The portal behind them shimmered one last time before closing completely, sealing off the corrupted railyard dungeon.
Kim Suho stood quietly outside, the cool air brushing against his face. He looked calm on the outside, but inside, his heart was still beating fast. Not from the fight—but from the pulse of the Necrosystem. He'd just unlocked another fragment of Areum's soul, and a new objective had appeared.
But for now, he pushed it aside. The others couldn't know. Not yet.
"Hey, Suho," Minho said, tapping his shoulder. "You sure you're good? You kinda spaced out there."
"Yeah." Suho nodded. "Just tired. That thing took more out of me than I thought."
Mirae stretched her arms overhead and yawned. "That makes two of us. My mana's almost dry. Let's eat something before we drop."
"Coffee?" Hojin offered. "There's that place near the Sector 4 hub."
"Yeah, let's go," Suho said, starting to walk. "We need to talk anyway."
At the Café
The group found a quiet corner booth in a small café tucked away between old shops. It wasn't fancy, but the drinks were strong and the food hot.
Mirae sipped on her iced Americano, cheeks still flushed from battle. "That chimera… I've never seen anything like it. Suho, what was that?"
"A failed experiment," Suho answered simply. "Something left behind by a dead necromancer."
Minho raised an eyebrow. "And now it's yours?"
Suho gave a small smile. "Something like that."
"Dude," Hojin muttered, "I thought I was sneaky, but you? You've been hiding a lot."
Suho looked at each of them carefully. They were staring at him now—not with suspicion, but with a quiet respect. He'd proven himself. Again.
He exhaled. "That's why I wanted to talk. About us. About… teaming up officially."
"You mean like… a real team?" Mirae leaned forward.
"Yeah. Not just temporary. A proper party. We're already working together. Might as well make it something."
Minho's eyes lit up. "We'd get more access. Dungeon rights. Maybe even guild support."
"But wouldn't we need a name?" Hojin asked.
Everyone paused.
Suho looked thoughtful for a moment, then said calmly, "Let's call ourselves DEATH."
The others blinked.
"…Uh," Mirae laughed nervously. "You're joking, right?"
"Not at all," Suho said. "Think about it. All of us are low-ranked. C and D class. Most high-level guilds wouldn't even give us a second glance".
He sipped his tea and added, "We're raiding unclaimed gates. Beating bosses even A-ranks wouldn't try alone. We're underdogs. But we're winning."
"DEATH…" Minho whispered, trying it out. "It's bold."
"It's edgy," Mirae said.
"It's terrifying," Hojin grinned. "I love it."
Suho smiled. "Then it's settled."
The others nodded. A silent agreement passed between them.
From now on, they were a team.
Team DEATH.
Later That Evening
Back in his apartment, Suho sat by the window, looking out at the city.
The glow of lights. The hum of cars. Life went on.
He opened his status window.
[Kim Suho]
Level: 21
Class: Necromancer
Undead Units: 19/20
New Trait: Dominion Core (+10% range, +1 elite unit)
Quest: Soul Fragment – Part 3
Objective: Reach Sector 12 – Memory Tomb
Requirement: Level 22
Status: Preparing…
"Just one more," he murmured.
He still needed one more undead before the next part of Areum's memory would unlock. One more fight. One more soul to bind.
But for the first time, he didn't feel like he had to do it alone.
There were people beside him now.
They didn't know the full truth—but they stood by him anyway.
That mattered.
The Next Morning
At sunrise, the four met again at the Association building. Their paperwork had been accepted. The name "DEATH" was now officially registered.
They stood together in front of the dungeon board, looking for unclaimed gates.
Sector 12 glowed faintly in Suho's mind. The Memory Tomb waited.
But first…
"Let's hit one more gate," Suho said. "A small one. I need something."
They didn't ask why.
They just nodded.
"Where to?" Mirae asked.
Suho pointed to a minor dungeon in Sector 8. "There. It's unclaimed and unstable. We go in, clear it, and head straight out."
Hojin smirked. "Warming up before the real deal?"
Minho pounded a fist into his hand. "Let's break stuff."
Mirae just smiled. "Lead the way, Captain."
Suho blinked. "Captain?"
"You named the team," she shrugged. "That makes you the boss."
He gave a soft chuckle. "Alright. Let's move."
Into the Gate
The dungeon shimmered around them—an underground ruin filled with broken altars and shadowed halls.
Suho moved with precision, controlling the undead-like extensions of his own body. The others followed his lead, clearing enemies as they moved.
Then they found it.
A hulking, armored corpse beast guarding a corrupted shrine.
Perfect.
Suho stepped forward, ready to fight.
"Let's make this quick," he said.
To Be Continued...