[the constellation 'master of steel' is asking the incarnation 'han sooyoung' to stop harassing his incarnation.]
"Ugh, you're no fun," Han Sooyoung sighed as she rolled her eyes. "It's not like he's actually seeing anything."
"So?" Shin Yoosung asked, narrowing her eyes in the author's direction. "You're still being mean to Hyunsung-oppa! He's too nice for that."
Lee Hyunsung was so touched that he was almost in tears, but Kim Dokja just sighed, knowing that things would inevitably go downhill from there.
Dokja sighs as he fully processes that the avatars weren't actually committing the crime of indecent exposure, and he remarks that they're not real. Hearing that, Sooyoung laughs mischievously before teasing and asking if he's disappointed that he didn't get to see it for real. Immediately, Dokja replies that he doesn't like 'poor bodies' like hers, which offends Sooyoung because he's never even seen it. Sounding done with life, Dokja just says that he doesn't need to as he approaches Hyunsung.
Having finally been released, Hyunsung lays against the wall, still shaking as a single tear falls from his eye. When Dokja asks if he's ok, the soldier snaps out of his trauma reaction, only to look like he's seeing a ghost at the sight of the other man.
The Steel Sword is weak when it comes to women.
Looking at the poor lieutenant, Dokja slowly backs away from his outstretched arms while remembering the novel lines. As he does so, he wonders if Hyunsung will now choose the eunuch route due to Sooyoung's actions.
Unfortunately, Kim Dokja had underestimated whatever the hell was going on in Han Sooyoung's head because why the hell was her first response to assume that he was disappointed?
Kim Dokja scrunched up his face in a truly disgusted expression. "Why the fuck would you even say that?"
Han Sooyoung looked at the screen for a moment before groaning. "I don't fucking know, okay! Future me hasn't had to put up with enough of your bullshit to know yet."
To know what? What the hell was she even talking about?
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is vehemently disapproving of this companionship.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is declaring that this is gross.]
It was gross, and thankfully for Kim Dokja's sanity, his future self agreed.
"A poor body!?" Han Sooyoung raged, with all the anger she could muster in that poor body of hers. "I'll show you—"
"Dokja-ssi, that was a bit rude," Yoo Sangah said calmly, clearly trying to defuse the situation before Han Sooyoung could lunge at him. "We're all well aware that you're not interested in Sooyoung-ssi in that way, but it wasn't necessary to say something like that."
Kim Dokja sighed and shrugged. "Sorry."
He wasn't that sorry, but she wasn't overly sorry for killing him either so they were probably even.
"I have to ask now, what counts as a 'good' body, then?" Jung Heewon piped up, wiggling her eyebrows teasingly.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is waiting to hear the answer of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
He didn't know why she wanted to know that, but wasn't it obvious? Kim Dokja knew what society found attractive thanks to the ever-present beauty standards, but even they also had to change with the circumstances. What was desirable now wasn't physical appearance—no, it was survivability.
"Tall. Strong. Good stamina is always good too…" Kim Dokja trailed off, lost in thought. Really, the best type of body for survival in an apocalypse was the opposite of his in almost every way. Kim Dokja knew that he was lanky and weak—as everyone had so thoughtfully pointed out in the past—but having someone around who was his opposite would help cover the areas where he faltered.
Lee Jihye grinned widely. "So, like Master, right?"
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is agreeing wholeheartedly with the incarnation 'lee jihye'.]
Huh? Well, his muscles were better than anyone else Kim Dokja had ever seen, and he was on a whole other level from other incarnations…
"I guess so."
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is clenching his hand into a fist in anger.]
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is laughing behind her hand.]
Lee Hyunsung gasped, and his eyes were slightly teary. "Dokja-ssi, I'm so proud of you for admitting that!"
Wait, what?
The kids looked at him in betrayal, even untangling themselves from Lee Jihye's suddenly slack grip to run over to him.
"Ahjussi, no!" Shin Yoosung pleaded. "That has to be a lie!"
Lee Gilyoung grabbed onto Kim Dokja's sleeve again, shooting a fierce glare in the protagonist's direction. "The sooty bastard isn't worth it, hyung."
Uh…
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is tearing his hair out in excitement.]
Yoo Joonghyuk was looking intently at him, far more than ever before. There was some kind of emotion flickering in his eyes like a blazing flame, and Kim Dokja shuddered. Why was he mad? Kim Dokja had complimented him, right? There was no reason for him to be mad, was there?
"Joonghyuk-ah, I—"
"Kim Dokja."
Kim Dokja shut his mouth immediately at that tone, staring wide-eyed at the protagonist. Yoo Joonghyuk's frown deepened for a moment. "Did you mean that?"
Why wouldn't he have meant it? What would be the point of saying something that he didn't mean? Well, to Yoo Joonghyuk specifically. Kim Dokja didn't give two shits about lying to anyone else, but the protagonist would probably strangle him for it.
"There's gotta be a catch," Han Sooyoung whispered to Yoo Sangah, "just watch—there's no way that asshole figured shit out that fast."
"Come on now, Dokja-ssi isn't quite that bad…" Yoo Sangah replied, clearly trying to defend him on principle even if she sounded somewhat doubtful. Han Sooyoung just snorted in response, clearly disagreeing.
Kim Dokja glared at her for an instant before sighing and looking back at Yoo Joonghyuk and trying not to shudder under the weight of his gaze. He totally had his shit figured out, no matter what she thought.
"Of course I meant it," Kim Dokja said, forcing himself to sound as casual as possible. "You've really optimized yourself for the apocalypse. Any sane person would agree."
[many constellations are disappointed in the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
[a few constellations are snickering as they claim their coins from the betting pool.]
Lee Seolhwa sighed and shook her head in disappointment as Yoo Joonghyuk looked even more furious for literally no reason.
So what if Kim Dokja didn't want to think about the question too hard in the first place? Sure, Yoo Joonghyuk was an insanely attractive man, but anyone would clearly think that after seeing his face even once! It didn't have to mean anything—even the straightest of men would think that Yoo Joonghyuk was the ideal man, both in face and in body. In fact, in TWSA, there had even been men who were envious of him because of his looks, so Kim Dokja knew for a fact that everyone agreed that he had a good body. There wasn't anything strange about Kim Dokja saying that.
Besides, there were far more important things to worry about, like Lee Hyunsung who was slowly recovering from the trauma.
"Poor Hyunsung-ssi," Jung Heewon sighed, patting his head like he was a neglected puppy, "it really must look like Dokja-ssi just came back from the dead."
Ah… right. He hadn't even noticed Kim Dokja arrive through the trauma that Han Sooyoung was putting him through.
Yoo Mia sighed and frowned at Lee Hyunsung. "You need to get better at that, for Heewon-unnie's sake."
Lee Hyunsung nodded in teary agreement, and Kim Dokja just hoped that maybe Han Sooyoung would see the trauma she inflicted on the poor man and decide not to do that in the future.
As Dokja physically pushes Hyunsung's face away, the final member of the 'Pinkies' asks if he can leave. Dokja then asks for his name, correcting himself to specify that he means to ask for the man's real name when the 'young woman' answers a typical girly name. Sooyoung clicks her tongue in disgust as the man introduces himself as Kim Yongpal, and Dokja internally remarks that no one would ever believe that this was a man in his 40s.
Kim Yongpal of the 'Pinkies'. There you are.
Later, when Yongpal is curled in a corner while they're inspecting more dead demons, Sooyoung asks why they kept the old man alive since the 'Pinkies' were scum. Dokja explains that the 'Pinkies' were originally a trio in TWSA—not a quartet—and that Yongpal usually died before the others turned to evil due to his pure nature. When Yongpal asks what they're talking about, Sooyoung just tells him to shut up
In fact, Kim Yongpal survived this far without killing anyone, not even in the first scenario. The reason why I was able to come up with the idea of 'insect killing', was because there was a precedent where Kim Yongpal survived by stepping on an ant by complete accident in the first scenario.
The screen then shows the original Yongpal running in fear, slowing down to show the moment he squished the ant and passed the first scenario.
"Sorry, Dokja-ssi… I'm causing you some trouble," Lee Hyunsung sighed, looking rather despondent.
"It's fine, really." Kim Dokja felt bad just hearing him sound that upset.
[a constellation who likes to change genders is thinking that the disguise was well done.]
Sure, the disguise might have been good—name and all—but what was important here was the person beneath the disguise. Thankfully, Kim Dokja got the final confirmation he needed that this was the person he was looking for.
"In his 40s!?" Lee Jihye shrieked, eyes wide in shock. "Damn, what kinda moisturizer does he use?"
Jihye-yah, that's the power of disguise skills.
"I don't think that's a moisturiser," Lee Seolhwa laughed lightly. "The transformation really is impressive, though."
That it was, but it was a shame that a guy like that—who was genuinely a nice person—ended up being associated with the other three.
Yoo Mia stared critically at the screen for a moment. "Why does he look like ahjussi if he was a girl?"
Huh? Did he really…? Kim Dokja squinted at the screen, but he couldn't really see the resemblance. Apparently he was the only one, though, because Yoo Sangah looked extremely amused.
"Oh my god, you're right," Jung Heewon snorted. "He really does!"
[a constellation who likes to change genders is wanting to change the gender of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
[a constellation who likes harems is very interested in the idea of a constellation who likes to change genders.]
No thank you, he'd rather not think about that. Thankfully, Kim Dokja's future self explained that this man usually died before the Pinkies actually became a legitimate threat, and that was enough to make people ignore those indirect messages.
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is entertained by this discussion.]
"Wait, so this guy saved us in the first scenario?" Lee Gilyoung asked, looking up at Kim Dokja in shock as soon as he explained that this man had stepped on an ant, and that was why he had known that killing insects would work.
Well, not directly, but… "Technically, I guess."
Yoo Sangah let out a breath of relief. "Thank goodness that Dokja-ssi remembered that scene. If you hadn't, then…"
Then they would have had to kill someone to survive, just like everyone else.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is praising the incarnation 'kim dokja' for his good memory.]
Sooyoung asks what they're doing now, and Dokja explains that their goal is to finish the current scenario—the final one before the 'Liberation of Seoul Dome'.
The Ninth scenario, 'Dark Castle'.
A panning shot of the castle is shown once more, with heavy gothic music accompanying it as flying demons circle the towers and the windows glow a bright crimson. Sooyoung then states that the first floor is easy, since the real hell of this scenario starts on the second floor of the castle.
There was more than enough despair looming over Seoul, but there still weren't enough 'stories'.
Dokja turns to look at his companions, taking in how Yoosung is nursing Gilyoung's growing fever, how Jihye had begun to snore as her injuries recovered, and how Hyunsung is curled up and shaking heavily, clearly still traumatized. With a slight frown on his face, Dokja looks out a nearby broken window to view Seoul's state of destruction.
There are never enough stories. The dokkaebi still sought after greater despair, and the constellations still yearned for more exciting stories. That is the law of this world.
Completely ruining the solemn atmosphere created by Dokja's narration, Sooyoung walks up and calls it all 'so cliché' since demons were now added on top of the regressor, returnee, and reincarnator aspects. Annoyed, Dokja calls her a plagiarist once more, and when she snaps back with a biting remark at that, he cuts her off to ask a question. "Han Sooyoung. If you were the writer of TWSA… then why do you think this world was created?"
"Right, the liberation thing," Jung Heewon remarked. "I can't believe we're almost there already."
Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes narrowed as he looked at the screen intently. "Do not underestimate the ninth or tenth scenarios. They're a different kind of challenge from the others."
That was absolutely true. While the past scenarios had tested their might and morals, the hardest part of the ninth scenario would challenge their willpower.
[many constellations are excited to see the upcoming scenarios.]
Shin Yoosung's eyes went wide. "How is the first floor easy? Unnie almost…"
Her voice went quiet as she looked down at the floor, and Kim Dokja patted her head. It was easy in comparison to the future floors, but that didn't mean it was necessarily easy on its own.
"The second floor is harder," Kim Dokja told her quietly. "However, it's a good place to train and level up."
He had no doubts that the future Yoo Joonghyuk would instruct Lee Jihye to use it as a training ground, once they managed to reunite. It was something he did pretty often in many regressions, after all.
Looking over Seoul was a bit disheartening, though. It was in terrible shape, and Kim Dokja knew that it would only get worse from here.
[a few constellations are wondering if the incarnation 'kim dokja' is admiring the broken concrete.]
He didn't like broken concrete, dammit!
"Not enough stories," Yoo Joonghyuk scoffed, his tone turning dark and harsh. "There will never be enough stories for the damned dokkaebi and constellations."
The dokkaebi would always gravitate to the next big tragedy, and the constellations would gorge themselves on stories until they could no longer consume any further. It was a horrific cycle of exploitation, and it was one that Kim Dokja understood all too well.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is remarking that only some stories can reach a higher level of quality.]
Kim Dokja groaned as Han Sooyoung criticized TWSA's setting. "Didn't your novel have all the same things too? Since it was written based on those maybe prophetic dreams, and all?"
She shrugged. "Well, yeah, but it's better than that trash because I wrote it, of course."
Kim Dokja rolled his eyes. Right, why the fuck had he even asked her to begin with?
However, his future self asked a truly interesting question, and watching her face twist into about fifteen different expressions of disgust was a bit funny, at least.
She retorts that she didn't write that trash, but Dokja in turn reminds her that this is a hypothetical situation. After pausing for a moment, Sooyoung looks very catlike when she shrugs and states that a first-rate author like her would never understand the thoughts of a third-rate writer. Dokja just sighs long-sufferingly as he berates himself for even asking her. Then, Sooyoung looks at him sharply as she remarks that she should be the one asking him that question. In surprise, Dokja turns to look at her and sees the extremely serious expression on her face.
Though I can't use [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint], Han Sooyoung was definitely asking me something like this: 「You already know how this world ends, don't you?」
Dokja holds her gaze for a moment before looking back outside and asking some more existential questions, making Sooyoung narrow her eyes as he changes the subject instead of answering. What she doesn't know is that Dokja is staring at the sky, noticing that it doesn't look the same as before. Even with so many stars shining in the night sky, he can't help but feel that there's a distant abyss that can't be erased, and he wonders why the constellations were so obsessed with stories, as well as wondering about what they're enduring.
[constellations who like philosophy are curious to hear the opinion of a writer on the reason why their world was created.]
Han Sooyoung went silent for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. "How the fuck should I know? All authors have different motivations. Maybe they wanted to write their first web novel and keep the bar low to start, or maybe they wanted to toss in every idea they had and just see if it worked outside of their head. This tls123 never posted any other works, right?"
Kim Dokja shook his head. He had checked, but in all honesty, tls123 had an insane update schedule most of the time. Kim Dokja genuinely didn't know when they had time to sleep already, and trying to write anything else at the same time would have been a terrible idea.
"Clearly it wasn't for money, though," Han Sooyoung remarked with a snicker. "It never got paywalled until the end, so my guess is that tls123 was actually some teenager who had never written shit before and didn't know how to actually write."
Well, that made sense, as much as he hated to admit it. However, Kim Dokja frowned when Han Sooyoung turned the question back on him.
Why did TWSA exist, in his opinion…? He honestly didn't know. Kim Dokja knew how this story ended—or at least, as far as he could read of it—but he had never asked why the author had decided to sit and write it. Maybe she assumed that he had discussed it in his comments?
[the constellation 'scribe of heaven' is curious to hear the response of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
"I don't know either," Kim Dokja admitted. "Back then, I was too busy talking about what happened in my comments, and I never thought to ask about the author. Maybe I should have."
Maybe if he had, then he wouldn't be so confused now. Maybe this world was one that was meant for creating and consuming stories, in a never-ending cycle. Maybe it wasn't made with any purpose in mind at all. No matter how much he thought about it, Kim Dokja would never be able to know if he was even on the right track.
[many constellations are looking fondly at the starry sky.]
'Why do the scenarios exist?' This was a question pondered at least once by the countless beings in the Star Stream as they endured eons of time, but they all had different answers. For instance, this was what the returnee Kyrgios Rodgraim said.
Kyrgios appears on screen, looking over his shoulder as he states, "Without even that, the universe would be far too lonely."
The constellation 'Queen of the Darkest Spring' replied with another question.
Persephone appears, laughing lightly as she lifts a piece of steak towards her mouth, "Are you asking me why 'food' exists?"
And the Demon King 'Asmodeus' answered like this.
A shadowed figure with horns coming from their forehead is quiet for a moment before offering the response, "It's a small destruction that exists in order to prevent a greater one."
In some ways, these answers were romantic, and perhaps even philosophical if one were to summarize them. However, just as it's always been, 'Romanticism' and 'Philosophy' were only luxuries available for those who were satiated. Therefore, to the Demon Earl Tentacio of the 'Abyss Plains' on the second floor of the Dark Castle, the scenario meant the following.
The view returns to the castle, winding into a window. When the full screen turns red, the light gives way to a narrow canyon which opens into a large barren field. After a nauseating moment of motion following the wind, the focus lands on a wolf-like figure sitting on a rock. He looks up at the sky and says, "It fucking sucks."
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is curious to know the answers to the question.]
"That's a good question to ask," Yoo Sangah remarked with a faint smile on her face. "We might never know the real answer, but it's something that's worth thinking about anyway."
Of course she thought that way, she was always that kind of person. However, as Kyrgios gave his answer, Kim Dokja felt it resonate with him somewhat. Lonely, huh?
Without the scenarios, then maybe he would have had a single awkward encounter with Yoo Sangah on the train before going back to being alone and avoiding everyone. His life before had been lonely, but TWSA and the scenarios had always been there for him.
[a few constellations are agreeing with the thoughts of the returnee 'kyrgios rodgraim'.]
However, Kim Dokja had to sigh as Persephone gave her answer. It made sense for her, but she was also rather carefree about it, all things considered. Maybe she chose to not think about it too much; it would get existential really fast, otherwise.
Unfortunately, the next person to appear was someone who made pure hatred rise in Kim Dokja's soul, and he wasn't the only one.
"Oppa, are you okay?" Yoo Mia asked worriedly as her brother went ramrod straight, and it looked like he was barely breathing. Yoo Joonghyuk seemed to be caught somewhere between pure fury and fear, and his hands were clenched so tightly into fists that Kim Dokja genuinely worried that he'd draw blood.
Fuck Asmodeus, truly. What the hell did he mean by his stupid words, anyway?
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is expressing her great hatred for the demon king.]
"They're definitely unique answers," Lee Seolhwa conceded, "but they're certainly not the only ones either. Everyone must have their own definitions, to some extent."
That was true, and it was proven as such only a moment later as the screen zoomed in on a demon who put his personal thoughts on the matter into a very crude expression. Simple and to the point, he supposed, but it was very blunt.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is very entertained by the demon earl 'tentacio'.]
The demon swirls some rocks in his hand before crushing them and declaring that he's tired of this, inwardly cursing a suggestion he received from a dokkaebi. A flashback triggers, showing the hooded dokkaebi approaching a much more pitiful looking version of Tentacio and asking if he wanted to be the 73rd Demon King.
The apex and long-cherished dream of all demon species. 'Demon King'.
The screen goes dark before movement happens, revealing the darkness to have been caused by a shadowed set of wings. As they open, they reveal a horned figure whose glowing eye seems to stare into the viewer's soul—a depiction of a Demon King.
The demon seems to contemplate the offer, noting his lack of growth. In a near taunting voice, the dokkaebi explains that Tentacio is lacking stories rather than strength, confusing the demon. Smiling widely, the dokkaebi states he'll find out when he participates in the scenario. This leads back to the demon's current situation, bored out of his mind after slaughtering anyone who dared to enter the castle for nearly 200 years. Annoyed, he notes that even though he was in the top ten demons of the second floor, he didn't have the strength to challenge the third floor.
The third floor, where the essence of the Demon King slumbered. It wasn't enough to simply gather coins and build up strength. I must rise to the top of this large plain, since the strongest on the second floor weren't powerful simply because their abilities were strong.
"We're all tired, get in line," Jung Heewon remarked out of nowhere, causing Kim Dokja to force himself to hold back a snort. The scenarios were absolutely exhausting, and even though he knew basically all there was to know about them, even he was getting worn down little by little.
Lee Hyunsung tilted his head to the side slightly as he watched the screen. "Is it really that easy to become a Demon King?"
Kim Dokja grimaced. "To make a long answer very short, no."
Plus, this scenario wouldn't allow the actual 73rd Demon King to get selected, no matter what the dokkaebi said. All demons wished to become a Demon King eventually, but that just wasn't feasible for most of them. As an Earl, Tentacio was more powerful than most, but that didn't mean he stood a chance against the most powerful contenders either.
[the constellations of the nebula 'eden' despise the demon kings.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is thinking that the demon king looks cool.]
"What does that mean, ahjussi?" Lee Jihye asked in confusion. "Isn't getting stronger the most important thing? Stories are important for you because of the constellation thing, but how does that affect everyone else?"
"Remember Hyunsung-ssi inheriting that story?" Kim Dokja asked her, gesturing over at the suddenly alert man. "It gave him more power. In the Star Stream, there are some stories that can be as powerful as a stigma, or more."
"Kim Dokja is right. Gathering stories is just as important as increasing stats," Yoo Joonghyuk confirmed, once again looking intently at Kim Dokja. It was weird that he was doing that now, but maybe he'd stop if Kim Dokja pretended not to see anything.
[many constellations are agreeing with the assessment of the incarnations 'kim dokja' and 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
Yoo Mia's eyes widened in shock. "He's been there for 200 years!?"
Shocking, right? The scenarios transcended time and space, though, so it shouldn't have been surprising. Even though the Dark Castle was physically floating above Seoul, the second and third floors might as well have been in different dimensions.
Lee Gilyoung looked at the screen with determination. "If he's been there for that long and still can't beat the 3rd floor, then he probably isn't that strong."
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is advising the incarnations to not underestimate their opponents.]
Just as Tentacio is about to name what he's lacking, the notifications from constellations curious about his backstory cause him to stop. Seeing that they're treating him as some sort of character, he gets angry but stands up eagerly because the arrival of the constellations heralds the arrival of fresh meat on the castle's second floor.
Materializing in the field, Jiwon and her injured Hwarang look around a moment before spotting the demon walking towards them. Speaking up, Jiwon asks where they are and if he's a guide. Smiling, Tentacio jokes that he's totally a guide and explains the 'survival of the fittest' nature of the second floor, mentioning that only those strong enough to be acknowledged can move on. He then asks for anyone with further questions to raise their hand. When a hwarang does so, to ask how one would be acknowledged, Tentacio responds by beheading him as an example of what to do.
The scene quickly devolves into chaos as the Hwarang rush into formation, screaming for everyone to protect Jiwon. The demon welcomes them once again to the second floor of 'Dark Castle' as he activates his story, [Bug Slaughter], to tear through them like they're nothing more than pitiful insects in his path.
Let the fun begin.
[the constellation 'lady of the sleeping brocade' is surprised to see a message from her.]
Ah, so Min Jiwon had arrived on the second floor already, huh? That was rather quick for her, especially since some of her hwarang had been lost to the carnage back down in the city, but she did have a week's head start over Kim Dokja.
Plus, now that Kim Dokja thought about it, he had no idea when this scene was taking place. It was possible that she had arrived a few days ago, but that also made Kim Dokja frown. Yoo Joonghyuk had only just ascended to the second floor maybe forty-five minutes to an hour before Kim Dokja had met up with Han Sooyoung, so was it possible that she had beaten him there somehow?
Actually, whether or not she had, why had Yoo Joonghyuk taken a whole week to go up to the second floor in the first place? Even with Yoo Mia in tow, he wouldn't have any problems gathering enough proofs for the both of them. Unless… had he been waiting back down in Seoul to see if Kim Dokja would resurrect when he said that he would?
Kim Dokja paused and shook his head. No, that was ridiculous. Just knowing that he would revive was probably enough for the protagonist, and he probably did beat Min Jiwon to the second floor. Anything else would be very unlikely.
[the constellation 'bald leader of the peasant's army' is nervous about the incarnations letting their guard down.]
Ah, shit. Min Jiwon couldn't actually be trusting the demon to be telling the truth, right? This wasn't going to be good.
"Ahjussi, they're in danger, aren't they?" Shin Yoosung whispered, and all Kim Dokja could do was nod.
Sure enough, not even a second later, Min Jiwon was down one hwarang due to decapitation. Shit, they weren't going to stand a chance.
[the constellation 'lady of the sleeping brocade' is panicking.]
As Tentacio activated his story, Lee Gilyoung's eyes turned dark and furious. "Hyung, if we meet this guy, I'm gonna show him what a real bug slaughter looks like."
Kim Dokja stared down at the kid with wide eyes and a large, fake smile on his face as he processed what Lee Gilyoung had just said. He was planning to do what now!?
[a constellation who likes grasshoppers is encouraging the incarnation 'lee gilyoung' to murder the insolent demon.]
That wasn't helping!