Global Awakening: Only I Can Respawn

The first ray of the sun bathed the park in an orange glow. Almost everyone was asleep, having been working hard through the night. Only the faint rustling of leaves and the occasional chirp of early birds broke the silence.

By the gate, two guards stood, yawning. They were tired, having worked through the night, but they were maintaining their post. But the sudden footsteps broke any thoughts of sleeping they had.

They turned to see the old man approaching. Despite wearing a blindfold, he moved with the confidence of someone who could see the world better than anyone else.

"Elder!"

The guards bowed out of respect.

"Do you need someone to accompany you?"

The old man stopped in front of the gate and smiled. After seeing the kind smile on his face, the guards felt something strangely warm within.

"No need," the elder said. "I'll be back soon. Besides, you two have worked hard through the night. You should rest."

The guards hesitated, exchanging glances.

"But—"

"Go," the old man interrupted gently but firmly. "The sun is up. The day guards will arrive here soon."

With a reluctant nod, the guards finally stepped back, bowing again before retreating to their quarters. The old man remained by the gate for a moment, as if savoring the stillness of the early morning.

Then, with slow and measured steps, he walked away. Strangely enough, as he walked, a crow kept cawing, as if guiding the old man.

Unbeknownst to the old man, YuWon had been watching the entire scene. Something about the old man didn't sit right with him. From the moment he had first seen him, YuWon felt restless.

I can't seem to open his status page, no matter what.

Back when YuWon peeked through the boss's stat, he had tried to do the same with the old man. But to his surprise, all he saw was a blank page.

Not a name, not a level, not even a hint of HP or abilities. It was as if the man didn't exist in the world.

YuWon had encountered people with obscured stats before. Some high-level individuals had protections that concealed parts of their status pages—like their names or certain abilities.

But this was different. This was the first time he completely could not access someone's status page. It was as though the old man was invisible to the system itself.

Where is he going with no protection? And that crow… none of this seems normal.

For a moment, YuWon considered following him, curiosity and caution warring within him. But something held him back. If the old man truly was as unusual as he seemed, rushing after him without preparation might be reckless.

For now, it was wise to monitor the old man from a distance and wait.

***

"You think that Parade Master is a boss monster?" Soo-Ah asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe," YuWon shrugged.

He didn't elaborate and instead turned his attention to the camp's food. It wasn't anything special, just some noodles and a packet of biscuits. But YuWon found himself surprised at the quantity they provided.

They probably got the food from the souvenir stores.

"Don't make that face," Soo-Ah yelled. "Please don't tell me you're thinking about fighting the Parade Master."

"What?"

YuWon blinked at her, surprised by her words.

"You're making that face. The one you always make when you're lost in thought."

YuWon raised an eyebrow at her, intrigued. He hadn't realized she'd been observing him so closely, let alone that she could read him so well.

Soo-Ah, meanwhile, froze as the weight of her own words hit her. The distance between them was closing, and so was her control on her tongue. That's why she said something embarrassing before YuWon.

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Why can't I control my tongue? YuWon is absolutely judging me right now.

"I am…"

Soo-Ah's eyes widened when YuWon said that. That was it. Her crush wasn't into her and she hadn't even proposed to him yet.

"I am planning to fight the Parade master," YuWon continued.

"I see... Wait, what?! Are you out of your mind? That Parade Master is far stronger than the snake we barely managed to defeat with tricks."

Soo-Ah went on, "And now you think we can take him on when he's got an entire army of monsters dancing his back?!"

YuWon shook his head. Just because he intended to fight the Parade Master didn't mean he was about to rush into it or actively seek him out.

He was merely acknowledging the possibility. After all, if the Parade Master truly was the boss of this quest, it seemed impossible to complete it without eventually facing him.

Besides, they already had eyes on them.

As always, there were problems with any camp. Envy, pride, ego… call it what you want, but it always interfered with peace. Just like it was interfering with YuWon's breakfast.

It seems the little boss likes to play unfairly.

Last night, they told the lady about the tricks they'd used to clear the rides. However, it seemed that information hadn't made its way to the other residents. As a result, the group assumed YuWon and Soo-Ah had kept the knowledge to themselves while freeloading on top of it.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

But now that they had outstayed their welcome and usefulness, it seemed the little boss wanted to get rid of them. But instead of dirtying his hands, he sent some people to target YuWon… specifically.

Soo-Ah is still useful to them. But she clings to me. The little boss might not like it and want to push me out.

YuWon let out a sigh and set the bowl aside. Just when he'd begun to think better of the little boss, the guy had to go and pull a cliché move.

What a shame. If YuWon had been in the mood for games, it might've been entertaining to teach the brat a lesson in respect.

"Where are you going?" Soo-Ah asked.

"For a walk."

"Can I come?"

"Do you want to come?"

"I don't mind coming if it's you."

YuWon smirked at her earnestness, realizing she hadn't caught the double meaning in his words. Oh well. He'd taken enough time to tease her.