Chapter Text
The rest of the day was tense. Kim Rok Soo’s frustration had dulled to a simmer, but it hadn’t vanished. The sparring helped, sure—but the edge hadn’t left his voice, and Choi Jung Soo was still avoiding him like he carried the plague.
Jung Soo, ironically, buried himself in busywork, anything to stay out of Rok Soo’s line of sight.
Lee Soo Hyuk, though, wasn’t the type to let tension fester. After wrapping up his own duties, he walked over to where Rok Soo sat in the corner of their shared office, surrounded by plans and calculations. The stress carved into his forehead made it obvious, he was far from fine.
“Rok Soo,” Soo Hyuk said, voice calm but steady.
Rok Soo didn’t look up. “What is it?”
“Do you want to talk about what’s really bothering you?”
“I’m fine.”
“That’s a lie,” Soo Hyuk said, crossing his arms. “You’ve been on edge for days. I get it. Things are stressful. But snapping at Jung Soo isn’t helping.”
Rok Soo finally looked up, guilt flashing across his face. “I wasn’t trying to—”
“But you did,” Soo Hyuk cut in. “He’s not an idiot. He knows something’s wrong. And so do I.”
Rok Soo leaned back in his chair with a long sigh. “I’m just trying to make sure everything goes right. We can’t afford mistakes.”
“And we won’t make any,” Soo Hyuk said. “But you’re not doing this alone. Let us help you. That’s why we’re here.”
Rok Soo rubbed his temples, the weight of the upcoming battle dragging heavily across his shoulders. “I know you’re right. But it’s not that simple.”
“Then make it simple.” Soo Hyuk’s tone softened. “We trust you. You need to trust us too.”
Before Rok Soo could answer, the door swung open and Choi Jung Soo peeked in, grinning like he hadn’t spent the day dodging eye contact.
“Uh… is it safe to come in? Or is Rok Soo still mad at me?”
Rok Soo groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I was never mad at you.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” Jung Soo muttered, stepping in and holding up a bag. “Anyway, I brought snacks. Thought we could use a break.”
“Perfect timing,” Soo Hyuk said, gesturing him in. “We were just about to get in our feelings.”
Jung Soo gasped dramatically. “Oh no. Emotions? I didn’t sign up for this.”
Despite himself, Rok Soo cracked a laugh. “Idiot.”
The three of them settled down with snacks. The tension in the air eased slightly, replaced by the rare comfort of familiarity—like before the looming threat of the unranked monster had taken over everything.
Lee Soo Hyuk placed a steady hand on Rok Soo’s shoulder. His voice dropped, low and sincere. “You’ve been carrying all of this—every worst-case scenario, every possible failure. You’re trying to make sure none of us get hurt.”
Rok Soo didn’t deny it. He couldn’t.
“But battles like this?” Soo Hyuk said. “You can’t control everything. You’ve done more than enough. The planning, the drills… all of it. Trust us. Trust me. We’re not letting anything happen to you or Jung Soo or our team. We’re a team. You’re not alone.”
Rok Soo swallowed hard, looking away. The words hit too close to home.
Soo Hyuk let the silence settle before dropping the real bomb. “Which is why I’m putting you on the support team for this fight.”
Rok Soo’s head snapped up. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“You’re joking.”
“I’m not.”
“You’re putting me in support? Now? During one of the most dangerous fights we’ll ever face?” Rok Soo’s voice rose, filled with disbelief.
Soo Hyuk didn’t flinch. “Exactly.”
“You’re insane,” Rok Soo hissed. “I’ve trained harder than anyone. I’m not going to sit back while you and Jung Soo take the risk.”
“It’s not about how hard you’ve trained,” Soo Hyuk said. “It’s about where you’re most valuable. And that’s not on the front lines.”
Rok Soo’s fists clenched. “That’s bullsh—”
“It’s not,” Soo Hyuk said, unwavering. “You’re the strategist. The one who sees what the rest of us miss. If you’re fighting in the front, we lose that. We need your brain in this fight, not just your blade.”
“You’re just doing this because you’re worried about me.”
“I am worried about you,” Soo Hyuk admitted. “Of course I am. You’re family. But that’s not the reason. This is about what’s best for everyone, including you.”
“I can handle it.”
“I know. But just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”
Rok Soo narrowed his eyes, not quite ready to let it go. But then Soo Hyuk smirked.
“Tell you what,” he said, tone suddenly lighter. “Scratch me in a spar and I’ll let you fight in the vanguard.”
Rok Soo blinked. “What?”
“You heard me,” Lee Soo Hyuk said, smirk widening. “Scratch me, even once, and I’ll put you in the vanguard. Deal?”
Rok Soo narrowed his eyes. “You’re doing this to distract me.”
Soo Hyuk didn’t deny it. He just crossed his arms. “Do you want to argue, or do you want to prove me wrong?”
Rok Soo narrowed his eyes suspiciously, then sighed. “Fine. Let’s do this.”
“Try to keep up,” Soo Hyuk said, already grinning.
The spar started fast. Rok Soo lunged, dead-set on one thing: land a single hit. But the second he moved, Lee Soo Hyuk changed, relaxed posture gone, replaced by sharp, calculated precision.
“Too slow,” he muttered, sidestepping with ease and tapping Rok Soo on the shoulder.
Rok Soo cursed, pivoting into a low kick. Dodged. Again.
“Focus,” Soo Hyuk said evenly, like he was giving tips in a training seminar. “You’re telegraphing.”
“I am focused!” Rok Soo snapped, feinting left, darting right.
Didn’t matter. Soo Hyuk caught his wrist mid-strike, flipped him, and pinned him before he could blink.
“Damn it...” Rok Soo hissed.
“You’re too predictable,” Soo Hyuk said, crouching over him. “Better luck next time.”
That was only the beginning.
For the next three days, Rok Soo came at him nonstop, between drills, during breaks, even while chewing. Every time, he fought like he had something to prove. And every time, Soo Hyuk shuts him down.
By day two, Choi Jung Soo stopped pretending not to laugh.
“You’re getting better, Rok Soo!” Jung Soo said brightly after one match. “Well... kind of! You lasted ten seconds longer this time!”
“Shut up,” Rok Soo grumbled, red-faced as he dusted himself off.
But on the third day, something changed.
Rok Soo stood across from Soo Hyuk again, tense but clear-headed. He wasn’t just reacting. He was reading, adjusting.
This time, when he attacked, it wasn’t brute force, it was instinct, calculation, sharpness. Soo Hyuk moved, fluid as ever, but for the first time, his balance faltered—just slightly.
Rok Soo saw it.
He shifted mid-lunge, blade grazing Soo Hyuk’s arm. A shallow mark. Barely skin-deep.
But it was enough.
Soo Hyuk stopped, glanced down at the scratch, then looked up with a grin. “Well, would you look at that?”
Rok Soo froze. “I... I did it.”
“You did,” Soo Hyuk said, tossing his weapon aside. “Looks like you earned your spot.”
From the sidelines, Jung Soo let out a whoop. “He did it! He actually did it!”
Rok Soo barely heard him. His heart pounded—not from the spar, but from the realisation that he’d finally broken through.
What he didn’t see was the small, proud smile on Soo Hyuk’s face.
Because the truth was, he’d planned this from the start.
The sparring wasn’t a test—it was a distraction. A way to keep Rok Soo busy so he wouldn’t drown in his own thoughts.
And now, as Soo Hyuk clapped him on the shoulder, he felt nothing but pride.
“Well done,” he said softly. “You’ve earned it.”
Rok Soo didn’t answer right away, eyes still on his blade like it might explain something.
But for the first time in days, the fear and doubt weren’t the loudest things in his head.
He felt ready.
As the confrontation with the unranked monster crept closer, the atmosphere thickened—an uneasy mix of anxiety and determination. Training continued at full throttle, but something had shifted. Kim Rok Soo’s confidence had finally settled. He’d earned his place, even if a small part of him still suspected Lee Soo Hyuk had his own reasons for the sparring deal.
One evening, the three of them gathered in the training room. No small talk. Just quiet focus. Jung Soo polished his weapon, muttering half-hearted complaints about Rok Soo’s “brutal, dictatorial regime,” while Soo Hyuk checked his gear with clinical precision.
Eventually, Jung Soo broke the silence. “So… are we actually prepared?” His voice was light, but tension threaded through it.
Rok Soo looked up from his thoughts. “As much as we can be. Every angle covered, every contingency in place. Now… we wait.”
Soo Hyuk, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, spoke with quiet certainty. “We’ll get through this. And Rok Soo, no last-minute heroics. Got it?”
Rok Soo smirked faintly. “I should be telling you that.”
Jung Soo groaned. “Ugh, no emotional speeches, please. I’m anxious enough.”
Soo Hyuk reached over, ruffling his hair. “Save the nerves for tomorrow. Keep your fire for the fight.”
The three stood in silence again, something unspoken but understood passing between them. It was the kind of stillness that only came after days of pushing, breaking, rebuilding... together.
“Alright,” Rok Soo said, voice steady. “Let’s do this.”
They left the training room, the looming battle ahead pressing down on them—but so did the strength of what they’d built. Whatever happened next, they’d face it side by side.
That night, on the eve of the fight, Lee Soo Hyuk rallied the team.
“BBQ tonight. My treat. Be ready in thirty.”
Cheers erupted from the group, instant and loud.
“Team Leader, we'll die without you!” someone called out.
“We don’t deserve you, Hyung!” another joked, already grabbing her jacket.
One of the younger members pumped a fist in the air. “Best team leader ever!”
Laughter rippled through the squad as everyone got moving, lighter than they’d been in days.
Even Kim Rok Soo couldn’t help the ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. Then he shot Soo Hyuk a look as they got ready to leave. He knew what this was a tactical morale boost disguised as grilled meat and soju. He didn’t argue.
He needed the distraction too.
The BBQ place was buzzing—laughter, sizzling meat, and clinking glasses filling the air. Plates overflowed with food, drinks flowed freely, and for once, the tension of the coming battle faded into the background.
“Hyung, pass me the tongs!” Choi Jung Soo called, already halfway through grilling more meat, his plate stacked like a mountain. His cheeks were flushed from the drinks.
“You’ve eaten enough for three people,” someone teased.
Jung Soo waved them off, grinning. “We’re celebrating, aren’t we? Besides, the team leader is paying, not me.”
The table filled with laughter as he raised his glass. “To us! Best team in this city—no scratch that, the world!” He downed it like a champ, slamming it on the table.
Rok Soo shook his head, watching with a mix of exasperation and fondness. Jung Soo was always dramatic, but add alcohol? Chaos.
“Rok Soo-yah!” Jung Soo turned to him, eyes sparkling. “You’re too serious. Drink! For once!”
Rok Soo gently pushed the glass back. “Someone has to stay sober to babysit you.”
Jung Soo gasped, hand to his chest. “Wow, the betrayal.”
He turned to Soo Hyuk. “And you hyung. Why so serious? Drink with me!”
Soo Hyuk chuckled, obliging with a toast. Still, his gaze lingered on Rok Soo, noting how he kept glancing at the time or falling quiet mid-conversation.
“Rok Soo,” he said under his breath, leaning over, “Relax. Just for tonight. We’ll handle tomorrow when it comes.”
Rok Soo hesitated, then nodded. “I’ll try.”
The night wore on. Jung Soo got progressively messier—slurred speech, loud declarations, and an attempt at an arm-wrestling tournament that ended with him face-down on the table.
“Jung Soo’s out, What a lightweight.” someone said, laughing as they poked him.
“Lightweight?” Rok Soo scoffed, eyeing the bottles. “He’s drunk enough to knock out an entire squad.”
Soo Hyuk stretched. “Alright. Time to call it off. Someone grab him before he starts drooling.”
Rok Soo sighed and helped lift Jung Soo, who mumbled something about grilled meat and “one more round” as they shuffled out.
The team headed home in high spirits, clapping Soo Hyuk on the back. No one noticed the quiet weight still lingering between the three Soos.
Half-asleep, slumped on Rok Soo’s shoulder, Jung Soo mumbled, “We’re gonna win, Rok Soo-ya. Don’t worry so much.”
Rok Soo held him tighter. Soo Hyuk, walking just behind, glanced at them, expression calm, steady.
The walk home was slow. Jung Soo was a damn koala, clinging and rambling nonstop.
“Rok Soo~,” he slurred, “you’re scary smart. Like evil-genius smart. But also a grump. Smile more~.”
Rok Soo groaned. “Shut up and walk.”
Soo Hyuk laughed from behind. “He’s got a point.”
“Not you too,” Rok Soo muttered, adjusting his grip as Jung Soo sagged. “If you think I’m grumpy now, just wait until I make you carry him.”
“Roooook Sooooooooo~,” Jung Soo whined, arms around him like vines, “You wouldn’t. You love me.”
Rok Soo’s jaw clenched. “Keep talking and I might rethink that.”
When they got home, Rok Soo tossed Jung Soo onto the couch with a muttered, “Never doing this again.” Soo Hyuk covered him with a blanket, shaking his head at Jung Soo’s satisfied snore.
Rok Soo stood by the window, arms crossed, gaze locked on the skyline.
“You’re overthinking again,” Soo Hyuk said, leaning on the wall. “Thought the sparring was supposed to help.”
“It did,” Rok Soo murmured. “For a while.”
“We’ve done all we can. The team’s ready. The plan’s solid. Everyone trusts you.” Soo Hyuk stepped closer. “You need to trust yourself.”
“This isn’t just any battle. If I mess up...”
“You’ll burn out before it even starts,” Soo Hyuk said gently. “I need you at your best. Not in your head.”
Rok Soo didn’t answer. Not right away. His thoughts were still spinning, looping, tightening like a noose.
Soo Hyuk placed a hand on his shoulder.
“We’ve got this. Together.”
Rok Soo looked at him, then finally nodded. “Together.”
Soo Hyuk smiled. “Now get some sleep. Don’t make me drag you to the field half-conscious.”
Rok Soo gave a faint smirk. “You’re one to talk. You’re always the last one up.”
“I’ll make an exception.” Soo Hyuk chuckled. “Get some rest. That’s an order.”
He disappeared into his room, leaving Rok Soo alone with his thoughts. But for once, the weight pressing on his chest had eased.
The sun rose slowly, soft light spilling into the room. Rok Soo was already dressed, jacket adjusted, hands trembling slightly.
Today was the day.
The unranked monster.
He paced the living room, scanning the equipment one last time. Everything was ready. Every backup plan is in place. But the knot in his chest wouldn’t budge.
The sound of shuffling broke the quiet. Jung Soo stumbled in, hair a mess, still half-asleep.
“Hyung... what time is it?” he mumbled, collapsing onto the couch.
“Early,” Rok Soo said, voice tight.
Jung Soo blinked at him. “You look like hell.”
“I’m fine.”
Before he could push further, Soo Hyuk entered, composed as always, adjusting his wrist guards.
“Everyone ready?”
“Always,” Jung Soo said, stretching with a yawn.
Rok Soo didn’t answer. His eyes were locked on the map spread across the coffee table.
Soo Hyuk walked over and rolled it up without hesitation. “Enough.”
“What are you doing?” Rok Soo snapped.
“Stopping you from driving yourself insane. You’ve checked it all. Now we go.”
Rok Soo opened his mouth but faltered at the look in Soo Hyuk’s eyes.
“Rok Soo,” Jung Soo said gently, sitting straighter. “You’ve done everything. We’ve trained, prepared, and over-prepared. Just trust us, okay?”
Rok Soo let out a slow breath, nodding. “Let’s go.”
They left the apartment together, the weight of the day pressing down like storm clouds.
And still, Rok Soo couldn’t shake the feeling.
That something might go wrong.
That it still wasn’t enough.
The hours ticked by slowly, tension thickening with every breath.
Kim Rok Soo stood at his post, part of the support team.... for now, that's what the team leader said. His job: track the enemy, call the shots, adapt fast. His eyes scanned the terrain ahead, recording everything with his ability.
The wait was torture. Every second dragged, his mind looping through the plan, hunting for holes. The unranked monster was chaos incarnate—no logic, no predictability.
A firm hand landed on his shoulder.
“You’re spiralling again,” Lee Soo Hyuk said.
“I’m just trying to—”
“Control the uncontrollable?” Soo Hyuk cut in. His voice softened. “We’ve done all we can. Now we execute.”
Rok Soo clenched his fists. “What if—”
“No ‘what-ifs’ now,” Soo Hyuk said, leaning closer. “You trained us for this. Trust us to hold the line.”
Rok Soo didn’t answer. He just nodded, tight and stiff.
Across the staging area, Choi Jung Soo yelled, “Hyung! Stop brooding! I’m not carrying you today!”
Rok Soo rolled his eyes, but a faint smile tugged at his lips. Leave it to Jung Soo to break through his panic with sheer nonsense.
“Focus,” Soo Hyuk said, clapping him on the back. “We’ve got this.”
As final checks wrapped, Rok Soo took a long breath. The monster hadn’t appeared yet—but the air had shifted. Something was coming.
And then the ground split.
A low, guttural rumble shook the earth as cracks tore open, and something massive clawed its way into the world.
Kim Rok Soo’s breath hitched.
The unranked monster towered above them—a grotesque amalgamation of scales, fangs, and too many eyes, all burning with malevolence. Fire and ash erupted around it, casting the world in a nightmarish red.
“It’s here,” Rok Soo whispered.
Smaller monsters followed—swarms of subordinates, screeching as they spilt from the cracks like a flood of rage and fear.
Sharp gasps and screams came from the Goyang’s Guild members.
“No way... We can’t fight that thing!” one of them screamed before bolting.
“Wait!” Lee Soo Hyuk yelled, but it was useless. Panic had set in. One by one, Goyang’s members fled, weapons clattering behind them.
In seconds, Team 1 was left alone.
Rok Soo watched them run, heart sinking. Cowards. But deep down, he understood. The monster’s presence was crushing, like staring into an abyss that stared back.
“FOCUS!” Lee Soo Hyuk’s voice snapped like a whip. He turned to their team, eyes blazing. “This changes nothing. Stick to the plan!”
Jung Soo nodded, pale but steady. “You’re right. We’ve got this.”
Rok Soo snapped to attention. “Positions. Now!” His voice cut clean through the noise. Fear clawed at his chest, but he shoved it down. They had prepared for this.
The team moved fast, slipping into formation. Rok Soo’s gaze bounced between his teammates and the monster, analysing, adapting. His ability flared, cataloguing every threat.
Soo Hyuk stepped into the vanguard, blade drawn, framed by firelight. He looked back. “Don’t lose focus. We’re counting on you.”
Rok Soo nodded, jaw tight. “I won’t.”
The monster let out a roar—a sound like mountains cracking and metal screaming. The ground quaked as it charged forward, massive and relentless.
“Let’s show this thing what we’re made of!” Soo Hyuk shouted.
Choi Jung Soo whooped, shaky but loud. “That’s right! Bring it on, ugly!”
And just like that—the battle began.
As the monster thundered toward them, Kim Rok Soo made a silent vow:
This won’t be our end.