Chapter 4 - Chapter 4 (1/2)

Part 4: The Three Laws

Jin-Woo shouted out towards the rest of the Hunters.

"Everyone!"

Their attention shifted towards him in an instant.

Jin-Woo spoke as he met their gazes.

"You must kowtow towards the god statue!"

Hunters began tilting their heads after hearing him.

"Kowtow....?"

"You want us to kowtow to that statue?"

Hunters exchanged glances with each other, before loudly cussing out at Jin-Woo.

"F*ck you! What bullsh*t are you spewing here?!"

"What the hell! How can you say something like that under the current circumstances?!"

"Have you lost your mind, Seong Jin-Woo?!"

Kim's face became boiling-red as he began snorting like a bull.

"I had no idea you, Mister Seong, would be like this! If I could move, then I'd have punched you in the face already!!"

Jin-Woo bit on his lower lip.

Six of their comrades were killed by the god statue. So, it was rather obvious that the surviving Hunters would cuss him out when he told them to kowtow towards that abominable thing.

It wasn't hard to understand what these Hunters were feeling at the moment.

'And, the most important thing is....'

The most important thing was, he had no logical evidence to back his theory up. He only had his gut feelings.

Indeed, that was the only way to describe it.

However...

"I'll do as you say."

That voice came from Jin-Woo's back. Everyone's eyes immediately shifted there.

It was Mister Song, effectively the leader of this group.

"Mister Song ahjussi?"

"You are going to kowtow to that f*cking statue?"

Just as other Hunters began to freak out, Song looked straight at Jin-Woo.

"Young man. You've discovered something, haven't you?"

Jin-Woo resolutely nodded his head.

"Is it your instinct again?"

".....Yes. For the time being."

"I see."

Just now, eleven people survived thanks to Jin-Woo's instincts.

Well, with the death of Mister Joo, there were ten now, but still – if it was Jin-Woo's instincts, then wouldn't it be worth believing it at least once more?

That's what Song thought.

When Song knelt down and kowtowed towards the god statue, the mood had become solemn and silent.

"....He's really doing it."

Seizing upon this opportunity, Jin-Woo shouted out once more.

"Everyone, I beg of you! Please kneel before the god statue. We might be able to get out of here alive!"

Might live.

Might be able to get out alive.

The impact those simple words carried was quite explosive.

'We might live?'

'We can get out of here?'

'With just one kowtow?!'

The hesitant Hunters began to plop down to the ground, as if they were really kowtowing. The number of them performing the act gradually increased. In the end, even the complaining Kim bowed his head towards the statue.

However, there was no visible change to the god statue. Indeed, those chilling red light still shone from the eyes of the statue.

Jin-Woo felt his heart go cold.

'Was I wrong?'

It was here that his gaze shifted to Ju-Hui next to him.

No matter how generous one was, it was difficult to describe her posture of squatting on the ground shivering, while holding her head in her hands as her kowtowing.

'What if....'

Jin-Woo carefully grasped Ju-Hui's wrist.

She raised her head like a scared cat. Seeing her, Jin-Woo wordlessly nodded his head. Only then did she relax her muscles somewhat.

With that, Jin-Woo was able to slowly change her posture.

'Done.'

There was only one person remaining now. And that would be him.

Jin-Woo knelt down towards the god statue, placed his hands on the ground, and slowly lowered his head.

Finally, something began to change.

"Huh? Uh, uhh?!"

Hunters who had noticed the change first raised their voices.

"The god statue!! Look at the statue!!"

"It's eyes!"

The red light buzzing in its eyes was gradually weakening.

"What the hell? Is this really going to work??"

Eventually, the red light completely vanished.

"Oh!! Ohhh!!"

Hunters began rejoicing loudly.

"The red light is gone!!"

"We made it!!"

The excited Hunters began standing up one at the time. Even then, the statue didn't fire the red beam.

Jin-Woo belatedly raised his head and spat out a sigh of relief.

"Whew...."

Just as he suspected – this chamber operated strictly within the set regulations.

'If that's the case....'

Then, this game was far from over. Two more 'laws' still remained. The second law, exalt the god. And the third law, prove one's piety.

It was then.

RUMBLE!!

Accompanied by a goosebump-inducing noise, the entire chamber began to shake.

Jin-Woo's expression hardened immediately.

'As I thought....'

His suspicions proved to be correct once more.

Things were only getting started.

The humongous god statue was slowly rising up from the stone throne.

"Huh?! Huhhh???"

Hunters were hugging each other while shedding tears of joy until then, but when they realised this turn of events, they all froze up like statues themselves.

"What.... what the hell!! It wasn't over yet?!"

"This, this can't be!!"

None of them could articulate what they wanted to say. Despair rapidly dyed their expressions.

"Ah.....Ah, ah..."

Soon, the god statue completely stood up from the throne.

The 'creature' swept its gaze around once, and began walking towards the Hunters.

***

THUD!!

Every time the god statue stepped on the ground, the whole world seemed to shake.

THUD!!

It was so tall that its head was almost scraping against the chamber's indescribably high ceiling.

THUD!!

Even when the Hunters were overwhelmed by the statue's sheer size, the thing was gradually closing its distance to them.

"Mister Seong!! Mister Seong Jin-Woo!!"

"What can we do??"

The Hunters who were cussing at Jin-Woo only a short while ago hurriedly began crowding around him.

"Is there a way out of this?"

"Say something!!"

All these adults were forming tearful expressions as if they'd start breaking down in sobs and wails very soon.

Currently, Jin-Woo was their only hope.

Jin-Woo helped the frozen-stiff Ju-Hui up from the ground and began talking about the second law.

"Exalt the god. That's the key."

"Wait, isn't that...?!"

Kim suddenly butted in as if he knew something others didn't.

"Isn't that what's written on the slate?"

"Correct. Worship the god. Exalt the god. And finally, prove your piety. We need to satisfy all three laws."