Hunter of the Lost Gates-Chapter 14 - : Into the Abyss

Darkness swallowed Sai whole.

He had no sense of direction, no ground beneath his feet—only the endless void pulling him deeper. The shattered golden chains, the Hall of Remnants, the hooded man—all had vanished the moment the great doors had opened.

The last thing he had heard was that voice.

"You came back."

It hadn't been a whisper. It hadn't been a scream.

It had been expecting him.

Sai gritted his teeth, trying to control his breathing. His daggers were still in his hands, but what could he possibly fight here?

The void pressed against his skin like a thick mist, shifting, twisting around him. It wasn't just darkness—it was something alive. Something aware.

Then—

A system notification appeared.

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[Lost Gate System Update...]

[Warning: You have entered the Abyss.]

[Synchronization Increasing...]

Sai's pulse spiked.

The Abyss itself?

Every time his synchronization increased, he changed. Would he even be the same after leaving this place?

If he left at all?

The pressure around him grew heavier. The mist curled, and through the swirling void, something began to take shape.

A structure.

No—a throne.

Sai landed abruptly, his boots touching solid ground. The transition was so sudden it nearly knocked the air from his lungs.

He looked up.

Before him was a massive black stone throne, towering, cracked, and ancient. Around it, countless twisted figures lay frozen in place—kneeling.

Statues? No... they were too detailed, too lifelike. As if they had once been real.

And sitting upon the throne—

Was a man draped in shadows.

No. Not a man. Something else.

Sai's instincts screamed at him, his every nerve on high alert.

The figure shifted, his form flickering like smoke. Two piercing golden eyes opened, locking onto Sai.

"You are not ready to stand before me."

The voice wasn't loud. It didn't need to be.

It sank directly into Sai's thoughts, pressing against the inside of his skull.

Sai clenched his jaw. He wouldn't bow like the figures around him. He tightened his grip on his weapons.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

The golden eyes didn't blink.

"I am what remains."

Sai narrowed his eyes.

"That doesn't answer my question."

The figure tilted its head slightly, as if considering him.

Then—it moved.

Without warning, the shadows lunged at Sai, reaching for him like grasping hands.

Sai reacted instantly.

Abyssal Step.

He blinked five meters back, avoiding the attack. But the shadows moved unnaturally fast, shifting mid-air, reaching for him again.

Sai twisted his body—

Shadow Step.

He melted into the darkness for just two seconds, phasing through the attack.

When he reappeared, the figure was already in front of him.

A hand of pure black mist wrapped around Sai's throat, lifting him off the ground.

A sharp, searing pain exploded in his chest.

Sai's vision blurred. His system flickered wildly.

[Critical Warning: Abyssal Corruption Detected.]

[System Stability at Risk.]

The figure studied him, his golden eyes cold.

"You are still incomplete."

The pressure around Sai's throat tightened.

"You do not yet understand what you are becoming."

Sai gasped, his vision darkening. His body burned as something inside him struggled against the force crushing him from within.

He was dying.

No.

No.

Not like this.

A sharp pulse erupted from Sai's core.

His mark—the one burned into his skin by the System—flared with blinding white light.

The shadows recoiled.

For the first time, the golden-eyed figure flinched.

Sai broke free.

He hit the ground hard, stumbling back, coughing as air rushed into his lungs. His entire body ached, but he forced himself to stay standing.

The figure was still watching him, but the amusement in its voice was gone.

"Interesting," it murmured.

The shadows around it rippled.

"You may yet survive this."

And then—

Everything collapsed.

Sai woke up gasping.

He was back in the Hall of Remnants.

The massive golden doors were shut. The chains were restored, as if they had never broken in the first place.

The hooded man was gone.

His entire body ached, his fingers trembling.

His system notification was still blinking.

[Lost Gate System Synchronization: 25%]

[New Ability Unlocked: Abyssal Grasp (F-rank)]

[Effect: Briefly manipulate shadows to restrain or pull objects.]

Sai's breathing slowed.

Another ability.

And this one... felt different.

He slowly lifted his hand. For a brief second, the shadows at his feet shifted, responding to his will.

It wasn't much.

But it was a part of the Abyss itself.

Sai clenched his fist, forcing the shadows to disappear.

Whatever that thing in the Abyss had been—it had looked at him like he was nothing. Like he wasn't ready.

Then I'll get ready.

He exhaled sharply, adjusting his stance. The Order was still out there. The next Lost Gate was waiting.

And now, he had even more questions that needed answers.

What was the Abyss truly hiding?

And more importantly—

Why did it think Sai would return?