Lee Seolhwa seemed sadder than usual as she gazed at the screen and at the newly arrived incarnations. "They seem so confused… this probably feels like an awful nightmare for all of them."
That would certainly be easier to believe than reality, especially if they had suddenly been plucked from their normal lives to participate in the scenarios.
[a few constellations are pitying the new incarnations.]
Seeing people appear around them, Joonghyuk comments on how it was time for new people to enter the scenario.
Currently, the 'Main Scenarios' were only in progress at the capital cities of countries around the world. However, there are times when far too many incarnations die as the scenario progresses. In such cases, the bureau would additionally summon a certain number of humans in accordance with internal regulations.
While Dokja narrates, the newcomers are split between people freaking out over their situation and those already preparing weapons—it looks like they've only gone through the first main scenario. Joonghyuk narrows his eyes while watching the group and asks if the 'Salvation Church' was summoned like them. When Jiwon agrees, he states it's strange for newly summoned people to defeat existing incarnations. Even though they'll get better rewards to help with balancing, the difference in experience would go far.
"The 'Leader of the Salvation Church' was powerful from the start," Jiwon states, her brow furrowing and her shoulders beginning to tremble as she remembers experiencing it for herself. "Supreme King, I know that you're strong, but don't ever go up against them in a fight. They've already transcended humanity, not just in terms of strength and resourcefulness. It was as if I'd witnessed something that wasn't human…"
As Jiwon's words trail off, she shakes violently as an image of a deeply shadowed figure looms behind her.
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is saddened by this revelation.]
"This doesn't usually happen until later, right?" Yoo Sangah asked quietly, and Kim Dokja confirmed it with a nod of his head. It was extremely unusual that so many incarnations had died this early in the scenarios. In most of the regressions, new incarnations wouldn't start appearing until the 9th or 10th scenario.
Jung Heewon sighed with a frown. "Looks like some of them are somewhat prepared, but the others aren't going to last long if they don't get their crap together soon."
That was true—those who didn't adapt quickly would die. Everyone could attest to the fact that it was hard to be suddenly thrust into a situation like this, but they had also seen firsthand what happened to the people who refused to loosen their morals and do whatever was necessary to survive.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is scratching his head in confusion.]
"They get better stuff than us just because they're new?" Lee Jihye asked, sounding almost offended as she stared at the screen in jealousy. "They should have to make their own bone swords too…"
Unfortunately, that would put them at too much of a disadvantage compared to the other incarnations from the original first scenario. However, upon hearing that the leader of the Salvation Church was extremely powerful from the moment they arrived, Kim Dokja's eyes narrowed. There was no way it was that person, right? There wasn't a single instance of him appearing before the 10th scenario in the novel, after all, and usually Yoo Joonghyuk only had to deal with his subordinates until later scenarios anyway. No matter how fucked up the scenario was, there was no chance that someone with the power to rival Yoo Joonghyuk had simply been set loose in the Seoul dome.
Lee Hyunsung glanced over hesitantly, trying to stay strong. "This person… they can't actually be as bad as Jiwon-ssi is saying, right?"
[the constellation 'lady of the sleeping brocade' is adamant that her incarnation would not exaggerate for something like this.]
Kim Dokja sighed. "If she's talking about who I think she might be, then he's probably worse."
"Well, we're fucked," Han Sooyoung said oh-so eloquently. Unfortunately, that was probably accurate.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is narrowing his eyes suspiciously.]
Above the newcomers, a group of dokkaebi appear in a crackle of energy. They instruct the incarnations not to panic and to search for a 'group' who can protect them until they can become full-fledged incarnations. Some of the newbies don't seem impressed with the dokkaebi, telling them to get lost.
Dokja observes them, determining that there must be 'Prophets' outside of the Seoul Dome, as well as those who have spread information about the scenarios thanks to the [Internet] skill being used by the incarnations inside. Looking over the people already armed and dressed in practical outfits for fighting, he guesses that the majority were prepared.
One of the men yells out that they have to find and join the 'Supreme King' since he's the strongest incarnation. Dokja looks both exasperated and tired as he stands behind Joonghyuk, wishing the new incarnations luck as they're walking to their deaths based on the regressor's stormy expression and aura.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is scoffing at the dokkaebi.]
"That's stupid," Yoo Mia huffed, "if this church thing is messing everyone up, then how many groups are even left?"
Very true, and it was going to be very hard for them to integrate themselves into any of the closer-knit groups that were left. If the attacks had really been that bad, then everyone would be on edge and less likely to accept any random people as new group members out of fear of sabotage.
"There were prophets outside of Seoul?" Jung Heewon asked absently for a moment. "Forgot about that, honestly."
To be fair, Kim Dokja was pretty sure that they had only appeared once in the group chat that the other prophets had before their untimely deaths.
He laughed a bit. "It would be pretty unlikely for all 1,200 people who read the first chapter at the very least to have ended up stuck in Seoul. There are probably a few prophets in Busan or Daegu, at the very least."
[constellations who enjoy mathematics are debating the hypothesis of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
"That's right, Donghoon-hyung was spreading rumours over the internet too," Lee Gilyoung exclaimed before looking up at Kim Dokja with an expression that told the man that he wanted to be praised. Kim Dokja smiled and patted his head, as usual.
"Being prepared is good, but it only goes so far without experience," Yoo Joonghyuk remarked, narrowing his eyes at the new incarnations who seemed to already have some weapons and useful clothing.
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is nodding along with the words of the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
As soon as one of them decided to join the Supreme King, though, Han Sooyoung wheezed. "They have a fucking death wish, clearly!"
Well, clearly the prophets had done a shitty job of spreading information. Yoo Joonghyuk would never accept anyone he found untrustworthy—especially in the 3rd regression—and he very rarely travelled with incarnations outside of his group anyway. They were barking up the completely wrong tree.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is hoping that the incarnations go with another option.]
Kim Dokja sighed and shot an amused look in the protagonist's direction. "Joonghyuk-ah, do you really have to look so pissed off all the time? They're complimenting you!"
Not that the protagonist really needed an ego boost, but still.
"They're dead weight," Yoo Joonghyuk retorted with a scoff, furrowing his brow and glancing back over at Kim Dokja in annoyance. Okay, that was probably true, but he didn't need to be so blatant about it!
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is very entertained by the current events.]
When they move on to calling the 'King of Beauty' beautiful but weak, Jiwon looks pretty miffed while Dokja's expression remains the same vacant look, albeit a bit more unimpressed. Before the perverts can get far in their conversation, another man calls out that the real strongest is the 'King of No Killing', also known as the 'Immortal King', since he won't die even when killed.
[the constellation 'lady of the sleeping brocade' is greatly offended on behalf of her incarnation.]
Shin Yoosung shrugged. "She's nice, but she's not really that strong."
That was true—especially on her own. If she ever got isolated, there was very little she could actually do. Actually, now that Kim Dokja looked at her… was she even carrying a weapon?
Yoo Sangah sighed. "I feel bad saying this, but it doesn't really look like Jiwon-ssi has improved much in the time you were gone…"
"Well, we were gone for just over two weeks in Peace Land, and a week there is a day in Seoul," Kim Dokja reminded her. "I'd be extremely surprised if she managed to get that much stronger in only a couple of days."
Lee Hyunsung blinked in confusion. "I know I had a few more days at least, but… didn't I improve a lot in a short time during the fifth scenario? Sangah-ssi too."
"That's different," Kim Dokja replied bluntly, grimacing slightly as he gestured to the protagonist. "You had that guy training you. I'd be more surprised if you hadn't improved."
And as for Yoo Sangah, well, that's what happened when someone was sponsored by a powerful nebula as well as finding the equipment meteorite. Anyway, Kim Dokja raised a brow somewhat when Yoo Joonghyuk looked somewhat less pissed off than before. Why did he seem so weird all of a sudden? That hadn't been meant as a compliment, considering how scared of him Lee Hyunsung had been afterwards.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is raising a brow at the suggestion of the incarnations.]
Wait, what?
"Ahjussi is ours!" Shin Yoosung hissed, grabbing onto his arm tightly. "They can't take him."
Not this again…
Han Sooyoung snorted. "Lemme get this straight—they want to follow this asshole just because he can come back from the dead? Wouldn't it be better to get a leader who won't fucking die all the time in the first place?"
Need he remind her that one of those deaths was her fault?
"In fact, even the 'Supreme King' and the 'King of Beauty' are both working for him. Apparently a lot of women are chasing him too." As they continue to describe the King, both Jiwon and Joonghyuk side eye Dokja, whose unchanging expression now looks weirdly warped and uncomfortable. Suddenly, when they discuss how to find him, one of the new incarnations says, "I heard that we have to find the Ugliest King. Apparently his face looks blurry or something?"
Suddenly, Dokja feels like someone's looking at him, and when he turns to check, he sees Joonghyuk staring quietly at him. Unfortunately, Dokja can't tell what he's looking at.
[many constellations are flabbergasted.]
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is thrilled by this conversation.]
[a constellation who likes harems is very interested in the words of the incarnations.]
Before he could say anything though, Kim Dokja let out an undignified cough when the incarnations made the extremely baffling claim that both Min Jiwon and Yoo Joonghyuk were working for him. Where the hell had that extremely false rumour even come from!?
There was a snowball's chance in hell that Yoo Joonghyuk, of all people, would take orders from him. He might cooperate under specific circumstances when they were working together, but he always did what he wanted.
"Excuse me, what?" Kim Dokja wheezed, staring at the screen with even wider eyes as he processed the next part of their statement.
All the women stared at the screen with varying degrees of disgust and confusion, and Kim Dokja couldn't even be offended. He didn't have women 'chasing after him' in any way, unless you counted Min Jiwon's weird masochistic crush. Yoo Sangah and Jung Heewon were trusted allies, not whatever the fuck these people were assuming!
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is greatly offended by the words of the incarnations.]
"I don't even know what to say," Jung Heewon admitted, squinting at the screen with the most confused expression he had ever seen on her face. "I know rumours are never accurate but wow."
Yoo Sangah nodded sagely. "Dokja-ssi is a nice person, but that would never happen."
"I'm definitely not interested in either of you that way," he hurried to say, hoping to reassure them further that he had no such intentions.
What Kim Dokja didn't expect was the two of them—and Han Sooyoung, which was strange because she wasn't even part of this conversation in the first place—groaning in unison and saying, "We know."
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is extremely amused by the current events.]
That was weird, but what was weirder was the way his face looked for a moment there. "What's wrong with my face?"
Lee Jihye looked at him like he was crazy. "What are you talking about, ahjussi? Nothing changed."
Kim Dokja gestured frantically at the screen. "It looks like I was drawn using someone's non-dominant hand! Why is everything so… so wobbly?"
"But that's how you always looked before?" Lee Gilyoung muttered, scrunching up his nose.
Huh?
[many constellations are confused by the words of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Why did it feel like he was getting gaslighted or something? It didn't help when the incarnations started talking about his face being blurry too. Ugh, he knew that everyone seriously thought that, but it couldn't actually be true, right?
"Wait a moment," Lee Seolhwa said suddenly. "Dokja-ssi, you said before that your face always looked normal to you when pictured on the screen, yes?"
When he nodded, she looked even more pensive.
"Nothing changed for the rest of us over the past few scenes, but you suddenly saw something different. Maybe… you finally got to see what the rest of us have always seen?"
Kim Dokja's jaw dropped. If she was right and that abomination was what everyone was seeing all the time, no wonder he kept getting called ugly!
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is snickering at the misfortune of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Kim Dokja groaned. "Are you just going to make fun of me too, Joonghyuk-ah?"
When he finally glanced over, Yoo Joonghyuk was looking intently at him. Kim Dokja felt a shiver run down his spine at the sheer weight of his gaze as the protagonist seemingly examined him from head to toe. After a moment, he huffed and looked away with red ears.
"You are not ugly, Kim Dokja."
For a moment, everything seemed to freeze as his cheeks burned. Kim Dokja looked away as quickly as he could, completely ignoring Uriel's sudden barrage of messages and Lee Jihye's shrieking. He couldn't focus on any of that because what the fuck just happened? That was halfway to a compliment???
"Oh," was all he managed to squeak out before biting his tongue so he couldn't say anything embarrassing.
Unfortunately, he could still hear Han Sooyoung let out a long-suffering sigh. "Ugh, men."
As the incarnations keep talking, Dokja's expression turns stony when he realizes that this is the story that has spread about him. Deep down, he feels frustrated about breaking the Throne. Before the chattering gets much further, the resonant sound of a horn echoes through the streets. Sweating nervously, Jiwon tells them that they have to run. After a quick switch to the stomp of an elephant's foot. It flips back to Jiwon's crestfallen face as she announces the arrival of the Salvation Church.
"You poor things have been made puppets of the scenario of higher beings," a sonorous voice says, and it feels as though the entire space is ringing with its sound. "We have come to save your souls!"
A huge procession of elephant-like monsters—Grade 7 Desert Thorn Elephants—and people walking in white achkan sherwani with churidar or mundu and Kasaya. The newbies watch on, impressed as the elephants pass with monks meditating upon their backs.
Joonghyuk scoffs as he observes the scene and states that he didn't think he'd be chased in this life as well. Dokja looks over and asks if he knows these people, and, glowering, Joonghyuk states that he knows just one of them. Dokja looks over at the procession in confusion, trying to remember if they appeared in the second regression.
"Those people are stupid," Shin Yoosung muttered in displeasure. "They know nothing about you, ahjussi."
Well, he couldn't say he was particularly pleased with all this nonsense either, in all honesty. While the Min Jiwon part could have been true if he had actually bought her out in the fourth scenario, it wasn't. Calling Yoo Joonghyuk his subordinate was just laughable.
Kim Dokja shrugged. "It's not the worst rumour that's ever been spread about me."
Ah fuck, he shouldn't have said that. Everyone stared at him with varying degrees of horror and worry, and he just wanted to bury his face in his hands. It would have been fine to say that kind of thing before they knew, but now…
"Can we just… forget I ever said that?" he asked quietly, his voice far more whiny than he'd like.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is looking sadly at the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is covering his ears.]
"Horns?" Lee Hyunsung asked suddenly, perking up at the extremely loud noise that came out of nowhere.
Kim Dokja's eyes widened in horror when Min Jiwon declared that the Salvation Church had arrived. How had they gotten here so quickly?
Yoo Joonghyuk's eyebrow twitched at the sound of the voice, and Kim Dokja's attention was instantly on him. Did the protagonist just find the voice particularly annoying or something?
"Puppets, huh?" Jung Heewon muttered as she narrowed her eyes. "I get the feeling that this is all bullshit."
That just about summed it up, yep.
[many constellations are impressed by the procession.]
"That is quite impressive," Yoo Sangah admitted in awe. Kim Dokja honestly couldn't blame her for being so amazed—they had to have some decently levelled tamers to keep control of those monsters, and the sheer number of people they had walking ahead of them was intense. They sure knew how to make an impression.
Han Sooyoung jerked her thumb at the screen. "See that? Now that's a fucking cult."
"All that means is that their cult has more money than yours did, ahjumma," Yoo Mia drawled with a roll of her eyes. Han Sooyoung pursed her lips for a second before rolling her eyes, and Kim Dokja took that to mean that she would actually probably do something this showy if she could just for the hell of it.
[the eyes of the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' are gleaming at the shiny trinkets.]
Then, Yoo Joonghyuk admitted to knowing one of them, and Kim Dokja's eyes widened again. Just like his future self, his mind started racing. It was possible that he appeared in the second regression—especially considering the fact that it had never been fully portrayed in the novel and Yoo Joonghyuk had made it to the 46th scenario, which was long past when that person would normally start appearing. However, Kim Dokja also couldn't discount the fact that things were already a little bit weird with this regression.
Lee Gilyoung narrowed his eyes at the protagonist suspiciously. "Hey, sooty bastard. You weren't a cultist in your last life, were you?"
Yoo Joonghyuk looked both exasperated and irritated as he let out a long sigh. "Absolutely not."
[some constellations are contemplating that idea.]
Yoo Joonghyuk knows about the Salvation Church? In the original novel, the Salvation Church was a group that had completely abandoned the religious clichés that the word salvation carried.
"There is no salvation in the afterlife. The current story is of the highest importance. And what we must liberate is the 'present'."
A hooded figure appears with an intricate mandala behind them as the creed of the church overlays the image in a layered voice.
Frowning, Dokja looks up while thinking that their base creed is unproblematic, since they stress the importance of the here and now instead of focusing on the past or the future. However...
This is too early for the Salvation Church to come into the story. That means that someone is intervening with the future that I know.
An otherworldly voice similar to the one that just narrated the doctrine of the Salvation Church comes from within a curtained, ornate howdah atop one of the elephants. It welcomes them while stating that they're here to liberate the people from the scenarios. Dokja's eyes narrow as he suspects that the one who intervened was very powerful.
[the constellation 'lady of the sleeping brocade' is anxiously listening for more information about the 'salvation church'.]
Kim Dokja narrowed his eyes at the screen, recalling everything he could about the Salvation Church from the novel. They were completely insane in some ways, and they were a genuine threat in many of Yoo Joonghyuk's regressions. Their salvation was cruel, and it didn't truly free anyone from anything.
Lee Hyunsung scratched his head with a comically confused expression on his face. "I'm not the only one who doesn't understand what they mean, right?"
Lee Seolhwa shook her head. "Honestly, I'm not completely sure either. How can they liberate the 'present' if they still value stories like the Star Stream?"
"That's because their 'liberation' isn't anything like what it sounds like," Kim Dokja replied grimly. "If you take it at face-value, it actually sounds pretty good—'leave behind your worries about your past and future and focus only on the present'. But as for how they accomplish that…"
Kim Dokja winced. He wasn't even sure how to explain that right now.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is scoffing at the ideals of the 'salvation church'.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' disapproves of the 'salvation church' calling themselves a church.]
"Kim Dokja, do you think this is also because of the Nebulae?" Yoo Joonghyuk asked while giving him a side glance.
As much as he wished that wasn't the case, it probably was their fault. They had to be powerful to have intervened this much, and a Nebula would fit the bill.
When he nodded, the protagonist's expression darkened further. Kim Dokja had absolutely no sympathy for any of those sick bastards who had pissed the man off with that one simple action. While it would be amazing if they couldn't see what was coming, Kim Dokja had to admit that it might be even more satisfying for them to know exactly who was coming after them, and to live in fear of Yoo Joonghyuk until the day he finally transcended his limits and came to tear them off their thrones.
Some of the newcomers walk closer to the procession, asking for clarification. The voice reconfirms their words. Another asks if they can become stronger by joining them. Inside the howdah, a figure with short, wavy blonde hair, leans on their hand, their golden jewelry clattering as they ask what the meaning of strength is.
While Jiwon watches on, her nerves clearly shot, the man who asked replies that it's about skills and items.
"Do you mean like this?" From inside the curtains, a faint glimmer of magic power can be seen before strands of light emerge from within. They twirl and twine together, forming the outline of a large hand that descends upon the incarnation. Upon its appearance, the 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' shows hostility towards the palm. When the palm is about to cover the incarnations, it dissipates into wind, surrounding them instead with warmth and gentleness. A delicate hand lifts the corner of a silky curtain as they call strengths and weaknesses merely illusions.
"Those guys are gonna get sucked into the cult, right?" Shin Yoosung asked, looking up to Kim Dokja for confirmation.
Shrugging, he glanced down at her and patted her head. "They might, but that's only if they fall for it. They might also end up dead."
"Join or die, huh? Fucking great," Han Sooyoung groaned.
[a few constellations believe that is a good principle.]
[many constellations are discussing the meaning of strength.]
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' declares that the meaning of strength is winning.]
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' believes that the meaning of strength is the strength of will in the face of adversity.]
"That's a hard question," Yoo Sangah remarked with a sigh. "There are so many definitions of strength that I think it would depend on the person."
She was absolutely correct, but Kim Dokja knew that the Salvation Church's leader was one who believed that strength was the power to make others submit to your ideals. In his own mind, he was likely incredibly strong.
For some reason, he kind of wanted to see a battle of the cults between Han Sooyoung and the leader of the Salvation Church. Pure charisma and manipulation against what basically amounted to brainwashing.
Lee Seolhwa gasped as the hand suddenly extended from behind the curtain, and even Kim Dokja had to admit that it was beautiful. Beautiful, yet deadly.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is hissing at the 'palm'.]
"Why's the monkey ahjussi so upset?" Lee Gilyoung asked, frowning up at the ceiling. Kim Dokja wanted to laugh, god he wanted to laugh so bad. Monkey ahjussi.
However, he couldn't laugh because he knew which constellation that was linked to, and he really, really didn't like what that was implying. If that person was really here… there was no way this would go well.
Still, he did his best to answer Lee Gilyoung. "It has to do with his Story, but don't worry about it too much for now."
"I have to admit, I'm really curious about who this leader person is," Jung Heewon said, crossing her arms over her chest. Kim Dokja was too, but for very different reasons. He didn't know what to expect appearance-wise, but if he knew himself well—and he did—then he'd absolutely use [Character Profile] on that guy as soon as he appeared. In that single moment, his fears would either be assuaged or unfortunately confirmed.
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is curious too.]
The new incarnation gets mad and swears before demanding a straight answer. As the figure emerges from the howdah, Joonghyuk jolts and his hand grasps his sword, ready to draw it. Dokja just watches in surprise as the 'Leader of the Salvation Church' steps out. They have blonde hair that resembles spun gold and a green sari with golden accents that flutters in the wind, golden jewelry adorning their neck, wrists, and ankles, and unearthly golden eyes that look down at the new incarnations with care and pity as they declare that they're being deceived by the scenario.
Well, fuck. Yoo Joonghyuk definitely recognized them, whoever it was. That wasn't a good sign.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is urging the screen to hurry and show this person.]
Yeah, no need to rush—
And then Kim Dokja felt his breath get stolen from his lungs as he stared at the ethereal person on the screen in front of him. Those eyes. He knew those eyes. It didn't matter how impressive the rest of his appearance was, or that he was literally glowing. It didn't even matter that everyone else in the room except for Yoo Joonghyuk was gasping in awe and admiring his almost godly appearance.
No—all he could focus on were those goddamn eyes.
Kim Dokja felt static in the back of his head and he couldn't breathe as he stared not at the screen, but past it, looking directly at the wall.
[(G̶̺͈͚͙͎͊̈́o̴̧̭̬̿͝ ̷̻̲̰̾̿͐̌̌b̸̖̘̥̓a̴͕͉̓c̷̡̻̲̻͎͊̃̃k̷͓͌̐,̷͎̠̹̎̋ͅ ̴̳̦͌̇̔͘K̴̭͙̙̱̚i̸͇̯̪̯͔͒͊̿̍̍m̴̥̱̈́̈́ ̸̧̢͉̝̽̐́̿̿͜D̷̫͊̔̽̆o̷̡͙̔͌͆͗̕ͅk̴̫̥̗͙̪̆j̷͖̍͆̅̈ḁ̷͚̩̗̾̈͗.̵̜̟̪̋̂̈́̂͜ ̴̛̮̬̮͖̽̉̅͠Į̶̺͂t̶͍͕͙́̓'̷̮̹̲͕͕͆s̴̨̨̘̙̥̈́ ̶̱̈́́n̸̖̜̞̯͚͗͑̐͘͝ỏ̷̢͔͕͚͌̓̿ţ̵̫̓̎ ̷͕̲̻̺́̃̓͑̍y̸̱͊̒̊̚͠ȩ̷̝̐͆͌͊t̷̮͑̾̚ ̸͙̽̓ṱ̴̘̺̣̇͒͆ï̵̺̰͗ͅm̶͖̓͆̕̕ͅë̸̼̩̫́͑ ̷̧̛̣̹̔̾̾t̷̥̭̟͒́̔̕o̴͈̭͌͗ ̶͖̭̞̹͉̀█̴͇͈̮̊͝█̴̲̘̅͐͘█̴̡̰̯̖͛̀̒̚͜█̵̹̻͒̊͜ ̴̡̨̖̠͒͋̊͝ȋ̵̝̱̫̦̄̌́n̵̖̰̍̒t̸͍̱͍̏͌o̷̰̍̅ ̵͎̼̟̗͍́̎̈́̊t̶̢̞̣͊̌█̵̧͇̝̟̏̊̓ͅë̶̯͙̉͂ ̷̡͇̝͓̀̾█̴͈̅ͅ█̶̳͎̹̭̼́█̶̜͙̇͒█̶̢͙̹͍̏̕█̶͙͈̬̙̓͒͆́̉͜.̶̎̇ͅ)]
"That's…"
"You know that guy, ahjussi?" Lee Jihye asked curiously, glancing at him with surprise.
He wasn't even listening to her when he continued, breathless. "That's the person behind the wall."
[the constellation 'scribe of heaven' is confused by the words of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is urging the incarnation 'kim dokja' to explain.]
"Huh? What the fuck are you talking about?" Han Sooyoung asked, looking at him like he had two heads.
Kim Dokja glanced at her in surprise. "You didn't see him?"
"Ahjussi, did you hit your head or something?" Yoo Mia asked suspiciously. "That's something a crazy person would say."
Shaking his head, Kim Dokja declared, "I know what I saw! He stared at me with those eyes and talked to me through the wall!"
Jung Heewon seemed absolutely baffled as she glanced at him. "Where did you see this guy? What wall?"
"That one right there!" Kim Dokja exclaimed, pointing directly at the screen. His mind was whirling, and he was honestly so terrified that if he looked too hard, those eyes would be staring back at him from behind it.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is thinking that the incarnation 'kim dokja' has a few screws loose.]
[the constellation 'guam divine doctor' is concerned for the mental health of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Lee Seolhwa looked at him with pitying eyes. "Dokja-ssi, I know you've been under a lot of stress recently. Could you have possibly been hallucinating?"
He wasn't crazy. He couldn't be.
"When did this happen, Dokja-ssi?" Yoo Sangah's voice was gentle, but even she seemed doubtful of his claims.
He gulped in some air, trying to make himself seem a bit more coherent. "When we reached our present. Right when everything started shaking, the wall… it seemed to vanish and he was standing on the other side."
When no one said anything in response, Kim Dokja looked around at everyone else frantically. "None of you saw it? Really?"
Even the kids shook their heads, and Kim Dokja didn't know what to feel.
"We didn't see shit," Han Sooyoung said bluntly, but there were undertones of worry. "I mean, you did randomly start screaming when you got hit by the probability storm, which was weird as fuck."
Right. He had been screaming.
"Yeah," Kim Dokja admitted hoarsely. "He said something to me. I don't think I could even hear most of it, but the next thing I remember… everything hurt."
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is extremely confused by the current events.]
[many constellations are baffled.]
Though his voice was weaker than he'd like, Kim Dokja felt like he had to say something. "I'm not lying. I know there was something else too, but…" he looked down at his hand, which was tingling for some reason, before shaking his head, "it feels just out of reach."
"I believe you," Yoo Joonghyuk said firmly. "I don't know what's going on or why, but you wouldn't say this for no reason."
That wasn't what he had expected, but it was more than welcome. Kim Dokja smiled gently at him, and—to Kim Dokja's surprise—he received a slight upward quirk of Yoo Joonghyuk's lips in return.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is squealing.]
In the darkness, like a rising sun, the leader seems to be the only light around as it exudes from their body itself. For a moment, Dokja thinks that it's like witnessing a god descend, but he wonders why the Leader of the Salvation Church is already here. When the glowing person asks why the incarnations desire to be strong, the people scramble to speak, stuttering and stumbling over their answers as the leader proceeds to ask the meaning of survival. What ensues is more pitiful stuttering and unconfident answers.
"Is that all your life is?" They ask, causing other incarnations to begin muttering thoughtfully, and then they now request to know what the incarnations believe the meaning of 'life' to be. The first man to ask about strength looks down at his hand as he feels something wet hit it. It takes a moment before he realizes it's because he has begun to cry.
Like an ethereal being, the leader descends from the elephant to float in front of the man as they reach out and delicately wipe his tears. Grasping the man's face, they tell him that this is the story's trap and to not let themselves be consumed by the scenario.
As they continue to speak, the monks line up and bring their hands together in prayer while, above them, the dokkaebi watch with unconcealed grins. Now standing before the emotional crowd, the still-glowing leader calls out for them to struggle and engrave themselves into a new story to liberate themselves from the 'scenario'.
"So, if Dokja-ssi really did see this person in this scenario somehow, that's really weird," Lee Hyunsung muttered, glancing around nervously.
Jung Heewon nodded. "It's another thing to add to the list of suspicious things about this whole situation."
[several constellations are growing increasingly suspicious of the hidden scenario.]
Kim Dokja didn't know how to feel. Aside from all his jumbled up emotions from only a few minutes earlier, there was the added anxiety of knowing that someone that dangerous had been walking around Seoul the entire time they had been gone.
"Dokja-ssi, is this leader really that strong?" Yoo Sangah wondered, noticing his grim expression.
Holding the kids just a bit tighter, he nodded. "He's extremely dangerous. As you can see, he's… well, he's an expert at manipulating people to his side, and he has an extremely powerful sponsor on top of having strong skills."
Yoo Sangah glanced over at her again for a second. "So… about me and Heewon-ssi and…"
"I don't know," Kim Dokja had to admit, dropping his head. The reincarnator was absolutely powerful enough to take out even his companions, and he wasn't 'evil', so Jung Heewon wouldn't have her strongest tool either.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is fretting anxiously.]
[the constellation 'founder's mother' is looking at the current events with a sad expression.]
Lee Jihye shuddered as she watched the man wipe away the incarnation's tear and begin preaching. "Ugh, bad vibes everywhere. This is so creepy, what the heck?"
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is narrowing his eyes at the leader of the 'salvation church'.]
"I see your method of training suicide squads with your tremendous bullshit is still the same."
The leader's eyes widen as their speech pauses due to the unforeseen interruption, and as they turn to look to the side, Joonghyuk tells them to stop what they're doing and get lost as soon as they lock their eyes. The leader whispers out Joonghyuk's name as their gaze lands on the unimpressed protagonist.
With a rush of air, they float into the sky once more, their sari billowing around them in a flutter of fabric as they approach Joonghyuk. Their golden eyes gleam with joy as they smile beautifully and call out his name, declaring that they've been searching for him for so long.
Behind Joonghyuk, Dokja grits his teeth and sweats under the pressure as all his senses scream at him that this person is dangerous. Dokja mentally spirals as he realizes that he's not prepared for them yet as they originally appeared much later in the story. As he's attempting to look at them with [Character List], there's too much information—so much, in fact, that it has to summarize the 'Character Summary'. It reaches the point that the summary completely fails, and his skill declares that their profile can't be summarized.
This surprises Dokja, who then tries to just see their 'First Attribute' instead. As they joyfully approach, still calling out Joonghyuk's name, a small window finally appears in front of Dokja.
[Name: Nirvana Moebius
Personal Attributes: Reincarnator (Legendary)]
'Damn it, so it really is this guy.'
"Sooty bastard, don't make him pay attention to you!" Lee Gilyoung hissed. "What if you get hyung in trouble too!"
Kim Dokja sighed. As much as he wanted to stay under the reincarnator's radar, considering what the ambushers had said earlier, it was likely already a lost cause.
"Gilyoung-ah, he was going to notice us eventually anyway. Joonghyuk-ie isn't exactly… inconspicuous."
Not that he really could be with that face, in all honesty—he'd stand out even in a room full of handsome people. Yoo Joonghyuk's brow twitched, and he only looked even more irritated when the man whispered his name in an awestruck tone.
"So they really do know each other?" Shin Yoosung muttered, shooting a glare at the screen.
Kim Dokja wished they didn't because that would make everything so much more simple, but he couldn't change the past when they had apparently met before.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is flabbergasted by the current events.]
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is passing out more wine.]
Lee Jihye made a strangled noise. "What the hell!? Why is he calling Master's name like… like that!?"
It was pretty unsettling, if Kim Dokja was being honest.
"Genuinely, I didn't think that anyone would ever look that happy when seeing that bastard," Han Sooyoung admitted, looking incredibly unnerved by what she was seeing. The usual response to seeing Yoo Joonghyuk's look of displeasure was probably getting the fuck out of there and hoping you survived. Not… whatever this was.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is sighing deeply in exasperation.]
Ah fuck. Kim Dokja felt his heart drop when his skill failed. How was there so much information that a summary failed?
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is surprised by the failure of the skill 'character summary'.]
"It can't even summarize the summary?" Lee Seolhwa gasped, looking incredibly shocked. "That's never happened before."
Kim Dokja sighed deeply and buried his face in his hands. "Of course this guy would have too much information…"
At least the first attribute seemed to be working, and he hated that all his fears were proven correct.
"A reincarnator!?" Lee Hyunsung exclaimed. "Like living many lives?"
"Unfortunately," Yoo Joonghyuk scoffed, and Kim Dokja couldn't think of a better way to put it.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is advising the incarnations to be incredibly cautious of the incarnation 'nirvana moebius'.]