Well, they were fucked. Kim Dokja knew that for certain, but he didn't want to just come out and say it in case it made everyone else panic. Still, it would take a goddamn miracle (like Yoo Joonghyuk suddenly recovering) to even stand a chance against this guy.
[constellations who enjoy one-sided fights are excited.]
These sentences in TWSA were the first to mention it.
A phone screen appears, and on it is part of the novel.
Some people rewind time, some shift to an alternate dimension, and some people reincarnate.
Ultimately, each person has their own way of surviving the apocalypse.
The second way to survive the apocalypse—someone who has survived an invasion into another dimension and returned. A 'Returnee'.
Ilsang brushes his hair out of his eyes as he mocks Dokja's failed attack. A label appears, naming him as a 'Returnee'.
Dokja spots out blood as he remembers that the entries in the 'wartime diary' aren't all battle anecdotes, but is clearly upset that a useless one came out now.
"Oh right, there were three ways," Lee Jihye muttered, her eyes widening. "I completely forgot."
Well, to be fair, the first section of the novel had only focused on Yoo Joonghyuk and Regression as a way to survive the apocalypse. Kim Dokja couldn't blame her for not remembering when the other ways hadn't even been mentioned yet.
[a few constellations are curious to know which method each incarnation would choose.]
"Reincarnation?" Yoo Sangah said with a slight curious frown. "I suppose it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to have people get reborn in this kind of world…"
Yoo Joonghyuk's expression soured, likely reminded of the only reincarnator he knew. Kim Dokja remembered just how obsessed Nirvana had been in both past and future regressions, but thankfully they wouldn't have to deal with that guy until much, much later.
"I wanna go to other worlds!" Lee Jihye exclaimed, and the other kids eagerly agreed, even Yoo Mia.
"Hmm… reincarnation does sound nice," Lee Hyunsung admitted sheepishly. "Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if I was someone else instead."
As the others muttered and deliberated about the different ways of surviving the apocalypse, Kim Dokja thought to himself that he honestly didn't know what he would choose. Perhaps none of them? They all had their own downsides, after all, and Kim Dokja would much rather just be a reader than anything else.
Looking over at Yoo Joonghyuk, though, Kim Dokja let his thoughts drift. No one else had even considered regression as a solution—instead deliberating only between returning and reincarnating—and it made sense. The protagonist had been suffering because of it, forced to endure the apocalypse over and over again, and they were all watching it happen. This stigma that had been thrust upon him was more of a curse than anything else, and no one wanted to bear that kind of burden.
Yoo Joonghyuk was isolated from the rest of the world—abandoned in a hell of his sponsor's making. Kim Dokja thought that he looked lonely.
"So this guy went to another realm and came back? Big deal," Jung Heewon scoffed, trying to seem confident. Still, Kim Dokja could tell that she was as concerned as everyone else and was trying to downplay it.
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is looking apologetically at the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Good, he should feel bad.
"You talk too much," Sooyoung announces as five of her avatars close in to attack the disaster from all sides, hoping for an opening. Ilsang dodges while asking if she's a middle schooler before asking why he's not being welcomed with open arms. After she continuously insults him in response, he asks if she's from the 'Hunter's Association', since they always instigate fights when returnees appear.
"What the hell are you going on about, you chunni fucker! Obviously there's no such thing?!" Sooyoung screams out, clearly ticked off by his attitude.
Unfortunately, she seems to have completely ignored Dokja's warning of not responding to him. This results in three more seals being released as Ilsang cackles, feeling that this means she is from the hunter's association. Dokja watches from afar, still holding his stomach with blood leaking from his mouth.
… This is getting crazy.
With an absolutely unhinged look and spread arms, Ilsang declares that it's play time and asks who wants to die first.
"Hell yeah, I'm gonna kick his ass," Han Sooyoung said with a grin, obviously underestimating the disaster. There was no way she would succeed and—
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is feeling dismayed by the actions of the incarnation 'han sooyoung'.]
She didn't…
Kim Dokja slapped his palm against his forehead with a grimace. "You did the one thing I said not to do. Why did you have to answer his questions?"
Han Sooyoung's brow furrowed. "But I didn't answer them! I cursed him out."
"You did," Yoo Joonghyuk gritted out. "Any verbal response counts."
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is laughing at the misfortune of the incarnation 'han sooyoung'.]
"Ah fuck," Han Sooyoung muttered. "Guess saying sorry isn't gonna cut it, huh?"
It might if they didn't all end up dead because of this.
"Ahjumma, you need to learn to listen better," Yoo Mia scoffed, and Han Sooyoung looked like she was desperately trying to avoid cursing at an eleven-year-old.
As Sooyoung jumps back, still cursing, Dokja chews her out for not listening to him, and she just argues that she only cussed at him and didn't answer. Dokja sighs and explains that any response counts as an answer and tells her to simply not speak.
Sangah jumps forward and attacks with her daggers, clashing before using a skillful combination of [Hermes' Stroll], [Theseus' Resolve] and [Arachne's Web] to attempt to get an edge. Dokja notes the names of the stigmas used and thinks that it should be impossible for a single incarnation to have all of them. This causes him to wonder how she could possibly get them all, especially as someone who hasn't read TWSA.
Sangah traps Ilsang with a web as Sooyoung continues to send avatars to attack, and she immediately calls for Dokja to take action. Dokja rushes in and slashes Ilsang across the shoulder with his sword, finally drawing blood. The returnee swears and activates [Blink lvl. 1].
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is spitting at the 'disaster of questions'.]
At least Yoo Sangah was leaping in immediately to take advantage of any opening she could, but the stigmas she was using made Kim Dokja frown. His theory that she was sponsored by the entire Olympus nebula was looking more and more likely, and that wasn't something he was pleased to hear.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is looking suspiciously at the incarnation 'yoo sangah'.]
Yoo Sangah glanced away uncomfortably, biting her lip, but Yoo Joonghyuk stared her down with narrowed eyes. It made sense—he hadn't had any good interactions with Anna Croft, the only other incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk had met by this point who was sponsored by a nebula. Plus, they often had some kind of ulterior motive for offering the sponsorship in the first place.
"I don't want to be invasive, but are you alright, Sangah-ssi?" Lee Hyunsung asked hesitantly, glancing over at the woman.
Her eyes widened slightly in surprise before she stuttered out an answer. "I… I'm alright, thank you Hyunsung-ssi. I'm just… nervous."
Was that what she wasn't supposed to reveal to anyone? Shit, was Han Sooyoung's angry ranting from earlier that Yoo Sangah might die if the secret got revealed a genuine possibility?
"It's okay, unnie! Ahjussi got him!" Shin Yoosung said with a smile, trying to reassure her while also completely missing the reason why Yoo Sangah was so anxious. At the very least, Yoo Sangah was able to smile back at the younger girl, even if it wasn't as genuine as usual.
As he teleports away, Sooyoung grits her teeth in anger as some constellations give their two cents on the situation. Dokja says that they landed a good blow and they just need to hunt him down. As he's complimenting Sangah on her good work, he looks over and notices that she has passed out while crouching, her eyes rolling back as she flops to the ground.
"What am I, the daycare center? Why do you always make me carry whoever's passed out?" Sooyoung complains as she runs with Sangah on her back, and another avatar looks equally as pissed ahead. Dokja just looks over her attitude as he rolls his eyes.
Looking back at Sangah, Dokja finds himself unsurprised by her state since she used so many stigmas and it took a toll on her body. He also notes that an incarnation carrying the stigmas of multiple constellations has happened before in TWSA, but he's cut off by Sooyoung before he can finish his thoughts. She asks about the rules of the 'Disaster of Questions', confirming that answering questions releases his seals. Dokja states that it's due to the 'Returnee' penalty, and Sooyoung asks how many seals are left.
Everyone tensed when Yoo Sangah completely passed out, and her anxiety seemed to spike along with it.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is concerned for the wellbeing of the incarnation 'yoo sangah'.]
"Noona!" Lee Gilyoung exclaimed worriedly, reaching over to grab onto her a bit too. "Please be okay…"
Yoo Sangah nodded and sent a shaky grin in Han Sooyoung's direction. "Thank you for carrying me."
Han Sooyoung's eyes widened in shock for a moment before she glanced away. "Whatever, it's fine."
[some constellations wonder if the incarnations 'han sooyoung' and 'yoo sangah' are now friends.]
Well, friends or not, they had to beat this disaster as soon as possible, before the penalty went away.
Just as they're saying that it's possible to complete the scenario without him being fully released since no new scenarios have been given, a dokkaebi appears. It's a red dokkaebi with a single horn on his head, large prayer beads around his neck, and one foot. On his face is a punchable smug expression.
[Hmm. Everyone, isn't this unbelievable? Despite the penalties placed, that's still a disaster - and yet just three people could corner it to that extent. But that aside, aren't you being too greedy? I feel like I should remind you that sharing is caring.]
To this, Sooyoung aptly responds: "Fuck."
The dokkaebi announces across Seoul that a disaster has been awoken, causing discord among the people as they curse out those who freed it prematurely. The dokkaebi tells them not to run from Gangdong as this gives them an opportunity. He reminds them of their struggles in the apocalypse, making fun of their actions for the sake of coins.
Dokja notes that by the way he talks, this dokkaebi can't just be any Low-Grade dokkaebi running an ordinary channel.
[many constellations are suspicious of the intentions of the dokkaebi.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is heckling the dokkaebi.]
Kim Dokja tensed up. A new dokkaebi appearing out of nowhere was never good news, especially at a crucial moment like this.
"Wow," Yoo Mia remarked, "he looks even stupider than Bihyung."
Still, Kim Dokja had to wonder which dokkaebi she thought was more lame—this one or the annoying one from the throne?
"Seriously? Of-fucking-course he has to make it harder for everyone," Jung Heewon sneered as she glared at the screen. "What is their problem?"
Lee Seolhwa glanced around anxiously. "Is he implying that other incarnations need to join the fight too?"
Kim Dokja grimaced. "Worse, probably."
Han Sooyoung was right—'fuck' was probably the best way to describe this situation.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is frowning in disapproval at the actions of the dokkaebi.]
The dokkaebi states that anyone can become a 'chosen one' instantly, no matter their struggles, their luck, or efforts. This makes Dokja realise that this dokkaebi is Dokgak, understanding now why he was called in when the Intermediate dokkaebi were unavailable.
I never knew a dokkaebi running a major channel would come here.
With a snap of his fingers, Dokgak materialises a box-like screen in the sky with an image of Ilsang nursing his injury as he walks.
[Look, this boy you can see here is a walking SSS-Grade item treasure trove!] Dokgak announces, sparking people's anger and jealousy as he describes the idea of being a transmigrator and living it up—notably with a 'hot elf girlfriend' to appeal to specific demographics. He then announces that Ilsang was a person who got such an opportunity before declaring that he's the 'Disaster' they need to hunt.
"A major channel?" Lee Gilyoung wondered, glancing up at Kim Dokja with a confused expression.
"He's still a low-grade dokkaebi, but his channel has far more constellations watching than Bihyung's, so he's been brought in to supervise," Kim Dokja replied with a frown.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is sticking his finger in his ear instead of listening to the dokkaebi 'dokgak'.]
Lee Jihye grimaced. "A hot elf girlfriend? Seriously? Is anyone really going to fall for that bullshit?"
Unfortunately, yes. People were genuinely that stupid, even in the middle of the apocalypse.
"He's really going all in on it, huh?" Han Sooyoung remarked, unimpressed. "This is just going to cause more trouble for us, right?"
"Yes," Yoo Joonghyuk said with a deeper frown on his face. Why was he so pissed off when he wasn't even the one fighting the disaster?
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' disapproves of the deceitful methods of the dokkaebi 'dokgak'.]
To ease people's worries, and force them to further his idea of entertainment, Dokgak explains that Ilsang's powers have been sealed and lies that Ilsang is just an easy to hit treasure trove when you have enough numbers.
Calling a 'Disaster' a 'Disaster' upfront will only result in everyone being too scared to confront it. But what if the Disaster's title is covered up with a label of 'Treasure Trove'?
Dokja glares at the dokkaebi as a sub-scenario appears. It details the SSS-Grade hunt with the reward of 50,000 coins and an SSS-Grade item.
Ilsang walks on, completely unaware of what's happened and checking if the bleeding has stopped, when some people run out and announce his location and that he returned from another world. Ilsang cheerfully waves and confirms this before people ask if he had lots of fun. When Ilsang says he did, the crowd announces that they'll kill him.
"Easy," Lee Jihye said in disbelief. "He's calling that guy easy to beat? That's so scummy!"
Yoo Sangah frowned deeply. "He's trying to lure more incarnations to the disaster, right?"
That was absolutely correct, and with that many people around who didn't know not to answer him in any way… yeah they were screwed.
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is refilling his cup in anticipation.]
For what? A complete massacre? Because that was what they were about to witness.
"Fools, all of them," Yoo Joonghyuk hissed with a glare. "The only reason they're offering that much is because they don't think anyone can succeed."
It made sense—incentivize more people to go and get killed for the entertainment of the constellations, and they wouldn't even have to give up that many coins or items. It wasn't a risky reward to offer for the Bureau because of how unlikely it was for anyone to succeed, especially without a unified force under a King.
Shin Yoosung shuddered as Myung Ilsang approached the group of incarnations. "He's going to kill them all, isn't he?"
If they couldn't stop him, then yes, he would.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is excited to see how the incarnations fare against the 'disaster of questions'.]
Ilsang asks if they want to go there, to which someone asks if that's possible in response. Ilsang asks if they really want to go, to which the person shouts they obviously do. This releases the next two seals on the 'Disaster'. By the time Sooyoung and Dokja get close, the fourteenth seal has been released.
"Fine then. But I don't think it's better over there than it is here. Because … I destroyed that place," Ilsang states with a sinister smile as he prepares the [Small Crimson Flame Cannon lvl. 3] at his fingertips.
Dokja grabs Sooyoung and throws the two to the ground to avoid the hyper powered beam of flames that shoots down the street, decimating everyone and everything in its path. Sooyoung and Dokja look on with pale faces from where they've landed in an alley as Sooyoung asks how they're supposed to win in a horrified tone of voice.
"I mean… visiting another world would be pretty cool," Lee Jihye mused thoughtfully. "Master, have you ever gone to other worlds before?"
Yoo Joonghyuk's gem-like eyes went unfocused for a moment, and Kim Dokja knew exactly what he was recalling. Of course he had been to another world before—his teacher was from the First Murim world, and he had studied under her for a while before it was ultimately destroyed by an Outer God.
"I have," Yoo Joonghyuk said, quieter and softer than what was expected of him. Vulnerable, even. It wasn't a word that anyone would often associate with him, but Kim Dokja was well aware of just how much vulnerability lay hidden beneath his prickly exterior. This was a man who had seen the world end three times over, and who was fighting against all odds to make it to the moment when he could end this hell of theirs with his own hands.
Yoo Mia glanced up at her brother. "Oppa, was it fun there?"
His expression twisted into something complicated. It hadn't been fun for him, since he had been there for training, but it had been an unforgettable experience that had changed him (and his fighting style) significantly. He had experienced so much grief, but Kim Dokja knew he wouldn't choose to speak of it.
"They made good dumplings," is what Yoo Joonghyuk said instead.
[constellations who like cooking are salivating at the idea of delicious dumplings.]
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is curious about the taste of the dumplings.]
"Hey," Lee Gilyoung said suddenly, "can you make the dumplings?"
Kim Dokja almost wanted to scoff. Of course Yoo Joonghyuk knew the recipe! Even if he couldn't get all the authentic ingredients on Earth or through the dokkaebi bag, he knew exactly how to substitute them.
When the protagonist nodded, the kid smiled almost viciously. "If you make them for us, I won't call you a sooty bastard to your face for a week."
… was that supposed to be a good deal?
Yoo Joonghyuk just raised his perfectly shaped brows, but before he could respond, they were interrupted by the incarnations on screen literally getting vaporized.
"Holy shit," Han Sooyoung gasped as she turned to look at Kim Dokja with a haunted expression. "I don't want to owe you anything, but we definitely would have died there, right?"
Kim Dokja nodded grimly. "We're screwed."
Ilsang cheerfully calls out for volunteers who want to cross to another world to raise their hands so he can send them on their way.
Dokja states that they can win, claiming that they'll get better rewards now. Sooyoung, in an incredulous voice, calls him crazy and asks if he's kidding before suggesting that they just run away because she can't understand how he's so confident. While they're not paying attention, Ilsang walks up behind them and crouches behind Sooyoung with an expression straight out of a horror manga. "I found you! You're still here!"
Sooyoung scurries back as Ilsang recognizes them, calling them the people from the Hunter's Association and stating that they ruined his grand debut. Sitting beneath his shadow, the two look at him with varying levels of despair and anger on their faces.
"Are you fucking insane!?" Han Sooyoung yelped when Kim Dokja suggested that the rewards would be better as a result. "Are you trying to get us all killed!?"
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is urging the incarnations to pay attention to their surroundings.]
Fuck.
"Please be okay…" Lee Hyunsung muttered weakly as Myung Ilsang popped up behind them. "Get away as soon as you can…"
Kim Dokja clenched his hands into fists. They couldn't just run away here, or else the disaster would keep getting more and more powerful until he was impossible to beat. No—they had to take the risk and end him here and now.
"We're going to fight," Kim Dokja declared, ignoring everyone else's incredulous expressions. "We have to."
"Ahjussi, you might die!" Shin Yoosung gasped nervously, looking extremely distressed.
Kim Dokja placed a hand on her head as comfortingly as he could. "We're going to die anyway if we don't do anything, so we might as well go down fighting, right?"
Though she looked like she was about to cry, she nodded. Kim Dokja felt an unusual amount of pride surge through his body at her maturity and, for once, he almost didn't want to deny that this might be something parental.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is wishing the incarnations good luck.]
[many constellations are concerned for the safety of the incarnations.]