The huge storm gate didn't open at once.
It groaned as much as it could.
As if something was being forced to open its eyes after sleeping for thousands of years.
When the massive door slowly pulled apart, the gold-glowing crown slipped, carving at the center and then vanished into darkness.
Gusts of air poured out of the room. Not normal air. It was the kind that didn't just touch the skin but spilled into the bones.
Tae Jun felt fear in his bones. He gripped the strap of his bag tightly.
Dae Sik in front of him felt that uneasiness too.
"This place feels strange."
Dae Sik just took his guard and was ready to destroy anyone in their way. He was checking his senses way too much.
The opening of the room led to a long stone corridor.
Then, the walls had tall black pillars carved with strange ancient patterns—symbols of eight human-like figures, and at the center of it was something vein-like that was almost unrecognizable.
The floor was smooth and strangely free of dust.
At the very far end, there was flickering light.
"Stay alert," Choi Min Gyu said quietly.
His hand moved to take his sword out of the sheath.
He carefully moved forward, and the others followed him quietly.
Tae Jun swallowed his fear and tried to follow them. But the moment his foot crossed the door, a strange pressure settled on his body.
Like some invisible eyes had turned toward him.
He looked back instinctively, but no one was behind him. He saw the door was open, but for some reason, it felt very far away.
They had been walking for hours, but there was no end, no monster or attack—just quiet and peaceful.
And from that, Tae Jun knew this place was dangerous.
And the strangest thing was the symbols. Tae Jun's eyes kept looking at the symbols on the wall.
He had never seen anything like these symbols. Kneeling warriors, giant chained beasts, women with wings, eagle-headed human bodies. And they were repeating over and over.
Strangest of all was a black crown. Every time Tae Jun looked at it, he didn't understand, but something felt familiar.
When they reached the end of the room, it was a hall.
A hall so large. It had large pillars. And ancient torches of fire on the wall lit up suddenly as they entered the hall.
The light revealed the statues. Many of them.
Stone warriors stood in a line. Some held swords, and some held spears.
At both ends of the room, there were giant statues with wings. They looked like they were praying to something.
At the center of the hall, there was a knight statue and a throne.
The stone knight was larger than any human. His sword was pointing downward.
"What the hell is this place?" Yoon said.
"This isn't a normal place," Dae Sik said in an unsettling manner.
However, Min Gyu didn't say anything. He just moved forward.
When all of them passed the giant winged guards, the room suddenly felt alive.
And then, suddenly, a wicked voice began to echo.
"Welcome to the Hall of Gods...
The one who enters... must obey the rules."
The huge door slammed behind them.
They panicked and wanted to run to the entrance.
"Stop, don't move!" Min Gyu shouted.
Suddenly, a glow of letters began to appear on the black stone wall.
The words were filled with mana.
LAW NO ONE: WORSHIP THE GOD.
Tae Jun whispered, "What?"
LAW NO TWO: PRAISE THE GOD.
The room grew colder.
Then another set of words appeared.
LAW NO THREE: PROVE YOUR FAITH.
This place had rules. Tae Jun struggled to breathe.
Dae Sik let out a nervous laugh.
"This is stupid. It's probably just a dungeon gimmick."
He pointed to the Stone Knight.
"What? We're supposed to bow to some rock?"
Tae Jun's eyes widened.
"Wait—"
A dead sound echoed across the hall. The Stone Knight began to move.
Head tilted, crack-masked, turned.
The crack-masked had the empty eye sockets lit up with blue fire.
Tae Jun's blood grew cold.
Then the Stone Knight raised one finger toward Dae Sik.
Dae Sik laughed a little, but then his right hand suddenly exploded into pieces.
"Ahhhhhhh!" Dae Sik screamed.
Blood sprayed all over the stone.
Everybody was stunned. They wanted to move, but they couldn't. They wanted to breathe, but they couldn't.
The fear of death lingered in their eyes.
Then the voice echoed.
"Now the trial begins."