The heavy stone doors groaned loudly, swinging wide to reveal a vast, ancient temple bathed in an eerie golden luminescence.
At first glance, the architecture was breathtaking. High marble pillars stretched toward a vaulted ceiling, flanked by dozens of massive stone statues depicting warriors and ancient gods. Their carved eyes seemed to trace the light as shadows danced across the hall.
In the dead center stood an elevated altar. Beyond it sat the towering idol—a monstrous stone deity holding a broadsword taller than any building.
The hunters stepped cautiously across the threshold, their footsteps echoing into the vast silence.
"Wow… look at this place," one hunter whispered, craning his neck.
"It feels like some kind of ancient cathedral," another muttered.
Jinwoo entered last, his jaw tight and eyes scanning every detail. His pulse drummed wildly in his ears as he watched the group advance toward the center of the hall.
Near the altar, Mr. Song leaned over to examine the base. "There's an inscription here," he noted, pointing to the ancient runes carved deep into the stone. "It looks like text… some kind of warning or rules?"
Before anyone could process his words, a younger hunter snorted, stepping past the older man. "Why are we wasting time reading stone? Let's find the boss, grab the loot, and get out of here!"
He raised a boot to step up onto the altar's pedestal.
Jinwoo's blood ran ice-cold.
"No—don't step on that!" Jinwoo roared.
But the warning arrived a second too late.
As the heel brought its weight down, the entire chamber quivered. A low, bass-heavy hum vibrated through the floorboards and up their spines.
*Foomph.*
The wall torches burst into life, burning with a sickening blue flame.
Then came the grinding sound of stone against stone.
The statues surrounding them turned their massive heads in unison, their carved eyes igniting with a harsh crimson glare.
A hunter dropped his spear, his voice cracking in terror. "W-what the hell—?! They're moving?!"
High above, the God Statue's eyes flared blindingly bright. It began to raise its colossal sword, casting a long, deadly shadow over the raiding party.
"Everyone, fall back!" Mr. Song shouted, drawing his blade as he tried to form a line. "Defensive formations! Healers, get in the back—"
But Jinwoo was already moving. He knew what was coming—the laser gaze, the absolute destruction of anyone standing tall.
"Kneel!" Jinwoo screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing off the vaulted ceiling. "Don't attack! Don't move! Bow your heads to the God Statue right now!"
The hunters froze, staring at him in utter disbelief.
"What the hell are you saying?!"
"Are you out of your mind?!"
"Get out of the way!"
Then, the God Statue blinked.
Red beams of destruction erupted from its eyes, sweeping across the front ranks in a fraction of a second.
*BOOM!*
The stone floor shattered under the kinetic impact. Before anyone could even scream, nearly half the raid party was obliterated—vaporized and crushed under sheer force. Blood and stone fragments sprayed across the pristine marble like crimson paint.
Terror erupted. Screams tore through the air.
"KNEEL!" Jinwoo yelled again, forcing his own face flat against the cold, blood-stained stone. "Press your foreheads to the ground! Those who bow will live!"
Mr. Song, acting on sheer veteran instinct, dropped straight down to his knees, pressing his chest against the floor. Another hunter named Joo-Hee's replacement, shaking violently, followed. Seeing them on the floor, three other panicked survivors threw themselves down.
Above them, the crimson light faded. The oppressive pressure instantly vanished.
The statues froze mid-stride.
Absolute silence fell over the chamber, broken only by the ragged, terrified gasps of the survivors.
Jinwoo kept his forehead glued to the floor, sweat dripping down his nose onto the marble. *'It worked… rule number one: Worship the God.'*
But he knew the nightmare had only just begun. The second test was coming—the Commandment of Praise.
Keeping his head low, Jinwoo turned his eyes toward Mr. Song and the surviving hunters.
"Listen to me very carefully," Jinwoo whispered sharply, his dark eyes cutting through the gloom. "When the statues start moving again, do not panic. Look for the statues holding musical instruments and run to them. Do exactly as I say, or none of us leave this room alive."
The survivors didn't understand the logic, but surrounded by the bloody remains of their comrades, no one dared to argue.
High above them, the blue flames flickered once more. The sound of heavy stone stepping forward echoed through the hall.