CHAPTER FIVE !
─── bow to the giant.

WHEN JINWOO SAID THAT THE HUNTERS all looked bewildered. They looked confused at what Jinwoo said. Hyeon realize what he meant while analyzing the situation.

"What......?"

"Bow to the giant?"

Sensing the feeling of contempt was mutual, the hunters began spitting curses at Jinwoo.

"What......the fuck are you talking about?"

"I mean, how could you even say something like that?"

"Are you insane?"

Kim's face was especially red as he fumed. "You want me to bow to that demonic thing? I guess I was wrong about you! Why, if I could move right now, I'd beat that insolent mouth of yours!"

Jinwoo bit his lower lip. Six of their colleagues had been killed by the statue. It was only natural they'd get heated being told to bow to something like that. He more than understood how they felt.

'More importantly...'

He didn't have any solid evidence to back up his theory. A hunch. It was nothing but a hunch.

But then... "I'll do it."

The voice came from behind Jinwoo. Everyone gazed at the speaker. It was Song, the one they considered their leader.

"Mr. Song......?"

"You're gonna bow to that damn thing?"

While the others were mystified at his declaration, Song looked Jinwoo in the eye. "You've discovered something, haven't you?"

Jinwoo nodded.

"Another hunch?"

"......Yes. For now."

"Okay."

His earlier hunch had saved the lives of eleven people. There were only ten of them left because Joo had died. If it was Jinwoo's hunch, it might be worth a shot. That was Song's assessment.

The group solemnly watched as Song shifted to his knees. "Do we really have to do this?"

With this turn of events, Jinwoo urged them. "Please, everyone! We just have to kneel toward the statue. If this works, we might be able to get out of here alive!"

'Alive. We can get out of here alive.'

A single word can wield enormous power.

'Alive? You mean we can get out of here alive? All it takes is one bow?'

Though they'd been hesitant before, the hunters started kneeling, one by one. It was as if they were bowing to some deity. One, two... The number of those bowing grew. Even Kim, who had kicked up a fuss, eventually followed suit.

Alas, there was no change with the statue. Its eyes continued glowing a fiery red.

Jinwoo's heart sank.

'Was I wrong?'

That was when he noticed Joohee beside Hyeon. She was shivering, curled up tightly with her head buried in her arms, and even Jinwoo had to admit that her posture looked nothing like a bow.

'How should I......?'

"Hyeon, can you help Joohee? Please." Jinwoo asked, making Hyeon nod immediately as he took her gently by her wrists. She peeked up at him like a frightened kitten. When Hyeon quietly nodded, she finally relaxed her arms. He slowly corrected her pose.

'Good.'

And then there was one. Jinwoo and Hyeon were the only ones left. He took Hyeon's hand and they looked together. He didn't notice the small blushes coming from Hyeon.

They went on their knees before the statue, placed their hands on the ground in front of them, and slowly lowered their head.

As soon as they did, things began to change.

"H-huh?!" the hunters who noticed it exclaimed.

"The statue! Look at the statue!"

"Its eyes!" The burning red light in its eyes was dissipating.

"What? Is it finally over?" At long last, the deadly beams fizzled out.

"""Yeaaah!""" Everyone cheered.

"The beams are off!"

"We're alive!"

The overly excited hunters sprang to their feet to celebrate. Despite their recklessness, nothing shot out from the statue's eyes. Hyeon raised his head, smiled and proudly looked at Jinwoo. Jinwoo, the last to raise his head, let out a sigh of relief. "Whew..." It was just as he'd suspected.

'Then that means......'

The game wasn't over yet. There were still two more commandments. The second, "Thou shall praise God." The third, "Thou shall prove thy faith."

Right on cue...

RRRRRUMMMBLE!

The whole room started to quake, accompanied by a grating noise. Jinwoo grimaced.

'I knew it......' His premonition was correct. This wasn't the end. The colossal statue was slowly rising from its throne.

"U-um..." Hunters who'd been exchanging hugs and crying tears of joy just seconds ago were now frozen in place.

"Wh-what...? It's not over?"

"Th-this can't be happening!" Everyone was stunned. Their faces reflected their despair.

"Ohhh...... Wh......?"

The statue finally straightened up to its full height. The imposing figure swept its gaze around the chamber before slowly lumbering toward them.

STOMP!

STOMP!

The entire room shook with the giant's every step.

STOMP!

It was so tall that its head seemed to almost scrape the impossibly high ceiling.

STOMP!

While the hunters were standing dumbfounded at the statue's immense size, the gap between them and it was steadily shrinking.

"Hey, Sung! Jinwoo!"

"You got any ideas?" The hunters who'd cursed out Jinwoo earlier now clustered around him. "Is there a way out of this?"

"Say something!"

Despite being fully grown adults, they all looked like they would burst into tears at any moment. Jinwoo was their only hope now.

He told them about the second commandment as he coaxed Joohee up from the ground. "'Thou shall praise God.' That's the key."

"Wait, that's...!" Kim wasn't sure what Jinwoo was getting at, but he did recognize the saying. "That thing from the slate?"

"Right. 'Thou shall worship God,' 'thou shall praise God,' and 'thou shall prove thy faith.' We have to fulfill all three commandments." Jinwoo spoke quickly.

The statue was almost on top of them by now.

STOMP!

The statue's enormous shadow engulfed the hunters. The blood drained from their faces.

"I—I can do it," a timid young hunter volunteered.

"What? What're you gonna do?"

"I was in a church choir. I'm pretty good at singing praises."

Even though Kim tried to stop him, he slowly stepped in front of the behemoth. The young man steadied his breathing as he looked up at it, then took one last deep breath.

"Lord, let me stand before You." His clear voice echoed throughout the room.

"Though unworthy, I crave Your judgment. In my faith in You, I know I find my purpose. In Your eyes, I know I shall be reborn."

The statue came to a stop in front of him.

"""Ooooh...!""" the group exclaimed quietly.

The statue didn't move an inch, seemingly enchanted by the song. All other background noises faded away. Only the young hunter's beautiful timbre filled the room.

Encouraged, he raised his voice. "Though unworthy, I crave Your judgment." Among them, Jinwoo and Hyeaon were the only ones who were filled with cold dread.

'No......this isn't right.' He reluctantly kept his thoughts to himself.

'Something's wrong, Jinwoo!' Hyeon looked at Jinwoo, who is sweating right now.

This room had its own rules. The young hunter was praised in a way that followed the rules of his own beliefs, Christianity, not the rules of this place. Luckily, the statue wasn't moving, so perhaps the room was acknowledging this as them following the commandment?

Jinwoo wasn't convinced. The only reason he didn't stop the young man was because he couldn't think of any other way to halt the statue.

All of a sudden...

STOMP!

The heavy sound reverberated throughout the chamber. "Aieeeeee!" A female hunter shrieked like a banshee.

The statue raised its foot to reveal the pulverized body of the young man. Others also started to scream.

"Ahhhhh!"

"E-eeeek!"

The statue had been expressionless, but now its face was contorted with anger.

"It's mad!"

"R-r-run!"

The panicked hunters ran for their lives. "Aieeeeee!"

Witnessing the young man getting crushed right before her eyes had been the last straw for the female hunter. She'd lost her mind and was unable to move or do anything but scream.

"Aieeeeee!"

'Shit......'

"HYEON!" Jinwoo yelled, Hyeon immediately ran and grabbed Jinwoo. Jinwoo, who had fled from the giant's path with Joohee held tightly in his arms, turned around to rescue her.

But Song blocked his way. "Mr. Song...?"

"It's too late."

The statue slapped its hand down on her as if it was swatting a fly.

BANG.

"Urgh......" Jinwoo had to turn away.

It was a horrific scene to look upon.

"There's no time to lose. Are you going to let this girl die like she did?" Jinwoo sobered at his words. Song was right.

STOMP!

"Aaargh!"

STOMP!

STOMP!

"Help me!"

The statue wasn't just walking anymore. It was now running around the enclosure, squashing people beneath its feet. The length of the room shook with every footfall.

STOMP!

Jinwoo gritted his teeth and got a move on. Joohee decided to put her feet on the ground but her face still in terror and she is shivering. Hyeon still trying to calm her down.

Hyeon who looked around.

"Let's split up!" Song said.

"Yes, Sir!" Jinwoo said while Hyeon just nod his head while holding Joohee in her wrist.

They had come to the mutual conclusion that it would be more dangerous to stick together, so they headed their separate ways. Jinwoo evaded the raging statue and ran straight for the farthest corner, but another hunter with the same idea had gotten there first.

It was Park.

Park had sprinted with all his might. Tears had sprung to his eyes as his family flashed in his mind.

"Sob..."

A son who looked just like him and a wife pregnant with their second child were waiting for him at home. He couldn't die in vain here. Perhaps because of his desperation, he was the fastest of all the hunters to put some distance between himself and the statue.

"Huff, huff..." Park was catching his breath in the corner when his friend Kim urgently cried out.

"Park!"

Park turned toward the familiar voice. "Huh?"

Kim gestured wildly at something behind Park and yelled: "Behind! Right behind you!"

Something sharp glinted behind Park. "Uh......?"

Shhhk!

Park's body was split in half from head to groin. The halves toppled to the ground in opposite directions.

"Park!"

The stone statue that had bisected Park with a sword returned to its spot as if nothing had happened, just like the stone guard earlier.

Kim was on the verge of tears. "You fuckers......!"

STOMP!

On one side, the giant statue was trampling people to death, and the stone guards attacked those who were trying to hide from it in corners.

"Aaaaaack!"

"My arm! My arm!"

Fear and confusion filled the room.

"Huff, huff......" Jinwoo's forehead was dripping with sweat. His legs were slowly feeling heavy. His lungs were burning. He had just one thought in his head, though: 'Thou shall praise God, thou shall praise God, thou shall praise God...'

The second commandment echoed in his mind. The key to the riddle was in this room. There had to be something they could use! However, when the hunters had first entered, they'd searched the whole place and turned up empty-handed.

'Those stone statues are the only moving things in here, both then and now.' Wait. Jinwoo was struck with a revelation.

'The only moving things are the statues? Oh.'

His eyes widened. "Why didn't I think of that before?!"

If the stone statues were the only things allowed to move, that meant the statues were also the only things they could use. And the statues moved only when someone got too close.

What if......?!

Jinwoo was gasping for breath, but he still managed to yell across the room.

"Everyone! Head to a statue with a musical instrument!"

Every hunter heard his voice. "......!"

"A musical instrument?"

A glimmer of hope sparked in their eyes. They acted quickly, unlike when they'd been asked to bow to the giant statue.

Of course, if Jinwoo was wrong, they would die as soon as they approached the graven figures, but at that moment, not a single person doubted him.

Song was the first to find a statue that fit the bill. "......" He held his breath as he looked up.

As he did, the statue's fingers moved toward its harp.

Struuummm...Strum It was a beautiful sound.

"It worked!"

"Get to one with an instrument!"

The hunters rushed to the nearest statues. A statue with a bugle trumpeted.

Another with a flute joined in, and a statue with a lyre strummed along. "Huff, huff, huff." An exhausted Kim collapsed in front of the statue with

the lute.

Plink... Plink...

The colossus stopped chasing Kim as soon as the smaller statue strummed its lute. Still on his knees, Kim started sobbing as his emotions overwhelmed him.

"H-hic... Sob..."

The giant whirled around. It scanned the area and locked onto its new prey.

"Crap." Jinwoo sore after making eye contact with the behemoth. His heart felt like it would explode. His back was already drenched in cold sweat.

'Why?! Why isn't this thing working?!'