Downpour (4)
Chop! The sound was crisp and clean. The axe swung by Go Cheon-su sliced right through the vine tethering the Ent's root to the ceiling.
Splash!
The root plummeted straight into the water below.
"……."
A brief silence fell. Go Cheon-su stared down at where the root had fallen. His companions followed his gaze, swallowing dryly as they braced for what came next.
Grraaawr.
But it wasn't the root that reacted—it was the Elcroker.
"What the—"
As Go Cheon-su muttered, the water level beneath the ladder surged upward.
The water rippled violently—not from the splash, but because the Elcroker had started thrashing wildly, excited by something dropping into its domain. It shook its head furiously, letting out a guttural roar.
'Ah, shit.'
Go Cheon-su glanced down and called out.
"Ha-ryeong! That root's gonna grow big quick, right?"
"Probably?" Kim Ha-ryeong tilted her head. "But I've never thrown one into water that deep before."
Clang!
Go Cheon-su pounded on the manhole cover frantically.
"Damn it! Why won't this thing open?!"
"Guys, this is all part of the plan, okay?"
If the Ent root couldn't do its job, they had to get out somehow. Go Cheon-su strained desperately to pry open the manhole cover.
"Nngh! This thing's heavy as hell!"
Even if the Ent root was light on its own, the main body attached to it wasn't. With it anchored atop the cover to drink the water, shoving it aside was even tougher.
"Huff……."
In the end, the only way was to deal with the Elcroker below. That would stop the rain, and the Ent on the manhole would shift its bulk.
"Hyung!"
Yang Min-cheol shouted at Go Cheon-su.
"The water's rising way too fast!"
The surface was climbing even quicker now, no doubt fueled by the Elcroker's frenzy.
"Everyone, stay calm!" Go Cheon-su yelled to reassure them. "Worst case, we'll make this work somehow!"
He raised his axe high. He wasn't entirely sure how to use it yet, but he had one hunch. That would be his last resort.
"Go Cheon-su!"
Jang Seo-yeon scrambled up the ladder.
"Let me handle that thing at least!"
Her face was set with resolve.
"I can swim decently! Give me the axe!"
She was tough as nails. Go Cheon-su hadn't expected her to step up like this.
"No."
He shut her down flat.
"Can't do that."
"What?"
As Jang Seo-yeon blinked in confusion, Go Cheon-su pointed down the ladder.
Glurp.
The water depth plummeted suddenly, and something thrashed beneath the surface. Not the Elcroker this time.
"Just hang tight on the ladder."
The moment Go Cheon-su warned her, a heavy thud echoed.
Thoom!
Something had burst from the water and slammed the wall.
"That's……!"
Jang Seo-yeon gaped. Over there—a single Ent root, now grown past two meters, had whipped out and struck the wall.
Glurp.
But it didn't stop. More Ent roots emerged from the water.
Grraaawr!
The Elcroker twisted in agitation at the chaos below the surface. Amid the roots, a massive trunk appeared.
Grrraaawr.
It was the Ent.
That single root tossed into the water hadn't fully matured, but it had spawned into a colossal entity with multiple roots.
Grraaawr! Grrraaawrl!
The two monsters tangled in the depths.
Whoosh!
The Ent struck first. One massive root lashed like a whip, snaring the Elcroker.
Grraawr!
The Elcroker thrashed wildly against the sudden assault, jaws gaping wide.
Crunch!
It tore into the root clamping its maw with its teeth.
The Ent countered, wrapping more roots to bind the beast's snout.
Grraaawr!
The panicked Elcroker flailed to break free, but it was futile. Like a kraken seizing prey, the Ent absorbed more water, swelling larger.
Its trunk was only partial, so water alone couldn't sustain it. The Ent began shoving roots into the Elcroker's body for nutrients.
Grraawr! Grraaawr!
With its mouth sealed, the Elcroker writhed in silent agony. The tide had turned.
The Ent ripped through the croc-like hide and guzzled its fluids.
"……Hyung!"
Yang Min-cheol cried out at the gruesome sight.
"Is that... okay?!"
The water level was dropping. The Elcroker was getting shredded, and the water was draining away. But the problem was the Ent growing way too big.
They were right. Go Cheon-su wedged the axe between the manhole cover seams, leveraging it open. But it wouldn't budge. The thing on top clearly wasn't moving.
'Water's still pooled up there...'
Even if the rainy season ended, they couldn't escape past the Ent inside. Go Cheon-su peered down again. The water was now only knee-deep on an adult.
No need for underwater combat anymore. But the Ent had ballooned enormous.
Go Cheon-su knew that too. He'd anticipated this risk when tossing the root.
"Guys, what's up with this axe?"
But he wasn't reckless enough to leave it to chance.
"Mind if I spill the beans?"
If everything looked hopeless, viewers wouldn't stop at mild reactions. That meant they knew too—he'd already set the stage.
Union Mission - Defeat 1 Ent with the Axe
🎁 Union Reward: 20 Zen
"Copy that."
Go Cheon-su started descending the ladder. His crew reacted with shock.
"Go Cheon-su! You're fighting that monster?!"
"Wait, hyung! That's dangerous!"
"Go Cheon-su-ssi?"
Splash.
He stepped onto the water's surface.
"Alright."
Staring at the Ent mercilessly devouring the Elcroker, Go Cheon-su muttered.
"Let's play."
For pure survival, waiting longer might've worked. The Ent reacted to vibrations in the water, but otherwise lacked senses beyond touch. They could've turtled on the ladder and bolted once the manhole Ent shifted.
Grrraaawr.
But Go Cheon-su was a streamer. If viewers were hyped for that Ent, skipping it would disappoint. Their cheers were vital for long-term survival. He couldn't shy from content he could deliver out of fear.
"Guys, cheer me on!"
Risk brought reward. Go Cheon-su charged the Ent.
Now, he'd focus solely on logging it.
Thwack!
His axe buried into the Ent's trunk.
Grr.
The Ent flinched mid-feast, body jerking.
But Go Cheon-su didn't falter. He swung several more times.
4. A red number etched into the Ent's trunk.
As Go Cheon-su reared for another strike—
Swish!
The Ent whipped a trunk at him.
"Tch!"
He ducked, then slammed the axe home.
Crunch!
Sap sprayed wildly. The Ent convulsed from the deep gash.
'It works...!'
Even chopping the stealthy roadside Ent had proven it—this axe packed serious punch. But its true power went beyond raw damage.
Grrlk!
The Ent dropped the Elcroker, roots lashing at Go Cheon-su.
Thud! Crunch! Thud!
He kept hacking away. Each hit engraved a new number.
Crunch!
He'd seen it coming. His dynamic vision far outstripped any normal human's. But the real key was the number on his latest hit.
8.
The Ent retracted wounded roots, then thrust them again.
Crunch!
"Nine……!"
It ticked to 9.
Grrk!
The Ent couldn't read his expression. It just swung by instinct.
10.
No number appeared. As Go Cheon-su cleaved a root, the axe blade glowed red, tracing a devastating arc.
Slash!
The severed root flew through the air.
The ladder crew gasped.
"It cut—wait, what......?"
"Whoa."
"Go Cheon-su-ssi!"
No time for nods or cheers. Go Cheon-su had unlocked the axe's secret.
'Just as I thought...!'
A countdown. At zero, it unleashed explosive cutting power.
Go Cheon-su gritted his teeth.
'But no slacking!'
The axe peaked only on the final blow. Any spot worked as a start, but the finisher had to hit vital.
Grrraaawr.
Furious at endless wounds, the Ent slurped more water and Elcroker fluids. The severed part regenerated, and its bulk swelled further.
"They say ten chops fell any tree, right?"
Go Cheon-su's face hardened with resolve.
"Doesn't matter how tough you are now."
Exactly ten hits. That settled everything.
Grrlk.
The Ent bellowed, sensing peril.
"Dumbass."
The fight was decided when it frenzied, killed the Elcroker, and sucked up all the water.
Go Cheon-su advanced on the exposed floor, diving into the Ent's embrace.
"Can you even tell where I am now?"
Ents patrolled and struck on contact. Waves worked in water, but not here.
Thud!
He casually tagged the trunk.
1.
Roots flailed blindly for him.
Thwack!
2.
He perched on one, whispering.
"Right here?"
Swish!
Other roots whipped, but missed. He'd already shifted.
"Can't do shit alone, huh?"
They survived in groves for a reason.
Thwack!
He peppered the lonely Ent, circling leisurely.
Grrraaawrl!
It thrashed harder. Go Cheon-su swung faster.
Thwack! Thud! Crunch!
9.
He slipped past flailing roots to the trunk.
"Guys."
He leaned back, then swept the axe horizontally.
"One log incoming."
Thud!
The blade sank deep. The effect exceeded expectations.
Krraaack!
From the impact, a shockwave tore forward. The trunk split clean across.