The room was silent save for the sobbing that cut through the air, and Kim Dokja did his best to steel his will. He was alright; he would revive. Everyone would be upset for a little while, but they'd feel better soon enough.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is watching carefully.]
As Dokja's skill activates automatically, the world swirls into focus. Dokja muses that although it doesn't feel great, he hopes to use [First Person Main Character POV] in order to obtain another skill from Joonghyuk's long list. Unfortunately, something catches his eyes and derails his train of thought as he stares at it in shock.
"Commence the flood," the disaster calls out with a cold voice, causing a large, swirling portal to crackle into existence behind her. From the portal, hordes of monsters of many different kinds to those currently on Earth pour through. "Rip, tear, and destroy. This is the hour of disaster."
As the monsters rush past Dokja's ghostly form, he recognizes that there's monsters on the level of a lesser disaster mixed in. He remembers that this is the special ability of the legendary attribute 'Beast Lord', [Monster Gate]. Around him, people who had chased him to the island scream and attempt to fight or flee the incoming beasts.
Yoo Joonghyuk's fist clenched, and he seemed to be somewhat conflicted, but he took a deep breath and looked over at Kim Dokja. "Do it."
It was a command, not a request. Kim Dokja was floored, left flailing in the dark for purchase on his own sanity. He was confused, not sure why the protagonist would ever be alright with such a thing. He remembered full well just how uncomfortable Yoo Joonghyuk had been the last time that his skill had been used, so what had changed?
"It's going to be uncomfortable," Kim Dokja muttered, "and I'll be 'stealing' another one of your skills."
Yoo Joonghyuk narrowed his eyes. "I don't care. Do it, Kim Dokja."
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is telling the incarnation 'kim dokja' to trust his companion.]
He did trust Yoo Joonghyuk! It was just that he didn't trust this odd and uncharacteristic behaviour. Why was he being so insistent about this?
"You should do it, ahjussi," Lee Jihye said sagely, looking at him as seriously as she could. "If anyone can keep your soul safe until you come back to life, it's Master."
Well, he didn't doubt that he could do something, just considering the protagonist's skills, but he doubted that was what Yoo Joonghyuk wanted. If anything, he was probably thinking that if Kim Dokja acquired a skill he didn't have to use through [Bookmark], then it would make him less useless. Also, what did she even mean by 'keep his soul safe'...? It wasn't like he could be in any danger when he was already dead.
Before he could retort and tell her to give her delusions a rest, the disaster began summoning her beasts. It was terrifying and impressive at the same time, truly demonstrating the horrifying power of the Beast Lord. Reading it on a page was one thing, but seeing it in person… Kim Dokja was truly astounded by how amazing of a sight it was.
"Oh god," Yoo Sangah whispered, still cradling Shin Yoosung close. Her eyes were wide, but she was doing everything she could to avoid shaking. The girl buried her face into Yoo Sangah's jacket, still sobbing, and Kim Dokja wished that there was something he could help with. Unfortunately, even with the revelation that he wasn't dead, Shin Yoosung was still utterly distraught.
Jung Heewon exhaled deeply. "We knew this would be bad, but… holy shit."
Holy shit was right. Those poor incarnations were going to be torn to shreds, and there was nothing any of them could do to stop it.
[many constellations are impressed by the power of the 'disaster of floods'.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is very excited for the bloodshed.]
Dokja pays them no mind as he searches through the chaotic scene for Joonghyuk, wondering if the man managed to escape. As if on cue, the protagonist appears in the air behind the disaster, brandishing his sword and launching an attack as he declares that he'll kill her himself. His expression is akin to someone who has nothing left to lose, determined and furious to the point of being nearly feral, and Dokja realizes that Joonghyuk has lost it.
The two collide with a massive crash, creating a dust cloud from the force of their clash. When it settles, Dokja can see that the disaster managed to catch Joonghyuk's sword with one taloned foot, forcing it into the ground. She remarks that although his skill level is high, it's no match for her. Ignoring her taunting, Joonghyuk declares that he must kill her in this round, even as she retorts that he might have a chance in another ten years.
As she taunts him some more, goading him on as he slashes viciously at her with single-minded determination, she realizes that something about him is different than what she remembers of her captain. She glances at Dokja's mangled corpse and asks who he is while the two are still clashing with a flurry of strikes.
"Please oppa… I hope you escaped just like ahjussi thought," Yoo Mia whimpered, clinging to her brother in fear. He held her in return, but his expression was tense, like he knew what would happen next. With any luck, he would have retreated to regroup with Lee Seolhwa, Lee Hyunsung, and Lee Jihye before trying another attack.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is tearing out his hair in excitement.]
"Oh fuck," Han Sooyoung said, her jaw dropping. "You've lost your fucking mind."
Huh?
Yoo Joonghyuk's hands were clenched so tightly into fists that Kim Dokja was genuinely worried that he'd end up drawing blood soon. His eyes shook, and his jaw was tense, but Kim Dokja couldn't understand why he looked like that.
Yoo Joonghyuk had seen plenty of people die before—hell, he'd ended many of them himself. Over his previous regressions, Yoo Joonghyuk had never reacted like that regardless of who had died. It was even less similar to how he would respond in the later regressions, sometimes brushing it off within seconds to focus on the fight.
So why did Yoo Joonghyuk look that angry? It was just Kim Dokja, after all.
He wasn't Lee Hyunsung, his sturdy shield who protected everyone and kept them safe. He wasn't Lee Jihye, his student and second hardest hitter. He wasn't Yoo Mia, his sister that he had raised himself. He wasn't Lee Seolhwa, his former wife and skilled doctor.
He wasn't even Kim Namwoon, who Yoo Joonghyuk picked up in every regression no matter how much Kim Dokja had wished he wouldn't.
He was just Kim Dokja, a man whose only worth lied in the knowledge in his head. Yoo Joonghyuk shouldn't be that furious over someone like that. It didn't make any sense.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is sobbing.]
Lee Hyunsung sucked in a breath when the disaster forced the protagonist's sword down to the ground. "She can even overpower Joonghyuk-ssi…?"
That wasn't good. Right now, he was the strongest person on that battlefield, and if even Yoo Joonghyuk couldn't stand a chance… they would need to fight as a team to be able to take down the disaster.
[several constellations are curious to see the outcome of this fight.]
[the constellation 'defense master' is watching with bated breath.]
Different… Yeah, Kim Dokja thought so too. The protagonist was acting strangely, and Kim Dokja couldn't understand why. Still, he had to cringe when his own corpse was featured on the screen. It didn't get any easier seeing that, and he had to hold Lee Gilyoung a bit closer afterwards when the kid choked out a sob.
At the very least, with the dragon, there had been no corpse left behind.
"That guy…" Joonghyuk begins, and images of their first meeting on the bridge flash on the screen, as though pulled directly from the regressor's memory. The sunset behind them only further highlights Dokja's determined smile and Joonghyuk's surprised expression as Joonghyuk holds Dokja by the neck.
Joonghyuk snaps out of his memories just in time to block a kick from the disaster with his forearm, taking the opportunity to retaliate with his sword at the same time. Unfortunately, she dodges and manages to land a kick to his jaw. As she leaps back to regain her balance before rushing in to strike once again, Joonghyuk looks up at her furious expression and speaks firmly.
"He is my companion."
The disaster's eyes widen as she stares at the past regression of her captain, as though his words have just stabbed her. Joonghyuk spits out blood as he levels her with a determined glare. Off to the side, Dokja just stares dumbfoundedly at the scene in front of him, letting out a confused noise in his surprise.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is narrowing his eyes thoughtfully.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is trying to restrain her excitement.]
Huh? Had the sunset really been that bright back then? Kim Dokja couldn't remember.
He could feel several gazes watching him, but they had more important things to focus on than something that had already happened. If they wanted to gripe at Yoo Joonghyuk for grabbing him by the neck again, they could do it later.
"I'm never gonna say this again, but you have to win, you sooty bastard," Lee Gilyoung said as he glared at Yoo Joonghyuk. "You have to avenge hyung."
Yoo Joonghyuk said nothing, but he nodded.
Shin Yoosung flinched when the disaster kicked the protagonist, and Yoo Sangah started rubbing gentle circles on her back in an attempt to soothe her. The poor girl… was she really blaming herself for something that wasn't her fault?
Then, Yoo Joonghyuk said something that made Kim Dokja's eyes widen more than ever before.
Did he just—
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is screeching in excitement.]
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is fumbling his glass.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is looking at the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
"What?" Kim Dokja breathed, too stunned to look anywhere else but the screen. That couldn't be right—he had to have misheard—Yoo Joonghyuk couldn't have actually just said that Kim Dokja was his…
He couldn't even think the word for a moment. It was unfathomable that the protagonist would ever actually want him in any way, let alone as a true companion. Kim Dokja had been okay with the status quo: him joking by calling them companions and being a constant minor thorn in the protagonist's side, and Yoo Joonghyuk completely ignoring it since it wasn't relevant to their situation. He had been fine with that—more than fine, actually—but now…
"Well shit, you came right out and said it," Han Sooyoung said, sounding far more impressed than she had any right to be.
Jung Heewon nodded, looking equally dumbfounded. Lee Jihye, on the other hand, had tears in her eyes for some reason. Why did she look so touched by a declaration that wasn't even meant for her?
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is feeling faint.]
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is concerned for the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire'.]
When the future Kim Dokja looked just as confused as the present one, Lee Seolhwa shook her head with a sad smile on her face. "Oh, Dokja-ssi… you really had no idea, did you?"
Clearly not!
"That's because ahjussi is stupid," Yoo Mia said, levelling him with an unimpressed stare.
[many constellations agree with the words of the incarnation 'yoo mia'.]
Yoo Joonghyuk had never referred to the Shin Yoosung of the 41st regression as his companion, not even at the very end.
An image of the young girl gazing at her captain's back as he walks ahead of her appears alongside Dokja's narration. The disaster stops attacking suddenly, quietly asking Joonghyuk what he just said, trying to confirm that she heard correctly. Her voice is weak and almost fragile, while also trembling with repressed rage, sounding like she's on the verge of a mental break.
When Joonghyuk confirms that he did say that, Dokja mentally wonders what's going on with the guy who always seemed like he wanted to kill him, and immediately begins worrying that Joonghyuk might kill him after he resurrects.
Yoo Sangah's gaze saddened as she slowly rubbed Shin Yoosung's back. "Oh, Yoosung-ah…"
It was hard to watch, even through Kim Dokja's complete and utter confusion. He had always pitied the 41st Shin Yoosung for her suffering, and for her dedication to his final orders. All that time, she had stayed loyal, no matter how hard it got. To hear him say that in front of her must have felt like a slap to the face.
[several constellations are pitying the 'disaster of floods'.]
Kim Dokja's hands shook when the protagonist once again confirmed that they were companions. He couldn't simply brush it off as a slip of the tongue, but still… it didn't make any sense.
Yoo Joonghyuk's expression darkened when Kim Dokja wondered if he would end up getting killed later, and he looked genuinely upset.
"Dokja-ssi, I don't think that's what Joonghyuk-ssi is thinking," Yoo Sangah muttered, glancing between the two of them awkwardly.
Han Sooyoung scoffed, "No shit."
And what would Han Sooyoung know about what the protagonist was thinking? Was she the only one who finished TWSA? Didn't think so.
When a bunch of constellations send messages in response to Joonghyuk's declaration—including one from a blushing 'Bald Leader of the Peasant's Army'—Dokja immediately jumps to the most reasonable conclusion.
'Oh, I know! He must have said that in order to earn more coins! This guy… he knows that saying something like that so poignantly while bleeding profusely would make the coins come rolling in!'
For a moment, the protagonist looked like he was about to say something, but the indirect messages started pouring in for their future selves. Upon seeing the one from Samyeongdang, Kim Dokja found himself confused. Why would that guy be blushing at their 'companionship'? Wasn't that Uriel's thing? And what could Yoo Joonghyuk even get out of this disastrous situation?
Oh wait, there was one thing.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is wondering if the constellation 'bald leader of the peasant's army' would like to join the fanclub.]
… what fanclub?
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is glaring at the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire'.]
And then Kim Dokja voiced the hypothesis that had been slowly germinating in his own mind too, and it felt like a weight taken off his shoulders. If his future self said it, then he wouldn't have to.
Han Sooyoung cursed under her breath, looking like she was completely and utterly done with the world. "Holy shit, he's fucking hopeless."
And what the hell was that supposed to be about, huh?
Lee Hyunsung reached over and patted his shoulder once, almost as though to console him. Kim Dokja couldn't understand why he would do that; it wasn't as though he was upset or anything. In fact, the protagonist getting extra coins here would be a good thing—any boosted stats might give them the advantage they so desperately needed against the disaster.
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is shaking his head in disappointment.]
Yoo Joonghyuk had been frighteningly silent and still up until now, but he turned to look at Kim Dokja with fury in his gaze. When he spoke, it was like he was spitting venom from his tongue, intent on spreading it through Kim Dokja's veins.
"Do you really think I'm that shallow, Kim Dokja? That I would pander to the constellations for coins?"
Kim Dokja inhaled sharply, the fact settling over his shoulders like ice. Yoo Joonghyuk was right—that wasn't something he would do. No… that was something that Kim Dokja would do.
"Joonghyuk-ah, I—" he began, but the protagonist cut him off once more.
"When you asked to be my companion, did you mean it?" Yoo Joonghyuk asked, staring straight into Kim Dokja's soul. "Or was that just to get extra coins too?"
Yoo Joonghyuk's voice trembled slightly, a small vulnerability that normally he would never have allowed. Why was he letting it out now?
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is frozen in shock.]
No, he hadn't… that wasn't it…
"I…" Kim Dokja's throat felt too dry for this. He felt too exposed, too vulnerable, with everyone staring at him like this. Even Lee Gilyoung was looking up at him inquisitively, waiting to hear what he had to say.
"I meant it," he said, barely louder than a whisper. It was all he could manage. "I promise that I meant it, Joonghyuk-ah."
Yoo Joonghyuk's hands spasmed, like he was barely restraining the urge to reach out and throttle Kim Dokja until he loses consciousness.
"So why do you keep finding excuses, Kim Dokja? Why do you keep denying that we're companions?"
Because… because…
He was Kim Dokja, and the protagonist was Yoo Joonghyuk. That was why. That was the simplest answer he could come up with, and it would say everything and yet nothing at the same time. Still, he couldn't bring himself to say it.
Instead, Kim Dokja hung his head, and he looked away.
He never saw the way her hands clenched into fists, or the way Yoo Joonghyuk's expression nearly cracked.
Absently, Dokja also wonders where Uriel is—she hasn't sent a message, and it's unusual that she hasn't chimed in with a remark about companionship.
Silent anger begins to grow in the disaster as a clip plays of the 41st regression Joonghyuk shrugging off the death of an ally. She rushes at him furiously, demanding to know how he could say such a thing to her face, forcing Joonghyuk to block with his sword that begins to strain under the force of her attacks as she wails on him with a flurry of strikes. "How dare you call him your companion! Just because he sacrificed himself for you?"
After forcing his sword to waver, she kicks him in the side with enough force to shatter bones. "Then what about me, and the others? What about Jihye-unnie, Hyunsung-oppa, and Seolhwa-unnie?! What on earth did the people who fought for your sake mean to you?!"
Dokja watches her aggrieved screams with a look of understanding, but inside, he's confused about Joonghyuk's actions—normally, he would run away after realizing something was wrong instead of fighting and getting injured like this. For some reason, Joonghyuk isn't acting the way Dokja expects. When she finally stops for a moment, Joonghyuk manages to stand tall as he declares that he doesn't know what she's talking about, wincing through the pain.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is baffled.]
That was a good point—where was Uriel? Normally she would have spent a lot of coins and sent a bunch of excited messages. Had something happened to her?
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is distraught that her future self is missing this display of companionship.]
Lee Hyunsung looked almost in tears at the scene from the 41st regression, but Kim Dokja couldn't bring himself to focus. His mind was awhirl with thoughts, and he was struggling to handle them. The fact that the protagonist refused to look at him after that wasn't helping either.
[a constellation who likes swords is wincing at the treatment of the sword of the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
"Shut up," Shin Yoosung pleaded with her future self, looking like she was about to cry again. "Stop saying stuff about ahjussi, stop it…"
Lee Jihye looked upset too, glaring fiercely at the screen. "Master isn't like that! Maybe he was in another life, but he's not in this one!"
That was true. Still, Kim Dokja had to wonder the same thing as his future self—why wasn't he running? What had changed to make him act so out of character?
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is looking at the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Did this constellation know something that Kim Dokja didn't, somehow?
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is sighing.]
"There is only one thing I do know," Joonghyuk says in a harsh tone, looking at the disaster with a ferocious and determined gaze as he wipes the blood from his face with the back of his hand. Power crackles around him, and his expression is filled with so much genuine hate that it could send shivers down the spine. Thus, he makes a firm declaration, "In this regression, you killed my companion. So, I shall kill you too."
Dokja's eyes widen in surprise as he remarks that he thinks he was touched by what Joonghyuk just said—as well as remarking that this is what he read TWSA for—all while sounding like an excited fan boy. A scene flashes of Dokja reading his phone in a darkened room while lying in bed—continuing what is likely a terrible habit—before it returns to Dokja watching over Joonghyuk's shoulder, still looking stunned.
The fact that a mere reader like me could be called a 'companion' of the protagonist Yoo Joonghyuk is unbelievable.
Immediately, several features of [The Fourth Wall] are restricted due to immersion, while his proficiency in [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint] increases drastically as a result.
A look of complete and utter despair overtakes the disaster's features as her fist shakes in anger. She speaks with barely repressed fury for a moment, saying that this is why Joonghyuk is hopeless, before her anger erupts as she yells that it's too late for him to change like that now, and that she'll never let him do that.
Seeing this, Dokja hopes that he can activate [First Person Main Character POV] quickly, knowing that Joonghyuk would die if this went badly—something Dokja can't risk happening. He closes his eyes and tries to change from [Third Person Observer POV] to Joonghyuk's, only for the switch to fail.
Something pounded in Kim Dokja's chest, and he found himself looking utterly flabbergasted by the powerful declaration. Yoo Joonghyuk never said anything without meaning, so… did he actually—
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is swooning.]
The protagonist's words resonated with him in the way they always had, and Kim Dokja couldn't help but stare straight at the screen. It was overwhelming, crashing over him like a wave. He couldn't breathe, he was too present, and Kim Dokja wasn't sure if he loved or hated this.
It was thrilling, it was terrifying, and it was real.
When he looked over, Yoo Joonghyuk was staring right back at him with a determined gaze.
"Do you still deny it, Kim Dokja?" he asked, as though his intonation of Kim Dokja's name alone wasn't thrumming deep in his soul. How was he so steady while Kim Dokja felt like he was being tossed around in a horrible storm?
He shook his head once, barely even moving, but it was enough for Yoo Joonghyuk's shoulders to relax slightly. Then, Lee Gilyoung tugged on his sleeve.
"Hyung," the boy whispered, looking at him innocently, "you're crying."
He was? Oh.
As he wiped away the light tears, trying to make them stop, Kim Dokja didn't notice the slight smile that found its place on the protagonist's lips.
[several constellations are concerned for the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
"That's a good idea, Dokja-ssi," Lee Seolhwa said as Kim Dokja voiced his plan for switching perspectives. With any luck, then he'd be able to get something valuable out of it, and—
[many constellations are shocked by the current events.]
"Huh? Why didn't it work!?" Yoo Mia exclaimed, just as confused as the rest of them.
Kim Dokja was worried, honestly. His skill wasn't malfunctioning, right?
There are two conditions for using the [First Person Main Character POV]. First, I must be in an out-of-body state after death.
In criminal fashion, the screen focuses on Dokja's mangled corpse lying on the grass in a pool of blood as the first condition is listed. The second condition shows Dokja and a shadowy figure looking at each other with a connected thought bubble.
Second, my target and I must be thinking of each other at the same time.
Considering the fact that he's very much dead right now, Dokja realizes that the second condition must be the issue, to his confusion. After all, isn't Joonghyuk so angry because of his death—how could he not be thinking about him? Then, Dokja has a realization—in his pursuit of revenge, Joonghyuk is in a feral and frenzied state that has left his mind completely devoid of anything that isn't hatred or vengeance.
As though to prove Dokja's thoughts, the protagonist snarls, looking more like a beast than a man. "You must die. I will definitely kill you!"
"Right, there were conditions," Jung Heewon muttered, "and those were slightly different from just using Level 3."
They were, even if the only difference was that he had to be dead first.
Kim Dokja winced again as soon as the focus went back to his corpse. It was really morbid to look at like that, and it wasn't exactly something comfortable to see. Judging from the rest of the group's shifty behaviour, they weren't doing great either.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is confused.]
Yeah, Kim Dokja was confused too. He was dead, so the first condition was automatically fulfilled, which just meant…
"There's no fucking way that he's not thinking of Kim Dokja right now!" Han Sooyoung exclaimed, gesturing wildly at Yoo Joonghyuk. "This is a classic cliché!"
"It is?" Lee Hyunsung wondered, blinking innocently at the author.
"Yeah," she said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "It's the cliché where the love interest dies in front of the protagonist, and the protagonist fucking loses it."
Hey wait a second, that's definitely not what was going on here.
"I'm not—" Kim Dokja tried protesting, but he was cut off by several indirect messages.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is sobbing over such a brilliant display of companionship.]
[a constellation who likes to change gender agrees with the assessment of the incarnation 'han sooyoung'.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' believes that the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk' is acting like an imbecile.]
Okay, that wasn't nice. Still, he couldn't deny the other part of Han Sooyoung's statement.
Yoo Joonghyuk looked terrifying like that, relying entirely on instinct and fury. At the same time though, Kim Dokja began to understand why such a cliché might exist. After all, what woman would be able to resist the protagonist of a story after reading something touching like that? He wasn't one for romance novels most of the time, but maybe… maybe this cliché wouldn't be so bad—in another circumstance where Kim Dokja was completely uninvolved, of course.
The disaster stares at the protagonist blankly before announcing that she's changed her mind and will be killing everyone in the most painful way possible in front of Joonghyuk's eyes instead of just ending it quickly. As she says this, her eyes turn red and she smiles in a way that's both creepy and indicative of her subtle pain. However, she still offers him one last mercy.
"This is your last chance." The disaster calls out in an impatient yet almost pleading tone. "If you take your words back, then I will send you away without any pain. Say it. Say he isn't your companion, just someone you know."
Joonghyuk doesn't answer, battered and bleeding, but his eyes are alight with fury.
Gritting her teeth, unsatisfied with his silence, she summons two mummified monsters to wrap Joonghyuk up and prevent him from moving as she prepares to follow through on her earlier promise, reminding him that she'll kill everyone one by one, and that he's the one who chose this for them.
As he floats behind Joonghyuk, who is trying to struggle against the bandages restraining him, Dokja frantically searches for someone else who he can use [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint] on. As he begs desperately to find someone who's thinking of him, the screen flips through stills of all of the group members—including Seolhwa—who are engaged in running or fighting against the monsters. Suddenly, Dokja's eyes widen and a wide view of the chaos enveloping the island is shown as monsters fly through the skies and run rampant on the ground.
I can actually switch to this character?!
When the disaster declared that she would kill everyone just to hurt Yoo Joonghyuk, Yoo Mia whimpered anxiously. She didn't want her brother to suffer any further, and Kim Dokja understood the sentiment. Shin Yoosung let out another sob, and he desperately wanted to comfort her too.
[many constellations are hoping that the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk' won't retract his words.]
Would he? Cornered like this, and injured so badly, would he take it back just to spare himself? Logically, Kim Dokja knew that he should—it would be advantageous, and it would possibly give them some breathing room to regroup before fighting back—and he had no reason to stick by such a declaration anyway. He could save everyone simply by throwing Kim Dokja away, so it should be an easy choice; Kim Dokja wasn't worth all this suffering, after all.
As Kim Dokja's mind began to spiral, Yoo Joonghyuk's voice dragged him back out.
"Kim Dokja. I will not take it back."
How did he know that? He wasn't his future self, so—
Yoo Joonghyuk stared at him throughout his future self's silence, confident and determined. It was almost as though he was trying to prove a point, and eventually, Kim Dokja had to relent with a defeated sigh.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is shocked by the actions of the 'disaster of floods'.]
"Master, no!" Lee Jihye yelled as he was restrained by the mummies. "Let him go, you stupid disaster!"
Shit. If Yoo Joonghyuk was restrained, then even switching to his viewpoint wouldn't be much use, would it?
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is worried for the safety of the incarnations.]
Yoo Sangah looked nervous, gently biting her lip. "If none of us are thinking of Dokja-ssi, then…"
Then he'd be stuck there, watching but unable to do anything, until his skill decided to let him revive. It was a horrifying thought, and Kim Dokja swallowed anxiously. Only a moment later, though, he was able to breathe out a sigh of relief.
"You found someone!" Lee Gilyoung said excitedly. "Everything's gonna be okay, hyung!"
Kim Dokja could only hope that would be the case.