As some of us look terrified staring at the thief Slayer's headless body and the pool of his blood, I too begin to feel fear that's way more intense than what I felt when I got nearly killed by the canine-reptile hybrid creature earlier on. I notice Jung-han looks so scared that his right hand is trembling. Blood-curdling screams from the younger Slayers are heard all over the place; their voices sound panicking because who wouldn't panic after seeing your raiding teammate’s head get shot and eaten so quickly?

“What the heck is happening?!”

“How can a mimic suddenly grow that big?!”

“In fact, that mimic should've been eaten by the kobolds…why on scorching earth would it be in the final Beast's lair!?”

Mimics are supposed to be weaker than slimes, not to mention they're not supposed to grow bigger than a human. And yet, a thief Slayer has been eaten by such a weak Beast in front of our eyes. Then, we see the mimic is somewhat melting as if itself is actually a slime all this time. The next moment has left a shocking experience for us. The mimic’s entire body of brown and yellow color literally dissolves into the painted ocean-colored floor. Then, the headless thief Slayer's body sinks into the very same floor until it's no longer seen within our sight.

I speculate that mimic is not actually a Beast, but rather it’s possibly a by-product of the actual Beast’s magic spells. Said spell might involve a water-based type of power which sets off my sense of perception being at its highest point of cautiousness. I cast my eyes around us that has led me to see many glowing spots suddenly appearing on the paintings. I know that from this moment on is the beginning of our nightmarish fight for survival.

“Everyone, get down! Right now!!”

Just then, many arrows, with each of them burning a dark purple color, are fired from inside of the paintings. I grab Jung-han's left arm immediately. Despite him being twice as heavy as me, I manage to have him quickly fall on the ground beside me. The rest of the raid team manage to take cover on time; our bodies lie still on the cold ground while lots of the burning arrows shoot across each other. Many of them land on the pillars, burning big holes on them. Once the flying arrows are no longer being shot at us, we slowly get up with a terrified look on some of our faces. I too have my body still trembling as I can still feel the lurking danger in the atmosphere of this uncanny room we're still trapped in. Then, I notice my hand is actually shaking because I'm holding Jung-han's trembling right hand. He too is feeling fear right now despite him being the biggest guy of this raid team. Once again, the younger ones cry out words of agonized confusion.

“Are we gonna get shot again!?”

“What kind of Beast shoots that many arrows!?”

“This isn’t an E-rank Labyrinth at all!!”

That last sentence has made me realize that these kinds of hidden traps are obviously not an E-rank measurement. I don't want to admit it, but this is a cruel reality we've to face off. I start a conversation with Ms Han who is the only adult Slayer who has yet to lose her cool, unlike Jang who's frozen in a cold sweat way behind me. I've to relay at least one important info to her about my observation, even if it's just a speculation, on what this room actually is.

“Ms Han, I'm glad you're okay.”

“You too, Slayer Kang. In fact, we wouldn't have dodge those arrows if it weren't for you being able to notice them coming out of the paintings.”

“Do you think a Beast is capable of this, Ms Han? Because I feel these traps are set up by someone who's… not human.”

“Well a humanoid Beast can be capable of having such tremendous magical powers, but to shoot burning weapons out from paintings…I don't know if the final Beast is supposed to be this dangerous.”

“The room we're in right now isn't an E-rank Labyrinth. This is a S-rank Labyrinth…unfortunately.”

“If that's the case, then we're in trouble, Slayer Kang. Jang and Jung-han are C-rank Slayers, but I don't think they're able to attack or defend against an unseen Beast…or something that's neither a human nor a beast.”

“Ms Han, do you remember the three rules you've translated earlier on? What was the first one?”

“The first one says ‘You must not feel your fear’. Are you implying that all of us have to obey the rules to get out of this Labyrinth?”

“Yes, because it's the only way to survive in this Labyrinth.”

And so Ms Han, who indirectly takes over Jang's leader position, relays the Labyrinth’s first rule to the rest of the raid members. It's a good thing everyone else believes what Ms Han has said about it except the majority of them still look fearful. I've to think of how to calm them down because I see the rune letters at the ceiling flickering as if a blackout is about to happen. For the first time in my life, I've become assertive in order to survive and that I'll be able to go back home where uncle Seung-min, Ga-young and Gi-young are waiting for me.

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“Everyone, we've to do something to calm our fears. We must remove that feeling from our mind right now; otherwise, the next attack is gonna kill us.”

“Are you insane, Healer Kang!?” Jang argues with so much anxiety heard in his voice. “Why aren't we planning to fight back…”

“Slayer Kang knows more about the danger we're in now, Jang,” Ms Han answers in a stern voice. “Mind you that she wants you to lessen your fear as much as possible. This is the time to survive. Nobody will die if all of us just listen to Slayer Kang’s instructions. Just this once I ask all of you to trust her.”

The crowd goes silent which is then followed by each of the younger Slayers agreeing that listening to me is the better choice to survive. Then, I ask Ms Han if she knows a prayer for anyone. I just remember she once told me, during a previous raid together, she became a believer during her studies in Ireland. Then, some of the younger Slayers fuss over the calming method I suggest.

“Excuse me, but we're not believers.”

“I’ve neutral feelings when it comes to a belief.”

“What's the point of a prayer if we don't…”

“Then do you have other suggestions on how to calm your fears?” Ms Han answers a rhetorical question to the archer, elementalist, and transmuter who look as reluctant as Jang is. Regardless, everyone decides to agree with reciting Ms Han’s prayer. Each of us clasp our hands together with closed eyes as we listen to her say this prayer out loud.

“To the Almighty King, blessed are Your creations roaming on earth and in heaven. Forgive our negligence that made us take things for granted. Show us Your grace and mercy upon us that we may leave this wretched place alive.”

I too am not a believer like how uncle Seung-min is, but somehow this prayer, which we're reciting thrice, has lessened my fears a bit. After we've finished reciting the prayer, all of us open our eyes to see nothing is flickering or glowing in this room; not to mention, a sort of miracle has happened. The entrance door has appeared again where it's supposed to be; the same blank space on the wall. Almost everyone, mainly from the other two healers, shout words of joy, whatmore the look of fear has disappeared from their faces though Jung-han still looks confused on whether the nightmare is finally over.

“The entrance door…has finally appeared!”

“We're saved! Right, Slayer Jang?”

“Uh…yeah. I guess it's because of Slayer Han’s prayer.”

“Then we've got no time to waste! I'm opening the door now!”

As the archer Slayer runs towards the door, I begin to notice the elementalist Slayer is staring at the paintings. Then, those next words of his, along with an action he's about to take, becomes an obvious trigger for the next death.

“Wait, you all! Let me burn these paintings as a precaution. Who knows what kind of attacks will come out from them?”

I'm unable to stop him by quickly warning him there's no need to do so. Before I can finish my sentence, he has used his pyrokinesis skill on all, except the one with the written rules, paintings. As all of us stand there staring at the paintings being burned, a shrill scream is suddenly heard across the room. We’ve to cover our ears whilst closing our eyes as the dreadful sound is able to make our ears bleed. I manage to take a peek at the elementalist still standing in front of us; his hands covering his ears. The next horrible moment I witness is the painted blue floor has changed into a crimson color. I can see the spot where the elementalist is standing, turning into a jelly-like form which has led him to literally fall inside the floor.

The shrill scream comes to a stop. As the rest of the Slayers open their eyes, one of them points out the elementalist's silhouette underneath the glowing crimson floor. As the floor glows brighter, we can hear his agonizing screams beneath our feet. It's as if he's experiencing being burned to death which unfortunately is happening right in front of our eyes. Through his silhouette, his body is covered in glowing red veins. The next thing we witness is his whole body ballooning until he explodes with a loud bang just like a bursted huge balloon. The sound of trickled blood is heard right after such imagery is shown to us. Once we don't see the dead elementalist's torn silhouette anymore, the painted floor changes back to its original color of an ocean. The younger Slayers cry out their screams once more as seeing the sight of their former comrade's torn silhouette is the worst thing to be embedded in one's memory.

One of the healers notify the rest of us that the entrance door is gone once again. I can see why this has happened; it's due to the fact someone still has the feeling of fear within them. And that someone is already dead by being killed inside the very floor we're standing right now. There's a difference between caution and fear. Unfortunately, the late elementalist was applying fearfulness, not cautiousness from his weak-willed mind. I've come to the conclusion that wherever we see something painted, that something comes to life literally. That means the paintings are considered living creatures once we come to notice they didn't get burnt to ashes. The late elementalist's fire powers didn't leave a single one having burnt marks. It's as if they never get burnt in the first place. Several of the Slayers begin to panic once more, questioning whether this room has a mind of its own.

“Because it's a Beast,” I say aloud with my voice echoing the feeling of dread in this cursed room.

“What did you say, Healer Kang?”

“There's no way an inanimate object can be labeled as a Beast!”

“But we've all seen those paintings and that painted floor…they move on their own like any Beast would do to their prey!”

“Don't you think there should be a hidden evil mage being able to manipulate objects at its own will?!”

“If that's the case, then are you saying the final Beast is…”

I stare at them with my amber eyes. My body is still trembling from the sight of the killing method on the late elementalist. And yet, I try not to lose my composure in telling them another cruel fact about this Labyrinth's mysterious room.

“Yes,” I reply to them while clenching the edge of Ga-young's dress with my right hand. “The room we're in right now is the final Beast. The strongest Beast we're supposed to slay for today’s raid is this room…no. We're trapped in a tomb right now.”