Global Awakening: Only I Can Respawn

[The Awakener's stamina is critically low.]

[Please avoid any strenuous activity for 4 hours.]

Try telling that to these two...

YuWon sighed and looked down. Gina was resting her head on his shirtless chest, her white hair was all over his torso. She had her arm wrapped around his stomach as if she had no intention of moving anytime soon.

Further down was Lysandra, nestled comfortably between his legs, hugging his waist.

When the goblins first appeared, YuWon couldn't have dreamed of leading such a life. Even now, he wondered what Gina and Lysandra saw in him. He was just an average guy, but he wouldn't complain about how his life turned out.

"Morning…" Gina murmured, looking at him with sleepy eyes.

"Morning," YuWon smiled, brushing a hand through her hair.

Their voice woke up Lysandra, and she stirred before kissing YuWon's thigh and tightening her hold on his leg.

"Still not done yet?"

YuWon shook his head, and Lysandra smiled but didn't open her eyes. Unfortunately, he didn't have the time to stay idle. Slowly prying off the girls of him, he got up and dressed.

Once done, he kissed his wives on the forehead and walked outside. But as he walked outside, he heard loud noises coming from nearby. As he walked towards the entrance, he saw a crowd gathered there.

Yeji and Yuna were in the middle of the group, trying to calm people down, while a handful of soldiers stood in a circle around what looked like… a crack in the air.

"What's going on here?" YuWon asked.

The crowd parted a way for him as soon as they heard his voice. Just then, an old lady, one YuWon vaguely recognized as someone Yeji had helped before, grabbed his hand and fell to her knees before him, begging for his help.

"Please, save him! My grandson—" her voice trailed off and YuWon looked at Yeji for an explanation.

Yeji hurried over, kneeling beside the lady and helping her to her feet. While Yuna informed him about the situation.

"Her grandson fell into the crack thing... whatever it is," she said. "I got the soldiers to form a barrier around it before anyone else fell inside."

Without a word, YuWon turned his attention to the crack and saw something floating over it.

"1/5... what does it mean—"

"It's a dungeon."

Lysandra's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"A what now?"

"A dungeon," Lysandra explained calmly. "Those numbers hovering over show how many people can enter it. If they clear it, everyone who went in will return. If they fail... the dungeon will disappear, trapping them inside."

"You were trapped in one of these, weren't you?" YuWon asked.

Lysandra nodded, her characteristic smile disappearing momentarily. "The system probably created this dungeon as a replacement for the penalty zone you cleared. That's why it appeared here."

YuWon massaged his temples, looking at the crack and then back to the crowd.

"So, we either clear it, or that kid's trapped in there forever," he mumbled.

Although he said that, he had no intention of risking his life for a kid. Was it brutal? Yes. But the risk was too high. He had witnessed the horrors of the penalty zone firsthand and didn't want to go through it again.

I barely made it out of there the first time. Like hell I'm going through that again.

But making a decision wasn't that easy. Not when so many eyes were on him. They should have been grateful that YuWon saved them once, but they looked at him like he was a monster for hesitating.

"It's too dangerous to go in there."

Yeji was the first to speak, shocking everyone. The usual calm and helpful Yeji was asking them to abandon a kid. However, YuWon knew what she was doing.

People will blame someone else for their weakness. They were eyeing YuWon to take the blame for taking a logical step. But by suggesting they should abandon the kid, Yeji took the blame on herself.

The old lady had been clinging to Yeji, but she suddenly pushed her away before slapping Yeji. YuWon took a step toward the woman, but Yeji stopped him before looking at the woman.

"I know it's hard for you, and I won't ask you to forgive me," Yeji replied, smiling as kindly as ever. "But the danger outweighs the benefit. Instead of saving your grandchild, we could lose more people—"

The woman once again raised her hand to slap Yeji, but YuWon stepped up, grabbing her hand. Till then they had only seen the caring side of him. But right now, his eyes were burning with rage.

"Take another swing, and saving your grandson would be the last thing on your mind," YuWon hissed.

Everyone was shocked to see him getting angry, but it was just the start. He turned to Gina and asked her to take Yeji away from there. As they left, YuWon turned towards the crowd, scrutinizing everyone.

"You want to save the kid, right?" he asked.

However, no one uttered a word.

"I said, YOU WANT TO SAVE THE KID OR NOT?"

"I-It's the right thing to do," a man stepped forward.

"Good, then you can do it yourself."

Before anyone could realize what was happening, YuWon grabbed the man and dragged him to the crack. Just when he was about to throw him in, the man began yelling for him to stop.

"P-Please! I was wrong!"

YuWon looked at the man with disgust before kicking him back into the crowd. Then, he asked them the same thing. But no one, not even the kid's grandmother, stepped forward.

"It's quite easy to pressure someone else to do the dangerous work, isn't it?" he scoffed. "You see a problem and think, 'Oh, someone else will handle it.' But why don't you try doing something for once?"

Upon hearing his words, the crowd shifted uncomfortably, turning their eyes away from YuWon.

"You expect others to risk our lives for you over and over," YuWon shook his head. "But what have any of you done to help?"

"You sit around, eating the food we provide, living in safety while we go out there and hunt!, and yet, when it comes time to contribute, you do nothing but leech off others."

The crowd got even more quiet. Some of them looked offended, but none dared to speak before YuWon.

"That charity you have gotten used to, stops today. From now on, only those who contribute will get anything. If you don't fight, if you don't work, then you get nothing. No food, no shelter, nothing."

The crowd gasped, realizing the implications. Some tried to backtrack their statements, but it was too late. YuWon wasn't in any mood for their bullshit.

"And if you can't contribute? Then die," he added. "Because at least in death, we could use you as a lure than wasting precious resources on you."

With that, he turned around and left to check on Yeji, not caring if the crowd felt insulted or hurt.