The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low

Chapter 172

Prometheus caused the Awakeners to mutate.

After the Day of Change, Awakeners began to mutate.

The conclusion was the same, but the process differed. The former had a clear cause, while the latter was nothing more than a baseless rumor. However, sometimes, the cause of a problem lay hidden within a rumor.

Sa-young stared intently at the black figure riding atop the massive whale. Indeed, Cha Uijae's hair had lightened since three months ago. He twitched his fingers and asked,

"Do they know why or how the mutations happen?"

The younger Mackerel eagerly clapped his fingers together.

"That’s the big question, isn't it? Why do Awakeners mutate after the Day of Change? How? Why?"

He shrugged his shoulders with exaggerated drama.

"No one knows! The most important part is completely missing. But the evidence of mutated Awakeners exists. There are testimonies from people who witnessed it, and there are photos."

"......"

"So people start filling in the blanks themselves, making up plausible-sounding explanations. Curses from the system, karma from the Awakeners, someone's revenge… The stories are quite creative."

To someone who knew the truth, these stories were laughable. But it wasn’t a matter to laugh off. Fear without substance had the power to paralyze people's minds. Sa-young tilted his head. The smile had disappeared from the younger Mackerel’s face. The dim blue light cast eerie shadows across his features.

"The speed at which rumors are spreading is alarming. I’m sure many Hunters have heard it by now—that Awakeners are mutating. Some Hunters actually believe it. Right, Hyung?"

"Y-yeah."

"Would you believe it? Some idiot came to me asking what he should do if he starts mutating and begged me to tell him how to stop it."

For a moment, Sa-young wondered why the Awakener Management Bureau hadn’t intervened, but then he dismissed the thought.

The Awakener Management Bureau was a conservative public institution. It wasn’t their place to interfere in rumors, and even if they did, clumsily trying to explain things would only cause more confusion. They hadn’t even fully traced the drug distribution channels yet.

The younger Mackerel began to play with his brother’s hair.

"Of course, we know it’s all nonsense. But the vast majority don’t. They’ve cleverly tapped into the anxiety people have felt since the Day of Change."

"......"

"Awakeners are strong, sure, but compared to civilians, their numbers are low. Public opinion is something we can’t ignore. J has kept things under control for a while, but recently things have been getting more and more tense."

Sa-young’s head tilted slightly as he thought about Prometheus. They wanted to stop the apocalypse with human strength. Unfortunately, Sa-young’s memories of being dragged into their experiments were hazy, at best. All that remained was a faint sense of the experience.

‘If your brain has forgotten, it means the trauma was too severe. You don’t need to push yourself too hard.’

That was what Jung-bin had told him when they lived in that remote mountain village with Bae Won-woo. If it was too painful, there was no need to force himself to remember. But Sa-young had stubbornly tried to piece together his fragmented memories. What he recalled was hazy, but he clung to it.

?I hope the experiment we performed on you is a success. You’ve endured the pain so well up to now, right? You’ll continue to do so, won’t you?

?If it succeeds, humanity will take a big step forward in fighting the apocalypse. By our own power!

A strangely familiar female voice and overwhelming anger.

As Sa-young drifted deeper into thought, the younger Mackerel was busy tormenting his brother by stealing and returning his glasses.

"What’s the purpose?"

"Hmm…"

The younger Mackerel blew a puff of air, creating a round bubble. He put on his brother’s glasses and muttered.

"Judging by the nature of the group, they’re probably trying to foster distrust toward Awakeners and Hunters."

"......"

"I didn’t say anything earlier because J was in the room, but… It’s obvious why they’re targeting him. When you think of a Hunter, you think of J. Even people who don’t like Hunters respect J’s accomplishments."

"......"

Sa-young finally looked up at the mention of J’s name. The younger Mackerel continued chatting.

"The first Awakener, saved the country, dealt with the West Sea Rift, survived when everyone thought he was dead, came back just in time to take down the giant whale when it seemed like the world was ending again, and he’s basically been slaying monsters left and right like a modern-day Hong Gil-dong. You know how many people claim J saved their lives?"

"Aha…"

"As long as J is around, it’s hard for them to completely turn public opinion against Hunters."

Yeah, J the Hunter, who outranks me, sure has been busy while I was asleep. Sa-young suppressed the bitterness threatening to rise in his throat.

The truth was, Cha Uijae wasn’t the type to sit still just because someone told him to. That was simply his nature. As long as he was alive, he had to do something. If he stayed still, he’d grow anxious. No matter how hard he tried, he could never fully relax. He was born incapable of living a quiet life.

‘Would he have been more subdued if he hadn’t become a Hunter?’

An image of Uijae in a school uniform floated through Sa-young’s mind. Uijae, carrying a large backpack, going to school, studying, napping, eating school lunches, talking with friends. Sa-young frowned. No matter how he pictured it, Uijae was always surrounded by people.

"..."

Ugh, forget it. Sa-young sighed softly, the sound of air escaping through his mask. The younger Mackerel clapped his hands together with a loud smack.

"In short! Prometheus has been changing its tactics since the Day of Change. They used to just spread the drug and kidnap Awakeners for experiments, but now…"

Letters scrolled across the screens surrounding Sa-young. They all carried similar messages. *You have been chosen. Don’t trust Awakeners. Defeat the apocalypse with our strength.*

"Now they’re spreading rumors, trying to change the way civilians think. Awakeners are dangerous! We must defeat the apocalypse with our strength! And while they’re at it, they’re undermining J’s reputation."

"Utter nonsense."

"I agree. Oh, and we’ve got other information too. What should we do with it?"

"Send it to Minggijeok. I’ll review it myself."

"Got it. Thanks for the business, as always?"

Sa-young turned to leave. The younger Mackerel, in the middle of taking off his brother’s glasses, called out.

"Oh, leaving already? Why not stick around for a bit?"

His footsteps paused. The black hem of his coat fluttered.

"J can’t be left alone for too long."

The younger Mackerel scratched his ear. For some reason, Sa-young's voice had sounded doubled. When he glanced at his brother for confirmation, Sa-young had already disappeared. The older Mackerel took his brother’s glasses off and tilted his head in confusion.

"That was strange…"

"You heard it too?"

"Y-yeah."

"Something definitely happened over those three months… When did he get so close to J? Damn, I’m curious!"

"Should we call a reporter?"

"No, wait."

The younger Mackerel rubbed his chin, his eyes glinting with excitement.

"Anyway, we need to stop Prometheus from spreading those rumors. Listen, Hyung. How do you put out a fire?"

"You douse it with w-water…?"

"You set an even bigger fire!"

The younger Mackerel jumped off the desk. His older brother tried to grab him but was a second too late.

"I don’t think that’s…"

"No, this is the right move. Call a reporter, Hyung! If we tell them it's a follow-up to their last article, they’ll come running. Let’s really stir things up by the time of the General Assembly."

"And how do you plan to handle the fallout…?"

The younger Mackerel grinned wickedly, his face twisted with mischief.

"Let’s hope we don’t die!"

---

The door, which had been firmly shut, opened without a sound. A tall figure stepped through the sliver of light spilling into the room. Silently, Sa-young entered, careful not to make a sound.

The screen still displayed the younger version of himself, standing there with a scowl. There was only one difference: Bae Won-woo stood beside him this time.

Cha Uijae was crouched on the floor, his knees drawn up, arms resting on top of them. His breathing was soft, even. It seemed he had fallen asleep.

If you're going to sleep, use the beanbag. Why does he always have to sleep in the most uncomfortable positions?

With Uijae, it was always one of two things: either he caused a commotion, or he curled up like this, lonely and withdrawn.

From Sa-young’s perspective, he preferred it when Uijae caused chaos. At least then he seemed alive. Sa-young removed his mask. Then he reached out and carefully lifted Uijae’s face from where it rested on his arms. He unclasped the mask and slid it off. Uijae’s eyes and lashes were wet.

Sa-young sighed in frustration.

See? This is why I can

’t leave him alone.

With his thumb, he gently wiped away the moisture around Uijae’s eyes before replacing the mask. After everything that had happened, Uijae still hadn’t woken up. Sa-young leaned in closer to listen to his steady breathing.

"..."

As long as he’s alive.

Sa-young draped his coat over Uijae, then lifted him into his arms. Kicking the door open, he carried him out into the corridor. The surroundings began to shift and blur as he moved. The stares from the onlookers gradually changed as well.

From shock to disbelief, to curiosity, and finally, to the thrill of having caught something big.

By the time they had nearly exited the fish market, a floating shrimp drifted over to Sa-young’s side. The shrimp’s beady eyes blinked at him, and Sa-young tilted his head slightly.

"What, you want to take another photo?"

The shrimp's antennae wiggled frantically. Sa-young chuckled softly.

"Go ahead."

"..."

"Make sure you capture this moment perfectly."

*Pop!*

With a comical puff of smoke, the shrimp vanished. Sa-young carried the weight in his arms, smiling to himself as he left the fish market behind. Not long after, a strange cry echoed faintly through the market.

"We hit the jackpot!"