The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low

Chapter 238

From outside the door, the sound of Jang Mi-sook moving around could be heard. Mackerel pressed himself up against the door and shouted out.

“It’s fine, Ms. Jang! …For now?”

“He’s not such a bad guy, just hurt a lot.”

He was just saying earlier that the guy was rude. Mackerel held back his words. The first rule of being an informant is to listen carefully to what people say. When someone with a lot to say rambles, valuable information tends to spill out alongside it. Mackerel waved his fingers in the air, and a small stingray appeared, slowly drifting over to block the door.

“Yeah, yeah, exactly. People with lots of wounds tend to put up their spikes like a porcupine.”

“But he said I’m not needed.”

J curled up like a pill bug, his voice eerie as he muttered.

J, a hero recognized by most, though he had his detractors. Someone who was needed by everyone. This was probably the first time in his life that someone told him he wasn’t needed. That’s why the shock hit so hard. Mackerel crouched in front of him.

“You know, sir…”

“……”

“I think that guy… no, that porcupine probably didn’t mean what he said. He probably just said it out of frustration.”

“……”

The pill bug lifted its head slightly. Mackerel rubbed his hands together.

“Do you really think he meant it when he said he didn’t need you? You probably hit a sore spot, and his defense mechanisms kicked in. People tend to say things they don’t mean when they’re upset.”

“…You think so?”

“Of course! He’s probably regretting it right now, thinking, ‘Why did I say that?’”

The pill bug fully lifted its head, as if asking, *Really?* A distorted voice asked.

“Then… can you check on it for me?”

“Ah, sir, just say the word.”

Mackerel nodded eagerly, almost as if his neck would break. And he thought to himself:

*I’ll charge for the table, the counseling, and the information. This is going to be expensive.*

The mental calculator in his head started going into overdrive. It was the mindset of a true businessman.

---

Though the head of the guild was a doctor, the *Seowon Guild* felt like an old library, filled with the smell of aged paper and books. Guild members hurried around, pushing book carts, and the towering shelves, packed from floor to ceiling, were overwhelming. But after that incident, the Seowon Guild had changed a bit.

“……”

Honeybee stood holding two cups of coffee, frowning in dissatisfaction. The pleasant smell of coffee had already been overtaken by the strong scent of disinfectants. Guild members who used to walk around with books now carried medical supplies and charts. One could say it had returned to its original form, but still.

“I liked the old days better…”

She pouted and grumbled as she hurried along, heading to the guild’s inner sanctum, where Mathew and Nam Woojin still hadn’t woken up.

As she descended the long staircase, she suddenly stopped. At the bottom stood a small boy in a white coat. He looked up at her with clear eyes and bowed his head.

“The master wanted to ask if it’s alright for you to see a guest.”

“A guest?”

“Yes, they might make you uncomfortable.”

“As long as it’s not Gyu-gyu, it’s fine.”

“Then please follow me.”

The boy scurried ahead. The contract with Gyu-gyu had ended, and he had vanished somewhere. Probably lazing around in some foreign country. Honeybee clicked her tongue loudly enough to be heard.

According to the original plan, she was supposed to continue tracking Prometheus with Gyu-gyu. But the Awakener Bureau had chosen to cooperate with Prometheus instead. Naturally, Honeybee hadn’t taken it well. Working with the people responsible for Mathew’s condition? Impossible. She had stormed into the Director’s office and demanded answers.

*“You’ve finally lost it, haven’t you? How could you join hands with those people?”*

Director Ham had calmly explained that it wasn’t full cooperation, just temporary. They were doing it to prevent the apocalypse and gather intel, and they might even use Prometheus’s data to wake Mathew.

*“Nonsense.”*

In the end, the Director had simply chosen the easy path, just like everyone else. They soon reached their destination. The boy pushed open the firmly shut door, and Honeybee’s eyes widened.

“What the hell?”

“You’re here.”

Nam Woojin swiveled his chair to face her, but Honeybee’s gaze was locked on the small figure standing like a black totem pole beside him. Her puzzled look then shifted to another dark figure.

Lee Sa-young sat in a chair, arms crossed, leaning against the wall, eyes closed. Honeybee raised her finger, still holding her coffee, and pointed at him.

“Why the hell is Lee Sa-young here?”

“He just fell asleep. Don’t wake him,” answered the small man, Minggijeok, as he pushed up his sunglasses.

“He hasn’t been sleeping well, so he came to get a prescription for sleeping pills.”

“Why is he sleeping sitting up like that?”

“He’s just taking a short nap.”

“This is ridiculous. I only brought two coffees. One for the doctor and one for me.”

“That’s fine. I had one of the seasonal drinks this morning. Oh, by the way, do you collect the stickers? If not, would you mind giving them to me?”

“The world’s about to end, and you’re collecting stickers?”

“We have to collect as much as we can before it does.”

“Good grief…”

Honeybee clicked her tongue again as she handed Nam Woojin his coffee and pulled out her phone. Minggijeok quickly did the same, and they began exchanging stickers. Nam Woojin took a sip of his coffee before grimacing and pushing the cup away.

“Where’s the syrup?”

“Oh, my mistake. That’s mine. Yours is here.”

“Thanks.”

“Too much sugar will shorten your life.”

“I’m a doctor. I don’t need the lecture.”

Nam Woojin sipped the sugary coffee with his eyes closed. Silence hung in the air. Honeybee tapped her toe against the floor, breaking it.

“How’s Mathew? Still the same?”

“Nothing yet.”

“No freeze phenomena?”

At the dawn of the apocalypse, humanity had frozen in place, clutching some part of their bodies. Some speculated that the shock of the apocalypse had resurrected old wounds. People likened it to a frozen state and called it the *Freeze Phenomenon*.

Nam Woojin shook his head.

“No. Since he has no self-awareness or consciousness, he doesn’t even know the apocalypse is coming.”

“……”

“But with Prometheus’s cooperation, we might get the antidote.”

“I don’t like working with them. They don’t even see Awakeners as human.”

“I don’t like it either. But we have to use every card we have.”

“……”

Honeybee sighed, sipping her coffee. The bitter, nutty flavor lingered in her mouth.

At that moment, the figure leaning against the wall twitched. A loud inhale and exhale followed. Beneath his tousled hair, a menacing violet glow flickered in his eyes for a moment. His gaze, which had been fixed on the floor, now met Honeybee’s.

“…What are you staring at?”

“Do you always have to start by being rude the moment you see someone?”

Lee Sa-young scowled and turned his head away, clearly annoyed. Nam Woojin stood up after setting his coffee down and shuffled over to Lee Sa-young, dragging his feet in his crocs.

“I gave you a weaker dose on purpose. Are you alright after sleeping so little?”

“This amount is perfect.”

Lee Sa-young rubbed his face dry and crossed his legs.

“I overheard your conversation. You still haven’t found an antidote for Mathew.”

“Was he actually asleep? Or was he just sitting there with his eyes closed?”

“There’s something I brought back from Prometheus’s headquarters.”

“……”

He gestured toward Minggijeok, who retrieved a tablet from his inventory and handed it to him. Lee Sa-young lazily waved the tablet in the air.

“One of the researchers at Prometheus had this tablet… I’ve analyzed all the data. Of course, the only one who can make use of it is you, Nam Woojin.”

“What? Why are you only telling us this now?”

**Crunch**—Honeybee’s grip on her iced coffee was so tight that the cup crumpled, spilling coffee and ice everywhere. Lee Sa-young rubbed his eyes and shrugged.

“Well, my sleep was more important…”

“You little…”

Honeybee took a step forward, fists clenched, but Nam Woojin stopped her. He shoved his hands into his coat pockets and stared down at Lee Sa-young.

“I’m guessing you’re not just going to hand it over for free.”

“Of course not… You’re as sharp as ever.”

A smirk crept across Lee Sa-young’s lips as he rested his chin on his hand, eyes narrowing in amusement.

“Someone with a lot of questions about me will be coming soon. Probably any minute now…”

“……”

“No one knows my condition as well as you do.”

Lee Sa-young stood up from the chair. His large frame and shadow loomed over Nam Woojin. His crooked finger pressed firmly against his lips as a cold voice rang out.

“Keep your mouth shut.”

“……”

“Don’t talk like you did last time.”