The 'narration' from before is soon revealed to be Ghostja's thoughts as he watches indifferently as Jihye joins the two children in bawling over his closed coffin. Inwardly, he muses that this is what would be written if it was a novel scene, though he does find the fact that they're mourning him a little touching.
As he watches them lower his coffin into the ground, he at least feels comforted by being able to use [Third Person Observer's Viewpoint], guessing that he can't use 'First Person' due to being too immersed in Joonghyuk.
He sighs, musing how fun it would be to pop out of the coffin, feeling upset over the 72-hour long cooldown of his new resurrection skill, [Eight Lives].
"You bitch," Han Sooyoung hissed, turning on Kim Dokja immediately. "You fucking died and now you're just, what, passively watching your own fucking funeral!?"
Well, it sure seemed like it. Though, even he had to admit that his commentary seemed a bit too distant, even for him—maybe it was partly due to [The Fourth Wall] numbing his emotions somewhat? When he didn't respond other than looking away, Han Sooyoung scoffed and rolled her eyes as she muttered something under her breath.
Yoo Sangah looked at him with a somewhat pitying glance, but Kim Dokja could tell that she was barely holding back her emotions as well. "Dokja-ssi, of course we're all mourning you. I'm sure I'd be there as well, if I could."
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is crying tears of relief.]
Shin Yoosung tugged weakly on the sleeve of his robe, unwilling to look up. "Ahjussi…? Why are you not possessing someone to tell us that you're okay?"
"Yeah," Lee Jihye agreed instantly. "You can possess me, ahjussi! Or possess Hyunsung-oppa again."
"I would if I could," Kim Dokja replied honestly, and it admittedly hurt a bit when a few people shot him with looks that said that they didn't fully trust that. Thankfully, his future self supported him by musing that he couldn't use that part of his skill after using it on the protagonist.
Yoo Joonghyuk looked halfway to guilty for a split second before he just frowned and looked at Kim Dokja intensely. "Kim Dokja. You will not be repeating this."
A shudder went down his spine at the command, and it felt like he got goosebumps on his arms from it. What right did that bastard have to speak like that all the time, huh?
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is recommending that the incarnation 'kim dokja' listen to the words of the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is declaring that suddenly coming back to life would be more interesting than a funeral.]
Then, as Kim Dokja lamented that he couldn't just pop out of the coffin, Jung Heewon looked at him judgmentally. "I have no idea if that would be better or worse than dying in the first place."
Okay, fair. It might mess with the kids' heads too much, so that probably wasn't a good thing.
However, as soon as he saw that there was a cooldown, he groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Shit, I didn't know it had a cooldown!"
Lee Hyunsung looked around awkwardly for a moment. "Well, even you don't know everything, right? But uh… if something like this happens again, we probably shouldn't bury Dokja-ssi if we know that he'll come back to life in three days…"
Fuck, right. They were burying him.
Lee Seolhwa paled and looked at him nervously. "Oh god, are we accidentally burying Dokja-ssi alive?"
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is looking worriedly at the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Kim Dokja paused. Fuck, they were burying him—
It would be fine, right? Maybe they'd leave the coffin uncovered or something, just in case?
A silver goblet appears, the red liquid splashing out and twinkling, as the shadow of the 'Serpent's' heads writhe behind it.
This attribute that can only be acquired by drinking the alcohol created from the astral blood and flesh of the constellation 'Yamata no Orochi', quite literally grants the user 'Eight Lives'. Each of Yamata no Orochi's heads has a special ability, and I can obtain one of the corresponding abilities upon resurrection.
Dokja glances at the notification windows in front of him, informing him that the first head was sacrificed and that he has gained [Popularity] in return.
At first glance it doesn't sound bad at all. The problem is that, unlike 'King of No Killing', there's a cooldown.
Dokja frowns slightly while looking unamused with the fact that he still needs a full twenty-four hours before he can revive.
[a few constellations are surprised by the effects of the attribute 'eight lives'.]
"Honestly, I can't even care that you're getting extra skills for dying because we're fucking up so badly," Jung Heewon said with a grimace. "Why couldn't we have just waited one more day…"
Kim Dokja shrugged weakly. "To be fair, with [King of No Killing] I would revive in a few minutes. I can't blame you for losing hope after two days."
Lee Gilyoung shook his head and buried his face in Kim Dokja's side. "No, we should have…"
Patting the kid's head, Kim Dokja sighed. "What's done is done, but we know now how it works if this happens again."
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is looking critically at the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is suggesting to try to avoid dying in the first place.]
Kim Dokja sighed when he saw that there was a full day left, even though he was moderately pleased by the skill he had gotten. It wasn't overly useful or anything, but it would be useful in passing. He couldn't pay much attention to it though when he had to comfort the two kids, who were both still very upset by the whole situation.
As they start to toss the dirt over the coffin, Heewon has to hold Yoosung back by her shoulders, turning her head slightly to hide her own tears. Suddenly, a voice calls out from the crowd. "Oh, Ugliest King!"
This makes Dokja show the most emotion he's experienced, considering the situation, glaring heavily and gritting his teeth while blaming the dokkaebi—Bihyung in particular—for the new nickname.
Seeing Hyunsung silently, crying, attempting to hide the shaking of his shoulders, Dokja finally decides that he should change his viewpoint as watching this just makes him feel bad for not being able to resurrect sooner. As he heads off to his next destination, the screen goes blank.
Kim Dokja could only grimace along with Lee Seolhwa as the hwarang began burying him, and he felt his hope slowly drop.
"That's not going to be good," Yoo Sangah whispered fearfully with wide eyes.
When he woke up a day later, he'd be in a tiny box under a bunch of dirt. At least he had a decent chance of being able to break out of the coffin and through the dirt thanks to his future self's strength stat, but that wasn't exactly a chance he wanted to take.
[the constellation 'guam divine doctor' is concerned for the safety of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
[several constellations are wondering if the incarnation 'kim dokja' will end up dying right after reviving.]
God he hoped not, and the fact that Yoo Joonghyuk was suddenly glaring at the screen wasn't helping his nerves either. It looked like the protagonist was trying to set the hwarang on fire with his mind alone, and that unfortunately would not happen.
Yoo Mia looked at him, then. "You can't die again, ahjussi. It'll make everyone sad."
"I'm not trying to die," Kim Dokja sighed in exhaustion. He just really hoped that he wouldn't end up asphyxiating in a coffin underground because that sounded significantly worse than getting stabbed by Han Sooyoung.
Before he could overthink things too much, someone in the crowd spoke up and Kim Dokja choked. "What the fuck did he just call me?"
"He called you ugly," Han Sooyoung replied, oh-so helpfully. Thanks for nothing, Han Sooyoung.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is cackling in amusement.]
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is snorting.]
Fuck it, maybe it would be better if he asphyxiated in a coffin underground because at least he wouldn't have to live with a shitty nickname like that.
"Ah… I'm sorry for making you feel bad, Dokja-ssi," Lee Hyunsung muttered, sounding like a kicked puppy, even though it really wasn't his fault.
"It's fine, really," Kim Dokja sighed, waving him off. "I should probably go make sure that Sangah-ssi is okay anyway."
Yoo Sangah sent him a small smile, but even then, it was slightly strained. He just hoped that she would be alright.
Suddenly, the rope around Sangah's hands is sliced in a swift motion, releasing her from her confinement. Hesitantly, Sangah confirms that Joonghyuk is her savior, and Dokja mentally recalls that he asked Joonghyuk for this last favour before leaving his body. Standing up, she urgently asks about Dokja's situation. Sheathing his sword, Joonghyuk blankly states that Dokja is dead. In the short pause that follows, Sangah's eyes widen as despair washes over her and Dokja frowns, musing that his life wasn't that bad. Joonghyuk then corrects his statement by adding that Dokja will revive, making Sangah look a lot better as she asks how he can do that.
Beside them, Dokja starts to feel even more guilty, but he knows that Joonghyuk likely believes this because of seeing him revive before. However, he pays more attention when Joonghyuk lowers his head before replying to Sangah's question. "I don't know. I just know that he won't die like that….. No, he has to revive."
Dokja looks touched for a moment before he sees the protagonist's clenched fist, and his expression is suddenly a lot more worried as he wonders why Joonghyuk is doing that. Deep down, he's clearly worried that the man wants to punch him.
Joonghyuk then asks Sangah about Dokja's family member, making Dokja question why he would go out of his way to do something that wasn't asked of him. Unfortunately, Dokja's mental power is exhausted before he can gather any answers by eavesdropping on the conversation any further, sending him back into the murky depths of his own mind.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is relieved to see that the incarnation 'yoo sangah' is alright.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is surprised by the actions of the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
"Ah, so that's why Joonghyuk-ssi wasn't at Dokja-ssi's funeral," Yoo Sangah remarked in a surprised tone. "Thank you for helping me."
Yoo Joonghyuk nodded back, though he seemed a bit confused by his own actions. However, the crease in his forehead relaxed as soon as Kim Dokja mused that he had asked the protagonist to go help her right before he had died. That made more sense—Yoo Joonghyuk might not have any particular attachment to Yoo Sangah, but he wasn't the sort to ignore his companion's dying wish either.
Still, it felt weird to hear Yoo Joonghyuk acknowledge his death like that—emotionlessly and blankly. It was so different from the frustration and anger that he was feeling here, and Kim Dokja genuinely had to wonder if he had somehow ended up getting along with the man better here than in the future. Why else would he act like that?
"I don't believe that you're dead," Yoo Joonghyuk said firmly, without even looking at him. "I couldn't believe that."
But why— oh, right. Yoo Joonghyuk had literally watched him come back to life from a significantly worse injury before. No wonder he'd be that confident that it'd happen again.
"Ugh, you're getting fucking stupid ideas again," Han Sooyoung groaned. "You get this dumbass look on your face and it's annoying as shit."
What stupid ideas? This was a rational thought!
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is extremely touched by the companionship.]
[the constellation 'bald leader of the peasant's army' is moved by the declaration of the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
Oh. Kim Dokja would be extremely touched too, except for the fact that his future self pointed out how pissed off the man's body language seemed. It would make complete sense for Yoo Joonghyuk to want him to revive just so he could punch him.
Yoo Mia let out an agonized sigh. "Ugh, you're so dumb, ahjussi. Oppa is mad that you died, not that you are dead."
That made literally no sense—she was just saying the same thing twice.
[the constellation 'founder's mother' is surprised by the words of the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
Suddenly, Yoo Joonghyuk asked about her, and Kim Dokja jolted in surprise. They clearly didn't like each other, so why would he…?
Kim Dokja blinked for a second. Wait, no, that Yoo Joonghyuk had never really interacted with her, had he? He had no idea that she'd hate him on sight and, if she was still alive and in trouble somehow, that she'd absolutely hate the fact that he came to rescue her too.
Actually, that fact alone almost made Kim Dokja want to see it happen. Almost.
"I'm sure that I'm fine," she said dismissively. "I don't need you to help me."
Yoo Joonghyuk's eye twitched, and he levelled her with a cold glare. "I won't bother."
Yeah, that was about what he had expected, really.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is disappointed that the incarnation 'kim dokja' is unable to hear the rest of the conversation.]
The cons of being a spiritual body—one is that the recovery of mental power is slow. I don't know if it's obvious, but the longer one goes without a body, the more exhausted their mind will become. Ghosts go crazy for a similar reason. I need to desperately continue asking myself questions like this in order to not be driven mad.
As he sinks, Dokja starts to question what went on between his mother and Nirvana, and the outcome based on his knowledge of Nirvana as a character. This ends up leading him to think about Nirvana's final words.
A secret that my mother was hiding from me? No matter how hard I think about it, I can't get a grip on it.
As Dokja closes his eyes, convincing himself that he doesn't know and likely doesn't want to know, a message appears before him. Seeing that a constellation from Egypt is trying to call his soul, Dokja wonders why for a moment before a new message states that the Papyrus nebula wishes to bestow the [Fable of Rebirth] upon him.
… Hah, would you look at this?
Dokja looks around when another message states that 'Scribe of Heaven' is also calling for his soul. This is quickly followed by other nebulae all offering their own fables to him.
The constellations that just called for me are all ones related to 'resurrection'.
"Please be careful, Dokja-ssi," Lee Seolhwa said worriedly. "Even with my skills, I don't know if I could heal any damage to your soul."
He nodded, but at the very least, he only had to last another day while asking himself questions and thinking about things. Of course, because there were so many things that she could have been keeping from him, he had no idea what it could be.
[many constellations are curious about this secret.]
[a few constellations are guessing that the secret must be something bad.]
He wasn't going to think about it if he could help it. It's not like she would say anything anyway.
"Papyrus?" Shin Yoosung wondered quietly as she tilted her head to the side. "That's from Egypt, right?"
Kim Dokja patted her head. "Yeah, and it's probably not a good sign either."
Were they possibly one of the nebulae who had contributed to bringing Nirvana into the scenario in the first place? It made no sense for them to be paying that much attention to the Seoul dome when they had Cairo to worry about.
[the constellation 'scribe of heaven' is nodding along with his actions.]
Yoo Joonghyuk narrowed his eyes as soon as he noticed all the fables being offered and scoffed. "Pathetic. Don't fall for their traps."
Kim Dokja nodded. That was exactly what these were, after all. If he picked any of their stories, he'd end up tied to them whether he liked it or not, and that was clearly their goal. They just wanted to have control over him and the stories he'd build.
Dokja lets out a little laugh when the nebulae start to squabble over who truly owns these stories, realizing that their true intention is to reenact their myths through his resurrection.
All fables are enhanced via word of mouth. What if one day, Some guy named 'Kim Dokja' resurrected from his grave after three days and shouted the following words…?
A cute animation of a chibi Dokja bursting from the ground appears, surrounded by wide eyed viewers. Spilling from his lips are the blessings of Christ. In the next scene, he's hanging off the crucifix while winking and giving a peace sign as people pray all around him.
People would be amazed and a myth would be reenacted on the spot. As a result, the nebula related to the reenacted fable would receive a massive boost in plausibility and would have more power to interfere in the scenario.
As more and more messages pour in, Dokja gets pensive about how he's truly gaining the power to control the scenarios based around his resurrection.
At first glance, it may look like I'm the one 'holding the reins' in this situation, but that really isn't the case.
As a split screen drawing of Adam and Eve on one side and Vishnu on the other appears on the screen, Dokja notes that picking sides could be dangerous. He cites that the tensions between Eden and Vedas would be especially high due to the similarities between their myths and the resulting plagiarism accusations. Frowning and crossing his arms, he goes over the cons of refusing all the options while already fearing having to explain his resurrection to his companions. It's going to be bad enough without the added pressure of antagonizing a full nebula.
[a constellation who is knowledgeable about copyright is sighing in exhaustion.]
"If they're all busy arguing, does that mean you can get away, hyung?" Lee Gilyoung wondered, looking up at him with slightly red and puffy eyes.
"Unfortunately, I doubt that they'll argue for a full day," Kim Dokja sighed. It would be kind of funny to watch if they did, though.
As Kim Dokja began explaining how the fables worked, complete with examples, Lee Jihye slapped her hands over her mouth to hold in a loud laugh. Ultimately, she failed. "AHAHA, ahjussi, you look so stupid there!"
Han Sooyoung snickered too, "Yeah, it kind of looks like you're pole dancing on it—"
[the constellation 'scribe of heaven' is glaring intently at the incarnation 'han sooyoung'.]
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is horrified by the words of the incarnation 'han sooyoung'.]
Kim Dokja chose to ignore that. If Han Sooyoung somehow managed to get herself on the bad sides of both a Demon King and Eden, that was her own problem.
Jung Heewon looked away pointedly. "Considering who my sponsor will be, I shouldn't comment."
Which meant that she clearly wanted to. He really didn't want to know what she was thinking, if the sudden mirth in her eyes was a sign.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is sighing in disappointment.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is understanding the choice of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
At least Uriel was being good about it. Still, he really didn't want to get caught up in any of those annoying plagiarism fights. Constellations were even more petty than he was, and he had straight-up been a menace on the internet and novel forums as a teenager.
Lee Hyunsung looked over nervously. "I know you don't want to accept any of them, but what are you going to do to get out of it?"
Yeah, that was the problem. He had no idea, but he'd have to figure it out sooner or later.
Suddenly, 'Queen of the Darkest Spring' arrives and mediates the situation, declaring that Dokja's own will is the most important thing. While Dokja stares in wide-eyed confusion as the constellations' ire turns from him to Persephone, she extends him an invitation to the 'Banquet'.
"Banquet?" As Dokja states the word in absolute bewilderment, a magnificent building above the clouds comes into view, the setting sun reflecting perfectly off its crystalline windows to give a mystical feel.
In the darkness, a dokkaebi huffs its way into appearing, clearly in a hurry. Speaking rapidly while snapping their fingers, they rush to send Dokja on his way. To prepare him, they use their dokkaebi magic to give him a temporary body and transform his outfit into a chic, form fitting suit, which hugs his curves just right. As the fabric comes into being in ribbon-like pieces, the entire scene seems to resemble a Sailor Moon transformation sequence more than anything else.
Adjusting the coat slightly, Dokja looks at the resurrection timer once more, feeling that there's enough time for a quick visit.
The venue is shown once more, and this time the only light is shining through the windows as the stars twinkle above. A notification arrives, informing Dokja that Persephone has invited him to the Constellation Banquet as her partner.
Kim Dokja's eyes widened suddenly in surprise before he gently smiled up at the ceiling. "Thank you."
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' says that it's no trouble.]
Honestly, even though he was on pretty decent terms with Persephone, he hadn't expected her to intervene like that. It was a bit uncharacteristic of her—she had been mostly passive in TWSA—but he wasn't arguing. Piquing her interest was debatably a good thing, but at least there seemed to be some benefits.
Then, she offered him an invite to the Banquet, and Kim Dokja's jaw dropped. "Huh?"
"Ahjussi, you're not gonna be confused about what a banquet is again, right?" Yoo Mia asked as she squinted at him.
Seriously? She was never going to let him live that down, was she?
[many constellations are surprised by the suggestion of the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring'.]
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is enthusiastic about this idea.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is scoffing and declaring that banquets are stupid and boring.]
"If Dokja-ssi is suddenly going to the banquet, what's going to happen to his resurrection?" Yoo Sangah wondered after a moment, and Kim Dokja honestly had no answer for her.
Lee Seolhwa hummed. "I doubt that the banquet will last that long, but anything is possible with the constellations."
"It's not long," Yoo Joonghyuk replied curtly. Ah, right, he had attended them before, so he knew from experience. Even though Kim Dokja had read about the banquets in TWSA, it was hard to know exactly how long they lasted through descriptions and conversations alone.
[constellations who like fashion are interested in the outfit of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Shin Yoosung gasped in awe as Kim Dokja was magically given some clothes, and she looked up at him with gleaming eyes. "Ahjussi, it's like Kongjwi! You're getting magic clothes to go to a fancy event on a time limit!"
Was that so? It wasn't a festival like the folk tale, but he supposed that could work anyway...
"I wonder if you'll see your Prince Charming at the 'ball' then," Jung Heewon snickered, and Kim Dokja had to roll his eyes. What Prince Charming? Besides, didn't Kongjwi marry a magistrate's son?
Oh wait, Jung Heewon was totally thinking of the western version of that fairy tale, wasn't she?
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is rolling his eyes in exasperation.]
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is recalling for no particular reason that the constellation 'secretive plotter' does not usually attend the banquet.]
Okay, that was kind of funny, even if it was equally disappointing. If the Secretive Plotter would be in attendance, then Kim Dokja might have gotten a better clue as to his true identity. Damn.
Yoo Joonghyuk also looked slightly victorious for some reason, but that made no sense because he wasn't even involved in this conversation. Why did he look so smug over nothing?
Arriving in a space full of white clouds, the dokkaebi is a lot calmer as they tell Dokja that an envoy from the constellation who invited him will pick him up shortly. As the dokkaebi wishes him well and disappears, a bus stop sign appears beside him. Looking around, Dokja realizes that this is a tributary of the 'cloud road', which the dokkaebi use to travel between dimensions.
Since he's left the main scenario area, though, notifications hound Dokja to remind him of the consequences of staying longer than twenty-four hours. Giving the window a dry look, Dokja expresses a slight distaste for the frightening way the System expresses things—being 'disposed of' according to the rules of the scenario doesn't sound very appealing.
As Dokja looks over the 'hidden scenario' window for the banquet that tells him to make a successful debut, a bright light comes into view, and it's pulled by a group of winged horses. When the golden carriage rolls to a stop in front of him, Dokja lets out an awed gasp before recognizing it as the
[Hey, get in,] a voice calls abruptly, making Dokja unamused by the use of the constellation's true voice. He steps into the carriage to the sound of the constellation's pestering and teasing while explaining that their true voice is currently weaker due to constraints. Before looking up, Dokja guesses that the speaker must be Helios since he's the carriage's owner, but he ends up surprised when he sees a half-full glass of wine floating above the seat instead.
[a few constellations are wondering who the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' will send as an envoy.]
As Kim Dokja watched himself stand awkwardly among the clouds, he was honestly wondering the same thing. He just hoped that it wouldn't be one of the Judges, because that would be extremely awkward.
He also didn't particularly appreciate the reminders of the consequences of staying out of a scenario area for too long. He was invited, goddammit! It's not like he'd stay any longer than he was required to.
"Damn, 'disposed of', huh? Sounds shitty," Han Sooyoung remarked, and that was an understatement. He remembered Yoo Joonghyuk's 111th regression, where he had been expelled from the scenarios. The descriptions of his deteriorating condition had sent shivers down his spine.
[several constellations are surprised to see the chariot.]
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is confused.]
That didn't seem right. As Queen of the Underworld, Persephone didn't really have more than the barest dealings with Helios, and certainly not enough to ask him to be the escort for a mere incarnation regardless of how interesting he was.
"It really is just like Kongjwi," Shin Yoosung gasped excitedly, "it's not a magic palanquin, ahjussi, but a carriage is good too!"
Well, that just made it a bit more similar to its western counterpart, he supposed.
Suddenly, he looked up as a constellation began speaking to him, trying to figure out who it could be. Helios wouldn't be that casual, but he also wouldn't loan his chariot to just anyone…
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' has dropped his glass in shock.]
Ah. So that's who it was. Kim Dokja didn't know if this was a good thing or a disaster in the making.