[several constellations are eager to see what will happen next.]
"I believe in you, Dokja-ssi!" Lee Hyunsung declared, his eyes practically sparkling with confidence. It was nice that someone like Lee Hyunsung had faith in him, honestly. Kim Dokja knew that it wasn't something he should take for granted.
Bringing up his list of bookmarks, Dokja dismisses 'Inciter Cheon Inho' from slot 3 and replaces it with 'Beast Tamer Shin Yoosung'. Using this bookmark, he's now able to use [Advanced Interspecies Communication] and [Taming]. This allows him to sense and feel the emotions of the monsters, lasting for 30 minutes.
I can feel the circuitry of my brain synchronizing with theirs.
Under the water, two red eyes snap open. As Dokja commands the gigantic beast to surface, his eyes glow a pale yellow and his nose begins dripping blood in the same way that Yoosung's does when she uses her skill. A large wave crashes over the people on the shore as Queen Mirabad emerges from the water of the river, answering his call.
Not too long afterwards, Dokja's screams cut through the air as Queen Mirabad races down the river with him riding on her head. Occasionally, she also dips back under the water for a bit, effectively half-drowning Dokja, causing him to make incoherent gurgling noises that greatly amuse the 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband'. Rising once more from the waves, Queen Mirabad stops suddenly and inertia flings Dokja off of her head, skidding onto dry land as he coughs up the excess water in his system.
'I guess I can use the same skills, but not as proficiently,' Dokja thinks as he looks at the retreating ichthyosaur. 'How could you just toss me like that? Cold-blooded jerk.'
Shin Yoosung gasped excitedly, looking up at Kim Dokja as though she was looking at an idol. "Ahjussi, you're going to use my skills?"
"We already know it's the fastest way across the river," Kim Dokja confirmed, patting her head affectionately.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' agrees with the plan of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Yoo Mia glanced over at the other two kids curiously. "Is that what it feels like for you all the time?"
Lee Gilyoung nodded. "It feels a bit weird, but it's cool."
"I wouldn't know," Shin Yoosung admitted awkwardly, knowing that she hadn't yet successfully used the skill, "but it looks like it can be hard to control sometimes."
Then, after a moment, a grin reeking of superiority grew on her face. Just what was that child thinking?
"Hey, bug boy?"
Lee Gilyoung looked at her suspiciously. "... what?"
"Ahjussi can use my skills and not yours because I'm a character and you're not," she said, like this was some kind of achievement. Kim Dokja watched in baffled silence as Lee Gilyoung's cheeks suddenly reddened, and—wait, was the kid about to cry? Was this really so serious?
"Yoosung-ah, Gilyoung-ah… this isn't something to argue over," Kim Dokja said, probably sounding as exhausted as he felt. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Lee Seolhwa and Yoo Sangah sending him a pitying look.
"Okay, fine…" Shin Yoosung muttered, but then she paused, suddenly looking more nervous when Queen Mirabad herself ascended from the depths. "Be careful, ahjussi."
Ah… had he maybe just bitten off more than he could chew? Maybe it would have been better to go for a lower-ranking regular ichthyosaur…
Sure enough, Kim Dokja winced as his own screaming began. Oh god, this was humiliating.
"Oh my god, you look hilarious!" Han Sooyoung wheezed, pointing and laughing as his pathetic self was thrown this way and that with the massive creature's erratic movements.
Queen Mirabad plunged under the water, and Kim Dokja internally said a prayer for his future self. Why did this have to happen to him?
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is laughing uproariously.]
Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want. Kim Dokja was too busy hoping that he wouldn't drown before reaching his destination.
Lee Jihye shook her head in amusement. "Aw, ahjussi, you should have tried to find me! I could have given you a nice, smooth ride across on a ship, instead of… whatever that was."
Kim Dokja groaned, burying his face in his hands. That just feels like rubbing salt into a wound, Jihye-yah… it wasn't his fault that the beast literally just threw him onto the shore! If only he was more proficient with Shin Yoosung's skills, then that wouldn't have happened.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is greatly amused by the misfortune of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Dokja looks around, assessing that he's arrived at his planned destination. The scene zooms out, showing that he's on the same island where the disaster meteorite landed—Nodeulseom. Noise catches Dokja's attention, causing him to turn and see people rushing after him to try and claim the bounty. Thinking quickly, he hides in the nearby wooded area as he laments the fact that so many people have already learned skills that allow them to fly.
"So that's where it landed?" Jung Heewon muttered, narrowing her eyes. "At least that's an easy spot to remember."
Yeah, it definitely was. Plus, the disasters always ended up in the same few general locations regardless of which regression it was—even if sometimes the exact spot varied a bit.
There had been one time where the northern meteorite had smashed into a building, which had led to a very interesting indoor showdown between Yoo Joonghyuk and the Disaster of Water that had ended with several walls getting knocked down from the water pressure alone. Kim Dokja distinctly remembered imagining Yoo Joonghyuk looking like a drenched cat afterwards, and had to fight off a chuckle at the mental image.
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is pleased to see that the show isn't over yet.]
Ah, shit, they were able to reach the island so quickly?
Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes narrowed as he watched the incarnations rapidly approaching with a frown. "Kim Dokja, hiding like that won't do anything."
"Hey, not all of us can just fight through an entire army alone, you know," Kim Dokja muttered with a roll of his eyes. The protagonist could do wild shit like that because he was the protagonist—Kim Dokja definitely wasn't capable of something that incredible right now.
Yoo Joonghyuk just sighed and shook his head, and Han Sooyoung was trying her best to muffle her cackling behind her hand.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is praying to see a fated reunion between companions.]
Well, considering where they were, Kim Dokja had to admit that there was actually a good chance of that happening—though 'fated' was certainly a dubious word to use. After all, Yoo Joonghyuk would definitely have set out as soon as he was well enough to move after defeating the Disaster of Ice. With any luck, he would have arrived either shortly before Kim Dokja did—unless he was particularly ambitious and rushed it—or he would be reaching the island soon.
"And apparently not all of us can hide well either," Yoo Mia said with an unimpressed glance. "Your white coat is standing out in the forest."
Okay, Kim Dokja couldn't say anything to defend himself there. The white did look extremely out of place amongst the trees, and anyone who approached from a slightly different angle would absolutely be able to see him.
Lee Jihye giggled, covering her mouth with a hand. "Ahjussi, you must have really sucked at hide and seek as a kid."
Ah…
Kim Dokja inhaled sharply. Hide and seek, huh? Back then, the only times he had hidden were for other reasons, and he had gotten very good at it.
He remembered the darkness of the closet in his room, and the suffocatingly small space of the cupboard under the sink in the bathroom. He remembered squeezing himself under his bed despite his pained winces, and desperately shifting furniture as quietly as he could to block the door.
But he couldn't say any of that. Instead, Kim Dokja faked a laugh. "I guess you're right."
It took everything he had to keep up the ruse, and he distracted himself by looking back at the screen.
"Hey, get off this island while I'm still asking nicely," a girl's voice says as she advances onto the shore with her sword drawn as a threat. Naturally, the hunters get cocky and try to intimidate her, but she shows no mercy. As she raises her sword, the shot focuses on the charm attached to her sword in slow motion before it suddenly speeds up again, showing her slicing off the lead invader's arms within seconds. A moment later, someone exclaims that it's Jihye—the Maritime Admiral—and the men quickly retreat.
"Won't you step out from there, Ahjussi?" Jihye states with a huff, startling the man before she points out that the 'target' mark gives him away, causing her to wonder if he's smart or stupid. Dokja walks out from behind the tree with his hands raised, sheepishly asking if she's going to kill him too. With a conspiratory laugh, Jihye announces that she can't even if she wants to, since it will make her master sad. Dokja, completely missing the point, thinks that it's because Jooghyuk would be sad because he wants to kill Dokja himself.
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is surprised to see his incarnation.]
"Oh, you're already here!" Yoo Sangah remarked, shooting Lee Jihye an excited smile.
Sure enough, Lee Jihye was already fighting people, and Kim Dokja let out a sigh of relief. With her there, they'd be too distracted to see his—admittedly awful—hiding spot.
"Yes!" Lee Jihye cheered excitedly. "Master, I look cool right?"
"Your stance is slightly unbalanced," Yoo Joonghyuk said instead, "but that was a good strike."
The girl wilted slightly at his first statement, but looked even more determined after the protagonist bestowed one of his rare praises upon her. She was punching the air repeatedly in her excitement, and it was nice to see her just being a kid like this.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is mocking the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
So Lee Jihye had totally seen him hiding there too…
Jung Heewon giggled. "Wait, so you only saw the target mark and not the white coat?"
"Yeah, noona," Lee Gilyoung stated, blinking innocently up at her. "You can be smart and stupid sometimes too."
While the teenager sputtered and threatened to pinch Lee Gilyoung's cheeks, Kim Dokja was just glad that her future self had no reason to attack him. At the very least, he wouldn't be in immediate danger here, so he could take a moment to rest. While he could probably outrun her with [Way of the Wind] even considering the speed penalty, she wouldn't be an easy enemy to outrun or evade—especially not on an island in the middle of a river.
Though, Kim Dokja's brow began to twitch when she stated her reasoning. Why would Yoo Joonghyuk have a reason to be sad if anything happened to him? Clearly, the only way to interpret that was the same way his future self had—that the protagonist would be upset that he didn't get to end Kim Dokja himself.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' wholeheartedly agrees with the declaration of the incarnation 'lee jihye'.]
Yoo Joonghyuk glared intently at him, looking genuinely angry.
"You fool," he hissed, clenching his hands into fists. "You really think that's what I want?"
Stop it…
Kim Dokja faked a smile as he shrugged in an exaggerated way. "Come on, Joonghyuk-ah, it's not like you've shown me otherwise."
"Kim Dokja—"
"It's fine, really," Kim Dokja deflected with a laugh. "I'm not going to die so easily anyway."
Kim Dokja had to shut all of this down quickly. He couldn't let Yoo Joonghyuk finish that thought out of a paralyzing fear that was building inside him—not the fear that Yoo Joonghyuk would confirm that he wanted Kim Dokja dead, but rather that he'd say the opposite.
Though the protagonist looked intensely displeased, he seemingly gave up on trying to speak his mind. Instead, he turned to glaring at the screen with a furious expression. That was more normal behaviour from Yoo Joonghyuk than whatever had just happened, so Kim Dokja allowed himself to relax at the sight.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is watching the current events in silence.]
When Jihye asks him how he's been, Dokja ignores her question in favour of asking her how she got to the island, since he knew she had ended up at Taepung Girls' High School. She replies that her master came and got her a while back, though she has no idea how he knew where to find her. Dokja then gives her a once over, assessing that her stats are likely near the scenario limits and that she's improved both her [Demon Slaying] and [Sword Training] skills. This makes him lament that people seem to grow more when he's not around.
Dokja then looks around and asks if Joonghyuk is there too, causing Jihye to be surprised that he didn't already know that—she had assumed that he came to the island specifically to find Joonghyuk. Unfortunately, their conversation is cut short when boats full of people chasing Dokja approach the shore. When Jihye wonders why he has all these deadweights following him, Dokja states that he lured them here to hunt the disaster. She then gives him an odd look, stating that the disaster doesn't need to be hunted, reiterating that Joonghyuk told her that.
Lee Jihye looked even more pleased than before. "Yes, Master really did come and get me!"
That was a relief, at least. Maybe he had even picked her up before he fought the disaster. Still, how did she improve so quickly!? Was that the power of the protagonist's hellish training regime?
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is proud of the growth of his incarnation.]
"Great job!" Jung Heewon complimented, and the teenager looked thrilled that the older woman had done so. Truly, they got along so well, and Jung Heewon was probably the older sister figure that she had always wanted.
"So Joonghyuk-ssi really is on the island already?" Lee Seolhwa wondered. "That's a relief."
When Lee Jihye assumed that Kim Dokja had come there specifically to find Yoo Joonghyuk, Yoo Sangah laughed slightly. "How could Dokja-ssi have known that Joonghyuk-ssi was already there?"
Lee Hyunsung hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe they could have communicated through the chat to coordinate this?"
"Oh, the mysterious tryst thing! That makes sense" Lee Jihye exclaimed as she snapped her fingers. "I probably thought that it was some kind of weird telepathic lovers' communication or something."
…
Yeah, Kim Dokja had no idea where to even begin with that.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is thrilled by the current topic.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is insisting that this is a pointless conversation.]
It was, and Kim Dokja also really didn't want to acknowledge the weird expressions that Han Sooyoung and Jung Heewon were making in his general direction. He especially didn't want to look at Yoo Joonghyuk, considering that the protagonist's silence was feeling more and more ominous by the second.
Unfortunately, he didn't have the time to contemplate it any further when Lee Jihye said that they didn't need to kill the disaster.
Only one thought ran through Kim Dokja's head: shit.
As Dokja dashes towards the disaster's location, his mind replays the conversation where Jihye had told him that Joonghyuk said the disaster wouldn't be dangerous if he was there, and that Jihye's job was to stop anyone from coming onto the island. With gritted teeth, as he's mentally complaining about Joonghyuk, Dokja notices a man telling people to stop their approach since the area is dangerous. Considering the shield on his back, it's obvious that this man is Hyunsung.
Hyunsung tells the man questioning him that he's a lieutenant, causing the guy to swear and attack him. Catching his fist with ease, Hyunsung intimidates the man with a dark look and possibly several broken bones in his hand, all while reminding him that it's dangerous to recklessly oppose public authority. He then picks up the man in a princess carry before hurling him across the water as if he's just tossing a baseball.
"Does anyone else need my assistance?" Hyunsung asks the rest of the man's group with the most intimidating voice and expression yet.
"Ah, fuck," Han Sooyoung groaned. "This is exactly what happened right before he almost died in the novel, right?"
It was. Kim Dokja's grim expression probably said everything for him because Yoo Mia began desperately clutching onto her brother's arm. This was bad already, and Kim Dokja knew that he was on borrowed time now.
It was just like that sunfish to go and do something stupid without thinking. Seriously, did tls123 decide to give him such awful common sense and self-preservation skills to balance out the probability of his too-handsome face!?
[many constellations are concerned for the safety of the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
"It's Hyunsung-ssi!" Jung Heewon exclaimed, nudging the man with her shoulder. "You're looking pretty good there."
"O-oh? I am?" Lee Hyunsung stuttered, as red as a tomato. "I'm just… I'm just trying to keep people safe!"
That's right, classic Lee Hyunsung. Keeping people safe by… launching them across the river!?
Kim Dokja's eyes widened in shock, and his jaw dropped. What the fuck!?
"Holy shit," Han Sooyoung whispered, voicing all of their thoughts at once.
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' has dropped his wine in shock.]
[the constellation 'master of steel' is applauding the strength of his incarnation.]
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is tearing out his hair in excitement.]
The slightest tint of colour appeared on Jung Heewon's cheeks. "Oh wow."
Kim Dokja had to agree; 'wow' felt like an understatement.
Now it was Lee Hyunsung's turn to bury his face in his hands. Kim Dokja sympathized with him, really.
「I'm so worn out… I feel like I'm dying… Dokja, where are you…」
As Dokja calls out Hyunsung's name, the man turns slowly and the scene lights up with happy bubbles and brighter colours. When he sees Dokja's face, the background of Hyunsung's vision is covered with an abundance of sparkles. With tears coming from his extremely baggy eyes, Hyunsung happily calls out to him, completely ignoring Dokja's request that he keep his distance.
Unfortunately, more people notice Dokja and rush to attack him, but before they can get too close, Hyunsung turns and uses [Great Mountain Smash lvl. 5] after yelling that he already told them that this area is dangerous. Dokja watches in stunned silence before turning towards Hyunsing with jerky motions.
Yoo Joonghyuk you bastard, How are you raising so many people to this extent in such a short time… You've turned an army lieutenant into Captain Korea…
[the constellation 'master of steel' is concerned for his incarnation.]
Oh wow, poor Lee Hyunsung. At the very least, Jung Heewon was sympathetically patting his shoulder, so he was probably okay. Or at least, he'd be okay unless he spontaneously combusted from getting too flustered.
Shin Yoosung couldn't hold back her giggles when the background suddenly changed. "Hyunsung-oppa, you're so funny."
The man sheepishly rubbed at the back of his head. "Ah… thank you?"
"Yeah!" Lee Gilyoung cheered when Lee Hyunsung attacked the other incarnations. "Protect hyung!"
Gilyoung-ah… he can protect himself, you know?
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' approves of the growth of the incarnation 'lee hyunsung'.]
"Huh? Captain Korea?" the man in question wondered in a bewildered tone, glancing around at everyone.
Suddenly, Jung Heewon looked at him intently. "You know… you're really brave, and you have a really strong body…"
Oh no, Lee Hyunsung was looking even redder than before… Still, could this be considered progress? Maybe his awkward glances and attempts at flirting had actually done something!
"You have a really good sense of justice too," she mused, shooting Lee Hyunsung a suspicious glance. "You're good at throwing shields… and now this Captain Korea business…"
Wait, no, she couldn't be—
"Is 'Master of Steel' actually St█ve R█ogers!?"
[the constellation 'master of steel' is flabbergasted.]
"What? No, that's not it at all!" Lee Hyunsung exclaimed, looking completely bewildered.
Jung Heewon looked disappointed. "Darn, there goes that theory. Oh well."
All Kim Dokja could do was hang his head and sigh. He shouldn't have bothered getting his hopes up.
Poor Lee Hyunsung.
With that problem dealt with, Hyunsung turns back into a teary golden retriever, excitedly attempting to ask how Dokja has been. However, Dokja cuts him off to ask where Joonghyuk is. As soon as Hyunsung says that Joonghyuk is in the forest, Dokja runs off while yelling that they'd talk after he gets back soon. Mentally, Dokja feels bad for Hyunsung, but he knows that he doesn't have time to sit and catch up right now. The screen turns back to the abandoned lieutenant, who looks quite despondent at the fact that Dokja left once more, even reaching out forlornly.
As quickly as he can, Dokja rushes into the clearing where the meteorite landed. Seolhwa stands just up ahead, and his frantic running and subsequent panting catches her attention. Despite Seolhwa trying to ask who he is, Dokja ignores her, instead noticing as Joonghyuk steps out from behind the meteorite.
"Joonghyuk, what do you think you're doing right now?" Dokja asks in an accusatory tone
Joonghyuk scoffs. "You have a lot you don't know for someone who knows the future."
A terrible feeling builds in his gut, so Dokja looks up at the meteorite, and there he notices a yellow meteorite being slowly consumed and drained of its mana by the larger one. When he speaks again, Dokja sounds horrified.
"Don't tell me… Did you feed the guide's meteorite to the disaster?"
Lee Hyunsung immediately wilted when Kim Dokja demanded to know where Yoo Joonghyuk was. While he felt a bit bad about it, at least everyone understood why it was so important.
"Damn, at least I said more than two sentences to him," Lee Jihye muttered, unknowingly spiritually stabbing Lee Hyunsung. The poor guy…
He felt extra bad when the screen focused specifically on how pathetic Lee Hyunsung looked, but he really didn't have the time to waste.
"Please, ahjussi," Yoo Mia pleaded, "please help oppa!"
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is praying that the incarnation 'kim dokja' makes it in time.]
Finally, the meteorite came into view, and he relaxed slightly upon seeing Lee Seolhwa standing there. Thank goodness—that meant that they'd have medical backup in the worst case scenario.
"Oh, I'm sorry that I don't seem to recognize you, Dokja-ssi," Lee Seolhwa apologized, but Kim Dokja waved her off. It wasn't important right now and, to be fair, he didn't recall ever actually introducing himself properly after helping her back then.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is excited for the confrontation with the 'disaster of floods'.]
Kim Dokja pretended not to notice the way that Shin Yoosung stiffened at the message, or the way that Lee Gilyoung reached out and held her hand. The kids would hate attention being drawn to it, after all.
Yoo Joonghyuk scowled at his own words, now knowing that Kim Dokja did actually know way more than he did. After all, it was hard to argue with that earlier scene depicting his own nearly lethal injury. Maybe he'd learn from this and be less sunfishy in the future?
No, that was too much to ask for. Once a sunfish bastard, always a sunfish bastard. If he hadn't learned over 1863 lifetimes, then how could this have any kind of profound effect?
"Fuck" Kim Dokja swore upon realizing what the protagonist had been doing this whole time. He was really trying to hatch it early!?