CHAPTER EIGHT !
─── sacrifice and confession.

THE OPEN DOORS WERE ACTUALLY TRAP. It was false hope they could actually see! If everyone on the altar had run to the open doors all at once, the red flames would have been extinguished, and the doors would've immediately slammed shut.

All that would've remained was a festival of blood and screams.

On the other hand, the altar was the promised land. It was an area that guaranteed everyone's safety as long as they stayed in their respective places and did their respective jobs.

It was a choice between visible hope and an invisible promise. The third commandment, to "prove thy faith," was a test to see if they could resist sweet temptations while under the pressure of impending doom.

In their case, there were two variables.

The first was Jinwoo himself. People who would've ordinarily run toward the open doors instead had stopped to listen to what he had to say. Because of this, they had thankfully avoided the disaster of the doors closing completely.

We got lucky.

There was no other way to put it. It had been possible only because he'd earned people's trust by figuring out the meaning of the first two commandments by himself.

The second variable had arisen rather unexpectedly.

Someone had left the altar. How would people react now that they could see that hope was within their grasp?

It was obvious.

The man who'd been supporting Jinwoo flung him aside to run out of the room. Hyeon stumbled a little but managed to steady Jinwoo with a hand on his back. Jinwoo says sorry because he knows that he is kinda heavy.

Whoosh...

When the man stepped down from the altar, another red flame went out, and the doors closed even more.

Creeeak.

"Hey, hey!"

Kim yelled after the second escapee, but he'd also managed to flee from the room unscathed.

Jinwoo counted the red flames and shouted, "Nobody move! We can't lose any more people!"

Front, back, left, and right. They needed at least four people in order to monitor all sides. Jinwoo, Hyeon, Joohee, Song, and Kim remained. If they lost a single person, there would inevitably be a blind spot.

Kim wiped his forehead again. "Sung, what's going on? Explain it to us."

"We just have to stay here like this until all the blue flames go out!"

Jinwoo shared everything he had figured out so far. Kim nodded and listened intently. After his quick explanation, Jinwoo added one more statement at the end.

"We can get out of here alive." Each commandment indicated a way to survive the room. The last couldn't be any different.

"All we have to do is stay where we are!" Jinwoo was absolutely sure they could survive without any more injuries if they trusted one another.

Kim, however, had a different perspective. He asked hesitantly, "Um, Sung...... You may be right, but......the doors might also completely shut when the time is up, right?"

"......" Jinwoo couldn't answer. He'd come to this conclusion after considering all the options, but he couldn't give them any guarantees until everything played out.

But Kim needed certitude. Ensuring his own survival was more urgent than the mere possibility of everyone making it through.

"Sorry, but......but I can't do this."

"Mr. Kim!"

"Sorry!"

Kim slipped down from the altar. He ignored Jinwoo's calls and sprinted toward the doors. He took one last look at the others once he reached the exit, but he didn't return.

Grrrnd.

Jinwoo gritted his teeth. "Dammit!"

Despite saving their lives, what had been returned to Jinwoo wasn't kindness or gratitude. All that was left was betrayal.

As he'd calculated, it was a problem keeping an eye on the statues without Kim. It had been impossible from the start for one heavily injured person and someone frightened out of her wits to monitor the entire area.

He only has Hyeon.

The statues they couldn't keep in their field of vision started moving.

Creeeeeeeak.

Creeeeeeeak.

The sentinels were tightening their ring around them. Song, who'd been surveying the situation, told Jinwoo, Hyeon and Joohee, "You three should leave."

He sounded like he had given up. "Mr. Song......?"

"W-what Mr. Song!" Hyeon worriedly ask Mr. Song.

"Like Kim said, I was the one who brought you all here. If someone has to stay, it should be me."

"But—!"

"You have a few more days to live than I do anyway, so you should go."

Song chuckled. This was Song's small kindness to help them feel better for having to leave without him.

"......" Jinwoo helplessly nodded. Although he felt awful, there was no time to argue about who would remain.

Song intended to ask Joohee to help Jinwoo walk. "Joohee, could you help Hyeon to carry Sung?"

"Yes, of cour—" However, when Joohee was going to reply she collapsed to the ground. "Ahhh......" She tried her hardest to get up, but soon tears welled in her eyes.

"Ah! No need, Joohee. I can carry Jinwoo by myself. Just...ahh Joohee." Hyeon said with a sad tone in his voice.

"I...... I can't move my legs."

The 3 boys' faces grew grim. It was easy to see that Joohee wasn't in good shape. Her lips were blue, and her body kept convulsing minutely. This was the aftereffect of using too much of her magic when she was already mentally and physically exhausted.

'It's because she tried to fix my leg......' Jinwoo was rendered speechless by how sorry he felt. But there was no time for this.

Creeeeeeeeeeeak.

The statues were drawing ever closer toward the altar.

Jinwoo shook off Hyeon's hand and flopped down on the floor.

"J-Jinwoo!?" Hyeon's eyes become wind. Jinwoo didn't look at Hyeon and looked at Song and spoke with determination.

"Please take Hyeon and Joohee and get out of here, Mr. Song."

"I told you that I'd stay!"

"Then who's going to help them?" Jinwoo couldn't even stand on his own, much less get them to the door before time was up.

Of course......

They could abandon Hyeon here. And Joohee, but Joohee had saved Jinwoo's life multiple times over the years, and even her current awful state was because she'd tried to treat him with everything she had. He didn't want to abandon someone like her, survive, and carry that guilt for the rest of his life.

"There's no time. Please go." Jinwoo stared at them and slightly smiled but he clenched his hand when Hyeon shouted.

"No!" Hyeon shouted with tears starting to roll on his cheeks,seeing this making Jinwoo look really bad.

He cried. Again.

"I will not leave you here Jinwoo. If you d-die then..I will die also." Hyeon said Jinwoo shook his head and stared at Hyeon. He grabbed his hand and stared at his beautiful eyes.

"Listen Hyeon, please le–"

"No! You Jinwoo will listen to me. If you want me to leave then you will be by my side."

"......" With a stern expression while listening to the two boys' conversation, Song pulled Joohee up. Joohee shook her head as tears streamed down her face.

"No...... Jinwoo can leave instead. I can......" Mr. Song slowly said.

"Joohee, Remember I promised to take you to dinner?" Jinwoo took out the E- rank essence stone from his pocket and pushed it into Joohee's hands.

"You go get dinner ahead of me and please take Hyeon with you. I'll collect my change from you if I make it out of here."

She frowned at him when he smiled at her. "How can you joke at a time like this?!"

"Mr. Song please please take Jinwoo with us!" Hyeon said while tugging on Mr. Song shirt. But Mr. Song didn't listen to him and Jinwoo nodded at Song, who in turn lightly struck Joohee on the back of her neck.

Thwack!

Joohee fainted. Song hoisted her prone body onto his shoulder.

"Hyeon let's g–"

"No! No Mr. Song. Bu-But Jinwo–"

"HYEON!" Jinwoo shouted, making Hyeon stop talking and stared at Jinwoo.

"Please..pleasee, Hyeon..leave..." Jinwoo said while looking down. Hyeon clenched his hands, he just looked at Jinwoo while tears rolled on his porcelain cheeks. Mr. Song grabbed Hyeon's hand and he started dragging Hyeon.

"......I'm sorry." Mr. Song said. Song bowed to Jinwoo. With this last gesture of farewell, he quickly leaped off the altar.

Creeeeeeeeeeeak.

Creeeeeeeeeeeak.

While they were leaving the door, Jinwoo and Hyeon made eye contact. Jinwoo smiled at him and muttered words that could be read on his lips.

'I like you Hyeon..please take care.'

Hyeon widened his eyes as his heart started beating so fast, he put his other hand on his chest feeling his own heart beat. He looked at Mr. Song who is dragging him away with his other hand.

With that Jinwoo looked away and sighed. 'Ha..I finally said that I like him, so bad that I cannot get his response. I bet he will reject me.'

'I mean who will date an E-rank hunter?' While he was thinking the stone statues had come within striking distance. Jinwoo knelt and took a deep breath.

"Whew..." He noticed the sword that Kim had abandoned next to him. He stretched out his hand and grabbed it.

If I'm going down, I'm taking at least one of them with me.

Glad I'm the only one dying......

He didn't consider it a great sacrifice. It was what he thought would be the best choice, all things considered.

He'd have had to live the rest of his life without a leg. Not only would it have been impossible to continue working as a hunter, but he wasn't even sure he could live a normal life. He was a high school graduate with no special skills, so making ends meet wouldn't be easy.

My mother's hospital bills and my sister's tuition......

He figured it'd be better for his family to claim the life insurance.

Was it 300,000,000 won or 400,000,000 won in insurance money for the family of a hunter who died in a raid organized by the association?

The money was more than enough compensation for the life of a worthless E-rank hunter.

Creeeeeeeeeeeak. Creeeeeeeeeeeak. THUD.

The bastards had finally arrived. The first stone statue to reach the altar took its initial step up. Jinwoo leveled the sword at it as he watched.

"Come at me."

But the attack came from behind him.

Shuuuk.

Jinwoo immediately noticed this and rolled over. But when you rolled to the side he saw that another long spear  went right to his body. He smirked.

'This is it.'

He closed his eyes and a seconds later he didn't feel any pain. He slowly opened his eyes and his eyes slowly turned wide.

"Y-Y-You idiot, how ca-can you j-just clo-close your ey-eyes." Hyeon said while laughing, Jinwoo's eyes wandered through his body. A long spear pierced through his body from behind.

"H-Hyeon! W-What are you doing her-here! I told you to leave!" Jinwoo shouted at Hyeon, Hyeon coughed out blood when the statue drew back the spear making Hyeon's body fall beside Jinwoo.

"Hyeon! Hyeon! Hey Listen to me! Do you hear me?" Jinwoo shouted at him while his hand cupped his cheeks, Hyeon's eyes slowly opened and smiled.

"Ji-Jinwoo...I..like..you too.." Hyeon said as he put his hand on Jinwoo's cheeks caressing it.

"I..will...not leave y-you okay?" Jinwoo cried as he put his head on Hyeon's neck.

"Hyeon...Im sorry."

"It's okay, Jinwoo." Hyeon said Jinwoo stared at him and Hyeon's lips slowly put his own lips on his. After that kiss both of them felt a spear piercing their bodies.

"Gak!" they coughed out blood. Pain shot through their entire body.

I...... I don't want to die like this...

I don't want to die......

I don't want Hyeon to die like this...

Stomp.

A stone-faced statue with a sword stepped closer to them. It raised the weapon high. Jinwoo, despite the violent tremors racking his body, he held Hyeon's body on his chest, and he definitely held its gaze.

At last, the sword came straight down again.

SHHHUKKK.

If I could get one more, just one more chance! Me and Hyeon could atleast be happy! Jinwoo refuses to close his eyes. That was when... Screeeeak!

The sword suddenly stopped on its way down as if someone had hit the Pause button on a video.

No, it hadn't stopped. It was moving so slowly that it looked like it had. It was descending at a rate of maybe one millimeter per minute. The blow was slow, but it was definitely still coming down.

Wh-what...?

Jinwoo couldn't hide his confusion. Just then...

Ping!

An electronic chime and a woman's voice he'd never heard before echoed inside his head.

[You have fulfilled all the requirements to complete Secret]

[Quest: Courage of the Weak.]

"Secret quest"? "Fulfilled all the requirements"? Jinwoo had no idea what was going on.

And where is this voice coming from?

The commentary plowed on despite Jinwoo's confusion.

[You have acquired the qualifications to be a Player. Will you accept?]

"Acquired"? He had to accept something?

Sounds like they're giving me something......

Having grown up in a poor family, Jinwoo had never refused when offered something for free. But that was when he was alive; once he died, what use would free things be to him?

As Jinwoo hesitated, the voice in his head repeated itself, as if it was feeling urgent.

[Your time is running out. Your heart will stop in two- hundredths of a second if you choose not to accept. Will you accept?]

Jinwoo wasn't sure if the voice was a hallucination of some kind, but he knew for a fact that he was close to death. Not only was there a sword aimed at his head, but countless other weapons were now also targeting him.

If he was attacked by all those, would there be anything left of his body?

He didn't care what happened at this point.

If you're giving it to me, I might as well......

He didn't even have to say it aloud. All he did was think it, but the voice in his head responded right away.

[Congratulations on becoming a Player.]