The pain was excruciating.
The Thousand Spirits Poison coursed through Yoo Joonghyuk's veins, shredding his battered body. The damage that Kim Dokja had inflicted to him during the King Qualification had only just been repaired, but the poison was reversing the healing process. Organs tore open, nerves screamed. His muscles wouldn't obey him anymore.
He was reduced to trusting that the stranger who had found him would take him where he needed to go. At least the woman had put enough coins into her Strength stat that she didn't stagger under his weight. He kept his eyes closed, focusing on remaining conscious. He had to stay alert. If the woman tried to take advantage of his weakness...
He heard her sigh in relief. She lowered his body to the ground, yelling:
"Hey! Over here, please help! This man is injured!"
More people. Yoo Joonghyuk's wariness grew as he heard two sets of footsteps run up to them. The footsteps stopped suddenly. Frantic whispers were exchanged.
One of the newcomers cautiously came closer. Yoo Joonghyuk tensed. He thought he recognized this presence. Forcing his eyelids open took him inordinate amounts of energy.
His eyes fell on the man he had been looking for. That unassuming frame, that lying mouth, that carefully blank expression... Without a doubt, this was Kim Dokja. But instead of feeling satisfaction at having reached his objective, Yoo Joonghyuk ignited with rage, a knee-jerk reaction to the sight of that elusive bastard. How many times had Kim Dokja deceived him so far? Too many.
Kim Dokja met his bloodshot eyes.
"... Shit."
Maybe he, too, had acquired automatic reflexes to Yoo Joonghyuk's proximity. In the time it took to blink, he reappeared fifteen feet away. The black-haired woman who had been with him had vanished outright.
"Hey, can't you let it go?" Kim Dokja shouted at him from his safe spot. "It was a fair fight. You tried to kill me too!"
Yoo Joonghyuk reluctantly reined in his anger. He wasn't here to carry a grudge. Not even for that hit from the King Qualification.
As much as he hated to admit it, if Kim Dokja meant him harm, Yoo Joonghyuk would probably have regressed at his hands by now. And if Kim Dokja meant to use him like Anna Croft had done, he would have made more of an effort to ingratiate himself to him. On the contrary, he seemed determined to reach the same goals as Yoo Joonghyuk while going about it in all the ways guaranteed to piss him off. How such a combination was possible, and why, he didn't know, but one thing was for sure: Kim Dokja was crafty.
And that's why he needed his help.
He tried to shape words, but his tongue wouldn't cooperate. The poison had long paralyzed it.
Damn it. Damn it! They didn't have much time. At this rate, this entire country...
Kim Dokja looked intrigued. He stepped closer again.
Yoo Joonghyuk steeled himself.
'Kim Dokja,' he thought deliberately.
Was it his imagination? Or did Kim Dokja's eyes widen?
'I know you can hear me,' he continued, emboldened. 'Looking back on all the things you've done...'
Most of Kim Dokja anticipating Yoo Joonghyuk's actions could be put down to Kim Dokja being a prophet. But there had been a moment, back when they had met again in Chungmuro station, when Yoo Joonghyuk had had what he had believed was only an idle thought of killing Kim Dokja, and Kim Dokja had immediately toned down on the provocation.
Of course, even that could have been chalked up to coincidence if it hadn't been for the Theatre Dungeon. Yoo Joonghyuk's memories of their fight were blurry, but he knew he hadn't said a word. Yet Kim Dokja had been replying to him. His words had made little sense, but he had definitely been replying to his thoughts.
Yet now, Kim Dokja remained silent.
'Say you can hear me. If you don't act now, this world will...'
His head spun. What little strength the poison had left him was fast depleting. And still Kim Dokja didn't move.
'Damn it. Maybe I was wrong.'
His consciousness faded. Darkness encroached his vision. He tried to cling to awareness, but all he could feel anymore was the pain.
An unknown amount of time later, the agony started to recede. He awoke to the sensation of acrid-tasting medicine sliding down his throat. His nose crinkled. Medicine was the one thing that even his cooking skills could do nothing to improve.
His eyes blinked open. Kim Dokja was crouched by his side.
"Hey, you're back," he said.
A text box appeared in Yoo Joonghyuk's vision.
[Incarnation Kim Dokja has used Midday Tryst.]
[Do you want to agree to communication with Incarnation Kim Dokja?]
Midday Tryst? Not the more permanent Sound Transmission? Yoo Joonghyuk wanted to scoff. If Kim Dokja had kept all the coins he used to one-up him in the King Qualification, he would have had enough to buy Sound Transmission instead.
Deep inside, though, he had to admit it was a relief that this guy was so quick-witted. He had correctly identified the poison, administered an antidote and found a way to communicate. Yoo Joonghyuk rarely had to say much for Kim Dokja to understand. For him who had long become sick of rehashing in every regression the same explanations to his clueless companions, this was a true balm.
But he had thought that of Anna Croft as well.
[You have agreed to communication with Incarnation Kim Dokja.]
Midday Tryst
[Kim Dokja] Hey, can you hear me?
[Yoo Joonghyuk] Go east immediately.
That earned him a stink eye. That fool, did he not get it yet?
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] The Disaster of Questions is about to wake up.
Yoo Joonghyuk resented being carried around like a bag of flour.
At least Kim Dokja was less of an unknown quantity than the nameless woman who had gotten Yoo Joonghyuk to him. If he could choose, he would still have preferred Lee Hyunsung's reliable back to Kim Dokja's. He could count on Lee Hyunsung not to have a devious thought in his head. Sadly, there was no time to go fetch the man from wherever that damn mid-level dokkaebi had discarded him.
"Can't you carry him?" Kim Dokja said to the woman running next to him.
They were both heading for Gangdong-gu as fast as their Agility levels could take them. The woman, whom Kim Dokja called Han Sooyoung, was a stranger to Yoo Joonghyuk. Or at least, she would have been if the Eye of the Sage hadn't exposed the exact same skill list as the First Apostle whose avatar he had crushed during its attack on Chungmuro station.
"You can use one of your avatars," Kim Dokja added, confirming that he was at least not ignorant of the kind of viper he stupidly tolerated at his side.
"No way!" she said. "Hey, that guy is the one who cut my head off, you know!"
And he'd do it again in a heartbeat if she tried anything funny. Good to know they were all on the same wavelength.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] You can leave me. I don't need your help.
[Kim Dokja] Don't be so prideful. I might really just dump you here.
[Kim Dokja] When do you think you'll be able to move on your own?
[Yoo Joonghyuk] In two days.
Whatever antidote Kim Dokja had fed him, it was powerful for the lower scenarios. The Thousand Spirits Poison was difficult to deal with. Yoo Joonghyuk felt reluctantly grateful.
Midday Tryst
[Kim Dokja] Will you kill me when you recover?
Yoo Joonghyuk kept silent. Kim Dokja's head turned, but he couldn't see Yoo Joonghyuk's expression from where he was essentially faceplanted on his shoulder. Kim Dokja sighed.
Midday Tryst
[Kim Dokja] I can't help you if you're going to be like that. How am I supposed to help someone who's out to kill me?
[Yoo Joonghyuk] Aren't you allied to someone who tried to kill your companions a week ago?
[Kim Dokja] That... Well. Han Sooyoung and I have an agreement.
[Yoo Joonghyuk] You're a fool.
Kim Dokja's arm moved under his chin.
Midday Tryst
[Kim Dokja] Are you underestimating me? Obviously, I had her sign a contract.
[Kim Dokja] Should I have you sign one as well, Yoo Joonghyuk? Agree to an Oath of Existence. Swear not to kill me until the end of this regression.
What a joke. Agree to let Kim Dokja live unconditionally, no matter how much of a thorn in his side he could become one day? If it was impossible to understand Kim Dokja, how could he trust that eliminating him wouldn't become necessary?
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] I can't do that.
Kim Dokja jumped over debris on the road with more strength than necessary. He didn't bother cushioning Yoo Joonghyuk, whose teeth clacked painfully against his shoulder. Yoo Joonghyuk gathered enough strength to turn his head to the side, seething. The move was enough to offset his arm hanging around Kim Dokja. Yoo Joonghyuk's balance tilted. Kim Dokja slid to a stop. He juggled with Yoo Joonghyuk's weight until he had him properly situated again. Only then did he go back to running.
It was less the act than the sheer automatism of it that had Yoo Joonghyuk speechless. Kim Dokja didn't even seem to register that this show of care entirely negated the impact of his moment of temper.
Midday Tryst
[Kim Dokja] Then at least swear you won't kill me until the end of the fifth scenario. If you can't do that, I really won't help you.
[Yoo Joonghyuk] ...
Yoo Joonghyuk stared into the middle distance. This much should be okay, right? He didn't understand Kim Dokja. But when it came to the early scenarios, they seemed to be pursuing the same path.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] I swear.
Cold flames flared around him and nestled in his heart. He closed his eyes. If worst came to worst, the end of the fifth scenario would be here soon enough.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] I won't kill you, but...
[Yoo Joonghyuk] I'll get you back for hitting me.
[Kim Dokja] ...
[Kim Dokja] Just one punch, okay? You have to go easy on me.
Gangdong-gu was halfway to terraformation already. The alien plants and their golden stares should have been unnerving, but Yoo Joonghyuk had seen far stranger things in his past lives.
True to his aggravating nature, Kim Dokja dodged between squirming roots with the same absent face he might have had evading pedestrians on a sidewalk a few weeks ago.
What kind of man had Kim Dokja been before the start of the scenarios? What life had he led? When Yoo Joonghyuk had met him, he had looked for all the world like any of the anonymous desk jockeys the subway had been filled with. Even now, he chose to wear suits and dress shirts. But how could such an unremarkable existence create a man like Kim Dokja?
Midday Tryst
[Kim Dokja] There's something I wanted to ask you.
Yoo Joonghyuk blinked lazily at the message.
Midday Tryst
[Kim Dokja] Why did you come to me? In that state, I thought you'd just end up regressing.
His numb fingertips shook with sudden anger. Who did Kim Dokja think he was?
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] Pathetic.
[Yoo Joonghyuk] If I was going to give up so easily, I wouldn't even have started this journey.
[Kim Dokja] ... I see.
[Yoo Joonghyuk] You were the first person who came to mind. You were gutsy enough to destroy the Absolute Throne, so I thought you'd be of help.
[Kim Dokja] You aren't going to give me an earful for destroying the throne?
[Yoo Joonghyuk] There's no point arguing about things that are in the past. I thought that throne was a nuisance anyway.
[Yoo Joonghyuk] You probably did it to block off the Outer God.
A muscle in Kim Dokja's cheek jumped. He didn't reply, but Yoo Joonghyuk didn't need him to. So this guy knew about even that.
It was frustrating. If only Kim Dokja could have been trusted, with all the intel in his possession, he might have been very useful... At least he could still be used to some extent.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] I thought it wasn't a bad idea. The problem is what happens next. Because you destroyed the throne, the guides have been scattered all over the place, and there has been a setback in collecting the meteorites.
[Yoo Joonghyuk] That's also why the terraforming sped up in Gwangjin-gu and Gangdong-gu. The wanderers are using the power of the meteorite.
[Kim Dokja] What do you mean? Terraforming won't accelerate simply by using the meteorites.
[Yoo Joonghyuk] One of the Ten Evils got their hands on a Disaster Meteorite.
[Kim Dokja] Is it the Poison Beauty, Lee Seolhwa?
How did that man... How? In the first place, the Ten Evils wasn't a common term. Yoo Joonghyuk only used it with his companions and allies, for a quick denomination of people who had to be handled swiftly from one regression to the next. He couldn't even remember which of his companions had first coined it. It certainly hadn't been him. Had Kim Dokja read the name in his mind?
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] ... You know about that.
[Kim Dokja] She's the only person who can use the Thousand Spirits Poison.
That wasn't what Yoo Joonghyuk had meant.
Midday Tryst
[Kim Dokja] But how did you get poisoned? You wouldn't have fought her head on if you knew who you were up against.
Yoo Joonghyuk glared at the text window. If he said nothing, would Kim Dokja read that answer in his mind too?
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] I tried to talk to her.
[Kim Dokja] Talk? You?
Bastard.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] I thought I could make her an ally.
Kim Dokja suddenly fell silent. A foreboding feeling seized Yoo Joonghyuk. Kim Dokja couldn't know about this too. Of all things, not this...
Who was he kidding. Kim Dokja was like a creature engineered to lean on all his weaknesses. Of course he knew. Somehow, he knew about his past with Lee Seolhwa.
Midday Tryst
[Kim Dokja] It's not like you to do something like that.
[Yoo Joonghyuk] I know. It was pathetic.
[Kim Dokja] ...
That noncommittal message grated on Yoo Joonghyuk's nerves like the poison still burning through his veins. He didn't need to be reminded of his foolishness. He knew it better than anyone. He had understood the moment he had met her blank eyes that coming to her had been a mistake. But he hadn't been able to help himself. For the hope to rekindle even just a spark of that gentle love that had once kept him warm and sane through the cruel scenarios...
At the beginning, he had thought he could make it through this regression through his own strength. He hadn't intended to have any companion in this round. He had meant to take Lee Jihye because her skills were necessary and she would die without him, but he had planned to keep her at arm's length. And then Kim Dokja had bumbled in. He had thrown Kim Namwoon away and stolen Lee Hyunsung before Yoo Joonghyuk was even aware of his existence. He had let seemingly weak companions cling to him, yet had kept them safe through the first scenarios like it was nothing. He had made a mess of Yoo Joonghyuk's plans, had even tamed the untameable Gong Pildu. Watching Kim Dokja surrounded by people... Before Yoo Joonghyuk had known it, he had found himself... lonely.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] She wasn't the person I knew. But I wanted to believe, even for a moment, that she was still the woman of my memories.
Why... Why was he justifying himself to this man? He owed no explanation to Kim Dokja.
But perhaps it needed to be said aloud. Perhaps, for that pain to be exorcised, it needed to be cast into the wind first.
Midday Tryst
[Kim Dokja] I know how you feel.
Yoo Joonghyuk's breathing froze in his chest. No matter how much he stared at them, the words before his eyes didn't change. Why would Kim Dokja throw out such an empty platitude? No, in the first place... Could it be?
[You have activated the exclusive skill Lie Detection Lv.6.]
[You have confirmed that the statement is true.]
"Bastard... Really?" Kim Dokja muttered.
So the Lie Detection skill could be used on messages written through Midday Tryst. Yoo Joonghyuk tucked the information away even as his mind whirled.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] You say it as if you've regressed before.
[Kim Dokja] I don't need to regress to understand.
No... He...
Yoo Joonghyuk's throat closed. He pressed his mouth against Kim Dokja's shoulder. His eyesight blurred a little.
He shouldn't let himself get affected this easily. But why was it that such a deep comfort could be found in these words? In the end, maybe he had to accept that being understood was the thing he missed the most in this life.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] That's strange. You're definitely not a regressor. Is that one of your abilities as a prophet?
Why did Kim Dokja know so much about him? Was he using most of his visions on Yoo Joonghyuk? Did he believe him to be such a threat? Or did he want him to be a tool? What would Yoo Joonghyuk's feelings matter to him either way?
He curled his hand into a fist. He couldn't let himself get manipulated. One moment of empathy didn't erase everything Kim Dokja had done until now. He reached for that familiar anger.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] But I won't let my guard down. You're the scoundrel who kidnapped my sister.
Kim Dokja visibly started sweating under his glare.
Whatever lie he might have fabricated in reply was cut off when they reached the Poison Beauty's territory. Kim Dokja and Han Sooyoung slowed down and assessed the wanderers' defenses. The roofs of the nearby buildings were covered in writhing plants. Small beasts scuttled through the vegetation at ground level.
"Do you have a plan?" Han Sooyoung asked.
"We only need to steal the meteorite. I'll hold them at bay while you go grab it," Kim Dokja said.
Him alone to redirect the attention to all of Lee Seolhwa's followers? Yoo Joonghyuk wanted to scoff. On the other hand, the meteorite was big enough that a group of Han Sooyoung's avatars would be needed to move it. Not that the maneuver was necessary now.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] There's no need to hurry. Even if the disaster begins, the Disaster of Questions is one that can be suppressed at an early stage.
[Kim Dokja] Suppressed? And who do you suggest do that? You're injured!
[Yoo Joonghyuk] You, of course. Weren't you going to do that anyway?
[Kim Dokja] And why do you think that?
Was he playing stupid on purpose? Yoo Joonghyuk growled in warning.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] Because you already woke the guide and learned the Way of the Wind.
He had known as soon as he had caught a glimpse of a meditating Lycaon while Kim Dokja was loading his paralyzed body on his back. The only reason he wouldn't kill Kim Dokja for this, for having stolen yet again another useful tool from Yoo Joonghyuk, was that it made their current situation that much simpler. Yoo Joonghyuk had thought initially that preventing the awakening of the Catastrophe was of outmost priority, but with the Way of the Wind on their side...
Midday Tryst
[Kim Dokja] I didn't learn it.
Come again?
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] ... Why? There wasn't enough time?
[Kim Dokja] No, it's because I don't have the talent.
A vein began beating at Yoo Joonghyuk's forehead. Not the talent? Not the talent? Forget not killing Kim Dokja, he was going to skin him alive.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] If you had just let me...
The antidote had given him back enough strength that his hands inched little by little for Kim Dokja's throat. The fool gave an awkward chuckle.
Midday Tryst
[Kim Dokja] Hey, come on, Yoo Joonghyuk...
"There are people," Han Sooyoung said, unknowingly saving her contract holder's life.
Yoo Joonghyuk was unceremoniously transferred to one of Han Sooyoung's avatars. He kept silent only out of regard for the situation. A group of people was fleeing toward them. A woman's voice rang out.
"Everybody, run toward Cheonho Bridge!"
Yoo Joonghyuk thought the voice sounded a bit familiar. Before he could see who had spoken, arrows rained down from the sky. The refugees screamed and collapsed. Kim Dokja dodged a poisoned arrow. Lee Seolhwa's men had caught up.
The next instant, threads of silk spread out above everyone's heads.
Yoo Joonghyuk watched the person who threw herself against the enemy. Yoo Sangah, the woman whom Kim Dokja had brought into the scenarios with his own hands. The cultists fell like flies under her knives.
Kim Dokja looked dumbfounded. Yoo Joonghyuk could guess what he thought. He didn't hold back a dig.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] She's improved much quicker in your absence. I don't think you have a knack for helping your companions grow. It was the same with Lee Hyunsung.
[Kim Dokja] ... She's gotten to where she is now because of how much I helped her in the beginning.
Disingenuous guy.
With Yoo Sangah's distraction, the refugees successfully made it to the bridge.
"Yoo Sangah!" Kim Dokja called.
Startled, the woman turned toward them. Han Sooyoung used her avatars to push the enemy back while they joined her.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] Get to the high-rise over there. You need to secure a view of the surroundings from higher ground.
To his credit, Kim Dokja immediately relayed the command.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] And you better watch out for that woman.
[Kim Dokja] That woman?
Yoo Joonghyuk didn't say anything else. His eyes were on Yoo Sangah. It was impossible for an incarnation to know such rapid growth without paying a price. In addition, the skills she was using made it clear... In all probability, her sponsor wasn't a Constellation, but an entire Nebula. She wouldn't come out of such a sponsorship unscathed.
There were less than two hours remaining before the disaster hatched. Still half-paralyzed, Yoo Joonghyuk watched from atop a building as Kim Dokja made his move. Yoo Sangah and Han Sooyoung wreaked havoc among the cultists, allowing Kim Dokja to reach the meteorite and Lee Seolhwa.
Yoo Joonghyuk flexed his hands, wishing he could join the fight. That high-grade sword Kim Dokja had found somewhere (where could you even get a constellation item as early as the second scenario? nothing made sense about Kim Dokja) disgorged fire on the insect men protecting Lee Seolhwa. It seemed to be going well, but Yoo Joonghyuk wasn't feeling confident.
As if to prove him right, Kim Dokja stopped attacking.
"You aren't Lee Seolhwa," he said, his clear voice reaching Yoo Joonghyuk's ears.
So he had noticed.
"Parasite Queen Antinus. Why is a guide trying to wake up the disaster?"
Antinus' appearance started to bleed into Lee Seolhwa's. She rushed for Kim Dokja without answering. He fended her off, but he wouldn't stop talking.
"What you're doing goes against your mission. Leave that body before it's too late!"
Why was the fool pulling his blows? Yoo Joonghyuk gritted his teeth.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] Kill her.
The blue text box appeared next to Kim Dokja. He ducked under a swipe of Antinus' claws.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] The survival of the world is more important than her life. Act wisely, Kim Dokja.
Kim Dokja looked up. His eyes searched for Yoo Joonghyuk. At this distance, he wouldn't be able to read his face. Not that there would be much to see. Yoo Joonghyuk had long hardened his heart. If this was what needed to be done for the sake of this regression, if it were him, he wouldn't hesitate.
Midday Tryst
[Kim Dokja] Then you will be unhappy.
Yoo Joonghyuk's heart shook painfully. Why did that man care? He had to know that grieving over one more familiar corpse wouldn't stop Yoo Joonghyuk from aiming for the end of the scenarios. What concern could it possibly be of Kim Dokja if he was miserable?
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] It doesn't matter.
There was no answer to his message. And still Kim Dokja didn't go on the offensive.
Despite himself, Yoo Joonghyuk felt a sliver of hope. If anyone could find a way to defeat Antinus without harming Lee Seolhwa, it would be Kim Dokja...
But he knew better than to put his faith in miracles.
"Kyak! I'll kill you," Antinus said.
Black liquid oozed from her arm. Yoo Joonghyuk gave a quiet gasp and leaned closer to the railing.
"Hey! Watch it," said the avatar of Han Sooyoung that kept him upright.
Yoo Joonghyuk ignored her.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] Do you have a countermeasure to the Thousand Spirits Poison?
[Kim Dokja] I do.
Maybe he shouldn't even have bothered asking. He reluctantly relaxed. But that book Kim Dokja was pulling out... Yoo Joonghyuk watched in amazement as he activated the Dongui Bogam's anti-poison effect, then proceeded to overtake Antinus and push Lee Seolhwa's struggling body to the ground. He straddled her and pinned her arms down. Maybe he was aware that their position looked sordid, because he looked up in Yoo Joonghyuk's direction.
Midday Tryst
[Kim Dokja] Don't kill me for this, okay?
[Yoo Joonghyuk] Get on with it, you fool.
Kim Dokja triggered the Dongui Bogam's Acupuncture skill and hit Lee Seolhwa's pressure points. Immediately, Antinus started screaming. Kim Dokja jumped off her. A thick yellow substance flowed from Lee Seolhwa's body. The screams became less shrill, more human. Antinus was fleeing her host.
Yoo Joonghyuk gulped with difficulty.
This was a needlessly complex way to end this. Now Kim Dokja would have to deal with Antinus in her original body. He had to know that. He had to know killing Lee Seolhwa would have been simpler.
Gasping for breath, Lee Seolhwa sat up. Her movements were weak and sluggish. She raised her head toward Kim Dokja.
"You... who are you?"
"Yoo Joonghyuk sent me."
Any other emotion Yoo Joonghyuk may have felt evaporated into anger. What did that fool think he was doing?
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] Kim Dokja. Don't do anything unnecessary.
"Yoo Joonghyuk?" Lee Seolhwa said. "Who is that?"
"You'll know soon."
There was no more time to talk. Antinus' original body was gathering itself. As a guide, she would be a dangerous opponent. Kim Dokja covered for Lee Seolhwa as she staggered away to recover in a safer place. Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes followed her as she disappeared in an alleyway.
Han Sooyoung and Yoo Sangah came back from their mission. Thankfully for them all, Lycaon also chose that moment to catch up. That was good. A guide was much more indicated to fight another guide.
The battle between the two aliens started. Somehow, Lycaon proved even stronger than Yoo Joonghyuk had expected of him. He didn't need any help from the humans to subdue Antinus. How had he grown so strong?
Kim Dokja... That guy had definitely done something weird again. Yoo Joonghyuk wanted to sigh, but if it was enough to end this...
Just as he thought so, the defeated Antinus jumped to her feet. Alarm shook through Yoo Joonghyuk.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] Kim Dokja! Kill her! Quickly!
Kim Dokja and Lycaon rushed after her as she ran to the meteorite. Unbreakable Faith sliced through the Insect Queen's neck, but not before she injected the rock with her remaining mana.
The explosion was staggering. The shockwave struck even Yoo Joonghyuk and the avatar with him. Han Sooyoung swore. He barely heard her through the tinnitus in his ears.
[The Disaster of Questions has come to your world.]
Damn it. Damn it! They had failed.
The avatar hauled him back to the edge of the rooftop. The ground below was a crater. Where was Kim Dokja? Was that him, that hint of a suit jacket buried under debris?
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] Kim Dokja! Wake up! Hurry!
In the center of the crater, the figure of a naked teenager was uncoiling.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] Recover your spirit.
[Yoo Joonghyuk] Get moving! Now! You can still stop the disaster.
Myung Ilsang would still be weakened by his seals. As long as he was stopped before he asked questions and obtained answers, his strength would be manageable.
Kim Dokja moved under the debris. So he was conscious. Yoo Joonghyuk felt relief. As long as Kim Dokja could still fight...
But Kim Dokja didn't get up.
Why? Even if he was injured, with Lee Seolhwa nearby...
With every second that ticked by without any more movement from the pile, Yoo Joonghyuk felt anger rise. Could it be that that fool was thinking of giving up? Was this the first time one of his schemes had failed? Suddenly, his nerve was lost?
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] You, are you that weak?
[Kim Dokja] What?
[Yoo Joonghyuk] All the words you told me were false.
A piece of rock slid from Kim Dokja's back as he sat up. His clothes were gray with dust. He had looked nothing like this in the Theatre Dungeon, when he had dared to raise his sword against Yoo Joonghyuk and yell in his face.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] The one who told me not to give up on this world will succumb to something like this?
[Kim Dokja] Of course not. I was just thinking for a second.
Despite his words, the laughter that Yoo Joonghyuk heard escape his lips was rueful.
What a liar.
"You," Yoo Joonghyuk said to the avatar hunched under his arm.
"Huh? You can talk now?"
"Do something for me," he carefully enunciated.
"Why should I?"
His hand closed around her slim neck. She cringed under his baleful glare.
"You know what happens if you don't."
Lee Seolhwa, when the avatar found her and brought her to the rooftop, looked shaken but well enough to walk on her own. Her tired eyes fell on him. There was life in them now, but still no recognition. He had prepared himself for it, but it didn't hurt any less.
"You're Yoo Joonghyuk?" she asked, sounding curious.
He nodded with difficulty. Her eyes widened.
"Oh, is that... It's the Thousand Spirits Poison, isn't it? I did this?"
She ran up to his side to take his pulse. He wanted to tell her that it wasn't her fault. But even if he could have untangled his numb tongue long enough to find the words, they had other priorities.
Myung Ilsang had managed to flee his initial battle with Kim Dokja, Han Sooyoung and Yoo Sangah. And now the dokkaebi were meddling with the situation. A hunt scenario had been issued. It was guaranteed to attract clueless incarnations who would answer Myung Ilsang's questions and break his seals. Kim Dokja had run after the disaster, but would he catch him in time?
[Incarnation Lee Seolhwa is using Counteract Poison Lv.5.]
It was only Level 5.
"I won't be able to entirely counteract the poison," she confirmed. "You took an antidote already, right? It must have been a powerful one. I'm sorry I can't do more than speed up the recovery a little."
He nodded again. Anything was good, as long as it enabled him to move.
An explosion rocked the city nearby. The flash of purple light made it obvious that this was Myung Ilsang's Middle Red Fire Cannon skill. His seals had already weakened to that extent.
"Tch," Yoo Joonghyuk said.
He stretched his neck to see further in that direction.
"That looks dangerous," Lee Seolhwa said, tense.
"They'd better not come this way," the avatar said.
Yoo Joonghyuk caught a glimpse of Kim Dokja taking shelter in a nearby street. Despite the danger Myung Ilsang represented now, Kim Dokja showed no sign of running.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] You don't stand a chance fighting him head-on.
[Kim Dokja] I know. But I still have to try.
[Yoo Joonghyuk] How could you let things get so out of hand?
[Kim Dokja] What?
[Yoo Joonghyuk] You had many chances. You could've killed Lee Seolhwa. Or if you had worked with Lycaon to kill Antinus, you could've stopped the disaster.
Frustration crawled under his skin. Though he hated to admit it, maybe he felt a bit of guilt too. He couldn't get rid of the suspicion that Kim Dokja had spared Lee Seolhwa for his sake.
Midday Tryst
[Kim Dokja] I'm not a regressor like you. I have to be cautious because I'll die if I fail. I have to think things over and over...
Yoo Joonghyuk could have strangled him.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] Cautious? You've got to be kidding me. Do you think you are a constellation? Knowing the future doesn't mean you can control everything.
Kim Dokja's tiny silhouette stopped between gutted car frames. The movement of his head tracked the racket that Myung Ilsang caused in the next street over.
Midday Tryst
[Kim Dokja] Then why don't you step up and fight? Why are you counting on someone like me?
Counting on him?
That was hard to deny, wasn't it? Yoo Joonghyuk had chosen to find Kim Dokja. He had trusted that he would step in. It was too bad that this annoyingly clever guy picked now to show his pathetic side.
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] Don't use having no talent as an excuse. Not having the Way of the Wind doesn't mean you can't win.
[Kim Dokja] What do you mean? That skill is a must!
Yoo Joonghyuk was, by necessity, an excellent strategist. He knew how to best use the abilities and skills of his companions. His field orders had more than once meant the difference between victory and defeat for his party. But it was hard to devise a strategy for someone he knew next to nothing about. He stewed for a while, but in the end, found himself asking:
Midday Tryst
[Yoo Joonghyuk] My attribute is Pro Gamer. What's yours?
[Kim Dokja] What?
[Yoo Joonghyuk] I'm asking you what you're good at?
If he had hoped for an answer (and if he was honest, he had), he was disappointed. But at least, when Myung Ilsang finally found Kim Dokja, Kim Dokja was able to hold his own surprisingly well. What was that? It looked like he was reading Myung Ilsang's moves.
Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to counter the Disaster of Questions' sheer speed. Kim Dokja took a strong hit and coughed out blood.
"How much longer?" Yoo Joonghyuk asked.
He could speak without problem now.
"Just a few minutes more," Lee Seolhwa said.
Kim Dokja might not have a few more minutes.
But as he was about to move anyway, blue light surrounded Kim Dokja. An immaterial book flapped open over his head. A skill?
Yoo Joonghyuk observed the fight that followed.
...
Hey, that bastard. Wasn't he using the Way of the Wind?
"Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi, I'm done. This is as much as I can offer," Lee Seolhwa said.
Yoo Joonghyuk sighed through his nose. Would he ever manage to understand that guy?
"Thank you," he said, and got up.
He pushed off from the rooftop with all his strength. He wasn't fully recovered, but he would be able to fight for a little while before he had to stop and let his body heal.
He slammed into the street pavement like a missile, crushing Myung Ilsang under his boots.
"Yoo Joonghyuk?" Kim Dokja muttered in shock.
Did he think Yoo Joonghyuk would immediately milk that retaliatory hit he had promised? When Yoo Joonghyuk stepped off the disaster, Kim Dokja skirted back.
"Get started," Yoo Joonghyuk told him, and turned around to shield Kim Dokja from the sneering returnee. "I'll block him."
Myung Ilsang with more than twenty of his seals broken wasn't a walk in the park, especially in the state that Yoo Joonghyuk was in. Luckily, with a little advice from him, Kim Dokja seemed to gain some degree of understanding of the Way of the Wind.
"Not bad," Yoo Joonghyuk panted as the vacuum cage closed around the struggling disaster. "You do have a little talent in you after all."
Though he was definitely not using the Way of the Wind the regular way. That book skill, was it a copycat one?
The fight might have ended just like that, with the seals returning to Myung Ilsang one after another. But the Disaster of Questions refused to go quietly. With the last of his strength, he fired his Large Red Fire Cannon skill. Yoo Joonghyuk was tackled to the ground. Blood dripped from Kim Dokja's nose and splattered to the pavement next to Yoo Joonghyuk's head. He didn't have enough mana to sustain Way of the Wind much longer.
Yet the fool's eyes wandered to screaming incarnations. The opportunists who had answered the dokkaebi's call were now dying in droves in their prey's flames.
"Kim Dokja, don't do anything foolish. They wouldn't care if you died."
Kim Dokja nodded slowly.
"You may be right about some of them."
It didn't prevent him from getting up. Yoo Joonghyuk swore in his mind and scrambled to his feet. Kim Dokja didn't even notice him laying a hand on his back. The wind whipped around them, carrying voracious flames that bit into their skins.
[You have activated the exclusive skill Mana Transfer Lv.2.]
As Kim Dokja's trance deepened, the wind changed direction. The flames retreated from the fleeing incarnations. Soon, they were extinguished entirely.
Despite Kim Dokja's divided attention, the vacuum prison hadn't weakened. Yoo Joonghyuk was grudgingly impressed.
Kim Dokja came back to himself with a gasp. He glanced at Yoo Joonghyuk's hand in surprise. Yoo Joonghyuk glared.
"I'll be the one to kill you."
"... Ha."
Killing Myung Ilsang after all this was anticlimactic. When Kim Dokja dithered, Yoo Joonghyuk did it himself. With one stab of his sword, the Disaster of Questions ended.
Yoo Joonghyuk ignored the flood of system messages that followed. He straightened and looked around. The buildings nearby had been gutted by the fight. Incarnations lay on the ground, wounded or dead.
It was a familiar sight. No matter the regression, it always came down to this: humans crying for their lost ones in the ruins of an apocalyptic city. He wasn't sure he still remembered what Seoul had looked like before.
"Yoo Joonghyuk."
He turned. Kim Dokja watched him with an unknown expression. His jaw worked. But all he said in the end was:
"No. It's nothing."
What was up with that man? Was he plotting something again?
Yoo Joonghyuk closed his eyes with a sigh. In any case, he was too exhausted to worry about that now. He felt like he would collapse if he took one more step. There was no immediate danger that he could see, and Kim Dokja was nearby. It was probably alright to do this.
[You have activated the exclusive skill Recovery Hibernation Lv.3.]
The last thing he heard before his consciousness faded was Kim Dokja arguing with the dokkaebi.
It was dark. Yoo Joonghyuk blinked a few times to clear his vision. Night had fallen while he healed.
"Oh, you're awake."
He turned his head. A kind smile greeted him.
"... Lee Seolhwa?"
He sat up. A blanket slid to his lap. It seemed she had brought him inside a building. They must have left Gangdong-gu, because he didn't see any trace of the terraforming plants.
"Where is Kim Dokja?"
"You mean that man who was with you? He left with the two women."
He... left?
Yoo Joonghyuk trusted that man to guard him in his moment of vulnerability, and Kim Dokja just left him there?
"He said to take you to Gaebong-dong," Lee Seolhwa said, oblivious to his rising rage. "And to look for a sad soldier there."
Lee Hyunsung. Did that guy think it was fine if he just entrusted Yoo Joonghyuk to Lee Seolhwa and baited him away with another one of his companions? If he thought he was doing Yoo Joonghyuk a favor by leaving him alone with his ex-lover, Yoo Joonghyuk would really punch him into the ground the next time they met.
He opened Midday Tryst. A few messages waited for him.
Midday Tryst
[Kim Dokja] Did you seriously faint with your eyes open? That's impressive.
[Kim Dokja] Since I can't ask you what you want, I'm taking first pick of the scenario rewards. Don't blame me, okay? And don't forget to ask yours when you wake up, or the dokkaebi will scam you.
[Kim Dokja] Alright, I'll be going first.
Nothing else.
Despite himself, Yoo Joonghyuk felt nearly... hurt. It had been a very long time since he had been discarded so easily. People often kept him nearby in the hope that someone as strong as him would help them in the scenarios, if nothing else.
He should have known better than to expect Kim Dokja to act like anybody else.
He debated sending an angry message. In the end, though, his pride wouldn't permit it. If Kim Dokja thought their temporary alliance was over, fine. Kim Dokja had been the one asking to become his companion. If he had changed his mind since, Yoo Joonghyuk wouldn't go begging.