"That's almost poetic, in a way," Lee Seolhwa mused as she processed what Kim Dokja had said about both constellations and Outer Gods bleeding stories. "Though, as a doctor, it is pretty baffling."
Yoo Sangah laughed a bit. "Well, I suppose we have to leave common sense behind, these days."
That was absolutely true. In this kind of world, the laws that had always governed the universe no longer applied. It was the kind of world where all kinds of fantastical and horrific things could happen, so long as they were plausible.
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is hoping that the constellation 'goryeo's first sword' was able to do some worthwhile damage to the 'outer god'.]
The gigantic tentacles fall to the ground, impacting it like an entire building has fallen. Thankfully, the incarnations who are still conscious did their best to evacuate and were not crushed. However, Dokja can only stare in awe as he realizes that a human could do something like that, realizing that Jungyeong was born mortal yet surpassed the limits of his mortality.
It doesn't last. Dokja's hand shakes heavily as the probability storm hits, sending him to his knees from the pain. Huffing, Jungyeong comments on how weak Dokja is for a constellation, making Dokja annoyed. Assessing his deeply damaged arm, the colour starkly different from his other one, Dokja wonders how much longer he can fight with it.
He is then immediately assaulted with another probability storm, making him cough up blood and feel like he's throwing up electricity as he notes that Jungyeong's powers are way too strong for his current self to handle. As the constellation in question assesses the fallen tentacle, he informs Dokja that he may need to use further stances, even ones he hasn't used yet, but thinks that Dokja can't even handle the third sword.
Lee Jihye whistled, impressed, as they watched several massive tentacles fall to the ground with a hefty thudding noise. The sound alone was one that Kim Dokja could almost feel in his bones, as though he had been struck by a distant shockwave. If it carried this much weight despite being on a screen, he couldn't even fathom how it was feeling to everyone actually experiencing something like that.
Lee Hyunsung sighed in relief as he noticed the conscious incarnations doing their best to evacuate themselves and others as gigantic tentacles fell from the sky. "Oh thank goodness, I was worried that someone would get crushed by that…"
Well, there was no guarantee that no one had, but if even a single person survived this encounter, then Kim Dokja would honestly consider it a success. That was how dire the situation truly was.
Yoo Joonghyuk scowled as Kim Dokja was awestruck by the constellation's power. Looking almost petulant, he turned to shoot Kim Dokja a piercing glance. "You act as though you've never seen someone surpass human levels before."
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is snickering as he refills his glass.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is trying to hide her grin behind her hands.]
Han Sooyoung snickered as Kim Dokja stared at the protagonist in confusion. Was he offended by what Kim Dokja had said or something…?
"Ahjussi, my oppa is super cool, right?" Yoo Mia said out of nowhere, pinning him under an intense stare. "He does really awesome things like killing constellations and outer gods, right? Because he's my oppa and he's the best."
Kim Dokja blinked at her in bafflement for a moment before forcing a shaky smile onto his face. She wasn't wrong—the Yoo Joonghyuk of the novel had done all those things—but she looked so serious about it that it was kind of nerve wracking. Of all the things she had to pick up from her brother, why did it have to be the intimidation skills…?
"Um, he does do some pretty awesome stuff in TWSA…" Kim Dokja replied, hoping that it would satisfy her. Unfortunately, it didn't; Yoo Mia just scowled at him and glared a bit harder.
Did she want him to spend fifteen minutes (at minimum) giving a rundown of every single cool thing that Yoo Joonghyuk had ever done over the course of the novel? Or explain his very detailed and thoroughly researched power scaling rankings that included every single regression turn, constellation, and named incarnation? Just what did that kid want?
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is scoffing and looking away in irritation.]
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is greatly entertained by this conversation.]
Before Kim Dokja could try to formulate another more satisfactory reply to whatever Yoo Mia was talking about, he was distracted by the kids' sudden tight grips on his arms as the probability storm hit his future self. Ah, shit, that didn't look pleasant.
"Ahjussi!" Shin Yoosung cried anxiously as the damage to his arm was revealed, now even worse than before. "Your arm…"
Jung Heewon winced. "Okay, yeah, that doesn't look good at all… maybe swap to using your other hand if you need to?"
Kim Dokja shook his head. While that would make sense, it wouldn't actually change anything in the long run. "Heewon-ssi, at least this way I still have one usable arm, no matter what happens."
"Still, Dokja-ssi, you could end up with permanent damage if you aren't careful," Lee Seolhwa told him in a worried tone, but Kim Dokja wasn't overly concerned about that. He had more important things to be paying attention to—namely, the probability storm.
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is concerned by the severity of the probability storm.]
"Hyung, are you sure you'll be okay?" Lee Gilyoung asked him, looking a bit nervous as his on-screen counterpart started coughing up blood.
"I'm sure," Kim Dokja lied seamlessly, patting the kid on the head. Well, he wasn't completely lying; even if he wasn't okay by the end of the fight, he'd be okay eventually!
Chances were that he'd likely end up dying in the process of trying to fight this thing, and all his injuries would be healed when he revived later. So, realistically, the amount of injuries didn't matter all that much! Not that it would be convenient or pleasant in any way to fight with a busted arm and the aftereffects of a serious probability storm, but at least it wasn't his legs so he could still move!
As Cheok Jungyeong assessed him, though, Kim Dokja had to grimace. He knew that there was a big difference between 'Goryeo's First Sword' and himself, a fledgeling constellation, but it was still difficult to process just how large that gap actually was.
[the constellation 'goryeo's first sword' is wondering if the incarnation 'kim dokja' will be able to handle it after training with the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
Yoo Joonghyuk just let out a huff, and Kim Dokja wasn't sure if that was supposed to mean 'of course he will' or 'of course not, he's hopeless'. The question here was whether Yoo Joonghyuk was more confident in his teaching abilities and training regime, or in Kim Dokja's complete and utter lack of talent.
Clearly struggling, Dokja asks about whether they can try negotiation since it's still a god—an option which Jungyeong shoots down before calmly telling Dokja that he should give up on saving his mother since the constellation's shadow was already consumed, so his mother's soul would already be shattered. Dokja refuses to believe this, stating that it couldn't have happened since this Outer God isn't the type to eat its prey that way.
This draws the constellation's attention. "... You're talking as if you know that Outer God."
Looking up with shaking eyes, recognition sparks in Dokja's gaze.
Twelve gigantic tentacles and a body concealed by a thick fog. That monster is the Outer God that Yoo Joonghyuk fought against in his 136th turn.
A panning shot of the writhing tentacles is shown before Joonghyuk leaps into action. Using [Gigantification] and transcendence, Joonghyuk looks like a demigod who has descended, attacking with all his might and managing to sever a tentacle after multiple blows. With an appreciative whistle, Jungyeong remarks that Joonghyuk reminds him of his younger self and that the regressor might be able to catch up to him soon.
"Are you fucking stupid? You want to try negotiating with that thing?!" Han Sooyoung blurted out, pointing at the writhing tentacles on the screen. "You're gonna end up getting eaten before you could even get two words out."
Well, it was worth a try, but fair.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is thinking that is a stupid idea.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is hoping for the 'outer god' to die.]
As the constellation mentioned that her soul would already be shattered because of her sponsor being consumed, Kim Dokja tried to restrain a flinch. He knew that wasn't what had happened—not with this Outer God—but it was hard to listen to anyway.
"Um, I might not like that ahjumma, but… that's not…" Lee Jihye trailed off, shooting an almost helpless glance in her direction. Kim Dokja refused to turn around and see what kind of expression was on her face—whether it was devastation, acceptance, or the perpetual blank slate of her impassivity. He didn't want to know what she was thinking.
As Kim Dokja mentioned that this Outer God didn't work that way, though, she exhaled deeply and relaxed somewhat. Of course, that didn't mean that what was happening was any more pleasant, but it's not like anyone else would actually know that right now.
[the constellation 'scribe of heaven' is curious to get more information on the 'outer gods'.]
[a few constellations are wondering if the incarnation 'lee sookyung' can be saved.]
"The sooty bastard fought that thing!?" Lee Gilyoung gasped in shock, his wide-eyed gaze darting over to look at the protagonist.
"He did," Kim Dokja replied, but decided against mentioning how that turn had ended for the moment. However, knowing that…
Ah, he was probably going to try following in 136th Yoo Joonghyuk's footsteps if he could, wasn't he?
Lee Hyunsung's eyes shone as he looked extremely determined. "Yes, I definitely have to train with Joonghyuk-ssi after this. If we can all get powerful enough to fight off things like that, then that would be for the best!"
Always so optimistic. However, Kim Dokja couldn't focus on Lee Hyunsung's enthusiasm because Yoo Joonghyuk had begun fighting back like a god of war, shooting forwards into danger without a single moment of hesitation. Though it had taken him more than one blow to carve a tentacle from its body, the fact that he had managed it at all was an accomplishment worth being proud of.
[many constellations are cheering for the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
[the constellation 'master of steel' is impressed by the abilities of the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
Okay, wow. Imagining something like that and actually getting to see it were two very different things, and Kim Dokja completely understood what the constellation was saying. Yoo Joonghyuk had been an absolute powerhouse in his later regressions, and considering that he was already this strong in only the ninth scenario of his third regression, it wasn't a surprise.
"Master, you're so cool!" Lee Jihye cheered, and Yoo Mia nodded along, smiling with pride. Though he didn't respond verbally, Kim Dokja could tell that Yoo Joonghyuk was pleased by his own progress.
Jung Heewon just looked over in their direction with a stunned expression on her face. "I know Dokja-ssi said before that he had to become a constellation just to keep up with Joonghyuk-ssi, but I don't think we really understood that until now."
Kim Dokja grinned weakly. Yeah, the protagonist was ridiculously strong, but he was also terrifying as hell at times like this. To think that he was already well on his way to catching up with Goryeo's First Sword, of all constellations… If Kim Dokja succeeded in paving Yoo Joonghyuk's path to the end of the scenarios, there was no telling just how strong he'd be by then, but Kim Dokja desperately needed to find out.
Landing on the ground in front of Dokja after doing as much damage as he can, Joonghyuk identifies the Outer God as the 'Devourer of Dreams' and explains that he encountered it in his previous turn, going on to describe what happens to those who are eaten by it and warning Dokja to never enter its mouth. "The 'Devourer of Dreams' isn't a god on the level of the 'Great Old Ones', but it's still a cosmic god. Even the fable-grade constellations of Earth couldn't face it without joining forces."
As he speaks, a few of the tentacles smack into the ground violently, tearing up the ground around them and their—now all unconscious—companions. As Dokja looks up when the dust settles, he notices the gaping void of the god's mouth descending from the broken sky. Despite that, only a third of its body has appeared.
Jungyeong comments that they must attack before the Outer God fully descends; however, when he goes to attack, Dokja is hit by a probability storm once more. As Dokja sputters, he logically figures out their situation.
Someone is using the plausibility allocated to us in our place.
Firmly grasping his sword in his severely battered hand, Dokja calls for Jungyeong to attack anyway, even when the constellation states that Dokja might cease to exist as a result. As the two incarnations pull out mana potions, Dokja asks Joonghyuk to join forces with him, gaining a nod from the protagonist.
"Seriously, how the fuck do you make that look so goddamn effortless?" Han Sooyoung griped with a huff, looking away in irritation.
Kim Dokja just knew that the protagonist naturally had excellent spatial awareness, so he had likely been keeping track of where everyone was. On top of that, he was a transcendent, and that allowed him to far surpass his human limits. Admittedly, Kim Dokja wasn't expecting him to be able to win or even do all that much damage, but he had no doubts that Yoo Joonghyuk would fight until he literally couldn't anymore.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is approving of the cool moves of the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
Shin Yoosung shuddered as the protagonist explained what the Outer God was, confirming Kim Dokja's suspicion. However, something he said made Kim Dokja frown. He was fairly certain that the Outer God who had attacked and destroyed the First Murim in the second regression hadn't been the Devourer of Dreams, so when had Yoo Joonghyuk encountered it?
It was just another thing to add to the list of suspicious coincidences, and Kim Dokja couldn't help but glance over at Yoo Joonghyuk as he pondered what it could mean. The information he had about the Devourer of Dreams was correct, and that wasn't something he should know without having lived it.
"It's that strong…?" Shin Yoosung whimpered, clinging to Kim Dokja a bit more tightly. "All those constellations are really powerful, but if they can't beat it alone…"
Lee Hyunsung's face paled. "That's really not good…"
"I'm a bit more concerned about those 'Great Old Ones' that Joonghyuk-ssi mentioned," Yoo Sangah admitted nervously, glancing around as she fiddled with her fingers. "This one Outer God is already seeming unbeatable, and there are others stronger than it?"
Kim Dokja nodded, confirming her suspicions. "I'd put it at about mid-range, for an Outer God. There weren't that many of them that were named in TWSA, but there are others—like the Indescribable Distance or the Great Old Ones—who are much stronger."
[a few constellations are glaring at the 'devourer of dreams'.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is growling at the mention of the stronger outer gods.]
Even more of the Outer God's body descended from the Great Hole, and Lee Seolhwa clenched her hands into fists as the ground was torn up and debris was flung everywhere. Considering how many people were unconscious in the area, she was likely concerned about any resulting injuries.
"Come on, hyung!" Lee Gilyoung muttered under his breath as Kim Dokja prepared to fight again; however, his smile dropped off his face as another probability storm struck the future Kim Dokja.
Ah, shit. That wasn't good.
"What's going on?" Lee Jihye asked in bafflement. "You didn't even do anything yet, ahjussi."
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is greatly displeased by the unfair actions of the nebulae.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is holding back from spitting out curses.]
"So, some asshole is trying to sabotage you? That's not fair to anyone here who's life is in danger!" Jung Heewon realized, a flicker of red beginning to blaze in her eyes on instinct before it went away with a small crackle of probability. Her sense of justice was incredibly strong, as always, and she was rightfully pissed off by things like this.
Yoo Mia scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "So they're sore losers."
Yeah, that pretty much summed it up. Of course, even under those awful circumstances, Kim Dokja didn't have the option to back down.
As he told Cheok Jungyeong to use his body to launch another attack, regardless of the consequences, the kids clung to him desperately.
"Dokja-ssi, I know this is a life or death situation already so I won't say much, but please stop doing things like this," Yoo Sangah sighed as she looked at him with sad eyes. "Your life isn't expendable just because you can come back."
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is agreeing with the incarnation 'yoo sangah'.]
He understood that, he really did, but she was right—he didn't have a choice here. If he did something, then maybe they'd have a better chance of survival than the big 0% chance they had otherwise.
As his future self asked Yoo Joonghyuk to work with him, though, Kim Dokja tried to not look too surprised when the protagonist agreed. Of course, under these circumstances, it wasn't like he had any reason to say no. However, it still sent a pleasant feeling shooting through Kim Dokja's body to realize that they were genuinely working together without even a complaint or argument. Though they were completely different and didn't always get along, it meant far more than Kim Dokja could ever explain to know that the protagonist who had kept him moving forward for so many years genuinely trusted him in a life or death situation.
"Kim Dokja," Yoo Joonghyuk said firmly, instantly capturing Kim Dokja's attention with just his name. "We will succeed."
He couldn't guarantee that, and they both knew it. Kim Dokja smiled sadly. "That would be good, Joonghyuk-ah, but don't get too optimistic either."
Yoo Joonghyuk looked at him in silence for a moment before his gaze flickered back to the screen. "If we fail, then I will regress."
That's exactly what Kim Dokja was afraid of, dammit! Even if he logically knew that Yoo Joonghyuk would have no other choice but to regress if the situation really got that dire, that didn't mean that Kim Dokja had to like the idea.
"And in the next round, I will find you again on that bridge, and you will be my companion in that life too."
Oh. That was…
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is screeching in surprise.]
Overwhelmed was probably the only word Kim Dokja could use to describe what he was feeling. It was like there was a storm in his head, throwing everything around and scrambling any thought that dared to begin to form. There were so many emotions filling him that if he felt any more, he just might burst. It was so all-encompassing that for a moment, it felt like no one else existed except for him and Yoo Joonghyuk—if anyone else had said anything, Kim Dokja didn't even process that he had heard it in the first place.
Still, that declaration was reassuring, in a way. Even after all of his annoying moves that had interfered with the protagonist's plans, Yoo Joonghyuk wanted to work with Kim Dokja again.
It was everything he had ever dared to imagine in his most self-indulgent of thoughts, and yet, it was terrifying to acknowledge. He didn't even know if he would exist in any other regression, and he didn't know if Yoo Joonghyuk had ever considered that possibility either. Regardless, he didn't want to think about it. Right now, the most important thing was focusing on the fight in front of them.
Even after downing the potion, Dokja still struggles to move. With every step, the storm crackles within him.
Damn it, the probability is still…
At that moment, a star in the sky brightens as 'Maritime War God' looks upon Dokja, sharing some of his plausibility even at the risk of making foes of the large nebulae. After acknowledging the admiral's act, Jungyeong calls out to ask if there are any others brave enough to stand with them.
When silence meets his demand, even after Jungyeong calls out several constellations for being cowards, Dokja notices a fallen figure reaching out to him with her hand.
Min Jiwon…?
Her gaze filled with defiance, she and her sponsor call on the constellations of Silla to join him, making Vedas furious. With that act, the two women collapse. Dokja notes that for the constellation to close her eyes, she must have suffered a huge amount of damage to her very existence—constellations only fall into a deep sleep when they suffer huge probability losses.
Kim Dokja knew that his condition was already awful, but considering how much he was struggling just to move, it was worse than he had expected.
"We'll do our best," he said, finally managing to find the words after his brain had been scrambled.
Their best was all they could do, even as a constellation and a transcendent. Hopefully the others weren't expecting miracles from them or anything.
[the constellation 'goryeo's first sword' is pleasantly surprised by the bravery of the constellation 'maritime war god'.]
Lee Jihye's expression brightened in an instant. "You're awesome, sponsor-ahjussi!"
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is smiling at the incarnations.]
Lee Sunsin had been extremely helpful and supportive all this time, and Kim Dokja was extremely grateful for all his help. Not for the first time, he was relieved and thankful that Lee Jihye had him as a sponsor. He was powerful, kind, and he genuinely cared for them. He was a constellation who Kim Dokja would mourn if anything happened to him.
Lee Hyunsung looked at the screen with a pleading gaze, desperately hoping that someone else would answer the call and come to their aid. "There has to be someone else who will help."
On one hand, there had been several others helping during the probability storm at the throne, but this time there was the threat of the nebulae hanging over their heads. While he didn't have to like it, Kim Dokja understood why so many constellations would be hesitant.
Suddenly, Min Jiwon reached out towards him, somehow still conscious. Was she trying to help…? Wait, how long had she been here anyway? Maybe Kim Dokja had completely missed her in that chaotic fray from earlier.
[the constellation 'lady of the sleeping brocade' is flustered.]
Kim Dokja's jaw dropped as the constellation took on a massive burden, completely exhausting herself. That was far more than he had expected her to do, but he supposed that she was likely trying to pay him back for that stunt with Tentacio.
"Wait a goddamn second," Han Sooyoung muttered, drawing everyone's attention to her.
"Sooyoung-ssi? Did you figure something out?" Lee Seolhwa asked, her lips curved into a slight frown.
Han Sooyoung sighed. "Well, I can't be sure or anything, but remember how we were speculating about the protagonist bastard's shitty sponsor before?"
Yoo Sangah nodded, and she paused for a second before her eyes widened. "Wait, we guessed that his sponsor never contacted him because of using too much probability, but if [Regression] actually takes as much as we think it does or more, then maybe the reason is that they're asleep the rest of the time to recover?"
"Bingo," Han Sooyoung replied, smirking at her. She looked rather smug, but Kim Dokja was more surprised by the light dusting of pink on Yoo Sangah's cheeks. Ah, was she a bit flustered that she had gotten it right?
Yoo Joonghyuk, on the other hand, looked pensive but troubled, and Kim Dokja felt much the same way. What kind of constellation would have a stigma to give like [Regression] in the first place, let alone willingly use so much probability on a mere incarnation that they might be essentially incapacitated the rest of the time…?
[the constellation 'scribe of heaven' is frowning deeply.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is thinking that the sponsor of the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk' is foolish.]
However, thanks to their actions, many familiar faces of the Korean Peninsula decide to speak up and share their plausibility as Dokja dodges another tentacle strike. With the sparks of the storm dying out, Dokja becomes filled with determination.
Implausibility was finally turning into plausibility.
When notifications display the nebulae becoming furious with the Korean Peninsula, Dokja feels bad about the possibility of having dragged them into a war. However, Jungyeong just laughs uproariously, stating that this is why he can't hate this country because all the idiots are now volunteering to die.
A moment later, the constellation tells Dokja to keep moving while he gathers power because they need to find a gap in the Outer God's defenses. Despite that, Dokja is in awe of the power coursing through his muscles.
I can feel a power incomparable to the first and second sword styles.
In front of him, Joonghyuk slices down the flying debris while stating that he'll be a distraction to buy as much time as possible. Activating [Gigantification], Joonghyuk now towers over Dokja, yet is still dwarfed by the Outer God. Meeting the attacking tentacle, Joonghyuk faces it head on, slicing it in half from the tip and carving out a good chunk of its flesh.
[the constellation 'bald leader of the peasant's army' is shaking his stick with a cheer.]
[the constellation 'one-eyed maitreya' is acknowledging the devils in the room.]
Jung Heewon let out a breathless laugh as more and more constellations joined in, easing Kim Dokja's burden. "That's right! We're not going to just let those dumbass nebulae walk all over us!"
Despite it being such a risky move for them, especially since they were gaining the ire of so many powerful constellations in those nebulae, Kim Dokja hoped that they would have clear consciences. When they could have sat back and watched the show, lamenting that it was impossible for them to do anything, they had ignored the consequences to do what they believed was right. Kim Dokja wasn't particularly patriotic or anything, but right now, he felt so proud to be a Korean incarnation.
"I won't let you down," Kim Dokja declared in response, grateful for their support. While Cheok Jungyeong would be the one actually attacking, Kim Dokja would still be the one having to find that opening for him to get a hit in that would actually count.
[the constellation 'goryeo's first sword' is proud of his sword styles.]
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is sipping his wine with a grin.]
"You can do it, oppa!" Yoo Mia cheered as her brother stepped forward to buy time using whatever means necessary.
It was going to be difficult, but Kim Dokja had unwavering faith in the protagonist's abilities. If anyone in the world could keep an Outer God as powerful as the Devourer of Dreams firmly focused on them for even a moment, it was Yoo Joonghyuk. Not only could he become physically bigger like his future self was doing, but his transcendence alone was enough of a genuine threat to make the Devourer of Dreams pay attention to him. As an Outer God who loved to consume stories like the constellations did, finding an incarnation who had forged his own story from nothing was like suddenly stumbling across a dessert buffet in the middle of a salad bar.
Yoo Joonghyuk examined the situation for a moment before letting out an exhale. "In my future self's state, I can give you a few minutes at most. That will have to be enough."
Kim Dokja laughed, a grin growing on his face. "A few minutes, Joonghyuk-ah? You're underestimating us."
If he had even a small twenty-second opening, that would have to be enough. Though it wouldn't be a spotless solution to this problem, Kim Dokja had a plan that he was certain would succeed. After all, it had already worked once.