CHAPTER 181: GATE

Merlin stayed seated for a moment, letting the hum of the system fade into the background. He didn’t need it screaming reminders at him; he already knew the clock was running down.

Eight hours until the Tier-Gate opened.

Eight hours to get himself ready, mentally and physically.

Eight hours until hell could walk through the city’s southern border.

’And I’m spending the first of those hours staring at my desk like an idiot.’

He stood, pushing away from the chair, and crossed to the small wardrobe in the corner. His hand hovered over the clasp for a moment before pulling it open. Inside were his essentials, plain, well-used gear from the academy’s supply lines, and the less-official pieces he’d acquired on his own.

From the bottom shelf, he pulled out a compact leather satchel and began packing.

Two potion vials, one healing, one stamina.

A rolled length of enchanted wire, good for restraining things that didn’t bleed.

And tucked into a hidden side pocket, a slim black dagger he’d taken from the Labyrinth.

He checked its edge with his thumb. Still sharp enough to cut air.

The system flickered again.

[Inventory Check: 82% Optimal Loadout]

[Recommendation: Upgrade Weapon Slot – Primary]

Merlin snorted. "You got a spare lying around?"

The system didn’t answer, it never did to sarcasm.

He slid the dagger into the inside sheath of his coat and strapped the satchel across his back. No heavy armor, no bulky weapons.

The Tier-Gate wasn’t going to be a test of endurance; it was going to be about speed and precision. And if the wrong thing slipped through... he’d have to kill it before it could even see him.

—

The sun was already sliding lower when Merlin made it back to the training field. Nathan was there again, shirt clinging to him from drills, but not sparring with anyone.

"You’re early," Nathan said, wiping his forehead with his sleeve.

"Needed to see how you recover after a morning session."

"That’s code for ’I want to beat you up twice in one day,’ isn’t it?"

Merlin shrugged. "You’re the one showing up."

Nathan laughed, but there was an edge to it this time. "You’ve got that look again."

"What look?"

"The one that means something’s going to happen, and you’re not telling me until we’re in the middle of it."

Merlin just gave him a faint smile. "You’ll find out soon enough."

Nathan shook his head, muttering something under his breath, but still took up position across from him.

This time, their sparring wasn’t as drawn out. Merlin’s movements were sharper, more surgical. Nathan was good, really good, but every time he adjusted, Merlin was already in his space, disrupting his stance, forcing his guard open.

By the fourth exchange, Nathan just stepped back, breathing hard.

"Alright, I’m not getting anywhere like this today."

"You’re improving," Merlin said.

"You’re lying."

Merlin didn’t bother to deny it.

—

They left together, splitting near the market district again. Merlin didn’t linger among the stalls this time; he knew exactly which vendor had what he needed. A set of reinforced gloves, fine weave but lined with steel thread for grip and light blocking. He handed over the coins without haggling and slipped them on, flexing his fingers.

[Gear Upgrade – Primary Slot: +2 Handling]

[Combat Efficiency – Close Quarters: +5%]

’Better than nothing.’

He moved through the city like it was just another afternoon, but his mind kept circling back to the same thought. Morgana had given him permission, in her own way, but that wasn’t what stuck with him. It was the way she’d said trust is expensive.

The kind of expensive you didn’t pay with money.

—

By the time he made it back to the apartment, the shadows had lengthened and the air was cooling. Nathan was in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with a mug of something steaming.

"You’re going out tonight," Nathan said without looking up.

Merlin stilled halfway through hanging his coat. "Why do you say that?"

"Because you’re packing light and your face says you’re not planning to sleep."

Merlin almost smiled. "You’re not wrong."

Nathan set his mug down and crossed his arms. "Then take me with you."

"Not this time."

"That’s not a reason."

Merlin glanced at him, weighing whether to say more. "It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s that if you’re with me, I’ll have to slow down. And if I slow down, we might both end up dead."

That shut Nathan up for a second. He didn’t like it, that much was obviousc but he didn’t argue again. Just gave a short nod. "Fine. But you come back in one piece."

—

Merlin’s room was dim, lit only by the strip of moonlight sneaking past the blinds. He sat on the edge of his bed, gloves resting on his knees, listening to the quiet. No system alerts. No new pings from the white-haired man. Just stillness.

’Eight hours. Probably less by now.’

He lay back, not to sleep, but to let his muscles relax. When the fighting started, there’d be no pause, no room for fatigue.

The city outside went on like nothing was coming, like the southern quadrant wasn’t about to open its veins to whatever was pushing on the other side.

—

[Five hours until gate activation]

The system’s alert woke him from the shallow half-sleep he’d managed. He was on his feet in seconds, coat on, satchel over his shoulder. Nathan’s door was shut; the faint sound of him moving around inside drifted through the wall, but Merlin didn’t knock.

He left without a sound.

The streets were quieter now, lanterns throwing their uneven light across cobblestones. He kept his pace casual, but every step carried him closer to the quadrant’s outer ring.

—

The southern watchtower came into view as he crested the last hill. It was built for function, not beauty, all angular stone and steel-reinforced gates. Beyond it, the Tier-Gate’s containment zone glowed faintly, like a stretched skin of light over an invisible wound.

Morgana was already there, flanked by a team of six academy guards. She spotted him before he reached them, eyes narrowing slightly.

"You’re early," she said.

"You said I had until tonight."

"This is barely tonight."

He let the comment pass. "Any changes?"

She shook her head. "Stability readings are holding, but the frequency spikes are getting closer together. When it breaches, it’s going to be sudden."

Merlin glanced past her, at the containment field. The glow seemed thicker now, like something was pressing from the other side.

[Warning: Rift Pressure Increase – 18% Above Predicted]

[Estimated Breach Time: 3h 12m]

’Faster than expected.’

He looked back at Morgana. "We might not have eight hours after all."

Her lips curvedc not in surprise, but in acknowledgment. "Then you’d better make the most of the time we do have."

—

The next three hours were a cycle of patrols, positioning, and watching that shimmering field like it might shatter at any second. Merlin kept to the outer edge, checking his gear between sweeps. The guards didn’t question him; Morgana had made sure of that.

The system stayed quiet until the last thirty minutes.

[Gate Status: Unstable]

[Breach Probability: 94%]

[Primary Threat Prediction: Unknown Class]

’Unknown is never good.’

The containment field pulsed, once, twice, and then held. Merlin’s grip tightened on his blade. Around him, the guards shifted uneasily.

Morgana’s voice cut through the tense air. "Positions. Now."

—

The first crack in the field sounded like glass under strain.

The second came with a ripple, and the light warped inward.

Merlin’s muscles coiled, every instinct telling him the moment was here.

The third crack was the last.

The containment field ruptured in absolute silence, and then the air itself seemed to tear. Something dark and massive began to push through.

Merlin moved before anyone else did.

He closed the distance in three strides, the dagger already in his hand. The thing coming through wasn’t fully formed yet, more a smear of shadow and muscle than a clear shape, but it was moving fast, like it already knew where the weak points were.

One of the guards shouted. Another raised a spear. Too slow.

Merlin went low, sliding under the swing of a claw that wasn’t there a heartbeat ago, the air buzzing against his ear as it passed. His blade cut across whatever counted as the creature’s leg, not deep, but enough to make it stumble.

’Not invulnerable. Good.’

The system flickered in the corner of his vision.

[Entity Classification: Tier-4 Aberrant]

[Recommended Action: Disrupt Before Full Materialization]

"No kidding," he muttered.

The rest of it was forcing its way through now, head, shoulders, something like a spine bristling with jagged protrusions. The guards formed a line, Morgana stepping in front without hesitation, her whip crackling with red arcs.

She lashed out, and the thing actually recoiled, skin blistering where the whip struck. That gave Merlin his opening.

He darted in from the side, planting his foot on the creature’s knee joint, if that’s what it was, and drove the dagger toward the seam of its jaw.

Black ichor hissed as it hit the ground. The smell was sharp and chemical, burning the back of his throat.

’If this is just the first one through, the rest of the night’s going to be hell.’

The creature roared, not with sound, but with a vibration that rattled his teeth. He forced himself to hold on, twisting the dagger before kicking back to the ground.

The system pinged again.

[Structural Integrity of Target: 62%]

[Warning: Rift Expansion Detected – Secondary Breach Imminent]

"Perfect," Merlin said under his breath.

Morgana shot him a glance, sharp, quick, then back to the fight. The second ripple was already forming in the air behind the first monster.

’We’re not stopping at one tonight.’