"You can do this, Yoosung-ah," Yoo Sangah said excitedly, cheering her on. "We all believe in you!"
Lee Jihye nodded eagerly. "Kick their asses!"
Shin Yoosung smiled with determination, encouraged by their words, and Kim Dokja knew she'd do fine.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is looking forward to a good fight.]
Baffled by her sudden appearance, the two Japanese men discuss Yoosung's arrival, guessing that she must be one of the Korean incarnations since they don't recognize her. Yoosung watches them in silence, her eyes tracking their movements. As they continue chatting, the translucent form of Dokja hiding beneath the cloak appears between them and Yoosung as he remembers that she doesn't have the [Interpretation] skill or know Japanese, so she can't understand anything they're saying.
The two men decide that they don't feel the need to fight a child, telling her to get lost and resorting to incredibly bad English in an attempt to be understood. Instead of listening when they say "No fight" a few times, Yoosung just readies her dagger once more as one of the Japanese incarnations receives a message from their sponsor to kill her.
"Well, they figured that out quickly," Lee Hyunsung muttered, but he didn't look surprised by it. To be honest, Kim Dokja really wasn't either; Shin Yoosung had quite a foreign appearance already, and she was pretty memorable. They would have recognized her if they had seen her go in with another group.
When Kim Dokja saw himself standing in between them, hiding in plain sight while invisible, his eyes widened. That was a good idea, actually, since it would keep him out of the fight, but allow him to quickly provide backup in a worst case scenario.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is wondering where the incarnation 'kim dokja' hid the item.]
"Yeah, where did that come from?" Jung Heewon wondered, looking confused.
Ah, right, they must have forgotten.
"The coat has dimensional pockets," Yoo Joonghyuk reminded them, glancing over for barely a moment. It was an especially useful item, so it was no wonder that the protagonist kept it around. That was also the most important reason why Kim Dokja had picked it in the first place—not to match with Yoo Joonghyuk, despite what everyone seemed to think.
Shin Yoosung's face suddenly went red and she shrunk in a bit on herself. "Ah… I can't understand them."
Well, that was to be expected since she hadn't had any reason to pick up any kind of interpretation skill before. She shouldn't be embarrassed over this, and Kim Dokja tried to reassure her with a gentle ruffle of her hair.
"Wait," Han Sooyoung muttered, sounding confused, "how the fuck are we understanding them without a translation skill of our own?"
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is pausing to ponder the question of the incarnation 'han sooyoung'.]
[many constellations are baffled.]
"You know what?" Kim Dokja admitted suddenly, his eyes going wide. "I honestly don't know."
It was really weird, now that he thought about it. Kim Dokja certainly didn't have the interpretation skill that his future self did, and yet… in this scenario, he could somehow understand them perfectly fine. He could distinguish between when they were speaking in Japanese and the incredibly bad English, but he understood them equally well.
Lee Gilyoung shrugged. "I don't really care how it works, but it's cool that it does."
Okay, fair point. It was more important to see what Shin Yoosung would do against those incarnations, after all.
Still, as the adults exchanged a tense glance, Kim Dokja knew that all of them were filing that piece of information away as yet another strange thing about this mysterious scenario.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is telling the incarnations to forget about that and focus on the fight.]
The two men pause and look at each other before turning to Yoosung once more. Their faces look determined, yet they also seem guilty and reluctant to fight her. As they try to reason fighting her, one of them points out that she's part of the first batch of Korean participants, reminding him of the sort of people they sent out in their first and second batches. This makes Dokja think of Japan's initial participants.
The 'Ruler of a Hundred Yōkai', Izumi Hiroki, as well as his companions.
An image of shadowed figures, including one who is clearly Izumi at the front, appears against the same background he had last time.
No matter which country it is, the ones picked to be in the first batch are the most elite incarnations of that country.
The soldiers behind Yoosung all look up at her, shock and surprise on their faces as she stands ahead of them defensively. Several constellations begin to cheer for Yoosung, opening up the possibility of a new scenario.
"On one hand, it's nice that they're hesitating to fight a kid, but on the other, it kinda pisses me off that they're underestimating her," Jung Heewon admitted with a sigh.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is agreeing with her incarnation.]
Shin Yoosung looked pensive for a moment, but shook her head with determination. "It's better if they underestimate me, so I can finish it faster like ahjussi said."
Lee Seolhwa smiled. "That's true, but it also hurts to be continually looked down on."
The girl shrugged, and Kim Dokja ruffled her hair again, hoping that she wouldn't be too bothered by it if she kept looking at the situation as positively as possible.
[a few constellations agree that age is not indicative of strength.]
"Right, they probably sent strong people in their first batch too," Yoo Mia muttered with a sigh, and Kim Dokja nodded along. The first batch always sent the strongest first to forge a path through the unknown, after all.
Then, Izumi and a few others appeared on the screen again, albeit as shadows. It was a very good reminder of the kinds of people who were running around this scenario already, and Kim Dokja found himself narrowing his eyes.
With any luck, they wouldn't be outright hostile to begin with, but considering that Shin Yoosung would likely need to kill these two to proceed… that might be impossible.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is looking fondly at the incarnation 'shin yoosung'.]
"They're cheering for me?" Shin Yoosung asked as soon as she saw the constellations trying to encourage her, as well as the sheer look of bewilderment on the faces of the tiny soldiers.
Kim Dokja patted her head affectionately. "That's right. You're reminding them that there's another option to this scenario."
The girl grinned widely, and Kim Dokja felt extremely proud of her for it. Though she might be fairly small compared to the rest of them, she was certainly a saviour that was larger-than-life for that tiny army.
Ganul then speaks again, asking if they're really at the disadvantage they think they are. The two men snap back into focus as the camera darts from the passed out Michio back to Yoosung. They immediately call Yoosung dumb, guessing that she doesn't know the penalty, before calling anyone who entered the scenario first—regardless of whether they're from Japan or Korea—dumb as well. All of them prepare their weapons for a fight, unaware of Dokja standing at the ready, as Amano tells Yoosung that he won't go easy on her just because she's a kid—forgetting that she can't understand him.
Amano rushes in with his axe, causing Yoosung to jump back in order to dodge. As she's in the air, Maruyama sends a blast of fire her way, yelling that she can't run forever. She barely manages to twist her body to dodge the flames, and sweat flies off her skin from the heat. Suddenly, Yoosung seems to throw something before she zips past them with extreme speed, confusing them and making them wonder if she's using [Blink].
Dokja looks over in the right direction, realizing that she's used a spiderweb and a tarantula is sitting on her hand.
That dagger movement, and that technique….
An image of Sangah appears behind Yoosung, both of them standing in the same pose as Dokja notes that it must be the result of her training with the older woman.
Lee Seolhwa's eyes widened in surprise and concern as the screen let them know that Michio Shoji was unconscious on the grass despite not doing anything earlier. "What happened to him?"
Yoo Joonghyuk's perpetual frown deepened a bit. "Scenario penalty."
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is feeling sorry for the incarnation 'michio shoji'.]
"Oi, shitheads, she's not fucking stupid for not knowing the surprise scenario penalty when she just fucking got here, damn!" Han Sooyoung sneered as she glared at the incarnations on the screen.
Kim Dokja had to agree, though his mind whirled when he realized what that meant—at least one person in the first group had done the same thing, and had been struck by the penalty as well. There was no way that they would have this information if no one had reported back on its effects.
Lee Gilyoung just scoffed. "She is dumb sometimes, but only I get to say that."
Kim Dokja sighed, feeling somewhat exhausted when Shin Yoosung leaned over his lap to pinch Lee Gilyoung, only to jerk away when the boy retaliated. These kids… why were they like this?
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is intrigued by the skills demonstrated by the incarnation 'shin yoosung'.]
Huh? What was that?
"Wait, was that a new skill?" Yoo Mia asked in surprise, glancing over at the other girl curiously. Despite that, Kim Dokja could hear a tiny bit of envy in her tone, and he realized that she likely wished that she could have gotten a few skills for herself as well. That probably wasn't a great thing, but hopefully her brother promising to train her earlier would help curb any more upsetting thoughts that could be running through her head.
Shin Yoosung's eyes were wide and glimmering, but she looked excited that she was doing so well even in a 2-on-1. As she should, honestly.
As soon as the truth was revealed, showing that she used a spiderweb, Lee Gilyoung gasped in offense.
"Spiders might be arachnids but bugs are my thing! That's supposed to be my job!"
Kim Dokja looked down at Lee Gilyoung in surprise, hearing the genuine panic and what he would almost classify as desperation evident in the boy's tone.
Tearfully, he looked up at Kim Dokja. "Hyung, you're not gonna leave me behind if she learns how to talk with bugs, right?"
[constellations who like children are pained by the words of the incarnation 'lee gilyoung'.]
"Of course not," Kim Dokja told him, patting his head and hoping he wasn't sounding too awkward. "You're both important to me, and even if your skills overlap a bit, just think about how well you two will be able to work together in the future, hm?"
Lee Gilyoung went quiet, but he nodded. Kim Dokja wasn't sure if he truly understood everything that the kid was feeling, but there was nothing else that could be done for now. He'd have to keep an eye on that, because he had a bad feeling that the situation might get worse if it wasn't addressed eventually. At the very least, he looked up in time to realize that Shin Yoosung had apparently been doing some training with Yoo Sangah, who looked both surprised and proud.
"Thank you, unnie!" Shin Yoosung exclaimed, and Yoo Sangah sent her a smile in return.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is extremely pleased to see the incarnations helping each other learn new skills.]
As the Japanese men continue to curse and wildly look around for her, he activates [Character List]. Since neither of these men are overly important, all that opens are summaries.
[Name: Maruyama Kenichi
Constellation Sponsor: Two-Tailed Fox
Personal Attributes: Attention Seeker (Rare)]
[Name: Amano Gorou
Constellation Sponsor: Turtle with a Thirty-Year Lifespan
Personal Attributes: Totally Bald (Rare)]
Both of them have decent enough stats to keep up, but it's not at a level that can give Shin Yoosung too much trouble. What worries me is the nature of their sponsors.
Dokja notes that since they're part of Japan's third wave of participants, they're probably not too strong. However, most of Japan's powerful sponsors are normally 'Swordmasters' or samurai.
Both of theirs are 'Yogoe'.
"Ha! You totally fooled them," Lee Jihye laughed, looking genuinely amused. "They have no idea where you went!"
And that would absolutely give her an advantage, since they had no idea where she would strike from next. His little incarnation was learning tactics, and Kim Dokja approved of that. Hell, even Yoo Joonghyuk's expression had relaxed a bit, which was basically a good indication that he was feeling confident about this.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is laughing at the japanese incarnations.]
Lee Hyunsung looked a bit bewildered, but he glanced over at Kim Dokja for confirmation. "So… they're so irrelevant that they don't even have full profiles?"
Wow, so his skill was basically calling them cannon fodder? Brutal.
"Seems like it," Kim Dokja admitted, but he was narrowing his eyes at the profiles nonetheless. Just like his future self, he had picked up on the types of constellations their sponsors were, and that was something that didn't make much sense.
[a constellation who likes swords is wondering why the incarnations would choose those sponsors.]
Maybe it was just a weird coincidence, but Kim Dokja wasn't confident that it was. Something about it felt fishy, and he wasn't sure he should discount his gut feeling right now.
Suddenly flashing back to the fight, a barrage of light and quick slices assault the men. As this happens, the screen occasionally zooms into some of the injuries as it slowly rotates around the battlefield, sometimes catching a glimpse of the girl as she races through the trees.
Maruyama yells out that he'll deal with it, sending his flames down one of the spiderwebs which is attached to Yoosung's hand. This causes her to stop and brace for it when Amano rushes in with his axe. However, she isn't fazed and looks at them with clear eyes as Steel wolves emerge from behind the men and leap at Amano, bringing him to the ground as they swarm him. He curses as their teeth rip into his flesh and Maruyama stumbles back, exclaiming that she's a tamer.
Dokja, still hidden, looks at her with surprise and internally remarks that he didn't see it coming either. Several constellations are also impressed by Yoosung's composure.
Yoo Sangah gasped in surprise, but she looked both relieved and genuinely happy. Though she wasn't currently the same woman who had taught the future Shin Yoosung these tricks at some point in their travels together, it was likely a good reminder that she was capable of all that and more, as well as being a good teacher.
[the constellation 'abandoned lover of the labyrinth' is nodding approvingly at the incarnation 'shin yoosung'.]
"No!" Shin Yoosung cried out when her spiderwebs got burned, and she looked so frustrated that Kim Dokja was genuinely concerned she would start crying. "I'm sorry, ahjussi…"
Kim Dokja smiled gently down at her. "Yoosung-ah, I fully believe you have more up your sleeve, okay?"
Right on cue, her future self looked up with determination blazing in her eyes, and an entire pack of wolves emerged from the forest around them to overwhelm her foe. Kim Dokja's eyes widened as blood splattered everywhere.
Those wolves were uh. Pretty brutal.
She was so young, but that was pretty goddamn scary. That couldn't be a pleasant way to go at all, but Kim Dokja couldn't feel bad for the other incarnation. That was just what he deserved for trying to kill a kid.
[many constellations are thrilled by the current events.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' believes that the incarnation 'kim dokja' should have known what the incarnation 'shin yoosung' was capable of.]
Okay, yeah, that was on him. Of course she'd get some of the local wildlife to help her, but still, it was impressive nonetheless.
In such a short time, she managed to tame these many wolves, however…
Suddenly, Yoosung is hit with a jolt of probability as the windows call her actions out. The wolves look up in confusion before running off as the taming is cut off. Maruyama cheers as Yoosung is given a penalty for her actions. Dokja frowns, his eyes narrowing.
She took too long.
Yoosung shrinks a little and her stats are reduced. As this happens, Maruyama sends another blaze her way. She braces against it again as it hurts more than the time before. Dokja rushes close, thinking he should finish it off at this point, however Yoosung speaks up in protest. "Ahjussi. I want to see this through by myself."
Dokja looks with surprise at the determination on the girl's face, and he watches her with eyes full of wonder as she shrinks more.
I had no way to know what could have pushed this child so far. But one thing was for certain—this fight was hers alone.
"What's happening to her?" Han Sooyoung asked suddenly, looking genuinely concerned for Shin Yoosung's safety. "Fuck, is this what happened to the other guy?"
The girl froze up and clung to Kim Dokja's side, and he cursed under his breath too.
"Yeah, there's a penalty for fighting other incarnations," Kim Dokja admitted, "and it's going to make things very inconvenient."
[many constellations are worried for the incarnation 'shin yoosung'.]
"Sorry for taking so long," she said quietly, and Kim Dokja had to hold her just a bit closer.
"You did your best, Yoosung-ah, and that's all I can ask for."
She nodded, but he understood her frustration. Still, Kim Dokja couldn't help but feel another rush of pride run through him when the girl stood strong despite the penalty, and particularly when she told him that she wanted to do this by herself.
Jung Heewon grinned widely at Shin Yoosung. "See? We knew you'd do fine."
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is tearing out his hair in excitement.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is encouraging the incarnation 'shin yoosung'.]
Pulling her dagger from where it lodged itself into the ground, Yoosung rushes Maruyama. As she gets just out of his arms reach, she leaps into the air, her gaze never leaving her target as the man looks up fearfully.
In the blink of an eye, she uses gravity and another spiderweb to accelerate dramatically and spin her way down his back, leaving large gashes everytime she faces him before landing on the ground in a crouch.
"Ugh… You'll…." Maruyama spits up blood as his eyes roll back from the pain. "Regret…. This…."
Yoosung pants heavily and a window announces that she's defeated the 'unnamed disaster' as the Japanese man falls to the ground unconscious, with blood still gushing from his wounds. With the fight now over, Yoosung collapses to her knees, exhausted.
[many constellations are hoping for the victory of the incarnation 'shin yoosung']
"I can do this," Shin Yoosung whispered to herself as she watched the screen intently. "I can do this!"
And, as they all watched her do a spectacular falling attack to finish off the other man, Kim Dokja knew that she truly could.
Yoo Joonghyuk looked down at the girl for a moment, with something like fondness lurking in his gaze, and he nodded once. "Good job."
Shin Yoosung's eyes widened, and then they narrowed dramatically. "That's not going to make me change my mind," she said suspiciously. "You still don't deserve ahjussi."
Uh… what did Kim Dokja even have to do with this situation in the first place? Couldn't she just accept Yoo Joonghyuk's extremely rare praise??
Though the protagonist's eye twitched, he just glanced back up at the screen, seemingly ignoring that last bit despite Lee Jihye's anxious fretting in the background. Again, Kim Dokja had no idea why he was even relevant right now. He hadn't done anything?
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is applauding the incarnation 'shin yoosung' on a job well done.]
Shin Yoosung hugged Kim Dokja tightly, and he returned it as he said, "You did well."
She seemed incredibly satisfied with that, and Kim Dokja hoped that his frown wasn't too obvious when he looked back up at the screen. After all, he knew that Shin Yoosung would get hit by the full penalty, and that he'd only get one shot at succeeding in his mission as a result.
With any luck, he'd be able to find his target sooner rather than later.