Chapter Text
About half of the incarnation teams who’d originally entered the scenario were culled in the first round. The remaining half was still relatively substantial: around 35 teams by Dokja’s counting. Servants of Papyrus escorted the survivors into Heliopolis, where they were given rooms for the evening. The rooms were fine, with good beds, large windows, bathing facilities, and a full meal.
Dokja had pulled Junghyeok’s arm over his shoulder to drag him inside, and Junghyeok woke up with a grumble once they were in the room. He tottered off to the bathroom to bathe.
Dokja sighed and followed after Junghyeok, to make sure the man didn’t injure himself.
The bathing room was quite fancy, and even better than the rooms in the Industrial Complex. The walls were covered in painted stones, and the pipes were advanced. The air was pleasantly scented with perfume, and there was an array of soaps and other cleaning products to use. There was enough room for a few people to stand, and the actual bath was a combination pool and shower, with a small electronic pad on one wall for preferences. Junghyeok took off his black coat and set it aside on a tall wooden rack, and then carefully began removing his shirt.
Dokja reached out to help him and said with a rueful grin, “You’re making a mess.” Water was still dripping everywhere. The air in the room with both of them in it was warm, but not unpleasant. But Dokja knew the whole process of getting his clothes off after being tossed around underwater by a narrative-grade constellation would just make Junghyeok more annoyed.
Junghyeok grunted, but didn’t stop Dokja from helping him. He shed a bit of blood from various injuries, too, but nothing too terrible. “Seth is powerful. I was dealing with the other teams just fine, but then Seth came after us.”
Dokja gave him an Ellain Forest Essence, and then helped him get to the bathing pool. In the end, Dokja just tossed his own clothes aside and got in with Junghyeok, helping to scrub clean the injuries. The Ellain Forest Essence was going to kick in soon and force its payment of two hours sleep in exchange for its healing effects, so they had to work quickly.
Junghyeok stayed silent and still in the meanwhile, letting Dokja scrub him clean. Afternoon sunlight shown from the skylight overhead, making their slick skin shine, and the room was pretty quiet but for the sounds of water and scrubbing. Dokja’s ministrations were more clinical than tender, but Junghyeok didn’t complain. Junghyeok simply gazed down at Dokja and his water-slick dark hair and said, “You’re not upset I lost.”
Dokja nodded as he scrubbed a soapy sponge behind Junghyeok’s left ear. He really wasn’t upset. “I didn’t expect you to. Seth always wins that one.” Even in other turns, Junghyeok always lost this round. Dokja kept his left hand on Junghyeok’s right bicep to keep him still. Junghyeok was still a bit tense, probably from losing so badly, though at least he wasn’t horribly injured.
Junghyeok frowned, a bit suspicious.
--You know what the other matches are?
He had activated Midday Tryst. They couldn’t risk letting their plans be broadcast. While Biyu would often censor these moments for them on her channel, there was always the risk that something would get through while they chatted.
Dokja also used Midday Tryst to reply.
--Yes. According to the story, Seth usually loses the next round. But it’s also where the incarnations get more hostile, to take advantage of Seth being weak. They’ll likely try to kill him, which could cause him to kill all the incarnations in the scenario.
There was a low chance of them surviving then, or at least Junghyeok surviving. Dokja wasn’t so sure about himself. The second match would be the hardest, though. The third… based on Horus’ information, he thought they might have a chance. But it was still strange that Horus had reached out to him. Yes, it would mean that Seth lost, which matched Horus’ story, but it would also hurt Papyrus, which Horus shouldn’t want.
There was something else going on here, and Dokja didn’t like it.
Junghyeok breathed in deeply.
--We’ll be careful, then.
Dokja smiled and turned off the shower before he helped Junghyeok out of the bath and into a pale orange bathrobe. Dokja grabbed one too – it was fluffy and even warm. They went into the main room again and Junghyeok settled on the large, comfortable bed, with its soft sheets. Dokja gathered food on a big platter and brought it over to share. It was thankfully simple things that incarnations could eat, and quite good. As Dokja leaned against Junghyeok’s side on the bed and sorted through things to try, he imagined Lee Gilyeong and Shin Yuseung fighting over it, it was that good. He also briefed Junghyeok on the match for the next day, still using Midday Tryst.
Biyu appeared and made a worried, “Baa!” over Junghyeok as she floated nearby.
Junghyeok patted her cotton ball head a little and smiled at the sight of her. But he was clearly getting drowsy. His eyelids were lowered and he wasn’t talking as much, even through Midday Tryst.
Dokja set the food aside and helped Junghyeok settle properly in the bed. He startled slightly when Junghyeok grabbed his hip pulled him in for an embrace. They usually slept like this, with Dokja curled up with his back to Junghyeok’s chest. But it was still a little early – not even quite early evening yet – and Dokja had planned to prepare for the next match, based on the information Horus had given him…
Junghyeok’s hand squeezed Dokja’s hip.
Dokja smiled and set an alarm for himself to finish preparations later. Then he settled down properly and got under the blankets. The room was nice and warm, and the Ellain Forest Essence healed Junghyeok. Things were good, though the outlook was still a little grim.
“Tomorrow will be harder,” Dokja said, quietly. He was unsure why their companions thought this would be a good vacation. Maybe Suyeong was exercising her dislike of Junghyeok and trying to kill Dokja through stress?
The lights dimmed, and Biyu floated down to snuggle in the pillows between their heads. Her golden horn glowed in the darkness.
“Yes,” Junghyeok said. “Since you’ll have to guard me.”
Dokja frowned and looked back at him. “What do you mean?”
“You can’t exactly make a boat, can you?” Junghyeok’s hands rested easily on Dokja’s stomach, and his expression was weary. He was warm at Dokja’s back.
Dokja grimaced. “Well no…” He didn’t have that skill. But the warmth of Junghyeok’s hand on him made him feel less of a sting at the words.
“So that’s my job. You have to watch my back.”
Dokja smiled softly. Junghyeok wasn’t exactly pointing out that Dokja was incompetent. Just allocating work properly. “You trust me with that?”
Junghyeok snorted and lowered his head so that his nose came to rest against Dokja’s left shoulder. “Foolish questions.”
Dokja grinned and settled back against Junghyeok’s chest. He had faith they’d win easily.
In the morning, after a hearty breakfast, the remaining teams gathered again before the dais of constellations. Maat was there again, and Horus and Seth appeared beside her, looking little different than before. The tension was a bit lessened than the previous day, with so many fewer competitors, but things were still tense: if Seth won this round, all incarnations would lose the scenario. It added even more desperation.
Seth only smiled, and his sha mask made his smile more intimidating.
Maat reached for the pot again, and drew forth another scroll. After a moment she said, [The second match will be… stone boat racing.]
There were murmurs among the incarnations as messages popped up before them.
[Sub Scenario – Stone Boat Racing]
Category: Sub
Difficulty: D-F
Clear Conditions: Construct a stone boat and travel across it on the Nile to the finish line before Seth.
Time Limit: None
Reward: 2000 Coins
Failure: Seth will win the round.
Racing a stone boat across water is a ridiculous idea, Dokja thought as he gazed unhappily at the message.
[The constellation, Demonic Judge of Fire, is worried.]
[The constellation, Secretive Plotter, is curious about what you will do.]
Fortunately, Dokja did have a trick for it. The issue would be dealing with Seth, who was far more powerful than Junghyeok, and thus could build a boat faster. All the participants were teleported to a quarry where they could find stone to use, which was on the other side of the Nile from where Maat had called the scenario. Even before any of the incarnations could get their bearings, Seth raced over to some stone and quickly swung his giant black khopesh against the rocks to cut them apart easily. Even the incarnations, who saw feats of strength similar to this all the time these days, were impressed.
They also knew that although Seth made the task look easy, he needed his focus. And the easiest way to make sure he lost the race, was to get rid of him now.
Seth seemingly paid no heed to the incarnations sneaking up on him, but as they neared, he grinned and said, [You’re stupider than your predecessors.]
Dokja, standing watch while Junghyeok went to work cutting apart stone and shaping it into a boat, had to agree, as he watched Seth use his sand to easily cut down the attacking incarnations. Sand crocodiles roared from the ground to chase off scared incarnations, while sand spikes went after others. It was a massacre.
Two groups of incarnations seemingly thought it would be wise to take Dokja and Junghyeok out as well. Dokja presumed it was because Seth had gone after Junghyeok personally. The incarnations had seemingly allied with each other, and three of their party members were buff and clearly battle-hardened, wielding intimidating weapons. Dokja easily dispatched them with Unbroken Faith, leaving them twitching on the ground. Then he continued to keep his watch, keeping an eye on Seth and the other incarnation teams. He’d have helped Junghyeok, but the man seemed inclined to craft his own materials.
The good news was that Junghyeok quickly finished building their boat. He then used an ability he got, which normally let incarnations run across water, to make it float on the water. It easily carried both him and Dokja. Dokja used an engine he bought from the Dokkaebi Bag to get the boat moving quickly.
A few other incarnation teams also had some success, and they were all moving as fast as they could. No one had the time to focus on killing off the competition at this rate, which was convenient, as it made Dokja’s job easier.
Once they were on the water, Dokja breathed a little easier. The first big part of the scenario was done.
[Hey!] Seth yelled.
Dokja looked back to see Seth rushing to finish his boat and race after them. Even growing smaller in the distance, the situation were worrying. Dokja said, “Are you ready?”
Junghyeok scoffed. But he had the crossbow that Dokja gave him. They would need to be fast.
Seth’s boat raced across the water, wasting multiple incarnation boats as it went. It was clear he was aiming for the head of the pack, where Dokja and Junghyeok were located. Take them out, and he’d take out his potentially strongest competitor.
[A private message has arrived from the constellation, Falcon God of the Sun.]
“Now,” Dokja said. He was protecting the engine and steering the boat, so he couldn’t help Junghyeok if the man needed it.
Junghyeok stood up, anchored himself, and raised the crossbow, aiming at Seth’s boat. Wind whipped at his dark hair, and water sprayed behind them. He fired. The arrowheads were tipped in story metal.
Seth deflected the first shot with his khopesh, and then the second, and the third, but the fourth wasn’t even aimed at him. It struck his boat instead, burying itself in the side. He frowned at it in confusion, and his eyes widened in shock as vines burst from the arrowhead, devouring the boat and making it crumble to bits. It was a fast-acting and powerful plant that Dokja had located the previous night on the Dokkaebi Bag, and bought. Seth wouldn’t be able to repair it fast enough to win the race.
Seth glared at Dokja and Junghyeok and raised his weapon – now a bow – and fired at them, even as his boat sank under him.
Junghyeok raised his sword and cut the arrow down, but Dokja heard him grunt as his sword met the arrowhead. The arrows of Seth were powerful, and left shockwaves in the air.
Seth fired more.
The farther they got away, the harder it was for the arrows to reach them, but Junghyeok grunted on each hit he blocked. He was sweating.
Dokja wished the engine would let them go faster, but focused on getting closer to the shore. Thankfully all the other incarnation teams were behind them.
“His boat is gone,” Junghyeok said eventually, making Dokja want to sigh in relief. “He’s swimming back to the shore.”
“At least he can’t exactly get to us by swimming,” Dokja muttered. It wasn’t exactly one of Seth’s talents.
[The constellation, Demonic Judge of Fire, is impressed with your actions!]
[The constellation, Prisoner of the Golden Headband, is laughing at Seth.]
[Constellations have sponsored you 3000 coins.]
“The other teams are fighting each other,” Junghyeok noted. “But none of them are targeting us.”
Dokja nodded. As expected, with Seth out of the way, the incarnations once again became the primary competition, and the antagonism of the giant story took over. Perhaps they thought that messing with Dokja and Junghyeok’s boat – the boat that had felled Seth’s – was a bad idea. It meant that the pair had a tense but relatively easy travel. Dokja wondered what it would be like to do this without the fear of dying. Just him and Junghyeok, and the wind in their hair. It was almost scenic.
“Focus, Dokja,” Junghyeok said as he shot at a competitor who drew a bit too close for comfort. “We haven’t won yet.”
Dokja smiled. “Of course.”
[The winner of the stone boat race has been decided,] Maat announced when Dokja, Junghyeok, and the other surviving incarnation teams gathered back on the shore before the dais. The observing gods were all assembled on their thrones, with Ra smirking from her seat. Horus stood by Maat’s side, looking calm. [The winners are the representatives of Horus!]
[You have met the conditions to clear the sub scenario.]
[You have earned 2000 coins.]
Seth seethed from his place near Horus. It was clear he hated all of this. Dokja wondered why he even agreed to participate in a scenario he knew he was meant to lose. Contendings was similar to Gigantomachia in some ways: Papyrus ran it a lot for incarnations to try for. The roles were set. Perhaps Seth had no choice in the matter, but still wanted to try and change things.
Dokja thought it would get exhausting over time, and being the villain would probably be uncomfortable. How could you face your companions in the nebula if they planned on stories where you always lost?
[Rest tonight,] Maat said to the incarnations. [For tomorrow is the final match. You will be facing off against your own partner. And the goal is domination.]
Incarnations blinked. There were fewer of them now, with many leaving after the boat race, too damaged by their competitors to go on. Everyone could have won the scenario, given Seth didn’t make it to the shore in a boat, but the incarnation infighting outdid many of them.
[Sub Scenario – Domination]
Category: Sub
Difficulty: S
Clear Conditions: Domination over your partner.
Time Limit: 1 day
Reward: 4000 Coins
Failure: Seth will win the round.
Dokja studied the message, a bit unsurprised. It made sense. Now each party resembled the true battle: that between Seth and Horus. If there could be only one winner, then one must come out on top.
[Good luck,] Maat said.