In conclusion, Silo’s decision to cut off the internet was the right one.
In fact, that measure significantly contributed to preventing the situation from escalating.
Despite being a weekday afternoon, the number of people watching Parang’s broadcast outside was relatively very low.
That’s because Parang’s main audience is Hunters.
Due to their job, on days when they don’t go into a Gate, they mostly stay at home.
The scorching heat of July also played a role in preventing Hunters from going out.
In such a situation, cutting off the internet made it impossible for any external influences to disrupt things.
And surprisingly, among those watching Parang’s broadcast outdoors, meaning inside the Gate, most Hunters were safe.
Sometimes there are Hunters who enter Gates with remarkably low required stats compared to their abilities.
Hunters who might have had enough of dangerous fights or made good money, just go into Gates for leisure.
Since it can get boring just going through Gates all day, they often turn on Parang’s broadcasts as if it’s the radio.
These people did not directly see the screen. In other words, they never had direct eye contact with Brachium.
Thanks to that, they were not afflicted by the ‘Awakening.’
However, there was nothing Silo could do about the viewers who were outside, like those watching the broadcast at work or school.
They tried some information control, but they couldn’t help but catch the attention of the World Government and Hunter Association.
Since this perception disaster broke out in an internet broadcast targeted at an unspecified number of people, it was somewhat of a natural outcome.
This information would definitely reach the World Government and the Hunter Association.
But this was something Silo Corporation had anticipated.
At first glance, it might seem that such information leaking to the World Government would be a fatal blow to Silo.
However, looking at it again, it seemed that the World Government also felt uneasy about the situation.
Silo caused an incident, but it so happened that the incident occurred underwater.
If they were to publicize this, they would have to inform the world that terrifying monsters reside in the deep sea,
And if they just bury it, they would lose a chance to strike back at Silo.
A dilemma. A hot potato would be the perfect phrase for this situation.
This was exactly where Silo’s confidence lay. Even if incidents explode endlessly under the sea, they could keep their eyes closed and pretend not to see it.
On the contrary, the truly worrying side was the Hunter Association.
The World Government consistently shows, “Ocean! People! Dive!” but the Association is completely unpredictable.
It’s not surprising at all that Silo’s eyes turn towards the Association in this situation.
On that day, Seo Sunwoo received three cups of green tea.
Well, anyway.
The isolated personnel who were under the status effect immediately collapsed and fell asleep when the duration ended, waking up 30 minutes later to state, “I have no memory.”
They had been under a status effect and had awareness of it being ‘Awakening,’ but they completely forgot three minutes of memory.
Just in case, additional tests were conducted, but nothing particularly strange was found.
At this point, it’s safe to say that Silo was able to take all possible preemptive measures for the ‘Brachium Shock.’
What remained was the post-event measures.
Now it was time to watch the world’s reactions.
#
“Ha….”
Meanwhile, Yu Parang.
The legendary superstar who drove both the fans crazy peeked out from the waters off Pohang.
“Shh—Hoo….”
She let out a sigh filled with many meanings.
Her very first broadcast accident.
To be honest, it was really hard to admit this.
She had let her guard down.
She could have been more attentive.
She could have kept a closer watch on her surroundings.
She could have done better.
She felt upset.
What started as a broadcast to warn about the dangers of the deep sea had instead put people in danger.
Of course, anyone who watched the entire process would stand by Parang.
Who would have thought an arm stuck in the ground could move?
Who would have imagined that what those hands were holding was an eye?
Who could have guessed that Brachium actually penetrated the monitor to launch a mental attack?
Moreover, Parang handled the aftermath quite well.
She quickly assessed the situation and dealt with Brachium.
It was just a momentary lapse in judgment.
A very small slip-up that anyone could make led to the worst outcome.
So, one could argue that Parang wasn’t at fault.
But human thinking doesn’t unfold like that.
Because of her mistake, people got hurt and could have been seriously injured.
Especially the ones who liked her.
Then a person shrinks back. They lose confidence and become timid.
No one has the audacity to say, “Sure, I messed up a bit, but it wasn’t that big of a deal.”
No matter how many lifetimes one lives, feeling this kind of emotion isn’t easy.
One little mistake could have caused irreversible chaos in society.
It’s not something even a reincarnator could easily relate to since it’s not a typical human experience.
Depression, disappointment, guilt.
These were the emotions Parang was feeling.
Falling into depression is like sinking into deep water; if you don’t swim back up, you go deeper and deeper.
Downward, downward.
It’s not for nothing that depression is likened to sinking.
A single text pulled Parang out of those depths.
It was a message from Xiao.
– Parang.
– I just received a skeleton from Silo. I took a dive to check it out.
– The situation is pretty serious. I think it would be good for you to see it as soon as possible.
– Tomorrow would be the best time to see it, what do you think?
That text jolted Parang back to reality.
Right. She shouldn’t just collapse over this incident.
The beings who reached the pinnacle of humanity and became gods are dead, and the world is now in danger. Almost a hundred percent probability.
And Parang has the ability to save the world on the verge of crisis.
Sometimes, the fact that “I can do it” equates to the obligation of “I must do it.”
Saving the world is one of those types of obligations.
So, what would happen if she just sat here and sulked?
However, she also couldn’t ignore her mistakes, as that would not align with Parang’s character.
Whether it was a mistake or a lapse in focus, it was certainly her fault.
So, what? She just had to take responsibility for her mistakes and apologize.
At that moment, her thoughts started to clear.
Why was she so troubled over this?
She bravely emerged from the water and stood confidently at the dock.
And then she tapped out a text on her phone.
– Alright. Let’s gather at my place tomorrow. The whole Oceanos. It would be better to watch together.
On August 4th, Parang needed to meet Seo Sunwoo.
To have Parang called out by Seo Sunwoo, who could easily contact key personnel of Silo, meant that he had something to propose or ask for. Most likely related to the Hunter Association.
After that, she had to decide whether to respond to the invitation sent by the World Government.
No matter which choice she made, having more information was beneficial.
Thus, the dive towards the memory of Alexandra Carmen was scheduled for August 3rd.
#
Meanwhile, at a branch of the Hunter Association somewhere in the world.
“Please leave it there.”
“Ah, yes.”
Another document was placed on the desk of a woman sitting on a seemingly comfortable chair while reviewing paperwork.
The man who set down the paper bowed his head once and walked out of the office.
With red eyes and long black hair.
The Association Head, Natsuko, turned her gaze to the document left by the man.
It’s classified information from Silo.
Despite being critiqued for her somewhat lacking strategic skills compared to her overwhelming power, Natsuko is not foolish enough to rely solely on Seo Sunwoo’s information about Silo.
She’s cleverly using someone certainly on her side to secretly extract information from Silo on a double basis.
Of course, the information Sunwoo brings is far more detailed and high-quality.
The information here is vague, hazy, and of lower quality.
So, this information serves as a means for verification.
Cross-referencing it with the information Sunwoo brought will help discern the general truthfulness.
And ultimately.
As Natsuko carefully skimmed through the documents, she came across a name that stood out.
“Yu Parang….”
Her bright red eyes focused on that name.
“A hunter from the deep sea.”
It seemed necessary to investigate further.
#
And the next day.
August 3rd, Saturday.
The six of Oceanos gathered at Parang’s house around a prepared tank.
Xiao looked down at the skull in her hand.
The strongest druid on Earth. The woman who became a goddess. It belonged to Alexandra Carmen.
“The condition isn’t as good as I thought. We can only see memories from three hours before death.”
Xiao spoke while looking around the group.
“…Are you ready? I’m just saying this out of concern, but it’s best to prepare your hearts well.”
A tense silence hung in the room. What could have been so disturbing?
“…Hoo.”
She let out a nervous sigh and cast her skill.
“Dive.”
Splash!
And soon, everyone’s consciousness plunged into the memories of Alexandra.
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