Parang trudged and plopped down into a chair.
With a vague, sour smile that seemed to mimic something unknown, they crossed their arms and crossed their legs, completing the Yu Parang-style intimidation.
The Government Wen in front of them maintained a face that screamed, “I won’t say a word.”
The glare directed at Parang was like that of an eternal enemy.
Parang, without batting an eye, picked up the documents handed over by Silo.
It was a double-sided printout; the front contained Government Wen’s personal information, while the back had her skill information—excluding personal skills.
Parang exaggeratedly unfurled it so Government Wen could read the other side and slowly started to read.
This was a move to show that they had all the leisure, information, and control of the situation on their side.
As expected, when Government Wen saw the skill list printed on the opposite side of the personal information that Parang was reading, her expression twisted slightly.
Time to set the mood.
Parang began reading the documents intently.
Hwang Dahye, 35 years old. Both birthplace and current residence: Korea.
East Asia Department under the World Government… so on and so forth.
Parang skimmed over the boring parts. One of the downsides of the World Government.
As a governing organization managing the whole world, they had an endless list of subsidiary organizations and departments.
Thus, the titles were ridiculously long.
Parang selected the key parts from that lengthy title.
Summary: Responsible for the dirty deeds of the Government on the Korean Peninsula.
On paper, she was some Special Operations Division head or whatever.
But it was obvious. Isn’t she the one who tried to capture Parang for torture?
Thinking about it made Parang feel uncomfortable. So, dragging Parang into the mountains for torture was labeled as a “special operation,” huh?
Parang continued to read the information.
Both parents died in an accident ten years ago, no siblings.
Currently single. Had a fiancé who died five years ago due to involvement in a murder case…
Skipped over house address and contact numbers because they weren’t particularly interesting.
Next up, the skill list.
[Shock Wave (S)], [Thunderbolt (S)], [Struggle (S)], [Spark Pulse (A)]…
As expected, an electric-type ability user. The only noteworthy skill was Struggle.
It’s a simple skill that significantly boosts stats when there are no allies nearby.
Was that why they dragged Parang into the torture room alone?
Finishing the detailed reading of the skill information, Parang subtly observed Government Wen’s gaze.
The determined resistance visible in her expression had slightly waned.
Probably because she had seen her own personal information printed on the back while Parang was reading the skill details.
Parang dropped the documents onto the desk again and crossed their arms, wiggling their feet.
Looking into her eyes, it didn’t seem like she was under some spell.
Brainwash, hypnosis, allure… those kinds of things.
In the Hunter industry, being under such a state is referred to as ‘being enchanted.’
And being ‘enchanted’ is like a disease—it’s vital to know what you’re enchanted by.
If you don’t know what it is, there’s no choice but to wipe the mind completely and start over.
Usually, you figure it out by actions, but she didn’t seem to be acting weird at all. No visible signs there.
Next was the reaction to stimuli.
Parang took a notepad and started to doodle with a pencil.
In the past life, a painter, and even in this life, still keeps painting for fun. A rough yet flashy picture quickly emerged.
Parang drew a Krino, a mutated Monster Fish of the species called seaweed shrimp.
They swayed it in front of Hwang Dahye.
“Well, do you feel anything?”
“I won’t say anything.”
She still retains her rationality. Not enchanted by Krino.
That means she did all that nonsense with a clear mind.
That meant digging deeper was necessary.
“…Don’t you have anything to say to me?”
“Do you think I would?”
“You should. You brought a living person to torture, after all.”
“A living person? Ha…”
Government Wen, Hwang Dahye laughed in disbelief. As if it was absurd.
However, Parang felt equally absurd.
“Stop wasting time and tell me. Why do you hold such a deep grudge against me, and what is your goal? Everything. All of it.”
“After checking your personal information, you still can’t tell? Or are you pretending not to know?”
Damn it, they really don’t know.
A curse filled with bitterness crept up Parang’s chest but was sucked back down.
If only they could shove ‘evidence’ into her head right now.
What a shame that it didn’t seem feasible.
Fortunately, Government Wen in front of them seemed to have no intention of inflicting eternal pain on Parang and finally began to speak.
“Are you going to keep deceiving me? Was the document you were looking at just decoration? You murderer.”
And for a moment, Parang’s head went blank.
Murderer? Me? Really?
“What the heck are you talking about, murderer?”
“Are you going to keep playing dumb?! Fine, if that’s how you want to play, I’ll shove every detail into your head. A serial killer appeared three years ago. Killed 15 people in two weeks and then vanished without a trace.”
Parang felt dizzy. This crazy woman thinks Parang is the serial killer who appeared five years ago, and based on the circumstantial evidence, her fiancé who died three years ago was a victim of that killer.
Seriously, that’s pure nonsense. Parang knows that serial killer too. It’s mentioned in the original work.
She did kill 15 people in two weeks, but she was caught by Han Siwoo, the Hunter, and executed on the spot.
Honestly, does it even seem possible for a serial killer to escape in a world like this? The whole world has eyes and ears.
Parang watched the news of that serial killer standing trial.
And there was only one conclusion Parang could draw.
This crazy woman can’t possibly be unaware that the real killer of her fiancé was caught red-handed.
The only remaining possibility was.
“I was manipulated.”
Something in the depths said, “The culprit of the murder case three years ago is Yu Parang.” It wasn’t a detailed, human-like brainwash.
So, the perpetrator is probably human.
Parang let out a profound sigh and stepped outside for a breather.
As they stepped out, a neatly dressed Silo approached and asked.
“What do you think?”
“I was manipulated. It’s not the work of a Monster but by a human.”
“Manipulation by a human… Ah, that sounds likely.”
“What do you mean?”
“The head of the upper division of Special Operations Division is a mental-type ability user. It seems probable that she was brainwashed by him.”
“Who is that?”
If it’s a mental-type ability user, Parang needed that information.
“Someone named Zhao Yang.”
Zhao Yang… Zhao Yang… That name rings a bell.
“By any chance, what’s their personal skill?”
“From what we’ve gathered, it’s something called ‘Burying the Sky with the Palm’ (以掌蔽天). We still don’t know what the penalty is, but it significantly boosts the potency of brainwashing-type mental attacks.”
‘Zhao Yang of ‘Burying the Sky with the Palm!!’
Only then did Parang remember that name.
Someone Parang already knew, who couldn’t possibly be in a high position within the World Government.
Zhao Yang was a cult leader who appeared in the original work. He was killed by Han Siwoo.
In the story, Parang referred to Hwang Dahye as ‘Government Wen,’ just like how she called the cult leader ‘cult leader,’ and that’s why she forgot his name.
There was that scene that was memorable—where he made around 30,000 people kneel during mass brainwashing.
“As you said, Yu Parang Hunter, until two years ago he was indeed a cult leader. After that, he mysteriously disappeared and suddenly appeared last year, starting to operate on the side of the World Government.”
Two years ago… coinciding with when Han Siwoo defeated Zhao in the original work.
In the original work, Zhao was attacked by mental attacks and ended up completely incapacitated. But that doesn’t seem to be the case here.
Having confirmed that the original has already changed, Parang silently nodded.
Fortunately, in the original work, there’s a clear way to undo Zhao’s manipulation.
Regardless of the type, if you deliver a stronger mental attack than the one Zhao inflicts, they would cancel each other out and break the brainwash.
Normal brainwashing collapses when the mind gets overwhelmed, but Zhao’s brainwashing is different.
It could be considered very, very simple for breaking the brainwashing status.
Including this, Parang conveyed the information they had about Zhao to Silo.
After a moment of thinking, Silo shook his head.
“However, Zhao’s brainwashing is incredibly strong. He wouldn’t have lightly brainwashed someone as significant as the head of Special Operations Division. It would take quite some time for us to break it as well.”
That was certainly true; in the story, only members of Slayers succeeded in breaking the brainwashing.
By two years ago, Slayers would already have risen to the ranks of the world’s strongest.
So, Parang made a decision.
They put Hwang Dahye into a submersible with glass windows and headed for the ocean.
“Do not observe or monitor in any way.”
“Understood.”
Silo’s sight was completely blocked. For both Parang and them.
And then.
“Kraken.”
At the edge of the glass, the tendrils of the Kraken appeared just slightly.
Government Wen passed out, and two hours later, she was able to converse with Parang, completely free of brainwashing.
