Ardhis's expression slowly darkened. Noticing this, Merlin asked cautiously, "Is something wrong?"

Ardhis shook his head. "It's not just a problem—it's a terrible disaster."

Merlin's expression immediately turned serious. He straightened up and asked, "What happened?"

Ardhis took a deep breath before explaining, "A month ago, a terrible disaster occurred. In the central region of the continent, specifically the Havenor area, a massive crack suddenly appeared. It not only split the ground apart but also filled a hundred-kilometer radius with poisonous gas. It's said the gas came from the crack itself, but the cause of its formation is still unknown."

Hearing this, Merlin was so shocked that his body trembled.

'A crack in the middle of the continent? Don't tell me it's a Sky Wing Crack.' His heart pounded wildly.

A Sky Wing Crack, as its name suggested, was a crack that spread like wings across hundreds of kilometers.

In the novel, it appeared in the seventh volume.

According to the original timeline, it should have appeared four or five years later.

Yet it had suddenly appeared now—even before the academy arc began.

'System, what's going on? This world is becoming more and more unpredictable. I'm worried my knowledge of the novel won't be useful anymore,' Merlin whispered, narrowing his eyes.

Aside from the system and Lyserra, his knowledge of the novel's plot was his greatest weapon for surviving in this world.

If that knowledge lost its value, he would lose his strongest advantage, leaving him deeply uneasy.

"[The timeline is in disarray, Master. Even I have no control over this matter. I'm sorry,]" the system said regretfully.

Merlin took a deep breath and replied, 'It's okay. I don't blame you. In fact, this is my fault.'

If only he hadn't tried to change his destiny, none of this would have happened.

However, his decision to alter his fate as an extra was already final.

There was no way he could turn back halfway.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Merlin looked at his father and asked, "Did the appearance of the crack cause other problems, Father?"

"Yes, there are other issues, and they concern you," Ardhis replied. "Because of the crack, the usual route talents from the three kingdoms take to reach Saint Freya Academy has been cut off. Neither teleportation gates nor teleportation magic can be used. As a result, anyone who wishes to enter the academy must take a detour."

Ardhis let out a heavy breath, then continued in a grave tone, "And that detour is extremely dangerous. To take it, they must pass through the Chasm of Doom. You know about the Chasm of Doom, don't you?"

Merlin nodded. "I do. It's said the chasm was created by a battle between gods in the past, though that hasn't been proven."

The chasm itself remained shrouded in mystery.

Only a few records existed, considering the sheer number of monsters roaming the area.

And they were no ordinary monsters—level six and seven creatures often appeared along the edges.

Deeper within, even level eight and nine monsters were said to exist.

Even an expert at the First Stage of the Spirit Core would not dare to casually face a level nine monster.

"So, Father, will the journey to the academy be postponed?" Merlin asked in a serious tone.

It would be impossible to attend the academy if they had to pass through the Chasm of Doom.

"Yes, the journey will be postponed for the moment. The academy has also postponed the entrance tests," Ardhis replied with a nod.

"How long will it be postponed?"

Ardhis paused before answering, "It's not yet clear how long the delay will be. The crack only appeared three days ago, and the news is still confidential. Not everyone has received it yet."

"Then how did you get this information?"

"From your master, Linda. She told me just yesterday. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have known about this issue either," Ardhis said as he took a sip of his tea.

Merlin nodded in understanding. No wonder Vargan hadn't mentioned it—the Sky Wing Crack hadn't appeared yet when Merlin was still at the palace.

"Although I can't be certain," Ardhis continued, "my guess is that the delay will be quite long—one to two years."

Ardhis's words pulled Merlin out of his thoughts.

He furrowed his brow and muttered, "One to two years? Isn't that too long?"

He wanted to enter the academy as soon as possible, but it seemed that his wish was impossible—at least for now.

Sensing his disappointment, Ardhis chuckled and reassured him, "Don't worry. That's just my guess. No one knows whether it will really take one or two years. It might only take a few months for the academy to resolve everything."

Merlin merely pursed his lips and remained silent.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing." Ardhis's expression turned serious again. "It's about your sister."

"Catrine?" Merlin raised his eyebrows slightly. "You mean she's not at home?"

Ardhis looked surprised. "How do you know?"

Merlin chuckled as he leaned back in his chair.

"That's not important. What matters is that I can guarantee she's safe. Just trust me."

The Master of Illusions was a good person. She bore no ill will toward Catrine. On the contrary, she was Catrine's greatest supporter and the catalyst for her growth in the novel.

So, Merlin wasn't worried at all about Catrine's absence from the house.

Ardhis felt relieved. Since his son said so, it had to be true.

After all, Merlin had never lied to him—especially when it came to his little sister's safety.

"Then I believe you."

***

Merlin stepped out of his father's study when a maid suddenly stopped him.

"Young Master Merlin, Lady Livia asked me to tell you to come to the dining room immediately. She's waiting for you there."

Merlin nodded with a smile. "Thank you."

The maid bowed before walking away.

"I miss my mother's cooking," he muttered with a small chuckle. "Well then, I should go see her first."

With that, he headed toward the dining room.

***

Nighttime…

Merlin lay on his bed, his gaze fixed on the ceiling, slightly dazed.

"The Sky Wing Crack, huh? It's really dangerous."

In the novel, the crack caused a terrible disaster.

Countless monsters poured out of it, most of them high-level.

The crack that had appeared recently was not the same—only poisonous gas had emerged.

Most likely, the monsters would appear in one or two years, or perhaps even sooner.

All he could do now was become stronger as quickly as possible.

He sat up and coldly commanded, "System, open the system shop."

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