Get password here. Click me!(KO-FI)
“Listen up. You don’t need to bring much. Just a weapon, a small amount of water, and some food,” Chu Muge lanced at the trunk. “Preferably canned food.”
Chu Muge packed a change of clothes for after her bath, a few compressed biscuits, a Tang Dao, and some medicine. That was all her supplies.
The boat held only six people. Dogs didn't count as passengers, so that left two empty seats, just right for the storage of supplies.
Everyone quietly placed their belongings on the boat and took their seats.
The ripples on the river’s surface spread as they boarded. Chu Muge sat in her seat, one hand on the boat’s steering wheel, the other holding her phone. After three seconds, she pressed a button.
Buzz—
The steering wheel turned, and the boat hummed with vibration. At the same time, several waist-high speakers on the ruined bridge spanning the river blared to life, blasting music at full volume.
The familiar song started. Bai Caixie, splashed by water droplets as they sailed, couldn’t help but exclaim, “...‘Good Luck Is Coming’???”
Chu Muge said nothing.
As the boat sped across the river, the intro ended, and a well-known melody filled the air:
"Good luck is coming, wishing you good luck to come!"
"Good luck brings joy and love!"
The cheerful song echoed through the silent city. A second later, under Bai Caixie’s horrified gaze, the water nearby churned violently. A massive, spiked tentacle emerged, swinging ferociously toward the speakers.
Boom!
The speaker shattered effortlessly, splintering into fragments of metal and falling silent amidst garbled sounds.
A deep, whale-like roar resonated from beneath the water.
Yet, other speakers continued to play:
"Fold a thousand paper cranes, then tie a red ribbon..."
“What is that?” Bai Caixie stared at the tentacle, his eyes wide. “An octopus? A squid?”
"No idea," Chu Muge shook her head, steering the boat. She joked, "Maybe some seafood someone threw in the river before the apocalypse mutated.
Spray from the speeding boat splashed into the air, the wind brushing past her ears and lifting her hair.
The tentacle swung wildly, seemingly enraged by the relentless music, its movements growing more violent.
Boom!
One speaker stationed on the ruined bridge was flung into the air, along with several abandoned vehicles, crashing into the river with heavy splashes.
But the still song continued.
The remaining speakers kept playing:
"Tie a Chinese knot, and invite the spring breeze to cut the ribbon..."
"Hope our momeland will have good luck every year!"
Halfway across the river.
The noise seemed to agitate the monster beneath the water. After another whale-like cry, it briefly revealed more of its form: a massive body stained pitch black, its surface covered with clusters of rotating, blood-red eyes. Below, it bore sharp teeth.
Its shape had no discernible order, like a mess of clay molded haphazardly. Several orifices sprouted writhing tentacles.
At first glance, it seemed at least 40 to 50 meters long.
Bai Caixie was dumbfounded.
Is this...a kaiju from Ultraman?
No, how has it not starved to death, being this massive?
The river was over 100 meters deep, yet the faint outline of the monster’s body beneath the surface sent chills down their spines.
Several tentacles pierced through the water’s surface, flailing wildly at the speakers’ locations.
The creature was highly sensitive to sound. Though the speakers were as small as ants compared to it, they were crystal clear to its ears.
Its random attacks not only sent vehicles flying but also destroyed several nearby speakers.
In an instant, only one speaker remained out of the original four.
Perhaps because most of the speakers were destroyed, the noise had lessened. The monster suddenly seemed to notice something, its many red eyes spinning chaotically. Its half-exposed body sank back into the river.
Chu Muge immediately pressed the Bluetooth stop button, halting the music. She then braked the boat, letting it float still on the water.
Shhh—
The world fell silent again.
The boat’s vibrations grew fainter and finally stopped, leaving it drifting like a wooden raft.
Under everyone’s puzzled gazes, Chu Muge took a deep breath and raised a finger to her lips, signaling for silence.
Gu Yao’s eyes widened slightly, as if sensing something. She looked down at the river’s edge beside the boat.
A massive, shadowy figure loomed beneath them in the inky depths.
The monster's body loomed like a piece of land beneath the surface, with only about ten meters separating it from the boat. If it rose just a little higher, it would collide with them.
It was searching.
Below them, the massive, indistinct shadow moved slowly, drifting under the river. From above, the water around the boat turned pitch black, the color of the monster.
Plop, plop.
The sound of their hearts beat heavily, oppressively.
The zombie dog cowered low to the ground, its body trembling instinctively.
Several minutes passed before the water beneath them became clear again. The monster had moved on.
Chu Muge exhaled deeply, slowly picked up her phone, and looked toward the last remaining speaker.
Inhale.
Play.
" You dance like a phoenix in the peaceful year. You fly like a dragon in the new era."
Time seemed to slow down, as though the world was running in slow motion. Chu Muge started the boat, placed her hands on the steering wheel, clenched her teeth, and braced her legs.
In this suspended moment, the speaker’s sound stretched endlessly:
"Yourhappyhomewelcomesablossomingspring~?"
Buzz, buzz, buzz—
Water sprayed high into the air, cascading like a fountain. Time resumed its normal pace. As the water rained back down, Chu Muge bit her lip and pushed the boat to maximum speed, charging toward the far shore.
A sudden, piercing whale-like call echoed behind them as the monster rose, tentacles flailing.
Several tentacles struck the water’s surface violently. Chu Muge turned the wheel sharply, dodging one that swung dangerously close, and sped onward.
The boat tipped precariously during a near-capsizing drift, skimming the water's surface and sending up waves.
Bai Caixie's face turned pale, he nearly tumbled headfirst into the river.
Thankfully, Bai Caiwei grabbed her brother with both hands, pulling him back, and, without hesitation, also caught the zombie dog by its tail to keep it from flying off.
Some supplies weren't so lucky; inertia sent them hurtling into the river. But there was no time to worry about that now - full speed ahead!
Bang!
Waves exploded in their wake.
"Bringing prosperity and luck across the four seas."
The speaker belted out its final, defiant sound.
Boom!
Shards of metal scattered.
With the opposite shore now within reach, Chu Muge spotted a slight slope leading up the bank. “Hold on tight!” she shouted.
Gu Yao instinctively ducked her head. Chu Muge slammed the throttle, pushing the boat faster and faster until it hurtled onto the bank without hesitation.
The boat skidded a short distance across the ground before losing momentum, tipping to one side, completely wrecked.
The monster let out a long, whale-like wail, unable to locate its target. In the end, it retreated to the depths, its call echoing as it disappeared into the water.
The zombie dog wobbled on trembling limbs as it jumped off the wrecked boat, tongue lolling.
Bai Caixie peeked out from the half-flipped boat, his face pale. He gagged, cheeks puffing, and began vomiting violently over the side.
The high-speed drifting across the river hadn’t been kind to his stomach.
The supplies they lost? Consider them gone for good.
Tnote: I believe its this song lmao