Hunter of the Lost Gates-Chapter 17 - : The Abyss Strikes

Sai barely had time to process the sight before the creature lunged.

It moved impossibly fast for something its size. One moment, it was at the tree line—the next, it was inside the camp, tearing through tents and sending hunters scattering.

Sai rolled to the side as a massive clawed hand smashed into the ground where he had been standing. The force of the impact sent a shockwave through the dirt, kicking up dust and debris.

The hunters reacted instantly.

"Hold the line!" the armored leader roared, drawing his greatsword. The massive blade hummed with mana energy as he charged.

Sai took a moment to analyze the creature.

It was tall, humanoid in shape but distorted, its body shifting unnaturally as if reality itself was struggling to contain it. Its eyes glowed golden—just like the entity Sai had seen in the Abyss.

This wasn't just a monster.

This was something from the Abyss itself.

And it had come for him.

The Battle Begins

The hunters moved as a unit, their attacks coordinated. The archer loosed a barrage of mana-infused arrows, each one aimed for the creature's joints. The spear-wielder struck from the side, her weapon glowing as she aimed for a vital point.

But the creature was unnaturally fast.

It twisted its body, dodging half the attacks with inhuman reflexes. The arrows barely sank into its flesh before being absorbed into its shifting form.

Sai cursed. Physical attacks wouldn't be enough.

The armored leader closed the distance, bringing his greatsword down with immense force. The ground split apart from the sheer impact—but the creature caught the blade with one hand.

Sai's eyes widened.

The greatsword shuddered as black mist curled around it. The creature snapped its wrist—and the massive weapon shattered.

"What—?" the armored man stumbled back, shock flickering across his face.

The creature didn't hesitate.

It swiped its arm across the battlefield, sending the spear-wielder and another hunter flying into the treeline.

Sai knew then—this wasn't a battle they could win conventionally.

They needed a different approach.

And he had one advantage.

Sai's Counterattack

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

He activated Abyssal Step, blinking behind the creature before it could react.

His dagger sank into its side.

For a moment, the attack connected—but then the shadows in its body absorbed the blow, and the wound sealed instantly.

Sai gritted his teeth.

"Of course it wouldn't be that easy."

The creature twisted, its golden eyes locking onto him. Sai barely managed to dodge as a clawed hand swiped toward his chest. The sheer wind pressure sent him skidding backward.

He exhaled sharply.

If normal weapons wouldn't work...

Then maybe something else would.

Abyssal Grasp.

He reached for the shadows around him—and for the first time, they responded instantly.

Dark tendrils shot from the ground, wrapping around the creature's legs.

It faltered—just for a second.

But it was enough.

The archer fired a charged mana arrow straight into its glowing eye.

The creature roared, stumbling backward, clutching its face.

Sai didn't hesitate.

He surged forward, both daggers aimed for its throat.

But just as his blades were about to connect—

The creature moved.

The Abyss Awakens

One moment, the battlefield was chaos.

The next—everything stopped.

The air twisted, as if the world itself had glitched.

Then—the creature's body shifted.

Its golden eyes snapped toward Sai—and suddenly, he was somewhere else.

The battlefield was gone.

He stood in a void of endless black mist, the whispers of the Abyss crawling into his thoughts.

And before him...

Was the golden-eyed entity from before.

"You are not ready."

The voice was inside his head.

"But you are awakening."

Sai tried to move—but his body refused to respond.

The entity stepped forward, shadows curling around it.

"Each time you open a Lost Gate, you bring us closer."

Sai gritted his teeth. "Who are you?"

"We are what remains."

The golden light in its eyes intensified.

"And soon, you will be too."

The world snapped back into place.

The Aftermath

Sai gasped for breath, stumbling backward. He was back in the real world, the creature collapsing before him.

Its golden eyes dimmed, its body shuddering before disintegrating into black mist.

The hunters stood frozen, weapons still raised.

"What... was that?" one of them whispered.

The armored leader turned toward Sai, eyes sharp.

"You knew."

Sai clenched his fists.

"No," he admitted. "But I think I'm starting to understand."

This wasn't just a dungeon threat.

The Abyss was waking up.

And he was the one pulling it back into the world.