"Are demon kings really that bad?" Shin Yoosung asked curiously, even as she tried to whisper to keep Han Sooyoung from hearing. It was a nice gesture, but Kim Dokja could tell that the woman was only pretending to have not heard what she said.
Kim Dokja nodded, deciding not to draw attention to Han Sooyoung's not-so-great attempt at looking like she didn't care because—despite what she seemed to think—he wasn't a total asshole all the time. "Their methods vary a lot, and it's the same with the level of danger, but they're all bad news for anyone. Luckily, as long as she stays here in South Korea, she'll probably be fine."
Thankfully that demon king wasn't too powerful, so he didn't have the same reach that others—like Asmodeus—did. So long as she stayed out of the demon realm, the curse probably wouldn't even bother her that much.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is frowning at the demon king.]
Sooyoung shakes in anger and sadness as she keeps looking at the messages from before and wallowing in her misery as she calls Dokja a prick for doing that. Beside her, Dokja looks tired, as though he's been dealing with Sooyoung's sulking for way too long.
The constellations aren't the only ones who are dominant players in the Star Stream. There are powerful beings who refuse to become constellations and wander the scenarios in physical bodies—the Demon Kings.
A black and white stylized drawing of a man in armour with multiple pairs of horns adorning his head appears on the screen. He's sitting on a throne encircled by a snake, and there are figures of other monsters watching from nearby. Bones rest at his feet as he holds a sword equal to his sitting height, making him look incredibly intimidating.
Just like constellations choose their incarnations, Demon Kings seek subjects—usually those are born from tainted incarnations who go down the path of an inhuman or demonic species.
Minwoo and his fellow werewolves appear on screen once more, as though to show an example of these subjects.
Among the 72 Demon Kings, the one at the bottom is the Architect of Discord, 'Andras'. One of his motifs is the 'wolf'.
[several constellations are uncomfortable.]
Lee Jihye made a confused noise. "So they're actually sort of like fallen constellations?"
"In a sense," Kim Dokja confirmed. It was a bit more complicated than that, of course, but that probably wasn't super interesting to her.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is appreciating the aesthetics of the demon king.]
Han Sooyoung scowled at the message. "I thought you were supposed to be on my side…"
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' says that he can still eat the demon king and then take his cool stuff.]
Yoo Mia couldn't hold in a small snort of laughter, and Kim Dokja honestly had to agree with her. Though it was rare, the dragon could occasionally be funny. Usually unintentionally, though.
"At least he's not too strong, right?" Lee Hyunsung said hesitantly, trying to reassure Han Sooyoung, even if it didn't work all that well. The author just shrugged, let out a long-suffering sigh, and slumped over slightly. At least there was an attempt. Good try, Hyunsung-ssi.
Dokja attempts to console Sooyoung by mentioning Myungoh's situation, stating that even though he was cursed, he didn't die right away. Obviously, this does nothing to help Sooyoung with her worries.
The Demon King, 'Devil of Lust and Wrath', cursed Han Myungoh.
Dokja then mentions that on the bright side, the 'Architect of Discord' isn't high-level, and being his enemy means she'll earn the favour and donations of the Absolute Good constellations. This doesn't make Sooyoung happy as she mentions that her planned sponsor doesn't get along with angels.
Dokja starts to wonder whether she's planning on becoming a subject of a demon king before he pauses and confirms that Sooyoung said 'plan to choose'. Sooyoung immediately covers her mouth with her hand, as though that will help her somehow take back words she's already said. Dokja, meanwhile, is just shocked that she doesn't have a sponsor yet.
"Saying he didn't die right away doesn't help when you don't fucking know what happened to him," Han Sooyoung griped, shooting an exhausted look in Kim Dokja's direction. That was… well, yeah. She did have a point, he supposed with a slight internal grimace.
None of them had seen anything about him since he vanished after Geumho station, even in this recording.
"I bet he's dead," Jung Heewon muttered. "He didn't look like he had any survival skills other than grovelling."
Yoo Sangah held back a laugh after hearing that insult to the former manager. "You're not wrong."
[many constellations are wondering about the whereabouts of the incarnation 'han myungoh'.]
Lee Seolhwa glanced over at Han Sooyoung, a soft smile on her face. "At the very least, the donations should help."
Though she still looked somewhat miffed, Han Sooyoung shrugged. It wasn't like she could afford to reject the coins, after all.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is glaring at the angels.]
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is glaring at the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon'.]
"You both chose to avoid getting a sponsor," Yoo Joonghyuk remarked, shooting them a side glance.
Kim Dokja shrugged. It seemed that Han Sooyoung was likely waiting on getting the Abyssal Black Flame Dragon as her sponsor, and was trying to attract him in between the two selection events. She had probably been pretty irritated to see him on Kim Dokja's original list then, huh?
His plans were much different, but Kim Dokja knew that he couldn't even chance talking about it just in case they were sent back before this future recording showed anything of the sort. He wouldn't want any random constellations to get that kind of intel.
[many constellations who are interested in choosing an incarnation are looking at the incarnations 'han sooyoung' and 'kim dokja'.]
As Dokja explains the benefits of postponing the 'sponsor selection', images of several constellations appear on a starry background before panning down to the next. First is an angel with long blonde hair and a dark dress, and in her hand is a golden pair of scales. Next is a man with a golden headband, glowing eyes and pointed ears. Below him is a general with a short beard. Finally, the image settles on a figure shrouded in a starry cloak that flows to become the night sky itself, and the only parts of the constellation's body that are visible is one hand with long, slender fingers and a jawline that could cut diamonds.
[several constellations are surprised that any incarnations would willingly avoid picking a sponsor.]
"Ah… was it bad to select anything during the first event…?" Yoo Sangah asked quietly, her gaze going slightly distant as she did.
Han Sooyoung sighed. "It's not that you can't get a good sponsor in the first one. You're just making an uninformed choice."
Yoo Sangah bit her lip, but nodded once. "I see."
Something was off with her, but Kim Dokja wasn't entirely sure what the issue was. Her constellation was probably 'Abandoned Lover of the Labyrinth', who wasn't all that powerful, so was she regretting her choice?
Then, everyone perked up when the constellations appeared on the screen.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is excited to see her silhouette.]
Shin Yoosung's eyes glimmered excitedly. "Ahjussi, do you think I can ever get pretty hair like hers if I let it grow out?"
"Maybe," Kim Dokja said with a chuckle. "I don't know if they use special hair care in Eden, though."
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is flustered by the compliment.]
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' puffs out his chest pridefully.]
He did look quite fearsome. Truly worthy of the title of one of the strongest constellations in the entirety of TWSA.
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is pleasantly surprised to see himself on the screen.]
"That's you, sponsor-ahjussi?" Lee Jihye asked excitedly. "You look cool!"
It was good to see her so happy about stuff, and Kim Dokja couldn't help but smile alongside her.
Then, the last figure appeared, and Kim Dokja perked up slightly. Was that supposed to be…
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is flabbergasted.]
"Whoa…" Lee Gilyoung breathed. "That constellation looks so cool!"
Secretive Plotter really did look cool—and was that the cloak that the constellation wished he could have lent? God that would have been so cool to wear. Still, for some reason, Kim Dokja couldn't take his eyes off of this depiction of the Secretive Plotter's hand. He didn't know what it was, but Kim Dokja had the impression that he was good with his hands. Maybe he could play the piano, or something?
Did constellations even have stuff like pianos anyway? That would certainly be a sight—wait, no, that wasn't important. Kim Dokja had to focus.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is appreciative of the compliment, but says that he doesn't look like that.]
So this couldn't just reveal his identity? A shame.
Kim Dokja narrowed his eyes slightly. It really was unfortunate—that jawline was really impressive, and he got the impression that the face hidden by shadows would be quite handsome indeed.
Of course, he probably wouldn't be handsome enough to slap Yoo Joonghyuk even once, but that didn't mean he couldn't be good-looking in his own right.
Sooyoung states that she chose not to get one yet, stating that they only get one constellation sponsor and it's strange to use that choice at the first chance. Dokja agrees and wonders who she could want. Sooyoung smugly states that they've already shown interest in her, and that he'll be shocked by who it is. Dokja looks slightly worried, wondering if it could be the 'Great Sage'.
"Have you ever heard of the 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon'?" Sooyoung asks with smug glee. As Dokja looks stunned into silence, an image of a roaring black dragon and a cackling Namwoon appear behind him, chunni words and lightning sparking around them.
Dokja just stares at the overly sparkly and enthusiastic Sooyoung with a dumbfounded look as the 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' awaits his response. With a deadpan tone and a completely blank face, Dokja replies that it's great with a half-hearted fist pump as he wishes her good luck. This utter lack of sincerity disappoints both Sooyoung and the constellation.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is offended by the reaction of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Yoo Mia snickered, and the other two kids eagerly joined her. Kim Dokja just pulled his best scammer smile as he looked at the indirect message and Han Sooyoung, who was scowling at him.
"Best of luck to you both," he said with fake cheer, and tried his best to keep a straight face when Jung Heewon burst out laughing at the image on the screen of Kim Namwoon spouting the cringiest lines ever written outside of a bad fanfiction.
"Seriously, I can't believe you're like this," Han Sooyoung grumbled as Yoo Sangah covered her mouth to try and hold back her own giggles. She shot an exasperated glance at the other woman, but it was basically devoid of hostility, which was a major relief.
They banter back and forth for a bit until a scream catches their attention. Running over, they discover a group of cages still holding countless corpses within. On the ground, numerous bloody drag marks can be seen. Dokja identifies the place as the werewolves' main camp while Sooyoung wonders where anyone else is, considering that they haven't even seen any lookouts.
As they walk through, something disgusts the both of them, causing [The Fourth Wall] to step in and take some of Dokja's mental shock.
Ordinary humans can only evolve into inhuman species in a few ways. One of them is cannibalism.
A group of bloody limbs lined up on meat hooks is seen from behind as the two walk closer.
In other words, feasting on the flesh of your own species. Many of them evolve accidentally while scavenging for food. Once they transform, they will no longer hesitate to kill and eat humans.
Lee Seolhwa gasped and covered her mouth with her hands as she stared in horror at the grisly scene they were watching. It was horrifying to know that cannibalism could happen at all, but the fact that there were some who didn't do it accidentally or out of desperation was even worse.
[the constellations of the absolute good alignment are furious.]
Shin Yoosung whimpered and clung to Kim Dokja, while Lee Gilyoung glared furiously at the screen, muttering under his breath about all the ways he'd kill those guys with his bugs. Honestly, Kim Dokja wasn't even tempted to tell him to stop. Anyone who had willingly turned into an inhuman species—especially through cannibalism—deserved exactly what was coming for them.
"Those fuckers…" Jung Heewon hissed, hatred flaring in her eyes as she did. At the very least, if she ever encountered anyone like that, they were almost certainly considered 'evil', so she wouldn't struggle whatsoever.
Han Sooyoung grimaced. "Seeing tons of those werewolves around would be bad… but the entire camp seems to be deserted, which means that something either took them out, or made them turn tail and flee. There's no way they'd leave it undefended if they were going out hunting or something."
Yeah… that wasn't a good sign at all.
Dokja notices that Sooyoung finds this sort of thing unpleasant. Covering her nose, Sooyoung states that it's obvious to be affected as a human, wondering why he seems almost unaffected. Dokja informs her that the prophets told him that her goal was world domination, and Sooyoung is more offended by that than at being called a plagiarist. She states that even though she'd hypothetically love to take over the world, she actually gathered the apostles to stop the world's destruction. Dokja blandly calls them all trash and insults their fashion sense, causing Sooyoung to rage about how none of that was her fault.
Their argument is cut short when the two of them hear gunshots, and they draw their weapons as they run towards the noise. When they turn a corner, they see a pile of blackened werewolf corpses—answering the question of why the camp was deserted—and both immediately identify the cause as being caused by the 'Holy' attribute that was likely infused into the bullets used to kill them.
"Dokja-ssi… your skill really is useful," Lee Hyunsung remarked. "I don't know how you can seem so unaffected because of it."
He was definitely still uncomfortable—how could he not be?—but allowing it to partially block off the effects of the world really helped. It would absolutely be worse in person too, considering that here they were at least spared the gut-turning smell.
[a few ambitious constellations are intrigued by the mention of taking over the world.]
"It's great in theory, too much fucking work in practice," Han Sooyoung muttered. "The logistics for that would be a goddamn nightmare."
That was one thing they could agree on.
As soon as the gunshots rang out, Yoo Joonghyuk straightened up and narrowed his eyes at the screen.
"Firearms? Those are inconvenient weapons."
Finding the ammo for them was definitely a pain, Kim Dokja recalled. There had been one regression where Yoo Joonghyuk had kept a pistol strapped to his thigh for an entire scenario, since he had been able to find one that was loaded and had spare bullets nearby near the start, and Kim Dokja had spent hours imagining those scenes over and over. It was just too cool, even if it was too inconvenient to last. It was a shame that Yoo Joonghyuk had avoided using them after that point for the rest of the novel, though, but it was a fact that his skills with a sword were exponentially better than his skills with a pistol.
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is relieved to see that the werewolves are dead.]
Before them stands a group of women in prison uniforms holding all sorts of guns. In their midst, only one wears a long beige overcoat. Sooyoung points out that they're a group of wanderers from Seongdaemun Prison, and that the woman in the coat who is wearing a veiled mask is their leader. She states that based on their power and actions, the woman must be a renouncer, but that she can't see any of their data. Despite their power, they weren't present for the battle for the throne, and this makes Dokja suspicious.
One of the women lifts her gun, causing the two to reflexively reach for their swords. The woman doesn't aim at them, instead shooting up the pile of corpses to reveal a meteorite beneath them. Dokja immediately identifies it as the 'Yellow Meteorite' which has the ability to avert a 'disaster'.
"Are you Kim Dokja?" The woman asks suddenly, catching Dokja off guard.
This person knows me? How?
Dokja's eyes widen minimally before wrestles his emotions back into a state of calmness. "You're mistaken. My name is Yoo Joonghyuk. Kim Dokja is someone I absolutely hate."
Kim Dokja froze and it took all of his willpower to not look over his shoulder at the woman who was almost certainly sitting in the corner of the room. His hands clenched into fists as soon as he recognized the uniforms, and realized that she could really be here. On one hand, it was good to know that she wasn't dead he already knew, if he just looked over—, even if she was caught up in the apocalypse too, but on the other… Kim Dokja didn't know if he wanted to cry or throw up again, no matter how pathetic he would seem.
Han Sooyoung calling her a renouncer just struck the final nail into Kim Dokja's metaphorical coffin. It had to be her. There was no one else it could be.
[several constellations are suspicious of the actions of this group of wanderers.]
"The ability to avert a disaster?" Yoo Sangah asked curiously. "What does that mean, Dokja-ssi?"
"It means that what's inside can help us succeed in the fifth scenario," he said absently, barely able to process her words.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is narrowing his eyes at the incarnation on the screen.]
Fuck. How did they recognize him?
Yoo Joonghyuk's expression immediately darkened after hearing what the future Kim Dokja said, but Kim Dokja was barely able to process it through the fog clouding his mind. The protagonist was probably angry that Kim Dokja was stealing his identity again, but he'd understand, right? It was better to use a fake name than respond to someone he didn't know and give away information.
"You fool," Yoo Joonghyuk hissed as Yoo Mia shook her head in disappointment.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is baffled by the words of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Lee Jihye just stared at him in utter disbelief before exchanging a glance with the other women, who all looked equally unimpressed. What? He was speaking the truth…
Beside him, Sooying makes a vaguely disgusted expression before she leans closer to whisper to him. "You just can't stop lying, can you?"
Dokja dismisses Sooyoung's words as he glances back at the woman and tells her to inform her leader to stop messing around.
The woman pauses before calling out Dokja on his bullshit and telling him there's no need for unnecessary lies, since they already know who he is. This causes Dokja to side-eye Sooyoung, who nods in confirmation once she checks using [Lie Detection].
The woman gestures towards the meteorite with an outstretched arm and states that their king has declared that it will be handed over to him. This confuses Dokja as the masked woman is shown once more, the barest hints of a smile visible beneath the veil.
Dokja tries to understand who they are, learning that they follow the 'King of Wanderers' and that they don't care for the trivialities of flags. She then states that their King wishes to tell him that they'll handle the disaster in the north, but that they will leave the others to him.
"How do they already know who you are, ahjussi?" Lee Jihye asked in confusion. "Do you know them?"
"No," Kim Dokja mumbled absently with a shake of his head, careful not to turn too far.
Don't look don't look don't look it's not real it's not real it's not real—
Jung Heewon shuddered and narrowed her eyes at the screen. "And who is this woman? I don't like how much they're focusing on her like that."
Kim Dokja's hands clenched even tighter.
[many constellations are curious about the mysterious incarnation.]
[the constellation 'founder's mother' is watching the current events with a melancholy expression.]
Yoo Joonghyuk scoffed. "The 'King of Wanderers'? I've never heard of them."
Of course he hadn't, but Kim Dokja forced himself to say something. He had to.
"Joonghyuk-ah, don't underestimate her," Kim Dokja said, his voice barely above a whisper as he tried to fight off the way he simply wanted to instinctively disconnect from the situation. Yoo Joonghyuk raised a brow at him in response, but he seemed to nod once. Had he accepted the warning, or had Kim Dokja just imagined it?
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is tearing out his hair in excitement.]
Dokja stumbles out the start of a sentence in confusion before Sooyoung steps in and demands answers, wondering if Dokja knows who the speaker is when the woman just keeps walking away. As Dokja attempts to use [Character Profile], it states that she's not listed, but surprisingly asks if he'd like to update it in order to view her information. Dokja nods before activating it once more as soon as the update is complete.
[Name: Cho Youngran
Age: 37
Constellation Sponsor: Joseon's First Shaman
Personal Attributes: Escaped Model Prisoner (Ordinary), Enforcer of Justice (Rare)
Exclusive Skills: Jailbreak lvl. 3, Patience lvl. 6, Hour of Enforcement lvl. 3, Marksmanship lvl. 4…
Stigma: Transformation lvl. 2
Overall Skills: Stamina lvl. 30, Strength lvl. 34, Agility lvl. 36, Mana lvl. 28
Overall Evaluation: Overall Evaluation is currently in progress.
*Starter Pack is currently in use.
*Growth Package is currently in use.]
Dokja is impressed that someone already has 'Jeon Woochi' as their sponsor. As he thinks this, an ink brush drawing appears, displaying the image of a man in historical robes. Dokja also compliments the [Enforcer] class, stating that it's great but not as good as a [Judge]. This causes Dokja to wonder who their leader could possibly be, considering the strength of her followers.
Yoo Sangah frowned. "Dokja-ssi, do you think that those updates let you see non-characters' pages?"
It was completely possible, so he shrugged. "I don't know for sure, but maybe."
That might completely change how it worked going forward, but still… were skills supposed to just evolve that easily? Kim Dokja knew that skills could evolve in TWSA, but it certainly wasn't common or simple.
"Is that sponsor really that good?" Lee Hyunsung wondered curiously. "And it seems that her attribute isn't as good as Heewon-ssi's."
Jung Heewon grinned and leaned slightly on Lee Hyunsung's shoulder. "At least you've all got me on your side, right?"
His cheeks flushed as he nodded frantically. "Of course, Heewon-ssi!"
Oh god, he was so awkward that it was almost painful. Kim Dokja took the opportunity to take a few deep breaths. "Yeah, that's a really good sponsor."
[a few constellations are curious about the incarnation 'cho youngran'.]
Who could her leader be? Fuck, how was he so oblivious? Kim Dokja wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry as his heart pounded rapidly in his chest. This was going to be a disaster.
As Dokja attempts to use [Character Profile], the woman slowly turns to look at him, the dread mounting with every passing second. Her stare bores into him as a window announces that her information cannot be viewed. The sound of Dokja's heartbeats grow louder as his eyes become unfocused and the world itself begins to blur and shudder as panic overtakes his entire being.
It can't be…
Flashes of a woman's back in a red-tinted room appear on the screen, each one getting closer to her face as only the sounds of Dokja's panicked breathing and racing heart can be heard echoing throughout the room.
[many constellations are alarmed by the reaction of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
"Dokja-ssi?" Lee Seolhwa asked suddenly, turning to him with a worried expression. "Are you alright?"
They told him to ask for help. They trusted him to ask. Kim Dokja had never been offered that before and while he instinctively wanted to shrink away and panic far away from everyone else, to handle it all alone, he couldn't just do that anymore. They wouldn't let him.
It was self-defense nothing happened stop thinking he just had to read it again box it up and shove it behind the wall and—
"Kim Dokja?"
Yoo Joonghyuk—his protagonist—was even asking and worrying but, deep down inside of Kim Dokja, the child who had never grown up was screaming and drowning out everything else.
Nothing happened don't think about it lock it away go away go away go away GO AWAY LEAVE ME ALONE—
"No," Kim Dokja croaked out as he started trembling and his breath started stuttering. "I'm not okay."