Hunter of the Lost Gates-Chapter 11 - : The Next Lost Gate

Sai adjusted the strap of his bag as he moved through the dense forest, the map given to him by the mysterious woman clutched in his hand. The insignia she had left him still weighed heavily in his pocket, a reminder that he wasn't just running anymore.

He was hunting.

The map showed the location of another Lost Gate, one that hadn't been erased yet. If he reached it before the Hidden Order, he might finally get some real answers.

He exhaled sharply. No time to waste.

His body still ached from the battle with the Fragment of the Abyss, but there was no time to rest. He had barely escaped the Order's assassins, and they wouldn't stop just because he disappeared into the wilderness.

His fingers tightened around the map. Time to move.

The journey was rough.

Sai pushed through the thick underbrush, his steps silent, senses sharp. The deeper he went, the more the forest changed. The air became thicker, the trees older, their bark marked with strange carvings.

A sign.

The Lost Gate was close.

His system responded immediately.

[Lost Gate Detected.]

[Distance: 1.3 km.]

Sai quickened his pace.

But then—his instincts flared.

He stopped cold.

Something was wrong.

The forest was silent. No rustling leaves. No insects. No sounds at all.

His grip tightened on his daggers. He wasn't alone.

A presence. Nearby. Watching.

Sai exhaled slowly, shifting his weight slightly. If someone was here, they were either waiting for him to make a mistake... or baiting him into moving first.

He scanned the trees, his breath controlled. Nothing visible.

But his gut told him otherwise.

"You might as well come out," Sai called, his voice calm. "I know you're there."

For a moment, nothing.

Then—a whisper of movement.

A figure dropped from the trees, landing a few meters in front of him.

Sai tensed.

They were fast.

A man stood before him, tall and draped in dark, fitted armor. His face was covered by a half-mask, his eyes cold and calculating. A hunter—but not an ordinary one.

Sai recognized the insignia on his shoulder immediately.

The Hidden Order.

Damn it.

"You're quicker than most," the man said, his tone almost amused.

Sai didn't respond. He adjusted his stance slightly, ready for anything.

The man tilted his head. "Don't worry, I'm not here to kill you."

Sai narrowed his eyes. "Could've fooled me."

"If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't have heard me coming," the man said smoothly. He crossed his arms, studying Sai with mild interest. "You've stirred up quite the mess, you know. The Order's pulling resources just to track you down."

Sai remained silent.

"They're afraid," the man continued, watching for a reaction. "Not just of you—but of what's happening around you."

Sai's fingers twitched.

"They think I'm waking up the Abyss?" he asked flatly.

The man chuckled. "That's the funny part. You're not. But something is."

Sai's stomach twisted.

"Then why are they still hunting me?"

"Because you're an anomaly."

The man took a slow step forward.

"Most who enter a Lost Gate don't survive. Even fewer leave changed."

"And you?" Sai asked, his grip still firm on his weapons.

"I'm here to see what you'll do next."

Sai didn't trust him. Not for a second.

"And if I go after another Lost Gate?" he asked.

The man smiled faintly beneath his mask.

New novel 𝓬hapters are published on ƒreewebɳovel.com.

"Then we'll see how far you get before they erase it."

He turned away, walking past Sai without another word.

Sai kept his daggers ready, but the man never attacked.

Then—he was gone.

Vanished into the trees.

Sai exhaled, tension still coiled in his muscles.

That had been a warning.

The Order wasn't just chasing him anymore. They were watching.

Sai pressed forward, his thoughts racing.

The encounter had only made him more determined.

If the Order was scared of the Lost Gates, then he had to get there first.

After another hour of moving through the dense wilderness, Sai reached a clearing.

And there, standing at the center—

Was the Lost Gate.

A massive, black stone archway, glowing faintly with shifting blue runes.

The air around it was warped, as if reality itself was twisting.

His system pulsed.

[Lost Gate Confirmed.]

[Dungeon Rank: Unclassified.]

[Warning: External forces have detected this Gate.]

Sai took a slow breath.

He had found it.

But if the Order knew about this place...

They weren't far behind.

He had to move—now.

He stepped forward.

The air rippled as he crossed the threshold.

And then—

The world shifted.

Sai felt his body pull downward, his vision distorting as he fell into the Gate's grasp.

Then—

Light exploded around him.

When he opened his eyes, he was standing somewhere else.

Not a dungeon.

Not a cave.

A city.

Or rather, the ruins of one.

Massive stone towers, shattered and broken, stretched into the sky. The streets were littered with cracked stone and glowing symbols.

And in the air—

A low whispering sound.

Not voices.

Something else.

Sai's heartbeat quickened.

This place...

It wasn't just ancient.

It felt like it had been erased from existence.

A new notification appeared.

[Lost Gate Identified: The City of Those Who Knew.]

[Warning: This Gate is Unstable.]

[Timeflow: Altered.]

Sai frowned.

"Timeflow... altered?"

Before he could process the words—

A shadow moved in the distance.

Not a monster. Not an assassin.

A person.

Sai's breath caught.

Someone was already here.