Global Awakening: Only I Can Respawn

"What the hell happened here?" YuWon mumbled, dropping the beast he was carrying. Anna and Gina rushed behind him.

The ground was stained red with blood. Countless people lay injured with Yeji healing them, but a dozen of them were already gone, never to return. Yeji was kneeling beside a wounded soldier, trying to close the person's wounds.

There wasn't a single soul that didn't have some injury. People were on the ground groaning in pain, but a hint of relief crossed their faces when they saw YuWon.

Without wasting a second, YuWon rushed over to Yuna. She was leaning against a tree, clutching her shoulder. She winced in pain, clutching her blood-soaked shirt. Hojin was by her side, cleaning her wound.

"What the hell happened here?" YuWon asked, looking around. "And where's Lysandra?"

"They took her..." Hojin whispered.

"Who!?" YuWon yelled, grabbing Hojin by his shoulder.

"Ogres."

"Ogres?" YuWon raised his eyebrow. "How can they cause so much chaos?"

YuWon had thought just like the goblins, the ogres were a thing of the past. Only now did he realize how wrong he was.

From what Yuna and the others told him, they weren't ordinary ogres. They had horns and appeared more human-like. The ogres deceived Lysandra's vines and by the time they noticed them; they had been surrounded.

Those who could, fought back. But it wasn't enough. Thankfully, Lysandra was quick to retaliate, and it seemed the ogres would retreat.

"But then..." Hojin nervously looked at Yuna.

"But then what!?" YuWon yelled again.

"They got your mother," Yuna mumbled as Yeji came to heal her, not even glancing in YuWon's direction. "Earlier, Lysandra didn't care who they held hostage and kept attacking. But she stopped when they got Min-Ji ajumma."

YuWon clenched his fists and took deep breaths, trying to calm himself. Unfortunately, he couldn't. The anger surged through him like wildfire.

Without thinking, he hit the tree on the side. His knuckles tore the bark, leaving a deep hold on it. The booming sound of his punch stunned everyone.

Everyone looked worried because that one sound could attract the beasts towards them and they weren't in a condition to fight back. But YuWon couldn't care less about them at that moment. Lysandra was the only one he was worried about.

"Where..." YuWon mumbled. "Where they did they go?"

"N-No idea—"

"Which direction!?" YuWon yelled, cutting Hojin off.

"To the north."

YuWon forced a smile when he heard the voice he least wanted to hear. He turned and sure enough, Min-Ji was standing before him. With her head hanging low, she didn't dare look at YuWon.

When the monsters attacked, Min-Ji saw people fighting them. She didn't want to become a burden for her son and maybe get some forgiveness. So she threw herself at an ogre.

Min-Ji's heart was in the right place, but fate had other plans. She thought she would help her son, instead; she became the biggest cause of his distress.

Because of her, Lysandra willingly surrendered herself to the ogres in exchange for Min-Ji. Lysandra was taken away, and it was all her fault and she didn't deny it.

"Ruining my happiness once wasn't enough for you?" YuWon spoke through gritted teeth as he stepped towards Min-Ji. "Will you only stop after destroying everything I care about!?"

Min-Ji flinched. Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but the words stuck in her throat. She tried again, but no sound came out. The next moment, YuWon broke into laughter.

"Why am I even yelling at you?" he said, running his hand through his hair. "I should have expected this. Because of you, my father died. Because of you, my life was ruined and now because of you, those fuckers took Lysandra!"

Gina reached out for him, but in his rage, YuWon pushed her hand away and stared at Min-Ji.

"Why don't you just die somewhere!?"

Min-Ji's eyes widened as tears ran down her cheeks. She tried to hold back the sobs, but couldn't as she realized how much hurt she had unknowingly caused her son.

His word felt like a knife stabbing her heart. But even then, Min-Ji knew it was the truth. She had caused this. Seok had killed her husband because of her.

Seok even wanted to kill YuWon and ruined his life... all because of her. And now, because of her, Lysandra was gone too.

She wanted to beg for forgiveness, to tell her son how sorry she was, but nothing she said could change what had happened.

Smack!

"That's enough!" Yeji yelled at YuWon, slapping him.

It was the first time she had hit him. But this time, it didn't sting much. Maybe because YuWon had gotten stronger or his mind was numb. The pain didn't register, but the look in her eyes did.

Tears streamed down Yeji's face and as quickly pulled him in a hug. Yeji's arms tightened around YuWon as if she were holding him together. At that moment, everyone realized why Yeji had slapped him.

She didn't do it for Min-Ji's sake, but his. Yeji stepped in to stop him from doing something even more regrettable. YuWon was angry, but no son would want his mother's blood on his hands.

If Yeji hadn't stopped him, then the guilt Min-Ji felt after hearing YuWon's words might have driven her to end her own life.

Yeji knew it because she had just lost her father and even though she didn't want him back, there was a certain pain she felt as his daughter. And she didn't want YuWon to feel the same.

"You need to find Lysandra, YuWon," she whispered. "Her safety comes before anything else."

YuWon's breathing slowed as he heard her words. He looked down at Yeji and nodded. Only then did she let go of him. Neither Min-Ji nor YuWon looked at each other as he rushed to the north.

Gina wanted to follow him as well. But before she could take a step, Yeji grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"He can handle himself," she said. "But we have uninvited guests to deal with."

"What—?" Gina asked, but stopped when she heard a low growl.

As she turned, the pack of wolves they had fought earlier emerged. Their leader was the first to step out of the dark, bearing the scar given to him by YuWon.