[many constellations are wondering what the rest of the group is doing.]
"Ooh, I bet we're enjoying the royal treatment, courtesy of ahjumma's cult," Lee Jihye exclaimed with a huge, teasing grin.
Han Sooyoung grumbled under her breath, but—surprisingly—she didn't verbally protest that it was a cult this time. Kim Dokja was genuinely shocked and honestly had to wonder if she was finally giving up and admitting that she just had the unfortunate habit of creating cults sometimes.
It would be a step in the right direction for her, honestly.
Lee Hyunsung hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe we'll get to have some good food, and maybe a relaxing bath?"
[the constellation 'master of steel' thinks that his incarnation is practical.]
Ah, Lee Hyunsung, always with his priorities in order. Thankfully, he was always dependable, even as he flushed when Jung Heewon teased him about being jealous of this hypothetical bath because she was stuck back in Seoul without one. Kim Dokja couldn't even blame her because a bath where he could just soak and ease his aching joints sounded heavenly.
However, only a moment later, the screen began displaying a scene that was a far cry from the idyllic situations they were all imagining.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is gasping in shock.]
The walls of Veronica Castle tremble as the booming sounds of stomping approach. From the castle's ramparts, some soldiers look out and anxiously declare that the disasters are coming. In the distance, a large number of inhuman incarnations approach before one of them lets out a screech and they all start rushing for the stronghold.
Screams quickly erupt as the disasters trample and crush the small soldiers who are trying to retreat back into the castle, leading Pildu to come rushing up onto the wall and letting his [Armed Fortress] release a round of bullets into the nearest incarnations. Jihye comes up behind him and puts her hand on his shoulder, telling him to save some mana as she assesses the situation.
She turns to Hyunsung, who's standing nearby, to ask if he's heard anything from Heewon and Sangah yet. As the archers let out a volley of arrows, Hyunsung states that they're participating in a scenario on Earth, based on what Dokja told him.
Ah, shit, they were getting attacked.
"Ahjussi, is it gonna be okay? You're not back yet, so…" Shin Yoosung asked anxiously, looking far more stressed than she had been even when she had gone up against two incarnations on her own.
"C'mon, your coolest unnie ever is there!" Lee Jihye exclaimed with a grin before Kim Dokja even had the time to answer. "It'll be fine!"
Lee Gilyoung looked over at her with a doubtful expression. "But noona, there's no water. What are you even going to do?"
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is snickering at the flabbergasted expression of the incarnation 'lee jihye'.]
As Lee Jihye sputtered in the corner, Lee Hyunsung smiled gently. "Gong Pildu-ssi and I are also there, so we'll be alright."
Kim Dokja had to smile and nod at him. "The two of you really are our strongest line of defense, so I'm not worried for you at all. It would be better if the castle was near a river so Jihye-ga could use her [Ghost Fleet], but we'll have to make do."
Still, he looked over at the teenager, who looked somewhat despondent, and decided that he had to say something to brighten her mood a bit. "Still, can I just say that I'm very impressed that you're stepping up into the commander role here, Jihye-yah?"
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is feeling very proud of his incarnation.]
"Kim Dokja is right," Yoo Joonghyuk said, a touch of pride in his tone. "You have a good understanding of warfare tactics, and right now, you're the most qualified to lead our forces."
Lee Jihye went beet red as she struggled to process the protagonist's praise, and Kim Dokja tried not to laugh at her. She was doing her best, even stepping into a role that she might not have been entirely certain that she deserved. After all, that was usually left in the hands of Kim Dokja, Yoo Joonghyuk, or Yoo Sangah like that time back in Chungmuro.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is praising the leadership qualities of the incarnation 'lee jihye'.]
With the reminder that she and Jung Heewon were still back in Seoul, Yoo Sangah sighed. "Hopefully it won't take too long for the second batch to be allowed in, especially since we don't really know what the scenario outside is."
That was true, but he had faith that they'd be able to help the remaining Kings and incarnations up until that point.
Grimacing, Jihye side-eyes the ever-chuckling Boksoon and then curses that they need to defend the castle themselves. As the scene pans out to show a large gorge around the castle's edge, she asks how the work on the moat is going. Hyunsung replies that it's about halfway done and should have water soon. Right as he says that, one of the enemy incarnations leaps across where the moat will eventually be to directly attack the castle.
Both Pildu and Jihye look up in surprise as a horde of hornets approaches, with two of them carrying the children. From the back of the hornet, Gilyoung cups his hands and lets out a loud buzzing noise. Getting the signal, Jihye runs down the walls in a hurry as Pildu commands the soldiers to fight and defend Veronica Castle.
"Dokja-ssi, would her stigma even be available at this point?" Lee Seolhwa wondered with a concerned expression on her face as she looked at Lee Boksoon. It had been two weeks, so there was a chance of it, but the downside of a stigma like that was that you had to calculate exactly when to use it, and when to rely on other methods. If this siege wasn't deemed bad enough, then she likely wouldn't take that kind of risk.
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is pleased to see that a moat is being constructed.]
"They're building it just for unnie, right?" Yoo Mia asked curiously, looking a bit more invested than before. "So she can use her ships."
Lee Jihye pumped her fist in the air excitedly. "Hell yeah! They're gonna have to face the wrath of my fleet!"
Still, having to fill it in the middle of a siege wouldn't be an easy task. The other downside was the sheer size difference between the two groups—as demonstrated perfectly by the incarnation leaping straight over the moat.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is surprised by the sudden appearance of the insects.]
Lee Gilyoung perked up instantly, a huge grin on his face. "We're scouting from the air!"
That was really smart, actually. They had two kids who could go airborne easily, so why not use that to their advantage? However, while Kim Dokja patted the kid's head and praised both him and Shin Yoosung for a job well done, he had a bad feeling about this. They still didn't know just what that signal was meant to convey, and the fact that Lee Jihye had suddenly leapt into action like that was making Kim Dokja feel uneasy.
Hopefully it was nothing, and that he was just overthinking this.
Back in the clearing in the Eastern Hoodoo Zone, Kyrgios takes a few steps forward before stopping as wind fills the void where Dokja and the two women had once been. Kyrgios shakes from anger, his eyes blank from fury alone, before pressure builds and causes an explosion loud enough to alert Dokja and crew who have yet to get too far away.
Like a child skipping school, Dokja looks back guiltily before telling the two women that they should hurry since Kyrgios has discovered that they've dipped. Sooyoung, deciding to taunt poor Asuka again, asks if she's sad to leave the man behind, then pointing out that she gets it since it's weird to see a character you wrote come to life. Immediately after, Sooyoung's voice turns taunting as she points out Kyrgios' good looks. As Asuka sputters, the entire group runs back towards Veronica Castle.
"No!" Jung Heewon gasped when the scenery suddenly changed. "I want to see what's going on at the castle!"
Honestly, Kim Dokja did too, and he felt his body tense up slightly. If they weren't watching the fight, then anything could be happening, since they had no idea when that first scene had taken place when compared to his training with Kyrgios.
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is hoping that the incarnations at the castle are okay.]
"Honestly, you might need to be more worried for yourself, you idiot," Han Sooyoung pointed out casually as Kyrgios became enraged. "I bet that he's gonna hunt you down to beat your ass."
Fuck, she was right. The explosion was really bad news too, so they really needed to pick up the pace.
"Well, here's hoping I don't die," Kim Dokja drawled with a sigh. At the very least, he had [King of No Killing] still, in the worst case scenario. Hopefully, he wouldn't need to use it.
"Please be careful, Dokja-ssi," Yoo Sangah pleaded, getting paler by the second.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is hoping that the incarnations will outpace the returnee 'kyrgios rodgraim'.]
When Han Sooyoung began teasing Asuka Ren, though, Kim Dokja turned to her with a deadpan expression. "We're basically running for our lives, and you're wasting your breath on teasing her?"
Han Sooyoung raised a brow. "Correction, we're running for your life."
At that, he scoffed. "Bold of you to assume that Kyrgios wouldn't take you out as collateral."
Now that made her pause and then shut up as she realized that it was a very real possibility.
Still, the subject matter of her teasing was another story entirely.
[many constellations are agreeing that the returnee 'kyrgios rodgraim' is good looking.]
In TWSA, the phrase 'as handsome as Yoo Joonghyuk' was often used to describe someone who was good-looking. Kyrgios is a character befitting of such rhetoric, although he's quite short and his personality is closer to that of a condescending old man….
As he runs, Dokja wonders if tls123 would have the same feeling when looking at Joonghyuk—to see a character they created breathing and talking.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is flabbergasted.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' approves of this method of judging attractiveness.]
"Good!" Yoo Mia exclaimed, looking very pleased by this information. "My oppa is the best, after all."
Oh, she likely wouldn't be too thrilled about the characters who could slap him that would appear later, then.
"Hmmm, I guess he's about as handsome as that guy," Jung Heewon admitted, but she looked a bit confused. "I just think that it's a bit hard to compare them when they have, uh… different kinds of attractiveness?"
"That's true," Lee Seolhwa agreed with a thoughtful expression. "Kyrgios-ssi has a sort of ethereal beauty that would fit in a historical fantasy drama."
That was true—his features were delicate and elegant, and his long hair very much contributed to that overall feel. Naturally, his temper was in complete contrast to everything his looks implied.
Yoo Sangah nodded in agreement. "It feels almost like trying to compare things on two different scales."
As Kim Dokja nodded as well, he suddenly felt urgent tugs on his sleeves from both the kids. When he looked down, they looked almost devastated as Lee Gilyoung said, "Hyung, you don't actually think the sooty bastard is that handsome, right?"
Uh… how should he even answer that one?
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is extremely interested in the opinion of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is admitting that he is also curious.]
"Well, Joonghyuk-ie has a very nice face…" Kim Dokja said with an awkward laugh, trying his best to avoid looking at the man in question. He failed miserably, unfortunately. Contrary to his expectations, Yoo Joonghyuk wasn't scoffing or completely ignoring the situation and mentally calling it a waste of time. No, instead, the protagonist was staring intently at Kim Dokja as though he genuinely wanted to hear this answer.
It didn't help that almost everyone in the room, with the exception of her who looked like she'd rather be anywhere else, looked extremely interested in this as well.
What, did they want to hear Kim Dokja explain that—in his opinion—while Kyrgios embodied the ethereal master on a faraway mountain peak trope from dramas, Yoo Joonghyuk was more of an adonis? That a statue of the protagonist wouldn't be out of place amongst the marble statues of the classical era that depicted the epitome of male beauty?
Where Kyrgios was beautiful, Yoo Joonghyuk was handsome, and that made all the difference. They were both good looking, but ultimately, the conclusion of who was more handsome was subjective and entirely based on personal preferences. Of course, in Kim Dokja's objectively correct opinion, though, Yoo Joonghyuk's handsomeness was unmatched in his field.
"He has a stupid face!" Shin Yoosung protested, drawing him out of his thoughts.
Kim Dokja sighed and shook his head. "He's handsome, that's all."
There was no way in hell Kim Dokja was ever going to let any of his thoughts spill. Han Sooyoung would never let him live it down. As he looked away, groaning, Kim Dokja completely missed the slight downturn of Yoo Joonghyuk's lips from displeasure.
Plus, his future self was right—how would the author feel if they saw the protagonist they had crafted with blood, sweat, and tears right in front of them? If Kim Dokja had been in their place, he might have just perished on the spot, honestly.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is distraught.]
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is raising a brow doubtfully.]
Asuka turns to Dokja and asks how he gained Kyrgios' favour. When Dokja seems confused by this, Asuka remarks that she got the impression that Kyrgios liked him because he's a tsundere who acts angry when he likes someone. Uriel, naturally, is paying attention to this statement. Though he's confused, Dokja recalls that Kyrgios always treated him well despite their bickering and Dokja's lack of talent.
Suddenly, Asuka freezes and collapses to her knees as reddish-black probability sparks crackle around her, surprising the Koreans to the point that Sooyoung actually asks if she's ok. With an ashen face, she sweats heavily and clutches her chest with a shaking hand, as she declares, "The 'Sovereign of Eight Heads' has begun to move. He is calling the disasters with the Absolute Throne."
"Ha! So he is a tsundere!" Jung Heewon laughed gleefully. "Somehow you managed to get on his good side with all that bickering."
… Seriously? What was wrong with that guy?
If he liked Kim Dokja that much and treated him like that, how bad would it have gotten if Kyrgios had actually hated him? Would he have just given up and killed him or something?
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is hoping to return to the action soon.]
For once, Kim Dokja would agree. He didn't want any more focus on him or whatever was up with Kyrgios when there was potentially a battle going on. He also really didn't like that message from Uriel, whatever it meant.
Suddenly, Lee Hyunsung gasped in horror. "Is she okay!?"
Kim Dokja's gaze jerked back to the screen and he watched in horror as Asuka Ren started to suffer from a probability storm. It looked horrific, and she didn't have anything to help mitigate the pain either.
If Izumi was really calling all the disasters to him… this was beyond bad. Kim Dokja just had to hope that the others would listen to his instructions and abandon the castle if it came down to it.
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is stressed for the safety of his incarnation.]
Dokja's eyes widen in concern as Asuka continues, explaining that her choice to become miniaturized allows her to resist the authority of the throne. The scene abruptly cuts to show some of the inhumans, whose veins bulge and eyes glow red as they pant, no longer remotely resembling the humans they once were. Their appearance, exaggerated by the command of the 'Throne', makes them truly become monsters. As they let out guttural noises from the back of their throats, Asuka's concerned voice fades back in, "However… those that chose to become a 'disaster'…"
Sooyoung quickly leaps to her feet and declares that she'll scout the situation at the front lines as Dokja keeps an eye on the Japanese woman. Dokja focuses on her as Asuka speaks up again, softly and full of guilt as she states how she couldn't say anything to Kyrgios—that she couldn't apologize for making this world, or for penning his suffering with her own hand.
"The story I created had already left my hands and existed completely in its own right," Asuka says quietly.
[the constellation 'scribe of heaven' is narrowing his eyes in concern.]
"At least she's not compelled by the order the same way the others might be, but the fact that it's hurting her isn't a good sign either," Lee Seolhwa remarked with worry in her tone. The following scene of the effects on the other incarnations made her purse her lips and frown even more.
Kim Dokja let out a sigh of relief as Han Sooyoung offered to scout out what was going on, and he offered her a small, thankful nod. Realizing the severity of the situation, she didn't tease or say anything stupid in return, and she just nodded back.
[a few constellations are hoping that the incarnation 'asuka ren' does not feel too guilty.]
"All she did was make something because she loved the idea enough to do so," Yoo Sangah muttered quietly. "It's not her fault that it became real, just as it wasn't Dokja-ssi's fault for reading the novel."
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is pondering the words of the incarnation 'asuka ren'.]
A flashback appears of her watching Dokja and Kyrgios interact during the evening before it changes to show her wistful expression. Then it flashes again, showing several scenes in quick succession—those of Kyrgios chasing after them, and then the soldiers and civilians defending the castle.
Dokja kneels before her and says, "It's because they're now more than just characters you created. You can't feel responsible for the lives that have already left your hands; that's for someone else to do."
She stays silent for a moment before asking if Dokja is also a writer, but Dokja shakes his head and states that he's a reader. Asuka looks down with a sad smile as she declares that she's envious of the writer who has a reader like him. Their emotional conversation is cut off as Sooyoung calls out Dokja's name and rushes them to a nearby cliff.
Looking out over the precipice, Dokja's expression changes to one of shock as he sees smoke drifting from the castle as dawn breaks behind it.
"This must be really hard for her," Shin Yoosung muttered sadly. "I understand."
Ah… Shin Yoosung had felt guilt for the actions of her future self as well, so while it wasn't exactly the same situation, she had a closer experience than anyone else. Not even Han Sooyoung could relate, even as a fellow author. Of course, part of it was because this world wasn't hers, but the other part of it was that Kim Dokja honestly wasn't sure that she'd feel bad about it either.
Kim Dokja felt himself relax and let out a sigh of relief upon hearing his own advice to her. 'They were more than just characters'… glancing over at everyone else, he could tell that they felt reassured by that as well. Maybe it was the proof they wanted that in the future, he wouldn't think of them as just 'characters' anymore, since everything had diverged in this room. While the him right now might be certain that they were their own people, that had never been fully confirmed for his future self before.
[many constellations are feeling emotional over the words of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
When she asked if he was a writer, Kim Dokja scoffed. "Me? A writer? I could never."
He didn't want to craft worlds of his own when he could spend all his time disappearing into ones that other people wove from words alone. Though he couldn't understand how Asuka Ren felt about being jealous, he knew that he was beyond grateful for tls123, so he felt the same from the other side of things. Han Sooyoung shifted uncomfortably, frowning and glancing away with a sigh, before she shook her head to brush it off as her future self appeared to lead them over to a cliff to survey the situation from there.
[many constellations are worried for the group at the castle.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is excited for the upcoming fight.]
"Shit," Jung Heewon hissed upon seeing the scene of the castle in the distance. "You'd better be okay, dammit."
They had to be. Kim Dokja honestly wasn't sure what he would do if they weren't.