Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The first time Yoo Joonghyuk met him, it was on a battlefield. 

Crimson hair, emotionless, brown-red eyes that see right through you. Pale skin, stoic face. Intense stare, hands drenched in scarlet. 

Needless to say, their first impressions weren’t exactly ideal.

Yoo Joonghyuk grips his sword and swung it towards the figure, hatred clouding his vision.

Perhaps the blood covering the young man’s hands should have clued him in.

Maybe he would have acted less recklessly.

But either way, it’s not like he really cared, in the end.

He’s lost all of his companions, after all.

His child and his wife were dead.

And he’s not even really in control of his own body.

All because of that wretched Anna Croft.

The last thing he saw was the young man kneeling over him, a solemn look in his eyes as red leaves spread behind him.

And so ends Yoo Joonghyuk’s second round of regression.

→@←

Many rounds had passed since the last time he’s seen that redhead. 

It is not that surprising. After all, he never really got far on the rounds after the third regression. But what surprised him the most was the young man showing up in the Theatre Dungeon.

The youth with rust-brown(red?) eyes was not fighting or even attempting to get through the dungeon.

No, he was browsing the Rewards Room, with the look of someone on a reluctant shopping trip. Yoo Joonghyuk watched for a while, unsure as to whether he should bother the youth or not. Occasionally, he could see the young adult brushing his hands against certain items, landing on items like bottles of deadly poison, or books, a nostalgic look on his face. His hands paused against a black bracelet. He gives it a look of contemplation.

In the end, Yoo Joonghyuk walked away, continuing toward the top of the dungeon.

It was none of his business what the redhead did, after all.

His eighth round ends with the sound of footsteps echoing steadily toward him, the tip of black combat boots stopping at the edge of his vision.

→@←

In his eleventh round, he died yet again at the hands of the Theatre Master.

Though, he did not meet that redhead this time.

Instead, a teenager with white hair and purple eyes glanced at him as he passed by the rewards room, heading toward the dungeon exit, eyes full of innocent curiosity.

→@←

His fourteenth round taught him the first step toward reaching the end of the scenarios. As the Throne came crumbling down, Yoo Joonghyuk almost smiled.

He didn’t meet that redhead this round, but strange rumors were going around about a sage-like figure with crystal-blue eyes and snow-white hair.

Yoo Joonghyuk belatedly wondered how an elder, so old that their hair became white, had made it past even the first scenario as he bleed out.

Yeah, he’s not quite sure why he continued that line of thought, either.

→@←

He got killed by his ex-master in his eighteenth regression.

Enough said about that.

→@←

By the forty-first round, he had distanced himself from his companions, treating them as tools to reach the end.

It was easier that way.

He couldn’t help but indulge some of them at times, though, despite all his misgivings toward these so-called ‘companions.’

But sooner or later, he would distance himself again. 

Otherwise, it will just hit him harder when they leave him, once again.

Sometimes, he couldn’t help but wonder if he could really call these people, who in the end, would likely leave him one by one, ‘companions.’

They aren’t accompanying him to wherever he’s going, after all.

As he sent Shin Yoosung away toward the past, slowly bleeding out, he happened to glance up.

There, on a dark oak tree, sat the redhead, watching him with those blank, blank, eyes of his. 

As his vision grew hazy, Yoo Joonghyuk seems to see the boy putting his hands together, dark smoke spiraling around his clasped hands, as if praying towards someone.

Yoo Joonghyuk was pretty sure it was just a hallucination, though.

The youth had a look on his face as if he’d rather be cursing someone out and not praying to whatever god he believed in.

→@←

In round forty-two, Yoo Joonghyuk shut down almost completely.

I need to reach the final scenario. No matter the cost.

His companions had all died, despite his best efforts for them to live. And if that’s the case, perhaps, the answer was to just ignore them and do everything he can to reach the final scenario.

He saw the redhead yet again while exploring out on his own. Knowing how powerful the youth was, Yoo Joonghyuk attempted to kill this threat.

That didn’t really go well.

→@←

In his fifty-some-teenth regression, Yoo Joonghyuk set off on his own, again. 

This time, he focused on getting as strong as he could, then went to seek out the redhead.

He found the redhead days before his death, looking at him with a rather cautious look. 

Yoo Joonghyuk wondered if it was possible that the man remembered what had happened during the last round, as he certainly wasn’t this cautious when he met him in some of the other previous rounds.

It didn’t seem so, when the man just eyed him suspiciously, then disappeared off to somewhere.

Yoo Joonghyuk died in battle a couple days later.

→@←

During Regression Number Around-Seventy, Yoo Joonghyuk thought he saw a flash of red streaking across the floor in the third scenario.

He tried to find that color among the monsters again, but he had no such luck.

It was probably just an illusion.

→@←

On the eighty-some-teenth regression, Yoo Joonghyuk had enough of his own half-baked, horribly cooked food, deciding to work on his culinary skills instead.

This time, the redhead found him first.

He took one bite out of the food Yoo Joonghyuk gave him(not by choice), and sent him an extremely flat look.

“Your cooking is not bad, but it isn’t as good as Beacrox’s.”

During that round, Yoo Joonghyuk cooked, learned, and improved his culinary arts with the barely-leashed fury of a regressor scorned. Meanwhile, the redhead stuck by his side the entire time, sending him judging looks like a food critic from hell.

He only learned the boy’s name after they had been traveling together for a month, when he realized that he had been calling the youth ‘redhead’ inside his mind for the entirety of their journey. 

The redhead gave him a look of exasperation and told Yoo Joonghyuk that his name is “Cale.”

“No last name?”

“... I have no last name that you would need to know of.”

Although it was ultimately his dulling swordsmanship that killed him, he swears that at least part of the reason he perished had to be because of the redhead sneering and mocking his cooking, which caused him to be caught off-guard when an attack actually came.

The rather horrified and terrified look that Cale had sent him made him feel guilty, but along with it, came a satisfaction that he managed to get the last word in their argument.

The redhead hadn’t been able to reply before he got distracted by the attack, but Yoo Joonghyuk would take the win for what it was.

→@←

Round… something. Probably in the nineties. 

Yoo Joonghyuk swallowed back his nausea, thrown to the ground by a monster. Blood wells up from the cuts and his body ache from the bruises that he got from the monsters. His vision blurs(not again…) and he scrabbles at the ground, trying to simultaneously pick up his sword and stand up. 

Then, there was a flash of rose-gold light. 

Yoo Joonghyuk looks up, his vision covered in red. A pair of rusty-brown eyes gazed at him, red leaves swirling around them. The youth frowns, staring at Yoo Joonghyuk with unhappy eyes. His eyes flash with guilt, then became unreadable again.

“You’re hurt.”

Yoo Joonghyuk narrowed his eyes. Does he… remember? A small spark of hope alights in his chest.

The man gazes at Yoo Joonghyuk with eyes that see right through him. A ring that the redhead always wears glowed, and a bottle appeared in his hands. He glides forward and yanks Yoo Joonghyuk up by his hair, force-feeding him some kind of liquid.

Yoo Joonghyuk feels his mind going blank.

???

Wha–?!

The redhead glares at him. “Well? Are you going to get off the ground or not?”

The redhead releases his hand, dropping Yoo Joonghyuk back on the dirt. Yoo Joonghyuk stands up, now a lot steadier than before. The cuts and bruises(as well as the internal bleeding, probably, now that he’s thought of it) had healed.

It must have been one of those healing potions of his.

Yoo Joonghyuk stares at this fool who he hasn’t seen for the last ten-or-so rounds, annoyed. 

“Cale.”

The redhead looks up at him, surprised. Then his eyes widened suddenly as if coming to a conclusion. He muttered something under his breath.

“What?” Yoo Joonghyuk frowns at him.

“Nothing.” Cale shakes his head and turns to look around him. “Come. You have to find your companions.”

When Yoo Joonghyuk spotted his team, he immediately walked toward them. Then, he paused and looks behind him.

Cale was no longer behind him.

He doesn’t show up again for the rest of that regression.

→@←

A few rounds after the previous, Yoo Joonghyuk once again ventures into the Theatre Dungeon. In a hurry to get to the Rewards Room, he blasts and massacres his way through the movie posters.

He reaches the room, scanning it for a flash of that familiar red. He catches the color in the corner of his vision, and he jerks his head in that direction. The youth was holding a black bracelet, fiddling with it in his hands.

Yoo Jonghyuk starts forward, and Cale turns towards him. His eyes are unreadable as always and he tilts his head as he stares at Yoo Joonghyuk.

“Cale…?”

The redhead flinches, rust-brown eyes quivering. Then, his eyes rapidly turned crimson, red leaves fading into existence and swaying behind him. 

The two studies each other, and for the first time, Yoo Joonghyuk gets a proper look at what Cale looks like while using that strange power of his. Specifically, his eyes. An image of a warped, glowing white ring flickers within those reddish orbs. Yoo Joonghyuk could see himself reflected in those rust-brown eyes, the glowing circles seeming to wrap around him. Then Cale blinks, and the lights extinguish, eyes becoming dark and unfathomable once again.

“You.” The youth’s voice is soft, unlike the blunt, blank, tones that Yoo Joonghyuk was used to. For a moment, he almost sounded empathetic.

Yoo Joonghyuk stares at him, waiting for him to continue.

That tone disappeared when Cale continued, the tone becoming unreadable.

“You’re a regressor.”

Flinch.

Yoo Joonghyuk steps forward, gaze never leaving the threat in front of him. His hands slowly move to his sword.

Had he always known? This entire time?

The redhead( dangerous unknown threat-! ) continues to watch him, waiting for a reaction, for anything.

And Yoo Joongyuk finds himself unable to continue looking at this person in front of him. 

So he flees, deciding to battle the Theatre Master to push back this conversation, these questions, anything.

They could talk after he’s passed this dungeon. It would give him time to figure out how to deal with Cale(Ally? Threat? Threat?)

When he comes back, the Cale was gone. A new person had wandered in, a white-haired teenager with purple eyes.

He looks familiar.

The teenager looks at him with bright, clear, eyes(he wonders how this child had managed to keep such a gaze in the middle of an apocalypse. Then again, he is just a teenager, after all). Yoo Joonghyuk looks away, walking down the stairs out of the dungeon.

That teenager is not a threat after all. 

They did not have those terrifying, piercing, eyes.

At the end of that regression, Yoo Joonghyuk decides that the redhead should be sorted into the ‘potentially extremely dangerous, but would be better as an ally’ category.

After all, he did not attempt to fight or get rid of him, despite acknowledging him as a regressor.

( As he dies, yet again , the corpses of his family surrounding him, Yoo Joonghyuk wonders if it was just his fate to be abandoned and alone, over, and over, and over, again, for eternity. )

( Cale might not have tried to kill him, but he hasn’t sought him out, either. )

→@←

As Yoo Joonghyuk enters the Theatre Dungeon again, a bit later than usual( Perhaps he could catch the redhead as he walks out of the dungeon? He could probably take out that theatre master by himself ), and fought through the films and movies. 

However,  when he reaches the reward room this time, there was no redhead. Instead, that same white-haired boy looks up at him. The purple-eyed teen was fiddling with something on his wrist, though Yoo Joonghyuk was too busy scanning the room to see what it was properly. 

The white-haired kid watches him with curious eyes, and then almost seems to melt into the darkness as he walks away.

Yoo Joonghyuk frowned, wondering if he had misjudged the kid’s threat level after all.

That round, Yoo Joonghyuk dies without meeting Cale even once.

→@←

Yoo Joonghyuk did not actively seek Cale out this round. Despite that, he finds the redhead on the outskirts of the 73rd Demon Realm, discarded story fragments scattered around the youth. The pale-skinned adult almost matches his scenery; an ethereal yet broken porcelain doll, abandoned in this wasteland of dreams and memories. His red hair was not tied up with that black ribbon he often wore; instead, the crimson locks flows over various mismatched items, slipping through the gaps and spaces, trailing down as a bloody waterfall.

In this desolate place, he glows. A brilliant spot of color among monotone hues. 

And he looks so, incredibly, lonely.

Yoo Joonghyuk steps forward, hesitant as to what he should say. 

The sleeping marionette opens his jeweled eyes, rust-brown orbs staring up at the regressor, a stoic expression on his face.

“Take a picture. It lasts longer.”

Yoo Joonghyuk marvels at how easily the redhead was able to destroy that very same atmosphere he created.

Later, Yoo Joonghyuk starts a mass revolution in that realm. 

But when Yoo Joonghyuk tried to find Cale again, the redhead was nowhere to be found.

→@←

The next time that he meets Cale, the redhead was heavily injured, to the point of it being possibly fatal.

Yoo Joonghyuk widens his eyes in disbelief.

Perhaps it was because the redhead had never died before him in any of his previous rounds.

Perhaps it was because he’s gotten so used to seeing the man before him as invincible, mysterious, and powerful, yet almost neutral in the way he behaved.

But as the people around him shouted and aimed blades, ammo, skills, and other weapons at this seemingly-immortal individual, all Yoo Joonghyuk could do was tremble.

The redhead, bleeding from all the wounds he gained, crimson liquid dripping down from his mouth, snarls at the people around him, expression pained and wild. 

Their eyes met, and Yoo Joonghyuk flinches back from the slitted pupils of the other.

Then there came a flash of rose-gold light, blood coating the ground as people died by the hundreds . Then the redhead disappears, cuts forming on his skin as he did so.

His teammates ran towards him, but Yoo Joonghyuk stays in place, staring at the place from which Cale had vanished.

The blue screen Yoo Joonghyuk was so familiar with appears overhead, and a dokaebi appears, talking about something-or-another that Yoo Joonghyuk does not care to hear about.

“...Why?” Yoo Joonghyuk hears himself ask hoarsely to the other people around them.

“What do you mean?” A woman next to him frowns, confusion clear in her features. 

“Why were you fighting him?”

The brunette stares at him, her eyes blank. “Because it is a monster, of course.”

Behind him, his teammates send worried glances at each other.

→@←

Another round.

Yoo Joonghyuk ensembles his teammates yet again, in hopes that he could finally reach the final scenarioand perhaps find that red-headed fool as well.

Pained eyes, bloodied skin, despair etched deep within his gaze—

Lee Hyunsung gives an enthusiastic nod when Yoo Joonghyuk tells them to look out for a person with long red hair, rust-colored eyes, a fragile-looking constitution, and pale, glowing skin.

Is he alright? He’s not gone, right? No, he can’t be, this is a new round—

Lee Jihye, who was standing beside the regressor, turns her head towards Yoo Joonghyuk to give him a strange smile.

Kim Namwoon just yawns.

Once the conversation was over, the group continues to travel. After encountering many different people, finding Yoo Mia, and picking up Shin Yoosung along the way, the group still has not gotten even an inkling of where the hell this person was.

“Why are you even searching for this “Red-haired, pale-skinned” noonim, ahjussi?” Kim Namwoon asked Yoo Joonghyuk, sounding rather aggressive. “Actually, how do you even know if she’s still alive?”

Yoo Joonghyuk froze for a while, processing those words. 

Once his brain finally caught up with what he heard, he choked.

I suppose I never did mention Cale’s gender.

He felt rather amused at the thought of the redhead being annoyed about getting misgendered, though.

Or maybe he would just ignore it like he does all ‘troublesome things.’

“HE is a male. And definitely still alive,” Yoo Joonghyuk said calmly. He ignored the shocked screeching from behind him and continued on toward the goal of the current scenario.

He has to be. This is a new round, and Cale won’t die that easily— he can’t, he can’t, he CAN’T—

From beside him, his precious younger sister looks up at him curiously.

“So elder brother is gay?”

Yoo Joonghyuk chokes, coughs, and gazes at Yoo Mia with a dead-inside expression, which wasn’t much different from his usual expressions.

Convinced that she’s right, Yoo Mia cheerfully skips ahead and tells Yoo Joonghyuk to “make sure to introduce him to me! I wanna make sure he is worthy!”

At the end of that regression, Yoo Joonghyuk realizes rather grumpily that in the end, that horrid misunderstanding never really did get resolved.

→@←

As Yoo Joonghyuk once again barges through the Theatre Dungeon, in a race toward the reward room, he wondered why he was so idiotic as to not even think about finding a tracking item to search for Cale with.

Racing up the stairs, Yoo Joonghyuk bursts onto the Reward floor and slams straight into a person. The two fall down, tumbling into a messy pile. 

“Get off.” A cool voice comes from under him, and Yoo Joonghyuk finds the very person he was thinking about tracking down, under him. The redhead glared, looking like he was about to hit him in anger. “You’re heavy.”

Yoo Joonghyuk immediately stands up and pulls the redhead up with him. Then, he dragged Cale with him toward the top of the dungeon.

By the time they finally fought their way to the top, the redhead’s glare could set something on fire. Cale hadn’t really done anything, only avoiding attacks, dodging the way out of monsters, and sometimes, speaking a couple of words that somehow resolves the movie without a single death. 

Yoo Joonghyuk dragged Cale towards a corner and looks at him sternly. 

“Stay,”  he said firmly as if Cale was a particularly misbehaving cat.

Ignoring the redhead’s dumbfounded gaze, Yoo Joonghyuk walks away, and battles against the Theatre Master.

In the end, Cale still ends up slipping away from him.

Yoo Joonghyuk grumpily realizes that he had forgotten about searching for the tracking item.

→@←

 Rounds passed. Yoo Joonghyuk had stopped remembering how many regressions that he had lived for, exactly. Dead eyes stare out of a haunted face as Yoo Joonghyuk sees his allies die, one by one, in front of him, yet again.

This time, he hears soft footsteps behind him, and he whirls around. Rust-brown eyes gaze back at him, gleaming something strange. Almost like understanding.

Perhaps it is, Yoo Joonghyuk thought, remembering that scene he had seen, many, many, rounds ago. 

He had bumped into the redhead in previous rounds, all short moments too brief to clearly remember. Once again, he sees those eyes turning crimson, eyes shining faintly with that strange, brilliant, light. And once again, they fade, those eyes watching him with seemingly more understanding than before.

“Why do you keep trying?”

The redhead observes this tired man, and asks softly, so unlike how he usually was.

Yoo Joonghyuk pauses. Then, he replies. 

“I want to see what happens in the final scenario.”

“Oh.”

The two gaze out at this ruined world, silent. Cale once again opens his mouth.

“Will you regress now?”

Yoo Joonghyuk turns to look at the solemn redhead beside him. Then, he slowly nods.

“I see.” The redhead closes his eyes. Then he sighs. “Where do you appear?”

“What?”

“Where do you appear, in those worlds?”

Yoo Joonghyuk was quiet. Finally, after a long moment of silence, he answered. 

“Geumho Station.”

The redhead slowly nodded his head, and his eyes closed again. Then he leaves, fading into the shadows.

And Yoo Joonghyuk regresses.

→@←

One round passes.

Then another.

And another.

Yoo Joonghyuk couldn’t help but wonder if telling Cale about the station his second scenario is in was a mistake. One round after another, and he never did appear.

Even as he took down constellations, gods, Cale just wasn’t there. It was as if he no longer existed.

Perhaps, the redhead had abandoned him too.

→@←

This round ended with a bunch of strange, fanatic, believers killing him because he had glared at their ‘sage.’

Yoo Joonghyuk wasn’t even aware he had done that. 

All he thought was that the white-haired, blue-eyed man was surprisingly very young, and looks really familiar.

Does Cale have a brother?

The sage’s blue eyes had widened as they watched him fall.

→@←

Yoo Joonghyuk watched as Seoul slowly collapsed, battles taking their toll on the city. His companions had all perished, yet again. 

So he decided to revisit where everywhere started. It wouldn’t hurt.

As he walked back from the train where the first scenario had happened, he wondered if things may have been different if he simply went a different way starting from the very first scenario. Perhaps, he should have tried wandering instead.

As he walked towards where the second scenario was, he spotted a familiar crimson. 

Rust-brown eyes stared at him from inside the ruined station, monsters sitting at the redhead’s feet. 

“You!” Yoo Joonghyuk shouted, staring at this bastard who disappeared from multiple of his rounds. Probably somewhere in the tens. Perhaps even hitting the hundreds, or close to it, anyways.

The redhead stares at him, face slightly puzzled. 

“Are you the one I was supposed to meet?”

Yoo Joonghyuk slowed, eyes widening. “What do you mean?”

The redhead frowned. “You ditched me at our meeting place, didn’t you?”

“...” Yoo Joonghyuk wondered if the redhead meant that time when they previously met and Cale asked for his location in the first scenarios. 

The redhead just glares at him. 

“...” Yoo Joonghyuk has learned his lesson. Next time, if Cale asks for a location, he’s asking to meet.

He regresses anyways.

→@←

This time, he had waited at the station for the third scenario to be over.

There were a couple of annoying people, barely threats, who he had to get rid of.

The redhead appeared a few days later when pretty much everyone had left.

Yoo Joonghyuk had told his allies to go on ahead of him.

Cale practically materializes out of thin air the very night they were gone, looking nervously around at the leftover people.

Yoo Joonghyuk frowns, realizing something.

“I suppose you wouldn’t be very comfortable around humans, huh? What kind of creature are you, anyway?”

The redhead gives him a startled look.

“I’m not stupid, you know.” Yoo Joonghyuk’s frown deepens. “It was implied in one of the previous rounds.”

The way Cale had bled and disappeared still appeared some nights, along with the corpses of his sister, of his allies.

Of course, he usually ignored them.

He couldn’t.

Watching as the redhead continued to tense up, Yoo Joonghyuk thought the situation was a bit funny.

He still hasn’t gotten over that shock the redhead gave him when he spoke up about the regressing thing without warning. But now they’re even.

[Some constellations are frustrated about the filters!]

→@←

After all things were said and done, Yoo Joonghyuk still died.

After losing one too many people again(Cale only seems to be particularly concerned about Yoo Joonghyuk and the ones in his party that the redhead judged as ‘children,’ though he does sometimes help the others out. Yoo Joonghyuk wasn’t sure if that was because of his monster instincts or something ), Yoo Joonghyuk forcibly ended his life to restart a new round. 

He left a note, so hopefully, the redhead, if he’s still there, would not get too angry.

→@←

Cale avoided him for quite a couple of rounds. Yoo Joonghyuk wasn’t sure how the redhead(who, in fact, confirmed that he DID NOT get his previous memories, just inherited a lot of rather vague feelings and instincts) manage to calculate the exact number of rounds to finally end that grudge, but he’s not complaining about the redhead finally willing to meet him again.

He did seem to be getting more reckless lately, though. Yoo Joonghyuk was slightly concerned.

→@←

The redhead died in front of him.

Yoo Joonghyuk decided to be a petty jerk about it and avoided Cale for a couple of rounds.

Well, some of it isn’t on purpose due to his early deaths, but he still took a page out of Cale’s book.

It serves the redhead right, though.

Blood flowed out of a still body, red like the creature’s hair. Pale body, never moving again. 

Yoo Joonghyuk does not admit that sometimes when he looks at Cale in a few later stages, all he saw were the redhead’s death.

→@←

The redhead, in later stages, seems to be growing increasingly exhausted. Yoo Joonghyuk wasn’t sure why, but it almost seems that the regressor’s own feelings of exhaustion have projected out onto the redhead. 

Perhaps it was the way Yoo Joonghyuk sacrificed blood and limbs to keep his allies alive, but it was worth it. He could regress but his family could not.

Cale kind of could, but it was only his emotions and instincts, not his memories.

Yoo Joonghyuk has to do this.

Being bound to an outer god may be unpleasant, but if it keeps his family alive, then it’s worth it.

The final trade had ripped at his tattered soul, but what hurt the most was the way his familyallies had cried, whole, but terribly sad.

The redhead gave him a deeply betrayed and sorrowful look as Yoo Joonghyuk’s body gives out, and his accusing gaze burns itself into his mind. The potion in the redhead’s hand had no effect, and even as his injuries healed, the scars on his soul did not.

The potions may have kept him from permanently losing his limbs and eyes, but there was no potion in this known world that could heal a shattered soul.

→@←

When Yoo Joonghyuk once again woke in yet another round, he felt the resentment that had been building up finally bloom. 

He hates this.

Hate how his family dies, over and over again.

Hates how their torment, deaths, seemed to burn into his brain.

Hates how this path goes on for what looks to be eternity, and there’s no end in sight.

Hates how he never seems to progress toward his goal, despite him giving everything.

Hate how these constellations viewed them as mere entertainment.

Hates the way that he was alive.

→@←

Even the prophet herself gave up on remembering, in the end.

Yoo Joonghyuk is now truly the only one with these memories, right?

How lonely. How horrid .

He eyes his blade, only to be stopped by a sharp gaze that seems to pierce through him.

Cale gives him a warning look and slowly moves Yoo Joonghyuk’s hand towards a bowl of soup that the redhead had made.

Apparently, Cale could cook. He only discovered that the previous round, when the lazy youth had decided that since Yoo Joonghyuk was indisposed, Cale would cook, since “that bastard needs to eat, or he would collapse again, and who knows how just many times I’ll have to prepare meals for the entire group in the future if that happens?!”

Despite saying that, Cale monopolized the kitchen whenever Yoo Joonghyuk DID fall.

“No, you won’t be cooking, you’re a child and even though we ARE in an apocalypse, kids should go have fun during their childhood.”

“The shield needs to stay strong if it is to defend us. And despite you being a soldier, quite frankly, I would prefer not to eat those miserable excuses for a meal that the army teaches you to make, thank you very much.”

“No. Just no.”

To be honest, Cale probably had made a good call with that last one.

Yoo Joonghyuk regressed again, but this time, the sting was particularly painful.

Cale had finally integrated with his familyallies well, and no longer seemed as lonely.

His family’s painful cries were still heart-wrenching to hear, though, and the way the redhead’s expression turned blanker and blanker over time, hurt. 

The regressor shattered the day Yoo Mia died.

→@←

What hurts the most in the world?

Is it getting hurt, injured, and broken, over, and over again, without getting even the tiniest bit of reprieve?

Or is it getting everything precious to someone, and ripping them away from all of them, again and again?

Yoo Joonghyuk had asked that question to Cale before, many, many times, in multiple rounds.

The redhead would usually give him a long lecture about psychology instead.

There may have been an answer hidden somewhere in there, but Yoo Joonghyuk isn’t a psychologist, or someone very interested in psychology, so most of the references and terms went over his head.

He got the general gist of it, at least.

As he lay there on the ground, bleeding out for the nth time in this round, the redhead seemed to almost teleport to where the regressor was lying, glaring at Yoo Joonghyuk while pouring a bottle of healing potion into his mouth, then dumping the rest of it all over his clothes, wounds, and his entire body, basically.

Yoo Joonghyuk raised an eyebrow. He’s pretty sure that healing potions couldn’t really do anything for clothing. 

One look at the expression on Cale’s face told Yoo Joonghyuk all he had to know.

The redhead is just being a petty bastard.

When all’s said and done, even Cale could not be everywhere at once.

And Yoo Joonghyuk enters the next cycle, for better or worse.

→@←

A head with short, military hair, rolled across the ground, face frozen in surprise and fury.

A precious sister who he would do anything for, body on the ground, pale and still.

An apprentice, so loyal, so strong, pinned to a tree by a blade.

A white-haired boy, who acts like a demon, but softens for members of his family, slumps by the feet of the girl pinned to the tree.

A white-haired girl, with a broken neck, crumpled like a marionette with their strings cut.

A snarl of fury, of anger, and a flash of red. Trails of blood down a pale, white, face. Rusty eyes glared at the person who killed them, their light slowly fading, eyelids slowly closing, even as their hands ripped out the heart of the one who killed his only family in  this world.

Yoo Joonghyuk screamed.

He kneels, the only one alive in a sea of corpses.

The enemy that had taken his family down was shredded on the floor, but all Yoo Joonghyuk could do was stare in disbelief, the one person he knew who managed to survive every round, fading.

This round has taken everything, his sister, his family, his friends. The ones who stuck by him in many, many, rounds, despite not having all their memories.

Yoo Joonghyuk stares at the destruction around him, and everything seems to fade towards black.

Until…

*Ping!*

[A Giant Story is forming!]

“No…” Yoo Joonghyuk gasped. His hands scrabbled to the blade he had dropped.

[The Giant Story, ‘Pilgrim of the Lonely Apocalypse,’ is telling its tale!]

He didn’t want to hear. 

He didn’t want to know.

Yoo Joonghyuk was the only survivor of that round.

It didn’t matter.

Yoo Joonghyuk closed his eyes and raised his blade.

→@←

He was exhausted.

So many rounds, so many deaths.

He keeps all his family close, to make sure they would not leave him.

If someone were to leave, it would only be him.

Cale somehow sent him an unimpressed look and an understanding look at the same time.

→@←

He’s bleeding out again.

Cale stands over him, hands pressed against Yoo Joonghyuk’s wound to put pressure on it, while simultaneously pulling the cork out of a bottle to splash the healing potion on Yoo Joonghyuk. Lee Jihye stands worriedly by his side, watching Yoo Joonghyuk while pulling out clean clothes(blood may not be the most visible thing on black clothes, but it does feel unpleasant– his family had, sadly, gotten somewhat used to this routine).

As soon as Yoo Joonghyuk wasn’t in danger of dying again, Cale glared at him with one of his most chilling gazes.

“Don’t do that again.”

His tone left no room for argument. The redhead dragged Yoo Joonghyuk over to a tent and shoved Yoo Joonghyuk in front of the flap. He turns toward Yoo Joonghyuk again and hisses.

“Your little sister is silently crying, and I’m pretending not to know. Go comfort her or something.” 

He then turned around towards the rest of the group who were watching by the fire. Lee Jihye sent him another concerned glance, then walked over to Kim Namwoon. The white-haired teen scowled at Yoo Joonghyuk, red eyes filled with visible worry, while Lee Hyunsung scans him up and down anxiously– He looked ready to start rushing toward Yoo Joonghyuk, only stopped by Cale latching onto the back of his collar. The sight of the slender youth pulling a buff mountain of a man back like a disobedient puppy was rather amusing. 

Yoo Joonghyuk pushes back the flap and got ready to somehow appease his worried sister.

→@←

During the 46th scenario of this round, Cale eyed the Star with contemplation, causing Yoo Joonghyuk to look at him warily. The redhead stares at the star, seemingly struggling with something.

Yoo Joonghyuk stepped toward Cale cautiously, hoping to attract the redhead’s attention to him rather than the other, more dangerous option that the redhead seems to be considering.

Rust-brown eyes glance up at him, back at the star, then hesitantly look away, sitting in a corner instead and choosing to intensify his glaring at Yoo Joonghyuk.

Really, the redhead was overreacting.

He only got stabbed a couple of times this round. And not all of them were fatal, even! 

→@←

Cale didn’t immediately show up this round. 

Yoo Joonghyuk may not have gone down easily, but the way he did make him realize that he may have taken the redhead’s strategies and healing potions for granted.

The redhead did help in the end, but he also disappeared suddenly.

And Yoo Joonghyuk did what he always did.

Survive.

And die.

→@←

It’s been many, many rounds since Yoo Joonghyuk’s last seen the redhead.

He stood there, at the final wall, and realizes that he could not break through.

Not like this.

Not yet.

So he throws away his hum4n1tY 4nD-

Meeting the writer had, in a way, both saved him and destroyed him.

Meeting a man named Kim Dokja gave him hope for a better future.

So he split himself into one that survives, and one that dies.

And r3grE5sessss-t4q53h, aok?’

→@←

Yoo Joonghyuk opens his eyes and sees that he is on the train where it had all started. He shivers, remembering the way he had dieddidhe? to that strange redhead the previous round.

A threat.

Is he?

Chapter Text

“Heuh, heuh-euh…”

Yoo Joonghyuk opens his eyes to a familiar scene. He’s sitting on a seat, the floor moving beneath his feet. His face was looking towards a window, the scenery flashing before his eyes. He turns his head towards the strange noises he’s hearing and sees a giant, scraggly-bearded man cackling twistedly. 

In his hands were what seemed to be a homemade explosive and a lighter. The madman smiled hysterically as he clicked the lighter, moving it towards the homemade explosive.

Train no. 3434, car no. 3707. 

I’m back.

Yoo Joonghyuk stood up.

The madman turned his insane eyes upon the regressor, grinning wildly. His hands continue to move closer together, before–

BANG!

The terrorist drops the items in his hands as he slams against the subway train car. The lighter clatters onto the ground, the fire fizzing out. The homemade bomb rolls under a seat somewhere. The terrorist groans, some blood dribbling out of his mouth, his internal organs clearly having received some shock. 

The civilians in the train car scream, scrambling madly away from the two. A couple of people move towards the doors of the car, hoping to flee to a different section instead.

It was chaos.

It is annoying.

Yoo Joonghyuk turns his gaze to the clock. 

6:58. Two more minutes until…

The numbers on the clock move, tick, almost in slow-motion as Yoo Joonghyuk stares at it.

Tick.

A crackling sound sounds through the train car. The lights turned off, plunging the car into semi-darkness. The only light in the car was from phones, or from the sun, sinking into the horizon outside the window. The entire train shudders to a halt, the sudden stop causing many people to stumble. Yoo Joonghyuk keeps his eyes on the clock as chaos erupts through the room. 

6:59.

A voice sounded from the train speakers.

“Telling all passengers on the train. Telling all the passengers on the train-”

Tick.

“E-Everyone… Run away… Run…!”

Skrrriiiiiiiiii—chhh–!

Light flashes somewhere from the front of the train. The car shudders to a halt, making a dreadful, metallic screeching sound.

Time seems to slow down and speed up at the same time. Loud, drumming noises echo in the strangely silent car.

7:00.

And a voice rang out.

[The free service period of the planetary system no. 8612 has concluded.]

[Main scenario has begun.]

[Channel #BI-7623 has opened.]

[Constellations are entering.]

And then, a familiar fluffball warps into being.

[“Welcome, everyone. Nice to meet you.”]

Fluffy fur, strange clothes, and horns. This was undoubtedly a dokkaebi. Yoo Joonghyuk narrows his eyes at the creature, clenching his hands into fists.

I need to get a weapon as soon as possible.

The furry white creature sighs with an exhausted look and then grins wildly as they start to speak.

[“It’s getting tiring to make the same introduction over and over again, but… Anyway, this situation isn’t a movie shoot nor is it a terror inciden… Huh?”]

The dokkaebi finally took a proper look around the room. Their eyes widen as they see the chaos in the train car, the people already scrambling madly to flee the car as blood trails out the mouth of a man who laid against a wall. A young adult wearing black was also there, moving towards the man who was lying against the wall.

[“What's this? Hahahaha! Dear Constellations, please take a look over here! The scenarios haven't even begun yet, but something entertaining is already underway!”]

The dokkaebi spoke in a languid yet cruel tone and laughed.

[“I'm already beginning to look forward to this particular car. I pray that you'll all show us an entertaining tale.”]

[Main Scenario has arrived!]

⇱— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[Main Scenario #1 – Proof of Value]

Category: Main

Difficulty: F

Clear Conditions: Kill one or more creatures.

Time Limit: 30 minutes

Compensation: 300 coins

Failure: Death

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —⇲

And the massacre began.

Even as his hand reaps the lives of everyone in his train car, Yoo Joonghyuk feels little remorse.

It doesn’t matter.

They’ll all die anyways.

Like my family in the last round.

→@←

Crsh!

Yoo Joonghyuk snarls, his hand pushing at the door to the car next door. 

I have to break through quickly. 

The second scenario had arrived earlier than expected. Of course, Yoo Joonghyuk was going to ‘escape’ quicker than the dokkaebi recommends due to his experience in the past regressions. 

However, it seems that something has changed this round.

The scenario wasn’t meant to be activated yet.

However, just a few seconds ago, just when Yoo Joonghyuk started to slam on the door, he had clearly heard the ping of a scenario starting.

⇱— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[Second Scenario – Escape]

Category: Sub

Difficulty: E

Clear Conditions: Cross the broken bridge and enter Oksu Station.

Time Limit: 20 minutes.

Compensation: 200 coins.

Failure: ???

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —⇲

Yoo Joonghyuk breaks his way into the compartment next door, the door screeching open as it crumpled to the sides. He takes a step in and freezes.

… What happened here?!

In the car, there were traces of violence. Blood and bone fragments splattered across the floor, smears of red liquid on stained steel. All around him, corpses lay sprawled across the ground. But what really alarmed him was not this unfortunately familiar scene. The smell of rust fills the air around him.

Aren’t they supposed to be alive? Where are they? 

He looks up at the sign, the number 3807 gleaming back at him.

This is the right car… but then, why…

Kim Namwoon and Lee Hyunsung should be here. They should have survived.

So how come there’s an empty carriage with nothing but corpses?

Yoo Joonghyuk stares at this scene of carnage, then, after a long time, he finally lifted his head to take a proper look at the surroundings. He snaps out of his daze, his memories of his third round, before noticing that a different door of the carriage seems to be forced open. Outside, he could see the bridge that was crumpling under the attacks of a sea-dragon-like monster. 

A gleaming golden bridge, something that had never appeared in his previous rounds, forms a walkway between the broken-off path and the shore. Then Yoo Joonghyuk realized that there were way more entities moving than he expected.

He glances around the carriage, only to see the corpses stirring.

… Strange. How come this regression is so strange?

Things that hadn’t happened before were happening. The scenario had changed and become harder, and for what?

Why are things changing?

A flash of stoic red-brown eyes flashed through his mind.

… Maybe?

Is that redhead the reason…?

Yoo Joonghyuk wondered if the red-haired man he had died to in his previous regression was the cause.

After all, apart from him , there were no others that I didn’t know from the previous regressions.

Perhaps that man was a regressor as well.

But then… does that mean he’s nearby?

Yoo Joonghyuk frowns and decides that perhaps this was not caused by that red-haired threat after all. Then, a corpse lunged at him.

Crack!

And gets smashed into a nearby wall.

Yoo Joonghyuk speeds out, rushing past the living dead as he races toward the figures near the golden bridge. In the distance, he could see a figure struggling to shove the undead mass away, then tussling with a white-haired figure.

Yoo Joonghyuk squinted his eyes, then ran even faster. Once he could see the figures clearly, his eyes widened.

Kim Namwoon?

Memories of a white-haired, scowling boy, who glared at him yet stuck by his disciple and him through battles, no matter how grim the situation, flooded his head.

He’s… dead?!

Yoo Joonghyuk increased his speed yet again, but it was too late. Yoo Joonghyuk watched as one of his allies from his previous regressions tipped down into the yawning abyss below. 

A splash. 

Then, nothing.

NO!

Yoo Joonghyuk froze, but that split second was enough for some of the demonic people to regroup and attempt an attack.

Scht! Crsh-

Yoo Joonghyuk feels a deadly calm wash over him, a flood of apathy filling him. His eyes became even more like a corpse’s and he strides with large steps towards the bastard who killed his ally, hands snapping off the heads of those who attacked him at the same time.

… Did he kill Lee Hyunsung as well?

He doesn’t see that mountain-like man nearby. The sinking feeling in his chest couldn’t be ignored, despite his best attempts. 

Flashes of a white-haired teenager falling into the sea repeats in his mind as he glares at this bastard he finally reached.

“You. Who are you?” Yoo Joonghyuk fixes his cold gaze upon the person who killed one of his allies, possibly even multiple. He clenches his fists.

Oh, how I wish I had a blade.

Not that he couldn’t twist the head off of this man if he really tried.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that something is wrong. 

If this man had always existed in the previous regressions, how come he didn’t appear in the last round?

What exactly was different about his round three? 

“You, how the hell are you alive?”

Only two people had survived in the 3807 carriage. This man was not one of them.

Why are you alive, but not Kim Namwoon? 

Yoo Joonghyuk glares at this intruder and grabs him by the neck. Walking over to the edge of the bridge, he waited to see what this anomaly would do next. 

People always showed their true selves in the face of death.

“Name.” The regressor glares at this unknown threat and tightens his grip.

“What?”

“What is your name?” Yoo Joonghyuk snarls. His voice held traces of impatience.

“Kim Dokja,” the threat replies.

(Somewhere within him, Yoo Joonghyuk wonders when he had gotten used to referring to people as a ‘threat’ directly.)

(Perhaps it was the death of his allies in the previous regression.)

“A strange name,” Yoo Joonghyuk. His face betrayed none of his thoughts, showing only a mask of indifference. 

“I’ve heard that a lot,” the man replied cheekily. Yoo Joonghyuk felt irritation flood through him and sank his fist into this ‘Kim Dokja’s’ stomach.

“Ugh.” The man groans.

His body has been reinforced. That explains why he could take down Kim Namwoon’s corpse.

“You have a solid body. Have you already mastered the use of coins?”

He needed to figure out how much of a threat this man was, before deciding whether he wanted to be rid of him or find a way to corral him.

“If you know your enemy and know yourself, you can create an even bigger mess.”

Yoo Joonghyuk ignored the strange thought that had suddenly popped into his mind and continued his interrogating Kim Dokja.

“It is the same as you…” The threat spoke up, interrupting Yoo Joonghyuk from his thoughts. 

The regressor frowns.

“Stop the unnecessary answers. Only answer what I ask from now on. Understood?” Yoo Joonghyuk asserts.

The threat remained silent. Yoo Joonghyuk’s lips downturned even more, the look on his face becoming darker.

“Your answer?”

“I will.” The threat finally replies.

“Use honorifics,” Yoo Joonghyuk tells the disrespectful punk. 

“What if I don’t want to?” The threat smiles a thin, mocking thing. Yoo Joonghyuk could feel his already paper-thin patience slowly shredding. So the regressor punched at this ‘Kim Dokja’ again.

The man blocks, surprising him. Yoo Joonghyuk feels his eyes widen, then narrow. He contemplates the man in his grasp, his assessment of Kim Dokja’s earlier threat level shooting upwards. 

“I'm sorry but you are younger than me, pro-gamer Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi. Therefore, you should be the one using honorifics,” the man in front of him smirks that infuriating grin of his. 

Yoo Joonghyuk’s face turns to one of confusion. “You know me?”

“I know. I am the employee of a game company,” the man smiles. "You are famous. At one time, I was a fan.” 

“Fan… I haven’t heard that in a long time.” Yoo Joonghyuk pauses, shattered fragments of memories passing through his mind. He falls silent for a while, before deciding. “I'll forgive your impudence this time, but your situation hasn't changed.”

“I can see that.” The man looks down.

Yoo Joonghyuk frowns. He eyes Kim Dokja, who looks calm even in the face of his possible death. Despite his misgivings, he felt a spark of respect for this man who could keep such a cool head, even while in danger.

You don’t see many people like that… Or, at least, not during the start of the apocalypse.

"I have only one thing I want to ask." Yoo Joonghyuk decides to bite the bullet.

"Ask."

"How did you survive on the subway?" Yoo Joonghyuk has a feeling, but he’s not entirely sure. 

Even if he could take down Kim Namwoon when the boy is dead, could he take down a living Kim Namwoon?

The man gave Yoo Joonghyuk a slightly smug look. It was as if he had expected the regressor to ask that.

The mild spark of respect for this bastard that Yoo Joonghyuk had for the jerk, died.

"Will you spare me if I answer?" the man asks.

"I'll see,” Yoo Joonghyuk answers.

I’ll decide based on his next answers. He told himself silently. Although, I doubt anything he said would change my mind. 

Although Yoo Joonghyuk has already decided that it would be better if this Kim Dokja died, he still waited for the man to finish.

The man gave him a look of disbelief. He does not seem to trust the regressor’s words.

A wise decision, really.

The man kept silent. He seems to be thinking.

As Yoo Joonghyuk allows the man to get his thoughts together, or prepare whatever flimsy excuse he may attempt to use on Yoo Joonghyuk, the regressor decides to go back to his previous thoughts.

This regression is strange, and he still hasn’t pinpointed the exact reason for that yet.

Only Lee Hyunsung and Kim Namwoon should've survived in that carriage. Yet Kim Namwoon died and the others survived.

WHY?

The man in front of him flinched. Yoo Joonghyuk fixes his glare on him, yet again, and scowls.

When is this bastard going to start speaking? I’m running out of patience.

The man flinched, yet again, and slowly started narrating his experience on the train.

After listening for a while, Yoo Joonghyuk interrupted Kim Dokja.

“…You cleared the scenario by killing insects?"

"We were lucky." The man replies, his grin becoming smugger.

Yoo Joonghyuk really wants to punch this guy’s teeth in. But right now, he has more important things to worry about.

The future has completely changed.

Originally, the people in carriage 3807 killed each other in a battle royale, with only Lee Hyunsung and Kim Namwoon surviving.

"You have keen eyes. How did you know there were insects in the carriage?" Yoo Joonghyuk grew more and more suspicious. He feels Killing Intent filling his eyes.

 Is this guy also a regressor?

If that is so, he would have to kill this man.

However, Yoo Joonghyuk feels strangely… reluctant.

He feels that he has been in a similar situation to this before.

However, before Yoo Joonghyuk could further that thought, the man spoke up yet again.

"An explosion."

"Explosion?" Yoo Joonghyuk feels a slightly confused expression flash across his face before it returns to stoic.

"I was able to find the insects due to an explosion from the carriage in front," Kim Dokja explains.

Yoo Joonghyuk's body stopped at these words. "Explain it in a simpler manner."

"When the explosion occurred, a kid fell and dropped his insect collecting net. I picked it up by chance."

"…It is a suspicious coincidence." Yoo Joonghyuk slowly tightens his grip, his eyes hardening. 

"Coincidences are always suspicious. If you don't believe me, ask the people beyond the ward. The boy standing there dropped the net.”

I see… so the future didn’t change because of him.

It changed because I started killing them, unlike what I did in other rounds.

Yoo Joonghyuk felt little regret for his actions.

Those people would have died anyway.

It’s strange though.

He’s shockingly calm.

Yoo Joonghyuk’s mind flashes to the memory of Kim Namwoon’s death. Or, well, the second death.

… He’s gone beyond useful to being dangerous.

Yoo Joonghyuk hesitates for a moment before activating Sage’s Eye.

Red hair, piercing gaze, staring into his soul. Blood-red leaves blocked anything that Yoo Joonghyuk could see on the status board before a  flash of red and a burning name was revealed, the background uncovered, pitch-black darkness fading into the surroundings like a drop of dark ink spreading within clear water.-

The redhead glares at him. 

“Yoo Joonghyuk, it’s not nice to stare.”

But all Yoo Joonghyuk could do was wonder.

Why did the name ‘Thames’ sound so familiar?

Yoo Joonghyuk flinched as a wave of pain rushes over his temples, his head throbbing with his pulse. 

  What…? 

Yoo Joonghyuk had dropped Kim Dokja in his shock.

Did he do this?

But for some reason, Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t think so.

If he had this ability…

A red-haired man flashes through his mind again, and Yoo Joonghyuk’s frown deepens.

Why am I thinking about that person?

The one who killed himdidhe? in the previous round. Yoo Joonghyuk scowls as another flash of pain passes through his mind before-

What was I thinking about again?

… Right. The redhead who killed me.

Yoo Joonghyuk takes another glance at the coughing Korean man and wondered if the two had any relations.

“Only true scum would harm children.”

Never mind that Namwoon was an adult; a recent one, but still an adult.

Never mind that Namwoon is capable of causing massacres with his stupefying amount of power.

Yoo Joonghyuk wonders if this was because he’s a monster species protective of their young.

Probably not, he decides.

Cale seems like a person who would protect children, even as human.

Another wince, and whatever he had thought of, had vanished. Yoo Joonghyuk had a feeling that this would not be the last time this happens. But along with the pain, comes a feeling of clarity.

The two probably were not related. He’s not sure how, exactly, he knew. But he trusts his instincts.

(He pointedly ignores the instincts screaming at him to trust the redhead.)

Then, Yoo Joonghyuk realized something.

Wait- how did he block my skill then?

Yoo Joonghyuk glared at Kim Dokja and lunged at him again. The two crash against the edge of the bridge, Yoo Joonghyuk pressing the threat on the ground, making sure that the man would not give him an unwelcome surprise. The man’s head dangles over the edge of the bridge, dark hair fluttering like tree leaves in the breeze. Yoo Joonghyuk snarls as he applies a slight force onto the dark-haired man’s neck, both a warning and a threat.

… I have to kill him.

The man has clearly outgrown his usefulness. And Yoo Joonghyuk would rather tie up all loose ends.

Suddenly, the man beneath him spoke up. “Yoo Joonghyuk. You need a reliable companion.”

Yoo Joonghyuk startles, eyes widening, narrowing, as a million thoughts passed through his mind, all at once. Nothing but his eyes betrayed these thoughts, however. The regressor voices out his skepticism. 

“... What do you mean?”

The man grins. 

“You can't break through the 46th scenario alone. Shouldn't you be well aware of it?”

Yoo Joonghyuk feels his suspicion growing. But the steadily ticking down of the scenario’s end causes him to stand up instead, the threat still held in his grasp. Standing up, he walks across the bridge, ignoring Kim Dokja’s question, instead of questioning him further.

How does he know?

A flash of red, yet again, passes through his mind. 

“Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.”

The redhead glances back at him, his mouth curving into a small smirk.

“It’s a rather interesting quote, isn’t it? That anything that is not impossible, once eliminated, could only be the truth?”

“Is that so?” Yoo Joonghyuk hums, replying to the redhead as they sat beside the fire, the redhead turning his eyes towards the stars. Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes move toward the other side of the flames, confirming with his eyes that each of his family members was safe, unharmed. 

They’re all there.

Scarred, but nonetheless, alive.

There was a pause before the redhead replied.

“Mm. Although… it may be an interesting one, but it’s not my favorite.”

The wistfulness and melancholy in the redhead’s tone cause Yoo Joonghyuk to glance back at Cale.

“What is your favorite motto, then?” 

The redhead glances down, stars glinting in his eyes, giving them a strange, mystical, feeling.

“It doesn’t matter.”

And as the redhead turns his head toward the stars yet again, Yoo Joonghyuk thought he heard the redhead say something after that.

“It’s not like I’ve ever managed to live by it, despite all my efforts.”

He’s not a regressor.

That, Yoo Joonghyuk knew. If this man had been a regressor, he would have been discovered earlier.

So that only leaves… Prophet.

Yoo Joonghyuk feels the lines on his face deepen, as he realized just how troublesome this would be. He doesn’t notice how Kim Dokja’s eyes widened when he started walking across the bridge.

“... You’re a prophet, aren’t you?” Yoo Joonghyuk stops as he reaches the middle of the bridge, the offender in question still in his hold. From this distance, he should be able to make it across, even if he has to drop this possible-prophet.

Kim Dokja smiled. “That’s right.” The man continued speaking, faster, more anxious, as if his argument would make any difference in Yoo Joonghyuk’s decision to spare him. “I know that Yoo Joonghyuk has special powers. You also know things about the future. Isn't that right?”

“…” Yoo Joonghyuk stayed silent, waiting for Kim Dokja to finish his speech.

"But that knowledge is never perfect. Make me your companion. I can fill in the parts you are missing."

… A prophet would be useful. But would it be worth the risk?

It would certainly help to have a prophet… not just in the 46th scenario, but later when fighting the 'Zarathustra' as well.

Yoo Joonghyuk stares down at Kim Dokja. 

… Companion, huh.

What a laughable thing for Kim Dokja to request.

Yoo Joonghyuk doesn’t have companions.

( The statement rings as false, for a moment. But the feeling soon fades after. )

( Yoo Joonghyuk does not have companions. They always leave him. )

( Always. )

[There is one minute to the end of the scenario.]

The scenario notification snaps Yoo Joonghyuk out of his daze, and he looks the prophet straight in his eyes. 

When had I glanced down?

The man stares back, a strange determination burning in the Korean’s eyes.

It almost reminded Yoo Joonghyuk of himself.

The thought startled him, and Yoo Joonghyuk frowns.

One, final, test.

He cannot take incapable people. 

Sure, a prophet may be useful if the time comes, but if the man was nothing but deadweight in any other scenarios… well.

Can he even make it into the 46th scenario?

Yoo Joonghyuk made up his mind.

“I have decided. I will make you my companion.”

Yoo Joonghyuk begins walking toward the safe zone on the other side of the bridge. As he walked, he opened his mouth again.

“I will ask you one last thing.”

“What?” The man had a slightly puzzled frown on his face.

“If you are really a prophet, you should know your future. Isn't that right?”

Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes were serene. He tightened his grip on Kim Dokja’s throat.

“Keok-” Kim Dokja choked, his windpipe slowly being crushed. 

“Will I let go of this hand, or would I not?” Yoo Joonghyuk watches as the Korean closes his eyes. 

Then, those dark eyes opened, and the fire inside was chilling.

“Yoo Joonghyuk.”

The man’s tone of voice was compelling, and there was a strange pull to it. Yoo Joonghyuk frowns. 

“I will tell you two things first.”

“...What?”

“One, I'm not your subordinate. So I hope you will treat me fairly from now on.”

“...” 

That is, if you survive.

“Two, I will cooperate with you but you also have to promise to cooperate with me.”

How interesting. How bold.

“Well, what is your answer?”

“Release your hand and get lost, you damn son of a [This word has been censored].” 

Yoo Joonghyuk smiles.

“I believe you. You are definitely a prophet.”

Let’s see if this prophet would survive this, then.

Yoo Joonghyuk watches as the prophet gets swallowed into the mouth of the Giant Sea Commander.

He continued watching for a moment, then turned, and walked past the murky mist of the scenario clearance.

→@←

Yoo Joonghyuk watches as meteorites fall, a strange mixture of nostalgia and dread flooding his heart. 

It is starting. The third scenario.

Yoo Joonghyuk moved his gaze from the sky to the Han River. The area around was desolate, with not one humanoid shadow to be seen apart from his own. 

A group of ichthyosaurs had moved here. So it made sense that this area was almost empty.

Yet…

He’s not here.

It’s been three days since Yoo Joonghyuk kicked Kim Dokja off the Dongho Bridge.

… Perhaps an ichthyosaur was too hard for him to catch. Indeed, I, myself, would have had trouble with such a thing as well, in the time span of three days.

He closed his eyes. Mind flashing to the image of the man’s eyes, ones full of fire, determination… yet… 

It seems that the fire he held was not enough.

It was too bad that he had lost a prophet. But he would make do without it.

… this time, I will definitely be sure to change this timeline.

He turns around to leave, but…

Why do I feel that I was supposed to meet someone here?

He had the urge to wait. But…

It’s been three days. This person probably is dead already.

Yoo Joonghyuk looks up from the ground, out of his musings- when had he looked down?- and walks away.

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' recommends you to come back here after the third scenario.]

Yoo Joonghyuk frowns, deciding to ignore the unknown constellation.

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' finds you frustrating.]

→@←

He walks into the tunnels, glancing behind him at the people the prophet had gathered. He had told them that the prophet would have survived, but…

I suppose I was wrong. 

A pause, then he continued on his way through the tunnel. 

… It’s a shame, but they’ll be waiting for nothing.  

Arriving at the den of the ground-rats, Yoo Joonghyuk disappears through the burrow's entrance. 

[Some constellations who are excited about adventure smile excitedly!]

Walking down a predetermined route he found during a previous regression, Yoo Joonghyuk soon arrived at a large opening. 

[The sub-scenario has been updated.]

[You have entered the 'Ground Rat's Treasure Trove'.]

Glancing around, Yoo Joonghyuk spotted a dark mass of tentacles writhing in the darkness. 

I better take care of that before it becomes troublesome.

But first… I need a weapon.

Glancing around the room again, Yoo Joonghyuk suddenly rushed in, grabbing the nearby sword in the ground-rats’ treasure trove. 

[A constellation who likes swords nodded in approval.]

A good weapon.

SCREECH!!

The Dark Keeper rises up, its tentacles whipping and lashing around violently. A tentacle struck out at Yoo Joonghyuk and slammed into where Yoo Joonghyuk had been just seconds ago. Yoo Joonghyuk took this chance and raced forward, sword carving jagged lines across the Dark Keeper’s body. Tentacles were cut off, and the stubs of what’s left waves around, much shorter in reach than before.

“Kuaaahhhh!” The Dark Keeper screams in pain. Yoo Joonghyuk takes another couple of steps forward and slams the side of his blade against the Dark Keeper.

Don’t die, don’t die… I am NOT having Asmodeus hunting me down again.

The Dark Keeper screams as they slam into the wall of the burrow, and fell limply to the ground. It could only barely breathe and did not get up again. Yoo Joonghyuk walks towards the treasure trove, not bothering to with finishing off the Dark Keeper.

[A constellation who likes curses is disappointed.]

[Some constellations admire your scenario.]

[You have earned 600 coins.]

A dokkaebi, otherwise silent until up to that point, spoke up.

[You’re not going to kill the Dark Keeper? It would give you a lot of coins, you know.]

Yoo Joonghyuk remained silent. He rummaged through the pile of treasures, grabbing a belt to hold his newly-gained sword. Searching through the items, he grabbed a pair of fingerless gloves he spotted. Scanning through the pile again, he spotted a black trenchcoat.

The Infinite Dimension Space Coat… found it.

Putting it over his black shirt and pants, he takes one last look around the room, then heads towards a corner, where there was a black box. 

Hm? Wait…

Turning around, he bent down, picking something off the treasure pile.

… hm?

A gold badge. He had seen it in the last round but ignored it. 

This…

This pattern … he’s seen it before. 

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' suddenly leans forward in shock!]

His mind flashes back to a small badge the redhead that killed him wore. 

It’s not the same… not the exact same badge. But the pattern is the same. It seems that this was the original, rather than 

The badge has a checkered background with a golden tortoise on it, a mountain in place of their shell. Golden swirls waves beneath the legs of the creature. Leaves made of gold wrap around the edges of the badge, surrounding a small golden crown on top. It was created with masterful craftsmanship, and the detailed leaves seem to glow.

Yoo Joonghyuk feels around the edges and applies a bit of strength. Despite the badge being created of gold, it seems to be unbreakable.

This must be the original badge the redhead had…

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' shouts at you to not leave behind this badge!]

Hm?

Yoo Joonghyuk frowns. If a constellation was telling him that this badge was important, then…

He slips the badge into his pocket and then picks up the black box he was originally heading towards.

Opening the lid, he picks up one of the two items inside.

Magic Power Stove.

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' feels nostalgic.]

Yoo Joonghyuk places the stove into the pocket of his Infinite Dimension Space Coat and heads out of the tunnel.

As he walks out of the ground-rat den, reaching into his pocket to make sure that it was in an easily-available pocket, he pauses for a moment.

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' gives the stove a slight look of disdain.]

The Constellations have been behaving rather strangely these days.

His fingers briefly graze the badge, and he withdraws his hand from the pocket, replacing it on the hilt of the sword he found.

→@←

⇱— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[Main Scenario #3 – Green Zone (Day 2)]

Category: Main

Difficulty: C

Clear Conditions: Occupy the 'green zone' in the station and survive the monsters that emerge every night at midnight. This scenario will last 7 days.

Duration: 8 hours.

Compensation: 1,000 coins

Failure: ―

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —⇲

He arrived at Chungmuro station on the second day of the third scenario. 

… Chaotic .

That was the first thought that Yoo Joonghyuk had, upon seeing the situation at the station. People were scrambling all over the place like crazy, killing, shoving, and pushing at one another. A glance at the time revealed that it was close to when the monster hordes would start arriving.

It was a sadly familiar scene.

One which Yoo Joonghyuk was used to.

With a sigh, he roams throughout the station, hoping to find Lee Jihye. Glancing around, he could not find her in any of the green zones.

… No.

He sped up, his pace now containing a sense of urgency.

Where…

Before Yoo Joonghyuk could fall into that   spiral of hopelessness, there a screen appeared in front of his face.

[The third main scenario is enabled.]

“...”

Leaving behind his facade of calmness, he started sprinting through the subway station, cutting down any monster that dared get in his way. 

Where’s Jihye?!

Memories of the white-haired teen falling into the yawning abyss of the lake flashes through his mind. 

Where is she?!

I can’t lose another family member!

Scanning through the horde of monsters, Yoo Joonghyuk felt a flash of irritation. 

They’re getting in my way!

“Grrrowl!”

A snarl was heard behind Yoo Joonghyuk- then, a flash of steel. A single-horned, black-maned, hog-like creature was separated into pieces with a swing of Yoo Joonghyuk’s sword.  

The groll did not even get the chance to cry out in pain before they knew nothing more.

The last thing the creature saw as their vision went dark forever, was a black-dressed figure racing away from their falling body.

→@←

Yoo Joonghyuk found Lee Jihye fighting a group of monsters.

There were others around her, at that moment, he couldn’t really process anything else.

“...”

Had she not dodged out of the way in time… that horn would have gone straight through her.

And Yoo Joonghyuk saw red.

→@←

By the time Yoo Joonghyuk came back to himself, there was nothing around him but red. Blood dripped off his sword. Red rained down from the ceilings, blood splattered on walls, ceilings, his clothes, his skin. They dried uncomfortably on his body, flaking bits of red crumbling down as he walked. The smell of rust spreads through the station, the scent of this carnage permeating the air. 

“...” Yoo Joonghyuk stops in front of Lee Jihye, his disciple, forgetting about the splatters of violence he was drenched in. The girl looks at him, her expression a mix of wariness, mixed with respect, and awe. There was a sliver of fear in her gaze as well, but it quickly vanished.

“You…” Yoo Joonghyuk began, unsure how to address her. He reached his hand out to pat her on the shoulder, then stopped.

They were strangers right now. Not master and disciple, teacher and student. 

Yoo Joonghyuk wanted to ask his student if she was alright. If she was injured. If she wanted to join him in his quest to the final scenario. But before he could, he remembers.

Right now, I’m nothing to her.

He was a strange, unknown, dangerous man, covered in blood. 

Not Lee Jihye’s teacher. 

Not her ally. 

Not her family.

She has no idea who he is, and would likely be alarmed if he acted this familiarly to her.

So he dropped his hand.

“...” He’s not sure how he should proceed. Instead, he started to scan the surrounding areas. The hand he used to reach out to his disciple moved down to his scabbard instead, holding it still as he sheathes his sword. The battle was over. 

Seeing the still-breathing humans around Lee Jihye,  Yoo Joonghyuk notes that it seems that in his blood-drenched frenzy, he had remembered not to harm any of the people in the group.

That makes sense. If I had, Lee Jihye would be much more on guard in front of me right now.

He opened his mouth, then closed it. 

What do I do?

Yoo Joonghyuk had never been a hesitant person. He was confident in his actions, knowing that weakness and waiting got people killed. People like that do not survive in this world for long. He was blunt and concise because he sees no reason to flatter and sugarcoat in this ruined world. But in front of his disciple, he was speechless. 

Unable to speak a word.

Memories of Lee Hyunsung staring at him with anger and wariness flashes through his mind. 

What if she also chose to follow that prophet instead?

The prophet has a strange charisma to them. It’s the start of the apocalypse, yet the people around him, his group, was already extremely protective of him.

A sliver of jealousy, mixed with mild respect, lines Yoo Joonghyuk’s heart.

… No. I’m not going to lose another one of my allies family to that bastard . 

Although that prophet probably isn’t alive anymore, it would be rather annoying if one of his former teammates managed to convince Lee Jihye to not join him.

Decision made, Yoo Joonghyuk, once again, attempts to speak to Lee Jihye. But then-

“You’re so cool!!”

An excited voice shouts next to Yoo Joonghyuk’s ear, making him flinch. His hand, still on the hilt of his sword, almost draws the weapon out.

Looking in the direction of the voice, Yoo Joonghyuk spots a freckled teen looking up at him, stars in his eyes. His hands were raised in excitement, and he looks like he just witnessed a miracle right before his eyes. 

“...” Yoo Joonghyuk finds himself slightly annoyed. However, he calmed himself down before he could do something drastic, like yelling at the boy. Instead, he gave the freckled teen a brief nod, before looking back at Lee Jihye.

Only to find her holding a hand over her mouth.

“Pfft,” Lee Jihye couldn’t prevent a laugh, and then she started holding her stomach and full-on giggling.

“...” Yoo Joonghyuk found himself at a loss for words. The freckled boy next to him, meanwhile, still looks starstruck. 

“Seriously, though, mister,” Lee Jihye stopped laughing after the teen got bored after a while, walking away with his brown hair bouncing. “You really were cool.” She gave him an admiring look. “How did you do that? Actually,” Her face turned serious. “Could you teach me?”

“What?” Yoo Joonghyuk blurted out. And immediately felt ashamed.

That was a perfect opportunity to say yes!

“Please?” Lee Jihye asks. Her eyes are set firmly, with strong confidence and willpower within them. 

It reminds Yoo Joonghyuk of the first time he met Lee Jihye.

He took her in because people with those eyes often go far. But their spirit would burn out unless they learned.

“... You’ll need to pull your own weight.” 

He knows that she would.

Lee Jihye has proven herself to him, many, many , times before. 

“Of course,” Lee Jihye replied firmly. Her eyes were set and determined.

Pride rises up in Yoo Joonghyuk’s chest, and he nods.

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' smiles at ‘Lee Jihye.’]

Yoo Joonghyuk suddenly gets the urge to punch a constellation.

… Why is he smiling at her?

Immediately, he is suspicious.

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' gives you a slight look of disdain.]

The urge for violence becomes stronger.

→@←

Yoo Joonghyuk walks back to the station, a relaxed mood surrounding him. Carrying the corpse of a monster, he strides purposefully through the slightly poisonous fog. Arriving at the station, he walks through the entrance and immediately gets ambushed by Lee Jihye.

“Master!” 

Startled, Yoo Joonghyuk dropped the monster corpse. 

“What is it?” Yoo Joonghyuk puts his hand on the hilt of his blade, slightly worried. “Is there something wrong?”

“Someone was masquerading as your companion! He said that you two are good friends!

What?

Yoo Joonghyuk frowned.

Companion?

I don’t have companions.

Yoo Joonghyuk immediately starts to follow his apprentice. 

The monster corpse was left behind.

→@←

“Master, it’s that person. He pretended to be Master’s companion!” 

Yoo Joonghyuk stares blankly at the scene in front of him.

How… Already?

The impudent man in front of him waves at him.

“Hi, Joonghyuk.”

“...”

Yoo Joonghyuk’s mind was blank. Although he had a slight feeling that Kim Dokja would survive, there was a difference between having a feeling and having it confirmed.

“Have you been well? Your face looks good?” The man kept talking, chattering as if his life depended on it.

Lee Jihye and Gong Pildu look back and forth between Yoo Joonghyuk, disbelief on their face.

“These people don’t believe that I am your companion. Can you tell them?”

“...”

[A few constellations are paying attention to your answer.]

[The constellation 'Demon-like Judge of Fire' is observing your loyalty.]

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' tells you to stop standing there like a fool.]

Yoo Joonghyuk snaps out of his stupor and opens his mouth. But before he could speak, this bastard in front of him interrupts him.

“Ah, right. It would be better if you allow us to use the bathroom!”

“...” Yoo Joonghyuk silently draws out his blade.

→@←

Yoo Joonghyuk stands at the corner of the station, scanning his eyes over the team that the prophet had assembled. 

“It’s nice to see you, you rascal.” 

And here comes the prophet himself.

 Yoo Joonghyuk lifts his head to look at the prophet.

“... you’re alive.”

“Were you hoping I would be killed?” The man gives Yoo Joonghyuk a cheeky grin.

“I really didn’t care that much.” Yoo Joonghyuk sees the way the prophet’s mouth twitch. Kim Dokja’s smile becomes noticeably faker until he quit the pretense and just started to glare at Yoo Joonghyuk.

Yoo Joonghyuk ignored the glaring brunette. Instead, he turned away to look over at Lee Hyunsung. However, the stare burning itself into the side of his face made Yoo Joonghyuk lose concentration.

“Did you have something else to say?” Yoo Joonghyuk glances at Kim Dokja out of the corner of his eyes, feeling a mild annoyance well up inside him.

The prophet did not answer. Instead, he kept staring at Yoo Joonghyuk.

Irritated, Yoo Joonghyuk repeats his question. “I asked if you had anything you wanted to say.”

“No, I was just admiring that ugly mug of yours,” Kim Dokja replies. His eyes tell a different story, however. 

… He’s as determined as I remember him to be.

The fire in the prophet’s eyes had not gone out. It seemed to have burned even brighter. It was rather admirable. The prophet’s face, however, looked like he was mocking Yoo Joonghyuk.

… But he‘s starting to get on my nerves. Should I just kill him?

Kim Dokja suddenly flinched, then laughed nervously. “I’m joking.”

Yoo Joonghyuk turned away from Kim Dokja and began to scan his group again.  

“It looks like you've obtained companions.” Yoo Joonghyuk felt disappointed when he notices how weak Lee Hyunsung seems to be. 

Activating Sage’s Eye, Yoo Joonghyuk scans through the shield wielder’s status with disapproval. 

It’s below expectations.

Suddenly, he stops at one of the descriptions.

… What is that?

The little boy that Kim Dokja had picked up was strong. Extremely strong.

… How is this possible?

“What are you looking at?” 

A woman who wasn’t in Kim Dokja’s party the last time he met them stares at Yoo Joonghyuk, hostility in her eyes.

Should I kill… 

“Yoo Joonghyuk!” The prophet suddenly speaks up. There was a slightly panicked look on his face. At the same time, a blue screen popped up in front of Yoo Joonghyuk.

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' gives you a warning look.]

Before Yoo Joonghyuk could think further about why that constellation might care about a child who was not his incarnation, the prophet starts speaking even faster.

“I was wondering about one thing.”

Yoo Joonghyuk glances over at the prophet. 

“Why are you leaving Gong Pildu alone?”

Yoo Joonghyuk frowns. “If you’re a prophet, you should know.” Doubts about Kim Dokja’s identity start to set in.

“I don’t know everything,” the prophet replies. 

Yoo Joonghyuk activates ‘Lie Detection.’ The words were true.

“...Indeed, I see. A prophet whose level of 'future sight' is low.”

“... I need Gong Pilda alive.”

“Is it because of a future scenario”

“...”

“Isn't it your style to remove what you don't need? Why are you just leaving them?”

How annoying.

“I have a lot to do." Yoo Joonghyuk stared at Kim Dokja and quietly added, "You will never understand.”

“Wait! That isn't the problem. If you don't move now, most of the humans in Chungmuro will…”

“It doesn’t matter,” Yoo Joonghyuk interrupts. The people here in this station would likely all end up dead. It wasn’t worth putting in the effort to save dead weight.

The prophet scowls. “Yoo Joonghyuk. Can I hit you?”

“If you have the confidence.” The regressor  spots the prophet readying a fist. Yoo Joonghyuk activates his Strong Self Defense skill.

The prophet drops his fist. 

Smart move.

…He’s still annoying, though.

“Are you finished?” Yoo Joonghyuk asked, face impassive.

The prophet did not reply.

“Let’s go.” Yoo Joonghyuk turned away from Kim Dokja, calling out to his disciple. She flinched in surprise, then abruptly startled back to action and followed behind Yoo Joonghyuk.

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' thinks that you’re being a fool.]

Yoo Joonghyuk ignores the message.

→@←

[There is 1 hour and 30 minutes before the third scenario is activated.]

Yoo Joonghyuk opened his eyes and pushed off from the wall where he was leaning. 

Should I go see what that prophet is planning?

Instead, Yoo Joonghyuk closed his eyes. 

“You should go find a room.” Yoo Joonghyuk glances over at Lee Jihye, his eyes serious.

“Master?” She replies, surprised.

“Go find a room for yourself.” Yoo Joonghyuk turned away. “You can’t prove yourself if you die.”

Lee Jihye’s eyes sparkled, but Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t see it. “Yes, Master!”

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' approves of your actions.]

Does he think I’m an incompetent fool or something?

Yoo Joonghyuk strides past the green zones, each of them already occupied. As he walked past them, he observed that it seemed that most, if not all, of the zones had already been occupied. Yoo Joonghyuk briefly wondered if he would have to kill one of the people for his apprentice, but…

She could do so herself.

Lee Jihye is a survivor. 

And if she can’t… Well, she’ll need to take this as a lesson to be learned.

Yoo Joonghyuk decisively decided that he should check in on her a little before the monsters are unleashed. 

… I’ll need to leave for that place soon. 

The Theatre Dungeon. It is a place that holds great rewards, as well as great risk.

[You are approaching the outside region. Be careful not to leave the scenario area.]

Stopping at the entrance of the dungeon, Yoo Joonghyuk paused.

It’s here.

[You have found a hidden dungeon!]

[You are the first one to discover this dungeon. You have earned the ‘First Discovery’ achievement!]

For some reason, he gets the urge to immediately enter. However, he suppresses the feeling.

⇱— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[Hidden Scenario – Theatre Dungeon]

Category: Hidden

Difficulty: A-

Clear Conditions: Defeat the master of Theatre Dungeon.

Time Limit: None

Compensation: 4,000 coins

Failure: ―

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —⇲

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' approves of your decision.]

Yoo Joonghyuk frowns at the message that popped up.

Are they scheming something?

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' warns you of the time.]

Yoo Joonghyuk frowns again, then glances up at the clock. There were less than thirty minutes till the start of the scenario. 

… Jihye!

Hurriedly, he walks back through the station. Spotting Lee Jihye near the entrance of the monster horde’s spawning point, he called out to her.“Stop and go back to your room.” 

“Ah… yup, Master.” Lee Jihye nods, then heads further into the station.

Yoo Joonghyuk then turns towards the prophet, who, for some reason, still hasn’t found a room.

“Are you going to fight the monsters?” Yoo Joonghyuk frowns. 

The prophet only shrugs.

“You will die,” Yoo Joonghyuk warns. “Your four companions as well.”

“That remains to be seen.” Kim Dokja gives him a cheeky grin. He doesn’t seem to be taking Yoo Joonghyuk’s warning seriously.

A pity.

Yoo Joonghyuk feels a strange mix of irritation, anger, and slight respect for the confidence the man seems to hold. 

Though, rather that is confidence or foolhardiness remains to be seen.

Looking at how the man smirks, as if he knew something others do not…

He likely has a plan.

A sense of anticipation and curiosity joins the other emotions, and Yoo Joonghyuk turns away. He takes one last glance at the prophet, then walks towards a place close to the barrier, but easy to escape monsters from.

There are walls within the monster spawning areas,, he remembers. A small frown appears on his face, as he wonders where he received the information. 

But nothing comes to mind.

… Perhaps I should look into that.

Before he could think further on it, however, the familiar blue screen popped up in front of Yoo Joonghyuk.

[The third main scenario is enabled.]

Yoo Joonghyuk immediately started racing into the tunnel. Ground rats and grolls attempted to attack him, but a mere wave of his sword was all it took for them to collapse like marionettes with cut strings onto the floor. 

Then, a sudden chill spread down his spine.

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' widens his eyes in shock!]

The monsters around the area freezes. 

Then, like a tide, they retreat. 

[What is this?!]

A dokkaebi pops out of the air, staring at what was happening in shock. 

[Why are they retreating?!]

Yoo Joonghyuk pauses, before stepping forward once more.

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' feels disorientated.]

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' says that this scene was one he had never seen before.]

As Yoo Joonghyuk moves further into the tunnel, he could now see what had caused the scream of danger. 

Where there had once been solid concrete and brown dirt was now a mess of red. It covers the floor like a blanket, chunks and bits of red earth float up, drifting through the air. A sickly sweet scent snakes and mingles among the metallic odor that permeates throughout the area, and brings to mind the illusion of a blood-covered battlefield. All around the area, monsters huddled in corners, staying around the crimson-stained area, but not one daring to set foot within it.

They hiss and snarl, but none moves through the area.

Yoo Jonghyuk edges closer, and slowly sets foot on the red earth.

Immediately, he nearly collapses.

This… what is this?!

An intense feeling of fear wells up in his chest, and he took a step back before he realizes it. The urge to flee, run, escape from this hell-like place spreads through his being, and his hand shakes. His sword was drawn, and he doubts that anyone would be able to pry his hand off the grip, even after death, with how tightly he was holding it.

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' feels a familiar presence!]

What?! How could there be a presence familiar to a constellation here? And in the THIRD scenario, no less?

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' urges you to find the source of this anomaly!]

[The constellation 'Demonic Judge of Fire’  looks at constellation ‘Secretive Plotter’ in surprise.]

[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' watches the scene curiously.]

{A sub-scenario has occurred at the request of a constellation!}

⇱— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[Sub Scenario – Source of Nature]

Category: Sub(Personal)

Difficulty: A

Clear Conditions: Find the source of this anomaly and meet ‘Cale.’

Time Limit: Before the spawning of monsters ends.

Compensation: Possibly gaining a valuable ally.

Failure: Losing the chance to gain a valuable ally, possible death.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —⇲

“...”

An ally? How would this constellation know that?

A flash of suspicion crosses his mind. However, on the other hand…

 Yoo Joonghyuk takes a cautious step forward. A heavy weight seems to press down upon him, but he found a bearable.

It seems strangely similar to death. A fear of it. 

But it is also mixed mildly with an aura that seems to almost demand respect.

Yoo Joonghyuk is used to death. He experienced it every time he regressed.

But the aura for respect…

Perhaps this ‘valuable ally’ would be what I need to reach the final scenario.

So he walked on.

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' watches with anticipation!]

→@←

[The constellation 'Demonic Judge of Fire' looks around in a mixture of horror and awe.]

[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' is looking around in surprise.]

Yoo Joonghyuk steps further into the tunnel, blood drifting and hovering in the air around him like bloody snowflakes. Some of them seem to almost sparkle in the dim light, a rose-gold color surrounding them. As he walked, the area around him became dimmer, darker, till he could barely see the shadowy figures of his hands. The particles drifting in the air are glowing- he could definitely see that now. 

Then, the darkness started to dissipate.

[You are approaching the outside region. Be careful not to leave the scenario area.]

Yoo Joonghyuk pauses for a moment.

Would this lead me outside the area?

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' urges for you to keep going.]

[The constellation 'Demonic Judge of Firer' feels that the constellation ‘Secretive Plotter’ is a little suspicious.]

[The constellation ‘Anthologies of Mandagot’ is sipping boba milk tea.]

Yoo Joonghyuk ignores the mildly chaotic events occurring in the messages that the constellations were sending. Apparently, the constellations were startled at the unknown constellation who just joined them. Instead of paying attention to the ruckus, Yoo Joonghyuk continues walking toward the end of the tunnel, the glow growing brighter.

As soon as he stepped into the area, sword raised slightly in anticipation of any attack, he stumbled. Something in his coat burns, but in the feeling of utter, total, dominion causes him to dismiss and forget it.

Here, the aura of the creature was even stronger, telling Yoo Joonghyuk to run away there’s a monster, a demon, certain death-

Before it vanished.

Yoo Joonghyuk looks up from where he was trembling, the only thing holding him up being the sword he stabbed into the ground.

And comes face to face with a strange tree that looks like a maple tree who decided they wanted to become a demon- or maybe a god- that day.

Dark, red-brown wood, areas where the bark cracked shining rose-gold light. Bright, crimson leaves, a strange flashing in each one, as if every one of those leaves contained a storm. 

“What…” Yoo Joonghyuk brings out. His face was set in an expression of shock. Then, a rustling sound came from above. Yoo Jooonghyuk takes multiple steps back, eyeing the area within the leaves. 

Then, everything vanishes. Yoo Joonghyuk stands in a dark tunnel, nothing in front of him but darkness. Behind him, a hurried set of footsteps were heard.

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' clenches his hand in frustration.]

[The constellation ‘Anthologies of Mandagot’ is smirks knowingly.]

[The constellation 'Demonic Judge of Fire’ feels confused.]

[The constellation ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’ eyes the area around you warily.]

Yoo Joonghyuk stares into the darkness, blood dripping down from clenched hands. Something behind him cracked.

Yoo Joonghyuk whirrs around, but keeps his vigilance to the area behind him.

“Yoo Joonghyuk?” A familiar face appeared in front of him, a phone flashlight sweeping across the area around the Yoo Joonghyuk. “Gahh!” 

Yoo Joonghyuk stared impassively as Kim Dokja almost leaped backward when Yoo Joonghyuk’s looming figure seems to almost melt out of the darkness, the flashlight only making the regressor’s face look even more haunted.

“You. Why are you here?”

Yoo Joonghyuk eyes the area around the prophet, realizing that the man had come here alone. 

“The third day is over, Yoo Joonghyuk,” Kim Dokja replied. He was still scanning the area around Yoo Joonghyuk until he suddenly froze.

“What is it?” Yoo Joonghyuk glanced in the area Kim Dokja was looking in, yet sees nothing.

“Nothing. Let’s go back.”

*Ding!*

Yoo Joonghyuk stares at the blue screen that suddenly popped up in front of him.

[The Sub Scenario has been updated!]

⇱— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[Sub Scenario – Source of Nature]

Category: Sub(Personal)

Difficulty: A

Clear Conditions: Find the source of this anomaly and meet ‘Cale.’

Time Limit: Before you die.

Compensation: Possibly gaining a valuable ally.

Failure: Losing the chance to gain a valuable ally, possible death.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —⇲

Yoo Joonghyuk stares at the screen, the single source of light in this dark, dreary chamber, Kim Dokja having long disappeared back into the tunnel.

… Who, or what, is this ‘Cale’?

As Yoo Joonghyuk walked away, questions swirling within his mind, there was a movement from the area Kim Dokja had been staring at before. However, the regressor didn't notice.

In the darkness, where the light did not reach, a pair of reddish-brown eyes stared stoically at the regressor who was walking away. In front of him, a board the color of ink was open. Written on the board were words in a blood-red color.

⇱— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[Main Scenario - Extermination]

Category: Main

Difficulty: SS

Clear Conditions: Kill all humans.

Time Limit: Permanent.

Compensation: You Live.

Failure: You Die.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —⇲

[A constellation has requested a rewrite for a more interesting story!]

⇱— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[Main Scenario – A Fulfilled Deal]

Category: Sub(Personal)

Difficulty: S

Clear Conditions: Fulfill your end of the deal.

Time Limit: —

Compensation: What you wanted in the deal will be granted.

Failure: —

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —⇲

Had Yoo Joonghyuk stayed longer, he would have heard a whisper in the shadows behind him.

“But what was the deal?”

But he didn’t.

Chapter Text

Fighting his way up the Movie Dungeon was difficult. 

Yoo Joonghyuk had not known what made him come to this god-forsaken place, nor did he remember how he even knew this place contained a dungeon. Nonetheless, he had moved steadily onward, til he walked to the edge of this scenario’s border where the screen had popped up. Again, the anonymous knowledge of hidden riches and precarious unknowns resurfaces. This time, he had not ignored the urge to enter, and now, after who knows how many movies he’s passed, he was paying the price for it.

Joyous, playful laughter echoes through the bright hallways lit by brilliant light. Luxurious decorative furniture lines the walls, fine ornaments of grandiose extravagance glittering like the Milky Way itself had crashed down to earth, spilled and scattered evenly across the various edges and corners of the corridor. Soft classical music plays in the distant background, loud enough to be noticeable, yet faint enough to be ignored if one so wished to. 

It was a perfectly normal five-star hotel. 

That is, if you ignore the blood splattered everywhere, and the fact that the entire place is empty of any other living soul. 

Another piece of ridiculously expensive–and useless– piece of furniture was thrown at him by a poltergeist. Another sound of metal-screeching-on-metal noises as Yoo Joonghyuk cut the impractical-yet-effective-projectile apart. 

He could feel his patience wearing thin.

This is irritating. Why a ghost?

A flashy, useless trinket was thrown at him, this time aiming for the back of his head. 

This time, it hits. For a moment, all the floating furniture in the room meant for distraction froze, as if the ghost themself was surprised that they got a hit in.

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' laughed in amusement.]

Yoo Joonghyuk could hear a string snapping within his mind.

Never mind, I’m tearing this entire place apart–!

“Excuse me, sir. Do you know where this is?”

His murderous thoughts were interrupted, a young voice sounding out behind him. Whirling around, Yoo Joonghyuk brought his sword up to the stranger’s neck. A surprised look flashed across his face.

The stranger was a mere child. A teenager, perhaps even younger. Unhealthily pale skin, silver hair, and bright, sparkling purple eyes. Despite the blade at his neck, there wasn’t a single alarmed or scared look on their face. The adolescent, not yet fully grown, had an androgynous look about them. 

“Sir?” The child tilted their head, an innocent look on their face. Despite this, Yoo Joonghyuk did not put away his sword. 

No mere child could be here alone… Unless they’re a movie character.

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' is surprised.]

Why?

“You. How did you get in here?” Yoo Joonghyuk demanded, glaring at the kid. As he talked, the child seemed to grow more terrified, large tears swelling up in their eyes.

Yoo Joonghyuk had a moment of guilt, but he pushed it around, gaze burning into the kid.

“Ah… I live here.” The child pursed their lips, looking down at the floor and fiddling with their fingers. 

“A hotel?” Yoo Joonghyuk narrowed his eyes. 

“Mh! You see, my parents work here.” The child brightened up as if there wasn’t a deadly weapon still pointed at him. “Would you like me to show you around, sir?”

Yoo Joonghyuk hesitated, before nodding. He sheathes his sword. Even if this child is a threat, he should be able to handle it.

Unless the kid’s another ghost.

Yoo Joonghyuk sincerely hopes that’s not the case.

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' feels amused.]

[The constellation ‘Anthologies of Mandagot’ watches the scene with pitying eyes.]

… I have a bad feeling about this.

The boy trotted down the hallways, taking Yoo Joonghyuk this way and that. The tour was satisfactory for figuring out the hotel’s layout, but it feels very perfunctory, with no additional details– or, just barely enough– for the shown places. However, the oddest thing about this entire tour is that the poltergeist did not come to bother them.

Yoo Joonghyuk narrows his eyes in suspicion. 

Is the boy a ghost?

In fact, he had already thought of this possibility, but something within him did not want to harm the child without sufficient evidence.

Suddenly, in front of him, the child stopped moving. Then, turning around, they gave Yoo Joonghyuk a mischievous look

For some reason, Yoo Joonghyuk felt an iffy feeling.

“Would you like to know the way to kill the ghost?” The child smiled slowly. “Or, perhaps, end the scene ?”

In a flash, Yoo Joonghyuk’s sword was drawn. “Who are you?” 

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' is alarmed.]

[The constellation ‘Anthologies of Mandagot’ is in the peanut gallery.]

Yoo Joonghyuk felt an irritated twitch in his temple. 

Not the time!

“Why draw a sword?” The child continued to smile innocently, but Yoo Joonghyuk felt a rather terrifying pressure slowly emitting from the them. “I just thought I had some information you might be interested in.”  Eyes containing the cunning of a fox squints upwards in amusement. “For a consultation fee, of course.”

“.... What?” Yoo Joonghyuk doubted his ears.

“A consultation fee.” The child tilted their head in a mockery of innocence. “My parents always tells me that time is money, after all.” Round eyes stared up at him. “You weren’t going to just make me give you a tour for free, right?”

Yoo Joonghyuk felt speechless.

[The constellation ‘Anthologies of Mandagot’ laughs.]

Snapping out of his thoughts at the ping, Yoo Joonghyuk glares, and finally sheathes his sword. 

“How much?” Yoo Joonghyuk glared.

The child smiled and held up their hand, the fingers spread wide.

“Fifty coins?” Yoo Joonghyuk was very annoyed. The child, however, doesn’t reply. “No, don’t tell me it’s five hundred?” 

The child only continued to smile. Yoo Joonghyuk glared. “Don’t beat around the bush. Just tell me how much you want.”]

“The five hundred you offered sounds very appealing,” the child finally sighed. “But since you’ve been such great company, I’ll cut it down to just four hundred fifty!” The child giggled. “Aren’t I generous?” 

An incredulous look appeared on Yoo Joonghyuk’s face.

Mere information? For four hundred and fifty coins?!

“Forget it.” Yoo Joonghyuk glared at the kid. “I’ll figure it out myself.”

Because it’s not ethical to beat up a child.

… Since when had I cared about ethics?

“But you’ve been trying for over two hours already,” the child pouts. “Are you going to continue for another hour? Remember, this is a one-time chance! If you decide against it, it’s gone, because I’ll be too bored and leave. It’s boring to watch boring adults beating up furniture and losing.”

Yoo Joonghyuk scowled at the unwarranted jab at his skills but hesitated after thinking for a while. 

Has it really been two hours?

“Ah, never mind, clearly, you’re not going to agree.” The child crossed their arms grumpily and turned around to walk away.

“Wait.” Yoo Joonghyuk stopped them. “I’ll pay.”

“Really?” The child looked at him cautiously. “You’ll pay for the information? You promise?”

“Yes.” Yoo Joonghyuk feels unwilling, but he doesn’t want to spend more time at this place. “I’ll pay.”

The child cheered, clapping their hands together. “Great! That’s four hundred fifty for the information about the scene, and another two hundred for the tour!”

“WHAT?”

“You’re not going to go back on your word, right, Mister?” The child tilted their head as if they’d done no wrong. “You said you’d pay for the information. Of course that includes the information I’ve given during the tour, right?” The child scowled. “I should have known, adults are all liars.”

Yoo Joonghyuk stared at the kid in disbelief.

I am being extorted by a small child.

[The constellation ‘Anthologies of Mandagot’ asks if Incarnation ‘Yoo Joonghyuk’ is a liar.]

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' is glaring at you.]

Yoo Joonghyuk questions his life decisions. 

Why hadn’t I decided to restart again?

An image of the anomaly flashed through his mind, and Yoo Joonghyuk sighs, giving up the thought. Glancing back at the kid, he found them watching him with an aggrieved look on their face.

“...” Once again, Yoo Joonghyuk has been rendered speechless by this tiny gremlin. 

“Fine.” Yoo Joonghyuk finally agreed. “But if I find out that you’ve given me the wrong information…” 

“Don’t worry! I won’t.” The child smiled cheerfully. Then, held their hand up. “Payment first.”

Yoo Joonghyuk stared at the hand with dead eyes.

Impressive. I have never met such a shameless person in my life.

For some reason, a corner of his mind was nagging at him, disagreeing with the statement. Yoo Joonghyuk ignored the corner because he would surely remember meeting a person as shameless as this child.

Sighing, he transferred six hundred and fifty coins over to the child. Then, he realized something.

WAIT. He knows about the existence of coins- does this kid not belong to this scenario?

He frowned. Did someone enter after he made the ‘First Discovery’ of the dungeon? How else would this kid have been here long enough to gather this much information about the scene?

“What are you spacing out for?” The child smiled. “Follow me.”

And so, for the next couple minutes, Yoo Joonghyuk felt his worldviews collapsing as he found the tiny child negotiating with a ghost. He still didn’t understand how exactly the dungeon ended as the credits appeared.

[The theater owner is confused with the changed ending of the movie.] 

Even the dungeon master is confused, Yoo Joonghyuk thought numbly, staring at the screen.

[The second 'Ending Credit' has been reached.]

Then, his eyes dropped to the performer's announcement.

[Performers: Yoo Joonghyuk.]

[You have obtained 500 coins as compensation.]

The child’s name wasn’t written. Then… Who are they?

As the light fades, he finds himself standing alone in front of the movie. No one else was there, and Yoo Joonghyuk felt a chill down his spine. 

What, exactly, is happening here…?

Lost in thought, he walked up the stairs. The stairs seemed to split in front of him, one image moving faster than the other. Yoo Joonghyuk felt a strange sense of déjà vu. Subconsciously, he stepped to the side, as if he’s avoiding running into a person. 

But no one was there. 

Why did I do that…?

Entering the stairway, a notification rings out.

[You have entered the fifth floor, the rewards room.]

[The reward items are limited to two per person.]

Glancing around the room, Yoo Joonghyuk examined the various items on display. Finding nothing of interest, except for a good-quality sword to replace his current one, he got ready to head up to the next door. Pausing near the stairway, he spotted a case that was rather out of sight. He walked forward, reading the label on the item in question that caught his interest. 

[Minecraft Compass - Replica] A+-grade miscellaneous object.

Yoo Joonghyuk stared bemusedly at the item. 

Isn’t Minecraft a game?

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' feels jealous.]

[The constellation ‘Anthologies of Mandagot’ smiles sheepishly.]

Glancing down at the description, Yoo Joonghyuk narrowed his eyes.

⇱— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[Minecraft Compass - Replica]

Grade: A+

Category: Miscellaneous

Description: No matter where you are, you’ll always find your way home.

Activation Conditions: Set anything as ‘home’ and you will always find your way back.

One-Time Use.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —⇲

How come a one-time use tracking item gets an A+ grade? And how do I set something as ‘home’?

Yoo Joonghyuk puzzled over it for a while, but in the end, took it. 

Never mind, I’ll just keep it.

Putting the compass into one of the pockets of his trenchcoat, Yoo Joonghyuk headed up the stairs. The sixth and seventh floors passed by quickly. However, Yoo Joonghyuk spotted a couple of torn posters that he obviously hadn’t cleared. A ripped Harry Potter poster, another one advertising some kind of detective kid with a magician in a monocle, Snow White(???), and last but not least…

What the ****.

Yoo Joonghyuk stood, dumbfounded in front of a movie poster, that was, for some reason, in the theater. Perhaps his exhausted eyes were playing tricks on him.

Finding Dory?

Yoo Joonghyuk silently glanced at the massive rip on the poster, breathing out a sigh of relief.  

At least the world didn’t completely loath him today. He’s not entirely sure how he’d find anything in the middle of an ocean.

At least Snow White has a villain I can kill.

Yoo Joonghyuk and talking fish do not mix. 

The Finding Dory movie was also, for some reason, the last of the posters on the seventh floor. Yoo Joonghyuk calmly walks past it and looks up the last flight of stairs. A pair of surprised, rust-colored eyes blinked at him. 

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' is shocked.]

Yoo Joonghyuk took in the utterly soaked attire of the other. Drops of water slid down drooping crimson hair, a black uniform clinging onto the other’s body. The other person looked like a small fluffy animal drenched in the rain.

Ah, so this unlucky bastard who got stuck in the Finding Dory movie.

Yoo Joonghyuk silently gave his condolences to the person— and did a double-take.

“Wait, you’re–”

Solemn eyes, crimson leaves, bloodied palms, and utter suppression. 

The sword he wield was useless in his hands.

Nature is ruthless and spares no one. Who so claims to stop their wrath?

And now, looking upon the person who previously killed him, Yoo Joonghyuk could only bare his teeth and shake. 

“Do you know me?” The previously drenched figure, now dry through the power of some rose-gold flame stood up. Cunning eyes examined him, seeing through to Yoo Joonghyuk’s very core. “You know me.”

It was a statement, not a question.

“That–” Yoo Joonghyuk cuts himself off as he spots crimson leaves, the same ones he saw as he died– fluttering in the air around the young man. A book laid open in the man’s palm, white rings reflect in those eyes of dark oak. 

Then, Yoo Joonghyuk flinches as the book shuts. Like a mirage, the leaves fade, the white rings vanishing.

“A regressor,” the threat(?) says. And that was all the reason Yoo Joonghyuk needed to get rid of this man.

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' yells at you to stop!]

Distractions. Useless. A cracking noise resounded through the corridor as Yoo Joonghyuk’s strike struck stone. Crimson hair whipped through the air, the threat dodging backward, onto the roof of the eighth floor. 

The threat retreated, Yoo Joonghyuk followed, pulling his sword out of the deep depression as he did so. His hands shook, and a bead of sweat trailed down his forehead.

[You have entered the eighth floor, the Heavenly Garden–!]

He slashed through the prompt before he could properly read it. It didn’t matter, he wasn’t paying attention. Kill the threat, kill him, kill him before he kills you-! 

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' calls you a fool.]

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' tells you to stop being an idiot.]

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' is glaring at you.]

[The constellation ‘Anthologies of Mandagot’ sighs in exasperation.]

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' asks if constellation ‘Anthologies of Mandagot’ is picking a fight.]

Notifications sounded out crazily in his ear. From afar, he could barely see the silhouette of an old man, but it hardly mattered. Another slash at this elusive figure, this phantom threat, an endless nightmare—

A crash, a rip, a slam, a roar, the blows never hit, like they always don’t. The winds wail and thunder booms, and he could smell something burning but he can’t tell from where— Why aren’t I dead yet? A fleeting thought passes like drifting breeze, nothing like the storm raging outside— He could kill me, I haven’t touched a hair— Something attempted to latch on his mind, and he snarled, a blow aimed at the hunched over, intruding shadow— Another hit and nothing else, flora attempts to entangle him within their midst, and all he could do was tear.  

The threat dodges, again and again. Sword clashes against a waterfall that threatens to devour the sky— But it doesn’t, no, because even if they could swallow the world up whole it doesn’t— Why? — And for a moment Yoo Joonghyuk wants to scream because why is this figure here now, this reminder of loss, of death, of fear—

“HEY! YOO JOONGHYUK!” A shout breaks through his battle frenzy( battle frenzy? No, this is a fight for survival ) and something tries to hit the back of his head—

“Oi! You nearly skewered me, you suicidal sunfish!” 

Sunfish?

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' breathes out a sigh of relief.]

“Aigoo, how troublesome.” 

Yoo Joonghyuk looks over at the sound of a stoic voice. The threat was looking at him in exhaustion, sitting on a raised stone block. Beside him, a withered old man was tied up with plant roots, glaring at the redhead with a murderous look. The redhead casts a look at the old man while picking up a… rock?

This man is incomprehensible.

The redhead raised an eyebrow at Yoo Joonghyuk’s stare, then, looking him straight in the eye like the menace he is, slammed his rock onto the back of the old man’s head.

Wow, what a demon.

“Yoo Joonghyuk. Are you listening?”

An annoyed voice came from his right. Yoo Joonghyuk glanced over and saw the anomaly— Kim Dokja— glaring at him.

Yoo Joonghyuk cast an annoyed look at him. “What do you want?”

“Wow. No thanks for saving you?” Kim Dokja scowled grumpily.

Yoo Joonghyuk ignored the comment and looked back at the threat, who was still holding a rock. 

The rock had splatters of blood on it, it’s not very comforting.

“You.” Yoo Joonghyuk frowned, walking over the the threat , hand still on his sword. “What is your name?” 

The redhead looks up. “Are you talking to me?” There was a lazy drawl to his voice like he couldn’t be bothered to do anything else at the moment. 

Yoo Joonghyuk just continued glaring at him. The redhead yawned, lazily observing the regressor. Yoo Joonghyuk noted that there was a strange grace to the man’s movements, not dissimilar to that of a medieval fantasy noble. However, the uniform that the man had on clearly belonged to someone in a military or army, one who likely has a high rank.  

Then, the old man by the threat ’s feet groaned.

And the rock came smashing down again, once again knocking the elder unconscious. 

Yoo Joonghyuk stared at the old man and wondered if this was another warning from the threat to him.

Then, he glanced up at the notifications, and froze, seeing a familiar task that lit up. He had missed it during the battle, but now that he’s more clearheaded, he’s noticed it immediately. 

The contents had changed, yet again.

⇱— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[Sub Scenario – Source of Nature]

Category: Sub(Personal)

Difficulty: A

Clear Conditions: Create an alliance with ‘Cale.’

Time Limit: Before you die.

Compensation: Possibly gaining a valuable ally.

Failure: Losing the chance to gain a valuable ally, death.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —⇲

I should have known, Yoo Joonghyuk realized. Abruptly, he pulled his gaze away from the screen and looked at the redhead again, and asked, seriously. “Are you Cale?”

The redhead raised an eyebrow yet again but slowly nodded. “I suppose you can call me that, yes.”

Beside the regressor, Kim Dokja not-so-subtly shifted away from the threat– Cale. “By the way, when are you going to kill him?” He hesitantly voiced out.

“Who?” The redhead tilted his head slightly. The movement reminded Yoo Joonghyuk of the white-haired boy he had seen previously.

Kim Dokja pointed towards the old man trapped by Cale’s feet. “If you don’t kill him, you can’t leave the dungeon. Besides, that’s a monster.” 

“...” Cale stilled at those words, a strange shadow falling over his face. “So, if there was some other way to get out of the dungeon… would you let him go?”

Kim Dokja gave him a slightly strange look. “That monster had still killed a lot of people, though. It probably would be best to get rid of it.”

At the sight of the redhead’s eyes, Yoo Joonghyuk had to take a step back. There was something incredibly chilling about that stare, and, it was obvious that Kim Dokja could feel it as well, with the way his hands trembled. 

“How about this?” Suddenly, a bright smile appeared on the redhead’s face. “Do you have something in those little stores of yours that could make a contract?”

“... Yes.” Kim Dokja nodded. 

“Then, how about this? I’ll sign a contract with this guy, and you all don’t kill him.” Although the tone of Cale’s voice was light and airy, it was rather obvious that he wasn’t asking. 

Silently, Kim Dokja nodded, buying a contract. Before he handed it over, however, he looked up at Cale. “12,000 coins.” 

Cale raised an eyebrow. “So expensive?”

“It’s a contract, what did you expect?” Dokja shrugged.

“9,000.”

“11,500.”

“8,500.”

“... That’s not how you bargain.” 

“I am well aware. But you also pissed me off, so I’m considering going to a different seller instead.”

“I’ve already bought the contract!”

“Does that have anything to do with me?”

“... 10,500. I can’t go any lower.” 

“Oh really? 9,100.”

“... 10,450.” 

“8000.”

“Are you just spitting out random numbers?” Dokja glared.

Cale blinked innocently at him, the words ‘I have never done anything wrong’ practically painted all over his face. Kim Dokja felt goosebumps rise on his skin.

“Fine, fine. 10,000, happy?”

“How about just a little lower?”

“That–!”

“Hm?”

“Ugh… 9,900.”

“Deal. It was a pleasure doing business with you.”

The two of them shook hands. Kim Dokja had a disgruntled frown on his face, while Cale smiled radiantly.

Yoo Joonghyuk felt a sense of déjà vu.

Just like that white-haired boy.

Taking the contract, Cale went back to sit next to the theater master, who, by this time, was stirring.

Yoo Joonghyuk watched in mild amusement as the theater master immediately scrambled to his feet and backed to the furthest corner away from Cale once he woke up properly and realized that he was no longer restrained. 

Cale ignored the obvious fear in the theater master’s eyes, smiling. “So here’s the deal. I sign a contract with you, you don’t die, and we get to leave. Alright?”

Yoo Joonghyuk could see the wildly darting eyes of the theatre master until they finally locked onto his with a pleading expression. 

Yoo Joonghyuk stared back indifferently. 

The theatre master wilted despairingly and finally agreed to sign the contract. 

Cale smiled happily and blew a hole out of the side of the building. A shattering noise echoed through the air, instead of the expected rumble.

Yoo Joonghyuk stared at the hole in disbelief, then turned to look at Cale. 

Is this person supposed to help me survive or die?

The notification's dinging signified that Cale’s brute force method was somehow quite effective.

[The barrier surrounding the Theater Dungeon has disappeared.]

Yoo Joonghyuk silently stared at the unconcealed night sky. Then spotting movement from the corner of his eyes, he notices three figures running in this direction. 

“Master!” Lee Jihye ran over happily, a wide smile on her face. Yoo Joonghyuk frowned.

What is she doing here?

“Hyung!” “Dokja-ssi!” A young, brown-haired boy ran over, a young lady with black hair and piercing eyes following close behind. As soon as he got close enough, the boy immediately clung to Kim Dokja’s leg, glaring at Cale angrily. 

Yoo Joonghyuk recognized them as people from Kim Dokja’s group. 

Lee Gilyoung and Jung Heewon.

“Are you okay, Master?” Lee Jihye’s voice drew him from his observations, and he glanced down at his disciple. To his relief, she didn’t appear to be too worse for wear. 

“Why are you here?” Yoo Joonghyuk asked. “You should have stayed at the station.”

“It’s that ajhussi! He said that Master was in danger.” Lee Jihye’s face twisted into a pout.

“I’m fine.” 

Lee Jihye examined his face, then, finally convinced, looked away from him and out the hole.

At this moment—

“Meteors.”

The boy— Lee Gilyeon looked up at the sky, pointing to the distance. 

Yoo Joonghyuk followed the direction the boy pointed to. As the boy said, meteors were streaking across the sky.

“Ah! I need to hurry up and make a wish!” Lee Jihye seemed quite enthusiastic. Then again, she was still a kid. 

However, Yoo Joonghyuk couldn’t share his disciple’s excitement. 

How ironic, to wish upon the harbingers of disaster.  

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' snorts in disdain.]

After a moment of silence, His disciple spoke again. “Master, do you have any wishes?”

A wish, huh.

The answer was obvious.

“I don’t need a wish, because I have a goal,” Yoo Joonghyuk replied. Falling silent, he stepped up to the edges of the hole, gazing down at the ruins of this world. Monsters roamed across the land, miasma covering earth.

It’s been too long. What was it like, before the apocalypse, again?

“What about you, Cale-ssi?” 

Kim Dokja’s voice roused Yoo Joonghyuk from his thoughts. Glancing back, he could see that Kim Dokja was looking at Cale with a curious look, as if he had wanted to ask this question for a long time.

“What will you wish for?” 

Yoo Joonghyuk glanced over towards Cale’s direction. He and the theater master were standing next to each other– Well, one was cowering, the other was sitting. 

“Me?” Cale looked up from a daze.

Yoo Joonghyuk frowned. For some reason, he suddenly felt that Cale’s figure looked lonely. Especially in comparison to the other groups here. 

He had his disciple. That fool had his two teammates. 

Cale had a frightened subordinate and no one else. He appeared in this dungeon alone, just like Yoo Joonghyuk. But no one came up for him. None of the people that followed Kim Dokja was in Cale’s group.

No one appeared to ask if he was alright. 

Come to think of it, he was alone when killed me as well.

Yoo Joonghyuk frowned, and looked away. It was none of his business if his murderer had companions or not. 

However, he still caught Cale’s answer.

“I don’t things like making wishes. It makes you have higher expectations.” There was a brief pause, before he continued. “It’s so much easier to just live without higher expectations.” 

There was a pit in Yoo Joonghyuk’s stomach, and he didn’t know why.

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' watches the scene sadly.]

The journey back out the dungeon was awkwardly quiet. Yoo Joonghyuk watched as the theater master cowered, that fool and his teammates cautiously watched Cale like he was a ticking bomb, and Cale didn’t seem to care or feel anything. Lee Jihye appeared to be the only one here unaware–or perhaps, uncaring— of the atmosphere. Her posture was relaxed, her strides casual.

BANG!

Any other time, and the loud noise downstairs would have been a bother. But at this moment, it worked as the perfect distraction. 

Yoo Joonghyuk took large strides towards the source of the disturbance, and found Gong Pildu’s group members gathering around the remainder of Dokja’s group.

“Where did that bastard Kim Dokja go? Tell me quickly.”

Yoo Joonghyuk glanced over at Kim Dokja, who was already heading over, and decided that there was no reason for him to interfere. 

Instead, he walked towards a corner, awaiting what he knew would come next. He heard a series of footsteps following him, and turned around to find Lee Jihye, Cale, and Cale’s baggage following him like a line of ducklings.

“...” Yoo Joonghyuk found his brows furrowing. “Why are you following me?” 

“You look like you know what you’re doing.” There was an amused light in Cale’s eyes. “Besides, I even gave you a discount before as a favor. You’d return it, right?” 

Yoo Joonghyuk froze, the image of the cunning white-haired boy and the redhaired menace before him overlapping. Before he could decide on what to do with this kind of information, an electric current ran through the air, and a notification appeared, and, along with it, a dokkaebi.

[The fourth main scenario will start in 5 minutes!]

[Hahaha, everyone! Have you been well?]

The dokkaebi laughed. Yoo Joonghyuk tuned them out after the first sentence, instead, moving towards the middle of the platform. 

I’ve heard this all before. 

Cale didn’t move to follow him this time, watching what he does with interested eyes.

As soon as the dokkaebi disappeared, a notification popped up in everyone’s face.

⇱— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[Sub Scenario – Elect a Representative]

Category: Sub

Difficulty: C

Clear Conditions: Take the 'white flag' installed in the center of the platform.

Time Limit: 30 minutes

Compensation: 1,000 coins, Chungmuro's representative.

Failure: ―

*The representative of the station can exercise strong control over the members.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —⇲

Yoo Joonghyuk reached out to grab the flag ignoring the mad chaos around him. But before he could, he was stopped.

“Kim Dokja.” Yoo Joonghyuk’s voice was cold. “What do you think you’re doing?” 

The brunette stood in his way, not allowing him take even one step closer to the flag. Instead, one of his teammates— Yoo Sangah— grabbed the flag.

['Yoo Sangah' has occupied the white flag.]

Yoo Joonghyuk watched calmly. It didn’t matter who had the flag at first, after all. Only who has it in the end.

[If the white flag doesn't change owners in the next five minutes, Chungmuro will be under her control.]

[If the flag is snatched in the next five minutes, the timer will reset.]

He watched as a timer appeared in the air.

[5:00]

Immediately, Yoo Sangah handed the flag over to Kim Dokja—

[‘Kim Dokja’ has occupied the white flag. Timer will now reset.]

CLANG!

“Ugh-” Kim Dokja took a step back, flag in one hand, sword in the other. 

Yoo Joonghyuk stared at him coldly. “Give me the flag.” 

“W-Wait!” Kim Dokja frantically defended against Yoo Joonghyuk’s blade, somehow managing to block most of the strikes. The ones that do hit does nothing to increase Yoo Joonghyuk’s chance of grabbing the flag apart from wearing Kim Dokja down. 

Yoo Joonghyuk ignored the plea, and swept his sword in a downwards swing.

“I said wait!” A burst of flame flickered out of Kim Dokja’s sword. Yoo Joonghyuk took a step back at the blast, eyes narrowing from the heat.

“Listen. I won’t use this flag against you, I swear.” Sweat dripped down Kim Dokja’s face, even as he spoke faster and faster, attempting to get all his words out before Yoo Joonghyuk tries attacking. “Didn’t we agree at the beginning? I’m your companion. One of the conditions was that I will cooperate with you, but also that you would cooperate with me. ”

Yoo Joonghyuk paused for a moment, considering the words. 

“Listen to me! Remember the 46th scenario. You need me.”

“You’re a threat.” Finally deciding on a course of action, Yoo Joonghyuk held out his sword. 

But then, a series of notifications popped up.

[The sub scenario has ended.]

[Kim Dokja has gained control of the Chungmuro Group through the effect of the white flag.]

Yoo Joonghyuk stared at Kim Dokja through the transparent notification board.

“You were stalling for time.” 

“I was,” Kim Dokja admitted easily. “But I wasn’t lying when I said that I will not control your actions. You can leave. There would be no consequences.”

[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' admires incarnation ‘Kim Dokja’s’ impudence.]

Kim Dokja shifted slight, uneasy with Yoo Joonghyuk’s stare burning into him. Finally, Yoo Joonghyuk sheathed his sword, and turned around, leaving the station. Behind him, Kim Dokja breathed out a sigh of relief.

“I hope you remember those words, Kim Dokja,” Yoo Joonghyuk paused right before entering the tunnels between each station. “You better make sure you’re a companion worth all this trouble.” Then, he took large strides into the darkness, quickly leaving the station behind. 

Three pairs of footsteps followed him into the tunnel. Yoo Joonghyuk’s hand gripped his sword’s hilt for a moment, before relaxing as the glow of rose-gold flames banished the darkness.

“I was surprised you give up that easily,” Cale said in a casual tone. Rose-gold flames fluttered in his palm, despite there being no wind. 

“It was one station. Not worth it.” Yoo Joonghyuk shook his head, unconsciously relaxing in the presence of someone who should all but raise his guard. “He survived the test. And… I suppose being ‘king’ would be a good way for him to grow.” His voice became colder. “I can’t have my companions being weak on the journey to the Final Scenario.”

Cale didn’t reply, but somehow, Yoo Joonghyuk could almost feel a hint of approval, even through the silence. 

The next couple minutes were spent in silence, nothing but the sound of four pairs of footsteps in an empty tunnel. Yoo Joonghyuk could sense Lee Jihye’s curious gaze, glancing back and forth between him and the redhead, but he ignored it.

“Why didn’t you kill me?” Finally, Yoo Joonghyuk voiced the question that had been plaguing him since exiting the theater. “I know that you aren’t exactly opposed…” Killing people who attempts harming you. 

The redhead was silent, the rose-gold flame within his hand casting his face into stark lighting. It gave him a slightly ghostly look, as if he’d fade away with the darkness in the next second. 

“You seemed familiar.” Cale finally bites out. “For some reason, I have a feeling that I must not kill you.”

Yoo Joonghyuk furrowed his brows, pondering over this statement. 

“Hm?” Suddenly, Cale stopped. With the light source no longer moving, Yoo Joonghyuk stopped as well, looking over with a frown.

“What’s wrong?”

“I feel a familiar presence… No, not familiar. More like… Resembling?” The redhead mumbled to himself. Then, he straightened up. “Do you mind if we change routes? I have something to check.”

“What is it?” Yoo Joonghyuk asked disinterestedly.

“I think I sense a dragon. Or, rather, something that resembles one.” 

Yoo Joonghyuk no longer felt disinterested.