The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low

Sa-young clasped my hand tightly. The wound that touched it throbbed as if it were burning. It’s been a long time since I felt this pain.

Red and black blood mixed and flowed down the wrist. Golden vines bloomed around each other’s palms. Something tingled into my body. It climbed up the palms, wrists, and arms and settled near the heart.

At the same time, a hot lump rose from the pit of the stomach. I moaned, biting my lips. The constant throbbing seemed unbearable.

“…Ugh.”

“Hold it in.”

[Talent Basilisk’s Poison (S+) is active]

‘Wait a minute.’

My eyes widened at the sudden appearance of the system window.

It was a detoxification talent I’d gained from capturing a basilisk in the West Sea Rift, but I’d never actually used it until now – it was a strange talent that never reacted to weak poisons. So why now?

I couldn’t overcome my embarrassment, coughed, and red blood burst out. There was a faint sweetness between the fishy blood flavors.

‘Ah, you bastard.’

“…shit, hyung. Come on.”

Why are you cursing? It should be me who’s cursing. I coughed up blood one after another, trying to hold onto my fading consciousness. Through my slightly shaky vision, I could see a hardened Lee Sa-young.

“Hyung?”

‘You’re poisoning people, damn you.’

“Hyung, open your mouth quickly.”

‘I told him I’d kill him if he touched me….’

“Quick!”

Sa-young, who murmured nervously, shoved the thumb of his gloved hand into my mouth. I instinctively bit the thumb of Lee Sa-young. I wanted to cut off his fingers with my teeth. My head was so hot.

I stared at the white window that filled my vision with bloodshot eyes.

‘Why is your S+ class talent so slow? Do you want to search?’

[Talent Basilisk’s Poison (S+) is active]
[Detoxing]
[Talent Basilisk’s Venom (S+) is active]
[Detoxing]
[Talent Basilisk’s Venom (S+) is active]
[Detoxing]

The system window blinked in frustration. It seemed like an expression of intention that he was working hard, but it was none of my business.

Neither did I like Lee Sa-young nor Basilisk’s poison. What the hell did this bastard think he was doing putting poison into a person’s body? I don’t think the antidote is useful, so why did you tell me to take it? What are you going to do if I didn’t have the poison talent…

Soon the cool liquid flowed slowly down the thumb. The fever gradually subsided along the liquid’s touch. At the same time, the system window popped up.

[Detoxification is complete]
[Under the effect of Basilisk’s Poison (S+), you gain resistance to poisons once detoxified]

Heck, huck. I breathed heavily. I couldn’t remember how long it’s been since I vomited blood like this. The fever gradually dropped, and my senses slowly began to return from the fingertips. One of my hands was still clutched to Sa-young’s.

“Hyung.”

I touched my forehead with the other hand. My blurry vision cleared, and I caught sight of the gas mask staring back at me.

“…hyung.”

Saeyoung called out to me once more. I slowly took a breath. My body recovered quickly, whether it was due to hard work or an unknown liquid fed by Lee Sa-young.

“Okay, that’s enough…”

Although the pain remained a little, it was enough to ignore and move.

As I was about to reply to the call I heard again, leather gloves warmed by body temperature gently wrapped around my cheeks and chin. His hand, which had been groping on my cheek for a while, slowly looked down and clasped my chin to raise my head.

The black gas mask was seen a little more clearly. Sa-young asked in a whisper,

“Can you see me?”

I nodded meekly, as if I couldn’t see through this skimpy top. Though it was more like a nod because my head remained fixed. Sa-young muttered in a worried tone.

“It seems you can hear me.”

“…….”

“Talk? If you can’t, at least blink.”

Feeling that if I opened my mouth, I’d probably start swearing, so with the utmost self-control, I blinked instead of answering aloud. It was more a case of not speaking than not being able to, but it was either that or nothing. I felt the grip on my cheeks tighten a little more.

“…Your vocal cords are damaged.”

“……”

“Where else?”

What kind of poison does this guy have?

I was dumbfounded to hear that. So to put together what Lee Sa-young is worried about… Doesn’t that mean that poison can damage vision, hearing, vocal cords, and organs at once. It’s a strong poison that even works for S-rank awakeners.

‘How can a simple poison be so strong?’

“Cha Ui-jae.”

An anxious voice interrupted my train of thought. A careful hand touched the nape of my neck. I suddenly wondered what Lee Sa-young must be thinking right now. He reached out and touched my forehead,

“…….”

“What–“

I gripped the gas mask hard.

With a snap. The front of the gas mask crumbled in my grasp. Fumbling and twisting and tugging, a pale, bloodless face emerged from behind the torn mask. Violet eyes wide with surprise, lips parted, bangs clinging to his face in cold sweat.

“Your eyelashes are really long.”

I quite liked the way his normally stoic face turned into one of surprise and embarrassment. When I was satisfied with the look on his face, I tossed aside the remains of the ripped-off gas mask and removed the stiffened hand around my neck.

I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand.

“I’m fine. My vocal cords are not damaged.”

“…….”

“I’ve never seen such a deadly poison in my life… Do you have a conscience?”

“…shit.”

Lee Sa-young’s pretty face crumpled into a harsh line. He took off his gas mask, which had been torn off his face, and threw it on the floor, then glared at me.

“Why aren’t you talking, are you kidding me?”

“I thought I would curse at you as soon as I opened my mouth, why.”

“Argh…. shit, really. Annoying…”

Lee Sa-young nervously swept his hair and turned around. Only then did I carefully look around.

The blood-soaked table was melted in places, the dagger that had slashed my palm was lying haphazardly on the ground, and an unfamiliar bottle was rolling around next to it.

I picked up the bottle that rolled close by. A system window popped up, showing that it was no ordinary bottle.

[Nectar of the Golden Tree (S)
Consume to remove all status ailments and curses]

“…No way.”

The name alone was a strange one.

Most treatments for abnormal conditions have the types and grades that can be treated. An item that could remove all ailments and curses unconditionally would be priceless. And that rare item is now…

[It’s an empty bottle now]

It was empty and rolling around on the table of haejang-guk house….

Was this the cool liquid that came into my mouth. I felt a little less inclined to hold onto a person by the collar and argue that there is no crazy person who puts poison in a person after giving him a bunch of ineffective drugs. Come to think of it, Lee Sa-young seemed pretty embarrassed, too.

‘Nectar… What a waste.’

If he’d just waited a little longer, my talent ‘Basilisk’s Poison’ would have detox it on its own. Shouldn’t I have just told him that I had detox talent?

I rolled my eyes as I clutched the now empty bottle of nectar. Lee Sa-young was still standing with his back to me.

“…Hmm, Lee Sa-young?”

“…….”

“This nectar… expensive, isn’t it?”

“Say something else.”

When Lee Sa-young growled at him, I stretched and glared. Asking for the price would be like rubbing salt in the wound.

I thought to myself. I’d never been good at appeasing people anyway. After a moment’s thought, I settled on the most obvious answer.

“Thank you for now.”

“Ha ha.”

‘Did I finally get it right?’

“Thank the person who poisoned you. You’re a saint….”

‘Thank you, but fuck you.’

It’s a modern world where thank yous are met with sarcasm, not praise. It’s more choking than a chicken breast without water….

I didn’t think I’d hear anything good even if I talked to him more. I carefully put down the bottle of nectar he was holding and checked my palm. The wound drawn with a dagger had healed before I knew it, and a golden scar crept dimly over the thin scar that was left.

‘It seems that the contract has been concluded.’

I clasped and unclasped my hands, then turned to Sa-young.

“I assume the contract has been finalised, so why don’t you finish explaining what we talked about?”

“…….”

Only then did Lee Sa-young turn around and meet my eyes. His face was expressionless and subtly fat, and he made an aesthetically pleasing approach, pulling up a chair and sitting down across from me. After a moment of silence, he spoke,

“There are drug-spraying guys, and I’m looking for them.”

“……”

“Do you understand it this far?”

When I nodded, Sa-young slowly continued.

“Drugs are sold very cheaply, so that they are readily available everywhere. As easy as they are to come by, they become addicted quickly, and those who are addicted want more and more of the stimulus.”

In general, awakeners are more sensitive in every way than ordinary people. This is because the senses are so delicately developed that there are many things to pay attention to. So there are many unpleasant things and few pleasant things live.

The stimulation of drugs that came to such awakeners. Perhaps it was a magical drug that eliminated the unpleasantness of everyday life and gave only pleasure. It was not easy to resist the pleasure that they had tasted after a long time, so it was no wonder that they fell in.

“If you gradually increase the dose like that, at some point, that alone will be insufficient. Then, you find your own supply.”

“……”

“Most of the people who went there were people who had body changes or were about to happen. The suppliers take the ones who crawled in under their own feet.”

“To where?”

“The lab.”

A bleak light hung over Sa-young’s face.

“Drugs are just bait to gather experimental bodies.”