"I won't do it."
Kim Dokja was unsurprised by Lee Hyunsung's firm declaration, but Jung Heewon looked up at him with wide eyes. She looked almost vulnerable at that moment, caught off guard. It really shouldn't have been surprising, but for Jung Heewon who had seemingly resigned herself to death, this must have been a spark of hope.
Lee Hyunsung held her hand gently as he looked at her. "Heewon-ssi, I don't care that Dokja-ssi says that there isn't a third option. If he can't think of one, then… then I'll have to find one myself."
[the constellation 'master of steel' is feeling extremely proud of his incarnation.]
Kim Dokja wanted to smile as he felt that same pride begin to well up inside of him too. That was exactly the conclusion that he had wanted Lee Hyunsung to come to.
Jung Heewon made a noise that was something between a sigh and a laugh as she slumped forward. Her shoulders shook, likely because she was hiding the fact that she was about to cry, and she whispered, "Thank you."
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is wiping her tears from her eyes.]
Of course, there was a third option.
Dokja looks away from the distraught Hyunsung as he thinks that this third option will still take some more time before it could be used. As he thinks this, messages pop up informing him that he can't use [First Person Supporting Character POV] as it's currently unstable. In the meantime, Dokja looks at Heewon, still enraged, and he notes how bad of a match up this is for Hyunsung.
Whether Lee Hyunsung kills Jung Heewon or not, at this rate, Jung Heewon will die from her mana going berserk. That is exactly what Nirvana has planned.
Hyunsung yells at Dokja, asking why he's always like this, and demanding to know why Dokja came if he was just going to give him the advice of killing Heewon.
Jung Heewon, the Judge of Evil, is strong.
Dokja thinks that the magnitude of her strength was harder to gauge when she was an ally, but becomes blatantly obvious when she's a foe. Dokja watches as she lets loose another wave of fire, causing Hyunsung to retreat further behind the corner.
"What!?" Lee Jihye shrieked, turning on Kim Dokja immediately. "Ahjussi, why did you tell Hyunsung-oppa that there wasn't a third option if there always was one!?"
Kim Dokja glanced around at everyone's faces, clearly seeing a strange mix of betrayal and hope there. He let out a sigh, resigning himself to explaining. "I couldn't tell him that. As my future self said, it's not an instant solution either, and it wouldn't mean anything if I gave Hyunsung-ssi all the answers."
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is frowning at the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
[a few constellations believe that the circumstances warrant explaining immediately.]
Lee Hyunsung seemed somewhat conflicted, but he tried to give Kim Dokja a small smile. "I'm glad that you believe I'll decide the right thing."
Of course he did—Lee Hyunsung was just that kind of man.
"I just hope that this plan doesn't involve using your skill," Yoo Sangah sighed. "It's still unstable…"
Unstable, huh? Did that mean that Yoo Joonghyuk hadn't killed him that time either? He didn't have the time to worry about that right now anyway, not when Jung Heewon was in this state and hellbent on killing Lee Hyunsung. It really was a terrible match-up…
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is distraught by that information.]
"Unnie can't die," Shin Yoosung whispered in fear, and the bit of hope she had vanished as soon as Kim Dokja remarked that she'd die after running out of mana anyway. Kim Dokja held her a bit tighter, trying to reassure her that things would be alright, even if he didn't know if his plan would be successful.
It was true that Jung Heewon was strong, but in a state like this, all of her rational limits had been forcibly turned off. Right now, she was the strongest she had ever been, and even though her body was resistant to the heat of her own flames, Kim Dokja wouldn't be surprised if she would eventually burn so brightly that she'd succumb.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is impressed by the firepower of the incarnation 'jung heewon'.]
Unfortunately, she was wincing and flinching every time she raised her sword against her own ally, and Kim Dokja couldn't imagine just how awful she felt right now.
Even if she doesn't use [Hour of Judgement], she has [Demon Slaying]. In addition, she has the skills to mercilessly scatter Uriel's stigma, [Hell Flame's Blaze]. She is undoubtedly the strongest member among the companions I've gathered.
Suddenly, Hyunsug stops running away and turns, deciding to run towards both Heewon and the flames, exclaiming that he can't accept the options Dokja presented. His arms change to a metallic texture as probability sparks around them, allowing him to brace himself against a new wave of fire. Using his now metal hands, he withstands the attack and calls out desperately to Heewon, pleading with her to snap out of it.
Dokja tries to convince Hyunsung to leave, telling him that at least one of them will survive, that he won't be held accountable for running, and that Hyunsung should listen to him if Dokja is his 'manual'. Hyunsung vehemently denies these words, yelling that he doesn't want to, even as his hands turn bright red-orange from the heat. While his hands melt, he tells Dokja that he doesn't want to follow a manual like this, stating with his laboured breaths that he won't give up like this, even if it means that he'll die here and now.
Though Yoo Joonghyuk's brow twitched when Kim Dokja called Jung Heewon his strongest companion, he said nothing. Maybe it was because he didn't want to distract everyone, or because he didn't think it was worth drawing attention. Maybe he thought of their groups as something completely separate—that Jung Heewon was a companion that Kim Dokja had gathered, but that Kim Dokja alone was his companion. Honestly, that seemed like something the protagonist would think.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is cheering for the incarnation 'lee hyunsung'.]
"Your hands turned into metal!" Lee Gilyoung shouted, his eyes widening in surprise. "Is this a new skill you learned?"
Kim Dokja allowed a small smile to make its way onto his lips. Things were progressing well so far, it seemed, and only Yoo Joonghyuk seemed to have realized what he was planning. It made sense that he would, since he knew Lee Hyunsung well.
Yoo Mia looked approvingly over at Lee Hyunsung, nodding once. "That looks really cool."
Lee Hyunsung's cheeks flushed slightly at the praise, but he shook it off quickly in order to pay attention to his own actions again. When Kim Dokja tried to encourage him to run, he scowled.
"I won't run, Dokja-ssi. I'm sorry."
Kim Dokja shook his head. There was nothing to be sorry for, after all. This was exactly the result he wanted. Of course, he wouldn't have blamed Lee Hyunsung for running either, if he had decided to do that for some reason. He was going to have to fight against nearly insurmountable odds, and it was going to be extremely difficult.
Kim Dokja looked over at him with a small smile. "You made your decision, and I respect that."
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is watching the current events with an amused smile.]
[constellations of the absolute good alignment are feeling favourably about the incarnation 'lee hyunsung'.]
Jung Heewon's hands trembled as she looked over at him and whispered, "Hyunsung-ssi, please don't die."
Lee Hyunsung's gaze softened as he turned his attention back to her. "I'm going to do what I can to save you."
Han Sooyoung sighed, shooting them a look. "Listen, I get that you're willing to die with her if you can't save her, but maybe consider that she wants you to run if you realize that you can't do that."
She had a point. Even though the future Jung Heewon would surely die if Lee Hyunsung failed here, the current Jung Heewon would have to witness all of that and live with whatever the outcome had to be. She would be able to live with her own death, she had already resigned herself to it from the moment she realized what was happening, but it would kill her to know that she killed Lee Hyunsung too.
[a few constellations are declaring that self-sacrifice is romantic.]
[several constellations are agreeing with the statement of the incarnation 'han sooyoung'.]
"I know," Lee Hyunsung admitted after a moment, "but I have to try anyway. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't."
Hyunsung closes his mouth, gritting his teeth from the pain as his hands begin to melt and deform with popping and hissing sounds. Like a moth to a flame, he pushes through the pain while his face is beet red from the effort, reaching for Heewon with everything he has. Unable to take much more, Hyunsung collapses to his knees while the molten metal that used to be his hands falls to the ground as his forearms continue to melt. Dokja pauses before smiling fondly.
'You've done well. Because this is the 'third option'.'
Hyunsung's eyes widen on his badly burned face as he understands Dokja's words.
The third option wasn't something I could just order him to do. It was something Lee Hyunsung had to decide for himself.
Dokja tells him that this is the option he found himself, without the use of a manual. Hyunsung's eyes look alive as he gazes forward, clearly reflecting the image of Heewon within.
"Oh god," Lee Seolhwa whispered in horror as Lee Hyunsung literally began melting, bringing up her hands to cover her mouth. That wasn't the kind of injury that she could fix, and everyone knew it. He looked awful, but he was pushing through the pain with everything he had despite that.
The kids whimpered and looked absolutely terrified, realizing that the kind man who had always helped to protect them could very easily die shortly. Kim Dokja held them closer, despite knowing that they probably wanted to go over to him. Lee Hyunsung was staring, stony-faced, at the screen and Jung Heewon had his hand in a trembling death grip.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is apologizing repeatedly to the incarnation 'lee hyunsung'.]
Even as he collapsed to his knees, unable to push onwards, Lee Hyunsung didn't falter. Maybe it was the military training in him, allowing him to persevere and keep himself going through the worst of circumstances. However, looking over at Lee Hyunsung and Jung Heewon again, Kim Dokja wondered if his future self had also seen the other thing that might be fuelling him right now.
As Kim Dokja declared that this was the third option, Lee Gilyoung, Shin Yoosung, Yoo Mia, and even Lee Jihye all looked at him with hope reignited in their eyes.
Of course, Lee Jihye was a bit more bewildered than the other three. "He's literally melting! How is this a third option, ahjussi?"
"Think of it as a hidden route in a game," Kim Dokja responded, "and the unlock condition was that Hyunsung-ssi had to show his determination first."
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is understanding the purpose of the deception.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is watching the current events with great interest.]
Despite that, the reason I chose this path was because I discovered something that awakened inside Lee Hyunsung's mind the moment he saw Jung Heewon—his faint and aching feelings.
An image of Heewon smiling as she holds a bottle of water, having just finished her daily training, appears against a bubbly and bright background as Dokja's narration finishes.
With a burst of fire, the image burns away to reveal Heewon's current state of fury. Closing his eyes, Hyunsung thanks Dokja for everything, laughing slightly as he experiences a strange emotion of ecstasy that happens after breaking through a contradiction and receiving an answer from death. Feeling Hyunsung's emotions, Dokja wonders if this is the reality that Nirvana wanted to reach, and finds it sad that even though Heewon was the one infected, it's actually Hyunsung who truly lives in the 'present' more than anyone else.
Dokja closes his eyes briefly, telling Hyunsung not to thank him, and reaches out to 'Master of Steel'—one of the most steadfast constellations of the Star Stream, and the master of the hardest planet in the universe. He asks the constellation to respond and give his incarnation a chance. As he asks, Hyunsung's arms have now melted past his elbows, dripping and leaving heavy burns on his knees.
"In the end, you always believed in Hyunsung-ssi, didn't you?" Yoo Sangah asked with a teary smile. As Kim Dokja nodded, he could see the man visibly relax at the confirmation.
Unfortunately for Lee Hyunsung, though, he went beet red as Kim Dokja's narration mentioned his feelings. So his future self did notice, even though it likely wasn't as apparent thanks to the differing circumstances.
[constellations who like romance are perking up in interest.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is gagging.]
Oh shut up.
"Hyunsung-ssi, you…" Jung Heewon trailed off, looking surprised as she glanced up at him.
His face still red, Lee Hyunsung gently squeezed her hand. "Um, well, you can pretend you never heard anything if you want."
She sighed with a small laugh, squeezing back. "That wasn't my question, you dummy. It's just… is that true?"
If Kim Dokja crossed his fingers in the hopes that he wouldn't accidentally ruin this, then that was his secret to keep.
"... It is," Lee Hyunsung admitted quietly after a moment, "but you don't have to say anything right now. I don't think I'll be able to focus until this fight is over anyway."
"Yeah," Jung Heewon admitted, smiling softly at him. "We can talk later."
Lee Jihye had tears streaming down her cheeks as she watched, and Yoo Sangah had a small smile on her face. Despite the awful circumstances, at least this was going as well as it honestly could for the moment.
[the constellation 'goddess of marriage and the home' is curiously looking at the incarnations 'lee hyunsung' and 'jung heewon'.]
"In the end, Hyunsung-ssi understands Nirvana's goals better than they do," Lee Seolhwa said softly. "It's somewhat ironic, isn't it? He never would have achieved it without their interference, and they don't even know."
Kim Dokja supposed that it was, in a way. At the very least, now that Lee Hyunsung had found his conviction, Kim Dokja could do his part of the plan and try to convince Lee Hyunsung's sponsor to pitch in. Considering the man's state, he'd have to move quickly, but luckily 'Master of Steel' was another constellation who cared deeply for his incarnations.
[the constellation 'master of steel' is feeling contemplative.]
Dokja continues coercing the hesitant constellation, asking if he'll daydream until the end because he fears the aftermath of probability. 'Master of Steel' agrees to help, but replies that Hyunsung likely won't be able to bear his fable. Dokja steps up, stating that he'll bear it with him, and this seems to make the constellation relent.
The star representing 'Master of Steel' shines bright as Hyunsung begins his evolution. With the fable 'Proof of Steel' beginning, his entire body gets coated in sharp metal scales that regrow his melted limbs as well. Lee Hyunsung's now icy blue eyes open under the activation of [Steel Transformation], and he looks ahead with determination. As this happens, Dokja watches the brilliant light and is reminded of a scene from TWSA.
A slightly older Yoosung asks Joonghyuk why Hyunsung has the nickname of 'Steelsword' when he doesn't use a sword. Joonghyuk looks at the soldier before answering, "Lee Hyunsung doesn't need a sword. Because that guy is the sword itself."
In the white flames, Hyunsung's fully metallic body stands out as he slowly walks forwards, towards Heewon.
Even though only the first stage, 'armor', was activated, it wasn't just any ordinary power. Lee Hyunsung, after mastering the first stage, was harder than Gong Pildu's armed fortress and wouldn't die even after being hit by Yoo Joonghyuk's Breaking the Sky Sword.
"What does he mean by that?" Yoo Mia wondered, looking up at her brother. "Isn't a fable just a story?"
Yoo Joonghyuk glanced down at her for a moment. "Earning a fable and succeeding a fable are different things. This fable was earned by his constellation, and in order to gain the skills from it, Lee Hyunsung will have to pass a trial related to how it was originally earned."
Shin Yoosung hummed. "So, once ahjussi becomes a constellation, can you have me do stuff like that too?"
[a few constellations are doubting the possibility of that.]
"Yoosung-ah, I don't have any fables like that," Kim Dokja told her quietly, mentally tacking on a 'yet' at the end of that statement. "Those fables are ones gained after a long time or through extremely difficult trials. In comparison, mine are like baby fables."
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is snickering at that description.]
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is agreeing with the assessment of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
"Just watch and you'll see," Kim Dokja told them, smiling as Lee Hyunsung began to undergo his trial. Thankfully, as soon as it regrew his melted limbs, Lee Seolhwa visibly relaxed. Jung Heewon also looked far less guilty, and her grip on Lee Hyunsung's hand seemed to loosen somewhat. Just like back in Chungmuro, when Lee Hyunsung had evolved, this was a scene that made Kim Dokja feel nostalgic. This was the kind of perseverance that he had loved so much about TWSA, and it felt special that he was able to help bring about this moment.
Han Sooyoung frowned after the small clip of TWSA played. "I don't think that happened in the first 100 chapters, but that guy doesn't actually turn into a literal sword or something, right? Sounds impractical."
"He just turns into metal, don't worry," Kim Dokja replied with a snicker. The sword thing was only a metaphor, but it was a pretty amusing idea—one that Lee Jihye looked worryingly pensive about. She couldn't actually be trying to think of the logistics of swinging Lee Hyunsung around, right…?
Lee Gilyoung cheered eagerly, and Lee Hyunsung looked reinvigorated as he strolled effortlessly through the flames, protected by the coat of metal over his skin. His eyes almost bugged out when Kim Dokja described just how strong it actually could be, once it was complete.
[the constellation 'master of steel' is feeling proud of his incarnation.]
[the constellation 'defense master' can't believe his ears.]
Lee Jihye snickered and covered her mouth with a hand. "I don't know if that's praising Master or Hyunsung-oppa more."
The answer was yes. It was an incredibly difficult feat to accomplish on both ends—once it was complete, the armor was one that wouldn't crack except for under some of the harshest circumstances, and yet Yoo Joonghyuk could break it even if he wouldn't be able to do enough damage for a fatal blow. Yoo Joonghyuk, who could slay gods, would never be able to oneshot Lee Hyunsung if his armor was activated, and that was a commendable achievement too.
In Kim Dokja's opinion, that was something they could both be proud of.
After a moment of looking completely epic while striding through the flames, Hyunsung suddenly looks down at his arms in shock and asks if he's alive in a stuttering voice. Dokja replies by telling him that this is the real stigma that he needs to learn. Looking over him and at a notification, Dokja notes that the first stage hasn't been fully activated yet.
All sponsors provide stigmas to their incarnations. Some stigmas are given as gifts, while others can only be used after completing a difficult condition.
A graphic of a river of light extending down from a large hand to land on a human figure appears during Dokja's explanation before it jumps back to Hyunsung. In front of him, notifications appear and inform him about the 'First Proof of Steel'.
The [Steel Transformation] that the 'Master of Steel' possessed was one of those difficult stigmas because it required the indirect 'proof' of what the constellation had experienced.
Looking at the message that tells him that true steel is born of tens of thousands of quenches, Hyunsung asks Dokja what it means in a confused tone. Dokja explains that quenching is the act of cooling metal after putting it through high-heat. In a sense, Dokja feels that Hyunsung is lucky that Heewon is his opponent.
Kim Dokja laughed a bit at Lee Hyunsung's reaction to being alive. "Never change, Hyunsung-ssi."
The man laughed awkwardly in response, but he looked far more confident than before. "I'll do my best, Dokja-ssi!"
[many constellations are curious about the stigma.]
"Oh, that's what oppa was saying earlier," Yoo Mia remarked when the screen explained that Lee Hyunsung would have to repeat the feats of his constellation. "It sucks that it's locked behind something like that, though."
"Yeah, that makes no sense," Lee Gilyoung grumbled. "It can't be about probability because Heewon-noona got a super powerful stigma without having to do something like that."
How astute of them. Kim Dokja patted Lee Gilyoung's head and smiled. "Some of it is the constellations wanting the proof that their incarnations are worthy of these stigmas, or that they're so deeply intertwined with these fables that it has to be done this way."
[the constellation 'master of steel' is nodding in agreement with the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Lee Hyunsung's face paled when he looked at the requirements, though. "That doesn't sound very pleasant…"
It absolutely wouldn't be, but at least they had the high heat part covered.
Jung Heewon let out a shaky sigh before inhaling sharply and sitting up straight. "No matter what else happens after, at least I get to help you achieve this, right?"
In Jung Heewon's fires, Lee Hyunsung would get tempered until he was far stronger than before. It was almost poetic, in a way, and Kim Dokja desperately hoped that he would pull through.
"Don't tell me…" Hyunsung blinks before he looks at Heewon and his words trail off. Dokja tells him that his hunch should be correct before advising him to stay awake as Heewon turns murderous once more, howling as her blade flashes with more powerful fire. It flickers blue, and Dokja wonders if her skill has increased in level because the flames are now deeper and fiercer than before.
As Hyunsung braces against the wave of heat and flames, all while his silver armor starts to melt and regrow, other constellations pop in with their own commentary on the stigma. While the soldier groans from the pain and coughs up blood, all while keeping his stance, Dokja remarks that it's incredible that Hyunsung hasn't just collapsed since Uriel's stigma is the highest level fire stigma in existence. As Hyunsung takes a step back and screams, Dokja prays that it's just a little more. Suddenly, Hyunsung glows white hot as his temperature exceeds the standard value and quenching begins, letting Dokja sigh in relief.
"You can do it!" Yoo Sangah encouraged eagerly, trying to sound as positive as she could.
Even though things were looking up, and as the kids got in on the cheering, the adults still realized that they were treading a tightrope with this. If even one thing went wrong, both Lee Hyunsung and Jung Heewon could end up dead.
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is praying for the safety of the incarnations.]
Jung Heewon's flames were fiercer than before, and Kim Dokja could only hope that this would work the way he hoped it would. It was going to be difficult, and it was going to be painful, but Kim Dokja would be the reader he was meant to be and bear the anguish alongside the 'characters'.
As Lee Seolhwa watched nervously, keeping a careful eye on Lee Hyunsung's physical state, she seemed to agree with Kim Dokja's assessment that it was amazing that Lee Hyunsung hadn't collapsed already.
"It's that powerful…?" Jung Heewon whispered in shock, shooting a quick glance over at Kim Dokja as he revealed just how strong Uriel's stigma truly was. "Isn't that more dangerous for him, though?"
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is smiling gently at her incarnation.]
"It's more dangerous, but it also means that he'll hit the required temperature much faster," Kim Dokja admitted, allowing hope to fill him when exactly that happened, as if on cue. "If he can withstand this, then everything will be okay."
All they could do now was trust in Lee Hyunsung's steadfastness, and believe that he would succeed.