[Many constellations are excited to see more scenarios.]
The second main scenario… Kim Dokja narrowed his eyes as he looked up at the screen. A lot had happened, and he honestly wasn't sure he was entirely ready to relive it all. Plus, there were a few moments he could think of where his companions might be upset with him.
Still, he would have to do the best he could, given the circumstances.
As dawn breaks over the nearly deserted ruins of Seoul, the silence is shattered by a gigantic rhino-like monster charging down the street to attack a massive praying mantis. Their cries and screeches echo through the early morning air as they fight, providing an unpleasant soundscape for Dokja, who is in a nearby abandoned convenience store.
He swipes food and supplies off the shelves haphazardly into plastic bags, grabbing whatever he can. Bottles, packets, and cans gradually fill the plastic bags until he can't carry anymore. Somewhere, he's also found a new set of clothes to wear that could replace his ruined ones.
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is disappointed that the incarnation 'Kim Dokja' is not still wearing his previous outfit.]
What? Did the archangel really want him to walk around basically half-naked?
[The constellation 'Lily Blooming in Aquarius' is scolding constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire'.]
"So that's where you found all the food," Lee Hyunsung said thoughtfully, likely realizing that—like them—most people hadn't bothered raiding any stores before they had headed underground. To be fair to everyone, the air suddenly becoming toxic was a pretty good reason for forgetting, especially because they didn't have a convenient item to purify it for them.
[The surrounding land area for the scenario is heavily polluted.]
[Hold your breath and get underground as quickly as possible.]
Dokja stands and hoists the bags up, preparing himself for going outside into the contaminated atmosphere.
'These should be enough. I should head to the basement now since the item's effect is almost gone… I spent too much time putting on the clothes.'
The item in question is the
"Hel…"
Dokja startles at the voice, and he instantly realizes that there's someone else in the store. He pauses for a moment, then turns away from the door and follows the sound of the woman's voice.
"Help…. Help me…"
Yoo Sangah's eyes widened as she glanced toward Jung Heewon. "Heewon-ssi, is that…?"
However, she cut herself off upon seeing Jung Heewon's pale face and tense posture. Kim Dokja clenched his fists in frustration. Yes, they had gotten revenge for her, but that wouldn't help in this situation. Not when everything would be dug up and brought to the surface and displayed all over again.
She deserved better than that. They all did.
He turns around a shelving unit and sees a trembling woman lying on the ground, and she's not in good condition. Though she's wearing a mask to try and slow the spread of the airborne poison, it isn't enough.
Dokja looks down at her in shock. 'There's someone who survived..?'
The woman looks up at him with a pleading gaze. "Help me… Please."
Between her torn clothes, the bruises marring her skin, and the dark splotches from the poison, she looks pitiful. However, her eyes are fierce despite the desperation and exhaustion clearly seen in them.
"Unnie…" Lee Jihye gasped, her eyes flicking between the version of Jung Heewon on the screen and the unscathed one sitting near her. She looked both horrified and confused, not sure how the nearly-broken woman on display could be the same person as the one who always seemed so strong.
Jung Heewon took a shaky breath and closed her eyes momentarily, before opening them again and looking at Kim Dokja.
"You didn't have to help me that day," she said quietly, "but I'll never forget that you did, no matter how upset we get with you for other things that we may see happen here. I was a liability that slowed you down, but you still helped anyway."
She spoke the truth. He could have just left her. He could have hurt her worse.
But the image of bruises on pale skin and a female voice crying out for help were too familiar and he couldn't help then so maybe he could help now and—pack it away, box it up and shove it aside. He wasn't dealing with that right now.
[The constellations of absolute good are satisfied with your good deed.]
A few moments later, Dokja has her held carefully on his back, and he runs down the sidewalk while still carrying the bags of food. Bodies litter the ground amidst the rubble, though obscured by the toxic haze that has descended upon the city.
He thinks as quickly as he can, needing to get underground fast for her sake as well as his. 'Oksu station is already destroyed because it's above ground. The next closest underground station is… Geumho station!'
Dokja skids to a stop above the closest station exit, but it's gated shut.
He can't help but mentally curse at his awful luck. 'Shit, it's blocked. Then maybe the other side….'
Dokja has never been the most athletic of people, so he's out of breath and panting when a voice comes from over his shoulder
"4….Exit number 4…"
The woman's voice is weak, but it's clear she must have come from inside the station and would know where an open gate is located. He follows her directions instantly, rushing over to the aforementioned exit.
At exit number 4, some men are closing the gate when a thorn is suddenly stuck underneath before it can fully close.
"W…What the fuck!?" a guy says while moving back, not sure what to make of this new development.
"Open the door."
The men startle and yell at Dokja from the other side, refusing to let him in even though he has a wounded person with him.
"This place is already full! We don't need anyone else!"
Dokja just sighs. "That's not my problem."
'This is strange. They aren't taking any more people because the place is full? Was there a development in the novel like that?' he thinks carefully, frowning around the
Grabbing the thorn and making full use of his upgraded stats, Dokja uses it to lift the gate and get inside.
[You have entered the safety zone.]
Carefully, he lets the woman off his back and sits her down against the wall, offering the item to her when she gasps for breath.
"Put this in your mouth. This won't fully heal you, but it'll help a bit."
The woman takes it gratefully, and starts using it to help her breathe. As she does so, Dokja observes her carefully while thinking a few things over. 'Was there an 'Extra' like this in the novel? If this was the original novel, then there would've been a high chance of her dying there. Should I look into this? 'Characters…'
Jung Heewon laughed slightly to herself. "So you really didn't check when you saved me?"
He could have, but he hadn't.
Kim Dokja had just known that he couldn't have forgiven himself if he'd just stood there and done nothing.
"No," he said with a small shake of his head, "I didn't check until later. I have no regrets about saving you, though."
That managed to bring a small smile to her face, at the very least.
"Heewon-ssi, I'm very glad you ended up in our group too," Lee Hyunsung said quietly, almost hesitant. He seemed somewhat preoccupied with trying to offend her as little as possible, given the situation, and she clearly noticed too.
Jung Heewon smiled at him, then reached over and gently punched his shoulder. "Yeah, I'm glad, too. Lighten up a bit though, okay?"
Lee Hyunsung laughed slightly and smiled back at her. It seemed that whatever he had been trying to say had been noted wordlessly, and Jung Heewon appreciated his care and worry.
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is curious about this new companionship.]
His thoughts are interrupted by the men's return as they shout, "There! It's him!"
A bright light falls over the two of them as the thugs' apparent leader approaches with a pissed-off expression on his face. He's backed by multiple people, all geared with assorted makeshift weapons.
The man demands to know who he is in what should probably be a fierce voice, but Dokja just looks thoroughly unimpressed while a window pops up. He doesn't even know why the random man is asking that when the scenario requires everyone to get to an underground station or die.
[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' frowns down at the uninvited guests.]
Still, he decides to humour them anyway. "Kim Dokja"
"Kim Dokja? That's your name?"
"Yes"
The lead thug gets angry and tries to act tough to intimidate the two of them. "Who the hell asked about that? I asked what kind of bastard are you?!"
One of the other men notices the woman beside Dokja and points her out in shock. "A-Ah! That woman…!"
The lead thug notices her as well and remarks, "Huh, that's the girl from the Minor group. Didn't she come back with you guys?"
"Th-the thing is…" the other thug replies with an awkward grin that clearly shows that whoever was responsible was up to no good.
The lead thug realises something and smirks. "Ah~ So it was about 'That'? You little bastards. You should have gotten my permission first."
The woman still looks weakened from the poison, but she seems incredibly wary of these men, and Dokja notices it. It's disappointing that such obvious villains are appearing, but even if it's cliché, people will use the apocalypse as an excuse to commit horrific crimes.
A sharp gasp came from the women of their group, and even Han Sooyoung wasn't smiling anymore. They all knew the dangers that had existed even before the apocalypse, and they were all aware that they had only gotten worse. However, they never looked at Jung Heewon with pity—she would be more offended if they did.
Yoo Sangah reached out a comforting hand, and gave the other woman a small smile when she took it. Thinking back, Kim Dokja wondered just how much of Yoo Sangah's popularity at work was actually thinly-veiled harassment that no one had ever noticed or cared enough to say anything about.
He didn't want to make any excuses for himself or his ignorance back then, even if they had worked in different departments and hadn't been so close. Lee Hyunsung didn't seem to know what to say either, so he let the women comfort each other without trying to reach out. Maybe it was cowardly of them, but in a situation like this, Kim Dokja was worried that anything they had to say wouldn't be helpful.
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is howling for blood.]
[Many constellations are angry at the injustice.]
Lee Jihye broke the silence first, glaring at the screen. "Unnie, if I see any of them, I am castrating them with the business end of my blade."
At that, Jung Heewon cracked a smile. "As much as I appreciate the offer, I already got to them, don't worry. They won't hurt anyone else like that ever again."
The men laugh amongst themselves and say that someone named Chulsoo should have been the first to have her.
'Chulsoo? Was there a character with that name? If I can't remember him, then that just means he isn't very important.' Dokja thinks as he observes them with a serious gaze.
The men stop talking amongst themselves and turn to address Dokja once more " Hey, just hand over that girl…. Huh? what's that?"
One of the others notices the other things Dokja brought and he points out the bags from the convenience store, and Dokja is immediately told to hand over the food as well so that he can leave with his life. The situation isn't going well.
[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' is pissed off at the thugs.]
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is furious at the injustice happening in front of her eyes.]
[At the constellations' request, a bounty scenario has been generated.]
The bounty scenario tells Dokja to get rid of the men delaying the storyline within 5 minutes. Dokja stands up with a grin, holding onto the thorn. 'Not bad for me, but too bad for these bastards…'
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is waiting for justice.]
"Ha, that shit thinks he got something…" Chulsoo remarks, clanging his brass knuckles together. Then, he slicks back his hair in a poor attempt to look cool. "If you don't scram now, I'm going to kill you."
In what is likely less than a matter of minutes, Chulsoo is brutally punched into the wall, and many other thugs now lie beat up on the ground surrounding Dokja. Of those who remain standing, some are wondering how Dokja is still fine after getting hit, while others wonder if he has a secret gangster background.
The difference in stats like stamina, health, and agility make a huge difference in battles. My overall level is 33, while most of their stats are still in the single digits.
[The constellation 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' is laughing at their pathetic fighting skills.]
Well, Kim Dokja couldn't really argue with that. Despite their stat difference, they were a bunch of thugs getting their asses kicked by a scrawny office worker who rarely remembered to eat three meals per day. Honestly, if they were even remotely good people, he might have even felt somewhat sorry for them. But they weren't, so he didn't.
"Crap, the bastard went for our legs so that we can't move!" One of the thugs wails, already on the ground.
Dokja moves in front of Chulsoo once more, clearly looking down on him.
Even if he's getting support from the constellations, he can't easily overcome the difference between him and me.
Without wasting a moment, Dokja pulls up the man's profile.
[Name: Bang Cheolsoo
Age: 34
Constellation sponsor: Monarch of the Small Fries
Personal attribute: Assault Force Captain (Ordinary)
Exclusive skills: Dogfight lvl. 2, Bluff lvl. 2
Stigma: Threat lvl. 1
Overall stats: Stamina lvl. 6, Strength lvl. 7, Agility level.6, Intelligence lvl. 2
General evaluation: He was lucky to get a constellation sponsor. He has a tendency to overestimate his fighting skills.]
Noticing his sponsor, Dokja immediately thinks the man is an idiot. 'Why did he choose this constellation?'
Suddenly, he notices something on the profile and speaks out loud. "The Cheoldu group's Bang Cheolsoo?"
"What? You knew about that?" the man grits out. Dokja recognizes that name and frowns.
He is the shittiest bastard amongst the Geumho station group... wasn't he supposed to be killed by Yoo Joonghyuk…? Why is he still alive?
Yoo Joonghyuk glanced at him cryptically before looking back at the screen and speaking lowly. "Waiting for you messed up my planned schedule, so I didn't stay at Geumho station for very long."
Kim Dokja nodded, mentally calculating just how long it would have taken the regressor to get from Geumho to Chungmuro, accounting for all the monsters he had to fight along the way. Suddenly, he stopped and frowned.
"Wait, are you blaming me for that?"
"Everything else changing my plans or going wrong is because of you, so why not?"
Seriously? Yoo Joonghyuk couldn't actually blame everything on him; some of it was definitely Han Sooyoung's fault too.
Chulsoo, thinking he's found a kindred spirit, says, "Oh ho! So you're also from 'That' category? You've also killed your fair share of people, haven't you? No wonder I felt something similar from you."
Dokja's eyes widen in something between shock and a feral kind of anger.
Maybe
Scenes flash by—Dokja in the subway holding the container of bugs as the people desperately reach for him, Dokja watching coldly as Namwoon dies, formless people made up of accusatory eyes and arms grasping outwards.
I could have saved
Namwoon accusing Dokja of liking the sight of the chaos, a moment that had shaken him to the core.
Those people.
Everything is blurring and it's hard to process as Dokja's mind descends into panicked memories and—
[The exclusive skill 'The Fourth wall' has negated the effect of 'Bluff' from the character 'Bang Cheolsoo'.]
Shin Yoosung shuddered and glanced up at Kim Dokja. "Ahjussi, are you okay now?"
Watching that again hadn't been easy, especially since the Fourth Wall was still weirdly missing. Though he wasn't in that situation anymore and he knew the man had been lying to try and trick him, he couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible for all the lives that were lost until that point.
Despite his shaky smile, Kim Dokja tried to reassure her. "Of course, Yoosung-ah."
It was a lie, of course. Time could only heal so many wounds, after all, and mental ones were more difficult than physical ones. Guilt was always particularly hard to banish, and he knew that the people he couldn't save would still haunt him down the line, even if it was only in his subconscious.
"Don't pretend, you fool," Yoo Joonghyuk muttered, just barely loud enough for Kim Dokja to hear.
At that, he frowned. How did Yoo Joonghyuk know? And why would he even care in the first place? Kim Dokja turned his head to look at him, only to realize that Yoo Joonghyuk had already been looking at him. They stared at each other for a moment, grey eyes meeting black, and neither wanted to look away first like it was some kind of competition.
Kim Dokja had never noticed before, but Yoo Joonghyuk had very neat eyelashes, for some reason. Probably more protagonist powers, he reasoned. But still, why was the man staring at him in the first place?
[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' is yawning.]
[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is scolding the constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' for interrupting the moment.]
Kim Dokja couldn't help but notice the regressor's glare at the ill-timed indirect messages, but the moment was broken and he turned back to the screen.
Everything falls silent until there's a wet schlick sound of blood splatting on the wall. Chulsoo's right arm is pinned to the wall using the thorn, causing him to scream out in pain as Dokja looks down at him with a frosty gaze.
"You're not in a situation where you can talk," Dokja tells him.
[The constellation 'Monarch of the Small Fries' is excited.]
[The constellation 'Monarch of the Small Fries' has donated 100 coins.]
Unfortunately, the 'Monarch of the Small Fries' is infamous for not even caring about his own incarnations.
Kicking Chulsoo to the ground, Dokja thinks, 'I was originally going to leave him, but this changes things.'
[2 minutes left until the scenario is over.]
This constellation is a masochist that enjoys seeing his own incarnation get beat up.
The incapacitated thugs watch on in horror as the air is filled with sounds of a one-sided beatdown.
[The constellation 'Monarch of the Small Fries' is having a great time.]
Finally, one of the thugs begs for Dokja to stop, and to let Chulsoo go.
Humans are weak, but why can such weak humans do something so violent? Is it because the world is in chaos?
Grasping Chulsoo by the front of his shirt, not caring about the blood pouring from his nose, Dokja pulls him close and looks at him with a scary expression on his face. "Why did you do that?"
Or is it because of instinct?
Chulsoo is quiet a moment before he manages to reply weakly. "Fuck… Just kill me you son of a bitch…. Fuck, Fuck this kind of shitty world.."
'...So that's how it is,' Dokja thinks after a moment.
He didn't do it on instinct. He was messed up even before the chaos.
He focuses on Chulsoo's beat up face, covered in blood and bruises.
Just like me.
The same scene as before appears—a younger Dokja, beat up and holding a cellphone while pressed into a corner of a library, keeping his legs close to his body. It only stays on the screen for a few seconds before the scene changes back to the present day.
Dokja stands up, musing on the man's words. 'The same… He might not be wrong.'
"He is wrong," Jung Heewon says with certainty. "Dokja-ssi, you have never done anything like what that fucker did; don't you dare compare yourself to him."
Yoo Sangah nodded in agreement. "Dokja-ssi, even back at Minosoft, you were one of the only men who wasn't accidentally or purposefully creepy around me. I know we didn't see each other often, but you never once tried to flirt with me at work. I can't truly express just how much that meant."
As more and more members of the group spoke up, including the kids, Kim Dokja began to feel overwhelmed. His chest hurt and his head throbbed and he felt like he wanted to throw up. It was all he could do to fake a smile and pretend that he could actually hear anything they were saying.
They didn't know. They couldn't know but they might by the time this scenario ends, a small voice inside him said.
Just because he didn't do the same bad things didn't mean he couldn't be a bad person for other reasons. Sometimes the guilt of not being able to do anything was enough to condemn a man for the rest of his life. Sometimes people were bad just for existing.
[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' is frowning.]
[10 seconds left until the scenario ends]
Dojka lifts his leg to ready himself for a kick, and it's clear that he's kicking the asshole in the balls, knowing full well how painful that will be.
The world is destroyed.
[You have met all the conditions to clear this scenario.]
[You have received 300 coins.]
[The constellation 'Monarch of the Small Fries' is satisfied and has donated 100 coins.]
The thugs crawl towards Chulsoo where he has passed out, asking how Dokja could have done this.
And now I have to adjust to this new life.
Dokja picks the woman back up alongside the bags of food, before turning to the group of men once more. Having proven his superiority, he doesn't bother with politeness.
"Take me to the group."
Lee Gilyoung huffed. "At least you beat them all up, hyung. They were stupid and mean anyway."
Then, the kid's face brightened as he recalled the events of the second scenario. "And you're meeting back up with us soon, right?"
That was right. It would honestly be nice to see them all be happy to see him again, even if it was only on the screen. Sure, things were improving here, despite the secrets getting revealed, but Kim Dokja wasn't naive enough to think that it would last. There were still other things he never said, and things he hadn't told anyone about. How long would this peace even hold before it would get broken again?