Being a regressor, he was powerful and people revered him as their savior. Because of this, he naturally became a lone wolf. To him, all humans are either his subordinates or his enemies. So, this is most likely a test. He wants me to prove myself if I want to be treated as his equal. Son of a bitch.'
"You did." Joonghyuk says quietly, leaning even closer to Dokja to say so. The whisper sends a shiver up his spine, the breath against his skin makes him very very aware of how close they actually are. This can not be real.
"Oppa has people he can rely on now." Yoo Mia says sternly, sounding so sure of herself as she sits proudly in her seat. "The ugly- hmmm... pretty ahjussi is making sure of it."
She had changed her words mid sentence, a concentrated look on her face as she tries to find something new to call him that isn't ugly. When she decides on 'Pretty' instead, she looks even more proud of herself. And slightly smug. Like a cat. She looks like a little kitten.
"Pretty ahjussi." Lee Jihye repeats after her, nodding along as she agrees. The teenager looks like the thought hadn't even crossed her mind.
"You mustn't take all of it on yourself." Mia demands of her brother, she's upset and it shows clearly on her face. "It's hard to do things on your own all of the time."
It's nice to see these moments play out right in front of him. The relationship between Yoo Joonghyuk and his sister has always been the softer moments of TWSA. And the softer moments will always be among his top favorite.
"I won't." Joonghyuk assures his sister, the soft look returning and melting away the hard edges on his face. It makes him look even better than he usually does. Gorgeous bastard.
Dokja sighs, but opens his message log and surveys the results. There are the expected messages for failing the scenario and the channel usage fee being deducted, but there are also a few indirect messages from the constellations that he hadn't been able to focus on at the time.
[The Constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' agrees with your provoking remarks.]
[You have been sponsored 100 coins.]
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' nods at your decision.]
[You have been sponsored 100 coins.]
[The Constellation 'Secretive Plotter' is disappointed with your flippant remarks.]
Dokja just brings his legs up to sit cross-legged on the concrete silently, trying to ignore the incoming messages. Soon enough, the ichthyosaur begins to move, and the contents of its stomach start shifting.
'According to TWSA, the stomachs of these ichthyosaurs start secreting acid around three hours after they ingest their prey. In other words, I don't have a lot of time left to get this started.'
Red sparks appear in the air behind him, and Dokja glances over his shoulder at the dokkaebi, who laughs at him.
[I'm a bit disappointed. It was starting to get interesting.]
The dokkaebi is understandably disappointed that Dokja doesn't seem very flustered, despite the situation. When Dokja reveals the reason why is because he was waiting for the dokkaebi to appear, he seems visibly confused.
"You knew that guy would show up?" Lee Hyunsung asked, a frown adorning his face. He must be confused. "How?"
Dokja snorted and shrugged. Nothing else he could really do. "It's not like he had any other choice. I was doing something weird. And I sort of engineered it that way. I needed to be able to talk to him in private."
Hyunsung doesn't look like he understands anymore than he had before Dokja's answer, but he seems to light up when he's told that it was on purpose.
'Just you wait, Yoo Joonghyuk. Not only will I get out of here in one piece, but I will also obtain the power to stand as your equal. You will have no choice but to accept me as your companion.'
Back on the bridge, the screen shows a birds-eye view of Joonghyuk watching the ichthyosaur swim away with a serious expression on his face. After a moment, he turns and leaves for Oksu station.
And the scene is back to the inside of the sea monster, the dokkaebi floating in the air as Dokja continues to sit. The reader uncrosses on of his legs and pulls it to his chest to rest his elbow on. He leans back and props himself up with his other hand.
[You've been waiting for me?] the dokkaebi asks. Dokja smiles a familiar grin, his lips curling up around his teeth and they seem almost too sharp. He reminds the creature of the coins he needs to collect as a penalty for failing the scenario. When the dokkaebi laughs at the idea of taking coins instead of a life, Dokja reminds him that the scenario penalty didn't say death. Therefore, there's room for negotiation.
The dokkaebi is impressed that he was able to come to that kind of comnclusion from such a small clue.
[No wonder all the constellations have their eyes on you. As you've said, you can buy your way out of failed sub scenarios using coins.]
The price that was asked of him? 5,100 coins. Dokja knows the fluffy thing just asked for the exact amount that he has, and immediately rejects the offer he was given. It's too expensive and not something he's willing to pay.
The dokkaebi shrugs. [Then you can go ahead and die. I'm doing you a favor here.]
If he doesn't want to pay, he can just give up right here, according to the streamer. However, Dokja has a different idea, the perfect plan for just this situation.
"Just kill me, then."
There's a low murmur that has underlined the group, a couple of eyes landing on him as they whisper to each other. Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung aren't saying very much, but their eyes are the heaviest of all the ones on him.
They both remember what happened the last time Dokja had bet on something like that, the dread that scare had given the both of them. It worked out, it always works out with Kim Dokja, but that doesn't make it any less of a traumatizing situation.
They can both tell the rat is avoiding looking either of them in their eyes, but he'll be forced to acknowledge it at some point. He avoided it last time, having to tell everyone, but they'll see it when it plays on the screen either way.
The dokkaebi freezes, eyes going wide clearly caught off guard by how easily he said that with such a bored tone. [What?]
Dokja settles further in where he is sitting, obviously getting even more comfortable. His grin turns smug, this is going just about how he expected it to. "I said, kill me."
When he doesn't get a reply from the creature, Dokja continues on. "you can't, can you?"
'He won't dare to lay a finger on me because I'm drawing in quite the crowd for him right now.'
The constellations watching the channel are having a great time because fo him, and Dokja is well aware that id the dokkaebi was going to kill him, he wouldn't have bothered coming all the way into the stomach of an ichthyosaur just to see him.
Fangs glistening, the dokkaebi snarls. [You're pissing me off. Hey, just what is it that you're trying to pull?]
The smugness melts away, leaving only a feral smile and slightly off eyes as he looks at the dokkaebi. It's unsettling and looks off on that pretty face. Then, the feral grin drops too just leaving crazed eyes that stare at the floating creature. He cocks his head to the side and deigns to speak.
"Low-grade dokkaebi Bihyung," Dokja says suddenly in a monotone voice and unwavering look, instantly drawing his attention with the use of his real name. "How's your career as a streamer going?"
Despite the dokkaebi's shock, Dokja just comments on how the channel probably isn't doing too well due to stingy constellations. The feral grin returns offsetting the off-putting atmosphere that the reader held previously. Naturally, this just makes both the streamer and spectators suspicious of him.
[The Constellaiton 'Secretive Plotter's eyes sparkle at your plan.]
Dokja's voice drops to a whisper to address Bihyung directly. "Why don't you shut off the channel for a minute so that we can talk?"
It's surprising when Bihyung does so, not a hint of resistance or hesitance. Surrounded by the flesh of the monster's stomach, murky water, rubble, and dead bodies isn't the best setting for a meeting, but it's the best they can do for now. Still, Bihyung decides to hear him out.
[How do you know about the Star Stream when you're only a human?]
The white screen shows up again to display words start to show up like they're being typed in real time.
-Star Stream System
Also known as the Star Stream, the Star Stream System is the means by which footage is broadcast over the entire galaxy.
The subscribers are constellations who reside in galaxies far, far away and the actors are humans like myself. The dokkaebi are called streamers and they are the storytellers that bridge the two.-
Dokja-ssi." Yoo Sangah is the one to talk, her legs no longer curled up and she's no longer picking at her fingers. She is looking very hard at the screen, probably trying to do her best to memorize it. "These are the kinds of things you should be telling us."
Properly scorned, Dokja looks away from her to go back to thinking. This is probably information that could help some people understand the new world they have been put in better.
It would have been a good thing to have a basic guide filled with these kinds of information, but that would get rid of any edge that Dokja could have with it. Humans are selfish and, he too, is no exception to this. There is nothing he would do for just doing a good deed in this new world.
Closing the channel was a tactical choice, he couldn't have his plans broadcasted to everyone like that. There were so many different kinds of things that could stunt his plans so early. It was good Bihyung had listened.
[The Constellation 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' is complaining that incarnation 'Kim Dokja' is a coward for closing the channel when it was getting good.]
"That's not important right now," Dokja bulldozes the question, not bothering to actual answer it. There's no way he would show his hand so early.
Bihyung seems confused until Dokja continues, a scheming smile splitting his face. He was going to make this gambit worth it.
"Bihyung, don't you want to be the Dokkaebi King?"
[What are you-?]
"Don't you want to surpass the likes of Dokgak or Gildal and become the best streamer there ever was?" The comment is technically out of left field, the context is something only the dokkaebi themselves would know at the moment. It's showing off that he knows much more than he should. It's the only trump card he has in this situation.
Dokja reaches out the hand that was resting on his knee, and the scheming smile runs wider. "I'm asking you to enter a contract with me, and I will make you the Dokkaebi King."
Bihyung's eyes are sparkling in disbelief, but somewhere within those depths a small kind of hope starts to stir there.
[Several Constellations are amused by the claims of incarnation 'Kim Dokja']
[Many Constellations are baffled at the idea.]
Many of the people in his group started to pipe up with complaints, calling him out on his reckless actions. Joonghyuk, being the closest, grabs onto his face by his jaw and forces to look at the protagonist. That face looks angered, twisted up and darkened. He is shook by his jaw.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" The question is more of a demand, like all of the bastards questions are. He seems genuinely upset, more than usual. His tone is gruff and low. Dokja really needs to get out of this situation and he needs to get out of it immediately.
"Yeah, what kind of scam are you running this time?" Sooyoung chimes in, a smug grin on her face and voice chirpy as she teases him. She sort of breaks the tension, Joonghyuk's face mellowing out a little as he loosens the grip he has on his jaw.
"Hyung is scamming the dokkaebi?" Gilyoung asks, clambering over both Yoosung and Mia to get closer, a familiar gleam in his eyes. Sighing, Dokja just lets everything happen around him. When he looks at Gilyoung, the kid looks so happy and cheeky that he can't begrudge Sooyoung for her unsolicited assistance. She got the protagonist to calm down easily enough after all.
Lifting his face out of Joonghyuk's grip, Dokja sighs when he gets away with his life. This was not how he imagined that would end. He still reaches over to knock his closed fist on the top of the witch's head.
"It's necessary for other plans." Dokja says in leu of explanation, giving a shifty explanation. He would prefer not to answer too much just in case they leave before his plans are splayed out fully in front of everyone. "Besides, Bihyung doesn't come out of this with the long end of the stick."
He mutters out a "or any stick at all" and Sooyoung cackles out when her accusations are proven correct. "So you did scam him!"
Moving on.
Upon hearing Dokja's confident declaration, Bihyung's eyes go red and he begins to laugh uproariously. He can't believe his ears.
[You're crazy! You must be out of your mind!] He cackles, completely ignoring the deadpan seriousness on Dokja's face. [I should have realized when you rejected all the offers from the constellations!]
'That's right. During the
[Many Constellations...]
[Several Constellations..]
[A couple of Constellations...]
[Many Constellations are shocked at the revealed actions of incarnation 'Kim Dokja']
Well, it's not like they could imagine anyone rejected the offers of help given to them. There aren't many people who don't have a sponsor, considering how fundamental they are for surviving in the scenarios.
Though, it's not like Dokja really needs a sponsor. Nor does he want one. There's only a couple of ways to defeat a constellation, and transcendence isn't exactly in the cards right now...
He's broken out of his own head when Jung Heewon leans over him again. He can feel her body heat. It mixes with Joonghyuk's own body heat and Dokja has never been so warm. His fingers no longer shake from the cold and he melts in the chair. He never wants to leave this.
His fingers are totally only shaking from the cold. No other reason.
[K im Do kja is dum b]
The insulting wall is not helping here. He resolutely ignores how uncanny it is to have a skill talking to him like this.
"You really don't have a constellation, Dokja-ssi?" The judge asks, a critical gaze left on him. She looks slightly let down. "Or did you get the constellation 'One-eyed Maitreya' later?"
Dokja looks at her with dead and tired eyes, he knows what this is. She bet on it, didn't she? "You're not able to get a sponsor outside of
"Wouldn't Dokja-ssi be at a disadvantage without a stigma?" Lee Hyunsung also leans over, concern scribbled onto his face. He seems genuinely worried even with all of the proof that the reader is doing just fine without. He appreciated it, but the worry is unnecessary. There is no need.
Dokja smiles at the soldier, then glances over at Joonghyuk with the same smile. The only stigmas Yoo Joonghyuk had been given by his mysterious sponsor were [Regression] and [Transmission] -which only had extremely situational uses- he might as well not have a sponsor or stigma in the early regressions and scenarios before he built up a catalogue of skills to regain using [Transmission].
"Not exactly," Kim Dokja says, the smile turning thoughtful, "Yeah it can be annoying that I didn't have any stigmas at the beginning, but you can get both stigmas and skills as scenario rewards too."
That actually surprised Hyunsung, his eyes widening and he leans away. There's a determined look that crosses his face. He's probably thinking of how he can acquire some for himself. Heewon leans away with him, leaving the space she occupied to start to get colder. He ignores it. He's just gotta ignore it-
[I don't know how you know about the Star Stream, but I can't accept your offer,] Bihyung tells him with a shrug. [I'm a dokkaebi, not a constellation, so I can't be your constellation sponsor.]
At that, Dokja smirks. "I don't think you get it. I never asked for you to sponsor me."
When Bihyung looks confused, Dokja continues. "It's not your power I'm after, but your channel."
Bihyung crosses his arms as he floats above Dokja, cocking his head to the side as he thinks. [My channel?]
"Let me break it down for you. I want to enter into an exclusive contract with your channel," Dokja states, as serious as he can be in the situation he's been stuck into. At that, Bihyung's eyes widen and he makes a noise of surprise. It sounds suspiciously like a cat yowling.
[Wait, are you saying you want to enter into a
"Yes." His words are unshakeable.
Another white background. More words.
-Stream Contract
A contract between constellations and the dokkaebis.
For a share of the coins earned, a dokkaebi hosts an incarnation of a constellation on their channel.
In return, the dokkaebi who owns the channel receives a share of the coins by the incarnation as commission.-
'Usually, incarnations have no say regarding this contract. Although they are 'sponsored', the truth is that constellations mostly view incarnations as slaves.'
"Pretty Ahjussi, is that... is that true?" Lee Jihye stutters out her question, her voice hesitant and it actually cracks a little bit. When Dokja turns his head to her, she looks conflicted.
"Not quite." Kim Dokja will be nice, for there is nothing else he can do here. "There are some constellations who truly cherish their incarnations. Some constellations see their incarnations as disposable."
He hums, tilting his head as he tries to soothe her hurt a little more. "The novel was in Joonghyuk-ah's perspective for the most part. There wasn't a lot of strictly objective information."
He is helped when her sponsor decides to step in.
[The Constellation 'Maritime War God' says that constellations are diverse.]