The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low - Chap 282
“…Hyung!”
Lee Sa-young forced his unmoving legs to rise. He couldn’t let him go like this. He had to catch him. Don’t believe that he’ll come back. A whirlwind of thoughts tangled in his mind. He chased after the disappearing figure, stepping over the scattered books on the floor. His body wavered.
Lee Sa-young was certain. No one knew Cha Eui-jae better than he did.
Thud, his shoulder hit a bookshelf. Books tumbled down. Lee Sa-young paid no mind and pressed forward. His damp eyes blurred his vision.
But what about the hero?
Many knew the hero. J’s stories were countless. A hero who saved countless people and brought stability. A hero who left records battling numerous monsters. A selfless hero who leapt into the West Sea rift without hesitation. A hero who returned miraculously when everyone thought he was dead. The first to enter the battlefield, the last to leave it.
But people didn’t know Cha Eui-jae,
“Hyung!”
Lee Sa-young didn’t know the hero.
“J!”
To him, J was the one whose voice he heard, whose hand he held, the one who saved him— the only one…
“Stop right there!”
To him, Cha Eui-jae was just a foolish, lovable person.
That was Lee Sa-young’s arrogance.
Lee Sa-young didn’t know the hero. He didn’t know the hero’s face, nor the story hidden behind the black mask.
Behind the mask, there were no ears that easily turned red, no eyes that averted shyly, no sharp gaze that flared when provoked, no lips bitten red, no hesitant smile, no displeased expression, no flushed cheeks that quickly heated, no face that smiled warmly.
“Wait, Hyung!”
There was only a face devoid of any readable emotions. A familiar yet strange expressionless face, a hero who performed his duty mechanically.
Lee Sa-young ran, pushing through the passersby. He ignored all the screams. No matter how fast he ran, the same bookshelves kept appearing. He couldn’t catch up with Cha Eui-jae. It felt like being trapped in an endless maze.
Where had the wild, rampaging Cha Eui-jae gone? Where was the Cha Eui-jae who smiled kindly at Park Ha-eun? Where was the Cha Eui-jae who nonchalantly took care of his regulars? Where was the Cha Eui-jae who cried in front of his comrades’ remains? Where was the Cha Eui-jae who turned red and stiffened every time they kissed?
One by one, the complicated thoughts disappeared. What remained in the end was an endless question. Lee Sa-young was curious about Cha Eui-jae. He was curious about the hero. Lee Sa-young gritted his teeth.
What are you thinking?
What makes you so anxious?
What scares you so much?
What on earth made you this way?
Lee Sa-young had to know.
He wanted to know everything. He wanted to delve into Cha Eui-jae’s mind, digging into his deepest roots like a beast licking its wounds.
He wanted to be the only one who knew everything about him.
‘…Damn it!’
But he couldn’t know. Even searching through the intrusive memories that had blended into one, he couldn’t find the answer. The memories of the intruder were filled only with a foolish face smiling while saying it was okay. Without a single word about how hard it was, foolishly.
Surely, the thoughts and emotions behind that expressionless face were kept deeply inside. Just like the stories Lee Sa-young kept within himself.
“Damn it…!”
Finally, the end of the bookshelf came into view. Lee Sa-young emerged from the maze-like shelves. A wide hall spread out before him. Many people were busily going their way. But no matter how much he looked around, Cha Eui-jae was nowhere to be seen. He grabbed a passerby to ask, but no one knew.
Lee Sa-young took a deep breath.
“…So that’s how you’re going to play it, huh.”
His violet eyes gleamed sharply.
“Let’s see what you’ve got.”
***
86 hours until Cha Eui-jae’s death.
Thunk―
A massive spear pierced through the monster’s chest. Splatters of white blood dotted the black mask. It was a silent death, devoid of any screams. A hush settled over the scene.
Cha Eui-jae slowly lifted his head to survey the surroundings. He no longer sensed the presence of any monsters nearby. It seemed they were all dealt with. Retrieving his spear, he leaped lightly from the heap of corpses piled like a mountain. Squish, a squelching sound followed. He must have stepped into a pool of blood.
“…”
A cold wind brushed against his hair. Cha Eui-jae rubbed his mask with his sleeve, coughing intermittently. The coughing fit continued for a while. He rubbed his scratchy throat. Thanks to his heightened senses, he could feel each change in his body. His body was transforming, slowly but surely.
‘86 hours left…’
A bit more than three days. Cha Eui-jae stared intently at the number. Even his poker face couldn’t completely hide the anxiety that lingered like a rough edge. This version of himself knew death was coming. Cha Eui-jae now understood why he hadn’t avoided it.
Mutation primarily occurs in those who come into contact with the Whitening and is more likely to happen to civilians than awakened ones.
And sometimes, Cha Eui-jae… loses his powers and becomes an ordinary civilian.
“…”
Mutation hadn’t missed that small window. It must have been progressing each time he lost his powers, albeit too briefly to notice. Cha Eui-jae clenched and unclenched his fist.
‘He must have wanted to die before becoming a monster.’
As sudden fear and terror deepened, buried memories resurfaced one by one. Cha Eui-jae didn’t resist the incoming memories and acted accordingly. After all, resisting wouldn’t change anything.
After realizing his impending death, J had sought out Nam Woo-jin and Jung Bin, requesting to be given more tasks. They naturally objected, but they couldn’t overturn J’s decision.
“We’re short on manpower; I can’t just lie around indefinitely.”
“But…”
“It’s okay. I know my condition best. I’ll handle it appropriately.”
After much deliberation, Jung Bin consented. It was perhaps inevitable. J’s involvement could save many lives. Though Nam Woo-jin grumbled until the end, he too eventually agreed.
From the moment he got permission, J wandered everywhere— into the forbidden Whitening zone, wherever his power was needed. He didn’t sleep. To outsiders, it might have seemed madness, but Cha Eui-jae knew.
This was his struggle. A desperate struggle not to die, yet to leave a mark until the very end. To avoid being forgotten.
A struggle to remain a hero until the end.
While following J’s memories, Cha Eui-jae couldn’t shake a thought.
‘At the final moment… wouldn’t it be better to be with someone you love?’
But he quickly dismissed the thought. The moment Cha Eui-jae stabbed himself, Lee Sa-young’s face had surfaced. Back then, Lee Sa-young was truly…
Cha Eui-jae rubbed the back of his neck with a reluctant expression.
‘I wouldn’t want to show that either.’
Understanding himself was a rather novel experience. He flicked the blood off his spear. There was still some time before his death.
Fortunately, Cha Eui-jae knew what events would unfold on the day of his death. He had seen it in the fragments shown by Yoon Ga-eul, the student. The day she returned to the place she once lived. J would make her escape and then stay behind alone to fend off the monsters. He would likely meet his end there.
‘Besides…’
Cha Eui-jae recalled what he had seen in the world created by ‘Lee Sa-young.’ In that world, J was wounded but remained human in appearance.
‘Since he died as a human…’
It meant he died before the mutation could turn him into a monster. Mission accomplished. After mentally reviewing the stages leading to his impending death, Cha Eui-jae stretched out both arms. Though the lingering emotions still felt rough, it was better than when he couldn’t even stand properly.
“Good…”
In any case, Cha Eui-jae checked the text on the screen. While the remaining time steadily decreased, the synchronization rate remained at 100%. He recalled that if he died while synchronized, Cha Eui-jae’s soul would also perish.
‘How do I resolve this?’
Cha Eui-jae rubbed his chin. What could reduce the synchronization rate? Should he separate his consciousness? But how does one separate their consciousness? Cha Eui-jae sat cross-legged on a protruding fragment, pondering.
Brrrr―
A loud engine roar echoed as something rapidly approached from afar. Cha Eui-jae looked up. This was a restricted area; what could it be? He couldn’t discern its identity as it was still out of sight. Squinting, he focused on the direction of the noise. Then.
“…Shit.”
He spotted a violet flame hurtling toward him.
Cha Eui-jae hurriedly grabbed his spear and stood up. His mind raced in confusion. Wait, isn’t that guy unlicensed? Doesn’t he always hitch rides in others’ cars? What’s he riding on now?
But there was no time to think further.
‘For now…’
Cha Eui-jae kicked off the ground.
‘I need to escape!!’
