---

The current time is 10:59.

In just one more minute, it will be the promised time.

A two-hour time limit for the Goblin kidnapping mission.

PD Choi imposed a restriction to use only one category, but…

That seems too harsh for the applicants.

What’s the point of using just one category?

Anyway, if my power isn’t restricted, I can detect areas with high magic power using Magic Power Detection, then go in and just take the Goblins.

It’ll probably take about 30 seconds.

And that 30 seconds includes the travel time back to the ski resort.

Realistically, the Goblin kidnapping could be done in about 3 seconds.

For the applicants, this would be an impossible difficulty.

My very existence feels like cheating.

Using only the Super Ability Category isn’t enough.

First, I’ll seal all the magic power flowing through my body and not use Magic Power Detection.

I’m used to moving around the Demon Realm without Magic Power Detection, but…

The difference between using it and not using it is huge.

It’s like deciding whether to use a map hack or not.

With this level of handicap… I’ll figure out the details while fighting.

I’ll take it easy to give other Awakened Ones a chance to pass, not just the Taoist Girl.

If they all seem like trash, I’ll just fail them all.

The Taoist Girl has an interesting ability, but since I haven’t experienced it yet, I don’t know how good it is.

If her personality and ability are as good as her looks, I’m prepared to pass her for her sake.

Taoist Girl, I hope you live up to your looks!

“The current time is 11 o’clock. You may begin now.”

The time limit is a full two hours.

No need to rush.

I plan to float my body using Telekinesis and take it slow.

I didn’t forget PD and the camera director.

When I flew to the ski resort after eating buckwheat noodles, they begged me to leave them behind next time…

‘This is the weight a producer must bear.’

Those who want to wear the crown must bear its weight.

If they want to film me, they’ll have to bear my weight.

“Ah! We agreed not to do this!”

“P-please save me! I have acrophobia! I’m scared of heights! I’ll sue!”

“…If you had acrophobia, you should’ve said so earlier. I’ll get you to the ground quickly.”

They definitely didn’t mention acrophobia when we were heading to the ski resort.

They seemed excited until we started flying, so what’s with the acrophobia?

Seems like selective acrophobia.

But since they said it themselves, I can’t argue.

I tried to speed up to get them to land faster…

“I’m sorry! The speed is perfect now!”

“I-I’m scared! The air is so scary! No need to go any faster!”

Now they’re enjoying the thrill of high-altitude flying.

I knew this would happen.

Once you fly, you can’t forget this feeling.

I flew higher and slower on purpose for PD and the camera director.

It was eating into my time limit, but… I couldn’t ignore their excitement.

‘Too nice for my own good.’

After a 15-minute flying show, I landed right below the civilian control line by the East Sea.

“Ugh… I thought I was going to die…”

“Ugh! Ugh!”

How excited were they to be throwing up?

Is this a symptom of excessive adrenaline, dopamine, and endorphin secretion?

I’ll keep that in mind.

I headed to the production team’s station with the dizzy staff.

The staff assigned to me said they’d wait there…

If the Goblin Team went up instead of down, I’d run into them before reaching the station.

Then the staff with the Goblin Team would film it.

‘I doubt they’d go up instead of staying in the wide lower area.’

The burden of the civilian control line, DMZ, and 38th parallel is quite heavy for ordinary people.

I decided to walk to the station at ease.

***

Upon arriving at the station, Jeong Gyeoul took care of the filming staff first.

The PD and camera director following Jeong Gyeoul quickly boarded the production team’s car.

Their strong determination not to be dragged around by Jeong Gyeoul was evident.

“…Then who’s going to film me?”

“We have drones at key points and fixed cameras. We’ll also follow by car. Here, we’ll give you a body cam.”

The global program-level camera mobilization even surprised Jeong Gyeoul.

“Then I can start moving in earnest. Follow me as you please.”

Whoosh—

I sealed my physical abilities, so I only used Telekinesis to punch through the air.

The air exploded behind Jeong Gyeoul as she began cutting through the sky at incredible speed.

She continued down along the East Sea coast.

She passed Myeongpa Beach and the Unification Observatory, but there was no sign of the Goblin Team.

“Maybe I should’ve started from the bottom and gone up.”

Even after reaching Bongpo Port, the Goblin Team was nowhere to be seen.

She went all the way down to the border between Goseong and Sokcho, but still no sign.

Going further down would take her out of Goseong County into Sokcho City.

That would be outside the restricted area set by PD.

The staff there would’ve known, so they couldn’t have missed it.

Going inside was also prohibited, so they should’ve crossed paths at least once…

‘Where did they all go?’

The face of the Taoist Girl popped into Jeong Gyeoul’s mind.

Was this the power of Taoist magic?

She walked along the beach, stepping on the sand.

She had no idea where they could be hiding.

If she couldn’t find them from the sky, she’d have to run on foot…

But Jeong Gyeoul had sealed her physical magic power.

Though her muscles were still there, giving her the physique of a gym rat, she couldn’t achieve the speed needed to find the Goblin Team within the two-hour limit.

As she continued walking along the sandy beach, searching for a way…

Rustle—

She stepped on something paper-like.

Jeong Gyeoul looked down and found a talisman.

It definitely wasn’t there when she walked this way earlier.

“What’s with this sudden talisman…”

Whoosh—

Something surged up from beneath the sand.

Since she was looking down, she saw the sand getting wet in real-time.

She even heard the sound of water, so she used Telekinesis to push her entire body away.

‘…Why is there suddenly water in the sand?’

Jeong Gyeoul landed safely to the side, avoiding the water splash.

Rustle— Whoosh—

This time, much faster.

Water shot from the talisman toward Jeong Gyeoul.

“…!”

This time, she couldn’t dodge the water bomb.

Unlike the first talisman, this one exploded with water the moment she stepped on it.

Caught off guard by the timing, she was drenched in the pouring water.

“….”

There was no damage.

She was just drenched in water.

The talismans that shot water disappeared without a trace.

A faint trace of magic power flew off somewhere.

‘Probably a communication method to signal activation.’

Jeong Gyeoul imagined the Taoist Girl laughing at her.

“Very… amusing…”

She didn’t have spare underwear, and now her whole body was soaked.

And it was seawater.

Dripping water, Jeong Gyeoul scanned the sandy beach but couldn’t figure out where the talismans were hidden.

It seemed something else was hiding the talismans.

If someone tried to hide something artificially, the atmosphere would distort slightly due to magic power.

But there was no such trace.

She had no choice but to float above the sand to avoid stepping on it.

‘The magic trace flowed toward the sea.’

Awakened Ones wouldn’t last long on the sea with their magic power.

That leaves only the islands.

The reason she didn’t see them while scanning from top to bottom…

The Goblin Team must have headed to an island.

She remembered the Taoist Girl asking PD if it was okay to go into the sea.

Jeong Gyeoul smirked, realizing they planned to go to an island from the start.

‘Surviving on a deserted island, huh?’

Just as she recalled her first variety show…

Swoosh—

Dozens of small blades flew toward Jeong Gyeoul.

She used Telekinesis to envelop the space where the blades were.

Looking in the direction the blades came from, she saw a man with a horrified expression.

“…Are you alone?”

No answer came.

Zero sense of humor.

Jeong Gyeoul’s opinion of the man plummeted.

The only Awakened One who appeared after stepping on the talisman.

She wondered what this meant, but nothing came to mind.

If you’re not smart, your body suffers.

But if your body is strong, your mind can rest.

No need to overthink.

Jeong Gyeoul extended her hand toward the man.

The blades she held with Telekinesis shot in that direction.

Whoosh—

The speed was incomparable to when they flew at her.

The blades, faster than bullets, pierced only his clothes, avoiding his flesh.

“You… closed your eyes?”

Not only did he close his eyes at the incoming attack, but his body was also trembling.

“…May I ask your name?”

Jeong Gyeoul approached the man and asked in a gentle voice, but he just kept trembling without answering.

Frowning, Jeong Gyeoul pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket.

It had the Goblin Team’s personal information.

Though wet, it was still readable.

“Let’s see… here it is. Seok Jun-myeong? You’re out. Goodbye.”

At the merciless declaration, the man suddenly snapped to attention.

He protested to Jeong Gyeoul.

“O-out? If the team passes, don’t I pass too?”

“If you draw a sword, you should be prepared to be cut. But you closed your eyes and even trembled in fear. You’re out.”

“…B-but.”

There was no more to hear.

She took out her phone, informed PD, and flew off to find the island where the Goblin Team was.

 

---