Ummm... Dokja find his 'Hanibaram'...? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

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[Kim Dokja's POV]

Kim Dokja stared blankly at the message on his smartphone for a moment. The author of his favorite novel has just sent an attachment after saying that his novel will be monetized at 07.00. Glancing at the time shown on the screen, it was already 06.55 at night, that means there were only 5 minutes left.

His fingers tried to open the Webnovel app to search for the only novel he had been reading, only to feel a panicked sense as he found the novel missing!

Giving him no time to comprehend, the subway lights suddenly went out, plunging his field of vision into pitch black.

The subway train shook violently, trying to stop with a very loud metallic sound.

The rest of the train was filled with noise, screams, panic and gripping anxiety.

And ends with the sound:

[The free service of planetary system 8612 has been terminated]

[The Main Scenario has started]

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The Dokkaebi appears, the briefing on Main Scenario #1, followed by the commotion on the train, the locust scramble, and the ones killed for failing.

In just a short time, Kim Dokja's life completely changed.

Sighing, Dokja sat down on the subway seat for a moment. His dark eyes stared at the remaining survivors from behind his bangs.

There were Yoo Sangah, Lee Hyunsung, the boy named Lee Gilyoung, Han Myungoh and himself. He gazed blankly at Kim Namwoon's corpse on the other side of the subway briefly.

"Are you okay Dokja-ssi?" Sangah asked, becoming concerned when she saw the other man lowering his gaze, seemingly thinking about something.

"It's okay, Sangah-ssi. I’m just trying to clear my mind for a moment.", replied Dokja with his signature smile. Patting Gilyoung's head once again, Dokja thought that the novel he had been reading for the last 10 years had now become a reality. That meant-

Dokja's eyes widened.

[  Fluttering red hair was the first thing Yoo Jonghyuk noticed. In the deafening silence, with rose gold thunderbolts in the background, the wind gently fluttered, delivering the smell of nature that has long been forgotten by humans. Reddish-brown eyes stared at Jonghyuk with a gentle look and no judgment. Only acceptance, and a serenity so intense you could almost call the mystic man 'home' .

Yoo Jonghyuk wanted the man to stand by his side.  ]

.....Hanibaram.

A chance to meet Hanibaram.

-And Yoo Jonghyuk, of course.

But Hanibaram!

Unknowingly, a genuine smile appeared on Dokja's face and soon turned into a sly grin as his gaze travelled to the other subway train door.

If the novel had started from the beginning, then Yoo Jonghyuk was only at the initial regression. He hasn’t reached 20 and over yet. Meanwhile, the meeting between the protagonist and The Heart of Nature, Hanibaram, took place in Main Scenario #17, in Yoo Jonghyuk's 30th regression.

His hands clenched with momentary determination.

Meeting Hanibaram was one of his goals now. After surviving this apocalyptic world, the entire main scenario, and this world's actual epilogue.

"-kja-ssi? Dokja-ssi?! Are you okay?", waking up from his reverie, Sangah's face was only a few inches in front of him, looking very worried when the other man didn't respond.

“A-ah, yes, Sangah-ssi?”, awkwardly, the brown-haired woman then pointed at the transparent blue screen in front of Dokja. It was showing a list of several Constellations that were interested in sponsoring him.

"Oh yeah, thanks for waking me up, Sangah-ssi. I was lost in thought for a moment,", explained Dokja with a small smile.

"It's fine, Dokja-ssi. It's just that there are two names flashed in front of me, what should I do?" Sangah's question made the others also look forward to the answer. Dokja explained briefly, and the selection began.

It ended with Kim Dokja, who was without sponsors and them trying to get out of the subway.

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The Han River swirled with terrifying currents beneath. The roar of the Ichthyosaurus further exacerbated the grin plastered on the protagonist, Yoo Jonghyuk's face!

"If you really are a 'Prophet', you should know your future, isn’t that right?" Dokja stared at the calmly speaking protagonist. Damn, the interrogation wasn't even over yet but the grip on his collar was getting tighter.

The roars of the monsters grew closer. His feet below felt very bare without a footing. Yikes, there was a mouth waiting to devour him below.

For the first time, Dokja started to feel nervous. There were 20 seconds left before the scenario ended, think of a solution, Dokja! You know this sunfish better than anyone else!

"Yoo Jonghyuk." The other man's gaze refocused. Dokja refrained from chuckling.

"I will tell you three things."

"... What?"

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

"…” Yoo Jonghyuk only gave him a skeptical look.

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

Yoo Jonghyuk looked at him with a look of interest, before giving a curt nod.

"What's the third?" asked the taller man in a cold voice. The reply he got was a smirk that was starting to form on the 'Prophet's face.

"Third, I will find Hanibaram first." The gaze of interest became momentary confusion. Dokja chuckled. This Jonghyuk really hadn't met Hanibaram yet!

Annoyed by the other men, the protagonist tightened his grip.

"Well, what is your answer?" Dokja answered in a cheerful voice.

"Get your hand off me and get lost, you damn jerk."

The force gripping his collar disappeared, gravity now exercising its rights. Yoo Jonghyuk's face looked so happy and he even smiled brightly as he watched him fall.

"I believe you. You are definitely a Prophet."  Sunfish bastard.

Well, that was fine.

Dokja would survive this test and find Hanibaram before that jerk protagonist.

Just wait!

[You have failed to clear The Scenario]

... shibal. Looks like Dokja would have to use that method after all.

*****

His consciousness started to return as the cold water of the river hit his senses.

He survived! The method worked!

Of course, he couldn't die in vain because of that bastard protagonist! He had not even met Hanibaram now when the opportunity was before his eyes!

He earned 14,800 coins. The amount exceeded his expectations but did not fade his smile. Making Bihyung, his rented Dokkaebi however made him let out an irritated sigh. Finishing all the confrontations with Bihyung, the advertisements troubling the constellations, the purchases in Dokkaebi's bag and the bargaining with Bihyung, Dokja stared at the dead city with alacrity.

"Let's get out of here."

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[You have entered the region of the second main scenario]

[The land in the scenario area is deeply polluted]

[Be careful about your breathing and move underground as quickly as possible]

[You have been exposed to poisonous fog]

Dokja looked at his skin and the splatters of black spots from being exposed to the poison fog. His mind became irritated for a moment, especially with the roar of a class 7 monster ‘Great Poisonous Rhinoceros’ from further away that made Dokja hold his breath. He wasn't ready to face the monster yet.

With Monkey Ellan's lung item, Dokja should be able to arrive at the nearest station, Gumho Station, in 20 minutes. However, his feet turned towards the nearest shop. His current clothes were very unsightly to look at.

That's how he found a woman while gathering materials.  The woman was lucky enough to survive with the mask on, it even turned out to be helpful as Dokja took the woman away.

Exit 4.

The door to the underground station.

It was only another 50 meters away when a flash of red entered Kim Dokja's field of vision.

The woman he had been carrying moved a little, realizing that her saviour had stopped running.

"Wh-why did you... stop...?", not paying heed to the other's low voice, as if possessed by something, Dokja ran towards the source of the redness, in a secluded alley quite a distance from Exit 4. But, but-!

“H-hey-ugh-!”

Dokja first noticed the smell of nature.

His black eyes widened, staring silently at the (almost faded) transparent gold shield protecting someone in the alley. The humming sound from the shield hypnotized Dokja, and he unknowingly reached out his hand.

His actions did not escape the woman in his arms.

The moment his finger touched the outer layer, the shield shattered with bits of gold fading into the air, dispelling the poisonous fog around them. The black-haired woman’s eyes widened at the sight.

"... -ugh..", came out a rough breath. It was as if the other figure was trying to endure the pain he was suffering from.  But, what Dokja focused on more right now were the features of the stranger.

Long red hair.

Pale skin.

Long black eyelashes, so long Dokja could see how the eyelashes of the figure in front of him even from a distance away.

"... Hanibaram?" Dokja muttered with an empty voice, so stunned that his mind went blank.

The one who was summoned seemed to respond by tilting his head.

The reddish-brown orbs collided with Dokja's black orbs.

"... hm? A-ah... fuck you, God of Death...,", an incomprehensible grumble escaped the mouth of the figure Hanibaram that Dokja recognized.

Eh? Wasn't Hanibaram first introduced in Main Scenario #17?

Eh?

EH?

EH?!

"You're hurt!" Placing the woman on the other side of the alley wall, Dokja crouched in front of the red-haired man and paled as he saw a pool of blood beneath the red-haired figure. His eyes followed the flow of blood and stopped at his heart.

Hanibaram... his heart had been stabbed.

His heart had been stabbed.

Realization hit his mind viciously.

This meant, Hanibaram had actually died many times? In the same place? Here? Where there was no one who could help him, in an alley so far away from the crowds. If Dokja hadn’t looked, would he have seen Hanibaram? How did he appear in Main Scenario #17? Who saved him? Who-

"W-where was he injured?" His panicked thoughts were interrupted when he heard a female voice behind him.

You idiot, Kim Dokja! Now is not the time to think!

Hanibaram's safety was the priority now!

"We have to save him. He's an important person,", the 28-year-old man said to his interlocutor with a serious face, receiving a firm nod in reply.

"Uh, but are you okay?" The woman nodded again.

"The shield that protected that man dispelled the poisonous fog. Surprisingly, I was healed. I can move now, though I’m a bit weak." Grateful with another quick response, Dokja made his moveto hold Hanibaram in his arms, hands slipping under his knees and around his back. With swiftness and caution, he carried the man who was slumping weakly.

"Ugh-!" a stifled scream tinged with pain made Dokja's heart ache for some reason too. Hanibaram has now been found, and he will not let The Heart of Nature die like this.

"Please show me where the nearest clinic is um-"

"Heewon. Jung Heewon."

"-Heewon-ssi. I am Kim Dokja. And potions are not enough to cure Hanibaram." Raising an eyebrow, the woman, Heewon, must be thinking how Dokja could recognize a random stranger. Ah! Now is not the time to think about this, again!

“This way, Dokja-ssi.” Following the footsteps of the woman with the long black hair, passing through the poisonous fog, they ran without a care about their surroundings. Somehow the red-haired man was more important.

When the clinic came into view, without delaying time, Dokja increased his running speed and went inside. With frantic thoughts (which even the Fourth Wall couldn't nullify) he opened the Dokkaebi bag, bought some healing potions, frantically searched for bandages, antibiotics, anesthetics-

"Hey, hey, calm down, Dokja-ssi. If you don't, you're going to mess up.” Jung Heewon immediately felt sympathetic when she saw the man's frightened and pale face. The red-haired man must be very important to Kim Dokja, as to destroy the peace of the older man like this.

"Thank you, Heewon-ssi... for your help."  Smiling slightly, the woman nodded.

The two worked together to treat 'Hanibaram'. With the help of Dokja's experience with injuries, Heewon's quick response, as well as multiple healing potions, they were able to treat him to a point where 'Hanibaram' didn't look terribly sick anymore.

"Is... is this okay for you, Heewon-ssi? We could be late for Main Scenario #2 since I'll be staying here until Hanibaram-ssi gets better." Heewon nodded without objection.

"I will follow you. No problem, Dokja-ssi. It seems he is very important to you. We will do whatever it takes to save the things that are important to us, so that's understandable." Smiling sincerely, Dokja nodded gratefully. Any further support would certainly be very welcome and help Dokja in protecting Hanibaram.

"I'll watch ahead for a bit." This woman that Dokja helped was really great. She adapted quickly and had a very mature mind.

"Alright. Be careful, Heewon-ssi. Don't hesitate to call me if anyone approaches." The other gave a thumbs up and disappeared from his sight, leaving Dokja alone with a sleeping Hanibaram on the clinic bed.

For a moment, Kim Dokja was silent as he watched the unreal figure that was fast asleep. Time was running out now. He took a thorough look at the features in front of him.

Dokja remembers. In the past, he would repeatedly try to curse his Webnovel for not providing illustrations of Hanibaram. Just because he's an extra support character, who appears very rarely, there were no illustration of him?!

The novel only mentioned the characteristics of pale skin, blood red hair, reddish brown eyes and a handsome face that is much beautiful and ethereal at the same time.

Okay. The features were accurate enough, but they didn't capture all the details of the beauty that unfolded before him! An aristocratic face, exuding an aura of nobility. Red full lips, matching the colour of his cheeks and softening his beautiful handsome face.

Even though it was a bit strange to see Hanibaram dressed as if he was from the military, that didn't detract from his beauty! Speaking of, Dokja had to find him other clothes, Hanibaram's clothes were full of blood.

Crouching on the side of the bed where the man was sleeping, Dokja lifted his hand to touch Hanibaram's soft cheek.

Oh Lord.

He was real.

Kim Dokja had saved him!

With a trembling smile, his right hand moved to grip the other's right hand. Thanks for surviving... Dokja couldn't imagine Hanibaram actually dying in this regression, where Dokja didn't have the power, like Jonghyuk, to come back. Even if Jonghyuk regresses, there is a possibility that he won’t exist. Then meeting Hanibaram would have been a big zero!

At once, the smell of nature burst into his senses.

Chuckling softly, Dokja moved to smell the fragrance on the crown of Hanibaram's red head.

"... you..." The smell was so refreshing. He felt calm. There was a hypnotizing cradle coming out of nature's heart smell. The greenery of the forest, rainwater, the rivers, the sea, the fire, the snow- everything about Hanibaram smelt of the real world. A world untouched by evil.

"Hey... how did you end up in this world?" whispered Dokja softly.

"A figure like you..." -smells like ‘home’.

Yoo Jonghyuk was right about Hanibaram.

All the other characters in The Way to Survive were right.

'Hanibaram', like his nickname, meant serenity. They gave the red-haired man the nickname because wherever he went, he calmed everyone down, even monsters. Hence, he was coveted by many Nebulas, Constellations, and all Incarnations.

But, to Kim Dokja's frustration, his character rarely made an appearance by the Author-nim. Dokja had even once protested, leaving comments that went unanswered.

Suddenly, something crossed his mind.

Hanibaram had first appeared in Main Scenario #17 where Yoo Jonghyuk had regressed approximately 30 times. If Dokja hadn't found him dying in the alley earlier, then that would have meant that Hanibaram was destined to die.

However, what was different in Yoo Jonghyuk's 30th regression? Who saved Hanibaram from his death? Were there other hidden figures that Dokja had missed? But, impossible! 10 years was a long time, and he had the complete appendix of the novel on his smartphone!

Dokja pondered.

If this character existed, he would definitely appear by himself. This figure was what had made the difference in Yoo Jonghyuk's 30 regression.

And until that day came, Dokja would not let this red hair man out of his sight.

He would protect Hanibaram.

SEE YOU IN THE NEXT CHAPTER

End Notes :

Sooo, there is one fact that I can say now about this ff :
That Cale doesn't know about the ORV world 👁👄👁

And the ORV plot will deviate from the original, not quite following the Canon. I'll try my best to keep it good ✍(◔◡◔)
Hope you guys like it! (*≧︶≦)