Hunter of the Lost Gates-Chapter 21 - : Descent into the Abyss

The dark mist swirling inside the Lost Gate felt heavier than usual. Sai tightened his grip on his daggers, their hilts warm in his hands, responding to the latent energy of the dungeon. This was his fourth Lost Gate, and by now, he had learned one thing—nothing inside these places followed the rules of normal dungeons.

"Stay alert," he muttered to himself, stepping forward. The gate pulsed behind him, sealing shut the moment he crossed the threshold.

Before him stretched an ancient underground city, its spires crumbling and worn by time. Strange blue glyphs glowed faintly on the walls of ruined buildings, flickering like dying embers. The air was thick with the scent of decay, and an eerie silence weighed upon the abandoned streets.

Then came the whispers.

They slithered into his mind, unintelligible yet beckoning. Sai clenched his teeth, shaking his head to clear the sensation. He had experienced something similar in a previous Lost Gate—this was the dungeon itself, trying to break his focus.

"Not this time," he murmured, stepping cautiously forward.

His boots crunched against the cracked pavement as he advanced through the ruins. His system interface flickered to life, scanning the surroundings.

**[Lost Gate: Ruins of Evernight]**

**Difficulty: ???**

**Objective: Unknown**

That last part worried him. Usually, the system gave him a clear goal—defeat a boss, retrieve an artifact, survive for a set time. But this time, there was nothing.

A shuffling noise broke his thoughts.

Sai ducked behind a broken column, pressing his back against the cold stone. His breath slowed as he focused his senses. Something was moving in the distance, dragging footsteps against the ground.

Then he saw them.

Shadowy figures, humanoid but twisted, emerged from the ruins. Their bodies flickered between solid and incorporeal, as if they existed in two planes at once. Their hollow eyes glowed with an eerie silver light.

**[Specters of Evernight]**

**Corrupted Souls Bound to the Ruins**

Sai steadied his breathing. He had fought plenty of monsters, but these felt different. There was something unnatural about them, something fundamentally wrong.

One of the specters turned its head toward him. Its mouth stretched open wider than humanly possible, releasing a hollow wail.

The others responded in unison.

The air trembled as the specters rushed forward. Sai reacted instantly, leaping to the side as the first one swiped at him with clawed fingers. He slashed with his right dagger, the blade phasing harmlessly through its shadowy form.

"Not good," he muttered, twisting mid-air to land on his feet.

The specters didn't slow. They moved unnaturally fast, their bodies flickering in and out of sight. Sai activated **Chrono-Rewind**, feeling time shift around him. He dodged just as a spectral claw aimed for his throat, stepping back an instant before the attack landed.

"I need something solid," he realized. If normal attacks didn't work, he needed to find another way.

His eyes flickered to the glowing blue glyphs on the walls.

"Wait... could that be it?"

Dashing toward the nearest ruin, Sai pressed his hand against one of the symbols. Energy surged through him, and his system reacted.

**[Glyph of Binding Discovered]**

**Would you like to absorb its power?**

"Yes!" Sai confirmed immediately.

Blue light exploded from the glyph, flowing into his body. His daggers hummed with new energy, their edges now shimmering with a ghostly glow.

One of the specters lunged at him. This time, when he slashed, the dagger met resistance. The creature screeched as the weapon sliced cleanly through its form, dispersing it into mist.

"It worked!" Sai grinned.

The other specters hesitated for a moment, sensing the shift in power. Then they attacked all at once.

Sai moved like a whirlwind, his newly empowered daggers tearing through the spectral enemies. Each strike sent waves of energy rippling through the air, shattering the creatures into nothingness. Within moments, the ruins were silent once more.

His breathing was heavy, but he had won.

**[Specters of Evernight Defeated]**

**New Ability Acquired: Phantom Edge**

Sai opened his status window.

**[Phantom Edge: Your weapons can now strike incorporeal beings, dealing extra damage to spectral enemies.]**

A useful ability, considering the nature of Lost Gates. He had learned by now that these dungeons often contained things that should have remained forgotten.

Taking a moment to catch his breath, Sai turned his attention to the center of the ruins. There, standing atop a broken platform, was a massive stone door covered in chains. Unlike the rest of the city, this structure was intact—almost as if something had been deliberately sealed inside.

His system reacted instantly.

**[Sealed Chamber Detected]**

**Warning: Opening this door may have unforeseen consequences. Proceed with caution.]**

Sai hesitated.

Every instinct told him that whatever was behind that door was something important. But was it worth the risk?

Then he heard it.

A voice—ancient and weary—echoed in his mind.

*"You who walk beyond the veil... do you seek the truth?"*

Sai's breath caught in his throat.

He wasn't alone in this dungeon.

His heart pounded. This wasn't like the usual system messages. This was something else. Something... alive.

He stepped toward the sealed door, reaching out with his newly acquired **Phantom Edge**-imbued dagger. The chains rattled as if sensing his intent.

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Then, the entire ruin trembled.

Dust and debris cascaded from the rooftops as the air grew thick with oppressive energy. Sai's system flared a new alert.

**[Abyssal Presence Awakening]**

**Threat Level: Catastrophic**

His blood ran cold.

What had he just awakened?

Before he could react, the door's chains shattered, and an overwhelming force blasted outward.

A figure emerged from the darkness.

It wasn't a monster.

It was a man—no, something beyond human. His presence was suffocating, his eyes glowing with the same silver light as the specters. Dark armor wrapped around his form, etched with symbols Sai couldn't comprehend.

The being regarded Sai with an unreadable expression.

*"You are not one of them,"* he said. His voice was like distant thunder, echoing through the ruins.

Sai tightened his grip on his daggers. He didn't know what this entity was, but every instinct screamed that he was standing in front of something ancient.

Something dangerous.

*"Your presence here is an anomaly... and yet, perhaps, it is fate."*

The air shifted, and Sai's system flashed one final message.

**[You have encountered a Forgotten Sovereign.]**

**[A choice must be made.]**

Sai exhaled slowly.

No turning back now.

**To Be Continued...**