Though Kim Dokja felt apprehensive about the uncomfortable discovery that the world truly was far more vast than could ever have been contained within the pages of TWSA, he had to keep looking ahead. There was no way to find out this information other than continuing to witness the future, after all, and he couldn't waste the chance they were given.
[many constellations are curious about the current events.]
Dokja looks across the table as he contemplates the existence of the filtering as Persephone looks away from the window to tell Dokja that the fun and games are over, stating there is no reason for the Underworld to strike a deal with him as she has other means of getting the information he's offering. Knowing that this is a lost cause now, Dokja starts to get up, but his eyes widen as she suddenly appears right in front of him in a flurry of petals, tilting Dokja's chin up with her finger. Then, she switches to pushing him backwards into the chair with a hand on his chest as she states that she's been holding back.
[You look like a delicious meal,] Persephone says as she grabs his face, her eyes glowing brightly as she licks her lips. Dokja shudders with an expression on his face that's somewhere between disbelief and faked confidence, and his hands shake as he clutches the arm of the chair tightly. With a voice that is steadier than he feels, he asks if she'd be able to handle the aftermath of laying a hand on an incarnation in the middle of the scenarios.
She hums and asks him if Dokja thinks that she can't afford the probability needed to handle breaking the rule of plausibility. Dokja replies that the constellations who are watching him also won't stand by if she does. Persephone refutes that by asking what makes him think that the Underworld's king would be deterred by these trifling constellations.
Shit, was she kicking him out already? He hadn't been able to strike a deal with her, and that was the opposite of what he wanted to get out of this visit. Would he have to find 41st Shin Yoosung's soul on his own, risking everything in the process?
"Why…?" Kim Dokja wondered aloud, his voice coming out much more defeated than he hoped for. The kids grabbed onto his hands reassuringly, but Kim Dokja couldn't really get much comfort from it. It felt like all his plans were going down the drain again, all from yet another miscalculation.
Yoo Sangah looked at him sympathetically. "I know you won't give up, Dokja-ssi. I have faith that you'll succeed eventually, even if you have to find her another way."
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is nodding vehemently in agreement with the incarnation 'yoo sangah'.]
It looked like it was time for him to leave now, so Kim Dokja glanced down with a sigh. However, his gaze flickered back up to the screen when Lee Jihye made a strangled noise.
Persephone was… pushing him back into the seat? And then she was—oh. Oh that was very uncomfortable.
Kim Dokja's eyes widened and he couldn't look away, paralyzed by an unknown feeling. The goddess' hungry gaze felt like it was cutting him open and displaying his insides for appraisal, and he felt more like a slab of meat than a person. Maybe that was exactly what she was seeing in front of her, considering the way she licked her lips.
"Hey! Just what do you think you're doing, huh?" Lee Jihye shouted, glaring at the ceiling.
Jung Heewon also looked incredibly incensed, her hand itching to grab onto her sword. "Leave him alone!"
Unfortunately, Kim Dokja knew that all their words would be in vain. Persephone had no reason to care about the opinions of mere incarnations. Still, he could at least be comforted by the fact that Yoo Joonghyuk looked equally enraged, but he really didn't want the protagonist making enemies of constellations as powerful as Persephone and Hades before he was strong enough to handle them.
"Yeah," Han Sooyoung said, glancing up at the starry ceiling with a much sharper gaze than Kim Dokja had expected, "he's so scrawny that I'm sure he won't taste good in the first place."
Wow. Kim Dokja had no words.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is laughing.]
Fuck, she was right—she could absolutely handle that kind of probability repercussion. Was he about to get devoured right there?
"Ahjussi…." Shin Yoosung whimpered, sounding genuinely afraid as she clung to him. Lee Gilyoung clenched his jaw as he glared at the screen.
There had to be some other way for him to get out of this situation… but how…?
"That's right, the constellations!" Lee Hyunsung exclaimed, his shoulders relaxing in relief. "Dokja-ssi has been watched by a few really powerful ones so far, right?"
That was true. His loyal supporters were pretty powerful, and even though she talked a big game, Persephone likely couldn't stand up to Sun Wukong in a fight if it came down to it. Hades was another story, but right now he wasn't around to tilt the scales.
In response, both 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' and 'Demon-Like Judge of Fire' draw their weapons while 'Secretive Plotter' gets excited and seems more likely to be grabbing popcorn as he eggs the other two on. Dokja still looks terrified as she tightly grips his chin, but she's distracted by the notifications nonetheless.
Persephone turns to the window, her face shadowed except for her eyes as she goads on the constellations. Winds whip up around her and probability crackles as she prepares for a fight, remarking that they want to taste the might of the Underworld. For a moment, rather than Sangah, she instead resembles a horrifying creature made of shadows.
Doing his best to withstand the pressure and refrain from dying as he realizes that he's going to get caught in the middle if he doesn't do something, Dokja asks the goddess if he can offer a new deal since she likes stories. In response, Persephone glances towards him once more, and 'Secretive Plotter' sends an indirect message stating that he's listening carefully as well.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is glaring disdainfully at the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring'.]
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is polishing the 'ruyi bang' threateningly.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is preparing to draw her sword.]
While it was debatable if Sun Wukong would be able to stand up to the combined might of the rulers of the Underworld on his own, with Uriel as backup, he definitely had a chance. Secretive Plotter was a wildcard, but nobody truly knew what he was capable of, which would potentially make him more of a threat since they wouldn't know what sort of attack to expect. The fact that these three constellations were defending him meant a lot, and they definitely threw some serious weight behind him.
"Thank you," Kim Dokja said gratefully to the three constellations standing up for him, and he was rewarded with Uriel sending multiple indirects expressing joy. She was so cute sometimes. The Secretive Plotter seemed satisfied, and Sun Wukong just got smug.
Still, despite that, Kim Dokja had to shudder when the goddess taunted them, as though daring them into following through on their threats. She looked horrifying like that, and he could instantly tell that getting caught in the middle like this could cost him his life.
Yoo Joonghyuk's frown was deeper than ever, and his hands were clenched so tightly that his veins were exceptionally prominent. Kim Dokja found his gaze lingering there for a few moments too long before he glanced away and swallowed to fix his dry throat. That was weird.
"Be careful, Kim Dokja," Yoo Joonghyuk said tensely as he glared at the goddess on the screen. "You won't be able to push any new deal too far in your favour."
He knew that, but he had to try anyway. He was dead if he didn't, so it was worth a shot.
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is wishing the incarnation 'kim dokja' good luck.]
At the very least, that seemed to have gotten her attention—as well as that of the Secretive Plotter. For now, Kim Dokja was going to treat that as a good thing; he just hoped it would stay that way.
Kim Dokja makes his offer in a voice more confident than he likely feels. "If you lend me your aid, I'll put the most interesting story in the whole world on display. A story so good it'll make the steak you just ate look like junk food in comparison."
Leaning on the table, Persephone asks if he's saying that he'll let her eat him. Dokja remarks that she just ate, so he doesn't think that she needs anything else right now since she's probably full. Persephone smirks and asks if he's really asking her to pay without even allowing her to have a taste test.
Dokja states that he won't stop her from tasting, but that if she eats him now, she'll regret it for the rest of her life, "Because you'd realize that holding yourself back… would've made it taste so much more delicious later."
Still smiling, Persephone asks what makes him so sure about this statement, so Dokja points out that he's been able to stand his ground against formidable foes that defy time even without a sponsor—such as Ilsang, 41st Yoosung, and the dragon. He also states that he's even made it to the Underworld to meet her when only five scenarios have passed, despite being a living soul. He finishes off his argument by asking her if she's curious to see what feats he'll accomplish in the future.
Oh, so that's how he was playing this. It made sense, even if the risk he was taking on could be considered astronomical. One wrong step, and his Story would be consumed.
"Dokja-ssi, could you be… putting your own 'Story' on the line?" Lee Seolhwa asked hesitantly, looking quite nervous as she did.
Kim Dokja took a deep breath, already knowing that there would be backlash. "I am."
[many constellations are very intrigued by this offer.]
"Hyung, no!" Lee Gilyoung cried, clinging to him even harder as Shin Yoosung shuddered. "You can't do that!"
"It's the only leverage I have left," Kim Dokja muttered, knowing that everyone could hear him despite that. "It's the only reasonable thing I could offer."
Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes flashed with something that might have been hurt for a second, but Kim Dokja shook it off. That was probably just misattributed frustration.
"Kim Dokja, you fool," he hissed, glaring at Kim Dokja. "What do you think you're doing?"
"I'm doing whatever is necessary, Joonghyuk-ah," Kim Dokja replied, hoping that his voice wasn't wavering. "As my companion, you should trust me to know what I'm doing, right?"
Though he looked angry, the protagonist gritted his teeth and bit back further insults, which was honestly much more restraint than Kim Dokja had expected from him.
"That doesn't mean getting yourself eaten!" Jung Heewon protested as she gestured at the screen furiously.
He didn't have a choice, and she knew that. Regardless, Kim Dokja couldn't stop her from expressing her frustration. At the very least, she seemed to relax slightly at the realization that he wasn't about to just roll over and let himself die so soon or so easily, but Kim Dokja knew he wouldn't be completely off the hook either.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is looking at the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Yoo Sangah frowned as she hummed. "So basically, you want to tempt her into letting you live by dangling the possibility of you accomplishing even more unbelievable feats in the future in front of her?"
Kim Dokja nodded because yeah, that was basically it.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is admittedly very intrigued by the proposal of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Good. That was good.
Persephone muses that his pitch is tempting, but that she doesn't think that it could be called a 'deal'. However, Dokja's next words surprise her as he says, "Then let me call it a 'courtship' instead."
The smile drops off Persephone's face as her eyes widen. Dokja just grins and tells her that he's serious, and that he'll show her a unique story with surprises around every corner that will keep her guessing.
Thinking I'd be able to make a 'deal' with a constellation in the first place was a mistake. There are next to no constellations who would consider the offer of a mere incarnation worth their time. In that case, the only choice I have is to bluff my way out of it—a bluff that has a bit of sincerity, at least.
Persephone smiles softly as she leans back against the table, crosses her arm over her chest, and taps her fingers on her cheek, musing about how she doesn't know, and that men are all the same. Dokja cuts her off with a statement that she certainly isn't expecting: "Ah, of course the one I'm courting isn't you, but rather your husband—the 'Father of the Rich Night'."
Han Sooyoung looked at the screen in a deadpan. "You cannot be serious."
"But I am though?" Kim Dokja muttered, a bit confused by her reaction. It was a pretty good description, right?
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is gasping in horror.]
Why was Uriel so upset? Kim Dokja was doing everything he could to escape this place with his life, so he couldn't see any reason why she should have a problem with it…
"Ahjussi, are you actually stupid?" Yoo Mia asked, glancing at him with an unimpressed expression.
No???
Lee Seolhwa coughed awkwardly. "Dokja-ssi, it's not about your idea… The issue is… well… you called it a courtship, and she's married."
Oh. Wait, they thought it was that kind of courtship!? Kim Dokja choked and coughed for a moment. "What!? No! That's not what I meant at all!"
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' reminds the incarnations that adultery is a sin.]
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is greatly amused by the current events.]
The truth was what his future self was saying: he was bullshitting with everything he had, even if it was just a twisted truth. Kim Dokja wasn't— He wasn't trying to seduce Persephone!
Glancing around, Kim Dokja desperately hoped that people didn't actually believe that's what was going on. However, considering Jung Heewon's awkward look, Lee Hyunsung's flushed cheeks, and Yoo Sangah's utter refusal to look at the screen, they just might. That wasn't even saying anything about the way Lee Jihye seemed to be on the verge of tears (why??) or why Han Sooyoung seemed to be squinting at the screen like she was doing her own rendition of the confused math meme.
It also certainly didn't explain the oddly furious expression on Yoo Joonghyuk's face. Wait, no, Kim Dokja actually could explain that one. There was a very high chance that he was just pissed off that Kim Dokja was 'fraternizing' with constellations.
[several female constellations agree that men are all the same.]
And then, future Kim Dokja opened his mouth and declared that he was courting Hades instead of Persephone. Kim Dokja wanted to die, already knowing that everyone would say something stupid about that.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is stunned into silence.]
Lee Jihye's jaw dropped as she let out some garbled noise of confusion, and no one else was much better.
"Y'know, I can't tell whether this is progress or not," Han Sooyoung said in an exhausted-sounding tone of voice.
Before Kim Dokja could even begin unpacking whatever that meant, he was distracted by a barrage of messages.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' doesn't know whether to laugh or cry.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is flabbergasted.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is gagging.]
Lee Hyunsung placed a hand on Kim Dokja's shoulder, looking at him tearfully. "I support you fully no matter what your tastes are, Dokja-ssi, but I don't think this is a good idea…"
Kim Dokja's face paled. "No, I—"
Jung Heewon placed a hand on his other shoulder, looking at him seriously. "You're not going through a crisis, right? I can't just let you betray your heart like this."
Betray his what now? What was she even talking about?
"Heewon-ssi, that's not—"
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is sobbing uncontrollably.]
Okay, no one was listening to him today, apparently. Kim Dokja shot a pleading look over at Yoo Sangah, hoping that she could say something to fix whatever this disaster of a situation was.
"Kim Dokja…" Yoo Joonghyuk growled, and Kim Dokja stared at Yoo Sangah even more intently, begging her to please just do something to get him out of this mess.
She smiled weakly, but cleared her throat, thankfully cutting off Yoo Joonghyuk before he could say anything. "Um, I think Dokja-ssi just meant that this is a deal meant for the 'Father of the Rich Night', not anything more… questionable… in nature."
Kim Dokja nodded before sighing. "She's right. It's nothing like… like that."
Nobody seemed to believe him, and Kim Dokja definitely wanted to just perish from the humiliation alone.
Her eyes widen before she lets out a loud burst of laughter and calls him interesting. She sits on the table, crossing one leg over the other and looks down at Dokja—her pose also seems to resemble Dokja when he faced Sungkook and Minseob so long ago, except this time the aura of a queen is unmistakable—as she tells him that she'll give him one 'labour'. If he can complete it, then 41st Yoosung's soul is his. Dokja looks at Persephone over the screen that appears in front of him and remembers the most famous myth of Heracles and his 'twelve labours'
[Your labour will be to bring me the severed head of a serpent.] Persephone holds a finger in the air as she announces his task, and an image appears behind her of a black serpent with glowing purple eyes and a sword through its skull. Dokja looks slightly confused and asks if she could be referring to the Hydra, but Persephone shakes her head and states that that would just be a ripoff of something Heracles did. She informs him that the snake will be at his next destination when Dokja expresses concern about having to go somewhere far away while in the middle of a scenario.
Persephone burst out laughing, and Kim Dokja had to sigh. At least one person was finding this whole situation funny, he supposed. Kim Dokja wanted to rub his temples to try and stave off the oncoming headache; he couldn't believe that anyone had really believed that he would do something of that nature, and it was absolutely mortifying that all of that had happened in front of the woman who he had once called 'mother'. Even now, he still refused to even look back at her in fear of what she might be thinking.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is laughing at the misfortune of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is wiping a tear from her eye from laughing too much.]
Kim Dokja groaned and hung his head. At the very least his offer had intrigued the goddess enough to give him a chance, but at what cost? His dignity in front of the entire group?
"A labour… that's going to be extremely challenging," Yoo Sangah muttered nervously, already knowing what kinds of nearly impossible tasks had been demanded of Heracles in his myth.
Shin Yoosung perked up when she heard what his task would be. "Does it have to be a specific snake or can it be any snake? Maybe I can tame it for you to make it easier!"
"Unfortunately, a specific snake, so that likely won't be possible. I appreciate the offer, though, Yoosung-ah," Kim Dokja replied with a pat on her head, though his mind was awhirl with possibilities of what she could be referring to if it wasn't the hydra. There weren't that many snakes in Greek myth, and he couldn't go too far away during these scenarios, so what could it be…?
Wait, a serpent that he'll find at his next destination…? She couldn't actually mean for him to kill—
With a snap of her fingers, a screen showing a scenic forest appears, which Dokja quickly realizes is the location of the sixth scenario. Suddenly, he notices something surprising on the screen.
"Hey, ahjussi, you should clear out the trees here so we get a place to rest. Isn't that your specialty?" Sooyoung tells Pildu as she follows him. The older man argues back that his specialty is real estate and not property development, calling Sooyoung a brat.
As they continue to bicker like children, Dokja is shocked that they're already in that place since the sixth scenario has yet to begin. Persephone recaptures his attention by asking if he's willing to give this labour a shot, causing Dokja to realize what 'serpent' she is referring to. With a determined expression, Dokja accepts.
Persephone sits in the chair at the head of the table once more, gazing at the empty chair where Dokja sat and the open door behind it. Looking to the side, she lifts a hand and does a lazy gesture as she tells a Judge to clean away the food, declaring that it doesn't taste good.
[several constellations are curious about the identity of this 'serpent'.]
"Ooh a sneak peek of the next scenario?" Jung Heewon asked with a grin. "This'll be nice."
It would be exceptionally nice if Kim Dokja's surprise in the future was coming from the reveal of the serpent's identity.
However, nothing could have prepared him for what he saw on that screen. Kim Dokja froze, looking utterly baffled as he stared at the two people bickering in the forest.
[the constellation 'defense master' cannot believe his eyes.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is gobsmacked.]
"What the fuck?" Han Sooyoung asked, looking genuinely shocked. "What am I doing there? And how the fuck did he get there too?"
Yeah, Kim Dokja was equally confused, and even Yoo Joonghyuk looked visibly taken aback. The sixth scenario shouldn't be open yet, so how had the two of them ended up there already?
"Wait, so that's where the old guy has been this whole time?" Yoo Mia wondered upon seeing Gong Pildu.
Yoo Sangah looked relieved to know that he was okay, but that couldn't erase the unease that everyone was feeling upon seeing both Han Sooyoung and Gong Pildu in some unknown place. At the very least, they were together—even if they were bickering constantly—so they could maybe collaborate long enough to keep each other alive.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is narrowing his eyes.]
Yeah, that solidified exactly which serpent she meant. Fuck, that wasn't going to be easy, but it wouldn't be impossible. He was going to have to take that chance.
Yoo Joonghyuk looked at him with a tense expression, and Kim Dokja realized instantly that he had figured out the serpent's identity too. All he could do was nod grimly, and watch as the protagonist's eye twitched. At the very least, if his future self played this right, he might be able to get Yoo Joonghyuk as his backup for that fight, even if he'd have to be the one to land the decisive blow.
"Oh, it looks like you're leaving now, hyung!" Lee Gilyoung remarked, to everyone's relief. It was a bit of a surprise to see Persephone sending away all the stories she had previously been enjoying, though. Had his offer really tempted her that much?
[Persephone, why have you done this?] A smooth yet deep voice comes in, making the goddess look up and smile. She calls her husband shy as she remarks that he's finally decided to break his silence. Hades reiterates that he asked her a question, to which she replies that this is what he wanted. Hades bluntly states that he never asked for this.
Persephone's smile softens, as do her eyes, as she continues, [You seldom show any interest in incarnations. However, when it comes to that child, you grew especially fond of him. Am I wrong?]
As the two deities talk, the image on the screen changes to show Dokja being led away by two Judges while blindfolded. Hades asks why Persephone assumes that, and she replies that he could have easily killed the child the moment he set foot in the Underworld, yet chose not to. This makes Hades go silent, which Persehone takes as the chance to continue, saying that he was always jealous of Zeus for having a child like Heracles, so she just looked into her husband's desire.
Oh fuck, had Hades been silently watching the whole time? Kim Dokja felt a cold sweat form on his neck just from hearing the man's voice, and he sucked in a breath anxiously.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is eyeing the constellation 'father of the rich night'.]
"What he wanted…?" Yoo Sangah wondered curiously, and Kim Dokja had to wonder the same thing. What was Persephone even talking about?
Then, her gaze softened, and Kim Dokja wasn't sure how to feel about the news that Hades may have been keeping an eye on him for much longer than anyone could have anticipated. 'Curious' he could understand, but 'fond'...?
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is smiling gently.]
Kim Dokja had no idea what any of this could mean, but he had to admit that it was true that Hades could have easily killed him at any time. Not even Dionysus guiding him there would have protected him once within Hades' domain.
"It would have been that easy to kill you?" Lee Hyunsung asked in a worried tone, eyes darting around frantically. "That's really not good."
"Yeah," Kim Dokja confirmed, "it would have been all too easy for him."
So why hadn't he?
[several constellations of the nebula 'olympus' are looking at the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring'.]
Huh? Jealous of Zeus…?
But that didn't make any sense. Even if Hades was jealous for whatever reason, Kim Dokja couldn't find any explanation that would involve him of all people. Swallowing uncomfortably, he forced himself to keep watching, wondering if he would ever get an answer.
She pauses and looks down at her palm which is clammy from sweat, stating that it was unbelievable that there are constellations who she couldn't truly oppose, and is astounded that they're all chasing after a 'mere incarnation'. Hades declares that 'the omen of the later days is imminent'.
She stands and asks if that day will really come, and whether he'll still be by her side when it does. Rather than responding verbally. A shadowy hand appears and places itself on her shoulder. She reaches up as more of the arm forms, wrapping around her shoulders as she gives it a hug. Resting her head on the arm, she slowly closes her eyes, a content smile gracing her lips.
After a tender moment of silence, Persephone opens her eyes to look forward at the screen displaying Bihyung's channel as Dokja takes the blindfold off, and says, [I'm really looking forward to the kind of story that child will put on display.]
Kim Dokja's eyes went wide as Persephone looked down at her hand. She… had been intimidated? Or had she realized that she was outclassed somehow?
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is smiling widely.]
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is puffing out his chest with pride.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is looking at the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
That also left Kim Dokja's other question unanswered—just who had she been referring to with that declaration?
Hades' next sentence made Kim Dokja freeze as well. An omen? What did he mean by that?
Whatever it was, the constellations seemed to be in a frenzy from the way their stars blinked frantically on the ceiling, and the rapid-fire messages that were so fast that Kim Dokja couldn't hope to read them all. Was Kim Dokja's status as a singularity enough to skew things so far?
At the very least, Lee Seolhwa's gaze softened as they all watched the tender moment between the husband and wife. Though they couldn't see Hades other than his one arm, Persephone looked so genuinely at peace that it was obvious they loved each other more than anything else in the world.
It was a sight that made Kim Dokja's heart hurt. That was what marriage—what love—was supposed to look like, wasn't it?
Kim Dokja couldn't be sure—that wasn't something he had ever witnessed in his entire life, after all.
He shook his head, sighing. No, he couldn't focus on that right now. He had managed to convince them as much as he could, and if he could just manage to complete that labour, then he would be able to fulfill his promise.
If all it took was putting on a show for the constellations that was beyond anything else they had ever witnessed before, then that's what Kim Dokja would have to do.