[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is seething.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is glaring at the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
Huh? Was he offended on Kim Dokja's behalf or something? It was unnecessary, really, and Kim Dokja just hoped that Uriel wouldn't start up another argument over this. He wasn't really sure what was going on, but it wasn't worth getting up in arms over—Yoo Joonghyuk was just being his normal confusing self.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is glaring even harder at the constellation 'secretive plotter'.]
Ah, there she went. Goddammit.
Honestly, it was more important to find out whether or not they'd actually be able to defeat the Disaster of Questions, so when the two constellations inevitably started butting heads, Kim Dokja ignored their bickering completely and focused on the next segment that was just beginning to play.
With the returnee pinned on the ground, it is now apparent that the markings on his body have become darker in colour due to the breaking of his seals. Beforehand, they had been barely visible.
"Ah fuck, I knew it had to be the protagonist…" Sooyoung says cautiously as she peeks out from her hiding spot behind a building.
Ilsang states that he's truly been made into the villain as he throws Joonghyuk off of him before rushing at the protagonist with his clawed hands. Joonghyuk blocks the claws with his blade, gritting his teeth as sweat drips off of him. Mentally, he calls for Dokja to hurry since he's definitely not fully recovered from the poison and is struggling far more than he should.
Behind them, Dokja gathers a small vortex into his hand, starting with the yin and yang. He watches as it grows larger, flowing further above his head.
The four winds meet to form a fortification, and the four winds meet again in the shape of a trigram.
"Go Master!" Lee Jihye cheered excitedly. "Get him!"
Yoo Mia nodded in agreement. "My oppa is the best!"
[many constellations agree that the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk' is very capable.]
Kim Dokja grimaced as Han Sooyoung revealed her location, and it only got worse when the protagonist was thrown off the disaster's back. Fuck, he hadn't had some kind of miraculous recovery, had he? What was he even thinking, jumping in like that when he could barely stand!?
"As much as I like seeing the sooty bastard struggle a bit, he'd better not get hyung hurt," Lee Gilyoung muttered with a glare in Yoo Joonghyuk's direction. Kim Dokja glanced down at the boy, a little bit concerned.
"Gilyoung-ah," he said quietly, "he's helping me, don't be rude."
Even though his lips curved into a pout (which only deepened when Shin Yoosung started giggling), Lee Gilyoung nodded with a huff. At least he understood that without the protagonist having to say anything. He was just a kid, so Yoo Joonghyuk would probably go easy on him, but Kim Dokja didn't particularly want to take that chance.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is hoping that the incarnation 'kim dokja' will help his companion.]
Of course he would; the protagonist was putting his life on the line to help against the disaster, after all. Kim Dokja wasn't about to just let him fail.
"You finally understand it, Dokja-ssi!" Lee Hyunsung declared excitedly. "I wonder what that one will do!"
If this did what it was supposed to… then they might just be able to win this fight. Kim Dokja couldn't help it when his lips curled into a small smile as a result.
Ilsang dodges a punch from Joonghyuk before expertly nailing the protagonist in the face with a punch of his own. The force of the punch sends Joonghyuk flying backwards, but Ilsang is not given time to relax as wind gathers around him, to his surprise.
Therefore, the wind is everywhere and nowhere.
The winds rapidly speed up, swirling faster and faster until they form a barrier around the disaster—the [Absolute Void Prison]. From the side, Dokja braces himself as he does everything he can to push all his focus into the barrier. Back inside, Isang tries to speak, but no words are able to come out in the high winds.
This was why I was trying to learn [Way of the Wind], and why it was the best method to counter the 'Disaster of Questions'.
At this point, [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint] level 2 activates to hear Ilsang's thoughts.
「What is this? Why can I not hear my own voice? Is this a spell? Ugh, I can't breathe…?!」
Kim Dokja winced when Yoo Joonghyuk was sent flying, especially considering the force behind it. That would probably be a concussion, too. Hey, maybe they'd match in what could be one of the worst ways possible!
"I hope that I'll have recovered enough to assist after the fight is over," Lee Seolhwa muttered in a concerned tone, clearly having realized the exact same thing.
Yoo Sangah nodded along, but she brightened up as soon as the barrier was erected around the disaster. "That looks amazing, Dokja-ssi, and it makes sense that a vacuum would be what could beat him."
[several constellations approve of the smart plan.]
Well, Kim Dokja knew that he shouldn't complain, but wow he looked way less cool than Yoo Joonghyuk did when exerting that much effort. The protagonist halo really did that man wonders…
"He can't talk now!" Shin Yoosung exclaimed, her eyes practically sparkling as she looked up at Kim Dokja. "Ahjussi, that's so smart!"
Thank goodness it had worked, because that meant that they could probably beat him without too much trouble now. The bigger issue was somehow convincing someone else to deal the last blow, since Myung Ilsang was unfortunately still considered human even though he was a disaster. Killing him would mean that Kim Dokja would lose [King of No Killing], after all.
Ilsang holds his breath as messages start appearing, mentioning that due to penalties, the seals will be reapplied to the returnee.
「Nooooo! Stop!」
Blood begins to drip from Dokja's nose as sweat flows down his face. He mentally complains about the amount of mana used in this technique as he grunts from the effort exerted.
The 'Disaster of Questions' keeps endlessly asking questions not only because that's a specific condition for him to regain his power, but also because his powers are sealed away again if he doesn't ask any questions for a while.
Ilsang repeatedly kicks the barrier with all his strength while his cheeks are puffed out like a chipmunk's from holding his breath. He angrily wonders why it won't break as more seals get reapplied.
These conditions can easily make him stronger, however, it's just as easy to weaken him. That's how this was made into a game.
"I didn't know the seals could be reapplied," Jung Heewon remarked, surprised. "It's a good thing that they can, though."
Absolutely. He would be practically impossible to beat otherwise.
"Be careful, ahjussi," Yoo Mia said as she glanced at him. "You're pushing too hard."
Kim Dokja knew that, but he also didn't have a choice. If he couldn't keep this up, then they'd all end up dead, so he had to ensure that the vacuum didn't falter for even a moment.
Han Sooyoung glanced over at him teasingly. "Bet you wish that you had boosted your Mana stat now."
… Fuck, he really did. He couldn't even argue with her because she (and everyone else) already knew that his own stores were pitiful enough that she had to do the vast majority of the infusing for Lycaon's meteorite.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is chuckling at the misfortune of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
The kids (including Lee Jihye) loudly heckled the disaster as he continued trying to break out, and cheered whenever he failed. Well, even if Kim Dokja ended up passing out by the end of this, at least they were having fun.
Ilsang rapidly punches the barrier while mentally cursing, desperately trying to break out. Outside, Dokja's hands visibly shake as he desperately hopes to hold out until all the seals are restored, lamenting that he can't reduce the size of the prison to conserve mana due to a lack of control over the technique.
"Don't try to control it, you have to let the wind lead," Joonghyuk states calmly as he staggers over to Dokja's side. "The technique's capability isn't to 'wall' him inside, but to remove all the matter surrounding his body and leave him alone inside."
As Ilsang frantically attacks, he suddenly stops, noticing wind gathering around his limbs. The wind crawls up his body until it fully entraps him, and sucks everything away. He grasps at his neck, shaking as his eyes roll back.
「A-aaaah, aaaAAH, UWAAAAAAH! I'M SUFFOCATING!!」
"Impressive. You do have a little talent in you, after all," Joonghyuk says, which is far more of a compliment than anyone could have expected from him.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is encouraging the incarnation 'kim dokja' to persevere.]
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is cheering on the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Yoo Joonghyuk frowned at Kim Dokja's thoughts, shaking his head. "You may have borrowed Lycaon's ability, but you still understand nothing."
…
Kim Dokja wasn't even sure if there was anything he could say to that. It wasn't his fault that he lacked talent, okay!? This was hard enough as it was!
"Let the wind lead…" Yoo Sangah muttered. "That makes sense. It's not meant to be pinned down and controlled, but you can direct the flow somewhat."
"Precisely," Yoo Joonghyuk confirmed.
Could it be that Yoo Sangah had the talent for this too? Of course she would—she easily could have been a heroine in any other story. Kim Dokja wilted slightly with a sigh, but perked up immediately when the future Yoo Joonghyuk explained it in a way that made a bit more sense.
"You're doing it, ahjussi!" Lee Jihye cheered as she turned to grin widely at him. "You're not so hopeless after all!"
… Thanks.
But then, the future Yoo Joonghyuk actually complimented him, and Kim Dokja froze where he was sitting as a chill ran down his spine. It was a pleasant tingle from the base of his neck that washed over him like a wave, leaving him feeling floaty and unmoored afterwards. It was so unexpected that he didn't know what to do or say, and he knew that Han Sooyoung and Jung Heewon were laughing at him because his jaw had dropped.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is cheering for the power of companionship.]
For once, she might actually have a point. What the actual hell?
Kim Dokja turned to glance at the protagonist, still feeling completely baffled. When he did so, it was like he got slammed over the head all over again because there was the slightest approving quirk of the man's lips. Was he smiling? Because of Kim Dokja?
What the fuck was even happening?
Suddenly, Ilsang shakily lifts his finger and prepares to let loose a shot of [Great Crimson Flame Cannon] into the air. Dokja notices that there are people in the direction he's shooting, but Joonghyuk grabs him by the shoulder and tells him not to be foolish since none of them would care if he died. Dokja responds that some people are like that, but not everyone before he sets off running towards the people in the line of fire.
This must be the result of him trying to squeeze out his last remnants of power.
Dokja leaps into the air, propelling himself forward with ease.
It's as though my body became one with the wind.
Images of Lycaon and Joonghyuk using [Way of the Wind] flash across the screen, and Dokja's eyes widen in realization.
[the constellations of the absolute good alignment approve of saving the bystanders.]
It was true that any of those people could have left him to die if they were in his shoes, but there was also the chance that they wouldn't. Kim Dokja didn't feel comfortable deciding who lived or died, especially if he could do something about it. He didn't care for them all that much either, in the grand scheme of things, but having more casualties that could have been prevented didn't sit right with him.
Lee Seolhwa smiled at his choice, and if she approved, then it was probably the right choice to make.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is disappointed with the choice made by the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Kim Dokja literally couldn't care less about what that guy thought, though.
Ah. So this is what it feels like.
Words float around the scene as everything slows, labeling what they are doing.
This is what the world is like, through the eyes of the 'characters'.
The words talking about how to use [Way of the Wind] appear, flowing together and merging as they form the wind trails that follow Dokja as he passes those retreating from the disaster. [The Fourth Wall] thins as he gets more immersed in the words of the world, bringing him closer to the characters.
「All of you sons of bitches! Die! DIEEEE!」
Ilsang's unhinged thoughts cackle through Dokja's mind as he arrives before the flames, lifting his palms to block the blast and gritting his teeth as it hits. With a quick movement, Dokja uses the wind to scatter the flame and redirect it straight up as the people who were running turn to look at him in shock. Others nearby stop to watch the emerging flame in awe, wondering where it came from.
Kim Dokja's eyes widened as the words flowed around him, like they were part of the fabric of reality itself. It was beautiful in a way that he couldn't explain, but it felt like he had found somewhere he truly belonged.
[several constellations are curious about this viewpoint.]
When [The Fourth Wall] thinned, just from immersion alone, Kim Dokja couldn't help but suck in a breath. For the first time, that had happened because of a decision he made, and not just because of the circumstances thrust upon him. He had chosen to step in when he could have stepped aside, and he chose to save 'characters' at the cost of his own guarantee of safety.
"Damn," Han Sooyoung muttered, "are you trying to steal the protagonist position with a move like that?"
Kim Dokja jolted out of his thoughts to scowl at her. "No."
She raised a brow as she popped a lemon candy into her mouth. "You're the center of attention and you just saved a bunch of people. Pretty protagonist-esque of you."
He didn't want to be the protagonist, though! That role was already taken, and by someone so much better than he could ever be.
[the constellation 'maritime war god' applauds the incarnation 'kim dokja' for his quick thinking.]
Blood drips down Dokja's face as he pants from the effort. Suddenly, a large hand with long and callused fingers comes to rest on his back. As he infuses some of his own mana into Dokja's exhausted body, Joonghyuk states, "You shall die by my hand."
As Dokja wonders what Joonghyuk is doing, a message states that all the seals have returned to Ilsang. Dokja turns back and disables [Way of the Wind], dropping the coughing and choking disaster to the ground.
Dokja tells him that he'll kill him the moment he tries to ask any questions, drawing his blade. The pathetic looking returnee, no longer tattooed, crawls on the ground as he tries to get away from Dokja.
A 17-year-old high schooler, Myung Ilsang. A naive and innocent boy, chosen as a hero who could save the world, but was left on Chronos instead. He obviously never asked for any of this.
Kim Dokja watched in surprise as Yoo Joonghyuk transferred his own mana, but he chuckled slightly after being told that the protagonist would kill him. Honestly, he should have expected that.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is disappointed by the actions of the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' says that is only okay if the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk' has the incarnation 'kim dokja' experience a 'little death'.]
Han Sooyoung nearly choked on her lemon candy when Uriel's message popped up, but Kim Dokja was just confused. Uh… did the archangel actually kind of want him to die, or something? What was that supposed to mean?
[the constellation 'scribe of heaven' is reprimanding the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' for her impropriety.]
Yoo Joonghyuk glared at the screen for a moment, though it was unclear which message he was glaring at, but Kim Dokja couldn't let himself wonder about it for more than a second because she scoffed.
"I told you, Dokja-yah. You already knew it would come to this."
He knew that, but that didn't mean he had to like it. There was no way that the protagonist could actually care about him, even if deep down, that scared teenager he used to be desperately longed for it to be true. Kim Dokja couldn't let it happen—if he was given something like that, even if just for a moment, then all his carefully constructed walls would crumble, he would latch onto whatever hope he could, and he would be unable to survive without it. Should Yoo Joonghyuk ever retract his trust or care, then Kim Dokja knew that the protagonist would take his will to live along with it.
That kind of rejection would be the last piece of evidence required for him to give up entirely, so Kim Dokja had to hide behind his wall and ensure it was impenetrable. If no one could get close, then no one could hurt him where it would cause the most damage—especially not Yoo Joonghyuk.
Still, even though he couldn't let himself accept Yoo Joonghyuk's care, Kim Dokja couldn't help but want it anyway.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is glaring at the 'king of wanderers'.]
Yoo Joonghyuk's piercing glare shifted to her, and he looked so angry that Kim Dokja genuinely wondered if he had to be worried about a murder occurring. He had to stop it before it came to that because Yoo Joonghyuk looked like he might actually go for it if she said anything else at all. He had to do something, no matter how much the thought of it made his stomach churn, so—
Kim Dokja turned around and looked directly at the woman who haunted his very nightmares, staring into her cold brown eyes. Come on. Open your mouth, Kim Dokja. Say something.
"I don't care," he stated, trying to hide the way his hands were trembling and the way his breath caught in his throat. "If Joonghyuk-ah kills me, then I'll know that I deserved it."
"Dokja-ssi!" Yoo Sangah gasped, but he couldn't look back at her—or at anyone else, for that matter. He could tell that they were agitated, and he could sense an aura of confused rage from Yoo Joonghyuk's direction, but that wasn't important. He couldn't crumble here. Not in front of her; not again.
Her previously calm expression shattered into one of shock for a moment before she managed to compose herself. With a frown, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "What nonsense."
"I'll show you nonsense," Jung Heewon hissed from behind him, and he could hear the telltale sound of her sword leaving its sheath. Still, despite that, Kim Dokja couldn't look away from his nightmares in human form. He was petrified under her gaze, not sure if he was staying strong or only barely managing to put on a brave front. The world spun around him until it felt like nothing existed outside of the two of them, and Kim Dokja knew that he had spoken the truth as best as he could.
She might never believe it, but Kim Dokja knew that under all his heartless facades and desperation-fuelled decisions, Yoo Joonghyuk was a truly good person. In this regression, at least, Kim Dokja trusted his judgment of character, and he trusted that the protagonist would end him if that was ever necessary.
Honestly, it would be a fitting end. His life had been in the palm of Yoo Joonghyuk's hand for a very long time, and if he ever decided to crush it, then so be it.
[many constellations are wondering if there will be a fight.]
"You fool," Yoo Joonghyuk hissed, grabbing onto Kim Dokja's shoulder and forcing him to turn back around. "Don't listen to her; she doesn't know what she's talking about."
Kim Dokja smiled sadly, glancing down at the floor, but didn't deign that statement with a response. There wasn't much he could say that wouldn't be a lie, after all.
"Um…" Lee Hyunsung said hesitantly, glancing between the screen and the rest of the group as he tried to change the subject, "is it bad that I feel sort of bad for him?"
[a few constellations believe that the 'disaster of questions' looks quite pitiful.]
Dokja looks down on Ilsang with pity and understanding as the disaster reaches out, the naive and young boy he was before layers with the man who still clings to the thought that he is the hero.
A sword is thrust through Ilsang's chest, leaving the returnee to fall silent. Messages pop up, declaring his death, as it is revealed that Joonghyuk landed the final blow.
[You have obtained a new fable. The Fable 'One who Confronts the Extraordinary' has been added.]
While this message plays, Sooyoung runs up to Dokja. At the same time, Joonghyuk walks away in silence, his hands in his pockets, in an exit truly befitting an edgy protagonist.
"That's so sad…" Lee Jihye muttered with a frown.
It was sad, but not every story had a happy ending. Sad stories had their place too, and the story of Myung Ilsang was certainly a tragedy.
"Figures that the protagonist would be the one to end him," Han Sooyoung muttered, glancing at him.
Kim Dokja tried to not make it obvious when he let out a sigh of relief at the knowledge that someone else had stepped in. Unfortunately, it was hard to feel better when she was staring in his direction with paralyzing intensity.
At the very least, he could distract himself with the new fable—Kim Dokja hadn't entirely expected to get another one so soon, but it was certainly welcomed. His plans seemed to be proceeding as well as he could hope, but there was no telling how soon another opportunity would arise.
Thankfully, everything had ended well, and it looked like the protagonist was ready to head off on his own again. He truly was a lone wolf, most of the time, so it made sense that he wouldn't want to stick around Kim Dokja and the two women accompanying him—especially since he seemed to be extremely suspicious of one of them.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is begging the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk' not to leave.]
Yoo Joonghyuk said nothing after seeing the indirect message, but his frown deepened ever-so-slightly. It was probably because he was annoyed with Uriel's continuous nonsense, because nothing else would make sense. Yep, that was precisely what was going on, Kim Dokja reasoned, pleased to know that there was no way he could be wrong.
He had to force himself to believe it, because anything else might just break him.