Global Awakening: Only I Can Respawn

Valkith's eyes widened in panic as he plummeted downward. With no claws or limbs to cling to the surface, he could do nothing but fall to his doom. The sudden development shocked the gods as they stared at YuWon strangely.

YuWon had surprised them countless times before, and this moment was no exception. Yet, they couldn't comprehend how only the floor beneath Valkith had collapsed, leaving YuWon unharmed. They were eager to know what trick YuWon used this time.

However, YuWon didn't bother to explain. Instead, a sly grin spread across his face.

Looks like the weasel did its job.

The Crusaders had suspected there were two bosses in this quest, and their assumption was partially correct. The tower was indeed home to two mortal enemies: the basilisk, Valkith, and a cunning weasel imprisoned under the tower on Valkith's orders.

Valkith ruled over the Namsan Tower and the quest. Hence, he had collected the beasts and monsters from all over the region to fortify its stronghold. But it wasn't to stop the humans from climbing the tower.

No, the true reason was far more personal.

The weasel was a predator Valkith couldn't defeat. Immune to both his venom and petrifying gaze, the weasel was a counter to the basilisk's overwhelming power. It wasn't farfetched to say that the weasel was his predator.

To survive, Valkith had ordered every creature under its command to trap the weasel within the dungeon, ensuring it couldn't escape. Hence, he stayed on the terrace while the weasel rotted in the basement.

That's why the ratlings were guarding the dungeon. It was also why they had attacked YuWon's group when they ventured into the dungeon. It was so no one could free the weasel from the dungeon.

Unfortunately for Valkith, someone freed the weasel, and now it was coming to finish their fight. Most monsters were dead, so nothing could stop the weasel. However, there was a twist.

"Soo-Ah killed the weasel and resurrected it as her summon," YuWon smirked. "The weasel will kill Valkith, but it will count as Soo-Ah's victory."

YuWon peeked over the gaping hole, watching Valkith fall deeper. The fall wouldn't kill it, but the one waiting in the end would.

"I should head down, too," he murmured. "After all the stalling I've done, it's only right that I witness the end of this fight."

***

I won't die from this measly fall!

Valkith thought as he plummeted through the air.

Rage burned within him as the wind whipped past him. As long as he survived, Valkith swore vengeance against that wretched human.

But mid-fall, something caught Valkith's attention. The hordes of monsters he had gathered were gone, nowhere to be seen. All he saw were some skeletons watching him fall.

By the time Valkith realized something was off, it was too late.

Valkith fell into the dungeon… the one place he didn't want to be in. Pain shot through his battered body, leaving him weak and exposed.

But worse, he was vulnerable in the last place he wanted to be. For the first time in ages, fear clawed in his heart as he smelled the familiar smell of death looming over him.

"This… can't be!"

Valkith roared as the skeletal frame of the undead weasel emerged from above. The damned weasel had torn through the tower to lure Valkith into its domain.

"You think I'll fall so easily?!"

Horrified, Valkith lashed out with his tail, aiming to crush the weasel in one swift strike. The ground cracked under the force of his blow, but the weasel twisted and jumped, landing silently on the ground.

Before Valkith could attack again, the weasel charged ahead, its claws slashing at the basilisk's injured side. The wounds YuWon had given Valkith were now hurting twice as much.

Valkith roared in pain as blood dripped from the fresh wound. He opened his massive jaws, planning to bite off the weasel's backbone. The weasel jumped and turned around, so Valkith's fangs met the weasel's ribcage. Instead of crushing the bone, the fangs shattered on impact.

"Impossible!" Valkith gasped.

With the fangs broken, Valkith's venom endlessly spilled on the ground. The venom burned through the ground, but the intended target remained unaffected.

As the weasel aimed for Valkith's underbelly, the basilisk lashed out again, his tail whipping in a wide arc. The weasel jumped again, but the small dungeon didn't offer him much space to move.

This time, Valkith's attack connected. The impact sent the weasel flying into a wall, but when the dust cleared, it was already moving again, unaffected by the attack.

The weasel lunged again, too fast for Valkith to dodge. Its claws tore through his scales, leaving deep gouges along his spine. Blood pooled beneath him, weakening him further.

"No... I cannot... die here!"

Valkith noticed a narrow passage ahead and dragged his battered body forward. If he could escape, he would recover and rule over the monsters once again.

But the weasel didn't allow it. It jumped on Valkith's back before he could retreat, its bony claws driving into his neck. Valkith writhed in pain, trying to throw it off, but the undead predator clung tighter than its claws dug deeper into Valkith's flesh.

But the claws weren't enough, so the weasel dug its teeth into Valkith's head. Valkith's vision blurred as the world spun around him. His body twitched once, then fell limp.

The weasel kept chopping at Valkith's head until it severed it from the rest of his body. The weasel remained atop its fallen prey, motionless for a moment, as though savoring its victory.

[Main Quest has been cleared!]

[The participants will receive their rewards shortly.]

***

"…it worked."

Professor Ming couldn't believe her eyes as the notification flashed before them. The basilisk was dead!

The gods were equally stunned. They had envisioned countless scenarios in which the basilisk might be defeated, but this outcome was beyond anything they had imagined.

However, only the goddess Ereshkigal smiled.

She had doubted YuWon, thinking he would have to kill the basilisk since no one else could do it. Yet he defied all expectations.

If things continued on this trajectory, YuWon was bound to nurture other awakeners who could rival his strength—or perhaps even surpass it.

"I eagerly await that day..."