Hunter of the Lost Gates-Chapter 27 - : The Gate’s Trial

The massive gate loomed over Sai and Lena, its ancient carvings glowing with faint blue energy. A heavy silence filled the chamber, broken only by their measured breaths. The entity's words still echoed in Sai's mind.

"You carry the key. The gate responds to you."

What did it mean?

Lena stepped closer to the structure, tracing her fingers along the strange markings. "So... what now?"

Sai exhaled. "There's only one way to find out."

He reached forward, his palm pressing against the cold surface of the gate.

The moment his skin made contact, the entire chamber trembled.

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A Door Between Worlds

The carvings on the gate flared to life, glowing brighter as the massive structure began to move. Dust and debris rained down as the ground beneath them shifted.

Lena stumbled. "Sai, what did you do?!"

"I think... I activated it."

With a deep, resounding boom, the gate split down the middle, parting just enough to reveal a swirling vortex of black and blue energy.

A rift.

But unlike any rift Sai had ever seen.

His system reacted instantly.

[Lost Gate Activation Confirmed.]

[Accessing Forgotten Records...]

[Warning: Incomplete Data.]

Sai's gut twisted. He hated it when his system gave half-answers.

Lena peered into the swirling void. "I don't like this."

Sai agreed. Every instinct told him stepping through this portal was a bad idea.

But he had come too far to stop now.

"If this is connected to the Lost Gate," he said, "then I need to see where it leads."

Lena hesitated, then let out a long sigh. "You are the worst influence on my survival instincts."

Sai grinned. "Come on. Where's your sense of adventure?"

She shot him a glare but followed anyway.

Together, they stepped into the rift.

The Abyssal Ruins

The sensation of falling hit Sai immediately.

Not physically—but through space itself.

The moment they stepped through, the world flipped, shifting as if reality had folded in on itself.

Then—solid ground.

Sai staggered but managed to stay on his feet. Lena wasn't as lucky.

She groaned from the ground. "I hate magic."

Sai barely heard her. His attention was on their surroundings.

They stood in a ruined city, its towers and spires long since crumbled. Massive stone structures jutted from the earth at odd angles, as if an entire civilization had been buried and left forgotten.

Glowing blue glyphs covered the ruins, similar to the ones on the gate. But they pulsed weakly—as if the power sustaining them was dying.

Lena climbed to her feet, eyes widening. "Where the hell are we?"

Sai didn't have an answer.

His system pinged with new notifications.

[Abyssal Ruins Detected.]

[System Synchronization in Progress...]

[WARNING: Presence of High-Level Entities Confirmed.]

Sai tensed.

High-Level Entities?

As if in response, a low growl echoed through the ruins.

The Guardians of the Ruins

Sai turned sharply, daggers in hand.

From the shadows of the collapsed structures, they emerged—hulking, armored beasts, their bodies wrapped in abyssal energy. Eyes like burning coals locked onto Sai and Lena.

Lena swore. "Of course there are monsters."

The largest of the creatures stepped forward, its voice a deep, guttural echo.

"The unworthy shall not pass."

Sai didn't hesitate. The moment the first beast lunged, he vanished, reappearing mid-air above it. His daggers flashed.

[Phantom Step – Strike Activated.]

The blade pierced through the creature's hide—but instead of flesh, it met resistance, like striking solid stone.

Sai's eyes widened. "Damn it—"

The creature swung its massive arm, slamming into Sai with bone-crushing force.

He barely managed to twist his body, absorbing the impact before hitting the ground.

Lena threw her chakrams, the spinning weapons slicing through the air, but the beasts barely flinched.

"They're too durable!" she shouted.

Sai's mind raced. They couldn't brute-force this.

Then, his system flashed a message.

[Weakness Detected: Abyssal Cores Located in Chest Cavity.]

Sai's eyes locked onto the faintly glowing cores embedded in the monsters' torsos.

"That's their weak spot!" he called out.

Lena nodded, already moving.

Sai activated Shadow Dash, phasing behind one of the creatures. His dagger struck true, piercing into the core.

The effect was immediate.

The beast let out a distorted howl, its entire form disintegrating into mist.

Lena followed his lead, her chakrams aimed directly at the core of another creature. The weapons struck with precision, and the beast collapsed into dust.

One by one, they took down the guardians—until none remained.

The Trial of the Lost Gate

The ruins fell silent once more.

Sai exhaled, gripping his daggers tightly. "That was fun."

Lena shot him a look. "Your definition of 'fun' is broken."

Before Sai could reply, the ground trembled.

They turned as a massive stone pedestal rose from the center of the ruins.

Upon it lay an ancient artifact—a black, metallic key, pulsing with abyssal energy.

Sai's system reacted instantly.

[Lost Key Fragment Acquired.]

[First Seal Unlocked.]

Sai's heart pounded.

The First Seal.

This was what the guardian had mentioned.

Lena approached cautiously. "That thing looks cursed."

Sai ignored her, stepping forward. The moment he grasped the key, a wave of dark energy surged through him.

His system overloaded with new information.

A Glimpse into the Past

For a brief moment, Sai wasn't in the ruins.

He was somewhere else.

A vision.

He stood in a grand city, its towers made of shimmering black stone. Thousands of people moved through the streets, their eyes glowing with abyssal power.

At the city's center stood a massive gate, identical to the one Sai had just passed through.

And before it—a man in dark armor, his presence overwhelming.

The man turned, his piercing gaze meeting Sai's.

"The Gate must never open."

Then—the vision shattered.

Sai gasped, stumbling back into the present. His system flashed new messages.

[Vision of the Abyss Recorded.]

[Lost Gate History Unlocked – 1% Completion.]

Lena grabbed his arm. "Sai! What just happened?"

Sai's mind reeled.

That man... he wasn't just a vision. He was real.

And if the Lost Gate was meant to remain closed...

What the hell had Sai just set into motion?

The Road Ahead

Sai clenched his fist around the key.

Whatever this power was—it was connected to him.

And he had no choice but to see this through.

He turned to Lena, determination burning in his eyes.

"We're not stopping here."

Lena sighed. "I figured as much."

Sai smirked. "Then let's move. We have a gate to open."

And with that, they pressed forward—toward a future neither of them could predict.

To Be Continued...