Kang Dohyun was somewhat shaken by Seo Kangrim’s words.

‘He believes in my abilities?’

Ever since encountering Seo Kangrim, he had been constantly giving him the cold shoulder.

Under such circumstances, it would have been natural for Seo Kangrim to harbor resentment, yet instead he claimed to believe in him.

‘It’s all empty words anyway.’

An outstanding cadet who had received a remarkable divine descent and was fielding recruitment offers from the Bureau’s team leaders.

How would someone like Seo Kangrim view him?

Even this praise was likely not his true feelings.

“……The setup is done. Just make sure you lure him properly.”

Kang Dohyun deflected with that response.

Seo Kangrim didn’t bother pressing the conversation further and stepped out into the central corridor with Ahn Nabi.

“Mr. Seo Kangrim, now we just need to lure him, right?”

“Yes. Be careful.”

They began walking quietly deeper into the corridor.

The corridor was long, endlessly long.

Just as they felt as though they would wander this place forever—

“Ah, ahh…….”

A man’s crying voice faintly reached them.

It sounded like sobbing, yet also like the sound of a broken instrument.

Ahn Nabi seemed to have heard it as well, whispering softly.

“……It seems to be over there.”

Deep within the corridor, the darkness seemed to churn and waver.

In the darkness, the man’s white hair appeared eerily pale.

As if catching the scent of their flesh, the man sniffed the air and approached.

And the moment he noticed the absence of the Seven-Blade Sword, he lunged straight at Seo Kangrim.

“Aaaah-!”

“Step back, Mr. Seo Kangrim!”

-Ppagak!

Ahn Nabi struck the man once with her staff, then swiftly retreated.

Seo Kangrim likewise pulled back immediately and sprinted toward the designated location.

Even after taking the hit, the man didn’t give up and charged after them.

-Kkwang, kkwaang!

The man’s movements were fast enough to rank among the quickest Demon Beasts Seo Kangrim had ever seen.

The man ran along the walls, cutting off their path.

Seo Kangrim swung his sword with killing intent.

-Seogeok!

The blade dug shallowly into the man’s arm.

When Ahn Nabi followed up with an additional strike from behind, the man flinched and stepped back.

“Uuuh, uuuuh……!”

A voice filled with frustrated rage escaped the man’s mouth.

He must have been starving.

As they ran while fending off the man’s attacks, the designated location came into view.

“Seo Kangrim, Ahn Nabi!”

At Kang Dohyun’s shout, the two urgently dashed deeper into the corridor.

After confirming that the man had followed them inside, Seo Kangrim drew the Seven-Blade Sword.

[A powerful yang energy radiates from the ‘Seven-Blade Sword’!]

“Aaaah……!”

Seizing the moment the man flinched at the sight of the Seven-Blade Sword, Seo Kangrim drove it into the entrance and slipped out.

The man, blocked by the Seven-Blade Sword, couldn’t follow them out.

Just as Kang Dohyun hurriedly tried to activate a talisman—

“Aaaah-!”

[Special Ability ‘■∞?’s #?’ is activating!]

As the man let out a long wail, fireballs began forming around him.

The flames bounced wildly in all directions, and the talisman began burning away along with them.

‘A flame-type special ability.’

He had glanced at it, but the Fortune Window was distorted, making it impossible to read properly.

As the talisman burned away, Kang Dohyun clicked his tongue.

“This is troublesome. For now, again……!”

Kang Dohyun pulled out another talisman and attempted to subdue the man.

But then, Seo Kangrim shouted in a sharp voice.

“Everyone, get back!”

-Kuuung!

Before Seo Kangrim could even finish speaking, a massive greatsword cleaved through the space where they had been standing.

In an instant, the pillar behind them was sliced apart.

-Kkwaang!

The pillar collapsed with a thunderous crash.

Beyond the cloud of dust, a massive silhouette appeared.

Ahn Nabi bit her lip hard upon seeing it.

“……So this is the boss of the fifth floor.”

That man was merely an outsider trapped here.

The real boss was something else entirely.

A giant statue had appeared before them.

Had it not been for the current situation, they might have thought it a magnificent work of art.

It bore the form of an ancient goddess statue, its eyes blindfolded, wielding an enormous sword.

═══════════════

[Name] Statue of Protection

[Rank] First Ghost Grade

[Description] A statue that guards a specific area. It executes intruders, and until this Demon Beast is defeated, the designated zone cannot be exited. Its stats increase with each intruder it executes.

═══════════════

This statue appeared to be the Demon Beast required for the clear condition.

Its grade was First Ghost Grade.

High, but not so high that three people couldn’t kill it.

However, there was a problem.

“Aaaah-!”

The man screamed and charged at them.

The Seven-Blade Sword that had been planted at the entrance had been knocked loose by the statue’s earlier strike and was rolling across the floor.

It hadn’t broken or been damaged, but this was no time to be relieved.

“Death Messenger Ahn Nabi, be careful!”

As Kang Dohyun kicked the man, the statue simultaneously swung its sword at his head.

They had to face two opponents at once, and one of them couldn’t be killed.

The capture condition caused the difficulty to spike dramatically.

‘If it comes down to it, I’ll kill the man, but if possible, I want to capture him alive and test something.’

Seo Kangrim glanced at the man and the statue.

‘That statue doesn’t seem to consider the man an intruder anymore.’

The way they coordinated their attacks together was nothing short of what you would expect from Demon Beasts.

As Seo Kangrim deflected attacks and watched for an opening, Ahn Nabi shouted.

“Both of you, fall back for now! I’ll hold them off!”

At Ahn Nabi’s gesture, Earthen Figures poured out from thin air—ureureu!

A small force of Earthen Figures blocked the enemies’ path.

“Oot!”

“Ooot!”

The Earthen Figures charged fiercely, clinging to the man’s eyes and the statue’s hands and legs.

While the Earthen Figures hindered both enemies, they pulled back.

However, the statue blocked the staircase, making retreat to the fourth floor impossible.

The time they had been given was fleeting.

‘Using a binding talisman as things stand is problematic.’

Even if they used a talisman, it would likely just burn.

Moreover, these flames had the effect of strengthening the statue.

[The statue is strengthened by the principle of Fire Generates Earth!]

Fire strengthens earth.

Just as clay vessels thrown into fire become harder rather than being destroyed.

“Ooot-!”

“Oot!”

Meanwhile, the Earthen Figures were being brutally sent flying by attacks.

They were meant for stalling in the first place.

Seo Kangrim assessed the situation and spoke.

“Hyung. You still have talismans, right?”

“I do, but are you seriously still thinking about using talismans in this situation?”

“Talismans are the most effective for capture. We just need to change how we use them.”

He quickly relayed the plan to the two of them.

Ahn Nabi’s eyes sparkled upon hearing it.

“That sounds like a good plan.”

“…….”

Kang Dohyun didn’t answer.

The fact that he didn’t argue back seemed to indicate agreement.

With the Earthen Figures running low, Seo Kangrim moved quickly.

“Then, please do what we discussed earlier.”

Ahn Nabi nodded and withdrew the Earthen Figures.

With the obstruction gone, the two enemies immediately turned toward the humans.

Seo Kangrim shouted toward Rini.

“Rini, Water Catching!”

“Ung!”

[Special Ability ‘Water Catching’ is activating!]

Rini gathered moisture from the air and generated water droplets.

With no water source nearby and the air dried by the flames, the amount produced was small.

Still, it was enough to put out the immediate fire.

-Chwaak!

As the water scattered, the flames calmed slightly, but it was only temporary.

In that interval, the statue approached the three of them.

-Kagang!

It was Seo Kangrim who blocked that sword strike.

He had blocked the attack, but a First Ghost Grade was undeniably a formidable opponent.

Even from just exchanging a single blow, the opponent’s capabilities were clearly felt.

‘First Ghost Grade is definitely strong. But it’s not impossible to block.’

Seo Kangrim’s role was to buy time.

While Kang Dohyun and Ahn Nabi captured the man, drawing the statue’s attention was his role.

Even if he couldn’t win, it was enough to hold it back.

-Kkang, kkaang!

As the sounds of Seo Kangrim’s battle with the statue echoed fiercely—

Ahn Nabi and Kang Dohyun stood before the man.

“Will it be all right to leave it solely to Mr. Seo Kangrim?”

“We just need to capture him as fast as possible and regroup with Seo Kangrim. Let’s hurry.”

“Yes.”

Kang Dohyun once again pulled a talisman from his coat and sent it flying.

However, before the talisman could attach to any surface, a fireball the man had created flew in and burned it away.

“This is exactly why I hate flame types.”

The sealing formation he intended to use required talismans positioned at four directions.

The problem was that the man burned every talisman the moment he saw it.

With the talismans proving ineffective, Kang Dohyun drew his weapon and moved to subdue the man physically.

“Then I’m counting on you, Ahn Nabi!”

“Yes!”

The moment the words left his mouth, Kang Dohyun charged at the man.

When the attacks intensified, the man appeared startled.

However, Kang Dohyun’s strikes only targeted the man’s legs, never aiming for the heart or head.

Noticing this, the man grinned and unleashed a Lion’s Roar.

“Aaaah-!”

[Special Ability ‘■※’ is activating!]

[Special Ability ‘#■?’ is activating!]

As the abilities activated, Kang Dohyun’s body floated upward.

Controlling his own body became difficult.

The man’s body, too, seemed unaffected by gravity.

“Damn it, gravity manipulation?”

Kang Dohyun’s movements slowed as if he were submerged in water.

Moreover, the other special ability appeared to be a physical enhancement type, as the man’s speed increased another level.

-Kkwaang, kkwaaang!

The man was like a fish in water.

While he bounded across the walls as if they were flat ground, Kang Dohyun struggled just to defend.

-Kagagak!

“Ugh……!”

Before long, Kang Dohyun’s body was covered in countless wounds, blood overflowing.

Catching the scent of blood, the man extended his long tongue and licked his lips.

When his eyes met Kang Dohyun’s, the man grinned.

The moment he kicked off the ceiling and lunged at Kang Dohyun—

“Ahn Nabi!”

At his shout of her name, Ahn Nabi, who had been waiting behind, snapped her eyes open.

[Special Ability ‘Controller of Earthen Figures’ is activating!]

Simultaneously, something leapt down from atop the pillar.

It was a multitude of Earthen Figures.

“Ooot-!”

The man appeared startled by the sudden appearance of the Earthen Figures.

However, he immediately unleashed attacks upon them.

Some burst into flames, some were split in half, and others floated up into the air like Kang Dohyun.

Not a single Earthen Figure’s attack reached the man.

As the man smiled wickedly, something caught his eye.

“Ooot-!”

Earthen Figures that had been curled up tightly were now spreading their bodies wide open.

Talismans were attached to their chests.