No matter how much he thought about it, Kim Dokja couldn't figure out why the wall was so talkative all of a sudden. It had spoken a few times after everything with his mother and the Devourer of Dreams, but it hadn't said a word since.
It was weird in so many ways, but the biggest question was 'why now?'
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is feeling suspicious of the skill 'the fourth wall'.]
「He was obviously living in this story.」
With an annoyed look, Dokja says that this is touching, but asks the wall to stop narrating now, wondering how long it's going to keep muttering. It had been nice to have someone else at first, but it's getting annoying hearing everything he does get narrated by the wall.
「Out of annoyance, Kim Dokja told the poor 'Fourth Wall' off. How much time has passed? Kim Dokja wanted to ask, but there was no one left to answer him.」
Huffing, Dokja replies that the wall could answer him before deciding to assess his own situation. Looking down at himself, he's able to gauge that his incarnation form is completely gone and that he's managed to survive as an incomplete lump of fables resembling his previous form. Despite that, it's a very dangerous state to be in, and there doesn't seem to be a way to restore his body. In other words, if anyone touches him, he could completely collapse.
"Honestly, I can't blame you for being fed up with it," Jung Heewon sighed with a slight grimace, "I'd get annoyed too."
It wouldn't be so bad if [The Fourth Wall] had a voice like Yoo Joonghyuk's—namely, one that was actually pleasant to listen to—but it didn't, so the situation sucked. Between being irritating and having an annoying voice, it failed on all counts.
Yoo Sangah looked somewhat amused as she glanced over at Kim Dokja. "I'm glad that Dokja-ssi isn't entirely alone, but I can see how this wouldn't be great either."
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is wondering if this headache is like having a hangover.]
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is covering his ears.]
Of course, that was when the wall decided to start sassing him, to Kim Dokja's dismay. It really sucked that it was treating him like this when he literally didn't have anyone else to rely on in this place outside the scenario. With a scowl on his face, Kim Dokja muttered, "Jerk."
Lee Jihye just looked confused. "Maybe it doesn't know what time it is either?"
Okay, well, maybe. That still wasn't an excuse, though.
The moment that Kim Dokja began trying to gauge his own condition, Lee Seolhwa sat up a bit straighter. He wasn't sure how to interpret the multiple emotions that flitted across her face as his future self revealed that his physical body was completely gone and that he was just a bunch of fables that were loosely holding themselves together. The only thing he could tell was that she was incredibly concerned by that information.
"I wouldn't be much help in that situation, would I?" she asked quietly, and Kim Dokja shook his head.
"I'll need the help of a story expert in the future," Kim Dokja admitted, "even after I get a new physical body, that skillset will probably be more useful to me as a constellation than any physical cures."
[the constellation 'guam divine doctor' is hesitantly agreeing with the words of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
Lee Seolhwa exhaled for a moment before looking up with determination blazing in her eyes. "Then I suppose I'll just have to find a story expert and learn from them. At this rate, I'll need all the skills I can acquire."
Her dedication was admirable, especially because everyone could see just how dire Kim Dokja's state truly was. He was basically crumbling at the seams, and even a light breeze could send him to the ground in shattered pieces of a story.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is encouraging the incarnation 'lee seolhwa'.]
Shin Yoosung's eyes widened nervously. "Please don't stumble, ahjussi! You could die if you trip!"
Okay, it probably wasn't that bad (yet) but Kim Dokja had the feeling that he'd have to force himself to keep walking until he found whatever he needed. If he took too long, then it really could get that serious, unfortunately. He just had to hope that he wouldn't dally too much.
Testing out things, he discovers that he can't activate [Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint], talk to his incarnation, or use the system channel. Though he had expected it, Dokja feels as though no communication is possible, and he knows that his contract with Bihyung has been cancelled. He stares at the sky and feels empty freedom. '... I really am alone now.'
「Nobody would see me, and I couldn't see anyone either.」
Thanks to [The Fourth Wall] piping in with his own depressive thoughts, Dokja begrudgingly admits that he's not actually alone before bluntly asking how long [The Fourth Wall] is going to keep this up.
「The stupid Kim Dokja failed to realize why the great 'Fourth Wall' was bothering to do this hard work.」
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is getting bored with the zone outside the scenario.]
Yeah, that checked out. There was nothing to do—no excitement or even any other living being—and the dragon was the kind of constellation who always wanted the most action to be happening at all times. Of course a situation like this would be boring him out of his mind after only a few minutes.
"Not even your skill works?" Lee Hyunsung exclaimed in disbelief, frowning deeply. "Well, you do need to have people around for that, so it makes sense, but you can't contact Yoosung-ie either…"
Shin Yoosung looked nearly distraught at that information, but there wasn't anything that Kim Dokja could do for her other than trying to gently pat her head in reassurance. Though he was able to receive system messages, that didn't mean that he was connected to a channel in his capacity as a constellation.
Kim Dokja sighed, "It would be too easy if I could just communicate through her right now, and the Star Stream hates making things easy for anyone."
[the constellation 'lily blooming in aquarius' is sighing deeply.]
Lee Gilyoung, on the other hand, looked more upset to find out that his contract with Bihyung had been cancelled. "That means you can't rip him off once you get back, right?"
Why was he treating that as though it was the end of the world?
"It only lasted until my death, so the contract is over," Kim Dokja muttered, a bit annoyed. He had worked hard at negotiation to achieve that 10-0 profit ratio, dammit!
Perhaps it was better to focus on that than on the fact that, other than the wall, he was completely and utterly alone with no way of contacting anyone he knew.
"You're not alone," Yoo Joonghyuk said suddenly, drawing Kim Dokja's attention.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is exclaiming that the heart of the incarnation 'yoo joonghyuk' will always be with him.]
Yoo Joonghyuk didn't even blink at Uriel's message, instead settling his intense gaze on Kim Dokja. "You have my story."
Ah, that was true, but…
"That's not the same," Han Sooyoung pointed out with a roll of her eyes. "He can't socialize with a wall of text. Not that you're much better in person, but whatever."
She wasn't wrong, but wow.
Yoo Joonghyuk glared intensely at her, and Yoo Mia patted her brother on the arm. Maybe she couldn't think of a way to defend him either. It didn't matter, though. For thirteen years, Kim Dokja had been one-sidedly comforted by that story, and that hadn't diminished its importance to him whatsoever. Kim Dokja would just be returning to his roots, that was all.
[several constellations are wondering when the skill 'the fourth wall' will shut up.]