Chapter 58: Rift Mission.
Ethan didn’t ponder the decision for too long. Zane had already helped him more than once, and if accompanying him into the rift mission meant repaying that debt while also helping the Empire deal with the situation, then there was no reason for him to keep hesitating. Besides, there was still Rin to think about, and knowing that the Empire’s strongest healers were now treating his friend gave Ethan enough peace of mind to take the risk.
He turned toward Zane, nodded his head, and finally gave his answer.
"Yes. I’ll accompany you. We can leave."
A faint smile immediately appeared on Zane’s lips, as though he had expected that answer all along.
"Good. Then let’s go."
With that, the group finally left the academy grounds.
The moment they stepped beyond the academy grounds, Ethan realized just how little of the Empire he had actually seen since arriving in this world.
He had been so busy surviving, dealing with his sudden transmigration, navigating the academy, getting into one ridiculous situation after another, and somehow becoming entangled with people he would have preferred to stay far away from that he had barely had the chance to explore anything outside the academy.
That was probably why he stopped in his tracks when he saw the vehicle waiting for them.
A sleek black car stood by the roadside, its polished body reflecting the afternoon light as though it had just been taken out of some luxury advertisement.
Ethan stared.
Holy shit.
So cars like this existed here too?
Of course they did. Why had he been acting as though the entire Empire consisted of medieval buildings and people running around with swords because Sentinels and Guides existed?
As they approached the vehicle, Ethan instinctively headed toward the front passenger seat, only for Zane to casually lift a hand and gesture toward Riley.
Riley immediately understood.
She walked over and opened the passenger door before sliding into the seat without a word.
Ethan stopped.
Then he stared at her.
She stared straight ahead.
Zane looked completely unbothered.
Ethan slowly closed his mouth.
Oh.
So that was how it was.
He had been robbed of the front seat before he had even gotten the chance to sit down.
With no other option, Ethan reluctantly walked around to the back seat and climbed inside beside Zane, already feeling slightly irritated.
The car wasn’t particularly large on the inside, despite its expensive appearance, the back seat had only enough space for two people to sit comfortably without having too much room between them.
Which meant that the moment the car started moving, Ethan became painfully aware of the man sitting beside him.
He tried his best to remain on his side of the seat.
He really did.
Unfortunately, the road seemed to have a personal agenda against him.
The first sharp turn sent Ethan sliding slightly toward Zane before he quickly corrected himself and grabbed the edge of the seat.
He pretended nothing had happened.
A few minutes later, another turn came, and this time his shoulder pressed firmly against Zane’s chest.
Ethan immediately straightened.
"Sorry."
Zane merely glanced down at him with an amused expression.
"You’re welcome to use me as a cushion if you’re tired, pretty boy."
Ethan’s face instantly heated.
"Who the hell said I wanted to use you as anything?"
"You keep falling on me."
"Because this road is terrible!"
"Of course."
Zane’s amused tone somehow made it even worse.
Ethan turned toward the window, deciding that staring outside was considerably safer than looking at the shameless bastard beside him.
Unfortunately, every time the car accelerated or took another sharp turn, the small space between them seemed to disappear again, leaving Ethan painfully aware of the warmth of Zane’s body against his own.
He swallowed and silently prayed that the journey would end soon.
How the hell does someone have this kind of presence?
Even when Zane wasn’t speaking, Ethan could feel him beside him, and it was annoyingly distracting.
He had never been this conscious of another person’s presence before.
And he absolutely hated that he was becoming conscious of it now.
Thankfully, the scenery outside eventually managed to steal some of his attention.
As the vehicle continued through the Empire, gradually taking them farther away from the academy. Ethan found himself staring through the window as the scenery changed.
The Empire was divided into several major districts, each serving a very different purpose.
The western district was where the wealthiest houses and influential families resided, filled with extravagant estates, luxurious commercial areas, and buildings that seemed designed solely to remind everyone passing through that money was apparently abundant in that part of the Empire.
The eastern district was much more populated, housing ordinary citizens and most of the businesses that catered to the average population.
The northern district was considerably poorer, where the less fortunate masses struggled with fewer resources and harsher living conditions.
And the southern district was where the heart of the Empire’s military power was concentrated.
That was where the Imperial facilities were located, along with the headquarters of the Sentinel Response Unit, which was their destination.
As the car moved farther south, Ethan found himself staring through the window.
The streets became wider and cleaner, lined with enormous trees and beautifully maintained gardens. Tall buildings stood proudly against the sky, their glass surfaces reflecting the sunlight, while large open plazas connected several impressive government and military structures.
For a moment, Ethan simply stared.
It was beautiful.
Far more beautiful than he had expected.
There was something strangely peaceful about the district despite the fact that this entire world was constantly threatened by monsters and corrupted energy.
For someone who had spent so much time in the academy and even more time surviving the aftermath of an apocalypse in his previous life, seeing a place this peaceful felt almost unreal.
He had almost forgotten that scenery like this could still exist.
In his old world, beautiful landscapes had eventually become memories buried beneath destruction, blood, ruined cities, and endless survival.
Ethan leaned his head against the window.
Maybe he really had forgotten what it felt like to simply look at something beautiful without immediately wondering whether it was safe.
He eventually closed his eyes, deciding that perhaps he could use the remaining journey to sleep.
He really tried.
Unfortunately, the person sitting beside him made that nearly impossible.
Zane’s presence was strangely intoxicating.
There was something about his spiritual aura that Ethan couldn’t quite describe. It wasn’t merely powerful; there was a strange warmth beneath it that seemed to linger in the confined space between them, making Ethan increasingly conscious of every small movement Zane made.
Ethan shifted again, trying to find a comfortable position.
Nothing worked.
How could someone have this much of an effect on him?
He frowned and firmly closed his eyes.
It’s just because we’re sitting too close.
That had to be it.
There was absolutely no other explanation.
Eventually, the car slowed as they arrived at the Sentinel Response Unit headquarters.
Ethan practically ran out immediately the car stopped, grateful to finally escape the cramped back seat and the irritatingly distracting man beside him.
The headquarters was even more impressive up close, with heavily guarded entrances and numerous Sentinels and military personnel moving in and out of the massive facility.
Zane led them inside, with Riley and Adrien
following behind.
They eventually reached the registration office, where Zane approached the person seated behind the main desk.
"We’re here from the Imperial Academy," Zane explained calmly. "We’ve come to register for the current rift mission. We want to participate willingly."
The man behind the desk looked up.
He was a broad-shouldered man in his early thirties with neatly kept dark hair and a serious expression that made it obvious he wasn’t someone who enjoyed wasting time.
"Name?"
"Zane Valcrest."
The man’s fingers immediately moved across the screen.
Zane continued, giving the necessary information for himself, Ethan, Adrien and Riley.
The man, whose nameplate identified him as Will, nodded before turning back toward his system.
"Give me a moment. I’ll retrieve your academy records and verify your ranks before I process the deployment."
Zane nodded and stepped aside.
Ethan remained beside him while Riley and Adrien stood quietly nearby.
Will, worked through the information on his screen for several minutes.
The room remained relatively quiet until Will suddenly stopped typing.
His eyes moved across the screen.
Then he raised his head.
A respectful smile appeared on his face as he looked towards Zane, Adrien and Riley.
"You three can go in."
Ethan’s eyebrows lifted.
That was easier than expected.
However, before Ethan could take a single step, Will’s gaze shifted toward him.
"But he can’t."
Ethan froze.
"...What?"
Will’s expression became apologetic.
"The mission is highly unstable right now, with extremely dense spiritual energy surrounding the rift. Because of the current conditions, F-rank and E-rank Sentinels and Guides are not eligible to participate."
Ethan’s expression immediately fell.
Will continued, "Even though we’re desperately short on personnel, we can’t allow lower-ranked participants into an environment like that. If they don’t know how to properly control or utilize the excessive spiritual energy, they could become overwhelmed by it and suffer severe corruption."