Hunter of the Lost Gates-Chapter 9 - : Secrets Beneath the Surface

Sai stood in the eerie silence of the Forgotten Zone, his fingers tightening around the small metal insignia the mysterious woman had left behind. The weight of the object felt heavier than it should, as if it carried something more than just its physical form.

His mind raced.

Who was she? If she wasn't with the Hidden Order, then who did she work for? And what exactly did she mean by "You're not ready for what's coming"?

Sai exhaled, shoving the insignia into his pouch. One problem at a time.

Right now, he needed to decide what to do next.

He had barely escaped the assassins, and his body was still sore from the battle. If they were still hunting him, he couldn't afford to stay in one place for too long. But at the same time—

His gaze flickered toward the ruined structure before him.

The System had reacted to this place.

It wasn't just another part of the wilderness. It was important.

And if he wanted answers about the Lost Gates, about why he was being hunted—this might be his best chance to find them.

Sai adjusted his grip on his daggers and stepped forward.

The entrance to the ruins was half-buried, overgrown with vines and moss. Ancient carvings covered the stone archway, similar to the ones he had seen in the Lost Gate—but these were more faded, as if time had tried to erase them.

The moment he stepped inside, a chill ran down his spine.

The air was different here. Heavier.

It felt like something was watching him.

He exhaled slowly and moved deeper.

The passage led to a large chamber, dimly lit by faintly glowing blue crystals embedded in the walls. The floor was cracked, but beneath the layers of dust, Sai could make out more of the strange symbols.

He knelt, brushing away some of the dirt.

The markings weren't just random carvings. They formed a pattern—a sequence of symbols, almost like a map.

Then—

A notification blinked in his vision.

[Lost Gate System Reacting...]

[Deciphering Ancient Record...]

Sai tensed.

The System is reading this?

Words appeared before him, translated from the faded script.

[The Abyss was never meant to be opened.]

[Yet it calls to those who hear it.]

[The first hunters sealed it away, but the chains weaken with time.]

Sai's pulse quickened.

The Abyss? Was that what the Lost Gates were connected to? And if they had been sealed away...

Then why was he able to enter them?

His thoughts were interrupted by another sound.

A faint drip.

Sai's muscles tensed. He slowly turned his head.

Across the chamber, something moved.

A shadow, barely visible in the dim light, shifted along the far wall.

Sai rose to his feet, daggers in hand.

The shadow moved again—this time taking form.

A figure stepped forward, its body shrouded in darkness, its face obscured beneath a hood.

Sai took a cautious step back, his grip tightening.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

The figure didn't answer.

Instead, it raised a hand.

The shadows around it twisted, expanding outward, swallowing the room in darkness. The faint glow of the crystals flickered and died.

Then—

A voice.

"You were not supposed to come here."

Sai barely had time to react before the shadows lunged.

The darkness rushed toward him, moving like a living creature. Sai dodged instinctively, flipping backward as tendrils of shadow slammed into the ground where he had just been.

The entire chamber shook.

This wasn't just some illusion.

It was an attack.

Sai landed in a crouch, his mind working rapidly. He had fought monsters before, assassins, even mages.

But this?

This was something else entirely.

He activated Critical Sight.

For a brief second, the shadows flickered, revealing glimpses of the figure beneath them.

A person.

Not a monster.

That meant—they had weak points.

Sai surged forward. He dodged another strike, twisting mid-air to close the distance. His dagger gleamed as he slashed at the figure's chest.

The blade connected—

And passed right through.

Sai's eyes widened.

No resistance. No wound.

As if the figure wasn't even real.

"You cannot kill what does not belong to this world."

The voice whispered in his ear.

Sai spun—but the figure was already behind him.

A pulse of dark energy exploded outward, slamming into Sai's chest.

Pain erupted through his body as he was sent flying backward. His back hit the stone wall with a sickening crack.

He gasped, struggling to breathe.

The shadows moved again, gathering around the figure like living armor.

Sai gritted his teeth, forcing himself back onto his feet.

He was injured. His stamina was running low. And his attacks weren't working.

He needed another approach.

Then—

A notification appeared.

[Lost Gate System Synchronization: 18%]

[New Ability Unlocked: Shadow Step (F-rank)]

[Effect: Allows the user to merge with ambient darkness for 2 seconds, evading physical attacks.]

Sai barely had time to process the words before the figure attacked again.

Instinct took over.

He activated Shadow Step.

For a split second—everything changed.

The world became hazy, as if he had stepped into another plane of existence. The incoming attack passed through him, missing entirely.

Then, just as quickly, he reappeared.

Sai's mind reeled.

He had moved within the shadows themselves.

He didn't hesitate.

Instead of retreating, he used the ability again, slipping into the darkness as the figure attacked. This time, he moved through the enemy's form.

And in that brief moment—he saw it.

A faint glow within the shadows. A core.

A weak point.

Sai lashed out.

His dagger pierced the core, the blade sinking into something solid.

The figure let out a distorted scream, its form shuddering violently. The shadows fractured, breaking apart like shattered glass.

Then—

Silence.

The figure was gone.

The darkness around him faded, the crystals flickering back to life.

Sai stood there, panting, his body aching.

He had won.

But before he could even catch his breath—another notification appeared.

[Lost Gate System Update...]

[You have destroyed a Fragment of the Abyss.]

[Synchronization has increased.]

Sai's blood ran cold.

A Fragment of the Abyss?

He exhaled sharply.

This place—the Lost Gates, the Hidden Order, everything—it was all connected to something much bigger.

And he had just stepped right into the middle of it.

His fingers tightened around his dagger.

If the Abyss was real...

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Then he needed to find out what it was.

And more importantly—

Why it was calling to him.