[many constellations anticipate seeing more thrilling scenarios.]
Kim Dokja shifted slightly as he got more comfortable, taking a deep breath as he looked up at the screen. This segment shouldn't be anywhere near as awful as the previous ones had been, if Kim Dokja was lucky.
A cell phone displaying TWSA's full title slowly twirls in front of a black, digital background as Dokja's thoughts begin to be narrated. 'All the people who read TWSA and became renouncers know what the 'future' of this world holds, but Lee Sungkook's future only covers the novel's initial parts, near the prologue.'
The scene shifts to show Dokja, who still looks surprised, and Sungkook, who is still trying to figure out where he knows Jiwon from. Dokja hypothesizes that the moment the scenarios progress past what a renouncer knows, they become a character. Dokja begins to worry about whether he will also become a character, but is brought out of his thoughts by a baffling pop-up.
[The character 'Min Jiwon' is slightly attracted to you.]
Upon looking at this message, Dokja's eyes go blank and he looks faintly disgusted by this information in a way that is not very heterosexual of him before suddenly snapping out of it and shoving Sungkook out of his way to look towards Jiwon in shock. He thinks she looks more angry than anything before he remembers something from TWSA.
"You thought of that theory that early?" Jung Heewon asked curiously. "Honestly, I would have thought that you would have been too busy to wonder about stuff like that."
Kim Dokja hummed. "It was a bit too shocking to put off, I think. I panicked, obviously."
"No shit," Han Sooyoung scoffed. They could understand in a way no one else could, being the only readers in the room. Before anyone could say anything, though, Kim Dokja nodded once and sighed as he decided to voice his thoughts a bit.
"It's not that being a 'character' is a bad thing either, it's just that I can't think of myself that way," he said quietly. "I'm a reader. That's my whole identity, I guess. If that went away, what do I have left?"
It left a sickening feeling in his stomach that felt a bit like existential dread.
"I'm meant to watch passively from afar, not participate in the action," Kim Dokja muttered as his gaze began to cloud over.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' frowns sadly.]
Lee Jihye stared at him for a moment. "Ahjussi, sorry, but that's bullshit."
Huh? What?
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is snickering.]
"You involved yourself right from the start, so don't even try saying you're not meant to be here," she stated confidently, shooting Kim Dokja with a stern glare.
That… she had a point, he supposed. He had already changed things and involved himself, so he was no longer just a passive observer.
Yoo Joonghyuk crossed his arms over his chest. "You said you would get me to the end of the scenarios. Don't go backing out now."
Right. Yeah, he had said that in a moment of impassioned insanity. And on the bridge in the second scenario. Kim Dokja really didn't have a leg to stand on here, did he?
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is amused by the reaction of the incarnation 'kim dokja' to the incarnation 'min jiwon'.]
Han Sooyoung clapped both hands over her mouth as she desperately tried to hold in a laugh upon seeing Kim Dokja's exasperated reaction to Min Jiwon's attraction to him. Kim Dokja could only sigh and shake his head.
Didn't the King of Beauty have better priorities than love?
Jung Heewon glanced over at Kim Dokja in disbelief for a second. "Dokja-ssi, tell me. Why were you making a disgusted face like that?"
"Who has time for romance in the apocalypse?" Kim Dokja retorted with a wave of his hand. He could feel Yoo Joonghyuk's stare on the back of his head, and he'd like to think that it was somewhat approving. After all, he was basically quoting the protagonist from multiple regressions there.
The scene abruptly is taken over by a page turning to reveal an 80's style shoujo manga page, covered in sparkles and outlined with flowers, where Joonghyuk is holding Jiwon by the sash on her robe. He looks like the ideal love interest of the era, with his classic handsomeness and his outwardly rough demeanour. Dokja remembers that Jiwon developed feelings for Joonghyuk in his 11th regression after their first meeting, where he grabbed her by the collar. The page flips to show Jiwon, still incredibly stylized with a heart in her hair, watching Joonghyuk longingly from a distance while reminiscing that he was the first to ever treat her that roughly.
Another page turns as it returns to the present, where Dokja mentally remarks that he didn't manhandle her.
This ominous feeling I just got is probably wrong…
The scene slowly zooms in on Jiwon, who is blushing behind the sleeve she has brought up to cover half of her face, a hint of stalkerish obsession in her eyes.
Right…?
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is gasping in horror.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is wheezing.]
[the constellation 'lady of the sleeping brocade' is hiding her face in shame.]
Han Sooyoung and Jung Heewon didn't hold back their laughs one bit, and they were so loud that Kim Dokja had actually flinched as soon as they started.
"Who does she think she is!?" Lee Jihye asked in shock. "She's not good enough for Master!"
Yoo Mia vehemently agreed with the older girl, glaring at the screen as she did. "My oppa deserves so much better!"
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is groaning and pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation.]
Kim Dokja stared at the screen in disbelief at the sheer amount of stylization that had suddenly changed the entire genre. What the fuck? Since when were there flowers there? And the sparkles?
Also, Yoo Joonghyuk didn't look like that!
"Oh my god," Han Sooyoung wheezed, "she has a thing for being manhandled and you activated it!"
Yoo Joonghyuk looked like he had eaten several lemons, considering how thunderous his expression was. He looked the exact opposite of impressed, and he was openly glaring at Min Jiwon's fantasy.
"This is ridiculous."
Kim Dokja had to agree, it was utterly ridiculous. Sure, Yoo Joonghyuk did have the muscles befitting a protagonist, and he could absolutely pick up a person's entire body weight with ease, but how would just grabbing her collar be enough to awaken her kink? No, it just wasn't realistic. Kim Dokja wouldn't accept it.
Now, if Yoo Joonghyuk had picked her up with a single hand, then she could talk.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is nodding in agreement with the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
After that, the scene fades to black. When the next scene appears, instead of Dokja's voice providing the narration, it's Joonghyuk.
As he neared the entrance to the National Palace Museum, his heart began to pound.
The entrance to the museum is shown, a mix of modern and historic, as leaves dramatically blow past.
Most of the relics lying inside were trash. However, one of them was real. The
A spotlight comes on above the sword, which only highlights the constellation-like patterns adorning the blade.
The most powerful SSSSS-Class item in Gwanghwamun was hidden at that very place!
The last line changed from being Joonghyuk's solemn voice into that of an overdramatic Minseob and Sungkook.
Dokja, looking dead inside, dryly remarks that the writing makes his toes curl. Sungkook pulls a perverted-looking happy face, which is not helped by the fact that he still lacks pants, before Dokja states that it's not a compliment.
Yoo Sangah had to suppress a smile when the narrator's tone suddenly changed, going from Yoo Joonghyuk's rumbling steadiness to something befitting a bad comedy special.
Han Sooyoung groaned and buried her face in her hands. "I cannot believe I fell for this bullshit."
Honestly, Kim Dokja couldn't entirely believe it either. Still, he was very glad that she had, especially considering how well it had all gone.
"It's because hyung is cooler than ahjumma," Lee Gilyoung stated with certainty, causing the author to gasp in offense.
Kim Dokja wasn't even going to reprimand the kid for that one. Instead, he affectionately patted Lee Gilyoung's hair.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is laughing in amusement.]
Yoo Mia shuddered. "Oppa, never, ever talk like that, okay?"
Yoo Joongyuk's scowl only deepened, and that was answer enough, apparently. To be fair, if the protagonist ever started talking like those two prophets, Kim Dokja would be absolutely certain that he had been replaced by a terrible impostor.
Gilyoung asks if they should get it if it really exists, but Dokja says that there's no need.
The existence of an SSSSS-Class item was obviously made up, but the Four Yin Demon Decapitator is a good weapon regardless. Yoo Joonghyuk also used that sword often in the third turn. Everyone who read the 'Book of Revelation' we leaked will definitely be aiming for that sword.
As Dokja narrates this, The Tyrant King appears on the screen. He's now outside, but still sitting in his own throne with people bowing on their knees around him. This means that either the throne was carried, or it was held up like a palanquin.
Meanwhile, we will take that window of opportunity to grab other relics.
Dokja is in the process of reminding his group about their plan and preparing to head into the museum. Unfortunately, the annoying intermediate dokkaebi appears once more. He remarks that everyone has assembled, and condescendingly states that good kids will receive a reward.
As the ground rumbles, the screen splits into three. It shows the Dokja and Gilyoung—who look shocked, the First Apostle—who looks frustrated, and the Tyrant King—who looks exhilarated. As the dust clears, an ornate golden throne appears in the middle of an intersection.
A pop-up appears, announcing that the 'Absolute Throne' can only be obtained by those who have completed 'The King's Path', and that the one who claims it will have absolute command over all others.
"He carries his throne around with him? How pretentious," Jung Heewon scoffed as she shot a judging look at the Tyrant King. Kim Dokja honestly had to agree—that was extremely pretentious and also very pointless.
Lee Hyunsung glanced nervously at the 'Absolute Throne' appearing on the screen a moment later. "We had no idea what was happening in the station when everything started rumbling… everyone was afraid that we were getting attacked again."
Yoo Sangah suppressed a shudder as she clenched her fists and glanced over at the lieutenant. "Nobody else attacked the station while we were gone, right?"
Lee Hyunsung shook his head. "Thankfully, no. We would have been more than enough to defend it, though. Still, I'm curious to see what everyone else did above ground!"
[many constellations eye the 'absolute throne' with greedy eyes.]
And that would be their downfall. That throne was not meant to accept a ruler—not truly.
Kim Dokja flexed his hands slightly, still remembering the pain of the probability storm that had ravaged his body. It wouldn't be pleasant seeing that again either, though it would be better than the dragon thing.
At least that time, he hadn't ended up dead.
Dokja worries that they still haven't occupied enough stations to clear the capture the flag portion of the scenario as the dokkaebi continues talking, condescendingly looking down on them while explaining the fact that they need several qualifications to compete.
As he finishes speaking, the first qualification is revealed—the King on the throne must be braver than the others. Weak Kings aren't accepted by the throne, so they must have a Black Flag to qualify. Dokja grits his teeth as he reveals this is the same as in the novel.
Sangah speaks up, worried since they still need 10 stations and there are no more empty stations. Dokja reveals that that is the point of this condition.
As far as I know of, there is no King with a Black Flag yet.
Dokja reminds Sangah of the fact that there is another way to upgrade flags that isn't just occupying stations—namely, stealing.
Chaos erupts in the streets as some desperate groups launch attacks while others try to rush towards the museum. There's fighting as far as the eye can see, whether with weapons or barehanded. People scream and blood flows as the streets of Seoul become the arena for a battle royale.
Dokja directs his group to head west, as many are disbelieving that this is really what has become of them. Sungkook asks if Dokja is afraid, and Dokja replies that he is.
Whether it was the Kim Dokja who worked at Minosoft, or the Kim Dokja who now lives as a survivor within TWSA, death will come for me sooner or later. What matters is how I choose to live my life. And if I give it meaning…
As Dokja directs them to another museum entrance, he finishes his reply to Sungkook, "Right now, at least I feel like I'm living how I was meant to."
[several constellations are curious why the group of the incarnation 'kim dokja' is not charging into battle for flags.]
Because he didn't have a death wish for his entire group, that's why.
"So the point was to force everyone to fight each other…" Lee Hyunsung muttered mournfully, his eyes almost glistening with tears. "I'm so glad you were all okay!"
Ah, he was just too nice sometimes.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is extremely excited by the bloodbath.]
Yoo Sangah, however, was quiet with a frown on her face. She glanced over at Kim Dokja, looking much like she had when she had put the pieces together about his 'I read the story just to live' comment, and Kim Dokja immediately felt dread mounting in his gut.
"What matters is how you choose to live your life," she muttered distantly, "because death will come for you sooner or later…"
There was something in her tone that told Kim Dokja that she likely knew much more than she was letting on, but that she wasn't planning on confronting him about it with everyone around. He appreciated that, he really did, but Kim Dokja didn't want to talk about this at all.
Still, despite what Yoo Sangah might be assuming, Kim Dokja had never made any concrete plans.
That didn't mean he had never had those fleeting thoughts, but he had brushed them off for years. Ever since he was fifteen years old, Kim Dokja was more than familiar with the occasional intrusive thought, wondering what would be worth living for after TWSA ended.
He had never entertained those thoughts for long, but right now, Kim Dokja had his answer. His favourite story may have ended on the pages, but if he died within them as he tried to guide his protagonist to the end, then it would be a worthwhile death.
[a constellation who values wisdom is nodding in agreement with the words of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
The group pants as they arrive at the door, and as they try to catch their breath, Sangah asks what they're searching for. Dokja replies they need to find the
The
Dokja orders everyone to head inside as he parries the arrows with his sword, to the best of his ability. He notes that the arrows are imbued with magic, wondering if the archer could predict their movements.
"You call yourself a King, greenhorn? Give up your flag now if you value your life! Do so, and I will spare your men!" A flamboyant man yells as he brandishes his sword. Dokja glances up at him, and his appearance is shown for the first time. The man has incredibly large eyebrows, fuckboy facial hair, and his outfit is a bit reminiscent of Joonghyuk's—if it was mashed with a pirate or bard, that is. Behind him stands a batch of other archers, and Dokja quickly checks him with [Character Profile].
Shin Yoosung looked extremely unimpressed with the man who had just appeared, grimacing at his crude attempt to get Kim Dokja to hand over his flag. "He sounds stupid, ahjussi."
Well… Kim Dokja honestly couldn't speak for his intelligence, since it wasn't a stat on the attributes page. However, he could say that the man was decently powerful for this scenario, especially considering his synchronization with his sponsor.
"You should have let me stay to help, hyung," Lee Gilyoung muttered, puffing out his cheeks in a cute pout. For some reason, Kim Dokja had the sudden urge to pinch them.
"You had to help Sangah-ssi find the
"So?" the boy asked, offended. "I wanted to be there with you!"
But why? It was more dangerous out there.
[several constellations are unimpressed with this unknown incarnation.]
[Name: Chu Wangin
Age: 33
Constellation Sponsor: The Last Hero of Hwangsanbeol
Personal Attribute: Small-time Actor (Ordinary)
Exclusive Skills: Weapons Training lvl. 4, Acting lvl. 1, Hunt the Weak lvl. 1
Stigmas: Baekje Kendo lvl. 4, Patriotic Martyrdom lvl. 2, Special Military Fleet Commander lvl. 3
Overall Stats: Stamina lvl. 19, Strength lvl. 19, Agility lvl. 21, Mana lvl. 15
Overall Evaluation: This is proof that even an insignificant person can grow if they get a good sponsor. The level of his stigmas are quite high, hence caution is advised.]
Dokja grits his teeth as he understands who this is, wondering why General Gyebaek would sponsor such a terrible historical drama actor. Dokja realises that he won't be able to win alone without raising his stats, but is hesitant to use his coins since he's been saving them for the last phase of the scenario. A pop-up shows that Dokja is currently in possession of over 68,000 coins, and he considers spending 20,000 just to increase his stats enough to survive.
Just as Dokja is about to use some of his coins, a female voice calls out in utter disgust with Wangin's actions. "To pick on the weak in the name of your kingdom, do you have no shame?!"
Unsurprisingly, the woman is revealed to be Jiwon, who easily handles Wangin's crass commentary with grace. Her army stands behind her, ready to obey the command of their Queen.
[a constellation who has a lot of coins is impressed by the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
"Ahjussi what the fuck," Lee Jihye gasped as soon as she saw how many coins he had. "What were you saving those for?"
Kim Dokja grimaced at the same time as Yoo Joonghyuk's expression darkened significantly. That was… well, Kim Dokja fully expected that the protagonist would get him back for that one as soon as possible.
"Just… stuff," he said in as casual a tone as he could manage, but nobody believed him.
It wasn't his fault that Yoo Joonghyuk could be absolutely terrifying! Kim Dokja didn't particularly want to have his legs broken, and he didn't want to get chucked off another bridge, either.
Lee Hyunsung, noticing the extremely awkward atmosphere, did his best to change the subject. "It's a good thing that Min Jiwon-ssi came to help out, right?"
Well, yes and no. It was certainly nice to have backup, but she also wasn't exactly a great tactician or commander. The King of Beauty was coasting along because of her people's loyalty, and not much else.
Just as Dokja is wondering where she came from, the same window as earlier pops up when he looks towards her, a slight blush overtaking her features.
[The character 'Min Jiwon' is slightly attracted to you.]
Dokja's face goes completely blank in disbelief and exhaustion as Jiwon apologizes for her earlier actions, prompting Wangin to begin to make a demeaning comment. In response, her loyal guard—Sungmin—points his spear at the opposing King while threatening him. Unfortunately, Wangin doesn't take him seriously, instead only becoming amused by his choice in sponsor and taunting him for it. This makes Dokja mentally sigh as he realizes that this is the worst possible constellation matchup.
As those who know history realize, Gwangchang of Silla was beheaded by Gyebaek of Baekje in the battle of Hwangsanbeol.
As the two men verbally face off, little labels are added to them stating the names of their sponsors.
Especially for Historical-Grade constellations, power levels are relative to each other and are influenced by the history of their lives. A general cannot defy the ruler of their country, and enemies are ranked in power according to historical records.
[several constellations nod in agreement.]
"Does this have something to do with those stories you mentioned before, hyung?" Lee Gilyoung asked curiously, and Kim Dokja nodded with a smile.
"Exactly, great job, Gilyoung-ah."
The boy preened excitedly, and Shin Yoosung scowled in return, pressing herself up against Kim Dokja's side more than before.
Lee Jihye blinked as she realized something. "Wait, is that why my stigma was so powerful in the movie?"
[the constellation 'maritime war god' praises his incarnation for her correct assumption.]
"Huh," Lee Jihye murmured. "That's cool."
"So the hwarang guy is going to die," Yoo Mia stated flatly as she examined the screen. "That sucks, but we don't really know him."
Shin Yoosung glanced over at Yoo Mia, then at Sungmin on the screen. After a moment of thought, she blinked up at Kim Dokja with wide, innocent eyes. "So if they lost in history, can they never win if the battles happen again?"
"Not quite, Yoosung-ah, but close," Kim Dokja told her. "It is possible to change it, but it's extremely difficult. There's a lot of complicated stuff involved, but just know that you have to stack the odds enough that it seems plausible that you can win despite the existing Story."
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' smiles approvingly at the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Dokja informs Jiwon that she can't win with the current size of her group, and advises her to step down. She grits her teeth in response, and doesn't seem to be willing to do that.
This effect is now heightened since both incarnations have a high synchronization with their constellations.
Dokja is brought out of his observations when Sangah happily calls out his name as she and Gilyoung run over with the
As anyone who knows Korean history is aware, the battle of Hwangsanbeol was won by the Silla Kingdom.
Wangin activates [Special Military Fleet Commander lvl. 3] and issues his first command.
"Charge!"
"Thank you again for finding it so quickly, Sangah-ssi," Kim Dokja said, glancing over at her.
Yoo Sangah smiled back at him. "It was no trouble at all, Dokja-ssi, I'm just glad we got back in time."
Without the item, the odds wouldn't have been as good. Sure, they could have won, but only if everything played out exactly as it did in history. There would be no room to change anything, or to manipulate the events into having the best outcome for them.
"I hope you kicked their asses," Jung Heewon stated with a wicked grin.
Oh, they certainly had, even if things hadn't gone entirely according to plan. Kim Dokja couldn't help the smile that began creeping onto his face either—anyone who hadn't seen this fight for themselves wouldn't have a damn clue what was coming.
[several constellations of the korean peninsula are excited for the great battle.]