As they all stand frozen, a dokkaebi rudely interrupts them, seeming not to really care for their mourning. When they question him about Dokja's whereabouts, the dokkaebi replies that he was expelled from the scenario and that he's unable to confirm Dokja's current state, but the dokkaebi still tells them that 'beings who have been expelled from the scenario' can never survive. With a condescending grin, he reminds them to focus on themselves and escaping from the Seoul Dome. With a snap of his fingers, a scenario window tells them to escape in time or die.
Cursing, Jihye looks at the arrow that appears on the ground to direct them and sighs that they have to follow the instructions for now. Soon, they're all walking to the edge where all the surviving incarnations—only about 1000—are standing. Once there, Heewon's face brightens as Jiwon and a shy Donghoon greet them.
As they all stop at the wall of the dome, contemplating if they really can just walk through, everyone seems to be looking around for something. One by one, every single incarnation looks at one person. Sooyoung calls Joonghyuk's name first, drawing his attention even under all that scrutiny. With a serious expression, she whispers for him not to waste the opportunity that Dokja has given him. After a brief moment of hesitation, Joonghyuk walks forward, the crowd parting with every step.
"That dokkaebi needs to go away," Shin Yoosung hissed as she wiped away her tears with her sleeve. "He's so mean…"
Well, the dokkaebi were nothing if not tactless, after all. It was a rather cruel way of speaking to people whose friend had literally just been sacrificed so they could survive, but Kim Dokja would be more surprised if they were respectful in any way.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is unimpressed by the bluntness of the dokkaebi.]
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is raising a brow as he refills his glass.]
"We have to leave the dome now?" Lee Gilyoung protested in shock the moment that the scenario appeared in front of him. "That's not fair! I'm still sad and angry and I want to just be sad and angry for two whole days before the next scenario!"
Unfortunately, the apocalypse was rarely kind enough to give anyone the time to process anything.
"You'll have a few days after escaping," Kim Dokja promised him, knowing full well that it would only apply to their future selves. If things went as they had so far in this scenario, then they wouldn't get even a second of downtime.
Lee Seolhwa sighed. "At least there's that, but it seems that we really have to get going now."
Thankfully, the Star Stream had provided them with convenient arrows on the ground that led them towards where the other survivors were gathering. As the depressed group began to approach, he could feel a poignant silence descend over them.
[the constellation 'lady of the sleeping brocade' is extremely relieved to see her incarnation.]
[some constellations are shocked that so many people are still alive in the 'seoul dome'.]
"So many…?" Yoo Sangah whispered weakly as her gaze darted around the screen. "That's… that's so few compared to earlier…"
Right, even after the strongest sacrifice scenario, there had been over 50% of the incarnations in the dome alive—over 53,000 people—otherwise the scenario would have been stopped before Kim Dokja had died. In only a few scenarios, that number had plummeted to only around 1,000. Though Kim Dokja didn't particularly care about most of them, it was still nice to see that both Min Jiwon and Han Donghoon were still alright.
At the very least, Lee Gilyoung perked up slightly as soon as he saw the older boy, and Kim Dokja couldn't help but hope that the two of them could get a bit closer in this life. They both needed more friends.
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is wondering what the incarnations are looking for.]
For a moment, Kim Dokja wondered if they were looking for him. In most of the domes, it was usually the King who took charge and organized things right up until the domes were freed, so it would make sense. However, not only had he broken the throne instead of taking it, but he had also died and therefore wasn't there at all.
In his absence, there was only one person they would look to—the Supreme King. Yoo Joonghyuk always stood out from a crowd (if not by his looks alone, then certainly by his murderous aura), and he was an extremely recognizable figure in the first place. It only made sense that they'd flock to him for guidance, even without the knowledge of him being a regressor who had broken free from this dome several times before.
Han Sooyoung raised a brow slightly in exasperation as her future self urged Yoo Joonghyuk to get a move on. "Of course I had to invoke that moron's name…"
Well, it wasn't like she was wrong…
Thankfully, just like all the other times apparently, merely mentioning Kim Dokja was enough to spur the protagonist into taking action—even if the current Yoo Joonghyuk looked both irritated and somewhat upset by the reminder. For his part, at least, Kim Dokja was eagerly looking forward to hearing what Yoo Joonghyuk would say to the survivors gathered around him. He could be charismatic when he wanted to be, even if the moments were few and far between, and Kim Dokja was dying to hear another one of his motivational speeches. It would be so goddamn cool.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is wiping away more tears at the reminder of the fate of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
He knows that people are waiting for him, ready to celebrate finally being freed. Joonghyuk has been in this position before in his past lives, and he had sometimes been an eloquent and charismatic leader, so it wasn't hard to find the words he should say to the crowd. Despite that, he doesn't want to say something like that. Instead, Joonghyuk says something that has personal meaning to him, even though nobody else would understand his words.
"...I will not give up on this life. So all of you, don't give up either."
Despite the terrible loneliness on his face, and not knowing whether the message has been delivered, his motivational speech seems to work as everyone looks more determined than ever. Joonghyuk steps up to the wall of the dome and angrily punches it once and then twice, watching as cracks begin spreading from his point of impact until a hole the size of a person is created. Until now, this dome had been a wall that couldn't be overcome, but now they're free.
"Let's go," Joonghyuk declares as he takes a step towards something new—a scenario without Dokja.
Then, the screen goes dark.
To Kim Dokja's surprise, Yoo Joonghyuk didn't say anything at all at first. He didn't enjoy talking or making speeches in the first place so it wasn't too shocking, but it was his reasoning that was the surprise instead. Normally Yoo Joonghyuk would just make a couple of standard declarations—nothing too groundbreaking, even though his sheer presence would make anything he said seem as though it was the most important and deep thing anyone had ever heard—and move on, but he wasn't doing that this time.
Instead, Kim Dokja watched in stunned silence as Yoo Joonghyuk declared that he'd live in this life, essentially answering Kim Dokja's unsaid plea for him to survive.
"Joonghyuk-ssi…" Lee Hyunsung muttered as he began to tear up again. "Dokja-ssi's words really resonated with you, didn't they?"
[the constellation 'bald leader of the peasant's army' is feeling touched.]
Yoo Joonghyuk looked lonely, and it was something that Kim Dokja wasn't sure how to process. Even though he had far more people still at his side than he usually would by this point in the scenarios, the loss of a single person—of Kim Dokja—was enough to put him into this kind of state.
At the very least, he had the dome's wall to take his aggression out on, and he began punching it until it cracked. It was almost as though he was channelling all his anger, frustration, and feelings of helplessness into every strike until his fist finally broke through the barrier that had kept them all imprisoned within the city for so long.
"We're actually free," Lee Seolhwa breathed in relief, but she sounded almost disbelieving of the entire situation. Honestly, even for Kim Dokja, this felt surreal. Their current selves were stuck in this scenario, and they had only just completed the fourth scenario in reality. Knowing that they could complete the tenth scenario and escape the dome didn't feel real, and it was also somewhat reassuring at the same time. If their future selves could do it without this knowledge, then they could certainly repeat it.
[the constellation 'secretive plotter' is congratulating the incarnations for surviving this long.]
[some constellations are saddened that they will not see the incarnation 'kim dokja' for a long time.]
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is wishing for a swift reunion for the companions.]
As they began stepping through the hole broken in the side of the dome and towards a scenario without Kim Dokja, Yoo Joonghyuk's hands clenched into fists. He looked conflicted yet determined, and Kim Dokja had no doubts that he'd continue leading everyone moving forward. Though he may not admit it out loud, he cared deeply about all of his companions. After losing one, Yoo Joonghyuk almost always became more cautious and protective, so there was no way he would abandon the group now.
That was the kind of man that the protagonist was, after all.
For a while, all was dark and silent on the screen, and Kim Dokja could tell that everyone was beginning to get a bit antsy. Han Sooyoung tapped her finger on her thigh rhythmically, Jung Heewon grabbed onto Lee Hyunsung's hand again, and Yoo Sangah closed her eyes while still slumped onto Han Sooyoung's shoulder. Lee Seolhwa glanced around nervously, Lee Jihye fidgeted in place, and the kids tightened their grips on Kim Dokja's clothes. Yoo Mia looked at her brother anxiously, but he just sat there in a grim silence, doing nothing but staring blankly at the darkened screen. Even the constellations were occasionally expressing their frustration, confusion, or boredom as they waited for something—for anything—to happen.
Kim Dokja, however, couldn't quiet his own mind. Was that it? Were they about to get kicked out of the scenario like everyone else had been? … Was he about to get struck with yet another probability storm?
It was nerve-wracking, but it would make sense—the Fate and Kim Dokja's subsequent death was the kind of thing that they all wanted to prevent, and it would make sense for someone to figure out the logistics of sending this information to them, especially if Kim Dokja wasn't able to return for a while, or at all. Although, Kim Dokja still had his doubts about that—even at the end of the 10th scenario, he couldn't say that Han Sooyoung was in any way attached to him enough to bother going through the trouble of doing this, and it made even less sense if it was her wayward avatar controlling the scenario. There had to be more to the story.
「In the darkness, the lone Kim Dokja finally woke up.」
Wincing, Dokja opens his eyes from where he lays splayed out on the ground in a somewhat compromising position, fully human once more.
「All the bones in his body creaked with pain as if they'd been crushed, and his skin was stiff like leather.」
Sitting up, Dokja tries to make sense of his location while also acknowledging that he's hearing the obnoxious voice of [The Fourth Wall].
「I'm alive. Kim Dokja thought to himself.」
Inwardly, he thinks that the plan seems to have been a success, but also admits that this was always expected. Just because 'incarnation Kim Dokja' was destined to die didn't mean that 'constellation Kim Dokja' would also die. He knows that he wouldn't have bothered to build up all his stories and become a constellation if he was just going to disappear so easily. The problem is that because he has survived as a constellation, he has lost his incarnation body.
Suddenly, the screen lit up once more, thankfully drawing the group's attention before their anxiety reached critical levels. For some reason, the narration was now extremely irritating, and Kim Dokja had to wonder why the hell that wall was taking over.
"Isn't that the voice of ahjussi's skill…?" Shin Yoosung wondered nervously, glancing up at Kim Dokja as though he had any more information than she did. He didn't, of course.
[the eyes of the constellation 'secretive plotter' are widening in shock.]
[the constellation 'abyssal black flame dragon' is exclaiming that the incarnation 'kim dokja' looks pathetic.]
Kim Dokja let out a small sigh of relief as he saw himself wake up, even though he was lying strangely on the ground. Then again, after what he had just been through, comfort was the last thing he expected.
[the constellation 'god of wine and ecstasy' is raising a brow in amusement.]
Han Sooyoung let out a sigh as Kim Dokja finally managed to drag himself up into a seated position. "You know, I'd probably make fun of you for looking like that, but that description of how you're feeling sounds fucking awful."
He'd rather not process why that was worth making fun of because he had literally just died. It didn't matter if he woke up in an embarrassing position because at least he was still alive.
Lee Seolhwa listened to the symptoms and frowned deeply, tilting her head to the side as she thought. "His physical state aside… how is Dokja-ssi still alive? He can't resurrect anymore…"
Ah, right. That probably seemed very confusing for everyone else.
[the constellation 'queen of the darkest spring' is letting out a laugh as she realizes the plan of the incarnation 'kim dokja'.]
As he explained that it was only his incarnation body that had died rather than his entire existence, Jung Heewon turned to look at him like he was insane. "Seriously? And you never thought to tell us!?"
Okay, so maybe he felt just a little bit guilty about that. Kim Dokja just shrugged and smiled weakly. "I probably didn't want to give away my loophole where the constellations could hear it."
Not that it mattered at this point, considering that they were watching too.
At the very least, Lee Gilyoung looked extremely relieved and relaxed, slumping against Kim Dokja's side. "You're so smart, hyung."
Thank goodness it had worked, or else he would have looked really stupid.
The scene zooms out, showing damaged buildings and streets full of potholes. All devoid of any life. For a moment, Dokja wonders where he is.
「Seoul.」
Noticing that he's only getting system messages rather than getting flooded by indirect messages from constellations, he understands that Seoul is now outside the scenario. Despite being expelled from the scenario, Dokja had known that living beings would be sent to the closest 'out of bounds' area. For him, that place is Gwanghwamun square where the Absolute Throne had been destroyed.
Now that the Seoul scenarios are over, the dome that had once been translucent is now a thick barrier, and he knows that the rest of his party will be moving onto new scenarios and making new stories without him as they continue to live. Although Dokja is thankful that his companions escaped safely, his faint smile betrays his longing to be with them.
"Oh, that's right," Lee Jihye muttered after a moment, "where is ahjussi anyways? Does being expelled mean you get sent to some other universe or something?"
"In some cases, yes," Kim Dokja admitted with a nod. "If things went according to plan, though, I should be someplace that I can navigate."
[several constellations are wondering what that means.]
If his calculations were correct—and they probably were—then Kim Dokja should have ended up right where he wanted to be. Sure enough, as the screen zoomed out, he was overcome with relief at the confirmation that his exile zone was exactly where he had expected.
Yoo Sangah's eyes widened in surprise. "Dokja-ssi… is in Seoul?"
At that, Lee Hyunsung's expression became hopeful. "So if we had just waited, then maybe we could have reunited with Dokja-ssi—"
"No," Yoo Joonghyuk said firmly, clearly having realized what was going on. "Anyone who stayed behind would be dead."
Kim Dokja smiled weakly as Lee Hyunsung's mood plummetted. "I'm sorry, Hyunsung-ssi, but Joonghyuk-ie is right. Seoul isn't part of the scenarios anymore, so I might as well be in a different world. Not even the constellations can see me at this point."
[the constellation 'maritime war god' is frowning sadly.]
"The dome is solid again now too, so you probably didn't even arrive there until after we left," Yoo Sangah realized in an exhausted tone of voice. She was absolutely right, and he was just glad that no one else had known that. Yoo Joonghyuk was absolutely bullheaded enough to try to break back into the dome, probability be damned. At his current level, he'd inevitably fail, though.
At the very least, everyone else was safe and they had Yoo Joonghyuk—and possibly Han Sooyoung, if she decided to stick around—to help them through the next set of scenarios. They'd continue moving forward while Kim Dokja attempted something that was a bit risky, but could potentially have massive advantages for them down the road. At the same time, though, Kim Dokja knew that he'd inevitably be lonely. Even though he had always been alone before, he had gotten used to having others he could trust to have his back. Suddenly going back to being alone again felt uncomfortable, somehow.
"Ahjussi, we can't go on vacation without you, so you have to come back to us eventually," Yoo Mia insisted all of a sudden, seeming a bit flustered after hearing Kim Dokja's yearning to be with everyone.
Kim Dokja knew that she was a smart girl, and though she seemed to be warming up to him past merely tolerating his presence, it was nice to see that she genuinely wanted him there—even if only for the sake of other people who were important to her.
[the constellation 'demon-like judge of fire' is holding onto the hopes of an eventual reunion.]
「Kim Dokja thought. I really am alone. Kim Dokja was glad, but also felt somewhat lonely.」
After taking a moment to breathe, he then starts to walk around with a purpose.
「The lone Kim Dokja had something to do. For that reason, he chose to suffer a miserable death.」
On screen, some familiar—yet now eerily quiet—places appear.
「As he walked through the streets of Seoul, Kim Dokja was immersed in his memories of recent events. Wherever he went, he saw the areas where he had taken part in the scenarios along with his friends. That's when Kim Dokja once again realized that he had become part of TWSA.」
[the constellation 'prisoner of the golden headband' is lamenting the feeling of loneliness.]
"Don't worry ahjussi, we'll make sure you're never lonely," Shin Yoosung insisted as she hugged him tighter.
Kim Dokja appreciated it, and he tried giving her a reassuring squeeze in return. Of course, with any luck, this whole situation could be avoided entirely in their future. At the very least, Olympus would be fully aware that he had managed to get around their Fate with a loophole, and maybe they'd realize that it simply wasn't worth the waste of probability to impose it in the first place.
[many constellations are wondering what the incarnation 'kim dokja' is planning.]
Honestly, Kim Dokja wasn't completely certain what his future self was doing either, but he presumed that he had expected something like this to happen. If that was true and he had made some kind of preparations in advance, then maybe he was looking for something.
Comparing his knowledge of TWSA with the situations that they had seen so far, Kim Dokja had a feeling that he knew exactly what one of the things he was looking for was. If there was anything else, though, he had no idea.
At the same time, he hoped that his future self wouldn't get overwhelmed as he walked through those streets that were filled with nothing but memories now. He really had become part of TWSA, and he had been given a perfect opportunity to try out some of his theories or strategies that he had come up with as a teenager, knowing full well that Yoo Joonghyuk would never think of anything like them.
[constellations who like movies are reminded of flashback scenes.]
Han Sooyoung just groaned all of a sudden, shooting him a grimace. "It's cool that you're reminiscing or whatever, but does your annoying-ass wall have to keep talking? You might be annoying as hell too, but at least your voice is less annoying in your thoughts than when you talk, and that's way better than whatever that thing's voice is."
Okay, Kim Dokja didn't know if that was a compliment or an insult, and he didn't particularly care. Honestly, he was asking himself the same question. All this time, it had been him or another living person who was narrating as they experienced this story through their point of view, and that had worked fine.
So why the heck did the wall suddenly take over when Kim Dokja was conscious and able to do that himself?