The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low - Chap 229
Cha Eui-jae released his grip and swiftly tightened his forearm around Song Jo-heon’s neck. The veins at Song Jo-heon’s temple bulged, and his face flushed red. Seo Min-gi, standing two steps behind, quietly watched the scene unfold. Song Jo-heon choked out a sentence with difficulty, gasping for air.
“Why… are you here?”
“I should be the one asking that. You’re acting quite natural. What is it? What kind of things have you been up to?”
Cha Eui-jae’s eyes scrutinized Song Jo-heon’s body closely. Seeing it up close, it was more grotesque than he had imagined. The skin, sewn together like a patchwork quilt, had different textures, and there were places where the stitches had come undone. Cha Eui-jae bit the inside of his cheek hard, his eyes blazing with fury.
“…You wanted this? You really went this far?”
“This far? Ha, haha.”
Song Jo-heon’s lips twisted into a smirk. The eyes of the old tiger flashed with ferocity.
“Yeah… Someone born with everything like you could never understand.”
“…”
“You knew it, didn’t you? But still… How narrow-minded you are!”
The muscles in Song Jo-heon’s arm bulged. With a loud grunt, he roared and shook off Cha Eui-jae’s arm from his neck. His patchwork-like body panted heavily. Cha Eui-jae took two steps back, legs spread, glaring at Song Jo-heon.
He didn’t want to believe it. Song Jo-heon might have been an annoying man, someone who always prioritized his own safety… but Cha Eui-jae didn’t want to think that he’d do something like this.
He hoped Song Jo-heon wasn’t a traitor.
The strength drained from Cha Eui-jae’s clenched fists. His time at the Awakened Management Bureau had been tough and painful, but it was also an inescapable part of his life. It was the first place where Cha Eui-jae, who had drifted ever since his awakening, had truly belonged. His aunt, the director, Jung Bin, and even Song Jo-heon, who had never been particularly close to him.
But Song Jo-heon seemed to interpret Cha Eui-jae’s hesitation and silence differently. His face twisted. Pointing at his patchwork body, Song Jo-heon shouted.
“So, how does it look? Funny? Of course, it would be. Someone as strong as J wouldn’t need to do something like this to be powerful!”
He jabbed his finger toward Cha Eui-jae, as if trying to gouge out his eyes.
“You, the one who’s always acting superior! And those idiots who act like the world would fall apart just because you disappeared!”
“…”
“They never even thought about how much time and effort it took to fill the void you left behind! Have you ever considered that?”
Song Jo-heon sneered, grinding his teeth.
“Those idiots running around in the background for your sake, the ones trying to maintain stability—they never even crossed their minds! They thought stability just came for free!”
“…”
“J, J, J… Ha, the one who actually saved their lives was someone else, but they always ask for J. ‘If only J were here, if only J were alive!’ They say others should have died instead! It’s infuriating.”
“…”
“Every single one of them is a fool… nothing but idiots.”
Muttering like a man possessed, Song Jo-heon let out a hollow laugh. He covered his eyes with the palm of his hand. Silence filled the space. Just as Cha Eui-jae opened his mouth to speak, Seo Min-gi placed a hand on his shoulder. Cha Eui-jae turned to look. Seo Min-gi silently shook his head, mouthing the words;
“Not now.”
“…”
If he spoke sincerely with Song Jo-heon now, could Song Jo-heon let go of the emotions he had accumulated over the past eight years? Cha Eui-jae thought that maybe he could. Of course, that might just be his arrogance again.
But now wasn’t the right moment.
If they spoke without understanding the eight years between them, it would only ignite more conflict. As Cha Eui-jae closed his mouth, Seo Min-gi stepped forward.
“I have a few questions for you, Guild Leader Song Jo-heon. When did your dealings with Prometheus begin?”
Song Jo-heon lowered his hand, glaring sharply at Seo Min-gi.
“So, the underlings of the Pado Guild are attached to you, huh? Did Lee Sa-young send you? To keep an eye on me?”
“No, I’m here because this person is my customer now. Will you answer the question?”
“You already know, don’t you? Why bother asking?”
“There’s a difference between conjecture and your testimony.”
Shortly after J got trapped in the West Sea rift, Song Jo-heon became S-grade and formed the Samra Guild to fill J’s void. If that’s the case…
‘Eight years ago.’
It was a long time ago, but not impossible. Even back then, the roots of Prometheus existed— the group of losers who weren’t chosen by the system that made Awakeners out of humans. Seo Min-gi took out a small notebook and pen from inside his jacket pocket. The click of the pen’s cap being pressed echoed clearly.
“Did Prometheus approach you first?”
“You really are a clueless fool. Haven’t you noticed anything?”
“I get that a lot.”
“Ha, Prometheus. What a grandiose name…”
Song Jo-heon sneered, rubbing the now bruised back of his neck.
“Why, J. Did Ham Seok-jeong tell you to gather information? Is that why you’ve come here, tagging along with your little sidekick, to talk about the apocalypse? How cute, like a baby duck.”
“…No.”
Cha Eui-jae’s voice dropped to a low tone.
“I came here by chance. I didn’t expect to run into you.”
“…”
“That’s why I’m asking. Why did you make this choice?”
“Ha…”
Song Jo-heon let out a dry laugh. His laughter grew louder until he bent over, laughing heartily.
“Hahaha!”
“…”
“Of course, you wouldn’t understand unless I tell you. People like you can never grasp this realm.”
Song Jo-heon, still mocking, began picking up his shirt that lay crumpled on the floor. His voice, now deep and rough, echoed in the room.
“As you expected, it’s been quite a while. You might know this already, but there was once a group that kidnapped dungeon and rift victims.”
“I know.”
“Oh, so you do? Seems like you’ve been paying more attention than I thought. I figured you were just a brat who thought he had it worse.”
“Your sarcasm is disrupting the recording. Please stick to the facts.”
“Haha… sure.”
Song Jo-heon waved his hand dismissively.
“My team and I were tracking them. After all, it was a crime involving civilians.”
“…”
“At the time, they weren’t as large-scale as they are now— just a bunch of crazy people. The ones we eventually caught were eaten up by their inferiority complex toward Awakeners. But their technology… was quite useful.”
“…”
“You, too, must know since you were chosen by the system. The system is an absolute force. How could mere human power ever touch something absolute? It’s foolish…”
Song Jo-heon began buttoning up his shirt. His hands and neck, the parts still exposed even after wearing clothes, were smooth. The patchwork body slowly disappeared beneath the fabric.
“But… if you applied that technology just a little, amplifying the power of an existing Awakener was easy enough. So, I made a deal.”
Song Jo-heon, now fully buttoned up, looked once again like the immaculate guild leader he always was. No one would ever guess the hideous body hidden beneath. Cha Eui-jae’s mouth tasted bitter.
“I agreed to turn a blind eye to their kidnappings in exchange for them conducting experiments to amplify my power.”
“You volunteered to be an experiment?”
“Ha, of course, you wouldn’t understand. You, born with power, wouldn’t know the hunger for it.”
Song Jo-heon glanced coldly at Cha Eui-jae but then quickly looked away. He muttered as he put on his suit jacket.
“Have you ever felt your own inadequacy? Probably not. Have you ever regretted not being a little stronger, thinking that if only you’d been a bit more powerful? Again, I’m sure not.”
“…”
“You and I were born to never understand each other… so don’t even try.”
“…No.”
Cha Eui-jae clenched his fists. Song Jo-heon’s icy gaze met his masked face once more.
“I know that feeling, too. I also…”
Cha Eui-jae had thought about it constantly, inside the West Sea rift.
If I had been just a little stronger, could they have survived?
If I had been just a little stronger, I wouldn’t have had to leave them behind and escape alone.
Over the past eight years, countless regrets had piled up. That’s why Cha Eui-jae had fled— abandoning the name J and all the burdens that came with it. Song Jo-heon had chosen a different path instead of running away. While Cha Eui-jae couldn’t condone it, he could at least understand.
“…”
Song Jo-heon’s face twisted in a complex expression. But it didn’t show the clear anger it had earlier. Just as he was about to speak again, footsteps echoed from afar. The three of them froze simultaneously. Who could it be? Song Jo-heon’s expression hardened, and he shoved Cha Eui-jae.
“Hide.”
“What? Wai—”
“Let’s go.”
Seo Min-gi grabbed Cha Eui-jae by the arm and moved him into a room lined with vials. The two of them pressed their bodies against the door, holding their breath. Footsteps grew closer, and soon the door to the room with the operating table opened.
“…Strange.”
Said a soft male voice.
“I thought I heard people talking. Even the sound of a fight.”
“Are you finally losing your hearing?”
“No way. My ears are still perfectly fine…”
Step by step, the footsteps approached the door they were leaning against. A polite knock echoed, followed by a voice laced with a hint of amusement.
“You’ve come all the way here. I’ve been dying to meet you.”
“…”
“J.”
