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Chapter Text

Ways of Survival wouldn't have been as popular as it currently is, if not for this one character.

Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World, or Ways of Survival, is about a man named Yoo Joonghyuk that travels through the apocalypse in search of a way to save the world. When the man does, he gets reminded back in time to the start of the apocalypse.

That was the basic gist of the story's plot, which sounded interesting at first. The end of the world, kickstarted by some guys called constellations who wanted some entertainment? That's unique for the genre of stories tackling the end of the world.

Unfortunately, the execution of the story was...not so great. After Yoo Joonghyuk's third regression, the pacing started to drag. Details started repeating, and things turned boring for the readers. Many had dropped the novel because of it all.

As the regressions continued, more people abandoned the novel. Fewer and fewer people read the story, especially when other better stories in the genre showed up, like the SSSSS-grade Infinite Regressor (that is plagiarizing the Ways of Survival, why isn't anyone noticing this?) with better storytelling skills and a better protagonist...

And then the 15th regression started.

And then an anomaly showed up.

Bright laughter echoed, just as Yoo Joonghyuk had a knife thrown right next to his face--and nailed the poster of a man on a wall right to the image's forehead.

The man's heart pounded in his ears. What's this? Never before has anyone snuck up on him, not since the 6th regression. And yet--

"Ah! Careful there, sir."

The regressor whirled, instantly raising his sword to point at the intruder. Yoo Joonghyuk's voice cut like jagged glass. "Who are you?"

Silence. Footsteps echoed, deliberately slow. In front of Yoo Joonghyuk was a silhouette of another man, getting closer and closer into the light.

"Nice to meet you. You're Joonghyuk-ssi, aren't you?"

An unfamiliar face greeted Yoo Joonghyuk's sight. A lean body, delicately sharp features and face, with onyx fox-like eyes twinkling as if holding the entire galaxy inside those orbs; this intruder looked back, lips quirked up in amusement.

A snowy white coat billowed as the man bowed, not at all bothered with the sword threatening to cut him. Yoo Joonghyuk can even dare to say that this man is confident he'd be able to escape the blow.

This is a man Yoo Joonghyuk, in all of his regression turns, have never seen or even heard of before. This can be dangerous--

"My name is Kim Dokja. Please remember it well", a smooth voice spoke, the man introducing himself. The smile is still there. "I look forward to working with you, Joonghyuk-ssi."

...what?

Kim Dokja, the character, takes the remaining readers of WOS by storm.

Witty, charismatic, and shameless, this prophet was always three steps ahead of both Yoo Joonghyuk and the readers. This character never seemed to possess any fear, too, especially since this guy always took time outside scenarios to cheerfully tease and poke and tap-dance on Yoo Joonghyuk's last nerve. One minute, Kim Dokja is fiercely defending the regressor, and the next he's insulting the guy.

Like Yoo Joonghyuk, no one could tell what the prophet wanted. No one could tell what the character is thinking, or how his mind works.

And that's honestly attractive for the audience of this book. They could forgive the snail-like pacing of this story for now, if they'd just get more of this character.

It's only natural; named characters around Yoo Joonghyuk who are human are either loyal companions, like Lee Jihye and Lee Hyunsung, love interests like Lee Seolhwa, or enemies like Anna Croft.

Dokja didn't fit in any of those roles, not exactly.

His loyalty extends only to how useful Yoo Joonghyuk will be in his current plans and refuses to take any orders from the regressor most of the time despite being (debatably) friends with the guy. If Yoo Joonghyuk interferes, Dokja will quickly turn his blade against the protagonist.

Never enough to seriously injure the regressor, though, oddly enough. Still.

Love interest? Dokja is a person that doesn't even reveal his real feelings. If there's a relationship he has that's going that way, the readers have yet to truly see any hints of it.

This character is just simply interesting. The readers know a lot about him, while at the same time knowing nothing; Dokja's family, his childhood, why he became like this, nothing. And the fact that Dokja only appeared now, in the 15th regression, increases the intrigue.

There are even people who even theorize, trying to speculate the reason for why this character only showed up in that regression when Dokja is this competent.

Didn't help that as the chapters ensued, Yoo Joonghyuk had come to think of Dokja as a companion as well, even when the regressor didn't know where the guy's true loyalty lies and denies their friendship a lot.

Shippers honestly eat all this content up, eager to see their relationship moments even if it's just platonic or romantic. They also like to see Kim Dokja spend time with the others. Especially with Lee Seolhwa, too, since around her, the prophet seems much more...calm, more different.

It's endearing, to see the cunning fox gradually letting his guard down, which is only a plus for the novel's sake.

And so, Ways of Survival became so much more popular--at least for this arc. It can even be called redemption, in a way, since readers started to increase again--only because of one character.

==

Kim Dokja, the reader, hated this new character. At first.

Who did this guy think he was?

Kim Dokja the character was obnoxious, prideful, and arrogant. He acts as if he knows everything, and that people should act accordingly to his whims.

And then it turns out that he does know mostly everything--he knows incredibly useful things no one else knows, much to Yoo Joonghyuk's annoyance--and Kim Dokja is much more irritated.

Dokja is a prophet. Yoo Joonghyuk saw through his Sage's Eye that he is one.

A prophet like Anna Croft, who used to be Yoo Joonghyuk's partner until she betrayed him.

Dokja will betray Yoo Joonghyuk, too, won't he?, Kim Dokja predicted viciously, taking in the words in the latest chapter. Author-nim, Yoo Joonghyuk needs to throw Dokja away before that happens!

Except his beloved protagonist can't really do that.

Dokja is not really a part of Yoo Joonghyuk's group, more like a link between his own group and Yoo Joonghyuk's group. How can you kick out someone who isn't exactly a companion?

But as always, even when forced to work with someone so infuriating, Yoo Joonghyuk is still the best.

[You have accomplished an existence that's never existed before.]

[A new story has been created.]

[The fable, "King of a World Without a King", is born.]

Yoo Joonghyuk felt like laughing. He never thought he'd be able to do this. Not in this round, at least.

The remains of the throne lay next to him. The humans who had tried to force him to sit on the throne that would doom them all, his companions who defended him when he used the Four Yin Demonic Beheading Sword Kim Dokja tossed to him...

Yoo Joonghyuk had to admit. Without Kim Dokja's knowledge, he wouldn't have accomplished this at all.

And that was true. Earlier, while Yoo Joonghyuk was gathering power as a King candidate, Kim Dokja deliberately went off to retrieve this sword that can cut off the power of constellations.

This sword was what allowed him to destroy the throne, and that was a relief. Otherwise--Yoo Joonghyuk would have needed to regress.

At least Dokja's useful.

He's loyal. For now.

Still annoying, though.

Eyes containing endless galaxies looked at the regressor. Despite being as dirtied and bloodied as the rest of them...

Kim Dokja smiled. For once, it was soft. Genuine.

Then the prophet's mouth moved.

"Joonghyuk-ssi~", Kim Dokja purred. Clearly, this fool is gloating. "Don't you have something to say to me?"

So very annoying.

==

One chapter update made Kim Dokja reconsider the character that shared his name.

"Why did you take the arrow out?"

"D-Dokja-Hyung--", Lee Jihye coughed, dryly responding despite the bleeding wound on her side. "When someone gets hit--by an arrow--you normally won't--say hey you shot me--think I'll keep this for a while--"

"Nice to see you're still joking around at a time like this. Did the arrowhead feel like it's burning?"

"Yes, but--Hyung--"

Kim Dokja shoved something into her mouth. "Eat this, it will slow the poison down."

While Lee Jihye shrieks in indignation, he snaps at Yoo Joonghyuk before the regressor can even think of what to say. "Shut up, you emo b*st*rd. You want to save her? Help me take her to Seolhwa-ssi."

Yoo Joonghyuk felt his heart beat violently in his ears. He knows they need to run, but--why is Kim Dokja helping them?

He knows that in this hidden scenario, it would be more beneficial for Kim Dokja to leave them behind. That way, the prophet will be able to get what he wants.

Why go through all this trouble?

In a corner of his school, tucked underneath the small space underneath the staircase next to the cafeteria, Kim Dokja read the update while nursing the new bruises on his gut.

Song Minwoo didn't hold back today. He could hardly even move after that guy and his goons were done with him. He even missed the morning classes, too, unable to crawl back to class.

It wasn't that he was upset he didn't get to attend classes for a time today, though. It's just that his aunt--and he wouldn't be able to eat.

Not that he was even eating anything aside from whatever leftovers he scraped up from the trash or the sink or the few he can buy in the convenience store. Even so.

Anyway, by the time lunch rolled around, the wounds in his body didn't feel like being constantly stabbed by Yoo Joonghyuk's sword anymore. He was able to hide before Song Minwoo came back for more, and...well...

Reading this chapter, seeing the Kim Dokja in the story be frantic in trying to keep Lee Jihye from dying...

The reader was glad, that Lee Jihye won't die because of the prophet's quick action. By saving Lee Jihye, Dokja is sparing Yoo Joonghyuk from being hurt even further--which is the least this guy can do.

But he wished there was someone that was as concerned for Kim Dokja the reader's well-being, just as much as Kim Dokja the character is currently concerned for the teenage girl's well-being now.

Still...Yoo Joonghyuk had a point, Kim Dokja wondered because that was what he also predicted. Why do you want to save her?

He wanted to find out. So, he moved his thumb, and dull grey eyes read over the next parts.

The texts go over the group rushing back to camp, where Lee Seolhwa immediately went to work on making an antidote for the poison in the teenage girl's bloodstream and to keep the girl alive.

Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk were pushed outside in the meantime. It was then that Yoo Joonghyuk took the opportunity.

"Hey. You fool."

Kim Dokja rolled his eyes. "What. Wanna fight?"

"Kim Dokja", and then. "Why did you save Jihye?"

Silence passed between them. Kim Dokja didn't look at the regressor all the while.

Many students passed by the staircase, failing to notice the lone, battered student. Kim Dokja didn't care for them anyway, so he read on.

"The apocalypse is forcing us all to survive. Living is a luxury, that's all", Kim Dokja answered without really answering anything. "What about you, Yoo Joonghyuk?"

Yoo Joonghyuk wants to hit him. Can't this fool be more clear? A little bit? "...to save the world."

"You very well know the world can't be saved, so don't give me that."

[Many constellations are amused by the words of incarnation, "Kim Dokja."]

[1000 coins are sponsored.]

Yoo Joonghyuk scowled, because--there has to be a way. What was the purpose of his regressions otherwise?

But as the regressor was about to snap back, the prophet continued. "But what you can do is save your own world."

...save my own world?

"You'd find that...even saving just one person. Especially if it's just yourself", Kim Dokja turns to look at him, speaking as if he's looking at another place; a place that no longer existed. "It's worth it. Because all of what you endured is rewarded by someone...living on to tell the tale. That's a reward in itself. Right?"

It's worth it. Because all of what you endured is rewarded by someone...living on to tell the tale.

The phone shook. Why is it shaking? Why are his eyes stinging right now?

Kim Dokja, who was never told before that his life mattered--

Kim Dokja, who was always treated as a waste of space--

Murderer's son, cursed child, someone who everyone will be overjoyed to find dead--

Even saving just one person. Especially if it's just yourself.

It's worth it.

Kim Dokja, who would someday treat his own life as beneath the lives of the people who love him--

Kim Dokja, who would someday throw away his own life again and again for the people he loves--

Would it be alright? To be saved?

To live?

By saving one person. By saving yourself. That's already a reward, Dokja said.

Not a curse. Not a burden.

A reward, Kim Dokja laughed quietly. His voice sounded hollow. Even if it's just only for myself...

No one found him, even when the rest of the classes went by. No one cared enough to look for him, to even think about the poor child who was abandoned by the world.

But Kim Dokja was there, with his phone and tls123's Ways of Survival for company.

He's alone, but...he's alive to read this story. He's alive to accompany Yoo Joonghyuk, even if it's just through words on a screen.

He lives.

==

Okay. He'll admit that Dokja is wise when he wants to be.

Kim Dokja still wants to hit him anyway.

Yoo Joonghyuk didn't bother trying not to slam the door. The rat should be glad he wasn't going to strangle the guy, anyway. "Kim Dokja, how dare you."

"Joonghyuk-ssi, do you want something? Some tea, maybe?", Kim Dokja said sweetly, several coins richer from scamming the constellations at Yoo Joonghyuk's expense earlier. The audacity! "Tsk, tsk. Too bad I don't make tea. But I do have two fists! Want me to hit you again?"

Maybe Yoo Joonghyuk should kill him. That would make one less annoying prophet in this round.

He does see why the other readers like Yoo Joonghyuk and Dokja together, though. They're honestly so hilarious.

Dokja is one of the people who are unafraid of Yoo Joonghyuk. However, he's the only one on the regressor's side (somewhat) that doesn't actively look up to him. The prophet is independent, someone capable of standing beside the protagonist with skills and achievements made on his own.

When he's with the regressor, he never really relies on Yoo Joonghyuk. Instead, Yoo Joonghyuk tends to be aided by him.

Or just get punched for coins, apparently.

Kim Dokja is going to cheer for Yoo Joonghyuk to finally strangle the prophet in a second; he's going to watch the show for now. It's not every day his favorite protagonist gets teased and bullied like this.

==

"Seolhwa-ssi!", the man in the currently-bloodied white coat cheerfully called out. "I bring the emo b*st*rd back, as promised."

Yoo Joonghyuk would have hit this guy over the head, if he was still able to move his own limbs. The latest fight frankly took a toll on him...

Lee Seolhwa's beautiful snowy white hair was tied up in a bun, lips parted when she looked up. Her crystal black eyes scanned the two men, and then let out a tired sigh.

"You two--and yes, you too, Kim Dokja-ssi", she said, mustering the patience of a doctor used with unreasonable patients. "Just get over here."

Kim Dokja let out the same tired sigh.

He was glad that Yoo Joonghyuk and Lee Seolhwa were getting close again now, but shouldn't they be more careful? The next main scenario is in two days; should they really let themselves get roughed up like this?

Sunfish b*st*rd, owl b*st*rd, the reader thought, and promptly closed the phone. If he runs, maybe he can make it before his uncle throws the leftovers to the new dogs.

==

Things were going so well in the story, that everyone really should have expected this. What with how the tone of the story had already been, before this regression.

Still, Kim Dokja, wished for things to be much, much better.

The character who shared his name should at least get to live, too. Isn't he Yoo Joonghyuk's equal? The one Lee Seolhwa of this round so clearly respects at the same level she respects--maybe even adore--Yoo Joonghyuk?

In hindsight, the man would have lived if it weren't for his own choice.

In the chapter before that, Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Dokja's group were both preparing for the next fight when this happened.

"...oh no."

Yoo Joonghyuk stopped in his tracks. That was panic in Kim Dokja's voice.

Turning around, he saw the prophet leaning on the wall near the doorway leading outside. Kim Dokja's eyes were blown wide, a shaky hand over his lips.

Yoo Joonghyuk had never seen the man look so afraid.

"I can't see anything", the prophet murmured, voice turning shaky as well. "So close to the next main scenario, and I can't...!"

"Kim Dokja?"

But Kim Dokja already ran out the door.

After that, Yoo Joonghyuk couldn't find the prophet anywhere--until the guy returned with his own shield, the Judge of Evil Jung Heewon... who is another person that wasn't there in the past regressions.

And when Yoo Joonghyuk tried to bring up what happened, Dokja made a joke about anxiety and dragged Jung Heewon off with him.

Reading this, Kim Dokja's eyebrows furrowed. What's going on? Did it have something to do with Dokja's prophetic skill?

In the entirety of the 15th regression, Kim Dokja the character's prophetic skill is left in mystery. Anna Croft was able to see the future through her future self sending back what she experienced to her past self, which was why she was also called a prophet.

Dokja's skill is left a mystery, like everything about him aside from personality. Only hints are there, like how Kim Dokja knew of tools needed to win and how to use it, but was unable to predict Lee Jihye getting hit.

Kim Dokja had a bad feeling about it. And, indeed, when the next chapter rolled around, the reader sitting down at a table in a library at lunchtime...

They were facing the sixth main scenario, with Nirvana Moebius and everything. And--

"I will liberate you--"

"I don't need it."

"Huh?"

Yoo Joonghyuk looked to the side. Kim Dokja looked back, eyebrow raised.

Proudly, Yoo Joonghyuk declared. "I have someone who can do that for me."

Kim Dokja dropped his phone. Fortunately, the table exists.

Silence reigned.

Kim Dokja gave Yoo Joonghyuk an incredulous look, but Yoo Joonghyuk refused to take his words back.

After all...this is true. As infuriating as this know-it-all has been, Kim Dokja is incredibly useful. He wouldn't have made it this far without this prophet.

He has been blessed with having Kim Dokja as his companion in this turn. He'd be a fool not to see Kim Dokja for what he is.

Will Kim Dokja betray him? Well--no evidence yet to suggest he will, except for the whole punching thing. 

Yes, the regressor thought. He...

"Don't get this emo b--this person wrong, we have no intention of fighting the Salvation Church", white robes fluttered, Kim Dokja stepping forward in an attempt to smooth over ruffled feathers. "Joonghyuk-ssi would love to work with you. Right?"

Yoo Joonghyuk scowled. He has no intention to lie. "No."

"Aish, you a**--"

"Alright", said through gritted teeth, the Reincarnator before them bellowed. "May judgement be ruthless upon you!"

Yoo Joonghyuk moved, unsheathing his sword, but Kim Dokja pushed him to the side. By the time Yoo Joonghyuk was able to gain composure from that, it was too late.

Nirvana was already upon Kim Dokja, faces inches from each other. A white aura shot the prophet.

[The incarnation "Nirvana Moebius" has used Thought Infection Lv 19.]

Kim Dokja's body turned rigid. Hands reached up to claw his own scalp right after, as if ready to claw his head off.

Kim Dokja dropped his phone again. What is this development!?

Yoo Joonghyuk stood back up. Nirvana Moebius turned to the regressor, smiling uncannily.

Then, he left an order. "Now, respectfully, please die."

Onyx eyes slid shut.

For the first time in a while--Yoo Joonghyuk remembers how to fear. "KIM DOKJA!"

[The incarnation "Yoo Joonghyuk" uses Way of The Wind.]

The Salvation Church Leader's mandala and the regressor's Heaven Shaking Sword collided. Sparks flew, but Yoo Joonghyuk wasn't looking at his opponent.

Kim Dokja was still motionless. He wasn't doing or saying anything.

Yoo Joonghyuk never thought he'd find himself wishing that Kim Dokja should run his mouth again. Why? Why now?

"You will become one with me, Yoo Joonghyuk", Nirvana demanded. "I am the only one who can get you to the--

[The effects of Thought Infection on incarnation "Kim Dokja" was invalidated.]

"Wh-what am I...?", the prophet finally murmured. His eyes opened back up. "No. No, I refuse."

Yes! Kim Dokja found himself cheering, too. Fight it! Come on!

He might not like this prophet very much, but he was someone who Yoo Joonghyuk had come to care for deeply. Kim Dokja loves his protagonist, and so it extends to those his protagonist loves.

Even if it's someone Kim Dokja can't really stand.

And so, Kim Dokja kept reading, kept hoping--

Yoo Joonghyuk felt relief in his chest. "Kim Dokja..."

[The incarnation "Nirvana Moebius" has used the stigma Eternal Nightmare lv 15.]

"NO!"

Other students in the library whirled their heads. Kim Dokja ducked his head down in embarrassment, but the feeling of indignation didn't leave.

The teenager read Yoo Joonghyuk getting trapped in a nightmare again, describing his worst fears and terror.

Kim Dokja hoped his beloved protagonist will break out in time.

[The incarnation "Kim Dokja" has used the stigma Clear Sight lv 3.]

Yoo Joonghyuk snapped his eyes back open. It was to a clear sky.

Behind him, he heard Nirvana mutter in astonishment. "How did you...my spell..."

Red spilled, blooming like a grotesque lotus flower. White was stained by that sickening color, a warm body pressed against the regressor's own.

"Ah, but I suppose it won't matter."

Onyx eyes looked at him. The galaxies within those orbs began to fade.

"Would you--look at that", Kim Dokja grinned weakly despite the blood on his lips. "This is--the reason why, huh?"

Yoo Joonghyuk looked down. Heaven Shaking Sword was embedded in the prophet's chest, staining the sword's blade red as much as the form that collapsed in his arms.

This... "Kim Dokja...!"

"I'm glad--it was me and--not you..."

Kim Dokja exhaled, eyes fluttering shut. He didn't draw another breath.

And Yoo Joonghyuk screamed.

Kim Dokja dropped his phone. The reader was pretty sure the gadget was broken now.

==

The end of Dokja's life caused much uproar among the readers.

AUTHOR-NIM!!! Why did you kill our oracle!!!! That was the general consensus, from both readers that love him and those that feel annoyed by him. Apparently, that's their nickname for this anomaly character they all favor. BRING HIM BACK!!!!

They can't even criticize the writing. This scene was already foreshadowed by the past scenes, so that's the obvious outcome.

It didn't help. People are still angry and sad about the loss of their cheeky prophet. But then one reader brought up, hey! Yoo Joonghyuk can regress! We can see Kim Dokja in the next regression!!

And so they were eagerly waiting for Yoo Joonghyuk to die again so they can have Kim Dokja back. The author did give them that, too, and they didn't have to wait long for the next turn.

Except in the 16th regression, Kim Dokja was absent and never existed. And in the next regression, and the next regression after that.

The comments blew up. AUTHOR-NIM!!!

Honestly, Kim Dokja didn't care about it, though watching them go at it was entertaining. Sure, the teenage reader was surprised to find hinself sad that Dokja died--and probably won't be coming back anytime soon--but Kim Dokja was honestly more concerned for Yoo Joonghyuk.

After Dokja died, Yoo Joonghyuk snapped and ended up killing Nirvana. Then the Salvation Church dove down to kill him, and Jung Heewon swooped in to defend the regressor.

Not like it mattered. They were overrun, and Yoo Joonghyuk slit his own neck to escape.

Then he woke up back on the train in the 16th round, and frantically looked for the prophet only to find that Kim Dokja never existed here...

He stopped at a mirror on the wall. A corpse stared back.

Yoo Joonghyuk closed his eyes.

He was tired. Why does this happen to him?

When things are already starting to look up...

Why. Why am I still--alive...

When everyone died. When all that held his heart was gone along with those pieces of him.

Why?

He's already lost so much for the past turns. Then, when a hint of hope was given to him in the 15th regression, it was cruelly taken away.

Even so.

Even if it might be selfish--Kim Dokja begged his protagonist to keep going.

Take revenge for that owl b*st*rd, at least, the reader pleaded, reading through these texts silently. Kill Nirvana Moebius in this round. Just please--don't give up.

Because if Yoo Joonghyuk gives up, then--then Kim Dokja may not know what to do.

Just keep going, Yoo Joonghyuk.

And surely, eventually--he will be able to save the world. Of that, Kim Dokja was sure.

==

Lee Seolhwa was a blessing.

"Joonghyuk-ssi."

Yoo Joonghyuk paused. The hand that slipped inside his own...feels warm.

"I might not be able to truly understand you...", the white-haired doctor breathed out. "Or know what you went through..."

Fingers interlocked, tugging with minimal strength. Yoo Joonghyuk let this happen, let the woman get close until all he can see is her.

He knows it's dangerous. He knows he'll lose her, like how he lost so many Jihyes, Hyunsungs, Namwoons...

"But I want you to know that I will always be here for you to rely on. Okay?"

Yet Lee Seolhwa smiled, gentle as the morning dew.

And Yoo Joonghyuk recalls how to feel warm again.

Muffling his pleased screech, Kim Dokja's smile was hidden by his pillow, along with half of his face. He didn't want to wake up his relatives, since that might result in decreasing his allowance where it won't even be enough for a drop of water (although he doesn't even have enough for a protein bar, but still).

He's happy, though. Leave it to Lee Seolhwa to make things better for his beloved protagonist.

Aaaugh. They're just so cute!

==

Kim Dokja's luck finally ran out. Song Minwoo and his goons were worse today.

I am Yoo Joonghyuk. I am Yoo Joonghyuk.

His head felt like it was breaking open from the kicks of the other high-schoolers. He was pretty sure his blood vessels exploded in his chest, pretty sure his organs are ground to dust by now.

I am Yoo Joonghyuk, Kim Dokja still chanted internally through bared teeth, ignoring the laughs and jeers above him. I am Yoo Joonghyuk.

Yoo Joonghyuk would have cut off their necks by now, for daring to attack him. He wouldn't have given in until he makes them pay, and so Kim Dokja does the same.

If it was Lee Jihye in his place, her katana would have cut them to pieces, too. Kim Namwoon would have burned them all to dust. Lee Hyunsung would have driven them back, a trusted shield as always.

Lee Seolhwa would have poisoned them all with some concoction, since they're a nuisance she doesn't need.

The character Kim Dokja...

"But what you can do is save your own world."

"Tsk, tsk. Too bad I don't make tea. But I do have two fists! Want me to hit you again?"

"It's worth it. Even saving just one person. Especially if it's just yourself."

Kim Dokja sighed in exasperation despite himself. Dokja will...

Song Minwoo's face turned uglier, not liking the unexpected response. "Ah, bored, are you? Beat him harder!"

The pain was worse now, but Kim Dokja laughed anyway.

If it was Kim Dokja the character in this situation, the guy would have been able to make Song Minwoo and his goons run mental gymnastics with that mouth of his. He'd take advantage of this situation, make the tables turn on them just by using something he knows.

That kind of resourcefulness...

It would have been helpful, Kim Dokja decides. I should try it. Even if I die. What does it matter, anyway?

He's alone.

Therefore, there's no one else who can save him. Or will be willing to try.

The least he can do is to try to save himself.

--at least until that owl b*st*rd is back and Yoo Joonghyuk can feel hope again. That's all.

==

Song Minwoo choked. He slammed the glass to the ground, shattering it to pieces. "WHO DARED PUT SALT IN MY DRINK!"

Underneath the stairs, Kim Dokja grins.

Since he's outside, he won't be under suspicion. Song Minwoo can scream all he wants, but he'd never find out who messed with him. Which is--which is good.

He might get another beating today, but that's fine. It's worth it.

Small steps, and it's worth it.

==

This is honestly fun.

Kim Dokja might just do more of this. 

==

The apocalypse is forcing us all to survive, Dokja had said. Living is a luxury, that's all.

Kim Dokja let his head fall on the desk, wondering. But why did you accept Yoo Yoonghyuk killing you?

The owl b*st*rd is clearly a hypocrite, then...

His phone dinged. Kim Dokja immediately abandoned his books and assignment to get to it.

| tls123 has updated Ways of Survival! |

A huge smile broke out on his face. 

Immediately, Kim Dokja clicked and started to read. From what he knew, this is supposed to be the 23rd round. Yoo Joonghyuk got pretty far into the 42nd scenario before regressing again.

While the loss was disappointing and heartbreaking...this regression offered something better.

Eyes glimmering with countless galaxies, a smirk carved its way on this person's face. This anomaly even had the audacity to wink at him.

Only one person would dare to do that.

"Kim Dokja, at your service", the man said, and then he lets go of the rope. "Try to keep up."

Yoo Joonghyuk lunged as the man fell. Then, when the regressor reached the windowsill, there was no sign of the man anywhere.

Even so, Yoo Joonghyuk felt a knot in his chest start to loosen.

It was that anomaly prophet. Kim Dokja was in his regression turn again.

Kim Dokja breathed a sigh of relief. Finally.

He closed his phone and put it down next to his textbook. That took a while, but now Dokja is back and Yoo Joonghyuk is happy.

Even if it's not exactly the same Dokja that lived with the regressor and died for him in the 15th regression. Something is better than nothing, he guesses.

...

Kim Dokja broke into giggling. He feels a bit silly, but--

He's the type of reader that comments on every chapter. His comment may be drowned out by the voices constantly pestering the author to bring back Dokja, and now there's a chance his comment may be seen since the readers are dwindling again...

But he still made this comment.

Kim_Dokja

Hi, Mr. Dokja. Nice to see you! Author-nim, thank you for bringing him back!

"Hm...but there's a lot of other good things that happened here, too", Kim Dokja tapped a finger to his chin. "Seolhwa-ssi and Joonghyuk-ssi together were cute, and Jihye..."

His comment was fairly long. Still drowned out by other readers' voices, but still posted proudly with the words filled in genuine love.

Not just for one character, but for everything that belongs in the story.

==

Because Yoo Joonghyuk's actions changed, Dokja changed, too, in a way. He didn't get a personality change, or anything like that.

In this round, he's...somehow both more serious and more playful than before.

Shin Yoosung frowned down at the gutted stuffed animal, mourning. "Ah, it's dead..."

Lee Seolhwa picked the girl up in her arms.

Kim Dokja promptly wailed. "I'm a murderer!"

"It was an accident, you know that", Jung Heewon snorted, and then she kicked Kim Dokja's arm. "Don't be dramatic."

"I'm a prophet. I'm meant to be dramatic!"

Yoo Joonghyuk rolled his eyes at their antics.

If it weren't for Kim Dokja, the others wouldn't have the courage and assurance of safety to even get near Yoo Joonghyuk due to how powerful the man is now.

Yoo Joonghyuk seemed at peace now, too. Kim Dokja and his group is with Yoo Joonghyuk and his companions, and all is right again.

Then when Yoo Joonghyuk decided to tell the prophet the thing that's been bothering him; of Kim Dokja dying for him. The man did say he has this ability to rewind time to give background, and then he did it.

The reaction was this;

There was suddenly a sharp pain on his thigh. Yoo Joonghyuk stared, stunned.

Kim Dokja kicked him.

Kim Dokja kicked him.

Why?

"Kim Dokja--"

"You have no right to be angry, Yoo Joonghyuk!", Kim Dokja snapped. "Heck, I should be the one yelling at you! Who do you think you are!!"

Yoo Joonghyuk bared his teeth. What is this fool going on about now?

"Listen", Kim Dokja said, onyx eyes blazing wuth a fire. "If I died trying to save you, and you killed yourself right after, you do know that is the worst insult you can ever give me, right? You know why?"

"What nonsense--"

"Because you're telling me that my sacrifice means nothing to you."

Yoo Joonghyuk fell silent.

"It means", the prophet's voice cracked. "That I had a choice, and that choice was to save you. But you chose to spit on that choice by offing yourself anyway. Who do you think you are?"

"We were overrun--"

"Then fight! Fight like you actually give a damn about this world! Because as long as you're alive, you can do something about any mess you're in!"

Onyx met gold.

"Value your life, Yoo Joonghyuk", the man said coldly. "Maybe if you do that, you can actually make it to the end. Capiche? Don't make us waste our precious lives just because you're so callous about your own."

Kim Dokja winced when he read this.

What Dokja said was right, but...should this guy really have said it?

Maybe Yoo Joonghyuk needed those words. This might actually make the guy to stick around regressions, even when everyone else is dying already.

Even saving just one person. Especially if it's just yourself.

"Aaah, those words are stuck in my head", the high schooler muttered. Kim Dokja couldn't bring himself to actually mind it, though.

Dokja's...honestly such a cool person, the reader found. He could see why this prophet is a fan favorite.

==

"We're taking it", Kim Dokja declared, peeking out the curtain. "I wasn't lying when I said the outfit fits your boobs. I've never seen you with your boobs so big before. You're gorgeous with those big boobs of yours."

Poor Lee Hyunsung screeched, face red. "Please stop saying boobs, Dokja-ssi!!"

Kim Dokja cackled, running off and leaving a hysterically laughing Jung Heewon behind.

"Shameless", Yoo Junghyuk snapped. "Why are you making a big deal out of clothes, anyway?"

Onyx eyes went wide. Kim Dokja said. "Yoo Joonghyuk, don't you know the effect of fashion!?"

"The effect of fashion?"

"Your confidence gets a big boost depending on what you're wearing. If your feel good in your outfit, you'll feel like you can do anything!"

"Nonsense."

"It's true!"

Kim Dokja thought it as a bunch of beloney.

But...

The reader looks at the wardrobe in his room, where he knows a few of his clothes are. They're nothing special, just a few shirts and pants a lot with his uniform.

It would be great to feel confident, though. Maybe if he follows the advice, he'd be just as awesome as Yoo Joonghyuk! Or as cool as Dokja!

==

A couple of internet searches and making the most of what he owns later, Kim Dokja sneaks in front of a mirror to see him in stylish faded pants and a black shirt worn a certain way.

This time, Kim Dokja was able to hold his head up high.

He's...probably not as pretty as Dokja is, but--he does feel like he can take on the world. Almost.

He may be the murderer's child, but at least he knows he can look good when he can wants to.

==

Do you know about the butterfly effect?

A small change, a small choice, can make a big difference in one's future.

If Kim Dokja the character was never written in WOS, with the guy's effortless shameless behavior, then Kim Dokja would have been alone until the unspeakable happens.

However, since this character was written in, that meant Kim Dokja had the confidence stolen from that prophet character to stick out and sneak around.

Even in simple small ways like buying convenience store food in the morning of a weekend.

It's not like they'll notice, anyway, the teen thought, picking up the cheapest noodle cup he can find. Thankfully, he was able to save up what little he has--and he can eat something considered a full meal, for once. Worth it.

He then got some hot water, and sat on a table in the store while waiting for the food to cook. In the meantime, he opens his phone--and clicks another novel out of curiosity.

Since it seemed similar to Ways of Survival, he thought that it's worth it to check out.

SSSSS-Infinite Regressor, it's name was.  And the content--

A man with almond eyes filled with endless galaxies stepped forward. Hands behind his back, white coat billowing--Yoo Joonghyun sees the ethereal beauty the man has, and raises his sword.

Beauty equals to danger. The regression won't be fooled. "Who are you?"

The newcomer spreads his arms. In a gentle voice, the man said. "My name is Kim Donghui, and I would like to be your companion."

Kim Dokja felt like spitting blood. "THIS IS PLAGIARISM!!"

What the hell!? The only thing different is the names, but even that can be traced to Ways of Survival!

The black-wearing regressor? The mysterious charismatic prophet? Seriously!

SLAM!

Grey eyes snapped up.

A beautiful girl with a bob cut and a beauty mark on her cheek glared down at him. Holding a lot of purchased junk foods in a bag on one hand, and a lollipop on the other, she didn't seem like a fearsome person.

But Kim Dokja might have to reconsider just by looking at her glowering expression here.

"Who said", the girl hissed, with the offense of an author having her work slandered. "That novel is plagiarised!?"

Chapter Text

And that was how Han Sooyoung walked into his life.

Han Sooyoung, the shameless, annoying plagiarist who always tends to drag Kim Dokja around whenever she feels like it. She's prideful, a pushy a**hole, and did he already mention a plagiarist??

Also, unfortunately, Kim Dokja's only friend at the moment. That means he's miserably stuck with her.

"You actually like that novel?", grey eyes read the screen over the reader's shoulder. "Seriously. It's so boring. Just read mine instead. It's not like that stupid thing."

"Ways of Survival is not a stupid thing!", Kim Dokja scowls. He does not want to hear this, doesn't want to read the total rip-off everyone else is somehow too braindead to see. "And. And no, thank you."

The girl with the beauty mark only raised an eyebrow at this. Done with her, Kim Dokja turns back to reading.

"Heewon-ah!", Kim Dokja pointed his pen at Yoo Joonghyuk. "Why are you possessing Joonghyuk-ssi, ah? Get out of there! Right now!"

Yoo Joonghyuk's eye twitched. "Not. Funny."

"...you're right, it isn't", an exaggerated sigh followed. "I just miss Heewon-ah~ where is she?"

"Is this prophet guy always so melodramatic?"

Kim Dokja lobbed a bag of chips at her. Han Sooyoung laughed, dodging the junk food projectile--and consequently hitting some poor shmuck on the face, right after the guy entered the convenience store.

....the guy stepped in their direction. Both of them immediately ran away like wild dogs were nipping at their heels.

Han Sooyoung was still cackling.

Kim Dokja wants to hit his head on a glass window. Maybe he'd get lucky, and the glass breaks on impact for his escape. Can't I just read in peace? Please??

Ever since that time he first snuck out, the grey-eyed teen always came back to this same convenient store whenever he has the chance. Whether to read more without getting yelled at or to actually eat another decent meal, he has lots of intentions to come to this place.

He just--isn't sure why Han Sooyoung is here? One visit, she'd purchase lots of food; another visit, she'd just purchase beer (or tried to, anyway--the cashier clearly saw that she was a minor and didn't let her). Her purposes were different, except for this one consistency:

And that is Han Sooyoung always making a point to get near him, even sit beside him if she can. When asked, she always answered with, I just find you so ridiculous, my novel is not plagiarized! I want to prove that to you, hey, HEY!

Which, the novel clearly is and she's insane for trying to deny it, but okay.

She's clearly insane for trying to talk to him more, too. She's probably a stalker, furious because Kim Dokja called her a plagiarist.

Petty, much?

"Coast is clear!"

Kim Dokja startled back to the present, feeling his hand getting abruptly grabbed by a dainty one. Han Sooyoung ran forward--and he was pulled with her against his will. "Come on! Let's get out of here!"

...she could have just escaped on her own, left him behind. Kim Dokja can handle himself. The guy's probably forgotten about them, anyway.

So, why?

Why bother with him?

"By the way, did you eat yet?"

Kim Dokja blinked. Han Sooyoung kept looking ahead; kept pulling him forward, even when they were already outside and walking on the sidewalk.

"Because I'm starving, and I didn't see you eat anything", she glanced back, smirking. She has sharp canines. "Do you have money?"

...what? What, huh??

Eyes wide, Kim Dokja shook his head. He wanted to feel insulted, but.

It's true. Why should he be mad if it's true?

He just came to the store today to read, since all his savings were discovered and confiscated by his cousin. There's nothing he could do while he's still living with his aunt. So...

There was a scoff. The girl in front of him raised her head proudly; Kim Dokja could almost see the crown shining in her head. "Well! Good protagonists need to treat extras well to gain loyal sidekicks! Here, here, I know a good restaurant we can eat in."

Now that he can find offense for. "I'm no one's sidekick. I'm a reader."

"Hm. Sure, sure."

Kim Dokja is going to hit her, he will.

...he doesn't make an effort to make her let him go, though. Han Sooyoung didn't say anything about it, just kept holding his hand. They kept walking together, past the people buying fruits and accessories and going about their day.

No one bats an eye at them. That's honestly a good thing, in the reader's opinion.

Kim Dokja still wants to read what happens next in the chapter, before this girl here made him throw that bag of chips. Will Jung Heewon be back by the end of this update? Will Yoo Joonghyuk and his companions be prepared enough to go up against Nirvana again, without anyone dying? He wanted to know.

But then, they were already inside the restaurant Han Sooyoung wanted to eat, and Kim Dokja was dragged over to sit at an empty table near a glass wall, where he can see the outside.

Cars ran by, going across the road. People crossed pedestrian lines. The world was turning, the people minding their own business.

And then Han Sooyoung's wide grin came into view. "Do you want tteokbokki or kimchi?"

He didn't get to finish the chapter before he had to go back to his house, that day. But the kimchi was nice. Kim Dokja wished he could eat it again.

Then he was upset at that the thought; Han Sooyoung is not just a plagiarist, she's also rich. That's so not fair!

She's tolerable to be around, though. Not like the people who treat him like sh*t.

At least she bought him food.

Kim Dokja is still stuck with her against his will, ugh. Can't he just read in peace at the convenience store?

==

"Tell me how your prophetic powers work."

Without even looking up from his book, "No."

Yoo Joonghyuk is going to strangle this know-it-all, he will. "Kim. Dokja."

"You try grabbing me by the neck and you'll regret it", Kim Dokja smiled, pointedly poking at the regressor's chest as if the regressor doesn't look like he wants to bite the prophet's face off. "No means no, you emo b*st*rd."

Watching all this, Lee Seolhwa sighs in exasperation. She raises her voice. "How about you tell it to me, Kim Dokja-ssi? I'm doing a check-up on everyone, anyway, and it's your turn. I need to know how your skills work so we can know if something's wrong with it."

"Ah, okay."

"Okay?!", outrage was felt by the regressor. It doesn't help that the two of them are even smiling at him like tha

"--hey, you hungry?"

Kim Dokja blinked.

It was the afternoon, half an hour after school when managed to evade Song Minwoo to enter this convenience store again. The reader was pretty sure that jerk lived on the other side of town, so he was sure he's relatively safe right now...

Then again, he wasn't sure his luck will last that long. Maybe Song Minwoo will drown him in the toilet tomorrow.

Anyway, he'd been reading another update of tls123's novel when he's been interrupted by that familiar voice. He turned to make sure--and, yep, that beauty mark and sharp eyes was definitely the plagiarist.

So Han Sooyoung was here again. Huh.

"I don't want to eat alone, so", she shrugged, and then sat down across the reader, tossing a bag of chips at him. "Here. You know--you're so skinny, you could pass off as a little kid."

"I don't look like a little kid. Are you blind?"

"Whatever, nerd", she opened her own bag, and tossed one chip into her mouth.

A pause. Kim Dokja could only eat one biscuit today, so he was kind of starving...but this once. Just this once.

He opens the bag given to him.

"By the way, Yoo Joonghyun is better than your protagonist--"

Kim Dokja throws a chip at her face, scowling.

Han Sooyoung catches it into her mouth, chews on it, and promptly laughs madly.

Yeah, she's tolerable, but he's still miserably stuck with her. How unfortunate.

==

There were decent days. Chapters where things go well and Dokja the character is working together with the protagonist instead of being an annoying owl, and having Han Sooyoung's company--and food, especially her food, that's the only reason Kim Dokja talks to her, okay--counts as a decent day for him.

After all, he gets to eat, he gets to talk about his favorite novel (even if it's just to make his point on his argument that she's a plagiarist), and his protagonist and namesake character are happy. What more can he ask for?

Then there were the bad days. The days where his luck runs out, and he'd lose something, or get beaten within an inch of his life, or be forced to hide in a closet or get his books and clothes destroyed.

This is one of those bad days.

Keep going, Kim Dokja told himself, gasping for air and forcing himself to stand. Live. Live. You have to live.

Song Minwoo's laughter rang in his ears. Grey eyes shut themselves tightly, forcing himself not to recall, to even think about it.

He needs to suck it up, and keep going. Keep breathing. Doing otherwise will mean that Song Minwoo won, and--

That owl b*st*rd will hate you if you give up.

So, even if it's disgusting, Kim Dokja kept on frantically inhaling air. Goosebumps ran down his skin, but he forced himself to grab the edge of the counter where the sinks are--where Song Minwoo's goons tossed him into like a ragdoll--and steadily put weight on one foot and another.

He rose on his knees. "I am Yoo Joonghyuk. I am Yoo Joonghyuk. I am Yoo Joonghyuk."

Kim Dokja puts force on his arms, on the hands gripping the edge. Trying to pull himself up was impossible; his limbs feel like limp noodles. But that doesn't matter, is it?

"I am Yoo Joonghyuk", the reader muttered with gritted teeth, relying on the reason he's alive now. "And Kim Dokja wants you to stand--!"

He stands.

And Kim Dokja saw his reflection in the mirror. Needless to say, he doesn't like what he sees.

He'd predicted that Song Minwoo will pull this eventually, before...and it actually happened. Hah.

Way to put a foot in your mouth, Kim Dokja.

Dirty water clung to his hair, his uniform. Those a**holes made sure the toilet they dunked his head on wasn't clean, so seeing how he looks like a drowned rat made him remember the awful smell, the disgusting salt on his tongue--he wants to puke.

He takes a deep breath instead, and takes off the sweater over the colored long-sleeved uniform.

Repeating the mantra in his head, I am Yoo Joonghyuk, I am Yoo Joonghyuk, I am Yoo Joonghyuk--and he keeps repeating it.

Kim Dokja keeps telling himself that, keeps saying it, so that his wish will come true.

So that he'd actually be strong, like Yoo Joonghyuk. He'd be alive, to continue reading the story of his protagonist.

He'll be alive to continue saving himself.

==

Kim Dokja realizes that saving oneself is a hard task. He'd inevitably get beaten down whenever he tries, whenever he does anything or not.

But Yoo Joonghyuk also kept getting beaten down--by Anna Croft, by Nirvana, the constellations, his very own sponsor--yet he keeps going, keeps trying. Kim Dokja the character faces everything head-on, even if he can't use his prophetic vision and doesn't know what lies ahead.

If they can do it, Kim Dokja can do it, too.

Obviously, Song Minwoo can't be touched through brute force. Kim Dokja is a twig compared to that rabid dog, so doing that would honestly be stupid. Any kind of direct retaliation will lead to beatings, anyway.

It would be nice to kick his bully where the sun doesn't shine, yet above all, he wants to live. More than he wants revenge.

He wants to keep breathing. To keep reading Ways of Survival, and see Yoo Joonghyuk, Dokja, Lee Seolhwa, everyone, get a happy ending.

What he decided to do, considering this, is to make a plan. Specifically, a plan to get away from that dog.

And he puts in the effort to actually realize that plan.

Kim Dokja puts more focus into his studies, and looks at college opportunities even when he's currently a junior. He aims to get into a college where he'd get a good job occupation from it, and where he wouldn't have to see Song Minwoo ever again.

There is the possibility that there will be someone worse than Song Minwoo in that college, or his mother's book will reach there too, or he'd die before he'd even become a senior. At this point? Kim Dokja refuses to think about it.

What would be the point, anyway?

Small steps. Small steps, so that saving himself in place of a hero is actually more than wishful thinking.

==

The ending of this round was...heavy, to say the least. Kind of bittersweet, but heartbreaking.

From what Kim Dokja read, Yoo Joonghyuk didn't get to find out the specifics of Dokja's prophetic abilities. The reason why he couldn't pry the information out of both the prophet and the miracle healer. It was frustrating--but it didn't seem to matter this time, because Dokja found a way out using what Yoo Joonghyuk told him of the 15th regression.

On 23rd round, they managed to get past Nirvana Moebius. Reading the victory made Kim Dokja breathe a little easier.

However, a few updates later, Kim Dokja's prophet powers stopped working again. Yoo Joonghyuk and his companions are about to go to the 70th scenario, so it was an extremely bad time.

Another change happened here; when Kim Dokja panicked in the 15th round, Kim Dokja of the 23rd round simply accepted it like accepting a grocery shopping list.

And then this happened.

Eyes filled with galaxies turned to look straight at him. The look in those eyes made Yoo Joonghyuk straighten his back, for reasons the regressor can't even identify.

"Don't die", Kim Dokja demands.

Yoo Joonghyuk thinks that if he fails here, in the second scenario he has never reached before, it would have been such a waste. He wouldn't be able to see his prophet companion for a few lives, too.

But...he thinks of how things ended in the last loop, how Kim Dokja decided to be okay with dying if it meant the regressor will live on.

And Yoo Joonghyuk decided that it won't happen again.

This time, Kim Dokja lives. No matter what.

On the day the 23rd round ended, Yoo Joonghyuk made sure the prophet couldn't reach him in time, and so the regressor died. The last sight he saw was Dokja grabbing the regressor's body in his arms, murmuring, stay with us, stay with us, we're so close, you a**, if you die I'm going to kill you--

Opening his eyes again, Yoo Joonghyuk ended up back on the train in the first scenario. The 24th round.

The protagonist was thankful that at least Dokja gets to live in that round, but here...

In the 24th round, Dokja doesn't exist.

Reading this made the reader grimace. He isn't done with the update yet--but Kim Dokja couldn't pick up the phone again, not right now, so he puts the phone down.

He doesn't know what to feel; he's happy, that Dokja lived, that Lee Seolhwa is there to patch Dokja up if the prophet gets injured right after Yoo Joonghyuk died. On the other hand...Yoo Joonghyuk started again.

Back to the very beginning once more, where his companions haven't met him. Where the prophet he'd come to rely on doesn't exist, and who knows when Yoo Joonghyuk will see Dokja again?

So...so, Kim Dokja needs a minute. He needs to sort his thoughts first, and then he'll keep reading--he has to be there for Yoo Joonghyuk, has to be there for every demise and regression. Then...

--a hand suddenly shot out, yanking the phone before Kim Dokja could even react.

Kim Dokja jolts, fear rushing through him like cold water.

"Whatever happened in your sh*tty novel, you need to take a break from it, right?", but it was only Han Sooyoung, who tapped on his phone's screen for a few seconds. "Then read this."

She slid the device back into his hand, revealing that the screen shows the first chapter of her plagiarizing novel SSSSS-grade Infinite Regressor.

He gave her a dry look. Han Sooyoung shoved a lemon lollipop in his mouth before he can say anything. "Just read it, idiot. That chapter made a lot of readers laugh, so you'll laugh, too."

A beat passed. Kim Dokja clutched his phone, holding it close to his chest. "...why? Why are you...doing this for me?"

Why do you give me food? Why do you talk to me? Why even bother with me?

"Because I want to", was the girl's simple answer.

Because she wants to...that's bullsh*t, isn't it? No one stayed with him just because they want to. It's either they want the money from his mother, want to ridicule him behind his back, want to hurt him, or want something from him.

The last part is probably it, isn't it? She just wants him to read her novel, so he can tell her it's better than Ways of Survival.

Pfft. Yeah, right.

She's still staring at him, though, and he doubts that she'd let him change the screen.

So, he reads it. Even if it's a terrible copy of Ways of Survival, he reads.

Just to see if Han Sooyoung is as skilled of a writer as she claims to be, that's all.

...that night, sixteen out of thiry-nine current chapters in, and he hates that he actually likes the story so far. Especially with the Dokja duplicate--Kim Donghui, right?--inserted in chapter fifteen.

He refused to tell her, though. She doesn't need her ego to get bigger than it already is.

He's afraid, that if he tells her that, she will leave him and never come back. And as annoying as she is, he doesn't want that.

He doesn't want that.

He doesn't want to be alone.

"This could be better", was what he said instead.

He could see a popped vein on Han Sooyoung's cheek, wow, that's actually hilarious. "You have no right to say that, mister I-Love-This-Boring-Novel-From-The-Very-Start."

"At least I'm not a chuuni, Black Flame Empress."

It was Kim Dokja's turn to have food thrown at his face this time. He can't help laughing afterward--look, Han Sooyoung's face looks so red!! AHAHA!

==

"If you think you know any better, then you're in charge of editing the future chapters of my novel from now on."

Wh. What.

A smug smile from the girl with the beauty mark. "I'll send you the draft tomorrow afternoon."

What.

==

One thing led to another, and now Kim Dokja's the main editor of Han Sooyoung's plagiarist novel alongside the more professional editor she has. Apparently, he's in charge of criticizing the writing of the characters and the consistencies of their personalities--which, huh??? Where did she get the idea that he's good at this?!

("You say a lot about your precious regressor and said regressor's companions", was what Han Sooyoung said. That didn't give him any answers at all.)

Ugh. What even is his life now?

He gets paid, though. About 22, 657 won for each hour--and now he can pay for three decent meals every other day. Just as long as his family doesn't find out about the money, of course.

Whenever Han Sooyoung's there during weekends, she always drags him to the same restaurant. Kim Dokja tries to order different things, but he'd always get kimchi on the side if he can get away with it.

Han Sooyoung lets him get away with it. It's so strange.

The plagiarist tries to steal some of his kimchi, though. Kim Dokja turns a blind eye to it; because this is his way to thank her. For the job. And food. Um.

If he manages to save up more money, he'd definitely pay her back--

"You're my sidekick now", the girl (madwoman, Kim Dokja was convinced) pat his back violently. "Pay me back by doing your editor job properly."

Hm. Okay.

Doing that is just a matter of differentiating the character traits and applying them in the texts anyway, which isn't that hard to do.

Yoo Joonghyun seems like a wimp compared to Yoo Joonghyuk, for one. Kim Donghui is more benevolent compared to Dokja, even if there's potential to change the traits up a little bit for Han Sooyoung's character. So on, and so forth.

If that's all, then it's no problem. SSSSS-grade Infinite Regressor is just Ways of Survival's fanfiction, basically. "Just make sure I get paid properly."

"Yeah, yeah."

==

So far, it was clear that Dokja was mostly Yoo Joonghyuk's ally. Dokja was even concerned about Yoo Joonghyuk's life and wanted him to live, despite the snarkiness and efforts to annoy the protagonist. The past two regressions where the prophet was present made it pretty clear.

That's precisely why Dokja's 3rd appearance, the 41st regression, drove the readers insane.

"Kim Dokja..."

"So you know me, Yoo Joonghyuk?", Kim Dokja looked at him. His eyes were cold. "Interesting, considering I've never met you before."

Yoo Joonghyuk feels goosebumps run down his arms, realizes that something is wrong.

He raises his sword.

The prophet smiles. It isn't a good smile.

"Please die like the dog you are."

--a blade swung down abruptly. Yoo Joonghyuk dodged the sword that would have sliced his throat.

Kim Dokja choked on his drink. "W-WHAT?!!"

Kim Dokja--the character, not the reader, obviously--tried to kill Yoo Joonghyuk!?? Like, actually kill?!! But why?????

Somehow, the reader was reminded of his initial prediction; that Dokja will betray Yoo Joonghyuk eventually.

If this happened a lot sooner, he would have been celebrating, since his protagonist will just kill the prophet and be done with it. But now--

Now, it's so confusing?? In Dokja's last appearance, the prophet had even demanded Yoo Joonghyuk to stay alive.

So, to read those words...

"Please die like the dog you are." Where the f**k did that came from?

==

At this point, the reader count of Ways of Survival had been cut to around a fourth of the original count the novel had upon Dokja's first two turns appearances--which, frankly, is the highest the view count had been. Perhaps the wait had been too long, and now the rest was now only relying on those still on the novel to tell them stuff about the prophet.

Which makes sense, frustratingly. The majority of the readers only came for Dokja, as he was apparently the most interesting and entertaining character. He also makes those characters he interacts with shine, too; some of the readers even said that the author should have used Dokja more frequently so that the rest of the characters won't seem too bland and uninteresting in comparison to the protagonist.

And so that Yoo Joonghyuk wouldn't be just this standoffish guy with depression that gets killed a lot, supposedly.

To that, Kim Dokja would have to say bullsh*t.

Dokja may be the one who stands out the most, with his shameless nature and inability to acknowledge his own fear, but!!! But Yoo Joonghyuk is still the very best! Kim Dokja's idol! He does not want to hear this slander!

--then again. This is the 41st turn.

Supposedly, this is where the Disaster of Floods Shin Yoosung originated.

So far? Kim Dokja hates to admit, but he has to accept that Yoo Joonghyuk might deserve the slander here.

The primary example of that would be the update he'd gotten on Wednesday, the day before the midterm tests start. Night had already set in the reader's neighborhood at that time.

Kim Dokja holed himself up in his room with earphones on (bought with his own salary, the cheapest one because he's not stupid, he knows he might lose them sometime soon), finishing up revising what he learned and studying the topics that will show up in the test. Just as he wrote down the last number of this Statistics and Probability problem, his phone dinged.

| tls123 has updated Ways of Survival! |

Seeing the notification, Kim Dokja automatically put his pen down.

He'd already been studying for hours now, forgoing food not like his aunt gives him anything in favor of sucking knowledge in his brain. He's a reader; if he can finish lots of 6000-word chapters in thirty minutes, he can certainly memorize mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell and know that the t-test is used when you have two sets of data that are statistically significantly different from each other.

He can feel his brain starting to melt off, though. Ugh.

As he thought, reading novels is better than whatever the school thought those textbooks are.

Anyway.

For the sake of his mental health combined with genuine curiosity, Kim Dokja opens his phone and moves to the latest chapter immediately.

Hm. What's happened in this turn, so far? Yoo Joonghyuk met Dokja again during the king selection, but the prophet absolutely loathes the regressor enough to truly try to kill Yoo Joonghyuk. Whatever doubt Kim Dokja had was wiped away when even Jung Heewon slashed down her sword at Yoo Joonghyuk despite her skill [Judgement Time] not working on him.

Ultimately, they failed and the prophet had to retreat with his group. Yoo Joonghyuk tried to chase down the prophet, but Dokja seemed to be constantly a few steps ahead. Before the regressor knew it, the prophet had already destroyed the throne.

Moving forward proved to be a hundred times more difficult now, Yoo Joonghyuk had found. With Dokja actively working against Yoo Joonghyuk--not just clashing swords to quell disagreements, but straight-up endangering Yoo Joonghyuk's life--Yoo Joonghyuk couldn't proceed with his plans. Even if the prophet's schemes allowed Yoo Joonghyuk's companions to survive and even thrive, too.

Needless to say, Kim Dokja was so confused. Dokja the character had never been like this. Had never been incredibly hostile. Or, at least not stupid enough to actually try to murder Yoo Joonghyuk.

He would have been furious, of course, if it was anyone else. But Dokja, who had been fine dying for the regressor and then kicking Yoo Joonghyuk for killing himself in another regression, suddenly acting like Yoo Joonghyuk was the scum of the Earth?

Kim Dokja wants to slap some sense into this Yoo Joonghyuk, too, yet this.

This is unnatural. What's going on with that prophet?

Regardless of those questions, the regressor can't even be touched other than throwing his plans into disarray. Yoo Joonghyuk had something that Dokja did not, too.

Experience. Skill. Stockpiled power.

And no matter how cunning and smart that prophet is, Dokja is ultimately no match for the regressor. Especially with Yoo Joonghyuk's 'companions' helping, who had already been brought up high with their skills compared to before, and therefore, practically invincible.

So, this is the continuation after that particular outcome.

Yoo Joonghyuk had so many questions.

And now that this pesky, murderous version of the one who shamelessly wanted to be companions had finally sunken to his knees...this is his chance. If the man doesn't comply, Yoo Joonghyuk could just kill him.

There's no need for liabilities.

Oh, and has Kim Dokja mentioned that he wants to punch this round's Yoo Joonghyuk in the balls? Because he wants to, so badly.

This extremely pragmatic view, disregarding his own companions as merely tools...Kim Dokja understands it, since he read what Yoo Joonghyuk went through to get to this point.

But it's so infuriating to see, even when Shin Yoosung and Lee Jihye are trying to make him proud of them, and he barely bats an eye.

Maybe that's why Kim Dokja the character had been so hostile?

But how would Dokja know of it, though? As far as everyone else knows, Yoo Joonghyuk is just the silent and cold type. Shin Yoosung still looks at the protagonist like he hung the moon and stars--and while it's painful to see, the fact that Yoo Joonghyuk literally gave no reason to send alarm bells ringing in anyone's head. Aside from the whole genocide thing, which doesn't matter since they're in the literal apocalypse...

Even with deep wounds and broken bones littering his limbs, Kim Dokja refused to bow his head. Onyx eyes reflected a cyclone of emotions, none of them good, and Yoo Joonghyuk watched as the prophet tensed at the sharp blade poised at his throat.

Yet even at the threat of literal death, the prophet had the audacity to give a sneer. Typical, really.

It's been a long time, huh, Yoo Joonghyuk noted to himself.

There were a lot of changes to this timeline aside from the obvious ones. To start it up, he should start with the one he's curious the most.

And so, the regressor inquired. "Why don't you want to be my companion in this life?"

Kim Dokja blinked, bewildered for a few seconds.

Suddenly, the prophet barked out a mirthless laugh. "Hah. Wouldn't you want to know?"

Yoo Joonghyuk pressed the sword. Lee Jihye unsheathed her own sword, adding to the amount of blades threatening to cut him.

Kim Dokja then lurched over, hacking blood up when Yoo Joonghyuk kicked his gut. An unsightly sight, but necessary; how else will this annoying know-it-all give information otherwise?

Behind him, Lee Seolhwa squirmed in discomfort. She must want to treat this person as soon as possible, regardless if it's a foe.

Hm. If Kim Dokja proves that he can cooperate, perhaps Yoo Joonghyuk will let Lee Seolhwa treat him. If not... "Answer, if you want to live."

Lives are important to this prophet, right?

"Ha. Ha, ha, hahaha! Fine, then...!", Kim Dokja sneered, making the rest of the people still standing, who are all Yoo Joonghyuk's tools, frown deeply. Then, the prophet opened his mouth.

Yoo Joonghyuk's tools felt a certain sharp uneasiness at the snarl uttered.

"Someone has to protect this world from the man who wants to save it."

Kim Dokja rubbed his eyes to make sure he read it right. Then he read the line again, and again, and again.

Nope. It's actually true.

To protect this world from the man who wants to save it...

It isn't that hard to guess that this stemmed from Dokja's prophetic powers. The statement warranted a million different questions, though, starting with, what's wrong with trying to stop someone from saving the world?

Wouldn't stopping someone from saving the world be a villain?

Is Dokja the villain now?

Hmm. Much to think about. Kim Dokja seriously thinks that figuring it out would become easier if they just know how Dokja's powers worked...

==

What's surprising in this round is that, as Kim Dokja remained bound to Yoo Joonghyuk through a forced contract (where the prophet has to give his aid and protect Yoo Joonghyuk and Yoo Joonghyuk's tools no matter what, in exchange for the continued existence of Dokja's group), Lee Seolhwa and Dokja somehow found camaraderie with each other.

Lee Seolhwa didn't waste time treating Dokja's wounds after the defeat, and soothing and reassuring the prophet about the state of his own group. Ever since then, they both hit it off really well.

Their interactions were kind of cute.

"What are you smiling for?", Kim Dokja asked, genuinely curious. "I just told you not to trust anyone. It's not something to smile about."

Still, Lee Seolhwa smiles. "You care enough to warn me. Plus, you must not realize what face you make when you look at me, and what your voice sounds like when you talked to me. That's all the answer I need to know that you don't actually hate us. Or hate me, at least."

"You're just seeing things, doc."

"Hm. Did I? What if you're the one seeing things?"

Snickering, the prophet nudged the doctor's arm with a wide grin. "You're such a dork."

Now, Kim Dokja knows that Dokja and Lee Seolhwa were also close in the past regressions where Dokja is present. Maybe not as close as Yoo Joonghyuk had been to Dokja, but the relationship was the nearest in ranking when it comes to the relationships of the prophet. When one observes how the two act around each other, it's kind of obvious.

In this turn, since Dokja hates Yoo Joonghyuk here, the prophet's bond with the doctor is much more prominent. And Kim Dokja couldn't help but find it nice.

If they both hit it off, maybe they can team up to do something about Yoo Joonghyuk before the regressor does the unforgivable...

Something that's not killing Yoo Joonghyuk, of course. That's, like, the taboo, and Yoo Joonghyuk will probably never forgive Dokja despite the reasons, if the prophet succeeds.

Ugh. Everything's so complicated.

Kim Dokja wished Yoo Joonghyuk will be able to let someone in at the end of this. At least Lee Seolhwa; she's the female lead, isn't she?

If she can bring Yoo Joonghyuk back from his despair at one regression turn without any knowledge of the problem, there's a good chance she can do it again.

Anything to stop his protagonist from thinking of people as disposable things. He doesn't like it.

==

If Yoo Joonghyuk is capable of being Like That, will Kim Dokja eventually see people in that way, too? See Han Sooyoung as just a means to an end...

Kim Dokja doesn't want to. He doesn't want to become like his father.

Perhaps that fear was what drove him to text his plagiarist nuisance on impulse, fifteen minutes before the exams start. Tucked between a tall broombox and a wall, the soft glow of the screen illuminated Kim Dokja's grey eyes as he thankfully went unnoticed by everyone else.

Doing this was kind of rare; when Kim Dokja responds, it's only to edit Han Sooyoung's raw chapters and give suggestions for the characters' characterization. To send something unrelated to that...

Well, worst-case scenario is she can just delete it. Or pretend it doesn't exist. It's not like he'll die.

He didn't even mean to send, anyway.

Kim Dokja

Hey. Wanna eat something on the weekend?

==

Right after the first half of the midterms today, Kim Dokja sneaks away to his usual hiding spot underneath the stairs and opens his phone. The message was already there on the screen.

Han Sooyoung

K. Meet me at the usual spot by 10am

He...did not expect that. Did she just agree? Seriously??

==

Kim Dokja couldn't help but be fascinated by Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk's relationship in this turn.

Here, it was painfully clear that Dokja absolutely hates Yoo Joonghyuk's guts here. Yes, he'd cooperate, but he'd only do the barest minimum of what Yoo Joonghyuk tells him to do; unlike the past two regressions when Kim Dokja was seen to actually do everything in his power to help.

Yet even with that...

"Here."

Yoo Joonghyuk looked up, just in time for a blanket to fall and cover his whole body--including the face.

When the regressor pulled it off, a pair of hands clutched the ends of the blanket, encircling the regressor's form. Yoo Joonghyuk's eyebrows furrowed.

Golden eyes then turned, meeting galaxies within two orbs looking back.

"You weren't with the others", Kim Dokja's lips twitched, slight amusement breaking through his stoic facade. "Stop with the lone wolf act. You'll freeze to death."

The regressor glared daggers at the prophet. "You would like that, wouldn't you?"

"I would, yes. Killing you would be the easiest way out."

Silence. Yoo Joonghyuk waited for the prophet to finish the thought; doesn't this guy just love to talk in circles?

But what happened instead was Kim Dokja ruffling the regressor's hair, in a--dare he say it--friendly way. Kim Dokja still looked emotionless and guarded, not like how he is with Lee Seolhwa...but in this moment, he acted like the Kim Dokjas Yoo Joonghyuk encountered before.

The Kim Dokjas who became his friend.

"If you're done doing whatever the hell it is you're up to in here", the touch pulled away as quickly as it came. "You can eat. I roasted some meat for the group."

Little things like this, of Dokja checking up on Yoo Joonghyuk's wellbeing even when it would be easier to just let the guy rot. The readers certainly had their speculations shared in the comment section and on other platforms; theories ranging from Stockholm Syndrome to Manipulation to just simply making do with his situation, since Dokja is trapped in the contract and all.

Whatever it is, it didn't matter in the end.

Sh*t hit the fan--and the reason for Dokja's hatred came alive.

Ah. Another weapon lost. "Shin Yoosung."

The girl whimpered, trying her best to raise her head. Her whole body's been impaled to the ground by several spikes, and though she tried to reach out-- "Cap...tain...!"

"Go back", Yoo Joonghyuk said, activating the skill he'd found. The skill a constellation taught him. "Warn my younger self, so this hell will end much sooner."

[A portal has been opened to the Labyrinth of Worldlines!]

Without warning, tendrils shot up, sparking of probability clutching like sharpened claws. Shin Yoosung's head went under before she could scream.

"Yoosung-ah!"

Frantic steps increased volume, getting nearer and nearer, and Yoo Joonghyuk didn't bat an eye. This life has been finished, anyway.

"You...b*st*rd..."

A punch headed to the regressor's way. Yoo Joonghyuk caught the attack effortlessly, staring back at the man next to him.

The color of Kim Dokja's eyes were swirling like a cyclone, rage twisting the delicate features of the prophet.

"Don't you know how much hell Shin Yoosung will go through?! Huh!??", a barrage of punch after punch assaulted Yoo Joonghyuk, all while the regressor looked on in apathy. "And even Hyunsung, Jihye...Seolhwa...did they even mean anything to you!?"

How troublesome.

Yoo Joonghyuk grabbed the other man's neck, letting the man dangle on the air. Kim Dokja started kicking his legs, wrenching the grip from this regressor--

"Seolhwa-yah--told me you wanted to save the world", the man spoke. "But how can you save the world--if you don't even care about the people living in it?"

Constellations sent messages, some trying to convince Yoo Joonghyuk to either spare or kill Kim Dokja. Yoo Joonghyuk ignored them all.

"I kept hoping...but of course it's useless", an empty laugh. Kim Dokja's eyes flashed--and a ring of pink illuminated around his onyx orbs. That's new. "Never again."

[The incarnation "Kim Dokja" has used the stigma Life-Bound Curse lv 1.]

He doesn't want to listen to this. Yoo Joonghyuk clenched his fist tighter, and--

Snap!

Kim Dokja's lifeless body fell to the ground with a thud, head bent at an unnatural angle. A haunting silence echoed.

Good riddance.

"Look at that."

Yoo Joonghyuk tensed up again. An unwanted visitor has appeared.

Golden eyes whirled, seeing another prophet--the one he hated the most. Blond hair flew with the wind, mismatched eyes gleaming.

"You're on your own now, Yoo Joonghyuk", Anna Croft taunted. An army emerged from behind her. "Rejoice, for no one will mourn you."

And that's how Yoo Joonghyuk ended the 41st turn, overrun by enemies by his lonesome, entirely at his own fault.

In the next round, Yoo Joonghyuk tries to gather his tools again.

But Lee Jihye didn't even see him. When he tries to touch her, his hand goes through.

Anna Croftexplained, during the Green Zone scenario, what was happening to Yoo Joonghyuk. It was a curse, one with set conditions, and it can't be removed by anyone other than the one who cast it.

Dokja exists in this round. But he only took one look at Yoo Joonghyuk, before quickly walking the other way. Yoo Joonghyuk couldn't find him afterward.

The regressor traveled alone in the 42nd regression, unable to be touched or seen by those he can call allies. He's like a ghost. A ghost that can be killed, apparently, since he was severely wounded during the Disaster scenario.

Shin Yoosung killed him, trampled on his corpse over and over, in an effort to give vengeance on those Yoo Joonghyuk abandoned and treated like objects.

And all of that happened in just one chapter.

...Kim Dokja might need a minute to process, further studying for the next day of midterms aside. The reader doesn't think he could focus after that.

However.

Yoo Joonghyuk...probably needs this, the reader thought, loathed as he to admit it. This needs to happen.

If Dokja didn't cast that curse--and Kim Dokja was still reeling from that, because how. How. What kind of stigma allows something to cross over to the next turn??--Yoo Joonghyuk might get better at treating people, but he still thinks of everyone as tools.

Kim Dokja wants to punch Yoo Joonghyuk in the shin, as long as he keeps thinking that. Lee Jihye, Lee Seolhwa, Lee Hyunsung, Kim Namwoon...they're not just tools. They're people.

People like Kim Dokja, who get tired and live and breathe and feel.

Does Song Minwoo think of Kim Dokja as a tool? A tool to vent the teen's anger on?

A terrible thought to have, comparing his protagonist to his worst bully. Yoo Joonghyuk will never be Song Minwoo.

And while Kim Dokja doesn't see his life as valuable, exactly, since he's just trying to live...the truth is that Yoo Joonghyuk's companions deserve better.

So, the curse is the right choice for now, for Yoo Joonghyuk's benefit. Even if Kim Dokja doesn't like it because of the added suffering.

This is necessary for Yoo Joonghyuk to realize how important his companions are to him. So.

--the owl b*st*rd should lift the curse soon, though. Preferably during this round. Else it would be him that Kim Dokja would beat up, regardless of some sort of Fourth Wall there separating the reader and characters.

Kim Dokja can always write about it.

==

The grey-eyed teenage reader keeps a half-filled notebook.

This notebook isn't for study, though; it's for all his notes on Ways of Survival, what information he managed to grab from the chapters, and the fanfics he wrote down out of boredom or to write a scene where things go well for the protagonist.

It honestly helps with the crafting of characters for Han Sooyoung's novel--so Kim Dokja thinks she might find it helpful. Even if the contents are only about the novel she plagiarized on...

While waiting for Han Sooyoung, he reads the new update of Ways of Survival. The notebook was next to the reader, ready to have the next page written if something is found.

"Stay still."

Golden eyes watched the man warily, waiting for the other shoe to drop. However, Kim Dokja seemed to only have the intention of patching Yoo Joonghyuk up, with the antiseptics and bandages the prophet was currently wrapping around the regressor.

He...just couldn't understand this prophet. Kim Dokja was his friend, and then he wanted to kill Yoo Joonghyuk, and now he's helping?

"I did that to you, right? Even if I don't remember. How the hell did I do this?", onyx eyes didn't meet golden ones, completely focused on his task. "You probably deserve it, though."

He did, Kim Dokja had to agree.

Ah, there's that familiar irritation. Should Yoo Joonghyuk strangle him again?

Except the thought of grabbing the prophet's neck and breaking it again leaves a bitter taste on his tongue, so the regressor decides not to think about it. "Why?"

A pause. Kim Dokja tucked the bandages in, making sure they're secure, before he tugged Yoo Joonghyuk's shirt down. Then he grabs a clean rag and drops it on a warm bowl of water for a second.

"My prophet abilities are spontaneous, most of the time. I can look at a trash can and I'll see a future where the King of Beauty is murdered by said trash can. I can't really control when I'd get visions, or what they are, but they're there", a sigh. "When I look at a person, I could see the ways they can turn out in the future. The versions they could become."

Kim Dokja almost dropped his phone. This is it!! The answers to how Kim Dokja's prophet powers worked!

It's a little strange, though...and there are still questions, like the parts when Dokja can't see anything...

He should read further.

That's... "If, hypothetically, you are so adamant on trying to kill me because of what you saw...what would you have seen?"

Kim Dokja faltered. Eyebrows furrowing, onyx eyes reflected confusion.

Yoo Joonghyuk stared back, face unreadable. He needs to know. He needs to know.

"Hypothetically", the man replied. "If I resorted to that, I would have seen the same outcome for all that person's futures."

"And that is?"

"All routes lead to a dark path", Kim Dokja said darkly. "All routes lead to that person destroying the lives of those I call my own. That's something I can't accept."

Yoo Joonghyuk looked down. "...but you saw that."

"Wh. What?"

"You saw. All routes, in a dead end. You tried to kill me for it."

Kim Dokja frowned. Gently, he placed the cloth on Yoo Joonghyuk, slowly cleaning up the man's face. 

"I don't know what you're talking about. Unless you have some time travelling powers or something, then...I guess?", the prophet shook his head. "But I'm not planning on committing murder right now. I would've finished you before you woke up if that's the case."

That actually makes sense. Huh. "So, what did you see in me now?"

"Honestly? Most of the routes show you becoming into a person I hate the most."

"But?"

A smile. "I saw one route, where you're actually a decent person."

"And that's enough?"

Kim Dokja shrugged. "Isn't killing someone the easiest route, in this world? But I think I would have hoped you'll become a decent person, even if I never saw a vision to make the possibility open."

"I kept hoping...but of course it's useless."

Oh, man. Is that why Dokja didn't try to murder Yoo Joonghyuk after the forced contract, even became friendly, understanding, and relatively open with the regressor, until the last minute?

Kim Dokja felt even worse now. Dokja was trying, and Yoo Joinghyuk brushed every attempt all off.

"So, yes. One possibilty is more than enough for me."

...Yoo Joonghyuk doesn't know what to say to that.

[The incarnation "Kim Dokja" has cancelled the stigma Life-Bound Curse lv 1.]

The regressor snapped his head up. Did he just--

Kim Dokja was pretty sure Dokja's 41st turn version is screaming his head off right now.

What a twist.

Just like that?

Kim Dokja stands. He gives Yoo Joonghyuk a smile; the same smile present in both the 15th and 23rd round.

"The person I hate the most is a monster. But you're not that, I think. There's a chance that you won't be like that", the prophet clapped his hands together. "I'll give you my codeword."

"Codeword?"

"Yup! You can use it to warn me that you're not an enemy, no matter what I'll see in my visions. Of course, assuming that you will time travel this time", a mischievous smirk. "I'm blackmailing you, I have dirt on you, yadda, yadda, yadda. Now you'll stick with me."

Kim Dokja held out a hand.

Yoo Joonghyuk looked at the outstretched palm. Then he looked down, heart dropping to his gut.

The prophet may say that, but he'd still lose everyone again. The pain of seeing them all die, only to see them again looking at him like a stranger? Seeing it one more time would be torture.

It's easier to not care. He'd always be alone, anyway--

"And how about this; I promise I'll find a way to come with you in time travelling."

Wh-what?

"Eh--what's with that look? Attempt the impossible, and you'll do the inpossible! Don't you know?", a hearty laugh. "In all seriousness, I think I can find a way if I managed to activate the curse to last between lifetimes. 'M pretty sure Anna Croft has a method for that, too..."

"Never go near that madwoman."

Kim Dokja blinked. A snort followed. "Giving orders now, huh?"

The regressor took the outstretched hand, and despite better judgement--

Yoo Joonghyuk allowed himself a sparkle of hope.

Hm.

Attempt the impossible, and you'll do the impossible.

Sounds like a stretch...but as Kim Dokja looked out through the glass walls of the convenience store, at the orange sky on this nice Friday afternoon, he wondered if that would be useful.

Song Minwoo beat him up on the night of the first day of midterms, so his body is littered with bruises and wounds that are self-bandaged and admittedly sloppy.

But he's managed to sneak off in this convenience store more times than he can count. Before he tried doing that, Kim Dokja thought it was impossible, too.

Attempt the impossible, and you'll do the impossible.

Nothing is impossible unless you try it. That's a nice thought. Looks like another phrase stuck in his brain.

Sigh.

Okay, let's gather what we've learned...

Kim Dokja (character)
Identity
Prophet

Skills
Clear Sight lv 3
Life-bound Curse lv 1

Prophet Ability
- Random visions triggered by objects
- Future versions of people seen at first sight

Not much. But Kim Dokja's just glad he has more information. Dokja doesn't exactly pull the mysterious look off their eyes, not fully, so. And looking at the comment section, the comments are being blown up again. Maybe he'll have to defend his protagonist again from those haters...

He'll look at the theories of the readers later--

"Excuse me."

Grey eyes looked up. A beautiful girl with brown hair braided neatly, warm ox-like eyes, and neat bangs smile at him. It took a second for Kim Dokja to register that she's looking at him, because woah that's a real-life female lead!

"I'm Yoo Sangah. May I sit here?", she proceeded to say, holding out two dumplings and offering one. "I'll share this with you."

Hm.

...uh, well. What sane person turns down dumplings, right?

==

"What are you writing?"

"Lee Jihye can accomplish so much with her maritime ability. What if she can send in ships to the shoreline, and then weapons can just reign down on her enemies even from afar? And I think Lee Hyunsung is a teddy bear even when he's probably all muscle. Lee Seolhwa is pretty efficient in medicine, too! Maybe she can prepare herbs made of stories, and then make cures using those--", Kim Dokja cut himself off.

The girl, Yoo Sangah, stares at him, wide-eyed.

The grey-eyed teen flushed. Oh, gosh, that was embarrasing! "Forget I said anything..."

His head sunk into the desk. May the Earth swallow him whole, please and thank you.

"I-I don't mind! What was it again? Lee Seolhwa?"

Kim Dokja dragged his face back up.

Yoo Sangah smiles kindly. It reached her eyes.

And Kim Dokja found himself continuing to talk, too. "Do you know Ways of Survival?"

==

The next update of the novel made the readers go bat-sh*t crazy. This is saying something, considering that the 41st turn exists.

The reactions were understandable, though, considering what happened in this chapter.

"Kim Dokja."

"I have it", Kim Dokja said, grin practically blinding. In his hand was a sapphire pendant, shining as the sun touched it's surface. "If I wear this all the time, my memories will be recorded in here. And if I'm right about my Curse stigma standing with the time travel thing you have, then I'd definitely get the memories in here 

That's. That's good! If Yoo Joonghyuk has to regress again...well, at least he can make sure he's not alone anymore.

But...

"Before that!", the prophet piped up, putting on the necklace around his own neck. It honestly compliments his eyes well. "I have to make sure of this first."

Yoo Joonghyuk scoffs. Make sure of what?

His next words were cut off when the b*st*rd pulled down his collar and pressed their lips together.

It was at this point that Kim Dokja dropped his phone. Yoo Sangah, the sweet angel that Kim Dokja has the absolute pleasure of knowing, caught the gadget before it can shatter into a million pieces. She gave it back to him.

But--did he read that right?

His first thought was that Kim Dokja's lips were soft. Sweet, like cotton candy, and this sends fireworks setting off in his gut.

He read that right. Agh.

What about Lee Seolhwa? Guys?? Guys!???

All too soon, Kim Dokja pulls away.

Yoo Joonghyuk is surprised to find that he's missed the contact already. Then he's angry because what the f*ck!? "KIM DOKJA--"

A boop on the nose stopped him. "Do you want to know why I did that? Survive until the end with me, and you'll find out."

...this cunning...

"I could see the chemistry."

Kim Dokja almost choked to death via a churro inside the wrong pipe.

Yoo Sangah sweatdropped. Patting her new acquaintance in the back, she munched on her own churro while sitting in this convenience store this fine Saturday morning.

Kim Dokja didn't expect a lot of things. Her returning is one of them. Why did she come back and speak with him again?

Still. Referring to the chapter,  "Did not expect that."

He could only imagine the Joongdok shippers going off in the comment section...maybe he should leave it alone for now. Until it dies down.

Personally, Kim Dokja...doesn't see it. If there's romance, or anything. "I think Dokja's just making sure Yoo Joonghyuk won't go dying."

Which is great<span;>. Kim Dokja will cry if Yoo Joonghyuk dies again, when the regressor's only started recovering and going back to seeing people as people again.

But maybe he's just in denial. His Joonghwa ship is sinking!!

The action is shameless, though, he can give it that. Honestly typical of Dokja, so maybe Kim Dokja shouldn't be that surprised...

And then his arm was suddenly grabbed. Before Kim Dokja could scream, he heard Han Sooyoung's voice. "Okay, let's go!"

The other girl's pull was unrelenting; Kim Domja only had time to give an apologetic look and wave goodbye to Yoo Sangah before the pair was already out the door.

And Kim Dokja was pissed. A little warning, maybe?

"The restaurant has limited edition ramen."

Wh? Really??

"Yes, really!", a smug grin. "We have to be there before it runs out!"

If Han Sooyoung wanted to be there first, she should have set the time to 6am instead of 10am, but okay. There's ramen.

Kim Dokja wants to try the ramen.

==

It's nice to be able to eat a lot. Especially when there's someone with him.

Even if it's Han Sooyoung.

Unexpectedly, he also gets Han Sooyoung ranting about Ways of Survival, which is more surprising than this restaurant apparently selling ramen. "--therefore, I think Kim Dokja the character never told a single lie his entire life, and that he's somehow in love with Lee Seolhwa and Yoo Joonghyuk at the same time."

"Hm", she made valid points that make an awful lot of sense, down to why the character kissed Yoo Joonghyuk and why he was so heartbroken to see Lee Seolhwa die in the 41st round. Yet right now, Kim Dokja only cared about; " So you are a plagiarist!" She did read the novel!!

"I'm not a plagiarist!!"

The reader is almost strangled that day.

Totally worth it.

(The outing was very fun. They both even got ice cream, too.

The grey-eyed reader even got a sleepover with the author in her super modernized and expensive home--even if all they did was edit and write the latest chapter of SSSSS-grade Infinite Regressor and bantering about it before falling asleep on the floor.

It was a nice celebration at the end of midterms, even if there are no results yet.

Kim Dokja felt happy.)

==

Come Monday, the results are out.

Kim Dokja's grades range from 90 to 96 in all the subjects. The studying paid off.

It felt good, having his efforts rewarded. The teacher even told him he did a good job!

Song Minwoo and his goons corner him after classes. By lunch, he'd been limping, and he probably has a broken wrist at the end of the day.

But he proved to himself. His grades had ranged from 77 to 86 before, and now...

Attempt the impossible, and you'll do the impossible.

His chest swelled with what could only be pride. It was possible. It's possible.

If he kept this up, he might get into a good college, and he'll be away from Song Minwoo and everything--!

(He wasn't able to sneak into the convenience store, that day. Broken bones and all.

However, he did manage to go three days later, and what he found was the scene of Yoo Sangah pointedly smiling at Han Sooyoung while handing her a cup of tea. The smile looked threatening, with lots of teeth.

Han Sooyoung gave a grin of her own, wicked and just as dangerous.

Looking at them like this, Kim Dokja thinks, good for them, they're friends now. And then he tries to sneak away.

But then Yoo Sangah noticed him, and has now coaxed him back to stand between the two girls by giving him dumplings and chocolate.

So the convenience store duo became a trio. Huh.

Kim Dokja certainly isn't complaining.)

==

At some point, Kim Dokja realized that his reason for living isn't solely Ways of Survival anymore.

Sure, it's a major part of why the reader kept breathing; Yoo Joonghyuk's regressions and efforts lets him go through the hardships in his life, the bullying, struggles, everything. Sharing in the joys, the pain, and Kim Dokja lives.

For example, when he struggled to keep his grades up, an update gave him this;

"You're doing well, Jihye!", Lee Seolhwa called out, face gentle. "Right, Joonghyuk-ssi?"

Yoo Joonghyuk couldn't keep the pride from enveloping his entire body. If they succeed here... "You're stronger."

Lee Jihye's eyes shone. The teenager gave a big grin. "Thanks, Master."

Because of this, he managed to hold on--and he got a decent score in his finals, enough that he'd surely get accepted in some decent colleges out there.

And then, as he studied for the entrance exams, the 81st turn gave him moments like these to make his mind off of the worry.

Kim Dokja visibly smiled at the pleasant smell the kitchen was giving out, absentmindedly tapping on the sapphire pendant newly given to him. The prophet tried to hide his excitement, though. "See? Your efforts are good enough if you want to remain this way. You don't have to feel guilty. I mean, the apocalypse is forcing us to survive--"

Yoo Joonghyuk found himself responding before he meant to. "And living is a luxury. We can save our own world in our own way, even if it's just yourself."

Visibly taken aback, Kim Dokja's mouth went shut for once. Then his eyes softened fondly. "Yeah. That's right."

Then, during his time in the military, when things became too much--

Yoo Joonghyuk stood before the vast, endless calamity pouncing onto him, and spoke. "Until I witness the end of the scenario, I shall never give up. That's why..."

Gold eyes met the gazes of his companions on the side.

"You shouldn't give up either.

So, needless to say, he absolutely still needs Ways of Survival, to keep going. Even if the other readers dropped it "because it's too redundant and boring now" and they stuck to creating their own fanfics about Yoo Joonghyuk, Dokja, and all the characters while pretending the story itself doesn't exist--Kim Dokja kept on commenting and reading on.

All these years now, Kim Dokja is the only reader left. He has to keep his promise to accompany Yoo Joonghyuk to the end, after all. Dokja's doing it; he should do it, too.

Fortunately, the author kept going--and he was able to accompany Yoo Joonghyuk's struggle to save the world while Kim Dokja also struggled to save his own world. Himself, above the waters that is this cruel life.

If the novel ends...

But the novel isn't solely what he has, now.

He has Han Sooyoung, pestering him to edit and eat food with her. Han Sooyoung, who readily helped him get a place to stay after he broke off from his relatives and never left him alone, even when they're both living far apart.

He also has Yoo Sangah, who sends him texts and listens to his Ways of Survival tirades readily and with interest. Yoo Sangah, who gives him material to study with and helps him with his grades, and stays with him, too, even if they both go into different colleges now.

Kim Dokja has them both, his friends, and so living became a little easier. Living became a little more of a luxury than survival, thanks to them.

So, yes. From the scorned child, the walking bad omen, from having nothing...

He now has something. A reason to live. People. Those he can trust will be there for him, even if he doubts that a little bit.

He has his beloved novel.

As the train station arrives on his stop, Kim Dokja smiles. He's now going into Minosoft as a contract employee, his temporary job to earn money aside from his editing job.

If all goes well, he'll be a businessman owning a library.

He's come a long way, hasn't he?

==

Dokja kept his stance about fashion through the regressions, and so Kim Dokja does his best to adhere to it. The prophet's way of life, like appearances and outlook, are useful...so why not make use of it?

This also means that when Kim Dokja's coffee spilled on his long-sleeved shirt, the young man immediately jumped to the break room to change. If he lets this be, he'll look and smell awful, and that would be unaccepta--

Yoo Sangah's startled face greeted him when he opened the door. In her hand was a bottle full of...what's that? Cocaine? Is she pouring cocaine where the sugar's supposed to be?

"Dokja-yah?", the girl smiled, asking a silent question.

"Sangah-yah", Kim Dokja nodded, making a zip gesture with his lips, and watches his friend's smile widen.

It's not his business, anyway. He trusts Yoo Sangah, and she can handle herself with what she wants to do.

He just hopes he'll see the faces of his superiors when they are victimized.

==

So, it's not cocaine. It's salt.

Keeping his laughter in while Han Myungoh runs around looking like he sucked a lemon was harder than it's supposed to be. It didn't help that Yoo Sangah was wearing a proud grin the entire time.

==

One day, as he went to the train again for work, he caught a flash of purple in his line of sight.

Kim Dokja took off his headphones, confused as to why Han Sooyoung ended up here with him. In her hoodie and jeans, too. Is there somewhere she needs to go?

Before he can ask, however, the girl with the beauty mark beat him to the punch. "It's not your fault."

Grey eyes blinked rapidly.

"What happens next is not your fault", Han Sooyoung says, as if Kim Dokja is supposed to know what she's talking about. "There's nothing wrong with reading and surviving."

"Sooyoung--"

The girl's eyes shone. Are those unshed tears? "And it's nice. To see you again. Thank you...sorry."

Kim Dokja's eyebrows furrowed. Is Han Sooyoung okay?

Suddenly, her eyes roll to the back of her head. The young man had to scramble to not let her hit her head on the ground. Thankfully, he got to her in time.

Kim Dokja checked her pulse. It was steady, strong.

Han Sooyoung's eyes fluttered back open. "Wh. Wait, where am I?", then she sees Kim Dokja's face. "No way! I sleepwalked all over here!?"

That...whatever just happened didn't look like sleepwalking. Not at all. His friend looked so alert and awake...

What was that, exactly?

What just happened?

Chapter Text

"Seriously?"

"If you're just going to repeat yourself over and over, I'll hang up right now", Kim Dokja warned, irritated. He's had a long day of work, okay? Department Head Han did not help with his stress levels. Han Sooyoung being like this just made it worse. "Yes, that's what you said. I've said it to you. For twelve times already."

"But it doesn't make sense!", Han Sooyoung cried from the other side of the call, probably tearing her hair out. "Why would I say those words? Haah? Reading and surviving--of course there's nothing wrong with that! Obviously! And why would I say thank you to you? For what reason?"

"For making your plagiarist writing suck less?"

"I'm not going to add in the Yoo Joonghyun and Lee Seo-yeon romance scene in this chapter if you keep disrespecting me like this, I swear--"

"Maybe you just had an interesting dream, Sooyoung-ah?", Yoo Sangah intervened before this pointless argument can escalate. "And you said those things to a dream person?"

There was the sound of a stapler biting into paper, louder than necessary. "If that dream person I was talking to had apparently made me cry of all things, then I would like to have some words with that person."

"Sooyoung-ah, you can't fight imaginary people you made up in your sleep."

"F**king watch me."

Kim Dokja rolled his eyes. Whatever, he'll deal with this when they go back home.

The train was packed with people, which was the sight that remained as the pair of coworkers sat together. Sharing an earphone each, Kim Dokja looks out to the window as Yoo Sangah continues to talk to Han Sooyoung beside him.

City lights illuminated the night, like bright stars in the sky. The seats were mostly taken due to the people in this cart; looking around, Kim Dokja could see others standing beside the seats.

A mother with her two children. A couple lovingly holding each other. A kid with a box of grasshoppers, held by what also seems to be his mother.

People hitching a ride, living their own lives. Either to go home, attend an event, or simply enjoy life; all the people here have their own businesses to get to. Everyone has a reason to use this transportation to get there.

Kim Dokja is no exception to that, and Yoo Sangah, too. Both of them are coming back to their homes after work; yet surprisingly, this is the first time in a while that Yoo Sangah joined him in the subway.

Apparently, someone stole her bike, so she had to take the train instead...hm. Kim Dokja wonders...

It was no trouble, though. Now, Yoo Sangah joins him in returning to their places without having to bike all the way there--not like the other times they went together, either going to or coming back from their workplace. 

Kim Dokja has no trouble with exercise, of course, but also, can't they?? just use the train like normal people?? The subway is literally right here.

Thank goodness they're taking the subway today, though. His hands hurt! They've been shredded in a blender!

Department Head Han takes no prisoners, seriously. And that guy doesn't even do his own work!

Sometimes, Kim Dokja really wonders why he chose Minosoft to work when he's majoring in business management...of course, he knows why, but sometimes he wants to hit his past self in the face for the decision...

--just then, his phone dinged, cutting off Han Sooyoung in the middle of her rant about pesky corporation offers.

"Ah. Look at that", the plagiarist mused. "Your precious trashy novel's just updated, Dokja-yah."

Rolling his eyes again, Kim Dokja took the phone from Yoo Sangah. Indeed, the notification was there.

| tls123 has updated Ways of Survival! |

"How would you even know it updated? Did you follow the novel, too?", Kim Dokja hums, grey eyes intently looking as the screen started to load. "Ah--of course you do. You can't plagiarize if you don't."

"For! The! Last! Time! I'M NOT A PLAGIARIST!"

Yoo Sangah sighs, a note of exasperation in her voice. "Guys..."

Finding Han Sooyoung at the entrance of the train like that, earlier this day, was, uh. Was honestly kind of terrifying. And the fact that she didn't even remember any of it was even more terrifying.

Because--what, did his friend suddenly get possessed by a weeping ghost for a split second or something?

But Han Sooyoung was fine so far, after that whole weird thing. No more mentally unstable than usual, so...

Well.

Kim Dokja wasn't sure about what he should even do about it. But, again, his friend's fine so far, so there's no need to really panic.

Maybe he should just read the chapter, and see what happens--

There are three ways to survive in a ruined world. Now, I have forgotten a few, but one thing is certain. The fact that you, who are reading this now, will survive.

-Three ways to survive in a ruined world

Kim Dokja rubbed his eyes. He scrolled down and then up again. Rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat, until he's forgotten how much he's been trying to do the same thing.

"Really? This is the end?"

The mark of complete on the webnovel site was unmistakable.

The story was over.

He kept his promise. He saw the end with Yoo Joonghyuk.

--somehow, he feels kind of empty. The story was over. But...

Suddenly, a notification appeared at the top of his phone. Checking it for a bit, Kim Dokja saw that it came from his mail.

| You have one new mail. |

A mail? What is it now--he already finished all the work today! And his contract will be over soon, what more do they want from him!?

Since he really can't avoid it, he opened the mail. He was pleasantly surprised to find that it came from the author of Ways of Survival.

Reader-nim, my novel will be monetized from 7 p.m. This will be helpful. Good luck.

[1 attachment.]

A gift. Huh. He couldn't help but wonder...

"Oh", Yoo Sangah perks up, obviously catching what was written in the email. Kim Dokja was fine with it, for the fact that he knew she'd never make fun of him for anything. "Dokja-yah's favorite novel is going to get monetized?"

"For real?", the sound of cackles. "Oh, finally! Took, what--ten years?"

Unfortunately, the same can't be said for Han Sooyoung.

"Sooyoung-ah", Yoo Sangah sighed again. Kim Dokja thinks he should treat her sometime soon, as payment for dealing with everything about the third member of their convenience store trio. "Please behave. We're all very tired."

It was 6:55 pm. Only five minutes left before the novel became monetized at 7 pm.

Since Han Sooyoung was talking about nonsense again, Kim Dokja decided to reread the novel in the meantime. Or, hm, actually--since he was the only reader left to see the end, he figures he should leave a congratulatory comment to give strength to the author as they wait.

But then.

"...huh?"

--the work doesn’t exist.

No, that can't be right. Wasn't it going to be monetized? Does the website need to take the work down before that?

He tried typing it on the search bar again and again, but the result was the same. It's like Ways of Survival was deleted, or it didn't exist at all--but how could that be? "Sooyoung, are you seeing this?"

"Seeing what?"

And at that moment, the subway lights turned off.

==

[The free service of planetary system 8612 has been terminated.]

[The main scenario has started.]

Wh.

What the hell? Is he hallucinating?

==

...so. Dokkaebi.

With two small horns and wearing a small straw mat, the strange and fluffy creature was floating in the air.

It was too strange to call it a fairy, too evil to call it an angel, and too tranquil to call it a demon. 

Thus, it was called a dokkaebi.

This was what Ways of Survival said about them. The mainstream channels broadcasting the end of the world, these creatures were in charge of them.

Back when they were still high-schoolers, Yoo Sangah would often listen to him with rapt attention about Ways of Survival. She never had enough time to start reading it for herself, sure, but she listened to Kim Dokja and came to learn the story that way. 

That means she also had her own musings about details in the story. One of which was partly right, when she guessed that the creatures in charge of the channels for the constellations would look rather cute.

But only partly right.

Because the second the dokkaebi let out that sadistic grin when it blew up the heads of more than half of the passengers in this part of the train, it turned into a grotesque thing.

And that thing only gets uglier from there, just as the situation turns from bad to worse.

[Main Scenario #1 – Proof of Value]

Category: Main

Difficulty: F

Clear Conditions: Kill one or more living things.

"Th-this..."

Yoo Sangah looked horrified, staring at the hologram textbox that suddenly appeared in front of the remaining passengers, just like video games do.

Kim Dokja let out an exhale.

This is--this is actually happening. Somehow, on the exact time Ways of Survival is supposed to be monetized...

Fiction has become reality.

Ways of Survival has become reality.

And no matter how long he stares at the hologram box, it wouldn't disappear. The headless bodies on the ground wouldn't disappear...

And the presence of the sturdy lieutenant nearby, Lee Hyunsung, as well as the footage they all just saw of a high-school girl forced to kill someone to live, Lee Jihye, are all unmistakable, too. Even the characters are...

"Dokja-yah", he heard his friend call, hearing the fear in her voice. "What do we do?"

He clenched his fists.

There's no choice, is there?

"Think of this like a video game, Sangah", Kim Dokja says, turning to face her. "All we have to do is to clear the scenario."

"Clear the scenario..."

In unison, they looked around. Something they can use, something that can ensure their survival...

They've talked about it. Out of boredom, Han Sooyoung once asked what they would do if, hypothetically, they'd end up isekai'ed in the book for some reason and get hit in the face with this specific scenario.

Naturally, it sparked some debates between them over chips and soda.

Though Han Sooyoung was unchanging in her decision to go straight to murder, which, go figure. It's almost expected of her.

At least she knows what to expect. She'd been cut off in the other line of the call when the lights went off, earlier, and he was pretty sure she was alone with just a few strangers there, before this whole thing went down.

If this scenario is also happening to her in the cafe she's staying in, Kim Dokja hopes she'd look for a way--or have the strength to do what she needs to do--to survive.

If she didn't make it--

If she didn't--

Meanwhile, Yoo Sangah's method was to try to find another way. The pacifist way, some sort of loophole they could explore.

She suggested germs, like maybe killing them with alcohol. Unfortunately, there was no notification that they cleared the scenario when they rubbed their hands with alcohol, which...agh.

"The scenario probably needs blood to be spilled...", Kim Dokja tapped his chin.

However, it still holds true that it doesn't need to be humans they need to kill.

He looks around again, across the train carriage--and he spots the child with the grasshoppers, standing there silent and still as a statue. His mother was nowhere near him; apparently, she's joined in beating up an old lady, desperate to escape...without consideration of the child...

He looks at Yoo Sangah. Seeing the grasshopper container on the kid, she nods at him.

It doesn't need to be humans they have to kill. The scenario said to kill living things, not kill people.

So, he goes near. As gently as he could, he crouches down in front of the kid and speaks. "Hey...I need your help."

They can get through this.

== 

Of course, it's only natural they wouldn't be able to save everyone.

The kid only caught about eight grasshoppers. One is pregnant, but how good will that be if the eggs can't even be taken out for each of the survivors here?

Only eight people can live. And because Kim Dokja has to account for the kid, Yoo Sangah, and himself, they can only help four others.

And Kim Dokja counts about twelve people still alive, including the characters, his friend, and the kid...

"The apocalypse is forcing us all to survive. Living is a luxury, that's all. "

They can't save everyone. When found with an opportunity to live during an impossible situation, they can only save themselves and make do with what they can do.

It's just how this world works.

At least, that's what he tells himself, as he tosses the remainder of the grasshoppers, and pockets an extra one as he battles this unhinged white-haired high-schooler chuuni that he hates the most as a character.

That's what he tells himself, as he knocks the teen down away from the old woman, over and over, and when this chuuni named Kim Namwoon refuses to give up, he went to crush the extra grasshopper for a boost to make this brat stay down--

"Dokja-yah."

A hand on his shoulder made him stop.

Warm ox-like eyes stared up at him. Yoo Sangah smiles, sadly, determinedly. "I can take it from here, Dokja-yah. The time's almost up. To save her..."

Oh, right.

But. "You'll be alright?"

"What are you going to do?", Kim Namwoon snarls before Yoo Sangah could reply. "Dammit! I don't care, I just need you to get out of the way--!!"

The woman holds out an extra, uncrushed grasshopper, one she probably grabbed right after Kim Dokja threw the others.

Kim Namwoon stares at her. Kim Dokja gaped at his friend, too.

"If I give this to you", Yoo Sangah then says. "You'll stop trying to hurt that ahjumma, right?"

Kim Namwoon stares.

And Kim Dokja sighs. If Yoo Sangah is certain this won't bring them any more trouble, then...

== 

People’s heads started exploding everywhere. One, two, three, four...

The bursting heads were like fireworks announcing a new era. Kim Dokja watched the scene with a bit of joy, a bit of guilt, and a mysterious feeling.

Though...the way he's feeling. He finds it strange.

Why? Why was he so calm at the horrific sight in front of him?

Like he wasn't looking at real life.

But like he was...merely looking at a scene in a novel...

[You have a total of 3,500 coins.]

[The Mass Murderer achievement has been gained through excessive killing.]

He saw himself on a window of this train. He almost couldn't recognize his own face.

The look in his own grey eyes scared him.

== 

"No matter how I think about it, your actions were too much. Yes? If you had the insects, then you should've tipped me off. Why would you throw them like that?"

...

"Dokja-ssi, you have to be good to me. How much time do you have left on your contract?"

...okay, this is ridiculous.

"Han Myungoh-ssi", Kim Dokja says, with a perfectly stoic face. "Shut up."

He doesn't care all that much about his contract, since he was already on the way to owning a business related to books and libraries.

At least, that was the plan before this whole apocalypse mess started.

But even if he did care about the contract, things have changed.

"Everyone, you have to wake up."

Out of all the novels out there, it was Ways of Survival that became reality.

And that means living is a luxury, now.

They need to do what they can to survive in this new world. Clinging to the idea of the old world will just get them killed even faster.

== 

--so, listen.

He knows how insanely powerful and cautious Yoo Joonghyuk is. He knows that any outlier in a timeline would be cut down by the guy--well, if you're not Dokja the prophet and among the said prophet's group, anyway.

That sunfish b*st*rd may be the protagonist, but that doesn't mean that guy won't be another enemy.

And that's why Kim Dokja urged the fellow survivors in his carriage to leave early, before Yoo Joonghyuk breaks through. To cross the bridge before the guy gets to them.

Too bad Kim Dokja wasn't able to follow his own commands.

"Stop the unnecessary words. Only answer what I ask from now on. Understood?"

Kim Dokja grit his teeth. Hysterically, the image of that one lion cub--from that one animated Disney movie Yoo Sangah forced him and Han Sooyoung to watch, that one time--being held up in the air by this monkey had popped up in his head.

Except, instead of being held by the armpits, he was held by the neck instead.

B*st*rd, he wanted to curse. How can I answer if you're holding me like this!? You're strangling me!

Of course, that was most likely the point. This move was to pull Kim Dokja into a situation where he'd be terrified enough at the idea of losing his own life that he'd answer all the questions Yoo Joonghyuk will throw at him.

Which, ugh. That doesn't mean Kim Dokja has to be happy about it. Who likes getting punched in the gut!?

The jerk even tried punching him again just for honorifics. B*st*rd. Even his own hands hurt from blocking that fist.

Even if the guy is insanely handsome with his eyes as black as obsidian, straw jawline, muscular form, and side-swept hair only for the main character--that doesn't mean Kim Dokja has to let himself get bullied like this.

He needs to not be beaten to a pulp, though, so. Talk-no-jutsu it is, as Han Sooyoung would have put it.

"You're famous. At one point, I was a fan."

Like, yes, he was lying about the whole knowing-Yoo-Joonghyuk-because-I'm-an-employee-of-a-game-company, but he wasn't lying about this.

He'd read through 3149 chapters, and reached the end of the novel, mainly for this man. For the protagonist he promised to stay with, who he liked, hated, grumbled, and cheered on for all these years.

For the man who taught him how to live.

"Fan...", a murmur, from the protagonist. He looked nostalgic. "I haven't heard that in a long time."

Kim Dokja looks down. He could see his feet dangle over the edge, not touching any surface. Just there in the open space, threatening to fall.

The reader finds it unnerving how he isn't freaked out by all this. What's wrong with him, seriously?

== 

[The exclusive skill Fourth Wall has blocked Sage’s Eyes!]

...huh? What skill is this?

A skill that could even block Sage's Eyes...f**k, there's no way Yo Joonghyuk will listen to him after this.

That was even further confirmed when this mind-reading skill of his--one that popped up just now, earlier--gave him Yoo Joonghyuk's thoughts again.

「 I must kill him here. 」

Dammit. 

Unfortunately, Joonghyuk-ssi, Kim Dokja doesn't want to die here!

Think, think...what could he...

Kim Dokja's lips turned into a thin line. It's the most effective route he can go to.

"Yoo Joonghyuk, it would be a big mistake for you to kill me", he grins, widely, trying to embody the prophet owl b*st*rd from Ways of Survival; the one he shares a name with. "You need to go through the 46th scenario, right? Who would guide you through that, if you kill me now?"

Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes narrowed. "You sound so confident."

"Of course. After all, I know the future you don't know."

A bold claim. Something Dokja the prophet wouldn't dare make, not if it meant lying about it.

But it was true.

[The character ‘Yoo Jonghyuk’ has used the ‘Lie Detection’ skill.

[Lie Detection has confirmed that your words are the truth.]

It is truth.

Even if it's not quite the truth Yoo Joonghyuk expected it to be. "...how?"

Kim Dokja smiles wryly. "How else?"

No matter how you put it, a prophet is incredibly useful for Yoo Joonghyuk as a tool, and as a companion. To ensure survival...

「 No way. There's a prophet other than Anna Croft? And in South Korea, too? 」

Kim Dokja let his smile widen and listens as Yoo Joonghyuk draws his own conclusions based on his half-truths.

Why should he correct them, anyway? It's for his own benefit that things go in this direction.

== 

"You really are a prophet."

Plummeting right into the mouth of a sea monster, seeing the b*st*rd grin at him, Kim Dokja could only sneer.

For all his efforts--and he gets thrown out like trash, regardless?

You son of a b*tch.

== 

At least he got a contract out of it. It's mutually beneficial, too.

Just as long as Bihyung doesn't do anything Kim Dokja doesn't want him to do...

Truthfully, he was thankful that he'd planned so much in advance. Because of the story he loved so much, he was able to quickly adapt and use the knowledge from the book to his advantage.

Just like how the story helped him live on and create a future he wanted for himself, it helped him survive now, one step after another.

He knew to work with the streamers of this new world to gain an advantage, knew how to survive inside the sea commander that swallowed him, and knew to purchase things in advance so he can deal with the next scenario...

He hoped Yoo Sangah and the others with him were able to do the same. he hoped they lived.

[You have entered the region of the second main scenario.]

[The land in the scenario area is deeply polluted.]

[Be careful about your breathing and move underground as quickly as possible.]

The area was covered in poisonous fog, with two monsters battling it out in the middle of the city.

Just like the humans here, those monsters are also trying to survive. Though, he could hardly care about that matter at present time.

Quietly, Kim Dokja used an item he bought to substitute an air purifier, and moved to find a safe space. As he did so, he remained alert for any threats--and so, he came across someone lying down in a corner, poison marks visible on her skin.

"Help...help me."

He exhales. Getting closer, he wondered who this is. An extra in Ways of Survival?

Still, he'd moved to save her, carrying her on his back.

Living is a luxury, right? But since he's in a position to do so, why not save this person?

It led to his own benefit, too, considering that she led him into a safe space. Coincidentally, this safe space, Gumho station, is what Yoo Joonghyuk used to break through the second scenario in the first regression.

Sure, the protagonist has changed by this time, so there's less of a chance that that guy would be here...

"Dokja-yah!!"

There were familiar faces, too.

"Hi, Sangah", Kim Dokja greeted, accepting Yoo Sangah's hug with open arms. She feels warm. "I'm glad to see you. Are you okay?"

"Are you okay?", Yoo Sangah pulls away, eyes glistening. She starts to fret over him, patting his waist and arms, looking for an injury. "We saw you get swallowed by that sea monster--I thought you--"

Her hands were filled with lots of scrapes. She suffered a lot these past few days, huh...

A small body collided with his side, shortly after. He turned to see soft brown curls and wide brown eyes. "You're alive."

It was the child from the train. Lee Gilyoung, right?

The man smiles and pats the child's head. When he noticed how thin Lee Gilyoung is, he gave the kid a chocolate bar from the bag.

Then he looks around.

Kim Namwoon looks at the man awkwardly, but the teen made no move to get near Kim Dokja. That was fine; Kim Dokja doesn't want to get near the teen, either.

Han Myungoh was nowhere to be found. Kim Dokja was glad, since he does not want to deal with that jerk yet. He needs to find pepper first.

The grandmother was also there, supported by a tearfully happy Lee Hyunsung. Kim Dokja was glad to see them both, too.

"I-I'm really sorry, Dokja-ssi", Lee Hyunsung spoke up, guilty. "I should have found a way..."

"It's fine", Kim Dokja said, and that was true. "It was unavoidable, anyway."

The bridge had already been broken when they were running away. There were constellations that placed a way to escape, but only an even number of people could cross at that time.

Kim Dokja would have never crossed that bridge without leaving someone behind at the mercy of that emo sunfish. That's all.

But then the grandmother speaks up. "But thank goodness. That young man in black was right; you are alive!"

Kim Dokja nods. "Uh, yes...wait, man in black?"

Yoo Sangah crossed her arms, huffing. "She means Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi."

Wait. What?

That b*st*rd was here?

== 

"Welcome to Gumho Station, Kim Dokja-ssi."

Cheon Inho. The true leader of Gumho Station, and the manipulative character type that uses others' despair for power.

It seems that's what they'll be dealing with, at present time.

But, to Kim Dokja, what's more shocking to him is--

"I'm Jung Heewon", the woman he saved had introduced herself, gentle features brightening with her grin as she eats a biscuit, long ebony black hair swept over to one shoulder. "Thank you for your help this morning."

"Ah", the reader nods reflexively. "It's nothing..."

Jung Heewon, Jung Heewon...

Dokja the prophet's closest comrade in his own group? That Jung Heewon?

But--how could that be? Yoo Joonghyuk is in his third regression. Dokja and his group don't appear until the fifteenth...

Still, the truth is undeniable.

When the time came, when the hierarchy turns over its head in this station, Jung Heewon uses the sword Kim Dokja made for her and unleashes judgement upon the group that has been oppressing the ones lesser than them.

She'd killed the evil ones and slit Cheon Inho's jaw using the formidable power of her new stigma, Judge of Evil.

The skill that made her so capable as Dokja's right-hand woman.

...huh.

== 

He shot down the hope of meeting Dokja, the second he found out Yoo Joonghyuk was currently at his third turn. After all, why cling to false hope when you know it's pointless from the start?

But with Jung Heewon here, then maybe...just maybe...

== 

With the extra people, perhaps one or two of his own group would have been swept away by the monster flood, unable to find any rooms to keep.

Fortunately, the young girl that they saw from the footage on the train, Lee Jihye, was kind enough to at least convince Yoo Joonghyuk to let the old woman in.

It still wasn't enough, though. Lee Gilyoung and Kim Namwoon had to stick together in their small room and watch Kim Dokja fight for his life.

The man knew this is so going to be such a b*tch to get through, but he took the crystal residue from the spectres he defeated when they came here.

Then he put them in his mouth and bit down--

「 Dokja. 」

A living room covered in blood. Warm hands cupping his cheeks. A discarded knife, the form of a man slowly growing cold on the floor.

F**k.

[Due to excessive immersion, the influence of Fourth Wall has temporarily weakened.]

F**k it all. He does not want to see this!

「 Dokja-yah. My Dokja. Listen... 」

There wasn't any other choice but through.

So he clenched his jaw and endured. Endure, endure, endure...

Yoo Joonghyuk?

Kim Dokja startles. Suddenly, he was in a white space.

A strange woman appeared in front of him.

That...I don’t understand, the woman murmured. An ominous red can be seen swirling in her right eye. I’ve seen the future a number of times but I’ve never seen you before...

Kim Dokja was quick to figure it out. This woman--was the only other prophet mentioned, in Ways of Survival.

A woman who saw the future and tried to design the future of the world using what she saw. The same woman that betrayed Yoo Joonghyuk in the second round and became the regressor's mortal enemy.

"Anna Croft."

The woman, Anna Croft, perked up at the sound of her name being called. Her eyes narrowed. How do you know my name?

Kim Dokja shrugged as nonchalantly as possible. "I'm a prophet."

[The character Anna Croft has triggered Lie Detection Lv. 7.]

[Lie Detection has confirmed that your words are false.]

...uh.

== 

Interesting unexpected encounter aside, at least it gave him insight on what to say to a prophet.

But upon discovering that Yoo Joonghyuk went to confront the cinema master alone, Kim Dokja realized something.

Why is Yoo Joonghyuk determined to get himself killed? Doesn't he want to save the world?

Why is he trying to get himself killed?

==

They were fighting a hopeless battle. They were hopelessly outnumbered, and their only hope was a weak girl who could only sob and lament at the bitter reminder of what she had to do to survive.

"I-I'm disgusting. I...I don't deserve to be live..."

Yes, it was disgusting. 

But Kim Dokja was just as disgusting, if not more, with the way he was using her, the way he was trying to make her move his way.

"No one deserves to live."

Lee Jihye sniffled, tears falling harder. The battle continued to rage all around them, screams and sounds of cannons being fired, bullets hitting true, all of it was heard.

Swiftly, Kim Dokja held up the shield, standing in front of her.

Though it's horrible, what he's doing--

"Even so, survive and take responsibility!", he then said, words of determination from his own heart. "Atone for the rest of your life or live a garbage life. However you want to continue living, it's up to you!" 

Even if it seems so hopeless.

Even if you don't have anything except for a story of a ruined world.

"Even if it seems impossible right now, even if you're sick of it, just survive! Or do you really want to die here?"

==

Somehow, they survived.

Somehow, they all lived, Yoo Joonghyuk included.

...somehow, Lee Jihye got it in her head that Kim Dokja has a baby with Yoo Joonghyuk.

[Constellation, "Demon-like Judge of Fire", sponsors you 500 coins!]

Yeah, Kim Dokja's not even going to bother figuring it out. Some things are better left a mystery.

==

Something was strange.

The King Selection scenario was starting. To become king, Kim Dokja needs to gather as many stations as possible, so to do that, he decided to cosplay as Yoo Joonghyuk.

A low move? Maybe. He doesn't care.

Plus, he's had a lot of practice. He was confident he'd be able to pull it off.

Except-- 

"You know me?"

The current deputy of Dongmyo Station, Lee Sungkook, smiles nervously. "How can I not know Yoo Joonghyuk-nim?"

Kim Dokja immediately zeroed in on this statement. How come?

That sunfish wasn't famous this early on. The guy barely even did anything yet...

Speaking of which, Han Sooyoung is still unreachable. Yoo Sangah tried texting and calling, but it seems there was really no signal present.

The third of their trio was unreachable. And they have no way to know if she survived or not...

"How interesting."

Kim Dokja stopped at that voice. Playful, yet with the impression of someone you would regret not listening in--

He turns, just in time to see the flutter of white cloth appear in his line of sight. Suddenly, there was someone standing right next to him.

"Hello, Joonghyuk-ssi", the person greeted. "Or, I suppose you have another name, mister cosplayer?"

Kim Dokja managed a smirk, despite his heart wildly beating off his chest. "So you can tell?"

His mask was flawless, at least appearance-wise. The only way this person could tell was if they saw Kim Dokja put on the mask...or if they looked at him and saw the future of another person instead.

"Let's meet again soon", steps sounded, getting softer the farther it went. Kim Dokja turns, seeing a white coat and black hair. "I look forward to seeing your real face."

Then the person, the Ways of Survival's oracle, jumps off the building they were on, and disappears like he was never there.

Kim Dokja lunged and looked past the railing, despite knowing that there wouldn't be anything there. Slowly, he feels a grin widen on his face.

Of course, if Jung Heewon is here...

"I look forward to meeting you, too."

The other Kim Dokja would be here, too.

==

...of course.

Of course they should have expected this.

"I died burning to death because of you", Kim Dokja said with barely-hidden rage, because this is betrayal, this is unacceptable! "We were looking for you."

The biggest hint he should have gotten was the fact that these so-called Readers were gathered in this huge group by these twelve Apostles. At least one of them would be her.

And who else was the one who knows the full story except for some details of the lore?

"I had a plan, dammit!", the beheaded head in his hands, Jung Minseob, otherwise known as Han Sooyoung, screeched back. "It was genius, okay! And I was going to contact you two after it was all done!!"

"Oh, and you couldn't have made us back off so we won't ruin it?"

"I made sure you guys will survive it, what's the problem?"

Fed up, Kim Dokja lifts the head and starts shaking it like a maraca.

It was fine, anyway. This was not really her real body. This is just an avatar, apparently a personal skill of Han Sooyoung.

She gets to suffer for this injustice, too, for leaving him no choice but to get the King of No Killing and die to survive. "AAAAAAA STOP IT, YOU JERK--"

"Give back the life I lost, you plagiarist."

"YOU THREW THAT LIFE AWAY YOURSELF!"

Standing on the side with the others, Yoo Sangah's eye twitched. She takes on a deep breath. Exhales with more force than necessary.

"You two", she then smiles, a dark look in her gaze. "Cut it out."

Kim Dokja and Han Sooyoung both immediately stopped, sweating bullets in response.

Yoo Sangah was terrifying when she wants to be, okay?

== 

"...I'm sorry I put you in that situation."

A pause. Kim Dokja looks away. "Let's talk when we actually meet in person."

Han Sooyoung sighs. She nods.

And then the head fades away, the Avatar skill deactivating.

== 

So, the scenario continues.

He encounters the King of Beauty, Min Jiwon. 

[The character ‘Min Jiwon’ shows a weak liking towards you.]

...and managed to get something weird.

He also got to participate in a reenactment battle and called a constellation using the artifact Echo of the Stars.

He...also gained a problem.

[Did you say there was a restriction on your actions? I wonder what the restriction is. What if I kill that woman right now?]

His fingers twitched, limbs moving on their own. His eyes shook in fright, seeing himself grab onto the handle of his sword--and Yoo Sangah...was taking care of things, in front of him...

That old man--Kim Yushin. They were still connected through the power lent to him, the one Kim Dokja needed to end that battle.

To think this old man would stoop this low...

If he was going to pick a sponsor, he would've picked the Great Sage the Equal of Heaven in the beginning! Not to mention his contract with Bihyung that wouldn't let him get a sponsor...

"I said no."

This was his own body. There's no way he'd let anyone else try to take away his own will of it; not when it's the only real thing he has of himself.

[You are a stubborn young man], the constellation's true voice hardened. [But it is the wrong choice. How long can you endure?]

The blade in his hand started moving toward Yoo Sangah. Yoo Sangah noticed, and tensed. "Dokja--?"

"Sangah, quickly get away--!"

A warm touch suddenly put itself onto Kim Dokja's back.

[The incarnation "Kim Dokja" has used the stigma Clear Sight lv 2.]

The last thing the reader heard was the constellation's startled yell, right before the blessing disappeared and his head felt lighter. His legs gave out under him.

Hands caught him before he could fall flat on the ground. "Oof. Gotcha."

Yoo Sangah ran over, concern and panic on her face. After checking to make sure he was okay, her eyes looked up--to his savior.

Grey eyes blinked. Slowly, Kim Dokja lifted his head.

A face with delicate features greeted him. The man's eyes were black and shining with endless galaxies in those depths, as if he knows the secrets of existence and is daring you to pry one of them from his hands. 

"Hey", the man smiles, reflecting a calculated carelessness to it. "Feeling okay?"

Kim Dokja's eyes widened.

He straightened up, balancing on his own two feet. Then he backs away, trying to take it all in.

Dokja, the prophet that had been with Yoo Joonghyuk the most in the novel, continues to smile, observing Kim Dokja with something akin to amusement. "What? You like what you see?"

"I...", Kim Dokja exhaled. "I just...didn't expect this."

But then again, maybe he should have. A main trait of Dokja is that the prophet is often unpredictable...

Dokja tilted his head, a lopsided smile on his face. Casually, he held out a hand. "How about we talk for a bit? In return, I can take you to find more comfortable clothes than those ones."

Kim Dokja blinked again.

H-huh...?

== 

"I'm sorry I couldn't help with the battle", the prophet spoke. "I arrived when it was already over..."

"It's fine", the reader replies and finds that he isn't even lying about it. "I learned something new, anyway."

"And that is?"

"Some constellations are jerks."

[Constellation, "Black Abyssal Flame Dragon", snorts.]

[Constellation, "Demon-like Judge of Fire", promises she isn't one of those guys.]

[Constellation, "Secretive Plotter", says that's an understatement.]

[600 coins are sponsored.]

Snickers sounded from the prophet. "Poor you, then."

Since they were running within a time limit, they didn't go that far. There was an abandoned clothing shop nearby, which Dokja led the reader to while the rest of them continued to clean up.

So, now they were talking and picking clothes...

...just like what Dokja did for the others in the 15th regression...

"Still, I heard you did a great job", Dokja says. He pulls out a red coat from the selection, and inspects it with a critical eye. "Not just with the reenactment, but with how you acted out your plans to become king, and how you handled the matter with the Apostles." 

Kim Dokja hums. He gets out a black coat and a violet sweater.

"You know, Heewon-ah said a lot to me about you."

And at this, the reader stops. Looks up, where Dokja noticed him staring and raises an eyebrow.

"We met on the way. She said she's with you, she has an important task from you, and", the prophet stops. "Oh, did you choose your outfit already?"

Kim Dokja looked down at his own selections in his arm. He remembers seeing something like this online, but wasn't able to try it due to lacking budget, but now... "I think so."

"Okay", Dokja grins widely. Then hands grabbed Kim Dokja's shoulders, and then he was shoved inside a dressing room. "Try it out, quick!"

Kim Dokja squints. Excited, much?

Still, since he was already here, might as well put it on.

As he was halfway through putting on the clothes, though, Dokja suddenly speaks, in a whisper. "Thank you, by the way...for saving Heewon-ah."

Kim Dokja pauses.

...he did think it was strange, that Dokja was suddenly taking him to get new clothes like this, when in the story, it took at least four instances of the prophet bonding with Yoo Joonghyuk and the regressor's companions for him to do this.

So, it's because of this, huh.

He puts the sweater over his head. "What is Jung Heewon-ssi to you, if you don't mind me asking?"

Dokja's past before the scenarios had never been revealed, except for some hints here and there. One of those hints had been his closeness with Jung Heewon, even at the very start. So, he was curious...

"She's my soulmate!", was the cheerful answer.

...yeah, no, Kim Dokja's not trusting that one. Soulmate can mean a lot of things; platonic, friendship, family, romantic? Which one?

He wouldn't press, though. He finished putting on the clothes, anyway; he thinks he doesn't look bad, in this...

He opens the dressing room. Dokja sees what he did.

"You have weird fashion taste", was the prompt comment. "A lot weirder than I expected."

A.

Seriously?

Kim Dokja rolled his eyes. "It's not weird!"

"It is. You're either cosplaying a vampire from the Victorian Era or some sort of slightly modernized historical drama where you're the divorced villain."

"That's..."

"Divorced~ villain~", Dokja said, in a sing-song tone. "If people start calling you that, I'll rub it in your face that I told you so."

Kim Dokja groans. Now he sees why Yoo Joonghyuk wants to strangle this guy so much.

A bit of time was taken, as Dokja rummages through the clothes some more.

Then he returns, holding out fashionable jeans, a sleeveless sweater, and a white long-sleeved coat to the reader. "Try this."

Kim Dokja frowns. Hand-picked clothes...

"There has to be something else you need to talk to me about", the reader says, because there's no way this is just about gratitude. "Do you want to make a deal?"

A huff. Onyx black eyes stared at grey ones. "We've taken Yoo Mia."

Kim Dokja gaped. Wait, what?

"This doesn't ruin your plan, if your goal is to blindside Yoo Joonghyuk so you can get what you need", Dokja shrugs casually. "This is just to give you plausible deniability. He won't kill you right away in this case, so. You're welcome."

...uh-huh... "What do you want in return?"

"In return? Let's see", a hum. "I want...you to let me take the Four Yin Demonic Beheading Sword."

The reader nods. He knows Dokja's the one who gives it to Yoo Joonghyuk in the 15th regression, so he has no problem with it. It makes things more convenient for him, too.

But then the prophet's grin widens. "And...I want our groups to join together."

...Kim Dokja may need to hear that again. "Say, what?"

"Because I like you."

"You..."

The admirable prophet, who took a significant amount of time to trust people, especially Yoo Joonghyuk...was offering Kim Dokja something like this.

Just like that?

"I've always wanted a little brother", the prophet continued, musing to himself. "Of course, the fact that we have the same name may be confusing..."

Kim Dokja stares. Dokja looks back, smiling casually, but eyes sharp--as if assessing Kim Dokja as a person, or his worth.

And so the reader shook his head.

No, Dokja doesn't trust him yet, which was natural.

Yes, the prophet is telling the truth, but it might not be the full truth; his motive is probably just to keep a closer eye on a potential enemy, regardless if said person saved a precious person or not.

That must be it, yeah...

Yoo Joonghyuk had strangled him at their first meeting, after all. There has to be a catch when he meets Dokja, too.

"So? What do you say?"

Kim Dokja looks at him. Looks at the clothes that were picked for the reader.

He reaches for the clothes. "I'll think about it."

== 

"Wait. You're both Kim Dokja?"

"Yep!", Dokja answers Lee Hyunsung's confused murmur with enthusiasm, putting an arm around Kim Dokja. "This is my little brother!"

Utter silence greeted that remark.

And then Yoo Mia pointed at the prophet, bluntly saying. "I like him better. He's pretty. The other one's just plain ugly."

Honestly? That felt like a punch in the gut for Kim Dokja.

His face is not that bad!!

==

Yoo Joonghyuk sees the reader and promptly scowls. "Kim Dokja."

The prophet popped up behind the regressor. "Don't forget about me!"

Yoo Joonghyuk whirls around, face more thunderous than before, what did Dokja do to him-- "You--!"

Dokja punches him in the face.

==

Kim Dokja takes great satisfaction in worsening what Dokja did, by punching the living daylights out of Yoo Joonghyuk and sending the guy flying in the air.

But when it came to the last two standing, Dokja came near him and held out the Four Yin Demon Beheading Sword. He places it slightly out of reach from Dokja, though.

"Are you a prophet?"

Here come the questions. "I'm a reader."

"Do you know what will happen if you'll be the one to do this?"

"Yes." And he's accounted for probability, too; he'd done his utmost to ensure that it's probably enough to accomplish this task...

"Can you handle it?", onyx eyes were firm, expression firmer; Dokja was completely serious. "Or are you planning to die here?"

Oh. That's...

"Are you concerned about me?", Kim Dokja raised an eyebrow.

"You're Heewon-ah's savior", Dokja raised an eyebrow back. "It would be incredibly ungrateful of me to let you walk to your own death."

Touché.

But. "I won't die."

And Kim Dokja meant it. He really doesn't plan to die here.

He came close, though. Despite his efforts to make it probable, the consequences still tried to literally tear him apart.

But then a miracle happened. One by one, constellations shared his burden.

[Is this the story you wanted to tell?]

He raised his head weakly, to the sky. Droplets of rain fell onto his face.

[We will be watching you, King of a Kingless World.]

Grey eyes closed, trying to just...breathe. He did it.

Eyes were all on him, from the constellations to the fellow incarnations, both enemy and friend...but he did it. The throne was destroyed.

[You have accomplished an existence that's never existed before.]

[A new story has been created.]

[The fable, "King of a World Without a King", is born.]

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter. The rain falling onto him, falling all around him, feels like a new start, too.

== 

Han Sooyoung should count herself lucky that he was mostly over it when he met her again. Because what she did was a jerk move.

There are other things to worry about, though. Yes, it's necessary to destroy the Absolute Throne, the prize of the King Selection, to be able to reach the end...

But that doesn't mean there aren't negative results to this action, too. The presence of these Coin Farms, for example, where they force people to fight each other to gain coins for themselves...

Kim Dokja sees Han Sooyoung in one of the cages.

That's also all he needed to see, to decide that this coin farm doesn't deserve to exist.

So, expelling it from life, it is. Han Sooyoung helped; it was a collaborative effort.

His clothes ended up stained in blood, though, making them unusable...what a shame. He really did like how snugly it fit him. Dokja honestly has a good eye about these things...

Guess he'd just have to make do with what was available.

==

He meets the King of Wanderers.

...he doesn't want to talk about it.

==

He meets Song Minwoo again, too, after so many years.

A little trauma held him back, but it's...it's all good. Han Sooyoung covered for him, and he was thankful for it.

("Mind telling me what was that back there?"

"..."

"...or keep your secrets. You don't have to tell. I don't...care, either way.")

He got to beat the sh*t out of that jerk, which was something he didn't get to do in the past, so it felt--good. Really good.

==

Staring up at the giant meteor, Han Sooyoung scowls. "I don't want to waste anyth--"

Kim Dokja held out mana potions to her.

Han Sooyoung snatched them, grinning. "Glad to do business with 'ya."

==

Completely by chance, they came across Kim Namwoon and the grandmother. Kim Dokja was embarrassed with the fact that it's taken him this long to learn that the grandmother's name was Cho Hyun-Jae, but to be fair, it's been a pretty busy...week? Month? He has no idea how long it's been.

Cho Hyun-Jae has a useful skill, too; she could knit bags, and those bags would immediately give infinite storage once it's finished.

Which is good! Very useful.

...but if only Kim Dokja didn't have to throw away the clothes Dokja gave him.

Dokja won't take offense, right?

Right.

==

"You know--we're often harsh to the people who remind us of ourselves."

"Shut up, you owl b*st*rd", Kim Dokja huffed. "Why are you talking about Kim Namwoon? You and Yoo Joonghyuk are literally dying."

An amused, cunning smile. "I didn't mention a name."

Kim Dokja really wants to punch Dokja in the throat. Unfortunately, he can't do that, what with how the man's slumped over than Sooyoung right now.

Aside from Kim Namwoon and Cho Hyun-Jae, who were both walking behind them, Kim Dokja and Han Sooyoung came across Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk, too. And, apparently, both of them have been poisoned.

Yes, both.

They encountered the Poisoner, one of the 10 Evils in this ruined world. It just so happened that the Poisoner...was Yoo Joonghyuk's lover and the one meant to be closest to Dokja aside from the protagonist, Lee Seolhwa.

Yoo Joonghyuk must have done something stupid to get her attention. Hence...

"Why didn't you stop him?", the reader continues to protest. Yoo Joonghyuk's heavy, alright? No one wants to carry this much weight all the time. "You're a prophet, aren't you? Surely, you must have seen--"

"My power doesn't work like that. I...", Dokja winced. "I did try. This guy is just."

Stubborn. As stubborn as a mule. Kim Dokja knows.

That doesn't mean he has to be happy about it.

"...you didn't tell me this one thing properly, though."

Grey eyes flicked back to the prophet, then to the sky.

He could feel onyx eyes pierce through his head with a stare alone. "Are you a prophet? Or, do you know the future in some way?"

--Kim Dokja breathes.

This man, questioning him now. That other man he's carrying currently. Both of them helped him live on to this point, to truly struggle and claw his way to grab as much happiness as he could.

Now that the apocalypse has started, maybe the mundane happiness he's started to gather would be the hardest thing to obtain now.

Even so--

The reader opened his mouth. A single word came out.

Dokja stares at him, uncomprehending for a few seconds. Then his eyes widened. "How do you--"

"I'm not an enemy", Kim Dokja says, resolute. Determined. "No matter what, I'm on your side."

"You're..."

"I can't tell you much of anything, but I'm asking you to trust me. I can help you. Please."

Kim Dokja, the reader, has an Ending he wants to see in this ruined world. He's only here because of his friends, because of the characters now living and breathing with him now, so...

He'll make sure everyone gets to that End with him.

Chapter Text

Lee Seolhwa was essential to this story.

She's the main female lead in Ways of Survival; the anchor that held Yoo Joonghyuk through all of his regression turns, even when she couldn't remember anything in each regression.

Dokja's relationship with Yoo Joonghyuk may have remained on the fence if it was actually platonic or romantic, if the love was mutual or one-sided, but Lee Seolhwa was consistently still one of the most important people in Yoo Joonghyuk's life.

Even if that importance was warped out of shape, becoming chaotic and indescribable, as more and more turns piled up in the protagonist's memories.

If this guy lost her in this turn...

Well.

They'd just have to make sure that doesn't happen, right?

In the meantime--

[You have used the Midday Tryst.]

[You are seeking consent from the target.]

Kim Dokja was aware that the implications and what he said to Dokja were hard to process. The reader wanted the prophet to trust him as soon as possible, so Kim Dokja deduced doing that was the best move, and yet.

"You're oddly quiet", Han Sooyoung remarks, to the person she's now carrying. "What did he say to you?"

The person inside was so motionless on her back that he might as well be just a human-sized doll. Kim Dokja tried not to notice it.

From this point, it's only up to Dokja. Will Dokja choose to trust Kim Dokja or not?

[The target has agreed to communicate with you.]

However, Dokja is not the only player Kim Dokja has to take into account.

Midday Tryst was an item that allowed for a one-on-one conversation with the selected target for a specified period. He could have taken another cheaper, more permanent method, but.

–You can leave me. I don’t need help.

This person is. Such an annoying sunfish b*stard.

It almost makes Kim Dokja want to punch him again. He doubted he'd get away with it, though.

–Don’t be so prideful. I'll abandon you if you keep it up.

The light in the sky was slowly dying, as sunset approached in their journey east. If it weren't for his investments in his stats, he wouldn't even have the strength to carry this hunk of an a**hole on his back, so. This guy should be grateful, really.

Speaking of which.

–When will you be able to move by yourself?

Kim Dokja couldn't see Yoo Joonghyuk's face at this position. He could deduce this guy is mostly weighing it over, the pros and cons of sharing.

–In two days.

–Hm. Will you kill me when you recover?

...Yoo Joonghyuk didn't answer.

Sighing, Kim Dokja couldn't say it was unexpected. Still, he deliberately reduced his walking pace, letting Han Sooyoung go ahead from him.

–Then I can’t help you. How can I believe a guy who is trying to kill me?

-...

-I'll help you if you swear an Oath of Existence. Swear not to kill me until the end of this regression.

Yoo Joonghyuk audibly clicks his tongue.

–I can’t do that.

This lousy b*st*rd. Kim Dokja might actually drop him.

–Then swear you won’t hurt me until the fifth scenario is over. If you can’t do that, I really won’t help.

The silence went past as Yoo Joonghyuk thought it over. Only Kim Dokja and Han Sooyoung's footsteps were heard between them for a few seconds.

Then, a response.

–I swear it.

Surprisingly, Yoo Jonghyuk agreed. The Oath of Existence was a thorough constraint on the person who swore it. Blue flames hotter than the sun would burn his heart if he broke the oath.

Still, the reader felt relieved when a cold flame emerged from Yoo Jonghyuk’s body and dug into his heart. This guy really did meant it, huh.

Just then--

–I won’t kill you. But...

Oh.

Oh, no.

–But?

–I will pay you back for your attack.

–What?

Wait, wait, this guy wants to hit him?

Ah, but. In hindsight, that did make sense. Karma and all that. An eye for an eye.

–Is this because of two days ago?

Yoo Jonghyuk didn’t answer again for a few seconds.

-...only one hit. I'll do it gently. Understood?

Ha.

Though it might not be so bad. If all it takes to restore his relationship with the protagonist is one hit, then why not? Kim Dokja has grown strong enough to not immediately die from one of this guy's blows, anyway.

==

Kim Dokja wonders what it would look like when Yoo Joonghyuk pays Dokja back from Dokja knocking him around in the King Selection. Would the sunfish succeed in beating up the owl?

However, the equally likely outcome is the owl making the sunfish swim in circles on land.

Either way, Kim Dokja wants to see it happen.

There's nothing wrong with that, right?

Right.

==

They all moved East, where the Disaster in that location was awakening.

Correction: someone was waking up that particular Disaster.

It wasn't that hard to guess, for Kim Dokja and Han Sooyoung. Countless regressions signaling the introduction of Lee Seolhwa start in this way.

Not to mention that Yoo Joonghyuk even confirmed it himself.

–Then why were you poisoned? If you knew that the opponent was the Poisoner, shouldn’t you have avoided facing her from the front?

–I was trying to convince her.

–Convince? You?

–I wanted to make her a companion.

The 10 Evils were among the most wicked incarnations in Ways of Survival. However, they aren't solely evil from the very start. They weren't always antagonists.

And some have the potential to be turned away from the dark path they were on.

This includes Gong Pildu, who Kim Dokja managed to turn to his side.

And this includes Lee Seolhwa as well.

"Here's the problem", Dokja brought up, as they were travelling through the ruins of the city nearing where they needed to go. "Because the Absolute Throne was destroyed, we're all dealing with annoying inconveniences at a faster rate than normal due to the guides being scattered all over."

At the top of a building, the head of the plant that resembled a mildly wilted sunflower followed after them with its eyes as they all walked past the infrastructure. Giant green roots were scattered all over the place.

[The 7th Grade Plant Species, "Yanaspleta", is on the lookout.]

Han Sooyoung looked at the roots, squinting. Dokja noticed her hesitance and chirps cheerily. "Watch your step!"

The plagiarist was annoyed and it shows. Kim Dokja doesn't have much sympathy for her at this moment, unfortunately.

Anyway.

"We need to keep moving", Kim Dokja brings up. "The terraforming will speed up if the disasters awaken. The last thing we need is for that to happen ahead of schedule."

Terraforming.

The current scenario's theme was World vs World. This means worlds will try to devour this one, with Korea dealing with the erosion coming from the world Chronos.

Typically, after the Absolute Throne was claimed, the guides will emerge together to pledge allegiance to the King of that throne and work for that person to defeat the disasters.

However, the Absolute Throne was destroyed. The guides were consequently scattered, just as much as the humans.

And disasters emerging earlier than schedule is definitely a real possibility.

"What kind of person wakes up a disaster?", Han Sooyoung huffed when Kim Dokja shared that possibility. "Do they want everyone to die?"

...now, Kim Dokja shouldn't. He really shouldn't.

But. "It could be person like you, who decided waking up the fire dragon was a good idea."

Han Sooyoung bit her lips. "It ended for the better, didn't it!?"

Is. Is she serious? "You read the same thing I did, you plagiarist. At that time, the intermediate dokkaebi placed a penalty on the fire dragon. Otherwise, all of us would have been screwed."

"Ah."

Yes, ah. It only turned out well because of that penalty. They don't--have that luxury now.

"What if he didn't kill it?", Dokja brought up. "Did you plan catch it? And you killed quite a lot of people, too! Unnecessarily, but understandable."

Han Sooyoung didn't answer.

Kim Dokja would have liked to hear her reasons, though.

Unfortunately, they were pressed for time. Their group moved quickly to avoid the monster’s colony, especially the hostile ones. In the streets, corpses were getting consumed by the monsters that already emerged.

At least there wouldn't be much of a rotten smell in the area for long.

The way was far. They even encountered Yoo Sangah on the way, mastering her new abilities.

Han Sooyoung raised an eyebrow at her tight black suit.

Yoo Sangah flushed at her gaze. "I-it was practical."

Considering that the blood she spilled while defending them from the attackers at the bridge, Kim Dokja had to agree. He hated she had to do something like that, though, when he knew she despised the thought of killing.

Even so, it was unavoidable. The world was in ruins, and so the primary rule of kill-or-be-killed among society has reduced back to result in such fatal consequences.

The constellations see it all as entertainment, either way. Something interesting to pass the time.

Ah, well. It can't be helped.

This is just the way the world is, Kim Dokja supposed. Back then, and here in the now.

==

It had almost been too late.

The meteorite was on the verge of hatching the Disaster of the East.

And the culprit...

"Who are you?

A woman emerged from behind the meteorite, hair as white as snow and lips as red as the wildflowers on a snowy mountain.

Her eyes were glassy and cold. Her presence was indimidating--like a giant statue looking down at you, even though you were both mortals and roughly the same height.

It made Kim Dokja's skin crawl. What an overwhelming feeling it was...

Did she also receive the power of the disaster meteorite? Then again, it might also be something else.

Han Sooyoung was nearby, with Yoo Joonghyuk. Dokja the prophet had recovered earlier than the regressor, and so that guy had accompanied Yoo Sangah for preparations and artifacts to use.

Just in case.

In the third round in the original, no one was foolish enough to wake up the disaster, even if they did borrow the power of the disaster. Therefore, they were all way out of their depth here.

Kim Dokja tries to talk first. "Stop hatching the disaster meteorite."

The Poisoner, Lee Seolhwa, looked at him. "What if I don't want to?"

"You'll die here."

She sneered at him.

And Kim Dokja drew his sword. Fighting it is, then.

==

He wasn't the one who grabbed the Four Yin Demonic Beheading Sword, since the other Dokja grabbed it for him. Therefore, the Dongui Bogam came from the prophet as well.

He handed it over to Kim Dokja, onyx eyes devoid of stars.

"You said you're an ally. If you knew to tell it to me, then maybe you are", Dokja tells him, narrowed, calculated. "So I'm asking you to bring the Poisoner to us. Understand?"

Prove it, the prophet was saying. Prove to me that I can trust you.

The word Kim Dokja spoke was to guarantee Dokja's cooperation and avoid annihilation in the prophet's hands. Of course there has to be something more if the reader wants more than that from the prophet.

"I understand", the reader tells him, and resolves to strike two birds with one stone.

Lee Seolhwa was Yoo Joonghyuk's lover in the second round. The regressor looked for her due to the fact that he lost her too soon--her, and the child they had there.

Kim Dokja doesn't know what Dokja saw in Lee Seolhwa when he laid eyes on her. But it was enough for Dokja to decide she was useful, and so--

[The special option of Dongui Bogam – Incomplete has been activated.]

[Dongui Bogam – Incomplete has conveyed the essence of Oriental Medicine to you.]

This version was incomplete. There wouldn't be any miracles happening anytime soon, no bringing people back from near-death nor creating all-powerful poisons.

But there was one thing he could do.

The fight had dragged on a little, just enough for Kim Dokja to find an opening. The particular treatment he had in mind needed the target to be bound and restrained, and while the reader doesn't have a rope that could be used for it, there was an option available.

It was a misleading position. Yoo Joonghyuk might actually murder him for it. But he grabbed her arms and pinned her to the ground, just long enough to grab a needle and--

[The exclusive skill, Hit a Pressure Point lv 2 is activated.]

Shrill screams of an insect tore through the air. Slowly, the voice of a human climbed out from the middle.

Kim Dokja let go, just as Lee Seolhwa--more specifically, her body--hacked out the creature that had invaded inside and took complete control.

One of the guides, Antinus. Her hatred for the disaster that destroyed her world had caused her to desire the death of countless more.

The one that destroyed her world was human--and so she wanted to destroy all humans in return.

It was a tragedy, really. She was a great hero, and a good guide in the turns the Absolute Throne was not destroyed.

However, what matters most is...

"Y-you...who are...?"

Eyes were wide, a kaleidoscope of rhodonite and grey and moonlight. The true female lead was now looking at him.

Kim Dokja looks back at her and finds himself saying. "Yoo Joonghyuk sent me. My namesake did, too."

"Namesake...Yoo...?"

–Kim Dokja.

Kim Dokja smiles. "You'll know soon enough."

==

Of course, things were far from over. He only succeeded in expelling Antinus from Lee Seolhwa, after all.

But even with the other guide, Lycaon's help...

[You have failed to clear the scenario.]

[The "Disaster of Questions" has come to your world.]

Ah. Sh*t.

==

"Hah! Noona is pretty!!"

Yoo Sangah raised her blade, pointing the sharp edge at his throat.

Dokja, beside her, grins up at the Disaster. "She is, isn't she! She'd appreciate some space, though!"

And the Disaster instinctively dodges when Dokja swings his fist at him. Reckless, but the Disaster was successfully pushed back a few steps. Somehow. Even Dokja himself looked surprised for a split second.

Seeing this scene, Kim Dokja huffed. Couldn't he just pull her away like a normal person? "What an owl b*st*rd."

"Not like you're any better."

"Shut up, Sooyoung."

==

Kim Dokja took quite a beating, but--nevertheless...

The Disaster is defeated. They all get to live another day.

As the unconscious, worn-out form of Yoo Joonghyuk was approached by Lee Seolhwa, Dokja went up to Kim Dokja, inspecting him up and down.

A lopsided smile greeted the reader. "I knew there was a reason why I like you."

Something in Kim Dokja's chest loosened at those words.

==

"This is just like back then, isn't it?", Yoo Sangah mused. "We meet at the convenience store when we have free time and hang out like this."

Tearing the skin of the roasted Yanaspleta root with her teeth, Han Sooyoung scowls with her mouth full. "But you're almost always away."

"Yes, well. My parents were, um. Rigorous, back then."

The plagiarist writer tore another large bite and violently chewed.

Kim Dokja rolled his eyes. He wants to pull her cheek. "Eat slowly."

"I eat however I want, peasant. F*ck you", and then. "...dammit, this is really good."

A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "I know. I made it."

Han Sooyoung whacked his arm with her fist. Kim Dokja let her, but he was laughing. He also felt Yoo Sangah gaze at their antics fondly.

Her smile slid off a bit later, though. "...s-so. This is real."

Han Sooyoung and Kim Dokja looked at her. 

The writer was the first to look away. "Isn't it obvious?"

Yoo Sangah's lip visibly trembled. "A-and we...we can’t go back..."

Kim Dokja saw that her hands were trembling. It wasn't from the cold.

During the time they were separated again, she had grown--and she had also killed humans with those hands. To live, her hands had taken away the lives of others...

"It isn't your fault", Kim Dokja said. "None of this is your fault at all."

Yoo Sangah flinched. Her eyes were wide, looking at him with...tears starting to fall from her eyes.

He's never seen her cry before.

Neither did Han Sooyoung, panicking when she dropped her roast and started sobbing uncontrollably.

Turning his head down, Kim Dokja put his skewer down, staring at the flames dancing in the middle.

This ruined world brought back the worst of humanity to the forefront. Proved that when placed in the right circumstances, humans will lie, cheat, and backstab each other in the name of survival.

Kim Dokja was able to thrive because of his knowledge. Because it was his book that came into reality.

"Not your fault...at all", the reader repeats, placing a palm on his own chest.

He knows it was truth, and yet--somehow, he felt like it was a lie. Quiet moments, moments of happiness, have truly become a luxury now. Regardless, he's the one clearly flourishing in this world now.

They all keep pushing forward, regardless.

==

You'd think you'll get used to death when you've experienced it enough times.

Granted, he only experienced it once. Burning to death wasn't exactly a forgettable experience even when his Fourth Wall skill offset most of the pain.

He doesn't know if it was comparable to suddenly gaining a hole in his stomach, though.

The Disaster of Floods was their next enemy, the strongest and yet the most tragic of them all.

If she used all her strength, she would be an unmatched disaster compared to the Disaster of Questions. The Disaster of Questions would just affect Gangdong-gu but Seoul would be wiped out in less than an hour with her power.

"No matter how I look, she doesn't seem like a disaster", Yoo Sangah wondered, when they found the child five days ago. The one that would soon turn into their enemy.

Despite Han Sooyoung's protests, they let the child live and Kim Dokja made himself as her sponsor. The child, Shin Yoosung, was able to grow rapidly under him--to the point that she could summon a sea serpent at will and have the serpent transport them.

Lots of benefits from this deal. Han Sooyoung couldn't even say anything, hah.

But that was only just the Shin Yoosung in this regression.

According to the original novel, the Disaster of Floods that would come is a Shin Yoosung from a different regression. A regression in the future, Kim Dokja supposed. The 41st turn.

She was betrayed by Yoo Joonghyuk and was abandoned outside the world.

Therefore--knowing her story, he really couldn't blame her at all.

And yet.

"Kim Dokja!"

Hacking out the blood that trickled into his mouth, shaking hands clutched what should have been his stomach. Ah, dammit. Ow...

Lee Seolhwa's eyes were wide, surprised by this sudden turn of events. Yoo Joonghyuk--the reader feels a calloused warm palm place itself on his shoulder and other arm. Why is this guy's face--?

"Yoo Joonghyuk", another hand placed itself on Kim Dokja's own. "We...we have to put him out of his misery."

Huh. His namesake is here.

When did he get here?

Dokja hardly reacted when Yoo Joonghyuk screamed out their shared name, although the carefully-blank look on the prophet was. Frightening. To see, on someone that's normally so expressive.

But in hindsight, knowing the one aspect of this character that was consistent...

"It is not too late."

"Don't you see the freaking hole on his torso?"

Kim Dokja feels his vision blur, his sensation of touch fading. "If one of you kills me now, you can--gain coins...I'm already dying, anyway..."

White hair slid past Dokja. All of a sudden, Lee Seolhwa was so close, eyes sharp, assessing.

She could already tell the reality in a split second, though, by the way her shoulders slumped minutely. Or...did it really? He couldn't be quite sure.

There was too much gone, that was the fact. It's unreasonable to expect Lee Seolhwa to fix this in time.

At least this agony had an end.

[You have died.]

[Current karma points: 100/100]

[You have enough karma points to use the privilege.]

[The privilege of the King of No Killing is activated.]

He supposed he needs to thank Han Sooyoung for this privilege she allowed him to have, however.

[Due to a collision error with your exclusive skill, the privilege of King of No Killing would be delayed.]

[Thanks to your death, your consciousness has been completely liberated from the constraints of your body.]

...okay, that's reasonable. 

So, he just has to wait. Hopefully, not for too long. This whole thing is pretty new to him, even though he's read about this all before.

[Exclusive skill, Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint stage 3 has been activated!]

Mostly.

He takes opportunities granted to him, though, and so he gets to see what happens while he waits for resurrection.

He sees Lee Seolhwa grab his wrist and never find the sound of a heartbeat that has already stopped existing.

He sees the disaster Shin Yoosung, the Disaster of Floods from the 41st turn, the most pathetic and monstrous of all, opening gates to let monsters flood into this world. His team are all here nearby--they should be able to hold their own long enough for him to come back.

And then.

Dokja was beside Lee Seolhwa, beside Kim Dokja's corpse. His face was still so carefully blank, even though he reached out to brush away the bangs on the corpse's face.

Softly, the prophet spoke. "You stupid, stupid man."

Kim Dokja thinks that's rather unfair. It wasn't like he planned on dying, thank you.

Furthermore, he even died for Yoo Joonghyuk because of a misconception. It's definitely not a stupid thing.

This... "Kim Dokja...!"

"I'm glad--it was me and--not you..."

Better him than someone else, anyway.

Unfortunately, this sunfish of a protagonist has decided his stunt wasn't enough of a heart attack. As Yoo Joonghyuk drew his blade, there was a sound not unlike that of a low guttural growl. "I'm going to kill you, Shin Yoosung."

Dokja grabbed Yoo Joonghyuk's arm, though, harshly pulling him back. When Yoo Joonghyuk turned to him, Dokja smashed their foreheads together at full force.

Kim Dokja winced. That's--one way to force someone's attention, alright.

"I saw him push you away. You were the one that's supposed to have died here, you rock for brains", Kim Dokja's eyebrows knitted. Was it anger? Irritation? "You can't afford to fly in a rage right now. We need to help the others first."

"Don't stop me."

"You think the sacrifices made for you worthless, I see. Good to know."

Kim Dokja stops.

Yoo Joonghyuk also stopped long enough to look at Dokja like he was a burnt onion slice. "What are you saying."

"Dokja-oppa is saying some nice words!", apparently, the Disaster Shin Yoosung was listening in, too. "But aren't you too agitated, Captain? Something is strange."

The two of them turned to her.

Chaos reigned all around them. Monsters roamed, attacking everything in sight as humans either cut them down as best they could. Some were mauled by their jaws, too.

It was a perfect kill-or-be-killed scenario.

Shin Yoosung's demeanor was like that of a predator watching their prey. "Who was that guy? I've never seen him before."

Yoo Joonghyuk's teeth gritted.

Honestly, Kim Dokja wasn't expecting anything. Probably another attempt at fighting the disaster will happen because of this, but.

"That guy", the protagonist starts. "He is my companion."

Silence, between this little group.

Kim Dokja couldn't believe it, either. What? What is this guy saying...

Mocking laughter followed. Some of the giant beasts wreaking havoc turned to look at the disaster Shin Yoosung as she laughs, and laughs, and laughs.

And then she turns to the other two still alive in the area. "Companion. Companion, he says! How dare he!"

Lee Seolhwa remained motionless on the ground, Dokja's hand in front of her as if getting ready to shield her. Kim Dokja didn't even notice that before.

But the prophet stood. White coat billowing, face perfectly stoic and calm, Dokja looked at the Disaster in the eye and asked. "You speak to me as if you know me already. Have we met before?"

The Disaster looked like she just got punched in the gut.

It took a long, long while for her to recover. "Right. Right, yes...of course--you wouldn't remember, either."

Dokja tilted his head.

...of course, the prophet may be missing key information here but Kim Dokja understood entirely. There were only so few regressions where the Disaster Shin Yoosung gets to meet the prophet in Ways of Survival. Those times could only be counted by one hand.

And because of the rareness, Shin Yoosung is caught off guard every time. Dokja, Lee Jihye, Lee Seolhwa, Lee Hyunsung.

The most violent reminder that her family, the family she was forced to leave behind, will never come back again.

To make it worse, she's wandered through worldlines through thousands of years all alone, became one of the most powerful...only for it to amount to nothing.

The Disaster of Floods. Truly the most tragic of them all.

This is the reason why he hated the 41st turn so much, honestly. The consequences will never be undone here.

"I don't know what you're saying, but there is one thing I know", Yoo Joonghyuk said, his blade fully drawn--and pointed at her. "You killed my companion. Thus, you will also die here."

==

So many things had changed. So many people who weren't in their right place, with different leaders taking in different underlings.

The disaster Shin Yoosung was definitely caught off guard when she found that Lee Hyunsung was in Kim Dokja's party--and not the Dokja she knew. The appearance of another kid, too.

And then.

「 "Ahjussi." 」

「 "Captain. Dokja-oppa." 」

It wasn't possible. Yet.

「 "I am Dokja. Kim Dokja", a gentle tap on her head, a calm facade. "In the next five days, you will become stronger than anyone here." 」

「 "Yoosung-ah", a playful smile, a hand patting her cheek. "Good job. Dokja-oppa got it covered from this point on, mhm?" 」

The two Shin Yoosungs were ripped away, as an invisible force yanked Kim Dokja back. The result...

[The privilege of the King of No Killing has been completed.]

[100 karma points have been consumed.]

[The wastes of your flesh have been completely removed and your body's performance has increased.]

And then Kim Dokja opened his eyes inside a body made of flesh and bone again.

"What...?"

The reader turns his head. Lee Seolhwa was there a little ways away, stunned.

Kim Dokja felt a little bad. He's dropping bombs on her left and right, even without meaning to. "Erm. Hey."

Yoo Joonghyuk was here, too, tied up and. Staring. Just staring.

Seriously, what's that look for.

--and then clothes were abruptly thrown at his head, sending the reader back down with a choked gasp.

Dokja's onyx eyes were piercing, though he was smiling. "Get changed, you funny-looking man. I don't want ladies and gentlemen to gawk at your full glory."

Kim Dokja blinked. He looked down at himself.

...he's naked.

Okay, that made sense. The first thing to do is to put clothes on, then.

==

They defeated the disaster.

It didn't feel like a joyful victory at all.

==

"You could sketch me", Dokja snorted. The prophet then flings himself down onto the ground, leaning his head on his hand. "Draw me like one of your French girlies."

Jung Heewon rolled her eyes. "I hate that movie."

Dokja sat up indignantly. "Lies! The first time we watched Titanic, you cried!"

"That doesn't mean I liked it, hammerhead."

"I know the truth, I call it like I see it, flamethrower", and then. "Right, Hyunsung-ssi?"

Lee Hyunsung sputtered, caught off guard at the sudden inclusion into the conversation. Dokja sat up to pat his knee--before starting a conversation to the shield with sharp eyes hidden behind a playful grin, poking and prodding with calculated carelessness.

Jung Heewon rolled her eyes again, though there was undeniably fondness there. What really is going on between them?

The alcohol was distributed among the adults gathered around a makeshift campfire. The constellations watched, finding amusement at the way they all found time to wind back after such a stressful situation.

Then again, if they get the time for it, might as well. Dokja summarized such a thing loud and clear earlier. "We all need to celebrate! If not, we'll go insane! And we don't want that now, do we?"

And so it was.

Kim Dokja doesn't know where that sunfish b*st*rd is. Just that Lee Jihye said he's with Lee Seolhwa somewhere.

...will there be a confession scene? Shame that Kim Dokja won't see it.

Then again, it's not his place to be there, so.

Hm.

"Hey, hey. Ugly ahjussi", oh, and Kim Namwoon is here too. "Can I have some beer?"

Grey eyes stared. He hasn't grown to like this kid in the slightest, though he knows he should--since this kid is in his party and all.

But since when did they all decide to call him ahjussi? He's not that old!

Furthermore. "Since when did you get here?"

Kim Namwoon visibly popped a vein. "I've been here this whole time!"

Oh nooo, Kim Dokja has caused offence. Whatever he will do?

"Oi, don't bully the kid", Jung Heewon huffs, nudging Kim Dokja's arm a little. Her face was slightly flushed, so she's likely a little tipsy now. "You're the adult here, you know?"

Kim Dokja hummed. He didn't say anything to confirm.

"Wow, you're an a**hole", Kim Namwoon said, which was rich coming from him of all people.

Lee Hyunsung frowned, momentarily distracted from Dokja's relentless teasing and playful metaphorical poking. "That's not very nice."

"I mean", Yoo Sangah starts.

Kim Dokja shot her a look. She just smiles serenely at him in reply.

"Namwoon, get over here!!", Lee Jihye's voice suddenly yelled from the side. It almost sounds like she's pouting. "If I'm drinking cider, you're drinking it, too!"

"Agh, dammit."

Kim Namwoon went to wherever the girl is, looking like a kicked puppy. What ridiculousness is this?

--Kim Dokja met the eyes of his namesake, just then.

Dokja's eyes were warm, as he tilted his head. Those onyx eyes seem like they were reflecting the whole embodiment of breathtaking galaxies up in the skies in that moment.

Kim Dokja held his breath. He wasn't...reading this from a single page, creating pictures based from the words on a screen. Not anymore.

The beer can tossed to his hand was cold in his palm. He heard bright laughter, sees the messages of the constellations, sitting here with Lee Hyunsung, Jung Heewon, Yoo Sangah, everyone.

"You're here, but your mind is elsewhere!", Dokja called out to Kim Dokja. "Come on, fair prince. Won't you come down from your tower and join these poor peasants in the ground?"

Jung Heewon poked holes at that remark immediately. "Oh, waxing poetry now, are we?"

And yet another round of playful bickering starts. Poor Lee Hyunsung is still so flustered from how close Dokja is, and now he has to be in the middle...

(The man turned even redder when Jung Heewon got close to him, too, though Kim Dokja probably just imagined that.)

Yoo Sangah watched this ridiculous display, giggling behind her hand.

Despite himself, Kim Dokja felt his lips tug into a smile, too.

Then the reader reaches out a hand and opens the beer can.

==

Kim Dokja starts.

Immediately, once he realized what was happening, he was shaking Yoo Sangah out of it. "Sangah. Snap out of it."

"I...wh-what?", her honey brown eyes blinked rapidly, gaze getting clearer by the minute. One, two, three. "Wait, wait, what?"

"I know," Kim Dokja sighs. It wasn't in his own will, and definitely not hers, too. Still.

He looks at the musical notes again.

Well, at least this does get the attention he needed to have.

==

To bring the Shin Yoosung that had turned into a disaster, Kim Dokja needs the help of some certain people. This means--

Harsh citrine stares down at him, gutting him with her stare alone. The Queen of the Darkest Spring herself, wearing the form of his friend Yoo Sangah.

Kim Dokja swallowed, and forced the words out of his throat.

He can't have gotten this far only to falter here. He needs to see this through.

To save just one person...

"Let me show you a story. The most interesting story in the whole world."

==

A promise like that should be upheld, Kim Dokja knows.

And he's certainly done his best to uphold that deal. He's done the task the Queen of the Darkest Spring asked him to do, saved as many as he could, and put on the best show he could muster while slaying the enemies that couldn't be saved.

Han Sooyoung is really just doing her own thing, which was a little infuriating, but she shows up when he needs her most and stays for as long as she could. Kim Dokja supposed that's good enough; she must have her own plan.

If she doesn't get in his way, then he'll simply wish her the best with whatever she's up to.

...he can't say the same about her, though.

"Dokja. Look straight at reality. Even if fiction becomes reality, you shouldn't think of fiction as reality."

He wished he--

"Do you understand?"

He should have never talked to her at all.

Of course she would say those things. Of course.

She really was so thick-faced. Of all people, she is the one telling that to him?

"Dokja...?"

He looks up. Honey brown eyes looked at him in concern.

Kim Dokja took a deep breath, and forced his fists to unclench. "I'm alright, Sangah."

There are far better things to do.

==

"I will liberate you--"

"I don't need it."

"Huh?"

Yoo Joonghyuk looked to the side. Dokja looked back, eyebrow raised. Kim Dokja squints at the regressor, too.

Proudly, Yoo Joonghyuk declared. "I have people who can do that for me."

Silence reigned.

Dokja gave Yoo Joonghyuk an incredulous look, but Yoo Joonghyuk refused to take his words back.

Kim Dokja is getting a headache. To think, of all things that could be replicated from the original Ways of Survival...

==

As they went through more and more scenarios, this kind of view was getting more and more familiar. Ruined buildings, bloodshed, chaos.

The scenery was beautiful, in a morbid kind of way. Destruction and its aftermath, of ruins and hard-earned quiet.

The fact that Kim Dokja lived to see another day could have helped with this serenity he's currently feeling. Maybe it was that he was sure he can bring the disaster Shin Yoosung to an existence acceptable to this worldline.

Either way, it felt like he could take a deep breath and pretend like he can just...exist.

[Constellation, "Black Abyssal Flame Dragon", wonders what happens now.]

[Constellation, "Demon-like Judge of Fire", squeals at the potential display of Companionship about to happen.]

It's a lie of course, but lies can be comforting.

"What are you up to?"

Kim Dokja smiles. It seems that the protagonist does have his mellow moments, huh. "Enjoying the view. It's beautiful...though it used to be something more."

Silence passed, before Yoo Joonghyuk replied. "I don't like landscapes."

"Why?"

"They will disappear someday."

Kim Dokja hummed. If it was Dokja who heard it, the prophet would most likely shoot back with, that's right, but there's still beauty in there if you look for it.

But Kim Dokja was the one here instead, and so he says. "Even so. They are things still worth protecting."

Golden eyes fell on him. Grey eyes stared back, unflinching.

"You don't know", Yoo Joonghyuk tells him.

And the reader smiles.

This was the protagonist. Even if it was still early on in the story, the fact remains clear; Yoo Joonghyuk was a man who wants to save the world. And with the ability of regression, he can do things over and over--until he gets what he wants.

But would that really be worth it, in the end? Will the ends really justify the means?

"Yoo Joonghyuk, wake up", and so, he tells the man. "Don't think things will get better if you repeat them a few times."

He tells this man. "At that time, do you really think you saved this world after repeating such things over and over?"

He tells this man. "Don't imagine you'll get better if you throw away this round. Maybe this is the round where you will see the end of this world as a human."

In the world where gods, monsters, demons, and demigods exist--that may be the most precious existence a person could have.

This infuriating man who only wanted to hold the world in his hands. Kim Dokja--wanted to help him.

Making the impossible possible.

The way Yoo Joonghyuk's face shifted, something in his eyes changing ever so slightly, made Kim Dokja feel like it was possible, too.

==

Eavesdropping? Really?

"Ahjussi", Lee Jihye starts.

Dokja winked at Kim Dokja playfully. "If you dare steal this man away from me, I'll never forgive you, little brother~!"

"What are you saying", Yoo Joonghyuk looked murderous.

Kim Dokja sighed. "Can't you all shut up? I'm not in the mood."

Especially because of the situation right now. The strongest of the incarnations have to die to save the most people. That person...

==

"It's you, isn't it?"

Grey eyes whirled, meeting cunning onyx. Dokja was somehow sitting on that stool chair facing a counter, nursing a glass of transparent liquid inside.

Dokja raised a glass, lips quirked up slightly. An invitation.

"...what makes you think that?", Kim Dokja knows he would be a fool not to take up this offer. He sits across the man in his own stool chair. "It has to be Nirvana."

A hum. Dokja held out another glass from his sleeve. "Of course. In most scales people use, that delusional guy with a god-complex is the strongest."

Ah. As expected of the famous oracle of Ways of Survival. "Yoo Joonghyuk is a strong contender. Do you think he's a good suspect?"

"Well, we could just stab him and see what happens."

Kim Dokja squints at him.

Dokja laughs. "I'm kidding, of course!", and then. "Or am I? I admit it was fun knocking him around in the King Selection."

Kim Dokja felt himself smile slightly, too. He takes the offered glass.

They've never really talked like this one-on-one after the whole shopping thing. Kim Dokja got himself a new coat, Dokja looks more and more like how tls123 described this annoying prophet in the book...

Things were steady. As much as it can.

At the very least, Dokja hasn't given any indication that his prophet powers stopped working, anyway. He was fine in the reign of the Salvation Church, so he should be fine now.

Even so.

"I'll get back to the main point", the reader leans on the spot on the counter nearest to him. Surprisingly, it felt--clean. Like a regular bar counter. "What made you think it was me?"

...silence passed, for a few precious minutes. Dokja's eyes were on his own beverage, swirling the liquid around, thoughtful.

Kim Dokja paid more attention to his own drink, too. He places it close to his mouth and gets a whiff of it--only to find no scent. Regular water?

A rueful smile. Dokja tilts his head back and drinks the beverage in two gulps.

"It's simple", this person then says. "I knew because I saw it."

It took quite a while for Kim Dokja to wrap his head around it. Then he decides he heard it incorrectly. "Wha...saw? You mean--the hints the dokkaebis gave?"

Dokja's smile widened, a glint in his eyes. It wasn't that, then.

The only other possibility...was...

Placing a finger on his own lips, there was a sudden interruption from that thought. "Do you know why prophets in stories are usually portrayed as very old?"

--and then Kim Dokja was thrown back at the sudden topic change. "I, uh. Prophets. Because...they live long?"

The prophet hums. He reaches out to pat Kim Dokja's shoulder. "There's another reason."

"Another reason..."

Onyx eyes peer at him with a thousand twinkling stars, containing wisdom kept secret, kept ever close.

"I'll let you wonder a bit more, as a treat", Dokja says. Teasing, playful, testing the waters. "I'll tell you the answer when we get another moment like this."

And the man left just as quickly as he appeared.

...

Kim Dokja took a sip of the drink.

It tasted a little sweet.

--what was that all about? He really didn't understand at all.

==

...........

......

...

"Is he...really dead?"

.........

...

"Ahjussi, wake up!!"

"Dokja-hyung...!"

"This is a horrible joke."

"Come back soon, alright?"

...

"Don't mourn for me!!"

[Excessive immersion has restricted the use of ‘First Person Viewpoint.’]

[72 hours of waiting time are required before the resurrection.]

[Time remaining: 24:07:12]

==

[The constellation "Queen of the Darkest Spring," recommends that the incarnation "Kim Dokja," be invited to the constellation banquet.]

...huh?

==

.

.

.

[Someone has acquired five stories.]

[A new constellation is born in Seoul’s night sky!]

The prophet pulls the girl to the side, just as light appeared in front of them to split the enemy into two. Then an unknown man emerges from the ground.

Onyx eyes were wide. The girl with the ponytail and sword was gaping, too.

[The constellation who doesn’t yet have a name is looking at you.]

Dokja smiles. It looked a little vicious, and yet so thrilled. "Sure took your time, huh? You stupid, stupid man."

Chapter Text

A group of furious incarnations greeted him when he got back to them.

Of course, that was only after they cleared the way through this Dark Castle.

"Ahjussi, is this your face?"

Lee Jihye's awed look made Kim Dokja pause a little, though. What's that supposed to mean?

He caught the girl as she fell forward, helping her stay upright. It wasn't good for them to lose strength when attacked on both sides.

A hand clasped itself on his shoulder, though. Kim Dokja turns, finding onyx eyes looking back--stars in those orbs dancing with mirth.

"Being a constellation isn't a half-bad look on you", Dokja remarks.

Grey eyes looked back and smiled.

[Your incarnation is looking at you.]

But of course, certain reunions can't be held back. Once the area was safe for the moment--

"Ahjussi!"

Kim Dokja kneeled down and met Shin Yoosung with a tight embrace, finding himself wanting to soothe her and wipe her tears away. Is this what parents feel?

How...strange.

==

A group of furious incarnations greeted him when he got back to them.

Before that, Kim Dokja was met with a strange sight.

"Why did Kim Dokja leave his things with you?"

"That...isn't it because I'm the most trustworthy person for him?"

Silence. "Then I will kill you and take them."

Han Sooyoung and Yoo Joonghyuk duking it out was not on the reader's Bingo card, that's for sure. It's still happening.

"My, my", Dokja just strolled right in with no fear whatsoever. "Are you children? Am I babysitting two other children now?"

Yoo Joonghyuk gritted his teeth, taking the time to look up. "Shut up, you--"

And then Kim Dokja was finally spotted.

Golden eyes stared at grey ones. Grey ones returned the blank look.

A beat passed. Two. Three.

He hid behind Dokja to protect himself from being barbecued. He just came back here! What gives!?

==

Things were supposed to be taken care of already, as much as they can.

He arranged how the rest will go with Han Sooyoung before his impromptu...banishment, for lack of a better term. Yoo Sangah knew about the novel, too, so she would've been able to fare just fine with the others.

Still, Han Sooyoung didn't hesitate to grill him for his sins when they met again. By that, he meant trying to kill someone she knows will be part of his plans. Tch, damn plagiarist.

Annoyingly enough, she couldn't believe what her eyes were seeing. "...did you really become a constellation?"

The world Reinheit had created was rotten to the core, using supposed criminals as fertilizer to sustain a utopia. But it was a despicable method.

It won't last.

Everything about this was pure evil.

==

"Reinheit. You will die and Paradise will fall."

==

A group of furious incarnations greeted him when he got back to them.

This first manifested in the fact that Jung Heewon punched him the very moment they all met up in a peaceful and safe space. Paradise was a false utopia, yes, but it wasn't without benefits in itself.

Especially because of the Dark Castle...

"Heewon-ah is so violent", Dokja noted, helping Kim Dokja up with a faint smile. "You should have let me have the first go."

Owl b*st*rd. How about Kim Dokja socks your face in first?

Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung clung to him like barnacles. Lee Hyunsung looked like he was about to cry. Han Sooyoung grinned and made an exaggerated motion to punch, to which Yoo Sangah stopped with a cheek pull.

It was a little uncomfortable, but Kim Dokja didn't blame them. They all had to deal with the scenarios without him for a while, after all.

But at the very least, most of them were here.

He can keep those who can't fight relatively safe. And for those who could fight...

But when Paradise actually did fell--

A group of furious incarnations greeted him when he got back to them.

Not as a mob. But as a curse.

[Incarnation Kim Dokja will be killed by the person he loves most.]

The party members' expressions were extremely confused at the words Yoo Sangah conveyed. Jung Heewon was puzzled, Shin Yoosung looked concerned, Lee Hyunsung was struggling with something.

Lee Jihye spoke first. "Ahjussi will just revive again after dying. Isn't it fine?"

"It is a good thing, yes", Yoo Sangah nods. "But I don't know how many times he can resurrect..."

"It's a prophecy of Olympus, it isn't that easy to avoid", Jung Heewon pointed out. "So, then who is the person Dokja-ssi loves most? Don't we need to know this first?"

They all fell silent for a few moments. It was clear they were all worried about the oracle's namesake.

Dokja cheekily raised a hand. "No matter what, there are always loopholes to consider. Perhaps there's a way?"

Jung Heewon squints, thoughtful. "That's...fair. But it's still good to consider all possibilities..."

Just then, Lee Jihye raised her hand next. "Uh. You don't think it's me, right?"

The adults stare at her.

"I mean, using common sense--I am a highschool girl. So."

The adults stare at her. She promptly gets ignored.

Jung Heewon tapped her chin. "Kim Dokja-ssi's most loved person is probably Yoo Sangah--"

Speculation ensued.

All the while, Dokja just stared at the horizon.

Silent. Assessing. Still.

==

"Sangah-ssi?", Dokja cooed, later on when Kim Dokja returned by their side physically. "Be a dear and tie up this wild card over here."

Wait, what.

What.

Why!?

Kim Dokja jumped to his feet. "Isn't that cheating?"

"It's called making proper use of your assets. Now, if you please?"

"No, do not tie me up--"

Kim Dokja was tied up with Ariadne's string. He hates it here.

At the very least, they were given privacy right after. Yoo Sangah and Dokja exchanged a few words too faint to be heard properly by the reader, before the heroine-like maiden was pushed to a place far enough to prevent eavesdropping.

Then, they were alone here. The reader and the oracle.

It got straight to the point in an instant. "I can't see what will happen in that scenario."

Kim Dokja freezes.

Dokja studies him, eyes sharp. Calculating. "Not a way to win. Not a single possible result. Not even possible doom. Nothing."

Carefully, the reader slowly fixed his face.

Dokja caught that, too. "Do you have any ideas for this scenario? Little brother."

Kim Dokja leaned back. "I wouldn't know anything about that."

Step. Step. Step. Dokja crossed his arms, head tilting. His smile was sharp.

"Okay. Let me rephrase", onyx black eyes reflected an unforgiving black hole. "Do you have a death wish?"

"No, I don't."

"Could have fooled me."

To that, Kim Dokja said nothing. He understood where this impossible namesake of his was coming from, after all.

Wasn't he one of the loudest voices among the companions, when it comes to preserving life? Especially when it comes to Yoo Joonghyuk.

[Your understanding of the character, "Kim Dokja" has increased.]

"I'm the only one who knows what's going to happen", the reader settles.

That is the wrong thing to say.

One step forward, and another. Unadulterated fury was in those galaxy vessel orbs.

"Considering your track record so far?", Dokja smiled with all teeth. "I seriously doubt that."

"I told you to trust me, didn't I?"

"Well, if you're so trustworthy, you wouldn't have died at all."

==

How many times had Kim Dokja died?

Perhaps about...three times. Five, if incredibly near deaths count. And he's always come back each time.

It was a pattern. Which was good, because it meant a guarantee.

So, why?

--shaking his head, the reader forced his mind to clear. It wouldn't be good to cloud his mind with doubts, or he'll likely end up getting an embarrassing death.

After all, the 73rd demon king was strong, but not that strong.

It will be the easiest scenario to finish if they are thoroughly prepared.

...ah. Speaking of which.

"I have a plan", Kim Dokja announced when he walked in.

Han Sooyoung and Yoo Sangah stared at him.

"I won't get hurt, I swear."

They both stare at him. This level of distrust is rather hurtful.

==

He jinxed himself.

He absolutely jinxed himself.

[The 73rd Demon King is dead.]

[The Star Stream has corrected the balance of this scenario.]

[The Star Stream has corrected the broken probability.]

And now he's screwed over everyone here.

[The main scenario contents have been updated!]

I'm never going to feel complacent ever again, Kim Dokja swore, staring at the shining precious jade in the spot where the demon king had died. Isn't it common sense not to comment on a slow day?

Even workplaces like offices and hospitals know better than acknowledging something being easy before the scenarios were a thing. That was equivalent to placing a wicked curse on the whole day.

Everything got a whole lot worse when Yoo Joonghyuk somehow disappeared from the rest of the party.

The next thing everyone knew, the sunfish was directly next to the jade.

Here comes the protagonist monologue. "Kim Dokja."

Kim Dokja and Dokja blinked. They both looked at each other. Then they pointed at each other.

Yoo Joonghyuk's eye twitched. "The one with the white coat."

...they're both wearing white coats.

Another try. "The one who's less annoying."

Kim Dokja freezes.

Dokja raised a hand. "Uh. Annoyance is subjective--"

"You know who you are", Yoo Joonghyuk snaps. He quickly regains composure. "Be sure to keep your promise."

[The candidate for the "73rd Demon King" has been found.]

[The new "73rd Demon King" is elected.]

A shaky inhale, as Kim Dokja takes these words in.

Hah. 

This b*st*rd.

--and then abruptly, Kim Dokja clapped. "Okay, moment done. Heewon-ah?"

Yoo Joonghyuk barely had time to block the sword before Jung Heewon was on him. Unfortunately for him, the choice to defend himself resulted in the jade being thrown away. Thump, thump. Thump.

And the struggle was on.

The whole thing was generally a mess. The jade ended up in Yoo Sangah's hands, then Han Sooyoung was running around avoiding everyone while it was in her palms, and then Kim Dokja lost sight of it entirely.

"You're so determined, are you?", Dokja mused as if it was all just a game, clashing swords with the regressor. "You have a savior complex, huh."

"Shut up."

"What will you do if I won't?"

The initial assumption was that Yoo Joonghyuk was planning to screw them all over, to take the powers of the demon king and complete the scenario by killing the rest of them.

Then they all figured out the real reason was even stupider. Trying to regress, really?

There's no way in hell that Kim Dokja will let it happen.

He has the resurrection ability. He can--

"Hey, hey. Tell me."

Grey eyes flicked over to onyx black.

"If you take the gem", Dokja chirps. "You'll live, right?"

Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes widened. They narrow in anger when Kim Dokja nods.

So, the fight intensifies. At some point, Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk clashed. Then, Lee Gilyoung ended up with the jade.

The reader abandoned his position to grab the jade. "Lee Gilyoung."

Lee Gilyoung hesitantly withdrew. "I don't want to. I heard it all--if hyung gets this..."

There was no time. Ignoring Han Sooyoung's screams, he snatched the jade.

He spared a few words. "I'm sorry, Gilyoung."

He let a surge of Electrification emerge to push everyone else back, holding the jade close...

Only for. Nothing. To happen.

What?

"Everyone. Remember the prophecy?"

There was a chiming sound.

...no. Kim Dokja raised his head. No, no--!

But it was true. The one he grabbed was a fake jade.

The real one was--

[You have met the qualifications to become the 73rd demon king.]

[The precious jade is amazed by your potential.]

[A new main scenario has been acquired!]

"It said Kim Dokja will die", Dokja hums, holding up the cursed item made to determine who will be the next evil. "But it didn't say which Kim Dokja."

He then smiles, as if nothing matters.

[If you choose the way of the demon king, you must destroy all existences on the third level of Dark Castle.]

[If you fail the scenario, you will be banished forever from this scenario.]

Kim Dokja pushed himself up. "No...!"

"You've been so awfully confident in your survival so far, right? Then it shouldn't be that hard to do the same."

The reader lunged, desperate. It wasn't that far, he can take it away, he can!!

But the oracle had already pressed it into his chest, closing his eyes. Sealing his coffin. "I am the demon king."

[The precious jade has chosen a new candidate to become the 73rd demon king.]

[The new "73rd Demon King" is elected.]

Demonic energy filled the room, knocking Kim Dokja back. Hands caught him as he went, and yet.

It was too late.

[The Main Scenario #10 ― "73rd Demon King" has started!]

A positively wicked grin spreads. "Let's have some fun, shall we?"

==

[Your fate has been realized.]

"...Dokja..."

"What an exciting climax...haha! Until next time, okay?", a dainty hand caressed a face before reaching to hold the hand of another. "Yoo Joonghyuk. My namesake."

Light slipped through Kim Dokja's fingers.

Dokja was gone before the reader could even touch him.

==

Life went on.

Of course it does. You can't do anything when things have already passed. How you survived, what you lost to get there--it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

Yes. It...doesn't matter at all.

Kim Dokja was sure Dokja would live after being banished from the scenarios. Of course, it's not a guarantee, but there's a fair chance for it. Dokja did take the place of a demon king before, so.

Jung Heewon was like a ghost for the first few months after the Dark Castle, though.

But of course--she was the one who dealt the final blow, after all.

The one "Kim Dokja" loves most. The prophet, not the reader.

A perfect scapegoat in an inescapable fate.

And now Kim Dokja the reader has to live on with the void left behind. The role the prophet had left in his absence.

"It's fair, I think", Han Sooyoung said about it, in that tone where she's trying not to seem too bothered but she absolutely was. "He directed everyone while you were too busy being dead. Now it's your turn."

And so it was. By their logic, this was only fair.

Yet...even so...

...but on the bright side, he actually gets to interact with the members of his company. After Dark Castle, there was a lull in the scenarios--which gave them some room to breathe.

This means having to work with Kim Namwoon of all people, for a sub-scenario.

"Let's just get this over with", Kim Dokja told him when they gathered as a pair at the start. "I'll take the left, you take the right."

The scenario was a maze. Get in, find the treasure, get out with all limbs intact.

Unfortunately, something went wrong somehow.

Two paths in opposite directions somehow turned into a dead end. Enemies promptly spawned out of nowhere on all sides before they could even breathe.

What a horrible story to go through, really.

Now, if Kim Dokja could remember how this particular scenario went in the novel...

"Hey. Ugly hyung."

The audacity made Kim Dokja look up. "Ugly hyung?"

But Kim Namwoon wasn't looking at him in the slightest. Instead, his gaze was on the path ahead--keeping the side within periphery just in case.

"I don't like you", the teen says plainly.

Kim Dokja did not roll his eyes because he was a responsible adult. "That's not news."

"You don't like me either. And that's fine. I don't really care about it."

Whirr.

Kim Dokja drew his sword. Those things found them already?

And yet the kid was smirking a little. "But you know what?"

The look in this teenager's eyes made him pause. "...what?"

"We want to live. Both of us. That means we need each other, right?", Kim Namwoon's smirk widens. "To your left, ugly hyung."

Kim Dokja moves--

And the teen took out the enemy with just one hit. The adult could just stare at the carnage left behind.

After that...? Well, definitely something strange happened.

"Oh, look at you two", Hand Sooyoung cooed mockingly, because of course she does. "Being all buddy-buddy now, huh?"

Kim Dokja flipped her off.

Then wordlessly donated 10, 000 coins to Kim Namwoon for the teen to invest for his own skills.

Why did he do it? Kim Dokja doesn't know, either.

He decides to call it being a generous leader. Because he is a generous leader.

This was only a one time thing, of course, so there's a need for it.

==

...it was not a one time thing.

==

Cho Hyunjae is actually terrifying.

Kim Dokja didn't know of that fact, up until the industrial complex was established.

He and Han Sooyoung fought over it. She wanted it named after her. Kim Dokja wanted it named after Yoo Joonghyuk.

Yoo Sangah, used to this nonsense, ended the fight by pitching the idea of naming the complex after the prophet.

Kim Dokja Company.

It made sense, so Kim Dokja agreed to it. Plus, it lets him be the leader by proxy before the prophet returns.

Because Dokja will come back.

Kim Dokja won't allow anything else.

But anyway. Cho Hyunjae.

She showed her fangs when they all settled down at the complex, assigning roles and chores like a dutiful mother.

No one escaped. Shin Yoosung tried, and she was sent to dust off the furniture with a pleasant smile and a cookie.

Grandmotherly stern leadership. Scary.

Kim Dokja, a constellation, even got to do laundry.

[Demon-like Judge of Fire suggests Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk should do laundry with his companion]

[Demon-like Judge of Fire insists it's for development building.]

[Abyssal Flame Black Dragon laughs at the look on your face.]

Yeah, yeah, enjoy it or whatever. Tch.

"...Dokja-ssi?"

Kim Dokja paused.

Cho Hyunjae smiled at him as she held out something. "We're all glad you're with us."

Grey eyes looked at hers before looking down. It was a cookie.

I'm not supposed to be the one here, he thought.

He locked the sentiment away and ate the cookie.

==

"It's stupid, right?", Jung Heewon brings up all of a sudden. "What he did."

It was a quiet night. They just finished a major scenario days ago. Right around this time...according to the turns where Too Joonghyuk turned into a demon king...

Kim Dokja looks at her, before looking down at his cup. The alcohol turns a silver color from the moonlight when he swirled it in place. "Perhaps."

"Everyone", Jung Heewon says, his voice shaking slightly. "They're so stupid."

He closed his eyes.

It doesn't matter what Jung Heewon's wishes are.

There will always be people who risk their lives for her. For everyone.

That was simply the nature of this world those stars created. And Kim Dokja...

He tilts his head back and downed the drink in one go.

The night was chilly, and quiet. It was almost unbearable.

==

Three years since the Dark Castle, Kim Dokja finally heard from his namesake.

They all reached him in record time. Something about Revolutionaries, patching bodies with story fragments, and rebirth.

Regardless, Dokja certainly welcomed Jung Heewon's righteous and violent fury with open arms.

Almost like no time passed at all.

Kim Dokja exhaled. It feels like he could finally breathe properly.

==

Many things happened after that.

Dokja waltzed right into the Apartment Complex with his typical cheer once his body was stable enough to return to the scenarios.

He sobbed theatrically after Jung Heewon beat him up, wailing about how much he missed his sis-sis and soulmate. (Jung Heewon smacked him again for that, but at least she seemed amused this time.)

He had a little chat with Yoo Mia. They both are definitely talking behind Kim Dokja's back. They're being so obvious...

Probably about how he's so ugly.

It's the predictable thing about Yoo Mia, unfortunately. He spent enough time with the girl to know.

...Oh, and Dokja has a title.

[Demon King of Salvation is looking at you.]

"It's an...interesting name", Kim Dokja settles.

Dokja spat out his juice and cackled. "It's awful, is what it is! As if I'm some grand savior..."

You are, Kim Dokja wanted to say.

In the end, he just took his own sip of juice and looked away.

Anyway. Now that there are two Dokjas, they advance through the scenarios faster than ever. The prophet and the reader, the one who sees individual fates of people and the one who sees the collective fate of the world.

And Kim Dokja ended up learning more than expected about Dokja.

Of course, Kim Dokja already knew most more about Dokja than other readers.

Strangely enough, there's a lot more to learn about him than what was written in the book. He learned that Dokja's mannerisms is kind of like a cat with wings, tilting his head in curiosity whenever anyone does anything, and either keeps his distance or obnoxiously gets really close just to be annoying.

But what's more surprising is--

"What do you think about Joonghyuk-ah?"

His namesake blinked at him.

Completely unexpectedly to Kim Dokja, Dokja made a face. "Uh, no."

"...no??"

"He's charming at first, but honestly? He's not my type. Like, at all. I like the pretty face, but I enjoy someone who can talk back to me and make me laugh, you know?"

That's. That's, hm.

Kim Dokja had a hard time wrapping his head around it. After all, Dokja definitely became a love interest in the novel.

"It's alright, Joonghyuk-ah," Dokja murmurs. "If you need rest, my arms are always open for you." 

The warmth of a galaxy in those fingertips. Yoo Joonghyuk closed his eyes and breathed.

"So unlike you," he had to point out.

A quick press of lips on his forehead. "I'm not so cruel as to kick a downed dog. You're fine."

The amulet glinted with the light of the campfire.

"When it gets too much, I'll be here. We'll be confused about it together," Dokja murmurs to him. "When you need a hug, someone to cling to, a kiss, even more...I can do that. For you."

The world was quiet.

And yet it was peaceful.

Yoo Joonghyuk felt the prophet's hair tickle his cheek a little.

"No matter how powerful you become, you're still human," Dokja tapped his nose. "Never forget that."

See? Like this.

Because of the amulet, the character Kim Dokja became Yoo Joonghyuk's most trusted companion.

And now this Dokja is telling him that there's nothing? No romantic affection?? Seriously??!

Ah, but. In hindsight.

When the protagonist reached around the 1000th regression...

"It's nice to meet you, Joonghyuk-ssi."

Yoo Joonghyuk met the eyes of this prophet that tried so hard to hold him together in another life, and found nothing but cautious hatred.

What he saw must have been like the 41st turn. It's an easy fix; Joonghyuk could give the amulet to him, and make those concerns will be laid to rest...

But.

He utters the word, sees Dokja's face collapse in shock.

The amulet remains tucked inside his coat.

Kim Dokja does not need to remember anything.

So, maybe if there was something, it would've been doomed from the start.

Hm.

But! Kim Dokja wouldn't let Yoo Joonghyuk go that far! Never!

"How about you?", the prophet decided to turn the question to Kim Dokja. "What do you feel about him?"

The reader opened his mouth. Closed it.

When he thought about all those times being alone, treated less than a rat, where the only things he had was a novel that was too stupidly long that no one else would last to the end...

"When you love him, it's like loving the constellations themselves", Kim Dokja settles. "You don't expect a sunrise to admire you back."

Reader and protagonist. Victim and hero.

No need to be more.

Even if it was just one person, Yoo Joonghyuk was a savior. That was a fact.

Dokja studied him with a sharp smile. For some reason, Kim Dokja got the sense that his namesake saw right through him. Somehow. "Hmm, hmm~ here, let me tell you something."

Dokja put the spoon in his mouth. Then casually dipped the utensil in his tea. Which, where did he even get that? Did they have a blend or something??

Noticeably, Kim Dokja sees the color getting lighter and lighter the more his namesake stirs.

"What is the weakest and most powerful thing in the world right now?", the prophet asks. "Can you tell me?"

The weakest thing.

Kim Dokja thought about it. Of course, in the scenarios, everything else was predator. The stories they consumed now seek to devour them.

And yet everyone has the chance to rise, regardless.

"You know what? I'll tell you", onyx black eyes glittered with a thousand galaxies.

The owner of those eyes reached out to tilt his chin.

"It's Man. Now you have to tell me the reason for the answer."

==

"You do realize the story changes just because of the existence of other people?", Hand Sooyoung asks when Kim Dokja was forced at knifepoint to tell the conversation to her. "That story is that story, and this story is different."

And, sure. He hears what Hand Sooyoung is saying. But. "If it's not my namesake, who will be Yoo Joonghyuk's anchor? Lee Seolhwa, right? She is the original female lead."

The plagiarist's eyes drifted, where Dokja and Lee Seolhwa are lounging on the balcony with quiet voices and small smiles. The healer of this nebula leaned in to whisper something in Dokja's ear, and Dokja laughs with faintly pink cheeks before leaning further into Lee Seolhwa's space.

Kim Dokja keeps speculating. "Or maybe Sangah-yah?"

Han Sooyoung glared at him. He seriously didn't notice the fact that the third member of their trio only sleeps in her room?

"Or...maybe Jung Heewon?"

Jung Heewon is practically inseparable from Lee Hyunsung.

Yoo Joonghyuk barely interacted with any of the mentioned people. In fact, the one he's closest to is--

"Kim Dokja", speak of the devil and he shall appear from the kitchen. "Snacks are ready."

Kim Dokja snapped his neck to the sunfish's direction so fast he may have strained a muscle. "Already!? Don't mind if I do~!"

Han Sooyoung just stared. Kim Dokja walked over, reader and protagonist talked alone in there--and not a single BRAINCELLS gained self-awareness at all.

She put her head in her hands. "Unbelievable."

==

So.

Kim Dokja was kidnapped.

For some reason, Dokja thought it'll be fun to get kidnapped, too. To his credit, it was an outer god that did it for no reason at all. Still.

If only there were less tentacles, though.

At the very least, the castle interior was nice. There were little Yoo Joonghyuks!! So many of them!! One for...each regression...

Kim Dokja promptly decided to forget about noticing that.

He gets to meet who kidnapped them, too. Which was another Yoo Joonghyuk. Somehow.

That unknown name from the start of the Sponsor Selection. Secretive Plotter.

...that's such a chuuni name, what the hell?

Even so, it took a while before one Dokja became two. But when Dokja walked in, something was clearly wrong.

He didn't go straight to Kim Dokja.

Instead, he went straight to the Yoo Joonghyuk in the Mother Mary veil to punch the living daylights out of him.

One hit, two, three, "YOU MOTHERF--"

Kim Dokja could only stand there, feeling like an unwilling third wheel in a passionate lovers' quarrel. The words coming out of Dokja's mouth was so. Vulgar. Crass.

Mother Mary Yoo Joonghyuk--because this jerk doesn't deserve to be called properly--was somehow unfazed. Even punches that landed barely did anything.

...damn protagonist.

Dokja tired himself out eventually. Collapsing to his knees from exhaustion and something else Kim Dokja can't name--this outer god caught him in his arms.

"How many turns", a weak inquiry.

The veiled protagonist did not answer.

An insistent press. "How. Many. Turns." 

"...1863."

There was a sharp intake of breath. Then another punch but now significantly weaker--onto this outer god's won chest. "Idiot..."

"Dokja-yah..."

"You left me behind, you--!!"

Dokja went for another punch again. The amulet in his neck glimmered from the light in the castle.

Kim Dokja kept his eyes at it, feeling the sense that something good has just ended.

==

The reasoning for Dokja's answer was obvious. 

Man was the weakest because they aren't born with supernatural powers. They are the bottom of the food chain. Their lives can easily end with just a simple mistake, or a deadly illness, or even a bad slip.

But it was the most powerful because they refuse to accept their weakness. They grow strong, strive to be more stronger--

Strive to live.

Even when all the odds are stacked against them.

"How do your prophet powers work?", Kim Dokja finally asks. "Can you...even do anything with it?"

An exhale. Kim Dokja didn't get the chance before, but now that he's looking at his namesake closely, it seems like Dokja aged a million times since the amulet wrapped around his neck.

Likely because he did. Several lifetimes worth of memories.

"Do you know why prophets in stories are usually portrayed as very old?", and yet this guy tried to smile like he was still young and comparatively innocent than now.

Kim Dokja remembered Dokja asking this, way before. He remembered the prophet telling him the answer.

It seems Dokja is now keeping that promise. "It's because prophets are observers. They guide the way, change up things here and there, but they're not supposed to be main drivers of a story."

A Yoo Joonghyuk mini, to which Kim Dokja started calling as a kkoma, wandered close with food. It had an apron marked 81 on it.

Dokja tenderly caressed it's face with a hand.

"If they do try, consequences will follow", Dokja says. "Fate, after all, is written in US from the moment we are born. No one, whether coward or brave, can escape it." 

The finger fell away.

Dokja closed his eyes.

And--Kim Dokja can't accept it. Not from the person that taught him how fashion gives you a lot more than presentation and taught him how to live.

So. It might be a lot cheesy. It might make people laugh at him.

But Kim Dokja kneeled down to this character he'd come to love, the person behind that character, and says. "I swear it. Everyone...everyone will have a happy ending. I swear."

Onyx eyes settled on grey.

A soft smile spread. "I know you'll make sure of it. That's the problem."

==

They were near the end.

Very, very close to it. Beyond these train doors is the Most Ancient Dream.

The culprit of all this misery.

Kim Dokja braced himself. One step, and it'll all be over. They'll all get to live.

For once, everyone lives--

==

The cause of all their misery.

The worst existence in this entire universe is--

==

"This is what I saw when I first met you."

Kim Dokja's head snapped up.

At first, he couldn't comprehend what he was seeing.

But then the owl b*st*rd continued running his mouth. "An endless sky of stars. It's nice, but it's awfully lonely."

Kim Dokja stumbled back.

It wasn't just Dokja. Shin Yoosung was there, too, clinging on Yoo Sangah's leg. "W-We're here, too, ahjussi..."

Lee Jihye and Kim Namwoon sat together, faces still. They weren't looking at him, but it seemed like they were unwilling to be forced out of their seats.

There was Han Sooyoung there, too. The witch casually shoved a lemon lollipop in his face.

There was also Jung Heewon...Lee Hyunsung...

"Fool."

And him. Yoo Joonghyuk, who didn't say anything beyond that. Who just sat there with him, when the reader didn't even realize he had slid into the ground.

There was a number over their heads.

[50%]

...how? When?

"There is nothing alive more agonized than man", Dokja remarked, with that same annoying smirk he always had. "Of all that breathe and crawl across the earth."

Grey eyes snapped to him.

Onyx eyes crinkled in mirth, unrepentant. "It's from the Iliad. Great book. You should read it, too."

"...why?"

Why did they do this? Didn't they know he split himself for them?

If there was no Most Ancient Dream--

"Because I'm a prophet. I'm an observer that twists things."

As if it's that easy!

Regardless, the prophet leans his head on the wall of the train. "No one escapes fate. Not really. It's written in us from the very first moment we are born. But I can make it so that we can choose how we react to it."

The stars outside glimmered brightly. Kim Dokja let his head fall into Yoo Joonghyuk.

"So, here we are. Half of us here, and half of us there", Han Sooyoung adds.

Yoo Sangah smiles sadly. "This is our choice, Dokja-yah."

--you all...

A small giggle. "A group of lonely incarnations out there and a family of powerless gods here. What a time to be alive."

The train cart was cold. The chairs were metal, so the only source of warmth was...

He hates that he was glad they were all here, with him. He hates it.

Kim Dokja looks away.

[Kim Dokja's Ending is...]