Jung Heewon laughed breathlessly as she smiled over at Lee Jihye. "Even seeing this again, I can't believe it's real."
The teenager grinned widely. "You'd better believe it, unnie!"
Lee Jihye was absolutely right, and Kim Dokja knew it. Lee Jihye was someone who grew exponentially over the course of the novel until she had even managed to surpass her own sponsor in naval might. Seeing the beginning of that journey with his own eyes… it was more than Kim Dokja could have ever hoped for.
A girl who didn't shed tears now took command of the battlefield.
Cannon fire rains down upon the enemy ships, forcing them into beginning their retreat amidst the explosions.
'Ghost Fleet'. In the future, this stigma would make Lee Jihye the strongest commander of the seas.
Jihye now leaps into battle, her sword raised dangerously as she descends upon the enemies still on their ship.
The time it took for the enemies' ships to sink was less than one hour.
As cannonballs from the [Ghost Fleet] tear through the fragile wooden ships, enemy forces are thrown from their vessels. They scream as they try to flee, but instead their bodies sink into the water, staining their surroundings red.
Jihye collapses to the ground in exhaustion, and the messages from the Dungeon come in, confirming their completion of the movie. With their job completed, the [Ghost Fleet] vanishes into the sunset. Heewon moves to help Jihye stand as Gilyoung gives their newly-minted naval commander a thumbs up.
'The admiral's stigma… it really is on a completely different level,' Dokja thinks, exasperated. 'It's a shame to let it go to Yoo Joonghyuk.'
"Hey!" Lee Jihye cried, shooting Kim Dokja a piercing look. "Master is the one who came looking for me, not you, so you don't get to talk."
… Fair enough. Besides, he had technically stolen Lee Hyunsung, and Kim Namwoon was dead, so Lee Jihye was the only one of his original companions that Yoo Joonghyuk currently had in this regression. And, with the way Shin Yoosung was being somewhat hostile to him, she probably wouldn't jump on the opportunity to join him either.
[The constellation 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' is laughing at the incarnation 'Kim Dokja'.]
Still, if everything worked out the way he hoped, then maybe they wouldn't end up on two separate teams after all. With any luck, Yoo Joonghyuk—and Lee Jihye by extension—would be willing to cooperate with everyone else as their companions.
"The strongest commander of the seas…" Lee Hyunsung muttered in wonder. "That sounds amazing!"
Oh, it certainly would be. If this was [Ghost Fleet] at only level one, then no one could even imagine how OP it would become at higher levels. Of course, it was boosted this time by being part of her sponsor's Story, but it was still a formidable stigma.
Yoo Joonghyuk studied his student for a moment, possibly even analyzing her abilities. Then, he turned back to the screen.
"I have no doubts that you will become even stronger than the Lee Jihyes of my previous regressions."
Her mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide, and Kim Dokja instantly knew that nothing would be able to keep the smile off her face.
[The constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is delighted.]
Suddenly, Dokja is distracted as the rewards for completing the Bounty Scenario roll in, and his eyes widen in shock as he reads what his reward is. The messages reveal he has gained the stigma, [Song of the Sword] making Dokja's eyes bug out comically.
This was a stigma that not even Lee Jihye got before reaching halfway through all the scenarios. I might need this one even more than [Ghost Fleet]. For me to have gained this kind of stigma…
Dokja wonders if the stigma is worth what is happening with Joonghyuk as a message of thanks for helping Jihye comes in from the Maritime War God. This causes Dokja to smile after noticing that even though the teenager looks exhausted, she doesn't look lost in her trauma anymore.
'It was an okay ending, I guess,' he thinks as they leave the movie. Once they're safely back in the theatre, Dokja tells Jihye to rest as the remaining group members continue on to save Joonghyuk. She's reluctant to agree, but she eventually gives in.
She might have gotten a new stigma, but we don't have the luxury of sitting back and exploiting it. The boss of the Theatre Dungeon isn't such an easy opponent that I can fight him while protecting a burnt out Lee Jihye at the same time.
As Dokja runs up the stairs, Heewon and Gilyoung on his heels, he further enhances his stats with coins and hopes that Joonghyuk doesn't regress.
'Please don't be dead..!' He desperately pleads in his mind as he runs up the final flight of stairs.
"Is that stigma really that good, hyung?" Lee Gilyoung asked curiously, and Kim Dokja nodded. [Song of the Sword], despite its RNG elements, could be absolutely devastating if you got lucky.
"I'd argue that it could be just as powerful as [Ghost Fleet], under the right conditions," Kim Dokja said, and Lee Jihye looked stunned at his words. Naturally, she would get this stigma eventually, too.
[The constellation 'Maritime War God' is preening.]
Yoo Mia glanced over at Lee Jihye as well before turning her head away, her ears tinged slightly red like she was flustered. "Good job, unnie."
Were those tears in Lee Jihye's eyes?
"Do it again, call me unnie again, I beg you," she said quickly, even though Yoo Mia turned away even more. Yep, definitely embarrassed. It was kind of cute, honestly.
"No! I want to see what's going on with my oppa," Yoo Mia protested, her cheeks flushed. Kim Dokja honestly had to agree. That hadn't been an easy fight, but everyone would rest easier once it was over.
"Was leaving her behind really a good idea?" Han Sooyoung asked, raising a brow. "I get that protecting her would be a pain—"
"Hey!" Lee Jihye yelled, shooting Han Sooyoung a dark look that was completely ignored.
"—but you were about to face off with the protagonist. Did you seriously think you'd be enough on your own?"
Well, no, but…
"I didn't want her to end up getting killed, okay?" Kim Dokja replied flatly. "She was exhausted, and I knew that Yoo Joonghyuk wouldn't take hurting his own disciple too well."
Especially considering just how bad his mental state had been at the time. If he had actually killed Lee Jihye, he might have regressed right then and there. Lee Jihye fell silent at that, and Yoo Joonghyuk pursed his lips in irritation. Kim Dokja had hit the nail on the head, then.
[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' agrees with the assessment of the incarnation 'Kim Dokja'.]
Upon reaching the rooftop final boss arena, Dokja notices Joonghyuk standing facing away from them. Heewon double checks with Dokja that it's really Joonghyuk, noting that he's unharmed—something that's odd since Dokja mentioned he might be in danger.
Grimacing in annoyance, Dokja smiles fakely as he struts right up to the man and calls his name, right before smacking the back of his head hard enough for Joonghyuk to be unable to keep standing up straight. Turning away to massage his aching hand, Dokja seems incredibly relieved that Joonghyuk is okay. For a moment, his smile turns genuine before he notices that Joonghyuk hasn't reacted to his provocation whatsoever.
Dokja quickly circles around him to get a look at his face, and his heart sinks. Joonghyuk's eyes are widened in something that looks almost like fear, but his expression and eyes are otherwise blank. This instantly causes alarm bells to ring in Dokja's mind, and he turns around quickly, noticing someone seated on a bench opposite where Joonghyuk is standing.
In his 8th regression, Yoo Joonghyuk died in the 'Theatre Dungeon'. It wasn't because he was weak, but rather because he was unlucky.
"So you did hit me," Yoo Joonghyuk said with a growl in his undertone. Kim Dokja tried not to shiver, especially considering that this was the second time he had hit the protagonist.
"Please don't come after me for that," Kim Dokja pleaded quickly. "You got me back for it already, okay?"
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is wondering if this, too, is foreplay.]
Han Sooyoung snorted. "Probably."
No it wasn't!
"You looked really relieved there, Dokja-ssi," Yoo Sangah said in amusement, her eyes filled with mirth as she glanced between him and Yoo Joonghyuk. Kim Dokja had the sinking feeling that she was misinterpreting things, somehow, even though he hadn't expected that from her of all people.
Kim Dokja sighed. "Of course I was, considering how long it had been since he went into the dungeon. He could have died and no one would have ever known."
"He does look somewhat frightened, though," Lee Hyunsung muttered in worry, frowning at the other man pictured on the screen. Kim Dokja couldn't help but grimace, knowing full well why Yoo Joonghyuk looked like that. The protagonist didn't seem to want to add anything to the conversation, though—he probably didn't want to admit to any weakness or fear.
That dumb sunfish… didn't he know that showing vulnerability was good for getting women to like you? Seriously, how had he ever managed to get together with Lee Seolhwa when he was emotionally constipated like that?
After thinking for a moment, Kim Dokja shook his head internally. It was probably because of his looks; he was so handsome that his face probably had its own probability.
Shin Yoosung frowned and shifted closer to Kim Dokja's side, drawing him out from his thoughts. "That old guy doesn't look very nice…"
That was a serious understatement.
The old man sitting on the bench tips his hat in greeting, a message popping up informing everyone that he is the 'Theatre Owner Simulacrum', the dungeon's final boss. Dokja curses internally—this is one of the worst-case scenarios, even if it was still better than finding out that Joonghyuk had died.
The boss of the 'Theatre Dungeon' is the worst possible opponent for a regressor like Yoo Joonghyuk. Now he's become a puppet of the 'Theatre Owner' and lost the ability to think.
Dokja gulps as Joonghyuk begins to move towards Dokja, his hands spasming as he moves in an unnatural, stilted way. Dokja backs away, holding his hands up placatingly as he tries to reason with the possessed man. "Oi, hold on…! Joonghyuk-ah, you have to snap out of it. Let's talk this out…"
Internally, Dokja is panicking. There isn't anyone right now who's powerful enough to stop Joonghyuk. Suddenly, Dokja is punched in the chest and sent flying backwards as Joonghyuk activates [Force Palm lvl. 4].
Eh?
Dokja coughs up blood, groaning in pain as he crashes into the barrier on the edge of the rooftop. The punch was strong enough to damage his new armor, and the defense stat goes down as a result.
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is shocked at the actions of the incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk'.]
"Shit, that was a strong hit," Han Sooyoung cursed, furrowing her brow as she watched.
Yeah, tell him about it. Yoo Joonghyuk, even in the third regression, was stupidly overpowered. It just wasn't fair.
"Let's just say that I'm very glad I had the body armor on," Kim Dokja admitted with a grimace.
Considering his own, frankly, pathetic stats, there was a very good chance that he could have ended up with far worse than a bruised stomach. He could honestly say that he had no desire to end up with a hole through his torso anytime soon, and especially not because of Yoo Joonghyuk.
The protagonist himself had a pinched expression, looking distinctly uncomfortable with the way he didn't have control over his own body. Kim Dokja wasn't sure how much of that fight the man even remembered in the first place, so this might be incredibly strange for him. He had no doubt that Yoo Joonghyuk was unnerved by seeing his body acting under someone else's orders, but thankfully it seemed that it was just different enough that he hopefully wasn't getting reminded of what Anna Croft had done in his previous life.
Just thinking about it was pissing Kim Dokja off, and he couldn't waste his energy seething over that woman. He needed to focus.
[The constellation 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' is cheering for a fight.]
Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung shot twin glares at the protagonist, looking almost as though they were trying to set his hair on fire with their wills alone. Kim Dokja sighed.
"Kids, relax. He was being controlled here, okay?"
Unfortunately, that didn't seem to change their minds at all.
Well, the likelihood of Yoo Joonghyuk doing the same thing (or worse) if he wasn't possessed was still pretty high. After all, the Theatre Master wasn't an expert at using the protagonist's skills.
Jung Heewon shot her own glare at him. "I'll forgive you just this once because you were possessed, okay?"
Yoo Joonghyuk just glanced at her before he rolled his eyes. As much as Kim Dokja praised Jung Heewon's skills, this fight had proven that Yoo Joonghyuk could easily wipe the floor with her if he wanted to. She wasn't a threat to him whatsoever, and the protagonist knew it.
[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' is extremely excited for a good fight.]
At this sight, Heewon yells his name and springs into action with [Demon Slaying lvl. 2], leaping towards Joonghyuk with her eyes blazing red. Though he's being moved about like a puppet on a string, Joonghyuk's gaze is still as cold and intimidating as ever when he glances at her over his shoulder. She leaps into the air, her sword raised high above her head for a powerful strike, and Joonghyuk is seemingly defenseless.
'No! At her current level, Jung Heewon still can't deal with someone like him!' Dokja thinks in a panic, unable to warn Heewon as he coughs more blood and realizes that he can't speak.
Joonghyuk dodges Heewon's slash easily and grabs her by the arm, aiming a powerful attack at her head. Thankfully, Heewon spots it and dodges just in time. Gritting her teeth, she kicks the arm holding onto her and uses the momentum to put some distance between them.
As she begins to catch her breath, Joonghyuk catches her off guard by rushing in with [Hundred Step Divine Fist lvl. 2] and he easily slams her into the wall next to the door just as Jihye walks through it. Jihye immediately notices the older woman's battered form collapsed against the wall, and this distraction proves to be a grave mistake.
Frantically, Dokja yells to her to look out with his hoarse voice, hoping that she'll manage to escape. She hears him and turns away from Heewon with wide and panicked eyes, only to see Joonghyuk's aura-wreathed fist poised to hit her directly in the face.
In the brief instant before it makes contact, all she can do is whisper.
"...Master?"
"No, unnie!" Shin Yoosung cried, her eyes wide. Her posture was extremely tense, and she seemed genuinely worried that Lee Jihye's face would get pulverized the same way Kim Dokja's armor had been.
Lee Jihye tried to look confident as she replied to the younger girl. "Don't worry, I—"
[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' is reminding the incarnation 'Lee Jihye' to not spoil.]
The teenager just rolled her eyes, muttering about how the constellation was a killjoy. Kim Dokja, for his part, had to try to keep himself from laughing. Maybe Secretive Plotter should rename himself to 'Hater of Spoilers' or something.
Lee Hyunsung gasped, shooting a worried glance at Jung Heewon. "Were you okay, Heewon-ssi?"
Jung Heewon grimaced, not liking the fact that she was being reminded of her own weakness. It was something that Kim Dokja had known would be extremely difficult for her, especially since she seemed to take any failure personally.
"I was fine," she gritted out, displeased. "I'll get the asshole back for it someday."
Yoo Joonghyuk scoffed, like he didn't see her as a threat—and honestly, she wouldn't be for a very long time. "Gain some more experience, and then try making that claim again."
[Several constellations are impressed by the confidence of the incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk'.]
"You still did well, Heewon-ssi!" Kim Dokja reassured her, and it was the truth. Even though she wouldn't be able to win at this point, she had still given it her all. Most people wouldn't have even been able to get back up after a hit like that.
"Not well enough," she muttered in irritation. Thankfully, Jung Heewon was the kind of person who would use a failure like that as a stepping stone towards success. She wouldn't let herself get caught off guard like that again.
Though some people might doubt her, Kim Dokja believed that Jung Heewon would one day be able to fight on even footing with even the best incarnations, even if he couldn't be completely confident that she would ever match up to Yoo Joonghyuk's combat prowess.
Still, he looked forward to finding out.
[Many constellations are looking forward to a possible rematch.]