculous…”
Moreover, there was still something bothering him. ‘That’ Lee Sa-young had disappeared, and the ruined world had started to seriously impact the current one. Why did he disappear, and where did he go?
At that moment, voices chatting nearby floated in through the door. Cha Eui-jae instinctively crouched down behind the counter. A tired voice spoke.
“Let’s finish up here and move to another area. Check if there are still people who haven’t evacuated, clear out any debris, and if you see any of those addicts, wipe them out. Once we’re done, contact Team Leader Jung.”
“Got it. But, Vice-Guild Leader, is the Guild Leader still in that state?”
“Seems like it. I left a message for him to call when he wakes up… Still nothing though.”
“He’s not just ignoring it like usual?”
“The situation is serious. Sa-young’s not the type to ignore it in times like this.”
It was two regulars of the soup restaurant, Bae Won-woo and Kang Ji-soo. Cha Eui-jae held his breath and listened to their conversation. Something was off. Didn’t Lee Sa-young wake up earlier? He didn’t look too well, but did he fall asleep again? Cha Eui-jae switched his phone to silent mode and called Lee Sa-young.
No answer.
In the meantime, the conversation shifted. Kang Ji-soo grumbled.
“Did you see the messages from the authorities? They say the addicts are getting even more aggressive since the whale appeared. The debris falling has increased, and the speed is off the charts. Shouldn’t we be focusing on catching the whale first?”
“You think Jung Bin hasn’t thought of that? But it’s a pain to catch something that flies around like that. And if we mess up, the buildings will get wrecked. There aren’t any high-ranking awakened ones with flight abilities. They’re probably pulling their hair out over it too. Ugh.”
“What about throwing a spear at it?”
“Spear-throwing isn’t easy. Unless you’re someone like J—… Wait a minute.”
Bae Won-woo’s voice dropped. His tone turned sharp as they stared at the soup restaurant. Damn, had they noticed him? But Cha Eui-jae quickly reconsidered.
‘No… We need to catch that whale anyway.’
That was why he had left Lee Sa-young’s side. He needed to take care of this quickly and get back to check on Lee Sa-young with his own eyes. Ever since that warmth left his hand, he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease.
‘I hope it’s just unnecessary worry…’
Given that Cha Eui-jae’s bad premonitions were usually right, he couldn’t calm down. He stood up abruptly. With his mask on, there was nothing to worry about.
“Worst case, I can call on Seo Min-gi.”
As Cha Eui-jae mentally summoned the master key Seo Min-gi, he slid open the door wide.
Screech?
The addict who had been facing off with the two members of the Pado Guild turned its head 180 degrees to look at Cha Eui-jae, and—
Smack—!
Cha Eui-jae instinctively kicked the addict. A beat later, he regretted it. His body usually moved faster than his brain in most situations.
‘Damn it.’
The addict let out a bizarre noise as it flew back, crashing into the wall with a thud.
Soon, its twitching body went still. The menacing spikes receded. Bae Won-woo and Kang Ji-soo stared at Cha Eui-jae with stunned expressions. Bae Won-woo’s mouth silently repeated, “J, J, J…” but Cha Eui-jae decided to ignore it.
“I don’t know either. Let’s just get this over with.”
Cha Eui-jae pointed to the sky with his index finger. Their eyes followed the direction of his finger.
Moooo… A whale perched at the tip of his finger let out a long, resonant cry. A distorted voice, without pitch or tone, spoke.
“I’m going to try and catch that thing. Could you cooperate?”
Bae Won-woo gulped.
“W-what kind of cooperation?”
Cha Eui-jae, or rather J, gestured toward the tall building with his chin. The one he had just been in, where Lee Sa-young was.
“Could you lend me the rooftop of the Pado Guild building?”
