"Please succeed," Lee Seolhwa whispered hopefully as she watched Lycaon begin his offensive. Her heartfelt plea was something that all of them were desperately hoping on the inside because they really couldn't afford for him to fail here.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is tearing out his hair in excitement.]
Antinus looks up at Lycaon from where she has fallen, still screeching in anger as probability crackles heavily around her. Suddenly, she rushes the meteorite, gathering her mana in a last-ditch effort to awaken it. Both Joonghyuk and Lycaon call out to Dokja to take action in their own ways as the crazed 'Guide' makes her move.
"It won't end like this…! My world, my race..! And my children…!" Antinus forms her mana into a ball which she presses towards the meteorite as tears of anguish stream down her face. "I'll make sure the price of destroying my world is paid in full!"
Dokja leaps forward, severing her head from her body, at the same time that Lycaon's [Way of the Wind] strikes the meteorite. Unfortunately, the meteorite cracks with purple light emerging from within, which soon causes a full explosion. Caught in it, Dokja barely has time to see the window that says they failed the scenario as he's hit in the head with flying debris and thrown backwards.
"Shit," Han Sooyoung cursed, grimacing as Antinus did everything she could to hasten the meteorite's hatching. "This is beyond bad."
She was right, and Kim Dokja found himself getting more and more tense as the fight went on. He had to stop her here. There was no telling how bad it would get if he didn't.
"C'mon ahjussi… you can get her…" Lee Jihye pleaded, trying to stay as optimistic as she could. Still, Kim Dokja could see how tightly she was clenching her fists because of how anxious she actually was.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is praying that the incarnation 'kim dokja' will be successful.]
[some constellations are hoping for the disaster to hatch.]
The fact that there were constellations actively hoping for their failure did not help morale. The kids were so visibly nervous that Kim Dokja wasn't sure if he'd be able to help them, especially when they flinched as the meteorite began hatching.
Fuck, not even killing Antinus was enough to stop it?
"Dokja-ssi!" Yoo Sangah yelled in a panic when a flying rock hit Kim Dokja's head as he was caught in the explosion.
Lee Seolhwa looked worried, and Kim Dokja knew why—head injuries could be extremely serious, and he'd had enough concussions to know. It was all he could do to hope that his boosted Stamina stat would be enough to prevent another one from being added to his lengthy medical history. He really couldn't afford to deal with those symptoms in the middle of the apocalypse, after all.
Sangah, who mainly dealt with shockwaves and is therefore unscathed, calls out Dokja's name in worry before noticing a naked man with long hair emerging from the remains of the meteorite. Thankfully, the smoke is blowing in the right direction to hide anything unfortunate.
As the man looks around, dazed, the smoke clears and a convenient piece of fabric has been placed around his waist due to the lack of environmental censors. When he speaks, his voice is rough from disuse.
"Could… this be…?"
[The 'Disaster of Questions' has struck your world!]
A flashback scene is shown of an eager teenager who seems to have been told that he's become a hero. He eagerly talks to an unknown being as lighting crackles before him, it then transitions to show the 'Disaster of Questions' in Seoul.
Jung Heewon glanced over at Yoo Sangah and noticed how tense she was. "Sangah-ssi, at least you're doing okay."
Yoo Sangah nodded, but everyone could tell that her worry was overwhelming everything else. Considering how dangerous the situation was, everyone could possibly get murdered here.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is mocking the 'disaster of questions'.]
Yoo Mia grimaced. "Why's he wearing that? He's basically naked."
That was a very good question, and one that Kim Dokja had never really thought too much about. All the disasters were naked when they came out of the meteorites, so maybe they just couldn't be put into the meteorites with clothes on? Still, that sounded ridiculous. Was it really that hard for the Star Stream to give them some dignity?
"Doesn't he have something around his waist, though? It's better than being completely naked, right?" Lee Hyunsung asked curiously, tilting his head slightly to the right in an excellent imitation of a confused puppy.
Yoo Joonghyuk narrowed his eyes. "They've never had clothes before. Why now?"
Kim Dokja studied the video with a confused frown. Was the waist wrap… lagging slightly? It seemed to be moving slightly behind the rest of his body, like it had been belatedly placed on top of the footage instead of something he was actually wearing. That was weird.
"At least we don't have to see a naked guy," Shin Yoosung muttered as she curled closer to Kim Dokja's side. "That would be gross."
[a constellation who likes children approves of the censoring of inappropriate sights.]
Ah, maybe that was it. Could the scenario have really adjusted the footage to be more family-friendly? It was almost laughable, considering how horrible the apocalypse was in the first place.
Lee Gilyoung frowned as he watched the younger disaster speak to an unknown figure, most likely a dokkaebi. "A hero? Who would believe that?"
A lot of people, actually.
Joonghyuk's voice rings in Dokja's ears through Midday Tryst as he slowly comes to his senses, lying on the ground beneath a pile of rubble.
[Midday Tryst
Joonghyuk: Kim Dokja! Wake up! Hurry!
Joonghyuk: Get moving! You can still stop the disaster now!]
When Dokja doesn't move, trying to consider a method of attack that won't be practically suicide, Joonghyuk speaks again like he read Dokja's mind.
[Midday Tryst
Joonghyuk: You… are you that weak?
Dokja: What?
Joonghyuk: All the words you told me were false.
Joonghyuk: The one who told me not to give up on this world will succumb to a disaster of this degree?]
Dokja could almost laugh at the irony of hearing this from Joonghyuk of all people, but also belatedly thinks that suicide wouldn't be enough to rid himself of the shame.
Kim Dokja's eyes widened. "Joonghyuk-ah, you're acting like you're actually worried about me there."
Trying to force himself to look like he wasn't too relieved to see that he was alive and doing relatively okay, Kim Dokja plastered a teasing smile on his face as he turned to look at the regressor. Yoo Joonghyuk, on the other hand, was scowling at him.
"I am."
What? No, Kim Dokja had to be hearing things. There was no way that the protagonist had bluntly admitted to being concerned for him.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is watching the current events excitedly.]
It couldn't be true. Kim Dokja couldn't let himself believe something like that if he wanted to keep himself sane. He had to deflect, to say something—anything—to make this awful vulnerability go away.
"Joonghyuk-ah, it's okay, really," Kim Dokja deflected with a cheeky grin, "we all know you're just worried about the disaster winning."
Yoo Joonghyuk's expression became even more pinched at that, and Kim Dokja wasn't sure why that would be the case. His future self was even lecturing Kim Dokja, it was obvious what was going on!
"You are a fool, Kim Dokja," Yoo Joonghyuk declared through gritted teeth.
Okay, sure, he was a fool; how was that information meant to help them whatsoever in this situation?
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is shaking his head in disappointment.]
Jung Heewon raised a brow. "He's got a point, y'know. You can't give up now."
Kim Dokja wasn't giving up, he was just considering his options. Of course, there weren't many to choose from, and he couldn't be completely sure of what his future self was about to do, but he wasn't about to do something as stupid as giving up.
Admittedly, it was funny to hear that sunfish protagonist who regressed at the slightest inconvenience telling him not to give up. Couldn't he take his own advice? Yoo Sangah shot him a concerned glance after his next thought, but Kim Dokja did everything he could to avoid looking at her. That was not something he wanted to deal with right now.
[Midday Tryst
Dokja: Of course not, I was just thinking for a second.]
Dokja pushes through the rubble and notices Sooyoung running up to him. As she begins talking to him, a penalty is given to the incarnations for the meteorite's premature hatching. This, naturally, ticks Dokja off and causes him to mentally curse the dokkaebi.
He must be killed. He must be killed as quickly as possible.
The disaster starts to move through the rubble before noticing someone pinned under a large rock and asks if they're ok. As Dokja panics about the person answering him, the disaster rapidly asks the year and location. The confused person responds, unknowingly releasing the First Seal on the 'Disaster of Questions', Myung Ilsang.
"Kick his ass, hyung," Lee Gilyoung said, glaring at the screen. Kim Dokja wasn't sure if the kid was talking about the disaster or the dokkaebi in charge of the scenario, but honestly, it could be both.
Han Sooyoung cursed under her breath when she realized just how bad the situation was, and the penalty was not helping matters at all.
[Many constellations hope to see a good fight against the disaster.]
They'd have to give it everything they had—there's no way they would survive otherwise.
"He's asking random questions?" Yoo Mia wondered, glancing up at her brother. "Is that his power?"
"Somewhat," Yoo Joonghyuk replied, though he shot Kim Dokja a dark look as he did so. What was his problem?
Ugh, was he frustrated that he was having to respond to this question instead? Fine then.
"Every question that gets answered unlocks more of his power. If we want to have a chance at killing him, we need to stop him before too many seals get released," Kim Dokja continued, glancing at Yoo Mia. There—was the protagonist satisfied yet?
Apparently not, because he was frowning even more now. Seriously, would it kill him to be clear for once? Actually wait, no, he was a sunfish. Of course it would.
Lee Hyunsung looked extremely worried. "That sounds really bad…"
It was bad.
Ilsang laughs before asking if they have any idea how hard it was for him—how hard it was to live 100 years and being the only human sent to a different dimension full of revolting creatures. As he speaks, an image of a lost looking boy wearing a cape and armour stands alone amongst rubble while looking up, appears on the screen. Before him stands creatures like Lycaon and Antinus, who have all been cloaked in shadows with red eyes, showing the fear the boy felt from his perspective.
"Insects, wolves, birds. Out of these three, which is the best?" Ilsang asks, confusing the injured incarnation. "Fine, out of the three, which one's meat is the most delicious?"
When the fallen person asks for help, begging for their life, he just crushes their skull with his foot before announcing that anyone could see this coming with a psychotic look on his face. Gone is the excited boy, and gone is the one who held fear of the unknown.
He notices Sangah and runs up to her, calling her really pretty as he gets up in her face. Dokja struggles to stand as he messages Sangah and tells her to get away from Ilsang. When Sangah asks who he is, Ilsang grasps her chin between his thumb and forefinger, making him seem like even more of a creepy jerk than he already is.
"That sounds awful…" Yoo Sangah muttered, sympathizing with Myung Ilsang. "I at least had Dokja-ssi and everyone else when the apocalypse started, and we're in a familiar place even if it's been changed by the scenarios. I can't imagine how much harder it is to be alone in a foreign place like that."
Yoo Sangah was always too nice for her own good. Maybe he was pitiable in the early days of his adventure, when he was still discovering the world, but the person he became was anything but.
"Which is the best?" Jung Heewon wondered with a frown. "I think I like birds better…"
"No, insects are the best!" Lee Gilyoung exclaimed passionately, to no one's surprise.
[a constellation who likes grasshoppers agrees with the incarnation 'lee gilyoung'.]
Ah. So that's what he meant by that statement.
Lee Gilyoung looked almost devastated when the disaster spoke about eating them, and Jung Heewon just looked sick because of the sudden change of context. Not that anyone else looked much better, but the next scene of an incarnation's head getting crushed did not help matters any.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is enjoying the carnage.]
"Unnie, be careful!" Lee Jihye yelped as soon as the disaster ran up to Yoo Sangah, and everyone tensed up at that.
Yoo Sangah shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself as she looked distinctly uncomfortable. The expression on her face was caught somewhere between fury and disgust, but she couldn't look away.
"That asshole," Han Sooyoung spat. "Who the fuck does he think he is?"
"Someone who's owed everything he wants," Yoo Sangah murmured. "There are a lot of people in the world like him."
Like their creepy former coworkers, apparently. God, was this the kind of harassment that Yoo Sangah had to endure all the time? Did people really think they were entitled to her time and attention just because she was nice and friendly, on top of thinking that they were entitled to her body or affections just because she was pretty?
Fuck, humanity disgusted him sometimes.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is hoping that the incarnation 'yoo sangah' will be alright.]
He's one of the Five Disasters of the Fifth Scenario, and one of the disasters that destroyed Chronos—the 'Disaster of Questions'.
As Dokja narrates, Ilsang is shown standing in a sea of fire. His appearance has changed to be closer to his current one, still in his uniform but it is stained with blood and his cape is so ripped that it has now become a scarf. The scene rotates to show Antinus, fallen and crying before him.
This boy is the reason why Antinus wanted to destroy Earth. He is someone who was summoned to Chronos as a hero.
A close up of the boy's face appears on the screen. Blood stains his skin and his eyes are so blank that they seem almost dead, no longer holding emotions other than boredom and fury.
He is someone from Earth - The 'returnee' Myung Ilsang.
Ilsang continues to ask Sangah if she's curious about his identity before deciding that Sangah should be attracted to him and blushing, wondering if only her face is attractive and if Earth's beauty standards have changed. Naturally, this infuriates her and prompts her to nearly respond in anger. Dokja, thankfully, sends a message just in time to tell her to avoid answering.
At this, she looks over her shoulder towards him. This angers Ilsang who looks almost insane. "Where are you looking? Keep your eyes on me. Is that your boyfriend?"
Sangah slaps his hand away while telling him to keep his hands off of her. This, unfortunately, counts as answering his question and releases the second seal. Additionally, her reaction cements the idea that Dokja is her boyfriend in Ilsang's mind. He lifts his finger with wild eyes, activating the [Small Crimson Flame Cannon].
"All this time, I'd trembled in front of those fuckers from another dimension, but in the meanwhile, people like you were having the time of their lives in a peaceful world, right?"
Lee Hyunsung tensed up. "He was summoned as a hero, but he destroyed their world? Why would he do that?"
Kim Dokja didn't know his exact reasons, but he could imagine some of them. After all, that kind of power fantasy trope was popular because it was wish-fulfillment for so many people. They wanted to be powerful and famous, popular and well-liked, but they couldn't imagine that happening in their real lives on Earth. For these people who felt inadequate, it was all they wanted to go somewhere where they would be unique and interesting—irresistible, even.
Myung Ilsang was someone like that—desperate to be liked and to be someone.
Kim Dokja, however, had never been that kind of person. Instead, he had been the opposite—someone who was desperate to erase themselves from the narrative and hide in the spaces between the words.
"That fucker is dead," Jung Heewon hissed when Myung Ilsang continued to pester Yoo Sangah. "I'm going to remember where this is and come after this piece of shit myself."
[several female constellations are angry at the 'disaster of questions'.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is vehemently agreeing with the incarnation 'jung heewon'.]
Yoo Sangah shook with how angry she was, but she took a deep breath and remarkably managed to keep her composure. "Dokja-ssi, thank you for telling me not to say anything."
Of course, the disaster's invasive questions only continued, and it was starting to piss Kim Dokja off too. The boyfriend one in particular threw him off, because where the hell did that guy even get that idea from? He didn't think of Yoo Sangah in that way!
Kim Dokja expertly ignored Lee Jihye's piercing stare because he knew that if he acknowledged it, she'd continue to spout more nonsense. There were more pressing things to worry about—like how any response counted, even if it didn't answer the question specifically.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is frowning.]
Yoo Sangah wilted. "I'm sorry, Dokja-ssi…"
"It's fine," he said tensely. "It's not your fault."
She didn't seem convinced, but there wasn't much more he could do. Kim Dokja just hoped that she'd be able to forgive herself for it later.
As Sangah jumps out of the way, the blast continues to rocket towards Dokja. Bracing himself, Dokja notes that this flame burned away and killed all the Monarch level insects in Chronos.
The pain…. Is nowhere as bad as I'd expected?
Dokja sits comically, barely singed and more flustered than anything else, wondering how that could strike fear into people. Sangah rushes the disaster with her daggers, causing Ilsang to ask if she's a returnee due to her strength, or if he'd been weakened. Dokja, confused about how Sangah is able to fight on par with him when two seals have broken, activates [Character Profile].
[Name: Myung Ilsang
Age: 17 (127)
Constellation Sponsor: Mass-Production Maker
Personal Attributes: SSS-Class Hero (Heroic), Disaster of Questions (Legendary)
Exclusive Skills: SSS-Grade Growth Acceleration lvl. 10 (Currently lvl. 1), SSS-Grade Swordsmanship lvl. 10 (Currently lvl. 1), Crimson Flame Cannon lvl. 9 (Currently lvl. 1), SSS-Grade Swift Steps lvl. 10 (Currently lvl. 1)...
Stigma: Simply Answer the Leading Question lvl. 7 (Currently lvl. 2)
Overall Stats: Stamina lvl. 99 (Currently lvl. 55), Strength lvl. 99 (Currently lvl. 55), Agility lvl. 99 (Currently lvl. 55), Mana lvl. 99 (Currently lvl. 55)
Overall Evaluation: This is the 'Disaster of Questions' who destroyed Chronos. All his stats are placed under seals due to the current scenario penalty. Each time a seal is released, his stats will rise. Once all seals are released, the disaster's true power will awaken. If you want to survive, don't answer his questions. However, death is likely regardless.]
"Kim Dokja!" Yoo Joonghyuk exclaimed when the attack hit him, and the kids all grasped onto him in terror. Kim Dokja shook, petrified that he was just going to die again. That skill decimated his opponents on Chronos, and Kim Dokja really didn't want to be instantly vaporized. Again.
When the smoke cleared and he was basically unharmed, everyone sat in frozen silence for a moment.
[many constellations are baffled.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is laughing at the pitiful skill of the 'disaster of questions'.]
"That makes no sense," Kim Dokja muttered. "There's no way he should be that weak."
"You sure your stats just aren't too high?" Han Sooyoung asked with a raised brow, and Kim Dokja shook his head. Though his stats were definitely higher than those of an average incarnation, he shouldn't be able to just tank that skill. Also, no matter how much Yoo Sangah had improved, she shouldn't be able to go toe-to-toe with a disaster.
[several constellations are curious to know why the 'disaster of questions' is so weak.]
Kim Dokja relaxed slightly when the disaster's profile popped up, because at least he could confirm his suspicions.
"If people keep answering his questions, then his stats will keep rising," Lee Seolhwa observed. "That's… that's going to be incredibly hard to deal with."
Fuck, it would be. It was easy to tell people not to say anything, but in the heat of the moment, would anyone remember?
As Dokja looks surprised that he's weaker than in the novel and wonders if Bihyung had a hand in it, Sooyoung activates [Avatar]. Dokja yells to the women that they need to pull out all the stops and kill him here, reminding them that they can't answer any questions no matter what. Dokja immediately invests coins to bring his Stamina, Agility, and Mana up to lvl. 60 as he optimistically hopes they can kill the disaster without [Way of the Wind].
Inky writing appears, originating from Dokja's blade, as he leaps over some avatars while activating [Song of the Sword]. Ilsang immediately asks about the skill, which he claims looks super strong.
The 28th. Clear skies. I went to do some paperwork.
Dokja pauses in the air, a look of pure confusion on his face.
Eh? Admiral?
Unfortunately, this moment of hesitation gives Ilsang the chance to land a kick directly to his chest, causing Dokja's eyes to roll back and for him to spit up blood.
Huh? Could Bihyung have subtly pulled a string or two to increase their survival chances? Maybe he wasn't quite so bad after all—but only slightly. He was still a dokkaebi, in the end.
"Come on…" Yoo Mia pleaded, getting oddly invested in the fight. Her brother's face was blank, but Kim Dokja could see in his captivating eyes that he was focusing intently as well. Honestly, which god had crafted this man from marble and let him look so handsome when he was focused like that?
[several constellations hope that the higher stats of the incarnation 'kim dokja' will be useful.]
Yoo Joonghyuk's brow furrowed. "I doubt that will work."
Well, wasn't he being a killjoy today? Still, Kim Dokja knew it was wishful thinking and he exhaled in disappointment.
"I can't use the skill, so it's not like we have any other options."
Seeing [Song of the Sword] activate, he relaxed slightly. That was an extremely powerful skill, so that might give them the advantage—
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is looking away sheepishly.]
What the hell!?
"No!" Lee Jihye cried. "What the heck is that!?"
Fuck, Kim Dokja hated RNG. There was a reason why he spent all his time reading webnovels and not wasting his time and (nonexistent) money on shitty gacha games. The major downside to the skill was the very reason why it could be as powerful as it was. You took a chance every time you used it, and for the first time, Kim Dokja's dubious luck hadn't come through for him.
Shin Yoosung's eyes went wide and she clutched onto Kim Dokja even tighter as he got kicked. "Ahjussi!"
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is demanding to know what happens next.]