"I wonder if ahjumma is going to get anything useful at all," Lee Gilyoung laughed. It made sense—Kim Dokja definitely wouldn't intentionally give her much. Even if her questions were good ones, he had no doubt that he'd try to word everything as vaguely as possible.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is tearing out his hair in excitement.]
Dokja seems annoyed that Sooyoung managed to get the [Lie Detection] skill before him, considering how useful it is.
He looks at Sooyoung and simply tells her, "I don't know either."
Naturally, [Lie Detection] confirms that Dokja is telling the truth. Confused, Sooyoung begins to immediately and repeatedly knock on her head, thinking her skill is broken.
Dokja prompts her to continue asking, telling her that it's not broken and that he'll only answer three questions. Sooyoung briefly spirals, wondering how someone could possibly not know their own attributes.
"Because the stupid page is broken," Jung Heewon chuckled, shaking her head as she did. "I wonder if that will ever get fixed."
Honestly, Kim Dokja really hoped so. He had no idea what any of his attributes actually were, past [King of No Killing], and that could leave him at a disadvantage if he needed to use specific attributes to finish a challenge or a scenario.
[many constellations are amused by the bafflement of the incarnation 'han sooyoung'.]
Han Sooyoung groaned. "No wonder I thought my skill was broken. You're just an anomaly."
Well, she wasn't wrong. Technically, in the world of TWSA, so was she.
She then demands to know why he gave up the throne, stating that he made a mess of her plans while calling the apostles annoying. With a seething glare and gritted teeth, she announces that if she had the throne, then she'd be ready for the next scenario. Dokja blandly interrupts her and states that Seoul would be destroyed if she had the throne, all while wearing a deadpan expression.
Upon [Lie Detection] proving that statement to be true once again, Sooyoung pulls a surprised pikachu face before going back to knocking on her head and claiming that the skill really must be broken. Dokja continues, stating that even if someone other than her had the throne, Seoul would still be destroyed.
Sooyoung pauses, looking absolutely stunned at this revelation. Her expression darkens, then. "How do you know that? What number renouncer are you? How do you know something that even I don't?"
"I'm not a renouncer," Dokja reveals. There's only silence between them other than the ding of [Lie Detection]'s confirmation of Dokja's words. She then demands to know how much he's read, and Dokja cheekily replies that she's used up all three of her questions.
"Hey, ahjussi, you said that some Outer Gods can destroy entire worlds, right? Is that what could end up happening to us if you took the throne?" Lee Jihye asked curiously.
It was definitely possible. TWSA had never specified what the exact consequences were past the destruction of Seoul, since Yoo Joonghyuk had stopped taking the throne in every regression after the 41st.
"Maybe," Kim Dokja said with a shrug. "I wasn't going to chance it."
[a constellation who values caution praises the foresight of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Yoo Joonghyuk nodded. "Nothing good can come from dealing with Outer Gods."
Kim Dokja's expression softened as he glanced over at the protagonist, who was probably still recalling the loss of his teacher in one of his first two regressions. If they played things right in this round, then Kim Dokja would do everything he could to make sure that she made it out alright. Not only would she be a great asset to help them make it to the end of the scenarios, but as a transcendent, she was even more powerful than the protagonist at this point.
Still, her demeanour meant that she might be more difficult to recruit, but Kim Dokja had the vague inklings of plans germinating in his head. Nothing was concrete yet, but there were a few promising ideas there. He'd figure something out before they encountered her, or at least he hoped he would.
"Pardon me, but Dokja-ssi wouldn't be classified as a renouncer since he didn't stop reading the novel, right?" Lee Seolhwa asked curiously, clearly still trying to get caught up with the group dynamics here.
Kim Dokja nodded. "I wouldn't consider myself one, for sure. It makes sense that she'd assume I was, though."
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is amused by the results of 'lie detection'.]
"Fuck, I really didn't learn much at all," Han Sooyoung groaned. "Damn you."
All Kim Dokja could do was smile in return. Though they were (maybe) on the same side in the future, it sure did feel good scamming people. Huh, maybe Bihyung was onto something when he said that he should have a scammer attribute.
"There's no way… right? What kind of nutcase would read that novel till…." Sooyoung asks, her expression caught somewhere between worried and scared. Dokja simply turns around, avoiding her gaze and looking utterly done with being called a nutcase.
Dokja snaps to attention when he hears the sound of footsteps. Grabbing Sooyoung by her backpack, Dokja dashes around a corner and drags her with him. He quickly activates [Character Profile] upon recognizing the figure barely visible through the cloud of dust as a humanoid. Unfortunately, whoever it is doesn't have a registered profile.
"Where are they?" As the dust clears, Dokja can barely make out a man who bears a greater resemblance to a werewolf than a human, even with his black, red, and teal fur. The only visible clothing on him is a pair of pants, as even a half-human entity like him knows to wear pants—unlike a certain prophet.
A nutcase? Maybe, but nobody here could even begin to understand just how much TWSA and its world meant to him. For years, it had been the only thing that kept him going, and the characters had been more real to him than reality.
"Dokja-ssi truly is dedicated," Yoo Sangah said with a smile, but before Kim Dokja could return it, the sound of footsteps set everyone on edge.
[many constellations are wondering who could be nearby.]
An unknown humanoid? Someone else from the real world, maybe? But that silhouette through the dust didn't look like any person Kim Dokja could recognize. The figure was larger and broader than Lee Hyunsung and Yoo Joonghyuk combined, and he had a very bad feeling about this.
"A werewolf!?" Lee Hyunsung exclaimed, his eyes wide in shock. "Those exist now too?"
Fuck. The meteorites would cause more problems than expected, then. That wasn't a good sign.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is narrowing her eyes in suspicion.]
Yoo Mia frowned. "Why are the colours on his fur so weird?"
Kim Dokja didn't know why either, but it was possible that it was meant to indicate that this werewolf was the leader of the group. If that was the case… he and Han Sooyoung might be in much deeper shit than expected.
Han Sooyoung grimaced, glancing over at Kim Dokja. "Well, what are the chances we can escape that thing's nose?"
"Basically none," Kim Dokja deadpanned. "We'll likely have no choice but to fight."
"Shit."
Around the corner, Sooyoung—one of the people the werewolf is looking for—pales and looks shocked about the appearance of an inhuman species. A man runs up to the werewolf, telling him that the people they're looking for took over the coin farm, and must still be nearby. His information earns him no favours, only a swift death. Without hesitation, the werewolf cuts the man down with a swift slash of his claws.
Wanderers have their own way of survival. Some choose to remain human and make 'coin farms', while others give up on being human to walk the path of a new species to survive.
Dokja easily identifies that the werewolves must have used the meteorite. Suddenly, Sooyoung narrows her eyes.
"I know him. He's a renouncer," she says in a whisper, trying to keep themselves hidden from his likely heightened senses.
"Stay safe, ahjussi… ahjumma," Shin Yoosung muttered, flinching as the werewolf tore the man to shreds. Kim Dokja patted her on the back, but he couldn't help the frown on his face.
This werewolf was in charge of the coin farm they just took down? Not only was the guy looking for them, but he also likely had a grudge too. And with the power the meteorite gave him…
This situation was getting worse and worse with every new piece of information.
[the eyes of the constellation 'secretive plotter' widen in surprise.]
"A renouncer? Him?" Jung Heewon exclaimed, pointing at the furry man on the screen. "He was human before, right?"
"Wait…" Han Sooyoung muttered, her eyes widening in realization. "Don't tell me…"
Yoo Joonghyuk shot Han Sooyoung a stern look. "Tell us."
"There was one super weird guy I found when I was looking for other renouncers; he gave me really bad vibes," she said with a slight shiver, sending slightly worried looks in Kim Dokja's direction the whole time. "I didn't think he'd survive for long, but he also seemed like the kind of psycho who would thrive in this kind of situation. Damn it."
Well that was just great, wasn't it? The fact that this half-human-half-monster could have even a bit of knowledge of TWSA was not a good sign.
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is concerned for the safety of the incarnations.]
When Dokja asks how she can tell, Sooyoung glances up at him. "I can just tell. It's my power as the [Last Renouncer]. I can see the stats and attributes of all the other renouncers."
Now that I think about it, Jung Minseob did say that when the Scenarios started, the First Apostle found them immediately. Only a skill that allowed Han Sooyoung to find all the other renouncers could make that possible.
"That's why I was suspicious of you," Sooyoung explains as she glares up at him. "My skill didn't work on you when you're obviously a renouncer."
Dokja just looks away awkwardly as he mutters, "Is that right?"
Ignoring that, Sooyoung goes on to explain that this guy is one of the ones who refused to join her. She wasn't worried because most renouncers died in the beginning, but this guy has clearly surpassed any low expectations she had for him.
"Ahjumma, you have a stat-viewing skill too!?" Lee Gilyoung exclaimed. Kim Dokja was honestly surprised as well, and for an instant, he wondered if she would be able to see his attributes window before he paused for a moment and realized that it was a stupid thought. She wouldn't have asked about them if she could see his stats. Damn it.
Not even a moment later, the future Han Sooyoung confirmed his thoughts. Why did he have to be right about something like that?
[a few constellations are impressed by the attribute of the incarnation 'han sooyoung'.]
"Except you're not technically one because you never dropped the novel," Han Sooyoung sighed. "Nothing can ever be easy with you, can it?"
Kim Dokja shrugged. It wasn't like he was doing it entirely intentionally.
"Please be careful," Yoo Sangah murmured as she stared at the werewolf on the screen. "If that guy survived this long, it wasn't by hiding."
That was true, especially considering the few ways one could transform themselves like that. Neither were good options, and Kim Dokja wasn't sure how powerful their opponent would be. With any luck, they could overwhelm him with numbers, thanks to Han Sooyoung's [Avatar] skill, and then—
As the werewolf looking man sniffs around, trying to find them, Dokja asks who he is.
"His name is Song Minwoo," Sooyoung reveals casually.
Dokja's eyes widen when he realizes how familiar that sounds. "Song Minwoo?"
'He's not a character, but I've definitely heard that name… before…"
No.
No no no no no no no—
Kim Dokja froze, his breath catching in his chest. That couldn't be true. There was no way.
"Ahjussi?" Shin Yoosung asked, though her voice sounded distant and muffled. "Ahjussi!?"
Kim Dokja trembled as his eyes stayed fixed on the screen, his mind superimposing the image of the boy who had tormented him for years over the monster that was once again hunting him down. It made his palms sweat and his heart race and Kim Dokja knew that he was descending into panic.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is concerned for the wellbeing of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Fuck. Kim Dokja couldn't breathe. He couldn't hear anything but the taunting he endured day after day, and he couldn't feel anything other than the phantom bruises littering his skin.
"Hyung? Can you hear me, hyung?"
Kim Dokja clutched at his chest with one hand as he wheezed and choked, trapped in his own memories. Someone was yelling his name, but he couldn't answer, couldn't react, couldn't feel anything but sheer overwhelming terror.
Suddenly, Kim Dokja jolted as a hand lightly slapped his cheek, stunning him back into reality. It wasn't a hard hit, or anything, but it was enough of a shock to snap him out of his panic.
Huh. Did that mean that there wasn't a penalty for violence after all, or that the intent or magnitude mattered more than the act itself? Wait, no, Kim Dokja really shouldn't be musing about that right now.
"How dare you!" Lee Gilyoung yelled, launching himself at Yoo Joonghyuk, and Kim Dokja barely had the time to grab the kid around the waist before he could get himself hurt.
"Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi, that really isn't how you should deal with someone having a panic attack," Lee Seolhwa fretted, before turning her attention to Kim Dokja and carefully looking him up and down. "Dokja-ssi, can you take deep breaths for me?"
He nodded, trying his best to do so. "Sorry."
"No, that stupid guy should be saying sorry to you!" Shin Yoosung insisted, glaring at the protagonist.
Had Yoo Joonghyuk slapped him to snap him out of his panic? While the method was as crude as one would expect from him, the fact that he tried to help at all was… well, Kim Dokja wasn't sure what to feel.
His curious gaze met the protagonist's, and Yoo Joonghyuk stared at him intently. "You weren't responding."
It was hard to tell, but he almost sounded worried. Out of the corner of his eye, Kim Dokja saw Han Sooyoung look away guiltily. Wait… had she realized who Song Minwoo was before, during that nightmare? Had he been wrong about which pieces of his puzzle she had put together?
On one hand, Kim Dokja was relieved that she hadn't figured out the connection between the bullies' taunts and the scene from the [Welcome Prison], but on the other, he wasn't sure that this was much better.
"Sorry," Kim Dokja whispered again, not sure who he was directing it to. "I am… I will be fine. I was just caught off guard."
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is frowning at the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Dokja's eyes widen in paralyzing fear as he comes to the horrifying realization that they have met. An image of Minwoo bullying Dokja flashes on the screen before it focuses on the name written on the nametag on his blazer.
Sooyoung, completely unaware of what Dokja is going through, continues talking. "Something's different about him. He's not like the other renouncers. Using my skill on him, it says that he's a renouncer who's only read chapter 173!"
As she says this, the shadow of a large figure looms over them, and Dokja's expression becomes even more terrified than before.
Minwoo looks down at them before his lupine face twists into a maniacal grin. "Found you."
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is enraged.]
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' wishes to comfort the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
"That fucker is dead," Jung Heewon hissed, her hand on her sword. "That was the guy from earlier!?"
Right. Everyone had seen that already. Kim Dokja tried to control his breathing as best as he could.
"We have… a history."
"No shit," Han Sooyoung deadpanned. "You wouldn't react that way if you didn't, and you can't even lie your way out of it because we literally watched it happen not too long ago."
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is glaring at the incarnation 'song minwoo'.]
Yoo Mia shot Kim Dokja a pitying look. "My oppa can kill him for you if you want him to, since you can't kill anything."
She couldn't just volunteer her brother for things like that, but oddly enough, Yoo Joonghyuk didn't look opposed to the idea. In fact, his brows were furrowed slightly more than usual, and the left one was slightly twitching. The protagonist couldn't seriously be thinking of hunting down Kim Dokja's high school bully just because of this, right?
He sent Kim Dokja another long look, before he returned to glaring at the screen. What was up with him?
"How the hell did he only read chapter 173?" Lee Jihye wondered, absolutely confused. "Who starts a book that far in?"
'Because he didn't read it,' Kim Dokja realized. The most likely reason was that he had just caught sight of it on Kim Dokja's phone.
A hand grabbed onto his, and Kim Dokja looked over in shock to realize that Yoo Sangah had reached out. "Dokja-ssi, please let us know if you're struggling. I know we don't have a choice about seeing these things, and we wouldn't want to invade your privacy like this under any other circumstances, but we don't want you to suffer either."
Lee Hyunsung nodded. "Please take care of yourself, Dokja-ssi!"
This was strange. He had always handled everything alone, his entire life, so he wasn't used to having support. Still, it was… nice. He couldn't help the sad smile that crossed his face, though.
"Alright, I'll try."