Sai's grip on his daggers tightened as he faced the group of hunters standing before him. The man in
silver battle armor
stood at the front, his presence heavy and commanding. His greatsword rested across his back, but Sai could tell by his stance that he was more than capable of drawing it in an instant.
Behind him, at least
five other hunters
spread out in a loose formation. They weren't assassins like the Order, but they weren't ordinary hunters either. Their movements were
calculated
, their weapons already drawn.
A trained team.
The moment the masked assassin had disappeared into the forest, Sai had known
something worse was coming.
"You're coming with us,"
the armored man repeated, his eyes locked onto Sai.
Sai didn't move. His mind raced through his options.
A direct fight was out of the question.
He was already exhausted from the encounter with the Order, and these hunters were clearly well-trained.
"You're making a mistake,"
Sai said, his voice steady.
The man's brow arched slightly.
"Am I?"
"I don't work for the Order, and I'm not a threat to the Guilds."
"Then you won't mind answering a few questions."
Sai exhaled through his nose. He could already tell—
this wasn't a request.
They weren't here to negotiate.
They were here to
take him.
The hunters
moved first.
Sai barely had time to react before two of them
rushed forward
, cutting off any escape route. One swung a curved blade toward his side—Sai dodged, pivoting on his heel, but the second hunter was already behind him. A heavy
gauntlet-clad fist
slammed into his ribs.
Pain exploded through Sai's side as he stumbled back.
They were fast.
Too fast.
He tried to activate
Abyssal Step
, but the moment his body began to shift—
A
pulse of mana
surged through the air.
Sai felt
something clamp down on his movements
—his vision flickered, his step
cancelled.
His stomach dropped.
Anti-teleportation magic.
They had prepared for him.
Sai barely had a second to recover before the armored man was suddenly
in front of him.
His
hand closed around Sai's throat
, lifting him off the ground with ease.
"Enough,"
the man said.
Sai gritted his teeth, struggling against his grip.
"You're not leaving this forest unless it's with us,"
the man continued, his voice calm.
"You can fight, or you can listen. Choose."
Sai's mind raced.
He couldn't escape.
Not now.
His best option...
was to listen.
Slowly, he relaxed his body, signaling
compliance.
The armored man studied him for a moment, then released his grip.
Sai dropped to the ground, coughing.
"Smart choice,"
the man said.
"Now walk."
They led Sai
through the forest
, their formation tight, making sure he had no chance to run. The trip lasted for
hours
, moving away from the Lost Gate's location. Sai memorized the path, every landmark, every possible exit—
just in case.
Eventually, they arrived at a
temporary encampment
, hidden deep in the woods.
Multiple hunters
moved around the camp, sharpening weapons, tending to supplies.
A full
Guild operation.
Sai's gaze swept across the area. These weren't just random hunters—
they were from an elite unit.
One of the hunters nudged him forward.
"Keep moving."
Sai followed them toward the center of the camp, where a
reinforced tent
stood. The armored man stepped inside first, motioning for Sai to follow.
Sai entered, his senses on high alert.
Inside, a
map
was spread across a wooden table, marked with
locations of Lost Gates.
Sai's eyes narrowed.
"You've been tracking them."
The armored man glanced at the map, then back at Sai.
"We don't have time for games. What do you know about these dungeons?"
Sai remained silent for a moment.
Then, he spoke.
"More than you do."
The man's expression remained unreadable.
"Then I suggest you start talking."
For the next
hour
, Sai sat across from the hunters as they questioned him.
They wanted to know
everything
—how he found the Lost Gate, what happened inside, what he had seen.
Sai told them
half-truths
.
He spoke about the dungeon's ruins, about the ancient carvings, about the
strange time distortions
. But he didn't mention
the Abyss
, or the
golden-eyed entity
that had spoken to him.
He could tell they were already on edge.
Then, the armored man leaned forward.
"We have reason to believe the Order is covering something up."
Sai didn't react, but his heart
pounded.
"They've been erasing Lost Gates for years,"
the man continued.
"But lately, something's changed."
Sai frowned.
"Changed how?"
"The dungeons aren't disappearing anymore."
Sai's breath caught.
"What?"
"Gates that should have collapsed are staying open,"
the man said.
"And the creatures inside are
getting stronger.
"
Sai clenched his fists.
This wasn't just about
him
.
The
world itself
was changing.
The Lost Gates weren't being erased anymore.
The Abyss was waking up.
Before Sai could respond, a loud
horn blast
echoed through the camp.
Instantly, the hunters
snapped to attention.
"What now?"
the armored man muttered, rising to his feet.
Sai's instincts flared.
Something was
wrong.
The tent flap burst open. A hunter ran in, his face pale.
"Sir, we have incoming!"
The armored man stiffened.
"What kind?"
The hunter swallowed hard.
"It's not the Order."
Sai's body tensed.
The
only other thing that hunted him was—
A deep, guttural
roar
shook the camp.
Sai's blood ran cold.
That
wasn't human.
Outside, the hunters scrambled into position, weapons raised. The trees at the edge of the camp
shuddered violently
.
And then—
it emerged.
A
creature unlike anything Sai had seen before.
Towering, covered in
blackened scales
, its limbs unnaturally long, its eyes glowing with
golden light.
It looked
almost human.
But it wasn't.
It was
something born from the Abyss.
And it had
come for him.