Lee Sookyung is the mother of Kim Dokja, the protagonist of Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint. She is the Wanderer King, leading the New Wave group of wanderers and using what Kim Dokja told her about Ways of Survival to make her way through the scenarios.
Personality[]
Lee Sookyung cares deeply for her son, Kim Dokja, but ultimately always has a degree of separation to him that would never fade. Although she pays astronomical and impossible prices, she is never able to properly protect Kim Dokja no matter her determination or perseverance. These facts hold true even before and after the scenarios occur. Knowing her limits, she resolves to put herself in for front of the attack and for her son, believing that she knows what is best.
Appearance[]
In her first appearance during Main Scenario 5, prior to the appearance of the Disasters, she is described as wearing a mask and having reddish-brown hair long enough to cover most of her body including her face. She is later described as wearing a prison uniform.
She is described as having short hair without bangs. She appears as though she is in her late 30s, looking young enough that she has previously been mistaken for Kim Dokja's cousin or girlfriend. She has a quiet and intelligent face, with thin lips and a neat, tidy feel about her.
Early History[]
When Kim Dokja was born, Lee Sookyung wanted to give him the hanja for Dokja that would mean "reader". She eventually introduced him to reading, which would later become his favourite hobby. She specifically taught him the benefits of reading a story again and again, even after having finished it once. As Lee Sookyung's husband became increasingly abusive, she would try and defend Kim Dokja from his abuse, but doesn't dare to run away with him—one of her biggest regrets.
Eventually, this culminated in an incident where her husband threatened her and her son with a knife; Kim Dokja would obtain the knife and use it to kill his father. Lee Sookyung, in an attempt to defend her son, framed herself as the one who committed the murder, later going to Seodaemun Prison for her alleged crime.
In order to make sure that no suspicion would ever be cast upon her son for her crime, she wrote a book titled "Underground Killer," in it describing her husband's abusive nature and how she murdered him. It quickly became popular, even reaching the Kyobo Bestsellers list, and Lee Sookyung's and Kim Dokja's lives became public knowledge. Kim Dokja eventually grew to hate Lee Sookyung for dramatizing their lives into a story, and for abandoning him to the spotlight to face the world alone.
While Lee Sookyung was in prison, Kim Dokja often visited her, asking her many questions about why she murdered his father and why she publicized it so much. However, due to her desire to keep Kim Dokja's involvement in the matter secret, she was never able to answer his questions. Thus, in an attempt to have some subject matter to talk to his mother about, Kim Dokja took to telling Lee Sookyung about the novel Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World. He did not finish telling her about the full novel, as he eventually grew tired of her lack of response and stopped visiting her.
Synopsis[]
Main Scenario 5[]
Lee Sookyung briefly appears following the destruction of the Absolute Throne as the King of Wanderers, leading the New Wave group, a group of Wanderers from Soedaemun Prison. She sends Cho Youngran to inform Kim Dokja and Han Sooyoung that she and her group will handle the Disaster to the North, then leaves with her group.
Main Scenario 6[]
Lee Sookyung makes her first speaking appearance, joining the other Kings as they attempt to decide representatives to send to Peace Land. She speaks with Kim Dokja and sends one of her group members, Lee Boksoon, with him, but not before reprimanding his actions that deviated the original plot of the book.
Salvation Church[]
While the more powerful incarnations are away in Peace Land, Nirvana Moebius is summoned to the Seoul Dome and quickly takes control of the city. He manages to defeat all of the existing powerful groups of people, including Lee Sookyung and her band of wanderers. Lee Sookyung is captured and interrogated by Nirvana in an attempt to discern some information about Kim Dokja. While she initially denies any relation to Kim Dokja, her memories are eventually read by Nirvana. She survives the encounter, and either escapes afterwards or is saved by Yoo Joonghyuk on his own volition after he saves Yoo Sangah on Kim Dokja's request.
Dark Castle[]
Having paid 20 years of her life to read the fate placed on Kim Dokja, which predicted his death if he went to the next scenario, Lee Sookyung works with her companions to capture Kim Dokja and Han Sooyoung to stop them from going to the Scenario. She said she had Dokja killed to remove the Fate placed upon him, since the fate was that Dokja would die at the person he loves most, She deduced it was herself and welcomes him for being saved by herself. Dokja coldly rebukes this, as he still hears the fate message and sarcastically asks her if she really believed he loved her the most. Sookyung responds saying she loves him, even more than herself, and tells him he will not leave this place until the scenario was finished. Dokja becomes hostile, however, and activates Way of the Wind. Sookyung's Constellation warns Dokja not to engage, and when he does not back down, she traps Dokja in a small cave using the Eight Beaded Bell.
She leaves, with her subordinates concerned if her actions were warranted, and she should just tell the truth about Dokja's accidental murder. She brushes it off, and meets with Dokja's companions and says they must team up for the next stage of the Castle. Joonghyuk asks where Dokja was, and she tells him he will not be participating. Joonghyuk and the others become aggressive at Sookyung's decision to keep him hostage, and they engage in combat with the wanderers.
After Kim Dokja and Han Sooyoung escape the cave, they notice Lee Sookyung heavily injured and holding her own against Dokja's companions. He decides to try reaching out to Sookyung, who seems to calm down, but she is suddenly hit with the pressure of Probability, and the Eight Beaded Bell destroyed. The Founder's Mother, Sookyung's sponsor acting as Sookyung's shadow, attacks Kim Dokja and the others and warns them to not go past the Scenario. Ultimately, they manage to call an Outer God called the Eater of Dreams to the fight, which ends up picking up Sookyung and eating her.
Kim Dokja is eventually able to enter Eater of Dreams and convince it to spare Lee Sookyung's stories in exchange for his own. However, Kim Dokja's story overwhelmed the Eater of Dreams and it ended up being eaten by the Fourth Wall. The Fourth Wall, still hungry for more, ends up eating Lee Sookyung as well. Her existence slowly fades away inside the wall, but Kim Dokja eventually manages to convince the wall to spit her out despite knowing the harm they inflicted on each other. Although she forgets most of experience inside the wall, she remembers that she managed to ask it how to save her son from the fate of death, to which she also remembered the answer: "Kim Dokja already knows how to do it."[3]
Before Kim Dokja heads out to engage in Main Scenario 10, he has a conversation with Lee Sookyung where they barely speak to each other. In this conversation, despite wanting to go herself, she agrees to send her subordinate Cho Youngran with Kim Dokja's party. She ultimately says that she believes in Kim Dokja's choice, and is left behind to recover from the experience of being eaten.[4]
Three Year Timeskip[]
After Kim Dokja's expulsion from the scenario, Lee Sookyung ends up becoming close friends with Yoo Sangah and Han Sooyoung. Han Sooyoung repeatedly convinces her to use her stigma, "Good or Bad Luck, Disaster of Happiness Fortune," on Kim Dokja, which allows her to see a rough fortune of his fate.
Returnee Invasion[]
Lee Sookyung was one of the people left on Earth to defend against the Returnee Invasion, calling upon the Constellations on <Hongik> to fight and actually holding her own. However, she is eventually unable to continue paying the price of probability, and is fatally wounded in battle. Joonghyuk carries her on his back and brings her back to the Industrial Complex. Despite the expertise of both Aileen Makerfield and Lee Seolhwa, she is not able to wake up and her condition gradually worsens.
Kim Dokja eventually arrives back to the Industrial Complex with Surya, who provides them with Soma, an star fluid with great healing powers. Unfortunately, both Yoo Sangah and Lee Sookyung are fatally injured, and Surya only has enough to save one person. After much deliberation and guilt, Dokja chooses to heal his mother, who survives.
1865th Regression[]
After the destruction of the Star Stream, <Kim Dokja's Company> decides to recruit people to Group Regress with. During this period, Sookyung looks back during the Dark Castle Scenario and wonders whether Dokja would still be here with them had she managed to keep him. She heads over to Persephone and asks her to join their group. Persephone, who adopted Kim Dokja, agrees, and the two mothers of Kim Dokja both regress to the 1865th round.
Abilities[]
Stigma[]
- Good or Bad Luck, Disaster or Happiness Fortune: allows the user to see if the future will be lucky, unlucky, disastrous, or fortunate.[2]
Items[]
- Eight Beaded Bell: has the ability to seal the ‘story’ of a person.
- Heavenly Mirror fragment: reveals some details about the future.[2]
Gallery[]
Ebook Illustration[]
Webtoon[]
Quotes[]
- “It isn’t important to read the letters. The important thing is where the letters lead you.”[5]
- “This is the end. There is no ‘next.’ However, just because it is the end doesn’t mean you’ve seen the whole story. Read it again.”[5]
References
- ↑ Sing Shong’s post for Munpia’s fanart contest (팬아트 이벤트용 등장인물 외형 묘사입니다) (English translation)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 ORV Novel Chapter 254 (read original)
- ↑ Chapter 185
- ↑ Chapter 184
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 ORV Novel Chapter 170 (read original)