Episode 516
“…Wow….”
Meanwhile, the main gate of Dreamcatcher Aquarium.
“I didn’t know we could arrive already.”
“Huh … huh
….
”
Do-yoon Han patted the back of Kim Ki-jeong, who was turning pale and out of breath. The schedule of running almost the entire time may have been unreasonable, but it was mostly because I was exhausted from running away from the monster I encountered at the end.
“It’s crazy… It didn’t last more than a day before it arrived…”
Seo Jang-hwa, who was just as exhausted as Han Do-yoon or Kim Ki-jeong, looked back at Jeong In-ho.
“But we’re lucky because we didn’t encounter many monsters on the way, right?”
“I think so.”
Jeong In-ho smiled and answered, thinking.
‘If only we could say that we were lucky to have a regressor on the team.’
Unlike the previous episode, where it took over a full day just to get to the aquarium, the reason we were able to get there so quickly was thanks to the presence of a returnee named In-ho Jeong.
Since this episode had many uneasy elements in many ways, I couldn’t proceed as slowly as I did last time.
Jung In-ho recalled the location of the monster and the shorter route he had memorized from the previous episode, and secretly urged the other survivors to move quickly.
‘…Well, I’m lucky that things went as planned as I had planned. If the monsters’ location or shortcut had been different than expected, we would have arrived later than now.’
Han Do-yoon’s sly voice could be heard as if he had finally caught his breath.
“Ah, but it’s a bit disappointing. “It would have been better if you had come with Fitz, who you said has become softer…”
“How much has the firefighter suffered from the dog monsters in the park, and can he sound so carefree?”
“Our Fitz is different. “I hope we have time to say hello at least once later.”
Unlike the last episode, Han Do-yoon, who could not stop by the park and immediately joined the aquarium rescue team, expressed his disappointment. Han Do-yoon showed great interest in the change in appearance of the Pompitz monster that was hovering near us.
‘…Now that I think about it, Han Do-yoon played with Fitz often in the last episode as well.’
With that thought in mind, I looked at Han Do-yoon, and he looked at Jeong In-ho and asked.
“How about we have time to go back to the park? “Probably not.”
“…Iknow, right. “Unfortunately, I won’t have time for that if I catch the final boss at the aquarium.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“There will be a chance later, so don’t be too sad.”
Jeong In-ho laughed inwardly at Han Do-yoon, who playfully expressed regret.
I didn’t even know what monsters were inside the aquarium, so saying ‘I will be able to escape from the other side of the world without even having to go back to the park’ was an absurd amount of confidence. In-ho Jeong realized that this was Do-yoon Han’s own way of cheering.
They were cheering and saying, ‘We will definitely defeat the final boss at the aquarium, so we won’t have time to go back to the park and see Fitz.’ If you look closely, Han Do-yoon was also a very different person on the outside and the inside. In a good way.
‘…It was obvious that I was anxious.’
Kim Ki-jeong and Seo Jang-hwa may not know, but Han Do-yoon seemed to have figured out Jeong In-ho’s intentions with his unique quick wit.
Because I couldn’t tell them about the return, I couldn’t even say, ‘Let’s go quickly’, but Han Do-yoon sympathized with me while I was on my way, so I arrived even faster.
“Of course, I wanted to come with Fitz, but we had no choice because there were so many people. “I was a little anxious about bringing Fitz, who is fundamentally a monster, without knowing exactly what was inside.”
“Oh, well, dogs don’t really like water. I don’t know what it’s like about Fitz, but…”
“Although he’s normally a cooperative monster, he can act dangerously and unexpectedly when he gets excited. “Do you want to fight with other monsters in a section where you have to hide?”
In the last episode, when Fitz barked at Song In-myeong after he left the aquarium, I thought it might be dangerous. This time, I left it behind on purpose because barking inside could cause serious trouble.
‘It might be able to help Ha Seong-yoon when he arrives at the park.’
The park was practically the home of Fitz, a monster abandoned dog. It could be said to be my area, but I hoped to help the people remaining in the park.
‘…I’m worried about everything without Lee Jae-heon.’
The group carefully stepped into the aquarium.
“Ah…”
“…It’s neat…”
Kim Ki-jeong, the weakest among them, covered his mouth with his hand.
“The fishy smell is so strong.”
“Oh, you weak person. “Next time you come to the secret world, make sure to bring perfume, okay?”
“What are you telling me to do when I smell something?”
Kim Ki-jeong reacted particularly strongly, but it definitely smelled fishy. It had a fishy and watery smell that you would only find at a fish market.
Seo Jang-hwa was disgusted.
“The tail is fine, but why does it smell like shit?”
“If it’s like this from the beginning, I’m worried about what happens later. It’s a big problem.”
Jeong In-ho also agreed to her wishes.
Well-polished blue tiles and a neatly designed white counter. The mannequins standing at the counter wearing Dreamcatcher Aquarium staff uniforms and the lights hanging from the ceiling gave a clear and clean impression.
The waves rippling on the tiles every time I stepped on them and the water scales of the lights covering them in white were almost dreamlike.
‘But this fishy smell…’
The feeling of disparity was so great that it was so unpleasant that I couldn’t even recognize it in my head. It was similar to the smell of compost in a jewelry box full of beautiful trinkets.
“…Then… shall we move first?”
“…Let’s do it….”
It was not easy to enter the aquarium, which made the survivors sick from the entrance.
“…money? “You want money?”
“What are you talking about? Where is the money in the underworld?”
“Is this a system like a convenience store? “I brought my wallet just in case.”
“No, rather, I think there is a separate currency that is only used here at the aquarium.”
“Mr. No… why do you think something like that exists with us?”
“Normally, if you want to visit an aquarium, you have to pay…”
“Why did you sit there thinking from the aquarium’s perspective, you toothpick man!”
“Isn’t it too harsh to say toothpick…!”
“Both of you, calm down…”
The counter staff asked for ‘money’, and as a result of their busy thinking and finding, the ‘money’ referred to here was a toy coin that could be found inside the aquarium.
“Isn’t the quality too high to be dismissed as a toy coin…?”
“If something like this existed in real life, I would be arrested for counterfeiting currency.”
So it was a kind of treasure hunt game.
The ‘money’, made of the unique shiny metal of coins, looked like an ordinary 500 won coin, but had fish and shellfish drawn on both sides. I searched further to see if there were any bills, but all I could find were coins.
Fortunately, the staff gave us one coin for each person and gave us tickets.
“…So you’re saying the fish coin we just found was worth 35,000 won?”
“Oh, did you remember the aquarium ticket price?”
“Yes, well… it’s 29,000 won for the kids… but I think the free pass was more expensive…”
Seo Jang-hwa wrinkled his face at the conversation between Han Do-yoon and Kim Ki-jeong.
“Is it really worth 35,000 won? “Why are admission tickets so expensive?”
“Now that I think about it, student Janghwa didn’t come to the aquarium with you when the manager called you, right?”
“Don’t provoke me. I even ran with Vivian that day.”
“If it’s a field farm…”
“I said I worked on the assignment all night long.”
“Oh my god…”
While they were chatting, what they saw in front of them was a large letter that read ‘Underwater World’.
It was written in three-dimensional letters right above the wide-open entrance, and although it was colorful, it was strangely eerie. I felt a great sense of heterogeneity.
“Even the signs here are unpleasant.”
“The inside is filled with water…”
Jeong In-ho said, wiping the corner of his mouth as Seo Jang-hwa and Kim Ki-jeong said those words.
“If you think about it, the swimming pool at Eonhak High School was also filled with water like this. “Ignore everything like the law of gravity and just fill the space like jelly.”
“is it so? “Is it the same structure as back then?”
“Well, it seems like it’s full of water, but the overall feeling is very different.”
If the water in Eonhak High School was like juice squeezed out of the words depression and fear, the water in the ‘Underwater World’ was blue and transparent and very beautiful. When I glanced at it, I even felt a refreshing feeling.
‘…Of course, the atmosphere is not pleasant enough to be called refreshing.’
From earlier, I felt a sense of disconnect without knowing why. It’s pretty and cute, like a child’s toy room full of blood stains, but it also gives the impression that it’s somehow terrible.
“….”
Chambang.
Jeong In-ho stirred the surface of the water with his hand and opened his mouth.
“…I don’t feel any threat to my body or mind. It’s not like it can’t function as water like the water in the swimming pool at Eonhak High School. “My sleeves are all wet.”
“It’s hard to see because of the swaying water, but the room looks quite long. Is it water you can breathe from the inside? As I say this, I wonder if this is some kind of bullshit, but the other world could be like that…”
“Let’s take a look.”
Jeong In-ho took a deep breath and carefully dived into the water. It was just cold and wet, not the water that inflicted mental attacks like Eonhakgo, as expected.
I slowly opened my eyes inside.
“….”
The sight of water scales fluttering felt like jewels.
Jeong In-ho, who looked around the needlessly beautiful world, walked around the inside where he could feel the unique resistance of water, and soon came back into the hallway.
“Mr. Jeong In-ho, are you okay?”
“yes yes. It’s okay…”
Sniff. Jeong In-ho, who was making a harsh sound as the water entered his nose, continued speaking.
“…Unlike the Eonhak High School swimming pool that only imitated water, this one is definitely water. The temperature was cool and I was soaked. “It’s a bit cold, but I’m really glad that there doesn’t seem to be any mental attacks like at Eonhak High School.”
“So roughly how long should I be underwater? I’m not worried about myself or Janghwa, but there’s one person here who seems to have poor lung capacity…”
Kim Ki-jeong intervened in Han Do-yoon’s question.
“No, no, wait a minute. Why do you assume my lung capacity is bad?”
“…? “Okay then?”
“It could be good. “It’s actually not that bad.”
“Are you Kijeong?”
“Why are you looking at me like, ‘Oh my god, such a ridiculous thing.’ “I’m even more annoyed because he’s so stubborn.”
Kim Ki-jeong continued speaking as if he was embarrassed and embarrassed.
“Of course, I admit that I have less stamina and less strength than you, but… unless I’m running for nearly an hour straight like before, that is, as long as I’m not very active, I can at least do a good job of holding my breath in the water. And that’s not a beer bottle.”
“Kim Ki-jeong can swim?”
“Ah, really, why are you treating me like this?…”
Jeong In-ho, who was looking surprised along with Han Do-yoon and Seo Jang-hwa, nodded and said.
“Then I’m glad. I could see the exit on the other side, but it was quite far away so I felt like I had to at least hold my breath. Even if you can’t swim, you have to hold your breath so that someone else can lead you…” “
So, these people say they know how to swim.”
“Yes, I’m really glad. “My biggest worry has been alleviated.”
“Why do you say that? Was I Jeong In-ho’s biggest worry?”
“Anyway, compared to Janghwa and Doyoon…”
“….”
“That’s right.”
Leaving behind Kim Ki-jeong, who was silent with a sad face as if he could not refute him, Jeong In-ho gathered his companions so that they could swim and stay close. Jeong In-ho gave additional explanations to the team members gathered nearby.
“If ‘someone’ falls behind, you have to be nearby to catch them quickly.”
“Yes, someone…”
“Someone…” “
….”
“….” “
….”
“…I heard you know how to swim? “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Seo Jang-hwa asked with a serious face.
“Are you asking because you don’t know?”
“Uh…”
“Who do you think is the weakest person here, mister?”
Seo Jang-hwa, a strong, strong-willed man. Jeong In-ho, who catches monsters with tools, and Do-yoon Han, an excellent firefighter.
And just Kim Ki-jeong…
“….”
…Well, if one of these people is going to die, it will be me.
In this way, Kim Ki-jeong was able to safely pass through the ‘underwater world’ under the warm care of his team members.
(Continued in the next part)
