The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low - Chap 244
“Why are you doing this?”
Even with his mouth covered, Mackerel managed to mumble. Cha Eui-jae placed his finger to his lips, signaling him to be quiet. As they neared their destination underground, the sounds grew louder. Can’t he hear it? Cha Eui-jae asked quietly.
“Can’t you hear it?”
“…Huh?”
“Listen closely. You really don’t hear it?”
Mackerel lowered his eyes and seemed to listen, his face quickly stiffening. He looked at Cha Eui-jae with a troubled expression.
“This…”
“…”
Ding— the elevator stopped, and the doors opened slowly. The first thing they saw was Bae Won-woo, standing with a hardened face and holding a shield. He must’ve heard the elevator. The fact that he was here, fully armed, meant…
‘Lee Sa-young must be here too.’
Mackerel waved his hand in greeting. The hardened expression on Bae Won-woo’s face shifted to surprise and then shock. Trembling, he pointed at Cha Eui-jae.
“…J?”
“…Hello.”
“No, how did you… No, wait. You didn’t break your way in, right?”
“Aww, what do you take us for! We got in here peacefully— saved a life, even.”
“Mackerel, what are you even doing here? Don’t you have things to do?”
“I go wherever my guest wants to go~ Hey!”
While Mackerel quickly moved to distract Bae Won-woo, Cha Eui-jae slipped past him. Turning a corner, he found himself in a space with tall white walls. He approached a firmly closed wall— or rather, a door. The ominous sound was coming from behind it.
Thud, thud, thud…
Is there a specific way to open it? Or should he just break it down? Just as he placed a hand on the cold door, Bae Won-woo, with Mackerel clinging to his waist, shouted.
“No, no, don’t open that! It’s a big problem if you do!”
Cha Eui-jae looked at Mackerel with cold eyes. Mackerel was sprawled on the floor, clutching Bae Won-woo like a tin can, his eyes rolling.
“Sorry, this was the best I could do.”
Not that I expected more. Cha Eui-jae knocked on the door with his knuckles.
“What’s in there?”
“…At any rate, I can’t tell you, even if you’re J…”
“Which do you think is faster? Explaining, or me breaking down the door?”
“Just tell him.”
A calm voice interrupted. Only then did Cha Eui-jae notice his presence. Hong Ye-seong was there, seemingly without any presence at all— or rather, it wasn’t an ordinary presence. It was an almost ethereal aura, barely of this world. There was a faint whirring sound, like something spinning rapidly. Though his eyes were covered by a cloth, his Eyes of Appraisal was likely spinning.
“Hearing it would make sense…or maybe it wouldn’t?”
“This isn’t something you should be vague about…”
“Lee Sa-young is in there, right?”
“…”
Bae Won-woo looked away slowly, his silence serving as an answer. Cha Eui-jae gritted his teeth. The horrid sounds of flesh being pierced continued to resonate. Bam! He struck the door, denting it slightly. It seemed to be quite a sturdy door.
“What the hell is he doing in there?”
“What can we do if there’s no way? Please, calm down…”
“Why wouldn’t there be a way?!”
His shout was followed by a light reply.
“There really isn’t.”
“…”
“No matter how skilled you are, even you can’t handle this. Only Lee Sa-young can.”
“What is it? Stop being so vague and tell me clearly.”
“The one who was once the warden of a ruined world, Lee Sa-young, is fusing his soul without much resistance. This means he inherits the authority and role of a warden to that extent.”
A strong smell of blood hung around Hong Ye-seong, who was slouched on a chair. His green training suit was soaked in dark red around his collar and chest, with bloody towels piled up around the chair. Yet his voice was unwavering.
“I just used that a bit. Think of it as locking the door in case a killer with a knife comes charging in.”
“Do you even hear yourself? Stop this right now.”
The corners of Hong Ye-seong’s mouth curled up smoothly.
“If I stop this, the end will come without any preparation. Is that alright with you?”
“…”
“Look, it’s only been a week or so, and I’ve already bought us some time. But we haven’t even managed to hold proper talks with those strange people.”
No wonder it had been so quiet. Despite the gag order, in a world rife with doomsday theories, it was hard not to think of the apocalypse. Since that day, Cha Eui-jae had been plagued by the fear that the world might end in just a minute. Knowing that the more he thought about the end, the faster it approached, yet unable to stop himself from thinking. Probably, everyone felt the same way.
And the reason it hadn’t happened yet—
“…”
—was because someone was holding on.
Hong Ye-seong pressed a towel over his eyes and muttered.
“If you understand, leave this to me and go deal with something else. Maybe take down Prometheus… Actually, that would be ideal. I think eradicating those bastards would be best. To think they’re crazy enough to summon the apocalypse— they deserve to die. The fewer variables, the better…”
His tone felt strangely intelligent. It was that other voice. Cha Eui-jae strode over and stood right in front of him. ‘Hong Ye-seong’ sighed deeply, showing the crown of his brown hair instead of his face.
“I knew it. Hey, friend…”
“…”
“I told you, this is your last chance.”
“…”
“You think this is easy for me? Intervening like this means I have to carry that much burden. And now, thanks to some weirdos, we’ve suddenly entered the onset of the apocalypse. If you come now, we’ll all die without achieving anything. Are you just going to throw away your last chance?”
“So, you’re planning to sacrifice Lee Sa-young to buy us time until we find a solution?”
“Why not? You did the same thing.”
“…”
“What makes it okay for you and not for Lee Sa-young?”
“It’s just that…”
For some reason, he couldn’t get the words out. His throat felt blocked.
There were over ten reasons why Lee Sa-young shouldn’t have to go through this. The problem was, they were all personal. Because Lee Sa-young had already been through enough, because he shouldn’t have to go through this, because he was too young for it, because Cha Eui-jae didn’t want him to suffer, because it was enough if only he, Cha Eui-jae, had to endure this. Reasons too trivial to be considered in the face of the world’s fate.
It was time to weigh the world against Lee Sa-young.
‘Hong Ye-seong’ shook his head.
“My goodness… No matter how many worlds you go through, you never change that self-sacrificial attitude of yours. You failed twice trying to handle it alone, and now you’re going to try again?”
“…”
Cha Eui-jae didn’t answer. Instead, he struck the door again. The spot he had already dented was now even deeper. ‘Hong Ye-seong’ dropped his bloodstained towel. The spinning Eyes of Appraisal stared at Cha Eui-jae, and a trickle of blood ran down his cheek, leaving a red streak.
“Friend. You haven’t convinced me of anything. Are you really planning to force your way in?”
“…”
Lee Sa-young, who had remained alone in a ruined world. Lee Sa-young, confined in a narrow cell by himself. In truth, the time Cha Eui-jae had occupied in Lee Sa-young’s life was likely very small. Yet he had pursued only Cha Eui-jae. So, what could Cha Eui-jae give him in return? To drive out the apocalypse and gift him a peaceful world? No.
What he truly wanted was…
“Did Lee Sa-young choose this himself?”
“He did. He volunteered.”
“…I just.”
“…”
“I just want to…”
Thud. His fist, now weaker, knocked against the door. Cha Eui-jae rested his forehead on it and closed his eyes.
“…stay by his side.”
“…”
“That should be fine, shouldn’t it?”
At that moment, the heavy door began to move. Slowly, it opened, as if granting him access.
“…”
Inside was utter darkness. Thud, thud— the sound of something striking the ground echoed. Without hesitation, Cha Eui-jae stepped into the darkness. Something damp soaked the soles of his shoes. The sweet scent of blood masked the air.
Thud… The door closed behind him, enveloping him in total darkness. Cha Eui-jae took slow steps forward. Thud, the ground vibrated beneath him. Thud, thud, scrape… the sound of something being dragged. Eventually, Cha Eui-jae stopped. Something in the darkness stirred. At the same time, he heard the clinking of heavy iron pillars rubbing against each other. Chains rattled. In the darkness, violet eyes glowed faintly.
“…You’re here?”
A hoarse voice muttered. Cha Eui-jae sat down beside the stirring figure. His sleeve on the side he touched began to grow wet. The figure murmured.
“…I look terrible.”
“It’s fine. I can’t see.”
“…Why did you come?”
Cha Eui-jae fumbled along the damp floor, finding something like a hand and holding it tightly. The hand flinched as if recoiling, but Cha Eui-jae held it even tighter.
“Nothing much.”
“…”
“It just felt like… I’ve never been there for you…”
“…”
“When you were going through your worst.”
It seemed like he heard a faint, low laugh. A metallic scraping sound echoed as chains dragged across the floor. Whatever it was inched closer. And then— thud —the wet, matted head leaned against his shoulder. Without hesitation, Cha Eui-jae wrapped his arms around that tangled hair, holding the tortured, trembling body close, absorbing all of its pain.
