"Hey ahjussi, did you really—"
"No," Kim Dokja said quickly, cutting Lee Jihye off before she could finish her question. "That's not important right now either."
To be fair to her, he wasn't lying! There were significantly more important things to focus on right now. Kim Dokja also really, really didn't want to have to explain any of that to anyone here. Han Sooyoung would zero in on any chance to humiliate him like a bloodhound, and Lee Jihye was just too perceptive for her own good.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is extremely curious.]
Curious or not, Kim Dokja wouldn't say anything, dammit.
As people all around them scream in confusion at the sudden 'murder' that has occurred, Dokja picks up the head by the hair, asking if 'Han Sooyoung' is his real name and mentally confirming that this is the First Apostle due to the [Avatar] skill. Sooyoung also confirms his theory that Dokja was the one to put up copies of the 'Book of Revelation'.
Dokja just says that he spread Sooyoung's plagiarized novel, causing Sooyoung to angrily spout that he hadn't plagiarised and that his novel can't be compared to the trash that is TWSA. Dokja uses this as confirmation that he read the original, annoying Sooyoung to the point of angrily telling the people around them to kill Dokja.
Unfortunately, the others are too busy screaming about a talking head to be helpful. Dokja just smiles as he tells the angry head that the cliché will soon begin.
Suddenly, a glowing ring cuts swiftly through the air, slicing the head off a man standing beside Taesung. As it makes its way through the crowd of people, it injures and kills many others to the chorus of their screams. As the bloodshed continues, someone realizes that the Tyrant King has arrived
"Dokja-ssi, why didn't you say anything out loud when you realized that the avatar was the First Apostle?" Jung Heewon asked curiously, though she still sounded a bit more than somewhat ticked off. It made sense, considering that she was still upset over the dragon thing, even if Yoo Sangah was the one whose anger was much more explosive this time around.
Kim Dokja sighed. "I didn't want to cause a scene or make Sangah-ssi uncomfortable."
Lee Gilyoung wouldn't have had any issues, and he was well aware of that. The kid might be feral on the best of days, but so long as Kim Dokja was calm and rational, he probably wouldn't lash out. At least, Kim Dokja hoped that was the case.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is sticking out his tongue.]
Han Sooyoung glanced over at him with an exhausted look. "You didn't have to do that. And I'm sorry for telling them all to kill you or whatever. You don't suck as much as I thought you did."
"Thanks?" Kim Dokja replied in a slightly confused tone. Was she sorry? Well, genuine or not, Kim Dokja would take it. Progress was progress, no matter which way it happened, right?
Yoo Joonghyuk glanced over at the author discerningly, seemingly searching for any signs of falsehoods in her words. He might have even been using [Lie Detection], but Kim Dokja didn't have the energy to check right now.
Yoo Sangah looked at her in surprise for a moment before something in her gaze softened ever-so-slightly. She still didn't look entirely okay with Han Sooyoung, and Kim Dokja didn't expect her to. Still, it was better than nothing, and hopefully that would eventually lead to some mended bridges between them. They had been getting along so well beforehand, and Kim Dokja didn't want them to throw away a burgeoning friendship over someone like him.
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is happy to see incarnations apologizing for their mistakes.]
Of course, the somewhat more pleasant atmosphere was instantly shattered the moment that the Tyrant King started killing people on the screen.
"Lift the palanquin," The Tyrant King states casually, answering an earlier question about how he takes his throne with him everywhere, as the glowing ring comes to a stop beside him and rotates around a red gem. Below his throne, a group of about 8 people hoist the palanquin on their shoulders.
Noticing this, Dokja urgently calls for Sangah and Gilyoung to get behind him, still holding Sooyoung's head in his hand by the hair. Sooyoung only looks mildly worried, in direct contrast to Dokja's panic.
With an evil grin, the Tyrant King orders the palanquin bearers to charge, trampling anyone who doesn't get out of the way in time.
"How pitiful… and they call themselves kings?" The Tyrant King wonders as the 4 Kings of the alliance run to each other in a panic.
As he gets off the palanquin, the screen takes the time to focus on his appearance. Power flows off of him in waves as he stands, gruff charm and lack of sleep evident in his features, and he's still wearing the shirt that he still hasn't learned to fully button up. He also draped a red robe adorned with the patterns of Korean kings over his shoulders. If you squinted, he could be a possible candidate for a protagonist role if it hadn't been for the overwhelming beauty and power possessed by Joonghyuk. Beside him, the rings that form his weapon slowly rotate around each other in different directions.
Lee Jihye grimaced. "He seriously just picks up his throne like that? How tacky."
Now that Kim Dokja thought about it, tacky was a pretty good word to describe him, wasn't it?
Sure, the Tyrant King was strong and had the power to back up his claims thanks to the prophets, but he still spent way too much time on pointless showmanship. Plus, his fashion sense kind of sucked. What was with that crown of thorns and the red robes? Was he trying to come across as some kind of messiah?
Still, it was obvious that he didn't stand a chance compared to the protagonist. Yoo Joonghyuk was on a whole other level than regular incarnations, and even with everyone's stats equalized during the selection, he had still been effortlessly taking down the other Kings through skill alone.
To be honest, Kim Dokja was kind of sad that the Tyrant King had never truly faced off against Yoo Joonghyuk in this regression. Sure, the fight would be extremely biased in favour of Yoo Joonghyuk—Kim Dokja wouldn't have it any other way—but it would be an interesting thing to see. He had missed getting to just sit and watch Yoo Joonghyuk fight, and Kim Dokja still shivered when he remembered just how breathtaking his skills were when he witnessed them in [First Person Main Character POV]. It was a shame that Kim Dokja usually only got to see it when he was the one stuck fighting against the protagonist, and he never had the time to just sit and appreciate Yoo Joonghyuk's swordsmanship when he was too busy trying not to die.
Lee Gilyoung glowered at the screen, his lips forming into a pout that under different circumstances would be cute. "He was such an asshole."
"That he was!" Kim Dokja replied with a large grin, patting Lee Gilyoung's head as he did so.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is tearing out his hair in excitement.]
[Name: Jung Youngho
Age: 33
Constellation Sponsor: Great King Heoncheon Hongdo Gyungmun Wimu
Personal Attributes: Circus Member (Rare), Tyrant King (Heroic)
Exclusive Skills: Grappling lvl. 5, Sky Steps lvl. 3, Weapon Proficiency lv. 5
Stigma: Palanquin Carriage lvl. 5, Masked Dance lvl. 5, Tyranny lvl. 4
Overall Stats: Stamina lvl. 30, Strength lvl. 28, Agility lvl. 28, Mana lvl. 34 (+2)
Overall Evaluation: It so happened that the worst tyrant to have lived on Korean soil met an insignificant citizen with resentment in his heart. A citizen unsatisfied with society will not ignore such an opportunity given to them.
*Starter Pack is currently in use.
*Growth Package is currently in use.
*New Scenario Commemorative Package is currently in use.]
'Of course. It makes sense for him to be this strong since three packages are in effect at one. Not to mention he has the secret item, the
"A circus member?" Yoo Mia asked in bafflement. "Anyone can become a King these days, it seems."
Kim Dokja had to muffle a laugh behind his hand. While on one hand, anyone could become powerful in the apocalypse due to a wide variety of skills, but on the other, it was pretty funny to see what kinds of attributes people had. The fact that the Tyrant King had three packages active was also a large factor in his power level, and also proved just how much his sponsor was willing to spend on him even in such an early scenario.
[several constellations are curious about how close the 'Tyrant King' was to violating probability.]
Shin Yoosung frowned and looked warily at the King on the screen. "Is that the same thing as what happened with you, ahjussi?"
"Not quite," Kim Dokja answered. "He's a lot closer to violating it than I was."
Unlike Kim Dokja's simple review, this constant watch meant that he was always on the verge of violating the laws of probability. The prophets had given him too many power-ups without explanation, and they had come too fast. Of course, Kim Dokja had no doubts that most of them weren't given willingly, but he shouldn't have been that strong otherwise. There was also the odd fact of someone high up, possibly even the Dokkaebi King, who had dismissed Kim Dokja's case entirely.
"What happens if you violate it?" she asked then, curious eyes blinking up at him with so much childish innocence that it almost hurt Kim Dokja's heart.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' explains that violating probability will cause a probability storm.]
Before she could even ask, Yoo Joonghyuk turned to glance at her. "A probability storm is the backlash for violating probability. You must give something of equal value, or endure the pain."
All the kids paled, realizing that Yoo Joonghyuk was likely speaking from experience. Thankfully, he hadn't dealt with them much, but they had happened on occasion in TWSA. Yoo Sangah was also sending Kim Dokja a slightly worried glance, and he knew that she had put together the pieces of what he had endured after breaking the 'Absolute Throne'.
Youngho states that he is no longer a tyrant. Holding a hand to his chest, his lips twist into a distorted smile as he exclaims, "Today! I will write the new history of this country! The past can't frighten me. I am 'Prince Yeongsan', Yi Yung!"
As he finishes his proclamation, the rings shoot out and cause more casualties as they slice through flesh and bone alike. This spurs the alliance into action as they clash with Youngho's forces to the best of their ability. Off to the side, Dokja stands and protects Sangah and Gilyoung, who are still hiding behind him. Dokja asks if Sooyoung is going to fight, prompting the man to laugh.
"I bet everything's going the way you want. Since the Kings are all fighting, you can snatch the
"He claims he's no longer a tyrant, but he immediately starts killing people," Jung Heewon scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "What a hypocrite."
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is agreeing with the incarnation 'jung heewon'.]
Yeah… his actions really hadn't matched his words there.
Han Sooyoung groaned as soon as she heard her avatar's confident words, knowing full well that she hadn't been right. Kim Dokja couldn't help the victorious grin that spread quickly across his face. He deserved to be smug every once in a while, especially after outplaying an author. After all, they were meant to know how to create compelling plot twists, but Kim Dokja was such an avid reader that he could pick up on the threads and figure out the rest from there.
There was no way Han Sooyoung could have won, and she had likely realized it.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is amused.]
The dokkaebi decides that this is the perfect moment to appear and subtly diss the Historical-Grade constellations who are watching and wanting to reach Fable-Grade. Thankfully, the screen clowns right back at him, giving him an unflattering lower angle that makes him look even shorter and more lame than before. With a snap of his fingers, he smugly states that the 'Second Qualification' will be revealed. This qualification essentially states that the 'Kings' must eliminate others kings, since only a few can qualify for the chance to claim the 'Absolute Throne'. The dokkaebi then "kindly" states that only 5 people can qualify.
This briefly pauses the fight as people take in the new qualification and realize that 14 Kings remain. The dokkaebi also states that 12 of them are currently in the 'Hidden Dungeon'. This information surprises Dokja, and he glances around warily.
The ensuing chaos of mistrust causes Youngho to burst out laughing as the alliance begins to collapse, with countless people accusing others of being one of the Kings. Taesung attempts to rally people back to fighting the Tyrant King, but is interrupted by a loud voice.
Shin Yoosung laughed slightly. "That dokkaebi looks so stupid."
Honestly, everything about him was stupid—from his glasses to his dumb suit.
"Yeah!" Lee Jihye exclaimed, grinning at the younger girl. "He's so annoying too."
Kim Dokja agreed wholeheartedly—it was always a good day to make fun of the dokkaebi.
Lee Hyunsung sighed as soon as he saw the requirements for the throne. "So it really was intended to cause a battle royale…"
Yeah, absolutely. Nine Kings had to die or have their flags stolen for the scenario to proceed, and Kim Dokja had needed to ensure that he made it.
[many constellations are excited to see how the kings respond.]
"It's sad how easily people turn on each other…" Yoo Sangah muttered with a disappointed tone.
She was right, honestly. The second that only a limited number of people could pass the scenario, the accusations began flying. Kim Dokja knew more than most people just how despicable humans could be, and those behaviours would be on full display in the apocalypse. There was no reason to hide it anymore, and distrust only accentuated it.
Kim Dokja sighed wistfully. "It's sad, but it's only human."
[some constellations are laughing at how pitiful humans are.]
"Over here! He's a King! I saw it! He has a 'Flag'!" Sooyoung yells with a cheap grin as Dokja finally drops him. The crowd eyes him greedily and murmurs about turning on him as he crushes the avatar with a stomp of his foot, much like Joonghyuk did earlier in Chungmuro. As Dokja's group braces for the crowd's inevitable attack, two people take the chance to eliminate Baekho and Kiyoung by backstabbing them. Sangkyung and Taesung back into each other as they nurse the wounds from the attacks several people had launched on them. Even Youngho is taken off guard as multiple people wound him in a desperate bid to take him down.
"You lowly insects!" Youngho growls in irritation before he swiftly slices their heads off, revealing them to be avatars as they smirk in slow motion before falling to the ground. At the same time, Sakyung realises that his Star Jewel has been stolen from its place in his staff. As he yells out in surprise, a short figure rushes through the crowd, holding all of the jewels in her hands.
"I told you so," a now-female voice states, "In the end, the cliché will win."
The petite woman lands on a rock, drawing the attention of everyone in the room as she holds up all of the jewels spread between her fingers. With a confident smirk on her face, a window announces her as the 'Fake King' in possession of all the Star Jewels.
Han Sooyoung grimaced as her avatar antagonized the crowd and then proceeded to die.
Lee Gilyoung shot her a glare, but he crossed his arms with a sigh. "I'm mad, but Dokja-hyung already crushed the clone's head, so I think you're even."
Well, at least that was better than him being on a warpath still, but it probably had something to do with the fact that Kim Dokja wasn't visibly angry at her. Also, an avatar wasn't exactly a clone, but whatever.
Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes narrowed. "Though your methods were… less than desirable, it was a good distraction."
Han Sooyoung looked over at the protagonist in surprise, and Kim Dokja completely understood. Getting a compliment from that man was like suddenly getting slammed in the face with a brick and liking it. To be fair, it had been a decent distraction, especially since it practically ensured no one would pay attention to her real body while they were busy taking advantage of it too.
Lee Hyunsung's eyes widened in surprise. "You had more avatars hidden in the crowd?"
She nodded before glancing at Kim Dokja over her shoulder. "At least one in every group except for his, since he became a King late."
Jung Heewon tried to smile. "At least we don't need to worry about one of us secretly being a fake, right?"
Between [Character Profile] and Yoo Joonghyuk's [Eye of the Sage], there was no way that was possible.
Wait, why was Kim Dokja considering Yoo Joonghyuk as part of his group? He was a King too, and technically he had left the Chungmuro group. Besides, would Yoo Joonghyuk even actually want to team up properly after everything?
[a few constellations debate about the benefits of the 'avatar' skill with regard to infiltration.]
"I can't believe I didn't recognize you earlier," Yoo Sangah muttered with a sigh and a glance at Han Sooyoung. "I knew your name, and I even saw your face up close then."
"Me too," Lee Gilyoung said quietly, "but I forgot because too many things were happening. Plus, ahjumma isn't really that memorable."
Well, to be fair, her five minutes of fame had been cut off by Yoo Joonghyuk's arrival. If he was being completely honest, Kim Dokja would probably have forgotten about her too if it wasn't for the whole First Apostle thing. The protagonist had effortlessly and unknowingly stolen her spotlight, after all.
Han Sooyoung's jaw dropped and she looked at Lee Gilyoung in bafflement. "Excuse you, kiddo, I'm fucking beautiful."
She was half-decent, Kim Dokja supposed, but her personality was definitely a strike against her. Lee Gilyoung, however, just shrugged. Clearly, he didn't care at all, and knowing him, he'd probably choose a snail over her. Or a cockroach. God, she really would hate that, wouldn't she?
Dokja is immediately surprised that Sooyoung is actually a girl, but thinks her title as the 'Fake King' fits her perfectly. He realises that her avatars were placed among the other Kings' ranks as infiltrators in order to find the right opportunity to strike.
Light flashes in Sooyoung's hands as the Seven Jewels disintegrate and reform into the
Sangah looks worried as she glances at Dokja, but he blandly states that it's all fine as they watch Sooyoung attack someone, accompanied by a chunni villain line. Meanwhile, Gilyoung wonders why Dokja's so relaxed since he said it was a powerful sword.
Under Sooyoung's repeated attacks, the first one who she struck realises that he's fine in confusion. This prompts Dokja to click his tongue in disdain as he looks on, half in exasperation and half in amusement.
I wish I could tell her.
Sooyoung starts to panic as she questions why the sword is weak amongst the crowd of people shouting to kill her and take the sword.
The
"That sword looks so cool," Lee Jihye exclaimed as she watched it appear. "The designs are so pretty!"
[a constellation who likes swords looks at the
To be fair, it did look pretty cool. Of course, when it came to actually hurting people, it was probably the worst option out there. Even the bone swords they had made themselves would work better.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' gleefully cheers for the incarnation 'han sooyoung'.]
Upon seeing herself dart around confidently while saying ridiculous things, and despite the dragon being 100% on board with her antics, Han Sooyoung groaned and buried her face in her hands. "I fucking hate you sometimes."
Kim Dokja raised a brow, grinning. "Only sometimes?"
"Fuck you."
Kim Dokja grinned even wider. "No thanks."
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' snorts in amusement.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' believes that would be better saved for someone else.]
Right, Uriel was back on her bullshit, it seemed.
"Wait, so the sword is completely useless?" Jung Heewon asked in bewilderment. "I thought that you used it later?"
"I did, but that was for another reason," Kim Dokja told her with a nod. The
As Sooyoung desperately swings her sword to keep people away, Dokja moves behind her to compliment her methods before offering to help. Sooyoung angrily swings the sword at him while refusing.
As Youngho takes the chance and attacks other people, prompting the chaos to pick up once more, Dokja stands with his back to Gilyoung's. His mind drifts away from the battle, seemingly waiting for a certain someone to arrive, just like a wife would wait for her husband to return home.
'He should be here by now… is he still lost?' Dokja wonders absently, like he's not the one with the abysmal sense of direction out of the two of them. 'The north is a little ways away, but it shouldn't take him this long…'
When a pop-up appears and reveals a lower number of remaining Kings, Dokja smirks.
You've come.
The other Kings start to panic as the number of remaining Kings drops down at an increasingly fast pace. Unlike the others, however, Youngho just keeps attacking anyone around with glee. He stops when he notices some pebbles falling onto his head, prompting him to look up. Above him, the ceiling begins to crack.
The crack widens rapidly, not even giving him a chance to react as he's promptly crushed by the falling boulders. Everyone, including Sooyoung, watches in horror as the man thought to be the final boss for them is easily killed, squashed like a mere insect.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is squealing in excitement.]
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is begging the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' to be quieter]
"You thought I'd get lost." Yoo Joonghyuk muttered with a judgmental gaze at Kim Dokja.
To be fair, after redoing the exact same scenarios multiple times, the truth was probably that Yoo Joonghyuk knew the best routes to each station by heart. Still, he had been right on time. It only made sense—he had to show up with impeccable protagonist dramatic timing and flair.
"That was a joke, Joonghyuk-ah," Kim Dokja replied casually. "I had every faith that you'd get back in time."
Well, not that he'd exactly expected the situation to turn out this way, but still. At the very least, he knew that Yoo Joonghyuk would hunt him down one way or another.
As soon as those rocks came tumbling down, Lee Hyunsung's eyes went wide. "He got crushed? Just like that?"
Kim Dokja laughed a bit. "Just like that."
[many constellations are disappointed that there was not a fight between the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk' and the incarnation 'Jung Youngho'.]
[several constellations laugh at the pitiful demise of the incarnation 'jung youngho'.]
The strongest King in Seoul is supposed to be the Tyrant King? The Tyrant King is strong, but he's not the strongest. That's because the strongest among the 7 Kings of Seoul is undoubtedly…
As Dokja states this, a figure clothed in black gracefully lands on the pile of rubble he's created. His coat billows, accentuating his muscular figure, as he holds a Black Flag in one hand and a gleaming sword in the other. The light coming in from the hole above gives him a personal spotlight, creating an almost holy atmosphere as people give up on fighting just to watch him.
His face, however, is less than pleased as he grits out Dokja's name in disdain. The man in question smiles in an overly cheerful way as he teases Joonghyuk for being late.
… The Supreme King, Yoo Joonghyuk.
A powerful aura encompasses the screen as Joonghyuk's face becomes unreadable, his eyes glowing in anger, as he looks like a vengeful harbinger of death itself. "You're dead…"
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is tearing out his hair in excitement.]
Yoo Joonghyuk stared at Kim Dokja intently after hearing the praise that had been very much running through Kim Dokja's mind at the time. As always, Kim Dokja struggled to look away, drawn in by everything that was Yoo Joonghyuk. It was like his very presence commanded Kim Dokja's attention, and he had no way to escape the magnetic pull that drew him ever-closer to the protagonist.
Yoo Mia scooted back over to her brother excitedly. "Oppa, you look so cool there!"
She was absolutely right. Yoo Joonghyuk looked truly worthy of his protagonist title, coming in like the hero of the hour. His flowing black coat, his sharpened blade, and his overall demeanor were just too impressive!
"Dammit, how the fuck does that look so cinematic?" Han Sooyoung cursed. "Seriously, if I didn't know that this world was a novel, then I'd think it came from an anime or something because what the actual fuck is that?"
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is extremely excited.]
[a constellation who likes handsome men is eagerly appreciating the looks of the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk'.]
Honestly, Kim Dokja couldn't help but sit and appreciate his looks too, but it would have been much nicer if Yoo Joonghyuk hadn't looked like he wanted to rip out Kim Dokja's intestines and use them to strangle him. At the very least, he was fun to tease.