Hunter of the Lost Gates-Chapter 5 - : The Second Chance

Sai stood in the exact spot where he had fallen moments ago, but this time, he wasn't injured. His breath came steady, his grip on his daggers firm, his body free of pain.

He had gone back five minutes in time.

The last thing he had seen was the final two monsters closing in on him, his body too slow to react. He had died. But the System had reversed it, bringing him back with full stamina and health.

His heartbeat was still erratic, but now he knew exactly what was coming.

The monsters, unaware of what had just happened, circled him again, their golden eyes gleaming. They had no idea he had already fought this battle once.

Sai exhaled slowly.

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"Alright," he muttered under his breath, shifting his stance. "This time, I won't mess up."

He adjusted his grip on his daggers, watching carefully. He had made mistakes before—pushing his body too hard, letting his exhaustion catch up to him. But now he knew their patterns.

One of the creatures lunged.

Sai didn't move. Not yet.

Instead, he waited—a single heartbeat.

The moment its claw came down, he sidestepped at the last possible second, slipping just past its reach. A flicker of light caught his eye—the temporary weak spot glowing faintly along its exposed ribs.

There!

Sai lashed out, his dagger slicing straight through the glowing fracture.

The monster howled, stumbling back as black mist erupted from the wound. It tried to regenerate, but the damage was too deep.

One down.

The second one was already attacking.

This time, Sai didn't hesitate. He pivoted, ducking under its swipe and rolling behind it. The monster twisted its massive body, trying to keep up, but Sai was already moving faster than before.

He saw it again—another weak spot, this time along the back of its neck.

He drove his dagger in, the blade piercing deep. The creature convulsed, golden eyes flickering as it collapsed into dust.

The cavern fell silent.

Sai stood in the center of the battlefield, the last one standing.

For a long moment, he didn't move. His body expected another attack. His mind braced for another enemy.

But none came.

It was over.

He let out a slow breath, finally allowing himself to relax. His muscles ached, his lungs burned, but he was alive.

The System had saved him.

Then, the notification appeared.

[Trial Completed.]

[Lost Gate Synchronization: 15%]

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

[Effect: Grants a brief burst of movement that allows the user to blink forward up to five meters.]

Sai's eyes widened.

Another ability?

He instinctively focused on it, and a strange sensation pulsed through his body—as if the air around him had shifted slightly.

If he understood it correctly, this skill would allow him to teleport forward in short bursts. Not true teleportation, but an instantaneous movement boost.

That was invaluable.

He exhaled, testing it.

For a brief moment, his vision blurred, and the next thing he knew—he was standing five meters ahead of where he had been.

His stomach lurched, the sudden shift disorienting for a moment. But then his body adjusted, the sensation settling.

"This... is insane."

The Lost Gate System wasn't just showing him how to survive. It was evolving him.

The moment that realization sank in, another notification appeared.

[Warning: You have been detected.]

[An external force is attempting to locate you.]

[Exit immediately.]

Sai's entire body tensed.

His pulse pounded in his ears.

What?

For the first time since entering this dungeon, the System was warning him to leave.

Not giving him a choice.

Not offering an optional path.

A direct order.

Something—or someone—was trying to find him.

Sai didn't hesitate.

He turned on his heel and started running.

The ruins stretched endlessly before him, towering structures shrouded in mist. He had no idea where to go—but the System had said to exit.

Which meant—there had to be a way out.

He pushed himself forward, ignoring the dull ache in his limbs. His new ability, Abyssal Step, pulsed at the edge of his senses, just waiting to be activated.

He gritted his teeth and used it.

The world blurred—and suddenly he was five meters ahead.

The boost wasn't much, but it cut time off his escape.

Then, just as he turned a corner, a pressure slammed down on him.

A force so powerful, it nearly crushed him to the ground.

Sai choked, dropping to one knee. His lungs seized, his entire body locking up.

It felt like an ocean of weight had descended on him.

And then—a voice.

"I see you now."

Sai's entire body went cold.

The voice was deep, ancient, echoing through the cavern like a whisper carried on the wind.

It wasn't coming from the System.

It wasn't coming from anything he could see.

But it was watching him.

His instincts screamed at him to move—to run—but his body was still locked in place, the sheer weight of the presence holding him down.

Then—a flicker of movement.

Something in the mist.

A shadow—tall, towering, its form shifting as if it wasn't bound by the laws of reality.

Sai's fingers twitched, forcing his body to react.

Abyssal Step.

He activated it, blinking forward just as something massive slammed into the spot he had just been kneeling. The ground cracked, stone shattering beneath an unseen force.

Sai hit the ground hard, rolling to his feet as he scrambled to get away. His breath came in sharp gasps, his heart hammering against his ribs.

He didn't stop running.

The exit. He needed to find the exit.

The ruins blurred past him as he pushed his body to its absolute limit. The pressure was still there, but it was fading—whatever was watching him wasn't fully materialized yet.

That meant he still had time.

Then—light.

Ahead of him, a doorway shimmered in the darkness, its frame pulsing with blue energy.

Sai didn't think.

He dove through it.

The moment he crossed the threshold, the weight vanished. The pressure lifted.

And then—

Everything went dark.

Sai gasped as he came to, his entire body drenched in sweat.

He wasn't in the ruins anymore.

He was lying on solid ground, the air lighter, the mana flow normal again.

Slowly, he pushed himself up. He was in a cavern—a real one this time. No shifting structures. No ancient ruins. Just a regular, rocky cave.

The Lost Gate was gone.

The exit had worked.

Sai exhaled shakily.

He had survived.

But as he sat there, catching his breath, one thought kept ringing in his head.

That voice.

"I see you now."

Whatever he had awakened—whatever the Lost Gates were hiding—someone, or something, had just found him.

And now, it was watching.