[many constellations are excited by the current events.]
Kim Dokja wasn't! He was in the Underworld to retrieve 41st Shin Yoosung's soul, not… deal with whatever was going on here! This was absolutely mortifying, and he couldn't even bear to look over in Yoo Sangah's direction in fear of what he'd see on her face.
He didn't want something like this to ruin their friendship.
Persephone smirks at Dokja, causing him to snap out of his stupor with an awkward expression. Turning away so he's not looking at the goddess, Dokja tells her to turn back into the old lady, feeling embarrassed that she turned into Sangah with 'that' outfit. Persephone ignores his request and tells him to cut to the chase, making Dokja ask if the Underworld's king would come with a blush on his cheeks.
Kim Dokja kept looking away, only glancing occasionally at the screen. As odd as it was to be staring directly at Yoo Joonghyuk at a time like this, it was less awkward than looking at Persephone. Still, despite that, it was bad for Kim Dokja's heart regardless.
On one side, Persephone was wearing that outfit and the face of a good friend, and it felt utterly disrespectful to Yoo Sangah to look at someone using her appearance in that way. Kim Dokja couldn't even imagine how uncomfortable she was feeling right now, even if he viscerally understood the way it felt to be pinned beneath far too many gazes for something beyond your control.
On the other side, however, there was Yoo Joonghyuk. Unlike the others in the group who were looking at the screen on occasion or watching through their parted fingers, Yoo Joonghyuk hadn't looked away from him once. There was a different kind of distress associated with that—Kim Dokja's palms felt sweaty and his heart thudded rapidly in his chest as he couldn't focus on anything other than Yoo Joonghyuk. Yoo Joonghyuk and his artful brows, eyes as dark as the deepest abyss, and the perfect line of his cupid's bow. His hair, gently tousled as it fell over his flawless forehead, and the regal lines of his cheekbones.
[several constellations are wondering if there is something on the face of the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
Other than perfection? Nothing at all.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is wiping away a tear of joy.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is rolling his eyes.]
"Um, Queen of the Darkest Spring," Yoo Sangah began, quiet and hesitant, "I… I'm sorry, but when… if this happens in the future, could you please not turn into me?"
She was silent for a moment, shuffling uncomfortably, before continuing. "It's very off-putting seeing myself like that… especially with regards to Dokja-ssi. I don't know why you decided to turn into me, or why you chose that, um, that outfit, but… it's making both of us uncomfortable."
Yoo Sangah was always so considerate, even when she was feeling so off, and Kim Dokja finally tore his eyes away from Yoo Joonghyuk to look at her for the first time since this scene had begun, not noticing the way that Yoo Joonghyuk's frown deepened. Her face was red and flustered, but it was easy to tell by the frown on her lips and the anxious way she was playing with her fingers that she was deeply bothered by this.
"Yeah," Jung Heewon agreed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Dokja-ssi even asked if you could turn back into the old lady."
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is humming thoughtfully.]
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' says that she likes the appearance of the incarnation 'yoo sangah'.]
Perhaps it wouldn't mean much, but maybe…
"Please," Kim Dokja added on. "I don't want Sangah-ssi to feel disrespected or objectified either, and I'd like to be comfortable enough to look at you while speaking with you—it would be rude if I didn't."
[several constellations are nodding in agreement with the incarnations.]
[a constellation who likes beautiful women is claiming that the incarnation 'kim dokja' doesn't know how to appreciate a pretty face.]
That made Kim Dokja almost see red. Gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, he glared at the message. "Sangah-ssi is more than a pretty face to be admired. She's smart, kind, and reliable, and she deserves respect as much as anyone else."
He had never been able to stand up for her properly at work, but maybe… maybe this would help him make up for that fact. It wasn't much, but it was something. Yoo Sangah's eyes widened and her lip seemed to waver as she looked at him gratefully.
Suddenly, another message popped up, and Kim Dokja instantly looked down at it.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is wondering if the incarnation 'yoo sangah' would be more comfortable if she was wearing a different outfit.]
Biting her lip, Yoo Sangah nodded. "If… if we have to compromise, then please at least wear other clothes. I'd still prefer it if you didn't mimic my appearance at all, though."
"You can use my face instead," Han Sooyoung offered with a grin, and Kim Dokja refrained from rolling his eyes. She was potentially actually being nice, or maybe she just wanted to make fun of Kim Dokja more because of him acting awkward in front of someone with her appearance—he wasn't sure, both were equally likely.
At the very least, when the goddess didn't bother replying, Kim Dokja could get back to the important topic at hand. It didn't matter that Han Sooyoung was sputtering and gasping in offense, protesting that she was just as pretty as Yoo Sangah, because his future self was asking about Hades.
[His Highness is rather disturbed by your sudden visit. You would best relay today's matter to me instead,] she tells him, tapping her left index finger on the arm of the chair. Dokja understands that there would be no way that one of the Big Three of Olympus would come to meet an incarnation who came knocking.
Persephone informs him that she heard a little from Dionysus, but wants to hear it directly from Dokja. Dokja gets serious, no longer blushing as he states, "I want to retrieve someone's soul."
Dokja tells the goddess that he's prepared for whatever deal is thrown his way. Persephone closes her eyes for a moment as she slowly picks up her fork and knife off the table, cutting into the steak in front of her as she states that souls remind her of an age long past. Both of them sit in silence, the only sound that of the knife and fork against the meat and the porcelain plate.
Persephone states that 'souls' don't exist, starling Dokja who states that her declaration would make Plato and Aristotle roll over in their graves. Persephone slowly takes a bite of the steak as she responds that both of them are constellations, so there are no graves to roll in. After a brief back and forth debate about what a soul is, Dokja asks what the people of the Underworld are, if not souls.
"You didn't actually believe that he would be there," Yoo Joonghyuk said, glancing over at Kim Dokja. Well, of course not, but that didn't mean that he couldn't have hoped!
Kim Dokja shrugged. "Ultimately, I'll take whatever opportunity I'm given."
While talking with Hades in person would be ideal, there was also the question of whether [The Fourth Wall] would be able to withstand being in his presence at this point. Maybe it was for the best that everything was being relayed through Persephone, on second thought.
"I wish you the best of luck, Dokja-ssi," Lee Seolhwa said kindly, and he really appreciated that. He would need all the luck he could get.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is ignoring the incarnation 'kim dokja' to stare at the food.]
Okay, it did look amazing, but his goal was rather important. He had to retrieve 41st Shin Yoosung's soul, no matter the cost.
Shin Yoosung narrowed her eyes. "Souls… don't exist? But we just saw the train weirdo and he's dead…"
Kim Dokja was equally confused, staring at the screen with a frown. They clearly did exist, since they were working and building the Titan Soldier in Tartarus. How could that not be a soul?
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is snickering.]
[a constellation who contemplates shadows is feeling somewhat conflicted by the declaration of the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring'.]
[They are something like this.] Persephone lifts a piece of steak into the air for Dokja to see before purposefully drawing out the bite and savouring it as she chews. [Mmm. This one is especially good. Wouldn't you like to have some?]
Dokja tells her that he'd rather not, causing her to ask if he's going to be discourteous. Dokja bluntly responds that he's sorry, but he has to be discourteous. As he says so, the scene pans over the table filled with delicacies, each illuminated under the ghostly light. As Dokja's narration goes on, the glow gets dimmer.
There's no doubt that everything here is delicious. TWSA went on and on about how good it tasted for 12 pages after all. But beyond that lengthening description lay the words…
From then on, until the end of this regression turn, Yoo Joonghyuk regretted ever eating the food.
Once someone eats the food of the Underworld, it's impossible to ever go back.
Lee Jihye cocked her head to the side. "Something like… food? Isn't that cannibalism, or are constellations not counted as humans?"
Wait, Lee Jihye wasn't thinking that the steak was literally made of a person, was she?
[many constellations are looking at the food in jealousy.]
[some constellations are salivating as they imagine the delicious smell of the food.]
"That does look really good, but Dokja-ssi seems really wary…" Lee Hyunsung muttered, casting glances in his direction. Of course he was wary—this was the food of the Underworld, after all, and the answer lay in Persephone's own myth.
"Twelve pages?" Lee Gilyoung asked in shock, paling a bit. "Hyung, how can anyone describe food that much?"
Well, Yoo Joonghyuk probably could. The protagonist seemed to be analyzing every dish with a critical eye, and Kim Dokja wouldn't be surprised if he was already figuring out exactly what cuts of meat, spices, and other ingredients would be required to recreate them for human consumption.
"Because the hack author had to pad their chapter somehow," Han Sooyoung sighed with a roll of her eyes, "so, they probably just tossed in a bunch of food-related adjectives and hoped for the best."
Wow, slander much?
"Hmph, my oppa could make better food than that," Yoo Mia scoffed, and Kim Dokja had no doubts about the veracity of her statement. Yoo Joonghyuk's cooking skills were legendary, and there was no way Kim Dokja was forgetting that he already had it at level 10… somehow.
[constellations who like gourmet food are curious about the cooking of the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
Everyone glanced over at Kim Dokja anxiously when he revealed what had happened to Yoo Joonghyuk in the regression where he had eaten the food, and the blood seemed to drain from Yoo Sangah's cheeks.
"That's right… eating the food of the Underworld binds you to that place," she murmured, connecting the dots with the ones found in the myth. Yoo Joonghyuk looked incredibly uncomfortable with that revelation, but also equally determined to never let that happen again.
Shin Yoosung grabbed onto Kim Dokja's sleeve, looking up at him in worry. "Ahjussi, you won't eat it and get stuck there, right?"
"I won't."
At least that he could say with confidence.
Persephone chuckles and tells him that life in the Underworld isn't as bad as he thinks, informing him that with Hades' permission, he could leave and visit the living realm to his heart's content. She then likens it to private military service, but Dokja retorts that his time in the military was the worst he could ever ask for. This takes the goddess by surprise, since she assumed that the men of South Korea often stuck around in the military after their service, making her think that it wouldn't affect him much.
Her words put Dokja on edge as he wonders why a goddess from Greece would know so much about South Korean men. Unshaken by this slight miscalculation, Persephone tells him that he'll be treated better than he could ever imagine if he stayed, but Dokja replies that the one who wanted him to stay full time in the army told him the same thing.
[I bet he didn't offer you a steak, did he?] she asks in an amused tone before pointing to the one in front of Dokja with her fork. [Take for example, the one in front of you right now. If you eat it, you can become a 'Swordmaster' at once.]
Dokja looks down at the steak—seared to a beautiful medium rare and has been sliced for a beautiful presentation. As a garnish, there is some roasted garlic and asparagus, piped mashed potatoes, and beurre rouge sauce topped with a few leaves. Dokja gulps, thinking that even most returnees barely qualify for the status of 'Swordmaster'.
"Like military service…?" Lee Hyunsung wondered, his expression becoming conflicted. "Ah… it's true that the military isn't always a pleasant experience."
Yeah, and Kim Dokja had been sent to the front lines. There were things there that he had seen and heard that he would never forget, no matter how much he wanted to. Even though someone like Lee Hyunsung had stuck around, that didn't mean that it was a common or even popular choice.
[the constellation 'master of steel' is also curious to hear why the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' knows this.]
The goddess didn't bother answering, but something unnerved Kim Dokja anyway. Just why was she being so pushy about getting him to stay? It felt almost as though she had done research on South Korean men specifically to try and entice him into remaining in the Underworld for some reason—maybe to take him out of play on the chessboard of the scenarios? To keep him under observation for Olympus?
"He didn't offer me a steak, but nothing he offered would have made me stay," Kim Dokja muttered with a scowl. He would rather have died than stay a second longer than he had to.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' believes that any offer should be made over a good meal.]
Good meal or not, he wasn't going to accept something disadvantageous to him.
Jung Heewon looked a bit confused. "A Swordmaster? What does that mean exactly?"
"Someone who has trained intensely for many years to reach the pinnacle of swordplay," Yoo Joonghyuk responded in a carefully blank tone, likely recalling some of his own training. Though Kim Dokja couldn't remember if Yoo Joonghyuk's teacher was ever explicitly called a Swordmaster, he had no doubts that she could be counted among their number.
Still, to simply eat a steak and be granted that kind of power… admittedly, it was tempting. It felt like Kim Dokja had been seated at a table filled with cheat codes and game-breaking glitches, but the price for using them would be unpayable.
Seeing that he's being swayed, she points to a plate of shrimp scampi and states that eating it would turn him into an 'Archmage' and allow him to conquer continents. She then gestures to a brightly coloured soup with an extravagant garnish and tells him that it would allow him to become an 'SSS-class Hunter'.
Dokja slowly picks up his fork and stabs it into a slice of the steak, musing that one bite would give him the power to surpass the protagonist in his current state. As soon as his fork makes contact, however, rolls of film spiral around him as Dokja sees the entire life story of a boy who'd lost his loved ones training and overcoming his weakness, ultimately slaughtering his enemies.
Dropping his fork with a resounding clatter, Dokja jumps to his feet and looks at the steak in horror. Persephone explains that the piece of meat before him is what humans call 'souls'. Dokja declares that this must be the memories of someone who became a 'Swordsmaster'. Persephone licks her lips as she replies, [Memories? No, no. To be a bit more precise, it's a…. Story.]
"So she wants you to eat her magic food, big deal," Han Sooyoung scoffed. "I sure as hell wouldn't risk getting stuck anywhere for that."
Neither would he, but he tensed up as soon as he watched his future self cut into the steak regardless. Yoo Joonghyuk's frown deepened as soon as he did, and Kim Dokja internally cursed his future self for thinking what he did. Now the protagonist probably thought that Kim Dokja was going to do something utterly stupid just to try and beat him!
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is clenching his hands into fists.]
Suddenly, what appeared to be almost like a form of Disconnected Film Theory activated, and Kim Dokja watched in awe as they witnessed a man's life play out in front of them.
"What…?" he muttered, completely caught off guard. This had never happened to the protagonist when he had eaten the food, so what was even going on?
Everyone else seemed equally stunned, but Yoo Joonghyuk most of all. This wasn't normal, and he knew it. Kim Dokja couldn't help but wonder if this was a similar situation to what happened with the Disaster of Floods, but he couldn't even use the explanation that it was possible because he knew her future. He had no connection to this man, who wasn't even mentioned in TWSA as a passing line, so the same circumstances could not apply. In that case, was this a different phenomenon entirely? Or were there more factors at play in the Disconnected Film Theory than Kim Dokja had ever expected?
Whatever the case, it was suspicious, and Kim Dokja really didn't like not knowing why it was happening.
[several constellations are baffled by the current events.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is cheering for the man in the vision.]
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is watching curiously.]
As soon as Persephone explained that the steak was a 'soul', Kim Dokja wanted to throw up, and everyone else looked a bit green too.
"Oh shit," Lee Jihye muttered. "Was I actually right?"
Maybe she was. Kim Dokja didn't want to think about the implications of that.
Lee Seolhwa looked distinctly uncomfortable as the explanation continued. "A Story…?"
Right. This was the world of the Star Stream now, and here, everyone's lives were dedicated to building their Story. Why hadn't Kim Dokja realized that before?
She stands and leans forward over the table as she declares that Stories are the favourite food of every constellation. Dokja grimaces and his eyes narrow as he looks at her.
The ones who consume Stories, and lose their minds over Stories. This is every constellation's true nature.
Persephone continues, stating that death is the same as the end of a story—that the dead can never be resurrected since that is their story's conclusion. As she says this, Namwoon appears on the screen, back at work in Tartarus. Dokja declares that there are exceptions, and Persephone disagrees. With an almost haunting expression, Dokja asks if she can swear on the River Styx, making the goddess flinch while grinning slightly.
Whenever the Greek Gods make a binding oath, they swear on the River Styx. Even Zeus cannot defy this oath.
She tells him that what he calls a soul is but a miserable pile of stories, but Dokja replies that he wants that pile of stories. Closing her eyes, Persephone informs him that anyone in the Underworld who 'looks back' will regret it, and that he must accept that time moves forwards.
"That's so gross," Yoo Mia whispered as she shuddered, genuinely affected by what was going on. The other two kids weren't doing much better, and Kim Dokja held them closer to try and offer what faint comfort he could.
[many constellations are fondly remembering the taste of their favourite stories.]
Jung Heewon gritted her teeth. "That's revolting. How dare they!?"
Murmurs of agreement passed throughout the group, but Kim Dokja couldn't say anything.
Instead, he glanced down, feeling his stomach turn. How could he criticize the constellations for gorging themselves on Stories when he had fed off of Yoo Joonghyuk's determination just to live? He had consumed Yoo Joonghyuk's story like a starving man, desperate for even one sentence more. In the end, he was just as awful as they were.
Kim Dokja couldn't bring himself to even glance over at Yoo Joonghyuk, feeling the guilt gnawing at his insides. The man hated the constellations with a passion, he hated the way they laughed and watched people suffer, and Kim Dokja just instinctively knew that Yoo Joonghyuk would hate him too—especially if he ever found out the truth.
Still, he had to look back up when she declared that death was the end of a Story. Sure, that was the case for most people, but not everyone. After all, they had living proof of that fact sitting in this room with them.
"But the sooty bastard keeps living," Lee Gilyoung said, frowning in confusion. "Is that what you're talking about, hyung?"
Kim Dokja nodded and ruffled the kid's hair. "Exactly."
[several constellations of the nebula 'olympus' are astounded by the audacity of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
If swearing on the Styx would get them to actually be honest, then he'd offend them as much as necessary. That wasn't a threat made lightly, after all.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is laughing uproariously.]
Shin Yoosung looked down at her lap and fiddled with her hands. "A miserable pile of stories… that's so sad."
"It's okay, Yoosung-ah. I'm going to make sure that her story doesn't end here," Kim Dokja told her with as much conviction as he could muster. Though he couldn't guarantee that success would come easy, he would do whatever was necessary to accomplish it.
"Your highness. Time does not only move 'forward'. I thought you had realised this by now," Dokja states, causing Persephone to put her fork down with a clang. Immediately everything turns into grayscale as an immense pressure bears down on Dokja. Persephone is staring at him with a harsh look on her face, and she's no longer smiling. He stands, but sweats profusely as he's overcome by chills, wondering how she can deny the existence of souls when he can feel this chill running through his.
With a giggle, Persephone retracts the pressure and states that he's indeed the 'Singularity' that the brats of Olympus were talking about. Sitting back down, her eyes gleam gold as she rests her chin on her hands and stares him down with a mysterious smile.
This is where I'll really be stepping onto the lion's den.
Dokja states he knows a lot more, bringing up the existence of the Titan Soldier in Tartarus and how he knows of a way to complete it faster if she agrees to the deal. Persephone cuts him off, stating that they can complete it without him. Dokja looks slightly worried, but Persephone continues by saying that she'll consider a deal if he'll tell her how he learned this information.
Dokja shakes his head and states that he can't explain it well even if he wanted to. In response, Persephone's eyes narrow slightly. [This really is…███'s ███…]
That's right—Yoo Joonghyuk's clock was one that kept going, no matter how many times it was rewound. He was an anomaly unlike any others that the constellations had ever seen before, and it was no wonder that even bringing him up would set the goddess off.
Still, the pressure that she exuded looked unbearable, and Kim Dokja couldn't help but be relieved that he didn't have to experience it in this scenario.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is protesting the actions of the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring'.]
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is glaring at the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring'.]
At the very least, she had released the pressure and it had vanished as though it was never there in the first place. God, that was nerve-wracking.
"Right, the Titan Soldier!" Lee Jihye said excitedly, "That's what you're gonna trade, right?"
She wilted a moment later when Persephone told Kim Dokja that they could complete it on their own. "Or maybe not… Ahjussi, you might be screwed."
Well fuck, that was true. Plus, she was getting the information she wanted through this hidden scenario, so it didn't matter that his future self hadn't said anything, and—
"What?" Kim Dokja asked, his eyes widening in shock.
[the eyes of the constellation 'secretive plotter' are widening dramatically.]
[many constellations are shocked by the words of the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring'.]
There was no way. That was… filtered?
Dokja's eyes widen in shock at the filtering as the constellations go wild, many angry or doubting what they heard while 'Secretive Plotter' goes into deep thought. Persephone tells them that—as unwanted voyeurs—they should shut up, but in politer terms despite her tone.
Huh? What did I just hear?
Dokja's hand forms a tight fist as he asks her what she just said. She responds that it was nothing while glancing at a window by her side as Dokja wonders if it was an █ with a disturbed expression.
I can't mimic how it sounded, but there's no doubt that what she said was filtered before I could listen.
Dokja recalls that filtering happens when what is said includes information linked to a scenario that the listener doesn't know about. Naturally, this really concerns Dokja since it shouldn't work on someone who knows all the information there is to know.
An image of his phone spins in the air as Dokja's panicked thoughts play over it: 'There's still information I don't know when I've read all of TWSA?'
"What the fuck was that, Kim Dokja?" Han Sooyoung demanded, turning a frantic yet harsh glare on him.
Kim Dokja stared blankly at the screen. "I don't know. It was filtered."
Yoo Joonghyuk was alarmed as well, his jaw clenching even tighter. "So, in the end, not even you know everything."
Apparently not, and that terrified Kim Dokja as he shook his head. How could he plan ahead and try to ensure that everything went according to said plan if there were factors he was unaware of? Just what did the constellations know that he didn't?
Even she seemed caught off-guard and left out of sorts by this revelation, even though she didn't know anywhere near as much as he did about the latter half of TWSA. Regardless, she had still been relying on plans made in accordance with that knowledge, and now they knew that there was information out there that had never been recorded in the novel.
This changed everything, and Kim Dokja had never felt that the rug had been pulled out from beneath his feet so intensely before.
[the constellation 'scribe of heaven' is pondering the current events.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is frowning deeply.]
Kim Dokja sucked in a deep breath. TWSA was a novel, and this was a living world. Secretive Plotter was one such anomaly that had never been named, so maybe he should have expected this. Still, he couldn't help but feel terrified as he realized just how simple it would be for everything to spiral out of his control.
No, he had to reframe this, or else he would lose his mind. Yes, there was information that he didn't know, but maybe… if he could think of this as something included in the appendix—spare information that had never made it into the main story for pacing and plot purposes—then it would be easier to process.
It was more to read, just another story to be discovered.
And that, for Kim Dokja, was another reason to keep moving forward.