Chapter Text
[“Deon Hardt”
The barely an adult boy introduced himself. With snow-white hair and blood-red eyes, he seemed more like an ethereal beauty than a handsome man. Even if his expression was as cold as ice and stoic beyond belief.
It didn’t feel right, Yoo Jonghyuk was already wary of this child before him.
In some ways, the foreign boy felt familiar. Familiar to what, Yoo jonghyuk didn’t know. Carefully watching Deon, the black haired man finally realized.
This child felt like another version of him.
A wary and anguished man who didn’t hesitate to kill.
Yoo Jonghyuk immediately prepared to engage in battle with the kid who could slap his face two times with just his appearance.]
[Yoo Jonghyuk had never seen such a scene. Not in this round, nor in the round before that. He had never truly expected such a power before this child— no, this man. When the foreign man temporarely joined his group, Yoo Jonghyuk half expected him to be a complete useless waste of space.
And yet.
Laughing brightly— no, even bloodthirstily, he looked painfully like a graceful monster in a sea of red. Blood sprayed everywhere he stepped, as if it was a satin swaying in the wind. A brutally elegant dance as the man— the monster— looked as if he yearns for that accursed red liquid.
To Yoo Jonghuyk’s eyes, this barely an adult child, this monster, looked like a vampire more than anything.]
Kim Dokja had followed a novel for ten years straight; never once missing a chapter after he found it. As the sole reader of that novel, he was truly attached to the characters in it, wishing to the stars for them to finally become reality.
It was foolish at the time, yes. However, for a man— once a child, who had nothing but that novel to cling onto; it was the one true wish he had.
So, when the apocalypse had started on a day no more special than another— other than the fact that this novel of his had posted it’s final chapter— Kim Dokja truly felt alive for the first time in a long time. No, perhaps that really was his first time fully living in reality.
Before, this lonely man was nothing but a pathetic loser leading a dumpster fire of a life.
Kim Dokja, whose name was always mistakenly interpreted as ‘alone’. Kim Dokja, who had never lived a fulfilling life. Kim Dokja, who yearned for fantasy. This apocalyptic world was one where someone like him could finally let loose and enjoy everything the world has to offer.
Because this apocalypse is the fantasy he yearned for, envied the characters for.
Yoo Jonghyuk, the bastard protagonist and all his companions.
The constellations and incarnations.
Kim Dokja snorted. He never expected himself to actually live in his dreams.
And now— before him, the barely-an-adult child, a foreign man, a vampire-like ethereal beauty— and whatever else he is called— stands warily. The ever impassive face, and a relaxed posture suggests that the other didn’t really percieve him as a threat. While it hurt his pride that Kim Dokja looked innocent enough— It was true, Kim Dokja wasn’t planning on harming the other; it wasn’t like he could.
Despite the seemingly lanky body, the man; Deon Hardt is a dangerous individual. Attracting both a historical tyrant even the most uneducated knows about and a dangerous Demon king turned constellation.
But what’s stopping the reader from doing what he wanted without care the most, is the dangerous aura the other had. Piercing red eyes that could kill you thousand times over if looks caused deaths; dissatisfied expression that you just know meant the other didn’t even see you as a lowly bug.
And the daggers. Oh god, the amount of knives and daggers this man had hidden in his clothes. Of course, Kim Dokja isn’t skilled enough to locate all of them— no, not even a single one of them he could clearly see. But it was the knowledge that he had read that sent shivers down his spine.
A total of fifteen small throwing knives hidden all around his body, small and lightweight, but sharpened to a dangerous degree. Even lightly touching the sharp side could easily draw blood.
Two hidden daggers on his boot soles. Thankfully, only one on each foot.
How Deon gets it out fast and effectively, Kim Dokja doesn’t know. Plus, he’d rather remain not knowing— he doesn’t want to risk his life for such a knowledge.
There’s even a rope dart somewhere on his person. Deon is masterful in wielding it too. Remembering the time when he had read the foreign man beheading a person, dismembering another, and then going on a killing spree gave the reader goosebumps. It felt as if making others feel fear is foreign man’s exclusive skill.
Well, it was a good thing that Kim Dokja had his own exclusive skill.
[Exclusive skill, ‘Fourth Wall’ has activated]
It had offset some of his fear and helped him think more rationally.
Kim Dokja smiled. Of course, even if his fear wasn’t as prominent as before, he can still feel his guts telling him to stay as far away as possible from the man.
Although, regaining his quick thinking ability is still a plus in his books!
‘Character profile’
Kim Dokja activated this skill of his, just to check something.
[<Character Profile>
Name: Deon Hardt
Age:22
Supporting constellation: None (Two constellations are interested in this incarnation)
Personal attribute: Double personality (Rare), Coward (Common), Weakling (Common)
Personal skill: [Interpertation LV.4], [Battlefield luck LV.10], [Stoicism LV.13]
Stigma: None
Overall stats: [Stamina LV.35], [Strength LV.30], [Agility LV.40], [Mana LV.10]
Overall evaluation: This character has double personalities. Currently, the innocent one in control of the body]
Zooming in on the name, and then the ‘Personal attribute’, Kim Dokja didn’t even need to read the overall evaluation.
It seemed that Kim Dokja would remain safe for now. Even if the heavy aura still persists and scares the reader to death, since its ‘Deon Hardt’ that is in control right now, no matter what his expression says, he would never attack unless he is in danger. In which case, the skill ‘Battlefield luck’ would activate and take Kim Dokja down no matter what he’s doing.
Even when acting like a weakling, Deon Hardt… no, Demon Arut is plenty scary.
Ahh, he had forgotten what he was doing here in the first place. Curse this heavy presence of the younger man before him!
[Constellation ‘Seeker of death’ is pondering why these two incarnations are standing without doing anything]
[Constellation ‘Tyrant of the world’ is slightly amused by this awkward silence]
Shut up!
Two very annoying constellations. Of course, with everything that surrounds the foreign man, even the two consetllations who are interested in the vampire-like man are unique.
‘Seeker of death’ is one of the 72 Demon kings of the Demonic realm. Not the latest, nor the earliest. Placing somewhere in between, this demon king would rather die than live another millenia. Compared to the rest of his kin, this demon king isn’t all that bad. Of course, he is not that good either. He had also ascended as a constellation, though Ways of Survival never really got deeply into it.
On the other hand, ‘Tyrant of the world’ is the only historical figure who had reached Narrative grade constellation. This man’s story and his name, Eduardo Dessere, is known to almost all corners of the world. While murdering all his relatives as the youngest of an Imperial family wasn’t an uncommon story in this world’s history, what happened next is certainly mythical.
Declaring war on the world by renaming his empire ‘The Empire’, his army had successfully fought against and won all the wars. Claiming more than half the land of the earth as his, the Emperor then clutched the rest of the world through riches and materials. Becoming a hegemony over the world, he most definitely was the true ‘World dominator’.
Of course, this empire lasted for only about a century and a half before revolutions and civil wars broke out. These days, ‘The Empire’ is known as the United Kingdom.
But for being ‘the Empire’ for more than a century, for clutching the world in its hands, the people of this planet had never forgotten this man’s name nor achievements.
To teach a lesson to the younger generations or to take pride in thier glory days, it didn’t matter. What mattered was that it definitely helped the man reach a new height of power.
There was no doubt in hus mind that these two constellations are dangerous.
And such dangerous individuals feircely competing for this one incarnation. Kim Dokja shuddered at the mere power and charisma the young man possessed. This young man whose outer appearance contrasted his age a little bit, making him look younger than he actually is— is an essential if he wanted to see the epilogue.
In the novel, there were some rounds where the other had chosen to take the side of the Tyrant. In those rounds, the young man led armies and brought victories through the stigmas he had gained from the arrogant ruler.
Standing above and beyond, leading battles, and commanding armies as if he was only fighting and leading humans, not anything else. Those stigmas even affected some weaker constellations too.
Soon enough, he got the title of ‘Emperor’s dog’. Leaving trails of blood wherever he walked, with a heavy gaze and blood dripping from every surface of his body.
In other rounds, Deon chose the Demon king. Commanding and controlling magic and mana to a terrifying degree, he didn’t even need to carry hidden knives and daggers on his person as the mana became an infinitely more sharper and much more well-hidden replacements. That is, all around everyone— hidden in plain sight. In those rounds, there was more decapitated heads and carnage than anything else.
Even reading about made Kim Dokja have nightmares.
That’s why,
If Kim Dokja had to choose one of the two constellations on the basis that he would die if he can’t; the reader would have been long dead. He couldn’t ever choose between them as the power ups they give to Deon are truly ridiculously overpowered.
However, in most rounds, Deon Hardt doesn’t choose between them. Instead, opting to rely on himself because of his frustrations with the god-like beings. It is with the interference of Yoo Jonghyuk that he doesn’t choose, convincing the vampire-like man that it was only for his well being. But really, for all that power— Yoo Jonghyuk is ill-suited when it comes to Deon’s most needed thing— love and care. It’s the reason the foreign man always ended up being miserable.
But the arrogant sunfish bastard ignores that, taking steps to ensure the two personalities become one to reveal the true Deon Hardt to the world.
The Deon Hardt who is stronger, much better than his previously split self. This version knows his limits and actively pushes it further. Acting innocent, then backstabbing you. Collecting skills and attributes and making a name for himself.
Creating stories and causing mass destruction. Ascending to Constellationhood on the same level of ‘Tyrant of the World’ and ‘Seeker of Death’ as the constellation ‘Disastrous Immortal’. And once again, that is with the help of the two aforementioned constellations and some others.
Deon Hardt’s story is witnessed through the eyes of Yoo Jonghyuk, whose story is witnessed by Kim Dokja through the medium of a screen. So, Kim Dokja only has knowledge of what Yoo Jonghyuk thinks of others, what he percieves, what he plans.
That’s why Kim Dokja had also momentarily faltered when Deon became a disaster for humanity itself, erratic emotions as he read the deaths of the characters he had grown to love.
After a while, he had gotten used to it. Deon remained in his Top 2 spot as his favourite character. But the knowledge that his fate could never be changed saddened Kim Dokja an incredible deal.
Despite what Yoo Jonghyuk thinks, no, lies to himself about, Kim Dokja knew the man had gotten attached to the people with constant presence in his life. Deon was no different. But no matter what the younger man had chosen, no matter what path he took, Deon’s destiny as a disaster who is to destroy this world never changed.
No matter what Yoo Jonghyuk did to prevent it. That’s why, after a certain amount of rounds, the regressor had killed the foreign man right before the other became a danger. Indicating his desicion to give up. Everytime this happened, Kim Dokja could only sooth himself with the knowledge that after many chapters, Deon will appear again in a new round.
But it would be long before that disaster appears. This young man first have to suffer a great deal in order to achieve that gloriously grim future of his. And, Kim Dokja thinks, As long as I am alive, Deon Hardt won’t ever go through that.
Because no matter what happens, what kind of fear he is feeling, Kim Dokja had always loved the character of Deon Hardt. So, it would be Kim Dokja who takes Deon under his wings.
Yoo Jonghyuk would only make the boy worse anyway.