Global Awakening: Only I Can Respawn

Since they didn't know how long they would be stuck inside the station, it was better to clean up the surroundings to avoid any unnecessary attention from monsters or hunger-driven maniacs.

The rest realized what YuWon was doing and joined in. They threw the lifeless bodies out one by one. It wasn't a pleasant job, but it had to be done.

Once that was done, they gathered around, discussing what to do next. They had three options. They could either explore the station, search for an exit, or wait for another train to appear.

However, as they did that, YuWon noticed something strange. He glanced at Soo-Ah and Min-Joon. It was common for people to change in the world they lived in.

But it had only been a couple of weeks since everything began and YuWon didn't think it was enough time for someone to abandon their morals completely.

The last time I saw Soo-Ah and Min-Joon, they weren't killers. Although they never explicitly told him about it, YuWon knew they didn't want to follow him because of what he did to Hoon.

Soo-Ah and Min-Joon believed in surviving without resorting to murder and cruelty against fellow humans. But just now, they had killed many people like it was their second nature.

It's different for me, who has lived and died many times. I had to turn into a killer because of necessity. But Soo-Ah isn't someone who'd kill humans without a second thought.

Are they really Soo-Ah and Min-Joon? Or... are they someone else? That was the question in YuWon's head.

"Either way, we don't know how long we'd be stuck here," Soo-Ah said, getting up. "I suggest we should scavenge and stock up supplies—"

"No need for that," YuWon waved his hand.

Everyone turned to look at him and he pulled out some food, water, and first-aid kits from his hand. But something weird happened as soon as the items came into contact with the moonlight.

The food rotted away right before their eyes. The bread crumbled into dust, and the fruits turned black. While the water inside the bottles became murky, like sludge. A moment later, everything turned into rotten flesh.

"What the..." YuWon mumbled, looking at Lysandra.

However, she seemed as shocked as he was. She sprouted a vine and poked the flesh with it. Thankfully, nothing happened. Everyone was wondering what happened. It wasn't until Yeji pointed above that they realized something was amiss.

The soft glow of the moon had turned red. As for the moon, it looked like someone had dumped a ton of blood on it. YuWon got up and stepped out of the shade to get a better look at the moon.

But when the moonlight touched his feet, YuWon collapsed on the ground, crying in pain. He looked down at his leg, and his eyes widened in horror. Blisters were forming on his skin and spreading quickly throughout his leg.

"It's the moon!" Lysandra shouted, raising a barrier to protect everyone.

However, even her vines were no match for the moon's blood thirst. All life got drained from the vines and fell apart like twigs. Thankfully, it was enough time for Gina to drag YuWon back to safety.

YuWon panted as the explosive pain in his legs subsided. The blisters stopped spreading, but the ones already on the leg didn't heal themselves.

Lysandra and Yeji concentrated on healing him, while Gina stayed by his side, alert. However, Soo-Ah and Min-Joon were standing in the open, staring at the moon as if it had mesmerized them.

"Hey!" Gina called to them. "Get over here before you burn!"

However, they didn't listen. Their faces were blank, almost lifeless... just like the ones who had attacked them on the train.

Suddenly, their bodies start to twitch and turn. Before they could know what was happening, Soo-Ah and Min-Joon snapped their heads and crumpled to the ground.

"Are they... dead?" Yeji asked.

"Get behind me," YuWon urged, pushing Yeji behind.

As he said that, Soo-Ah and Min-Joon got up, their eyes mirroring the moon above. Then, without a warning, they lunged toward YuWon and the others.

YuWon grabbed his sword, but Gina was faster. In an instant, she leaped forward and slashed across Soo-Ah's chest, and then Min-Joon's throat. Blood sprayed out of their wounds as the two fell to the ground.

But Gina wasn't done. To ensure they were dead, she severed their heads and stomped on them for good measure.

"What... what just happened?" Yeji asked, her eyes wide in horror.

"Isn't it obvious?" Gina said as she retracted her claws and wiped the blood off her hands. "They turned into those hunger-driven, mindless creatures from before."

"The moon changed them..." YuWon mumbled. "It turned food into rotten flesh and turned humans into... hunger-driven maniacs."

Suddenly, everything made sense. With the food they were used to turning into rotten flesh, the hunger would drive anyone mad. Soon, they would have no choice but to consume the rotten flesh or... turn to cannibalism.

But that only explains why those on the train had gone mad.

However, that didn't explain everything. Unlike the folks on the train, Soo-Ah and Min-Joon hadn't been hungry for long. Which meant there was something else responsible for the crap-show.

The moon...

Before YuWon could think more about it, a red notification, similar to the one he encountered in the penalty zone, flashed before their eyes.

[Error detected in the system!]

[Unknown entity has breached the trial!]

[Dungeon has been cleared by Awakener: Ann—]

[Dungeon will close immediately.]

Before YuWon could even finish reading the name of the Awakener, the entire world around them swirled. A crack appeared before them and began pulling them inside.

One by one, they got pulled into the portal. Just as YuWon was about to be sucked in, he noticed something. Someone was standing at some distance.

YuWon squinted and saw someone tall with long red hair waving at him. The lady mouthed something while looking at him, but he couldn't make it out before getting sucked into the portal.

The next time he opened his eyes, he was back at the base. The crack had closed and soldiers were standing at bay. But the first thing YuWon saw was the crimson moon above them.

[The second phase of Awakening has begun.]