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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Infiltration
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It had been almost two weeks since Investigator Lee Ha-yul's relentless investigation began.
Realizing things couldn't continue like this, I made a decision.
"Author-nim."
[Yes?]
"Let's just do it."
[...Are you sure? You said it was dangerous.]
Yes. It's dangerous.
The investigation is ongoing. And it's not just suspicion; she's pursuing me with such tenacity that it feels like she's half-convinced, so yes, it's quite dangerous.
But there was no other way.
Author-nim opposes killing her, and even after I sliced up three more villains for an alibi, she hasn't budged.
And doing nothing is even more ridiculous.
"Because I need to clear out those villains when I have the chance."
[...Ugh.]
Author-nim couldn't offer any rebuttal and began to groan.
Well, it was their fault.
I tried to maintain some semblance of plausibility, but 2,400 villains was, no matter how I thought about it, simply too many.
They just had to be reduced.
"And besides, at this point, there's no helping it."
[No helping it...?]
"It seems I've used Lyra too much. There have been side effects."
I looked at the posts appearing online.
In the comment sections of news articles filled with aggressive remarks, there were tons of comments cheering on Arachne.
I used Lyra with a 'You're still going to suspect me? Even after this?' kind of feeling, but perhaps that became a side effect.
Slicing up villains in other regions. Slicing up villains during class.
I even once sliced up a villain inside a prison, but seeing that she still didn't drop her suspicions, I gave up.
Why, exactly? Why does she suspect me? ...That's what I thought.
Then, in the comments of a news article I saw by chance, I found the clue.
"To think they were imagining something like a secret organization."
[...Well, it doesn't seem that strange. You appeared in all sorts of places.]
"That's true, I suppose..."
Was it because I sliced up villains in various places to avoid suspicion?
Before I knew it, the suspicion that Arachne wasn't an individual but an organization had spread.
"It makes sense that she wouldn't drop her suspicions. She'd think it wasn't something I did, but something my organization did."
[Still, isn't it cool? A secret organization.]
"Haa..."
I could feel Author-nim being flustered by my sigh.
Did they think I'd obviously like it?
...Well, to be honest, I absolutely love it. A secret organization, it's cool, isn't it?
So why did I sigh?
I couldn't help but sigh at the thought that my standards might be becoming similar to Author-nim's...
"So, you've arranged them properly, right?"
[Yes, yes! Three of the Twelve Zodiac Generals and 600 villains! Guaranteed!]
"Alright then. Shall we go?"
It just so happens to be a time when the troublesome investigator isn't around.
I should get rid of them quickly.
The goal is to bring the number down to about four.
But if I take them out one by one, I have no idea when I'll be done.
So, taking three at once should be a bit better.
As for the number of villains, well.
Wouldn't about four executives and around 800 subordinates be enough? That's still plenty.
I've realized why the Four Heavenly Kings appear so often in novels.
It seems four executives are enough...
[B-but what if you get caught?]
"Caught?"
[The investigator. Should I kill her? ...Hee-hee. But that would be such a waste.]
"So that's what you were thinking."
What to do if Investigator Lee Ha-yul catches me?
That's easy.
"I can just manipulate the association, can't I?"
[Huh?]
"A secret organization deeply infiltrated within the association. Cool, right?"
[...! Yes, incredibly!]
If it doesn't matter if I get caught, then isn't that fine?
Since I'm already being treated as a secret organization, I might as well make a real one.
I don't care anymore.
Whether they try to catch me or not. Let them do as they please.
If pressure comes from higher-ups, won't they just stop on their own?
Now, even if they find evidence somehow, it won't matter.
I was a bit hesitant, thinking that doing this much might cause problems, but there's no helping it.
Because if I just left things alone, it would likely get much more troublesome.
...Ah, but wouldn't it be a bit awkward if the secret organization was just me and Lyra?
I hope some interesting character pops up from somewhere.
***
"Hmph. ...Annoying. Why are they so heavily guarded?"
"You know why. With all the commotion about Arachne lately."
"Oh, that? Was it Lord Morumo who died?"
Deep within a deserted factory on a dark night.
Armed villains were laughing and chatting.
"Right. After something like that, it can't be helped. Well, things will go back to normal soon. To be honest, that person wasn't all that strong."
"...True. Compared to the other executives, they were weak."
"So let's just keep a good watch. Compared to that place, the number of people here is three times higher. There's no way anyone could get in."
-Thump!
"...? Didn't you hear a strange sound?"
"I don't know. Did you mishear?"
"No, I definitely heard it. A sound from somewhere around here... *Gasp*?!"
"*Choke*?! M-my breath...!"
It was instantaneous.
One villain, having heard a strange sound, approached to investigate inside the ventilation shaft, and the other followed him, looking suspicious.
And the moment they got close. *Whizz*, it went.
Instantly, two strands of thread tightened around the necks of the two.
"Ch-choke...! S-save me..."
...
After a brief struggle, the two limp villains were easily pulled into the ventilation shaft by manipulating the threads around their necks, concealing their bodies.
...This is harder than I thought.
Moving through ventilation shafts like in movies or games is surprisingly easy to get caught doing.
[How does it feel to try out infiltration, which the readers love?]
"How does it feel? What's there to say?"
It's obviously the best.
It was so much fun.
Hiding in the darkness and taking out enemies, that kind of thing.
Everyone's thought about it at least once, right?
It felt so good to actually do something I'd only imagined.
I thought I'd only get to try something like this if an incredibly realistic VR game came out right before I died.
The fact that it was easier to get caught than I expected was a drawback, but it had the atmosphere of an experiential learning trip.
"It seems 600 people were too many after all."
[But you said you could handle 600, Reader-nim!]
"No, well... I didn't think the security would be this tight... So I'm saying I'm sorry."
One thing I had mistaken.
...I thought I'd have time to change clothes.
Because I'd seen their lax security last time.
Slice up about 100 people, change clothes, then slice up more, change clothes again.
I thought I could just repeat that.
But I was wrong.
Was it because one executive died and hundreds of villains died all at once?
Or was it because the news reported that the culprit was still out there slicing up villains?
Their vigilance was considerable. If things continued like this, fighting would be difficult.
If I just barged in and fought, I'd have to fight 600 people consecutively.
I didn't think for a moment that I'd lose, but the problem was the lack of clothes.
Even when I took out 200, I had to change clothes once, so facing 600, I couldn't possibly not change clothes.
If I kept fighting, I'd get caught in the state of a hussy without a single thread of clothing.
So, I thought of infiltration.
First, take out the heads of the leadership, then slowly deal with the confused ones, that should be fine.
If the ones who plan strategies are gone, their morale will drop, and their judgment will falter.
They wouldn't realize I'd be unable to continue fighting.
I'd use that opportunity to change clothes and then sweep up the rest, and that would be it.
Easy, right?
"Hey, why aren't you guys answering... *Gasp*?!"
"C-crazy! An enemy...! *Muffled*! *Muffled*! *Muffled*!"
...If there was one problem, it would be that the plan had already failed.
The ventilation shaft was surprisingly noisy.
No, in movies, they move around just fine, so I thought I could too.
I was surprised when I made a clattering sound while crawling and moving, then adjusting my posture because my chest was getting in the way.
-Static. ...Respond.
"Hmm?"
-Respond, quickly. ...What's going on? If there's no answer within one minute, I'll sound the attack alarm. Answer quickly!
[Ah, you're going to get caught.]
"Looks like it. Haha, what to do."
Unfortunately, it seems this infiltration game is going to end here.
I didn't think for a moment that I would die.
Of course, Author-nim can't do without me. I'll survive one way or another.
However, could I, who had freely killed members of the Übermensch, come out completely unharmed?
I couldn't fully trust Author-nim.
After all, they might suddenly say, 'Angsty heroines are in vogue these days!' and cut off my hand.
...While a prosthetic arm would be cool, I didn't want to live with one.
Shooting energy beams from my hand is a little tempting, but I prefer having all my limbs intact.
It's just a guarantee that I won't die. There's no guarantee that all my limbs will be intact.
So, I decided to stop infiltrating.
Because if I try to hide and then get caught, it'll be big trouble at that moment.
So, what will I do now?
It's not difficult.
"Let's see, since this is the middle of the factory..."
[All three executives are in the command room!]
"Good."
I tightened the gauntlet that was still in perfect condition, having barely been used.
...I always wanted to try this.
It doesn't feel like much, surprisingly.
"Alright then. Since I've come this far with infiltration, it's time to move on to the next stage, isn't it?"
Enemies are everywhere, and hiding is no longer possible.
In that case, I'll just break through.
"Shall we begin the speedrun?"
Was there a popular saying like this in a famous stealth action game?
If you kill everyone without leaving a single witness, it's an assassination.
Today, I decided to put that into practice and see if it's true.