The Hunter's Gonna Lay Low-Chapter 117

"Give me all the information you have on Prometheus and Lee Sayoung."

Silence followed. In the crisp, early morning air, only the chirping of crickets filled the void. Jung Bin stared blankly at the black mask in front of him.

There were so many things he wanted to say to J, so many questions he had. How did he get out of there? When did he escape? Was he okay? If he had been alive, why hadn't he contacted them sooner?

Over the course of eight years, Jung Bin had carefully selected which words he would use, what he would ask, and what he would swallow back. He had spent the entire journey here pondering what kind of conversation they would have. But all that careful planning turned out to be pointless, because one request from J had left his mind completely blank. Instead, a ridiculous sentence floated to the surface.

'How do you respond to a former colleague (who was thought to be dead) showing up after eight years and demanding classified information?'

Jung Bin, who had never thought about such a situation before, felt as though he had just composed a headline that would break the internet if posted on an anonymous forum. He felt like a robot answering questions. Instinctively, he looked up at the dark sky. The guilt and relief that had washed over him the moment he saw the mask had long since scattered like dust. What filled him now was only unease.

He thought to himself:

'Didn’t he say it wasn’t a big deal?'

Not a big deal? Hardly. This was a huge deal.

The fact that J, who had been presumed dead, was back safely was something to be thankful for. He looked healthy, his limbs intact, and it was truly a relief. But the weight of the information hidden within those few short sentences was immense.

‘Information on Prometheus and Lee Sayoung.’

Of course, only a top-ranked Hunter would have the skill to specifically demand top-secret information like that. How did J even know about Prometheus? And what kind of connection did he have to Lee Sayoung to be asking for information on him?

'Could he have come into contact with Prometheus?'

No. Jung Bin immediately refuted his own thought. Prometheus was being hunted by multiple factions. They wouldn’t have had the time or reason to contact J. More likely...

'It's more plausible that Lee Sayoung is involved...'

The cryptic words of Gyu-Gyu echoed in his mind from a dark interrogation room.

“Dig deeper into Lee Sayoung.”

“All the information gets cut off from him and the Wave Guild. That bastard feeds us false info and pisses people off.”

Gyu-Gyu had definitely suspected Lee Sayoung. He was the one cutting off all the leads to J. And on the day J appeared in the rankings again, when Jung Bin met Lee Sayoung at the memorial site of the West Sea Rift... yes, something had been off.

Lee Sayoung, without even bothering to hide his menacing aura, had said:

"Everything that comes out of the rift is... mine."

And he had been smiling.

"Get lost."

His smile had been horrifyingly bright.

Back then, he had absurdly claimed ownership over J, who had emerged from the rift. But Lee Sayoung hadn’t even awakened as an Awakener until long after J had entered the rift. There should have been no connection between them. So why...

"Is this really such a difficult thing? Is it something to be agonized over?"

The distorted voice snapped him out of his spiraling thoughts. Jung Bin looked up quickly. J, standing with his hands shoved into his jacket pockets, tilted his head curiously. His tone was innocent.

"Isn’t it strange? Back in our day, there were no secrets between us, right?"

Of course, you had access to the highest security clearance. Jung Bin swallowed his words. It was true that J, with his clearance, had been able to access everything, though most of what he looked into involved monsters, dungeons, and rifts. J muttered to himself.

“I do remember Hunter Song dodging some things... but anyway.”

He shrugged.

"It would be nice if you could just give me the documents. But if you're worried about leaks, you could just tell me. I’ll memorize it. Besides, you’ve been busy, haven’t you? I saw that earthquake safety commercial you did recently."

His tone was casual, as if offering a favor. When did he even see that commercial? Jung Bin covered his face with both hands, rubbing it roughly. He was usually good at concealing his emotions and extracting information, but maintaining composure in this situation was impossible.

After a long moment, Jung Bin lifted his head. His face looked worn out, but his voice moved mechanically.

“I recommend looking up information on Lee Sayoung online, J. The wiki has a well-organized summary.”

J replied in a flat tone.

"Who said I was asking for his personal details? I’m asking because I need to know something else. Why are you dodging when I already know the basics?"

“That would be a violation of privacy laws.”

“I didn’t ask for his ID and password.”

“What you’re asking for is still not allowed, J.”

“Okay, let’s put Lee Sayoung aside for a moment. Prometheus doesn’t fall under that law, does it?”

“Prometheus is top secret, J. I need authorization from the director to discuss it.”

There was a sharp gleam behind the black mask. But Jung Bin’s stance remained firm. He didn’t know why J was asking about this, but both topics were classified. And besides…

'There must be a reason he’s kept himself hidden all this time.'

J was the only one to emerge alive from a rift that had swallowed countless Hunters. As both the former and current strongest Hunter, if J officially reappeared, all eyes would inevitably turn toward him—whether those eyes carried admiration or malice.

He didn’t want J exposed to that.

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"...."

Maybe it was selfish of him. Maybe this was something he should have done earlier. But Jung Bin wanted to protect him. He wasn’t as powerless as he had been before. This was his way of caring.

However.

A long sigh broke the silence. J had bowed his head, one hand resting on the forehead of his mask. His voice came out somber.

"I really didn’t want to do this…"

“Sorry?”

"...but I guess I have no choice."

It was a foreboding statement. Suddenly, J’s slippered foot hit the ground with a thud. His posture and demeanor shifted. Jung Bin eyed him with growing unease. J, now standing with a slouched stance like some sort of thug, shouted:

"You won’t even tell a hero who saved the country!"

It was a trap!

Jung Bin's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe his ears. Wasn’t this the same person who used to wave off being called a hero? Yet here he was, shamelessly wielding his former authority. Even though eight years had passed, Jung Bin never could have predicted this situation. He stammered.

“What, what did you say?”

"Do you know how many monsters I’ve killed and how many rifts I’ve closed?"

“Wait, J!”

"I’ve cleared so many dungeons, and yet—"

"Please, calm down!"

"I’m not even asking you to summarize everything that happened over the past eight years! I’m only asking for two things! And you can’t even tell me that, when we were comrades!"

“I’m sorry! I apologize! Please calm down!”

Thankfully, J’s outburst ended with him complaining about the days when he’d had to rush from dungeon to rift, without a moment’s rest, using monster carcasses as pillows.

After enduring this tirade, Jung Bin staggered over to a nearby bench and slumped down. J, too, wobbled over to the bottom of the slide and collapsed, head down. Silence filled the air once again. Even the crickets had gone quiet. Eight years was apparently long enough to turn a young man into a grumpy old man, Jung Bin thought briefly.

When a war full of defeats finally ends…

"...."

"...."

Neither of them spoke for a long time. It was more accurate to say that neither dared to break the silence. Jung Bin glanced sideways at J, who was still shifting restlessly.

After a while, Jung Bin, hunched over with his face in his hands, mumbled weakly.

“I’ll tell you.”

"...."

“But before I do… may I say something?”

"...Yes."

J’s answer was just as weak. Jung Bin sighed, wiping his mouth with his hand before speaking.

“J, if you officially return to action, all eyes will be on you. Frankly, I... I hope you don’t reveal yourself. I’m speaking to you as Jung Bin, not as the team leader of the Awakener Management Bureau.”

"...."

“People can be cruel. Back then…”

As he watched J, battered and blood-soaked, stumbling through the halls of the Bureau, Jung Bin had wondered what people were thinking. They ignored his weary figure, pretending not to see the boy who, even with a mask on, couldn’t hide his youthful vulnerability. They had to, in order to survive.

Jung Bin muttered softly.

“Haven’t you experienced enough of that?”

“What are you talking about?”

Jung Bin looked up sharply. J was resting his chin on his hand, gazing back at him. After a long pause, J spoke with certainty.

“I already made my decision about that a long time ago.”