Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Yoo Joonghyuk furrowed his finely sculpted brows into a familiar glare as soon as his dark eyes flew open. A glint of steel amid the smoldering flames caught his eye: the bomber Choi Hangyu's survival knife. The only other thing that miraculously survived the blast. He snatched it up. Bihyung's announcement of how the sponsor selection has ended only sparked a murderous glint in his eyes.

It wasn’t intimidating at all. Especially since Yoo Joonghyuk was facing the wrong way, shooting daggers at the empty space.

An echo of “I’ll kill you, Kim Dokja” popped into my mind. I banished that unwanted train of thought. The 0th turn’s Yoo Joonghyuk hasn’t said anything yet as he sifted through the debris with surprising care.

‘The 0th turn’s Yoo Joonghyuk still acts the same when he’s infuriated. Good. He had me worried in the first scenario.’

He was still acting somewhat out of character, his shaking hands lingering over something not burned beyond recognition. Someone's…wrist? There's no point checking for a pulse. Even if by some other miracle they survived the explosion, the price for failing Main Scenario #1 was their lives. Strange. Yoo Joonghyuk should have known how futile it was to search for survivors. He must have gotten a notification similar to the caption I saw on my blue viewing screen:

[#BI-7623 channel. The 3434 Train to Bulgwang, Carriage 3707 survivor: Yoo Joonghyuk.]

[The Fourth Wall] cackled. ⸢Kim Dok ja is be ing petty.⸥

‘I had to make sure that he wouldn’t choose any other backers besides me.’

⸢Kim Dokja wanted to prove that the Demon King of Salvation is not a weakling.⸥

Now was the perfect time to fiddle with the settings of the screen I had access to as a constellation. The message log exploded after the little stunt I pulled.

[Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', roars who has a death wish!]

[Constellation, 'God of Wine and Ecstasy', points out that Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk didn't say who he would select before being knocked out.]

[Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', boasts that Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk spent the longest time considering his modifier.]

[Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', warns that someone better fess up fast or else!]

[Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', is covering half his face with his bandaged hand.]

[Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', turns towards the 'Mouse—

[You have muted the 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' for the next ten minutes.]

It wasn't the right time to taunt the kid throwing a tantrum in the chat. Yoo Joonghyuk didn't know which of the three potential sponsors prevented him from selecting that delusional dragon. I could get away with smacking the feeble 0th turn's head and still get into his good graces for future scenarios. It was a win-win situation. Now, I just had to figure out how to get Yoo Joonghyuk to make me his companion in this world-line. What could I say to convince him?

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', tells Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk to get off the subway and cross the bridge before it gets destroyed!]

Yoo Joonghyuk looked through the shattered window. The charred remains of what might have been a backpack fell from his slackened grip. There was no glass to separate him from what was now his reality: monsters roaming between skyscrapers and reshaping Seoul’s skyline. As surreal as it must seem, the next sub scenario will become nigh impossible to clear if the bridge gets destroyed without outside intervention so…

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', tells Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk to—

“Why should I listen to you?”

At least his voice wasn't wavering, I'll give him that.

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', says to think of him as a helpful video game walkthrough.]

“Never needed one before.”

...This sunfish’s poor survival instincts must have become nonexistent after that smack. Was the word ‘walkthrough’ not simple enough for a pro gamer like him to understand?

Maybe I would have gotten a slightly less cold response if I had introduced myself as a prophet—just like I did a long time ago. Back then, an incarnation posing as a prophet was intriguing. But a constellation making that same claim? It’s an immediate threat. I wasn't planning to go up against the real prophets like Poked Out His Eyes and the big nebulae. At least not yet.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Right now, those high-grade monsters should be the least of Yoo Joonghyuk's worries. The early scenarios were about incarnations fighting one another to cull the weak, culminating in a "choice" to sacrifice the strongest incarnation in Main Scenario #8 to rebalance the playing field. Stories that spoke of high-grade monsters, demon kings, and constellations as the antagonists occur much later. Once the fights become less one-sided and more entertaining. Even constellations grow bored of simply watching incarnations getting squashed like bugs.

Which was why Yoo Joonghyuk should stop trying to break down the blood-splattered window of the door leading to carriage 3807 and get moving. He'll meet the other two survivors, his future party members, later. After he has safely crossed the soon-to-be-broken bridge. Come on, bite this fishing bait.

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', promises to show Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk how to clear a hidden scenario.]

That finally galvanized Yoo Joonghyuk into action. He gave the jammed door one last kick before abruptly turning and vaulting out of the window behind me.

‘I said that I’ll be your walkthrough, not that you can literally walk through me.’

I grimaced, gliding along after him. The fact that I didn’t feel any sensation when he passed through me was an unnecessary reminder that I didn’t belong in this world-line either.

⸢St op com plain ing. Kim Dok ja got a clo se up of Yoo Joong hyuk’s fa ce. And a very indirect ki—⸥

‘That’s not the point.’

⸢Kim Dokja was too busy staring at his face in the first scenario. Otherwise, he would have noticed he was not wearing his trademark trench coat.⸥

‘How was I supposed to instantly tell when he’s dressed in all black either way? I can see that now. And a very indirect what? Kill?’

⸢Ne ver mi nd. Kim Dok ja’s brain can not st op work ing right n ow.⸥

[The Fourth Wall] was blathering nonsense, so I sped up to keep pace with Yoo Joonghyuk. He sprinted down Dongho Bridge, his black jacket flapping in the wind. Even without [Red Phoenix Shunpo] or [Way of the Wind], his cheat protagonist stats allowed him to rapidly close the distance to the other side. Just 300 more meters… 275 more meters, and then I could double back to help out Lee Hyunsung and Kim Namwoon. Come on, come—

[Hey! Where do you think you are going?! You’re lucky that the sub scenario is about to start.]

Bihyung had reappeared. His adorable expression did a complete 180 and turned downright demonic. A new headline appeared on my screen:

[#BI-7623 channel. Sub Scenario – Escape: Survivors of the 3434 Train to Bulgwang have 20 minutes to cross the broken bridge and enter Oksu Station. Stay tuned to see how history unfolds!]

[That doesn't mean I'll let rule-breakers like you off the hook so easily. Your meager luck is about to run out!]

[The scenario difficulty has been adjusted.]

[Scenario difficulty: E → D]

[The evil thoughts of the dead have returned.]

[The surrounding earth is filled with black ether.]

[Constellations-nim, I hope you all enjoy the surprise that I have in store. Arise!]

[The demonic people have woken up!]

The corpses of the drivers who had died on the bridge swarmed around Yoo Joonghyuk. He stabbed their weak points with the knife, slowing his progress to a crawl.

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', complains to Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk that he shouldn’t be wasting his time on these cannon fodder. Run!]

The most troublesome one, Kim Namwoon, wasn’t even among the dead this time. Move faster!

The sudden downpour told me that it was too late.

Yoo Joonghyuk dove behind a car. It crumpled like paper under the ichthyosaur’s massive jaws.

“Holy shit! What the fuck was that?!”

Kim Namwoon and Lee Hyunsung entered the fray, a horde of demonic people hot on their heels. They just missed the rain of torn limbs, concrete, and steel the ichthyosaur left in the wake of its retreat. The demonic people blocking the way forward were gone… but so was a giant chunk of the bridge.

[The character 'Kim Namwoon' has activated the skill 'Blackening Lv. 1'.]

“You there! Identify your—no way!” The dark aura surrounding Kim Namwoon flared up. “You’re the famous pro gamer Yoo Joonghyuk!"

[The character 'Kim Namwoon' has activated the exclusive skill 'Knife Fighting Lv. 1'.]

As expected of the chuunibyou who adapted to this world at an 'unusual speed'. Kim Namwoon had already figured out how to activate his skills.

"I'm your number one fan, Kim Namwoon! This soldier ahjussi and I are the only other survivors from the subway." The excited grin on his face didn't falter. Even as he beheaded the demonic grandma sneaking up behind Yoo Joonghyuk. "You owe me one now."

「Kim Dokja was reminded of why Kim Namwoon was his least favorite character in the 'Ways of Survival'.」

"I'm glad that you also made it out of the subway, Joonghyuk-ssi," Lee Hyunsung said, unsmiling as he activated his Great Mountain Push 'stigma'. A demonic woman was sent flying right back into the horde, taking others with her into the churning waters of the Han River. “Both of you can call me Lee Hyunsung."

[The character 'Yoo Joonghyuk' has activated the skill 'Sage’s Eye Lv. 1'.]

"Woah, your right eye is glowing gold! I bet I'll awaken a demonic eye like that too." Kim Namwoon brandished his Swiss Army knife very close to his eye. "Hey, team up with me!"

The rather easy-going conversation happening amidst the chaos was at complete odds with my inner turmoil.

There were now an odd number of people.

Just like how it was a long time ago when I was stranded on the wrong side of the bridge with Yoo Sangah and Han Myungoh. Except the protagonist was already accounted for in this trio.

There would be no one else making a dramatic entrance this time.

⸢Kim Dok ja don’t fre ak out yet. Lo ok.⸥

Yoo Joonghyuk had taken control of the situation. Ordering Kim Namwoon to "Clean up the zombies. Pile them up here," and Lee Hyunsung to "Help push this concrete block over there."

‘You’re right.’

Even though this 0th turn’s Yoo Joonghyk wasn’t a regressor and wouldn’t ever become one...

⸢He was still the protagonist of this story.⸥

The ‘Ways of Survival’ never once favored its protagonist. However…

If this was the 0th turn, the beginning before the irreversible curse, before the never-ending tragedy…

And if it was the me of right now...

If it was Kim Dokja the 'Oldest Dream', then wouldn't it be possible to…

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', offers to help the remaining two people if Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk can get one person over to the other side.]

"Demon King of Salvation, don't go back on your words," he retorted, dragging over the longest steel beam with the help of Lee Hyunsung.

[Constellation, 'Mouse that Eats Fingernails', questions why you are helping Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk after getting rejected during the sponsor selection.]

[Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', is boasting in your direction again.]

Has it already been ten minutes since I muted him? This dude didn't get chosen either. He should pay more attention to his own incarnation.

Speaking of the devil—or I should say, the future Delusional Demon—Kim Namwoon was dangling in the air by the collar of his school jacket. Yoo Joonghyuk hoisted him up. The beam, teetering on top of a car, sank under Kim Namwoon's weight. Its other end rose up, up, and up.

“Do it. Now.”

Lee Hyunsung, standing at the edge of the tall concrete slab, took a deep breath to steel himself. He jumped.

“Haaaat!”

His fist met steel in a move that would become the foundation of his future stigma, Great Mountain Smash. Capable of pulverizing the floor of a certain landlord’s zone in the near future. The impact dented the steel beam and crushed the car, but it had already done its job. A screaming Kim Namwoon had been catapulted over to the other side.

[Constellation, 'God of Wine and Ecstasy', is impressed by the resourcefulness of Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk!]

[A handful of constellations eagerly await what Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk does next!]

[1,500 Coins have been sponsored.]

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', hides his proud grin behind one of his wings.]

[Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', applauds his incarnation for his acrobatic landing. He advises getting used to flying in the air to score a perfect ten next time.]

"Why the fuck would there be a next time! I'm not a damn dragon so…."

I was starting to miss Tartarus’ prisoner filtering system. Kim Namwoon would have already accumulated an alarming amount of penalty points by now.

“...but since you claim to be the dragon among dragons, now’s the time to show off your strength and help—”

[Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', has become fascinated with the sight of his bandaged hand.]

"Oh come on!" Kim Namwoon could do nothing but squint into the setting sun, his eyes fixated on the two figures on top of the pile of incapacitated demonic people.

[Hahaha! What a show! Now, 'Demon King of Salvation'-nim, will you be helping these lowly incarnations? There are less than five minutes left!]

Floating in front of Yoo Joonghyuk, I could see that he hadn't stopped grimly analyzing his surroundings for alternative strategies to get across. Already bracing himself for the worst-case scenario if no help came. Yet his eyes shone with a glimmer of wary hope that had not been trampled on by time.

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', replies with, 'of course, that's what life and death companions do.']

I pretended not to hear Yoo Joonghyuk muttering, "You said you were a walkthrough," under his breath in favor of telling a story. A story about the very beginning of <Kim Dokja's Company>'s survival record.

Chapter Text

⸢A long time ago, there was an event where they had to cross a cut-off bridge...⸥

 As the words flowed off my fading fingertips and drowned out the 'Tsu-chuchuchu' sound, the constellations in low-grade Dokkaebi Bihyung's channel fell silent, listening to this unfamiliar story. I was the only Constellation experiencing an odd sense of deja vu.

 Abyssal Black Flame Dragon was just as hostile as when we first met as an incarnation and a Constellation.

 Demon-like Judge of Fire and Prisoner of the Golden Headband had yet to join this channel.

 And another Secretive Plotter wouldn’t ever exist because there wouldn’t be future regression rounds originating from this world-line.

 ⸢Yoo Joonghyuk of this 0th turn would finish his own story.⸥

 He would unknowingly wield 1866 lifetimes’ worth of knowledge to strike down the <Star Stream> and bring the Dokkaebi King to his knees. Every decision and desolate end from the 1864 regression rounds of the Secretive Plotter, the alternate 1863rd round of Han Sooyoung, and the 1864th round of <Kim Dokja’s Company> would painstakingly pave his way to the stars—where they would finally be within range of his sword. 

I blinked. The blurred pile of black trench coats beneath Yoo Joonghyuk and Lee Hyunsung's feet reverted back into unrecognizable corpses. 

⸢Kim Dokja will ensure that Yoo Joonghyuk's story does not end in tragedy, even if it is just once.⸥ 

Just like how the original 1863rd round’s Yoo Joonghyuk discarded his name to don the cloak of the Secretive Plotter for the sake of the forgotten stories of the abandoned world-lines…

⸢Kim Dokja set aside his name and identity as a reader to don the mantle of a writer. A writer known as the Demon King of Salvation in the World of Zero.⸥

Tsu-chuchuchuchu…! 

[You are activating 'Stage Transformation'!]

[Under the effects of 'Stage Transformation', you are able to activate 'Deus ex Machina – Even-numbered bridge'.]

[You are activating 'Deus ex Machina – Even-numbered bridge'!]

A bridge made of brilliant golden light flashed into existence, illuminating the look of relief on Yoo Joonghyuk’s face. It’s a pity that it promptly fled upon seeing my next message.

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', says that to use this bridge of light, Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk must act like a surfboard for Incarnation Lee Hyunsung to stand on and surf across.]

“That’s not what the description says.”

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', insists that 'Stage Transformation' works best when following the original story as closely as possible, especially since Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk did not select a sponsor.]

I conveniently ignored that I was why Yoo Joonghyuk failed to select a sponsor in the first place. It was his fault that he didn't select me as his sponsor anyways.

⸢‘Ori ginal st ory?’ St op tak ing out your frustra tions about 1 8 6 4 on 0.⸥

‘That’s what he gets for throwing me both times we were on a bridge together. Besides, even if he had ‘Lie Detection’ at the start of the scenarios—which he didn’t, I just checked—what I said was technically true.’

“...Surfing doesn’t start from the top of a hill.”

At this point, Yoo Joonghyuk was just delaying the inevitable, but we didn’t have the time to leisurely argue about this trivial plot point in the grand scheme of the story.

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation' shrugs and says that snowboarding works too. Lie down and enjoy the ride.]

[You're interfering in the world-line.] 

['Overwrite' has commenced.]

[Excessive interference might cause the world-line to strongly resist…]

Ignoring the burning sensation in my hand, I summoned all of my strength to shove Lee Hyunsung into Yoo Joonghyuk, sending the two tumbling off the edge.

I didn't expect to achieve my desired outcome. Still, since this situation had happened once before despite basically defying the laws of physics, the 'Probability' of it happening again was enough to make me hope.

Sure enough, a caught off-guard Yoo Joonghyuk somehow didn’t have time to roll out of the way before Lee Hyunsung somehow landed squarely on his back. The oddly positioned pair started sliding across the bridge with a flustered Lee Hyunsung apologizing up a storm amidst the 'Probability' sparks.

⸢‘Somehow?’ Kim Dokja wasted more 'Probability' than necessary to make this happen.⸥

[Constellation, 'God of Wine and Ecstasy', is baffled but greatly entertained by this crude and unusual mode of transportation.]

[A handful of constellations are considering acquiring their own incarnation snowboards to participate in this new sport.]

[1,500 Coins have been sponsored.] 

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', is laughing so hard his horns might just fall off.]

[Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', indignantly screeches, "It was you!" and bares his fangs at you.]

[Constellation, 'Mouse that Eats Fingernails', demands a fingernail from the 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' as an apology for his earlier FALSE accusations.]

[Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', argues that the 'Mouse that Eats Fingernails' has cheated before. Remember what happened with the 'Ox that Crossed a River'? Huh? Huh???]

[H-Honored constellations! Please d-don’t fight!]

Bihyung could be seen turning his big, pleading eyes up at the twinkling lights. I agreed with Bihyung. However, as the main culprit responsible for the current fight in the channel, I wasn’t about to voice my opinion and paint a bullseye on my back.

Besides, Abyssal Black Flame Dragon should use his time more wisely by sponsoring coins to the incarnation he is never going to get. This dude was currently wasting his time shaking me for an apology that would never manifest.

I’ll set a good example for him. Where is the button for sponsoring coins to incarnations?

Poor Lee Hyunsung deserved at least 1,000 coins for putting up with a fuming Yoo Joonghyuk. Too bad I couldn't catch a glimpse of Yoo Joonghyuk's face even when I passed through the bridge for a better angle. That would have been priceless.

I stopped mid-laugh as soon as my eyes zeroed in on a number I hadn't seen associated with my bank account since my university days.

[Current Coin balance: 0 C]

I’m sorry, Hyunsung-ssi. Hang in there.

The second they skidded to a complete stop, Lee Hyunsung hopped off of Yoo Joonghyuk's back as if he was the one who had been scalded. He spent several more seconds with his hands hovering unsurely about in the air as Yoo Joonghyuk disgruntledly dusted himself off from the tips of his windswept hair down to the soles of his black combat boots. Kim Namwoon buzzed around the two, excitedly recounting that cool move blow-by-blow as if he were giving commentary on gameplay. Apparently, seeing Yoo Joonghyuk faceplant into the bridge and reduced to a mere snowboard didn’t detract from the hero worship in the teenager’s eyes.

“—being catapulted was comfier than your new Su—” Kim Namwoon finally noticed Lee Hyunsung frantically shaking his head and made the very wise decision to not name that move. “... that. Captain! You’re too nice! You should have been the one snowboarding on soldier ahjussi.”

Lee Hyunsung snapped to attention when Yoo Joonghyuk turned toward him. “J-J-Joonghyuk-ssi, I’m so sorry about that. Someone pushed me, and my feet somehow got stuck. Next time we can swap places—"

Looking at Yoo Joonghyuk’s glowering expression, the probability of that happening again shrunk to a solid zero percent. He cut Lee Hyunsung off with a grumbled "It's. Fine." that seemed to convey everything but that sentiment.

As curt as always. It only made me all the more eager to read his thoughts on what exactly that everything else includes.

 [Exclusive skill, 'Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Lv.???', is activating!]

[You are the 'Oldest Dream'.]

[You can utilize 100 percent of your skill's abilities regardless of your understanding of the target!]

⸢What kind of walkthrough smacks the player’s head? Then there was that...I must not carelessly trust these constellations.⸥

Oops, he found out.

⸢Not as weak as I thought, but he favors brute force too much.⸥

I wasn’t expecting a heartfelt thank you, but wasn’t this too rich coming from a guy-who-grabbed-a-stranger-by-the-throat in a different world-line? Well, I guess the 0th turn’s Yoo Joonghyuk was slightly more well-behaved, seeing that he only grabbed Kim Namwoon by the collar. He was still part of a functioning society up until about an hour ago, not lifetimes ago.

But still… I’m the brawn in this disaster duo?

Oblivious to the affronted look on my face, Yoo Joonghyuk turned his attention to his message log, which had spiraled into a petty squabble. "Demon King of Salvation, was that the best strategy you could come up with?” He didn't seem to notice that Kim Namwoon and Lee Hyunsung were suddenly shooting him strange looks for talking to thin air.

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', solemnly swears that that was the fastest way.]

After all, not even an enraged Odin wielding his Gungnir could catch up to us last time.

Yoo Joonghyuk clenched his jaw as if he were struggling to swallow the scathing remarks that were bubbling up, unaware that I was reading every unflattering thought passing through his mind. Of course, the thoughts went in one ear and out the other. Or more like past one eye and then past the other.

“Show me where the hidden scenario is and how to clear it.”

I was planning on telling Yoo Joonghyuk about the Cinema Dungeon a bit later, but since this ungrateful bastard was so impatient…

'Tsu-chuchuchuchut!'

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', is granting 'a portion of revelation' to Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk.]

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', tells Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk that he needs to get swallowed up by the ichthyosaur to trigger the Hidden Scenario – Commander Slayer. He will need about four days to clear it. He can purchase the items required for the scenario from the Dokkaebi Bag once he's inside. The items are...] 

[The constellations in channel #BI-7623 are taken aback by the information revealed by you!]

I distracted myself from the stinging pain in my hand by skimming the second wave of rude thoughts from that sunfish bastard as it drifted by.

“Why did I have to do that if I could have jumped earlier?”

Seeing Yoo Joonghyuk incredulously staring at my message, I thought fondly of a similar exchange I once had with an equally incredulous Jung Heewon at Geumho station. I had given her the same obvious answer.

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', patiently explains, ‘you have obtained more Coins.’]

How else did this idiot become at least 3,000 coins richer than me? His worth would only skyrocket as his heroic actions and my hilarious antics continue to captivate more and more constellations to Bihyung's channel like moths to a flame. Was there a way for me to receive some sort of commission like Bihyung? I had to find some way to profit from this too.

Yoo Joonghyuk responded with a noncommittal grunt, but his mind was already optimizing his plans based on the latest flood of information.

⸢Why was launching a catapult worth the same amount of coins as crossing the bridge like that ? But this annoying walkthrough kept his promise. I shouldn't trust his words...what does he get out of helping me? This hidden scenario will take too long, but I must get stronger to protect Mia. How can I clear it faster? I will regroup with the other two later to look for her. They will become powerful companions in the future...⸥

The insults and the insulting lack of trust in me aside, what surprised me the most was encountering the word ‘companion’ in his embarrassingly limited vocabulary so early on. I had to reread his last thought to check that the word wasn’t conjured up by my wishful thinking.

The word really was there. 

It was finally starting to sink in that this was the unwritten beginning. That this Yoo Joonghyuk was someone I didn't get to read about in the original 'Ways of Survival'.

As a former reader, I was happy to witness the 0th turn’s Yoo Joonghyuk naturally gravitate towards forming a party with Lee Hyunsung and Kim Namwoon as if it were part of the predetermined plot development. And now that I have become a writer…

⸢Kim Dokja would make sure Yoo Joonghyuk would remain blissfully unaware of how heavy the weight of that word, ‘companion’, could become. There was no need for the word—and the people—to become a burden that he would be forced to abandon.⸥

I was jolted out of my reverie by [The Fourth Wall]’s narration.

‘Come to think of it, I haven’t heard from you in a while.’

⸢Th ere was no ro om to inter rupt. Didn t want to be a th ird wh eel.⸥

A third wheel? I glanced around. Yoo Joonghyuk ordered a protesting Kim Namwoon to go ahead with Lee Hyunsung. Based on my hyperactive message log, Abyssal Black Flame Dragon and Mouse that Eats Fingernails had formed a temporary “Victims of the Demon King of Salvation” alliance to pester me. A deflated Bihyung, who had given up on moderating his channel for the moment, was channeling all his desperation into shouting, “One minute left!” He looked more ready for the sub scenario to be done and over with than some of the actual participants. In fact, Kim Namwoon was so adamant about tagging along that Yoo Joonghyuk resorted to shoving him face-first through the safety barrier.

‘There are way more than three people interacting right now though?’

⸢Kim Dok ja is hope less.⸥

I thought that [The Fourth Wall] had finally fulfilled his daily quota of cryptic comments, but the next one proved to be the most irrelevant of them all.

⸢Kim Dokja laughed for the first time since he cried on the subway.⸥

‘I already said that I didn’t cry earlier, you dumbass. And that sunfi—sorry, I meant snowboard—made it ridiculously easy for me to laugh at him.’

Was there any point in having [The Fourth Wall] narrate the fact that I laughed just now and that I did something—that was also not worth mentioning—on the subway a couple of hours ago? Or was it a couple of days ago? There was no way of keeping track of time on the subway, nor was there any point in trying.

[The Fourth Wall]’s words shook me out of my meaningless musings. ⸢T he only w ay Kim Dok ja will be gin to pro cess his e mo tions is if it is spell ed out for him to re ad.⸥

But as the sole reader of the ‘Ways of Survival’, I already knew that emotions such as sadness and joy were useless in the <Star Stream>. Stories that told tales of how crying could bring back the dead couldn’t be found anywhere in the <Star Stream>. The genre of this world was fantasy, but it wasn’t a fairy tale. Not even close.

If such stories had existed, I would have been able to die a dozen more times if—no, when necessary.

Sadness and joy were useless even before the genre of my life changed from nonfiction to fantasy. But that was an insignificant story for some other day. In this world that I have spent nearly half of my life reading—and that I now get a chance to write—all that mattered was the continuation of a certain story.

‘Anyways, aren’t you narrating the wrong story? Kim Dokja’s story is long over. Well, mine is over but the other...never mind. You should be narrating this new story.’

⸢The st ory is n ot over y et for 5—⸥ 

Since [The Fourth Wall] wasn’t planning on wrapping this up properly, I decided to take over the role of the narrator for a little while. This sub scenario had to finish strong to leave a lasting impression on the constellations.

The strong protagonist, now separated from his companions, would purposefully fail the sub scenario to unlock a hidden scenario thanks to a tip from his benevolent future sponsor.

It would have been much more suspenseful for the constellations if I had some way of privately communicating with Yoo Joonghyuk, but I can dig through the Dokkaebi Bag later. It would also be more cost-effective for me since I was currently using 'Probability' to pay for sending these indirect and direct messages. There was an item perfect for that purpose. Yoo Joonghyuk would need to earn a lot more than 3,000 coins, though. I refuse to buy that for him even if I did have enough coins on hand, but I digress.

Yoo Joonghyuk was now striding towards the ichthyosaur that would soon be suffering from fatal indigestion.

I was anticipating another flashy move. Maybe something like sticking his knife up one of the ichthyosaur’s nostrils and taking advantage of the monster’s angry roar to slip inside its jaw.

But Yoo Joonghyuk simply said a few incredibly unnecessary words before he jumped:

“I’ll be out in two days. Instead of four.”

[The character 'Yoo Joonghyuk' is feeling a competitive spirit.]

...This damn son of a bitch. What's with that defiant declaration? Nobody was dangling him over the edge of the bridge, demanding him to predict his own fate in this world-line.

⸢Kim Dokja thought that his own last words from a long time ago were a lot cooler than Yoo Joonghyuk’s.⸥

Chapter Text

[The character 'Yoo Joonghyuk' has activated the skill 'Weapons Training Lv. 1'.]

Yoo Joonghyuk gripped the ground rat’s sharpened spine. His newly crafted sword weaved between the wave of monsters, its path traced by 'Ariadne’s Golden Thread' tied at its base. Three ground rats were cut off mid-screech, bringing his kill count to five. Blood splattered on his high cheekbone—a stark reminder that a computer screen no longer separated him from the bloodbath he left in his wake. For a newbie who swapped his mouse and keyboard for an unpixelated sword, his moves were not that bad.

「‘Not that bad’ was a gross understatement of Yoo Joonghyuk’s overwhelming ability to adapt, made by Kim Dokja, who is currently sulking in a corner.」

‘I am not sulking. And there are no corners nearby in this long underground tunnel, you dumbass.’

Much to my dismay, [The Fourth Wall] was still insisting that I was the protagonist even in this new story. Unthinkable, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be more interesting to narrate the real protagonist and his party’s one-sided massacre instead of a specter who was uselessly standing around and not sulking?

「Kim Dokja is sulking because—」

‘Just do your job correctly. I've been sending written revelations to Yoo Joonghyuk, the real protagonist, to help him and his companions get through the upcoming scenarios unscathed. All you have to do is narrate his story. Why don't you describe what his other four party members are doing? Starting with Kim Namwoon over there….’

[The character 'Kim Namwoon' has activated the exclusive skill 'Knife Fighting Lv. 1'.]

“Demonic Slash Technique! Die, you piece of shit! That’s four! I summon...”

[The character 'Kim Namwoon' has activated the exclusive skill 'Blackening Lv. 1'.]

[Constellation, 'Mouse that Eats Fingernails', is greatly disturbed by the violence inflicted upon the ground rat species.]

[Constellation, 'Mouse that Eats Fingernails', has left channel #BI-7623.]

[Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', is stroking his (imaginary) beard and imparting his (also imaginary) wisdom to his demonic disciple. Repeat after your master: “I, the master of the Black Flame, shall awaken…”]

[158 Coins have been sponsored.]

“Black Flames? Lame. What about—”

[The character 'Kim Namwoon' has activated the exclusive skill 'Blackening Lv. 1'.]

“—I, the master of the Demonic Soul, shall purge...”

[Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', demands a refund of his coins.]

['Abyssal Black Flame Dragon'-nim, I’m terribly sorry to inform you that only the recipient can refund your coins. Never fear! Your immeasurable wisdom will not be all for naught! Your incarnation’s Demonic Soul shall soon bow to the magnificence of your fearsome Black Flames! I pray you continue watching over him in this lowly one’s channel until that awakening moment. Thank you for your patronage!]

‘...On second thought, don’t bother wasting words describing what Kim Namwoon was doing.’

There was nothing interesting to see on Yoo Joonghyuk’s left side. Really. I regretted subjecting my ears to those inane incantations. Someone else in this party was screaming even louder than Kim Namwoon but more importantly...why was Kim Namwoon not in sync with Abyssal Black Flame Dragon? Those two were a match made in the deepest and darkest abyss in every regression round—which didn’t originate from this world-line, of course. The future I was familiar with from reading the 'Ways of Survival' was already changing in ways I hadn’t anticipated. Was it because Yoo Joonghyuk crossed the bridge in a bizarrely cool fashion? Or was it because Yoo Joonghyuk cleared the hidden scenario faster?

「Are you fi nally conti nuing from wh ere you le ft off la st time?」

‘Not now. You should be describing what the other party members, sans Kim Namwoon, are doing.’

And why was Bihyung borrowing phrases from the same imaginary spellbook as the two chuunibyou? I would rather not dig up any more of his black history. Unless it has something to do with the absurd cheat items he invented, like the 'Random Item Box' that Yoo Joonghyuk was on his way to obtain. The protagonist's suspicions about me haven't abated in the slightest. Still, at least his pro-gamer side could be persuaded to hear his helpful walkthrough out. A revelation beginning with the words "How to enter the 'Ground Rat’s Treasure Trove'” was about as enticing as it could get.

Although…this fight was taking longer than I expected. I don't remember the tunnel to Yaksu Station being infested with wave after wave of ground rats during the food acquisition sub scenario. Just how many of these monsters did that guy I knew kill before my party came across the stragglers in the 1864th round? Maybe his actions were the reason why no one suffered any major injuries in our first battle.

「Kim Dokja has not yet described the actions of any other party members besides Yoo Joonghyuk.」

‘Wait… I’m the one doing your job?’

「Ju st did my job of nar rating the protag onist of this new sto ry.」

I spat out a sigh. This story had barely begun. And yet it was already going around in circles like the rewinding clock of a nonexistent regressor. All because [The Fourth Wall] and I were arguing over which protagonist to shine the narrative spotlight on. This shouldn’t be an agonizing decision—there weren’t even two protagonists to deliberate over in the first place.

‘Where did your reading comprehension go? I said that I had become a writer. You even narrated it for me.’

Not a protagonist—never the protagonist of any story, really. Not even my own. Even when the genre of my life changed, my role remained the same. And I would have been content to remain as a reader until the end.

In fact, it did become my ■■.

And it will stay my ■■.

It has to.

I know it has to.

But for just this one story, I also know that a reader wouldn't have been enough to help this protagonist reach the unwritten happy ending he deserves. Maybe this was just me being greedy but—

「 Kim Dokja wondered whether becoming a writer would even be enough. Kim Dokja thought: Was he, not Yoo Joonghyuk, changing the future for the better? Or for the worse? What if Yoo Joonghyuk ends up unhappier than the original 0th turn because of Kim Dokja’s 'Overwrite' and regrets it enough to wish to regress—」

 ‘I see how it is.’

I’ll continue to narrate for now. [The Fourth Wall] can take over once it realizes its chosen “protagonist” wouldn’t make for an interesting story. Between my 'Probability'-restricted actions and my not-worth-mentioning reactions, there would be nothing of note to narrate. Now, where was I…

This longer-than-expected fight was the fault of the person screaming even louder than Kim Namwoon. I’ll introduce him as Goon A. His name and appearance were not mentioned in the 'Ways of Survival' so he’ll be out of sight and out of mind after this scenario anyways. Every time Goon A screamed from his hiding spot behind Lee Hyunsung, a notification popped up on my viewing screen:

[The character 'Goon A' has activated the exclusive skill 'Bait Lv. 2'.]

Judging from the growing number of carcasses covering the subway tracks—none killed by this coward—Goon A had already lured plenty of ground rats out of their habitat in the 'Edge of Darkness'. He caused plenty of trouble for the others. This tunnel was already crowded enough, yet Lee Hyunsung had to protect the three frontline fighters from ambushes while Goon A stuck to him like an additional handicap.

[The character 'Lee Hyunsung' has activated the exclusive skill 'Bayonet Lv. 1'.]

Lee Hyunsung launched a series of jabs with his bone spear, making sure to pull the person huddled too close to him out of harm's way. Now that I could get a good look at Goon A's frightened face—Yoo Joonghyuk could slap him on the cheeks at least five, no, ten times if I'm being honest—this sorry sight of a "scout" looked vaguely familiar...

[Your reading speed has increased due to the effect of your exclusive attribute.]

[Your reading speed has drastically increased due to your role as the 'Oldest Dream'.]

Just like I thought: he wasn’t mentioned. That leaves the 1864th round I was in…

[Exclusive skill, 'Character List' is activated.]

He doesn't have Monarch of the Small Fries as his sponsor. It’s the Lame Trickster, Han Myungoh's sponsor from a long time ago. He can’t be the scout I beat up in the bounty scenario a long time ago then. Who else…

…

Do I...not have this particular memory anymore? Yet another possible change that I need to take into consideration...

Moving on to a more memorable character. There was a minor villain Yoo Joonghyuk had yet to deal with. Cheon Inho. He had taken special care to select Goon A to "help" the team he had "assigned" to clear Main Scenario #2. This "support-oriented scout" happened to have a skill that could turn a less capable party into monster food. How convenient for Cheon Inho. He must have decided that Yoo Joonghyuk was too big of a threat to his authority over Geumho Station to ignore, hence his silly avoid-a-direct-confrontation scheme. 

As if these ground rats could wipe out Yoo Joonghyuk and his party. Or even weaken them enough for Cheon Inho and his Cheoldoo group to finish off. Cheon Inho may lack information because none of his scouts ever survived their encounter with these ground rats to report back. Still, he severely underestimated how fast Yoo Joonghyuk and his party could clear the tunnel to Yaksu Station. Forget survivability; this was all about speed.

「Kim Dokja ended up talking about Yoo Joonghyuk again.」

‘Because he’s the protagonist that you should be narrating.’

And the protagonist had already saved someone in this world-line. Because Yoo Joonghyuk cleared the hidden scenario faster than I did, he had a different first meeting with Jung Heewon. Their meeting took place at Geumho Station. Not at a convenience store.

At Geumho Station, Jung Heewon watched the newcomer announce his arrival by flinging a scout stupid enough to demand he "hand over his grocery bags of food or else" at Cheon Inho's feet. She watched the newcomer leave Cheon Inho's outstretched hand hanging. She watched the newcomer hand out Pepero and other snacks to an overjoyed delinquent and a relieved soldier, keeping the inedible red things for himself. She watched the newcomer sell the rest of his snacks to both the mainstream and marginalized groups for coins well into the night. She thought the newcomer was crazy for selling snacks to the mainstream group, but she had already made her decision by then.

At the crack of dawn, she created her own opportunity in Geumho Station to volunteer for something other than a "scout." After watching the newcomer shut down Cheon Inho's scheme of "using his strength for the betterment of the weak," she said, "Wait up! I'll join you three for this scenario. My name is Jung Heewon. What's yours?"

「When you’re about to pass by Geumho Station, you must recruit a woman named Jung Heewon.」

...was one of the revelations I had passed to Yoo Joonghyuk while he was in the ichthyosaur's stomach. Maybe this was also just me being greedy as the writer of this new story. But in this world-line where Yoo Sangah, Lee Gilyoung, and even I didn't exist, she was the only companion I could request the protagonist to recruit. It turned out that this aloof protagonist didn't even have to make an effort to approach her. Jung Heewon ended up joining his party all on her own.

「Kim Dokja reassured himself that, at the very least, this part of the future—Jung Heewon’s future—had changed for the better.」

Jung Heewon of this 0th turn was the fifth and final member of his current party, fighting on the frontlines to the right of Yoo Joonghyuk. And thankfully, this time, her body was not weakened by the poisonous fog. Nor was she trembling from anything or anyone—definitely not from the ground rats she was unflinchingly cutting down. As she readjusted her stance between kills, she asked, "Joonghyuk-ssi, how many did you kill?"

“Didn’t count.” The golden thread stretched taut as Yoo Joonghyuk slashed upwards, killing his seventeenth ground rat.

“Captain killed seventeen, kendo ahjumma! That’s four more than me!”

[The character 'Kim Namwoon' has activated the exclusive skill 'Knife Fighting Lv. 1'.]

“Demonic Cutting Technique! Three more now, mwahaha!”

[The character 'Yoo Joonghyuk' has activated the skill 'Weapons Training Lv. 1'.]

“Dammit, now five more!”

[The character 'Yoo Joonghyuk' has activated the skill 'Weapons Training Lv. 1'.]

“Shiiiit! There aren’t enough rats left to beat Captain’s kill count!”

This self-proclaimed rival of Yoo Joonghyuk —whose actions still weren’t worth describing—seriously had his priorities backward.

[The character 'Jung Heewon' has activated the exclusive skill 'Kendo Lv. 1'.]

“Tch, I’m on my eleventh kill. And call me noona, you brat!” Jung Heewon punctuated the word ‘brat’ with a very vicious stab. As she retrieved her bone sword from the dead ground rat that had borne the brunt of her frustration, she took aim at the person with zero kills: “How the hell have you survived as a scout up till now?”

The person who had cast himself as the damsel in distress of the party sprang away from Lee Hyunsung. “I-I...er...have an...an irrational fear of r-rats! I never had to kill any r-rats while s-scouting for food on the surface!” He finally remembered to wave his bone sword around, attacking the air.

Goon A was quaking in his boots at the thought of killing ground rats. How ironic. As a member of the Cheoldoo group, I'd wager that he certainly had no qualms about killing unsuspecting humans for coins.

Jung Heewon narrowed her eyes at Goon A’s failure of a flimsy excuse, but she dropped the interrogation. “How many did you kill, Hyunsung-ssi?”

"Nine"—Lee Hyunsung, who could finally fight without dragging that dead weight around, drove his spear into the next ground rat—“and now ten! That should be the last of them.”

Hyunsung-ssi, you’ve just triggered a flag. A statement like that in a story would only lead to the cliché development Yoo Joonghyuk and I have been waiting for—

“Eeek!”

The ground underneath Goon A’s feet erupted. Before Goon A could regain his balance, a giant ground rat emerged from—

"Aaargh! Leg, my leg! Get these teeth off of me!" He scrabbled at the ground, too weak to stop the ground rat from dragging him into the hole. "Save me! Save—"

"Damn! How did we miss one?" Jung Heewon shouted, too far away to do anything else. Lee Hyunsung had already lunged towards Goon A, the handle of his spear extended.

"Stop!"

Lee Hyunsung froze. A few scant millimeters before Goon A could grab onto this lifeline. Yoo Joonghyuk's command came as a surprise to everyone except me.

[The character 'Yoo Joonghyuk' has activated the skill 'Weapons Training Lv. 2'.]

A blur of blood-red and gold flew past Lee Hyunsung. Embedding itself into the ground rat's side.

“Nice throw, Captain!”

Despite letting out a pained shriek, the ground rat didn't let go. It disappeared into the hole with Goon A as its prey and another passenger: Yoo Joonghyuk's bloodied sword with the golden thread still attached, leaving behind a faintly glowing trail.

“Wait, you didn’t kill the rat? Still at nineteen kills, then. And good riddance to that headache,” said the other headache.

Jung Heewon shot Kim Namwoon a dirty look before rounding on Yoo Joonghyuk. “Hyunsung-ssi could have saved him! Why did you tell him to stop if you weren’t throwing that sword to kill?”

"He's more useful this way." Yoo Joonghyuk secured the other end of the unraveling ball of thread to the subway tracks. The others crowded around the entrance to the 'Edge of Darkness'. "He'll lead us to their nest. We can kill them faster." He left out the information I had given him: he needed bait to lead him to the treasure chest.

[Constellations of the Absolute Good system frown at Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk’s cruelty.]

"More useful?" Jung Heewon redirected her smartphone's flashlight from the unnatural darkness of the entrance, revealing Yoo Joonghyuk's expression. More accurately, the lack of one. "You mean you chose not to rescue him? Just because he was more useful to you this way?"

[Constellation, 'Demon-like Judge of Fire', is impressed with the courageous words of Incarnation Jung Heewon.]

[300 Coins have been sponsored.]

Oh! Uriel is here!

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', happily greets the 'Demon-like Judge of Fire'.]

「Kim Dokja wanted to see her.」 

[Constellation, 'Demon-like Judge of Fire', scoffs at your greeting and turns away.]

Uriel…

Right. Kim Dokja, the incarnation she had staunchly supported since the beginning of the scenarios, didn’t exist in this world-line… This was how it should be. 

This was how the proper 'Ways of Survival' should be.

[Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', is snickering at your clumsy attempt to socialize.]

[Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', says you suck at it. He's proud you are leaving your comfort zone to chat with others besides Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk.]

「Kim Dok ja. He's not wor th wasting your 'Proba bility' on.」

‘I wasn't going to. Why else have I been ignoring him this entire time?’

“Got a problem with that, kendo ahjumma? It’s the same shitty rules even in this new world.” His incarnation was just as rude as him. 

"I thought Joonghyuk-ssi would be...different," Jung Heewon admitted, her grip tightening on her bone sword. "Cheon Inho treats people as pawns. Maybe even worse." Her dumbfounded gaze landed on the person ripping up a section of the subway track. "Hyunsung-ssi, can we really trust this man to lead? We are fighting with our lives on the line here."

Lee Hyunsung dropped it into the 'Edge of Darkness' and motioned for everyone to quiet down. A distant sound of iron striking something hard was heard from an unknown depth. He lowered his spear when no other sounds came forth. "Joonghyuk-ssi made a difficult call." He glanced at the person in question, who was now busy harvesting materials from the ground rats as if the conversation no longer concerned him. "But if I had also gotten dragged away, we would have needed to rescue two people," he pointed out. "We can go save him now that we've regrouped."

[Constellations of the Absolute Good system nod at Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk’s judgment.]

[100 Coins have been sponsored.]

“Huh, I didn’t think of it that way.” Jung Heewon released the tension in her arms by slapping Yoo Joonghyuk on the back as he passed by. “Would it kill you to clear up this misunderstanding?”

Other Yoo Joonghyuks have killed people for simply standing around. The original 1863rd round’s Yoo Joonghyuk killed and killed until there was simply no one left standing. This 0th turn’s Yoo Joonghyuk wouldn’t kill someone over a harmless slap on the back, right? Right?

'Tsu-chuchuchuchut!'

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', is granting a portion of 'revelation' to Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk.]

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', reminds Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk to recruit Incarnation Jung Heewon.]

Just in case.

[Constellation, 'Demon-like Judge of Fire', is growing suspicious of your actions.]

Now would be an excellent time for that private communication channel but alas, a couple more scenarios to go before he earns enough coins.

“Excuse me, Joonghyuk-ssi...” Lee Hyunsung luckily distracted Yoo Joonghyuk from doing anything worse than giving an amused Jung Heewon the death glare. “Did you know this would happen?” He inclined his head towards the taut golden thread held in Yoo Joonghyuk’s hand. “You even prepared items for this situation.” 

[A handful of Constellations are reminded of your annoying interference earlier.]

[Many Constellations are curious about how you were able to leak information in the first place.]

Yoo Joonghyuk said, “I play a lot of games,” and left it at that. He lowered himself into the hole, letting go once he realized he could walk on the wall because of this subspace’s gravitational field. “Keep quiet. We will launch an ambush. Stay alert,” he ordered, effectively killing any other attempts at conversation.

An unusually quiet Kim Namwoon jumped in next. Followed by Jung Heewon, with Lee Hyunsung guarding the rear. I trailed after them, unable to see Lee Hyunsung even though he should have been close enough for me to step on his heels—if I weren't a specter, that is. It was almost pitch black. Any darker, and it would look like the pitch-black windows of… I sought out the only source of light: the flickering thread, twisting and turning as four pairs of disembodied fingers moved along its trail. A memory of a time long gone—back when I was able to feel small solid fingers in my own solid hand—resurfaced in my mind:

「“Hyung, are you a god?”」

This sharp kid. Who would have guessed that the god of this world, the final boss, and the universe’s most powerless existence all turned out to be my younger self?

「“Or the main character?”」

My truthful answer, both then and now, remained the same: “I’m not the main character. Rather, I always envy the main character.”

「“Once we clear all these scenarios...can we make a wish? Usually, there is a reward at the end of these stories. At the end of this story, is there something like that?”」

My deceptive answer, both then and now, remained the same: “Yes, there is.”

Only now, that necessary lie would become the necessary truth.

That deception had to become their salvation. 

The other...the other me would grant Lee Gilyoung’s wishes, the rest of my companions’ wishes of going to the Han River and the ocean, of eating pizzas and...and… The other me will be there when my companions make new wishes, new memories, new stories. The other me would get to act almost like a protag—

…

As for…me, after writing the happy ending for this world-line and reading all of the endings of the other world-lines, I will finally be fine with watching my companions' happy faces. I will finally be fine with reading their new stories—stories that start with the sentence 'Everyone lived happily ever after', continuing past the full stop of my story with them.

And that would be enough.

A reader—whether it was my younger self or the 'me of right now'—is always left alone at the end of the story.

「B ut Kim Dok ja bec ame a wri ter. Re mem ber?」

‘So you’re admitting that I’m not the protagonist.’

「Kim Dok ja has al ways been the protag onist. Who re cently bec ame a wri ter. And as a wri ter, you sh ould conti nue from wh ere you le ft off la st time.」

‘As a writer, am I not allowed to omit a boring scene?’

「If Kim Dok ja omit ted "bor ing" scenes in wh ich Yoo Joong hyuk one-ups him, the st ory of the 'W orld of Ze ro' wou ld end soon.」

That stung. It must have been a phantom pain from the 'Probability' backlash earlier. I snuck a peek at my transparent hands, the tip of my index finger still missing.

‘You know, I may have given away almost half of my memories, but I don’t recall you ever being such a smartass?’

...Was [The Fourth Wall]’s personality originally like this?

「Can t be both a smart ass and a dumb ass. Pi ck one. And I learn ed fr om the be st.」

‘Yoo Joonghyuk has a very limited set of vocabulary, though?’

「I mean Han Soo young. Id i ot.」

As much as I hate to admit it... That plagiarist, the other plagiarist in the alternate 1863rd round, or even the mysterious tls123… Any one of them would have been better suited to write a happy ending for this story, would have known what a happy ending entails. Unfortunately, this 0th turn's Yoo Joonghyuk was stuck with me.

「Seri ously tho ugh. Th ere’s no one el se here to sm ack some sen se into y ou.」

I appreciated the thought. But whether [The Fourth Wall] was protecting my sanity and sense of self or pulverizing what's left of it... It remains to be seen.

「I’ll st art des crib ing: Kim Dokja was sulking because—」

‘All right, all right.’

Was the tunnel network in the 'Edge of Darkness' more complicated this time? Why haven’t they arrived at the 'Dark Root' so I can describe that instead?

「Kim Dokja was sulking because—」

‘Fine. You'll get your poorly timed flashback.’

Once safely inside the ichthyosaur's stomach, the insolent protagonist heeded the words of his benevolent future sponsor. Yoo Joonghyuk coated his newly purchased 'Stone Hog's Pointed Thorns' with the 'Mucus of the Hammer Seahorse'. He plugged three of them into the outlets that would soon be overflowing with digestive juices. For the last thorn, he crafted it into a spear by securing his survival knife to the tip of the thorn with a long scrap of cloth torn from a nearby corpse. He coated that spear and a palm-sized concrete before pouring the rest onto himself.

This crazy protagonist then disregarded his benevolent future sponsor's advice. Instead of waiting for the ichthyosaur to die on its own, he drilled his spear into an outlet and started hammering at it with the chunk of concrete. Even if the sum of his stats in stamina, strength, and agility exceeded 29 before any coin investments—what a monster—it was still ridiculous how he kept at it with minimal rest, continuing through the night. Even his makeshift spear wore out faster than he did.

The ichthyosaur keeled over in a couple of da—

「In two days. Yoo Joonghyuk got out of the dead ichthyosaur’s stomach in two days—just like he declared he would. Kim Dokja sulked in the corner of a grocery store as Yoo Joonghyuk stockpiled tomatoes and snacks before heading to Geumho Station.」

‘...’

[The Fourth Wall] chose now of all times to shine the narrative spotlight on the real protagonist? That was on purpose...

And now that I finished that pointless flashback, the distraction I had needed much earlier finally showed up. The scene on my viewing screen changed as a new caption appeared:

[#BI-7623 channel. Sub Scenario – 'Ground Rat’s Treasure Trove': Some lucky incarnations have stumbled upon a treasure chest. But is this too good to be true? Stay tuned to see history unfold!]

Chapter Text

The four pairs of disembodied fingers on the viewing screen—and right in front of me—let the golden thread drift to the ground as their owners readied their weapons. The other end of the golden thread could be seen wandering around on a stout silhouette backlit against the black fire. Two more shapes scurried past the black-ether-devouring flames overflowing from the core of the 'Dark Root'.

[Constellations! At the end of this long, dark tunnel, what do you think awaits these incarnations? They’ve put on an impressive performance thus far! Subduing the ground rats with nary a scratch, stained in blood that’s not their own! Shall we see if these incarnations are luckier than the group that went elsewhere? Or is this...also a trap?]

Bihyung was back. He had just finished broadcasting the "scouts" killing people from the marginalized group in a familiar-looking setting. A convenience store that Cheon Inho must have designated as their "safe house." The stars circling above his head flooded the cavern with much-needed light, revealing the whereabouts of the final six ground rats and Yoo Joonghyuk's objective: a treasure chest lying just beyond the black fire. If all goes as planned, the dark keeper won't emerge from the core of the 'Dark Root'.

「Kim Dok ja. You mi ght have trig gered a fl ag.」

‘Yoo Joonghyuk has made preparations to deal with that flag.’

[Many Constellations are watching and waiting with bated breath.]

'Tsu-chuchuchuchut!'

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', is granting 'a portion of revelation' to Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk.]

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', tells Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk to grab the treasure chest and get out. If a fight can't be avoided, retrieve 'Broken Faith' from the dokkaebi auction to counter with a nonlethal attack.] 

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', stresses the nonlethal part again, adding that the person who lands the finishing blow will be cursed by a demon king until he dies.]

[Many Constellations are cursing at you for ruining the suspense.]

[Constellation, 'Demon-like Judge of Fire', is confused as to why you are selling out your fellow demon king.]

[Constellation, 'Poked Out His Eyes', is complaining about spoilers.]

...Shouldn't King Oedipus the prophet be quite used to spoiling himself? But the fact that he's already here... It doesn’t bode well. Yoo Joonghyuk isn't even a singularity in this world-line. And he won't ever become one. There should be no reason for the other faction of <Olympus> to feel threatened by Yoo Joonghyuk's potential stories this early on.

[Constellation, 'God of Wine and Ecstasy', is laughing merrily and sipping his glass of red wine.]

[Err… Esteemed Constellations! Shall we see if the 'Demon King of Salvation'-nim’s predictions are true? I, for one, foresee at least one plot twist— Can’t you see that I’m busy here?]

That last question was directed at Yoo Joonghyuk, whose increasingly condescending hand signals had become too hard for Bihyung to ignore. Yoo Joonghyuk placed the pebble he had been about to throw at Bihyung back down. He held out his hand in an unspoken command.

「Kim Dokja was about to shield Yoo Joonghyuk from being incinerated. No matter the price he’d have to pay.」

‘And back to narrating about me as the “protagonist,” I see, you traitor.’

It was improbable that Bihyung would smite Yoo Joonghyuk, his rapidly growing channel's main attraction (and thus his main revenue stream.) But since the Stream Contract Agreement hasn’t been established between them yet, I couldn’t say that with absolute certainty. Who knows? Bihyung could have gotten offended by Yoo Joonghyuk’s crappy manner of communication and retaliated. Understandable, really. In stories, pebbles are supposed to be thrown at the window, not at the person himself, to get his attention. And I don’t mean the medical kind of attention.

[The story 'The Pebble and I' rolled over once in agreement.]

[Ahem! Apologies for the unseemly interruption, my dear Constellations. As I was saying, plot twist #1! No one has acquired 'Broken Faith' yet!]

Bihyung settled for flashing Yoo Joonghyuk a smile full of spite.

[ Your 'Ichthyosaur’s Core' is still sitting in the Dokkaebi Auction. Boohoo, that’s too bad! Want to buy something more useful from the Dokkaebi Bag instead?]

Damn. This part of the immediate future was changing for the worse. Because Yoo Joonghyuk cleared the hidden scenario earlier—

「Yoo Joonghyuk cleared it two days earlier than Kim Dokja.」

—Anna Croft had less time to obtain 'Broken Faith'. Rather, I should say that Anna Croft, the one and only prophet among the incarnations of the 'Ways of Survival', failed to obtain it in time.

...On purpose?

...Or by accident?

How could Anna Croft mess up the timing, of all things, with her 'Future Sight'? In the original 'Ways of Survival', she always had impeccable timing when it came to backstabbing Yoo Joonghyuk. She had impeccable timing when rescuing Yoo Joonghyuk, but those miracles were minuscule; they could be counted entirely on one hand. Whether she would become his greatest ally or foe in this world-line, her next move should be to trade 'Broken Faith' for the 'Ichthyosaur’s Core'. Only then would she be able to implant the 'Great Demon’s Eyes'.

And yet Yoo Joonghyuk was creeping closer to the treasure chest, ducking behind boulders for cover—without 'Broken Faith' in his hand. Not that 'Broken Faith' was needed for the initial rob-and-run plan. Although just now... it had seemed like fighting the dark keeper was Yoo Joonghyuk's Plan A. And stealing from it was his Plan B. This sunfish bastard… the revelation I handed him proclaimed it should have been the other way around.

[The character 'Lee Hyunsung' has activated the exclusive skill 'Camouflage Lv. 2'.]

The other three followed Yoo Joonghyuk’s lead and inched their way across the cavern, staying out of sight of the ground rats.

“Pssst! Help me! Hey! Untie me!”

Right… I’d forgotten about the existence of Goon A. Goon A renewed his struggle against the branches binding him in place, his sword nowhere to be seen. Jung Heewon, already making her way toward him, nodded silently and held a finger to her lips.

[Constellation, 'Demon-like Judge of Fire', approves of Incarnation Jung Heewon’s choice.]

[100 Coins have been sponsored.]

But Goon A didn’t see her signals. He was looking at the person closest to him. “Hey!”

That person was Yoo Joonghyuk, and he was obviously not looking back at him but at the treasure chest.

“Hey, Joonghyuk-ssi! A little help here?”

Yoo Joonghyuk scooped up the treasure chest, prompting all six ground rats to charge toward him.

“You’re gonna regret abandoning me again!” Goon A took a deep breath in. “Aa—”

[The character 'Kim Namwoon' has activated the exclusive skill 'Unusual Adaptability Lv. 4'.]

Goon A slumped against his bindings with a new gash on his forehead. Unconscious. And maybe in need of the medical kind of attention.

[Constellations of the Absolute Good system are frowning at Incarnation Kim Namwoon’s cruelty.]

[The story 'The Pebble and I' is tumbling around, happy to be of help.]

Kim Namwoon had just imitated Yoo Joonghyuk’s crappy manner of communication. He was…surprisingly helpful just now.

[The story 'The Pebble and I' feels a strange affinity with Kim Namwoon.]

However, the damage had already been done:

[The character 'Goon A' has activated the exclusive skill 'Bait Lv. 2'.]

“Goddammit! That fucking headache just had to—”

“Kim Namwoon!" Jung Heewon hissed. "You—”

An alarming noise, the one that I had been dreading, rang out in the cavern. Just before a spiderweb of cracks started to spread on the core of the 'Dark Root'.

Jung Heewon darted straight towards Goon A, abandoning all attempts at stealth. "I swear if you've killed him, I'll—"

The core shattered. The shards began to fall.

[Constellation, 'Demon-like Judge of Fire', admires Incarnation Jung Heewon’s spirit.]

[300 Coins have been sponsored.]

“Wait! Heewon-ssi! Something’s coming!” Lee Hyunsung ran after her, casting a nervous glance at the agitated ground rats.

[The character 'Lee Hyunsung' has deactivated the exclusive skill 'Camouflage Lv. 2'.]

“I call dibs on all six rats! Just you wait, Captain! I’m about to beat your kill count by one!”

[The 'Dark Keeper' has appeared!]

[#BI-7623 channel. Sub Scenario Update – 'Kill the Guard': An idiotic incarnation has triggered the trap! Stay tuned to see history unfold!]

“Shit! Don’t die before I kill you!”

Kim Namwoon’s unreasonable demands were ignored. The ground rats collapsed on the ground one by one, with thuds that resounded through the air. As if they were giving one final erratic drumroll, announcing the arrival of the ominous figure materializing in the gloom. The treasure trove of the ground rats was originally meant to be a tribute to a demon king. And the 7th-grade demon-type species, the dark keeper of the demon king 'Asmodeus', was here to collect it.

[The 'Dark Keeper' has received the favor of the demon king it follows.]

“Kamyun. Der. Yitur.”

Jung Heewon, with Goon A now on her back, crouched low to avoid a tentacle hurtling towards Goon A’s head.

[The character 'Lee Hyunsung' has activated the skill 'Weapons Training Lv. 3'.]

Lee Hyunsung severed it with one swing of his spear.

“Kik kik!”

The dark keeper made a guttural sound—was that a painful cry or a mocking laugh? No one here has an 'Interpretation' skill.

"Our weapons aren't effective against this monster!" Lee Hyunsung examined his corroding spear with a growing alarm.

[The character 'Kim Namwoon' has activated the skill 'Blackening Lv. 2'.]

“Then I’ll burn this motherfucker to ashes!”

[Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', warns his demonic disciple that—]

Kim Namwoon’s black flames were sucked into the severed tentacle. The tentacle instantly regrew.

[The character 'Lee Hyunsung' has activated the skill 'Weapons Training Lv. 3'.]

His spear shattered when he blocked the blow meant for Kim Namwoon. “Fall back!” 

“I didn’t need your help! Outta my way!”

[—they share the same attribute. But his demonic disciple’s level is lower. It’s a bad matchup.]

“Oh yeah? Then this stubborn motherfucker better count as six—”

[The 'Dark Keeper' has emitted 'Fear'.]

“—k-k-kills...y-you, you...h-hear me?”

Kim Namwoon forced out the words lodged in his throat as his whole body seized up in fright. He had to be hauled away from the frenzied tentacles by Lee Hyunsung.

[The character 'Lee Hyunsung' has used the stigma 'Great Mountain Push Lv. 1'.]

Lee Hyunsung wasted no time blasting apart a boulder. He bombarded the dark keeper, giving everyone else precious seconds to snap out of their stupor. Jung Heewon unceremoniously dumped Goon A behind a large rock by the entrance. She braced herself against the rock before drawing her half-melted sword to rejoin Lee Hyunsung. Yoo Joonghyuk resumed rummaging through the items in the treasure chest.

'Tsu-chuchuchuchut!'

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', is granting 'a portion of revelation' to Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk.]

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', says there’s nothing useful against the 'Dark Keeper' in there. Its toxic attacks would degrade the durability of those new items. It would be best to save those for later.]

There was something that I could try to do again.

'Tsu—'

[You have failed to activate 'Stage Transformation'.]

[You have not satisfied two or more of the conditions (People, Place, ???, ???, ...) needed to activate 'Stage Transformation' to change the plot of an incarnation’s story.]

[A '???' condition will be revealed upon successfully activating a 'Stage Transformation' using that unknown condition.]

[Excessive use of 'Stage Transformation' might cause the world-line to strongly resist…]

...I figured as much. This place was the same, but there were different people here now. 'Broken Faith' was supposed to be the prop to make 'Stage Transformation' possible here.

Now that Yoo Joonghyuk has seen how futile it would be to fight without 'Broken Faith', he should follow through with his Plan-B-that-should-have-been-Plan-A. And that is to run.

Failing the 'Kill the Guard' sub scenario didn't necessarily mean death. It had the same three question marks I encountered a long time ago, back when I failed the 'Escape' sub scenario thanks to that guy I knew. It was merely a secret coin penalty, but I couldn't tell the 0th turn's Yoo Joonghyuk that. Not in front of the other Constellations. That would be an open invitation for them to pressure Bihyung into changing the failure penalty for their entertainment.

[Constellation, 'Poked His Eyes Out', is chuckling at how wrong your predictions are.]

[Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', chimes in that the 'Demon King of Salvation' is a conman. And a copycat.]

[Constellation, 'General of Vanara', is making an exclusive offer to Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk! The nebula 'Vedas' is willing to spend 'Probability' to activate a 'Deus Ex Machina' to safely transport him and his party back to the 'Edge of Darkness'. But Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk has to swear an 'Oath of Existence' to accept a Constellation from 'Vedas' as his sponsor in the following 'sponsor selection'.]

An 'Oath of Existence'?! Hanuman, the monkey hero of Indian mythology, dares to—

[Constellation, 'Scorpion Goddess', is making an exclusive offer to Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk! The nebula 'Papyrus' is willing to spend 'Probability' to activate a similar 'Deus Ex Machina'. But Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk has to…]

Serket of Egyptian mythology as well?

[Constellation, 'Poked His Eyes Out', is making an exclusive offer to Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk! The nebula 'Olympus' is willing to spend 'Probability' to activate the original  'Deus Ex Machina' to teleport him and his party all the way to Chungmuro Station. But that’s only if Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk…]

And last and unequivocally least liked, King Oedipus of Greek mythology. It's a given that he would stoop this low.

[Constellation, 'Poked His Eyes Out', would also like to remind the other Constellations that they are plagiarizing the use of this plot device from 'Olympus'.]

[Constellation, 'General of Vanara', is calling over the 'Founder of Humanity', a specialist in this matter, to settle this potential copyright dispute. 'Vedas' also has a similar...]

[The constellations in channel #BI-7623 have let out a collective groan of dismay.]

[Constellation, 'God of Wine and Ecstasy', is muttering, “Not this again. It’s a century too soon.”]

[Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', would like to add that you copied 'Deus Ex Machina' earlier. Just like how you copied his name.]

[You have muted the 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' for the next ten minutes.]

[Constellation, 'Poked His Eyes Out', demands an explanation from you for...]

If it weren't for surveillance, I would mute King Oedipus too.

「Kim Dokja’s plan to not draw attention to himself is going awry.」

[The o-offers! Yes! B-Back to the offers!]

Bihyung pointedly looked away from where yet another fight was brewing in the chat. It really had nothing to do with me this time. I mean it.

[A-Are my eyes deceiving me?]

[Constellation, 'Poked His Eyes Out', is frowning.]

[Ah! I wasn’t trying to take a dig at you, 'Poked His Eyes Out'-nim! I swear! I was simply astounded by your incredible offer! By everyone’s incredible offers! My mind can’t begin to fathom the extent of your generosity when the next 'sponsor selection' rolls around! The Constellation Banquet is bound to be…]

He babbled on, his hands now a blur as he filtered out messages the constellations had sent to the wrong chat before they reached the incarnations in an effort to maintain their dignified images.

Incredible offers? From <Vedas>, <Papyrus>, and <Olympus>? More like insidious contracts. No matter which of those three nebulae Yoo Joonghyuk joined, he wouldn’t have a say in which Constellation becomes his sponsor.

[...and the response from the star of our show—]

[Many constellations are frowning.]

[It’s a figure of speech! Of course, this star pales to the likes of your otherworldly light—]

[Many constellations are flattered.]

[The response from the very faint star of our story iiiis…]

"No." Yoo Joonghyuk sidestepped a thrashing tentacle to tuck the treasure chest into an alcove. He drew his bone sword, ordering Bihyung to "Check again."

[Constellation, 'General of Vanara', is disappointed in Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk.]

[Constellation, 'Scorpion Goddess', is displeased by Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk’s choice.]

[Constellation, 'Poked His Eyes Out', is amused by Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk’s unwise decision.]

Refusing these insidious contracts could result in an inescapable death sentence somewhere down the road. The last time these three nebulae pitched in 'Probability' to push a 'Deus Ex Machina' onto me...never mind. Yoo Joonghyuk’s story wouldn’t end that way.

「Kim Dokja thought: This part of the near future was changing for the worse, but Yoo Joonghyuk’s future would never become a fate to be realized. Kim Dokja would make sure of it. No matter the price he’d have to pay.」

[You… You really don’t know what you’re missing out on, do you? And 'Broken Faith' still hasn’t been traded in yet. Want to reconsider those offers?]

“Give it to me when you get it.”

[Don’t treat me like a...what do people on this puny planet call them...ah! Don’t treat me like a mailbox!]

Seeing as how Yoo Joonghyuk was ignoring Bihyung in favor of running towards the dark keeper—not away, dammit—this stubborn sunfish was still going to fight. With the wrong weapon. Like the ichthyosaur earlier, the dark keeper was not a monster that could be subdued with strength alone in the early scenarios.

[Are you sure? Really sure? Let’s say you manage to obtain 'Broken Faith'. Even then, you won’t have the right—actually, I’ll save that for another reveal later, hehe.]

[A couple of Constellations are intrigued by what dokkaebi Bihyung was about to say.]

I knew what Bihyung was hinting at, but I had a plan for that. A plan that hinged on obtaining 'Broken Faith' first.

[Benevolent Constellations! I'm outraged on your behalf that this ignorant incarnation has foolishly passed up your incredible offers! But all is not lost! I'll let you in on a little secret. Because your generosity moved me, I will host a surprise 'sponsor selection' in an upcoming scenario. I hope you will continue to grace me with your presence until then!]

「Kim Dokja thought: Was Bihyung this shameless in the 1864th round? Is this what he would have been like if they had never met? If they never met, then Bihyung wouldn’t have d—」

The protagonist Yoo Joonghyuk rejoined Lee Hyunsung and Jung Heewon in fighting—no, in dodging the dark keeper’s unfortunately uninjured tentacles. “I’ll draw aggro first. Stay out of its sight. Learn its attack patterns.”

“What’s with that fashionably late entrance? I know its attack patterns by now.” Jung Heewon avoided the incoming upper right tentacle without batting an eye. “Was there a sword in that chest?” She gestured toward Yoo Joonghyuk with her half-melted sword. “Give it here so I can test out my Demon Slaying skill. I’ll make slimy sashimi out of this thing.”

“...Nothing is useful now.”

“Are you kidding me? Now what? When’s your Bad Faith item coming?” She didn’t bother responding to Kim Namwoon’s indignant shout of “It’s called Broken Faith! Get it right!”

“...”

“Should we...retreat?” Lee Hyunsung, the ever-sensible person in this party, said the words I’ve been trying to convey telepathically. 

“No fucking way! You wanna bet your life on three sketchy-as-shit question marks? I'd rather farm EXP and beat Captain’s kill count!”

And Kim Namwoon was back to being not helpful.

He staggered over to where everyone else was tossing ideas out over what to do next, each of them now treating the dark keeper’s attacks as minor annoyances. “We just need to buy time for Captain’s legendary item, yeah? Broken Faith sounds so badass!”

[The character 'Kim Namwoon' has activated the exclusive skill 'Unusual Adaptability Lv. 4'.]

“Kim Namwoon! What do you think you’re—”

The dark keeper’s roar drowned out Jung Heewon’s yell of outrage. “Kallitu!” The dark keeper pointed at the prone figure of Goon A. Who was now lying out in the open thanks to the unhelpful Kim Namwoon.

“What? I’m buying us time. This motherfucker can have this chew toy.” Kim Namwoon kicked Goon A even closer to the dark keeper. “It’s payback for getting us into this shit.”

「Kim Dokja was reminded of why Kim Namwoon is his least favorite character in the 'Ways of Survival'.」

[Constellations of the Absolute Good system have defined Incarnation Kim Namwoon as 'wicked'.]

Lee Hyunsung lunged forward, this time without his spear. But Jung Heewon beat him to it.

[The character 'Jung Heewon' has activated the exclusive skill 'Demon Slaying Lv. 1'.]

“Kuaaaaah!” The dark keeper shrieked. The tentacle reeling in Goon A had disintegrated. And it wasn’t regenerating. Immediately, at least.

The tradeoff was Jung Heewon's sword also disintegrated. "We don't"—she yanked Goon A away from another tentacle—"need to buy time by spilling blood!"

“Why not? We already did it in the first scenario!”

"Joonghyuk-ssi! Say something to him! He only listens to—" Jung Heewon let Goon A crash into the ground. "Hyunsungwatchout!"

He’s slow.

Too slow for a predictable pattern he had easily evaded plenty of times.

And the upper right tentacle was too close to his widening eyes.

'Tsu-chuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchuchu...'

That repetitive sound ticked on as I slowed time to a crawl.

The now unarmed Jung Heewon had her hand outstretched. 

But Lee Hyunsung had invested most of his coins into strength. He wouldn’t stumble back to safety from just a push.

The tip of the tentacle was way too close.

Kim Namwoon—never mind.

The tip of the tentacle—

—was in the direct path of Yoo Joonghyuk’s sword.

Which had already left his hand.

As expected of the protagonist.

'...chuchut!'

I dropped my hand back down.

Yoo Joonghyuk wouldn’t go out of his way to save Goon A, but for Lee Hyunsung… There was nothing that guy I knew hadn't tried. Once, twice, over a thousand times, throughout a thousand different lifetimes. In this 0th turn, he would make it in time.

Time sped up. A series of events happened...

Jung Heewon’s palm collided with Lee Hyunsung’s unmoving shoulder.

The tip of the tentacle flopped onto the ground, detached.

Yoo Joonghyuk’s half-melting sword shattered into pieces against the wall.

...before Lee Hyunsung dodged.

His dodge was no longer too little, too late.

[The character 'Lee Hyunsung' has activated the exclusive skill 'Camouflage Lv. 2'.]

His hand came up to tentatively touch the area around his right eye. It came away free of blood. Thanks to Yoo Joonghyuk, the party wouldn’t need to pool their hard-earned coins on an expensive high-grade recovery potion. Not even the highest-grade recovery potion would have been enough to fully restore his eyesight if—

“I’m so sorry.”

If I hadn’t been hovering so close to Lee Hyunsung after that near miss, I wouldn’t have caught the words he had whispered. To someone who wasn’t there.

He stared at his hand, his uninjured eyes searching for a bloodstain. That wasn’t there.

「Because Kim Dokja wasn’t there, Lee Hyunsung had to kill someone to survive the first main scenario.」

‘You mean because Lee Gilyoung and his cage of grasshoppers weren’t there.’

Anyone could have done what I did under the right circumstances. It didn’t have to be me.

“Hyunsung-ssi”—Jung Heewon grabbed his hand and guided him behind a rock—“did any of that toxic gunk splash into your eyes? I’m no healer, but…”

"Nothing went into my eyes." He refocused on Jung Heewon, who leaned in for a closer look. "I'm so sorry,” he repeated. “For making an amateur mistake, Heewon-ssi," he added.

“It happens to all of us.” Jung Heewon pulled away, satisfied with her examination. “Instead of apologizing, how about you thank Joonghyuk-ssi?”

“You’re right.” Lee Hyunsung covered his uninjured eyes with his unstained hand. “That’s the only thing I can do now.” He took a deep breath in and exhaled.

“Want to take a quick break?” Jung Heewon made a grab for the sword no longer by her side. “We can cover for you,” she said, looking for an opening to rejoin the battle.

“I’m… It’s all right.”

“If you say so. Don’t push yourself.”

On Jung Heewon’s signal, they stepped out from behind the rock. Lee Hyunsung was back to evading the tentacle with ease. He retrieved the crumpled Goon A from where Yoo Joonghyuk had kicked him out of harm’s way. “Thank you, Joonghyuk-ssi. It won’t happen again,” he said, receiving a nod in return.

"Switch in fifteen." Yoo Joonghyuk plucked the last of the crafted weapons, Kim Namwoon's bone knife, out of the owner's unprotesting hands. "All of you. Get out of its sight. Craft more weapons. You," he said to the approaching Jung Heewon, "you're up after him."

Jung Heewon nodded and changed course. Skirting around the one-sided duel—that still wasn't in Yoo Joonghyuk's favor—towards the nearest dead ground rat. She retraced her steps, lugging it back behind the rock. She found Kim Namwoon stabbing his Swiss Army knife into another rat.

[The character 'Kim Namwoon' has activated the exclusive skill 'Knife Fighting Lv. 2'.]

“Ultra-Precise Demonic Cutting Technique!”

He gouged a deep gash into the thigh bone instead of removing the cartilage, prompting Jung Heewon to wrestle the knife out of his hands. Lee Hyunsung deposited the still-unconscious Goon A right next to them. Leaving those two to their hushed bickering, he retrieved the remaining ground rats. He then grabbed a flat rock, helping a sullen Kim Namwoon sharpen the growing pile of bones Jung Heewon had extracted.

After some time has passed, time in which 'Broken Faith' still hasn't shown up…

“Joonghyuk-ssi, I’m ready to swap places!”

[The character 'Lee Hyunsung' has deactivated the exclusive skill 'Camouflage Lv. 2'.]

“Captain! Take this!”

[The character 'Yoo Joonghyuk' has activated the skill 'Weapons Training Lv. 2'.]

Yoo Joonghyuk caught the new sword, hurling the half-melted knife at the empty eye socket. His aim was true. The ensuing howl and recoil from the ricocheting fragments gave him a brief respite. Lee Hyunsung—armed with a new bone spear in one hand and, strangely enough, a skull in the other—took over.

Even with this fifteen-minute rotation setup, this couldn't turn into a drawn-out mental and physical battle for survival. His party wasn't in a life-threatening situation…

I watched as a flailing tentacle stabbed the ceiling of the cavern, dislodging more pebbles that bounced off of the unresponsive Goon A, and amended my statement:

…Yet. But—

「Because Yoo Joonghyuk cleared it two days earlier than Kim Dokja, 'Broken Faith' might not come until two days later. At the very latest.」

'You're repeating that phrase. Did you already run out of things to narrate like I said you would?'

「I'm nar rating yo ur protag onist. Li ke you to ld me to.」

'But there is so much more to narrate about Yoo Joonghyuk.' 

Like how Yoo Joonghyuk needed more than just a forty-five-minute rest period between each rotation. Since the scenarios started, he had only gotten five hours of sleep in the past two nights. In total. An 'Ellain Forest's Vital Force'-induced two-hour sleep while in the ichthyosaur's stomach and another three hours after selling his entire stash of snacks at Geumho station. The rest of the party wasn't faring much better. If the dark keeper were to emit 'Fear' again, it wouldn't be fatal but—

「Because Kim Dokja would have blocked the blow. No matter the price he’d pay.」

'You're repeating this phrase too…'

「It’s call ed fore shadow ing. Are you su re you wa nt to con tinue on as a wri ter? Why not be the protag—」

As a writer, I just thought of something else that I could do to speed up the item exchange at the Dokkaebi Auction.

「Kim Dokja was not looking forward to paying a visit to Anna Croft.」

Chapter Text

Where is the channel search function on this viewing screen…

「Kim Dokja has been clicking on the wrong icons for a while now.」

Is this…a screen recording function? If it really is, then I should have recorded the Yoo Joonghyuk snow—

「Kim Dok ja」

Right. Back to the task at hand. There's so many more features available for Constellations, but the user interface is still the same. It's as unintuitive as it was a long time a— Found it.

– Please select the Dome you wish to join.

[Washington D.C. Dome, United States]

– Please enter the name of the incarnation(s) you wish to watch.

[Anna Croft]

– Would you like a channel preview of all two search results before joining?

[Yes]

– You are currently watching a live preview of channel #SA-1702.

There she is. The character who should have appeared much, much later in this new story.

「Or never. If Kim Dokja could get away with it.」

[Constellations of the Absolute Good system are impressed by Incarnation Anna Croft’s good deed.]

She was in the middle of masquerading as a saint, distributing food rations to the survivors. For free, for she was irritatingly not in need of coins. Not when she has a damn diamond sponsor who will soon be shelling out one million coins for her 'Great Demon’s Eyes'.

Like Cheon Inho, Anna Croft had already assumed absolute control over her temporary base. The similarities ended there. Unlike Cheon Inho, Anna Croft had set up makeshift stations, hubs of activity where the survivors carried out the roles she had assigned to them, their actions purposeful. But I wasn’t here to see this scene of “humanity’s resilience in the face of a ruined world: the rise of the two-faced prophet” in the play that Anna Croft was directing. 'Broken Faith' was nowhere to be seen.

– Would you like to leave channel #BI-7623 and join channel #SA-1702?

[Yes]

I don't know precisely how Anna Croft obtained 'Broken Faith' in the 'Ways of Survival', but I could trick her into using her 'Future Sight' to—

– Please note that switching channels requires a small service fee of 1,000 Coins for non-VIP members. Do you wish to proceed?

[Current Coin balance: 0 C]

– Please join channel #SA-1702 first before messaging an incarnation through the chat.

…these money-grubbing dokkae—

「Kim Dokja ducked. A tentacle whipped past where his head would have been.」

Ah, I did something unnecessary out of habit. Nothing would have happened to me in my current state.

“Are you all right?”

「Kim Dokja turned. He opened his mouth to—」

"Yes, I'm…."

Jung Heewon was the one who replied, the one Lee Hyunsung had asked. No one could see or hear me in my current state either… Old habits are quite hard to kill.

“...shouldn’t have tried parrying that. Hand me another sword, will you?”

“Here.”

「This time, Kim Dokja let the sword pass right through him.」

“Kendo ahjumma, end your turn already. I’ll be the one to end this motherfucker.”

“I have, what, five minutes left? Sit tight till then.”

[The character 'Jung Heewon' has activated the exclusive skill 'Demon Slaying Lv. 2'.]

– Please note that switching channels requires a small service fee of 1,000 Coins for non-VIP members. Do you wish to proceed?

1,000 coins to switch channels just to goad Anna Croft. Then another 1,000 to switch back. What a waste of 'Probability'. I’d rather check if Anna Croft is anywhere close to acquiring 'Broken Faith'…

– Would you like to enable sound from the channel #SA-1702 preview?

[Yes]

“Miss Fortune Teller, is my mom coming back?” 

A boy too young to be plagued by the 'what ifs' of this ruined world stood on his tiptoes. He tugged at the sleeve of a black leather jacket. Her uniquely calm expression was obscured by the large box she had in her hands, but there was no way I wouldn’t recognize that shock of blonde hair, even if it was more disheveled than I had ever seen or read about.

“You mean, when is your mom coming back?” Anna Croft lowered the box onto the marble floor without even an echo. A seemingly sincere smile crept across her face when the boy nodded vigorously. “Let’s see, shall we…”

[The character 'Anna Croft' has activated the exclusive skill 'Future Sight Lv. 4'.]

Without the 'Great Demon’s Eyes' implanted yet, there was no ominous red glow around her left eye to distort her saintly image. But without that item, she has to be careful not to overuse the mana-intensive 'Future Sight' since it takes a heavy toll on her body… It's strange. It’s not like Anna Croft to do something self-sacrificing like this. She’s the furthest character from a saint.

[Exclusive skill, 'Character List' is activated.]

This boy’s potential is far below Shin Yoosung, Lee Gilyoung, and Yoo Mia’s. He is a lot younger too. If she's not interested in recruiting him, what is Anna Croft hoping to gain in return?

“She’ll be back by the time you finish this mac and cheese.” With those adequately reassuring words, Anna Croft spread the blanket she dug from the box onto the floor. She motioned for the boy to sit near the foot of the sole statue presiding over this vast chamber as she pulled more items out of the box.

“Pinky promise?” The boy stuck out his entire hand, finally letting go of her jacket. 

Anna Croft’s smile didn’t slip as she hooked his pinky finger with hers. “Deal.” Her eyes flickered up to meet the solemn gaze of a seated man immortalized in marble. “Mr. Dinosaur here will be the witness to our pinky promise.”

“It’s not Mr. Dinosaur, it’s Mr. Stegosaur!”

“Why don’t you keep Mr. Stegosaur safe for me? The two of you can welcome your mom back.” She poured hot water from a thermos into the plastic bowl and stirred. “It’s hot, so wait for it to cool down, all right?” 

“Okay!" He grinned toothlessly, gripping the offered plastic fork. "I’ll save half for my mom.”

She crouched down to meet his eyes and lowered her voice. “Eat your fill. Don’t you want to grow stronger to protect your mom?”

"I want be as strong as Mr. Stegosaur!"

[The character 'Anna Croft' has activated the exclusive skill 'Future Sight Lv. 4'.]

"You'll be way stronger."

"Really?"

"Didn't you call me Miss Fortune Teller?" She ruffled his hair.

[Some constellations are moved to tears by Incarnation Anna Croft’s display of kindness.]

[1,000 Coins have been sponsored.]

[The nebula 'Asgard' is unimpressed by the paltry amount.]

“So eat all of your food. Your mom is coming back with more.” She hoisted the box back up, rattling the contents inside to emphasize her point. “I’ll get back to handing these out.”

Unlike Cheon Inho, Anna Croft didn’t derive her power from the despair of others. Why would she when she could exploit something far more devastating? Something that was evident in the boy's beaming smile as he said, "Bye-bye, Miss Fortune Teller!"

"I'll see you and Mr. Stegosaur with your mom later."

Hope.

A double-edged sword in the hands of a backstabbing prophet like her. The moment she turned around, Anna Croft took off her smiling mask. She handed her no-longer-useful prop over to the first person she crossed paths with, smoothly proceeding onto the next stage of her more-likely-than-not nefarious scheme.

[The character 'Anna Croft' has activated the exclusive skill 'Future Sight Lv. 4'.]

She passed by what must be the medic station, calling for the person on duty to come with her.

[Exclusive skill, 'Character List' is activated.]

A healer this early in the scenarios? tls123 has never given Yoo Joonghyuk that sort of convenient setup; Anna Croft must have made her own luck. Now speaking to someone else at a different station, the prophet must have deliberately chosen to save that healer in Main Scenario #1. Or, at the very least, staged a fateful encounter for them to meet.

[Exclusive skill, 'Character List' is activated.]

A mage who specializes in creating barriers. The ideal ally to have for Main Scenarios #3 and #4, which centers around defending one’s base from nonhuman and human invasions while advancing towards the 'Absolute Throne'. She must have deliberately chosen to save him as well. Anna Croft is nothing but consistent when it comes to acting for the survival of the absolute majority, her expression just as unreadable now as it had always been described during the moments she betrayed Yoo— Wait, hold on… unreadable? Maybe…

[Exclusive skill, 'Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Lv.???', is activating!]

[You are the 'Oldest Dream'.]

[You can utilize 100 percent of your skill's abilities regardless of your understanding of the target!]

「...will die. It’s not too late to save his mom if I…」

The character whose thoughts had always been locked behind a closed book... She'd just ran past two white columns and out into a world tinted in purple. Almost barreling into a woman carrying an injured man.

"Anna! Healer, I need a heal— Oh, bless the prophet!" She had caught sight of who was accompanying her. "Quick, his leg! The bleeding won't…."

「...broken barrier. Fog getting worse, can't see . Where will that scene happen—」

[The character 'Anna Croft' has activated the exclusive skill 'Future Sight Lv. 4'.]

「...woman…White House…throne. She died for me… No, that can’t be right. Different scene, different woman, try—」

[The character 'Anna Croft' has failed to activate the exclusive skill 'Future Sight Lv. 4'.]

「Shit I miscounted the uses saved, how much time till—」

“Pssst, Anna!” The mage who followed her outside latched onto her right arm. “Did…did you hear that? It’s getting louder. They’re coming, they’re coming .” He pointed wildly at the growing gap in the protective barrier. “We can’t afford to wait for the scouts any long—”

“Not yet!” She extracted her right arm from his death grip. “Don’t reseal the barrier just yet.”

「...thirty four minutes is too long. Mana, use mana to...」

[The character 'Anna Croft' has purchased the items 'Ellain Monkey’s Lungs' X 1 and 'Beginner Magic Power Recovery Potion' X 5.]

“But the monsters will be here any minute now!”

“Give me five more.” She downed one of the potions.

“We don’t have five minutes!”

「Coward, who’s the actual prophet here?」

“Please,” she said, 'Ellain Monkey’s Lungs' muffling that word.

“Anna, you’re jeopardizing the lives of everyone at the shelter for just a few…”

[The character 'Anna Croft' has activated the exclusive skill 'Future Sight Lv. 4'.]

「Monsters…chased…Reflecting Pool…this one!…dizzy…」

“…always play the hero. You can’t save everyone so don’t— Wait! Anna, wait! It’s too dangerous!”

Neither the mage’s warnings nor the first tendrils of poisonous fog creeping through the barrier were enough to slow her sprint down the steps.

“Come back!” Predictably, the mage didn’t move anything other than his mouth. He merely watched on in horror as she plunged straight into the wall of swirling purple. “Annaaaa!”

"Where are you?! Say something!" Her muffled shouts were barely audible above a whistling noise growing louder and louder, the monsters' howls and roars having already faded into the background.

“Over here! We’re over here!”

「It was...from the…right— No! Their left. They need to—」

“Move to your left! Your left! Now! Dive into the pool!”

「Did I see it correctly? Or was my interpretation…」

Anna Croft's…concerns?—I must have misread her thoughts, but I don't care enough to reread them—were confirmed. A scream pierced through the whistling noise.

The blast of wind from the impact scattered the worst of the fog. Revealing a sharp object that would later be classified as the horn of the 7th-grade monster, the ‘poisonous rhinoceros’—cleanly sliced off. It towered above the scouts as they heaved themselves out of the churning waters.

「...horn? But I thought I saw a spear in her—」

“Somebody, help! Anybody, please! My son, I, ugh! I need to return to my son!”

A woman had been left behind. Left to free her bloodied leg trapped under the horn all by herself, her fate now in the hands of Anna Croft.

「Focus, 3,200 coins into strength, 4,800 into agility...」

“Here. Breathe through this.”

[Constellations of the Absolute Good system nod at Incarnation Anna Crofts’s judgment.]

“…you, thank you, thank you, thank…” The woman chanted, mumbling around the 'Ellain Monkey’s Lungs' in her mouth.

「...not too late to save her, why did no one stop...」

[Exclusive skill, 'Character List' is activated.]

The same surname as that little boy. And the same exclusive attribute as Jung Heewon: 'Crouching Figure'.

“We have to run. Hold on to my shoulders.”

It makes sense now. Anna Croft’s preferential treatment of that little boy makes sense. She needs a powerful and loyal (read: indebted) damage dealer to add to her collection of temporary trump cards until she joins forces with Selena Kim. Any of the three 'judge' attributes that could evolve from 'Crouching Figure' would fit her criteria—

「Kim Dokja was blindsided by a flash of light and a loud bang.」

That light came from beyond my viewing screen. Did something happen to Yoo Joonghyuk and his party?

「When Kim Dokja regained his sight, he—」

It’s coming from Lee Hyunsung. His silver aura shone through the dissipating cloud of dust, casting light on the dark keeper as it peeled itself off the wall. But that curiously-shaped crater looks like—

"Throw me another weapon!"

Jung Heewon sent another skull somersaulting through the air. "Is that a new skill? How many more times can you use it?" She did a quick count of the remaining pile of weapons. Only four left.

“Maybe two?” Lee Hyunsung stuck his fist into the ill-fitting skull, shifting back into a boxing stance.

[The character 'Yoo Joonghyuk' has activated the skill 'Sage’s Eye Lv. 2'.]

“Save those.” The golden glow of 'Sage’s Eye' faded as Yoo Joonghyuk glanced up. Just in time to dodge a chunk of the ceiling.

“Sorry! I didn’t think it would be this powerful.”

That curiously-shaped crater in the wall had to be the aftermath of Lee Hyunsung’s 'Great Mountain Smash'. But…isn’t this a couple of scenes too early for his 'character evolution'?

[Exclusive skill, 'Character List' is activated.]

「Kim Dokja’s suspicions were confirmed. He had, undoubtedly, missed one of his favorite scenes from the 'Ways of Survival'.」

It’s… The Scene where Steel Sword Lee Hyunsung unlocks the ability to deal 'one blow' of enormous power. The Scene where he solidifies his place among the top 100 strongest characters in the 'Ways of Survival'. It's one of my favorite scenes, and I… I missed it??? How can this be? Replay button. Is there a replay— Oh. Right…

I’m not watching Bihyung’s channel right now.

「Kim Dokja's long-standing resentment against Anna Croft intensified. 」

“Hurry, Anna! Get in, get in!”

“Places, everyone! Don’t let any get—”

“Barrier!”

"We're...safe? Ha. Ahahahaha, we're safe, we’re saved!"

"Haaaaaah, that shaved years off my life.”

“Stay on your guard! The monsters might still—”

“Aren’t you underestimating my barrier’s strength, ranger?”

“I’m overestimating their sharp claws and teeth, mage. Better to be safe than sorry.”

“Oh zip it, you two. That scratching sound is already driving me crazy.”

「Kim Dok ja. Are y ou not go ing to nar rate what’s go ing on in An na Croft’s chan nel?」

‘Only when 'Broken Faith' is mentioned.’

Jung Heewon had just traded places with Lee Hyunsung. Although it is a couple of scenes too early, I didn’t want to risk missing her 'character evolution' scene too.

[The character 'Anna Croft' has activated the exclusive skill 'Future Sight Lv. 4'.]

「Black sword…dizzy…broken by…」

“Please heal her leg.”

“Yes, Anna, I’m on it.”

“Does anyone else need to get their injuries treated?”

“No, thank god. I mean, thank the prophet .”

「That title again. So burdensome.」

“I’m relieved that I can be of some help.”

“Of some help??? Anna, your prophecy was a godsend, I tell you!”

"You literally saved us!"

“Yeah! Thanks to you, we knew about the trap ahead of time.”

“I should be the one thanking you. All of you risked your lives to retrieve this sword for me.”

By this sword, Anna Croft must be referring to… yes.

The broken blade reflected her inscrutable gaze. Purple patches marred her otherwise collected countenance.

[The character 'Anna Croft' has acquired the item 'Broken Faith'.]

It was about time.

[The character 'Anna Croft' has activated the exclusive skill 'Future Sight Lv. 4'.]

「...star…gold…about to throw up—」

“Dokkaebi Sam, may I exchange this with the Ichthyosaur’s Core from the auction?”

[Why, yes you may, Miss Anna!]

Time for me to leave.

「Kim Dokja thought: That was way too many words wasted on Anna Croft.」

‘At least I didn’t waste any 'Probability' on her.’

– Please note that switching channels requires a small service fee of 1,000 Coins for non-VIP members. Do you wish to proceed?

[No]

“Eek! Blood!”

“A-Anna! Your nose!”

「Blood? Ah. I overused Future Sight again. How annoying.」

“Please wait! Anna, I’ll patch you up after I’m done healing her leg!”

“No need. As our only healer, please save your mana for someone who needs it more.”

[Constellations of the Absolute Good system are impressed by Anna Croft’s selflessness.]

“Anna, lean forward and pinch your nose.”

「…need to persuade Asgard to buy the Great Demon’s Eye for me. The side effects should weaken if…」

“But Anna, at least let me treat the purple poison—”

"Thank you. But there's really no need. It looks worse than it feels. It'll wear off in—"

“Anna, it wasn’t an efficient use of your skill to entertain people like those. That little boy—”

“Oh? And I suppose that your barrier magic has”—cough— “ evolved to the point where you can predict the future ”—cough cough

「Who does he think he is? Prioritizing the lives of some over others.」

“Tissue! Does anyone have a tissue? Napkin, paper towel, a clean cloth, anything—”

“Of course not, don’t be ridiculous, Anna. I’m just saying that you need to save your mana too! Who else can—”

“Hey, mage! Can’t you bring this up when she’s not coughing up blood? Your barrier—”

– Would you like to return to channel #BI-7623?

[Yes]

I couldn’t care less about the origin story of Anna Croft and her Zarathustra.

「Yet Kim Dokja narrated a scene from Anna Croft's story. He wouldn't do the same for Kim Namwoon.」

‘Because Kim Namwoon is my least favorite character.’

Anna Croft is my second least favorite—that goes without saying. But unlike Kim Namwoon, who would be a minor antagonist at most, Anna Croft has the potential to become the villain who ends this story. Hence the reluctant narration. Future final villain or not, her story wasn't the one I wished to write. By now, Yoo Joonghyuk should have gotten the notification that—

“Hand it over.”

…At least his threa—request wasn’t backed by another pebble in his hand.

「Kim Dokja bemoans the sight of Yoo Joonghyuk acting more like a villain than Anna Croft.」

‘Yoo Joonghyuk is not a villain.’

[Yes, yes. One 'Broken Faith'. Coming riiiiight up.]

Bihyung’s customer service phrase didn’t match his not-so-customer-friendly smile. Nevertheless, Bihyung started the summoning process. The pommel materialized in Yoo Joonghyuk’s hand first. Then the grip, the hilt, and finally… 

The blade.

[The character 'Yoo Joonghyuk' has acquired the item 'Broken Faith'.]

Well, the beginning of the blade.

“That! That—” That was as far as Kim Namwoon got before letting out an incoherent bellow.

“That’s…it?" Jung Heewon did a much better job voicing her disbelief, even asking, "Are you sure this is the right item?”

“Maybe this sword is…anti-corrosive?” That was too long of a pause for Lee Hyunsung to pass as convincing.

“You really think so? This shoddy thing?”

“...not really.”

[Pwahahaha, plot twist #2! You don't have the right skill to unleash the hidden potential of 'Broken Faith'! It's such a crying shame!]

Bihyung looked ready to cry tears of laughter at any moment now.

[Would you— Pffft! Ahem... Would you like to buy 'Purest Sword Force' from the Dokkaebi Bag for the non-discounted price of 10,000 Coins? You're not going to find a better deal anywhere else in the Star Stream~]

No thanks. Yoo Joonghyuk will soon learn a skill similar to 'Purest Sword Force' from Breaking the Sky Sword Saint: 'Breaking the Sky Energy'. He’s better off saving those 10,000 coins for that private communication channel.

“Kik. Kik kik kik.”

I didn't even need the 'Interpretation' skill to figure out that the dark keeper was laughing along with Bihyung. But Yoo Joonghyuk would be the one to have the last, albeit figurative, laugh.

'Tsu—'

[You have failed to activate 'Stage Transformation'.]

Huh?

[The world-line is starting to resist your interference.]

[Please wait five minutes for the system to update the requirements of 'Stage Transformation'.]

[00:04:59]

That long???

[00:04:57]

“Walkthrough. What’s next.”

'Tsuchuchut!'

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', tells Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk to wait five more minutes.]

That glare of his really is something. The broken sword looked about a spark away from igniting under its intensity. It was almost comparable to the glare permanently carved into the face of that guy I knew.

「Kim Dokja had broken what little faith Yoo Joonghyuk had in him with this aptly named item.」

“A walk what?” shouted Jung Heewon, countering the dark keeper’s attack with one of her own. “You talking to me or Hyunsung-ssi?”

“Neither.”

“Kim Namwoon is”—Jung Heewon jerked her head in the direction of the commotion—“busy being useless.”

“Not him.”

“Huh? Then who?”

[00:04:18]

[Constellation, 'Poked His Eyes Out', is laughing at you for suggesting such a lackluster item.]

[Constellation, 'Poked His Eyes Out', reminds Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk that the offer from 'Olympus' still stands, as long as he…]

[Constellation, 'Scorpion Goddess', is cutting in to remind Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk that the 'Deus Ex Machina' offer from 'Papyrus' can take immediate effect if…]

[Constellation, 'General of Vanara', assures Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk that an immeasurably more adequate weapon will be provided—he gives you a pitying glance—on condition that he chooses 'Vedas'...]

“That! That cheap shit ain’t Broken Faith! How fucking dare you! You tried to scam Captain!”

[But the dismal state of the weapon was already noted in its official name, 'Broken Faith'. What’s the problem here?]

“Broken! As in, the balance of a game is broken! Not broken, broken, you stupid puffball!”

[Your definition of “broken” isn’t in my language patch update. And who in the Star Stream would be stupid enough to make an item that breaks the balance of the scenarios, huh?]

Bihyung must have forgotten that he was the inventor of one such “broken" item: the 'Random Item Box' that would soon be making its appearance.

[00:03:11]

“Who are you calling stu—”

"Make way, make way!" Jung Heewon ran past Kim Namwoon, the light coming from her body made all the more dazzling next to his 'Blackening' aura.

[The attribute of 'Jung Heewon' has blossomed to 'Judge of Destruction (Hero)'.]

[The character 'Yoo Joonghyuk' has activated the skill 'Sage’s Eye Lv. 2'.]

No way… Heewon-ssi, you too?

「Kim Dokja discovered that the broken protagonist had a party-wide exp buff.」

‘There are no such passive or active skills that grant a party-wide exp buff in the 'Ways of Survival'.’

「Th at was the ni cer way of say ing: Kim Dok ja has no tal ent in rais ing his S-Class par ty members.」

[00:01:39]

[The character 'Jung Heewon' has activated the exclusive skill 'Judgment Time'.]

[The Absolute Good constellations have agreed to the use of this skill.]

['Judgment Time' has been activated.]

“Kuah!” The dark keeper lashed out in pain, forcing Jung Heewon to let go of her sword. The sword remained lodged in the dark keeper’s chest as she leaped over, ducked under, and steadily pulled back. Any longer… If she had held onto the sword any longer, it would have sliced through its heart, bringing this drawn-out battle to a close.

That was a close call. Did Yoo Joonghyuk not tell her—

“Don’t kill it.”

…This sunfish. He’s too stingy with the information I gave him.

[00:00:08]

“What?! I almost did and now you tell”—Jung Heewon dived to the side—“me? Wait. What? ” She rolled, scooping up the last bone weapon off the ground in one fluid motion. “Why not?!”

[00:00:01]

[00:00:00]

[The update has been completed.]

[You have unlocked a new 'Stage Transformation' requirement: Prop.]

[You have satisfied two or more requirements (People, Place, Prop, ???, ???, …) needed to activate 'Stage Transformation'.]

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', tells Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk to get ready.]

“Switch with me.”

“Shouldn’t we attack together?”

“No need.” Yoo Joonghyuk broke into a sprint.

'Tsu-chuchuchuchu…!'

[You are activating 'Stage Transformation'!]

[Excessive use of 'Stage Transformation' might cause the world-line to strongly resist…]

「A long time ago, there was a man who read the attack patterns of the 'Dark Keeper'. Wielding his 'Broken Faith' imbued with the star energy of the 'Purest Sword Force', he recited by heart…」

Blue ether began gathering at the edge of the broken blade, elongating it. The tip of the blade shimmered into existence. At the height of his jump, 'Broken Faith' solidified into a shadow of its former glory.

[The character 'Yoo Joonghyuk' has activated the skill 'Weapons Training Lv. 3'.]

“Kuaaah!”

Yoo Joonghyuk rematerialized at the end of a vertical slash of light. And was gone by the time the tentacles from the dark keeper’s right side piled up on the ground.

「The attack pattern is simple. Unconditionally, the tentacle on the upper right will first…」

A slash and an ear-splitting shriek later, its left knee and the bottom left tentacle were missing.

「After the attack, a single tentacle at the bottom...」

When the dust settled, there was a new crater in the ground. Yoo Joonghyuk stood on top of the dark keeper. Taking care to not touch the sword protruding from its chest, he dug his heels in until cracking sounds filled the cavern.

「After it attacks twice, it always pauses—」

'…chuchut!'

「Kim Dokja’s Stage Transformation lagged behind Yoo Joonghyuk’s actions until the very end.」

‘Another reason why Yoo Joonghyuk is the protagonist you should be narrating.'

「Kim Dokja thought: The skill gap between the real protagonist and a former reader is unfairly wide.」

「Kim Dokja gave an exasperated sigh.」

Yoo Joonghyuk wiped 'Broken Faith' clean on the dark keeper’s robe.

[A-Are you seeing what I am seeing?]

Bihyung openly gawked at him.

[An imitation of an 'ether blade' in the beginning scenarios! Brought to you by the…‘Demon King of Salvation’-nim'? Who activated…'Stage Transformation'? To resurrect 'Broken Faith' using…the 'Purest Sword Force'? Wait…]

Bihyung rubbed his eyes. Before replaying the scene on the viewing screen to confirm.

[…What did I just see? Is this for real?]

[Constellation, 'General of Vanara', is doubting his eyes.]

[Constellation, 'Scorpion Goddess', is blinking her eyes in astonishment.]

[Constellation, 'Poked His Eyes Out', says that’s enough about eyes. He raises his eyebrow at this preposterous development.]

[Constellation, 'God of Wine and Ecstasy', is rolling his eyes.]

[Constellation, 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband', is excitedly tugging at his hair.]

Oh, it’s Sun Wukong!

「Kim Dokja wanted to see him too.」

[Constellation, 'Demon King of Salvation', happily greets the 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband'.]

[Constellation, 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband', switches to picking his nose.]

Ah. 

This was how it should be. 

This was how the proper 'Ways of Survival' should be.

[Constellation, 'General of Vanara', greets his copycat with a nod of acknowledgment.]

[Constellation, 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband', doesn’t know who the 'General of Vanara' is nodding to. He greets his copycat by picking his ears.]

[Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', greets his copycat with a smug smirk.]

Naturally, I didn’t know who that delusional dragon was referring to.

[Constellation, 'Demon-like Judge of Fire', calls for order. She is suspicious of your use of 'Stage Transformation'.]

[Many constellations are questioning the validity of your story.]

As they should. A demon king, able to use the 'Purest Sword Force'—the bane of every demon’s existence? It shouldn’t be possible.

「Kim Dokja’s activation of 'Stage Transformation' for an incarnation he wasn’t sponsoring shouldn’t have been possible either. Not without a hefty price.」

[Constellation, 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon', begins to chant: “Conman Demon King of Salvation, Copycat Demon King of Salvation.”]

[A few constellations are beginning to harbor doubts about your existence.]