Gacha Summoner: Pulled into Another World

Chapter 24: Into the Unknown

Chapter 24: Into the Unknown

The sun was high in the sky as Yuuji and his companions made their way through the dense forest. The journey ahead felt more daunting now, weighed down by the knowledge of the void and its unseen presence. They moved quickly, but the unease of being watched clung to them like a shadow, never far from their thoughts.

Yuuji led the way, his eyes scanning the path ahead while his mind wrestled with the encounter from the previous night. The figure’s cryptic warnings still haunted him. The void had felt impossibly vast, like a sentient emptiness that was far more than just another force they had to fight. It wasn’t simply destructive—it was patient, watchful, waiting for something. And that something involved him.

As they pressed onward, the knight strode up beside Yuuji, his armor clinking softly. “You’re awfully quiet,” he said, casting a sideways glance at Yuuji. “Still thinking about the void?”

Yuuji nodded. “It’s hard not to. We’ve been so focused on the chaos, I never even considered there might be something worse lurking in the background. But now… I can’t shake the feeling that we’re heading straight for it.”

The knight frowned but remained silent for a moment before speaking again. “Whatever it is, we’ll face it. We’ve come too far to let something like this stop us.”

Yuuji appreciated his determination, but there was a nagging doubt gnawing at the edges of his thoughts. What if the void wasn’t something they could fight? What if it was beyond their control, beyond the limits of their power?

As they approached the edge of the forest, the trees began to thin, revealing a vast open landscape that stretched as far as the eye could see. A crumbling city lay in the distance, half-covered in vines and overgrown vegetation. Ancient stone buildings and towers stood like silent sentinels, their surfaces weathered and worn by the passage of time.

“Is that…?” the archer asked, her voice trailing off as she gazed at the ruins.

“The Lost City of Kyr,” the mage replied softly. “It was said to be a place of immense knowledge, where scholars gathered to study the balance of magic and nature. But it was abandoned long ago when the chaos first began to spread.”

Yuuji’s pulse quickened. “There might be answers here,” he said, his voice full of hope. “If the scholars of Kyr studied the balance between chaos and order, maybe they learned something about the void too.”

The mage nodded. “It’s possible. But be careful. The city’s been abandoned for centuries. Who knows what’s waiting inside?”

With renewed purpose, they descended toward the ruins, the city’s ancient towers growing taller as they approached. The air felt thick, like it carried the weight of the past—of forgotten knowledge and long-buried secrets. The entrance to the city was guarded by two enormous stone statues, their faces worn smooth by time, but their imposing forms still radiated an aura of power.

As they stepped into the city, the world around them seemed to shift. The streets were eerily quiet, devoid of the usual sounds of nature. It was as if the city itself had fallen into a deep slumber, undisturbed for centuries. Vines twisted around broken buildings, and patches of moss covered the crumbling stone walkways. The silence was unsettling, as though the city was holding its breath.

“Stick together,” Yuuji warned, his eyes darting around for any sign of danger. “We don’t know what we’re walking into.”

The group moved cautiously through the winding streets, their footsteps echoing softly in the stillness. As they ventured deeper into the city, Yuuji could feel a strange energy pulsing in the air. It was faint but unmistakable—a hum that resonated with the Blade of Eterna at his side.

“This place…” the mage whispered, her eyes wide as she took in the surroundings. “There’s magic here. Old magic.”

Yuuji felt it too. The deeper they went, the stronger the presence became, like a low thrum beneath the surface of reality. He gripped the hilt of the Blade, its faint glow pulsating in response to the energy.

They eventually arrived at a large, circular plaza at the heart of the city. In the center stood an enormous stone obelisk, its surface covered in ancient runes and symbols. The obelisk seemed to hum with power, a quiet energy that rippled through the air around them.

“This must be the central point of the city’s magic,” the mage said, approaching the obelisk with cautious reverence. “It’s like a conduit, drawing energy from the world around it.”

Yuuji stepped closer, examining the runes carved into the stone. Some were familiar—symbols of order and balance that he had seen in the ancient texts of Eterna. But others were completely foreign, strange markings that seemed to twist and shift when he looked at them too long.

“What do you make of this?” he asked, glancing at the mage.

She studied the runes closely, her brow furrowing in concentration. “These symbols… they’re not just about balance. Some of them represent the void—emptiness, absence. This obelisk might hold the key to understanding the connection between chaos and the void.”

Yuuji felt a surge of hope. “Then maybe this is it. Maybe we can learn how to stop the void from spreading.”

But before he could speak further, a low rumble echoed through the plaza. The ground beneath their feet trembled, and the air grew heavy with a dark, suffocating energy. Yuuji’s instincts flared—something was coming.

“Get back!” Yuuji shouted, drawing the Blade of Eterna.

The obelisk pulsed with an ominous light, and from the shadows of the crumbling buildings, figures began to emerge—creatures born of chaos, their forms twisted and nightmarish. They moved with unnatural speed, their eyes glowing with malevolent energy.

“They’ve been waiting,” the knight growled, unsheathing his sword.

Yuuji’s heart pounded as he faced the oncoming threat. These creatures were different from the chaos beasts they had fought before. There was something darker about them—something that felt connected to the void.

The battle erupted in a blur of steel and magic. The knight’s sword flashed in the sunlight as he cleaved through the first wave of creatures, while the archer loosed arrow after arrow with deadly precision. The mage’s staff crackled with arcane energy as she unleashed bolts of magic that tore through the enemy ranks.

But despite their efforts, the creatures kept coming, their numbers seemingly endless. Yuuji fought alongside his companions, the Blade of Eterna glowing brightly as it cut through the chaotic forms. But even as he struck down the creatures, the dark energy in the air grew stronger, suffocating.

“There’s no end to them!” the archer shouted, her voice strained as she fired another arrow into the horde.

Yuuji’s breath came in ragged gasps as he parried a blow from one of the creatures, his muscles aching from the exertion. They were being overwhelmed.

Suddenly, a blinding flash of light erupted from the obelisk, and everything went still. The creatures froze in place, their forms dissolving into wisps of shadow. The oppressive energy in the air vanished, leaving only silence.

Yuuji stood panting, the Blade of Eterna still pulsing in his hand. “What… just happened?”

The mage stared at the obelisk, her face pale. “I think… I think the city’s magic just protected us.”

Yuuji glanced at the obelisk, its runes glowing faintly. But as relief washed over him, a chill ran down his spine. They might have survived the attack, but the void was still out there—watching.

And Yuuji knew this was only the beginning.