Global Awakening: Only I Can Respawn

They were the best of the best. People she had carefully selected and trained.

YuWon had a keen eye for talent.

During her first life, she had left recruiting members to YuWon. Anna had gone around recruiting the same people he had.

No matter how much she hated him for what he did, Anna had to admit that YuWon had an eye for talent. It was one thing they bonded over in the past and got too close.

As Anna closed her eyes, she remembered his smile when he taught her to speak Korean. Or the little pranks he pulled on her.

But those times were gone.

If only he had cared about the world more than this bitch.

Angered by YuWon's image in her head, Anna yanked the chain. Gina was at the end of that chain, being dragged like a dog.

Her eyes, once bright with love and determination, were now empty. Scars and injuries from the battles and punishments over the last year covered her once delicate skin.

Beside her was Yeji, but she too looked nothing like the person she had been. Her eyes were dull.

At first, she had tried to fight back, holding on to the hope that YuWon could come and save them.

But every time she went against Anna, she would remind her of the collar around Gina's neck and that would deal with her rebellious nature.

YuWon was gone. He had disappeared that fateful day and there had been no sign of him for an entire year. That was the bitter truth.

"Alright everyone," Anna announced. "Take positions. Just like we practiced."

As she said that, other portals opened, and people came spilling out into the arena one by one. All of them were the leaders on the trial boards. People who had cemented their place in the apocalypse.

It's a shame most of them will die here.

Anna's lips twisted into a smirk. These fools didn't stand a chance against the enemy they were about to face.

She was certain of her victory. After all, she had been through the same thing over a dozen times. Each time she incurred some losses, but she always came on the top.

But then she noticed something. Her smile faded as she counted the portals again. Eight groups should've been here for the trial. But there were nine portals.

In all her regressions, there had never been nine portals in the 21st trial. She had a feeling something that wasn't supposed to happen would happen there.

After all the trouble I went through to get rid of YuWon... No. I can't afford for anything to go wrong.

Meanwhile, Yeji glanced at Anna. The sudden change in Anna's demeanor did not go unnoticed by her. But she remained silent, knowing better than to speak. As for Gina, she was on the ground and didn't even look up.

"I must be imagining things," Anna shook her head.

She didn't have time to dwell on this. She had a trial to win, and whatever this ninth portal meant, she would deal with it later. Despite her thoughts, she remained fixated on the last portal.

But to her shock, no one appeared out of the portal and it collapsed in on itself. A second later, another portal appeared from above and a massive, three-headed dragon emerged out of it.

It was their trial. They had to defeat the three-headed monstrosity called Tiamat. However, only Anna knew about the dragon and had trained her people as such.

The dragon wasted no time in launching its attack, fire spewing from one of its heads while another head snapped its jaws at the nearest group. All the while, the third head watched in amusement.

"Everyone, spread out!" Anna ordered.

Her team moved immediately before charging at the dragon with their weapons drawn. The other groups, too, began their assault, but it was clear from the start that this fight would not be easy.

Tiamat wasn't just any dragon, but the queen of dragons. Its attacks were brutal and relentless. Even the strongest of the fighters were struggling to hold their ground.

Meanwhile, Yeji was working overtime as she healed the wounded with no rest. Even though she was a priestess, once the bodies piled up around her, she could barely keep up.

"Come on, we need to focus!" Anna shouted.

She was fighting fiercely. In fact, she was the only one able to fend off the dragon's attack thanks to the crimson blade. Arrows flew, and mages launched spells at the beast, but its thick scales deflected everything.

"Focus on its legs!" Anna commanded.

As the awakeners rushed in, Tiamat swung its tail, knocking soldiers aside like rag dolls. Another head let out a gust of freezing wind, immobilizing them, before breaking them into pieces.

"No!" Anna growled.

She rushed ahead, closing the distance between her and the dragon. With a powerful swing, she cut deep into the tendon, causing the beast to stumble.

Enraged, Tiamat opened its third mouth to blast them with poison. But as it did, Anna gave the signal, and the head was bombarded with hundreds of Molotovs. A moment later, there was an explosion, and the head was blown into pieces by them.

Since Tiamat's poison mainly comprised methane, even a little spark could cause an explosion. That was the reason the dragon never used fire and poison breath together.

Once the central head got blown away, everyone roared and charged with renewed vigor. It only took another hour to get the second head.

YuWon's tricks always work. Too bad he turned his back on humans for a mere goblin.

"Come on, people! One last push!" Anna yelled, rallying the troops.

Little did she know, someone was observing her. Trying to find the right moment to throw her into despair.