Chapter 68: Victory?
[If the awakener dies before the cooldown finishes, they won't respawn.]
A third of my HP gone and now this? Fucking Penalty zone.
YuWon was upset but had no time to show it. After all, the ghoul was already eyeing him. He had one chance to do it right. If he failed, then that was it.
Goodbye cruel world. Nah, fuck that shit.
Taking a deep breath, YuWon readied himself. But things were different this time. Instead of flying towards him, the ghoul flew upwards. Once in the air, it looked down upon YuWon and smiled.
Don't tell me it knows...
As if reading his thoughts, a notification flashed before his eyes.
[The Domain boss knows everything that has happened in its domain in the past and the present]
"Of course it does."
The ghoul screeched and suddenly dove toward YuWon. The claws were once again stretched towards him. But at the last moment, the ghoul turned and kicked YuWon in the chest.
YuWon had been expecting the claws to hit him and was taken aback by the sudden change. However, there was no respite for him.
As he fell to the ground, the ghoul grabbed him by the neck. YuWon grunted in pain as the ghoul's claws dug into his skin. But he couldn't do much about it.
Dust and debris shot up as the ghoul kept dragging him across the ground. The force ripped off his shirt, and the pain of being dragged even worse.
Every bump and rock on the ground made YuWon groan in pain as he fought back. But as he struggled, the ghoul's claws only tightened around his throat.
"Ugh!" YuWon grunted.
Suddenly, the ghoul lifted him, still holding him by the neck. It carried YuWon in the air for a few moments before swinging its body and hurling him back toward the ground.
Blood shot out of his mouth as YuWon hit the ground. First, his back was bleeding and now his insides were a mess from the impact. While he was struggling to get back on his feet, the ghoul circled above, preparing for another attack.
"Fucking... piece of... shit..."
YuWon gritted his teeth, pushing himself up onto his feet despite the pain. He couldn't afford to stay down, not when the ghoul could kill him at any moment.
Everything he had depended on his [Respawn] skill to save his ass. But now that it would not happen, desperation kicked in.
As the ghoul dived in again, YuWon's hands tightened on the sword. The creature screeched, ready to take him for another ride. But this time, YuWon lifted the blade at the last second.
The ghoul couldn't stop and YuWon shoved the blade further towards the ghoul, cutting into its side. The creature shrieked in pain as it hit the ground.
YuWon watched as the ghoul rolled over a few times before coming to a stop. As the dust settled, he noticed that one of its wings had snapped. Despite that, the ghoul forced itself back on its feet.
They were both on their last leg. Yet, none of them were willing to back down. They both stood there, panting and staring at each other.
Both of them wondered how the other was still alive. But none of that mattered anymore. Both of them knew that this would be the last time they'd face each other—either YuWon would fall, or the ghoul would.
With a sudden screech, the ghoul charged. It jumped forward; the claws extended as usual. YuWon didn't hesitate. He readied his sword. Everything he had would go into this strike.
Just as the ghoul was about to catch his neck, YuWon ducked, swinging the blade, cutting through the other side. But that wasn't all.
As the ghoul trailed past him, YuWon reached up and grabbed the ghoul's tail. The creature screeched in surprise before frantically flapping its only wing in a desperate attempt to pull away from him.
But YuWon dug his feet into the ground and held on. The next moment, YuWon swung the sword with his free hand and every ounce of little strength he had left.
The blade sliced clean through the ghoul's tail, severing it completely. Blood sprayed into the air as the ghoul let out a high-pitched wail of pain as it stumbled and fell.
"Try hitting me... now," YuWon panted, throwing the tail away.
Suddenly, YuWon couldn't take his weight and fell to one knee before leaning on his sword for support.
"Come on... not yet... a few more... minutes..." YuWon muttered, feeling his vision turn hazy.
He could feel his exhaustion creeping up on him. But he forced himself to stay focused. The ghoul was on its last legs. He couldn't collapse now that victory was in his sights.
The ghoul thought the same thing and forced itself back on its feet. But much like YuWon, the ghoul too was disoriented as it dove toward him. YuWon rolled sideways, then slashed upward, cutting deep into the ghoul's chest.
The ghoul took a few steps before collapsing beside YuWon. Its limbs twitched, showing its weakness, but YuWon didn't take any chances and kept his eyes on the ghoul as he walked up to it.
"This is it..." YuWon mumbled, raising the blade.
With a final thrust, he drove the blade into the ghoul's neck. The creature let out a weak, pitiful sound before it finally went still. Its body slumped to the ground, lifeless.
YuWon stood there for a moment, leaning over the sword as it absorbed the creature's blood. But just as YuWon turned to leave the park, something caught his eye.
A second later, the severed tail shot towards him. YuWon tried to catch it, but it slipped past his grip and slammed into his shoulder.
"Ugh!" YuWon grunted as he stumbled backward.
The force of the tail sent him crashing on top of the fallen ghoul. After everything, YuWon couldn't move any longer. He could feel the blood draining from his body as his vision blurred.
He tried to pull the tail out, but he didn't have the strength. As he lay over the ghoul's corpse, something green appeared before him.
"Gi...na..."
YuWon barely touched whatever was before him as his vision went dark.