The morning came slowly.
Golden sunlight trickled through the dusty blinds of Kim Suho's apartment, painting the floor in warm, flickering stripes. But Suho was already awake, sitting silently at the small wooden table in his kitchen. A half-empty mug of coffee sat beside him, steam long faded.
He hadn't slept much.
The past few days had been too much—Areum's soul fragments, the eerie Tomb of Silence, whispers of vampire gates returning, and now, his team being mentioned in a national S-rank meeting.
His fingers hovered for a moment, then waved to activate his personal status window.
Kim Suho
Level: 27
Undead Controlled: 36 / 50
Soul Fragments Collected: 3 / 7
Next Target: Sector 19 (Locked – Requires Level 35 & 50 Undead)
New Skill Unlocked: [Corpse Explosion]
Trait: [Areum's Soul – Linked] – Passive Guidance Enabled
He let out a quiet sigh and leaned back against the chair.
"Still not enough," he muttered to himself.
Even after all the progress, the power he had was not yet complete. Not enough to open the next door. Not enough to reach Areum. Not enough to face what was coming.
Suddenly, a knock at the door pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Suho! Open up! It's us!"
Mirae's cheerful voice echoed from the hallway.
Suho stood and opened the door. Mirae, Minho, and Hojin walked in, fully geared. Swords, staves, daggers—all strapped and ready. They looked determined.
"We came early," said Minho, placing his bag down. "You ready for today's raid?"
"Yeah," Suho replied. "Already requested a gate from the Association."
"Great," said Hojin. "We should train as much as we can. No time to waste with all that's going on."
As they settled on the couch, Mirae picked up the remote and turned on the TV.
What appeared on the screen froze all of them in place.
[LIVE] Hunter Association Press Conference: Emergency Response to Sector 5 Fluctuations
President Lee Hyeonjin stood at a podium with a serious face. The background bore the seal of the Hunter Association. Dozens of cameras flashed.
"Due to recent magical spikes in Sector 5," Lee began, "we have officially moved into a stage of high alert. Our analysts believe that an S-rank gate may form there soon. The readings are eerily similar to a past incident…"
Gasps and murmurs filled the broadcast room.
President Lee continued calmly, but his eyes were sharp.
"The last time we saw something like this... was three years ago. A gate opened in Hawaii. It was S-rank. No one expected what came out of it."
He paused. The screen behind him changed to grim battlefield photos—burnt cities, destroyed towers, and pale creatures with glowing red eyes.
"The gate housed an army of intelligent vampires. Not beasts. Soldiers. Monsters who could think, speak, and plan. They slaughtered over 80% of our best hunters. Only a few returned."
Suho's team listened in silence.
Mirae swallowed nervously. "Vampires… again?"
Minho's hand clenched into a fist. "That's not good. Not at all."
"They'll need every strong hunter available," Hojin said quietly.
President Lee's voice drew their attention back to the screen.
"And now, we must ensure the same does not happen in Korea. We will prepare. We will not make the same mistakes."
He turned to the reporters.
"One more thing," he added. "We've received recent reports about a rising team of young hunters."
The team blinked.
"Team DEATH," the news anchor added. "A four-member squad, composed of three C-rankers and one D-rank. Despite their low official ranks, they have cleared multiple C-rank dungeons—some in record time. They even overwhelmed a B-rank hunter team during an unsanctioned conflict."
The footage changed.
Blurry clips showed Suho's undead wyvern-crushing bloomspawn in the Broken Garden. Another scene showed eerie shadows—his Gravekin warriors—marching forward. Civilians had taken shaky recordings and leaked them online.
Suho sat up straight.
"So… it's out," he said quietly.
Mirae blinked. "That's us?"
Minho gave a low whistle. "Guess we're famous now."
Hojin chuckled dryly. "Didn't expect our name to spread this fast."
Suho stood and walked to the window. He stared at the city below—the cars, the people, the peaceful streets.
"It doesn't matter," he said softly. "Let them talk. We still have work to do."
He turned to his team.
"If a gate like that really opens… we'll need to be stronger. Much stronger. We won't have anyone to rely on."
Mirae nodded quickly. "Then let's train together."
Minho crossed his arms. "No holding back. No shortcuts."
Hojin smirked. "Team DEATH doesn't lose, right?"
Suho looked at the three of them. His teammates. His friends.
His family.
Meanwhile... in a Forgotten Observatory
A man stood under the broken dome of an ancient observatory. His silver hair flowed in the cold wind. In his hands was a glowing tablet showing Suho's battles.
Behind him stood five hooded figures in crimson cloaks. Their eyes glowed faintly beneath their hoods.
The man's voice was cold. "The Necrosystem… It has awakened again."
"Sir," said one cloaked figure. "Do we eliminate him now?"
The man smiled faintly. "No. Not yet. Let him grow. Let him walk deeper into the system. The stronger he becomes… the more useful he'll be to Her."
A sudden gust of black wind swept through the ruins—when it cleared, they were gone.
Later That Night
Suho sat at his terminal, checking gate requests.
One new notification appeared:
Gate Approved
Location: Sector 8 – Erosion Garden
Rank: C
Status: Unclaimed
Entry Time: Open
He accepted it immediately.
Behind him, Areum's soul fragment hovered in the air, glowing softly. A faint whisper echoed in the room.
"You're getting stronger, Oppa," she said. "But danger is coming."
Suho didn't flinch.
"I'll be ready."
He stood and turned off the lights.
Tomorrow, Team DEATH would step into another dungeon.
Another step toward power.
Another step toward saving her.
Let the world watch.
They were no longer in the shadows.
And soon, the world would understand what Team DEATH really meant.
To Be Continued…
Kim Suho – Current Status
Level: 27
Undead Controlled: 36 / 50
Areum's Soul Fragments: 3 / 7
Next Dungeon: Sector 8 – Erosion Garden
Gate Type: C-Rank
Objective: Reach Level 35 & Control 50 Undead
Next Destination: Sector 19 (Locked)
New Threat: Unknown Faction Observing
Support Active: Areum's Soul Guidance – Synced