Seo Sunwoo provided a USB with about 15 files on it.
There was one file named [Igarashi Natsuko_Status Window].
The rest were all project-related files, including one video and one plan.
[Barbatos Project (Discarded)]
[King of Necromancy Project (Discarded)]
[Shuten-doji Project (Discarded)]
[Milania Project (Discarded)]
……
[Barbatos Project Confidential Meeting Video]
[Igarashi Natsuko Assassination Plan]
The only peculiar thing was that all the projects had been entirely discarded.
As Parang quickly scanned the file names, they discovered a common theme.
Barbatos. Chapter 11 Boss.
King of Necromancy. Chapter 8 Boss.
Shuten-doji. Chapter 6 Boss.
Milania. Chapter 5 Boss.
All of them were beings that appeared as bosses in the novel [SSS-Class Infinite-Growth Hunter Destroys Everything], which serves as the source material for this world.
Bosses from the original work and discarded projects.
An uneasy feeling rose, prompting Parang to start reading the files seriously.
First was Natsuko’s assassination plan. After reading it, Parang nodded in agreement.
Indeed, this method could allow Parang to assassinate Natsuko while protecting themselves.
The plan involved ambushing Natsuko at the Warp Station.
Parang would warp right in front of Natsuko, use a sudden departure, while Silo’s other members buy time for Parang to use ‘evidence’.
When asked if Parang had to do it, the answer was yes. The memory shared as ‘evidence’ must be either the caster’s or the target’s memory.
Below were timelines of Natsuko’s movements along with alternative plans in case the Warp Station broke down.
Next was an image file titled Natsuko’s Status Window.
Upon opening it, Natsuko’s status window interface appeared. Since the interface was visible only to the individual, it seemed like Seo Sunwoo edited and reconstructed it.
Next to it was a photo of Natsuko.
Parang flinched upon seeing it.
“That’s the person I saw in front of the elevator.”
Did this mean they had a chat with the assassination target (real)?
A chill ran down Parang’s spine.
[Status Window: Igarashi Natsuko]
[Personal Skill: Bounty Hunter (A)]
[All stats significantly decrease during combat.]
[If the target has killed multiple humans during combat, stats increase proportionally.]
[Skill List]
[Predator (S), Blood Pulse (S), Void Manipulation (S), Far Eastern Swordsmanship (S)……]
[Skill: Predator (S)]
[Constraint: ???, Can absorb the killed target.]
[Acquisition Condition: Presumed to be related to ‘Killing Allies’ or ‘Cannibalism’]
[Blood Pulse (S)]
[Pushes everything around violently. The more wounds on the caster’s body, the more powerful it becomes.]
[Acquisition Condition: Survive while bleeding over 2.5L within 30 minutes.]
……
So, whether it’s a skill or a stat, this means she can absorb the abilities of those she kills.
And the more humans she slaughters, the higher her chances of winning increases.
A cold sweat trickled down Parang’s neck.
No way. Not possible. It can’t be.
[File: Shuten-doji Project]
Subject Name: Shuten-doji
Species Name: Yokai
Location: Osaka
……
Required Kill Count: 34,103
PLAN1: Lure the target by gathering citizens in the city under the pretext of training.
PLAN2: …
Supervised by: Hunter Association Osaka Branch Director Igarashi Natsuko
Approved by: Hunter Association Osaka Branch Director Igarashi Natsuko
Project Discarded: Execution Impossible (Target has been dealt with)
<The moment she discovers what lies beneath the sea.>
[File: King of Necromancy Project]
Subject Name: King of Necromancy
Species Name: Demon
Location: Yunnan Province
……
Required Kill Count: About 360,000
PLAN 1: Subdue Slayers, incapacitate main institutions, then release the target into the city.
PLAN 2: …
Supervised by: Hunter Association Asia Chief Director Igarashi Natsuko
Approved by: Hunter Association Asia Chief Director Igarashi Natsuko
Project Discarded: Execution Impossible (Target has been dealt with)
<The situation will start to spiral into chaos.>
[Barbatos Project]
Subject Name: Barbatos
Species Name: Demon
Location: Pyongyang
……
Required Kill Count: Over 10,000,000
PLAN 1: Lure Slayers to the Sahara, cut communications, then release the target into the city.
PLAN 2: …
Supervised by: Hunter Association Asia Chief Director Igarashi Natsuko
Approved by: Hunter Association Asia Chief Director Igarashi Natsuko
Project Discarded: Execution Impossible (Target has been dealt with)
“……That crazy woman….”
Parang finally opened the [Barbatos Project Confidential Meeting Video] file.
The footage, likely taken from a tiny camera at a distance, had very low quality. With red eyes and long black hair, Natsuko was barely recognizable.
However, the audio quality was outstanding.
They seemed to be gathered around a round table in a dark, cramped room, like a scene from a noir film featuring underworld bosses.
Natsuko’s clear voice resonated.
“I will now begin the ‘Barbatos Project’ meeting. Lin?”
“Yes, Chairwoman.”
The woman referred to as Lin stood up and turned on the projector.
What appeared on the screen seemed to be files that Parang had seen, based on the arrangement of the words.
Natsuko calmly began explaining in a composed voice.
“As you all know, the reason previous projects failed is that the Slayers eliminated the targets first. Therefore, in this project, our top priority is to exclude the Slayers. Barbatos will fill the required kill count just by being released into the city.”
With a calm and monotone voice, Natsuko was suggesting to unleash the demon corresponding to the original work’s boss into the city.
“The anticipated summoning date for Barbatos is in about two months. To confuse the Slayers, we’ll conduct a ‘ritual’ to bring that date forward by about two weeks. The materials are already prepared, and if things go wrong, we are also prepared to cut off those who perform the ritual.”
Parang shuddered. The ‘ritual’ she mentioned was directly referenced in the original work.
That was something no human should do.
After all, there was a description in the original material where someone conducted a ‘ritual’ that led to Barbatos’s summoning happening sooner than expected. The original clearly stated that it involved demon worshippers.
“After that, we’ll bury a nuclear bomb under the Sahara Desert, then detonate it on the summoned date to lure the Slayers. It’s a request for emergency support. We will destroy the warp station as soon as they warp in to bind the Slayers’ movements.”
Moreover, her plan was detailed.
“At the same time, ‘Barbatos’ will descend upon Seoul and wait until the required kill count is filled. Once 800,000 people have been killed, we will act and fill the remaining number of kills during the battle.”
“Crazy….”
Parang then understood clearly. Igarashi Natsuko had to be eliminated. There was no chance of reconciliation with this one.
If she wasn’t immediately removed, the world would truly be at risk.
“The next potential plan is as follows. First……”
So, Parang steadied their trembling hands and watched the video until the end.
“…Then, we conclude this meeting.”
Everyone left the closed room, and after about an hour, someone entered to retrieve the camera. It was Seo Sunwoo.
And with that, the video ended.
Parang’s uneasy predictions weren’t wrong.
Igarashi Natsuko. The moment she recognized the existence of the bosses featured in the original work, she was planning to feed them people and obtain victory by absorbing their powers.
That plan had failed every time due to the Slayers eliminating the targets first.
What would happen if she discovered what lay beneath the depths? Even with no Slayers around?
It wouldn’t be strange if she started crazy missions alone, and the moment she realized the world government’s targets, she might instantly cooperate with them.
All the large-scale projects she had initiated had failed so far, but it was hard to believe that Natsuko had neglected ‘predation’ all this time.
The saying that “the more kill counts, the stronger they become” is not a trivial one. If she managed to kill enough people, it’s plausible she could fight against a monster like Barbatos and win.
Chapter 11, where Barbatos appears, is the very end of the original work.
Chapter 12, the last part of the novel, is a boss rush chapter where the Four Heavenly Kings, fake bosses, and the final boss are defeated one after the other, essentially marking the last chapter of the storyline.
The fact that she thought to ‘capture’ such beings shows just how incredibly powerful she is.
The military that was to be dispatched from Silo likely wasn’t an ordinary military force.
It made sense they desperately needed Parang.
So, does that mean this crazy woman is extraordinarily strong?
But then, why has Silo kept Natsuko around with such information all this time?
Just spreading this information would surely spark protests in front of all the Hunter Association branches worldwide.
So why hold on to it?
Because they didn’t know what desperate measures Natsuko might take?
Because they feared that Natsuko might side with the world government?
Unable to contain her frustration, Parang called the esteemed person she met in Hong Kong. It was a good thing she had exchanged contact information earlier.
Click.
“Speak.”
“Why are you leaving Natsuko alone?”
“Oh, so you’ve confirmed it.”
“Just answer. Why is this person still sitting in the chair of the chairwoman?”
There was a hint of anger in Parang’s voice. It was true that they had tolerated this dangerous individual until now.
“We are fully aware of Natsuko’s danger.”
“Then why……!!”
“To be honest, we didn’t know.”
“……Didn’t know.”
Parang’s mind went cold in an instant.
“Yes, we didn’t know. Hunter Yu Parang. Natsuko has maintained her secrecy thoroughly. Seo Sunwoo switched sides to us two weeks before the Ascension Ritual. Until then, we had no information whatsoever on this aspect of the Hunter Association. We’re not perfect, after all. And by the time we obtained this information, the Slayers had already…”
Parang knew this too. By the time Seo Sunwoo switched sides, Slayers were deep into their boss rush phase. They were fighting to determine the fate of the planet, so monitoring Natsuko would have been impossible.
Silo would have hesitated to confront Natsuko in the absence of the Slayers.
“That’s right. Hunter Yu Parang. From then until now, we have been consistently divided on our opinions.”
The man from Silo continued speaking.
“And we have also recently felt the urgent need to eliminate Natsuko. That’s why we directly sought your help, Hunter Yu Parang. Initially, we planned to prepare a mission to eliminate Natsuko as soon as we noticed the Slayers’ deaths. Using the information provided by Seo Sunwoo, we aimed to exploit her vulnerabilities as much as possible. However, there was no need to endure numerous casualties while leaving behind a certain and safe method with you, right?”
Parang didn’t entirely agree with this explanation, but she also realized it was the best course of action at the moment.
In this situation, if Parang assassinated Natsuko alone, there would inevitably be considerable loss of life when taking her down.
Furthermore, for Parang to assassinate Natsuko, the repairs to the ‘evidence’ must be completed. Thus, time was needed.
Nonetheless, other questions still lingered in her mind.
“How could she keep things so secret?”
It was understandable that she wasn’t caught by the relatively smaller Slayers, but developing these projects while hiding information from Silo was incredible.
“Because the Chairwoman knows she is a madwoman, and that the projects she is attempting to execute are insane. Thus, she kept it under wraps, planning it only with senior executives who she felt would obediently follow her. Everything was meticulously kept secret. Records were all kept in analog format. Seo Sunwoo, upon switching sides, digitalized those analog records.”
True. If she had publicly shared such a crazy plan across the entire Association, it would have erupted into chaos immediately.
Was it a secret meeting only among the top executives?
“Huh……. Got it. For now, I’ll hang up.”
Beeep—
Parang pressed her forehead and let out a deep sigh.
If it were up to her, she’d want to toss Natsuko into the sea right away.
Protecting the world is difficult and exhausting.
