Min-Jae took a step forward, ahead of the group.
"You guys, try to stay behind. If possible, try to wake Sung Jin-Woo up, but avoid direct contact with him at any cost. I'll try to stop this thing." He spoke with a serious tone, looking up at the statue. 'But even if I say that, I don't know how it'll work out. What's the relation between this statue and Jin-Woo's power? It won't be easy judging by the magical energy I'm sensing from it. But if I defeat it, it might directly impact Jin-Woo's abilities.'
*Tsk.* 'Annoying. I thought that was the only statue left to fight.'
He thought that as multiple statues of different looks and sizes walked out from behind the speaking statue, forming a line.
'It's controlling the others.'
But as he was about to decide whether to leave the normal statues being controlled to the hunters behind him, suddenly, one of the statue's eyes began to glow.
'It's like that time,' he thought, immediately looking back. "Everyone, dodge!" he commanded.
'I don't think everyone will be able to dodge. Even if I step in front of them, the attack will disperse around me and hit the people standing behind. But... wait.'
He raised his hand and focused. Telekinesis spread outward, forming a solid barrier in front of the entire group.
The light beam attack from the statue's glowing eyes shot forward with devastating force—and collided directly with the telekinetic barrier. The beam pushed against it, crackling with energy, but the barrier held firm without a single crack.
Min-Jae lowered his hand as the beam dissipated.
'I knew it. When I created the Zenith Gojo character, I wrote telekinesis as a whole ability. If I use it correctly, I can actually create barriers. But...'
As he was thinking, the statue spoke up again.
"I will give you all a chance to watch the glorious king's birth—which will occur when all of my puppets have been destroyed. That is, provided any of you are still alive by then." The statue's red-and-white eyes shifted toward Min-Jae. "You are strong in terms of what a mere human can be, but you are nothing in comparison to the glorious king about to bless us."
Min-Jae's expression didn't change. "Shut up. I'll destroy all your puppets, then it'll be you."
Without waiting for a response, he launched himself into the air.
---
His first target was the nearest statue. He flew toward it at blinding speed, his fist pulled back.
**Black Flash: 2× Multiplier.**
His fist connected with the statue's chin. The force of the impact shattered its entire head, sending stone fragments exploding outward. The headless body crumbled and collapsed.
He immediately pivoted mid-air toward the next statue.
**Black Flash: 4× Multiplier.**
This punch struck the statue's face dead-center. The stone cracked like glass, spiderweb fractures spreading across its entire upper body before it shattered completely, the upper half disintegrating into rubble.
Third statue.
**Black Flash: 8× Multiplier.**
His fist smashed into its torso with exponentially greater force. The entire statue trembled violently before splitting apart down the middle, both halves collapsing in opposite directions.
Fourth statue.
Min-Jae pulled his arm back, magical energy crackling around his fist, black lightning dancing across his knuckles.
**Black Flash: 16× Multiplier.**
His punch tore through the statue's chest like it was paper. His fist punched *through* the entire body, emerging from the other side in a shower of stone debris. The statue's body disintegrated around the point of impact, collapsing into nothing but scattered rubble.
As the debris began falling, Min-Jae glanced down—and saw the massive chunks of stone raining down toward the A-Rank hunters below.
*Tsk.*
He teleported instantly, reappearing in front of the group. He raised both hands and formed another telekinetic barrier above them. The falling stones crashed against the invisible shield, bouncing off harmlessly and scattering to the sides.
Min-Jae glanced up at the remaining statues—there were still a lot of them.
He looked back at the hunters. "Leave. All the A-Ranks. Now."
"But—" one of them started.
"That wasn't a suggestion," Min-Jae said, his tone sharp and commanding. "Get out."
The hunters hesitated, clearly reluctant, but the severity in his voice and the chaos around them left no room for argument. One by one, they began retreating toward the exit.
Min-Jae helped them reach the exit safely, using telekinesis to clear debris and block incoming attacks from the statues. Once the last of them was through, he turned back toward the chamber.
Only he, Cha Hae-In, and Woo Jin-Chul remained.
Cha Hae-In was moving gracefully through the battlefield, her sword flashing as she cut down one of the smaller statues. Woo Jin-Chul was engaging another, his strikes precise and powerful.
Min-Jae walked forward calmly, his hands in his pockets.
The speaking statue's voice echoed through the chamber again.
"You are an interesting one. But how long can a mere human keep up? You will eventually die along with the two that are left with you."
Min-Jae looked at it nonchalantly. "How long I can keep up?"
He raised his right hand toward a statue approaching him from the side.
"Red."
A sphere of repulsive force detonated against the statue's body, obliterating it instantly. Fragments scattered across the floor.
Min-Jae lowered his hand and looked back at the speaking statue.
"I can do this all day."