Gacha Summoner: Pulled into Another World

Chapter 8: The Path of Shadows

**Chapter 8: The Path of Shadows**

The path that lay before Yuuji and his companions was a narrow, winding corridor, carved out of dark stone and dimly lit by torches flickering with eerie blue flames. It felt like they were descending into something deeper—into a place where light had long been forgotten.

Yuuji’s footsteps echoed off the walls as they ventured into the unknown. The Blade of Eterna hummed faintly at his side, its power still resonating with the ancient spirits they had just faced. He could feel its warmth, a constant reminder that the blade had chosen him, but the weight of responsibility was starting to press down on him.

The air grew colder as they moved further into the corridor, and the silence was suffocating. No more ethereal halls, no more ancient murals—just a tunnel that seemed to spiral downwards into darkness. Yuuji’s thoughts churned. Every step they took felt like it was leading them deeper into the heart of something terrible.

“Master,” the knight said, his voice low but steady. “We’re being watched.”

Yuuji glanced around, but the shadows remained still. “By what?”

The archer, eyes sharp, scanned the corridor ahead. “I can’t see anything, but there’s a presence… something lurking just beyond our reach.”

Yuuji tightened his grip on the Blade of Eterna. The sensation of being watched crept up his spine, like icy fingers trailing down his back. Whatever was waiting for them, it was patient—biding its time.

They continued forward in silence, every step heavier than the last. The tension in the air thickened until it was almost unbearable. And then, without warning, the torches lining the walls began to flicker wildly, casting chaotic shadows that danced and twisted as though alive.

The mage raised her staff, her voice trembling with concentration. “This isn’t normal. Something’s manipulating the shadows.”

Before Yuuji could respond, the corridor ahead of them erupted in a swirl of darkness. The shadows detached themselves from the walls, coalescing into humanoid forms with glowing red eyes and twisted, distorted limbs. They were silent, save for the faint hiss of their movements as they slid closer.

Yuuji’s heart raced. “Get ready! These things—whatever they are—aren’t friendly.”

The shadowy figures moved with unnatural speed, their limbs flowing like liquid as they lunged forward. The knight was the first to react, raising his shield to block a sweeping strike from one of the creatures. The impact was jarring, but the knight held his ground, pushing the creature back with a powerful slash of his sword.

Yuuji swung the Blade of Eterna, the ancient weapon cutting through the air with a faint hum. His strike met one of the shadow creatures, and the blade’s radiant energy seared through its dark form, dissipating it into a cloud of black mist.

“They’re weak to the blade!” Yuuji shouted, pressing the attack. He had barely a moment to catch his breath before another creature darted towards him, its jagged claws reaching for his throat.

The archer let loose a flurry of arrows, each one imbued with a faint, magical glow. The arrows struck true, piercing through the shadows and causing them to recoil, though not fully disintegrating them.

“They’re tough!” she said through gritted teeth. “But they can’t regenerate if we hit them fast enough.”

The mage unleashed a blast of fire, illuminating the corridor in a bright flare of orange and red. The fire swallowed the shadow creatures, their twisted forms writhing in agony as they were consumed by the light.