[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is tearing out his hair in excitement.]
[several constellations are doubtful that fate can be avoided.]
It was definitely possible, it just wasn't easy. However, Kim Dokja was certain that there was no one in this world more qualified to attempt it than him—not even the current Yoo Joonghyuk. Though there were aspects of this world that even he didn't know, Kim Dokja knew that was still the one person with the most complete information on the important parts as well as the ability to find a way to twist situations to his advantage, whether it meant scamming constellations or finding the most obscure hidden pieces.
"You can do this, ahjussi," Shin Yoosung whispered encouragingly, and he was confident enough to smile down at her.
The Outer God lets out a deep laugh at Dokja's determination, and to him, it seems like the whisper is coming from the universe itself. [Pitiful constellation—you who killed your father with your own hands; you who will destroy your own mother; you who will watch the things you hold precious fall to pieces.]
As it speaks, even Dokja has to brace himself as the others violently cough up blood while collapsing to the ground in pain, blood painting all their faces red. Seeming to have tuned out the Outer God's words, Dokja rapidly assesses the situation and how this time, they don't have a tsundere master who would rush over when his disciple is in danger.
Just as panic sets in, a very pissed off Jungyeong speaks up, calling the nebulae sons of bitches, and he states that nothing's changed even after a few hundred years. Yelling, the constellation addresses 'Founder's Mother', asking why she made this deal and since when Hongik has stooped this low.
"Oh I do not like that," Jung Heewon said with a grimace, physically recoiling at the sound of the Outer God's eerie laugh. It sounded so inherently wrong that Kim Dokja couldn't blame her for even a second.
However, Kim Dokja's breath caught in his throat the moment it actually began to speak. What was it saying…?
No. No, it had to be a lie. Something it was saying just to throw him off. Kim Dokja knew what had happened that day, and it was self-defense wasn't his fault. This Outer God didn't know what it was talking about.
"Dokja-ssi, are you alright?" Yoo Sangah asked quietly, and he could barely hear her over the sound of his own frantic breaths. It wasn't real. It couldn't be real.
[a few constellations are eyeing the 'outer god' distrustfully.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is sneering at the 'outer god'.]
Kim Dokja let out a dry laugh. "I'm fine. It's lying."
He wouldn't destroy her unless absolutely necessary, not when he still needed answers. Everything was a lie—she had ended that man by her own hand, Kim Dokja wouldn't kill her, and he would sooner die than watch everything fall apart.
What the Outer God was saying would never come true. Knowing that, Kim Dokja allowed himself to relax slightly. It had to be yet another thing meant to throw him off. There was no way that an Outer God could know the truth of what had happened if even he, who had been there, still didn't know everything.
Lee Seolhwa's expression darkened as the incarnations began coughing up blood only a moment later. "If the dokkaebi aren't going to interfere to fix this mess, then they had better give everyone healing items afterwards."
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is concerned for the safety of the incarnations.]
"Ah shit, that's right," Han Sooyoung groaned, "we didn't even fight the fucking thing last time."
It had been Kyrgios who had repelled it, and the returnee was probably brooding somewhere in Peace Land or something. Unlike back then, there was no one powerful enough to act as a one-person deterrent who could rush to their aid now that the probability restrictions would have to be relaxed further.
As much as he would hate the inevitable lecture, Kim Dokja would honestly be thrilled to see the tiny man right about now.
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is disappointed that the returnee 'kyrgios rodgraim' is unavailable.]
[the constellation 'goryeo's first sword' is growling threateningly.]
"Yeah, that's right!" Lee Jihye cheered right alongside the constellation. "All you're gonna do is make ahjussi and Master hate you more!"
That was absolutely correct and, judging by the infuriated expression on the protagonist's face, he was already halfway there.
As Cheok Jungyeong continued his rant, calling out both 'Founder's Mother' and the Hongik nebula, Lee Hyunsung looked rather troubled. "A hundred years? Did something like this happen before?"
Ah, now that Kim Dokja thought about it, could he be referring to the incident that Bihyung and Baram had been talking about before? Cheok Jungyeong hadn't always been treated fairly, after all…
[the constellation 'founder's mother' is looking away.]
As her shadow is pulled further into the air, the constellation explains that there was no deal, but that this decision was made to protect the Korean scenarios because Dokja cannot return to the Korean peninsula. Her words immediately make Jungyeong demand to know if she made a deal with the other nebulae and betrayed her descendents for that land. Looking around in fury, the swordsman continues to demand to know where the creator deities have gone and why they aren't reacting in this situation.
As probability crackles, both Jungyeong and Dokja see a notification which informs them that the three pompous nebulae are preventing the other constellations from helping with threats of being eternal enemies. All of a sudden, the indirect messages go quiet. Though Dokja can still hear Uriel and Sun Wukong, they are also unable to intervene for other reasons. This makes Jungyeong's rage reach a boiling point, where he goes eerily calm and addresses Dokja. "Stand proud. Those at the highest points in this damned world fear you, of all people."
Smiling through the pain, Dokja asks what he should be proud of when he's going to die. Jungyeong rejects that reality and substitutes it with his own, descending into Dokja's body as he declares that Dokja won't die because he won't let that happen.
Yoo Joonghyuk scoffed. "How hypocritical."
Kim Dokja agreed. To 'protect' the Korean scenarios, she was choosing to kill its incarnations. What was this meant to accomplish other than destruction?
"Is she saying that hyung will destroy the scenarios!?" Lee Gilyoung asked angrily, his eyes gleaming with something that made Kim Dokja wary.
"Dokja-ssi might like scamming constellations and the dokkaebi, but he can't actually destroy the scenarios through that," Jung Heewon protested, huffing as she did.
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is frowning deeply.]
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is unimpressed by the actions of the constellation 'founder's mother'.]
Kim Dokja let out a sigh as Cheok Jungyeong once again asked about the creator deities, and he was pretty confident that the man was referring to the gods of the creation myths. Actually, now that Kim Dokja thought about it… wasn't that a minor plot point in TWSA? It hadn't been mentioned many times, but he could vaguely remember Yoo Joonghyuk learning that the highest-ranking constellations of Hongik were rumoured to have disappeared. Was it possible that they were genuinely missing, and that it had already happened this early in the scenarios…?
When the indirect messages from the three nebulae appeared, however, Yoo Mia scowled and muttered, "Cowards."
He honestly didn't know if she was saying that to Olympus, Vedas, and Papyrus, or if she was talking to the other constellations who immediately went quiet. In his humble opinion, though, both applied equally.
"Hyung," Lee Gilyoung said in a frighteningly calm voice, "I think all constellations need to die."
Okay, wow. While Kim Dokja didn't disagree whatsoever (with a few notable exceptions—namely the constellations who were friendly to them, and his future self), that didn't mean it wasn't surprising to hear such a scary thing from a kid. He was definitely going to need an intervention sooner or later…
"And they will," Yoo Joonghyuk replied suddenly, drawing the boy's attention. The two of them stared at each other tensely for a moment, but Lee Gilyoung suddenly scrunched up his nose and rolled his eyes before turning away with a huff. Yoo Joonghyuk's posture got even straighter afterwards, and Kim Dokja was left baffled.
Did the protagonist just have a staring contest with the kid because they agreed on something? Or did he somehow just get Lee Gilyoung's tacit approval?
[a constellation who likes grasshoppers is smiling.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is extremely irritated by the inaction of her future self.]
Kim Dokja wasn't mad at her or at Sun Wukong, honestly—the Great Sage only ever did things he felt like doing (and his mind could change at the drop of a hat), and Uriel was bound to Eden. If she did something to interfere, she would likely end up dragging her entire nebula into an unwanted conflict.
"This isn't fair, ahjussi," Shin Yoosung grumbled, clinging to him a bit tighter. "They shouldn't get to do something like this."
The world wasn't fair, and the Star Stream was even less so. That was a reality that these kids unfortunately had to come to terms with, no matter how unpleasant it truly was. At the very least, Kim Dokja had to agree with Cheok Jungyeong's words. It was almost laughable that they thought he was so dangerous that they resorted to something like a Fate and preventing other constellations from interfering against an Outer God. He was just Kim Dokja, no one special. Surely not important enough for those damned nebulae to care so much, regardless of how much progress he made.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is adamantly declaring that the incarnation 'kim dokja' will not die here.]
"That asshole won't die," Han Sooyoung groaned, "and even if he did, he'd just come back anyway."
Fair point.
Yoo Sangah looked a bit nervous despite that. "Will [Eight Lives] still work even if Dokja-ssi gets killed by an Outer God?"
Admittedly, Kim Dokja couldn't be sure. It wasn't like that was a match-up that had ever happened in TWSA, after all.
"So? Knowing him, he'd annoy death so much that he'd get kicked out of hell and then claw his way back out of the grave just to spite the constellations," Han Sooyoung retorted with a casual shrug. "There's nothing to worry about."
While that might be a slight exaggeration, Kim Dokja had to agree that he was absolutely that spiteful. Of course, his spite was still nothing compared to Yoo Joonghyuk's, which transcended lifetimes.
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is snickering.]
The world goes dark as ghostly voices both celebrate and criticize Jungyeong and his accomplishments. After every voice, a notification informs Dokja that he's come to know one of the constellation's fables. All the while, the man's figure is slowly formed from the light of the stories that form his being. As he watches, Dokja feels anger, sadness, joy, and frustration, and he realizes that Jungyeong hadn't known about the scenario his whole life, but had heard stories that were part of it.
When a final voice exiles the man to another world, Dokja's eyes widen as the fable 'Exile of the Scenario' is revealed. In Dokja's mental space, Dokja asks the constellation why he's going so far to help. Though Dokja sacrificed the chance of summoning five constellations to summon him, this man is doing far more than the worth of five constellations.
Additionally, Dokja knows how impactful it is that Jungyeong has disclosed the base of his Story to an incarnation who he isn't even sponsoring. After a moment, Jungyeong expresses that he used to be like Dokja. As if on cue, the voices immediately declare that a Fate causing his death should be placed upon him as well.
I knew Cheok Jungyeong had gone through unfair treatment, but to think it would be because of 'Fate', the same as me…!
[The fable 'One who fights against Fate' has begun!]
Lee Hyunsung tilted his head to the side in confusion as unseen people began speaking. "Wait, what's going on?"
This didn't feel like a flashback, and it was killing Kim Dokja inside a bit to know that they had cut away from the fight. As interesting as it was to learn more about 'Goryeo's First Sword', it was a bit hard to focus with a whole Outer God to worry about.
[the constellation 'goryeo's first sword' is surprised by this turn of events.]
However, with the first pop-up informing him that he had learned of the constellation's fables, Kim Dokja's eyes widened. This was…
[many constellations are flabbergasted by the decision of the constellation 'goryeo's first sword'.]
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is chuckling.]
"He's sharing his fables," Kim Dokja muttered breathily, stunned by this unexpected situation. Very few constellations would do something like this—it was risky and vulnerable, and it meant that Kim Dokja was essentially reading the very words that made up his existence. Constellations were born from fables, after all.
Lee Jihye, on the other hand, just looked confused. "Wait, so the scenarios did exist before the apocalypse? I don't understand anything."
"Honestly, I'm confused too," Jung Heewon admitted with a grimace.
Well, that wasn't the easiest thing to explain. It was only discussed a few times in TWSA, and it was one of the plot holes that tls123 hadn't particularly bothered to fill. It was easy enough to gloss over how historical-grade constellations could have gained enough stories in their respective lifetimes to earn the right to become a star.
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is explaining that everyone is still a story whether they are aware of it or not.]
Yoo Sangah hummed thoughtfully. "So, unlike the apocalypse where everyone is actively involved, did the Star Stream work differently in the past? Or, well, the system, at least? The windows look like a video game status screen to us, but that wouldn't make sense in the Joseon period…"
There was the possibility that it never truly appeared in front of him. After all, Cheok Jungyeong couldn't have had a sponsor in order to become a constellation, and though he could hear the Star Stream recording his stories, he could have passed it off as nothing more than a hallucination.
Was the Star Stream semi-dormant or something on the Earth in TWSA back then? It would make sense to Kim Dokja—Yoo Joonghyuk didn't exist yet, so nothing truly important would be happening for a while.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is curious about the stories of the constellation 'goryeo's first sword'.]
Shin Yoosung gasped as his next story appeared. "He was exiled? That sounds bad…"
Kim Dokja's eyes widened as the words resonated with him. An exile… now that was a thought…
Regardless, it was a detail about the constellation that he had never learned through the novel. Plus, there was no way he could have done something like that alone. Maybe, if more information was revealed, then Kim Dokja could use what he learned in his own plans somewhere.
"Yeah, I don't get it either," Han Sooyoung admitted as Kim Dokja wondered why Cheok Jungyeong was going so far to help him. "You've met the idiot once and nearly started a fight, so why are you putting in so much effort when you don't have to?"
Though that was harsher than Kim Dokja would have liked, he really couldn't contradict her words.
[several constellations are thinking that the actions of the constellation 'goryeo's first sword' are unwise.]
Kim Dokja didn't know what to expect, but he was still completely unprepared to learn that this powerful constellation had also been enough of a threat that he had a Fate imposed on him. Wait, in that case…
Had his exile actually allowed him to escape the Fate?
"He lived, right?" Yoo Mia said, glancing over at Kim Dokja in a way that told him that she was trying to pretend she wasn't worried. "So ahjussi can also escape."
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is praying that this is true.]
"That's right," Kim Dokja told her, trying to reassure her despite the fact that his mind was racing. He couldn't be completely certain, of course, but this was a chance.
Cheok Jungyeong was living proof that Fate could be defeated.
Back in reality, Jungyeong speaks through Dokja as he explains their situations are a little different since he only had one nebula place a Fate upon him, so it's less weighty. At the time, he was able to survive with Hongik's help, but he regrets it and believes that he shouldn't have gotten help back then. He cites this as the reason why he wants to help Dokja now as he raises Dokja's sword and readies himself as the Outer God roars above them.
Complimenting
Even though less than a fifth of the Outer God's body has descended so far, it's at least a kilometer in diameter, and each of the twelve legs are dozens of meters wide.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is reminding the incarnation 'kim dokja' to remember the different circumstances.]
"Do not get overconfident," Yoo Joonghyuk told him sternly. "Your Fate is much more powerful than his."
Kim Dokja knew that, but there were enough similarities that it gave him a base to work off of. It was particularly good to know that he had regretted getting the assistance of a nebula. Of course, that wasn't a solution that Kim Dokja had considered outside of a worst-case scenario, but it was reassurance that his decision to avoid the constellations was the correct one.
As they focused back on the battle, Lee Jihye leaned forward with anxious determination painted over her features. "C'mon, ahjussi… you can do this…"
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is excited for a cool fight.]
To Kim Dokja's surprise, the constellation poured his stories and power into the sword, creating a true ether blade far more powerful than the one Kim Dokja had created to fight against the Warden of the Dark. In comparison, the sword from back then was pitiful and almost sad.
Lee Seolhwa sucked in a nervous breath as she realized just how much this single act was straining Kim Dokja's body, glancing at him worriedly. "Dokja-ssi, do you think both of you will be able to end this quickly? I don't know how long your body will be able to withstand that much power."
Kim Dokja didn't know. Though Cheok Jungyeong was significantly stronger than most historical-grade constellations, he was still restricted by probability and Kim Dokja's mortal limitations, so he wouldn't be able to fight at full-power. To make matters worse, the Outer God was massive.
Every second that Kim Dokja was silent, the kids only got more anxious. Lee Hyunsung's hand tightly gripped Jung Heewon's too, and Yoo Sangah was shooting him nervous looks.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is looking away.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is praying for the success of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
[many constellations are doubting that the incarnation 'kim dokja' can win.]
Can I really kill such a gigantic being?
"I am Cheok Jungyeong. The greatest warrior in all of the Korean Peninsula."
As though responding to Dokja's worries, the constellation speaks in a confident voice that seems to be a declaration directed at the entire Star Stream as he swings his sword. A cool slow-motion shot plays as the name of the Second Style appears.
For a moment, although Dokja's body is the one doing the action, he doesn't know what's happening. This isn't a sword meant for cutting humans or monsters, but rather for cutting nature apart. His sword swings twice and Dokja hears a loud cracking noise as the tentacle before him is cleaved apart in two places.
The Outer God screams as darkness drips from its wounds like blood, and upon closer inspection, the darkness seems to be formed of printed letters. Outer Gods and constellations are not so dissimilar—both are made of stories in their own way.
In a situation like this, false confidence could only go so far. Even Yoo Joonghyuk, who possessed that genuine confidence that Kim Dokja so craved, would naturally feel demotivated under these circumstances. Despite that, this was only his third regression and he wasn't suffering from regression depression right now, which meant that he would still fight until his very last breath if he had to.
If Yoo Joonghyuk wouldn't simply sit back and accept his fate, instead fighting and clawing for the chance to live, then Kim Dokja couldn't either.
[the constellation 'goryeo's first sword' is telling the incarnation 'kim dokja' to trust him.]
"I do," Kim Dokja said quietly. "I do, but…"
But there was only so much that even Goryeo's First Sword could do against something like that.
"Ugh, get your shit together, damn," Han Sooyoung grumbled. "What the fuck are you going to do other than fight it? Run away?"
Kim Dokja looked at her dryly. "No, that's something you would probably do."
"Never said I wouldn't," she retorted. "But that's me, living my life selfishly and all that shit. I'd have to be stupid as fuck to not know that you'd rather die again then abandon everyone to their deaths—especially because the little brats are there."
Though the kids vocally protested being called brats, including Lee Jihye who Kim Dokja wasn't entirely certain was counted in their number in the first place, he had to admit that Han Sooyoung was right. Even though it seemed impossible, he still had to try.
[several constellations are impressed by the constellation 'goryeo's first sword'.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is roaring in excitement.]
Holy shit.
Kim Dokja felt his jaw drop at the sheer power displayed in a single slash. Of course, while it was impressive, it still wasn't the same as watching Yoo Joonghyuk's skilled swordsmanship. Their styles were extremely different, and while the Breaking the Sky Swordsmanship was all about precise movements and redirecting blows, this one was the result of sheer willpower and force.
Still, regardless of the fact that it wasn't as elegant or beautiful to watch, there was no denying the immense power contained in that blade as it carved through the Outer God's body.
"Whoa…" Lee Gilyoung gasped, his eyes glimmering with excitement. It made sense, Cheok Jungyeong was really powerful, and—
"You look so cool, hyung!"
… but he wasn't the one doing the work? Why was the kid looking at him with so much awe?
[a constellation who likes grasshoppers is pleased by the current events.]
[many constellations are excited by the injury to the 'outer god'.]
"It's bleeding letters?" Jung Heewon muttered as she squinted at the screen. "My eyesight has always been pretty good, but I can't be seeing that right."
But she was.
"Heewon-ssi, even though they're not the same as constellations, they're still part of the Star Stream," Kim Dokja tried to explain. "It doesn't matter what they are—when they're injured, instead of blood, they bleed stories."