Gacha Summoner: Pulled into Another World

Chapter 15: The Weight of Destiny

**Chapter 15: The Weight of Destiny**

The night in the village was calm, but Yuuji couldn't find peace. After the battle with the Forgotten One, the realization of what they were truly up against gnawed at him. Lying in the small bed of the inn, he stared at the ceiling, his thoughts tangled in a web of uncertainty. The Blade of Eterna, resting against the wall nearby, hummed softly, a constant reminder of the weight of his responsibility.

Suddenly, a soft knock sounded at the door.

"Yuuji? You awake?" It was the mage’s voice, quiet but clear.

Yuuji sat up and called out, "Yeah, come in."

The door creaked open, and the mage stepped inside. Her usual composure was gone, replaced by a look of unease that mirrored Yuuji’s own. She closed the door softly behind her and leaned against the frame, her arms crossed.

“I can’t sleep either,” she admitted, her eyes flickering toward the Blade of Eterna. “There’s too much on my mind.”

Yuuji nodded. “The Forgotten One wasn’t just some fluke. There’s something bigger at work here. The way you said it… that this isn’t the only entity out there. What did you mean?”

The mage sighed, walking over to the small table by the window and sitting down. “When we fought the Forgotten One, I felt it. The energy it wielded… it’s not just from this world. It’s connected to something far beyond, something… ancient and forgotten, even to us. The entities like the Forgotten One are part of a larger puzzle. They were sealed by gods long gone, but I don’t think the seals are breaking on their own.”

Yuuji furrowed his brow. “You think someone—or something—is doing this on purpose?”

She nodded. “I do. I don’t know who or what yet, but I can feel it. There’s a force out there, a power seeking to release these ancient beings. Maybe it’s greed, maybe it’s revenge, or maybe it’s something else entirely. But we’ve stirred the waters, and now we’re part of whatever is coming.”

Yuuji stood, pacing across the room. “So what do we do? We can’t just go from dungeon to dungeon, sealing away every ancient entity that wakes up. There has to be a way to stop this at the source.”

“That’s what worries me,” she said softly. “There might not be a ‘source’ we can stop. This might be the world’s natural cycle—times of peace followed by times of chaos. But we need more information. We can’t fight blind.”

Yuuji’s thoughts raced. He had hoped that their victory over the Forgotten One would bring some relief, some time to regroup and recover. But now, it seemed like that battle was only a prelude to something far worse. If there were other entities out there, and if someone was behind their awakening…

“There’s someone out there who knows more than we do,” Yuuji said, his voice firm. “Someone who has been planning this for a long time. We need to find out who.”

The mage gave him a faint smile. “That’s what I was thinking too. There are places—old libraries, temples, and ruins—that might hold the answers. We should start by searching for the lost histories. They’ll tell us more about what these entities are, and why they were sealed away in the first place.”

Yuuji stopped pacing and looked at her. “Where do we start?”

She stood up, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “There’s a place not far from here, on the edge of the eastern mountains. It’s called the Temple of Eternum, a place where scholars once studied the old gods and the forces of the Abyss. If there’s any record of the seals and the entities, it’ll be there.”

Yuuji nodded. “Then we head there next. The sooner we understand what we’re dealing with, the better.”

---

The following morning, the group gathered in the village square. Morikawa, the village elder, had seen them off with a mixture of gratitude and worry. Word had spread about their battle in the dungeon, and while the villagers were thankful, they could sense that this was not the end.

As they mounted their horses, Yuuji turned to his companions. The knight was already clad in fresh armor, his shield gleaming once more. The archer seemed back to her usual, energetic self, but her eyes held a seriousness that hadn’t been there before.

“You sure you’re ready for this?” Yuuji asked.

The knight grunted. “We’ve come this far. No turning back now.”

The archer grinned, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “Ready as I’ll ever be. If there’s more trouble out there, we’ll face it head-on.”

With that, they set off toward the eastern mountains, leaving the village behind. The road was long, winding through fields of tall grass and scattered trees. The sun climbed higher in the sky as they rode, but the tension in the air never quite lifted.

As they traveled, Yuuji kept thinking about what the mage had said the night before. The Blade of Eterna had been silent since their victory over the Forgotten One, but he knew it was far from finished with him. The whispers of its previous wielders still echoed in his mind, and he could feel the sword’s pull, urging him forward.

As they neared the foothills of the mountains, the landscape began to change. The air grew cooler, and the grass gave way to rocky terrain. In the distance, the towering peaks of the eastern range loomed, shrouded in mist. Somewhere within those mountains lay the Temple of Eternum, their next destination.

After a few more hours of riding, they reached the base of the mountains. A narrow path led upward, winding between jagged rocks and steep cliffs. It was treacherous, but the group pressed on, determined to reach the temple before nightfall.

By the time they neared the entrance to the temple, the sun was setting, casting long shadows over the rugged landscape. The temple itself was carved into the side of the mountain, its massive stone doors weathered by centuries of wind and rain. Ancient runes were etched into the stone, their meanings long forgotten by the people of the present world.

The knight dismounted, drawing his sword as he surveyed the area. “Looks quiet. Too quiet.”

The mage stepped forward, examining the runes. “This place has been abandoned for centuries. The scholars who once lived here are long gone, but their knowledge may still remain.”

Yuuji nodded, gripping the Blade of Eterna. “Then let’s see what we can find.”

As they pushed open the heavy doors, the cold air from within the temple washed over them. The interior was dark and musty, the faint scent of decay lingering in the air. Dust-covered shelves lined the walls, filled with crumbling scrolls and ancient tomes. Statues of long-forgotten gods stood silently in the shadows, their eyes watching as the group entered.

But as Yuuji took a step inside, the Blade of Eterna pulsed in his hand, its light flickering faintly.

Something was here. Something… watching.

He looked back at his companions, his voice barely a whisper. “Be ready. We’re not alone.”

And with that, the ancient temple welcomed them into its depths, and the next chapter of their journey began.