The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low

Chapter 233

His legs trembled. The hand holding the gun shook. Ever since witnessing the black wave dissolve humans without a trace, he had been like this. Sweat trickled down his face beneath the black mask that covered his mouth and neck. Numerous gun barrels were all pointed at a single man.

Lee Sayeong.

He wore neither a bulletproof vest nor carried any elaborate weapons or ornaments. Just a single black coat draped over his body as he stood tall. There wasn’t an ounce of intimidation in his stance, as if the guns didn’t threaten him at all. With his left hand tucked into his coat pocket, he appeared almost bored. His expressionless, pale face was hauntingly beautiful, yet he had just vaporized several men in the blink of an eye—leaving no trace, not even bone fragments. Horrifically efficient.

‘... He’s not human.’

The man clenched his teeth. Yes, these awakened ones were nothing but monsters disguised as humans, beings who treated human lives like flies.

“...”

Lee Sayeong looked down at his own hands, as though inspecting his nails, and then blew on them softly. At that moment, the gun barrels clicked upward. He briefly widened his eyes, then narrowed them like a snake’s. His full lips barely moved as he spoke.

“Did you report this?”

“...”

“I asked if you reported this to your superiors.”

No one answered. Lee Sayeong sighed audibly as if making sure they heard him.

“Or were you told to shut your mouths?”

“...”

“Well... can't be helped then.”

There was a cracking sound as bones popped from his blackened fingers. Lee Sayeong stretched out his black hand, reaching forward. A chill ran down the man’s spine, and his breath quickened. He had already witnessed what happened when that hand moved, and his fingers, resting on the trigger, trembled violently. Beyond his spread fingers, Lee Sayeong’s face remained indifferent.

“I guess I didn’t kill enough of you.”

The air smelled burnt. Just as Lee Sayeong began to close his hand into a fist, the man squeezed his eyes shut. Damn it! Faced with imminent death, a surge of courage rushed through him. Yes, this creature was no man, but a monster in human skin. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.

**Bang—**

The first shot rang out, shattering the tension. With the first bullet fired, shots exploded from all directions. Damn it, damn it, damn it! The man kept pulling the trigger. **Bang, bang, bang...** His entire body shook, though he couldn’t tell if it was from the recoil or fear. **Click, click.** Eventually, the trigger produced no more response. The surrounding area had fallen silent. His ragged breaths gradually slowed as he dared to open his eyes.

Lee Sayeong still stood there, in the same spot, over a pool of black liquid. His hand was half-closed, frozen in the motion of a fist. His pale face tilted slightly as he flicked something with his thumb and forefinger.

It was a deformed bullet.

“Is this sheer stupidity, or a desperate last stand?”

“...”

“Well, it doesn't really matter which.”

Lee Sayeong’s lips parted slightly, revealing a flash of black inside. His tongue, black as the void, briefly appeared as he casually placed the deformed bullet onto it, like sucking on candy. The bullet began to dissolve upon contact with his tongue. It was a surreal sight. Everyone stood frozen, watching in horror. Once the bullet had completely melted away, Lee Sayeong wiped his mouth with his thumb.

“Time to pay up, don’t you think?”

A crushing pressure descended over the area, forcing the man to double over, gasping for breath. His legs trembled uncontrollably. He couldn’t bear to look up. His gun slipped from his hands, and small cries of terror echoed from those around him. A black liquid, snake-like, slithered across the ground toward him. If that touched him, he would suffer the same fate as his comrades—dissolved to nothing. He wanted to run, but his legs wouldn’t move.

Just then—

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing here!”

A sharp, altered voice pierced through the air. Instinctively, the man turned his head toward the sound. A figure wearing a black mask and a white coat came running from inside the building. Though his attire was different from usual, it was easy to recognize him—J.

In an instant, the suffocating pressure vanished. The man gasped and collapsed onto the ground. He looked up at Lee Sayeong in a daze. A faint smile crept onto Lee Sayeong’s once expressionless face. His pale skin even seemed to gain a slight flush. He clasped his hands behind his back and let out a soft sigh of relief.

...Relief? From that monster?

Unfortunately, the man couldn’t ponder this thought for long. His vision faded, and he collapsed unconscious, kicking up dust. The last thing he saw before passing out was the trail of black liquid, slithering away as if warning him.

---

What the hell is going on?

Uijae, looking slightly dazed, took stock of his surroundings. There was sand and gravel underfoot, and a cargo truck was parked nearby. This must be the place where he had been dragged and dumped earlier. Thud, thud, the sound of people collapsing echoed all around. In the middle of the fallen soldiers stood Lee Sayeong, his hands clasped behind his back, smiling brightly.

“You’re late,” he said cheerfully.

“Hey, is that really what you have to say right now?” Uijae swallowed the surge of irritation rising in his throat. All the soldiers on the ground were armed, and considering the gunshots they had heard while getting here...

‘Did he get hurt?’

Uijae quickly scanned Sayeong from head to toe. Fortunately, there were no visible injuries. His face was as annoyingly pristine and handsome as ever. Sayeong, seemingly aware of Uijae’s scrutiny, ran a hand through his hair with exaggerated flair.

“Ah, you’re looking at me with such intensity...”

Uijae glanced sideways at the others standing next to him. Minggijeok looked unsurprised, as if he had expected this, while Ivan was still panting heavily, struggling to catch his breath. Understandably so, given that they had sprinted here all the way from the research lab. Any ordinary person would be out of breath by now.

Uijae strode toward Sayeong.

“How the hell did you get here?”

“Do you even realize how good location tracking is these days?”

“You tracked my location?”

“Hmm? No. Didn’t I tell you? That’s called being overly self-conscious...”

Sayeong jerked his chin toward Minggijeok. Minggijeok lifted his hair to reveal a small earpiece blinking faintly.

“For safety, we wear location tracking devices. I must have forgotten to mention it,” Minggijeok said casually.

You’re only telling me this now? Uijae glared at him, but Minggijeok turned away as if oblivious. Sayeong crossed his arms, exuding an overwhelmingly sweet scent.

“So, what were you doing here, J?”

The way Sayeong called him “J” felt strangely awkward. Uijae tried to ignore it, but his eyes kept flickering over Sayeong’s face and body. He looked slightly pale, but there didn’t seem to be anything seriously wrong.

“A student named Yoon Gaeul was kidnapped, so I came here with the intent of finding out where she was being held.”

“Gaeul again? Feels like she gets kidnapped every other day. So, where is she now?”

“I was just about to find out before I heard about the mess you were making!”

“Is that my fault? You’re the one who came here without a word, J.”

“Wait, wait. Arguing about this is pointless, so I’ll step in to save us all some time,” Minggijeok said, inserting himself between Uijae and Sayeong. He glanced sideways at Ivan, who was still bent over, trying to catch his breath.

“Guild Leader, that man over there seems to be the decision-maker for Prometheus. He made us a proposal.”

“A proposal?”

“He wants us to cooperate. To stop the apocalypse. He even asked J to contact the bureau director about it.”

“Cooperate?”

“Yes. Although I don’t see much value in it, we could deal with it ourselves without involving the bureau.”

“No, let’s do it.”

“Pardon?”

“What?”

“Didn’t he make the offer first?”

“...Have you lost your mind, Guild Leader?”

“Hold on!” Uijae quickly clamped a hand over Minggijeok’s mouth. Minggijeok struggled like a loyal advisor trying to offer his sage advice but lacked the strength to overcome Uijae’s iron grip. Uijae silenced him by pinching his nose too, thinking he was saving his life.

Sayeong’s amethyst eyes shimmered with a hint of amusement as he observed the scene. He narrowed his eyes and smirked.

“You two seem close.”

“Close? I’m just trying to save him.”

“It looks more like you’re killing him. And by the way...”

Sayeong spoke in a laid-back tone, his hands resting leisurely in his coat pockets.

“I don’t remember much from the time I was experimented on...”

“...”

“Did I mention that before? I don’t know. Anyway, all that’s left is bad blood.”

It was the first time Sayeong had

 mentioned anything about his time as an experiment. Uijae decided not to say anything, choosing instead to wait. If he said the wrong thing, Sayeong might never bring it up again. Sayeong twirled a strand of his hair between his blackened fingers.

“I figured it was best not to dwell on it. Even Jeongbin and Baewonwoo told me there was no point in trying to remember.”

Uijae had felt the same way. With a gruff voice, he muttered.

“What’s the point of remembering? Isn’t it better to just forget and move on?”

“Hmm...”

Sayeong covered his mouth with his hand and chuckled, his eyes narrowing like a snake’s.

“But isn’t revenge best served when you know what it’s for?”