Sector 11 did not greet them with a storm or shadow. It welcomed them with silence—a massive, circular stone gate embedded in an old railway tunnel. It shimmered black, unlike any gate Suho had seen before.
As Team DEATH stepped through, there was no shift of terrain, no garden, ruin, or wilderness. They stood on a wide obsidian platform beneath a skyless dome. Circular stone walls stretched high above them, forming what looked like an enormous coliseum.
Empty stone seats climbed into the mist, yet the space echoed with whispers and phantom cheers. It felt old—older than any dungeon Suho had entered. Like something forgotten had been watching.
A message flashed in the air:
[Welcome to the Challenger Gate – Sector 11]
[Trial Initiated]
[Objective: Survive and Prove Worth]
[Format: One-on-One Combat]
[Allies will be isolated. Assistance is disabled.]
Before anyone could speak, a burst of light separated them. Suho, Mirae, Minho, and Hojin vanished into individual glowing sigils.
Hojin's Trial – The Shadows Remember
He blinked and found himself in a dimly lit arena—barely ten meters across. Mist crawled along the floor, and overhead, only flickering blue flames lit the circle.
From the opposite side, a figure emerged: an undead assassin clad in dark robes, its face hidden.
[Opponent: Shade Echo - Rank: C+]
The thing moved like him. Stealth. Speed. Shadows.
He remembered a past mission where hesitation cost a comrade their life. This arena felt like that night—quiet, close, deadly.
The Shade lunged, twin daggers gleaming. Hojin dodged, then faded into the shadows.
One strike. Blocked.
Two strikes. Deflected.
The third, a feint—it grazed his arm.
"No more hesitation," he whispered.
He used Nightstalker's Step, left behind a false image, then struck from behind—his real self burying both blades into the Shade's throat.
[Victory. Trial Cleared. Stat Boost: Dexterity +1]
Minho's Trial – Iron Breaks
His arena looked like a battlefield. Cracked stone. Fallen weapons. Wind howling in a skyless void.
Before him stood a monstrous undead knight—towering, plated in rusted armor. Its greatsword dragged behind it.
[Opponent: Dread Crusader - Rank: B-]
The knight charged with a roar. Minho blocked with both arms, his shield glowing with mana. The impact shook the air.
"You only know how to stand and defend," the knight mocked. "You let others bleed."
Minho gritted his teeth. Memories surged—his failure to protect a healer, back when he hesitated to act.
Not again.
He slammed his shield forward, channeling all his mana. The knight stumbled.
"You think I'm only a wall?"
He roared, mana bursting around him, and drove his shield into the enemy's helm. The undead cracked apart.
[Victory. Trial Cleared. New Skill: Shield Impact Unlocked. Trait Gained: Anchor's Endurance]
Mirae's Trial – Fire Consumes
Her arena blazed. Lava pooled in pits around the circular field. Across the lava, a banshee-like flame spirit shrieked.
[Opponent: Ember Wraith - Rank: B-]
It mirrored her powers—but wild, destructive, burning everything.
She stepped back, trembling. Memories twisted in her mind—her magic once singed a teammate. The fear never left.
"Control it," she told herself. "Don't let it own you."
She danced through the fire, casting small, precise spells. Fireballs, lines, traps—each honed to pin the Wraith.
Then, a final blow.
"Flame Lance."
The spell struck dead center, piercing the Wraith's core.
[Victory. Trial Cleared. Trait Gained: Flame Precision. Mana Control +1]
Suho's Trial – The Necromancer's Mirror
His arena was quiet. Cold. A field of ash.
And across from him stood... himself.
Eyes glowing with dark green. Cloak torn, skin cracked with death mana.
[Opponent: Necrotic Mirror - Rank: A-]
"You think you're in control," the Mirror said. "But the system owns you. It chose you for what you are. A gravekeeper. A puppet."
Their undead armies clashed. Shadows tore at each other. Wolves, ghouls, knights.
Suho fought fiercely, but the Mirror used corrupted versions of his spells.
"You're scared," it said. "Of losing control. Of losing her."
Visions of Areum, broken and fading, pierced his mind.
"Enough."
He activated Corpse Explosion, detonating a ring of his fallen undead.
The Mirror staggered. Suho lunged.
"Bind: Soul Lock."
Chains of green energy crushed the Mirror. It screamed once, then faded.
[Victory. Trial Cleared. Loyalty Bonus Activated. Trait Gained: Loyalty Resilience]
Return to the Coliseum
One by one, they returned to the center.
Their wounds were real. Their breath was heavy. But they stood tall.
Above them, in the seats, shadowy figures now appeared—cloaked silhouettes, unmoving, watching.
Suho glanced toward them. Even from here, he felt their gaze—cold, analytical, and impossibly old.
A faint murmur echoed, like voices through stone.
Then a new gate shimmered before them:
[Next Stage Available: Challenger Gate – Depths]
[Entry: Optional. Available in 24 Hours]
Mirae shivered. "They were watching."
Hojin wiped the blood from his chin. "They wanted to see what we'd do alone."
Minho raised his shield. "Then let them watch what we do together."
Suho said nothing. But his mind flickered to a brief image—a memory echo of Areum standing at the edge of a train platform, waiting. The breeze from the tunnel pulled her hair back.
He clenched his fist. "Next time," he said, "we break their circle."
Elsewhere – The Observers
Deep within a crystalline chamber beneath an ancient fortress, the silver-haired man watched the replay through spectral orbs.
"Four passed," he murmured. "Without external aid. Even the Mirror failed."
A robed figure beside him hesitated. "Shall we move to containment or contact?"
"No," the man said, smiling thinly. "Now we draw them deeper. Let the Depths remind them what kind of world they're challenging."
The lights dimmed. The watching began anew.
Status Update: Kim Suho
Level: 31
Undead Controlled: 40 / 50
Soul Fragments: 3 / 7
New Skill: Soul Lock (Bind variant)
New Trait: Loyalty Resilience
Team DEATH Status: All Trials Cleared Next Option: Enter the Depths (Locked for 24 Hours)
Observers: Watching Actively
Areum's Guidance: Whispering Stronger
To Be Continued...