Big Head
"So... you can get us back to Myeongseo Elementary School quick, right?"
Go Cheon-su asked as he packed some tuna cans into his bag after devouring that killer mapo tofu.
"Yeah, I know the roads like the back of my hand."
"On that motorcycle of yours, yeah?"
"Yep, yep."
That motorcycle was the problem.
"Where'd you leave it?"
"Well..."
Jeong Min-gyu hung his head and let out a sigh.
"You know that laundromat nearby? I crashed on the road there, and monsters came swarming, so I ditched it."
"Haa."
It might be busted anyway. Go Cheon-su decided to cut his losses quick.
"I've got a bike. Just hop on the back."
"Think that'll work?"
What a weird question. Go Cheon-su had ridden it all the way here just fine.
"Should be no issue. Why? Something up?"
"It's just..."
Jeong Min-gyu said with a terrified look.
"I saw it. That thing."
"Huh? Saw what?"
"A monster with a huge head."
Go Cheon-su furrowed his brow and tilted his head at that.
"Huge head?"
"Yeah. When I tried to head out, it chased me like a maniac."
Jeong Min-gyu shuddered, wrapping his arms around himself like he had chills.
"Grrraaah! It was so grotesque..."
"Hmm."
A monster Go Cheon-su hadn't encountered yet.
"You got away though, right? Since you're still breathing."
"Got lucky. It stopped to gobble up other monsters along the way. That's how I shook it."
"Sounds like a real pain in the ass."
Go Cheon-su stepped into the living room and pointed at the house's smashed-up sections.
"Don't tell me that did this too?"
"Uh, probably?"
Bad news, that.
"But why'd you come here, Jeong Min-gyu? If it might still be lurking."
"If it had a feast and left, it shouldn't be."
Not wrong. Go Cheon-su gripped his bag strap tight.
"Anyway, sounds like once it locks on, it's not easy to shake. That about right?"
"Yep. That's why I need my bike."
Would be nice, but no need to risk it.
"If you're willing to play bait, maybe."
"Wha?! N-No way...!"
"Then forget it."
Just sneak out quiet-like. No matter how fast it was, if it didn't spot you, problem solved.
Tutorial seemed over—difficulty wasn't dialed back anymore.
Go Cheon-su wasted no more time and headed out.
"Info window."
[Info 1: Protect the police chief at Myeongseo Elementary School. If he dies in tonight's crisis, city security will plummet.]
No new details yet. But Myeongseo Elementary was the clear goal.
"What're you doing? Come on."
He dismissed the window and glanced back. Jeong Min-gyu came sprinting out.
"Coming! Right away!"
Problem was, he wasn't alone.
— FUCKED
"Shit!"
Go Cheon-su hopped on the bike and peeled out.
"Aaaah! Save me!"
Jeong Min-gyu's screams echoed behind. But Go Cheon-su didn't turn back.
Too late already.
"Grrraaah! Grraaaah!"
Snatching Jeong Min-gyu was a humanoid monster with a head the size of its whole body.
"Nooo!"
Big Head. The twisted giant, maybe 6 meters tall, struggled to stuff Jeong Min-gyu in its mouth.
"Aaaack!"
But its massive head made it drop him and just shove its maw at the ground instead.
"Help!"
Jeong Min-gyu wailed, scrambling away.
He knew that already. Go Cheon-su pedaled like mad.
This e-bike topped at 25 km/h—its motor couldn't outrun that thing.
Thud. Thud.
Jeong Min-gyu's screams faded. Ground-shaking vibrations chased Go Cheon-su instead.
Aggro 1 - 09:58
"Damn it...!"
He stomped the pedals furiously, but Big Head's speed was insane.
"Why's that thing so fast!"
A quick glance back: Big Head shook its enormous head, loose eyes fixed on him.
"Ugly as sin, and fast to boot!"
Looked like one of those spring dashboard dolls—but fast.
Thud-thud-thud-thud.
Vibes closing in, heart pounding faster.
"Huff huff."
Record Accumulation gave 1.07x base stats. Aggro added 10% more—110% output total. Pathetic against this.
"How the hell do you fight that!"
Not like the Hell Frog. No wits could beat this brute.
But he wasn't the type to roll over.
"Fuck! Bros, up the ante."
Go Cheon-su gritted his teeth, eyeing Big Head.
"This is Go Cheon-su. I don't go down easy."
If he was dying anyway, he'd have pretended to save Jeong Min-gyu first. Leaving him was pure survival.
But how...
Big Head: huge, and fast. Only "weakness" that imbalanced body—
"—Ah!"
Go Cheon-su veered the bike into an alley.
Boom!
Big Head barreled after, smashing straight without dodging.
"Yeah, you bastard. Let's see you try!"
He steered toward cluttered structures on purpose. Big Head bumped its head here and there, stumbling. Neck wobbling dangerously each time.
"Gotcha!"
Laundromat ahead. Jeong Min-gyu's motorcycle lay toppled.
Aggro 3 - 05:58
Two zombies nearby, ignored. Skidded to a stop, ditched the bike, hopped on the motorcycle.
Crashed while riding, so key was in.
"Please...!"
Intact, or bust. Revved it up, twisted throttle.
Wheels spun.
Vroooom!
Zombies chased as it roared off.
Grrraaah!
Squashed flat under Big Head like tomatoes.
Big Head ignored them, fixated on Go Cheon-su.
Vrooooom!
Bike accelerated. Big Head sped up too.
Straightaway: full-on race.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud.
Vibes fading? No—bike had the edge.
Go Cheon-su eased off the throttle.
Bike slowed.
Thud-thud!
Big Head swiped—Go Cheon-su gunned it.
Vrooom!
Hand whiffed by inches.
Chase resumed. Tag, you're it.
Face pale as a ghost, but Go Cheon-su kept baiting.
If I end it here, it'll just come back...!
Just fleeing wasn't enough. Time to teach the house-muncher karma.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
Ready. Go Cheon-su led Big Head down the road.
Destination—
"—Follow me, you fucker!"
Ahead: tunnel through a cliff. Clearance under 5 meters.
Grrroooowl.
Big Head twisted, accelerating—no clue where it was headed.
Go Cheon-su had clocked that dumbass IQ already.
Vroooom!
Bike dove in first. Big Head charged full tilt, straight-legged.
Crash!Snap-crunch!
Collision. Big Head's weak neck shattered.
In front of Myeongseo Elementary, the Chinese joint named after it waited for its no-show employee.
"Min-gyu ain't back?"
"Hope nothing happened."
Owner and head chef—Jang Man-cheol—sighed at each other.
Crowd gathered on the road ahead.
"Everyone inside the school!"
Cops herding refugees in.
Ding-a-ling.
A cop entered, eyeing the worried pair.
"No more coming out. Setting up barricades nearby."
"One employee's still out."
Owner looked troubled. Cop sighed.
"Then he's dead. Let's go."
"What?!"
Owner grabbed the cop's collar, yelling.
"How do you know? He's worked here forever!"
"I get it, but...!"
"It's right next door! We'll wait a bit longer!"
Cop twitched, snapping back.
"Fine, he'll head in if he shows! No responsibility if you're out there and attacked!"
"Hey, hey."
Chef pulled them apart, to owner:
"Let it go for now."
"What?!"
"You know he finds his way."
Chef sighed.
"Us waiting changes nothing. He'll see us at the gate. Let's move."
"...Hoo."
Owner overdid it. Mumbled to cop:
"Fine. But do me a favor."
"What?"
"He'll be on a motorcycle. Tell me if he shows."
Cop nodded—easy enough.
"Sure. Now go?"
"Yeah."
Owner released him, shuffled off. Chef smiled awkwardly at cop.
"Cut us slack. We're tight-knit."
"Uh, yeah."
"I'll grab food from the kitchen. Head out first?"
"You won't detour?"
Cop's worry got a dry laugh.
"Why would I? You guys hustling refugees hard—boss's orders?"
"Don't ask."
Cop sighed.
"Chief said save who we can. Everyone's busting ass."
"Good man."
"Kinda uneasy, though."
Chef tilted his head.
"Uneasy...?"
"Nothing. See you inside."
Cop left. Chef puzzled a sec, then kitchen-bound.
Tons to take—sold out before apocalypse hit.
"End times, end times."
Muttered it for every crisis, but this?
Loaded a cart with grub, wheeled out.
Chatter. People passing cop checks into school.
"This way!"
That cop waved him over.
"Food! Cooperate to speed things up!"
Thanks to him clearing folks, chef zipped through.
"Thanks."
Followed to cafeteria. Then—
"Huh?"
Familiar roar.
Vroooom.
Motorcycle. Faint but sure.
"No way...!"
Chef ditched the cart, bolted back to gate.
A guy just braking a bike.
"Min-gyu! You're ali—"
Chef's words died.