Chapter 53 - Gathering Information

Lucas began to run out of the forest, as he saw the path that was in front of him. He activated [Dash] that was on his boots, bringing up his speed to an insane level. The man that was in his arms was beginning to feel dizzy, and he was about to puke. "Mister, I do not know your name, but I was asked by your wife to bring you back home as it is getting dark", he said as he ran.

The man smiled after he heard that. He didn't speak and kept his eyes closed, and the wind that was hitting his face suddenly came to a stop. Lucas had come out of the forest. He had reached the place when his countdown had reached zero, signaling the end of the time. The mist began to form again, and he heard a voice call out to him.

"You are the second one to break the formation uniquely. Maybe I must have underestimated you. Until we meet again", said the voice as it drifted further deep into the forest. Lucas crashed outside the forest, and he smiled at his accomplishment.

[Quest Initiated]

[First Mission]

[Objectives:

Rescue Andrea's Husband 1/1

Enter the E Ranked Portal 0/1]

[Rewards - EXP +1000]

"Well, one of the tasks is over. Let's worry about the other task later", he thought. He was about to take a step forward when he felt his vision turn hazy. "Guess I overworked myself again", he smiled as he fell to the floor. The man from behind caught him as he was about to fall.

"Well, seems like you have passed the test. You and your group will be able to enter the Portal tomorrow", he smiled as he lifted Lucas under his arms. He then disappeared from the place and reappeared outside the Alchemist's Store. He entered and went to the same place Andrea brought him.

He then placed Lucas on a bed and began to administer him some Stamina potions through a needle. It was like blood transfusion, only that the other end wasn't a blood pack, but it was a high-level stamina potion. "This will relieve the fatigue that has accumulated in you", he smiled as he watched Lucas's face regain some of its colors.

Lucas began to groan, and he sat up. "Isn't this the place that I left from? Was that all a dream?", he thought as he began to look around. He then saw the man looking at him intently, and Lucas let out a gasp. "It was real", he thought as he gasped.

The man smiled and reached his hand out. "I am Kennedy Hudson. You must have heard of me before", he asked with a gentle smile. Lucas nodded his head as he looked at him.

"So you're Steve Hudson's brother?", he asked the first question that popped into his mind. "Ah, I see you've met my brother, I presume?', he asked. Andrea then walked in and began to check his vitals, and his brain waves to see if there was anything traumatic that was stored in his brain.

"All signs point to him being healthy", she said as she adjusted her reading glasses. The man nodded his head and signaled for her to leave them alone. Lucas looked at the man in front of him and began to recall the information he had read before.

"Steve and Kennedy Hudson. Steve is a SSS Class Adventurer, while his brother is a SS Class. When they fight together, they are known as the Tornado Brothers. Famous for their original and unique technique, [Sucking Whirlwinds]. But this doesn't mean they are weak on their own. Their ranks only prove their prowess", he recalled as he looked at the man in front of him.

The man was the same height as Steve and had the same build. In terms of looks, they looked the same. The only difference was their hair and the scar on the face. His hair was blonde, and the scar he had was on the right side of his face. If Steve decided to do some make-up and dye his hair, everyone would think they were a pair of identical twins.

"We both look the same, don't we?', he smiled as he looked at Lucas's look. "Well, I guess everyone has pretty much given this look to me all our lives, and we have gotten used to it", he replied to a baffled Lucas. "Can he read minds or what?", he thought. And the answer came from Kennedy's mouth.

"No, I can't. But I've had my experiences reading information from facial expressions. It says it all right here", he chuckled as he pulled out a mirror, and Lucas saw his face on it. "Well, it does, now that I think about it", he smiled as he looked at his face. he was still feeling a little bit tired, but he was able to get up and move around.

"Just stay still until this dose is over", instructed Kennedy as he moved away from the place and went towards Andrea, and they began to discuss something under their breaths. Lucas closed his eyes and began to use his perception to intercept what they were talking about.

"Will they be able to do it? This kid does have some potential", said Kennedy to her. She turned and looked at him. "He did beat the record time that was set before. I wonder if anyone will be able to break the record that he has set", she replied in a hushed tone.

Lucas smiled when he heard that. "Maybe I shouldn't have been that flashy", he thought as he looked towards them. They still talked about other things when he heard something that piqued his interest.

"You know as well as I do, that if he and his team enter the portal, who knows what will it throw at them? It always chooses the type according to the people that enter it, like some intelligent being. I wonder if that is a portal", he hushed as he turned to look at Lucas again. Seeing that his eyes were closed, he sighed in relief.

Lucas took in all the information that he could get for now. After a few more minutes of whispering, Lucas's pack was over and he felt completely refreshed. He then got up and sat on his bed, waiting for the information to come towards him. Andrea pointed her finger at him and she beckoned him to follow her, and they went towards the computer again.

"The portal that you are about to enter is an Unknown. The reason is that each time someone enters, the Portal turns into a different type. The rank stays the same, it is always at the E rank, no matter what type it takes shape into. The only problem is, that it has always never followed a standard pattern for us to judge what was to come next", she stopped as she brought out a list.

The list contained the type of portal it converted into and the number of people that had attempted it. Most of them were B and A-Rank Adventurers. Lucas gulped at the thought that even those people who pride themselves as professionals were unable to complete this portal. "What can a bunch of newbies do?", he thought as he gulped.

Kennedy looked at his face and knew instantly his thoughts. "You are the first newbie, to have thought of a way to nullify the formation and bring me out of it. There was a place where you could break it, but since you aren't that proficient yet, you used a counter, and used some of your skills from your gear and got us out of there", he praised Lucas.

He was genuinely impressed by Lucas's train of thoughts. His IQ impressed him, and that was the reason why he wasn't that afraid of letting him in along with his friends. He had seen their recordings of their performances on the test. "Maybe, they will be able to clear it?", he thought optimistically.

The smile on his face widened as he thought about the fact that at least one of the UCDM was cleared when he was the head. Some of them had been uncleared for decades, and this portal was one of the oldest portals that had existed here on earth. "If this boy here really does clear the portal, that will be sensational news", he thought.

He then handed him a piece of paper, which included the types it changed into, and the possible types it could change. "Never once, has it taken a combination", he thought as he studied the list. "If it does take a combination, then the Rank of the Portal will be increased", he said out loud.

"In theory, yes. But we have yet to witness something like that from this Portal. There are instances that what you said has happened, but not in this one", said Kennedy. Lucas smiled as he stored the paper with him and went towards the elevator.

"Good luck in your journey", wished the both of them as Lucas disappeared behind the closing doors of the elevator.