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After checking the cards on his person, Ethan prepared to head out.
He could enter and exit the Rift at will, so even if things got dicey, he could always bail. The risk was manageable.
But halfway to the door, he stopped.
He ran back to Jake's bedside, grabbed a backpack, and stuffed all of Jake's emergency snack stash inside. Chips, granola bars, beef jerky, two bottles of water.
If they were really trapped in there, they'd be starving.
Being this kind of Godfather was truly exhausting.
He tried calling Jake, Lily, and Sophie one more time. None of them picked up. No texts either.
Yeah. They were definitely inside.
He could only pray all three were safe. They were the only friends he'd made since coming to this world. If they were all gone, he'd end up as some lonely Card Maker cranking out anime characters in a basement for the rest of his life.
With that, Ethan slung the backpack over his shoulder and ran out.
He looked like an anime protagonist sprinting off after learning his friends were in danger.
Ethan loved shonen anime, slice-of-life comedies, and action series — but he'd always hated depressing ones. Even the touching moments... he wished the gut-punch scenes didn't exist.
He hoped no gut-punches would appear in his own life.
At the very least, he'd do everything he could before they had the chance to land.
A few minutes later, he arrived at Anchor Street.
Morning classes existed, but those didn't matter anymore.
From a distance, he could see it: a Rift on the main road, roughly ten feet tall and six feet wide. A vertical tear in reality, its edges shimmering with faint distortion.
The nearby buildings all had their doors locked. Police tape was already set up, and officers maintained a perimeter — keeping well back from the Rift's pull zone.
The crowd of onlookers was substantial, but they were all just taking photos and gawking. Most ordinary people didn't have a single Tier 3 card, let alone the means to survive inside a Rift.
Ethan walked straight up to the tape.
"Excuse me — my friends were sucked in. Can I go in to get them?"
The officer at the line shook his head immediately. "We've already dispatched a specialized Response Team. Please wait — they'll come out safely."
Ethan looked at the Rift. "I'm very strong."
"I understand your anxiety, but our professionals are also very strong. Rest assured."
A few more attempts got him nowhere. He backed away.
I know you're doing this for my safety...
But if you can't be a little reckless at a time like this, are you even young?
Scanning the area, he spotted several summons assisting the officers — all Tier 1 cards. Basic crowd control. That made him feel slightly better about the security of the perimeter, at least.
Ethan circled to the edge of the crowd. Got into position.
And bolted for the Rift.
"Someone's making a break for it!"
He'd only taken two steps when a voice behind him blew his cover.
It didn't matter. The tape was only about thirty feet away. Three to five seconds.
Splat.
Ethan felt himself get hoisted off the ground.
Looking back, the thing holding him was a green-skinned Orc over seven feet tall. A Tier 1 White card — basically useless in real combat against monsters, but against an unarmed college student? It could handle ten.
The Orc carried Ethan by his backpack over to the officer like a misbehaving kitten.
"Didn't I tell you we've sent professionals? Why is a kid like you so determined to get in?" The officer gave him a stern look.
"I really am very strong."
The easiest way in would've been to summon Angemon. But summoning a six-winged angel on a public street wasn't allowed — and if it caused property damage, he'd be the one paying for it.
As an upstanding young citizen, the only plan he'd come up with was just run faster.
Unfortunately, his legs weren't fast enough.
He could have a card carry him in, but that was straight-up obstruction of official business.
"No. You're still a college student, right? Go back to class. This isn't something a kid can get involved in."
"Actually — I have a special status. I can enter and exit Rifts at will." Ethan laid his cards on the table. Figuratively.
"Alright, alright. I know you want to save your friends, but this really isn't—"
"People die in here," the officer finished. He motioned to the Orc, who deposited Ethan outside the tape.
Ethan stood there with crossed arms and a grumpy cat expression.
His mind raced, scanning the officers and their summons inside the perimeter.
Summon Naruto? That would definitely work — but Sage Mode had a five-minute timer. His goal was to go in, fight monsters, and find his friends. Not just to break through a police line.
None of his current cards had teleportation.
He suddenly regretted not making one sooner.
Then something strange happened.
The Rift — which had been stable and motionless — began to expand.
The crowd erupted with phones and excited chatter.
"Back up! Everyone move back!" The officers reacted instantly. Whatever this was, it wasn't good. They pushed the tape further out and shouted at the crowd to retreat.
The Rift grew — fifteen feet tall, nine feet wide — and then pulsed with a massive suction force.
"Holy crap — it's sucking people in!"
"Run!"
"I just came to take a photo! Why am I—"
People grabbed lampposts, mailboxes, each other. It was useless. The suction intensified until, ten seconds later, everyone within sixty feet had been pulled inside.
This naturally included Ethan.
Who had been delighted from the moment the suction started.
Finally—
"What? You're saying you just opened a Rift and were immediately targeted by a new Inspector?"
In a different realm entirely, a Bird-creature relayed the news to his parents. Both were part of the System's hierarchy and would know about these things.
"These Inspectors were newly added by the higher-ups," his father said. "We don't know the details yet. And look at you — barely became an Administrator and you had to go bragging about it in the group chat. Of course you got caught."
The young Bird-creature lowered his head, chastened.
If he could do it over, he'd have kept his beak shut.
His father thought for a moment. "Didn't you say the Inspector has to clear the Rift before they can give a rating?"
"Yes."
"Then increase the difficulty. Make it so they can't clear it in time. Once the 48 hours are up, you retract the Rift and it's over."
"Is... is that okay?"
"If you don't want to lose your stable job, don't worry about it."
The young Bird-creature hesitated, then: "Okay — what should I do?"
His father's expression turned approving. "Adjust the Rift now. Stuff in a few powerful Tier 3 monsters. If you're short on stock, tell me and I'll supply them."
"Got it!"
Plz Throw Powerstones.