Global Awakening: Only I Can Respawn

Some were hesitant to hit Hoon, and their punches and slaps were weak.

Hoon smiled, thinking if that was all, then there was nothing he had to fear. However, his wishful thinking soon came to an end.

Hoon was a cocky bastard and YuWon wasn't the only one who had problems with him. YuWon knew this and that's why he proposed such a condition to Yeji.

The people who had problems with Hoon took the opportunity with a bit more enthusiasm. They approached Hoon with smirks, delivering slaps and punches with a little extra force, thoroughly enjoying the task.

"Sorry, Hoon, nothing personal," a student mocked before slapping him hard across the face.

Then another girl stepped up. Using her small stature, she pretended to aim poorly and missed.

"Oops, missed the first time. Let me try again," she said before delivering another punch.

Hoon just stood there, taking all the hits and humiliation. He was staring at Yeji, who had turned away from him. In his mind, this was all her fault.

If she hadn't slapped him earlier, none of this would be happening. But he bit his tongue, knowing that speaking up would only make things worse for him.

Just when it seemed like everyone had taken their turn, the ground beneath them trembled, followed by a strange clattering sound. Everyone forgot about Hoon and looked back.

YuWon and the others were back, but that wasn't all. Behind them was an army of skeletons. Most of the skeletons were goblins, but some were human, each wielding a weapon.

YuWon and his team had been gone for over an hour and now everyone knew why. They had been raising the dead from around the college with Soo-Ah's necromancy and Gina's seemingly endless supply of mana.

There must have been over three hundred skeletons walking out of the building. Everyone instinctively stepped aside for them.

However, YuWon paid no attention to their reaction and walked towards Hoon. He looked at his swollen and bruised face, just like YuWon's face had been after the first beating he took from Hoon and his lackeys.

"Happy now?" Hoon mumbled.

But YuWon didn't reply and without warning punched Hoon's stomach, causing him to double over in pain.

"Why would I be happy? It was just a team-building exercise," YuWon said as Hoon crumpled to the ground. "Don't look at me like that. I wouldn't be a good leader if I didn't join the team-building activity, right?"

Before Hoon could retort, a skeleton approached him. A moment later, it raised its bony fist, intending to hit Hoon. At the moment, he was scared shitless.

First, YuWon got everyone to hit him, but Hoon made it out with no major injury as a few people had held back. Now, YuWon wanted the skeletons to do the same?

Hoon was worried because, unlike people, the skeletons wouldn't hold back. Plus, there were more skeletons than humans, so he'd get hit way more and much harder than before.

Noticing the look of horror on Hoon's face, YuWon chuckled and asked Soo-Ah to stop.

"Alright, that's enough," YuWon said, shaking his head with a small smile. "As much fun as it would be to watch the skeletons take their turn, we don't have time to waste."

Mickey immediately retreated, and YuWon turned towards Yeji. "Go heal him up. I don't want a burden on the team."

Yeji didn't react, just got up to heal Hoon. Meanwhile, YuWon informed the rest of his plan. At least one of his plans, since he needed more in case they failed.

***

An hour and a half later...

The road trembled as the goblin army moved. Over a hundred goblins marched in perfect formation around the goblin monarch's carriage, being pulled by weary human slaves. Their eyes had gone dull and lifeless from the torment they had endured.

Twelve burly hobgoblins, each one was the size of a bear, marched next to the carriage. Two elderly goblin shamans followed closely behind the carriage, their hunched bodies concealed by tattered robes.

Only a fool would dare to stop their pilgrimage, and so far, no one had dared to show up before them. However, it didn't take long for things to change.

The goblin monarch within the carriage let out a low, rumbling growl. The entire army came to an abrupt halt. Every goblin turned their eyes forward, searching for whatever had disturbed their leader.

They didn't have to look far as they noticed one of their kin standing ahead. Sensing her powers, the monarch growled again, more urgently this time, and several goblins went ahead to investigate.

The monarch was always looking for powerful allies and wanted Gina to join them. However, as the goblins got closer, a volley of arrows rained on them from nearby buildings.

The arrows killed a few of them. But it was just the beginning of their troubles. Mimicking the monarch, Gina also roared and hundreds of skeletons emerged from behind.

They charged forward to engage the goblins. The goblin monarch roared in fury and the entire army rushed ahead to crush the skeletons. Seven of the hobgoblins broke away from the carriage, charging into the fray with their massive clubs swinging.

Five hobgoblins and the shamans stood guard next to the carriage. But the shamans were unaware of the danger approaching them.

The shamans were strong, but they had one major weakness: in their pursuit of magic, they had sacrificed their eyes. But it wasn't much of a problem for them, as they could sense even the faintest bit of mana from living beings around them.

Their mana-sight allowed them to target their enemies even if they didn't have eyes. But there was something they could not sense—the dead. They were unaware of the two skeletons slowly approaching them from behind.

One hobgoblin saw something move from the corner of its eyes and turned to warn the shamans. But it was too late.

Skullee grabbed one shaman and effortlessly ripped its head off while Mickey swung the blade, severing the other shaman's head.

The hobgoblins roared in rage, but before they could react, the goblin monarch tore through the side of the carriage. It had sensed the death of the shamans and was infuriated.

As soon as the shamans fell, humans rushed out from their hiding spots. YuWon had given them strict instructions to only engage with goblin scouts. But some were too eager to show off and charged directly at the hobgoblins and the monarch.

Their craving for glory got them crushed like insects by the hobgoblins' clubs. Even the monarch joined in and swung its broadsword, slicing through several humans in a single strike.

The monarch was about to strike again, but then felt something strange. It was the presence of a human. However, this human was different. He was strong, stronger than even its generals.

Troubled, the monarch scanned the crowd, and it didn't take long for it to spot YuWon. YuWon had noticed the monarch too and tore through the goblins as if they were nothing.