Though he was tense, Kim Dokja had to hope that any interference in the scenario was in their favour, since they were kind of the side getting screwed over here. He had an inkling of what might end up happening, but he didn't want to get his hopes up too much.
It would be amazing if a certain returnee's restrictions were lifted a bit in return, but there was always a chance that another constellation would interfere on their behalf—such as Snake Cutter himself.
[many constellations are curious about what will happen next.]
Ganul looks up in shock, all her windows turning red with errors as soldiers cower in fear of the monster in front of them.
Addressing Dokja in his true voice, Yamata no Orochi rages over the fact that a mere human would dare go against him. The pressure exuded from his words causes all incarnations, including the disasters and those still unconscious, to spit up blood.
Looking up at the much stronger constellation, Dokja realizes that he's not strong enough to face it even if was able to fully use [Electrification] at his power level. But this doesn't discourage him, instead he grins.
You just made the worst mistake of your life. Balance was the divine principle that governed the Star Stream—if someone destroys plausibility, then someone also obtains plausibility.
As Dokja thinks this, probability crackles through the forest until it reaches someone who immediately pushes off the ground in a crackle of electricity.
"Oh shit, that doesn't look like a good sign," Han Sooyoung muttered with a grimace as the dokkaebi's screens all began crapping out with error messages. "What the fuck is even happening?"
Well, Kim Dokja could cross out 'pissing off a powerful constellation' from his non-existent bucket list. Again.
Anyway, though Kim Dokja was just a 'mere human' in comparison to a mythological serpent with centuries of legends behind its back, that didn't mean that humanity could never defy the divine. In fact, the constellation really should have expected that—after so long, how had it never realized that humans are really fucking stubborn?
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is glaring at the constellation 'sovereign of eight heads'.]
As everyone struggled against the constellation's true voice, Lee Seolhwa only tensed up further. It must be painful for her that she wasn't around to help everyone, and Kim Dokja just had to hope that there would be enough aftermath for her to find later. At the very least, if she could help them recover again like she did after the Disaster of Floods, then she'd probably feel better about herself.
"Why are you smiling, ahjussi? Things are really bad…" Yoo Mia wondered, looking at Kim Dokja like he was insane.
Thankfully, his thoughts began to be narrated, and Kim Dokja had to smile just like his future self. "You'll see, Mia-yah. That snake is about to have the worst day of its life."
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is snickering in amusement.]
Lee Hyunsung's eyes widened as soon as he realized what was going on, and he quickly looked at Kim Dokja in shock. "Wait, isn't that—"
"It is," Kim Dokja confirmed gleefully. This was going to be amazing.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is tearing out his hair in excitement.]
"Since when were Outer Gods allowed to interfere in the scenario?" An annoyed voice speaks as lightning cracks across the screen. Pointing his sword at the claw-like limbs emerging from the storm, Kyrgios threatens the Outer God, saying, "Do not meddle in the affairs of my planet unless you want to face me on this planet where my fable was birthed."
A strike of lightning erupts from his sword, forcing the horrific creature to retreat. The moment the Outer God's storm dissipates, the sky returns to normal from the unsettling red it had been as probability backfires on Yamata no Orochi, causing him to shrink, as he continues to curse at an unimpressed Kyrgios.
Jung Heewon laughed breathlessly. "Oh they're so fucking done."
She was absolutely right, and Kim Dokja felt a sense of exhilaration wash over him as his teacher took a stand directly against an Outer God—albeit an undescended one. That was still an impressive feat on its own, and Kim Dokja was absolutely thrilled to be able to witness something like this.
[many constellations are astonished by the appearance of the returnee 'kyrgios rodgraim'.]
"Oh, his fable really did begin here," Yoo Sangah observed, looking as though she had come to some kind of realization. "This is the same situation as the Absolute Throne being more effective in our world since we have different countries, but instead his fable is most powerful in Peace Land, right?"
"Correct," Yoo Joonghyuk said. "Fables are always most powerful where they have some kind of connection."
In other words, while Kyrgios might have been one of the most powerful people in the First Murim world, if those same matchups had happened in Peace Land, he might have been able to win easily. Of course, if any of those people had fables originating in the First Murim, then it was even more impressive that he was able to match up to them under those circumstances in the first place.
"Yeah! Send that ugly thing away!" Shin Yoosung cheered, and Kim Dokja had to snicker a bit when the other kids joined in.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is endeared by the children.]
Lee Gilyoung's eyes were wide and excited as he pointed at the massive lightning bolt firing into the sky. "Hyung, do you think I could do something like that with my hammer?"
"On a much smaller scale, maybe," Kim Dokja admitted. Who was he to ruin the kid's dreams?
Lee Seolhwa let out a sigh of relief as the Outer God retreated and the constellation was finally hit with the backlash. "Hopefully this will be a good opportunity for our side."
Taking advantage of the situation, Dokja rushes forward in a crackle of his own [Electrification], ready to end it all. Gritting his teeth and brandishing his sword, Dokja begins to drop from the air towards the snake's neck. Noticing him, the head whirls around to attack but suddenly halts in confusion. The sound of a water drop seems to echo in the air before Dokja's eyes widen in shock as everything goes monochrome and a man's pleading voice begins to speak.
「Please end it. I beg of you, put all the stars to rest.」 Izumi's red and unseeing gaze seems to look up at Dokja while the cracks in his face mimic tears running from his eyes. Looking sad yet determined, Dokja nods solemnly.
While the 'Sovereign of Eight Heads' is angry at its incarnation, Dokja decapitates the final head with a clean and crackling cut. As [Electrification] wears off, Dokja's exhausted appearance is revealed as his hair and skin slowly lose their whitish-blue tint.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is eagerly looking forward to more bloodshed.]
Kim Dokja tensed up anxiously as he continued with his borrowed skill once more, using up those last three steps he had in him. Though he wasn't the kind to pray, he was hoping that he'd be able to pull this off and finally end it.
"If you miss, I swear to god…" Han Sooyoung muttered, sounding bitter and harsh, but her face betrayed her concern. She was just really bad at showing it, apparently.
He couldn't blame her for her anxiety, though—not when he was even more anxious than she was. In fact, every single person in this room looked to be on the edge of their nonexistent seats. With any luck, it would all be over soon.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is gasping in shock.]
Kim Dokja sucked in a breath, staring at the screen in horror, knowing that everyone else was in the same state as he was. Right, Izumi was still alive despite all of this, and right now, the only person who could even hear his pleas was Kim Dokja himself.
"Dokja-ssi, are you alright?" Yoo Sangah asked quietly, looking at him with sorrow-filled eyes.
Was he? Kim Dokja honestly wasn't sure. It was hard to hear someone begging for death, and he couldn't help but glance over at Yoo Joonghyuk.
The man looked oddly haunted, and Kim Dokja had to wonder just who he was remembering there. For a moment, the thought that it might have been the image of himself, on his knees and disembowelled due to taking the hit from the Disaster of Floods, but he waved that away as quickly as it had come.
Though it would make sense due to it being the most recent thing in his memory, Kim Dokja hoped that it wasn't what the protagonist was remembering, for his sake.
[many constellations are saddened by the request of the incarnation 'izumi hiroki'.]
Kim Dokja forced himself to keep his eyes open as he fulfilled Izumi's last request, unwilling to look away. It was over so quickly—a single clean slash, and he was dead. Kim Dokja could only hope that he would be at peace after that.
His own body, though, was in a horrible state, and he was not looking forward to having to deal with that later. Even if he wanted to, there was no way he could keep [Electrification] going any longer.
Suddenly, Lee Jihye frowned and looked at Kim Dokja fearfully. "Uh, ahjussi? You're gonna lose that attribute now, aren't you?"
When he nodded, she paled drastically, and Kim Dokja wasn't particularly impressed by how stressed she looked after that revelation.
[You have murdered a fellow member of your race.]
As he falls, Izumi's face looks calmer than it had been, and a slight smile appears on his lips as he's finally at peace once more. With a loud thud as the body falls and sprays the air with purple blood, Dokja receives not only a message that informs him that he has lost the title of 'King of No Killing', but also gained a fable for hunting the 'King of Catastrophes' who could not be assigned a grade by the system.
The body of the serpent quickly turns to bone as their allies fall over in exhaustion, with Hyunsung still managing a weak thumbs up while Pildu sits nearby. Joonghyuk stands with a solemn expression, making sure to observe every moment and not allowing himself to look away. All the kids, Asuka Ren, and several soldiers are completely unconscious on the ground. Meanwhile, Ganul is immediately brought into an emergency meeting with all the dokkaebi of both the Seoul and Tokyo domes due to the fact that an impossible scenario has been cleared.
[several constellations are mourning the death of the incarnation 'izumi hiroki'.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is sighing in disappointment.]
"Right, so now that your King attribute is gone, you're getting a guard detail," Jung Heewon declared in a no-nonsense tone, even crossing her arms as she did. She looked extremely serious, and Kim Dokja had to laugh awkwardly under his breath and glance around at everyone else, hoping that this was some kind of bad joke.
No one else was laughing. Shit.
Lee Hyunsung's eyes gleamed excitedly as he raised his hand. "I volunteer, Heewon-ssi!"
"Of course," she replied, as though she had expected that response. To be fair, Lee Hyunsung wasn't particularly hard to predict, either. "I'm also on it, obviously."
Yoo Sangah smiled gently. "I know that I'm not as strong as my future self is, but I wouldn't mind helping either."
Jung Heewon shot her a wide grin. "We're always going to need more common sense, you were already on the team.
As Yoo Sangah giggled in return, the kids perked up, trying to get Jung Heewon's attention.
"I'll do it!" Lee Gilyoung called eagerly. "I'm going to protect hyung no matter what."
Shin Yoosung glared viciously at him. "No, I will! What are you going to do anyway, surround ahjussi with flies?"
"Better than rabid dogs—"
They couldn't actually be serious about this, right?
Before Kim Dokja or Jung Heewon could say anything to the kids, who had once again devolved into bickering, Han Sooyoung glanced over and snorted. "Count me out. I'm not stupid enough to think that I could save that idiot from his own fucking moronic decisions."
Yeah, that was about what he had expected. While he didn't appreciate the insult, at least she trusted him enough to deal with the consequences of his so-called 'moronic decisions' (they were usually calculated, thank you very much) on his own. Or she just didn't trust that she wouldn't also get dragged into having to deal with the aforementioned consequences.
Which, honestly? Fair. Kim Dokja didn't particularly want to deal with the consequences of her stupid decisions again either, thanks. One dragon was one too many.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is laughing at the expression on the face of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
"That is unnecessary," Yoo Joonghyuk said suddenly, and Kim Dokja felt a sense of relief. Finally, someone who believed that he was capable of protecting himself. The protagonist would tell her that Kim Dokja would be fine, and—
Yoo Joonghyuk stared at Jung Heewon defiantly, nearly glaring at her, as he said, "I will protect Kim Dokja."
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is squealing excitedly.]
[a few constellations are wondering if the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is correct.]
Kim Dokja's jaw dropped. What the fuck?
Jung Heewon's hand went to her sword as she glared right back. "You won't be around all the time, so it has to be done."
Kim Dokja tried to protest, glancing between the two of them urgently. "Wait, no—"
Yoo Joonghyuk scoffed. "Then he will come with me."
Didn't Kim Dokja get a say in this!? Why the fuck was he getting ignored!?
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is narrowing his eyes.]
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is greatly amused by the current events.]
This was a goddamn mess, and the way that Han Sooyoung was cackling was not helping.
At least he had gotten a fable out of this, but being stuck in the middle of a metaphorical standoff between Yoo Joonghyuk—who actually wanted him around for some reason, even if it was just because he seemed to think that Kim Dokja would keel over and die the second he looked away—and Jung Heewon—who also seemed to think the same thing, but at least he could understand why she cared—was genuinely awful.
Like a benevolent goddess, Lee Seolhwa placed a gentle hand on Jung Heewon's shoulder. "This can be discussed later. For now, let's be glad that the fight is over and that everyone survived."
Though the two glared at each other for a few seconds longer, they seemed to come to some unspoken agreement and nodded. Kim Dokja nearly sighed from relief at that.
Thank you, Lee Seolhwa.
[a few constellations are curious about the dokkaebi meeting.]
None of you will ever understand what it feels like for someone to give it their all only to finally end up at the starting line. The sixth scenario has come to an end. I've finally arrived at the starting line for the track that heads for the ending I want.
Despite his exhaustion, Dokja looks up to the sky watching as a star flickers in the night sky before bursting apart in a brilliant flash of light. He watches the empty spot in the sky for a moment longer before he manages to push himself to his feet, still holding the sword. As the Star Stream informs him that his accomplishments have been acknowledged, the frowning figure of Kyrgios draws his attention.
Wind blows through the forests and landscapes of Peace Land, only to reveal a finally quiet Veronica Castle, still with smoke drifting from inside.
"The starting line? What do you mean, ahjussi?" Shin Yoosung wondered, shooting him a confused glance.
It took a moment for the pieces to click in Kim Dokja's head because his thoughts were all still jumbled by the previous argument, but his eyes widened as soon as they did. Fuck. All his hard work keeping his plan a secret from the constellations was about to go down the drain, wasn't it?
He was certain that his voice sounded shakier than usual when he replied to her. "It just means that I've almost finished preparing some things for a plan, that's all."
Internally he was pleading in the hopes that the details wouldn't be shown.
[many constellations are unnerved by the sight of a star vanishing.]
When Yoo Joonghyuk would eventually begin taking them out on even footing, the sky over Seoul would get much darker. By then, it would be a routine sight, but for now… it was novel. A star had actually died, and it was strange to believe that this was something that had been accomplished so early in the scenarios, even if it was only because of a combination of factors.
"Hyung's achievements deserve to be recognized!" Lee Gilyoung stated proudly, smiling widely at him. Though the kids were too far for him to pat their heads, the urge was still very much there.
The castle looked a little worse for wear, but they could rebuild. Kim Dokja just had to hope that Kyrgios would assume that he left to provide backup to the people here, and not that he ditched the training for any other reason. With any luck, that lie would hold up to scrutiny…
As it does this, the last system messages begin to appear, and the normally blue screen turns yellow.
[You have completed a total of four fables. You must now accumulate one last fable to become a constellation.]
But then, right when Kim Dokja thought he was safe, an indirect message popped up on the screen, and he cringed. This wasn't going to be good.
Han Sooyoung choked, Yoo Sangah gasped, Lee Hyunsung looked as confused as ever, and Jung Heewon was blinking at the screen in bafflement. Lee Jihye was squinting and tilting her head, the kids seemed to be whispering amongst themselves, and Lee Seolhwa was probably the calmest one here.
As for Yoo Joonghyuk, well… he looked like he had eaten a lemon and then been slapped in the face a few times. Like he was shocked and betrayed and confused all at once, and Kim Dokja understood why—he hated the constellations with every fiber of his being, and now his companion was vying to join their number. It must feel awful.
Trying to avoid even thinking about what she thought about all this—and to avoid any questions when everyone inevitably managed to gather their thoughts—Kim Dokja peered over the indirect messages that were pouring in instead.
[many constellations are flabbergasted.]
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is laughing excitedly]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is shrieking in surprise.]
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is choking on his wine.]
So, lots of excitement, amusement, and shock. Pretty much what he had expected.
Although… there was one that was confusing him a bit, and he wasn't entirely certain of the reasoning behind it. With a small frown on his face, Kim Dokja looked carefully at the last message in front of him.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is feeling extremely conflicted.]