Chapter 47
Different Approach to Control Magic (2)
3.
The application to enter the restricted area was processed immediately.
And it only took an hour.
The person in charge had come in person.
And who was that person?
“Long time no see, everyone.”
“Oh! Deputy Director Choi Seong-hoon. It’s been ages.”
“Professor Oh Young-pil, and CEO Oh Surin. So glad to see you.”
“Hmm.”
Of course, it was Deputy Director Choi Seong-hoon from our Abilities Management Department.
I said I had business to discuss and would come by, and within an hour, he arrived at Korea University.
It was as if he had been waiting for my call.
Professor Oh Young-pil and Surin seemed to know each other already and greeted each other warmly.
“CEO Oh Surin, thanks to the quest items you appraised last time, our vanguard overcame a huge crisis. They said the keywords helped them complete the quest easily.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just helping Lia.”
“We should meet CEO Cheon Lia soon too. You know, the Meteor player is working with the Mirage Guild.”
“Oh, the 3rd-floor raid?”
Surin glanced at me and smirked, then nodded.
“You can tell Lia not to worry about it.”
“Oh, really?”
“Seong-woo oppa reached out first, so we just got a little taste.”
“How did the keywords…”
“The Ivory Tower Guild values secrecy. We can’t reveal anything without the person’s consent.”
Surin shrugged at me.
Even though it was my first time meeting her, I liked that she kept her mouth shut.
Still, a CEO is a CEO, huh?
Deputy Director Choi, thinking he may have overstepped, quickly looked back at me.
“I apologize. I was too curious and may have been rude.”
“It’s fine. We’re not strangers, right?”
He quietly sat down and gave me a gentle smile.
“Very well. Please tell me your business.”
“I could do it over the phone…”
“Not at all. Think of me as your dedicated secretary. That’s my only role.”
A bit overwhelming, but honestly, no one else takes care of me like this.
I took a sip of water and got to the point.
“I want to enter the Goliath Basin.”
Deputy Director Choi’s brows furrowed slightly. But only for a moment—he calmly asked for an explanation.
“The Goliath Basin is the 3rd-floor area with the highest casualties in South Korea. May I ask why you want to enter?”
“There’s a quest that popped up there.”
“Our database shows linked quests related to that area… Ah, the linked quest is set at a unique difficulty level, right?”
As someone who always monitors my broadcast, he immediately noticed.
After a moment of thought, he made a phone call.
“This is Deputy Director Choi Seong-hoon. Requesting entry permission for the Goliath Basin. I’m requesting this under my authority, so please approve quickly. Yes, the Meteor player will be entering with us. Understood. And please approve the broadcast as well. Yes, thank you. No regulatory issues, so proceed. Good, thank you.”
The call ended in under a minute.
Deputy Director Choi placed the phone on the desk and nodded.
“Permission granted.”
Surin raised an incredulous eyebrow.
“Doesn’t it usually take about a week to apply for a restricted area? I thought the standards were really strict.”
“The regulations say so, but I felt it would be unreasonable to make Meteor wait.”
Deputy Director Choi gave me a trusting look.
“Entry is permitted, but I’ll be accompanying you. If it’s inconvenient, I can contact the minister…”
“I’ll be broadcasting, is that okay?”
“No problem.”
I thought it would be nice to have someone covering the sound.
Deputy Director Choi had also built a favorable impression during my first broadcast.
“How much do you know about the Goliath Basin?”
“I’ve only heard it’s a restricted area.”
“Do you know why it’s restricted?”
I shook my head, and his expression stiffened slightly.
He spoke calmly.
“The Goliath Basin is dangerous, yes, but the bigger issue is diplomatic.”
“Diplomatic issue?”
“…Have you heard of a jointly managed area?”
“With whom?”
He took a sip of water, inhaled deeply, and spoke calmly.
“That country.”
Two countries usually come to mind, but judging by the reaction, it must be… that one.
“Too big for the hearts of men, too small for the land?”
“You’re speaking indirectly. Considering the diplomatic relations…”
“No, I’m just messing with you.”
“…I see.”
Oh no… I’m already excited.
4.
Like pulling out a horn in one go, I immediately posted the broadcast notice.
Two consecutive days of broadcast.
A historic day for Meteor MTube.
Following Deputy Director Choi’s advice, I kept the notice simple: just mention “Goliath Basin” to attract attention.
Title: Today, just quietly at Goliath Basin. Government approved.
Content: Just come and see.
At first, I worried it might not attract attention, but Choi’s claim was spot-on.
Here are some messages from friends:
Our brother: Are you out of your mind? Do you know where that is?
Inseop: Do you really need to go there?
Bitnana★: Seong-woo, isn’t that too dangerous?
God Tae-oh: Aren’t you overdoing it?
Everyone was worried.
And then online reactions:
Title: Breaking) Meteor declares entry into Goliath Basin
Content: Meteor suddenly posted an emergency broadcast notice; heading into Goliath Basin?
Isn’t that normally off-limits?
Got government approval.
Approval? How does that work?
Another corpse today?
The monsters there aren’t the dangerous part.
People are the scariest.
If you’re going, just go quietly; why announce it everywhere?
Normally, online responses are split between supporters and critics.
But this time, most were worried about me.
Even Director Cheon called.
“…Are you sure you must go? Our Mirage Guild will send a five-person standby team.”
“It’s just a taste test.”
“The timing is dangerous. Before the raid, we don’t know how China will react. They’re surely watching Meteor too!”
“Don’t worry. We’ll have a drink after it’s over.”
“Oh, that’s fine. But going alone…”
“Deputy Director Choi is coming with me. I’ll contact you after.”
I put my phone in my pocket and scratched my cheek.
“Everyone’s really worried.”
“They have to be. It’s a very sensitive area.”
Deputy Director Choi spoke calmly, nodding.
From the drive here, I learned that the Goliath Basin is far more dangerous than I imagined.
In an era where players’ power is a nation’s strength, deaths in the Abyss are common. Dying while tackling the Abyss is close to a natural cause.
But what’s even scarier are the players themselves.
Even players from the same country can become enemies for big rewards. Imagine players from another country.
“Jointly managed areas are technically open to both sides, but unlike the real world, there’s no disarmament treaty. This is the Abyss.”
“Couldn’t both governments just negotiate?”
“…Sometimes quests pop up, like with the Meteor player. But don’t worry, we’ve also called in backup.”
“Are Chinese players strong?”
“Their actual power is superior to South Korea. They’ve almost conquered the 7th floor and plan to enter the 8th this year.”
Player awakening rates are global. Larger populations mean more players.
Worst-case scenario:
‘Could China really send a player after me?’
Honestly, I still don’t fully understand the importance of this “raid,” but judging by everyone’s hype, the rewards must be good.
Deputy Director Choi seemed to have a plan.
“One player we cooperate with is on standby just in case. Player Kim Do-yoon, also known as the Sword Ghost.”
“Oh, I know him! I debuted on broadcast with his younger sibling.”
Kim Jun-seo, whom I met at Inseop’s newbie academy. His older brother is Sword Ghost.
Deputy Director Choi smiled as I acknowledged it.
“He’s already inside, ready to support.”
“So he’ll escort me?”
“He’ll protect you from a safe distance so the broadcast isn’t affected. Don’t worry.”
Refusing escort would put Choi in a tough spot.
The location is dangerous enough that the government needs some insurance.
Sword Ghost, huh. He won’t steal my loot, right?
I haven’t fought other players on Earth yet, so I’m a little curious.
Fighting low-intelligence mobs is one thing; fighting humans is another.
Friends worry, but personally…
“My hands are itching.”
Did I smile unconsciously?
Deputy Director Choi, observing me, asked cautiously:
“Something good happening?”
“I feel reassured thinking about broadcasting with you. Fill in the sound well.”
“Of course. I’ve been keeping up with internet memes just for this.”
“While Choi fills in the sound, I’ll get the tactile fun…”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, just talking to myself.”
My true feelings slipped out.
The drone is on. Time to go live.
[Set your broadcast title.]
Simple is best.
[Broadcast title set: Goliath Basin]
[Broadcast started.]
Proving “Simple is Best,” or perhaps the viewers just ignited:
Meha
Meha
Meha
Is this really Goliath Basin today?
2-day consecutive surprise broadcast?
Found your original spirit at last? (less than a month since starting)
Wow, 1 million subscribers soon lol
Membership subscribed. Thanks for the info! Entered Witch’s Forest for the first time today!
Viewers exploded again.
I waved lightly at the drone.
“Hey, guys. Yesterday we finished checking the peanut statue. That’s linked quest now. Today’s guest is Deputy Director Choi Seong-hoon from the Abilities Management Department. You saw him during the gacha broadcast, right?”
“The tireless Abilities Management Department serving the public! Nice to meet you, I’m Deputy Director Choi Seong-hoon.”
Viewers welcomed him warmly.
Just as I was doing the opening, someone donated:
[‘InTube’ donated 10,000 won!]
“No way… are you really going today? Aren’t they scary?”
“Inseop, thanks for the 10k. But who are ‘they’? I don’t know. Anyway, broadcast starting.”
Me, Meteor—the man obsessed with content.
Hoping ‘they’ will appear…
Today’s broadcast starts with energy!
