Global Awakening: Only I Can Respawn

As time passed, more people discovered the chat room. They kept talking about nonsense, treating it like a game more than an apocalypse. However, YuWon's eyes remained glued to that one text he had seen earlier.

[Lucifer: I'll be waiting for you.]

Lilith noticed the complex emotion in YuWon's eyes. It was the first time he had been serious since returning to the start. .net

"Are you—?"

"I'm fine," YuWon cut her off, typing a response of his own.

He wanted to save many people in this life. Well, not everyone—just the ones he thought were worth raising. But to do that, he needed to keep them under his control.

To have that hold, I must accomplish something first.

YuWon considered using force to make them obey. But that would only make them resent him and create more trouble than it was worth. Earning their admiration seemed like a better idea. That's why he needed to achieve something big first.

I guess we'd have to eliminate the Hobgoblin now.

But before that, YuWon sent the message he wanted.

[Anonymous User 01: I found a safe spot at Seoul University. It's in the cultural building, ground floor auditorium. Those goblins can't get inside here.]

Sure enough, people were skeptical of such an offer. It was more likely someone was trying to lure them for some sinister plan. Messages poured in, cursing

Anonymous User 01

, but there were a few who thought it was worth checking out.

Either way, it didn't matter to YuWon. He did what he could to save them. Now he had to go on a hunt... with Soo-Ah, of course. After all, she'd have to kill the hobgoblin, not him.

"Let's go," he said.

Lilith followed behind, while Soo-Ah stared at them. They barely survived against the hobgoblin and now the two were eager to leave the safe zone?

"Um... what are you doing?" she asked the two.

YuWon turned to Lilith and then to Soo-Ah before smiling.

"Hundreds of people are probably heading this way," he said calmly. "How many do you think would make it inside this room?"

Soo-Ah tilted her head. Her mouth fell open when she realized what YuWon was on about.

"The hobgoblin..." she mumbled.

They had brought the hobgoblin to the safe zone. If others wanted to get here, they'd meet the hobgoblin first. It would be a massacre out there. Dozens would lose their lives because of them.

YuWon nodded and turned. "Since it was my idea to retreat to the safe zone, it's only right for me to act decoy so others can get here safely."

Soo-Ah was stunned when she heard YuWon's reasoning. He didn't ask her for help, even though she was the one the creature was chasing. Instead, he took the blame on himself.

With nothing left to say, YuWon walked to the exit, slowly. He had planted the seed of righteousness in Soo-Ah's head. Now he waited for it to bear fruit. Just as he was about to step out, Soo-Ah yelled.

"Wait! I'll come with you."

Checkmate.

"I can't—"

"I will follow you," Soo-Ah interrupted. "Either way, that monster seems to be after me. It's only right for me to fight it."

YuWon and Lilith pretended to consider her words before nodding.

"The more of us there are, the better it's be." Lilith smiled, holding Soo-Ah's arm.

"But before that, take this," YuWon said, handing a bracelet to Soo-Ah.

It was no ordinary bracelet, but something YuWon had bought from the [Special store] earlier.

+++

Sage's bracelet: Increases user's mana and mana regeneration by 50%

+++

"Since you use mana to create more skeletons," YuWon said. "It'd be the perfect item for you."

Soo-Ah looked at YuWon and then at the bracelet before nodding. Just then, another unfamiliar notification appeared before YuWon.

[User: Soo-Ah's affection towards you has increased.]

[User: Soo-Ah views you in a favorable light.]

YuWon raised an eyebrow before dismissing the notification. It seemed Ereshkigal didn't trust him not to fuck everything up and even introduced and favorability option to his updated system.

But YuWon was thankful nonetheless. It would make it easier for him to manage the people under him.

"I'll cherish it," Soo-Ah said, putting it on.

"I want you to use it," YuWon smiled. "Not cherish it."

***

It didn't take long for the hobgoblin to find them once they were out of the safe zone. The creature's hormones should be off the chart for it to locate them so easily. Either way, it was time to act.

Soo-Ah stood alone in the corridor with YuWon, Lilith, and Mickey hiding nearby. She gulped her saliva, turning towards YuWon, who nodded.

A few minutes ago...

"So, I just need to lure those goblins over, right?" Soo-Ah asked.

"Yes," YuWon replied. "Get those goblins away from the hobgoblin. Once they're away, your skeletons will deal with them and the three of us will attack the hobgoblin together."

"But the goblins would turn back if their leader is under attack, right?"

"We'll have to end the fight before that happens," Lilith chimed in.

Soo-Ah nodded. She still wasn't sure if the goblins would follow her, as YuWon suggested. But she remembered everything he had said till then had been correct and for some reason, she trusted him.

"Alright, I'll do it."

Back to the present...

The goblin noticed Soo-Ah and on the hobgoblin's command immediately rushed towards her. As she ran, the hobgoblin smiled and put down his club.

She isn't an Olympic runner for nothing.

Once they were at the mark, Soo-Ah turned and jumped over the goblin, one after the other. The goblins tried to catch her, but she was too quick. They tried to run after her, but then a swarm of skeletons blocked their way.

In the hour it took for the hobgoblin to find them, YuWon and Lilith collected twenty-eight goblins for Soo-Ah to resurrect. Half of them would keep the goblins busy, while the other half, led by Mickey, would join the fight with the hobgoblin.

YuWon stayed back, sending Lilith in his place.

"Let's see how you survive this."