1 Blessing in disguise.

In his third regression Yoo Jonghyuk still held hope to end this hell. But maybe, this was only what he always reminded to himself each day. Because he needed something to keep him sane through this endless nightmare.

When he finally opened his eyes again he was back where the Dokkaebi first appeared. The panicked expressions on their faces were as the same as he recalled seeing before.

While listening to the Dokkaebi's voice, Yoo Jonghyuk's body felt already drained from all energy just by thinking about the future. But he knew that this was the only way.

"It's about time..."

「 But this time will be different. 」

「 Killing later or killing now. 」

「 It won't make a change anyway. 」

Standing as the sole survivor inside that empty carriage, Yoo Jonghyuk's hands were now already stained red like his tired soul. He slowly lifted his face glancing at the closed door that separated him from his old teammates. Using his strength to forcefully pry open the door only resulted in slowing him down, but he wanted to see if they were still alive. Because after all, they are still useful to him.

But he found no one.

So he continued his road alone...

Yoo Jonghyuk was unsure if his eyes were playing tricks on him when he distantly saw the other survivors outside the subway.

「 It's strange. 」

「 Lee Hyunsung is alive. 」

「 Kim Namwoon is nowhere to be seen. And those people... 」

「 Who are them? Are they a treat? 」

「 If yes, then... 」

「 Should I eradicate them? 」

When Kim Dokja was left behind to fight the demonic people, Yoo Jonghyuk found a chance. He was able to catch him, and immediately pressed the man to answer the questions that were running wild in his mind.

"Name." He demanded.

"What?"

Yoo Jonghyuk just scoffed at such a weak response.

That's right. No one remembers me. Not my deeds, not my sacrifices, nor my existence...

His eyes grew colder and his indifferent demeanor showed up again, hiding all the struggles deep inside. Where no one will ever breach in again.

"What's your name?"

"Kim Dokja."

"A strange name."

"I've heard a lot."

***

A sudden cold breeze shook him out from his dazed state. Thinking about yesterday events, Yoo Jonghyuk just couldn't help but shake his head towards himself for believing in that man's words. Maybe he was just getting desperate. Who knows?

That brief moment of trust could have been a blessing in disguise. But the most important thing is that 'he' didn't come back as expected.

「 A prophet he said. 」

「 A prophet he was. 」

「 But was he really one? 」

Smiling almost mockingly to himself. Yoo Jonghyuk watched the horizon of this new, yet old dystopian landscape.

"I should get going..."

What the regressor didn't know at that time was the fact that only 'his' name alone would have brought him so many emotions, anger, frustration... Overall, many bad emotions. But also, a slight feeling of warmth.

To say that seeing that man alive and kicking in front of so many people surprised him wasn't an understatement at all, and seeing him calling himself Yoo Jonghyuk's companion really confused the latter.

「 As long as he doesn't get in my way. He can do whatever he wants. 」

Those were Yoo Jonghyuk's thoughts when he entered the dungeon. He believed in his strength, but in the end. He just overestimated himself.

But then suddenly between his pain and suffering, he heard a voice, and it wasn't a voice from the past returning to haunt him back.

"Alone?"

「 I... 」

"Why did I come here if you are alone!"

「 I... 」

Word after word struck him hard. How does he know all of this? How does he know my past so well? A past that was destined to be forgotten by all... How does he know...

I wanted answers.

I demanded them.

Yoo Jonghyuk forced himself out of the Theater Master's control, even for just a brief moment. He wanted to see that man.

「 You... Who are you? 」

"What?"

「 What are you? 」

[The 'Theater Master's Simulacrum' has strengthened his control on the character 'Yoo Jonghyuk.']

"Kuaaak...!"

Yoo Jonghyuk felt his eyes losing focus again, dragging him down again in that hellish world of regrets. Is this the end? He thought...

Yoo Jonghyuk considered himself as a man of pride, a man of many sins. But he had to admit that without Kim Dokja's help he wouldn't be here.

While watching the black-clothed man heal his wounds, Lee Jihye suddenly made a surprise attack towards her Master. Her attack almost made him deviate his concentration leading to more severe injuries instead of healing the old ones.

"Master I know that I shouldn't inquire in your personal life, but I think you should be more sincere towards Ahjussi."

"What made you think that?"

"Ahjussi really cares about you! And he was also sad about the baby!"

「 Does she knows? 」

Silently listening to her ranting made Yoo Jonghyuk realize that his apprentice only heard small bits of everything and tried to put the broken pieces together. Then she asked about how babies are born...

「 Kim Dokja what did you put in my apprentice mind! 」

"Master, I almost forgot but your wif- I mean Ahjussi! He left a note for you!"

Opening the small paper, Yoo Jonghyuk saw information about his sister and immediately after he crumbled it within his hands before Lee Jihye could come over and see the content inside. The sheer thought about his sister in that man's hands angered him more than anything else in the world.

"Kim Dokja!"

「 How can he even know this! 」

And that was the first time after so long that Yoo Jonghyuk felt confused and frustrated again.

That man Kim Dokja was full of surprises. How does he know all? Was he really a prophet like he said?

During the fight for the throne, he has done the impossible. He destroyed the Absolute Throne.

He even knew about her... Lee Seolhwa. She whom in the past helped me, my companion. But why does it seems like I always tend to overestimate myself every time? And again... Even then, he was the one that helped me.

Yoo Sangah, that woman. She is the one I don't trust staying around him. Through her, the Olympus is watching.

***

Shin Yoosung is another useful person I met in the past. She knew about my regressions, and that made me think that she would definitely help me. But I was wrong yet again, and he has come to help me as always...

"Get out the way Yoo Jonghyuk!"

Kim Dokja was dying. He was dying because of me. Thought Yoo Jonghyuk. In the past, this unfeeling man wouldn't even blink an eye in front of his teammates' death. But now there he was, desperately trying to save this dying man named Kim Dokja.

「 Is this what a companion really is? 」

「 Don't die Kim Dokja! 」

「 I won't let you leave me! 」

All those words that Yoo Jonghyuk thought to himself, he couldn't say them out loud.

When he saw his dead body come to life once again, Yoo Jonghyuk felt a wave of shock and relief washing through his body. He was glad that his companion was alive, but at the same time, he felt angry because he tricked him!

When he saw Kim Dokja getting intimate with that woman. Yoo Jonghyuk couldn't describe how he was feeling, but he knew that it wasn't anything good for him. So he just did what he had always done when facing such troublesome emotions. Ignoring them.

And then again, during the Sixth Main Scenario, he showed his prowess, again and again, making Yoo Jonghyuk ask himself if Kim Dokja was the real savior instead of him.

Yoo Jonghyuk stalled all those complicated feelings each and every single time they resurfaced on his mind, and no matter how much that strange constellation called Demon-like Judge of Fire tried to bribe him into close contact with Kim Dokja, he definitely wouldn't have succumbed to such a lowly act of corruption!

During the Eight Main Scenario, Yoo Jonghyuk felt that his third run was almost over. Nirvana was back, and the quest this time was 'The Strongest Sacrifice.'

「 Do I need to die? 」

"Hey, Yoo Jonghyuk!"

He looked at Kim Dokja who was showing a very troubled expression on his face right now, and Yoo Jonghyuk just couldn't help but wishfully think that this man before him would have again another revolutionary solution to his problems.

"Let me talk to you for a bit."

They went to the rooftop of a high rise building, and Yoo Jonghyuk looked back at the man that was so intensively staring at him. Maybe feeling a little bit conscious of his stare he decided to change the focus of Kim Dokja's attention towards the first topic that had ran through his mind.

"...Is there a way to kill Nirvana?"

Kim Dokja seemed to be annoyed by that remark, but instead of rebuking the other he just quietly sat down on the roof railings.

"Before that, let's take a moment to breathe. The view is great."

"What are you up to?" the regressor asked him.

"I'm just looking at the world. Isn't it beautiful?... It was originally a beautiful place."

「 A beautiful place? 」

「 Was it really one? 」

Frowning down, Yoo Jonghyuk simply answered saying that he didn't like landscapes, and the white-clothed man before him asked why.

"They are things that will disappear someday."

「 Fleeting things are destined to be forgotten. 」

"However, we need to protect these things." he said.

"Kim Dokja, you don't know."

He thought Kim Dokja and him were kindred souls, the lonely black-clothed man had thought that at least one person could have understood him. But Yoo Jonghyuk now felt that maybe, he was wrong after all.

「 Yes, my duty is to protect. 」

「 But not to prevent. 」

"No, I know."

"What?"

「 What do you know! 」

"The fact that you can regress at any time means that death is meaningless."

「 What do you know... 」

"If there is no sense of death then the value of life also disappears."

"What do you know..." he almost whispered to himself.

"Yoo Jonghyuk, wake up. Don't think things will improve if you repeat them a few times."

Watching him speaking such words with such firmness, the regressor felt like a provoked beast. A hidden chain inside his heart was slowly moving, then uncontrollably shaking threatening to crumble into dust at any given moment.

Listening to Kim Dokja's speech made him realize that sometimes having a third view of the situation may help to look at it more clearly, but as stated before. Yoo Jonghyuk was a man of many sins, and pride is definitely one of them.

"I won't regress that many times."

Kim Dokja didn't immediately retort back, instead he just silently stared at the regressor's lonely figure.

「...Don't tell me? 」

"Are you having nightmares these days?"

His words struck me hard again and again. Why does everything he says always resonates with my heart? It was like he knew what my heart wanted to hear the most in any instance.

It was like he always knew how to ignite my soul.

「 To see the end as a 'human'... 」

「 Maybe I will try... 」

「 No! I will try my best! 」

Then the cool wind suddenly blew and both the men looked down at the ruined city...

「 Kim Dokja you are not that bad after all. 」

***

After hearing his plan Yoo Jonghyuk couldn't help but feel resentful towards the man that had just sold off his name to the enemy.

「 This bastard! To think I thought you as my companion! 」

Gritting his teeth, Yoo Jonghyuk realized that no matter how much anger he felt towards the latter, his feelings would never develop into hatred no matter how hard he tried.

「 No one told me that having a companion was this frustrating. 」

Fighting Nirvana has proven to be more challenging than Yoo Jonghyuk ever expected. Nirvana excelled in what the latter was more weak at.

It was funny how in his last moments the only thing coming into his mind were Kim Dokja's words.

But this time he couldn't save me again, could he?

-You jerk, you think quickly.

He was mistaken. A familiar voice was heard.

-Take a break.

「 You really came... 」was his last thought before slowly sinking into another quiet darkness.

And when he woke up to see a yet again gravely wounded Kim Dokja. Asking him to save Yoo Sangah before dying. Dying. Again.

Yoo Jonghyuk felt pissed because his last thoughts were about him, but the latter's thoughts were about another woman! But at the same time, he couldn't help himself from grieving for the loss anyway.

「 Does he really consider me as his companion? 」

Yoo Jonghyuk couldn't refuse Kim Dokja's last wish, but he hoped to do something more for the latter. After all, he did so much for him. More than anyone ever did.

He received trust.

He received help numerous times.

He received a person who could put some common sense inside his head again.

He received a companion. And he didn't want to lose it.

***

And then two days had already passed away since his death.

「 Why is taking him so long to come back? 」

「 He will come back, right? 」

"No, he must live." I said through gritted teeth.

In front of me was a trembling Yoo Sangah, to speak truthfully I couldn't care less about her. But I still needed to know where Kim Dokja's family members whereabouts. The least Yoo Jonghyuk felt he could do for him was only this much.

Days after days the time passed slowly as everyone waited for Kim Dokja's return. Without him, his team was already showing signs of breaking apart and Yoo Jonghyuk didn't have any intention to interfere with that.

[Stories shining in the distant night sky.]

[The constellation banquet is currently being held.]

[The constellation '???' has invented you to the constellation banquet.]

「 Was it already time? 」

At the banquet, the man who was wearing a clean black colored suit, saw a new person entering the incarnation waiting room, and that person was no other than Kim Dokja himself. There he was standing, wearing a suit like him attending this banquet like nothing happening down there was concerning him at all.

「 Why is he here? 」

"...Kim Dokja?" he asked baffled with surprise.

Which the latter responded with a blank expression and an awkward greeting gesture with his hand.

"...Yoo Jonghyuk."

The man felt overwhelmed yet again with emotions when he saw him again, but couldn't show them outside because of the event.

The Dokkaebi announced the start of the Story Succession and guided the incarnations inside the Room of Secrets.

Many constellations seemed very eager to participate in the fighting, but Yoo Jonghyuk just felt tired in contrast to their joy.

「 It wouldn't matter anyway. 」

After Selena Kim announced her choice it was another person turn, followed by another and another again. The hall was always filled with clamor form the constellations, but it was instead replaced with a suspenseful silence when it was finally Yoo Jonghyuk's turn.

"I..."

A sudden warm sensation enveloped Yoo Jonghyuk's hand while raising it toward the sky.

「 Warmth? How could it be? 」

「 Isn't this my spiritual form? 」

「 But, if it was him... 」

Yoo Jonghyuk felt like smiling. He really wanted to do it, but instead, he just kept the words he wanted to say for himself in a special space inside his heart. For him, this was enough.

When Kim Dokja announced he wanted to buy the constellation's stories it surprised the regressor, and the fact that he already knew about his problems was nonetheless troubling for the black-clothed man.

「 Many things changed thanks to this man. 」

「 The future now is more unknown, but a little bit brighter. 」

「 Our encounter may have been really...

A blessing in disguise. 」