Solo Leveling (Vol 1)

Only Hope

All the Hunters still alive heard Jin-Woo's voice.

"Instruments?"

A ray of hope found its way into the eyes of the Hunters.

Quite different to back when he told them to kowtow, everyone moved unbelievably quickly. If Jin-Woo was wrong about this, then as soon as arriving near one, they would be killed by the stone statues holding the musical instruments. However, no one here questioned Jin-Woo's words.

The song was the first one to arrive in front of a statue carrying a musical instrument.

Song controlled his heavy breathing and raised his head to look at the statue. And as if it was a lie, the fingers of the statue moved and strummed on the harp.

Cling, clang...

A beautiful melody flowed out.

"It's working!!"

"Hurry to the statues with instruments!!"

Hunters ran towards the nearest correct statues in hurried footsteps.

The statue with a trumpet began blowing it triumphantly; one with a flute began playing with it; the one holding the lyre strummed on its strings.

"Heok, heok, heok...."

While sensing the approach of his physical limit, Kim somehow arrived in front of the statue that held a Suzuka and plopped down to the ground. (TL: I don't know what this Suzuka could be. used as-is from the raw.) (ED: Probably either a Bazooka or a Bouzouki, both from the 1900s.)

Tiring, string....

As soon as the statue began playing the instrument, the god statue stopped chasing after Kim. He must've been overcome with emotions because Kim then began shedding tears while he stayed down on his knees.

"Sob.... Sob...."

Meanwhile, the god statue turned around. The 'creature' searched around and soon enough, found its next prey.

"God d*mn it."

Jin-Woo spat out a cuss as his gaze met the god statues.

He then began running hard – so hard that his heart might explode. His back was already soaked through in sweat.

'Why?! Why isn't it working?!'

Jin-Woo's resentful glare landed on the stone statue in front of him. The statue holding a drum showed no signs of moving at all.

THUD!! THUD!! THUD!!

The god statue closed in with frightening speed. He was practically on the other side of the chamber from the d*mn thing, yet the distance between the two shortened in no time at all.

Jin-Woo swallowed down his saliva.

'Could it be that the statue won't play because there are two people here? Me and Miss Ju-Hui?'

He couldn't think of anything else. Why? Because other statues were playing music just fine as soon as a Hunter stood in front of it.

'There is no time to think anymore.'

Jin-Woo put Ju-Hui down and got ready to run somewhere else.

"M, Mister Jin-Woo....."

Still terrified out of her mind, Ju-Hui clung to Jin-Woo's sleeve. Jin-Woo calmly whispered in her ear.

"We'll both die if we stay together."

Tears began forming in Ju-Hui's eyes. Her fingers trembled as they held onto his clothes. Unfortunately, there was no time to explain this to her in detail. Jin-Woo carefully pried her hand away and began running in the opposite direction as hard as he could.