Chapter 457: That’s Not Normal

"I’m getting pretty good at this."

Elara’s Spatial Leap worked without a hitch, even while transporting three others.

Before Ethan stretched a vast expanse of blue ocean, its waves rolling towards a broad sandy beach. Palm trees swayed beneath a brilliant sky, and buildings lined the distant coastline.

The warm air carried the scent of saltwater, while sunlight glittered across the Pacific.

Ethan slowly turned his head, taking in the scenery.

Yet the moment his gaze settled on the ocean, something stirred deep within him.

After his experiences in the Aquatic Expanse, Ethan had expected to be sick of seeing large bodies of water for a long, long time. Instead, the marking on his abdomen, the tattoo of a coiling water serpent, seemed to flare against his skin.

’Tide...’

Ethan instinctively placed a hand over the marking.

Standing before the Pacific, he could almost feel the connection between himself and the little Leviathan stirring, as though the endless ocean had awakened something within their bond.

’Well, that’s interesting.’

The Leviathan had been a nightmare, but it had also taught him just how terrifying a powerful water beast could be. And Tide, despite its current infant form, possessed the potential to reach the same heights.

Water was everywhere.

Vast quantities of it, stretching beyond the horizon.

If he could learn to make proper use of Tide’s abilities, then this wasn’t merely a beach.

It was a giant weapon waiting for him to figure out how to wield it.

The thought sent a thrill through Ethan.

’Let’s just hope I don’t accidentally flood a city while figuring it out.’

He slowly turned his head again, taking in the scenery.

’Wait, a second.’

He’d never visited California before, but the place felt strangely familiar. He’d seen beaches like this in countless movies and video games.

’I feel like I know this place.’

He chuckled.

"California, huh?"

Kaela was already looking around with a grin, feeling a similar sense of deja vu despite visiting for the first time.

"The weather’s amazing!"

"That’s generally what happens when you travel somewhere warmer," Mark remarked.

"Don’t ruin the moment."

"I’m just stating a fact."

"Then state it somewhere else."

Ethan laughed.

For a moment, it almost felt like they were on vacation.

Almost.

Because a gigantic Gate stood directly on the beach.

It rose from the sand like a towering wound in the world, its dark surface rippling with unstable energy. Strange patterns of light pulsed across it, and every few seconds, the surrounding space shuddered.

The sand trembled beneath their feet.

Ethan’s smile faded.

’That’s one hell of a Gate.’

It wasn’t merely the size that bothered him. Something about its energy felt wrong, fluctuating in unpredictable waves.

Kaela tilted her head. "I don’t think it’s supposed to do that..."

Elara studied the structure. "It appeared suddenly and is unstable; that’s why the Association has so many people stationed here."

A security perimeter surrounded the area.

Black-suited Association personnel stood behind temporary barriers, checking equipment and communicating through their earpieces. Military vehicles lined the nearby road, and armed soldiers patrolled the beach.

The area had been completely evacuated.

No tourists, no surfers, no families enjoying the sunshine.

Just the ocean, the unstable Gate, and a small army waiting for something to happen.

’Well, that certainly ruins the holiday atmosphere.’

A Gate Break here could be disastrous. Even a single monster escaping into the surrounding city might cause significant casualties. Fortunately, the Association seemed to have the situation under control.

The moment the personnel spotted Elara, one of the black suits hurried over.

"Miss Elara!"

He visibly relaxed when he recognised her.

"Thank goodness you’re here. We’ve been monitoring the Gate for the past hour, and the readings keep getting worse."

Elara nodded. "What’s the situation?"

"It’s classified as B Rank, but the instability makes it difficult to predict what might emerge. We’ve established a perimeter and cleared the surrounding area."

His gaze shifted briefly to Ethan, Kaela, and Mark before returning to Elara.

"You are here to assist with the gate, right?"

Elara nodded.

"We appreciate that you’ve already handled 47 gates this month, but this was an urgent request that we were hoping you could clear before things get out of hand."

’Forty-seven...’

Ethan whistled softly.

’And I thought my schedule was bad.’

But with her skill set, it was no wonder she was so valuable to the association.

"The Enforcers are with you as well," the officer continued. "This will be another record clearance."

Elara nodded.

She couldn’t help but feel like things would somehow go wrong with all of them entering a gate, especially Ethan, who was technically still banned from entering them.

’Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.’

But there was no turning back now, and the association personnel didn’t dare try to stop them either.

’If Mark goes berserk, or the system takes over the Gate, we’ll just figure it out.’

Ethan was optimistic and confident.

’I’ve already had my bad luck for the day. I know it turned into good luck both times, but I still feel like the third time’s the charm.’

Kaela and Mark were excited, Ethan was relaxed, and Elara, well, she was tense and regretful as they approached the gate. Its surface rippled, and the strange pressure emanating from it seemed to grow stronger as they neared it.

What kind of monsters lived inside? Would there be any beasts? And could he store one using Beast Inventory?

The possibilities made him curious.

’Let’s try not to get ourselves killed this time.’

A perfectly reasonable goal.

One he hoped to maintain for a long time to come.

But all the signs were pointing at doing so wasn’t going to be simple.

The Gate suddenly shuddered.

A deep, resonant pulse swept across the beach. The ground trembled, and a wave of distorted energy rippled through the air. Several Association personnel stumbled as soldiers raised their weapons and shouted orders.

Elara’s expression changed instantly, her attention sharpening as she assessed the sudden disturbance.

The casual demeanour she’d maintained until now vanished.

Ethan froze.

’It felt like something on the other side had looked through.’

He couldn’t see it, but he could feel the Gate’s energy surging as though something enormous had pressed against a door from within.

The surface rippled again.

A thin fracture of crimson light spread across its centre.

Elara’s eyes narrowed.

"That’s not normal."

"No kidding," Ethan muttered.

He stared at the Gate, his instincts warning him that whatever was happening, it wasn’t going to be simple. But it also made it so that they had no choice but to enter and clear it; otherwise, California was in for a swarm of who knew what kind of horrors.

He’d travelled across the country expecting to explore a Gate.

Maybe even have a little fun.

Instead, the first thing they’d encountered was a Gate that looked ready to tear itself apart.

Ethan sighed.

’What could possibly go wrong?’