Monarch of Luminescence || Solo-Leveling

ㄣ ɹǝʇdɐɥɔ

He sat by the statue's foot, looking pale as one can be and breathing heavily.

"Don't move, I'll heal you right now! Joohee- please provide me support!" The silver-haired boy was trying his best to hold back his tears. It hurt him to see Jinwoo in such a state, and he expended the rest of his energy on attempting to heal back his leg.

While some were shifting the blame onto Song Chiyul the party leader for his reckless decision, another stomp from the statue who just went on a murder spree made everyone shut up. He raised his hand, and a circular object rose up from the ground.

"An... altar?" Chang-min said, and his slow comprehension dawned on him like a truck.

"Yes, like the one in myths. Altars are used to offer sacrifices to god... For example, livestock such as cows, pigs, and sheep are often sacrificed, as well as young children and maidens.

"Don't tell me... We'll have to offer a sacrifice." The amber-eyed boy looked fearfully towards the alter, and back at the crowd.

"The third and last commandment is... 'Thou shall prove thy faith.'"

Hwan cursed himself for jinxing it. "God dammit. Looks like I was unfortunately right."

Kim Sangshik drew out his sword and pointed at the party leader. "Sung, you're saying we have to make a sacrificial offering, huh? Who was it that dragged all of us here? It was you, Song Chiyul. I remember Park happily bragging about his wife before this raid, but he ended up getting split in two... And it's not just him. 10 others suffered the same fate. You agreed to take responsibility for everyone earlier, didn't you? I want you to prove it to us right now."

Sung raised his voice, "Mr Kim... that's-"

"You keep your mouth shut and stay out of this!"

"Kim is right. I have to take responsibility. Put that sword away, I want to walk to the altar myself." He turned around and trotted towards the circular stone protruding from the ground. Jinwoo couldn't sit still. "Jinwoo- your wounds are still..." Joohee mentioned, but Chang-min understood what he was thinking. It was unfair for Song to shoulder all of the responsibility when we all made a vote to come to this place.

When Song made it to the altar, a flame appeared with a 'swoosh', and he became alert. "Sung, did I do something wrong?"

Jinwoo and Joohee both looked terrible, and Chang-min was in the same battered state. The black-haired boy didn't respond to Song's question, but instead, asked for support to head towards the altar. Chang-min and another assisted him, while three more flames appeared around the altar. Jinwoo questioned if there will be support arriving.

"Today marks one week since the opening of this gate. Those statues will probably make a move before reinforcements arrive." Song responded, looking around at the statues.

"This gate must be low on their list because it's D-rank... Still, they left it neglected for too long."

"That's the hunter's association for you."

"Guys," Jinwoo called out to the others that were on standby, "Join us up here. The number of flames corresponds to the number of people on the altar. I think all of us need to be up here in order to make something happen, and he was right. The rigid patterns around the altar lit up in a neon blue, ending with a blue flame that appeared. The door swung open when all of the blue flames appeared, and everyone asked the same question.

'Are we allowed to leave?'

The blue flames acted as a timer, slowly dissipating as time goes on.

Boom
Boom

Chang-min hated hearing that sound. He spotted the statues closer to them than they already were, but they stopped moving when they looked toward them cautiously.

Words of panic spread through the 7 people remaining before the healer beside Jinwoo announced the rules; "Don't look away from the statue! If you do, they'll continue moving towards you!"

One yelped and ran away when the statue's resounding footsteps scared her, and now there were only 5 flames left.

"She made it out alive!"

"Sung, Hwan, how is that possible?"

"The doors closed a little but she made it through and escaped!"

The one who was supporting Jinwoo with Hwan watched and began to follow her example; "I.. I'm sorry, I don't think I can take this anymore..." and pushed Jinwoo away, leaving himself to run away to the exit.

"Wait-!"

Jinwoo saw the doors close a little when one of the flames diminished, and he yelled that no one should move. "We can't have any more people leave! If any more of us leave and a blind spot is created, we'll all die!"

"Sung, what's happening? You need to explain to us what's going on!"

"There are certain rules to the statues as well! You just need to keep looking at them, until all of the blue flames go out. The blue flames act like a timer. Everyone will be able to make it out of here alive once all of the flames go out."

"But there's also a chance that the doors will close when the timer goes out, no...? Are you sure about this..." Hwan bit his lip. Is there really no other way?

He was stumped with this possibility. "That's..."

"Look sung," Kim spoke up, "To be honest, I had no idea you, the weakest of us, would play such an active role in this raid. I looked down on you. I didn't expect much whenever you joined a party. Many have died after entering this dungeon, but those that have survived were only able to do so because of you. Because you were able to solve all the riddles." He looked towards the door. "I'm alive because of you, too, Hwan. So thanks. But... but... I have a family. I don't want to die yet. I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore either." The sound of betrayal rang clear in the room, as tears dropped down from his face.

"Mr Kim!" Hwan called out, but it was no use. He made a run for it towards the exit, and another flame disappeared.

Jinwoo leaves Hwan's support, hopelessly crouches down, and placed his head in the palm of his hand. He grits his teeth.

'Thanks'?

Don't make me laugh!


Hwan looks at the door, which was inching closer to fully closing. He stood there, biting his lips in rage.
 

'But... I have a family'? 

I have one too, dipshit!

You running away...

Your selfishness...

...Is going to get all of us killed.