Global Awakening: Only I Can Respawn

"Dammit!" she cursed, tearing the hoodie off herself and threw it aside.

With her hoodie gone, her toned body was revealed. Her body was riddled with scars. Some probably ran even deeper, concealed by her sports bra. YuWon noticed the scars but didn't comment.

The last time he had checked, she didn't have those scars, and it confused him. Until he remembered what she told him.

Alternate timelines... my ability might not be as simple as I thought.

Unfortunately, YuWon didn't have any time to spare pondering over his thoughts.

"I assume you know a way to defeat this thing?" YuWon asked, getting back on his feet.

"Plenty," Anna replied, throwing a marble at him. "Depends on how difficult you want it to be."

YuWon caught the marble, and it felt like he was touching ice. "What's this?"

"Keep it in your mouth," she replied, gulping a marble. "Don't chew or swallow it... unless you want to freeze to death."

YuWon looked skeptical, thinking it might be her way to kill him. Thankfully, the pendant showed him exactly what it was.

[Item: Boreas's1 Eyes.]

[Effect: If used correctly, it can freeze any fire. Even the mighty hellfire is nothing in front of this relic.]

"Where did you get a relic--?"

"Fewer questions, more action!" Anna yelled, lunging towards the giant.

YuWon looked at the frozen eyeballs for a moment. He couldn't believe he was about to put someone's eyeballs in his mouth. But he had no choice.

Fuck it!

YuWon shoved the icy eyeball into his mouth. A freezing chill surged through his entire body as it touched his tongue. The fire giant's suffocating heat disappeared in an instant. But that wasn't all.

...it feels too cold.

YuWon realized why Anna jumped towards the baby giant. The coldness might fight the fiery flames, but if he stayed too far, he might freeze to death.

"Aim for the Goldilocks zone," Anna called out. "You can't get too far from the little baby now."

***

Meanwhile, the baby giant slammed its fist at Anna. But instead of dodging, she bravely swung her sword, making a deep cut in the creature's arm.

The baby giant was taken aback and howled in pain, stumbling backward. But Anna didn't let the creature rest. She jumped, reached for the giant's face, and kicked its jaw. Despite being staggered, the creature didn't fall.

"Resilient fucker," Anna clicked her tongue before slashing at the creature's torso, making a deep wound.

She didn't lie when she said they could defeat the baby giant. Normally, it would have been impossible, and letting the beast out of its cage meant certain death.

As for the feeding strategy, it only worked for a while. Eventually, feeding the beast would backfire on the awakeners, as feeding it meant strengthening it.

First, the baby would eat one, then two, and then its hunger would keep increasing. By the time they would realize their mistake, it would be too late.

Without enough numbers to fight the creature, it would tear through the awakeners, killing everyone. Their only respite was to hide in the beast's cage once it was out and hope the angel would activate the portal and summon them to the Otherworld.

But there was a way to kill the baby giant. A method only Anna knew as a regressor. Unfortunately, it wasn't easy as it required killing Boreas... a literal god. But there was another way.

I got lucky this time.

Anna thought, staring at the baby giant clutching its stomach.

While killing Boreas was impossible, killing the awakener he sponsored was easy. That's why Anna cultivated the guy and helped him get his sponsor's blessing, before taking his eyes for herself.

Was it wrong for her? Yes. But it was necessary. Their timeline was already doomed since YuWon had died in it. But Anna could use the eyes and save YuWon in a different timeline... one where he had killed her.

It'll be a headache to explain it all to him. But YuWon needs to live, or else... no one will be able to control that bloodthirsty bitch.

As Anna thought that, her eyes drifted towards Yeji. All the survivors and huddled in a corner with Lysandra and a few others casting a barrier to protect them from the heat.

I can't kill her. But as long as YuWon lived, I wouldn't have to deal with her.

"Watch out!" YuWon yelled, rushing to stop the giant's blow with his swords. "You're daydreaming at a time like this?"

"...sorry!" Anna mumbled, stepping aside and making another cut, this time in the creature's leg.

The baby giant growled and stumbled backward. But this time, YuWon noticed something else. As the baby giant's wounds healed, its size got smaller.

"Now you know what we have to do," Anna smiled, noticing YuWon's gaze. "Keep attacking it and we'll win."

The baby giant growled and suddenly the flames emanating from its body disappeared, gradually reappearing in its mouth.

"Get ready," Anna said, looking at YuWon. "This is our ticket to victory."

She didn't say another word and YuWon knew what they had to do.

As the swirling flames calmed down in its mouth, the baby giant sneered before spitting the darn thing toward Anna and YuWon.

The two of them raised their swords in unison, with no intention of dodging the attack. The fireball smashed into their blades but didn't explode.

But the fire was intense, and YuWon wondered if their blades could tolerate the heat before melting. As for them, Boreas's eyeballs absorbed most of the heat, protecting the duo.

"Come on!!!" Anna roared, pushing the fireball away.

With a final push, they sent the fireball back to its owner. Before the giant could do anything, the fireball slammed into the giant's face. The creature yelled out in pain and clutched its face before falling to the ground.

The creature rolled on the ground in agony, trying to extinguish the flames. But it got no relief as it kept shrinking until only a blue flaming orb remained.

***

Author's Note:

[1] Boreas is the Greek god of the cold north wind, storms, and winter.