-4 . The Three Commandments-

    Jinwoo shouted towards the other Hunters .

    “Everyone!”

    They turned their heads toward his voice .

    “You have to bow before the Statue of God!”

    The Hunters tilted their heads in confusion .

    “Bow…?”

    “Bow to that thing?”

    The Hunters who were looking at each other started cursing at Jinwoo,

    “Fuck… What the hell are you saying?!”

    “Is this a situation where you could say something like that?!”

    “Have you gone crazy, Sung Jinwoo?!”

    Mr . Kim flared his nostrils .

    “Looks like I judged you wrong! If I could get up from this spot, I’d sock you right in the nose!”

    Jinwoo bit his lips . After all, 6 of their comrades had fallen to the Statue of God . To think that he’d ask the others to bow before it understandably invited their ire .

    ‘More importantly…’

    There was no solid proof to his guesses . Only a gut feeling . One could not easily explain or put to words what they felt through instinct .

    While he was lost for words, someone spoke up: “I’ll do it . ”

    The voice came from behind Jinwoo . The Hunters’ eyes turned toward the Raid leader who had spoken .

    “Mr . Song…?”

    “You’re going to bow before that goddamn statue?”

    As the Hunters spoke out in confusion, Mr . Song turned and met Jinwoo’s eyes .

    “What have you discovered?”

    Jinwoo shook his head .

    “Just a gut feeling?”

    “…Yes, for now . ”

    “I see . ”

    Jinwoo’s instincts resulted in 11 of them being still alive, well, 10 after Mr . Joo’s death . As such, was it not worth it to try and put some faith in him? This was what Mr . Song believed . As the Raid leader bowed before the Statue of God, the mood in the air became somber .

    “You’re really going to do it?”

    Taking advantage of the opportunity Mr . Song had provided, Jinwoo spoke up,

    “Please! Bow before the Statue of God . This might be our only way to leave here alive!”

    Alive .

    To leave here alive .

    That phrase reached the others’ ears with a great weight .

    ‘Leave here alive?’

    ‘We can get out of here?’

    ‘Just by bowing before that thing?’

    One by one, the hesitant Hunters started bowing before the Statue, imitating a scene of worship . Eventually, even the angry Mr . Kim also took his place bowing before the Statue . However, there was no response from the Statue of God . Its two eyes still glowed with the terrifying crimson light . Jinwoo felt his heart sinking to his stomach .

    ‘Was I wrong?’

    And his gaze turned to Juhee at his side . Lying completely prone on the ground with her hands covering her head, it was hard to say that she was in a position of bowing before the Statue .

    ‘Ah…’

    Jinwoo gently grabbed Juhee’s wrists . Startled, Juhee looked up at him like a terrified prey . He wordlessly nodded at her, then released his hand . Slowly, Jinwoo helped Juhee assumed the position of worship before the Statue of God .

    ‘This should do it . ’

    And then there was one . Himself .

    Jinwoo faced the Statue, kneeling, then put his hands on the ground and slowly bowed his head .

    And a change occurred .

    “Oh, ooh?”

    The Hunters who noticed started making noise .

    “The Statue of God? Everyone, look at the Statue of God!”

    “Its eyes!”

    The crimson light that adorned the Statue’s eyes were fading away .

    “What? You mean this really is working?”

    And just like that, the lights completely disappeared from the Statue’s eyes .

    The Hunters cheered in unison .

    “The light disappeared!”

    “We’re alive!”

    The excited Hunters rose from their spots and cheered, but the Statue of God did not react . Jinwoo, who followed suit, sighed with relief .

    “Phew-“

    As he had guessed . This room was operating accordingly to a set of rules and conditions, just like a game .

    ‘If that’s true,’

    The game was not over yet . There were two more Commandments .

    Second: Praise the Lord; Third: Prove your Faith

    Suddenly, with a deep rumbling, the entire room started to shake . Jinwoo’s expression hardened .

    ‘As I thought…’

    His guesses were correct . This was not over .

    The Statue of God’s enormous body was slowly rising from its seat .

    “Eh, eh?!”

    The Hunters who were celebrating together with tears of joy froze .

    “W-what?! Wasn’t it all over?!”

    “No, it can’t be!”

    Frozen in fear, the Hunters could not say much more . Their faces were filled with terror and despair .

    “No… no…”

    The Statue of God assumed a standing position . It looked around, taking in the surrounding, then started walking towards the Hunters .

    BOOM!

    With each step it took, the Statue of God shook the earth .

    BOOM!

    Its massive figure was such that its head almost reached the ceiling .

    BOOM!

    As its sheer size put pressure on the Hunters, it slowly closed the gap between it and them .

    “Hey, Mr . Sung! Mr . Sung Jinwoo!”

    “What should we do?!”

    The Hunters who were cursing Jinwoo only moments ago now looked towards him for hope .

    “Is there anything else we have to do?!”

    “Say something!”

    Even as grown adults, the Hunters’ faces were on the verge of breaking down in tears . Yet they looked at Jinwoo as their only remaining hope . Jinwoo carefully helped Juhee, frozen in fear, to her feet, and he explained the Second Commandment .

    “It said, ‘Praise the Lord’, that’s our clue . ”

    “Ah, that’s!” Mr . Kim spoke knowingly, “It was written on the tablet, right?”

    “That’s right, ‘Praise the Lord’, ‘Prove your Faith’, we have to fulfill all three Commandments . ”

    Jinwoo’s words were filled with urgency .

    BOOM~!

    With one last step, the Statue of God had already arrived before their group . Its massive shadows covered the Hunters, whose faces became pale .

    “I, I’ll try . ”

    One of the Hunters, normally a shy, youthful man, stepped forward .

    “Hey! What are you going to try?!”

    “I’m part of my church’s choir . If it’s ‘praise’, I’m confident in it . ”

    The young man answered Mr . Kim and walked towards the Statue of God . As he neared the Statue, he took a deep breath and started singing,

    “ ~As I walk to the Lord~ ” His youthful voice rang throughout the room .

    “ ~Please renew me and provide me with your blessing . ~ ”

    The Statue of God stopped before him .

    The Hunters gasped in surprise and awe . As if it was satisfied by the song, the Statue of God stood motionless . All other sounds of the room disappeared, only the youth’s voice was heard in the room . Gaining courage from the apparent result, the Hunter strengthened his voice and continued to sing,

    “ ~All my weaknesses will be washed away by the grace of my Lord~ ”

    Amidst the hopeful Hunters, Jinwoo could not shake the feeling of uneasiness . The feeling that they were missing something .

    ‘No… this is all wrong . ’

    He kept repeating the thought to himself . This room had its own set of rules . Right now, the youthful Hunter was following the rule of Christianity, not this room . But thankfully, the Statue of God was not moving . Maybe this was enough to satisfy the conditions?

    Jinwoo tilted his head . The reason why he had not stopped the singing was because he could not think of any other way to stop the Statue of God .

    Suddenly,

    BOOM!

    A loud crash broke through the singing, followed by a scream,

    “Kiyaaaaaaah!”

    As the Statue of God raised its foot again, the mangled remains of the singing Hunter fell from its sole .

    The other Hunters started screaming as well .

    “Ahhhh!”

    “Uwaaaaak!”

    The previously emotionless face of the Statue of God was now filled with an incredible rage .

    “It’s angry!”

    “R-run!”

    The Hunters quickly ran away from the Statue .

    “Kiyaaaaah!!!”

    Having lost all thought and reason after seeing the youthful man be crushed beneath the Statue of God’s foot, a female Hunter simply stood in place and screamed .

    ‘Shit…!’

    Jinwoo, who was running with Juhee in his arms, quickly turned to try and help her . But he was blocked by Mr . Song .

    “Ahjussi…?”

    “It’s too late!”

    Like swatting a fly, the Statue of God slammed its hand on top of the female Hunter .

    BANG!

    Jinwoo turned away . It was a gruesome scene which he could not bear to witness .

    “We can’t dilly dally here! Are you trying to get that young lady killed as well?!”

    At Mr . Song’s rebuke, Jinwoo snapped back to attention . Mr . Song was right .

    BOOM!

    “Uwaaaak!”

    BOOM!

    BOOM!

    “Help me!”

    No longer walking, the Statue of God ran from Hunter to Hunter, crushing them beneath his feet . With each step, he shook the entire temple .

    BOOM!

    BOOM!

    Jinwoo ran with his teeth clenched . With her eyes closed, Juhee held on to Jinwoo as they ran .

    “Let’s split apart!”

    “Okay!”

    Knowing that running together made them a better target, Jinwoo and Mr . Song separated away from each other . Trying to maintain the largest distance between himself and the Statue of God, Jinwoo ran towards a spot at the walls . He saw that Mr . Park was already there, having ran with all his might, knowing there was more on the line to him than just his own life . The image of his family reflected over his teary eyes .

    His son, who looked just like his father . His wife, with his second child . Mr . Park could not afford to die in a place like this . Pulling forth every ounce of his strength, Mr . Park was able to reach the walls faster than the other Hunters .

    “Huff… Huff…”

    Suddenly, Mr . Kim, who was friends with the man, shouted at the panting Mr . Park .

    “Mr . Park!”

    At the familiar voice, Mr . Park turned towards Mr . Kim,

    “Hmm?”

    Mr . Kim gestured towards Mr . Park’s back and yelled,

    “Turn! Turn around!”

    And something sharp flashed from behind Mr . Park .

    “Huh…?”

    slash-

    Mr . Park was split cleanly from the top of his head to the base of his crotch . The evenly separated sides of his body fell in different directions on to the ground .

    “MR . PARK!!!”

    The statue that had cleaved Mr . Park in twain with its sword simply returned and assumed its position on the walls, as if nothing had happened .

    Mr . Kim held back tears as he witnessed the death of his friend .

    “These fucking pieces of-!”

    BOOM!

    BOOM!

    BOOM!

    Behind him, the giant Statue of God was going from Hunter to Hunter, crushing them with his feet . Those that fled to the walls were attacked by the statues .

    “Ahhhhh!”

    “My arm! My arm!”

    The interior of the temple had turned into a scene of terror and carnage .

    Jinwoo panted wildly as he ran, his forehead dripping with cold sweat . His legs getting heavier and heavier; his breath getting shallower and shallower . But his head was filled with a single thought, repeated over and over again:

    ‘Praise the Lord . Praise the Lord . Praise the Lord . ’

    The Second Commandment that swam through his head . The key to solving the meaning of the Commandments must be hidden in this room .

    ‘There must be something in here that we’re supposed to use!’

    But when the Hunters initially entered the temple and looked around, they found no tools or mechanisms .

    ‘The only thing here are those damned statues . ’

    ‘Wait . ’

    A thought appeared in Jinwoo’s head .

    ‘The only thing that’s here are those statues?’

    Jinwoo’s eyes widened .

    “Why didn’t I think of that?!”

    If the statues were the only thing in this room . Then the statues must be the key to solving the mystery . The statues only moved when someone entered their proximity; this must have been the key to using them somehow .

    ‘If that’s correct…!’

    Gathering what energy he had left, Jinwoo screamed through his panting breath,

    “EVERYONE, HEAD TO THE STATUES WITH INSTRUMENTS!”

    Sponsored Content

    I Alone Level-up: Chapter 4.

    .

    -4 . The Three Commandments-.

    .

    Jinwoo shouted towards the other Hunters . .

    .

    “Everyone!”.

    .

    They turned their heads toward his voice . .

    .

    “You have to bow before the Statue of God!”.

    .

    The Hunters tilted their heads in confusion . .

    .

    “Bow…?”.

    .

    “Bow to that thing?”.

    .

    The Hunters who were looking at each other started cursing at Jinwoo,.

    .

    “Fuck… What the hell are you saying?!”.

    .

    “Is this a situation where you could say something like that?!”.

    .

    “Have you gone crazy, Sung Jinwoo?!”.

    .

    Mr . Kim flared his nostrils . .

    .

    “Looks like I judged you wrong! If I could get up from this spot, I’d sock you right in the nose!”.

    .

    Jinwoo bit his lips . After all, 6 of their comrades had fallen to the Statue of God . To think that he’d ask the others to bow before it understandably invited their ire . .

    .

    ‘More importantly…’.

    .

    There was no solid proof to his guesses . Only a gut feeling . One could not easily explain or put to words what they felt through instinct . .

    .

    While he was lost for words, someone spoke up: “I’ll do it . ”.

    .

    The voice came from behind Jinwoo . The Hunters’ eyes turned toward the Raid leader who had spoken . .

    .

    “Mr . Song…?”.

    .

    “You’re going to bow before that goddamn statue?”.

    .

    As the Hunters spoke out in confusion, Mr . Song turned and met Jinwoo’s eyes . .

    .

    “What have you discovered?”.

    .

    Jinwoo shook his head . .

    .

    “Just a gut feeling?”.

    .

    “…Yes, for now . ”.

    .

    “I see . ”.

    .

    Jinwoo’s instincts resulted in 11 of them being still alive, well, 10 after Mr . Joo’s death . As such, was it not worth it to try and put some faith in him? This was what Mr . Song believed . As the Raid leader bowed before the Statue of God, the mood in the air became somber . .

    .

    “You’re really going to do it?”.

    .

    Taking advantage of the opportunity Mr . Song had provided, Jinwoo spoke up,.

    .

    “Please! Bow before the Statue of God . This might be our only way to leave here alive!”.

    .

    Alive . .

    .

    To leave here alive . .

    .

    That phrase reached the others’ ears with a great weight . .

    .

    ‘Leave here alive?’.

    .

    ‘We can get out of here?’.

    .

    ‘Just by bowing before that thing?’.

    .

    One by one, the hesitant Hunters started bowing before the Statue, imitating a scene of worship . Eventually, even the angry Mr . Kim also took his place bowing before the Statue . However, there was no response from the Statue of God . Its two eyes still glowed with the terrifying crimson light . Jinwoo felt his heart sinking to his stomach . .

    .

    ‘Was I wrong?’.

    .

    And his gaze turned to Juhee at his side . Lying completely prone on the ground with her hands covering her head, it was hard to say that she was in a position of bowing before the Statue . .

    .

    ‘Ah…’.

    .

    Jinwoo gently grabbed Juhee’s wrists . Startled, Juhee looked up at him like a terrified prey . He wordlessly nodded at her, then released his hand . Slowly, Jinwoo helped Juhee assumed the position of worship before the Statue of God . .

    .

    ‘This should do it . ’.

    .

    And then there was one . Himself . .

    .

    Jinwoo faced the Statue, kneeling, then put his hands on the ground and slowly bowed his head . .

    .

    And a change occurred . .

    .

    “Oh, ooh?”.

    .

    The Hunters who noticed started making noise . .

    .

    “The Statue of God? Everyone, look at the Statue of God!”.

    .

    “Its eyes!”.

    .

    The crimson light that adorned the Statue’s eyes were fading away . .

    .

    “What? You mean this really is working?”.

    .

    And just like that, the lights completely disappeared from the Statue’s eyes . .

    .

    The Hunters cheered in unison . .

    .

    “The light disappeared!”.

    .

    “We’re alive!”.

    .

    The excited Hunters rose from their spots and cheered, but the Statue of God did not react . Jinwoo, who followed suit, sighed with relief . .

    .

    “Phew-“.

    .

    As he had guessed . This room was operating accordingly to a set of rules and conditions, just like a game . .

    .

    ‘If that’s true,’.

    .

    The game was not over yet . There were two more Commandments . .

    .

    Second: Praise the Lord; Third: Prove your Faith.

    .

    Suddenly, with a deep rumbling, the entire room started to shake . Jinwoo’s expression hardened . .

    .

    ‘As I thought…’.

    .

    His guesses were correct . This was not over . .

    .

    The Statue of God’s enormous body was slowly rising from its seat . .

    .

    “Eh, eh?!”.

    .

    The Hunters who were celebrating together with tears of joy froze . .

    .

    “W-what?! Wasn’t it all over?!”.

    .

    “No, it can’t be!”.

    .

    Frozen in fear, the Hunters could not say much more . Their faces were filled with terror and despair . .

    .

    “No… no…”.

    .

    The Statue of God assumed a standing position . It looked around, taking in the surrounding, then started walking towards the Hunters . .

    .

    BOOM!.

    .

    With each step it took, the Statue of God shook the earth . .

    .

    BOOM!.

    .

    Its massive figure was such that its head almost reached the ceiling . .

    .

    BOOM!.

    .

    As its sheer size put pressure on the Hunters, it slowly closed the gap between it and them . .

    .

    “Hey, Mr . Sung! Mr . Sung Jinwoo!”.

    .

    “What should we do?!”.

    .

    The Hunters who were cursing Jinwoo only moments ago now looked towards him for hope . .

    .

    “Is there anything else we have to do?!”.

    .

    “Say something!”.

    .

    Even as grown adults, the Hunters’ faces were on the verge of breaking down in tears . Yet they looked at Jinwoo as their only remaining hope . Jinwoo carefully helped Juhee, frozen in fear, to her feet, and he explained the Second Commandment . .

    .

    “It said, ‘Praise the Lord’, that’s our clue . ”.

    .

    “Ah, that’s!” Mr . Kim spoke knowingly, “It was written on the tablet, right?”.

    .

    “That’s right, ‘Praise the Lord’, ‘Prove your Faith’, we have to fulfill all three Commandments . ”.

    .

    Jinwoo’s words were filled with urgency . .

    .

    BOOM~!.

    .

    With one last step, the Statue of God had already arrived before their group . Its massive shadows covered the Hunters, whose faces became pale . .

    .

    “I, I’ll try . ”.

    .

    One of the Hunters, normally a shy, youthful man, stepped forward . .

    .

    “Hey! What are you going to try?!”.

    .

    “I’m part of my church’s choir . If it’s ‘praise’, I’m confident in it . ”.

    .

    The young man answered Mr . Kim and walked towards the Statue of God . As he neared the Statue, he took a deep breath and started singing,.

    .

    “ ~As I walk to the Lord~ ” His youthful voice rang throughout the room . .

    .

    “ ~Please renew me and provide me with your blessing . ~ ”.

    .

    The Statue of God stopped before him . .

    .

    The Hunters gasped in surprise and awe . As if it was satisfied by the song, the Statue of God stood motionless . All other sounds of the room disappeared, only the youth’s voice was heard in the room . Gaining courage from the apparent result, the Hunter strengthened his voice and continued to sing,.

    .

    “ ~All my weaknesses will be washed away by the grace of my Lord~ ”.

    .

    Amidst the hopeful Hunters, Jinwoo could not shake the feeling of uneasiness . The feeling that they were missing something . .

    .

    ‘No… this is all wrong . ’.

    .

    He kept repeating the thought to himself . This room had its own set of rules . Right now, the youthful Hunter was following the rule of Christianity, not this room . But thankfully, the Statue of God was not moving . Maybe this was enough to satisfy the conditions?.

    .

    Jinwoo tilted his head . The reason why he had not stopped the singing was because he could not think of any other way to stop the Statue of God . .

    .

    Suddenly,.

    .

    BOOM!.

    .

    A loud crash broke through the singing, followed by a scream,.

    .

    “Kiyaaaaaaah!”.

    .

    As the Statue of God raised its foot again, the mangled remains of the singing Hunter fell from its sole . .

    .

    The other Hunters started screaming as well . .

    .

    “Ahhhh!”.

    .

    “Uwaaaaak!”.

    .

    The previously emotionless face of the Statue of God was now filled with an incredible rage . .

    .

    “It’s angry!”.

    .

    “R-run!”.

    .

    The Hunters quickly ran away from the Statue . .

    .

    “Kiyaaaaah!!!”.

    .

    Having lost all thought and reason after seeing the youthful man be crushed beneath the Statue of God’s foot, a female Hunter simply stood in place and screamed . .

    .

    ‘Shit…!’.

    .

    Jinwoo, who was running with Juhee in his arms, quickly turned to try and help her . But he was blocked by Mr . Song . .

    .

    “Ahjussi…?”.

    .

    “It’s too late!”.

    .

    Like swatting a fly, the Statue of God slammed its hand on top of the female Hunter . .

    .

    BANG!.

    .

    Jinwoo turned away . It was a gruesome scene which he could not bear to witness . .

    .

    “We can’t dilly dally here! Are you trying to get that young lady killed as well?!”.

    .

    At Mr . Song’s rebuke, Jinwoo snapped back to attention . Mr . Song was right . .

    .

    BOOM!.

    .

    “Uwaaaak!”.

    .

    BOOM!.

    .

    BOOM!.

    .

    “Help me!”.

    .

    No longer walking, the Statue of God ran from Hunter to Hunter, crushing them beneath his feet . With each step, he shook the entire temple . .

    .

    BOOM!.

    .

    BOOM!.

    .

    Jinwoo ran with his teeth clenched . With her eyes closed, Juhee held on to Jinwoo as they ran . .

    .

    “Let’s split apart!”.

    .

    “Okay!”.

    .

    Knowing that running together made them a better target, Jinwoo and Mr . Song separated away from each other . Trying to maintain the largest distance between himself and the Statue of God, Jinwoo ran towards a spot at the walls . He saw that Mr . Park was already there, having ran with all his might, knowing there was more on the line to him than just his own life . The image of his family reflected over his teary eyes . .

    .

    His son, who looked just like his father . His wife, with his second child . Mr . Park could not afford to die in a place like this . Pulling forth every ounce of his strength, Mr . Park was able to reach the walls faster than the other Hunters . .

    .

    “Huff… Huff…”.

    .

    Suddenly, Mr . Kim, who was friends with the man, shouted at the panting Mr . Park . .

    .

    “Mr . Park!”.

    .

    At the familiar voice, Mr . Park turned towards Mr . Kim,.

    .

    “Hmm?”.

    .

    Mr . Kim gestured towards Mr . Park’s back and yelled,.

    .

    “Turn! Turn around!”.

    .

    And something sharp flashed from behind Mr . Park . .

    .

    “Huh…?”.

    .

    slash- .

    .

    Mr . Park was split cleanly from the top of his head to the base of his crotch . The evenly separated sides of his body fell in different directions on to the ground . .

    .

    “MR . PARK!!!”.

    .

    The statue that had cleaved Mr . Park in twain with its sword simply returned and assumed its position on the walls, as if nothing had happened . .

    .

    Mr . Kim held back tears as he witnessed the death of his friend . .

    .

    “These fucking pieces of-!”.

    .

    BOOM!.

    .

    BOOM!.

    .

    BOOM!.

    .

    Behind him, the giant Statue of God was going from Hunter to Hunter, crushing them with his feet . Those that fled to the walls were attacked by the statues . .

    .

    “Ahhhhh!”.

    .

    “My arm! My arm!”.

    .

    The interior of the temple had turned into a scene of terror and carnage . .

    .

    Jinwoo panted wildly as he ran, his forehead dripping with cold sweat . His legs getting heavier and heavier; his breath getting shallower and shallower . But his head was filled with a single thought, repeated over and over again:.

    .

    ‘Praise the Lord . Praise the Lord . Praise the Lord . ’.

    .

    The Second Commandment that swam through his head . The key to solving the meaning of the Commandments must be hidden in this room . .

    .

    ‘There must be something in here that we’re supposed to use!’.

    .

    But when the Hunters initially entered the temple and looked around, they found no tools or mechanisms . .

    .

    ‘The only thing here are those damned statues . ’.

    .

    ‘Wait . ’.

    .

    A thought appeared in Jinwoo’s head . .

    .

    ‘The only thing that’s here are those statues?’.

    .

    Jinwoo’s eyes widened . .

    .

    “Why didn’t I think of that?!”.

    .

    If the statues were the only thing in this room . Then the statues must be the key to solving the mystery . The statues only moved when someone entered their proximity; this must have been the key to using them somehow . .

    .

    ‘If that’s correct…!’.

    .

    Gathering what energy he had left, Jinwoo screamed through his panting breath,.

    .

    “EVERYONE, HEAD TO THE STATUES WITH INSTRUMENTS!”.