He looked out the window, where the city of Seoul stretched beyond the glass.
But the landscape outside was no longer the Seoul he once knew. Smoke and dust rose from the ruins of a city that had already fallen.
The Han River bridges had collapsed, and the river itself ran red with the bodies of soldiers. Amid the wreckage of toppled buildings, a massive monster crushed a K1 tank beneath its feet as if it were nothing more than a toy.
"Once again... I have to walk through this hell." He thought.
He muttered under his breath, "How many times must I see this sight?"
The subway train stopped around halfway past Dongho Bridge.
He looked at the scene taking place outside—the ruined Seoul and the collapsed buildings. Monsters reminiscent of a giant snake were eating the wreckage of a fighter jet that had crashed into the Han River.
"Even now, the world still plays out the same way," he said quietly, his reflection flickering in the train window. "No matter how many times I return, nothing changes."
[Several Constellations are unsettled by Incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk's' cold composure.]
[A Constellation who have not yet revealed their Modifiers have decided to reveal their Modifiers.]
[The Constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' greets you.]
. . .
The constellations whispered above him, their voices overlapping like static. Yoo Joonghyuk didn't care. His eyes stayed fixed on the window.
He recognized it instantly. An Ichthyosaur. Commonly referred to as a sea serpent, it was a monster that would later be classified as a Grade 7 creature in the later scenarios.
"The Ichthyosaur..." he muttered, his tone flat but his eyes sharp. "So it begins again."
The Ichthyosaur circled beneath the remains of Dongho Bridge before slipping into an air bubble and vanishing. In this world, scenarios took precedence over everything else. As long as he was under the scenario's protection, he wouldn't have to face monsters like that. At least not yet.
[A handful of constellations admire your scenario.]
[Constellations have sponsored you 500 coins.]
Constellations, mysterious beings watching from distant nebulas, were the masterminds behind every tragedy. They were the unseen audience, deciding who would live and who would die. When the notifications showing their preferences appeared, Yoo Joonghyuk knew—this was where it truly began.
He exhaled slowly. "Watch all you want," he whispered. "I'll kill you when the time comes."
[Wow, amazing.]
The dokkaebi materialized mid-air, its small body shimmering faintly against the flickering train lights.
[What on earth happened here? I was just watching the other carriages…]
Its expression twisted into a mixture of delight and disbelief. The dokkaebi's eyes swept across the scene—the shattered glass, the scorched metal, shapeless bodies from the explosion scattered on the floor.
[Hahaha… this is truly unbelievable.] It laughed softly, the sound echoing through the silent carriage. [To think that something this entertaining would happen in such a low-grade scenario.]
Above its head, faint stars began to shimmer—each representing a Constellation tuning in to watch. Yoo Joonghyuk glanced at them briefly. There weren't many. Twenty-one at most. Still, it was an unusual number for a beginner dokkaebi.
It floated closer to Yoo Joonghyuk, studying him with an almost childlike curiosity. [For twenty-one people to be connected to my channel already… this is quite the achievement for a beginner like me. Hahaha. Gosh, thank you for your sponsorship, dear Constellations.]
Yoo Joonghyuk didn't respond. His expression was calm, indifferent, as if the dokkaebi's presence barely registered to him.
[Fufu… this channel might be more interesting than I expected.]
The creature's laughter lingered in the air, light and mocking, as Yoo Joonghyuk's cold eyes reflected the faint glow of the stars above.
Then, the dokkaebi's expression shifted.
[Now, let's see how many people managed to crawl out of this delightful chaos! From the looks of it, you're probably the only one left alive… but who knows? Maybe there's a twist—someone still wriggling around, begging for help somewhere in that mess! Hahaha!]
Its amusement gave way to curiosity as it raised a hand and began tapping at the air, as though manipulating invisible screens.
The dokkaebi grinned, its jagged teeth gleaming faintly under the flickering system light that struggled to stay alive amid the smoke.
[Survivors from the 3434 Train to Bulgwang, Carriage 3707: Yoo Joonghyuk. A total of one survivor.]
The line floated in front of them, glowing cold and sterile against the charred metal walls. The dokkaebi tilted its head, eyes narrowing with a mixture of delight and disbelief.
[It's really just you, huh? Hahaha! Truly fascinating.] The dokkaebi gave a slow clap, the sound echoing eerily through the empty carriage. [Do you even realize what kind of slaughter you've just pulled off?]
It drifted closer, its body shifting like smoke under water. The dokkaebi circled Yoo Joonghyuk, studying him from every angle—the blood that clung to his coat, the way his knuckles were still faintly trembling from the aftershock of the explosion, the faint scorch marks across his cheek.
[Most people cry, beg, or lose their minds before the timer even hits halfway,] the dokkaebi continued, voice rising in a mockery of sympathy. [But you? You're just standing there, covered in blood, staring at nothing. Like you've done this before.]
It laughed—a sharp, grating sound that filled the silence like broken glass scraping across steel. [Tell me, human, how does it feel? To be the only one left alive in this beautiful little tragedy?]
For a long moment, Yoo Joonghyuk didn't answer. The only sound was the faint hum of electricity and the groaning metal of the damaged train. He finally turned his gaze toward the dokkaebi, his expression still unreadable, his voice low and steady.
"Nothing worth feeling."
The dokkaebi blinked. The reply hit harder than expected, cold and clean like a knife's edge. For a brief second, even the creature of chaos seemed unsure how to react. Then, slowly, its lips twisted again into a grin, and laughter spilled out of its mouth like static.
[Hahaha! Oh, I like you.] The dokkaebi's voice vibrated with glee. [You're not normal. You're the kind of human that makes even a dokkaebi curious.]
It leaned closer, until its warped reflection shimmered in the pool of blood spreading beneath Yoo Joonghyuk's boots. [You'll make a fine entertainer for the stars. The Constellations will love you.]
[Some Constellations are amazed by Incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk's' Achievements!]
[A Constellation who hasn't revealed their modifier is curious with Incarnation 'Yoo Joonghyuk'.]
[Constellations have sponsored you 300 coins.]
Yoo Joonghyuk lowered his eyes for a moment, then brushed the soot from his sleeve with slow, mechanical precision. His gaze turned back toward the shattered window, where the ruined city loomed beyond the smoke. Buildings were still burning in the distance. The Han River gleamed with a dull red tint, reflecting the firestorm that had devoured Seoul.
"If they find this entertaining," he said quietly, "then they can keep watching." His tone carried no emotion—just the weight of inevitability.
The dokkaebi floated in silence for a few seconds, studying him with an unreadable expression. Then, its mouth curled into a small, wicked smile. [Oh, they will, Yoo Joonghyuk. Believe me, they definitely will.]
Its laughter echoed faintly, carrying a strange static through the air—the sound of distant frequencies clashing. Then, as if on cue, the brightness around it began to waver. The stars above flickered wildly, their soft glow turning sharp and crimson. A faint ringing filled the air, followed by the sharp ping! of notifications bursting into existence.
[The constellations are annoyed with the low-grade dokkaebi 'Bihyung' for interfering too much.]
[A-ah, constellations. I'm sorry~ Please don't be mad!]
The dokkaebi flinched as glowing messages began to flicker angrily above its head, the stars pulsing red in irritation. It shot upward in a hurry, hovering near the ceiling of the ruined carriage as if trying to escape their wrath.
"Oh no, no, no—please, don't turn off the sponsorships!" it babbled, waving its hands dramatically at the empty air. The creature's body flickered like static as it twisted its expression into an exaggerated pout, bowing and clasping its hands together in mock apology.
[Look, I'll behave! I swear I'll behave this time!]
It was like watching a streamer begging their viewers not to unsubscribe—complete with over-the-top gestures, desperate grins, and nervous laughter that cracked at the edges. The dokkaebi even spun once midair, forcing a ridiculous smile as it winked at the invisible audience.
[Please forgive this humble dokkaebi! I promise, no more meddling~]
But even as it tried to appease them, the faint red glow of the constellations' displeasure lingered above like a warning. The dokkaebi's grin stiffened slightly, its laughter faltering before it finally floated back down—muttering to itself under its breath.
[Ugh… they're so touchy when things get interesting.]
Yoo Joonghyuk watched the dokkaebi's frantic display in silence—the ridiculous apologies, the desperate fluttering through the air. Its voice echoed hollowly in the wreckage, begging forgiveness from the constellations.
A faint scoff escaped him. His gaze was cold, detached, as if the creature's antics were nothing more than background noise.
"Pathetic," he murmured under his breath, the word cutting through the air like a quiet blade.
The dokkaebi didn't hear him—too busy spinning and smiling for its unseen audience—but Yoo Joonghyuk's expression didn't change. His eyes already shifting away, as if the entire scene wasn't worth another glance.