[Personal bounty scenario has occurred at the request of some constellations!]
< Bounty Scenario – Omegaverse >
Category: Sub
Difficulty: D
Clear Conditions:
Survive
Complete a scenario of higher difficulty
Time Limit: 10 days.
Reward: 100000 coins per person
Failure: Death
*All members participating in the personal bounty scenario will have the Omegaverse sub-gender (Alpha, Beta, Omega) classification assigned to them. This is assigned via personal attributes, personalities, and a small random factor.
*Due to the size and mean age of the Nebula
*Penalty of sexual affection or physical injury is a decrease in all skills by 30% each time, effective until the end of the scenario.
*For more information on the sub-genders, press
Everyone in Kim Dokja's Company was already awake, with diligent ones already out and training in the waking rays of the sun. Kim Dokja fell into a latter category of late arrivals, and was therefore eating his breakfast with the lazy half of the nebula who also didn't brave the cold winter morning. When the scenario arrived, his mouth had been occupied with a mouthful of porridge, and the sheer shock at the words 'Omegaverse' had caused him to spit it out and hack violently. The gasps of confusion and clattering of dropped utensils around the table notified Kim Dokja that this scenario was indeed not just him and that all members seemed to have received the outlandish scenario.
Kim Dokja was speechless as he read the blue screen, which was glowing innocently in the morning dawn. A bounty scenario of difficulty D but with a penalty of death?? Isn't this too extreme? How do any constellations even have the probability to support this?
Not the mention the looming white letters that spelt out 'OMEGAVERSE'. Kim Dokja rubbed his eyes in disbelief, but the words did not change. There's no way. Kim Dokja simply refused to believe it. There's no way they're seriously shifting probability to input us into an erotic fiction genre.
Poor Lee Hyunsung shook Kim Dokja's arm. "Dokja-ssi! Do you know what this is?"
"...Honestly, I'm just as confused as you are-"
"What's an Omegaverse?? What do sub-genders even mean?"
Kim Dokja strained a smile, prying Lee Hyunsung's painfully strong grip off his white coat. Trust me, you don't want to know .
Being the avid web novel reader he was, he had, of course, brushed shoulders with the tainted world of omegaverse. However, due to the nature of the genre, this was excruciatingly embarrassing, and Kim Dokja would rather die again than tell his companions he has read even a little bit of omegaverse before.
Surprisingly, it was Lee Seolhwa that answered. "Omegaverse is a popular fan fiction genre. I don't know why, but it seems we will be mimicking the sub-gender categories from the troupe, which are Alpha, Beta, and Omega." She paused, flicking through long paragraphs of information on the blue screen before her, "It's complicated, but put simply, Alpha is dominant, Beta is neutral, and Omega is submissive."
"... How do you know that, Seolhwa?" Lee Hyunsung wondered in admiration.
"The extra info on the scenario, also just some medical books I purchased just then." She looked at the scraggly group of people sitting around the dining table, mostly half awake and confused. "It'll help you to check out the information if you want, and I can help with any further confusion. I'm a doctor, you know, for any concerns you may have."
"... Seolhwa-unni, you're amazing!" Lee Jihye grinned as she smacked the older woman's coat affectionately.
Kim Dokja nodded along with the rest of Kim Dokja's Company present. Lee Seolhwa was surprisingly helpful here, a welcome event that meant Kim Dokja's guilty secret was safe.
Jung Heewon, a morning riser but had eaten with most of the company today, flicked open her character profile. "So, let's see… oh, I'm assigned Alpha. I assume that's good."
Lee Jihye seemed more excited than Jung Heewon. "Heewon-unni, I knew you'd be Alpha! You're so scary, I even imagine you have pheromones sometimes because it's so intimidating!" Smirking, she punched Jung Heewon in the shoulder. "You're so cool."
Kim Dokja decided not to comment on the fact that Lee Jihye seemed to know more than she should about Omegaverse.
Shin Yoosung had been sitting quietly beside Kim Dokja, but nervously tugged on his arm. "Ahjussi, I'm a Beta, what does that mean?"
Horrified, Kim Dokja suddenly felt an affinity with all the parents that had to explain sex to children. However, like the coward he was, Kim Dokja would never say it and would much rather avoid the topic. "Is there any more info in your attributes window?"
Shin Yoosung looked thoughtfully for a second, before shaking her head. "No, it's all censored".
He sighed in relief. Thank god the children can't see what the sub-genders mean. "Don't concern yourself, it's only important for the adults. You'll feel nothing."
He ruffled her hair. Time had slipped away from Kim Dokja, and his incarnation was growing taller, but it still didn't stop him from patting her.
She blinked cutely before nodding in affirmation. "If Ahjussi says so."
Naturally, Kim Dokja was very curious about everyone's sub-gender classifications. The novelty of the scenario petered out quickly since they had to deal with the usual scenarios around them that took precedence, so the nebulae had stopped talking about it casually. To them, who were untainted by the deep cesspools of fanfiction genres such as omegaverse, the extra attribute they had for 10 days was little more than a word on the screen. Even though Kim Dokja's knowledge of the erotic genre was limited, he was rather eager to know but too embarrassed to ask.
Thankfully, he had his Character List skill, one of the few skills that Kim Dokja had that was perfect for avoiding Social Situations. He checked everyone he could using his skill, spending the next few hours running around to the separate training areas where his companions were scattered. To his dismay, all of the nebulae were either Alpha or Beta, with a concerning lack of Omega. The majority were assigned Beta, and the few Alphas were slightly surprising. There was Jung Heewon, which was a no-brainer. Han Sooyoung was a surprising contender, and Kim Dokja almost gasped when Yoo Sangah told him she was an Alpha. He was slightly surprised Lee Hyunsung was not an Alpha; instead, he was a Beta. But upon reflection, Kim Dokja agreed that with the poor man's limited knowledge of the topic, it was best for his mental sanity he was neutral.
The last man he checked was Yoo Joonghyuk, who had missed the group surprise in the morning due to his insane protagonist sleep schedule. The bastard in question was training his sword movements topless, his muscles glistening in the midday sun as his torso shifted. Kim Dokja huffed at his perfect body, feeling a sudden urge to go over and touch it. Purely out of physical admiration, of course.
From a distance, Kim Dokja spotted Jang Hayoung crouching, watching Yoo Joonghyuk's practice with keen intent. Waving, he approached her, choosing to stand beside her hunched back as they both looked at Yoo Joonghyuk's moving body. A quick look already confirmed that Jang Hayoung was a Beta.
"What're you doing?" Kim Dokja asked casually.
"I'm attempting to burn his techniques into my retinas."
"..." Kim Dokja decided to stay silent, so they sat there, listening to the drone of insects and the distant grunts of Yoo Joonghyuk. Damn, is it just me, or is it rather hot today?
As he fanned his face weakly, Kim Dokja opened up Yoo Joonghyuk's profile, which was just in range for him to do so.
Alpha. Of course, he is. There's no surprise there. But he was the last person in the nebula Kim Dokja checked, so how come there was not a single Omega? Doesn't that make the scenario slightly pointless? Kim Dokja tapped his chin thoughtfully before sighing, causing Jang Hayoung to glance in his direction. Honestly, it's for the better. That means there won't be any conflict between Omega and Alphas.
"Dokja-ssi, what is your Sub-gender, by the way?" Jang Hayoung inquired suddenly.
Kim Dokja started, forced out of his contemplation. Of course, Kim Dokja wanted to know as well, but he had already come to the realisation he could not see since the 4th wall blocked his attributes window. So Kim Dokja was as much in the dark as everyone else.
"...Guess", he smiled.
Jang Hayoung pursed her lips in thought before slowly replying, "... The Demon King of Salvation would be an Alpha,"
Kim Dokja smiled bigger.
"However, Kim Dokja…" she gave him a knowing look of pity.
"..." What? Aren't we the same person??
Unexpecting the blow to his gut, Kim Dokja pouted, facing towards the muscly figure in the distance again. There's no way he could be an Omega, Kim Dokja reasoned. He assumed he was probably a Beta, or even possibly an Alpha. In his amusing contemplation of being an Alpha, Kim Dokja did not register the figure was getting closer until a rough voice growled, "Kim Dokja. Where are you staring."
Kim Dokja blinked at the larger man, whose hunky body glistened slightly with sweat, his breaths slightly laboured. Even though Yoo Joonghyuk's figure blocked the wintry sun, Kim Dokja felt a creeping uncomfortableness that itched in his skin, making his blood rush and his fingers twitch. Suddenly restless, Kim Dokja pulled at his collar, replying distractedly, "Nothing. Just lost in my thoughts, haha."
Yoo Joonghyuk followed Kim Dokja's fingertips with his eyes, which were now unbuttoning the top of his shirt. Raising an eyebrow, Yoo Joonghyuk grunted, "Are you okay."
Oh man, it's getting hotter. The uncomfortable itch was spreading throughout Kim Dokja's body, and he was starting to feel a bit woozy for some reason. Scratching his neck, Kim Dokja quickly replied, "Yep, never been better, what are you talking about?" laughing nervously.
Jang Hayoung's wide eyes flickered between the two men before standing up abruptly. "I, um, need to go train." She said breezily, before jogging off.
"Um. Yep. Me too. I'll… I'll get going now" Kim Dokja turned to bolt, but a large hand clamped down on the back of his neck.
"Where do you think you're going?"
And then, that's when Kim Dokja smelt it. An oppressive, metallic tang that smothered his senses, making his vision flicker and his headache pound at his skull. The air felt so thick that, especially with the burning imprints on Yoo Joonghyuk's hand on his neck, Kim Dokja struggled to breathe, his thoughts getting frantic. What is happening to me right now??
Like there was suddenly a fissure in his storage of stamina, the strength in his body slowly depleted, and Kim Dokja fought to stay conscious. He clawed weakly at the hand on his neck, before his knees gave out with a wheeze and Yoo Joonghyuk suddenly found himself holding up Kim Dokja's limp body.
"...Kim Dokja?"
There was no response besides laboured pants.
Yoo Joonghyuk stared before turning him over by the shoulders and inspecting Kim Dokja's flushed face. His long eyelashes fluttered as his breathing came out in pants, his cheeks and skin pink and burning to the touch. He didn't know why, but Kim Dokja's face suddenly looked rather delicate. The thought made him instantly want to choke Kim Dokja. What was that.
He looked like he was having a fever, so, concerned, Yoo Joonhyuk threw Kim Dokja's delirious body over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes before running to the infirmary. Lee Seolhwa took one look at Kim Dokja's pathetic state before sternly ushering Yoo Joonghyuk outside, saying she'll treat him quickly. Strangely, Yoo Joonghyuk wanted to keep holding the weak man in his grasp, so it took some mental effort before he left the room, an unfamiliar feeling clouding his mind. What was that just now?
Yoo Joonghyuk had woken up that morning like any other morning, just before dawn, to prepare breakfast and begin training. When the scenario notification appeared, he had been outside the complex practising his movements, the sky melting from yellow to baby blue above him. Perplexed, Yoo Joonghyuk scowled deeper as he read the contents, but nevertheless, it seemed like easy money, so he dismissed it after a while. He had never heard of 'Omegaverse' before, and it just seemed like an irritating sub-scenario for the pleasure of some constellations. Incensed, he jabbed his sword harder into the air.
Soon, the rest of his companions were seen milling around in the complex, chatting about irrelevant things again. He heard snatches of Omegaverse between them and contemplated the fact that others may have gotten the same scenario. This was confirmed by Lee Gilyoung's irate figure when he bolted up to him, grilling Yoo Joonghyuk about his sub-gender. Upon confirmation that Yoo Joonghyuk was an Alpha, Lee Gilyoung fell to the ground in despair, and Lee Jihye, who had been running up behind him, laughed in triumph. "Hah, serves you right for betting! Now give me 200 coins."
Lee Gilyoung reluctantly made the transfer. "I bet Hyung is an Alpha, though," he said with an air of superior confidence. Lee Jihye barked another laugh. "Perhaps. I mean, I've got nothing to lose, I'll bet 200 coins Dokja is a Beta instead". Lee Gilyoung glared fiercely. "Deal."
Yoo Joonghyuk scowled at the two annoying teenagers that had interrupted his training. Lee Jihye threw her hand to her nose as she looked at Yoo Joonghyuk, subtle horror tinted with admiration filling her gaze. "Sorry, master! We'll be going, uh," She pulled at Lee Gilyoung's frozen figure. "Damn, your pheromones are so strong even us betas are affected… crazy man…" Lee Jihye muttered under her breath, which did not go unmissed by Yoo Joonghyuk's superior hearing. His expression darkened, and Lee Jihye managed to run off, pulling along Lee Gilyoung's stumbling figure. The entire exchange was short, but it left the irritated man with more questions, and he pulled out his sword in anger. He didn't understand what was happening and why everything felt so off, and this infuriated Yoo Joonghyuk. Stabbing at the air, he grunted in rage, needing an explanation right this instant to smooth out the hurricane of thoughts in his head.
Not soon after, he noticed Kim Dokja's white coat in the distance, seemingly watching him fixedly with Jang Hayoung beside him. Yoo Joonghyuk's noisy mind clicked, reaching a thought. I bet that nosy man knows what's going on. His body started in Kim Dokja's direction, and to his repressed surprise, the man didn't try to run away even though his gaze was locked on Yoo Joonghyuk.
"Kim Dokja. Where are you staring." he had said, absently noticing Kim Dokja's flushed appearance. Uncharacteristically, the usually composed man flushed deeper, looking hot despite the average temperature. Kim Dokja was saying something, his pink lips opening and closing, and his fingers were delicately undoing the top button of his dark shirt. Yoo Joonghyuk felt suddenly rooted to the ground as his eyes traced Kim Dokja's fingertips, a broiling sensation inside his chest, his heartbeat thumping loudly in his ears. A cloudy haze was threatening Yoo Joonghyuk's mind, and he fought to stay on track with the thoughts that were assaulting his mind. What. His fists curled at his sides as he forced out an "Are you okay". Yoo Joonghyuk thought he should be asking that to himself. In inner turmoil, he tried to make sense of the unexpected barrage of emotions, his mood worsening the longer he looked at Kim Dokja's agitated countenance. Why am I feeling this when I look at this man.
The discomposure reached a peak, and Kim Dokja turned to bolt away, but Yoo Joonghyuk's arm reflexively shot out and grabbed his neck. It was warm under his grip, and he could feel the muscles working as Kim Dokja swallowed. Aggravated, Yoo Joonghyuk attempted to ask him something, but his mind was clouding faster, and he concluded reasonably that this man was doing this to him.
He expected the annoying man to jump out of his grip and utilize some of his skills to run away, as he usually would. He didn't expect Kim Dokja's weak attempts at freeing himself before giving up entirely. His limp body shook with pants, but otherwise, he didn't respond to Yoo Joonghyuk's cautious questioning, causing his mind to explode with worry and alarm. Yoo Joonghyuk delivered him to Lee Seolhwa in haste, realising something was wrong with Kim Dokja and also himself, as evident by his heavy breathing and fidgeting hands when he paced out the medical room.
As soon as Kim Dokja had been out of sight in the room, Yoo Joonhyuk felt a sudden lift of the haze that clouded his mind, and his body was slowly calming down, the heat that had engulfed his body cooling away. Shoving on a shirt, he felt invariably angry at Kim Dokja - of course, the meddling man had probably done something again, right? To make Yoo Joonghyuk feel this way.
Lee Seolhwa stepped outside the room, casting a meaningful glance over Yoo Joonghyuk's scowling appearance.
"He'll be alright, I thankfully had appropriate medication ready."
"What's wrong with him?" Yoo Joonghyuk clenched and unclenched his fists.
"Just … scenario effects," Lee Seolhwa paused, "... You do know about the bounty scenario, right?"
Yoo Joonghyuk furrowed his eyebrows, remembering the annoying impromptu scenario with all its complicated instructions and extra notes. "I saw the notification."
Lee Seolhwa sighed. "Well, it has affecting factors that only apply to the sub-genders Alpha and Omega."
Yoo Joonghyuk schooled his face. "What do you mean by that?"
"Did you read the extra information?"
"No."
She sighed again. "Oh well, I'm assuming you're an Alpha, right?"
"...Yes"
"That means you're mimicking the 'dominant' figures from the Omegaverse. They release pheromones that can affect mainly Omegas, and other Alphas. Pheromones are similar to status in some ways, but it's more a literal scent that you emit depending on moods."
Yoo Joonghyuk briefly remembered Lee Jihye's mumbled exasperation.
"Omegas emit them too, but it's more of an alluring scent towards Alphas as they are biologically 'submissive'" Lee Seolhwa blanched. "Their pheromones only really affect Alphas."
"That sounds annoying."
Lee Seolhwa looked away. "It sure is. Pheromones emitted can affect the countenance of others around you. Kim Dokja… well…" She was silent for a bit.
Yoo Joonghyuk scowled again. "What, is he an Alpha? Is that why I feel so irritated when I see him? It's like a fog across my mind."
Lee Seolhwa quirked an eyebrow, interested. "You have a hazy mind when looking at Kim Dokja? Any other symptoms or emotions?"
Yoo Joonghyuk frowned. "It feels like there's too much happening in my mind, like all my senses are heightened. And it becomes hard to control around that man"
Both eyebrows raised, Lee Seolhwa looked at Yoo Joonghyuk, calculating something beyond Yoo Joonghyuk's comprehension. "... Interesting," she said eventually, whipping out a notepad from somewhere and jotting something down.
"But anyway, rest assured that Kim Dokja is not an Alpha. In fact, it's quite the opposite." Lee Seolhwa's face was full of pity, crimson lips frowning as she tapped her pen against her chin. "He'd much appreciate it if you didn't mention it, though."
Yoo Joonghyuk was unsure of what to say. Lee Seolhwa didn't explicitly state it, but the opposite of Alpha was… Omega, right? A struggle ensued in his mind to connect the definition of Omega to Kim Dokja. It wasn't really connecting. All Yoo Joonghyuk remembers is the man who defiantly stood up against multiple constellations and gods, confronting the scenarios and always thinking up new plans to help everyone survive. His life and death companion, the one who never backed down from a challenge, and always doing things that got on Yoo Joonghyuk's nerves but inevitably saved everyone else. Every time he died, Yoo Joonghyuk wanted to strangle him, shake him and scream at him why he did that, to hopefully knock some sense into the stupid man.
He felt another headache creeping into his skull, and he pinched his nose bridge in frustration. Lee Seolhwa saw this and patted his arm.
"Don't worry, he is just fine right now. It might be better for you to reflect on your possible pheromones and how to control them. You might not realise it, but you're probably emitting them unknowingly and affecting others. Especially Kim Dokja. He'd be specifically susceptible to your pheromones."