[many constellations are eagerly anticipating the fight between kings.]
Kim Dokja wasn't, because he was 99.9% certain that the protagonist would be absolutely pissed off at him for what he had done in order to win. Of course, all's fair in love and war, as they say, but that didn't mean that Yoo Joonghyuk would forgive him for the punch or what followed. After all, the protagonist hadn't even considered breaking the throne until many regressions later.
At the very least, Kim Dokja hoped that Yoo Joonghyuk would see the value of his decision and choose to spare him.
Out of the 7 strongest Kings, the ones I've met up till now are the 'Hermit King of Shadows' Han Donghoon, the 'King of Beauty' Min Jiwon, the 'Maitreya King' Cha Sangkyung, The 'Earth Dragon King' Gu Taesung, and the 'Tyrant King' Jung Youngho.
As Dokja introduces them one by one, a flattering image is shown of each King in a scrolling fashion until the last one settles on a heavily damaged hand sticking out from underneath the rubble in a puddle of blood. Nearby, the
But excluding the 'Neutral King' who is yet to appear…
An image of a man wearing a hanbok over top of a white button up and tie with a question mark for a face is shown on the screen, highlighting this King's unknown identity.
There's one more person I know of. In fact, we met much earlier than any other King could. The strongest among the Seven Kings of Seoul…
Clearly deciding that the scene of Joonghyuk's arrival was too cool, the screen decides that it needs a replay. Once again, everyone gets to witness his awesome and terrifying entrance.
The 'Supreme King', Yoo Joonghyuk.
The ground cracks beneath Joonghyuk's feet as he angrily stomps his way towards Dokja. Dokja, not joking anymore as he mentally praises Joonghyuk for getting a Black Flag already and realizes that Jihye and Heewon must have done well, demands that Sooyoung hand over her sword. She initially refuses, but flinches when Dokja mentions her impending death.
"That actress was one of the strongest kings in the novel?" Lee Jihye asked in both confusion and judgment. "She didn't seem that strong…"
She definitely wasn't physically strong, but then again, neither was Han Donghoon.
"Her strength lies in the army she commands," Kim Dokja answered. "Each King has a different strength and fighting style, but it was really only the Tyrant King and Joonghyuk-ah who were able to face down an army alone."
He could feel Yoo Joonghyuk glancing over at him, and Kim Dokja hoped that it was because the protagonist was agreeing with his words.
Jung Heewon held back a laugh. "I don't know why, but I think it's both morbid and hilarious that the Tyrant King's picture is just him squashed under that rock."
Lee Hyunsung looked slightly disturbed by that, but he awkwardly laughed alongside her. Stay strong, Hyunsung-ssi…
Kim Dokja had no time to focus on that guy when the screen replayed Yoo Joonghyuk's awesome entrance. It was just so cool that Kim Dokja probably would have had tears in his eyes from how emotional he was getting if he didn't have just enough self-control.
Lee Jihye, however, had no such reservations and was grinning tearfully. "Master, you really are the coolest!"
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is rolling his eyes in exasperation.]
What did he know? Even though the version of him on the screen was getting threatened, Kim Dokja still thought that Yoo Joonghyuk was the most amazing person he'd ever seen.
Dokja then turns to Gilyoung, who has already activated [Interspecies Communication]. Within moments, Titano 2 bursts through the wall to distract Joonghyuk, who seems briefly caught off guard by its arrival. Dokja takes this opportunity to smack Sooyoung over the head and steal her flag, making his into a Black Flag as well, while Sooyoung complains in the background.
Dokja then scurries around like the rat he is, collecting both the
"Hold on, Joonghyuk! Let's talk this out!" Dokja pleads as he mentally apologises to Taseung's falling corpse.
"That note," Joonghyuk states, prompting Dokja to repeat the word.
"My younger sister," Joonghyuk snarls.
Dokja stumbles backwards as Joonghyuk advances with deceptive calmness. "What about your sister?"
"Where did you hide my younger sister?" Joonghyuk's face looks terrifyingly calm as he uses [Lie Detection] on Dokja's next evasive words. He promptly threatens to kill Dokja again if he doesn't answer.
"Titano!" Lee Gilyoung cheered excitedly at the sight of his beloved… was calling it a pet the right way to put it? His giant bug friend?
[a constellation who likes grasshoppers is smiling at the incarnation 'lee gilyoung'.]
"Fuck you for stealing my flag like that," Han Sooyoung griped. "What an asshole."
Jung Heewon's smile sharpened to an almost dangerous degree, and Kim Dokja decided he had to step in just in case. The last thing he wanted was another fight right now—especially not when they were possibly getting closer to clearing the scenario and being released. After they were out, he had no doubts that he'd probably find himself getting choked out for all his transgressions.
"I had to make it to the battle for the throne, and yours gave my flag a massive power-up."
Yoo Joonghyuk shot him a suspicious glance, which reminded Kim Dokja of the time Jung Heewon had mentioned the throne-breaking incident earlier. The protagonist had probably expected to regain consciousness in a world where Kim Dokja sat upon the Absolute Throne and had dominion over everyone.
Kim Dokja wanted to gag just thinking about it. He wasn't meant for leadership roles like that, and he couldn't care less about most of the incarnations of Seoul; he'd honestly be a really shitty King. Now, if it wasn't for the major drawback of the throne being a trap that would doom literally everyone later, then Kim Dokja honestly might have been tempted just for the fact that he could control Yoo Joonghyuk because it would make everything so much easier going forward.
Of course, there was also the possibility of Yoo Joonghyuk taking the throne and using it to control him and—
Kim Dokja cut off those thoughts right then and there. Heat began rising in his cheeks as the imagination he had shoved into a box threatened to burst right back out. Nope, that wasn't happening. If he didn't think about it, it didn't exist. Besides, Yoo Joonghyuk would probably have just killed him anyway. Yeah. That was exactly what would have happened, not… whatever dumb thoughts popped into his head.
[some constellations are disappointed that the incarnation 'kim dokja' keeps dodging.]
Kim Dokja stared up at the ceiling in shock. "What, do you want me to get skewered by Yoo Joonghyuk's sword or something?"
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' coughs awkwardly.]
What was his problem? It was a valid question!
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is banging on her wall.]
Jung Heewon and Lee Jihye began giggling under their breaths, and Yoo Sangah looked like she was doing the absolute most to keep her composure.
"I can't believe you just say that shit with a straight face," Han Sooyoung muttered in exasperation. "You cannot actually be that oblivious?"
Yoo Joonghyuk cleared his throat, and Kim Dokja's gaze immediately fell on him and his once again reddened ears. "My sister."
Right. Mia.
"I really didn't kidnap her, Joonghyuk-ah. I sent Heewon-ssi to protect her," Kim Dokja told him quickly. Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes narrowed in such a way that sent shivers down Kim Dokja's spine, and he knew that if Yoo Mia said even one thing about being mistreated, then he would end up dead.
Yoo Mia tugged on her brother's sleeve. "Heewon-unnie was really nice and strong, and I told you before that she kept me safe. Don't worry."
Yoo Joonghyuk relaxed slightly, and Kim Dokja had to let out a breath of relief. Maybe he wouldn't be dying anytime soon.
Dokja nervously smiles as he asks Joonghyuk to put his weapon away before he answers, saying that Joonghyuk is overreacting when the man assumes that she's being kept as a hostage.
With gritted teeth, Joonghyuk advances further while muttering that he should have killed Dokja back then.
Dokja, now panicking, is somehow saved when the dokkaebi states that this would be better for the final fight. He points out that only 5 Kings remain as he begins teleporting them to the final arena in golden flashes of light, much to Joonghyuk's chagrin, as he furiously yells out Dokja's name once more.
Sooyoung curses as Sangah stands nearby, carrying Gilyoung who's unconsciously muttering Dokja's name.
A large barrier is shown around the 'Absolute Throne' before Dokja tries to enter and merely bounces off of it. A window pops up, stating that he has been disqualified as a candidate.
Huh?
Yoo Joonghyuk stiffened up before shooting Kim Dokja an unreadable look. His lips pursed slightly, like he was debating about saying something at all.
"I'm…"
Hm? Was Yoo Joonghyuk talking to him?
The protagonist took a deep breath before fully facing Kim Dokja and staring into his eyes. "I'm sorry for assuming."
He was… apologizing? Well, though Kim Dokja hadn't meant to keep her hostage or anything, it was true that he hadn't done it entirely out of the goodness of his heart. It was the fact that he sent Jung Heewon to keep her safe that would be the leverage, though looking at it from Yoo Joonghyuk's point of view, he would probably see that as a sword above his sister's neck, just waiting for Kim Dokja's order to fall.
Wow, only one sentence and he managed to make Kim Dokja feel like an utter piece of shit. How did he keep doing that?
"It's nothing," Kim Dokja replied weakly. "Thanks for not killing me."
Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes narrowed slightly before he nodded once and turned back to the screen.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is pleased to see such a lovely companionship.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is disappointed that the incarnations were teleported away.]
Kim Dokja grimaced as he remembered his own stupidity that had very nearly gotten everyone in his group killed. He had really spent so much time focusing on the overall plan and patting himself on the back for it that he had completely forgotten the most crucial step.
[a few constellations are confused by the current events.]
Dokja stares at the message in shock, frantically thinking. The dokkaebi laughs at him, lording it over him from far up in the sky and laughing about the fact that that Dokja spent so long looking at the big picture that he missed the most important thing. Windows pop up, reminding him he hasn't occupied Changsin Station yet.
The dokkaebi sneers down at Dokja as he mocks him for forgetting about the early phases of the scenario. Dokja grits his teeth as he tries to think of what to do, noting that Changsin seemingly hasn't been occupied yet, but that it would take too long to go there since the final fight has already begun. Behind him, inside the barrier, Joonghyuk attacks Sangkyung. However, contrary to expectations, he doesn't seem to be doing all that much damage.
Suddenly, Sangah calls out his name. As Dokja looks over, he sees not only Sangah approaching, but also Heewon who is running while holding the hand of a young girl with twintails. The girl, whose eyes and hair part are incredibly similar to a certain protagonist's, asks Heewon about her brother before stating that she is hungry.
"You forgot the station," Yoo Joonghyuk stated in disbelief, almost like he couldn't believe someone so stupid actually beat him.
Kim Dokja winced. It was a pretty stupid mistake to make, wasn't it.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is sighing and shaking his head.]
Han Sooyoung stared at him with extreme disappointment. "You're not actually that smart, are you?"
Hey…
"I got distracted, okay?" Kim Dokja muttered weakly. "It slipped my mind."
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is laughing at the misfortune of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Jung Heewon sighed—half in fondness, half in exasperation. "I'm glad I decided not to bother waiting at the station like I was told to. You never would have showed up."
Sorry, Heewon-ssi…
Dokja reveals that he asked Heewon to wait at Changsin, but Heewon replies that she didn't want to just sit and wait, as well as the fact that the little girl hasn't had anything to eat since the morning, assuming that she's Dokja's sister until the girl states that he's not.
"He's uglier than my brother," the girl says bluntly, even muttering that he's very ugly, at that. Dokja just smiles in a facade of calmness while mentally calling her a brat.
Heewon, now very confused about the girl's identity, asks who she is and wonders why he asked her to rescue the girl if they have no relation. Dokja laments that his plan is falling apart, reminiscing about how he gave Jihye a note for Joonghyuk about going to save his sister while sending Heewon to guard her first as leverage.
Excuse: It's cowardly - but if I hadn't done it, the scenario would have gone entirely at Yoo Joonghyuk's pace.
With a sad face, Dokja begins to walk away, stating that he's going to capture Changsin station. Heewon stops him and asks the girl to give her the "thing" Heewon gave her earlier. The young girl agrees excitedly before she reaches into her mouth and somehow pulls out a flagpost. Dokja watches her cheeks stretch to inhuman levels in awe as he remarks that it's Mia's Exclusive Skill, [Inventory].
Dokja's eyes widen as he realises that Heewon really dug out Changsin's flagpole and brought it with them, gaping at the woman who's winking and giving him a thumbs-up as he mentally remarks that no one ever did this in TWSA. Clearly, the constellations are intrigued as well, since the 'Adventurer who Balances Eggs Upright' admires Heewon for it.
Yoo Mia grinned and put her hands on her hips. "So, ugly ahjussi, are you gonna thank me for saving the day?"
She really did, so he couldn't even argue. Kim Dokja tried to be as genuine as he possibly could. "Thank you, Mia-yah."
The tips of her ears went red just like her brother's as she glanced away—curious, she wasn't mad, was she? "Good. You're welcome, ugly ahjussi."
He still didn't appreciate the ugly comments, though.
Yoo Joonghyuk shot him a quick glare, but it didn't have the same potency as before. Maybe his genuine thanks was enough to help convince the protagonist that he really didn't mean any harm, even if Kim Dokja had done it to throw him off?
[many constellations are shocked by the skill of the incarnation 'yoo mia'.]
"The whole flagpost…?" Lee Hyunsung whispered in both fear and awe. "How did you…?"
Kim Dokja would rather not think about the physics of how her skill worked. Still, she must have explained it to Jung Heewon while they were waiting, and that must have been how she had gotten that idea in the first place.
"We got bored," was all Jung Heewon said, and that explained both far too much and far too little.
"How much stuff can you fit in there?" Shin Yoosung asked curiously.
"I have a few slots," Yoo Mia replied confidently. "So I can fit quite a bit!"
Lee Jihye looked at her pensively for a moment. "If we have to go on a plane when we go on vacation after the scenarios, do you think you could store everyone's luggage so we don't have to pay for checked bags?"
"You're coming too, noona?" Lee Gilyoung asked excitedly as Yoo Mia stopped to think about her idea.
"Of course I'm coming! Isn't everyone?" Lee Jihye replied with a grin.
Yoo Mia nodded as she came to a conclusion. "Maybe not everyone's luggage, but I could store a few of them!"
Kim Dokja just sat there, baffled by their ideas, as they eagerly got together and planned a completely hypothetical international vacation. He also couldn't bring himself to tell them that the entire world would be almost completely wrecked by the scenarios before they ended, so the likelihood of finding even a single working airport would be slim. Still, he couldn't help but wonder… would items in Yoo Mia's [Inventory] show up on a metal detector or a scanning machine?
[a constellation who likes to travel is excitedly listening to the conversation.]
Heewon snaps Dokja out of his shock as she reminds him to claim the station, so Dokja sticks the flag in and questions the validity of it all as Heewon and Mia applaud him. Seconds after he does so, a light envelops him, sending him into the final stage.
As Dokja opens his eyes, he watches as Joonghyuk delivers a roundhouse kick to Sangkyung as pop-ups state that all Skills, items, and sponsorships are locked inside the arena, and that their stats are all set to 10.
He assesses the situation, noting that near the middle are Jiwon, Joonghyuk, and Sangkyung, while a middle-aged man stands to the side. Ildo, the 'Neutral King' simply raises his hands and forfeits the battle.
Considering it's someone like Yoo Joonghyuk, the battle should have ended in just a minute, but…
Joonghyk ducks under a staff swipe from Sangkyung before fiercely counterattacking. Jiwon notices Dokja and states that she doesn't want to fight him, and Dokja notes that he didn't expect her to make it this far. He tells her to forfeit if she doesn't want to be attacked while Jiwon confidently states that she won't go down so easily.
"That was so anticlimactic," Han Sooyoung sighed as she watched Kim Dokja claim his last station. Honestly, she was right, but he had been desperate enough that he would take it.
Yoo Sangah looked over at the screen nervously as soon as Kim Dokja appeared inside the barrier. "We couldn't really see anything that was happening in there once you went in. Everyone's stats and skills were really locked?"
Kim Dokja nodded. "It must have been a shock for anyone not expecting it, especially if they always relied on their skills or an overwhelming stat advantage to win."
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' nods his head in agreement with the words of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
"None of those are replacements for proper training," Yoo Joonghyuk stated, crossing his arms over his chest.
Or for saving up coins.
[some constellations are surprised that the 'neutral king' forfeited so easily.]
To be fair, it was either that or be beaten to a pulp by the protagonist. The guy had self-preservation, at least.
A loud smacking sound comes from the side as Sangkyung spits up blood from a heavy blow. Joonghyuk's leg is still raised in a cinematic fashion after his powerful kick, and the wind is even blowing just so in order to give the man the appearance of an action hero. Jiwon watches in surprise as Dokja recalls that Joonghyuk discovered the loophole for this phase in this regression.
Skills and Stigmas are nerfed, Constellation support is cut off, and stats are reduced to an average of level 10. Hence, the only ones 'in control' of the battle are those with…
Multiple dings echo throughout the room as windows appear, circling around Joonghyuk and lighting him up with a pale blue glow that accentuates his godly features.
Coins.
The dokkaebi laughs as several constellations question the fairness of this act, stating that people can use coins, but that the stat increases used here will reset at the end of the scenario. He states that it's essentially throwing coins down the drain in a sleazy mocking voice.
With a spectacular punch from Joonghyuk, his jacket swirling around in artistic fashion, Sangkyung is sent flying past Jiwon. Dokja assesses that Joonghyuk likely spent up to 40,000 coins, considering his speed. As Joonghyuk turns around to look at them, lights follow his eyes in a line that can be seen in so many shounen anime.
Yoo Joonghyuk frowned slightly, his eyes narrowing in confusion. Kim Dokja wasn't exactly sure why, but maybe he was critiquing his own form. That would be just like him, wouldn't it? Such a perfectionist, and though it could absolutely be considered a flaw, it was just another thing about him that Kim Dokja found so compelling.
"Oppa, you look so cool!" Yoo Mia cheered as her brother spent a bunch of his saved coins. Honestly, Kim Dokja had to agree.
He wasn't sure who had directed this recording, but god. The protagonist hadn't looked like that from Kim Dokja's point of view, and he was actually offended that Yoo Joonghyuk's good angle (who was he kidding, Yoo Joonghyuk didn't have a single bad angle—just good ones and better ones) had been facing away from him at the time.
[some constellations still wonder about the fairness of this scenario.]
[a constellation who has a lot of coins claps in amusement.]
"Forty thousand!?" Lee Jihye exclaimed, glancing at Yoo Joonghyuk excitedly. "That's amazing!"
Yoo Joonghyuk's frown just deepened further, and—oh, he was probably realizing just how much Kim Dokja must have spent. Whoops.
Jiwon lifts her hands and surrenders as the dust finally settles around Sangkyung, who is clearly unconscious after that strong of a hit.
Joonghyuk now settles his sights on Dokja, expression slightly annoyed as he observes him. Dokja assumes that Joonghyuk must be assessing his capabilities, and Dokja realizes that Joonghyuk wants to use the least amount of coins possible to both claim the throne and take Mia back.
But what he'll have to pay is the price of his hubris.
"Yoo Joonghyuk," Dokja says with a shadowed smile as a multitude of windows appear behind him amidst violent sparks of probability as he spends his coins. Another window appears and shows the amount of Dokja's coins rapidly counting down from over 80,000. "It'll be a gentle hit, so don't die."
Joonghyuk's eyes widen as he hears this, as another window appears, stating that Dokja has spent a total of 72,000 coins to increase his Strength to lvl. 100.
Now is when I can finally cash in all my profits.
Even from outside the barrier, everyone can hear the massive boom of the impact.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is roaring with laughter.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is worriedly fretting over the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
"Seventy-two thousand," Han Sooyoung muttered absently, like she couldn't believe what he had done. "Are you fucking insane?"
"I didn't want to take any chances," Kim Dokja replied, and Yoo Joonghyuk looked almost like he was halfway between being pissed off and stunned into silence.
"Ahjussi is the best!" Shin Yoosung cheered, and Lee Gilyoung hugged him tightly in his excitement.
"So that's what that noise was…" Yoo Sangah laughed lightly. "Now it makes sense that Joonghyuk-ssi was unconscious."
After being hit with that… yeah. Kim Dokja would have been more surprised if he had managed to get back up. To be honest, he almost felt bad about it, but Kim Dokja really did need to make sure that the protagonist didn't sit on the throne, so it was worth it. Even if Yoo Joonghyuk might be pissed at him as soon as he recovers from his shock.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' praises the incarnation 'kim dokja' for his clever plan.]