Those Who Tend the Scrub (8)
-Go Cheon-su!
-Hey, you bastard!
-Wake up!
The shock to his head kept Go Cheon-su from opening his eyes properly for a moment. But catching sight of the faint chat in his blurred vision, he quickly rolled his body to the side.
Bam!
The man's fist slammed down, narrowly missing his head. Go Cheon-su snapped to attention and jumped to his feet.
"Uwaaaah!"
As if he'd been waiting for it, the man charged and tackled Go Cheon-su with his body again.
"Kuh?"
Go Cheon-su grunted as he crashed into the wall. But it didn't end there. The man grabbed his collar and slammed him to the ground.
"Uwaaah!"
Then he pinned him down with his full weight.
"You... you son of a...!"
It was an insane weight and strength—like he'd been hauling logs up a mountain. As Go Cheon-su braced against the floor and pushed back, Jang Seo-yeon appeared.
"Hey!"
Jang Seo-yeon jumped from atop the pit, grabbing the man's neck and hanging on.
"Uwaaaah!"
It was a simple attack, but it worked on the man. As if telling her to get off, he stood up and started shaking his body wildly.
"Damn it."
Ignoring the pain shooting through his entire body, Go Cheon-su lifted his upper body and frowned at something he spotted.
That's...!
It hit him like a bucket of ice water. The Ent's roots were groping along the ground, inching toward them. Go Cheon-su turned to Jang Seo-yeon and yelled.
"We gotta get out of here! It's dangerous!"
"You shitting me right now?!"
Jang Seo-yeon clung to the man's hair and shouted back.
"You get out first!"
The man's shoulders were so overdeveloped with muscle that he couldn't twist his arms back to grab her. She used that to her advantage, sticking to his back before thrusting her hand forward.
"Grraaak!"
She'd poked one of his eyes.
"Aaaaah!"
The man thrashed wildly in agony and finally shook Jang Seo-yeon off.
"Jang Seo-yeon!"
As the man lunged at her, Go Cheon-su stepped in this time.
Thwack!
His flying kick smashed into the man's hip. The man staggered wildly, bracing against the wall—only for an Ent root to snag his wrist.
"Uwaaaah!"
While he grappled with the root, Jang Seo-yeon swiftly climbed out of the pit.
"Go Cheon-su!"
She reached down to the still-trapped Go Cheon-su—
"Ah, fuck!"
A root grabbed his ankle.
1 - 09:59
He kicked at the root repeatedly.
"Get the hell off!"
"Uwaaaah!"
He finally shook it off, but so did the man. Their eyes met, and the man charged again.
"Ah, crazy... guk!"
Go Cheon-su got grabbed by the side and slammed down. The man interlocked fingers with Go Cheon-su's reflexively outstretched hands.
Crack.
A test of strength. The man tried to bend Go Cheon-su's hands back.
"Aaaah! You psycho bastard!"
Was this guy just muscle with no brains? The power was unreal.
"Think you're the only strong one?"
But Go Cheon-su didn't yield easily. Eyes bulging, he pushed back hard, every nerve in his body standing on end.
Grrrind!
They said crisis unleashed power from the unconscious mind, but Go Cheon-su's enhanced body let him control himself better than before. He overclocked, drawing out his latent strength.
With a roar like a beast, he started shoving the man's hands forward.
The man's hands inched backward. But it wasn't enough.
2 - 09:11
Go Cheon-su ignored the Ent root creeping toward him and waited.
3 - 09:05
"Kraaaah!"
His reinforced body exploded with power, shoving the man aside.
"Get the fuck off meee!"
Crunch!
As their bodies tipped, the man's fingers snapped.
"Kraaaah!"
Go Cheon-su didn't care about the man's screams. He jumped up and kicked the root clinging to his leg.
"Fucking gross, shit!"
He barely shook it off when the man started rising again.
"Whoa, you some kinda zombie?"
A sigh escaped him, but there was no time to slack. As the man charged once more, Go Cheon-su reached out of the pit.
Thud.
Jang Seo-yeon, waiting, yanked him up.
Bam!
The man smashed into the pit wall. But the unbreakable bastard wouldn't quit, even covered in wounds.
"Uwaaaah!"
Go Cheon-su sighed as the man clawed his way up.
If only I had an item...!
He regretted not opening the supply box, but no choice. He picked up a rock, gritting his teeth. Next time the guy climbed up, he'd aim for the nuts and end it.
"Uwaaaah!"
The man finally hauled himself out.
"Die!"
Go Cheon-su hurled the rock at his groin.
Splat!
Direct hit. The man's eyes widened, mouth agape.
-Human?
-Uwaaaah!
The man staggered toward Go Cheon-su like a proper zombie.
"Hyeeeeeeng!"
A sudden cry made Go Cheon-su whip his head around.
"Yang Min-cheol?"
The kid he'd been desperately searching for was charging in with a pointed shovel.
"Get outta the way!"
Yang Min-cheol blew past him in a flash and stabbed the shovel into the man's neck.
"Kuwek?"
The man grabbed the shovel tip and staggered back. Go Cheon-su rushed over and gripped the shovel with him.
"Push!"
With Go Cheon-su's shout, Yang Min-cheol shoved with all his might. The man couldn't pull free and stumbled.
"Kraaak!"
Then he slipped and tumbled back into the pit.
"Kuh! Kuwaaaah!"
The roots carpeting the pit bottom seized him. Stimulated several times now, they wouldn't let go easily.
Stab.
A root pinned the shovel down—that sealed it. The man flailed in the air, then went limp.
The roots enveloped his body like a coffin.
"Whew."
Yang Min-cheol stared at the sight before collapsing to the ground.
"Lucky."
He turned to Go Cheon-su.
"I was really worried, hyung."
No trace of a lie in that face.
"Thought I was the only one left."
Go Cheon-su read the exhaustion and despair in Yang Min-cheol's expression. He'd tasted hopelessness searching too.
"We're alive. That's what matters."
Go Cheon-su clapped his shoulder with a sigh of relief. Honestly, he'd feared not finding him. If not, he'd have to move on.
No way I'd let that... happen.
He needed comrades he could trust. Even with that organic bastard's stunt, Jang Seo-yeon buying time had saved him. Solo had limits in this world.
Well, other stuff too.
In this shitty world, no reliable companion might drive you mad.
"Yah!"
Smack!
Jang Seo-yeon whacked Yang Min-cheol's head.
Stunned by the sudden hit, he turned with a blank look.
"Only caring about Go Cheon-su? I searched too!"
Childish, but Yang Min-cheol let out a hollow laugh.
"Ah. Y-yeah. Sorry."
"Idiot."
Go Cheon-su chuckled along. They'd survived. For now, that was enough.
"Hyungs."
Before leaving the arboretum, Go Cheon-su had the group wait while he approached the supply box alone.
"It says 72 Zen."
-What, you want us to give it? lololol
-Hey, you punk.
Go Cheon-su rubbed his face, eyeing the chat.
"Can't open it without Zen."
He had 37 Zen now. Nearly double to crack this thing.
"Honestly, doesn't it feel like something amazing is inside?"
The flashlight had pulled its weight despite being recent. At 72 Zen, who knew?
"Let's see together."
But the chat just mocked him. Go Cheon-su sighed and grabbed the box.
"Guess no choice."
Clunk.
Tugging hard, it budged slightly.
"Kraaaah!"
Grinding his teeth, he yanked—it lurched forward a bit.
-Cheon-su, you'll wreck your hands.
-Give up. Easier that way.
"Whew!"
He let go.
"Man, it's heavy."
Too heavy to carry like luggage.
"Guys, if I got a forklift, could I move it?"
-Hollow laugh, but he won't quit.
-_-
-Yeah it'd work.
A positive reply. Go Cheon-su clutched his forehead, pondering where to find a forklift.
"Roulette...?"
"For real?"
But no roulette in sight now.
"Nothing I can use right now?"
No answers. Go Cheon-su shook his head and grabbed the box again.
"No options? Guess I'll haul it somehow."
A familiar tone. Go Cheon-su paused, and another came.
"If I agree? You give it now?"
The next line hit heavy.
"Fine by me."
72 Zen boxes weren't common. He'd decided: weapons made survival easier.
OnlyOne has authorized a 35 Zen loan via executive privilege!
-No more favors like this.
Go Cheon-su checked his updated balance and sighed.
Feels off for no reason.
He'd pushed out of greed for a sure win, but now unease lingered despite the gain.
Whatever.
Too good to pass. Better than treasure hunts right now.
Creeeak.
No time to hesitate. He flung the supply box open.
"This is...!"
An axe. Go Cheon-su pulled it out, staring blankly.
"Ah."
-Regret already, huh.
Go Cheon-su hoisted the axe high.
"This has special powers or something, right?"
The flashlight wasn't ordinary. This axe had to be too.
"I'll believe that. Yeah? Can I?"
He stared at chat. No reply from OnlyOne, just laughter.
Go Cheon-su buckled on the axe belt from the box and sheathed it at his waist.
"Go Cheon-su!"
A distant shout. He'd hoped for something flashier, but no time to sulk. Swallowing disappointment, he headed to Jang Seo-yeon.
"Go Cheon-su!"
"Why you yelling like that."
His curt reply froze as his face hardened.
"Min-cheol's acting weird!"
Go Cheon-su looked at Yang Min-cheol. He was slumped, breathing raggedly.
Go Cheon-su snapped alert, checking him.
"Yang Min-cheol, you..."
Only then did he realize: Yang Min-cheol's clothes weren't soaked in someone else's blood.
It was his own.