Jin-Woo shouted at the Hunters.
"Everyone!"
The Hunters' gazes turned to Jin-Woo. He looked around at them and spoke.
"Bow down to the statue!"
The Hunters tilted their heads.
"Bow...?" "You want us to bow to the statue?"
The Hunters exchanged glances, then unleashed a torrent of curses at Jin-Woo.
"Shit... What the hell are you talking about!" "How can you say something like that in a situation like this?" "Have you already lost your mind, Sung Jin-Woo?"
Mr. Kim, his face flushed red, snorted through his nose.
"I had you all wrong, Mr. Sung! If I could move right now, I'd smash your face first of all!"
Jin-Woo bit his lower lip. Six of his companions had died because of that statue. It was only natural that they cursed at him for asking them to bow before that creature. He could fully understand the Hunters' feelings.
And the most important thing was — he had no logical basis for it. Just a gut feeling. He could only call it a gut feeling. But.
"I'll bow."
The voice came from behind Jin-Woo. Everyone turned their gaze. It was Mr. Song — the man who could be considered their leader.
"Mr. Song...?" "You want to bow to that damned statue?"
While the other Hunters were bewildered, Mr. Song looked into Jin-Woo's eyes.
"You've spotted something, haven't you?"
Jin-Woo nodded.
"Is that just a gut feeling too?" "...Yes. For now, yes." "Alright."
Earlier, thanks to Jin-Woo's gut feeling, eleven people had survived. Though now Mr. Ju was dead, and there were ten of them. Could his gut feeling not be trusted just once? Mr. Song decided just that. When Mr. Song knelt before the statue, the atmosphere grew solemn.
"Is he really doing it?"
Gathering courage, Jin-Woo raised his voice.
"I'm begging you! Everyone, bow down to the statue! Maybe we can still make it out of here!"
We can survive. We can get out. The impact of those words was tremendous.
"We can survive?" "We can get out of here?" "Just by bowing once?"
The hesitant Hunters began to kneel one by one. As if they were praying. Their numbers grew and grew. Even the grumbling Mr. Kim eventually bowed his head before the statue. But the statue showed no change. Its two eyes still blazed with a creepy red light. Jin-Woo felt his heart sink.
Was this not it?
Suddenly Jin-Woo's gaze turned to Ju-Hee beside him. Ju-Hee, hunched over with both hands clamped over her head and shaking — no matter how you looked at it, it was hard to call that bowing.
Maybe...
Jin-Woo gently took Ju-Hee by the wrist. Ju-Hee raised her head like a frightened cat. Jin-Woo nodded silently. Only then did Ju-Hee loosen her grip. Jin-Woo slowly adjusted her posture.
Done.
Now only one remained — himself. Jin-Woo also knelt down, pressed his palms to the floor, and slowly bowed. And then the changes began.
"Uh, uh?"
The Hunters who noticed the changes shouted.
"The statue! Everyone, look at the statue!" "The statue's eyes!"
The red light blazing in the statue's eyes was gradually fading.
"What's going on? Is this actually working?"
Soon the red light had completely vanished. Oooh-... The Hunters murmured in awe.
"The fire is out!" "We're saved!"
The excited Hunters jumped to their feet and started yelling. Yet the statue's eyes no longer emitted any beams. Jin-Woo, who had lifted his head late, also let out a sigh of relief.
"Phew-..."
It was just as he'd expected. This room operated by strictly established rules, just like a game.
Then...
The game was not yet over. Two more commandments remained. Second: praise the Lord. Third: prove your faith. Right at that moment — KGGGGGGGGG— With a terrible rumble, the entire room began to shake. Jin-Woo's face went rigid.
Just as I feared...
His premonition had been correct. This wasn't the end. The statue was slowly raising its massive body.
"Uh, uh?"
The Hunters who had been hugging each other and crying froze like stone upon realizing what was happening.
"Wh-what? Isn't it over?" "Th-this can't be!"
Everyone froze and couldn't utter a word. Despair spread across their faces.
"Ah... aaa..."
At last the statue stood up fully. After surveying its surroundings once, she immediately began walking toward the Hunters.
***
BOOM! Every time the statue stepped on the ground, the earth shook. BOOM! She was so enormous it seemed like the top of her head would touch the seemingly impossibly high ceiling. BOOM! Even in this moment, while they were overwhelmed by her size, the distance between them kept shrinking.
"Hey, Mr. Sung! Mr. Sung Jin-Woo!" "Isn't there any way?"
The Hunters, who only moments ago had been cursing at Jin-Woo, hurriedly crowded around him.
"Is there really no way?" "Say something!"
Grown men wore expressions suggesting they would burst into tears at any moment. Right now, Jin-Woo was their only hope. Jin-Woo lifted the frozen Ju-Hee and spoke about the second commandment.
"Praise the Lord. That's the key." "Oh, that!"
Mr. Kim pretended to understand.
"What was written on that stone slab?" "Right. 'Worship the Lord,' 'praise the Lord,' 'prove your faith.' All three commandments must be satisfied."
Jin-Woo's words came faster. The statue was already right in front of them. BOOM! Her enormous shadow loomed over the Hunters. The Hunters' faces turned pale.
"I-I'll try."
One young Hunter, who was usually almost silent, stepped forward.
"Hey! What are you going to do?" "I used to sing in a church choir. When it comes to hymns — I know what I'm doing."
Despite Mr. Kim's attempts to stop him, the young man slowly walked out toward the statue. Looking up at the statue and steadying his breathing, he took one deep breath.
"I come to Thee, O Lord—"
A clear voice rang through the room.
"Renew me— and pour out Your grace upon me—"
The statue stopped before him. Oooh-... The Hunters murmured in awe. The statue, as if absorbed by the song, stood completely still. All noise in the room disappeared. Only the young man's voice resounded majestically through the space. Gaining courage, the young man put even more power into his voice.
"All my weaknesses that I have found within— I shall cast them off through Your love—"
Only one among them — Jin-Woo — shuddered at an ominous premonition.
No... no...
Jin-Woo swallowed his words again and again. This room had its own rules. Right now the young man was praising not by the rules of this room, but by the rules of his own religion — Christianity. Fortunately, the statue wasn't moving, but could this be considered fulfillment of the commandment? Jin-Woo shook his head. And the only reason he hadn't stopped the young man was that no other way to stop the statue had come to his mind. Right at that moment! BOOM! A heavy rumble shook the interior.
"AAAAHHHHH!"
The female Hunter let out a piercing scream. When the statue raised its foot, the crushed body of the young Hunter was grotesquely revealed between its sole and the floor. The other Hunters also screamed.
"AAAA-!" "U-AAAARGH!"
The statue's previously expressionless face was twisted with rage.
"She's angry!" "R-run!"
The Hunters quickly backed away from the statue.
"AAAAHHHHH!"
However, the female Hunter, having witnessed the young Hunter crushed right before her eyes, appeared to have lost her mind — she couldn't move from the spot and just kept shrieking at the top of her lungs.
"AAAARGH!" "Damn..."
Jin-Woo, who had been running with Ju-Hee in his arms, turned back to save her. But Mr. Song blocked his path.
"Mr. Song...?" "It's already too late."
The statue, like swatting a fly, slapped its palm down on the female Hunter. SMACK!
"Ngh..."
Jin-Woo turned away. It was such a horrifying sight that it was impossible to watch with open eyes.
"We don't have time to stand around. Do you want that girl to die too?"
Mr. Song's words snapped Jin-Woo back to his senses. That was literally true. BOOM!
"UAAAARGH!"
BOOM! BOOM!
"Help!"
Now the statue was no longer walking. She darted around in different directions, trampling and crushing people indiscriminately. Every time she stomped, the entire room shook. BOOM! BOOM! Jin-Woo gritted his teeth and started running. Ju-Hee, keeping her eyes tightly shut, clung to Jin-Woo.
"Scatter!" "Got it!"
Realizing that staying together was dangerous, Jin-Woo and Mr. Song also split up. Jin-Woo, dodging the raging statue, retreated as far into the corner as possible. But there was one Hunter who ran there faster than Jin-Woo. It was Mr. Park. Mr. Park ran with every last ounce of his strength. The thought of his family brought tears to his eyes.
"Ungh-..."
At home, his son — his spitting image — and his pregnant wife were waiting for him. He couldn't die so meaninglessly here. Thanks to going all out, he was able to get away from the statue faster than any of the other Hunters.
"Haah, haah."
To Mr. Park, who had stumbled into a corner and was catching his breath, Mr. Kim — who had been close with him — shouted urgently.
"Mr. Park!"
Mr. Park turned toward the familiar voice.
"Huh?"
Mr. Kim, pointing past Mr. Park's back, shouted.
"Behind you! Look behind you!"
At that moment, something sharp flashed from behind Mr. Park.
"Wh...?"
KSHAK! Mr. Park was split in two — from the crown of his head to his groin. The two halves of his body fell to either side.
"Mr. Park!"
The statue that had struck Mr. Park with its sword, just like the guardian at the entrance, returned to its original position as if nothing had happened. Mr. Kim, seeing this, choked with tears.
"These damn bastards...!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Behind them, the giant statue was trampling people to death one by one, and if anyone fled to a corner to escape it, the statues stationed there attacked them.
"AAAARGH!" "My arm! My arm!"
Inside, it turned into a crucible of terror and chaos.
"Hah, hah..."
Beads of cold sweat appeared on Jin-Woo's forehead. His legs were growing heavier and heavier. His breathing became more and more labored. But Jin-Woo's mind was filled with only one thought.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord.
The second commandment, revolving in his head. The key to solving this puzzle was definitely somewhere in this room. Something here that we could use! But when the Hunters first entered this room and searched every corner, they found no mechanisms or tools that could be utilized.
Then and now, the only things that move are the statues.
Wait. Something flashed through Jin-Woo's mind.
The only things that move are the statues?
Oh. Jin-Woo's eyes went wide.
Why didn't I think of this sooner!
If the only things that can move are the statues, then the only things that can be used are also the statues. The statues only move when a person approaches them, and that had to be exploited.
Maybe...!
Jin-Woo, gasping, shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Everyone, go toward the statues holding musical instruments!"