[many constellations are eager to see how the scenario unfolds.]
Kim Dokja wasn't. He knew how this would go, and the dread was beginning to mount again despite all his efforts to stay calm.
"Hyung, you're a better sooty bastard than the actual sooty bastard," Lee Gilyoung said, and Kim Dokja honestly wasn't sure how to take that. Was it a compliment for him, or was it just a thinly veiled insult to Yoo Joonghyuk?
Still, he couldn't agree. Kim Dokja could never even come close to being the kind of man that Yoo Joonghyuk effortlessly was. Protagonist halo, and all that. Instead of replying, he just shook his head and ruffled Lee Gilyoung's hair. The kid would come to understand just how cool Yoo Joonghyuk actually was with time.
'Right now there are two things I want to know. One is whether Lee Sungkook also has a 'text file' like I do, and the other is exactly how many other 'prophets' like him exist. If I could add a third, it would be to find out if he can also use skills like mine.'
As Dokja wonders this, he thinks that the third option is unlikely due to the use of [Attribute Search], which he also takes as an assumption that they don't have the novel file. When he realises that Sungkook has been staring at his phone screen, Dokja narrows his eyes.
Quickly investing coins into Agility, Dokja zooms up behind him to question what he's looking at. His speed shocks the others and his question scares Sungkook, who immediately moves his phone away to hide what he's been reading.
Dokja, having briefly seen the screen, realises that it's a group chat and that the internet connection must be coming from Dongmyo's representative. Sungkook takes this opportunity to distract him by leading him right up to the tent.
"They have access to the internet!?" Lee Jihye exclaimed in jealous shock. "That's not fair!"
Considering how they maintained the connection, it definitely wasn't fair. Poor Han Donghoon had been severely sleep deprived, since they needed him to stay awake to maintain the internet connection.
Jung Heewon sighed. "They have internet access in the apocalypse, and they use it for something like that. What a waste."
Yoo Sangah, however, focused on what Kim Dokja had thought. "Sooyoung-ssi mentioned that she doesn't have a text file, so presumably these people don't either."
She got it in one. Yoo Sangah really was intelligent, and it showed.
"I would kill to have skills as useful as yours," Han Sooyoung griped, almost pouting at Kim Dokja. Sure, the [Avatar] skill was useful, but it was true that [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint] was even more useful in specific situations.
Too bad for her; she should have read the whole novel.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is picking his nose.]
Sure, it wasn't the most interesting of parts, but did the great sage really have to announce that?
Before Dokja heads into the tent, Heewon's attention is captured by voices coming from the side. This leads her to notice that weaker members of the station's group are being forced to butcher monster carcasses under the watchful eyes of the strong. Naturally, Heewon is angered by this, but Dokja tells her not to act rashly.
"About that guy," Dokja whispers in her ear, referring to Ilhun, "make sure to put him in his place later, okay?"
They both look back at Ilhun on Hyunsung's back before Heewon drops to one knee, akin to the knights of old.
"Yes, Sir Joonghyuk! I will do as you command!" She's clearly playing up the act, and Dokja internally remarks that she's enjoying this. Behind her, Hyunsung—the confused puppy that he is—copies her automatically, much to Dokja's chagrin.
"Did you really have to do that, Heewon-ssi?" Kim Dokja asked in exasperation, shooting her a tired glance. Jung Heewon just grinned widely.
"Why of course I did, it was all part of the ruse!"
Yeah, but it was so overdramatic that it just looked even more forced. Poor Lee Hyunsung had even followed along, and Kim Dokja wasn't sure if that had added or detracted from his credibility.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is laughing at the incarnations.]
Also, the real Yoo Joonghyuk wouldn't have put up with something like that either. Jung Heewon probably would have found herself on the receiving end of one of his harshest glares, though the woman seemed to be remarkably resistant to them, somehow.
Lee Hyunsung smiled shakily. "At least we kept an eye on that guy, like you asked…?"
Well, at least Lee Hyunsung managed to stay out of trouble the whole time, Kim Dokja mused as he shot the other man a grateful smile.
As Dokja enters the tent to the sound of a clackity keyboard, his narration begins once more.
The King in Dongmyo Station. A boy who was chosen as one of the 7 Kings in Seoul and would soon be known as the 'Hermit King of Shadows'.
Dokja looks up and notices that Dongmyo's indigo flag sits in the representative's lap as [Character List] activates.
[Name: Han Donghoon
Age: 17
Constellation Sponsor: Shadow Behind the Curtain
Personal Attributes: Noble Hermit Shut-in (Heroic)
Exclusive Skills: Wide-Area Internet lv. 5, Comment Manipulation lvl. 3, Keyboard War lvl. 3, Frugal Eater lvl. 6, Block Soundwaves lvl. 2, Overclock lvl. 4…
Stigma: Lack of Presence lvl. 2
Overall Stats: Strength lvl. 10, Stamina lvl. 10, Agility lvl. 19, Mana lvl. 26.
Overall Evaluation: This character is a hermit at the peak of all others with the hermit type Attribute. Through his 'Wide-area Internet' skill, it is possible to set up a virtual LAN line on a device through the dokkaebi channel network.
He has the unique ability to shape public opinion, but his mental state is fragile due to a current lack of mind barriers. His sponsor is very dissatisfied with his incarnation's present condition.
*Currently, this character is under strong hypnosis.]
'It was thanks to Han Donghoon that these guys can talk to each other,' Dokja thinks even as he's confused by the presence of a bed in the tent.
After the scenarios began, communication lines throughout Seoul were jammed thanks to the dokkaebis and their channels. Of course, that means people outside the city don't know about Seoul's current state.
"Hypnosis!?" Yoo Sangah hissed, eyes narrowing. "Those damned prophets…"
Yoo Mia's eyes widened and she looked over at Kim Dokja in shock. "They're forcing him to keep using his internet skill? Is that how they have internet access?"
Kim Dokja nodded reluctantly. Han Donghoon really didn't deserve that, no matter how useful his skill was to anyone. He was also, quite literally, the only person capable of connecting to anyone outside of Seoul. If he didn't give you permission to use his connection, you wouldn't have it—hence why he had to be hypnotized.
"Don't worry, I made sure he broke free of the hypnosis," Kim Dokja reassured her, and thankfully Yoo Mia seemed to relax a bit after that.
She was oddly concerned and invested in Han Donghoon, for some reason, and Kim Dokja wondered why that could be the case. Did he remind her of her own brother somehow? Kim Dokja paused that thought and shook his head. That couldn't be possible. Yoo Joonghyuk, an internet-addicted shut-in constantly on the verge of a breakdown? It was almost laughable. Maybe it was just that he looked somewhat similar to a younger Yoo Joonghyuk?
[the constellation 'shadow behind the curtain' is furious at the mistreatment of his incarnation.]
Whatever the case, Kim Dokja just had to be satisfied that he had improved the younger boy's situation eventually.
As Dokja narrates, a forum chat appears on the screen before Donghoon uses [Comment Manipulation] to spread word of 'The Prophets'. He is interrupted by Sungkook introducing 'Joonghyuk' to him as an important guest. Poor Donghoon shyly says hello before nervously biting his nails, and Dokja notices the large bags under his eyes. Internally, Dokja remarks that he seems worse off than was stated in the novel, despite having social anxiety.
As Sungkook tries to leave, Dokja calls him out. "Are you messing with me right now? That's your 'representative'? You're making a puppet sit down and talk to me?"
The terrifying look on Dokja's face has Sungkook literally shaking in his boots as Dokja accuses him of being the true representative. Sungkook proceeds to relent and admit that he brought 'Joonghyuk' here to talk privately due to the [Block Soundwaves] skill being used on the tent.
"Sir Yoo Joonghyuk, what I'm about to say will be very important for all of us. I am… a 'Prophet'. One of the prophets, to be exact." This statement, said with the utmost sincerity, makes Dokja excited to finally gain the needed information. As Sungkook goes on to idolise the [Regression] Stigma, seemingly seeing none of the glaringly apparent downsides as he calls it a miracle, Dokja hopes that the filtering does its work.
"A 'miracle'," Yoo Joonghyuk scoffed, "don't make me laugh."
It made sense that the regressor was so angry, hearing that. Considering all the suffering that stigma had caused him already, and would continue to cause him in the future, Yoo Joonghyuk probably felt incredibly offended by them treating it as a good thing. Honestly, Kim Dokja was far more merciful than the man himself would have been. If the real Yoo Joonghyuk had heard those words, Lee Sungkook would have lost his head before he even realized the protagonist's sword had been drawn.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is scowling at the incarnation 'Lee Sungkook'.]
Huh, Kim Dokja would have thought that Secretive Plotter would have admired Lee Sungkook's ruse with a false representative, but apparently not. Was it not a good enough plan for the constellation, or something? He had surprisingly high standards, even though he seemed to praise Kim Dokja's own half-baked plans more often than not.
Maybe he just thought Kim Dokja was interesting in the same way someone watched a tropical fish swim around in an aquarium, trapped by its circumstances.
"That's… incredibly insensitive," Han Sooyoung remarked, in an odd display of empathy. It was even more ironic, considering just who she was. Had she ever considered that maybe this wouldn't have happened at all if she hadn't gotten three minutes into the apocalypse and decided to start a cult?
An image of Joonghyuk standing before more blood-covered gears appears on the screen as Sungkook spouts words of praise for Joonghyuk's noble spirit and acknowledges his difficulties during past regressions. Unfortunately, Dokja is the one hearing this and not Joonghyuk, but Dokja thinks that this might have impressed the regressor.
Sungkook goes on to praise 'The Prophets', claiming that they were given a revelation 10 years prior solely for the purpose of aiding Joonghyuk. While Dokja is clearly not buying this bullshit, his attention is captured by Sungkook mentioning a book of revelations that tells of Joonghyuk's past, present, and future. Sungkook claims that Hyunsung was a known companion, and brings up Namwoon and Jihye as his allies as well.
Dokja interrupts him to ask the location of the book, but Sungkook replies that it's been damaged and can't be retrieved. Still, in an attempt to prove his worthiness, he claims that each of the prophets know fragments of the book and will work together to guide 'Joonghyuk' through this regression. Dokja keeps a straight face at this and closes his eyes as he sighs and asks what their plans are.
I can't believe he made up this setting in such a short time. He should try being a writer.
Yoo Joonghyuk shot Kim Dokja with a scathing glare. "I am certainly not impressed."
Yeah, Kim Dokja could clearly see that now. Apparently, not even the excessive praise was enough to erase what the man had said earlier.
Lee Hyunsung's eyes widened. "They really did read the book then."
Kim Dokja nodded, but felt his blood run cold when Lee Hyunsung asked his next question.
"Wait, since Sooyoung-ssi read the book too, doesn't that mean she's one of The Prophets?"
"Hah!?" Han Sooyoung exclaimed, turning to the lieutenant with a bewildered expression. She was clearly trying to play it cool, but Kim Dokja could tell that she was beginning to panic.
It made sense—she was currently backed into a corner. If she told the truth and admitted to being a prophet, not even to being the First Apostle, then Yoo Sangah and potentially the rest of the group would be furious with her. If she lied and said that she wasn't, then it would come back to bite her in the ass later as soon as her identity was revealed.
As though she was following his thoughts, Han Sooyoung shot Kim Dokja a pleading look. Apparently, she wanted him to toss her a line or something.
Well, that would be nice and all, but she had thrown him under the bus on several occasions already, so Kim Dokja just smiled fakely and shrugged his shoulders. As though a realization had dawned on him, Lee Hyunsung's expression slowly dropped into one of horror as he finally figured out what his seemingly-innocent question had caused.
"You fucking, scheming, rat bastard of a man—" Han Sooyoung hissed, hands balling into fists like she wanted to sock him in the face.
[some constellations are confused by the current situation.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is encouraging the incarnation 'han sooyoung' to use better insults.]
Wow, just wow.
After some more grumbling, Han Sooyoung sighed. "Fucking fine, whatever. I guess I'd count as one of the prophets, but I'm not in the same league as that fucking loser."
Ah, so she went with the first option.
Yoo Sangah's head whipped around as her lips curved into a grimace, and she seemed to be struggling with coming to terms with that. Still, she showed remarkable restraint, and wasn't lunging for Han Sooyoung's neck. It was, however, incredibly obvious that she was furious, and that was an expression that Kim Dokja had never expected to see on the typically demure Yoo Sangah's face.
"Um… I don't really know what all of this means," Shin Yoosung muttered quietly, glancing anxiously at the two women, "but if ahjumma is really dangerous, why did the weird messages make it seem like she wanted to show us this information?"
That was a really good point. If a Han Sooyoung from a potential future really had a hand in this strange hidden scenario, then maybe she was already more than aware of what would happen. In that case, did it mean that she was either so relevant to their situation and future that she had to be present, or did it mean that everyone was aware of her identity in the future and was okay with it?
"Sooyoung-ssi," Yoo Sangah said quietly and harshly, "I don't know if I can trust you anymore until you prove that you're someone who won't betray us, but please understand that I'm only holding myself back for Dokja-ssi's sake. Right now, you're the only one here who can communicate with whatever is controlling this scenario, and you're the only other person who has read the novel. I don't know if Dokja-ssi will need you around to confirm anything, or if killing you would cause this space to collapse entirely."
She raised her head, amber eyes almost glowing with barely suppressed fury as Yoo Sangah nearly snarled. "Just know that if you take one step out of line, I will deal with you myself."
[a constellation who likes deadly women is fanning themself.]
Han Sooyoung barely acknowledged her with a glance, but slumped forward and rested her elbow on her knee as she stared intently back at the screen. Kim Dokja, wisely, chose to leave it be. The situation could—and likely would—still get worse, but it was best if the rest of Yoo Sangah's fury was delayed.
Outside the tent, Heewon and Hyunsung are discussing something quietly when a man with a sword notices them and questions their identity. It's obvious that he's suspicious of them, and approaches with a snarl on his lips as he asks who let them loiter there.
Back in the tent ,Sungkook says they'll have an alliance—albeit in name only—since they will be under 'Joonghyuk's' command. It's an interesting offer, but it's not good enough.
So, you want to ride on the protagonist's coattails.
"How do you expect me to form an alliance with complete strangers?" Dokja asks before demanding that they tell him who they really are. Outside, Heewon tells the unknown man that he can't start a fight with them in a derogatory tone. She's not about to take any bullshit from anyone.
As Sungkook trips over his words, trying to understand what Dokja means, Dokja casually takes a seat on the bed.
"Kneel," Dokja commands, crossing his right leg over his left and schooling his expression into one of someone looking down upon an inferior being.
Dokja looks up at Sungkook in a way that, in a different context, may seem even more sexy. He does his best to channel all of Joonghyuk's ferocity and fury in both his expression and tone, even if the regressor likely wouldn't have sat as casually as Dokja currently is.
Rather than Joonghyuk's terrifying and imposing aura that makes it clear that he's the strongest, Dokja resembles more of a scheming empress from a court drama who has finally succeeded in cornering her opponents through trickery and wit. He sits like royalty who knows they are owed supplication and waits for the pitiful rabble to follow his instructions.
"Kneel before me, and tell me all your attributes."
Still, the intimidation factor is very much there, and it's working.
He must be very confused right now, and this is what he's probably thinking: 'Yoo Joonghyuk can already see my attributes through [Eye of the Sage], so why is he asking me to tell him something he already knows? Is this a test?'
Valuing his life, Sungkook quickly gets to his knees and reveals that his attribute is [Hypnotist].
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is choking.]
[a constellation who likes harems is impressed and applauding.]
"Oh wow, ahjussi, I didn't know you had it in you!" Lee Jihye laughed, probably trying to lighten the mood somewhat after what had happened earlier. It wasn't a great attempt or anything, but Kim Dokja would allow it for now.
Han Sooyoung was oddly silent on the matter, considering there was an opportunity to make fun of Kim Dokja, but it was probably for the best. Yoo Sangah would probably take any comment about Kim Dokja as a provocation, considering how wound up she was right now.
Yoo Joonghyuk, however, was oddly the one who spoke up instead. "I would not act like that."
He didn't have to sound so scandalized…
Kim Dokja sighed. "I realize that, Joonghyuk-ah. I just went with what felt right at the time."
"Well it was wrong," Yoo Joonghyuk muttered in irritation, glancing away with reddened ears. Kim Dokja had to roll his eyes. Yoo Joonghyuk would have been able to beat the man into the ground to establish his superiority, but Kim Dokja didn't have the skills for that. He had to use his silver tongue instead, and it worked well enough for him.
Still, Kim Dokja couldn't help but wonder what Yoo Joonghyuk would look like if he used that strategy, no matter how unlikely of a situation that would be.
"Kneel," Yoo Joonghyuk would say, his tone firm and commanding with no room for disobedience. His voice alone would be enough to send shivers down the spine and entice anyone to listen for further instructions, captivated by its husky timbre.
His dark eyes would narrow as his gaze struck fear and awe into the very soul of whoever was unlucky enough to stand before him, and his expression wouldn't betray his intentions. Yoo Joonghyuk would be as beautiful as he was fearsome—regal and handsome and dangerous.
Though he would not yet be a 'King', it would be obvious that he would make whatever he sat upon his throne just by gracing it with his presence. Then, his hand would flex—as though tempted to reach for his sword—and it would only draw attention to the way his coat couldn't hide the presence of his impressive muscles. Perhaps he would stand and place the tip of his sword against a pale neck—an unspoken threat.
Yoo Joonghyuk would stare at Kim Dokja, then, like he wasn't even worthy of cleaning the dust from his boots, and—
Hm. Well.
Kim Dokja blinked away that thought, whatever it was, with no small amount of bewilderment. He had no idea where that had come from, but he was shoving it right back into a box and setting it aside to unpack later. Or maybe never.
Probably never.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is amused by the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Oh, so this plot was okay with him, but the representative switch wasn't? Just what kind of standards was the Secretive Plotter using here?
Internally, Kim Dokja thanked the Secretive Plotter for getting his mind back on track.
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is toasting to the audacity of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
[a constellation who likes to change genders is looking appreciatively.]
Seriously? It didn't matter what that constellation thought—he would not look better as a woman!
Just as I thought—he's probably the one who had used [Suggestion] on Kang Ilhun.
Dokja continues pressing for more information, making Sungkook reveal more than he intended with a defeated voice. "I-I'm the ninth….. The ninth… renouncer."
This catches Dokja's attention once more, causing him to wonder how many readers there are. Dokja continues to suspiciously inquire about the meaning of 'renouncer' in this context.
Sungkook, clearly embarrassed, hesitantly speaks up with a flustered expression. "I-it's for the ones who gave up on the novel- I-I mean, the book… of revelations… it's the order for when we had stopped… reading the revelations!"
"You stopped reading? Why would you do that?" Dokja pesters, pressing for as much information he could get.
"Because the contents of the revelations were so large… complex… and profound…" Sungkook flounders. Dokja is unimpressed, internally mocking his excuse as he calls Sungkook out for dropping it early. Clearly, since he was the ninth person to stop reading, any information he has won't be helpful.
Holding his phone out, Sungkook makes a desperate plea and states that he can still help, prompting Dokja to ask about the phone. Panicked, Sungkook grasps at straws for a reply and blurts out that he has a phone addiction.
"Wow, that's a dumb excuse," Lee Gilyoung said bluntly. "He's pretty stupid."
Kim Dokja wouldn't be able to defend the prophet even if he wanted to, which he didn't. It wasn't a strong excuse at all.
Shin Yoosung sighed. "Ahjussi, he's so much lamer than you."
Kim Dokja patted her on the head for that one. Sure, TWSA wasn't a book that was for everyone, but it wasn't that complicated to understand!
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is laughing.]
"He really wouldn't have had much important information at all, would he?" Jung Heewon muttered with a roll of her eyes. "Especially not when compared to you, Dokja-ssi."
Well, that was the truth. When it came to knowledge of TWSA, the only person in the world who could say they knew more than him was the author themself. What he wouldn't give for access to tls123's planning notes…
"Aren't you glad you have me, then?" Kim Dokja replied with a sly smile, and Jung Heewon smiled back with a huffed laugh.
Back outside, the man is getting riled up by Heewon's dismissal, and grabs onto his sword. "Are you picking a fight with me when you're not even in the supporting cast?!"
"I haven't given a damn about you for a while now, fucker," Heewon says casually and dismissively as she sticks a pinky in her ear.
Inside the tent, Dokja and Sungkook are disrupted by a loud crash. Dokja wonders if it's a sub scenario, and they open the tent flap to reveal Heewon in the air, poised to land a devastating attack on the man.
"You heard right, asshole," she snarls, swinging her sword with a devastatingly cold expression on her face.
"Ah, right," Jung Heewon deadpanned. "Forgot about that."
Well… at least the situation had been resolved without any bloodshed, somehow.
Lee Jihye turned to Jung Heewon with an eager expression. "Unnie, that's so badass!"
Jung Heewon laughed awkwardly and shrugged. "I guess? The guy was a bit of an asshole at the start, but at least he ended up helping us eventually."
Not entirely willingly on the prophets' part, but still.
[several constellations are hoping for a cool fight.]
[a few constellations wish to see the use of diplomacy to resolve this situation.]