Everyone watched eagerly, knowing that the Sponsor Selection event would soon begin in this retelling of past events. Still, if Kim Dokja recalled correctly, there were still a few things that had happened beforehand.
[Now this is interesting. What in the world happened here?] the dokkaebi asks as it fizzles back into the subway cabin. [I was only gone for a minute, but look at all this mess!]
In the blood-covered cabin, only five survivors are still standing. Kim Dokja, Lee Hyunsung, Yoo Sangah, Han Myungoh, and Lee Gilyoung—the boy who had the insect cage. Every other passenger is a cold, bloody corpse left on the ground.
Looking down at the body of Kim Namwoon, Dokja recalls how only moments before, the teenager had given up on trying to attack him and chose instead to plead for his life. He had grabbed onto Dokja's jacket, begging for help, claiming that it would only be right for Dokja to save him. However, it hadn't mattered how much he pleaded and cried for help, not wanting to die. Dokja hadn't done anything to save him, and had only stood there with coldly blank eyes as Namwoon had fallen to the ground in a bloody mess.
You were right. I am just like you. I could have saved those people. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel guilty, but it's strange…
Dokja glances over at one of the windows and notices a blood splatter on his cheek. Annoyed, he tries to wipe it off with the back of his hand, only to realize that the splatter is actually on the window and his skin is still clean.
How am I able to remain so calm? It feels like I'm just reading the novel instead of actually partaking in it.
"I did notice that Dokja-ssi always seems oddly calm in these kinds of situations," Yoo Sangah remarked, glancing over at him. "Could it be that you were in shock?"
Well, that was a reasonable assumption to make, honestly. Yoo Sangah was quite smart.
Lee Jihye frowned slightly. "Isn't it just that ahjussi already knows what's going to happen, so he's not scared?"
Han Sooyoung snorted, raising a brow at the teenager. "Let me tell you this, it doesn't matter how prepared you are when something like the literal apocalypse happens—reading about it and living it are two different things. Any normal person would be seriously affected."
"Everyone finds different coping mechanisms," Kim Dokja agreed, looking off into the distance.
He knew that [The Fourth Wall] was a skill, but he wouldn't be surprised if he just dissociated so hard that he gained it as an exclusive skill. It seemed to protect his mind in much the same way as denying reality did, and it would make sense if it was just named that to fit with the literature theme.
"Some people will shut down, some people lose themselves…" Han Sooyoung listed off, counting on her fingers as she did. "Except for me, of course."
Kim Dokja scoffed. "Some people just start a cult instead."
Her mouth dropped open as she stared at him in disbelief before she screeched and practically lunged at him.
"You bitch," she hissed, almost clawing at Kim Dokja like a cat. "It wasn't a cult, goddammit!"
[The constellation 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' is protesting that cults are cool.]
"Oh you shut up too!" she yelled before trying to go for Kim Dokja with her nails again.
Thankfully, since Kim Dokja had longer arms than her, he was able to keep her away with a palm on her forehead. Plus, even if she wanted to do anything, the kids looked like they would commit war crimes if she laid a hand on him.
They were good kids, really, but that was kind of concerning.
[You slaughtered 124 living organisms.]
[Slaughter details: 1 grasshopper, 123 grasshopper eggs]
The next popup informs Dokja that the coins he obtained have been halved since the organisms were non-resistant, but he still receives 6200 coins even with the deduction. After taking away the amount he used for his stats, Dokja is left with a starting amount of 3500 coins. Achievements, rewards, and the channel usage fee deduction popups are quickly sent away. There's something more important happening now.
The train begins to move again with a rattle, and the survivors wonder if this hell is over. If they can go home now.
The world we once knew has collapsed, and a new world is being born. And I am…
As the train leaves the tunnel, the survivors gather at the window only to watch in horror as giant sea serpents emerge from the river, enduring attacks from fighter jets.
"W-what in the world?" Myungoh mutters as his eyes go wide.
Even Sangah is stunned nearly into silence. "My god…"
The dokkaebi chuckles. [Now this is fascinating.]
... the only reader who knows how this world will end.
The train comes to a stop on a bridge under the looming shadow of a giant sea serpent. Fearing the worst, everyone inside except for Dokja braces themselves for it to attack, only to realize it's not doing anything. Still, they're wary as they continue watching out the window.
That snake-like monster is called an ichthyosaur. It's also known as a sea serpent. Later on, it will be classified as a grade 7 monster in TWSA.
Hyunsung looks carefully out the window, still not sure he believes his eyes. "W-what on earth is that?"
The world of TWSA prioritizes scenarios over everything else. So, we won't be attacked by any creatures unless they are part of the scenario.
"See? Now that would have been useful for everyone to know," Jung Heewon said pointedly as she looked over at Kim Dokja.
She had a point. At the very least, everyone here now knew that going forward.
[The constellation 'Maritime War God' agrees that sharing intel with companions is a good idea.]
Okay, okay, he got it. While he couldn't control what the version of him on the screen would do, he'd at least try to share the information a bit more now. It still might take a while for him to finally accept and get used to not having to keep it a secret, though.
'We're safe… for now,' Dokja thinks to himself before glancing over at the dokkaebi, who seems to be gleefully floating in the air and staring at some stars gathered around its head. Instinctively, Dokja counts them.
'One, two, three… twenty, twenty-one. There are 21 in total. No wonder he's so happy.'
The number of stars signifies the number of constellations that are logged into the channel.
Constellations:
They are the most mysterious beings in TWSA and the masterminds behind this tragedy who livestream the scenarios from across the universe.
In other words, they are the ones who watch the dokkaebis' channels.
For a newbie dokkaebi, Dokja is well aware that 21 constellations viewing his channel is a huge achievement. The dokkaebi is probably ecstatic.
In the original story, Namwoon killed almost everyone in this cabin.
[Due to the death of Kim Namwoon, two constellations feel slight hostility towards you.]
Thinking rationally, Dokja realizes that some constellations are probably furious, and that the new system window popup that informed him that his payment is being delayed due to a scenario inspection is likely because he killed Namwoon. Now that the constellations' preferences are beginning to appear, he supposes that this is officially the start of the story.
Crouching near Namwoon's body, Dokja grabs the knife off the ground. It'll probably be useful in the near future.
It's just unbelievable. I was in their position yesterday, but now they are the ones watching me.
"I would argue that that's a risky thing to say," Han Sooyoung muttered grudgingly, thankfully no longer coming at him for the cult comment, "but they all know that's the truth now."
If she thought that was bad, then he didn't want to imagine how they would react to one of his later thoughts.
"Still, to think that Kim Namwoon would have killed almost everyone in the cabin if he hadn't been stopped…" Lee Hyunsung mused before sending Kim Dokja a slightly grateful smile. "Thank you for preventing that, and for making sure I didn't have to kill someone."
Kim Dokja could only send him a quick nod in response.
[A few constellations are impressed with your scenario.]
[The constellations have gifted you 500 coins.]
Of course, if there are constellations who hate me, there are also constellations who support me.
Smirking a bit, Dokja lowers his head. 'I hope all of you enjoy the show, because sooner or later, you'll end up paying the admission fee with your lives.'
... And there it was.
[Many constellations are offended by the audacity of incarnation 'Kim Dokja'.]
[Several constellations are laughing uproariously at the ambitions of incarnation 'Kim Dokja'.]
They wouldn't be laughing so much if they knew just how many constellations Yoo Joonghyuk had killed over his 1863 regressions in TWSA. The constellations might look at humans as silly playthings with which to amuse themselves, but that just made them forget that humans hated being oppressed.
[The constellation 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband' is sticking a finger in his ear.]
[The constellation 'Secretive Plotter' warns that the threats of incarnation 'Kim Dokja' are not to be taken lightly.]
Hm, curious. Sure, the guy was seemingly more aware and more supportive of his plans than most, but why would a constellation suddenly take a declaration like that so seriously?
"Dokja? Are you okay?"
He looks over his shoulder and sees Sangah offering him a hand. She looks tired, and her nice clothes are splattered with blood. He takes the hand and stands, apologizing for not being able to save the elderly woman, but Sangah just turns the conversation back to him.
"Dokja," she asks, "how are you so…?"
"Pardon?" Dokja doesn't know what she's talking about.
She purses her lips and shakes her head. "It's nothing. Thanks for earlier."
When Dokja seems confused by her words, she clarifies. "Um… you threw the cage towards me…"
Clarity returns to Dokja's eyes, and he has to be honest with her. "That's just a coincidence. It won't happen again."
I don't know what she's thinking, but she was smart enough to survive this chaos. She probably understood what I said. Because of my choice, some lived, while some died. I don't deserve the gratitude of those who survived.
"Oh…" Lee Hyunsung muttered, thinking back to what he had said. Even Lee Gilyoung looked slightly forlorn, but he didn't release his grip on Kim Dokja's robe.
Ultimately, even though he had released the grasshoppers, it had been their choice to look for them.
"For what it's worth," Kim Dokja said quietly, "I'm glad you were the ones still alive."
Lee Gilyoung looked up at him with pleading eyes and hugged him tightly, almost tight enough to make Kim Dokja begin to wheeze. Shin Yoosung frowned and poked at Lee Gilyoung's arm.
"Hey, let him go," she whispered not-so-quietly. Lee Gilyoung just shook his head. She pouted. "I want to hug ahjussi too."
Seriously?
When Lee Gilyoung didn't move, Kim Dokja let out an undignified oof as the young girl threw her arms around him, squeezing just as tightly. If he wasn't already intimately familiar with what broken ribs felt like, Kim Dokja probably would have believed that they were creaking under the pressure.
God, just what were these kids' strength stats?
[Wow! So, did you all prove your worth? I see there are many survivors,] the dokkaebi says smugly, his eyes narrowing as he smiles before turning his attention back to the channel. [Oh my! Thank you for the sponsorship, dear constellations! I can't believe there are 21 constellations watching my channel!]
While the dokkaebi is distracted, Dokja thinks over the number of survivors. Five is more than he expected, even if he knew Hyunsung would probably survive due to his strength and athleticism. He glances over at Gilyoung and places a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Hey, kid, do you want to live?"
The boy looks back at him with empty and exhausted eyes, and Dokja feels something almost sickening well up inside him as he asks if Gilyoung would like to team up with him. Gilyoung says nothing, and just nods once.
This isn't sympathy. If I had to use a word to describe this, it would be hypocrisy.
[A few constellations are impressed with your good deed.]
[The constellations have gifted you 200 coins.]
Even though it seems shameless, it can't be helped. Because I, too, want to live.
"Kim Dokja, did you save the child just for coins?" Yoo Joonghyuk asked harshly, sending him a complicated look. Even Jung Heewon looked somewhat uncomfortable with that idea, which made sense because both of them were good people at their core.
Kim Dokja had never claimed to be a good person, but before he could deny it and argue that only some of his actions were driven by a completely necessary and rational desire for coins, Lee Gilyoung unburied his face from Kim Dokja's robe.
"I don't care if hyung saved me just for coins," he admitted. "I'm just happy I can be useful to him."
Okay, wow, someone (not Kim Dokja) seriously needed to have a talk with this kid about self-worth. Jung Heewon or Yoo Sangah were probably the best choices for that, considering the rest of the adults in their group was composed of a military man expected to give his life for the greater good, an egocentric author who sacrificed her avatars multiple times (was he even supposed to consider her a part of the group just because she was sitting with them anyway?), a sunfish, and Kim Dokja.
Honestly, the fact that all of them had made it to the fourth scenario alive was a miracle.
Considering his knowledge of the story, Dokja knows he needs to get the constellations' attention if he wants to stand a chance. Gilyoung grabs onto his arm, and Dokja just places a hand on the boy's head. It's not much, but maybe it can be a small comfort.
[A lot of interesting things happened today,] the dokkaebi remarks. [The guy in the next cabin was also a total nutcase.]
"T-then are you going to let us go now?" Myungoh asks, and Dokja thinks that he really is a lucky guy for managing to survive. However, he can't understand why the manager was even on the subway in the first place, considering how the man had been bragging about his new mercedes lately.
The dokkaebi sneers. [Let you go? Haven't you seen what's going on outside? Are you sure you want me to let you go?]
Another glance outside reveals a roaring ichthyosaur, which terrifies the manager and makes him yelp in fear.
[Anyways, I'm impressed. I didn't have any expectations for this cabin, but you all survived the first scenario. You have proven that even bugs deserve to live.]
Shin Yoosung wrinkled her nose. "Bugs are gross."
Yoo Mia nodded in agreement, and Lee Gilyoung looked at the two of them with horror and betrayal written all over his face. He looked more upset about this than when he had to kill a person for the first time.
Honestly, that reaction wasn't normal, and he should probably talk with Gilyoung about it later.
Dokja frowns. They're nothing but insects to the dokkaebi, and he knows it. The dokkaebi proceeds to gleefully explain that their reward for this scenario is that they're qualified to be sponsored by a constellation. When no one seems enthusiastic, he tells them that it's a pretty big deal.
'Of course they don't know,' Dokja thinks, 'I'm the only one who knows what a constellation or sponsor is.'
The dokkaebi continues. [Let me break it down for you. All of you are so terribly weak right now. If you were to just move onto the next scenario in this state, you would be killed by a weak ground rat, let alone a kruk. But, there are great beings in this world who pity you and wish to sponsor you. Do you understand?]
The five survivors gather close together, and Hyunsung—ever polite, despite the circumstances—raises his hand to ask a question.
"What is that supposed to mean? Who's sponsoring who?"
The dokkaebi chuckles again, shaking his head in amusement. [Gosh, you really are hopeless. There's no point in explaining it all over again. Why don't you just experience it yourselves?]
With a mere snap of his fingers, the sponsor selection screens that will set the course of their fates appear in front of everyone.
[Many constellations are excited for the upcoming event.]
That made sense. After breaking the throne, many of the constellations had probably taken notice of him. To make things worse, most people probably assume he had a constellation sponsor. This would be a prime opportunity for everyone to learn who he had chosen, and for any constellations or incarnations who weren't fond of him to get to strategizing ways to overcome that sponsor.
What a shame that they would all end up disappointed.