Chapter 24: Battle at the Hidden Gate
The hunters descended from the hills.
Boots struck stone as figures in dark armor moved through the valley, surrounding the hidden World Gate from every direction.
Their weapons carried the same strange symbol Evan had seen before—the mark of those who had hunted Fourfold Travelers for generations.
Evan stood before the Gate with his dagger in hand.
Kaela stood beside him.
Ronan and Liora positioned themselves a short distance behind them, while Silas watched the surrounding hills carefully.
Mira remained near the Gate, her eyes fixed on the approaching hunters.
“They won’t stop until they have Evan,” she said.
Evan tightened his grip on his dagger.
He looked at the hunters surrounding them.
“Then they chose the wrong person to chase.”
The nearest hunter suddenly charged.
Evan moved.
His natural red eyes remained unchanged as he stepped aside from the attack.
His dagger struck the hunter’s weapon, knocking it away from its original path.
Before the hunter could recover, Evan kicked him backward.
Another hunter attacked from the left.
Kaela stepped in immediately.
Her weapon blocked the strike.
“Watch your side!”
Evan turned and pushed the attacker away.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
Three more hunters rushed forward.
Ronan stepped between them.
“Stay together!”
His sword met the first attack with a sharp clash.
Liora raised one hand.
A burst of elemental magic struck the ground in front of the other hunters, forcing them to retreat.
The valley quickly became a battlefield.
Weapons clashed.
Magic filled the air.
Dust rose from the ground as both sides moved across the ancient valley.
But Evan noticed something.
The hunters weren’t attacking randomly.
They were moving with purpose.
Every few seconds, another hunter shifted position.
They weren’t trying to defeat everyone.
They were trying to surround him.
Evan’s eyes narrowed.
“They’re separating us.”
Kaela immediately understood.
“Then don’t let them.”
She moved closer to Evan.
The two fought side by side.
A hunter swung his weapon toward Evan.
Kaela blocked it.
Another hunter attacked her from behind.
Evan stepped forward and knocked the weapon away.
Neither of them needed to give instructions.
They were beginning to understand each other’s movements naturally.
Evan smiled.
“We make a good team.”
Kaela glanced at him.
“Don’t get distracted.”
“I’m not.”
“You were smiling.”
Evan blinked.
“Was I?”
Kaela shook her head.
“Focus.”
Evan laughed quietly.
Then a powerful attack struck the ground.
The impact sent both of them backward.
Evan rolled across the stone before quickly standing.
His Fourfold mark began glowing beneath his clothes.
He knew he needed more power.
But he remembered the warnings.
Don’t use all four elements at once.
Evan took a breath.
He raised one hand.
Fire gathered around his fingers.
His red eyes changed to a fiery orange-red.
Flames rushed forward.
Several hunters raised their weapons, but the force of the attack pushed them backward.
Evan released the fire and immediately stopped. The source of this chapter is g.com.
The flames disappeared.
His eyes returned to their natural red.
Kaela noticed.
“You stopped before your mana dropped too far.”
Evan nodded.
“I’m learning.”
Another hunter approached.
Evan raised his other hand.
Water gathered around his arm.
His eyes changed from red to deep blue.
A stream of water struck the ground and spread across the battlefield, creating a barrier between the hunters and Ronan, Liora, and Mira.
Liora looked at Evan.
“That was precise.”
Evan smiled.
“I’m trying something different.”
Instead of using more power, he was using only what he needed.
The battle continued.
Then the hunters suddenly stepped aside.
Their leader walked forward.
He wore heavier armor than the others and carried a long weapon marked with the same strange symbol.
He looked directly at Evan.
“So the Fourfold has already learned to control multiple elements.”
Evan lowered his hand.
“You seem to know a lot about me.”
“We’ve studied the Fourfold for generations.”
“Then you should know I’m not going with you.”
The leader raised his weapon.
“We don’t need you willingly.”
He attacked.
Evan blocked the strike with his dagger.
The impact forced him several steps backward.
His eyes narrowed.
The leader was much stronger than the other hunters.
Evan switched elements.
Lightning surrounded his body.
His eyes changed from red to bright gold.
His movements accelerated.
He disappeared from the leader’s sight for a moment and struck from the side.
The leader barely blocked the attack.
Evan attacked again.
The leader stopped the dagger.
“You’ve improved.”
Evan frowned.
“Compared to who?”
The leader smiled.
“Elias.”
Evan froze.
Only for half a second.
But it was enough.
The leader’s weapon struck Evan’s shoulder.
Evan stumbled backward.
“Evan!”
Kaela rushed toward him.
Evan steadied himself.
“I’m okay.”
The leader lowered his weapon slightly.
“Elias made the same mistake.”
Evan looked at him.
“What mistake?”
The leader’s expression became cold.
“Trusting people.”
Kaela stepped forward.
“That’s enough.”
She attacked.
The leader blocked her strike.
Evan moved beside her.
Together, they pushed the leader backward.
For the first time, the hunter’s expression changed.
He hadn’t expected them to work together so well.
Then—
The hidden World Gate began glowing.
Mira turned toward it.
“Something’s wrong.”
Silas immediately looked over.
“The Gate is opening.”
Evan stared.
“We didn’t activate it.”
Mira shook her head.
“That’s the problem.”
Fire.
Water.
Lightning.
Darkness.
The entire structure trembled.
Then the Gate opened.
The strange world beyond it became visible once again.
A black sky stretched endlessly beyond the opening.
Floating islands drifted through the darkness.
Ancient structures stood upon them, their surfaces covered with enormous symbols.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then something appeared in the distance.
A huge shadow moved between the floating islands.
It was too far away to identify.
But it was enormous.
Everyone stopped fighting.
Even the hunters stared at the Gate.
The leader slowly lowered his weapon.
“What is that?”
Mira’s face became pale.
“I don’t know.”
The shadow moved closer.
The Gate shook violently.
Evan’s Fourfold mark burned.
He grabbed his chest.
His eyes briefly changed.
Red.
Then violet-black.
Then back to red.
He took a step toward the Gate.
Kaela grabbed his arm.
“Don’t.”
Evan looked at her.
“I’m not going inside.”
“Then stay here.”
Evan nodded.
The shadow suddenly stopped.
For one terrifying moment, it seemed to be looking directly through the Gate at them.
Then—
It disappeared.
The Gate slammed shut.
Silence returned to the valley.
Nobody spoke.
The hunters looked at one another.
Their leader finally turned toward his people.
“Retreat.”
The hunters began moving away.
Evan stared at them in confusion.
“You’re just leaving?”
The leader looked back.
“We came for the Fourfold.”
His eyes shifted toward the closed Gate.
“But we didn’t come prepared for that.”
He turned away.
Within moments, the hunters disappeared into the mountains.
Ronan slowly lowered his sword.
“What was that thing?”
Nobody answered.
Liora looked toward the Gate.
“I’ve never felt mana like that before.”
Silas remained silent.
Mira finally spoke.
“Elias may have known.”
Evan looked at her.
“Then we need to find him.”
Mira nodded.
“But first, we need to understand what we saw.”
Evan looked toward Kaela.
She met his eyes.
“Together.”
Evan smiled.
The battle was over.
But the mystery had grown even larger.
Something existed beyond the hidden World Gate.
Something powerful enough to frighten even the Fourfold Hunters.
And somewhere in the unknown world beyond that Gate, the truth about Elias was waiting.