The hunters froze as a strange door shimmered into existence at the far end of the cleared dungeon.
For a long breath, no one spoke.
There had never been a case like this before— a door appearing inside a dungeon that had already been cleared. If it had been a high-rank dungeon, it might have been understandable. But in an E-rank dungeon? The impossibility of it made some hunters uneasy, while others were intrigued.
Their boots echoed against the cold stone as they approached. The massive black door loomed above them, etched with strange carvings that seemed to twist under the torchlight.
"Sir Martin, what should we do now?" C-rank hunter Alden asked, his voice heavy with unease.
Martin, the most experienced among them, kept his eyes fixed on the monolithic door. "According to the rules of the Hunters Guild, we shouldn't take any action on our own in a situation like this. We need to retreat and report the incident to the Guild. They'll decide the next step."
"But sir Martin!" D-rank hunter Garret barked, frustration leaking into his tone. "Everyone here didn't earn much from today's raid. And it's just an E-rank dungeon. There shouldn't be any high-level threat. We should take this opportunity!"
"Yes, yes. We should give it a try. After all, it's just an E-rank dungeon." Several hunters quickly sided with Garret, their eyes burning with greed.
But others shook their heads, faces pale. "No, we can't. There's a chance it can be dangerous. There's never been an incident like this. At least… not in an E-rank gate."
"I'm also suspicious about this," Martin admitted, his brows furrowed. "But we'll decide by vote." His voice carried authority, silencing the whispers. "Everyone who wants to retreat, raise your hand."
Three hands went up— Martin's own, Mira's, Rurik's, and Alden's.
"Alright, four votes to retreat," Martin nodded. "Now, those who want to continue?"
Garret, Finn, Theo, Jun, and Alden's brother raised their hands.
Martin's expression tightened. "It's split evenly."
Before he could declare his decision, Mira turned sharply toward Jun. Her eyes narrowed. "Jun, you know it's dangerous, don't you? Why don't you ever think about yourself?"
Jun scratched his cheek awkwardly, forcing a smile. "I'm sorry, Mira."
"Humph… Forget it." Mira crossed her arms, looking away with a huff.
Martin exhaled deeply, his decision made. "Alright. It's decided, then. We'll continue with the raid."
"But, sir Martin…" Theo's eyes flicked nervously toward the door, its carvings glowing faintly. "How the hell are we supposed to open this massive thing?"
Everyone turned to stare at the sealed black doors, their towering surface unyielding. An awkward silence spread among them.
"Good question," Martin muttered, his face twitching with uncertainty.
Creeeeak…
The silence shattered.
The massive door groaned as it began opening on its own, slowly and ominously. Dust fell from above, the grinding echo of ancient stone reverberating through the chamber.
"What the hell? It's opening on its own," one hunter gasped.
Everyone stiffened, but Martin quickly barked, "Anyway, it's good. We don't need to open it ourselves. Let's enter."
One by one, they stepped past the threshold.
As they passed inside, strange writing etched into the wall caught their eyes.
It was in their language.
The words read:
The Three Rules:
Vow.
Entertain.
Prove.
The hunters glanced at it, but brushed it aside with a shrug. Only Jun lingered on the inscription, narrowing his eyes. Rules? Why would there be rules in a dungeon…? Still, he forced himself onward. The lowest-ranked among them, he couldn't afford to overlook anything.
But as soon as they entered the chamber beyond, disbelief swept over them.
"What the—!"
"What the hell is this?"
"I… I can't believe my eyes…"
The room stretched vast and silent, a coldness sinking into their bones. Twelve statues towered along the walls, some clutching massive weapons, others cradling strange instruments. And at the far end of the chamber, a colossal figure sat upon a throne— the king of statues, larger and more imposing than the rest.
The hunters craned their necks upward, their voices hushed with awe and unease.
The statues were… enormous. Larger than giants, carved from stone so ancient it radiated menace.
The group fanned out, examining them.
"What the hell? There's nothing here. Only these useless statues," Finn scoffed.
"Yeah. Without the statues, there's nothing."
"We wasted our time for nothing."
"Yeah, what shitty luck today!"
Grumbles of disappointment spread, until Mira suddenly grabbed Jun's sleeve, her face pale.
"Jun," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I don't know if I'm seeing things… but I just saw that statue move its eyes."
Jun blinked, startled. "What are you saying, Mira?" He followed her trembling finger toward the throne.
The colossal statue sat unmoving, its gaze seemingly fixed in eternity.
But then—
Crrrk…
Jun's breath caught. Its massive stone eye shifted. Slowly. Purposefully. Turning directly toward the hunters.
A golden glow ignited within its sockets.
Jun's heart stopped. "No way…"
And then, without hesitation, he spun and screamed.
"EVERYONE— MOVE! IMMEDIATELY MOVE!"
They didn't understand what he meant, but instinct drove them. The hunters dove to the sides just as—
BOOOOOM!
From the throne statue's eyes, a golden beam of annihilation tore across the chamber, scorching the stone and splitting the air with a thunderous roar.
"AHHHHHHH!"
Jaren wasn't fast enough. The beam hit him head-on. In an instant, his body was erased— reduced to ash before their eyes.
The atmosphere changed in a heartbeat. The cold turned suffocating. Fear spread like wildfire.
"W-What was that?!"
"I-It killed him in one shot!"
Panic swelled.
Behind them, the door began to close with a deafening thud… thud… thud… sealing their escape.
"I told you! I told you we shouldn't come here!" Rurik screamed, his voice breaking. He bolted for the shrinking exit. "I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"
Jun's face drained of blood. "WAIT! WAIT— DON'T RUN!"
But Rurik was already sprinting.
And just as he neared the door—
WHOOOOOSH— SLAM!
The statue nearest the exit moved, its massive stone weapon descending like divine judgment.
CRAAACK!
Rurik's body split cleanly in two. Blood sprayed across the frozen hunters.
Everyone's eyes widened in horror, their faces twisted in disbelief.
The realization hit them like a hammer.
They hadn't found treasure.They hadn't found opportunity.
They had walked into their own grave.
And then—
The statue upon the throne leaned forward slightly.
Its lips parted.
And with a deep rumble that shook the chamber, it smiled— a jagged, terrifying smile that revealed rows of monstrous stone teeth.
The hunters' blood ran cold.