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The moment the word “wild boar” came through the VJ’s radio, Jeong Gyeoul shot up into the air.

The ground shook as the force of her landing kicked up dust, causing Kim Guk-min to stagger.

There was no time to apologize to Kim Guk-min or leisurely scan the island with magic power.

As soon as she took off, she moved in the direction they were headed, firing off magic power to complete the scan at the fastest speed she could muster.

The intense speed caused her protective magic and the wind pressure to clash fiercely.

It was a speed she had never reached before, and she arrived in the blink of an eye.

Kwaaaaang—

As soon as she spotted the wild boar, she landed right there.

“Greeeek!”

Whether it was the spine, ribs, or leg bones, the wild boar suffered a shock that left no bone intact. The moment she confirmed it had lost its mobility, she approached the people.

“Are you okay? You must have been really scared. Is anyone hurt?”

Worried that the atmosphere might become too heavy, she tried to lighten the mood by quoting a line she’d once heard in a chaotic drama.

For ordinary people, extreme mental stress often led to panic, and this was a kind of manual to prevent that.

If possible, it was the hero’s duty to ease the tension.

Even though Jeong Gyeoul was a lazy, parachute-style hero, she still fulfilled her duties as a hero.

Thanks to Jeong Gyeoul’s efforts, no one panicked.

They just sat down, legs giving out, tears welling up in their eyes.

“I really… I thought I was going to die. Waaah…”

“Idol or not, I almost died just now…”

Even an idol who had lived their life behind a mask couldn’t help but face the fear of death head-on.

Sitting there, crying, they let out words an idol would never normally say.

Most of it was curses directed at the wild boar.

“How… how did you get here so fast?”

For the VJ who had made the radio call, Jeong Gyeoul’s arrival replaced fear and terror with awe.

Having followed many heroes while filming, the VJ had a rough idea of Jeong Gyeoul’s capabilities.

‘She’s faster than the A-Class hero we filmed last time… and that person had a speed-based ability.’

Everyone was safe, and no one seemed to have completely lost their composure.

Jeong Gyeoul examined the wild boar.

‘Pork just fell into my lap. Did the goddess of luck bless me?’

The deep, rich smell of the meat, similar to lamb, was something many couldn’t stand.

Even after draining the blood and preparing the meat, the smell was much stronger than regular pork.

The texture was similar to skirt steak.

Being mostly muscle, it was more chewy than tender.

But it wasn’t like chewing rubber.

The more you chewed, the more you could taste its savory flavor.

However, the strong aroma and taste could be overwhelming.

Some might not even be able to put it in their mouths due to the smell.

But Jeong Gyeoul wasn’t one of them.

‘I’ve had it in the military.’

As Jeong Gyeoul drooled while inspecting the wild boar, Yuna and Winter watched her back in awe.

“…So cool.”

“She took down that huge wild boar in one hit…”

The 14-year-old hero they had underestimated now seemed to have the broadest back of all.

It was as if a halo was shining around her.

They could fully understand the princesses who fell for the prince on the white horse.

“If everyone’s okay, let’s head back to camp. I’m not sure if we can continue filming.”

“Yeah, we did a preliminary survey and thoroughly investigated the island, but for a wild boar this big to appear… we need to ask some questions. VJ, did you hear anything?”

“…I didn’t know either. If I’d known there was a monster like this here, I wouldn’t have come.”

The creature was too massive to be considered a normal wild boar.

Fortunately, it was now groaning behind Jeong Gyeoul, unable to move, but just looking at its size was enough to be terrifying.

Jeong Gyeoul dragged the wild boar while keeping everyone in sight as they moved.

The island, where threats could come from anywhere.

Monkeys were one thing, but with a wild boar this size appearing, the island was no longer safe for the rest of the crew, even if Jeong Gyeoul was fine.

They soon reunited with Kim Guk-min.

“What the… what is that?”

“A wild boar.”

“…What kind of wild boar is bigger than my car?”

Kim Guk-min made a fuss over the wild boar being dragged along, but the others didn’t have the energy or mental strength to respond.

Naturally, Kim Guk-min shut his mouth.

“Should we rest for a bit or head back right away?”

“Let’s head back. We don’t have much here except fire.”

“I agree. In this situation, they’ll probably let us rest in the tents.”

Somehow, Jeong Gyeoul had become the leader and led everyone back to camp.

Of course, the wild boar was still being dragged along.

At first, it kept making greeeek noises and thrashing, but now it seemed exhausted.

It didn’t make any more noise.

“But… is it okay to leave it alive? No, you must have a reason for doing that.”

“Yeah, Gyeoul will handle it.”

The atmosphere had changed drastically before and after catching the wild boar.

Kim Guk-min, who hadn’t faced the terror directly, wasn’t as affected as the others, but having seen Jeong Gyeoul’s abilities multiple times, he naturally adjusted to the mood.

‘Suddenly being so obedient is a bit weird…’

The group was in a state where they’d believe anything Jeong Gyeoul said, even if she claimed to make tofu out of beans.

“How did you become a hero at 14, Gyeoul?”

“You just became A-Class recently, right? Are all A-Class heroes as strong as you?”

“What’s the Academy like? Is it very different from regular school?”

As they kept trying to chat her up, she almost missed the days when they subtly ignored her.

“…I was lucky.”

“In actual combat, an A-Class hero would be so fast you wouldn’t even see their afterimage. Arguing about strength at that level is pointless…”

“The Academy… it’s more fun than regular school. But it’s not that different.”

She gave vague answers as they walked, and before they knew it, they had arrived at camp.

The base camp was incredibly noisy.

The urgent radio call from the VJ had been heard at the base camp, causing a commotion.

“Guns! Give us guns, and we can shoot too!”

“…No. We know about South Korean reservists, but we can handle this ourselves. Let’s not waste any more time.”

“Let’s just get going! We’re already behind schedule!”

“Yeah, let’s save them first!”

“Please, just stay here, and we’ll handle it…”

“…What’s that?”

“They’re back! Hero Jeong Gyeoul saved them!”

“What’s that being dragged behind? That’s no ordinary wild boar!”

People were grabbing shovels, camera tripods, and trying to stop them, while the medical team prepared for any injuries.

It was messy and insufficient, but their concern was genuine.

“Thank goodness… I’m so glad you’re safe.”

“Thank you for coming back!”

“We were all so worried. Is anyone hurt?”

The production team sent their encouragement and comfort to the safely returned group.

They handed out water and food, and the medical team checked on them.

They did their best to take care of everyone.

Before Han Seo-jin, who had finished being treated, could question PD Choi about what happened, PD Choi stepped forward first.

“I’m sorry. We clearly completed a preliminary survey and investigated the island’s ecology… There’s no excuse. Our investigation was insufficient. I think we should stop the program here.”

“…What? Stop?”

“A monster like that appeared in a place we thought was safe. There’s no guarantee there aren’t more. The safety of the cast comes first.”

PD Choi made a swift decision as soon as he assessed the situation.

To stop filming and go back.

“…Can’t we just keep filming?”

“With Hero Jeong Gyeoul here, it should be fine.”

The cast, already enchanted by Jeong Gyeoul’s power, were less scared than the production team.

PD Choi, who had expected them to want to go back, was taken aback.

“The hero we hired was meant to stand out in various events and act as a joker for survival, not as a bodyguard.”

“I don’t mind being a bodyguard… but even I think this island is a bit off. It’s better to go back.”

“If an active hero says so, then let’s all go back.”

“…Alright. If Gyeoul says so, we have no choice.”

Having persuaded the cast with Jeong Gyeoul’s help, PD Choi tried to contact the boat to leave the island.

But… there was no response from the boat.

“…This can’t be happening.”

 

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