The heavy stone door slammed shut behind them with a deafening BOOM.
The statues, which had been moving moments ago, froze once more in their towering places.
But even though their movements stopped, the terror lingering in the hunters' faces did not fade. The silence that followed was suffocating — as though the entire room itself was holding its breath.
Garret's trembling voice broke it.
"A–Are we stuck here now?"
Panic was in his tone, his eyes darting desperately between the sealed door and the hulking statues.
Martin raised a hand, forcing himself to sound steady.
"Don't panic, everyone. We need to calm ourselves first." His eyes shifted to Jun. "And… thank you, young man. If you hadn't shouted in time, we would all be dead. Can yo—"
Suddenly, a voice echoed across the chamber, metallic and inhuman, as though it reverberated directly inside their skulls.
[ WELCOME TO THE STATUE GOD'S TEMPLE. ]
[ CONGRATULATIONS ON PASSING THE TUTORIAL TRIAL OF THE TEMPLE. ]
[ THE MAIN TRIAL WILL BEGIN NOW. ]
The hunters whipped their heads around.
"What the—! Where is this voice coming from?" Alden's eyes bulged in disbelief.
Theo clenched his fists. "That's not the issue! What the hell does it mean by 'trial'?"
The voice answered.
[ THE FIRST MAIN TRIAL OF THE TEMPLE. ]
[ VOW IN FRONT OF THE STATUE GOD. ]
"Vow? Statue god?" Finn muttered, his voice quaking. "What is this supposed to mean?!"
Before anyone could answer, the twelve statues around the chamber groaned, the sound of grinding stone filling the air as they began to move again. Heavy footsteps shook the floor, their shadows stretching long across the room.
"What the hell—?! They're moving again!"
"What do we do now?!"
The hunters' panic rose once more.
Jun's heart pounded in his chest, but his gaze remained locked on the colossal statue seated upon the throne at the far end. The way its golden eyes had glowed earlier… that wasn't something he could ignore.
"Everyone! Listen!" Jun shouted, voice sharper than he thought possible. "I think that statue—the one on the throne—that's the Statue God!"
Garret spun toward him, face twisted with frustration.
"Shut up, you E-rank trash! You think we should listen to you now?!"
"No." Martin cut in firmly, silencing Garret. "We don't have much choice. He was the one who saved us earlier." Martin turned to Jun. "Young man, can you expl—"
Jun glared. "Are you sure you want an explanation right now? Do whatever you want. I've told you what you need to hear. Believe me or not, it's up to you." His gaze flicked toward Mira, who stood frozen. "Mira, do what I'm saying."
"O-Okay, Jun…" Mira stammered, body trembling but her trust unwavering.
Martin's brows furrowed. The fact Mira trusted Jun enough to act without hesitation was telling.
Together, Jun and Mira knelt and bowed before the massive statue on the throne.
The statues' heavy footsteps continued, inching closer, shadows engulfing the chamber.
"Hah! Who would believe an E-ranker's nonsense?" Garret barked, face pale but stubborn.
"Everyone—do what he says." Martin's order rang firm and final.
"But Sir Martin—!"
"Just do it!"
Reluctantly, one after another, the hunters followed suit, kneeling before the seated statue.
The moment the last head bowed, the twelve statues froze in place once again.
[ CONGRATULATIONS ON PASSING THE FIRST MAIN TRIAL OF THE STATUE GOD'S TEMPLE. ]
The tension shattered like brittle glass. Hunters exhaled in relief, some even laughing nervously.
"H-Hah… what? We passed? Just like that?"
"Really? That was… easy."
"If the rest are like this, we'll be fine!"
Their smiles spread, the room no longer drowning in fear but in false hope.
Jun, however, didn't smile. His gut twisted, his instincts screaming otherwise.
"Don't get too happy," Jun said coldly. His voice made the others pause. "I'm getting a bad feeling. The next trial… it won't be easy."
Martin regarded him closely. "Can you guess what it is?"
Jun's mind flashed back to the words he had read on the wall outside.
"I don't know exactly. But… do you remember the three rules written when we entered?"
"You mean those words? The rules?"
"Yeah. The first was 'Vow.' We just did that." His eyes darkened. "The second was 'Entertain.' Which means the next trial… will be to entertain this Statue God."
Garret scoffed. "Entertain?! What the hell does that even mean? How do you 'entertain' a statue? You think it cares about us dancing around? Don't spout nonsense, brat."
Jun's fists clenched, but before he could retort, Martin raised his hand.
"I see… then we'll follow your command from here on. Everyone! From this moment forward, this young man is our team's leader."
The others turned to Jun, surprise flashing in their eyes.
And then the voice came again.
[ THE SECOND MAIN TRIAL OF THE STATUE GOD'S TEMPLE. ]
[ ENTERTAIN THE STATUE GOD. ]
Gasps echoed.
"What… it's really as he said…"
"You're awesome, Jun." Finn's shaky laugh filled the silence.
Garret's face twisted, sweat rolling down his cheek. "Tch… fine. But how the hell are we supposed to do that?"
The mechanical voice answered with chilling clarity.
[ EVERYONE WILL RECEIVE A MARK ABOVE THEIR HEAD. ]
[ THERE WILL BE TWO TYPES OF MARKS. ]
[ RED AND GREEN. ]
[ IF YOU RECEIVE A GREEN MARK, YOU MUST SURVIVE UNTIL THE TRIAL ENDS. ]
[ IF YOU RECEIVE A RED MARK, YOU MUST KILL A PERSON WITH A GREEN MARK. ]
The hunters froze in horror.
"What—?! Did I hear that wrong?!" Finn shouted, panic breaking through his voice.
"No. You heard it right." Martin's face darkened, his hand gripping his sword tight.
The words sank in, heavy as chains. They weren't just fighting monsters anymore. They were fighting each other.
Jun instinctively grabbed Mira's hand, pulling her back a step from the group.
"Jun… what do we do now?" Mira whispered, voice shaking.
Jun tightened his grip, forcing a calm expression he didn't feel.
"Don't worry, Mira. We'll be okay."
But deep down, he wasn't sure at all.
The voice echoed once more.
[ THE SECOND MAIN TRIAL OF THE STATUE GOD'S TEMPLE BEGINS NOW. ]
Glowing symbols flared into existence above their heads, illuminating the hunters in ominous red and green light.