Ding♬
With a chime, the elevator stops on the top floor.
As the door opens, only a white corridor spreads out before me.
Parang taps the wall lightly.
The dull thud suggests the inside isn’t empty.
As I walk a bit further, a very cybernetic door appears, made of white metal with blue neon highlights.
It resembles the style of Parang’s home.
Curious, I approach the door, which opens with a strange sound.
Inside is a room with a similar vibe to Parang’s house, a futuristic space with a well-balanced mix of white and sky blue.
The absence of aquariums scattered around sets it apart from Parang’s house, but the familiar interior makes me feel a bit more at ease.
Oops, I need to focus. This could be a ploy to make me relax.
Still, being in a space I like is comforting.
The wall directly in front of Parang is made entirely of glass, offering a clear view of the city skyline, with a desk in front reminiscent of those used by CEOs in dramas.
And sitting there is a man in glasses and a suit.
Contrary to Parang’s expectations, he looks very young. In his mid-twenties, perhaps.
“Please, have a seat.”
His voice is smooth, not commanding or overbearing.
It simply carries the tone of someone suggesting sitting down would be more comfortable than standing.
On the surface, he seems entirely non-threatening.
Still tense, Parang sits down in the chair.
Facing the man across the desk, the height of the chair is just right, matching his eye level.
“You must have many questions.”
“You know me well.”
There are countless things I want to ask.
“We also have a plethora of things to tell you. I’m just unsure where to start explaining.”
That’s probably a lie. They wouldn’t have called Parang here without organizing some details first.
“First, who are you? What position do you hold within Silo, and what information do you have access to?”
That’s a crucial point.
“Our internal structure is quite complex. However, I assure you I have substantial information.”
Unsatisfying response. Parang stares intently at the Silo man.
Perhaps sensing the tension, the man adds, “I can tell you that what Silo knows, I also know.”
It’s clear he holds a high position. Whether that’s the truth remains to be seen as the conversation unfolds.
“Why did you summon me at this precise moment?”
Just after Xiao’s dive ended. They called her the moment she dipped her toes into a suspicious incident.
It’s all too fishy.
The man responds to Parang’s query.
“Originally, we didn’t plan to meet with you, Yu Parang, the Hunter. However, it seems you witnessed a scenario that required explanation.”
“How did you know that?”
Parang lowers her voice slightly, almost growling.
“We can eavesdrop on sounds from all over the world. Have you ever wondered why Silo lets other businesses go but keeps a tight grip on electronics?”
They’re saying they’ve been eavesdropping. Creepy.
I’ve let it slide since they’ve saved me before.
“So you didn’t actually plan to meet me?”
“Initially, we intended to meet you on August 4th at 2 PM.”
August 4th at 2 PM.
That’s when Manager Choi suggested I check in with the Hunter Association.
“I was supposed to make contact with the Hunter Association at that time. You didn’t even reach out to me.”
“We did reach out. To your acquaintance Manager Choi Janghyuk and Seo Sunwoo, the head of the Hunter Association’s Asian branch. They are all our infiltrators within the association.”
A gigantic piece of intel, suddenly thrown out.
But the man continues unperturbed.
“A month ago, Igarashi Natsuko suddenly became the president of the Hunter Association.”
That was definitely sudden. It caused quite a stir.
“It was a kind of coup. She swept away the existing management and took power. We infiltrated during the resulting confusion.”
Parang was, of course, unaware of this fact.
If it becomes known that a high-ranking member of the Hunter Association belongs to Silo, it would unleash a storm of chaos.
“Then what about Manager Choi?”
“He is an employee under Head Seo Sunwoo.”
His tone is just as calm.
“Are you seriously telling me this out of nowhere?”
Parang is a bit flabbergasted and instantly replies.
“That’s right. This is classified information on our side as well. And revealing it easily to a Hunter like Yu Parang…”
“Hmm…”
This means they’re quite eager to earn trust from our side.
That previous info was like an entry fee to getting a conversation started.
In that case, Parang might be willing to show a few cards and dig for more intel. They’ve initiated the exchange first.
“Why does the world government want me dead?”
“Let’s start with that, then.”
Parang doesn’t want to lose control of the conversation. She’s determined to learn everything she can.
“The reason they want to kill you is that you are a significant obstacle to their plans.”
“So what is that plan? If you’re just going to spout obvious comments—”
“Your broadcasts. Yu Parang, the Hunter.”
“…What?”
“We haven’t yet grasped all the details. However, they want to push people into the sea.”
“What do you mean?”
So they tried to eliminate Parang to prevent people from going into the ocean?
‘Wait, my broadcasts had that kind of impact? There was no talk of quitting diving in the chat!’
Parang’s bewildered expression is unmistakable.
“You seem confused. Would you like to take a look at this?”
The man taps on the desk, and a monitor rises up from below.
What’s displayed is a graph.
“Do you see this? After your Yu Parang Hunter broadcast, the number of diving hunters almost halved.”
Just as the man said, the graph, which had been steadily climbing, sharply drops at a specific point in time.
Checking the date, it roughly aligns with the date of Parang’s broadcast.
‘So I actually achieved results.’
Parang feels an unexpected sense of pride.
So the world government wants to push people into the sea for some reason, which led them to try to eliminate Parang. Conversely, Silo protected her.
But despite that pride, Parang scowls.
“Then why are you protecting me? Plus, you developed underwater cameras. Isn’t Silo also trying to push people into the ocean?”
“We don’t wish for humans to enter the sea. Yu Parang, for the same reason as you. We developed the cameras because if footage capturing monsters attacking people can emerge, we wanted to spread it far and wide.”
Parang freezes for a moment but regains her composure, so subtle it’s barely noticeable.
“You say that for the same reason as me? Do you know what my intention is when you say that?”
“There’s something in the sea, isn’t there?”
Parang swallows hard.
“I know there’s something that could bring unprecedented chaos to this world. But that’s where my knowledge stops. We don’t know any more than that.”
This means Oceanos holds the upper hand when it comes to information about the ocean.
To sum it up: the world government wants to shove people into the sea, and Silo, trying to stop it, found Yu Parang herself.
It’s not an incomprehensible reason. But there’s a critical flaw.
“Why on earth does the world government want to send people to the sea?”
That part remains unexplained.
“We don’t know either. To be honest, recent actions from the world government appear very suspicious.”
“I get that it’s suspicious. I’m asking about the specific ways it differs from the previous world government.”
“Their movements are rough and slow. They seem inept now. Because of that, we’ve been able to protect you and those around you without any gaps.”
The world government has become incompetent. But no one knows why. Parang adds another note in her mind.
And she hesitates momentarily because she couldn’t think of anything else to ask.
The questions she initially had when she arrived here have largely been resolved.
“I think it’s time for us to take our turn in this conversation.”
While Parang stays silent for a moment, this time the man opens his mouth.
Parang gives him a look as if daring him to continue.
“First, about ‘Departure.’”
Parang flinches.
“It’s understandable to be surprised. Rest assured, our goal is solely conversation.”
Still, Parang isn’t letting her guard down. She suspects something might happen.
“What we want to know involves two parts.”
“What are they?”
“First, where on earth did you find that?”
After some thought, Parang decides to speak frankly. She believes that it’s better to show a bit of her hand here than to risk damaging the conversation by being vague.
“The Hive in the South China Sea. You know? I showed it on my broadcast.”
“I know it. It was impressive.”
“I found it deep inside. A colleague helped me.”
“Was it Oceanos?”
He seems to have anticipated that. It’s not surprising.
“…Yes.”
“I see. However, the really important thing is the second question.”
Parang tenses slightly. What’s coming next?
“The question I’m about to ask is crucial. It’s the biggest secret Silo is hiding and the reason why we’re meeting with you today.”
He’s telling her the greatest secret Silo hides, just like that.
Parang immediately reads into the implications behind this.
First, they are desperate, willing to reveal such significant secrets to Parang.
Second, Parang is in danger. Any organization would never let someone who knows their most critical secret sit comfortably.
If the need arises, they may try to forcefully collaborate with her.
In an instant, Parang’s expression turns grim.
“…You’ve already figured that out? I won’t deny it. Still, the proposal we have for you won’t be bad for Yu Parang, I assure you.”
As if to challenge, Parang glares at him.
“Let’s get to the point. Was there a corpse or skeleton of someone else near that artifact?”
“Whose corpse are you talking about?”
“Specifically, I mean someone other than Matilda Müller.”
“It sounds like you believe a corpse must exist there.”
“To be precise, we wished for there to be a corpse there.”
“What are you implying? Whose corpse did you wish for…?”
“Olivia Cloverfield.”
“…What?”
“You didn’t mishear me. Yu Parang, the Hunter. According to the information we possess, the place with the highest probability of Olivia Cloverfield’s body is near ‘Departure.’”
The situation again begins to spiral out of comprehension.
How could someone who was supposed to ascend possibly be found dead in the sea? As far as she knew, they had no connection to the depths until the moment of ascension and had no links to the abyss at all during the narrative’s ascent.
But everything this man is saying totally contradicts that.
“Slayers did not ascend. Yu Parang, the Hunter. They went beneath the sea and perished.”
“What…?”
Parang’s eyes start to shake violently.
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