[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is tearing out his hair from stress.]
Kim Dokja wanted to do the same, especially while they didn't know what the situation in Seoul truly was. Even though Jung Heewon had done her best to cheer everyone up as much as she could, the kids still seemed extremely anxious as everyone passed through the portal to go back home.
[a few constellations hope that the scenario in the 'seoul dome' wasn't too hard.]
As Dokja nearly trips his way out of the portal, he looks around, trying to determine his location. Although he can tell that he's in Seoul, he's unable to figure out exactly where he is. When movement comes from the portal behind him once more, Dokja looks back in and watches, shocked, as Joonghyuk majestically exits the portal without missing a step. Stepping back slightly, Dokja laments that even when everyone seems to be appearing in different places, he gets stuck with the protagonist who may or may not want to kill him.
Joonghyuk looks over his shoulder, drawing his sword, as he tells Dokja to move. They jump out of the way of what appear to be the same magic grenades that Sooyoung used in Chungmuro, and as they land on the ground, they can hear people calling out that the 'Supreme King' is here as well as the commands to open fire and not panic. They aren't forgetting about Dokja either, and they remind each other that the two Kings aren't on the same side. From atop the building, others yell for their ground crews to focus on the 'King of No Killing' as his attribute prevents him from being lethal.
Kim Dokja's eyes widened in surprise when he was the only one who came stumbling out of the portal, even though they had all entered together.
"It's spitting us out in different places!?" Lee Gilyoung gasped, grabbing tighter onto Kim Dokja's sleeve as he paled nervously.
Fuck, that wasn't good. If the kids ended up somewhere else, they could be in danger and Kim Dokja wouldn't even be around to help them.
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is concerned for the safety of the incarnations.]
"Wait," Lee Hyunsung called a moment later, "someone else is with Dokja-ssi."
Anxiously, Kim Dokja watched and relaxed somewhat when he saw that it was the protagonist. On one hand, the two of them would be fine—the likelihood of any potential ambushers being able to best both them at once was pretty slim—but on the other, that meant that Yoo Joonghyuk couldn't have ended up with the kids to protect them either.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is shrieking in excitement.]
Yoo Joonghyuk, though he was still holding onto Yoo Mia, straightened up further when he saw that the two of them were together. He seemed almost pleased by this turn of events, though his expression turned darker when Kim Dokja groaned internally.
"You fool," he hissed, shooting a glare in his direction. Okay, fine, so the protagonist didn't want him dead—as proven only a second later when he warned Kim Dokja about an attack. Shit, so they were being ambushed after all.
Yoo Sangah gasped, blanching as the magic bombs came flying in. "Oh god, not those again."
Even Han Sooyoung looked uncomfortable, knowing full well how destructive those could be. This wasn't going to be good, especially since they seemed to have recognized Yoo Joonghyuk on sight. That meant that they knew exactly who they were up against, and yet they still chose to press on.
Something wasn't right here and, as Kim Dokja exchanged a glance with Yoo Joonghyuk, they both knew it.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is suspicious about the knowledge possessed by the ambushers.]
"Aren't on the same side, my ass," Han Sooyoung groaned. "They're in for it now."
Grimacing and glaring intently, Jung Heewon nodded before shooting a dark look at the protagonist. "Hey, you'd better keep your promise and keep him safe, you hear me?"
Yoo Joonghyuk raised a brow, glancing over at her. "That's not a concern."
He was really that confident about all this, huh? Well, at least those people had one thing wrong—Kim Dokja was no longer the 'King of No Killing'.
Dokja looks at the large group forming, wondering if these incarnations belong to the Nebulae that Persephone warned him about, and also getting a bit irritated as he wonders when the information about his attribute leaked—especially since they're talking about killing him as soon as he revives if he has enough points. Someone calls his name, causing Dokja to look over as the thug-like man tells him to sheath his weapon and come over. Dokja sheaths the sword while asking where they got their information. When the man taunts him, Dokja smirks and states that they've gotten something wrong.
Not allowing them any time to process his words, Dokja activates [Blade of Faith] and beheads several of the incarnations surrounding him. This sows discord in the group as some people begin claiming that the man lied to them, while others still attack frantically. Calmly, Dokja leaves them in pieces, their blood still flying through the air as they draw their last breaths.
The initial thug stumbles back, surprised by Dokja's skill, before calling for a retreat. Dokja watches them for a second before he's left annoyed by Joonghyuk calling him slow, already polishing his sword to hammer in his point.
[a few constellations are wondering about the affiliations of the ambushers.]
"That is a good question, how did they know about your attribute?" Lee Seolhwa wondered, seeming pensive as she watched the screen.
If they truly did belong to the Nebulae who were out to get him for one reason or another, then it wouldn't be too surprising if their sponsors had spread the information about his attribute. Of course, a less ideal answer would be that someone who knew had either betrayed him or had been taken hostage and forced to answer.
Yoo Joonghyuk glared at Kim Dokja again as he sheathed his sword and began walking towards the other incarnations. Looking incredibly upset, he hissed, "What do you think you're doing?"
"Yeah, are you sure you're not walking into a trap, ahjussi?" Yoo Mia asked, sounding extremely doubtful.
Kim Dokja sighed. "It's going to be fine, I promise. They're letting their guard down—they don't think I can kill them, remember?"
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is eagerly looking forward to a bloodbath.]
[several constellations are hoping to see the tides turn.]
"See?" Kim Dokja said, gesturing to the screen with a smug smile on his face as his sword sliced off several heads. Though he didn't particularly enjoy killing people, he had to use his element of surprise to catch everyone he couldn't reach with his sword off-guard.
"Still, don't get overconfident either, Dokja-ssi," Yoo Sangah reminded him gently. She did have a point, admittedly, but at least the other incarnations were retreating quickly.
However…
Han Sooyoung snorted. "All you did was cut off a few heads and scare the rest a bit, but somehow that guy committed a whole fucking massacre in half that time."
Fucking protagonist powers…
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is overjoyed to see the companions having each other's backs.]
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is calling for a toast.]
And he was even cleaning his sword already. Kim Dokja almost wanted to groan. Why was he so OP?
[a constellation who likes swords approves of the maintenance habits of the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
One of the still living incarnations on Joonghyuk's side of the battle nearly breaks down as he claims that he was told that the Supreme King wouldn't cooperate with the King of No Killing. Dokja decides to ask him who was behind these orders but, as the man falls into deep thought, he glares at Dokja with immense hatred before rushing forward. "For the liberation of humanity from the scenarios!"
Dokja pauses in surprise at his words, his eyes widening in shock. His surprise is so strong that he doesn't even react as the sword draws nearer and nearer to his head.
What? … Liberation from the scenario?
Before the blade can touch Dokja, Joonghyuk separates the man's head from his neck in a clean slice. Frowning, he asks why Dokja was standing around and staring at the guy like an idiot. It's only when a splatter of blood hits his face that Dokja snaps back to reality.
"Oh, you left someone alive this time," Kim Dokja said with a pleased smile on his face before he looked over at the protagonist teasingly. "Ah, I'm so proud. Our Joonghyuk-ie has grown so much since Chungmuro."
Yoo Joonghyuk scoffed and rolled his eyes, but he didn't respond with a threat. That was probably progress, and something inside Kim Dokja felt warm upon realizing that he could tease this much and get away unscathed. Han Sooyoung, on the other hand, looked a bit offended at the reminder of what had happened the last time Yoo Joonghyuk had chased down the last member of an attacking group.
[a few constellations are amused by the teasing.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is sobbing tears of joy.]
Jung Heewon scoffed when the incarnation claimed that the two kings wouldn't cooperate. "They might deny it, but they've been cooperating on and off this entire time. Only an idiot would assume that they wouldn't back each other up when they're both in trouble."
Very true, and that probably meant that whoever was behind these orders didn't know them very well. Kim Dokja's eyes narrowed in thought, and a deep frown crossed his lips.
"Ahjussi, you look like you have an idea of who it is," Shin Yoosung said, looking up at him curiously.
Well, he kind of did have a theory, but he couldn't be certain. Kim Dokja glanced over at Yoo Sangah after a moment, saying, "Remember when I told you to be wary of the Neutral King? If the balance of power seemed like it was tipping for some reason, he'd join whichever side he thought was most advantageous."
"Oh, right!" Lee Jihye exclaimed suddenly, looking as though she just had a revelation. "The only times that guy saw you and Master together, Master was mad at you."
[a few constellations are wondering about the whereabouts of the 'neutral king'.]
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is displeased with the incarnation 'jeon ildo'.]
Maybe they'd be able to find—
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is urging the incarnation 'kim dokja' to pay attention.]
"Ahjussi!" Shin Yoosung shrieked, terrified by the sword swinging closer and closer to his face. Lee Gilyoung was alternating between looking afraid and furious, hugging him closely in his nervousness.
"Holy fucking shit, Kim Dokja!" Han Sooyoung hissed. "Why are you zoning out in the middle of a fucking fight!?"
Kim Dokja blinked in surprise for a moment, before his suspicions hit him in full force. "What he said… it sounds familiar."
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is reprimanding the incarnation 'kim dokja' for getting distracted.]
As soon as Yoo Joonghyuk stepped in to save him by committing murder, everyone seemed to relax. Kim Dokja stopped and stared in awe for a moment, his mind replaying that single, elegant cut. There were no wasted movements, and the extension of his blade was so perfect that there wasn't ever a chance of it slicing Kim Dokja either.
"Joonghyuk-ah, you…" Kim Dokja muttered breathlessly, staring directly into the protagonist's dark eyes. He didn't know what to think, too overcome by an emotion that he was too afraid to name.
For an instant, Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes seemed to soften just a touch. "I said I would protect you."
He did, but… that was here, not in the future. Kim Dokja knew he shouldn't read into it much, especially not when Yoo Joonghyuk just found him convenient as a companion who could act as a prophet, but it was hard not to feel touched.
"Ah… thanks, I guess."
What more could he say? His words were catching in his throat, and he felt too overwhelmed to think. It didn't matter that Lee Jihye was making an ungodly noise, or that Han Sooyoung was groaning. It didn't matter that Jung Heewon was snickering or that Yoo Sangah was looking at them fondly.
It didn't even matter that the two kids clinging to him seemed to be looking at Yoo Joonghyuk approvingly for once.
All that mattered was that Yoo Joonghyuk was looking at him like that—like he was worth protecting, and that his life had value. Kim Dokja forced himself to look away, knowing that if he kept staring, he'd probably end up saying something stupidly impulsive.
[a few constellations are mourning that the moment is over.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is scoffing.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is begging for the incarnations 'yoo joonghyuk' and 'kim dokja' to do that again.]
Dokja immediately asks if Joonghyuk finds the situation strange, and the protagonist agrees that such loyalty is unusual these days. Dokja tries to press about his hunch more, but Joonghyuk changes the subject as he looks at an incarnation who has escaped while Dokja was dragging out the pitiful attempt at a discussion. Looking like he just sucked on a lemon, Dokja mentally berates the other man for not allowing full conversations.
Later, at night, the two are running as Dokja asks if they're sticking together for a while, and then wonders if it's because Joonghyuk's looking for the opportunity to hit him. Joonghyuk's gaze whips around to glare at him, his eyes almost glowing as he remembers that he did say something along those lines. Dokja immediately backtracks, wishing that the other man would forget he said that, and berates himself for saying it at all.
Seeing the mostly barren streets, Dokja finds it strange as the 'Hunting Scenario' should have been in progress. As they come across a group of corpses, Dokja realizes that their mortal wounds have all come from human weapons like swords and bullets rather than a monster's claws and teeth, which Joonghyuk confirms.
Lee Hyunsung blinked in confusion. "Ah… is it that weird?"
Of course it was. Lee Hyunsung was just one of those strange people who was inherently loyal to a fault, and it was hard for him to understand that he was an exception and not the rule.
[the constellation 'master of steel' is reassuring his incarnation that his loyalty is appreciated.]
[a few constellations are disappointed that the other incarnation escaped.]
Yoo Sangah laughed a bit. "Well, it's good that Joonghyuk-ssi is leaving them alive now, but I think you both got distracted there."
"Yeah, by each other," Han Sooyoung groaned. "Ugh, this is bullshit. Why do we have to watch them be insufferable in the future too?"
They weren't that bad, were they? Sure, they fucked up that sad excuse for an interrogation, but that wouldn't happen again. Han Sooyoung needed to have more faith in their skills.
Yoo Mia sighed. "Ahjussi, at this rate we're all going to think that you want my oppa to hit you. That's weird."
[a constellation who enjoys the writings of a certain marquis is extremely intrigued by this idea.]
"I don't want to die, thanks," Kim Dokja replied bluntly. Even though he knew that Yoo Joonghyuk wasn't twisted enough to save his life only to turn around and kill him immediately after (in this regression, at least), he couldn't help but feel nervous anyway.
Why the fuck would he remind the protagonist of that? Was he an idiot?
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is concerned by the strange state of the 'seoul dome'.]
Kim Dokja's eyes narrowed instantly. In a hunting scenario, the incarnations would have to work together to defeat stronger than average monsters. Of course, there would always be some casualties, but there usually wasn't much infighting. Everyone would get a share of the loot for contributing, so there wasn't any benefit in fighting other people.
Then again, humanity was greedy, and there were bound to be little squabbles. But for them to be on this scale, something had to have gone very wrong.
Upon hearing rapid footsteps, they look off to the side and catch sight of the runner from their earlier confrontation. Before he makes it far, however, an arrow whistles through the air and lodges itself in his neck.
"There's no doubt," a familiar voice states, causing Dokja to look surprised as Min Jiwon's group approaches the fallen body. "He's a remnant of the Salvation Church."
Before the hwarang can kill him at Jiwon's orders, Dokja calls for them to wait as he runs over. At the sound of his voice, Jiwon looks over, her eyes sparkling in shock. A little while later, Jiwon explains that the Kings' factions have all disbanded. She explains that the Maitreya King was the first to fall, with the Wanderers falling afterwards.
Hiding the shakiness in his voice and the sudden feeling of dizziness, Dokja asks if the King of Wanderers is dead. Jiwon shrugs, stating that she's missing, and that the Neutral King has completely defected to the other side. As she says this an image of Sookyung's back appears before a side view of Ildo's slimy smile takes over.
Lee Seolhwa gasped in surprise when the man they were pursuing suddenly ended up dead with an arrow in his neck. "Oh goodness."
Shit, their one source of information was incapacitated just like that. Would the archer be a friend or a foe?
[the constellation 'lady of the sleeping brocade' is perking up excitedly.]
"It's Jiwon-ssi?" Yoo Sangah gasped as the woman appeared on the screen, accompanied as always by her guards.
Kim Dokja, on the other hand, couldn't be relieved. She hadn't just said the 'Salvation Church', had she? Deep down, he prayed that was wrong because if they were showing up this early, something had gone irreparably off the rails already. It wasn't even the 10th scenario yet, they should be progressing fairly normally, so what had happened?
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is narrowing his eyes in suspicion.]
"At least she can tell us what's going on, right?" Lee Gilyoung wondered, looking eagerly up at Kim Dokja. He was rewarded with a pat on his head as Kim Dokja forced a smile onto his face as he nodded.
However, it quickly fell as she began to explain what had happened in the meantime.
[the constellation 'one-eyed maitreya' is devastated by the words of the incarnation 'min jiwon'.]
Fuck, so he had…
And then she said that the Wanderers had fallen too, and Kim Dokja felt his breath get stolen from his lungs as his head began to swim. What? No. No, that couldn't be—
Suddenly, Kim Dokja felt like a child again, peeking out from his room after hearing that man stomp away. He felt like he was back in that house, seeing his mother beaten and bruised on the floor, and he felt sick.
Before he could stop himself, he turned just enough to look at her, and the expression on her face didn't help matters any. While normally she was so cold and walled off from the world, completely detached from her emotions, right now… right now, her eyes were widened in shock and her mouth was open ever so slightly.
It wasn't much, but through her layers of impassivity, Kim Dokja could make out a familiar spark of fear that dug deep into his soul and made him feel horrible in so many ways. He didn't want her dead, even if he hated her for what she had done. Though he opened his mouth to say something, nothing escaped but empty air.
The world around him was fuzzy and he didn't know what to think. Through the fog, he could barely make out that she was missing. Missing, and not dead. It was as relieving as it was confusing, and Kim Dokja forced himself to look away before he truly lost his grip on reality. The kids' presences next to him helped keep himself grounded, but as he slowly came back to himself, there were other things he needed to worry about.
[the constellation 'founder's mother' is greatly angered by the current events.]
[a few constellations are feeling conflicted.]
"Oh that slimy son of a bitch," Jung Heewon hissed angrily upon the reveal that the Neutral King truly had betrayed them. "We should just get rid of him early this time around."
[many constellations are agreeing with the words of the incarnation 'jung heewon'.]
Worried about both Heewon and Sangah's safety since they had been with the Wanderers, Dokja asks if it was the Yeouido faction behind this. Jiwon shakes her head, stating it's an emerging faction, a group of bastards going by the name 'Salvation Church'. Dokja's eyes widen in recognition while Joonghyuk just listens as he walks beside him.
Salvation Church…?!
'Originally, the 'Salvation Church' appears during the eleventh scenario, at the earliest. In other words, they would have shown up after the Seoul Liberation Scenario was over,' Dokja thinks as Jiwon explains that the Salvation Church arrived the day the first Korean group left, and that their aim is to 'save humanity from the scenarios'. Unfortunately, she also informs the two other Kings that the Salvation Church has been killing any groups who try to go against them. Joonghyuk asks where such a powerful group was hiding because he was certain that all the major factions in Seoul would've gathered at the start of the sixth scenario.
"They aren't from Seoul," Jiwon announces, the bags under her eyes seeming more pronounced. Suddenly, Dokja and Joonghyuk look up at the sky just in time to see it brighten as shooting stars fall from the heavens. When they hit the ground, around 900 people wearing casual clothing appear in digital flourishes as notifications announce that they've entered a new scenario zone for the seventh main scenario.
Shin Yoosung gasped in horror. "Heewon-unnie and Sangah-unnie were with her? Are they okay?"
Shit. Shit, that was so bad. Kim Dokja didn't know if two of his most reliable allies were alive or dead, and he didn't even know how to comfort them, still reeling from the reveal. At least Lee Seolhwa was doing her best to keep Yoo Sangah calm while Lee Hyunsung was once again getting the life squeezed out of his hand by Jung Heewon. He'd be fine, probably.
[the constellations of the nebula 'olympus' are feeling hostility towards the 'salvation church'.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is swearing vengeance on anyone who dares to harm her incarnation.]
Right, the two of them both had immensely powerful sponsors. They'd likely be fine, even if their current situation wasn't very good.
"Ahjussi, you know who those bastards are?" Lee Jihye asked with a furious glint in her eyes. Clearly, she was feeling incredibly protective of the older women as well. "They showed up in the novel too, right?"
Thankfully, as he nodded, his future self began to explain. It made no sense why they were appearing so early, and the timing was entirely too suspicious. Arriving the day after their group left for Peace Land… that had to be intentional in some way.
Yoo Sangah, on the other hand, gasped for a different reason. "The 'Seoul Liberation Scenario'? Does that mean that we'll be saved…?"
"No," Yoo Joonghyuk replied firmly. "That is when we will leave the dome covering Seoul, and the scenarios will spread to the rest of the world."
A tense atmosphere fell over everyone at that, and Kim Dokja had to admit that when it was put that way, it did feel pretty helpless. However, hope was never completely lost this early in the scenarios. As long as they kept surviving, they'd be able to persevere and gather the strength that they would need going forward.
[many constellations are protesting the sudden addition of the 'salvation church'.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is disappointed to have missed the fights.]
"Wait, if they're not from Seoul, then how did they get here?" Lee Hyunsung asked suddenly, with only a slight hitch in his breath as Jung Heewon squeezed his hand a bit tighter. "If we can't leave, then other people can't enter the city either, right?"
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is confirming the hypothesis of the incarnation 'lee hyunsung'.]
Wait, that couldn't be happening already, right? Kim Dokja's eyes widened in shock as the lieutenant's question was answered only a moment later as a bunch of new incarnations were suddenly sent into the scenario, looking confused and horrified.
"That's how," Kim Dokja replied quietly, feeling somewhat sickened by the expressions on the new incarnations' faces. They had been torn from their peaceful lives and suddenly got tossed into a living hell.
[a few constellations are excited to see the effects of new variables.]
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is sticking his finger in his ear as he waits for something exciting to happen.]