The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low - Chap 272
They had contacted Honeybee, but the response came back that Romantic Opener was still lost in his dreams. With no more time to delay, they decided to head back in Mackerel’s old car. It was Jang Mi-sook’s car that Cha Eui-jae had once ridden in. Though heavily worn. Before leaving, Mackerel gathered the food in front of his house and left it at the doorstep of another home.
“It’s for a grandmother who lives alone.”
“What about the others?”
“They all went back to the sea.”
“…”
“The grandmother will pass soon, too. She’s in the middle of mutating.”
How many more people, villages, cities, and nations would vanish like this? There was no way to know. The end blanketed everything in ash, quietly burying it all.
A few goldfish circled lazily near the steering wheel. Mackerel sat in the driver’s seat, and with Lee Sa-young scrunched up in the passenger seat, Cha Eui-jae took up the entire backseat. Most of the roads had turned to wasteland, so they had no choice but to navigate by the crooked paths that hadn’t yet been swallowed by the Whitening. Each bump in the road made him nauseous. Cha Eui-jae closed his eyes, fighting the queasiness.
When he opened them again, he was surrounded by all manner of soft, warm things in a hospital room.
‘When will I be able to get out of here?’
Staring at the white ceiling, Cha Eui-jae clicked his tongue. Time, as tireless as ever, kept slipping away.
***
Reality, Seowon Guild.
As Nam Woo-jin manipulated the panel next to the door, the firmly closed iron door slid open, and a wave of stifling heat rushed out through the gap. Inside the dim room, a man sat slumped with his head down, bound in black chains. Small spikes protruded from various parts of his body, and black scorch marks were scattered across the room. Ga-young smiled.
“Oh my… this must be Matthew-ssi?”
Nam Woo-jin snapped coldly.
“Don’t even think about any funny business.”
“Why would I? You even went through the trouble of making it yourself. I didn’t lay a finger on it, you know? And you verified its effectiveness yourself. You’re so distrustful.”
Ga-young’s tone was pointedly nonchalant. She had handed over the instructions for making the antidote from start to finish, claiming he wouldn’t trust anything she made herself. She then stepped back, leaving Nam Woo-jin to create it himself. He tested the antidote on a test subject sent by the Awakened Management Bureau… It worked.
Ga-young chattered away.
“Oh! But the antidote you made was still quite impressive. If you’d had a little more time, I’m sure you’d have perfected it. It must be because of your previous career as a doctor—”
“I don’t need empty flattery. It’s true that I was late.”
Nam Woo-jin interrupted, brushing off her grin as he stepped into the sweltering room. The man chained with Jung Bin’s power-sealing chains writhed even now, his body covered in wounds. Nam Woo-jin closed his eyes briefly.
“I’m sorry for being late.”
The doctor murmured in a low voice. He pressed the needle of a syringe into the man’s vein and pushed the plunger. He carefully observed Matthew’s face.
Time passed. The bound hands and arms trembled slightly, then moved. His eyelids twitched and gradually lifted, revealing cloudy eyes that locked onto Nam Woo-jin.
“…”
“Are you awake, Matthew?”
“…Doctor?”
“A remarkable improvement— you even recognize me. How’s your condition?”
“…Terrible.”
Matthew blinked a few times, his lips curling faintly into a smile. Nam Woo-jin sighed in relief. Matthew, his voice hoarse and cracking, tried to gather his words before giving up and asking,
“How long… have I… been unconscious?”
“Quite a while. Over three months.”
“…”
“Honeybee kept coming to check on you, worrying herself sick. She was a real nuisance.”
“…That sounds like her. Is she… alright?”
“She hasn’t visited the past few days… but she should be fine. Things have been chaotic recently. Let’s call Jung Bin first— he needs to unlock the chains. Bring water! And prepare an IV.”
“Yes, master.”
A young boy replied, hurrying in with a water bottle. He stuck a straw into it and carefully held it to Matthew’s lips. Matthew sipped the water with difficulty and let out a small sigh. Meanwhile, Nam Woo-jin pulled out his phone and dialed Jung Bin.
The moment the call connected, Nam Woo-jin spoke before Jung Bin could even greet him.
“Come to the Seowon Guild and release the chains. Matthew is awake. This time, it’s for real.”
—What? Oh, Nam Woo-jin-ssi. Is that so…? Please wait a moment. Director, just a moment…
Jung Bin’s voice sounded off somehow. What was going on? He, too, was one of those waiting for Matthew to awaken. Nam Woo-jin walked toward the corner of the room, dragging his slippers. He could feel Ga-young’s gaze on him. Lowering his voice, he asked,
“Why? What’s the problem now?”
—…Apologies, I’m in a meeting. You said Matthew is awake? That’s truly a relief.
“What kind of meeting requires the director and all the others to be present?”
A small sigh came through the line.
—You’ve been informed about the phenomenon of humans transforming into monsters. Hunters who entered the eroded dungeon to compare them with the mutated monsters haven’t returned. J, Lee Sa-young, Honeybee, and even the Hunters from the Rift Management Bureau.
“…”
—It’s just a simple mission to capture monsters alive. Doesn’t it seem strange that it’s taking this long?
They must be thinking of the same thing— the West Sea rift. The missing hunters. Nam Woo-jin glanced back. Matthew had closed his eyes again, his face weary.
—But first… I’ll head to the Seowon Guild immediately.
The call ended. Nam Woo-jin slipped the phone back into his coat pocket and glanced at Ga-young. She was still standing by the door, an enigmatic smile on her face. When their eyes met, she even waved.
“The next apocalypse is a plague. A disease.”
“You know, don’t you? In the face of disease, it doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, awakened or civilian… It’s an equalizer.”
Had it already begun? Nam Woo-jin removed his glasses and rubbed his face. Then, he turned toward Ga-young.
“We… need to have a different conversation.”
“Oh~ hoho…”
Ga-young’s lips curved upward.
“I thought you might say that.”
***
141 hours until Cha Eui-jae’s death.
“It’s just a cold.”
Nam Woo-jin said indifferently, removing the thermometer. Cha Eui-jae nodded obediently, but Lee Sa-young seemed to have plenty to say. Tilting his head, he asked,
“What about the possibility of it developing into the flu or pneumonia?”
“None. Just eat well and rest. You’ll recover on your own. If your abilities come back, you’ll heal even faster. Don’t make a fuss. Just turn up the temperature on the heated mat.”
“But he went into a whitened sea. Couldn’t there be other complications?”
Mutation. It was a question Cha Eui-jae himself had been wondering about. He joined in and asked,
“Isn’t it still unclear what conditions cause humans to mutate?”
“We don’t know yet. Overseas, they speculate that prolonged exposure to whitening objects or terrain increases the likelihood of mutation. Also, civilians are statistically more likely to mutate than awakeners. That’s not speculation— it’s based on data.”
“Because of physical resilience?”
“Don’t know. Anyway, J’s tests are already complete. No major issues.”
“…”
Even after hearing the explanation, Lee Sa-young didn’t seem satisfied. Nam Woo-jin didn’t care, gesturing toward him.
“Jung Bin was asking for you. Seems like he wants to talk. Go see him. He’s probably in the second-floor office.”
“Me? Tch…”
“J can’t move right now, so you’ll have to go. Should J go himself?”
Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Lee Sa-young left the infirmary. Long after his footsteps faded, Nam Woo-jin remained silent, simply staring at Cha Eui-jae. The constant gaze was a little overwhelming. While he’d gotten used to Lee Sa-young’s looks, this was something different. Trying to act natural, Cha Eui-jae eventually broke the silence himself.
“So, how’s Mackerel? He seems to be in the middle of mutating.”
“He’s definitely in a state I’ve never seen before. Normally, those who mutate do so suddenly, with no warning. But that guy… is still maintaining a human form and his sense of self. Apart from some scales on his arm, he’s fine.”
“…”
“So I’m planning to develop a treatment with his help. It’s an arrangement that even Mackerel agreed to.”
“I see…”
Silence returned. Nam Woo-jin’s heavy gaze lingered on Cha Eui-jae. It seemed like he had something to say but was hesitating. Cha Eui-jae smiled.
“If there’s something you want to say, feel free.”
After what felt like a long time, Nam Woo-jin finally sighed and spoke.
“This is… just between you and me.”
What could he be so reluctant to share? He must have waited until Lee Sa-young’s presence was completely gone. Cha Eui-jae nodded, encouraging him to continue. Nam Woo-jin pressed his fingers against his furrowed brow, then opened his eyes slowly.
“There’s no point in beating around the bush, so I’ll get straight to the point. Your body…”
His heavy voice continued.
“I don’t know what you’ve done to yourself, but… you’re in a weaker state than usual. Even weaker than before.”
Well, he wasn’t wrong. Even a simple cold had him bedridden like this, and unlike before, when he would recover quickly, now there was no sign of improvement, even after hours. Cha Eui-jae nodded. Nam Woo-jin, staring at the floor, murmured in a somber tone,
“If this continues, you’ll…”
“…”
“You’ll die in the near future.”
Cha Eui-jae’s eyes widened.
Finally, someone had acknowledged his terminal condition without him having to say a word!
