[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is eagerly hoping to see more displays of companionship.]
Seriously? Why was Uriel so fixated on that?
Sure, Kim Dokja thought it would be nice for Yoo Joonghyuk to actually admit to being his companion for real, but he knew that was just hopeful thinking. It would never actually happen.
"Wow!" Dokja says in an overly enthusiastic manner with a large grin on his face. "I'm so lucky to have such a great companion, huh? Good to see you!"
His so-called companion, Yoo Joonghyuk, looks anything but happy. A frown mars his statuesque face and his stellar brows furrow as he turns away. Kim Dokja can't tell if he's angry or frustrated.
"You managed to stay alive," he says flatly, carefully concealing his emotions.
Near them, Lee Jihye still has not managed to figure out how to close her mouth due to shock.
Long story short, Yoo Joonghyuk never acknowledged me as his companion. Instead he answered by silently pointing his blade at Gong Pildu.
Yoo Joonghyuk looks like the perfect protagonist defending his allies, his coat flared by an unseen wind coming from who knows where. In the background, Dokja has taken back Heewon and is leading the group away sneakily. However, he can't help but glance back over his shoulder at Yoo Joonghyuk.
Gong Pildu didn't seem to want any bloodshed, so he let us go for the time being.
"Did you want me to die?" Dokja asks, no longer smiling, to which Joonghyuk replies that he didn't care.
Companion, my ass.
Dokja glares in response, wishing for nothing more than the opportunity to punch Joonghyuk despite knowing that the man probably has vastly superior stats, but Joonghyuk doesn't seem to acknowledge the glare. Instead, Jihye is the one to glare back on his behalf.
See? There was no way that the man would verbally acknowledge it.
"You'd better damn well start caring," Jung Heewon muttered under her breath, venom filling her tone. It was probably a bit much, if Kim Dokja had to be honest. He hadn't been counting on the protagonist for much more than showing up at the dramatically appropriate time to save the day so far, and that strategy had been working out for him up until this point.
Yoo Joonghyuk glanced at Jung Heewon out of the corner of his eye, and he seemed to be displeased by something, if Kim Dokja was interpreting his microexpression correctly. But why would he be so irritated?
After thinking for a moment, Kim Dokja came to the obvious conclusion. Yoo Joonghyuk clearly didn't want to be told that he needed to start caring about Kim Dokja because he had no intention of cooperating with their group other than barely being civil in the future if they needed to work towards a common goal. Yep, that was probably it.
Yoo Sangah, however, decided to take a more diplomatic route and smiled so politely that it was menacing. "Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi, we would appreciate it if you didn't threaten Dokja-ssi again."
And out came her scary HR persona again.
[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' is greatly amused.]
Yoo Joonghyuk held her gaze for a moment, and then turned away wordlessly. Seriously? He didn't even acknowledge her. What a bastard.
[The exclusive skill 'Character Profile' has activated!]
[There is too much information about this character. Converting 'Character Profile' to 'Character Summary'.]
Dokja activates the full version instead, cancelling the summary.
I didn't really see it when I read the novel, but…
[Opening the Full Version of 'Yoo Joonghyuk's' Character Profile.]
[Name: Yoo Joonghyuk
Age: 28
Constellation sponsor: ???
Personal attributes: Regressor <3rd Round> (Mythical), Pro Gamer (Rare)
Exclusive skills: Eye of the Sage lvl.8, Close Combat lvl. 8, Advanced Weapons Training lvl. 5, Mental Barrier lvl. 5, Crowd Control lvl. 5, Reasoning lvl. 5, Lie Detection lvl. 4, … List of skills has been abridged
Stigma: Regression lvl. 3
Overall stats: Stamina lvl. 24, Strength lvl. 24, Agility lvl. 25, Mana lvl. 23
General evaluation: (Character evaluation is too lengthy and cannot be loaded.)]
…Now I can see how extraordinary he is.
'He may even be stronger than he was during his third round in the novel,' Dokja thinks as he side-eyes the protagonist, making Joonghyuk ask him if he wanted to say anything. 'That means he is taking more risks. What is he scheming when it's only his third round?'
Yoo Joonghyuk tsked as he looked at his profile on display, his frown deepening. "The one useful part of that skill, and it won't even load it."
Kim Dokja had absolutely no control over that, so he wasn't sure if saying sorry would be worth anything. Still, Yoo Joonghyuk wouldn't look quite that displeased over the evaluation alone…
[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' is frowning.]
[Several constellations are disappointed that the 'Character Profile' does not show the sponsor of the incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk'.]
That was probably the other half of what was pissing him off, Kim Dokja realized. After all, the protagonist didn't ever remember who his sponsor was in TWSA. When Yoo Joonghyuk shot him an inquisitive look, Kim Dokja had to just shake his head. He didn't know either.
"Master, your stats are amazing," Lee Jihye gasped as her eyes went wide, thankfully capturing Yoo Joonghyuk's attention and hopefully preventing him from overthinking things. "No wonder you're the strongest!"
Puffing out her chest, Yoo Mia looked incredibly proud. "Of course he is, he's my brother!"
Well, Kim Dokja had to agree with her (even if the two kids at his side looked like they wanted to protest). Just looking at Yoo Joonghyuk should be enough to tell anyone that he was no ordinary person.
"A pro gamer?" Lee Hyunsung wondered aloud, glancing over inquisitively. "I remember Dokja-ssi mentioning that briefly when you met on the bridge… Was that your job before the apocalypse?"
Yoo Joonghyuk nodded once. "I was in esports, but it feels like it was so long ago now."
That made sense, it was quite literally in a different lifetime. The current Yoo Joonghyuk had lived more time as a survivor of the apocalypse than he had ever spent in front of a console or PC. Plus, Kim Dokja couldn't help but feel that the protagonist's good looks were wasted in a job like that.
[The constellation 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' thinks that games are cool.]
Well, they were cool so long as you weren't stuck on the QA team and working far too much overtime, at least.
"With a face like that, I'm surprised you didn't get scouted as an actor or something," Han Sooyoung muttered. "Handsome bastard."
Though he hated to agree with Han Sooyoung on anything, she was absolutely right. If Yoo Joonghyuk didn't have the fatal flaw of being completely and utterly tone deaf (and oh, Kim Dokja had been surprised to learn that while reading TWSA), he would have fit right in in an idol group as well.
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' emphatically agrees that the incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk' is good-looking.]
"Does my former job really matter that much?" Yoo Joonghyuk wondered as he looked at everyone around him judgmentally. "Focus on survival instead."
"Well, not really," Kim Dokja admitted, but shot him a gentle smile anyway, "but we're just curious, Joonghyuk-ah. Humour us?"
Yoo Joonghyuk looked like he wanted to say something for a moment, but sighed and shook his head as he turned back to the screen. "Do whatever you want."
Joonghyuk once again asks if he wants to say something, clearly frustrated that he was ignored the first time, but Dokja just states that he's admiring Joonghyuk's ugly mug.
「He is as determined as I remember him to be.」
This annoys Dokja, and he can't help but be even more annoyed because behind the protagonist, Jihye makes increasingly uglier faces in a poor attempt at intimidation.
「But he's starting to get on my nerves. Should I kill him?」
Joonghyuk's gaze is intense and fierce—the kind that would make lesser people fall to their knees in supplication. It's a bit too much, so Dokja pastes a fake smile on his face and tries to laugh it off.
"I'm joking."
[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' is disappointed in you.]
As Heewon finally wakes up in the company of Gilyoung, Hyunsung, and Sangah, the conversation between Dokja and Joonghyuk continues as the protagonist notes that Dokja has more companions.
[Yoo Joonghyuk is a little disappointed in you.]
This pop up confuses Dokja. Why would that be?
[Yoo Joonghyuk has activated the skill 'Eye of the Sage lvl. 8'!]
His right eye glows gold as he scans Hyunsung's information, and what he sees doesn't impress him.
「I left Hyunsung with him, but look how weak he is. How disappointing.」
Dokja does agree with Yoo Junghyuk's thought, noting that Hyunsung would have been stronger if he was accompanying the protagonist instead. Dokja's just an ordinary reader lucky to know the future in comparison. Joonghyuk's gaze shifts slightly from Hyunsung to someone else, and a subtle look of surprise washes over him as his eyes widen.
「What is that? How has he…?」
This really catches Dokja's attention, causing him to look over at his party, all standing together, in an attempt to gauge who has surprised Joonghyuk that much. Unfortunately, he has no idea, but he suspects that Joonghyuk has noticed the [Judge of Evil]. He can't even ask because then Joonghyuk will know that Dokja can read his thoughts.
Yoo Sangah glanced over at Jung Heewon, and then turned to look at Yoo Joonghyuk slightly nervously. "Out of the two of us, who were you looking at?"
It made sense why she was so anxious—could he have seen whatever she was contracted to keep a secret?
"Neither of you," Yoo Joonghyuk said firmly. "I was looking at the child."
At Lee Gilyoung? Actually, thinking back, Kim Dokja did remember the protagonist trying to recruit him…
[Some constellations are curious about what the incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk' saw.]
Honestly, Kim Dokja was curious too, especially since he couldn't see the boy's profile himself. Just what kind of ability or potential did he have that made the protagonist try to convince him to come along? Yoo Joonghyuk wasn't the kind of person who would let anyone less than exceptional tag along with him.
"And I already told you, I won't go with you, sooty bastard," Lee Gilyoung grumbled, shooting him a glare and clutching onto Dokja with everything he had.
Honestly, he was squeezing a bit tightly, and Shin Yoosung seemed to take it as a competition to hold on even tighter. Kim Dokja wanted to groan, but tried his best to hold it back for their sake. Still, it was starting to hurt.
"What the hell are you looking at?" Heewon bluntly states while shooting a glare at Joonghyuk, to Dokja's elation. He's so impressed that she's willing to stand up to the imposing man that he even does a small first pump.
「Should I kill–」
At that thought, Dokja immediately cuts him off to ask about why he's left the Landlord Coalition alone. Joonghyuk shoots back that a real prophet would know, while Dokja just states prophets don't know everything.
Joonghyuk, in typical fashion, uses lie detection, and Dokja just gets irritated by how meticulous the man is as the skill determines that his statement was the truth. Joonghyuk proceeds to use this opportunity to assume that Dokja's [Future Vision] skill must be low level.
Understanding that out of the Coalition, only Pildu is useful in the future, Dokja asks why Joonghyuk's just letting them run rampant. He knows full well that it's not Joonghyuk's style to let things get this chaotic.
「... How annoying.」 Joonghyuk thinks as he turns away from Dokja with an unreadable expression.
What?
"I'm a busy man. You'll never understand," Joonghyuk says as he begins to walk away. Dokja calls out that this isn't a problem that can just be ignored, for the sake of everyone at Chungmuro, but Joonghyuk doesn't care and shoots Dokja with a harsh look over his shoulder. "It doesn't concern me."
These words anger Dokja and he clenches his fist in frustration. "Can I punch you just this once?"
"Do you really have the confidence to?" Joonghyuk replies as a fiery orange aura begins to envelop him.
[The character 'Yoo Joonghyuk' has activated the skill 'Tiger God Aura lvl. 5'.]
Instantly, Dokja backs down in annoyance as Joonghyuk and Jihye turn and walk away.
[Many constellations are impressed by the high-level skills possessed by the incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk'.]
"Well," Kim Dokja said lightly, shooting a wry smile at the protagonist, "I guess I did get that punch in eventually."
[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' raises a brow at the flippant remark.]
Yoo Joonghyuk froze up and then shot him a dark glare. "Kim Dokja, I will pay you back for that."
Oh. Shit.
Kim Dokja was definitely going to get pummelled into the ground as soon as they left this scenario. Forget any progress they had made towards civility—he really shouldn't have said anything.
"Don't worry ahjussi," Lee Jihye said sagely, reaching over Lee Gilyoung's head to place a hand on Kim Dokja's shoulder. "I'm sure that Master won't go too hard on you."
And what exactly was that supposed to mean?
"I doubt it," Kim Dokja muttered. He appreciated her attempt at comforting him, he really did, but it was Yoo Joonghyuk. Kim Dokja would be lucky if he wasn't half-dead (or actually very dead) by the end of it.
"You'll probably still be able to walk by the time he's done."
Huh??
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is choking.]
Kim Dokja's face paled considerably, and Han Sooyoung wheezed in the background. Even Yoo Sangah seemed to be amused for an unknown reason.
This was no laughing matter! Was Lee Jihye implying that Yoo Joonghyuk would nearly break his legs just so he can't get away from the return hit!?
When there's only an hour and a half before the activation of the next scenario, Dokja looks at the window and begins to muse about how the scenario will last a week. Still, he knows that Joonghyuk clearly has a goal during this time.
[The constellation 'Bald Leader of the Peasant's Army' is angered by the suffering of the common people.]
[The constellation 'Bald Leader of the Peasant's Army' is calling for a people's revolution.]
Dokja remains lost in his thoughts of interrupting Joonghyuk's plans until a new window comes into view.
[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' is wondering what you're thinking.]
"Yoo Joonghyuk, that son of a bitch," Dokja says out loud, pleasing Sun Wukong.
Heewon then walks over and begins to tease Dokja about being scared when talking to Joonghyuk. Dokja denies her claims with a nervous laugh, and he hurries to change the subject back to the Coalition suspiciously quickly.
I didn't change the subject because I was scared. Gong Pildu is more of a problem right now than Yoo Joonghyuk. In order to complete the third scenario, we need Gong Pildu's help, but if he won't help us…
"Sure you weren't," Yoo Mia mocked, grinning in Kim Dokja's direction. "Hmph, my oppa could beat you any day, ugly ahjussi."
Oh, Kim Dokja was absolutely aware of that fact, but still—that wasn't the point.
"I'm not scared of him," Kim Dokja groaned. "There were just more important things to worry about—like Gong Pildu."
He heard a snort and, sure enough, it was Han Sooyoung. Her expression looked like she was trying to mentally call his bullshit without activating a skill like [Lie Detection] to prove it. Whatever, he wasn't going to pay attention to her right now.
Shin Yoosung glanced up at him with a frown. "Was there really no other way, ahjussi? That Gong Pildu guy seems really mean, why did you have to work with him?"
Kim Dokja patted her head gently. "Don't worry, Yoosung-ah, we just needed to use his skills."
[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' remembers what happened and begins tearing out his hair in excitement.]
Ah yes, good memories. Shin Yoosung thankfully seemed to calm down a bit at the indirect message, and everyone was able to peacefully return to watching the screen.
Heewon is immediately ready to kick ass when she hears about the rental of the Green Zones and their exorbitant prices. Dokja stops her from running off on her own to probably commit murder, but she attempts to activate [Time of Judgement] anyway. However, the constellations of absolute good remain silent, confusing Heewon and making her think the skill is broken.
[Time of Judgement], an exclusive skill that belongs to the [Judge of Evil], is an all-powerful buff skill that is ridiculously overpowered. But the catch is, it only works when the intended target is 'Evil'.
This confuses Heewon and leads into a discussion of human morality versus constellation morality, where landlords were clearly a grey zone.
"Justice, in most cases, is just something that is agreed upon by the majority," Dokja states, to Heewon's displeasure. Dokja then uplifts the mood by saying there is a way to defeat him, which is to lure him out of his [Militarized Zone]. This endeavour won't be easy, considering the turrets, the preparations Pildu has made (including food, blankets, and even a chamber pot), and the fact that he has the largest Room. Unfortunately, since Heewon was unconscious when it was explained, she doesn't understand the concept of a Room.
[1 hour remaining until the third scenario is activated.]
Heewon's question is answered when a man nearby yells at someone else in an attempt to defend his one person Green Zone, and Dokja tells them that they should find a room before worrying about Pildu.
[Well, well! Let's begin the third day of the main scenario, shall we?] Bihyung calls out in a joyful voice as he materialises. Looking towards Dokja's group he continues, [I see some new faces here today. Aren't you all excited? Hahaha!]
Bihyung snaps his fingers and the window displaying the clear conditions for the next main scenario appear before them.
Jung Heewon glanced up at the starry ceiling. "Hey, I'd bet that even you so-called absolute good constellations can't all agree on what's good or evil all the time, so why should I have to rely on your judgement for it?"
Well, that was probably because [Time of Judgement] would become ridiculously OP if she could just use it on anyone she wanted to. It could only be that powerful against beings labelled as 'Evil' because of that restriction.
[The constellations of the absolute good alignment are watching the incarnation 'Jung Heewon' with narrowed eyes.]
She held the glare for a moment longer before dropping it with a sigh, a frown clear on her face.
"For what it's worth," Yoo Sangah began gently, "I agree with Dokja-ssi that what is considered just can be subjective, but I also understand why you're so frustrated. You're a truly good person with strong morals, Heewon-ssi. You don't want to ever stand by and witness any injustices happening before your eyes."
Yoo Joonghyuk nodded once. "It is easy to get overwhelmed with that kind of mindset in a world like ours. Be careful."
Ah, how protagonist-like of him. He just had to come in with a cool piece of advice like that.
Lee Hyunsung seemed to agree with Yoo Joonghyuk's words as well. "Yes, take care of yourself, Heewon-ssi! We'll help you in any way we can!"
Kim Dokja had to smile. Team bonding was always good to see, and it was a nice and quick distraction for everyone before they had to continue watching the chaos of Chungmuro's nighttime scenario.
[The constellation 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' just wants some real action already.]
And he would have it. Maybe too much of it, if Kim Dokja had to be honest. He was not looking forward to watching how they handled the scenario, especially because there were certain parts of that night that he would rather not remember at all.