The chimera let out a howl—a warped, metallic shriek that echoed through the overgrown railyard. Its form was monstrous, standing nearly five meters tall. Its body was a grotesque blend of train parts, welded together with gnarled wood and sinew, animated by necrotic essence and broken mana. One eye glowed an eerie blue, the other was a crushed lantern. Chains dragged behind its limbs like forgotten cargo.
Kim Suho didn't flinch.
This… was what he had been waiting for.
"Number nineteen," he whispered again, low enough that no one else heard.
But even in silence, his heart pounded. One more after this. Just one more, and the next piece of Areum's memory would reveal itself.
The others didn't know.
They didn't need to.
He raised his hand. Caldran materialized beside him, already in a battle stance, shield raised.
Mirae gasped. "What the hell is that thing?"
"A failed fusion," Suho answered calmly. "It's not natural. But it's not mindless either."
Minho clenched his shield tighter. "Looks like it was trying to be something. Maybe even… someone."
"Trackers, movement pattern?" Suho called.
Hojin had already disappeared into the shadows. A moment later, his voice came through the party link.
"It's slow but bursts forward in straight lines. Heavy stomps. Pressure plates in the ground—don't step on the twisted rails, they trigger bone-spike traps. I've marked them."
"Good." Suho's eyes narrowed. "Team, split formation. Mirae, keep firing from mid-range. Minho intercepts its charge. Caldran and I will handle the front. Let's go."
The fight began with a roar.
The chimera's first strike sent a rusted railcar flying. Suho dodged with practiced ease, his coat billowing as he summoned two lesser undead to draw its attention. They were crushed instantly.
He didn't care.
This wasn't about numbers. This was about control.
"Command Chain – Spear-wall Formation."
At once, his undead reorganized, positioning themselves in a crescent. Caldran led the charge, his tower shield slamming into the beast's front leg with a shuddering crash. Minho joined from the side, bracing as the beast pivoted and kicked.
Mirae's spells flashed like lightning bolts, one after another. She panted between casts, sweat beading down her brow, but she didn't stop. Every hit seared away a piece of the chimera's outer shell.
Hojin circled, slicing exposed joints with uncanny precision.
But the beast was resilient. For every bone that cracked, it reformed with vines. For every chain severed, a new one uncoiled from its back.
Suho stepped closer.
He wasn't afraid.
This was his element.
"Soul Bind – Lock Pulse."
A dark ring spread beneath the chimera's feet, slowing its movements. His eyes gleamed.
Then, it roared—and broke free.
It leapt.
Right at him.
Minho shouted, "SUHO!"
But Suho didn't retreat. Instead, he dropped low, hands forming the sign of necrotic focus.
"Oathbound Legion – Activate."
From the shadows behind him, three knight-like revenants burst forth—temporary elite undead summoned through his newly acquired skill. They struck the beast mid-air, staggering it mid-leap.
CRASH.
It fell—hard. Caldran and the revenants pounced as one.
"NOW!" Suho shouted.
Mirae unleashed a condensed lightning storm. Hojin triggered buried shrapnel bombs he'd planted earlier. Minho charged, shield up, tackling into the weakened joint.
And Suho…
He stepped onto the chimera's body.
Placed a hand on its rusted skull.
And whispered:
"Memory Forge."
The world stilled.
Time bent.
He was pulled inward—
—into a fractured soulscape. A voice screamed within the beast's core. A failed necromancer's desire. A longing to be remembered. Metal fused with soul fragments, bones stolen from corpses buried beneath railyards long forgotten.
"Let me be something… anything…"
Suho didn't hesitate. He reached in and forced his mana to wrap around the broken identity.
"Then be mine."
The forge glowed. His essence consumed the wild fragments, shaping them.
When he opened his eyes—
The chimera stopped moving.
Its shell cracked. Steam hissed out of its joints. Its body shrank slightly, condensing into a tighter form. More defined. Less monstrous. Still massive—but now… aware.
Suho felt the connection seal.
[Undead Bound: 19]
New Elite Added: Ironthorn Chimera
Trait: Juggernaut Berserker – Activates Frenzy state at 30% HP
Status: Stabilizing…
He exhaled slowly, and then—
Level Up!
Kim Suho – Level 21
New Trait Gained: "Dominion Core" – +10% control range for all undead. Increases the number of simultaneously active elite units to 4.
His fingers trembled. Not from fear.
From exhilaration.
"Suho?" Mirae called out, walking toward him. "Is it over?"
He looked over his shoulder and smiled. "It's over."
Minho stared at the massive corpse-turned-companion. "You… controlled that?"
"I did."
"That's number what? Fourteen?" Hojin asked.
Suho nodded vaguely. "Something like that."
They didn't need to know the real count.
They didn't need to know what this meant.
He turned back toward the gate. "There's nothing else here. Let's head out."
Mirae looked concerned. "You sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine," Suho replied. "Just a little tired."
They returned to the entrance.
As they exited the dungeon, the portal collapsed behind them, the green shimmer vanishing into thin air.
The others exhaled in relief.
Suho didn't.
Because deep inside his chest, he felt it—
A pulse.
A call.
The Necrosystem awakened.
Areum's Soul Fragment – Part 2 Complete
Fragment unlocked. Accessing memory…
Suho staggered slightly as his vision blurred.
A voice whispered in his ears.
"Oppa…"
Areum's voice.
But not a memory.
A feeling.
Sadness.
Pain.
Resolve.
The image of a hospital hallway. A locked door. Crying behind it. A figure in a white coat. A hidden experiment. A promise betrayed.
And then—
New Objective: Sector 12 – Memory Tomb (Level Requirement: 22)
Reward: Areum's Soul Fragment – Part 3
Bonus: Necrosystem Upgrade Candidate Detected
Suho's breath hitched.
Another memory tomb. Another place where her soul waited.
Another chance.
He opened his eyes.
The others were chatting casually, already discussing where to grab lunch.
He smiled faintly.
But he would carry this alone—for her.
One more level.
One more mission.
And he'd get closer to the truth.
To Be Continued...