[Hearing Yuu Joonghyuk say his name feels strange. Despite the terror of the moment, his heart skips a beat, like he'd been waiting for it for a long time. It's ridiculous... This bastard might be someone whose life Kim Dokja has been following, but he wouldn't exactly call himself starstruck. He's a shitty protagonist, after all.
He makes himself focus on the moment instead. At any point, Yuu Joonghyuk could throw him off the edge of the bridge, and let him be devoured by the monsters below. He has to play this right. He has to find the right words to convince him to let him live.]
No. He failed to kill anyone.
[The grip might be lighter, but the words are still a bit strained. And he knows that won't be enough. After all, Kim Namwoon should have easily cleared the first scenario. He was the most bloodthirsty person in there, and he should have been the first to successfully kill someone. That old woman was dead now anyway. Kim Dokja hadn't saved her, so when he caused Kim Namwoon's death, he couldn't say it had been for a good cause. He wanted a moment to collect his thoughts for the best way to explain it, to convince this bastard, but if he hesitated here it would definitely seem like he was holding something back.
He tried--
[He had barely started to speak when Yuu Joonghyuk followed it up with that strange demand.][It took him a second to even understand what he meant. The demand really was out of nowhere. He tried to remember anything from Ways of Survival that had to do with wrists, but he couldn't come up with anything. After a second, he stopped trying to pry Yuu Joonghyuk's hand off him - it wasn't working anyway - and started to unbutton his cuffs. The left first, which revealed nothing when he pushed it back. Then the right, which also--
Which revealed something.
Kim Dokja's eyes went wide as he took in the tattoo. It was moving across his forearm, a spinning hourglass with blood red sand, patterns of dark binary code wrapping around and drowning out faint stars. He lifted his arm higher to look at the various patterns.]
[THE FOURTH WALL IS SHAKING]
[The message went ignored. He didn't know what it meant, and he didn't have time to worry about it, not when--]
What --
[No, it couldn't be real. It wasn't real. This was insane. This was Yuu Joonghyk]
There’s no way that guy could fail to kill anyone.
[At least not without something to prevent him to kill them. He had spent two regressions with cultivating Kim Namwoon as a companion. He knew how the other teenager was like. He knew that kid’s bloodlust. Unless he was prevented from a kill; there was no way they could be stopped. Kim Namwoon was someone who adapted quickly to the merciless scenarios and thrived in them.]
[He’s withholding information from me. There’s more to this than just what he’s saying.]
[He’ll have to ask about Lee Hyunsung. He didn’t see their corpse anywhere, so surely the man was alive. He only knew about Kim Namwoon because the noticeable zombie that was wearing a uniform with white hair was easy to identifiable.
He had to make sure Lee Hyunsung didn’t die too. Lee Jihye shouldn’t be an anomaly since the actions on the subway shouldn’t affect her.
That wasn’t important right this moment though. He looked at Kim Dokja’s wrist with a complicated expression. There was obvious anger and frustration in his eyes, but there was a softness to them was rare for the regressor. There was longing. A feeling that had buried itself deeply into his bones that he hid away from everyone and himself so that he could keep going forward.
He wanted to touch that tattoo. It was obviously his. From the obvious motifs as a regressor to the symbolism as a pro gamer reigning as surprise king to his need to take down the stars above them. This man, without mistake, was his soulmate.
Yoo Joonghyuk refused to let himself give in. Couldn’t. He can’t get distracted.]
Who are you really, Kim Dokja? Why should I let you live?
[Obviously bring his soulmate didn’t mean anything. Or at least, Yoo Joonghyuk was determined to not let it be used to convince him.]
[Yoo Joonghyuk had changed topics, but Kim Dokja was still stuck on the tattoo. The idea of a soulmate was ridiculous. About as ridiculous as suddenly being part of the story he'd been reading for the past ten years... No, even more so. That a reader like him could have a soulmate at all, let alone be the soulmate of the protagonist, was preposterous. He'd never even been on a date, and Yoo Joonghyuk could have anyone he wanted, despite his shitty personality.
But it was real, and the tattoo was there.
He wanted to say something about it... They had to decide what to do about it, now that it was there. But first they needed to clear this bridge, and the clock was ticking. They needed to be two people. It was an easy solution.
But this bastard didn't like to make anything easy, did he.]
He could fail if the person he was trying to kill was me.
[It was sort of the truth. He hadn't been Kim Namwoon's first target, but they'd fought. His expression was daring Yoo Joonghyk to claim it was impossible. But even now, his brain was still running.
This bastard seriously wanted to kill him now? He shouldn't be surprised. After all, he knew him better than everyone. Yoo Joonghyuk was barely human anymore, after everything that had happened during his last two regressions. He probably didn't even want a soulmate. Or if he did, he'd want it to be someone like Lee Seolhwa, not a random stranger like Kim Dokja. He knew he didn't look very impressive.
Well, it wasn't like he'd wanted a soulmate like Yoo Joonghyk, either.
Fine. He'd play the cards that he had. He'd make this bastard keep him alive. He'd even become his companion. He knew everything about this world, after all]
You should keep me alive because I can help you, Yoo Joonghyk.
[He used his name deliberately. He lowered his arm again, pulled his sleeve back up, though he fumbled the button to fasten the cuff properly so it immediately slid back again as he let go.]
You need help with the 46th scenario. I can help you clear it.
[His eyes narrowed and his grip tightened again as the other spoke of his name.
It would be laughable that someone like this thin salaryman could best the teen who would take that dragon as his sponsor, but the other knew who he was. Even knew him by name.]
You know me. [No. it was more than that.] No. You were expecting me.
[He doesn’t know why exactly, but he can guess that anyone who survived with Kim Dokja had already crossed the bridge.
If the other was expecting him. That meant he knew things. The other must have had knowledge to get him through the 1st Scenario and given him an advantage over Kim Namwoon.
…A Prophet?
His expression turns somewhat murderious. The other mentioning the 46th Scenario does much to explain that the other had insight towards the future.]
[My soulmate… he’s a Prophet.]
[After Anna Croft’s betrayal; no one could really say that Yoo Joonghyuk had a favorable impression of Prophets and it probably stung even more to know that someone who can see such things being his soulmate when he didn’t trust such people in the first place. It was even more suspicious because it wasn’t common and he’d never heard of another like Anna in his first two regressions. This third regression was already changing. Much more than it made him comfortable.]
Why should I believe you? What has a Prophet done to help me get anywhere? [His words are venomous.] Why do you care to get me passed the Scenarios?
[Kim Dokja quickly gripped Yoo Joonghyk's arm again, struggling to breathe, trying to pull his fingers loose. It had no effect. He might have spent a lot of coin on his stats earlier, but that was nothing compared to the skills of a regressor.
Was he really going to die here?
No, he wouldn't. Yoo Joonghyk didn't hesitate to kill people in his way, but he kept people alive if they were useful to him. Right now Kim Dokja was an uncertainty to him... A risk. He'd usually want to get rid of any potential risk to be on the safe side, but in this case the potential benefits were too high. He'd try to make sure.]
[Your understanding of Yoo Joongyk has increased.]
[You already have a high understanding of this character.]
[It took Kim Dokja a moment to parse the meaning of that message when he was being choked at the same time. But the grip loosened enough to let him speak, and he coughed and then inhaled, air filling his lungs and clearing his head. He activated the skill Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint LVL2.
Only a few clear thoughts came through, but it was enough to confirm that Yoo Joonghyk had taken the bait. He'd drawn the conclusions Kim Dokja needed him to.]
I can't fight like you. With your skills, and my knowledge of the future, we can both survive. We can clear the scenarios together. As -- As companions.
[He hesitated to use the word, when the tattoo was still visible on his wrist. He didn't want to draw attention to it when Yoo Joonghyk clearly wanted nothing to do with it. Kim Dokja wasn't surprised that Yoo Joonghyk would resent the idea even more now that he was reminded of Anna Croft.]
You can't clear the scenarios alone. Your knowledge of the future will never be complete when the future keeps changing, but I can fill in those blanks.
[His first thought should have made the logical conclusion that Kim Dokja would have wanted to dissuade him from killing the other but also to accept a path where they can keep going through the scenarios than for him to abandon this turn and regress.
Yet, his first thought was wondering if Kim Dokja didn’t want him to give up because they were soulmates.
What a foolish thought. Maybe he was the true fool.
He didn’t miss this feeling. Being read like an open book by a stranger who didn’t exist previous turns and was even bound to him. It made his insides twist and turn. When was the last time he felt so anxious this early on?]
Companions you say?
[Not soulmates?]
[Yoo Joonghyuk seems to be seriously mulling over Kim Dokja’s words. They weren’t wrong that his knowledge of the future was limited once he started diverging from his previous paths. He was still early into his regressions so he only had the knowledge of two turns right now.
Probably stressful for the smaller man as the timer for the bridge continues to countdown and the regressor seemed to be taking his time thinking over what he had been told.]
[Kim Dokja gave Yoo Joonghyk a moment to consider it. It had to be a lot, all at once. It definitely was for him. But the clock was ticking down, and if he didn't hurry up, they'd both fail this scenario in just a couple of minutes.
How long could he really need? How slow could he be? This was definitely to his benefit!]
Companions. Equals.
[He heard Yoo Joonghyk's thoughts mentioning soulmates, and he wondered, briefly, if he was actually considering that option. But if he was considering something like that, he wouldn't be threatening to kill him. Who killed their own soulmate when they'd finally found them.]
We don't have much time, and it's a lot to consider -- [If you were as slow as this nonchalant bastard.] -- So why don't we cross the bridge together since it needs two people, and then we can talk about any details.
[And he'd like to be set down, too. It was uncomfortable, being held by his neck like this, nearly pushed over the edge!]
[This seems to actually be more on his mind than the fact that they had to cross the bridge very soon if they wanted to make it. He doesn’t know why it bothers him honestly. Why he wants the other to want to be his soulmate. He’ll just assume it has to be their bond messing with his thoughts and feelings.
At the very least, Yoo Joonghyuk actually puts the man down for a moment. He then grabs the other by the collar and all but starts dragging him across the bridge without slowing his brisk pace.]
[I shouldn’t get too attached. He’s only interested because I’m useful to him.]
[Yes. This is what he has deduced. The other has no interest in their bond despite them being soulmates. It’s merely a mutually beneficial relationship to progress through the Scenarios. The regressor he can (begrudgingly) accept that. It’s not like he needed a soulmate. He got by without one this long. Besides, wouldn’t he be the one who would suffer out of the two, especially if he did regress?]
[He hears the thought "can't soulmates be equals too?" but a moment later it's followed by another message.]
[You have become worn out due to excessive concentration. Personal skill Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint deactivated.
[It made sense. He was exhausted. But he wanted to hear more of Yoo Joonghyk's thoughts on the idea of soulmates. He remembers the times it came up in Ways of Survival, but Yoo Joonghyk had always dismissed it then, claimed he didn't need one. In later regressions he'd resented the very idea. But now it was real, and Kim Dokja found he really needed to know all his thoughts.
He was set down, and he almost wanted to ask about it, but then he was grabbed again and being yanked forward. He stumbled after, barely able to keep up.]
Hey-- Hey wait! Not so fast!
[They were almost out of time, so there was no time to slow down. He couldn't even see Yoo Joonghyk's face like this. Maybe he would have been able to read his expressions.]
[His tone is dismissive and uninterested. Yoo Joonghyuk probably would only be marginally inconvenienced about getting to safety without the bridge. After all, would the protagonist be so easily beaten this early into the Scenarios?
The walk across the bridge is a good to clear his mind. He can think about everything that happened in such a short period of time. There's still a lot about Kim Dokja that he doesn't know. Ignoring that they're soulmates; he has no idea what any of their attributes were. This. He refused to not at least know more and the smaller man obviously knew him well enough that he was nothing short of meticulous. Deep down, he can't fully accept this all. Things were too convenient weren't they? When has the Scenarios ever been convenient? And this man shrouded in mystery who could easily claim to get him passed a later Scenario...
When they finish crossing, he immediately turns his attention back to Kim Dokja.]
You seem to know me plenty, so you must know that this isn't adequate enough.
[One of his eyes start glowing gold. Kim Dokja probably would recognize that he was activating Sage's Eyes. His intention was obvious.
What happens instead of accessing an attribute window is being electrocuted. It mostly stings, but the pain was negligible at most. The issue really is that it does nothing to soothe Yoo Joonghyuk's nerves or temper; something that Kim Dokja doesn't want when the regressor was as volatile as he was.
His hand around Kim Dokja's throat? Maybe the reader should just get used to this a bit.] How?!
[The personal skill Fourth Wall has blocked The Sage's Eyes.]
[Kim Dokja is as surprised as Yoo Joonghyk is. He had a skill like that? He'd hoped that he'd be able to figure something out about his own attributes when Yoo Joonghyk used Sage's eyes, but apparently those weren't hidden only for him.
His panic started rising again seeing Yoo Joonghyk's anger. He gripped the man's wrist, trying to at least make sure the man couldn't squeeze hard enough to cut off his air flow. It only took a mild inconvenience to make a psychopath like him decide it was better to just kill the person he was dealing with, so whatever his explanation now, it had to be good.]
You know how. Skills like this exist.
[It would be better if Yoo Joonghyk came to the conclusion on his own. The attribute Prophet neutralized detection skills as well. It was his only way out of this mess.]
[The man clicks his tongue; obviously not particularly happy with the response.]
Since you know the future, you should be able to tell your own future then.
[The regressor holds the other over the monster infested waters again. His expression has calmed down to something more neutral (or as neutral as his face can get).]
You seem to act like you know me and you're a prophet. Will I or won't I? You can prophesize this much can't you? [He looks at the other with a piercing gaze. Almost as though he's searching for something specific.] Tell me, Kim Dokja, what will I do?
[It wasn't enough. This bullheaded man was too stubborn to accept the obvious. Kim Dokja shouldn't be surprised. He tried harder to pry Yoo Yoonghyk's hand loose, but his grip wasn't even budging, and now Kim Dokja was being lifted up, kicking in the air as he was being held over the Ichyosaur's open mouth.
He shouldn't be surprised. He wasn't, really.]
I know you, so let me tell you this: I meant it when I said we'd be equals. If you think of me as a subordinate, I won't help you.
[He glanced over his shoulder, down at the monster beneath him. His heart was thumping in his chest for several reasons, but when he looked back at Yoo Joonghyk again, he was smiling, a cocky grin that dared him to do it. He was surprising even himself.]
Now let go already. Get lost, you bastard.
[This was it. This was it. He'd done it, and now he'd have to deal with it.]
[The man has the audacity to smile at Kim Dokja. His expression though...there's something almost fond about it and it was directed at the other. He easily lets go of the other.]
You better not die then, Kim Dokja.
[He really did have such the audacity to say that while dropping the man into the mouth of a monster. Still, he needed the other to prove themselves to him. He couldn't just accept these things at face value. Not after the first two regressions.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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He makes himself focus on the moment instead. At any point, Yuu Joonghyuk could throw him off the edge of the bridge, and let him be devoured by the monsters below. He has to play this right. He has to find the right words to convince him to let him live.]
No. He failed to kill anyone.
[The grip might be lighter, but the words are still a bit strained. And he knows that won't be enough. After all, Kim Namwoon should have easily cleared the first scenario. He was the most bloodthirsty person in there, and he should have been the first to successfully kill someone. That old woman was dead now anyway. Kim Dokja hadn't saved her, so when he caused Kim Namwoon's death, he couldn't say it had been for a good cause. He wanted a moment to collect his thoughts for the best way to explain it, to convince this bastard, but if he hesitated here it would definitely seem like he was holding something back.
He tried--
[He had barely started to speak when Yuu Joonghyuk followed it up with that strange demand.][It took him a second to even understand what he meant. The demand really was out of nowhere. He tried to remember anything from Ways of Survival that had to do with wrists, but he couldn't come up with anything. After a second, he stopped trying to pry Yuu Joonghyuk's hand off him - it wasn't working anyway - and started to unbutton his cuffs. The left first, which revealed nothing when he pushed it back. Then the right, which also--
Which revealed something.
Kim Dokja's eyes went wide as he took in the tattoo. It was moving across his forearm, a spinning hourglass with blood red sand, patterns of dark binary code wrapping around and drowning out faint stars. He lifted his arm higher to look at the various patterns.]
[THE FOURTH WALL IS SHAKING]
[The message went ignored. He didn't know what it meant, and he didn't have time to worry about it, not when--]
What --
[No, it couldn't be real. It wasn't real. This was insane. This was Yuu Joonghyk]
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[At least not without something to prevent him to kill them. He had spent two regressions with cultivating Kim Namwoon as a companion. He knew how the other teenager was like. He knew that kid’s bloodlust. Unless he was prevented from a kill; there was no way they could be stopped. Kim Namwoon was someone who adapted quickly to the merciless scenarios and thrived in them.]
[He’s withholding information from me. There’s more to this than just what he’s saying.]
[He’ll have to ask about Lee Hyunsung. He didn’t see their corpse anywhere, so surely the man was alive. He only knew about Kim Namwoon because the noticeable zombie that was wearing a uniform with white hair was easy to identifiable.
He had to make sure Lee Hyunsung didn’t die too. Lee Jihye shouldn’t be an anomaly since the actions on the subway shouldn’t affect her.
That wasn’t important right this moment though. He looked at Kim Dokja’s wrist with a complicated expression. There was obvious anger and frustration in his eyes, but there was a softness to them was rare for the regressor. There was longing. A feeling that had buried itself deeply into his bones that he hid away from everyone and himself so that he could keep going forward.
He wanted to touch that tattoo. It was obviously his. From the obvious motifs as a regressor to the symbolism as a pro gamer reigning as surprise king to his need to take down the stars above them. This man, without mistake, was his soulmate.
Yoo Joonghyuk refused to let himself give in. Couldn’t. He can’t get distracted.]
Who are you really, Kim Dokja? Why should I let you live?
[Obviously bring his soulmate didn’t mean anything. Or at least, Yoo Joonghyuk was determined to not let it be used to convince him.]
Give me a good reason to let you live.
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But it was real, and the tattoo was there.
He wanted to say something about it... They had to decide what to do about it, now that it was there. But first they needed to clear this bridge, and the clock was ticking. They needed to be two people. It was an easy solution.
But this bastard didn't like to make anything easy, did he.]
He could fail if the person he was trying to kill was me.
[It was sort of the truth. He hadn't been Kim Namwoon's first target, but they'd fought. His expression was daring Yoo Joonghyk to claim it was impossible. But even now, his brain was still running.
This bastard seriously wanted to kill him now? He shouldn't be surprised. After all, he knew him better than everyone. Yoo Joonghyuk was barely human anymore, after everything that had happened during his last two regressions. He probably didn't even want a soulmate. Or if he did, he'd want it to be someone like Lee Seolhwa, not a random stranger like Kim Dokja. He knew he didn't look very impressive.
Well, it wasn't like he'd wanted a soulmate like Yoo Joonghyk, either.
Fine. He'd play the cards that he had. He'd make this bastard keep him alive. He'd even become his companion. He knew everything about this world, after all]
You should keep me alive because I can help you, Yoo Joonghyk.
[He used his name deliberately. He lowered his arm again, pulled his sleeve back up, though he fumbled the button to fasten the cuff properly so it immediately slid back again as he let go.]
You need help with the 46th scenario. I can help you clear it.
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It would be laughable that someone like this thin salaryman could best the teen who would take that dragon as his sponsor, but the other knew who he was. Even knew him by name.]
You know me. [No. it was more than that.] No. You were expecting me.
[He doesn’t know why exactly, but he can guess that anyone who survived with Kim Dokja had already crossed the bridge.
If the other was expecting him. That meant he knew things. The other must have had knowledge to get him through the 1st Scenario and given him an advantage over Kim Namwoon.
…A Prophet?
His expression turns somewhat murderious. The other mentioning the 46th Scenario does much to explain that the other had insight towards the future.]
[My soulmate… he’s a Prophet.]
[After Anna Croft’s betrayal; no one could really say that Yoo Joonghyuk had a favorable impression of Prophets and it probably stung even more to know that someone who can see such things being his soulmate when he didn’t trust such people in the first place. It was even more suspicious because it wasn’t common and he’d never heard of another like Anna in his first two regressions. This third regression was already changing. Much more than it made him comfortable.]
Why should I believe you? What has a Prophet done to help me get anywhere? [His words are venomous.] Why do you care to get me passed the Scenarios?
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Was he really going to die here?
No, he wouldn't. Yoo Joonghyk didn't hesitate to kill people in his way, but he kept people alive if they were useful to him. Right now Kim Dokja was an uncertainty to him... A risk. He'd usually want to get rid of any potential risk to be on the safe side, but in this case the potential benefits were too high. He'd try to make sure.]
[Your understanding of Yoo Joongyk has increased.]
[You already have a high understanding of this character.]
[It took Kim Dokja a moment to parse the meaning of that message when he was being choked at the same time. But the grip loosened enough to let him speak, and he coughed and then inhaled, air filling his lungs and clearing his head. He activated the skill Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint LVL2.
Only a few clear thoughts came through, but it was enough to confirm that Yoo Joonghyk had taken the bait. He'd drawn the conclusions Kim Dokja needed him to.]
I can't fight like you. With your skills, and my knowledge of the future, we can both survive. We can clear the scenarios together. As -- As companions.
[He hesitated to use the word, when the tattoo was still visible on his wrist. He didn't want to draw attention to it when Yoo Joonghyk clearly wanted nothing to do with it. Kim Dokja wasn't surprised that Yoo Joonghyk would resent the idea even more now that he was reminded of Anna Croft.]
You can't clear the scenarios alone. Your knowledge of the future will never be complete when the future keeps changing, but I can fill in those blanks.
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[His first thought should have made the logical conclusion that Kim Dokja would have wanted to dissuade him from killing the other but also to accept a path where they can keep going through the scenarios than for him to abandon this turn and regress.
Yet, his first thought was wondering if Kim Dokja didn’t want him to give up because they were soulmates.
What a foolish thought. Maybe he was the true fool.
He didn’t miss this feeling. Being read like an open book by a stranger who didn’t exist previous turns and was even bound to him. It made his insides twist and turn. When was the last time he felt so anxious this early on?]
Companions you say?
[Not soulmates?]
[Yoo Joonghyuk seems to be seriously mulling over Kim Dokja’s words. They weren’t wrong that his knowledge of the future was limited once he started diverging from his previous paths. He was still early into his regressions so he only had the knowledge of two turns right now.
Probably stressful for the smaller man as the timer for the bridge continues to countdown and the regressor seemed to be taking his time thinking over what he had been told.]
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How long could he really need? How slow could he be? This was definitely to his benefit!]
Companions. Equals.
[He heard Yoo Joonghyk's thoughts mentioning soulmates, and he wondered, briefly, if he was actually considering that option. But if he was considering something like that, he wouldn't be threatening to kill him. Who killed their own soulmate when they'd finally found them.]
We don't have much time, and it's a lot to consider -- [If you were as slow as this nonchalant bastard.] -- So why don't we cross the bridge together since it needs two people, and then we can talk about any details.
[And he'd like to be set down, too. It was uncomfortable, being held by his neck like this, nearly pushed over the edge!]
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[Can’t soulmates be equals too?]
[This seems to actually be more on his mind than the fact that they had to cross the bridge very soon if they wanted to make it. He doesn’t know why it bothers him honestly. Why he wants the other to want to be his soulmate. He’ll just assume it has to be their bond messing with his thoughts and feelings.
At the very least, Yoo
Joonghyuk actually puts the man down for a moment. He then grabs the other by the collar and all but starts dragging him across the bridge without slowing his brisk pace.]
[I shouldn’t get too attached. He’s only interested because I’m useful to him.]
[Yes. This is what he has deduced. The other has no interest in their bond despite them being soulmates. It’s merely a mutually beneficial relationship to progress through the Scenarios. The regressor he can (begrudgingly) accept that. It’s not like he needed a soulmate. He got by without one this long. Besides, wouldn’t he be the one who would suffer out of the two, especially if he did regress?]
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[You have become worn out due to excessive concentration. Personal skill Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint deactivated.
[It made sense. He was exhausted. But he wanted to hear more of Yoo Joonghyk's thoughts on the idea of soulmates. He remembers the times it came up in Ways of Survival, but Yoo Joonghyk had always dismissed it then, claimed he didn't need one. In later regressions he'd resented the very idea. But now it was real, and Kim Dokja found he really needed to know all his thoughts.
He was set down, and he almost wanted to ask about it, but then he was grabbed again and being yanked forward. He stumbled after, barely able to keep up.]
Hey-- Hey wait! Not so fast!
[They were almost out of time, so there was no time to slow down. He couldn't even see Yoo Joonghyk's face like this. Maybe he would have been able to read his expressions.]
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[His tone is dismissive and uninterested. Yoo Joonghyuk probably would only be marginally inconvenienced about getting to safety without the bridge. After all, would the protagonist be so easily beaten this early into the Scenarios?
The walk across the bridge is a good to clear his mind. He can think about everything that happened in such a short period of time. There's still a lot about Kim Dokja that he doesn't know. Ignoring that they're soulmates; he has no idea what any of their attributes were. This. He refused to not at least know more and the smaller man obviously knew him well enough that he was nothing short of meticulous. Deep down, he can't fully accept this all. Things were too convenient weren't they? When has the Scenarios ever been convenient? And this man shrouded in mystery who could easily claim to get him passed a later Scenario...
When they finish crossing, he immediately turns his attention back to Kim Dokja.]
You seem to know me plenty, so you must know that this isn't adequate enough.
[One of his eyes start glowing gold. Kim Dokja probably would recognize that he was activating Sage's Eyes. His intention was obvious.
What happens instead of accessing an attribute window is being electrocuted. It mostly stings, but the pain was negligible at most. The issue really is that it does nothing to soothe Yoo Joonghyuk's nerves or temper; something that Kim Dokja doesn't want when the regressor was as volatile as he was.
His hand around Kim Dokja's throat? Maybe the reader should just get used to this a bit.] How?!
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[Kim Dokja is as surprised as Yoo Joonghyk is. He had a skill like that? He'd hoped that he'd be able to figure something out about his own attributes when Yoo Joonghyk used Sage's eyes, but apparently those weren't hidden only for him.
His panic started rising again seeing Yoo Joonghyk's anger. He gripped the man's wrist, trying to at least make sure the man couldn't squeeze hard enough to cut off his air flow. It only took a mild inconvenience to make a psychopath like him decide it was better to just kill the person he was dealing with, so whatever his explanation now, it had to be good.]
You know how. Skills like this exist.
[It would be better if Yoo Joonghyk came to the conclusion on his own. The attribute Prophet neutralized detection skills as well. It was his only way out of this mess.]
Didn't I tell you I know the future?
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Since you know the future, you should be able to tell your own future then.
[The regressor holds the other over the monster infested waters again. His expression has calmed down to something more neutral (or as neutral as his face can get).]
You seem to act like you know me and you're a prophet. Will I or won't I? You can prophesize this much can't you? [He looks at the other with a piercing gaze. Almost as though he's searching for something specific.] Tell me, Kim Dokja, what will I do?
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He shouldn't be surprised. He wasn't, really.]
I know you, so let me tell you this: I meant it when I said we'd be equals. If you think of me as a subordinate, I won't help you.
[He glanced over his shoulder, down at the monster beneath him. His heart was thumping in his chest for several reasons, but when he looked back at Yoo Joonghyk again, he was smiling, a cocky grin that dared him to do it. He was surprising even himself.]
Now let go already. Get lost, you bastard.
[This was it. This was it. He'd done it, and now he'd have to deal with it.]
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[The man has the audacity to smile at Kim Dokja. His expression though...there's something almost fond about it and it was directed at the other. He easily lets go of the other.]
You better not die then, Kim Dokja.
[He really did have such the audacity to say that while dropping the man into the mouth of a monster. Still, he needed the other to prove themselves to him. He couldn't just accept these things at face value. Not after the first two regressions.
Still...]
[Don't die, Kim Dokja...
Come back to me.]