Novels2Search

Chapter 9

As the group entered the dungeon, the air grew thick and heavy with the denser mana inside the dungeon compared to the outside world. The cavernous space was lit by glowing fungi, casting eerie shadows on the rocky walls. The group moved cautiously, their footsteps echoing in the silence.

Kade stayed slightly behind the main group, observing their formation and tactics. Mr. Song led the way, his posture confident and alert. Joohee, the healer, stayed close to Jin-Woo, who seemed a bit nervous but determined. Mr. Kim and the other members formed a protective circle around them, ready to engage any threats.

Surprisingly, after they encountered the first wave of monsters, they easily subjugated them with precise teamwork. The party continued deeper into the dungeon, dispatching monsters with surprising efficiency. Jin-Woo, the weakest hunter with a reputation for getting hurt, surprisingly had no wounds nor a scratch on him even after reaching a considerable depth in the dungeon.

After a couple of hours, the team was getting ready to head back. As they were preparing to leave, one of the party members discovered a humongous door with two knobs indicating it opened outward.

Kade, seeing the door, immediately felt something amiss. He didn't know what it was, but something inside gave him a bad premonition…for his party anyway. He felt curious about what was inside, for giving him this intuition.

"Should we go in?" asked one of the party members. They began debating whether to enter, arguing over the potential loot versus the risk to their lives.

After much discussion, Mr. Song was forced to call a vote. The group was getting heated, with some members arguing for the potential rewards, while others feared the unknown dangers inside.

With almost everyone voting, those in favor of entering were winning by one vote. The final decision rested with Kade, who stood on the side with his friendly yet unsettling smile, observing everyone.

"Kade, you have the last vote in your hands. Please choose wisely," Mr. Song said, hoping Kade would say no, but knowing he couldn't be biased as the acting leader.

With one hand resting on his chin, Kade appeared to think carefully before making his decision. Inside, however, he was just counting from one to ten.

"My apologies, Mr. Song. I know you don't want to risk our lives, but I'm really inclined to go due to my curiosity," Kade said, looking at Mr. Song.

Sighing, Mr. Song gave in and began organizing the group to enter, hoping to minimize the risk of getting hurt.

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Jin-Woo looked at the door with determination, hoping they could get more resources to sell for a bigger cut of the money. He wanted to buy his sister a good meal, as they had been surviving on noodles due to his low income.

As everyone prepared to enter, Mr. Song opened the door, stepping into the suspicious room, ready for anything.

To their surprise, no monsters awaited them inside. Instead, they found rows of old statues lining the room. Each statue stood over a dozen feet tall, making the party members seem small. But what stunned them most was the enormous statue in the center, crowned and seated, towering over 60 feet high.

"Whoaa, what the hell is this…" murmured one of the group as they began exploring the room, searching for anything valuable they could take home with them.

While everyone explored the area, Joohee thought she saw the biggest statue's eye move. An extreme sense of danger gripped her.

"Jin-Woo, I-I think the eye of that statue just moved," Joohee warned, clinging to Jin-Woo's arm. Jin-Woo initially thought she was being paranoid and dismissed her concern.

As everyone looked around, the door they had entered through suddenly began to close, startling them. Before anyone could react It shut completely, trapping them inside with no way out.

Before they could react, the statues began to move. One swung its stone axe, slicing a hunter in half with terrifying ease. Seeing this gruesome sight, panic erupted among the hunters as another statue killed a woman gruesomely.

Song Chi-Yul stood dazed, watching the carnage. Jin-Woo, however, kept his wits about him, desperately searching for a solution. He noticed the largest statue's eyes glowing ominously. Realizing what was about to happen, he yelled out.

"Everyone, duck!!"

Some hunters ducked instinctively while others hesitated, still searching for a way out. The statue's eyes glowed brighter, and a beam of fire shot out, incinerating everything in its path, including several hunters who didn't dodge in time.

Jin-Woo, seeing this frantically scanned the room searching for solution, after racking his brain he recalled the commandments he had read on a stone.

"Everyone, please listen! We have to follow the commandments written on the stone held by the angel statue!" he shouted.

Desperate for any hope of living, the hunters clung to Jin-Woo's words, even though he was known as the weakest hunter.

"Jin-Woo, what do we need to do?" asked Song Chi-Yul as he felt incompetent as a leader, unable to remember the commandments due to shell shocked while the weakest one of them still had his wits with him despite the dire situation.

'The first commandment states thou shall worship god. We just have to do as it says,' Jin-Woo thought.

"Bow down and worship the statue!" he instructed as he began showing them what he meant. After seeing what he's doing they started copying him, they all kneeled, bowing fervently, their lives hanging by a thread.

Everyone complied, except one person. Kade remained standing on the side with a destroyed statue behind him, smiling as he watched the others with great amusement.

"Mr. Kade, please! Do as I say if we want to survive!!" Jin-Woo yelled, noticing the enormous statue started moving towards them with a terrifying grin that would give anyone who sees it a nightmare.

Kade looked at Jin-Woo, his sadistic grin matching the statue's. He then began slowly walking towards the giant statue.

"Sorry, Jin-Woo, but… I'm a non-believer"