[many constellations are wishing for the success of the incarnation 'lee hyunsung'.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is desperately hoping for the survival of her incarnation.]
Quenching is the foundation of making great steel. The main point of the fable is to endure high temperatures that exceed the standard value until his body becomes as hard as perfect steel.
Dokja sighs while thanking everything that Hyunsung isn't evil because otherwise he would be reduced to ashes by the 'Holy' element in the flames. The fire beats down upon Hyunsung while the man withstands the heat throughout the process of quenching.
「I can't forgive them…」
Both Dokja's and Hyunsung's eyes widen as [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint] level two activates and picks up Heewon's enraged thoughts.
「I should kill them all. All men must die. Then, all of these humans—like me—should die.」
Tears stream from Heewon's eyes as rage continues to fuel her. Seeing the effects of [Thought Infection] leaving all of Heewon's trauma out in the open, Dokja curses Nirvana. Due to the nature of what happened to her back at Geumho Station, he wasn't shocked about her intense feelings and hostility towards men. In addition, the 'crouching' part of her initial attribute was the result of a strong psychological shock.
"Wait a minute," Han Sooyoung said suddenly, squinting at the screen. "Sure, quenching is the foundation or whatever, but that's not how it works. It's all about heating and then cooling the metal down super fast, and it actually makes the metal super brittle. Tempering would probably be a better way to describe what he's going through."
With a baffled expression, Kim Dokja looked over at her for a moment.
She glanced over at him with a scowl. "What?"
"I'm just wondering why you know that. You don't seem like the type to have a hobby of metalworking or something," Kim Dokja drawled, raising a brow. That seemed more like Yoo Joonghyuk's thing, weirdly enough. That guy was enough of a perfectionist that, if he could, he'd probably want to make all of his swords himself too.
[the constellation 'master of steel' is looking at the incarnation 'han sooyoung' in confusion.]
She grumbled a bit and shrugged. "I'm a writer and I have access to the internet. Put the fucking pieces together."
Well, fair enough.
Turning his attention back to the screen, Kim Dokja completely agreed with his future self's assessment. Of course, there was never any worry about Lee Hyunsung suddenly getting turned to ash because of the holy nature of Uriel's stigma. Honestly, the idea that the man was even capable of anything considered evil was baffling—he was basically a giant cuddly dog in the body of a man.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is surprised by the reaction of the incarnation 'lee hyunsung'.]
"Wait, did Hyunsung-hyung just hear that too?" Lee Gilyoung asked, his eyes going wide in shock.
He did. Kim Dokja couldn't tear his eyes away from the scene in front of him, and he didn't even care that his jaw had probably dropped because of it. He wasn't even in a complete version of level 3, and yet Lee Hyunsung was able to hear his level 2 skill? That was crazy, and it also gave Kim Dokja ideas. If it worked even when he was only in a near-death state and not actually dead, then maybe he'd be able to use this strategically when it would be useful for his allies to be able to read other characters' minds…
No, he couldn't get distracted right now, especially not when Jung Heewon's thoughts were spat with venom and rage. She was made entirely of righteous fury right now, and after hearing what she was thinking, Kim Dokja winced. While Lee Hyunsung was probably the least threatening man in their group, personality-wise, maybe Jung Heewon wouldn't react as badly to a woman.
[many female constellations are sympathizing with the pain of the incarnation 'jung heewon'.]
"Unnie…" Shin Yoosung whimpered, looking nervously over at the older woman, who was trying to keep her trembling under control.
Lee Hyunsung's eyes widened immediately, and Kim Dokja could practically hear the gears turning in his brain as he connected the dots between her words, her anger, and what had happened to her. His expression rapidly changed from shock to guilt to horror, and he let out a sharp gasp.
Not even a second later, Lee Hyunsung's gaze dropped to where he was holding Jung Heewon's hand, and he instantly let go. The sudden lack of warmth startled her, and she looked over at him in surprise.
"Hyunsung-ssi…?"
"I'm sorry," he said as quickly as he could, looking extremely guilty as Jung Heewon stared back at him with confusion written all over her features. "I didn't ask before grabbing onto your hand, and I should have been more—"
No one could have expected her to burst out laughing, but she did, and it made Lee Hyunsung cut off his sentence. He stared at her—half in confusion and half in wonder—and for once, Kim Dokja completely understood how he felt.
As her laughs trailed off, Jung Heewon smiled sadly. "It's fine, really. The fact that you're feeling bad about something like holding my hand to comfort me without asking first means that you're the kind of person who would never hurt me like that."
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is smiling fondly at the incarnations.]
[several constellations are agreeing with the words of the incarnation 'jung heewon'.]
Lee Hyunsung went beet red and he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Oh…"
Jung Heewon smiled gently at him. "You can hold my hand if you want. Actually, screw that—" she reached out and grabbed onto his hand herself "—I want to, so you're out of luck."
"Ah, please go ahead, Heewon-ssi!" Lee Hyunsung exclaimed, nearly flailing with his other arm as he somehow reddened further. Out of the corner of his eye, Kim Dokja noticed that Yoo Sangah and Lee Seolhwa were smiling at them, and that Lee Jihye looked as though she was watching the finale of a romance drama.
Kim Dokja couldn't help but smile at them too. He really hoped that everything would work out for them.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is tearing up emotionally.]
Hyunsung then cautiously asks if what he's hearing is Heewon's true thoughts. Dokja is startled and asks if Hyunsung can hear it too, before confirming that it's one of his skills. This makes Dokja guess that this is because of the 'first-person' state they're in.
Dokja then apologizes for hiding the existence of the skill from them all, which Hyunsung takes in stride but is a bit embarrassed by the thought that Dokja read his mind as well. Before he can finish his thoughts, Heewon shoots another wave of flames his way. This makes Dokja tell him that they should start by subduing her. Being the kind man he is, Hyunsung asks if this will hurt Heewon, and Dokja explains that the pain she'll feel is in her heart.
The image abruptly swaps back to Heewon, where the background falls away as a hand picks her up, placing her in a palm. Looming over her, Nirvana looks down at her, impassive to her suffering in the name of their 'Salvation'.
The surest solution was to kill Nirvana or resolve Heewon's trauma. The former is currently impossible, so the latter is still the most reasonable option…
"Right, I completely forgot that we were hearing her thoughts," Yoo Sangah said quietly, too busy glancing over at the two who were holding hands again. "At least this is confirmation that Hyunsung-ssi can hear it too."
So, basically, those plans were actually feasible… though it might be difficult to convince Yoo Joonghyuk to punch him that hard every time it would be tactically viable.
"It is a bit embarrassing," Lee Hyunsung admitted sheepishly as his future self got flustered by the fact that Kim Dokja had heard his thoughts before, "but I think we've all gotten used to it by now. It's actually weirder to remember that our future selves don't know that Dokja-ssi can read minds."
Right, yeah. Even though Yoo Joonghyuk had suspected it back during the fifth scenario, he had done everything he could to avoid confirming it. At least Lee Hyunsung was probably the person who would be the most chill about it.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is relieved to finally be back to the action.]
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is tearing out his hair in excitement.]
"Ahjussi, it's great that you have half a plan," Lee Jihye remarked, glancing over at Kim Dokja with a doubtful expression, "but how is Hyunsung-oppa gonna 'subdue' Heewon-unnie if he can't get close to her?"
Okay, that was a fair question. Kim Dokja hummed thoughtfully as he looked at the screen. "Well, I think the first thing is that Hyunsung-ssi needs to either bait her into getting closer to him, or he needs to slowly make his way forward. Then, our best bet is to disarm her because she'll be significantly less dangerous without her sword."
Yoo Joonghyuk looked his way for a moment and nodded. "Lee Hyunsung excels at hand-to-hand combat, and would be capable of disarming her if he could get a good enough hold."
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is eagerly looking forward to a wrestling match.]
It was not going to turn into wrestling, dammit!
"Hyunsung-ssi truly is kind," Lee Seolhwa remarked as Lee Hyunsung worried about hurting Jung Heewon. The man shot her a grateful smile, but he still looked worried about what was going on.
Kim Dokja swore a bit under his breath. If he had been able to actually kill Nirvana earlier, then everything would have been alright. Dammit.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is wishing the incarnation 'lee hyunsung' good luck.]
Dokja is a bit uncertain since Heewon wasn't a character with a major role in TWSA, so he doesn't know her as well as he knows the other characters. All he can do now is try to handle the symptoms instead of the cause. Sharing an unspoken idea, the two men nod and Hyunsung coats his body in more armor, this time appearing more knight-like than before. As he runs closer, he constantly speaks reassurances, telling Heewon that they'll save her.
In response, the wall of flames gets higher, as though Heewon is trying to tell him to stay away and that he's not allowed there. However, Hyunsung pays no mind to it as he keeps running closer to her despite the severely high temperatures.
As he reaches out, his declaration changing from 'we' to 'I', his limbs tremble from the constant heat and melting. Dokja watches this and mentally remarks that he had forgotten that reaching someone's heart is a difficult and painful thing because of being able to hear people's thoughts. Additionally, even though he's seeing the world with Hyunsung's eyes right now, they aren't seeing the same thing, and Dokja realizes this because of the bursting feelings in Hyunsung's heart. As Hyunsung collapses to his knees, reaching his limits, Dokja touches his shoulder and asks Hyunsung to leave it to him for a bit.
[the constellation 'master of steel' is cheering on his incarnation.]
"I'll do my best, Dokja-ssi!" Lee Hyunsung stated, clenching his free hand into a determined fist.
Kim Dokja watched in awe as the armor morphed into a new form, and it looked so goddamn cool. Hell, as much as he loved reading it on the page, it was something else to see it happening in front of his eyes.
"So he's going to be Heewon-unnie's knight in shining armor?" Yoo Mia wondered, and Kim Dokja had to hold back a laugh. It really did look like that, didn't it?
Through her anxiety, Jung Heewon laughed. "Normally I can save myself, but I don't think it's a bad thing to be saved every once in a while."
For some reason, she shot a pointed look in Kim Dokja's direction at that. What was it for? He was helping too, but he didn't want to take Lee Hyunsung's place or anything. He was not about to fuck up their romantic moment!
[constellations who like romance are extremely excited by this turn of events.]
Kim Dokja found himself smiling more as Lee Hyunsung separated himself more from their shared determination to save Jung Heewon, fully deciding for himself that this is what he wanted to do. In order to act on the feelings that were fuelling him, Lee Hyunsung was pushing himself beyond his own limits. It was admirable, and was something that only he could do under these circumstances.
When he collapsed to his knees, however, the kids let out a joint gasp of horror, extremely worried for him. Lee Seolhwa also looked anxious, knowing that both he and Jung Heewon would be in a lot of trouble if he failed here.
Jung Heewon's grip on Lee Hyunsung's hand tightened further, but this time, he returned it equally.
"I know I can't be the one to finish this, but I can at least give you a break," Kim Dokja said quietly. It was all he could do, really.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is curious about what the incarnation 'kim dokja' will do now.]
Probability sparks as Dokja's form melds into Hyunsung's and his eyes glow a brilliant blue. [The Fourth Wall] trembles as [First-Person Supporting Character POV] is activated to its limits. Stumbling forward, Dokja grimaces as he notices how horrible the pain from the heat is and how scalded his skin feels, in disbelief at how Hyunsung was bearing all this for so long.
He stands and calls out to Heewon in Hyunsung's voice, telling her that they'll all die, before changing his words. "Lee Hyunsung-ssi will die! Are you really going to kill Hyunsung-ssi like this?"
Not hearing his words, she lets out another yell as her tears evaporate in the heat. Dokja curses, feeling the full extent of the heat as he starts slowly walking forward.
Three steps left, two steps, and…
Just before Dokja reaches her, Hyunsung speaks up in his mind, stating that he has to be the one to do this. Nodding, Dokja allows himself to slip back out of Hyunsung's body, letting the man regain control.
"Oh shit," Han Sooyoung cursed as Kim Dokja was immediately hit by searing pain as soon as he settled into Lee Hyunsung's body.
Fuck, right. Lee Hyunsung was literally burning alive, but agonizingly slowly. At least last time, Kim Dokja had only felt it for a second before he had felt nothing at all.
Yoo Sangah frowned as she looked over at Kim Dokja. "Doesn't your skill help reduce pain too…?"
It did, and that meant that the agony Kim Dokja was feeling was only part of what Lee Hyunsung had been enduring all this time. That was horrifying in so many ways.
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is astounded by the willpower of the incarnation 'lee hyunsung'.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is extremely touched by the actions of the incarnation 'lee hyunsung'.]
"Please be careful, ahjussi," Shin Yoosung pleaded nervously. "I don't want Hyunsung-oppa to die either."
Kim Dokja patted her head to try and help her feel better, but took a deep breath. He didn't know why his future self was wasting time and his breath trying to talk to her, but maybe he was just hoping to end it painlessly. Unfortunately, she couldn't hear him at all, too consumed by her own traumas.
"Oh, that's so weird," Yoo Mia muttered as she saw Lee Hyunsung as the passenger. "You didn't take full control last time, ahjussi."
Huh, interesting. Kim Dokja supposed that it was probably a good thing that he hadn't accidentally done that to Yoo Joonghyuk the first time because the protagonist definitely would have remembered that.
[the constellation 'master of steel' is agreeing with his incarnation.]
Glancing over at Lee Hyunsung and Jung Heewon, who had inched a bit closer to each other while all of that was happening, Kim Dokja agreed as well. He would be the only one able to truly get through to her in the future. It would be risky, but it was the only choice they had, and Lee Hyunsung was the best person to attempt it.
As the 'Will of Steel' responds to him, Hyunsung calmly speaks to her, apologizing as he grasps her hand holding the sword. After holding her hand still for long enough to complete the final step, he encircles her body with his arms, mimicking a hug without actually touching her at all.
As 'Demon-Like Judge of Fire' is surprised by the unexpected display of camaraderie, Heewon's eyes widen before she increases the heat, as if the flames are the only place she can vent her feelings. Enduring it, Hyunsung closes his eyes to the sound of her anguished screams and utilises the metal to create a coating around the two of them, locking all the flames within, shutting out the oxygen.
On the outside, Dokja watches as Hyunsung chooses to become the wall, the shield, to take her wrath on behalf of the world. Now that Heewon has lost her ability to speak, Dokja hopes that Hyunsung can be the one to reach her heart.
[The story 'First Proof of Steel' has been completed.]
Even in a situation like that, Lee Hyunsung was so gentle and patient, disarming her with kindness rather than force. It fit him, and was a far cry from the initial plan of managing to force her to let it go mid-fight.
Jung Heewon inhaled sharply upon seeing Lee Hyunsung being so compassionate and considerate, and it looked like she was about to cry from all the emotions overwhelming her. Bringing up her other hand, she wiped her eyes before giving up and sitting up straight, watching the screen as tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.
"Heewon-ssi, are you alright?" Lee Hyunsung asked quietly, and she nodded silently. She was watching herself burn, letting out all her rage and anger onto a man who was doing everything he could to save her in a way that wouldn't cross any of her boundaries.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is trying to comfort her incarnation.]
[many constellations are impressed by the considerate actions of the incarnation 'lee hyunsung'.]
"Wait, what are you doing?" Lee Jihye gasped as Lee Hyunsung began constructing a metal shell around them. "If you do that, then…"
Lee Seolhwa's eyes widened as she realized the situation. "It's going to be an oven in there."
The temperatures in a conductive, enclosed space like that were going to be so much worse than outside, but it was the only thing Lee Hyunsung could do to put the fires out.
"Without oxygen, the fire won't be able to keep burning," Yoo Joonghyuk remarked approvingly, seemingly satisfied with this solution. However, there was one other issue with this, and Kim Dokja felt apprehension begin to creep up on him.
Neither of them would be able to breathe without oxygen either. All Kim Dokja could do was wait and hope that when the shell finally cracked, it wouldn't have become their tomb.
The sun is high in the sky by the time a crack appears in the shell, revealing the back of Heewon's head. "I can't breathe…"
Hyunsung opens his eyes as soot crumbles off of him. Seeing that she's returned to herself, he panics and apologizes while letting her go and hurrying to break the walls surrounding them. Heewon leans forward, her forehead coming to rest on his chest. In a quiet, almost unheard voice, she thanks him.
A soft smile appears on Hyunsung's face as he tells her that it was nothing. In an ignored message, 'Demon-Like Judge of Fire' disapproves of the companionship. Looking around Heewon asks if there was someone else there with him. Hyunsung seems confused, leading to Heewon becoming grumpy and dismissing it before using her sword to break more of the walls, declaring that there's no time.
Stopping the near futile effort, she yells into the air, gritting her teeth when she pauses to catch her breath. "Kim Dokja-ssi, you can hear me right now, right? Yoo Sangah-ssi is in danger!"
Her words fade out as—far away from where they are—Dokja slowly opens his eyes, having awoken and deactivated level 3 due to the shock of her declaration.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is sobbing in relief.]
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is calling for a toast.]
Oh thank goodness. Kim Dokja let out a relieved sigh, extremely thankful that Lee Hyunsung had managed to break Jung Heewon out of her trance and keep both of them alive. Of course, in true Lee Hyunsung fashion, he scrambled to apologize without realizing what was going on.
Just like before, he was beet red and looked flustered as Jung Heewon let out a boisterous laugh. The kids were cheering, Han Sooyoung's shoulders lost their tension, and Yoo Sangah sighed with a smile on her face. Lee Seolhwa, as expected, was giving them both a once-over to make sure they'd be alright, and seemed satisfied with what she saw. Clearly, neither of them were in a horrific condition, which was extremely lucky after a situation like that.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is snickering at the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire'.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is flabbergasted.]
"I think she's feeling very protective of her incarnation in the future," Yoo Sangah giggled, finally sounding carefree again. "Hyunsung-ssi has to work harder to get her approval."
The man wilted like a plant that hadn't been watered in three and a half weeks at that, and it only set Jung Heewon off into another round of laughter. Her hand slipped out of his, and he looked vaguely disappointed for half a second before she grabbed his shoulders and wrapped her arms around them in an awkward still-seated hug.
"Thank you," Jung Heewon said, even as her face was buried in his shoulder. After a few seconds, she pulled back, her face somewhat more pink than before.
Though Lee Hyunsung seemed to have completely broken and was unable to respond from the shock, Kim Dokja at least felt reassured that everything on their end would turn out fine.
Jung Heewon shot him a wide grin too. "And thank you too, Dokja-ssi. I'm glad you didn't give up on me."
Kim Dokja nodded in return. "I'm just that glad you're doing okay now."
It was interesting that she seemingly realized that he had been there—maybe she had heard him speaking in Lee Hyunsung's voice even though the memory was foggy because of her trance, or she just had a freaky sixth sense for where he was as a disembodied soul.
However, he couldn't worry about that when she called out for him and gave him some really troubling news.
[the constellations of the nebula 'olympus' are stunned by the words of the incarnation 'jung heewon'.]
Yoo Sangah went pale and she sucked in a breath as everyone's eyes were immediately on her. Kim Dokja, for his part, cursed the fact that he had woken up before finding out if Jung Heewon had any other important information for him—like where Yoo Sangah was.
He had his suspicions, but none of them were good options at all.