The ground quaked with every step of the bone-beasts. Panic tore through the street like wildfire. Even the veteran hunters struggled to hold the frontline. Kim Suho stood still amid the chaos, his undead shielding him like a black tide against the advancing horde. "Formation A"he whispered. The monsters charged. And the dead obeyed.
The skeletal wyvern leaped, its bone wings cracking the air as it collided mid-flight with the first beast. Suho's reanimated swordsmen—a mix of old C-rank hunters and armored soldiers scavenged from other breaches—rushed forward, blades drawn, clashing with claw and fang. They weren't as fast as living warriors, but they didn't tire. They didn't fear. And most importantly, they didn't die. Not anymore.
"Suho?! What the hell are those?" Han Yura's voice cut through the noise. She stood beside him now, her hands glowing with healing energy. He didn't answer. He couldn't—not without revealing everything. "Are you… controlling the undead?" Her voice was low, almost horrified. He didn't meet her eyes. "If I told you the truth… you wouldn't believe me."
She was about to argue, but a deafening shriek split the air. Something was coming. From the gate, the mana pressure surged tenfold. Even the air shimmered like it was melting. The silver-ranked guild leader, a tall man named Jin Taeho, barked orders: "Fall back! That's not a dungeon boss—that's a Gate Commander!"
And it was. It stepped out: A humanoid figure, nine feet tall, clad in obsidian armor shaped like a ribcage. Each movement radiated an oppressive energy that seemed to warp the space around it, a manifestation of pure dread. Its very presence extinguished the courage of the living, filling the air with a chill that bit into their bones. Shadows coiled around it like serpents, swirling with an almost sentient hunger. The creature's face was hidden by a horned skull mask, and in its hand, it held a blade forged from darkness, the very essence of despair.
The aura of the Death Knight felt like a vacuum, sucking the light from the world and leaving only an overwhelming sense of inevitable doom. Suho's undead hesitated—something about the creature's malevolent presence made them tremble, as if recognizing an ancient predator in their midst.
"Necrosystem," Suho whispered, finally finding his voice. "Analyze target."
[Analyzing…]
Name: Graxion, Knight of the Abyss
Level: 42
Class: Gate Commander – Death Knight
Affiliation: Monarch of Rot
Threat Level: S
Status: Hostile
Suggestion: FLEE
Flee? No. Not when he finally had power. Not when he could stop others from dying like his sister. But the truth gnawed at him—a whisper of doubt. Was he becoming the very thing he fought against?
"Focus fire on the commander!" Jin Taeho roared. The hunters rallied, but it wasn't enough. Spells bounced off Graxion's armor like rain, dissipating into nothing. Arrows snapped mid-flight as if repelled by an unseen barrier of dread. The Death Knight raised its sword—and with one clean arc, bisected three hunters. "No!" Yura screamed.
Suho's fists clenched. His undead charged, but Graxion simply raised one hand and shattered three of them with a pulse of dark mana, a wave of hostility that radiated outwards, leaving shattered remnants of bones in its wake. "Too weak," Suho growled. "Too slow. I need more…"
"Necrosystem: Emergency Protocol activated."
"You may now sacrifice stored corpses to temporarily increase host level."
"Do you wish to proceed?"
[Yes]
Level Up: 7 → 14
Stat Boost Acquired
New Skill Unlocked: Bone Command – Tier 1
Passive Activated: Undead Affinity
A surge of power rippled through his veins, igniting his resolve against the oppressive aura. His vision sharpened. His control over the undead deepened. With a single thought, the skeletal wyvern broke free of Graxion's aura and lunged with renewed fury. Suho shouted: "Bone Command—All units: Bind!" Dozens of skeletal hands erupted from the ground, latching onto the Death Knight's limbs. For the first time, it staggered.
Yura stared at him in disbelief. "Who… what are you?" Suho finally met her eyes. "I don't know yet. But I'm going to find out."
Her trust in him hung in the balance, and a heavy weight settled in her chest. Was he a protector or a monster? The Death Knight roared, its aura flaring like wildfire, bright and consuming. The battle wasn't over—not even close. But for the first time since the gates began to open, Suho wasn't afraid. He was stepping into the abyss he had always feared. Because, in that moment, he wasn't just fighting the monsters anymore. He was becoming one.
Quest Completed: Repel the Gate Commander (Assist)
Reward: +3 Levels, Skill Scroll – "Death Coil," Favor from an Unknown Monarch
In the shadows beyond the gate, a pair of golden eyes opened. "So… the successor awakens. Let the gods tremble."