[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is concerned for the incarnation 'yoo sangah'.]
Yeah… despite Ariadne being the one struck by the lightning and taking the brunt of it, it was still Yoo Sangah's body she was possessing. Hopefully she'd be alright, even if she ended up slightly singed.
"Unnie…" Lee Jihye said anxiously, looking over at the older woman. "You'll be okay. You have to be."
As Sangah's body collapses forward, her eyes completely rolled back, Dokja dashes to catch her. His heart beats rapidly as he warns himself not to look up at the sky as electricity still sparks around him. However, even telling himself that isn't enough to curb his curiosity. Dokja looks up and forces [The Fourth Wall] to work overtime as he gazes upon a glitchy and distorted-looking tentacle that's emerging from the clouds.
Outer Gods. They are what I'm going to be fighting against. Scenarios associated with the apocalypse go by many different names—Ragnarok, Gigantomachia, Armageddon… I don't know exactly what kind of apocalypse Ariadne was talking about earlier, but one thing is for certain—something that is completely beyond my knowledge is about to be set in motion.
Sooyoung runs back to Dokja, looking terrified and confused. As the Outer God disappears into the sky once more, many inhuman species roar and screech towards the clouds. Dokja grins while still looking incredibly tense, mentally stating that this is what he hoped since he'll never reach the ending he wants if they follow TWSA exactly.
It's time to create a 'story' that shall never crumble before any myth.
Two windows appear, stating that a 'fable' is stirring within him and that his first 'Stigma' is preparing to blossom.
"What's going on with the sky?" Jung Heewon wondered as Kim Dokja swore under his breath. Of course this would happen, though Kim Dokja wasn't sure if the Outer God was summoned because of Ariadne pushing too far, or because of Zeus interfering. Still, it was a really bad situation.
Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes narrowed seriously as he looked at the screen. "That's an Outer God. It seems that we're immune to the effects of seeing them in this room."
Thank fuck for that, too.
[several constellations blame the nebula 'olympus' for the appearance of an 'outer god' in such an early scenario.]
That was true—under normal circumstances, Outer Gods shouldn't appear until way later in the story. Had Kim Dokja and the other readers of TWSA really changed things so much that it had led to this?
"Effects? What do you mean?" Jung Heewon asked as she narrowed her eyes. "Is that why he tried to avoid looking at the Outer God?"
"Heewon-ssi, do you know anything about Lovecraft?" Kim Dokja asked, glancing over at her. She shook her head, looking a bit confused.
"Oh, I know," Yoo Sangah said, holding up her hand like she was in class. "In his works, Lovecraft often included beings beyond human comprehension, and simply gazing upon them would be enough to drive a person mad."
Jung Heewon paled. "Shit."
"They aren't actually going to drive us insane, right?" Lee Hyunsung wondered, his voice weak and shaky. It was a very valid reason to be afraid, since those were cosmic-level horrors. Not even Lee Hyunsung's normally strong spirit would be able to withstand anything of that magnitude at this point.
Kim Dokja frowned. "Think of it like hearing a constellation's true voice, but worse. Insanity, death… it's all possible."
[many constellations express great hatred for the 'outer gods'.]
It was only once the Outer God disappeared into the sky once more that Kim Dokja allowed himself to relax even a bit. Probability hadn't been pushed too far, so the Outer God couldn't descend further than that. Still, it was only motivating him further to accomplish his goals.
Dashing past buildings still covered in plants, an injured 'Lycaon' with antennae emerging from his head grits 'his' teeth as blood flows from a massive injury on his arm. 'His' thoughts reveal that this is actually Antinus who barely survived the fight and possessed Lycaon's body in an attempt to escape. Spitting up blood, she notes that this body won't last long, but that she needs to find a new host since she still wants to destroy humanity.
Suddenly, she stops and her eyes widen drastically, '...! What is this aura? I've sensed a similar aura only from the power of the Monarch-level insects of Chronos..!'
Changing her direction, Antinus heads towards the source of the aura, hoping to infect the creature and achieve her dream. However, at her destination, what she finds is not some grand species of insect, but rather a young boy crouching by a bush and holding a beetle. Noticing her presence, the boy turns to look at her. The viewpoint changes suddenly, and it beautifully captures her startled and terrified gaze as the boy opens his mouth.
"Wow, I've never seen an insect like you before," Gilyoung states with barely concealed glee as a creepy smile—accentuated by the heavy shadows cast over his face and the wind blowing through the trees—overtakes his expression. He looks wide-eyed and feral, staring at the parasite with the eyes of a determined predator that has locked on to its prey. To the weak of heart, this scene could easily cause a heart attack or induce nightmares.
"He looks weird," Yoo Mia said as soon as Lycaon appeared on the screen. "When did he get those things on his head?"
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is wondering if it is a fashion statement.]
No, wait—
"He was possessed, wasn't he?" Lee Seolhwa asked, looking somewhat anxious. Her guess was proven correct only a moment later, and Kim Dokja felt his anxiety spike somewhat. If Antinus had really killed Lycaon, or even if he was barely clinging to life despite being possessed… was she planning on coming after them again later? The fact that she was likely targeting a Monarch-class insect was also extremely worrisome…
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is mocking the guide 'antinus'.]
"Hyung," Lee Gilyoung said frantically, tugging on Kim Dokja's sleeve as he did, in order to get his attention. When Kim Dokja glanced down at him, he looked almost petrified.
What was scaring him so much? "Gilyoung-ah? What's wrong?"
"Hyung, what if she's trying to infect Titano!? He's a Monarch-class!"
Shit, the kid was right. Though she couldn't determine what, exactly, the aura was coming from, there was a good chance it was Titano. With any luck, the giant mantis would be far enough away that it would take her a while to get back after infecting it. Though it would suck for Lee Gilyoung to lose the insect, they could find a better one for him later.
He patted the boy on the head, trying to reassure him. "Trust in Titano, okay?"
[the eyes of the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' are widening.]
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is greatly alarmed.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is reminding the incarnations to pay attention.]
What? What was it?
When he looked back up and saw Antinus approaching Lee Gilyoung, Kim Dokja felt his heart stop. She was after the kid!?
"Gilyoung-ah!" Yoo Sangah gasped in horror, and every single adult in the group looked equally appalled. Jung Heewon's hand was twitching for her sword, and Yoo Joonghyuk wasn't much better. Lee Hyunsung looked horrified and Han Sooyoung was cursing up a storm under her breath. Poor Lee Seolhwa looked guilty, perhaps wishing that she had died and taken the guide with her.
Both Lee Jihye and Yoo Mia seemed lost for words, too caught off-guard to know what to do or say.
"No…" Shin Yoosung whimpered, unlatching herself from Yoo Sangah's side and rushing back over towards Kim Dokja and Lee Gilyoung with frantic tears running down her cheeks. "You can't get possessed! Ahjussi has to come and get us both, and it won't feel right if you aren't there, and… and… and we have to make it to the end of the scenarios so we can all go on vacation!"
Without wasting a second, Kim Dokja allowed impulse to drive him for once in his life as he practically scooped both kids into his arms and hugged them tightly. Lee Gilyoung was frozen, staring at the screen without a word, while Shin Yoosung sobbed into his shoulder. Kim Dokja held them close, wrapping them in all the comfort he could manage and burying his nose in their hair as he tried to keep himself from panicking too.
Fuck, he should have killed Antinus—damn the consequences. The guide would not be going after his kid if Kim Dokja had any say in it.
"It'll be okay," he told them both, trying to speak it into existence. "Everything will be okay, no matter what happens on the screen."
[a constellation who likes grasshoppers is smiling ferally.]
"Wait," Han Sooyoung muttered, "why the fuck is she the one who's scared?"
Then, Lee Gilyoung stood and spoke to her, looking so utterly unlike the bright and friendly child that Kim Dokja knew. The kid looked at Antinus like she was so interesting that he wanted to take her apart to see what made her tick. For some reason, something about it looked familiar, but there was no time to dwell on that.
Shin Yoosung's jaw dropped as she stared at the screen. "Bug boy..?"
A small smile grew on Lee Gilyoung's face, and though it wasn't nearly as wide as the one belonging to his future counterpart, something about it made Kim Dokja have to restrain a shiver. "Don't worry hyung, I think I can beat her."
Just what kind of being was sponsoring him…?
In the morning, Dokja sits up, looking exhausted while sporting a spectacularly messy bedhead as Sooyoung looks up from her phone. Sooyoung asks if he had a nightmare, and Dokja replies that it sort of was.
'I saw something thanks to [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint] getting triggered unintentionally… that kid Gilyoung…I can't tell if he's alright.' As Dokja thinks this, an image of a glowing-eyed Gilyoung smiling almost maliciously at Antinus appears as though it's part of Dokja's imagination.
Dokja stands up, putting his jacket back on and muttering about his sore back from sleeping on the ground, as he asks where Sangah is. Sooyoung replies that she's out scouting the area, and asks what Dokja's plan is in return. Dokja says that it's simply to wait for the start of the next scenario, and Sooyoung retorts that she's certain he already has a plan. She talks about Joonghyuk and the 'King of Wanderers' taking care of the western and northern disasters, and as she does so, an image appears on the screen of Joonghyuk harshly side-eying the viewer while the King of Wanderers does the same with her followers from the jail behind her.
"No!" Yoo Mia gasped. "Go back! I don't want to see what ahjussi or ahjumma are doing right now!"
While normally he or Han Sooyoung would probably have taken some offense at that statement, Kim Dokja absolutely had to agree. Why had his skill activated unintentionally like that, and why the fuck did it have to cut out at the worst possible moment!?
[constellations who like children are begging to see what happened to the incarnation 'lee gilyoung'.]
Even though the moment had passed, Kim Dokja didn't let go of the kids, and neither of them seemed to want to move anyway. If anything, they snuggled in closer to him, basking in the warmth of his arms wrapped firmly around them.
At the very least, other people were handling the other disasters, so Kim Dokja could focus on planning for the future. Still, while he had faith that both she and Yoo Joonghyuk wouldn't have too much trouble with their respective disasters, he couldn't help but be concerned. No matter how much knowledge you had in advance, there was always the possibility of something going wrong.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is disappointed that the incarnation 'kim dokja' left the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk' behind.]
He had to leave—there was too much to be done, and Yoo Joonghyuk had other places he needed to be too. Dividing and conquering was truly the best choice, and Kim Dokja knew that the protagonist would inevitably end up meeting back up with them for the last disaster.
As Dokja stokes the fire they have set up in a barrel, she asks what they'll do for the central one, and he casually replies that they'll stop it together. Sooyoung then muses that she's sure there's an easier way, before slyly asking if he forgot about it. This makes Dokja's eyes widen before he turns to face her with a disgusted look and asks if she plagiarized this too. She grumbles about the plagiarism accusation before sternly asking if he's going to take the easy route.
Thankfully, Sangah returns carrying some food, calling Dokja's name happily as she enters the building. He smiles and waves, causing Sooyoung to ask why he fixed his attitude the moment he saw Sangah. Dokja simply says that he can trust her, heavily implying that he can't trust Sooyoung.
After grumbling about people who can't trust others, Sooyoung asks about the plan again, but Dokja just says that they'll make a decision as they travel.
An ichthyosaur roars and Dokja instructs Sooyoung and Sangah with battle plans, leading to them easily dispatching it. As they fight, Dokja's voice explains that their current objectives are to follow the Han River, hopefully find Pildu, and collect coins from hunting as they make their way to the central area.
"Ahjussi, what is ahjumma talking about?" Shin Yoosung asked curiously, blinking up at him innocently. It took all of Kim Dokja's willpower to not flinch at her words, and Han Sooyoung just stared at him impassively.
"Yeah," Lee Jihye said excitedly, "if there's an easy way to get rid of the last disaster, isn't that a good thing?"
Under any other circumstances, yes. But not this time.
"The easy way doesn't always mean that it's the best option," Kim Dokja replied carefully, and he could feel Yoo Joonghyuk's somewhat confused gaze on the side of his head. This was only the third regression—he wouldn't have even considered that route yet. While normally the protagonist would know exactly what he meant, this was a situation where Kim Dokja could only share that knowledge with Han Sooyoung for now.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' believes that the scenario will be boring if the solution is too easy.]
Kim Dokja tried to let out a subtle exhale once Yoo Sangah returned, because there was no way that Han Sooyoung would bring that up again with her around.
"Wow, I'd gripe about you not finding me trustworthy, but honestly that's fair," Han Sooyoung said with a shrug of her shoulders. "I sure as hell don't trust you all that much either in the future."
'In the future,' huh? Was that implying that she trusted him more here and now?
When Lee Hyunsung heard what their plans were, he sat up straighter and his entire aura seemed to brighten up. "I hope that you find Pildu-ssi!"
"I hope we find him too," Yoo Sangah agreed, exchanging a smile with the lieutenant.
Well, they'd try, but Kim Dokja wasn't going to hold out hope. Even if he had survived the attack, there was no guarantee that he hadn't ended up eaten by a monster, or that he hadn't been washed ashore somewhere else downriver.
As they wind down from the quick battle, Dokja realizes with surprise that they can easily hunt Grade 6 monsters with the three of them. He then calls out to Sangah, reminding her to only use one Stigma at a time. She initially apologizes, assuming that she's causing trouble.
"If you keep using multiple Stigmas, it'll cause a strain on your body severe enough to put your life at risk," Dokja tells her, taking on a serious tone as he angrily insults Olympus in his mind for likely omitting this fact.
Sangah just smirks. "Your concern is appreciated."
Dokja looks startled for a moment before he asks if she knew all along. She reveals that she feels incompetent in this new world as all the certifications, test scores, and community service she had before are all useless now. As Sooyoung greedily scouts the corpses for items, like a determined kitten, Dokja asks if Sangah really thinks that the problems will go away if she gets stronger. When Sangah replies that she does, Dokja takes note of the numerous wounds on her once spotless hands.
"That's why I've just decided to work on the things that will be useful for this world, and that's all there is to it." Sangah smiles as the wind blows, looking both in and out of place against the background of destruction and monsters.
"Is using multiple stigmas really that dangerous?" Yoo Mia wondered, looking up to her brother for confirmation, and he nodded. Yoo Sangah looked away, and something about her expression looked almost like acceptance.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is angry that the nebula 'olympus' would not warn the incarnation 'yoo sangah' about the danger.]
Kim Dokja's first instinct would be to believe that they were treating her as though she were expendable, but Ariadne had seemed convinced that Yoo Sangah had an important role in their ideas for the future. Olympus might not be the best nebula out there, but they wouldn't just toss away a crucial asset like that—especially not one who was able to closely observe two singularities.
"I know that it's dangerous," Yoo Sangah muttered quietly. "I was warned at the very beginning."
Lee Seolhwa frowned. "So you're likely doing that on purpose, Sangah-ssi?"
Yoo Sangah could only nod, and Kim Dokja wasn't sure how he should feel about that, or about the things that her future self was saying. Still, he forced himself to say something.
"Sangah-ssi, it's okay to work hard to improve, but you shouldn't be reckless either."
Han Sooyoung snorted, but looked away innocently as soon as Kim Dokja shot a glare in her direction.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' believes that the incarnation 'kim dokja' should heed his own advice.]
Wow, just wow. At least he knew he was a hypocrite, but he didn't need that fact shoved into his face.
Before Dokja can reply, his phone dings with the sound of a notification. He mentally grumbles over who would send a message at such a bad time before taking on a much more confused and urgent expression as he stares at the screen.
Eh? A message?
The culprit is revealed to be Donghoon, who's asking if he's alright. Dokja looks surprised as Donghoon continues to apologize for the internet problems even with his skills. He then reveals the crucial information that Gilyoung is with him in Yongsan District. This makes Dokja very relieved as he confirms it.
This is good news. I already knew where Lee Hyunsung and Jung Heewon were thanks to 'Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint', so the only crucial part left was for all of us to reunite. As for Lee Jihye, well… Yoo Joonghyuk will take care of her.
Dokja runs up to Sangah who went on ahead, telling her the good news before saying that they'll need to be careful while crossing the river. Sooyoung looks up from her rummaging to ask how they'll cross it, gesturing to the water that's absolutely full of ichthyosaurs.
[some constellations are confused about why the phone is working.]
Yeah, that was a good question… Ah, so it was Han Donghoon.
"That kid is really apologizing for the internet being spotty?" Jung Heewon muttered in amusement, shaking her head as she did. "I swear, he needs to get more confidence."
That was true, but at the very least, Kim Dokja could relax with the knowledge that Lee Gilyoung was safe. He had no idea what had happened with Antinus, but at least he knew where to look for the kid later. Lee Gilyoung squirmed in his lap slightly, so Kim Dokja loosened his grip, but the boy just turned to hug him back.
"Thanks for being worried, hyung," he whispered, and it sounded almost like he was more torn up over that than over the guide coming after him in the first place. Just what had this kid been through to make him react that way?
Jihye sat up straighter, grinning. "Master, you'll come for me, right?"
"Yes," Yoo Joonghyuk said, and that was all. Simple as always, huh? Still, that seemed to be enough for her because she practically beamed at the response.
"Ahjussi, we'll all have to meet up for the last disaster!" she exclaimed, already looking forward to the moment they regrouped.
[a constellation who enjoys tearful reunions is wishing to see everyone meeting up again.]
Well, Kim Dokja wasn't expecting any tears or anything, but he could say with certainty that Yoo Joonghyuk would go to the location of the final disaster. Still, they had several days of the sub-scenario to go through before that could happen. At the very least, they had direction now, even if finding a way to cross the river might take a while. If he remembered correctly, all of the bridges would be broken.
Honestly, Kim Dokja wasn't sure how many of them had been destroyed during the first scenario by the dokkaebis influencing the scenario like what happened with the bridge they had to cross, or how many of them had simply been in the way of the monsters now roaming freely around Seoul. Whatever the case, finding a way across would be their next big challenge.
[the constellation 'guardian of youths and travel' is hoping that the incarnations are able to safely cross the river.]