The day after the Erosion Garden raid, Kim Suho didn't wake to birdsong or the sound of construction outside.
He woke to silence.
And over a dozen messages.
His terminal glowed softly on the desk beside him, screen filled with flashing icons.
Guild invitations. Interview requests. Collaboration proposals.
Even a luxury brand offered to sponsor Team DEATH's outfits.
Suho sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. The ache of battle still lingered in his body, but it was dull compared to what weighed on his chest now.
Fame.
They had fought so hard to avoid attention, and yet it had caught up with them.
He reached for his terminal, scrolling slowly through the barrage of messages.
[From: Crimson Blaze Guild]
"Kim Suho, we'd like to invite you and your teammates for a private discussion. We offer full raid support, A-grade equipment, rank-boosting contracts, and long-term growth opportunities. We believe you belong with the best."
Suho stared at the message for a moment.
Then closed it.
He wasn't interested in contracts—or cages.
Team Group Chat
Mirae: "Guys, I just got a message from Stormlight Guild 😳 they even used my full name"
Hojin: "Same. One of mine said I could train under an S-rank assassin. This is getting serious."
Minho: "So… we're actually famous now, huh."
Mirae: "Famous and still broke 😭"
Hojin: "Speak for yourself. I bought fried chicken last night like a king."
Mirae: "TRAITOR"
Minho: "Focus."
Mirae: "Okay okay—but what do we do, Suho?"
Suho stared at the blinking message bar for a while.
Then replied:
Suho: "Let's talk in person."
Afternoon – Cafe Near the Association Tower
The café was small, quiet, and familiar. Tucked in a corner between the Hunter Association's stone building and an alley of overgrown vines, it had become their safe spot.
No cameras. No fans. No guild scouts here.
Just coffee, chairs, and sunlight through dusty windows.
They sat around their usual table. Mirae stirred her drink, lost in thought.
Hojin leaned back in his seat. "I'm just gonna say it. Some of these offers are… absurd. They're throwing everything at us."
Mirae nodded slowly. "Stormlight offered me an A-rank fire grimoire. Do you know how rare that is? And they said they'd help 'polish my image.' Like I'm a brand now."
Minho looked uneasy. "One of the offers I got included a condo in the city and an exclusive shield from the Tower Armory. They even offered me a rank assessment boost. That's… big."
All eyes turned to Suho.
He sat there, calm, unreadable, sipping hot tea.
Then he spoke.
"They're not offering us this because they believe in us."
His voice was quiet—but firm.
"They're offering because they're afraid of what we might become without them."
The others listened in silence.
"They want to shape us. Control us. Put us under their name so the world won't ask where we came from. So they can say, 'We made them.'"
Mirae bit her lip. "I… didn't think of it like that."
Minho folded his arms. "Still. They're big names. Some of these guilds are trusted by the world. They have reached. Protection."
Suho looked at each of them.
"I know. And you're free to decide."
His eyes weren't angry. Just honest.
"If you want safety, you can take the offer. I won't stop you."
A pause.
"But if you want to walk your path—fight for your strength, even if it means struggling more—then follow me."
He leaned forward slightly, voice lower.
"I can't offer wealth. Or fame. Not yet. But I can promise this—if we stay together, we won't just rise. We'll change the world."
The silence that followed was thick with emotion.
Then Mirae smiled.
"You already know my answer. I'm with you."
Hojin laughed. "Suho, you've got the most serious face, but you say the craziest stuff. I'm in."
Minho scratched his cheek. "You're a pain, but… I trust you."
Suho nodded. One by one, they placed their hands in the center of the table.
No grand speeches. No raised fists.
Just unity.
That Night
Back in his apartment, Suho sat at the edge of his bed. The lights were off. The city glowed outside his window in distant pulses.
The fragment of Areum hovered nearby, faintly glowing.
"You turned down the world today, Oppa," her voice whispered.
"I didn't need the world," Suho said quietly. "I need time. I need strength. I need them."
He opened his status screen:
Kim Suho – Necromancer
Level: 30
Undead: 38 / 50
Soul Fragments: 3 / 7
Trait: Commander's Vision
Loyalty Gauge (Team DEATH): 100%
He minimized the screen—
But the moment he did, the room grew colder.
An invisible pressure coiled around him.
Then, a message appeared across his vision like a blade cutting through the fog:
[New Gate Detected – Sector 11]
Special Designation: Challenger Gate
Entry Limited: Team DEATH Only
Objective: Unknown
Status: Hostile Observer Confirmed
Suho's smile faded.
"…So they're finally moving."
Somewhere Else
Far away, beneath a mountain fortress wrapped in storm clouds, the silver-haired man stared at a projected image of Suho's team leaving a guild building.
"Refused everything," he murmured.
His voice was soft but sharp.
Behind him, five robed figures stood still as statues.
"Shall we make contact?" one asked.
The man smiled.
"No. Let them walk into Sector 11. Let's see what they're really made of."
Final Scene
The next morning, Suho and his team stood at the edge of a forgotten railway station deep in the woods.
Sector 11.
It wasn't listed on any map. The surrounding area was eerily quiet—no birds, no wind. Just the gate, pulsing like a heartbeat.
No reporters. No scouts. Just fog.
"This place gives me the creeps," Mirae whispered.
"Same," Minho muttered. "Even the dirt feels wrong."
Suho walked forward until he stood before the swirling gate.
"Sector 11," he said. "Let's see what kind of 'test' this is."
Behind him, his team drew their weapons.
No hesitation.
No fear.
Just trust.
Together, Team DEATH stepped into the unknown.
To Be Continued...
Kim Suho
Level: 30
Undead: 38 / 50
Soul Fragments: 3 / 7
Trait: Commander's Vision
New Gate: Sector 11 – Challenger Gate
Threat: Hostile Faction Begins Testing
Loyalty: Team DEATH – Fully United
Internal Resolve: Solidified
Team DEATH Stands Strong
Mirae – Level 22
HP: 88% | Mana: 60%
Fire Affinity: High
Special Trait: Burning Soul
Minho – Level 21
HP: 95% | Stamina: 72%
Defensive Aura: Active
Special Trait: Iron Wall
Hojin – Level 23
HP: 91% | Energy: 80%
Stealth Buff: Active
Special Trait: Nightstalker's Step