A Fight Without Regrets (2)
“Pfft!”
The agonizing ordeal began anew.
“Gah!”
Go Cheon-su couldn't catch a proper breath as the rushing torrent battered him sideways.
Still... not there...!
He was just shy of the two-thirds mark.
Go Cheon-su glanced back briefly.
Groooaaar!
It wasn't leisure that made him turn. Faint roars kept echoing from behind.
Damn it...!
He couldn't make out the Wood Zombie clearly. It seemed submerged, but...
“Hoo!”
Its presence refused to fade. The Wood Zombie was pursuing relentlessly through the water, roaring as if breathing was irrelevant.
That single glance threw off his form. Gasping for air, Go Cheon-su flailed desperately just to inch forward.
Groooaaar!
He felt the Wood Zombie closing in right on his heels.
“Pwaaah!”
Mission completed.
Reward granted.
Details available in chat via $.
He'd made it.
Go Cheon-su immediately shouted for the shop window, pulling up the catalog.
“Gimme a tube!”
Hitting the tube option brought up Purchase?
“Hell yes!”
Click.
A flash lit the sky.
Whoosh!
The tube plummeted down at high speed, landing right in front of him.
Splash!
It grazed his head, forcing his eyes shut for a split second, but he snatched it on reflex.
Groooaaar!
“Argh!”
Something brushed his toes at the same instant. Instinct screamed it was the Wood Zombie's hand.
“Get lost!”
Go Cheon-su kicked wildly, hopping onto the tube and surrendering to the current.
Rushhhh.
The tube shot downstream swiftly.
“Give up?”
Go Cheon-su let out a sigh.
“I don't do that shit.”
The tube didn't magically propel him forward. The Wood Zombie's underwater speed was insanely fast—he couldn't outrun it like this.
So...
Groooaaar!
He needed the current to put real distance between them first.
“No way...”
But the Wood Zombie exceeded expectations. It started riding the current too.
Groooaaar!
Go Cheon-su gaped as it bobbed up like a buoy now and then.
“What the hell? Can't it swim or something?”
Well, technically it was just drifting with the flow, not swimming. And it couldn't properly surface either.
“Ah, whatever.”
Still, the fact it could drift pissed him off.
Go Cheon-su scanned around. No Zen left for options—he had to improvise.
To escape this...
He checked behind and widened his eyes.
“Huh?”
Another bridge was collapsing.
Go Cheon-su's mind raced.
I never planned to go that far, but...!
With the Wood Zombie unrelenting, no choice.
He straightened like a skeleton racer, flattening out.
Gripping the tube for balance wasn't easy on the rapids, but he extended his feet back like a rudder to steer.
A narrow passage gaped between the crumbling bridge spans—wide enough for a tuber, too tight for the Wood Zombie.
Opinions varied, but Go Cheon-su ignored the negatives. Positivity was key—trust in himself to pull it off.
“Ah, shit!”
The current veered, spinning the tube sideways. He whirled like a top, screaming.
“Fuuuuck!”
Go Cheon-su jammed one foot to halt the spin and eyed ahead. The ruins loomed close now.
“Raaah!”
Time to leave it to luck—but not entirely. He kicked hard with both feet, nudging the tube toward the gap.
Groooaaar!
The Wood Zombie was nearly upon him again.
“Back off!”
Its leg grazed his.
“Guh?”
Jerks away in shock—course veered again. The tube hurtled toward the passage.
Thud!
Too late. He slammed into debris beside the gap.
“Pfft!”
Slid under the tube into the water.
“Ah!”
At least he kept the handle.
Groooaaar!
Wood Zombie right there. Go Cheon-su thrashed wildly back toward the gap.
“Pfft! Pwaaah!”
Spitting water, he fought for the passage when—
Grab!
The Wood Zombie snagged his shoe.
Groooaaar!
It roared triumphantly, but not yet. Go Cheon-su twisted free, shoe flying.
“Fuck off, you stalker bitch!”
Whoosh.
The tube broke clear, riding the passage current.
Grrr! Groooaaar!
As Go Cheon-su vanished into the gap, the Wood Zombie lunged desperately.
Crack!
Too narrow. Debris rained on it with thunderous clamor.
Thud! Crunch!
The bridge kept collapsing. Rubble poured onto the Wood Zombie.
Grrr! Grooo...!
It reached futilely for Go Cheon-su.
He flipped it the bird.
“Eat this.”
Boom!
A massive rebar speared it.
“...”
The current slowed. Drifting aimlessly on the tube, Go Cheon-su sighed, watching the bridge crumble entirely.
“I lived...”
He hauled himself atop and sprawled out.
“That was brutal.”
No time to rest, though he'd finally caught a break.
“Hoo.”
Grabbing the tube, he swam sideways.
Drifting farther wouldn't help. Cross the river first.
Glancing at chat, Go Cheon-su whipped his head up.
“Gasp...”
He braced for a monster, but no.
“Huh?”
A black dog was swimming across the channel.
“What the...”
The same one from the bushes earlier.
Go Cheon-su blanked, then yelled.
“Hey!”
The dog paused, looking back.
“Take me with you!”
Sick of swimming, Go Cheon-su kept shouting.
“Tow this thing!”
No reason for the dog to listen. But hilariously, it circled in place then approached.
Defying viewer doubts, it reached the tube and circled.
“Heukgu, I'm touched.”
Casually naming it, Go Cheon-su patted its flank.
“Now, push the tube.”
Heukgu took the lead, swimming ahead.
“No, hey!”
He wanted towing, not guiding. Heukgu just cocked its head at his yell.
“Push the damn tube!”
“Sigh.”
No helping it. Go Cheon-su swam after Heukgu.
Helpful, though—steering toward weaker currents. Smart dog. Up close, it resembled a Jindo.
Woof!
Heukgu hit the bank first and barked at him.
“Gloating?”
Probably not, but Go Cheon-su was beat. Feeling pity, Heukgu jumped back in to nudge the tube.
“Coulda done that sooner, jerk.”
Still, huge help. Go Cheon-su dragged ashore and collapsed.
“Hoo.”
He'd crossed somehow. Not far, but the current made it hell.
“Thanks for the help, bros.”
Late, but he thanked viewers. Consecutive proposal fails locked solo missions. Without their union mission, it'd been dicey.
Woof!
Heukgu circled and barked.
“Little rest first.”
Mumbling, as Heukgu nosed his bag.
“Want reward?”
Opening it, Go Cheon-su cracked a can for Heukgu, who slurped it down.
“Starving, huh.”
Hunger hit him too. Lugging the bag into the drink burned calories like crazy on his enhanced body.
“Wasn't lounging much, bros.”
Go Cheon-su stood, shaking out his stiff body.
“Agh, fine, I'm going. Gotta listen to you guys.”
Wet clothes sucked for travel. Unlike Heukgu's shake-off, he needed changing.
“Let's move.”
Go Cheon-su followed the bank to the nearest shop, swapped outfits, then headed to a bus stop.
“Lemme see.”
Destination: Daejeon Complex Terminal. The stop's route map gave a rough distance estimate.
“Terminal's...”
Woof!
Heukgu's bark spun him around.
“What?”
Engine noise somewhere. Axe out, Go Cheon-su ducked behind the stop.
Vroom.
A bus. Not far off, a red "Express 2" approached.
“A bus...?”
Stunned by the unexpected sight, Go Cheon-su blinked. Heukgu tilted its head too.
Not on the map.
But...
Bus or not, why here? While Go Cheon-su gawked, it pulled up nearby and stopped.