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There are two conditions for using ‘First-Person Protagonist’s Viewpoint’. First, Kim Dokja must be in an out-of-body state after he’s died. Second, Kim Dokja and the person who’s viewpoint he wants to switch to must be thinking of each other at the same time. Since the first condition had been met, he glanced at the still cooling corpse left on the ground, then the issue had to be with the second condition.
Kim Dokja watched in slight disbelief as Yoo Jonghyuk seemed to go insane in his rage. “You must die, I will definitely kill you!” This bastard was in such a frenzy his mind was blank. Kim Dokja couldn’t believe this idiot had lost his mind over his death, did he not know he would come back-
“I can’t do it after all,” Shin Yooseung sighed, “I was just going to put an end to everything, but,” the grin that stretched across her face was demonic, the flames of rage burning her eyes red. “I’ve changed my mind.”
The Flood Gate grew brighter, looming sulfur mummies with joints too long to be human ambling forward. The Disaster of Floods shone in all her terrible glory, surrounded by her servants with arms wide as if offering salvation from this mortal existence. A mocking smile graced her lips, “I’ll kill all of you but one,” the smile stretched till it was Death itself, “and it’ll be in the most painful way possible.”
A beat, and her unhinged stare focused on Yoo Jonghyuk. “Right in front of the Captain. Hold him down.”
The bandages wrapping the creatures seemed to come alive, slithering off their bodies before they shot forward, ensnaring Yoo Jonghyuk’s arm. The sheer speed at which the sulfur mummies moved rendered Red Phoenix Shunpo useless.
The sight of Yoo Jonghyuk, the protagonist (his protagonist) helpless, unable to fight, pulled at Kim Dokja’s heartstrings.
The reader knew his protagonist hated being unable to kill his problems. He looked out at the party, struggling to stay alive, and Yoo Jonghyuk, who was forced to his knees, and considered his options.
He floated over to the regressor, who was violently trying to free himself. Kim Dokja watched as his face became wild not with rage but desperation. He took this moment, and saw himself. He saw his own need to escape reflected in the man’s shaking eyes-
[The exclusive skill, ‘Fourth Wall’ is shaking.]
-and made a choice.
Kim Dokja crouched in front of Yoo Jonghyuk. The regressor should not have been able to feel the hands cradling his face, yet he stilled at the first brush of fingers across his cheek. Kim Dokja let instinct guide him forward and rested his forehead against Yoo Jonghyuk’s.
“Breathe.”
The word was whispered into the space between them, something soft and tender leaking from his heart. He didn’t know if he would even be heard in this state, but something deep inside yearned to comfort the man he cared for with his very soul. The man who meant everything to him. “Just breathe.”
Not knowing when he closed his eyes, Kim Dokja opened them to see Yoo Jonghyuk freeze, before sliding his own eyes closed. He breathed once, deep and rattling in his chest, and let it out slowly. Kim Dokja stood as Yoo Jonghyuk opened his eyes, his fingers trailing across the regressor’s cheek.
Before his hand left his face completely, Yoo Jonghyuk looked up, directly into his eyes, and breathed out, “...Kim Dokja?”
The look on his protagonist’s face broke his heart. Face full of disbelief, but his eyes. His eyes were pinpricks before expanding with the faintest flicker of hope. Kim Dokja couldn’t help but smile down at his favorite person.
If Kim Dokja were to switch with Yoo Jonghyuk in this very moment, he would have seen the faintest outline of himself, haloed by the Flood Gate and bathed in golden light.
-An angel.
Kim Dokja took in his protagonist staring up at him. The awe and fear he saw drove him forward, placing a kiss on his forehead, whispering against the skin, “Wait for me.” and retreated back to his full height.
-Salvation.
“-!” Kim Dokja whipped around in disbelief. While Yoo Jonghyuk was thinking of him now, so was another. A person he didn’t think was even an option, yet there she was.
[The exclusive skill, ‘Fourth Wall’ has solidified.]
.
.
.
[The skill conflict error has been resolved.]
[The delayed effect of the ‘King of No Killing’ privilege has been reactivated.]
[Your body has been resurrected from death.]
[Regeneration of your flesh has begun.]
Kim Dokja didn’t think he would ever get used to the feeling of his body being pulled back together. He shook the tingling numbness out of his hands when he felt that last of his body restored.
[The exclusive skill ‘Fourth Wall’ has offset the mental shock of experiencing death.’]
The relief he felt at being revived in a place with no people was brief but potent.
[The effect of the ‘King of No Killing’ privilege has been fulfilled. 100 Karma Points have been consumed.]
The feeling increased when he saw all of his belongings still in one piece. Not wanting to push his luck, Kim Dokja scrambled to get his clothes on when a voice stopped him in his tracks.
“...Kim Dokja?”
Oh right, Yoo Jonghyuk was still there.
Wonderful.
“How… on earth…?” Kim Dokja frantically finished getting dressed as he turned to face Yoo Jonghyuk. The regressor was wild eyed and shaking, which Kim Dokja thought was a little bit much. He even went out of his way to comfort the bastard, since he seemed to take his death so hard. He resisted rolling his eyes but couldn’t stop the sardonic grin from spreading across his face.
“Don’t say you’re going to kill me all over again. If you do, I will actually kick the bucket.” His quip set off Yoo Jonghyuk, who started thrashing in his confines.
“Kim Dokja, You…!” His protagonist, a man of few words, seemed to lose the rest of them in his fury. Kim Dokja was honestly a little worried about the man’s blood pressure. He figured he should free the jerk if they wanted to win this battle, so he drew his sword and approached the writhing ball of rage.
“You’ll hear the explanation later, for now, just come along.” He easily dispatched the sulfur mummies holding Yoo Jonghyuk hostage and backed up to allow the other to stagger back to his feet. “There’s no time-” Kim Dokja cut off as the regressor regained his balance only to sprint at him. He flinched back, rightfully expecting to be choked out again despite not having time for this-
The hand snatched his collar instead of his throat and yanked him forward, throwing Kim Dokja off balance. He stumbled into the other, opening his mouth to complain at the rough treatment on principle. His words caught in his throat when instead of hurting him, Yoo Jonghyuk leaned in close. The thin space between their faces prickled at his skin, causing his eyes to blow wide like a startled deer.
…Yoo Jonghyuk really was unfairly beautiful.
Every minute movement caused their noses to brush, sending lighting up Kim Dokja’s spine. He watched as Yoo Jonghyuk’s eyes tracked what little he could see of his face from so close, witnessing the regressor’s eyes dilate. They breathed in tandem once, twice, before his protagonist made his move.
He gently, delicately, rested their foreheads together. His eyes bore into Kim Dokja, challenging and defiant in this moment of vulnerability.
Kim Dokja could do nothing but take it, this fragility he never expected to witness from his beloved protagonist. He felt himself press against him the slightest amount, subconsciously responding to a moment of need from someone he considered his. Yoo Jonghyuk responded in kind, pushing their foreheads firmer together.
A beat.
Then Yoo Jonghyuk was pulling away with their noses brushing- a fleeting nuzzle. The regressor gave a slow blink as he stared down at his reader, content that what he wanted to say had been heard. He spun around and power walked away, the hand still fisted in Kim Dokja’s collar causing him to be dragged behind.
Kim Dokja sputtered in protest but before he could form a proper sentence Yoo Jonghyuk all but collapsed, the only thing saving him from eating dirt being the death grip he had on his collar. “This is what you get, you sunfish bastard.”
Yoo Jonghyuk’s response was to grind out “Kim Dokja,” like his name was a full sentence on its own. Said reader finally rolled his eyes at this ridiculous man as he tugged at the hand clutching him. “Hey, you jerk, let go.” The glare he received was unnecessary. “If you don’t let go I’m going to leave you here. We have a Disaster to stop, remember?” The glare was still there, but something about it softened the slightest bit before solidifying into determination. The stare of a protagonist was a powerful thing.
…they had wasted too much time. Kim Dokja figured that desperate times call for desperate measures, and hoisted Yoo Jonghyuk onto his shoulder, “It’s faster this way.” No doubt the man heard the mirth in his voice because he heard the ominous ‘creak’ of a tightened fist in his coat before he activated Way of the Wind. They had a fight to get back to and a Disaster to save.