Chapter Text
With this, I am rid of that woman.
This was Yoo Joonghyuk’s only thought as he lay immobilized and broken in the midst of a crater, staring up at the blackened skies of the 32nd Demon Realm. Distantly, he could hear Asmodeus approach him slowly, tauntingly, as though he knew that prolonging his miserable existence in this worldline was the only thing that could hurt Yoo Joonghyuk anymore. As expected, of the Devil of Lust and Wrath. To him, Yoo Joonghyuk paid very little attention.
Instead, he tried to refocus his vision on the heavens above, despite his blurring and fading eyesight, to try to meet the cold gaze of his sponsor. He felt it upon him but could not find that presence above no matter how long he searched. And so he waited.
Nothing could be worse than this failure.
This thought gave him the escape he needed to start anticipating the next round. Asmodeus said some words, but the pain in his mind and body screamed louder. It was about time he left.
In the next life, I’ll end her, then I’ll end the scenarios. I’ll end anyone who stands in between me and that goal, who dares use me—
When he could no longer distinguish the sooty, grey sky and his failing vision, and all his agony faded to nothingness, he opened his eyes to a familiar subway cabin in Seoul bound for the Bulgwang Station.
His oh-so-charitable sponsor always dropped him off precisely 5 minutes prior to the end of the world. The man on his right is again reading that article about how Yoo Joonghyuk, former ADC of Pancheonmaeng, might be returning to the gaming scene in the upcoming season. The young girl on his left was playing some mobile game about tying red fate strings, the small, wired headphones in her ears shutting out the sounds of subway crowd at rush hour. 6:55 pm. Perhaps it was deliberate, in order to remind Yoo Joonghyuk of the mundane reality he constantly fought hard to salvage.
Anyway, he has about 4 minutes left to think. First order of business, he glances to the back of the cabin where Choi Hangyu grunted and paced suspiciously around the exit. The people around him already sense something amiss, but there would be no way they could know of the events about to unfold. He inhales, exhales, and reminds himself. He can’t kill him now, otherwise he’d miss out on coins he could earn when the scenario begins. That man has a couple more minutes left to live.
Yoo Joonghyuk begins to plot for the days ahead. He’ll pick up Lee Hyunsung and Kim Namwoon first, and they should level up as soon as possible to get to the Cinema Dungeon near Chungmuro. After finishing up with that, he’ll go north to rescue Yoo Mia. In this round, none of them will die. He tallies the number of people in this cabin, and this time, he’s right—there’s enough to get him a sword right off the bat. In the back of his mind, he can feel something is different about this regression, but he cannot identify its source just yet.
He takes a few final looks through the window at Seoul in its untouched state, before fresh blood will spatter the windows and distort their reflections. Those people’s faces, he cannot look at for fear of finding some remorse in himself for what he is about to do. His mind quiets. 6:59pm. And then he finds the source of that uncomfortable feeling of unfamiliarity that has been plaguing him ever since his reset. It’s red as blood, tied daintily on his pinky finger, and spools onto the floor past his boots, into the aisle.
Yoo Joonghyuk immediately panics. Of all things, a soulmate string? Never in any of his prior regressions has it ever manifested, and so he assumed he lacked one altogether. Did his soulmate simply die in the previous two regressions and he never noticed? Was he supposed to follow the string and find them in this round? There was no way off this train at this point, no time to think about the implications of this discovery. There, 2 meters away from him, lay the rusted spanner he was going to use to bash in Choi Hangyu’s skull. As a last, desperate effort, he at least traced the length of the string to confirm that it indeed led past the front exit of the cabin, away from the carnage he was about to unleash.
With that small bit of relief tucked away in his mind, Yoo Joonghyuk watched as Choi Hangyu’s muttering and pacing grew steadily more deranged, before he stormed over to the middle of the carriage and pulled out a bomb from his jacket, his face a picture of insanity. The subway flew into chaos as people ducked for cover, clambering over themselves to get to the ends of the cabin, and the train suddenly lost power and screeched to a halt inside of a dark tunnel. It had begun. The apocalypse.
[The free service period of the planetary system no. 8612 has concluded.]
[The main scenario has begun.]
In this scene, even when faced with a Dokkaebi who commanded them each to commit murder within the next 30 minutes to live, these people were still more afraid of Choi Hangyu’s vitriol.
And so, in one fluid movement, Yoo Joonghyuk jumped out of his seat, dove under the opposite seat to retrieve the spanner, and while Choi Hangyu was turned to taunt those cowering at the opposite end of the car, with all of his strength, he rushed forward and clocked the large man in the back of the head, and kicked out his legs from behind.
He didn’t go down the whole way, but the momentary distraction was at least enough for Yoo Joonghyuk to wrest away the detonator from the would-be bomber, pocketing it. The man tried to turn around but Yoo Joonghyuk was ready with another swing, this time aiming for the back of his neck, causing him to crumple and the people around him to scream in fright. Bashing in his face a couple more times with the spanner, he eventually abandoned the metal tool for his fists and other people joined in to subdue the man. His knuckles ached.
I’ll level up strength and stamina first, after buying equipment and a sword.
It had only been about 7 minutes since the scenario had begun. I’m making good time. With the bomb threat resolved, the commuters were just now beginning to take stock of their situation, realizing their phones are useless, and trying to escape the cabin. It’s a pointless attempt, only he knows. As he makes his way to the front of the cabin, two men pull the little girl who was playing the fate string game next to him to the floor and start kicking her as she screamed, pencils and notebooks haphazardly strewn from her bag.
Yoo Joonghyuk could not look. Trash. These people are filth. He knew it’d be over soon, and the only reason he was even hesitating was so that he could check in on Lee Hyunsung and Kim Namwoon. The pitch of the voices behind him raised as people stepped in to help the little girl, but the fervor in everyone’s eyes rose as they tried to take stock of who to sacrifice. Of course. He didn’t need remorse.
He tuned out the events occurring behind him and took a peek at the chaos and confusion that was unfolding in subway cabin 3807. Immediately he notices Lee Hyunsung in the back of that car, closest to the window, a horrified bystander of the bloodbath occurring in front of him. He’ll have to beat some decisiveness into him again. He notices Kim Namwoon’s picked his first target, an elderly woman, and he’s in the midst of kicking her repeatedly in the chest when he notices something extremely unexpected.
The red string tied around his pinky, which he had nearly dismissed in trying to efficiently churn through his first obstacle in the apocalypse, was pulled taut as it bent in between the doors of the front exit and stretched directly into cabin 3807.
He was short and frail looking, wearing a nearly ill-fitting suit and a blue tie, messy black bangs that nearly covered his eyes, and he appeared to be engrossed in his phone with a furrow in his brow. He was standing closer to the rear of that cabin, accompanying a pretty woman in tan suit staring in horror at the elderly woman being savagely beat and covering her expression. The man swayed on his feet a little for a moment and clutched at his head with his left hand, the fluorescent lights overhead catching on the red around that pinky. Was that a dizzy spell? How weak.
There he was. His soulmate. Only 3 meters away from him, only separated by the walls of the train carriage. Well, he was weak. Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t know what to make of it. Everyone in the cabin where his soulmate stood was supposed to perish aside from Lee Hyunsung and Kim Namwoon. This salaryman whose pinky is tied to his will probably die within the next few minutes. He knows if the circumstances were different, with his knowledge he should have been desperately trying to force his way into the other cabin to save this man, but these aren’t normal circumstances.
He knows now, the pain of losing his family, his loved ones, and his companions, and he’s reluctant to set himself up for that kind of failure again. I lived two regressions without him, I can survive a third.
The woman in the suit said something that snapped his soulmate out of his reverie, and she attempted to move forward to save the old woman. His soulmate put his hand on her shoulder and talked her down from it, sensing that she was no match for the madness of the crowd. She’d only get herself killed. Why isn’t he trying to save his own life right now? He seemed to glance around quickly to something on the ceiling, and then turned to look at the rear door, where Yoo Joonghyuk was standing.
And then their eyes met for a long moment, almost as though time had stopped. He could no longer hear the shrieks of pain and fear emanating from the crowd at his back, the only sound in the world being his pulse thundering in his ears for those seconds. His soulmate’s eyes widened in shock and his mouth hung open a little, like an idiot, why does he look at me like that? Yoo Joonghyuk remained expressionless as his soulmate’s eyes traced the red attached to his own pinky, helping to clutch a cell phone, to his own, attached to the same hand that was clutching the detonator to the bomb that lay largely ignored in Yoo Joonghyuk’s own cabin.
At this, his soulmates eyes snapped back to meet his own, pursing his lips. Clearly, he had something in mind as he approached the glass, stare flicking between his thumb on the trigger and his eyes, the space between them shortening until all that separated them were mere centimeters and a few panes a glass. Yoo Joonghyuk spared a short glance—he can’t look too long—behind himself to confirm that nobody had been killed yet before turning his attention again to the man in the other cabin.
The other man gave him a challenging stare—he’s telling me to watch—then turned around slowly. He reached his hand behind his back, four fingers extended, Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyes immediately drawn to the red string wrapped around the pinky. He inhaled, exhaled. One by one, those fingers counted down. He didn’t know what compelled him to follow this man’s cue, other than some strange intrigue about whatever plot this strange man was hatching. As soon as the last finger fell, the man dashed forward, aided by the force of the bomb exploding, killing everyone in his own carriage.
The main scenario ended, blood coated every inch of subway cabin 3707, and the Dokkaebi came back to dispense with the rewards, but Yoo Joonghyuk’s attention was kept on the events unfolding past the glass. His soulmate barreled bodily into Kim Namwoon, knocking the boy off his feet. He got to his feet, unsteadily, before making his way over to a child seated on the opposite end of the car. He used the explosion to… buy some time for the old woman? To get himself to an easier target? Just what is he thinking?
Suddenly, his soulmate clutched a box to his chest, and shouted something loud enough that everyone in the cabin froze and turned their attention towards him. Against his will, his breath hitched in his throat and his pulse quickened, that fool, what did you do? Can’t you see they’re beyond reason? That suicidal soulmate of his kept talking down Kim Namwoon, of all people, there’s no way he could have known but that boy is delusional. Now he’s gone and made enemies—
All of a sudden, the people in 3807 rushed forward towards his soulmate, who is brandishing that box he was clutching high above his head before hurling it towards the back of the cabin where Lee Hyunsung and that woman in the slacks stood. It is chaos as people are diving under seats and lunging towards the ground in an apparent attempt to grab something, all attention on his soulmate completely forgotten. Yoo Joonghyuk is stock still, dumbfounded, until Lee Hyunsung springs upward with something clutched in his hands, squeezes tightly, and throws the grasshopper carcass to the subway floor.
Insects. Of course. The corner of Yoo Joonghyuk’s mouth rises, unintentional and barely noticeable, at the resourcefulness of this plan to cheat the scenario. Perhaps that fool isn’t as weak as I thought. Naturally, he must have kept one of them for himself. He mulled over the idea of keeping this man alive past the first scenario, now that his chances of survival have increased significantly.
Pulling back to take inventory of his own situation, everyone in his burning subway car is dead. He probably has significantly more coins than any incarnation on Earth right now, and so, he opens the Dokkaebi shop. First, an overcoat, then, there it is, the Heaven Shaking Sword. The weight of it in his palm is familiar in the best and worst ways, at times his only companion through the scenarios. The rest of his coins are poured into strength and stamina, just as he planned. About 12 minutes had passed since the beginning of the scenario. He could confirm at least Lee Hyunsung would make it out of 3807 alive, all that was left to do was to pick up Kim Namwoon.
He turned back around to update himself on his party’s progress when he noticed his soulmate trying to save Kim Namwoon’s kill. Yoo Joonghyuk gritted his teeth and seethed. This IDIOT. HE’S USEFUL. There was no reason why that man needed to stand in Kim Namwoon’s way and defend the elderly woman, other than that he apparently didn’t think the boy deserved to live, and so it came as no surprise when Kim Namwoon retaliated with this skill, aimed centimeters shy of his soulmate’s head.
Immediately Yoo Joonghyuk looked towards the subway door. The main scenario would continue in 3807 for some time, so the scenario boundaries should still be active.
Should I be intervening here? Can I intervene?
He tested his newly buffed strength by attempting to kick down the front exit, the door ever so slightly groaning at the stress with each hit. His soulmate was steadily dodging blow after heavy blow Kim Namwoon dealt, did he invest in agility? He looks weaker than a child, he should be leveling stamina or strength, instead. His pounding on the subway door seemed to have momentarily distracted that man, as he looked up in what looked like fear and barely managed to dodge a stab to the heart. Kim Namwoon started to get visibly frustrated and desperate at the lack of damage done. He’ll probably die at this rate. This bastard, I should kill you for ruining my plans.
In the end, those who were left without kills started to tear at each other with reckless abandon, Kim Namwoon barreling forward with his knife brandished, and for once, that salaryman did not attempt to dodge. It seemed as though he finally figured out to pour his coins into constitution, because Kim Namwoon’s charge merely glanced off his skin. It’s useless. Now it’s time to give up on Kim Namwoon. Vaguely, he remembered he should feel angry or at least upset at his plans being tampered with, but as he saw his former companion’s head burst into pieces, all he feels is a vague apathy. No matter. I will end the scenarios, with or without the Delusional Demon.
Among the remains of their fellow commuters, the number of people who were supposed to have survived cabin 3807 had more than doubled. He had seen Lee Hyunsung crush that grasshopper, but he was surprised to see that along with his soulmate, that woman he was with, the little boy he had spoken to after the explosion, and a sickly-looking man in a pinstriped suit had all survived, no doubt because of the insects. So he spared the young child, but killed Kim Namwoon. It’s not a moral code he’s abiding by. Does he make a habit of acting on a whim like that?
Yoo Joonghyuk observed the man as he interacted with the rest of the survivors and wiped some blood from his face. The subway clicked back to life, picking up speed until it emerged out of the end of the tunnel, before again grinding to a halt halfway across Dongho bridge. The five explored their interfaces and chose supporting constellations, and Yoo Joonghyuk thought about what his next steps would be. He didn’t know how useful the other three survivors would be alongside that man, but he’d definitely take Lee Hyunsung along. If that guy doesn’t try to steal him first. Damn it, I might have to let him live if he starts gaining Lee Hyunsung’s favor. He’s quickly becoming a pain.
Weak constitution, acts without principle, scheming, and way too collected for this situation. Killed Kim Namwoon out of spite, saved many more.
His soulmate is a confusing character, with a seemingly limitless potential to derail his plans. And yet, he can’t help but want to investigate this man’s strange intentions. It’s probably time to meet his new party.
With that, he resumes his efforts in trying to kick down the door. His soulmate snaps his head towards the sound and goes a little pale and shaky as he witnesses the door bulge and creak in its effort to remain shut. A nervous smile plays upon his lips as his gaze snaps to Kim Namwoon’s decapitated body for a long while, calculating something. He gathers the rest of the survivors and the five of them begin frantically searching for an exit.
What is he doing now? Can’t he just stay put?
As Lee Hyunsung attempts to wrench open the door to subway car 3807, that fleeting man meets Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyes through the haze of the smoke and blood, and he seems to shrink a little, nervous smile growing more pained as he turns his gaze back to the military officer, and they manage to force the doors open and sprint out of the cabin before he has the chance to reach them. Annoying.
The door gives way about a minute later, and he races out of the train to give chase to the party. As expected, the bridge had already been destroyed by the ichthyosaur commander, but hoards of reanimated demons were filling the ruined roadway, congregating towards a corner near where the roadway dropped off.
Bright, shimmery beams of light seemed to connect both ends of the ruined bridge. [Bridge of Even Numbers]. Someone in that cabin chose a powerful sponsor. But if it’s still active, that means—
The lone person left behind, fighting off corpses was none other than his soulmate. Finally, he’s in my grasp. Yoo Joonghyuk decided to make his presence known by cutting down the entire mob. He needed to, anyway, otherwise he’d never progress at the rate required to pass the scenarios. The man’s head whipped around at the destruction, eyes widening and preparing to take a step back, but Yoo Joonghyuk was faster. In less than a second, he’d lifted this anomaly into the air by the neck and had him suspended over the river below.
He's too light. His constitution really must have started at rock bottom if he’s this thin even after leveling up. The man in his grip struggled to pry his hand off his throat and choked a little as he flailed.
“Name,” started Yoo Joonghyuk. His patience for this man’s games was running low, especially since he had to hunt him down after he fled the subway. The fading light of sunset made their strings glow vermillion, almost pretty if one of them wasn’t currently trying to claw at the other’s arm.
“What…?” the man replied, eyes flicking back and forth trying to find a means of escape. His right hand clutched Kim Namwoon’s pocketknife, before he let it fall into the depths of the river, clutching at Yoo Joonghyuk’s arm with another hand. Good. That thing won’t help you anymore.
“What is your name?” Sensing that he had no other recourse but to answer his questions, the man slumped a little in his hold, not relaxed but no longer squirming. He seemed to gather his faculties somewhat. “Kim Dokja, 28, I work as a beta tester at Minosoft,” he answered.
Kim Dokja. Kim. Dokja. Dokja Kim. A strange name, but fitting, somehow. He brushed away some nonsensical, half-formed thoughts that arose. What does he think he’s doing, giving me that kind of introduction?
Yoo Joonghyuk scrutinized him, before opening his mouth. “You have a strange name.” Kim Dokja exhaled shakily before giving him a small, wry smile “I get that a lot.”
Hmm. Yoo Joonghyuk wondered where his confidence comes from, being dangled over a river infested with giant serpents and still maintaining this façade. He punches Kim Dokja in the gut, none too gently.
“Oomph—” the smaller man gagged a little in protest, but he stayed more or less composed. ”You have a strong body. I see you’ve also figured out how to use coins.” His soulmate grits his teeth in pain, and after catching his breath, he raised his eyes to meet Yoo Joonghyuk’s gaze, quirked an eyebrow, and gave him a teasing grin.
“Maybe. Do you treat all of your lovers this roughly?”
Yoo Joonghyuk's eyelid twitched and his expression turned murderous. He had half a mind to chuck this man into the river right here and now. He might be useful. He might be useful. This shameless bastard.
In the end, he can’t stop himself from punching Kim Dokja in the stomach once more, this time even harder. The man doubles over, but there’s a hint of laughter in his groan of pain. Yoo Joonghyuk can’t shake the feeling that if it was anyone else, they would’ve been—
“Don’t waste your breath. Just answer the questions I ask you, got it?” He stews internally, waiting for Kim Dokja’s answer. “Well?” he prompts. He’s given this man way too much leeway already, and he doesn’t know why he’s still entertaining this idiot.
“Fine,” Kim Dokja concedes, his shoes catching against the ledge of the bridge briefly before Yoo Joonghyuk raises him up once again to be completely at his mercy. “Show me some respect,” he commanded. This Kim Dokja clearly had no idea of his place, and his self-preservation instincts seemed to be working in the opposite direction when he fired back with “Hmm? Why should I?”
Does he want to die? Is that what this is? This stupid soulmate of his needs discipline like nothing else, and Yoo Joonghyuk wound up his arm to punch him for a third time, only to have his fist caught by both of Kim Dokja’s hands, wrapping around with slender fingers in order to cushion the blow to his stomach. And then—
“Sorry, but aren’t you younger than me, pro-gamer Yoo Joonghyuk? You’re the one who should show me some respect.” Kim Dokja leaned forward in his grasp and met his stare again, the look on his face akin to the challenging gaze glimpsed in the moments before Yoo Joonghyuk triggered the explosion on the subway. His eyes widened in shock and something about the sight made his heart race in the same way it did when Kim Dokja managed to command him, somehow, to fulfil a part of his plan. Kim Dokja. He is dangerous.
“Do you know who I am?” Yoo Joonghyuk demanded, alarm bells ringing in the presence of a man who knew his name, how does he recognize me? An easy smile on his lips, Kim Dokja replied “Of course, I work for a game company. Minosoft, remember?” Somehow, I don’t trust a word this man is saying. Nevertheless, the man continues on, “You’re pretty famous, I was… a fan of yours.” At those words, Kim Dokja tore his eyes away a little, looking a little flustered when Yoo Joonghyuk narrowed his eyes and tightened the grip on his neck.
Kim Dokja. Scheming, impulsive. Is he actually full of bullshit or am I looking too deeply into this?
“A fan… I haven’t heard that in a while.” And it was true. The time he had spent as a professional gamer had far been outspent killing his way through the scenarios, by an order of decades. “I’ll forgive your impudence this time, but it changes nothing.” As if to emphasize the difference in power, Yoo Joonghyuk stepped further out onto the ledge and glared impassively as giant ichthyosaurs circled in interest below. Kim Dokja can only manage to dangle limply. “I can see that.”
After a careful pause, Yoo Joonghyuk spoke. “Answer this one question: how did you come up with your plan on the subway?”
“Will you let me live if I tell you?” he asked in response.
Not likely. “That depends on your answer.” Kim Dokja didn’t seem to believe him but even if he didn’t he said nothing.
Yoo Joonghyuk was already too suspicious of this character. His current lack of anxiety in this situation may potentially be excused by the fact that they are soulmates, as well Kim Dokja’s apparent lack of self-preservation, but it all lines up too perfectly. How did this man know he was planning to kill the people in his cabin with an explosion? How did he know about the little boy with the insects? Why did he choose to kill Kim Namwoon? At this point, there was no explanation this Kim Dokja could come up with that could satisfy him, but for some reason he gave the man a chance to speak anyway. I need more information. If he might be a threat… I will kill him.
[I’ll end anyone who stands in between me and that goal—]
Kim Dokja froze for a moment, before recounting the events that unfolded about 30 minutes ago. “I got lucky. I had noticed Gilyeong-ie with his insects when I entered the subway after work because he was right in front of me when getting in. His mother took him to the opposite side of the car.” He began carefully. “As for the explosion, I was sitting in the rear of the car, so I could hear people on your side screaming about a bomb.” He paused in his explanation, and it was as I expected. This wasn’t really helping his case. “If I had tried to approach the mob of people outright they probably would have caught me and killed me, so I used you to get to where Gilyoung-ie was sitting.”
And now, they were at an impasse. Yoo Joonghyuk had not yet made a decision on whether to keep Kim Dokja with him, and now the time was dwindling down to complete the scenario. He pieced together the information presented to him.
Kim Dokja… this man did not exist in the past two regressions. Is it because I saw him in the window and helped him time the explosion to get to the little boy that he survived? And, is the reason he even noticed me in the first place simply because we were connected by the thread? Still, he’s too calm in this situation. The world has turned to shit and he is relaxed in my grip. It’s too suspicious. Not to mention, he is the one who killed Kim Namwoon. He may be useful, but he’s dangerous, and an unknown.
The longer the silence stretched, the more nervous Kim Dokja appeared. His face grew slightly red and sweaty, and his fingers clutched at the hem of his blazer unconsciously. It seemed he had had enough of Yoo Joonghyuk’s deliberation, and he stuttered out “Um—if you’re done with your questions, can you let me go now? We can go to Oksu station together since we’re running out of time to finish the scenario. The rest of the cabin members are—”
“Not so fast.” Yoo Joonghyuk interrupted, tightening his fingers around the other man’s throat. He choked a little and wheezed as the pressure was relieved. “Everything fits too perfectly.”
There was no other option at this point. He had to know for sure what this man’s intentions were if he was to live any longer. In this regression, he could not afford to be anything less than meticulous in his investigations. With that, Yoo Joonghyuk activated [Eye of the Sage].
A look of panic crossed over Kim Dokja’s face, and he gripped at Yoo Joonghyuk’s forearm, but his expression smoothed over in a couple of moments. I might’ve spooked him with the detection skill. He angled his eye to look deeply into the other man and was immediately rebuffed. A surge of crackling probability emanated from Kim Dokja and headed straight for his right eye socket, shocking and burning his retinas until he was forced to disengage [Eye of the Sage].
What… the hell was that.
“You…” He growled, the right side of his face flinching and smarting in pain. Kim Dokja was making the most honest expression he’d ever made thus far, mouth hanging open and eyes blown wide. He looked like the perfect picture of shock. Did he… not know he could do that? Yoo Joonghyuk retracted his arm, bringing him slightly closer. “You… what are you?!” Kim Dokja finally flinched at the danger he realized himself to be in.
I have to…. I have to kill him here and now.
“Y-Yoo Joonghyuk! Wait!” All of a sudden, Kim Dokja changed his tune. “Don’t you need a trustworthy ally? You can’t clear the 46th scenario on your own, you know that, right?”
I knew he was suspicious. What’s this about now? “And how do you know about that? Are you also a regressor…?” Yoo Joonghyuk looked seconds away from immediately snapping his neck.
Kim Dokja inhaled, exhaled. “What matters now isn’t who I am. What’s important is that I can be of use to you.” Yoo Joonghyuk felt an all-encompassing surge of annoyance and frustration. Here he was, dangling a soulmate he didn’t even know existed until now over a river of death. This idiot, no matter what questions he asks or how he asks him, refuses to give him a straight answer. Yoo Joonghyuk wanted… he wanted to trust him, to believe him. He can admit that much to himself. Soulmates, in the world that ended approximately 35 minutes ago, were meant to be lifelong companions, the only people you could truly rely on. If they existed in the world, you were never really alone. And yet!
Why does he make me feel like I’m being cheated? Why does he insist on spouting bullshit? Why does he have to be so suspicious? I’m so sick of—
Yoo Joonghyuk paused and calmed the tempestuous thoughts inside his mind. It hasn’t been long since he was begging for death in the 32nd Demon Realm. He can’t afford to let any irrationality take over until he’s cleared the beginning stages of the apocalypse. He must approach this from a collected standpoint.
He’s not a regressor. If he was, I would know him. Instead, could he be…?
“Yoo Joonghyuk. I know the future you don’t know.” A verifiable statement. Let’s test it.
[Yoo Joonghyuk has activated the ‘Lie Detection’ skill.]
[The ‘Lie Detection’ skill has verified that you are telling the truth.]
His eyes widened as his fingers slackened slightly from where he was still gripping Kim Dokja’s neck. The man slipped a little in his grip and scrambled to grab his forearm to balance.
There’s no way… could there really be another prophet other than Anna Croft? In Korea, no less? That would explain why he could see a way through the first scenario. It might not have been luck that saved him, rather, some premonitions… It would also explain why he could counteract [Eye of the Sage]… I need more information.
“Are you, by any chance, able to use [Future Sight?]” Yoo Joonghyuk inquired. He had to keep a close eye out for inconsistencies. Something like this, if left unchecked, could be ruinous to this regression. “Something like that,” Kim Dokja started. He seemed vaguely relieved at the idea that Yoo Joonghyuk was at least considering the aspects of his utility. “So you knew I’d be there, on the subway, and that I’d kill with a bomb.” He had to confirm. Please, just give me a straight answer. Kim Dokja looked a little subdued for some reason, as if something in this conversation was paining him. “Yes.”
As he said that he gazed at Yoo Joonghyuk with a new, determined expression. He was going to say something. Yoo Joonghyuk figured; he might as well let Kim Dokja say his piece.
“Yoo Joonghyuk. I know you have a special power. You also know what’s going to happen in the future, right? But you also know that the knowledge you have of the future is incomplete.”
He held onto the regressor's wrist with both of his hands and stared at him resolutely. There was no room for doubt in his words. “I want to become your companion, Yoo Joonghyuk. Make me your companion, and I can complete your knowledge of the future.”
Now, there was something to think about. If he is really a prophet, it would be helpful to bring him along, not just for the 46th scenario, but against Zarathustra as well. Could I really trust him…?
A companion. A soulmate. A prophet. Kim Dokja, in the couple of minutes in which they spoke, has managed to make himself central to this regression. What a nightmare. All those years I spent as that woman’s dog, and when I wake up in this new world, he is right here, another godforsaken prophet, this time tied to my soul.
This is potentially ruinous.
Yoo Joonghyuk says nothing for a couple of seconds more, and Kim Dokja remains steadfast in his expression, waiting for an answer. Despite his current train of thought, a small part of Yoo Joonghyuk knew that ever since he saw that man on the subway through the glass, there was no way he could stop giving him chance after chance. Everything about Kim Dokja drew him in like a star crashing through his world and pulling all of his faculties out of orbit. With mere minutes left in the scenario, he looked up and lifted Kim Dokja back onto the concrete and began to cross the [Bridge of Even Numbers].
They passed by the battered body of Kim Namwoon on the way to the scenario border. Kim Dokja winced, and turned to look for Yoo Joonghyuk’s reaction. Seeing expressionless focus, he still decides to add, “I’m sorry for killing Kim Namwoon. I know you wanted him in this round. He probably would have killed me if I had not gotten there first, you know?”
He did know. He saw the whole thing. Realistically, Kim Namwoon was uncooperative, delusional, abrasive, and needlessly cruel in this stage of the regression. There was no way he could’ve expected someone like Kim Dokja to choose that boy over the other lives he saved in that cabin. Amusedly, he thought back to that pale, shaky face Kim Dokja showed as he fled the subway. He must’ve been scared that I’d kill him over Kim Namwoon. This fool.
“I’ve made up my mind already. I will make you my companion.” Yoo Joonghyuk muttered as they crossed the churning waters below. Kim Dokja seemed to sag in his grip in relief, letting himself be dragged behind Yoo Joonghyuk’s solid figure. But first, even as I saw how capable he was in the subway, I need to test him again. Strangely enough, Kim Dokja looked resigned, almost blissfully complacent in his grip, even as he knows what I’m about to do. He’s probably that confident in himself, or even that unbothered by the idea of me dropping him.
As they reached the other end of the bridge, Yoo Joonghyuk addressed him again. “If you really are a prophet, you’d be able to see your own future, right?” Kim Dokja said nothing, for a moment, and then squeaked strangely as he was again lifted into the air and dangled over the edge of oblivion, this time by the collar of his shirt. He squirmed in confusion, and then looked downwards at the river in time to see a massive ichthyosaur commander jump out of the water and nearly bite off his foot.
“Give me a prophecy. Will I be letting go of you… or not?”
Kim Dokja closed his eyes, then opened them and took a long look into Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyes. He already had an answer, Yoo Joonghyuk could tell. But he also had more to say, just as he seemingly always did.
“First order of business, I’m your companion. I’m not your subordinate, so in the future, please treat me as your equal.” Yoo Joonghyuk could already tell what this would mean for him: He’s going to be a pain in the ass and I won’t be able to stop him.
“Secondly, I will cooperate with you, but you have to promise to cooperate with me in return.” Hmm. I suppose that’s how any colleague relationship will work.
“Lastly… Yoo Joonghyuk.” He called out to him then, and there was… something in his eyes that reflected the last golden tones of the day into something soft and molten. That hand which held him aloft, the same hand to which their red link was fastened… Kim Dokja clasped it lightly with his own hand, to feel the string between them reduce to millimeters. “I swear that you will never regret this. Never in this regression.” The finality in those words made Yoo Joonghyuk shiver, and though he was hardened to doubt and scrutinize those words until they converted into lies, some part of him was clinging to those words in anticipation of… something. His expression softened, almost imperceptibly.
“And? Your answer?”
At that, Kim Dokja smiled something breathless and full of quiet laughter. He slowly let go of Yoo Joonghyuk’s hand and took a brief glance at the monsters waiting below. The grin on his face widened by the second, and his expression… too much. I want to look away.
“Let go of me already and get lost, Yoo Joonghyuk, you son of a bitch.”
Surprised, Yoo Joonghyuk let out a quick, breathy exhale, the closest thing to a laugh that he had achieved in years. Of course. A smile forced its way onto his face, utterly uncontrollable once it was there. He let go.
“I believe you. Kim Dokja.”
He watched as his laughing companion in this regression was swallowed alive by the great sea monster, and the other end of his red string disappeared beneath the waves. He crossed the scenario border and greeted Lee Hyunsung and the rest of the people Kim Dokja had saved from the subway. To Lee Gilyoung, he told him that fool is probably still alive. Probably.
He sat down on the edge of the river, where the poisonous gas would not reach, and Yoo Joonghyuk played with his string reflexively as he waited and watched.
In this life, I’ll—