[the constellation 'maritime war god' is hoping that things will go well for the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Taking a deep breath, Kim Dokja focused his attention back on the screen. Though he had managed to get past Lee Boksoon easily enough, there was no guarantee that his good luck would last. In fact, he doubted that it would. He had eerily good luck on occasion, but sometimes things just wouldn't go his way for no reason. The last thing he wanted to do was jinx it.
Dokja's eyes widen as a mix of crazed and sane incarnations of the wanderer's faction race to attack him. Seeing the situation, Sooyoung states that someone must have gotten hold of the third place ranker's fable.
Ranked third in Dark Castle, 'King of the Dead' Davidtz. A fable that turns the deceased into undead and makes them fight—it's a fable as powerful as [Paradise of Despair].
Pulling off her glove to reveal a bandage wrapped around her right hand, Sooyoung tells Dokja to go and that she'll keep them at bay. She then pulls the bandage off in the most chuuni way possible as a black orb of flame appears in her hand. Summoning a line of avatars, she creates an opening for Dokja to rush forward and reach Youngran, who's using the fable to resurrect her allies as zombies.
Seeing him stop behind her, she stands and asks how he could have escaped both the formation and the
"Be careful, ahjussi," Shin Yoosung told him as several incarnations charged in Kim Dokja's direction. They didn't seem to be overly strong on their own, but it was the 'crazed'-looking ones that gave him pause.
If that's what he thought it was… shit. Just as Han Sooyoung suspected, someone really had taken out the third place ranker and stolen his fable. It was a powerful one, as his future self was explaining, and that wasn't good for him.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is extremely interested in the fable 'king of the dead'.]
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is frowning at the current events.]
Lee Seolhwa shivered slightly, frowning at the screen. "I don't think I want to know what was done to gain a fable like that…"
Honestly, now that he thought about it, Kim Dokja wasn't entirely certain either. Davidtz already had the fable before Yoo Joonghyuk had ever arrived in Dark Castle, and the two of them had only been on semi-cordial terms most of the time. He had helped the protagonist clear the scenario a few times, but he wasn't Yoo Joonghyuk's first choice of an ally here either.
However, the fact that he had been killed and his fable had been stolen by one of her subordinates was troublesome.
Upon seeing herself begin removing an unnecessary bandage from her hand, Han Sooyoung grimaced. "Ugh, seriously? What the fuck am I even doing?"
"That's lame, ahjumma," Yoo Mia muttered, and Kim Dokja had to hold back his snickers. It seemed that her sponsor was digging his cringe claws in sooner rather than later.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is cackling in amusement.]
Jung Heewon narrowed her eyes as she realized that it was Cho Youngran who was using the fable. "I know it's powerful, but is she seriously unfazed by reanimating her allies?"
That was a good point—most people would be unnerved at the very least. Kim Dokja honestly couldn't imagine being able to do something like that and remain unaffected by it. Just the thought of the children or Yoo Sangah or Lee Hyunsung staggering and stumbling like zombies… the image alone was sickening, let alone the idea of being the puppetmaster holding their strings.
When she asked how Kim Dokja could have escaped, though, Lee Gilyoung just grinned. "Because hyung is smart and awesome, duh."
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is agreeing that the incarnation 'kim dokja' had a good plan.]
[a few constellations believe that asking enemies to back down is pointless.]
Kim Dokja would beg to differ—if it worked even once, then it was worth it.
Lee Hyunsung tensed up as Cho Youngran prepared to trap Kim Dokja within that realm of clouds again, but he relaxed as Cheok Jungyeong came to his aid once more. "Thank goodness you have that constellation supporting you, Dokja-ssi."
"Yeah," Kim Dokja muttered absentmindedly. It was good, there was no doubt about that, but it didn't make sense. Technically, the constellation could have left as soon as he escaped from the cave, but he hadn't. For some reason, Goryeo's First Sword had decided to stay for the moment, and he wasn't sure if that was a blessing or a curse just yet.
Still, it at least meant that he was able to better deal with Cho Youngran. Her constellation was from the Korean peninsula, and would therefore recognize Cheok Jungyeong on sight. Though they were both historical-grades, it was obvious who would emerge victorious in a fight, and that was the kind of weight that Kim Dokja needed in his corner right now.
[the constellation 'goryeo's first sword' is scoffing at the cowardly constellation.]
Youngran collapses to her knees, and her hold on King of the Dead evaporates. Despite her condition, she still tries to reach out and stop Dokja as the man rushes past her, heading towards where the probability sparks are the worst. Finally reaching the heat of the battle, Dokja sees his own companions facing off against his mother.
To get the true scale of the main clash, the screen pans out to show the shockwaves caused by the impact on mountains far enough away that it's no longer possible to see the people on the ground. All on her own, Sookyung fends off both Heewon and Jihye's swords. Though her hands shake slightly, she repels both of them.
As Dokja frowns at the scene in front of him, Sooyoung runs up and calls his mom a monster while wondering how she could be bearing the costs of probability. Dokja isn't overly surprised, considering that his mother is fighting on equal footing with Joonghyuk and his other companions. With that information alone, he realizes just what's going on here—an incarnation who can fight on equal ground against a transcendent doesn't exist, therefore…
Though she seemed to be displeased that Cho Youngran had failed, Kim Dokja couldn't allow it to bother him. He was certain that the epicenter of the probability storm was where he would find the rest of his group, and sure enough, he was right.
"Oh god," Yoo Sangah gasped as the sheer amount of destruction was highlighted. "I never would have imagined…"
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is cheering on the incarnations.]
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is proud of his incarnation.]
"Wait, that was because of us!?" Lee Jihye gasped, shooting a baffled expression in Jung Heewon's direction.
Jung Heewon grinned back. "Seems like it!"
Kim Dokja hoped that they were feeling proud—Lee Jihye especially. She deserved that after everything that had happened on the first floor of Dark Castle.
Yoo Joonghyuk narrowed his eyes, already analyzing everything about the fight. They hadn't gotten many chances to see him face off against her specifically, but Kim Dokja knew that the protagonist wouldn't miss a second of what he was being shown. While he wasn't a strategist first, his battle sense was still second to none. Kim Dokja had no doubt that Yoo Joonghyuk would have her moves all figured out soon enough, and probably a list of critiques for both his disciple and Jung Heewon if she wanted it.
[the constellation 'founder's mother' is deeply saddened by the current events.]
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is settling in for an entertaining show.]
Kim Dokja wasn't sure how to feel when she got called a monster. It felt… wrong, somehow. That woman, who had been powerless for so long that she had finally snapped, was being called a monster because of the power she had managed to gain. It wasn't fair.
Why was she going to such lengths? Why was she so dedicated? Why now and not back then when it actually mattered?
Kim Dokja felt sick. If she had always had the potential to put her life on the line to 'save' him, then why had she never just taken him and ran? Why now when he no longer needed her to save him?
"You would go that far to prevent me from reaching Kim Dokja," Yoo Joonghyuk said, glancing at her. It seemed that he had easily realized just how she was managing to offset the probability costs of her actions, and he wasn't happy about it.
[several constellations are flabbergasted by the actions of the incarnation 'lee sookyung'.]
Shin Yoosung tugged on Kim Dokja's sleeve to get his attention. "Ahjussi, how is that happening? I don't like him too much, but the sooty bastard should be way stronger than her, right?"
Letting out a sigh, Kim Dokja nodded. "You're right, he is stronger as an incarnation."
"So this isn't just about Joonghyuk-ssi's strength versus hers anymore, then," Lee Hyunsung mused, and he was absolutely right.
There was one thing that she had that Yoo Joonghyuk didn't, and it was a working relationship with her sponsor. In a situation like this, she would have to be drawing heavily upon her sponsor's power to be able to stand a chance, but it seemed that she had decided to take it a step further.
She's enshrouded herself with a constellation's shadow, just like Yamata no Orochi in Peace Land.
Surrounding Sookyung, the black shadow of Ungnyeo stands tall like a guardian. From the light shining in his mother's hand, Dokja notices that she's making up for the probability needed with the
As she swipes at them, Ungnyeo solemnly states that she doesn't want to fight her descendents. After Jihye just barely manages to dodge and land on solid ground that thankfully hasn't been torn up yet, she calls out the hypocrisy of continuing to attack if she doesn't want to fight.
Sangah finally notices Dokja, calling out to him. This prompts a bunch of them to run over, all talking over each other. The screen, however, decides to follow Dokja's gaze and focus on Joonghyuk's cinematic slash as he decimates one of Ungneyo's arms before skillfully leaping back and landing near Dokja and the others. Standing up, Joonghyuk remarks, "I guess your mother doesn't like me, but I guess I should have expected that much from your mother of all people."
[several constellations are shocked by the foolishness of the constellation 'founder's mother'.]
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is sighing and shaking her head.]
Lee Seolhwa sucked in a breath. "Didn't that constellation die after being defeated as a shadow in Peace Land?"
That was correct, which was why the other constellations were so baffled by her actions. While a constellation's shadow was incredibly powerful, especially at the current point in the scenarios, it was also an incredibly risky gambit for both the sponsor and the incarnation. Of course, it seemed that she was compensating for the probability by consuming the artifact, and though Kim Dokja hated to admit it, it was a smart move.
"This isn't fair at all," Lee Jihye muttered, agreeing with her future self. "Why attack the rest of us if you don't want to fight us?"
Kim Dokja had to sigh. Unfortunately, she was as stubborn as an ox, and would surely refuse to budge no matter what. However, whatever she said to convince her sponsor to help her with this must have been compelling enough for Ungnyeo to be willing to go this far.
[a few constellations of the korean peninsula are saddened by the current events.]
Shin Yoosung brightened up only a moment later as the group noticed that Kim Dokja was there and ran over to him, but it had the unfortunate side effect of alerting her and Founder's Mother to his presence. Despite that, all he could do was ruffle the kids' hair and hope that no one was saying anything important because his gaze was locked on the screen, his eyes tracing the perfect arc of Yoo Joonghyuk's strike. His sword carved through the constellation's shadow like his knife had carved through the game meat back in Peace Land. It was breathtakingly beautiful, a perfect movement executed without any wasted energy.
Kim Dokja hoped that Yoo Joonghyuk was proud of himself—he was holding up against a constellation significantly better this time around. Yoo Mia looked genuinely excited too, and it was nice to see a smile on her face.
"I really do need to learn from Joonghyuk-ssi, don't I?" Lee Hyunsung laughed lightly. "It's hard to believe how efficient he is."
Only a moment later, the future protagonist jumped back to land near the group, but Kim Dokja couldn't have predicted his words whatsoever.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is squealing in delight.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is unsurprised by the bad first impression of the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
As the protagonist had a (possibly) one-sided glaring match with the indirect message, Han Sooyoung burst out laughing.
"Oh my fucking god, I can't believe he just said that!" she wheezed, holding her stomach and not even bothering to cover her mouth. "What is this, a bad k-drama?"
Lee Jihye shook her head sagely. "No, ahjumma. Master didn't get slapped with an envelope full of money before getting told to stay away from ahjussi, so it doesn't count."
… What the hell were they talking about?
At that, Yoo Mia scoffed. "You're both wrong! Ahjussi was broke before the scenarios and my oppa had a lot of brand deals! Maybe I would slap ahjussi with an envelope of money instead because he's so pathetic that he would definitely need it."
Kim Dokja had no words.
Okay, well, maybe he was a bit curious about these brand deals. Pro gamers sometimes modeled for ads right? Kim Dokja was pretty sure that was something they'd do on occasion, and he mentally added another thing to his list of what to search for once he had internet access again. The man already looked impossibly attractive, even when covered in blood and grime, and Kim Dokja was certain that Yoo Joonghyuk would look infuriatingly good with professional lighting and photography.
Ugh, he was getting mad just thinking about it. There was definitely no other reason why his heart rate would be elevated.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is scratching his head in confusion.]
[several constellations are wondering what the incarnations are talking about.]
Jung Heewon snickered too. "I think not liking him is an understatement."
Yoo Joonghyuk shot a tired glare in Jung Heewon's direction, but that only made her snicker more. Yoo Sangah looked a bit sympathetic, and Lee Seolhwa shook her head in exasperation. She, on the other hand, scoffed.
Well, to be fair, it wasn't like Kim Dokja had given a particularly… flattering… description of the protagonist back then, either. Still, that didn't mean she knew anything about the Yoo Joonghyuk that Kim Dokja was getting to know now. He was acting strange lately, and while it was a bit unnerving, it was… nice. Sort of.
Kim Dokja still felt like he didn't deserve any of it, but he was also fairly certain that if Yoo Joonghyuk heard him say anything like that, he would break his legs before forcing Kim Dokja into the most hellish training session of his life.
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is enjoying the relationship drama.]
There was no drama, dammit!
Bringing his gaze back to his mother, Dokja tells Joonghyuk not to kill her—despite the protagonist's doubts that she'll ever cooperate with them—because there's value in keeping her alive. Exhaustion and a degree of worry are apparent in his eyes as Dokja looks at his mother and sees that she's covered in blood, realizing now that he doesn't know whose blood it is.
Still, her sponsor should be nearing her limits, and he knows that she has probably run out of physical strength. Dokja knows well that she will never be able to win as a mere shadow; after all, his mother is alone, and she's up against Joonghyuk, whose transcendence means that he's on a completely different level from Peace Land. In order to win against him, part of Ungnyeo's real body would have to descend—something his mother definitely doesn't have the probability for.
As the scene focuses back on Sookyung, panting heavily and straining under the probability sparks, the messages from Dokja's usual supporters roll in. Walking forward, Dokja comes to stand before his mother, telling her that this is enough and asking why she's trying so hard to stop him. When she doesn't immediately answer, he grits his teeth.
Kim Dokja felt both relieved and uncomfortable seeing his request in the future. Yoo Joonghyuk was looking at him pensively, and he was fairly certain that the protagonist was remembering that moment earlier when Kim Dokja had requested the same thing despite the vastly different circumstances.
Yoo Sangah sighed in relief. "I know this must be a hard decision for you, Dokja-ssi, but I'm glad you're choosing that."
Despite the value in keeping her alive, that didn't mean this was any less of a struggle. It didn't mean that he was forgiving her for what she had done—then or now. This was just… pity, maybe. She looked terrible.
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is approving of sparing the life of the incarnation 'lee sookyung'.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is pleased by the bloody appearance of the incarnation 'lee sookyung'.]
"Hyung, the sooty bastard is going to win, right?" Lee Gilyoung grumbled in such a way that told Kim Dokja that he did actually want Yoo Joonghyuk to succeed. It was kind of cute, to be honest.
Shin Yoosung elbowed him. "Of course he will! Last time he and ahjussi beat the other constellation, and he's stronger now."
Kim Dokja had to chuckle a bit as Lee Gilyoung huffed and retorted, "Yeah, but hyung did most of the work last time."
He was pretty sure that Yoo Joonghyuk would beg to differ, or that he would insist that they contributed equally, at the very least. Whatever the case, that didn't change the fact that Yoo Joonghyuk was exponentially stronger now.
As Kim Dokja's thoughts described what it would take for her to win, Han Sooyoung raised a brow and whistled. "Well, fuck."
[many constellations are interested in the strength of the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
[several constellations are narrowing their eyes suspiciously at the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is rolling his eyes.]
The protagonist, naturally, seemed completely unfazed by the scrutiny. If anything, he seemed to be almost sitting up straighter despite the fact that he wasn't showing any emotions on his face.
Kim Dokja tensed up as his future self approached her, though. Even under these circumstances, with her essentially on death's door and him begging for answers yet again, she said nothing. Clenching his jaw, he looked down at the floor. He should have expected this.
Even now, there's a distance that is capable of being crossed, but just like in the prison, Dokja feels that he can never reach her. Weakly, she mutters that he won't listen if she talks. Dokja can't understand why she's going too far, but he notices that everyone is watching him and he gets the feeling that they want him to make the right choice.
Not knowing if it's sincere or not, Dokja forces himself to open his mouth and say, "Just once. I will listen just once, so tell me. Give me the whole story."
As he says his last line, the screen goes dark. Slowly, two sitting figures are sketched into existence, illuminated only by their outlines and divided by the solid line of the plexiglass visitation window.
It was laughable, really. Why had Kim Dokja allowed himself to hope for anything different anyway? Though they had left that musty room behind, with all its deafening silence, she was still refusing to actually talk to him.
"Dokja-ssi…" Yoo Sangah whispered, but Kim Dokja didn't even flinch. He was used to the silence and being ignored, so why—
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is confused by the words of the incarnation 'lee sookyung'.]
Kim Dokja's jaw dropped and he found himself trembling. What did she just say…?
"I won't listen?" Kim Dokja hissed through clenched teeth, staring straight ahead. "Why don't you try actually talking to me before saying something like that!?"
How dare she? A decade of silence and he's the one who won't listen!?
Not even knowing if she responded, Kim Dokja felt his chest clench painfully. Even now, why the fuck were her words making him feel like he was nothing more than a misbehaving child? He didn't know if he wanted to listen anymore. He wanted to know everything. He hated that he would have listened to anything and everything for years and yet she chose now to break her silence.
Despite that, Kim Dokja forced himself to stay as still as possible as his future self agreed to listen. He already knew it wasn't going to be pleasant, but he hated that he had no idea what to expect, either.
This probably wouldn't fix anything, in all honesty, but a part of Kim Dokja hoped that maybe it could give him enough closure that he'd be able to walk away from his past, leaving it all behind for good.
[the eyes of the constellation 'founder's mother' are filled with sorrow.]