Thankfully, Yoo Sangah looked a bit less stressed as Kim Dokja easily bypassed the hole in the bridge. As he approached the subway car, however, Lee Hyunsung looked a bit antsy. They had fled it in a panic, and it was probably uncomfortable to see it again like this. Despite any discomfort, Kim Dokja breathed a sigh of relief as he uncovered a box that had been placed there for him to find.
"Did you plan this before the 10th scenario?" Lee Seolhwa wondered in surprise, her eyes widening as she put the pieces together thanks to the note on the box. "Could that be why Bihyung was looking at you so strangely when you entered the room…?"
Now that Kim Dokja thought about it, it was completely possible. He had known that he could end up expelled if the Fate came to pass, so it would be reasonable if he had organized this in advance, even if the box hadn't been dropped off until the scenario ended to avoid detection. Still, it was a bit weird that Bihyung had decided to leave a note, but it was kind of touching. Maybe the dokkaebi cared a bit more than he wanted to admit.
[several constellations are impressed by the foresight of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
As Kim Dokja opened the box, Yoo Mia sat up straighter. "Oh, it's the egg."
Yes, the egg. That was the one item that Kim Dokja had been absolutely certain that he was looking for, considering what his plan would inevitably be. His sword had clearly been placed there after the fact, but it was a relief to have it again.
"300,000 coins…" Lee Jihye pouted. "Ahjussi, you really could've afforded sponsoring us more than 100 coins each earlier. Stop being such a cheapskate."
He was saving it for a reason, dammit! Either way, Kim Dokja watched as his future self exited the train car and sat down to wait for the next part of his plan to come right to him. Just as expected, he was arriving right on schedule.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is curious about the strange light in the distance.]
The light is revealed to be a lantern held by an aged hand with perfectly manicured stiletto nails. His jipsin make soft sounds as he approaches, and the stranger is revealed to be an old man with a large lump hanging from his cheek below his long and hooked nose. His voice is slightly raspy yet strong as he asks, "Are you the 'Demon King of Salvation'?"
Dokja sits silently and doesn't respond at first, but it's clear that the cracks have spread further across his body. To make matters worse, the areas around the cracks have begun to turn translucent. Seeming unfazed, he just examines the old man approaching him and allows the wall to continue to narrate what TWSA had said about situations like this.
「There are demons who live in the 'Story's Horizon'. They're neither Demon Kings nor a part of any demonic species, but they're still called 'demons' nonetheless. They're beings who crave stories as much as the dokkaebi, and who despise the dokkaebi as much as they crave stories. If you've been expelled from a scenario, there is only one thing you can count on—mercy from the 'Demons of the Horizon'.」
Finally giving a full body look at this demon, the hunched man stands across from Dokja. One of his eyes glows yellow in the dark as his light reveals that he's wearing a dirty white hanbok and a slightly crumpled gat atop his head. On his back is a large pack that cannot be made out. This is a Demon of the Horizon, also called a 'Wenny Man'.
[some constellations are feeling uncomfortable.]
Shin Yoosung shuddered. "He looks gross, ahjussi. Do you really have to talk to him?"
Kim Dokja just nodded. "He's going to help me go somewhere where my body won't fall apart."
Though she seemed a bit pacified by that, Shin Yoosung still grimaced in disgust and turned away from the screen. He honestly couldn't blame her for that either, these guys had always sounded a bit creepy and grotesque even in writing, after all.
"News travels fast," Kim Dokja laughed to himself as the man asked about his modifier. Seriously, he had only had it since the end of the 10th scenario, but it seemed that even these beings had heard of him. Honestly, Kim Dokja wasn't sure if that was a good thing.
Lee Seolhwa hummed pensively before glancing at him. "The cracks are spreading, Dokja-ssi. Please don't take too long."
[the constellation 'bald leader of the peasant's army' is nodding urgently.]
Kim Dokja had no plans of delaying this conversation any longer than necessary—it was pretty unsettling seeing his limbs start to gradually fade into nothing. With any luck, he'd be able to negotiate what he wanted as quickly as possible.
The moment that the narration revealed that this was a 'Demon of the Horizon', Yoo Joonghyuk's gaze sharpened dangerously, and it was like he was memorizing every single thing he could about it. He was clearly still remembering the fifth scenario, and that just meant that Kim Dokja had absolutely been correct earlier to make sure that he wasn't listening before discussing them with Cheok Jungyeong.
"I don't really understand what's going on, but I can tell that they're bad news," Jung Heewon muttered. "Be careful."
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is clasping her hands in prayer for the sake of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
This was one negotiation that Kim Dokja knew for a fact that he would try to manipulate in his favour as much as possible—he'd need luck to an extent, but the rest would all rely on his charisma and persuasiveness. Letting out an exhale, Kim Dokja tried to calm himself. He'd scammed Bihyung into signing a 10-0 contract and he'd managed to scam tons of constellations so far.
In comparison, manipulating one Wenny Man couldn't be that hard, right?