Global Awakening: Only I Can Respawn

"What do you want from me, young man?" the old man asked.

"Nothing much, sir," YuWon replied. "I just thought it'd be nice to get to know you better."

The old man had a blindfold covering the upper half of his face. But YuWon could bet his life the man was confused.

YuWon had been waiting for the man at the park's entrance. Since YuWon was being pleasant, he accompanied the young man. But now he was having second thoughts.

"Young man…" the old man chuckled. "Don't waste your time on an old fool like me. You'd be better off enjoying your evening with that young lady instead."

With that, he turned to leave, but YuWon grabbed his hand. Well, he tried to, but the old man reacted faster than expected, pulling away with surprising agility.

"For a blind man, you're awfully perceptive."

The old man stopped and turned. But he still had the usual smile on his face.

"In this world," the old man said, "when the gods take something precious, they often leave a gift in its place. They took my eyes, yes, but they sharpened my other senses. Just because I cannot see doesn't mean I'm blind."

"Wow, your patron must be quite generous."

"I don't understand what you mean."

"I'm talking about Lucifer."

The moment the words left his mouth, the old man's demeanor shifted. His gentle smile disappeared without a trace. In one swift motion, he swung his cane with a force that contradicted his age, stopping just an inch from YuWon's face.

YuWon didn't flinch. The [Formless Blade] was already touching the old man's belly.

"Wise choice," YuWon smiled, turning [Formless Blade] into a ring. "If you hadn't stopped, you'd be dead."

"How do you know about my patron—?"

"What? Your patron god didn't tell you who I am?" YuWon sneered.

"Answer me."

The elder's kindly demeanor vanished. The one before him was Lucifer's paladin. No one else. But YuWon found it amusing, almost unbelievable, that Lucifer hadn't warned his so-called paladin about him.

"I don't want to spill blood needlessly," the old man growled. "So tell me how you knew about my patron?"

YuWon shrugged, unimpressed by the threats. The old man wasn't turning out to be as interesting as he'd hoped. He thought the old man would have some beneficial information about Lucifer's plan, but it was clear the elder knew nothing of value.

"Maybe I'll tell you next time," YuWon said, waving him off.

But the elder wasn't about to let it go. He immediately swung the cane towards YuWon's head. He ducked and rolled, narrowly avoiding the strike. The tree behind him wasn't so lucky—it shuddered under the blow, its bark caving in from the impact.

Not bad… for someone his age.

Although YuWon called the old man Lucifer's paladin, that wasn't the complete truth. Lucifer wasn't a god, and only gods could officially take paladins. As an angel, he couldn't take in a paladin, or favor a particular awakener.

Still, that didn't stop Lucifer from bending the rules in his favor. As the overseer of the quest, Lucifer had the authority to give gifts, rewarding even the most trivial tasks. It was through those gifts that the old man had gained his immense strength—despite being blind.

YuWon could guess the rest. Lucifer had likely promised the man something far greater, a promise to return his eyesight. In exchange, the elder had sworn unwavering loyalty, meeting with Lucifer or his representatives in secret, informing them about the happenings within the survivors.

"What's the matter, boy?" the old man taunted. "Why are you only dodging my strikes? Lost your nerve or you got cold feet?"

"I'd rather not send you to hell, old man," YuWon smirked. "Besides, wouldn't it be rude to strike down a relic?"

"…You've got quite the sharp tongue, don't you?"

The old man swung his cane, aiming for YuWon's head. For someone blind, his attacks were unnervingly precise, almost supernatural. It made YuWon wonder just what kind of skill had Lucifer given to the blind man.

But as quick as the strike came, YuWon's hand was quicker as he grabbed the cane mid-swing. Flustered, the old man pulled on the cane, but no matter how hard he tried, the cane didn't budge from YuWon's iron grip.

"I'm disappointed, grandpa," YuWon smiled. "All that bravado and this is your strength? No wonder the monsters took your eyes."

"You insolent brat!"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The old man pulled on the stick once again with all his strength. YuWon released the cane with perfect timing, sending the old man crashing to the ground. He groaned, clutching his back.

"Just… who are you?" he mumbled.

"I've already told you," YuWon replied, disinterested. "Ask your patron. Stop wasting my time."

YuWon thought the humiliation would teach the old man a lesson, but it seemed he was mistaken. Instead, he got back into position and lunged at YuWon again.

This time YuWon turned the [Formless Blade] into a gauntlet and hit the cane, sending it flying to the side. Even disarmed, the old man pressed on, trying to land a hit.

"Careful now, old man," YuWon teased, sidestepping another attempt. "You'll pull a muscle at this rate."

YuWon taunted him again, waiting for the old man to strike. However, the old man sank to his knees.

YuWon raised an eyebrow, not expecting his opponent to give up so easily. But a moment later, he understood why. The camp's little boss was there, along with the guards.

When they saw the old man on the ground, they came rushing in. Everyone was staring daggers at YuWon as if he had committed some grave crime against humanity.

"What did you do to him!?" The little boss yelled.

"I'm sorry Kei…" the old man said. "Your grandpa wasn't strong enough to fight this demon."

"What do you mean, elder?" a guard asked.

"I saw him colluding with the dolls… he wants to kill us all!" the old man yelled, regaining his strength out of nowhere.

"What?"

Everyone gasped, and the guards drew their weapons. Even then, YuWon just sighed as if their drama didn't concern him.

"You bastard! This is how you repay us after we fed you?" Another guard yelled.

"Soo-Ah."

YuWon ignored everyone and called out to Soo-Ah, who emerged behind the tree… with a camera in her hand. The one she had bought from the souvenir store.

"Would you mind showing them the footage?" YuWon asked casually, flashing a knowing smile.

The old man's face got drained of color. Everything he did and said had been recorded… it was over for him.