As the turrets point towards Gilyoung, Dokja passes Heewon's unconscious form over to Sangah before coming to stand behind Gilyoung with a frown.
The screen flickered on with the next segment, and instantly an indirect popped up in front of everyone.
[A constellation who likes children is dissatisfied with the situation.]
Yeah, seeing a literal kid with a magical gun pointed at him wasn't the greatest way to start a segment, but at the very least, Kim Dokja had the reassurance of lived experience that everything would be okay.
Lee Gilyoung huffed and crossed his arms with a frown. "Hyung, if I get strong enough, do you think I could beat him myself?"
Well… that was a definite possibility. It hadn't really come into play just yet, but if Lee Gilyoung managed to gain better stories than Gong Pildu, he'd win without issues.
Still, Kim Dokja decided to play it safe. "Gong Pildu excels in defensive combat, so you'd have to either manage to lure him out of his [Militarized Zone], or ambush him and take him out before he could set it up. Strength isn't really the issue here, it's more about strategy."
His eyes glimmered as he looked up at Kim Dokja with a wide grin. "Could you teach me strategy later then, hyung? You're so good at it!"
"You mean teach us, right?" Shin Yoosung muttered before copying his expression, right down to the puppy dog eyes. "Please, ahjussi?"
Oh god, that was his weakness. Kim Dokja couldn't help but nod in agreement, giving in.
"Oh? You must be his guardian," The landlord says, getting to his feet as Gilyoung moves to hold onto Dokja's leg. "Then why don't you pay me 500 coins instead?"
'500 coins just for setting foot on his land? This is a highway robbery.' Dokja thinks with a glare.
This is interesting, Yoo Joonghyuk.
Elsewhere in Chungmuro station, Jihye runs up to Joonghyuk and calls out to him.
You've let these scum run rampant. The Ten Evils. They appear in different chapters and with different ranks depending on which round Yoo Joonghyuk is in, and they are the main villains in the world of TWSA. And Gong Pildu, also known as the Armament Lord of Chungmuro, is one of the Ten Evils.
Ten figures appear on the screen, shrouded in shadows with a sea of skulls behind them. It's an impressive visualization of who the Ten Evils must be, and there are some figures who appear to be less than human.
Everyone in the group carefully examined the figures on the screen, except for Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk who knew who they all were. Lee Hyunsung narrowed his eyes, seemingly taking note of as many features as he could before glancing over.
"Dokja-ssi, Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi, how dangerous are these 'Ten Evils'? And how likely are we to run into them?"
Now that was a difficult question to answer. Kim Dokja just shrugged. "Honestly, it varied by regression turn in the novel. Sometimes certain members could become powerful allies instead of enemies, but some others wouldn't be met until it was far too late."
And then there were those like Anna Croft, who wouldn't be considered even a possible ally in the entirety of TWSA.
"Kim Dokja is right," Yoo Joonghyuk replied gruffly, crossing his arms. "We are lucky that Gong Pildu is… under our control in this round."
Okay, that hesitation just told Kim Dokja that he wasn't entirely sure if he was pleased or not that Gong Pildu was under Kim Dokja's command specifically. That damn sunfish would probably feel far more secure if he was the one with his hand on the other end of the landlord's metaphorical leash, but there was no way he had enough coins to have that be sustainable, considering what Kim Dokja needed to do for the contract with Defense Master in the first place.
[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' begrudgingly agrees with the incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk'.]
Hey, what was the Secretive Plotter's problem with the protagonist anyway?
'The size of his Room is larger than the rest of them, as expected. This entire area must be Gong Pildu's Green Zone,' Dokja notes before asking if the station is a public facility, and the landlord states that it isn't anymore.
Dokja pauses for a moment before continuing. "Alright, I'll pay—but I'll only pay him in person."
This startles the landlord as Dokja points out that he isn't Pildu as his [Character Profile] appears in front of Dokja.
[Name: Kim Jincheol
Age: 49
Constellation Sponsor: Monarch of the Small Fries
Personal attribute: Landlord (Common)
Overall Stats: Stamina lvl. 9, Strength lvl. 8, Agility lvl. 9, Mana lvl. 7]
These men are landlords who used to own most of Chungmuro, but now they are just Gong Pildu's henchmen, The Landlord Coalition.
The man flinches back in surprise as Dokja begins to brazenly walk forward as he calls for Pildu to come out. Without a care, Dokja saunters straight into the Green Zone.
[You have trespassed onto 'Private Property'!]
The turrets spin to face Dokja as he continues to casually call out for the top landlord.
"Stop right there," A man says in a gruff voice, making Dokja pause and glance his way. "Take another step and you're dead."
Jung Heewon groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Dokja-ssi, I know you had a plan, but did it really have to involve charging straight into danger, again!?"
Uh… yes. Kim Dokja had the sinking feeling that Jung Heewon would be very angry with him later on, especially if some of his plans worked out the way he was imagining they might.
He laughed awkwardly and glanced away from her, and he could practically feel Yoo Sangah's stare of disapproval joining Jung Heewon's in burning a hole through his skull.
[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' is giggling at the incarnation 'Kim Dokja'.]
[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' is watching the incarnation 'Kim Dokja' with narrowed eyes.]
Seriously? Did the constellations not even trust him to be able to stay out of trouble for five minutes?
The man is revealed to be a middle-aged, slightly balding man in a suit who is sitting on a bench and reading a magazine. "I haven't seen you around here before. You've got quite the nerve."
'He must be Gong Pildu, The Armament Lord!' Dokja thinks as he asks why he should be nervous, making Pildu look up in surprise.
[The character 'Gong Pildu' has begun to take interest in you.]
"A smartass, I see. Don't get too cocky," Pildu states, putting on his newsboy cap as he starts to stand.
[Name: Gong Pildu
Age: 48
Constellation sponsor: Defense Master
Personal attribute: Landlord (Rare), Land Owner (Rare)
Exclusive skills: Private Property lvl. 3, Patience lvl. 1, Calculate Profit lvl. 2, Leadership lvl. 2, Incite lvl. 1, Weapons Proficiency lvl. 1]
Stigma: Militarized Zone lvl. 3
Overall stats: Stamina lvl. 9, Strength lvl. 11, Agility lvl. 10, Mana lvl. 19
General evaluation: The leader of Chungmuro's Landlord Coalition. His skill 'Private Property', along with his stigma 'Militarized Zone', are optimized for fighting against large numbers of enemies. It is highly recommended that you do not make enemies with this character.
*Starter Pack is currently in use.
*Growth Package is currently in use]
'He already has two personal attributes and his Mana is level 19. This is expected of someone who would end up becoming one of the Ten Evils,' Dokja thinks as Pildu guesses that Dokja isn't just there to pay him. 'And he's pretty sharp too.'
Should I make a deal? Or just crush him right here and now?
Yoo Joonghyuk narrowed his eyes at the evaluation on Gong Pildu's profile. "That looks accurate."
Kim Dokja couldn't help but raise a brow. Was the protagonist actually concerned for some reason? "Oh, are you saying that you wouldn't fight him either?"
At that, Yoo Joonghyuk scoffed slightly. "I'm not you; I can use a sword properly."
That bastard…
To be fair, Yoo Joonghyuk would probably be able to beat Gong Pildu easily at this stage, especially considering what Kim Dokja could remember of his stats at this point. The protagonist could be truly terrifying at times.
[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' is tearing out his hair in excitement.]
Normal people, however, would probably struggle a lot when facing off with Gong Pildu's stigma. Lee Hyunsung wasn't necessarily entirely normal either, considering just what he was capable of, but even he struggled when defending against Gong Pildu.
Lee Gilyoung, however, didn't seem to have any fear left and shamelessly stuck out his tongue at the screen. Thank goodness the landlord himself wasn't here or else he probably would have been griping already.
"You better not have any crazy ideas, if you know what I mean," Pildu remarks, looking at Dokja's hand curled around the grip of his sword. Members of the Landlord Coalition then surround Hyunsung and Gilyoung, separating them from Sangah and Heewon to split their fighting power.
Dokja lifts his hands in surrender while asking if their group could stay in Pildu's room, to which he says they can't unless they each pay 500 coins daily. It's really a ripoff.
'Greedy schmuck,' Dokja thinks without letting his true emotions show on his face, instead keeping his fake smile as steady as ever. "We can't afford that, but I can pay in intel."
Pildu looks mildly interested at first, but his and the rest of the Landlord Coalition's interest jumps tenfold when Dokja says that it would be intel about Yoo Joonghyuk.
In the original story, Yoo Joonghyuk should be in an all-out war against the Landlord Coalition right now. What the hell could he be up to?
"How do you know Yoo Joonghyuk?" Pildu asks with a dark expression.
"He is a companion of mine. We have been through life and death, on our own," Dokja replies with a serious expression on his face.
The 'on our own' line confuses Pildu, but Dokja gets back on track stating they're friends and that Pildu should have nothing to lose.
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' perks up upon hearing the words of the incarnation 'Kim Dokja'.]
"What a weird way of describing yourselves," Jung Heewon muttered with a shake of her head before looking up at Kim Dokja. "How do you just go proclaiming yourself to be his friend when all he's done is throw you off a bridge?"
He wanted to protest that. He really did. Unfortunately, there wasn't really anything Kim Dokja could say in his own defense.
Han Sooyoung just snickered and glanced over at Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk with a shit-eating-grin. "Life and death, huh? You know what that sounds like, right?"
No…
"Like what?" Kim Dokja asked hesitantly, instantly suspicious of her motivations. There wasn't anything he could think of that would make her smile like that.
Her grin deepened. "Oh, I'd say it's a step past marriage vows. Who needs 'Till death do us part' when you can go through death too?"
What?
Jung Heewon choked on air and Lee Hyunsung's eyes went wide as they turned to stare at Han Sooyoung in disbelief. Yoo Sangah seemed surprised, but after a moment, it looked like she had some kind of revelation and relaxed. Kim Dokja had no idea what she was thinking.
Lee Jihye made a strange, high-pitched noise and muttered something that Kim Dokja thought sounded like "I knew it!" but that couldn't be right.
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is nodding violently.]
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' excitedly gives this companionship her blessing.]
Wait, no—
"Han Sooyoung, you take that back!" Kim Dokja yelled at her, not wanting to even chance glancing over at Yoo Joonghyuk. "That's not what that meant at all!"
"Yeah!" Lee Gilyoung added with a frown. "Hyung can't marry that sooty bastard!"
Wait, sooty bastard? Where the hell did that come from?
Shin Yoosung even joined in as she clenched her fists. "He can't take ahjussi away from us!"
No, seriously, what? He wasn't going anywhere!
"Hmph! I won't allow it!" Yoo Mia protested, and Kim Dokja almost nodded along with her until she continued speaking, glaring at Han Sooyoung. "Ugly ahjussi isn't worthy of my oppa anyway."
Now wait just a second…
Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung instantly turned their glares on her. Shit. If Kim Dokja didn't do something, then this would be a disaster. And they were just on the verge of befriending each other, too…
"Hey, kids, there will be no marriage, okay?" He said as quickly as he could, putting his hands on Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung's shoulders to physically restrain them just in case they tried lunging for Yoo Mia.
Why didn't the protagonist just speak up about Lee Seolhwa or something? The last thing Kim Dokja wanted was for some stupid misunderstanding to cause a problem for his OTP. He quickly glanced around the room to see if the woman was paying attention to the commotion their group was making, because he really didn't want her hearing any of this nonsense. Unfortunately, he couldn't find her anywhere.
Kim Dokja turned quickly, shooting Yoo Joonghyuk a look. "Hey, Yoo Joonghyuk, you say something too!"
Yoo Joonghyuk, however, said nothing of the sort and was looking at him with a weirdly intense expression. His dark eyes bored into Kim Dokja's soul and the corners of his perfectly shaped lips curled into the slightest of frowns. His dark hair fell over his forehead in gentle natural waves that would make a stylist cry, and Kim Dokja couldn't help but get drawn in by how unbelievably perfect the protagonist really was. Honestly, his handsomeness really outdid Kim Dokja's imagination, and he was almost offended on Yoo Joonghyuk's behalf that tls123 had only ever described him as merely 'handsome'.
Kim Dokja was a firm believer that there should be a new word invented just to describe Yoo Joonghyuk's legendary appearance; if not, then his photo should go next to the word handsome and/or perfection in the dictionary. Who needed a definition when they could look at Yoo Joonghyuk's face and understand immediately?
[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' is frowning deeply.]
The protagonist was silent for a moment before he finally broke the stare at the sound of the indirect message and looked back up at the screen.
"Foolish," Yoo Joonghyuk muttered, and Kim Dokja had to agree with him. Everyone really was foolish to jump to those kinds of conclusions over nothing.
[The character 'Gong Pildu' has activated the skill, 'Calculate Profit lvl. 2'.]
Pildu refutes this by remarking that Dokja could be trying to con him, and he states that people like Dokja run off without paying their rent.
'That's oddly specific,' Dokja thinks before he turns away, offhandedly replying that it's Pildu's loss.
"Wait," Pildu calls, making Dokja think he took the bait, only for him to say that Dokja still has to pay 1,000 coins to cover him and Gilyoung.
'This bastard… Even a dokkaebi didn't rip me off this bad,' Dokja thinks as he tells Pildu it's too expensive.
"Well, don't say I didn't warn you," Pildu states with a smile. "Die."
The gatling gun begins to shoot at Dokja, and Sangah calls out in worry as Hyunsung quickly tells Gilyoung to run to the crowd before rushing forwards. The sounds of gunshots hitting metal fill the air as Dokja covers his face from the smoke before opening his eyes and sees Hyunsung blocking the shots with his shield, but it's clear from his shaking arms that he can't hold it for long.
'Jung Heewon is still passed out. Someone might end up dead if we start fighting right now,' Dokja thinks before seeming to notice something.
There is nothing to gain for us if we continue this fight.
Dokja then tells Pildu it's not a good idea for them to be fighting right now. Pildu is confused and asks why, but Dokja just smiles and tells him that if he does, he'll die. Naturally, this causes Pildu's eyes to widen in surprise and a slight tinge of fear. They both turn to the side as the sound of footsteps coming their way gradually gets louder.
"Master, it's him! That's the man who claimed to be a friend of yours!" It's Jihye, and she's brought Joonghyuk with her. They really have great timing.
If there's nothing for us to gain, I should at least make them lose something.
"A close friend of mine is on his way here," Dokja says as he finally catches sight of the master and disciple pair. Joonghyuk looks far too relaxed, walking with his hands in his pockets, but it only makes him look more cool.
As they get closer, Joonghyuk glances up and notices Dokja standing there. A look of surprise instantly overtakes his sculpted features as his eyes widen and his mouth is no longer stuck in a perpetual frown. Even in a state of shock, he's still unfairly handsome.
[The character 'Yoo Joonghyuk' has become agitated.]
"Hey, Yoo Joonghyuk," Dokja calls out with a smile, raising his hand in greeting. All the while, Pildu is repeatedly doing double-takes between the two. He clearly can't believe that Dokja was telling the truth about knowing the other man.
[Level 2 of 'Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint' has activated!]
At Joonghyuk's side, Jihye is mirroring Pildu when it comes to the double-takes. She also seems incredibly confused by his words, and is speechless.
"How are you? Looks like you've been doing good," Dokja continues as Joonghyuk stays frozen in place. After a moment, Joonghyuk's thoughts start speaking in Dokja's head.
「How did he… already..?」
"These people don't seem to believe that you and I are friends. Can you please talk to them for me?" Dokja asks as the double-taking duo keep going.
Han Sooyoung stared intently at Kim Dokja with a pinched expression on her face, like she couldn't believe his stupidity. What was that for? All he had done was use the protagonist's appearance in the station to his advantage.
Lee Jihye shook her head and clenched her fist. "How foolish I was… it was so obvious! I should have believed everything from the beginning."
What was she even talking about? Of course she didn't believe him when he said he was friends with Yoo Joonghyuk—Kim Dokja wasn't even sure if Yoo Joonghyuk believed that!
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is cheering excitedly.]
[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' thinks that the incarnation 'Kim Dokja' should get better friends.]
Was Secretive Plotter insinuating that he shouldn't be friends with Yoo Joonghyuk? What did he know?
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' gasps in offense at the words of the constellation 'Secretive Plotter'.]
For once, despite her slew of confusing indirect messages, Kim Dokja was inclined to agree with Uriel.
I know Yoo Joonghyuk very well. He may kill people off like insects, but he always keeps his promises.
[A few constellations are looking forward to the incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk's' reply.]
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is carefully watching to see if the incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk' keeps his word.]
Especially now since many constellations are watching.
"I–" Joonghyuk begins to speak, but is immediately interrupted by Dokja
"And it'd be great if you could make them let us use the toilet!"
Hyunsung, Pildu, and Jihye look shocked at the fact that Dokja dared to interrupt Joonghyuk, but Dokja smiles happily with no sign of remorse.
In true protagonist fashion, Joonghyuk starts to pull out his sword and what seems almost like a blue aura forms around his body, making him even more imposing than before. He truly looks like a threat, but he also looks incredibly attractive at the same time, in a feral sort of way.
"M-Mr. Joonghyuk, wait!" Hyunsung shouts anxiously, but he can barely be heard over the commotion.
Jihye grins wickedly and cackles. "Kill him, Master!"
"No, I was wrong!" Lee Jihye cried, reaching out for the screen—and were those the start of tears in her eyes? What was wrong with her? At least she didn't want him dead anymore, but this was a bit too strange.
Yoo Sangah just giggled slightly, and Kim Dokja really couldn't understand what—other than Lee Jihye's baffling reaction—she could be thinking about.
[The constellation 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' is gagging in disgust.]
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is glaring at the constellation 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon'.]
Jung Heewon glared at Yoo Joonghyuk. "Seriously, you started threatening him? Some 'friend' you are."
"Hey, he was probably in a bad mood, or something," Kim Dokja tried to cut in on the protagonist's behalf, even if he knew that was an extremely weak defense.
"Tell me then, idiot, when is he not in a bad mood?" Han Sooyoung drawled from her seat.
Okay, uh… yeah he had nothing.
"That's none of your business," Yoo Joonghyuk said with finality, ignoring Han Sooyoung entirely and replying only to Jung Heewon. "It is a matter only between Kim Dokja and I."
Jung Heewon glared once more, but turned away and seemed to whisper something to Lee Hyunsung under her breath.
Kim Dokja wasn't sure how to feel, now that his favourite character was acknowledging him for whatever reason. Maybe, if things improved somewhat while they were stuck in this hidden scenario, Kim Dokja would be able to not only avoid getting murdered as soon as they were let out, but also potentially get to call Yoo Joonghyuk his companion for real.
Just the thought of that warmed his heart somewhat, and he really hoped it would come true.