[1 Week Later, D-Rank Gate, South Korea]
"Isn't that the other E-Rank Hunter? The second weakest human in the world?" I heard two men whispering from a distance, though they probably thought I couldn't hear them.
"Don't mind them, they mean well…" A boy a head shorter than me said. He had bandages all over his body and on his waist was a small knife of questionable quality.
"Ah don't worry, I'm used to it anyways. My name is Yon Kyung-Soo and yours?" I presented my hand for a handshake.
"Sung Jinwoo, it's a pleasure to work with you Mr. Yon." Mr?! He shook my hand but I couldn't help but catch the Mr.
"You don't have to call me Mr…I'm only 22 man…" His eyes widened in shock?! SHOCK?! HOW OLD DO I LOOK?!
"I'm sorry, I thought you were way older, so then should I just call you Kyung-Soo?" I want to die…is it the hair?!
"*Sigh*, yeah you can call me Kyung-Soo, let's have a good hunt." I smiled and gave a thumbs up. Jinwoo returned my smile and the leader of this strike team called us over.
"Today is just a simple D-Rank Gate, so it shouldn't be too difficult," The strike team leader's eyes quickly washed over Jinwoo and I, "With that in mind let's begin!"
We stepped into the gate and were immediately met with a small band of goblins. Shouldn't be too difficult. I drew my trusty sword from my waist. It was cracked in some places and kinda rusty but it hasn't broken on me yet!
A goblin came at me and its movements were so slow but I have to fake my strength. I pretended to struggle with it and even let me cut me a little before I decapitated it.
I glanced over to Jinwoo who was genuinely struggling with a goblin. He fell down and as the goblin was about to stab him, I decapitated it.
"You alright?" I gave him a hand to help him get up.
"Y-Yeah, thank you! If you didn't kill that thing I would've been toast." He looked down, ah at the end of the day we're both E-Rank hunters.
I put a hand on his shoulder, "We've got to have each others back. If the strong travel alone then the weak gather in flocks."
"Y-Yeah.."
"Jinwoo!" An oranged haired girl in a fur coat yelled his name, I think she's our healer apparently she's B-Rank.
"By the way she looks, you're about to get chewed out, have fun with that!" I laughed and ventured deeper into the cave. I noticed the wound the goblin gave me was already healed, nice.
After around 30 minutes and killing a few more goblins the strike team came upon a tunnel of sorts. I wasn't really listening to what the strike team was saying until the leader said we should vote.
"No."
"Yeah sure why not."
"I don't think we should."
"I mean why shouldn't we? More money amirite?"
"Yeah I think we should go in." I voted yes as well. Soon the vote was 6-6, with Jinwoo being the only person who hasn't voted yet.
"Well, it's up to you now Jinwoo." The strike team leader said. Jinwoo was quiet for a bit and a faint purple flame enshrouded him, uncertainty. The flame grew stronger until it changed colors, now it was orange, determination.
Jinwoo tightened his fist before he answered, "Yeah I think we should go in."
"Then it's settled, we will move in. Besides, how many times are you gonna encounter a double dungeon in your lifetime?" The strike team leader laughed as we began walking down the tunnel. As we walked deeper into the tunnel, something within me was calling out for me to turn back.
But I can't stop. I need to make money for Haewon. A couple more minutes and we arrived in front of two huge doors.
"Ah!" I felt Jinwoo's hand on my shoulder before he removed it in pain?
"Dude you're hot! I didn't even think humans could get that hot without dying…" Is my body subconsciously transforming? I recalled my mana and faced Jinwoo, "Sorry, I get really hot and sweaty when I'm nervous, ehehehe." I scratched the back of my head.
Whatever is behind those doors cannot be good. That bad feeling has turned into dread. The strike team opened the doors and inside were huge statues with a creepy looking one sitting on a throne.
*BANG*
As we all walked in the doors closed shut! What the hell?! The strike team leader read out the words on a tablet one of the statues was holding.
"The Cartenon Temple. Thou Shall Worship God, Thou Shall Praise God, Thou shall prove thy faith, Those who fail to obey these commandments shall not be spared." The strike team leader read, how eerie. Everyone began to chat about being stuck in here but I was more focused on the statue on the throne.
My instincts are yelling at me right now and their saying that statue is the most dangerous foe in this place. Then it's eyes began to glow and my instincts screamed.
"EVERYBODY GET DOWN!" I yelled and soon after the statue shot lasers from its eyes, disintegrating anyone who was too slow to duck. Wait…disintegrating?
I looked at the remains of the dead and the realization finally hit me. We're in a death trap!
Fuck! Fuck! FUCK! I SHOULD'VE LISTENED TO MY INSTINCTS! GODDAMN IT! I didn't realize I was already transformed and smashed my hand on the ground, creating a decent sized crater.
"W-Woah Kyung-Soo, you look different…" Jinwoo said from a distance and I could tell everyone's eyes were on me.
"We have no time to worry about me right now, we should be focusing on how to escape this place!" I practically growled out. This piece of shit dungeon! IF I COULD RIP THAT STATUE TO SHREDS I WOULD!
"I'm getting out of here! Speed is my thing!" One of the raid party members said as he activated his ability and leapt off the ground.
The statues eyes glowed again and he was turned into ash. That idiot, did he really think he would be able to leave so easily?! I saw the strike team leader and Jinwoo talking before Jinwoo spoke out loud, "Everyone! You have to bow down and praise the statue!"
Praise the statue? Thou shall worship God. This statue is God or he might as well be. Soon after everyone in the strike team bowed the statues face contorted into a wide sadistic smile before it stood up.
"Jinwoo! The second commandment is Thou shall praise God right?! Does that mean we should pray?!" I yelled and before Jinwoo could answer one of the strike team members tried my theory. But although the was praying the statue didn't stop moving and…
*SPLAT*
Fuck. The statue began to squish those who couldn't outrun it, something I could do with slight ease due to my transformed state.
"EVERYONE GET IN FRONT OF A STATUE WITH AN INSTRUMENT!" Praise God? Music does count as praise! I watched Jinwoo run around with the healer in tow and the statue was on his tail.
I used all my strength and ran toward Jinwoo at full speed, I picked both of them up and stopped in front of a statue holding a trumpet but it didn't activate like the others!
"Shit this must be a one per person thing! Healer you stay here, Jinwoo I'll bring you to the next one!" I didn't give the healer or Jinwoo time to respond and dashed at full speed to the next statue. I dropped Jinwoo off and watched as one of the other raid members was cut in half.
I can't focus on that right now! The statue was making his way toward me so I ran at full speed to the last statue holding an instrument. The high adrenaline and upkeep of my transformation is starting to take a toll on my body. I don't have much practice with this form considering I can never be able to use it to its fullest.
With the instruments playing, the statue returned to its throne. There was only six of us left, the strike team leader, whose name I learned was Song Chi-Yul, the healer Lee Joohee, Jinwoo, one of the guys who was talking about my rank, Kim Sangshik, and another raid member.
In the center of the room an altar was raised.
"Thou shall prove thy faith…one of us has to be sacrificed." I said and the reactions were fitting of our situation.
"We wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for you!" Kim Sangshik yelled at Song Chi-Yul.
"Throw the blame at him later! Right now we have to focus on fucking living!" I yelled before I stepped forward onto the altar. One red flame lit up. I stepped out of the circle and the flame went away. I stepped back in and it came back.
"I think all six of us have to be present in this circle for the trial to begin." It seems Jinwoo had the same theory because he nodded in agreement. Soon Jinwoo and Lee Joohee stepped into the circle and two more flames lit up.
Song Chi-Yul followed with Kim Sangshik and the other party memeber being last. With all six red flames being lit up, on the outer circle fifteen blue flames were lit. Then the statues, who were glowing blue, began to move. Except the ones in my line of sight. I also noticed the doors opened, which means escape is possible but is it a trap? The group began to argue before the random raid memeber left leaving 5 flames.
"HEY! The more people that leave the more susceptible we are to these damn statues! Keep your eyes peeled on them and they don't move!" I yelled but that didn't stop Kim Sangshik from leaving.
"I-I have a family to live for!!!" He ran out of the dungeon doors…leaving only 4 flames alive.
"Jinwoo, Strike Team Leader Song, and Healer Lee Joohee. Please go. I will stay back long enough for your survival to be assured." I gritted my teeth, I shouldn't be sacrificing myself but…I can't help it if sacrificing myself means three other people can live, I'm sure Haewon will understand. I'm sorry Haewon, Big Brother couldn't keep his promise.
"Are you nuts?! Why would we leave you behind?! DIDN'T YOU SAY THE STRONG TRAVEL ALONE AND THE WEAK GATHER IN FLOCKS?! IF ANYBODY SHOULD BE STAYING ITS ME!" Jinwoo yelled and those orange flames burned bright, his sacrifice is genuine, he truly means to die here.
"Jinwoo! What are you saying?! We can't leave you here! We can't leave Mr. Yon here either!" Song Chi-Yul yelled and orange flames burned off of him as well.
"Whatever the case may be, one of us has to stay." I said as another blue flame disappeared leaving only 3.
"You guys…please go. I'm the worlds weakest hunter, losing me is like losing an ant, no one will care." Jinwoo said and the orange flames transformed into golden ones, resignation. I took my eyes off the statues and looked at Jinwoo.
"Sung Jinwoo, your old enough to drink right?"
"Uh yeah?"
"Good, because I owe you one after this. So if you love alcohol you'd better survive this alright?!" Tears streamed down my face. I'm crying for someone I've known for less than a day but his sacrifice is something I will remember for the rest of my life.
Jinwoo only nodded and Song Chi-Yul knocked Lee Joohee unconscious, for the better. Song Chi-Yul said his goodbyes and ran out of the dungeon with Lee Joohee in tow.
"Goodbye Jinwoo." I said my final goodbye as I used the last of my stamina to run out of the dungeon. Once I left the door closed shut.
"DAMN IT!!!! DAMN IT, DAMN IT, DAMN IT!!!!" I banged on the door in sheer anger. This is the consequences of being weak, I unlocked the power dormant within me just to run again?! A MAN SACRIFICED HIS LIFE TODAY BECAUSE I WAS TOO WEAK!
"UTTER BULLSHIT!" I punched the door with all my strength and it didn't even dent.
"Jinwoo, I'm so sorry…"