Yoo Joonghyuk/Synopsis

* Webnovel
* Webtoon

* Puppet of the Oldest Dream
* The Punisher
* Breaking the Sky Sword Beauty
* Schweichen Von Kaizenix
* Zhu Bajie / Pigsy

* 33 (end of scenarios)

* Cloud System

> You fool, you are not reading it alone.
>
> Chapter 445

**Yoo Joonghyuk** is the main character of tls123's novel Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World. Throughout Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, he is mainly seen in his 3rd and 1863rd regressions.

In later parts of the novel, it is revealed that what was presented as his 3rd regression was actually his 1864th, and that he experienced major memory loss due to the events of his true 1863rd round.

## Appearance

Yoo Joonghyuk is repeatedly described as extremely handsome by various individuals, including the author of Ways of Survival and Kim Dokja. The latter even uses him as a measurement for others' handsomeness on multiple occasions.

Yoo Joonghyuk has wide black eyes with thin double eyelids and thick eyebrows. His right eye glows golden upon activation of the skill [Sage's Eye]. His hair is black and slightly wavy, cut short. He has tan skin, a sharp nose ridge, and a strong jawline. He is extremely muscular; in particular, he has well-toned biceps and thighs.

Yoo Joonghyuk usually wears a black coat and combat boots. He is implied to wear fingerless gloves. Under the jacket, covers for the novel have shown him to wear a black shirt with a silver collar and buckle, along with close-fitting black pants. He is also depicted as having at least one belt across his chest, along with a sword scabbard worn at his waist, held on by straps attached to his belt and around his thigh.

In his female form, under the pseudonym "Punisher", Yoo Joonghyuk has waist-length hair and deep, sultry eyes beneath neat eyebrows. He is, according to Kim Dokja, thrice as beautiful in his Punisher form than his male form. He is smaller and sleeker than usual in this form, and wears a black cape to cover hide his distinctive clothing.
When acting as Zhu Bajie during the reenactment of Journey to the West, he wears a half-open black vest and tight black jeans.
## Personality

Yoo Joonghyuk was designed as someone 'tougher in body and nobler in heart than any creature in this world'. He is resolute and determined, aiming to accomplish his goals no matter the cost, in particular when aiming for the end of the scenarios. As a protagonist, Yoo Joonghyuk naturally fights for the greater good. He was originally a caring person at heart, doing good where he could, but repeated regressions have worn him down to the point where, in his 1863rd round, he commits enough sins to make him a prime target of the Absolute Good constellations.

Yoo Joonghyuk is normally very confident in his abilities, never backing down from a challenge and typically cutting down his enemies with ease. He is extremely talented in various areas, befitting of his status as a protagonist. He takes pride in his own skill, sometimes to the point of not perceiving anyone else's work as good, as seen when he will eat no one's cooking but his own. Yoo Joonghyuk is smart and strategic; this helps him learn new skills and figure out plans to subvert the scenarios. However, he can also struggle to adapt his strategies and see things from new perspectives. This is a major reason as to why he took 1863 rounds to even get close to the Final Wall; he would struggle to change his strategies and adapt to new situations, easily failing and having to regress.

Yoo Joonghyuk's speech is concise and blunt, often to the point of rudeness. He becomes explicitly rude and threatening when speaking to individuals who irritate him, or who are powerful unknowns. He is sometimes also rude to his own party members, though he looks out for them nonetheless, showing that he cares despite his harshness. Frequently, he expresses himself through actions or expressions rather than words. These include habits such as dragging the tip of his sword along the ground when happy, or his left eyebrow twitching upon making an serious decision. On rare occasions, however, he can be very eloquent and persuasive.

Over the course of his regressions, aside from becoming more open to cruelty, he becomes extremely calculating and cold. He kills those he deems threats and supports those who he believes can aid him. He distances himself even from his own companions; in the 41st round, when his core party members die, he only laments that they are no longer useful. However, this is most likely a tactic to try and minimize the hurt of losing them, as even further regressions show him warming back up to them, selflessly sacrificing himself for them over and over; which is most evidently referenced and shown in his 999th regression.

The trauma he experiences over his regressions result in Yoo Joonghyuk having a tendency to fall into "regression depression", where he easily loses hope on even small failures, and considers giving up and regressing so that he can try again next round. The further into his regressions he is, the stronger the effect of regression depression, until in his 1863rd round, it causes him to fall into a dissociative state where he is completely unresponsive.

## Quotes

* "He is my companion."

* "Tell me, you fool. If I continue to regress, will I ever get to meet you again?"
* "I give you my word. I will definitely return." (To Yoo Mia)
* "There is only my birthday in this life." (Yoo Joonghyuk of the 4th regression, in the first text revision of Three Ways to Survive in a Ruined World)
* "The one who can save the world... It might be you, not me."
* "I won't give up on this life. So don't give up either."

## Trivia

### Translation

* Yoo Joonghyuk's name has been a source of some contention.
	+ The hangul is most directly transliterated as "Yoo Joonghyeok". The "oo" in Y**oo** and J**oo**nghyuk are functionally the same sound, which is why the spelling Yoo Joonghyuk is the one favored on this wiki. The "eo" sound is also often transliterated as "u" in English, hence the change from Joonghy**eo**k to Joonghy**u**k. This "eo" → "u" change can also be seen in other names, such as Lee Hy**u**ns**u**ng's and J**u**ng Heewon's.
	+ However, the first translator used to spell it Yoo Jonghyuk (with only one O in his given name). They have since stated that this was an error, and if possible they'd want to change it.
	+ The second translator changed it to the more accurate Yu Jung-Hyeok, but did not use the "eo" → "u" method, using "oo" → "u" instead and leaving "eo" as is. This was done to keep to the Revised Romanization standards, the current official romanization system in South Korea.
* Kim Dokja often refers to Yoo Joonghyuk as a sunfish. This is likely a reference to the game "Survive! Mola Mola" (mola mola is another name for a sunfish). In the game, you have to keep a sunfish alive and escape the dangers of the sea. However, the sunfish dies because of almost anything and one must start over many times in order to get anywhere; this parallels how Yoo Joonghyuk needed over a thousand rounds in order to even approach a conclusive end to the scenarios, and how he died very easily particularly in the early rounds.
* He dislikes the color white.
* Taking the year that ORV started (2018) to be the same calendar year in-text at the start of the novel, and assuming that all ages are given according to the Korean system, Yoo Joonghyuk's date of birth is August 3, 1991.
* He likes murim dumplings.

## Gallery

Official cover artJoonghyuk smiling as he drops Kim dokja. From the webtoonWebtoonYoo Joonghyuk as Breaking the Sky Sword Beauty
## References

1. ↑ ORV Novel Chapter 356 (read original)
2. ↑ Sing Shong’s post for Munpia’s fanart contest (팬아트 이벤트용 등장인물 외형 묘사입니다) (English translation)
3. ↑ ORV Webtoon Episode 63 (read original)
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 ORV Novel Chapter 547 (read original)
5. ↑ Sing Shong’s post for Munpia’s fanart contest (팬아트 이벤트용 등장인물 외형 묘사입니다) (English translation)
6. ↑ ORV Novel Chapter 256 (read original)
7. ↑ ORV Novel Chapter 294 (read original)
8. ↑ ORV Novel Chapter 228 (read original)
9. ↑ ORV Novel Chapter 428 (read original)
10. ↑ ORV Novel Chapter 541 (read original)
11. ↑ ORV Novel Chapter 43 (read original)
12. ↑ ORV Novel Chapter 285 (read original)
13. ↑ ORV Novel Chapter 247 (read original)
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 ORV Novel Chapter 189 (read original)
15. ↑ ORV Novel Chapter 103 (read original)
16. ↑ ORV Novel Chapter 104 (read original)
17. ↑ ORV Novel Chapter 452 (read original)
18. ↑ ORV Novel Chapter 471 (read original)
19. ↑ ORV Novel Chapter 287 (read original)
20. ↑ ORV Novel Chapter 102 (read original)
21. ↑ ORV Novel Chapter 525 (read original)
22. ↑ ORV Novel Chapter 222 (read original)
23. ↑ ORV Novel Chapter 185 (read original)
24. ↑ Novel Updates Forum, post by user rainbowturtle (archived version)
25. ↑ Chapter 36

## History

Little is known about Yoo Joonghyuk's early life; from his point of view, he simply came into existence as an adult with no memories of his parents or youth. This was because tls123 did not write much about his early life, and therefore it could not be "read" i.e. brought into reality.His earliest memory was of working as an RMT gamer when he was scouted by the director of his company; having recognized his gaming skill, the director helped him become a professional gamer. However, just as his career took off, a baby—supposedly his younger sister—was dropped off at his doorstep. On top of this, major disagreements among his team and abuses of power from his boss led him to quit his company, fading off the gaming circle's radar.

While he raised his sister, Yoo Joonghyuk spent years searching in vain for their parents. He hired detectives to find out more about his family, and while they were unable to locate his parents, they found a house that allegedly belonged to them. Yoo Joonghyuk followed the lead, taking the subway to the address. This attempt, however, was derailed by the start of the scenarios.

In the original Ways of Survival text, Yoo Joonghyuk worked through 1863 regressions before approaching the end of the scenarios. Though the majority of these regressions are skimmed over, some regressions have been described in varying levels of detail. Throughout his time regressing, he grew more and more world-weary and exhausted at his endless life, and became bitter and angry towards his sponsor as a result. In his 1863rd round, he was said to have reached the Last Wall; due to the novel ending here, no more was known about his regressions.

Click *here* to see Yoo Joonghyuk's regressions.
## Synopsis

### Original round

Yoo Joonghyuk, at the start of Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, is said to be on his 3rd regression. In the first scenario, after killing his entire carriage in the subway, he attempts to breach the door to Kim Dokja's carriage in order to meet Kim Namwoon and Lee Hyunsung. The survivors of said carriage escape before he can reach them, and he chases after them, finding Kim Dokja. In the ensuing conversation, Yoo Joonghyuk becomes convinced that Kim Dokja is a prophet, and throws him to an ichthyosaur as a test of his strength. He moves on from Han River after waiting three days for Kim Dokja to emerge, believing the man to have died, and spends a while in Geumho Station killing monsters for Cheon Inho's group. Soon after, he leaves Geumho and moves to Chungmuro Station, where he recruits Lee Jihye and a few others, surviving through Main Scenario 3 at night and locating hidden pieces during the day. Here, he encounters Kim Dokja once again, checking on his party's levels and noting Lee Gilyoung's sponsor before leaving with Lee Jihye.

That night, Yoo Joonghyuk is spotted occupying a green zone targeted by Kim Dokja's party; he pulls Lee Gilyoung in with him and watches Kim Dokja use the Specter's Stone to survive the night. Upon the scenario's temporary end the next morning, Yoo Joonghyuk offers Lee Gilyoung a place in his party; met with refusal, he leaves to attack the Theatre Dungeon, instructing Lee Jihye to guard its entrance.

TBD

### 1863rd round

*Main article: 1863rd round*
TBD

### 0th round

*Main article: 0th round*
In his 0th round (i.e. his first, original life), Yoo Joonghyuk did not choose a sponsor; instead, he was guided through the scenarios by a constellation he and the rest of the <Star Stream> knew only as the Demon King of Salvation. This round was extremely successful; under his constellation guide's watchful eye, Yoo Joonghyuk defeated the Dokkaebi King and successfully ended the scenarios with the rest of his party safe and sound. He lived a peaceful life thereafter, surviving well into his 60s; however, due to the effect of his earned attribute 'Life Lived to its Fullest', he began to age rapidly towards the end of his life. Close to his death, he accepted the sponsorship of the Demon King of Salvation and regressed in order to learn more about his own identity, the truth of his world, and the identity of his new sponsor.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chapter 525
2. ↑ Chapter 518
3. ↑ Chapter 9
4. ↑ Chapter 10
5. ↑ Chapter 11
6. ↑ Chapter 16
7. ↑ Chapter 18
8. ↑ Chapter 28
9. ↑ Chapter 29
10. ↑ Chapter 30
11. ↑ Chapter 32
12. ↑ Chapter 33
13. ↑ Chapter 523
14. ↑ Chapter 524