Chapter 19: Gatekeepers

Back at the restaurant, Lisa, Ana, Lily, Lora, and Steph blinked for a while as they watched Lucas leave the restaurant with some people in black suits.

Suddenly, a crowd came in and headed over to them.

“Eh? You guys, you're also here?”

Recognizing these people, Lisa was shocked.

“Hehe, Ms. Lisa. We came to celebrate your birthday since it’s been a while. But we didn’t think you’d be on a date with Lucas so we only had Ana go see you.”

“Yeah yeah! That Lucas, who knew he would have so many girls!?”

“I never knew that Lucas was such a playboy! In the past, he was usually so quiet and didn’t have any girlfriends.”

The crowd started laughing as they answered Lisa.

Hearing their chatter, Lisa’s face reddened and scolded them furiously.

“We weren’t dating! Lucas just came to see his little brother, so we ate dinner just to catch up! Also, just what are you hoping to achieve by sending only Ana!?”

Lisa sighed.

She knew just how troublesome this bunch of people were.

When they were in high school, they would do all sorts of troubles. But she didn’t think that even now, they would still be such troublemakers!

If she and Lucas were really dating, then that means they sent Ana, Lucas’ crush back then, to make trouble for them!? Wait, no! She and Lucas wasn’t dating at all!

Lisa shook her head, trying to calm her thoughts.

“Hehe, we know.”

“You know?”

“Haha, of course! We bugged Ana after all!”

The girl who placed her phone in Ana’s bag laughed and took it back.

Realizing she was bugged without her knowing, Ana’s face went red in embarrassment.

“You guys!”

“Hahahaha!”

Towards Ana’s furious glare, the group only laughed without any sign of being guilty.

Ana sighed. She knew this group all too well. Regardless of what she’ll say, it will only go in their left ear then out in their right, not minding Ana’s feelings at all.

At the side, Lily, Lora, and Steph was surprised at the group, then, Lily’s and Steph’s face went red while Lora was laughing softly.

“Hey hey, This big sis, how did you and Lucas ended up together!?”

“You’re misunderstanding things. Me and Lucas only knew each other twice and are simply acquaintances. Well then, I still need to go.”

Suddenly being asked such a question, Lily can only smile wryly and tried to leave immediately.

She only wanted to greet Lucas since she saw him coincidentally, how can she know that she would end up in such a situation?

Though Lily was interested, it was only interest and nothing more.

Seeing as Lily managed to escape successfully, Steph also wanted to leave immediately but the others had already directed their attention to her.

“How about you? It seems Lucas’ mother knows you?”

“Uwahh, so pretty! Lucas is so lucky!”

“Seriously, just what did Lucas do to get so many beauties!?”

“U-um...Lucas and I aren’t like that. We only met once...no, twice before today...”

Steph’s face become red when she recalled that Lucas might be Mr. Knight and her voice gradually become smaller.

“Twice too? Damn, isn’t Lucas too good!? He managed to get two beauties after meeting them twice!”

“You know what they say. Once is an accident, twice, a coincidence, thrice, is called fate! Today is Lucas’ third meeting with the two, this can only be fate!”

“Kyaaa! So romantic~!”

The group didn’t mind Steph’s feelings at all and simply continued to go ‘kya~ kya~’ after hearing her story.

As for Steph, her face became even more red as she heard their discussion and started mumbling something.

“Once, is an accident. Twice, a coincidence. Thrice...is called fate!”

As she kept recalling this statement, her face grew so red, you’d think that her head would start to release steam.

Lora laughed silently as she watched her daughter’s reaction. Her daughter was usually strong willed. Being the daughter of a mafia family and all. Yet today, she’s being so timid, that she seemed to be a totally different person!

After a while, the two also left upon Steph’s urging.

“Ah, right. Ms. Lisa, which college was Lucas attending again?”

“Oh, he said it was Mapua. He already graduated though.”

Lisa thought for a while and answered.

“What!? So fast!?”

“I was surprised too. Seems like he’s also working well. Just a while ago, he handed a [Portal] device to his little brother.”

Recalling the incident earlier, Lisa also remembered that he was actually the [White Haired Adventurer] in that trending video. However, she didn’t say anything as she thought that Lucas might not want to let anyone know.

Anyway, with how her class was acting earlier and had already posted pictures, others would know it soon. There’s no need for her to say it herself.

“Wow! Isn’t that, super expensive!? Even my family only has one, and me and my little brother had to take turns in using it!”

“...Now that I think about it, it seems Lucas had gotten more handsome? Should I also chase him?”

“Hey! You just wanted his money don’t you!?”

The group laughed again.

At the side, a waiter had a dark expression, and his vein was visible on his forehead.

These guys...they just came and made a lot of noise! Are they going to order or not!?

+ + +

Before following the men in black, I took the pickup truck and drove it back to our house.

After that, I told mom that there was trouble in work and I was called in so I wouldn't be staying for dinner.

I told that so she wouldn’t have to worry. After all, I can’t just tell her than men in black suits and sunglasses came looking for me.

Even though I was desperate at getting out of the situation earlier, I was still not so stupid so as to just follow a bunch of shady people.

Merely, with my powers, even if there were any trouble, I can sort it out someway or another.

“You sure you should be following them? It might be dangerous.”

“Don’t worry, El. You should also know my ability by now. I’ll keep the [World Eyes] minimap at the corner. You can help me pay attention to it too if you're worried.”

“Hmph! This queen isn’t worried about you, this perverted freak, at all! This queen is merely worried about your victims!”

“What victims...”

I shook my head and smiled wryly.

Afterwards, I followed the men in black in their car. As expected, their car is a black high end car.

“Where are we going?”

“Airport.”

“Oh...wait what!? Are we leaving the country!?”

Didn’t they say I’m only meeting their boss? What’s this about going to the airport? Is their boss there? Or are they planning to take me to some unknown island???

If we’re high up in the air...it would truly be hard to escape.

Well, there’s still a chance if I manipulate the air and the water in case I land in the sea but…

“As expected, it’s too risky! Lucas, let’s leave!”

“I know that but...”

Should I leave now? Just what do they want with me?

Even if I were to leave, they obviously knew where I was and had people watching me without me noticing. They know where I’ve been, and where I live. Unless I abandon my family, I wouldn't be at ease in leaving at all!

“Just who are you guys?”

“Please do not worry, Mr. Lauwers. We mean you no harm.”

“Answer me. Who are you people?”

I condensed the wind and formed a blade as I point them to each of the men’s throat inside the car.

Judging from their actions, it is highly unlikely that they are after me because of my normal self. Which means, they had somehow found out that I’m Mr. Knight!

Did Arlo give me up to them?

Seeing the wind blade pushing up against his throat, the man in charge let out a gold sweat and was shaken.

“...So it is true...”

“Speak! Are you people from the dark forces!?”

I had wondered why no one was making a move for two months ever since I had revealed that I had the [World Key] as Mr. Knight.

Turns out, they were simply waiting and gathering information about me.

But why does it seem that they’ve known who I am for a while now? Why reveal themselves now?

“Mr. Lauwers...or should I say, Mr. Knight. We truly mean you no harm. We are not part of the dark forces that you had mentioned. The truth is, we are part of an organization that goes against them! Right now, we need your help.”

“Why should I believe you!?”

The man didn’t speak, instead, his hand moved and tried to push a button at his side.

Of course, I wasn’t going to let him so I created another wind blade and blocked his hand.

“What are you trying to do?”

It seems this guy isn’t taking me seriously at all so I moved the blade at his neck and pushed it a bit as blood started to trickle down his neck.

“P-please calm down! I am simply connecting you to the video call of the boss!”

I didn’t believe him so I used the x-ray vision of the [World Eyes] to see through the button he was about to push.

After seeing there was no problem, I let his hand go but kept the wind blade pointed at his throat.

“Try anything funny and you're dead.”

The man gulped and pushed the button.

Suddenly, a screen in front appeared and was turned on. A bearded man in his late 30s appeared.

“Mr. Knight. It is good to meet y-...”

The bearded man seemed to notice the wind blade that was floating on his subordinate’s throat and paused, seemingly surprised.

“Umm...what might have happened here?”

“He’s not giving me the answers I want. He’s lucky to still be alive. Now, you. Answer me. Who are you people?”

“Uh, *cough*, I am known as Forest Trask. I am the CEO of the IDEA company in the Philippines. And also a council member of the [Gatekeepers]. I assure you that we do not have any ill intentions on you so please don’t kill my people.”

Trask seemed to think that the turn of events are unexpected so he was quite awkward in his introduction.

I frowned, but didn’t remove the wind blades.

“I don’t know about you but I have a hard time trusting people on the other side of the screen.”

“Ahh, that’s true I suppose. However, I don’t have any choice as I am currently in Japan at the moment.”

“Japan? Is that where you're taking me?”

I’ve always want to go to Japan, but I never would’ve expected that I will go there this way.

“Yes. Right now, you are headed to the airport where a private jet is waiting. After which, you will be heading towards Tokyo, Japan.”

“Why?”

“To save people of course.”

I continued to frown.

What’s this about saving people? Can’t the police handle it on their own?

I may have said that I’ll try to be a hero but I don’t want to become an international hero where I have to keep flying to other countries when something bad happens!

That would simply waste a lot of time!

“You mentioned [Gatekeepers] earlier. Explain.”

“The [Gatekeepers] is a secret organization that handles...let’s say, things that are out of this world. The dark forces in [Harus] is one of them. In short, we are like an intergalactic police.”

Hearing his explanation, I was dumbfounded.

What the heck!? How did this suddenly seem to became a sci-fi story!?

What intergalactic police!? Are they fighting aliens or something!?

Wait, technically speaking, isn’t my body practically alien? Wait, this guy mentioned [Harus] as well...huh? Wasn’t he the CEO of the [IDEA] company? The one that made the [Portal] and [World Gate Online]???

What is this? It’s like, the more I learn things, the more complicated it gets!

“The [World Gate Online], as you might’ve guessed, isn’t a game at all. Rather, it is a different world altogether. The [Portal] is a device that Gildas had created to let the people of [Earth] send their consciousness in [Harus]. As for why, it is to prepare the worlds in a war of the future.”

I frowned even more.

It’s a weird feeling. I feel that I understood what he meant, yet at the same time, I don’t.

“In any case. All you need to know for now is that you're part in the [Gatekeepers] had long been decided. Even if you don’t enter it, you will still be fighting on the same side as us. That is, if you want to defeat the dark forces once and for all.”

“...Fine. Let’s say I believe you for now. What is this about saving people in Japan?”

Trask sighed in relief and nodded, continuing his explanation.

“Umm, can you let my men go for now? It’s really hard to explain why seeing them like that...”

“...Fine. Anyway, I can instantly produce it so there’s no point whether I’m already pointing it at them or not.”

I snorted and removed the wind blades from the people in the car.

Everyone, including the driver, immediately sighed in relief but after hearing what I said, they gulped down a mouthful of saliva and become tense again.

“Let’s be clear here. I don’t know anyone of you, so I have no reason to trust any of you.”

“...Alright.”

“Now, explain.”

Trask sighed and the screen switched to a different scene.

In the screen was a typical japanese classroom one would see in animes. However, other than the tables, chairs, and bags, there were no people at all.

At first, I thought that this is merely an empty classroom taken after class. But since the bags are still there, it would seem that originally, there should be students here as well.

...Well, maybe they went to gym class or something? But I highly doubt these people would call me just because of this.

In other words...this is that...right?

The legendary genre of japanese novels!

“[Class Summoning]. This class in a certain school had somehow disappeared in an instant after reports of a bright light that occurred in the classroom. 34 students and a teacher had disappeared and nowhere to be seen. We believe that the entire class was summoned to another world. Right now, it hasn’t been released to the media yet but I doubt we can contain the situation any longer. The council decided that it is time to make contact with you in order to deal with this situation.”

It really is class summoning!!!

What the fuck!? That kind of thing is actually real!? And it even happened to Japan of all places! What kind of sick joke is this!?

“Even if that’s the case, how can I help at all?”

“You're [World Key]. As long as you are in the area of the summoning, your key should feel the spatial disturbance and allow you to travel to the other world. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to infiltrate the other world and save the 34 students as well as the teacher and safely return them back to [Earth].”

“...Are you seriously going Mission Impossible on me now?”

“*C-cough* W-well, I’ve always wanted to say it...”

…

“A-anyway! Please help us, you are the only one that can save them! After this, you can visit the [Gatekeepers] headquarters and have free reign over our resources! After all, you are the prophesized Hero. To begin with, the [Gatekeepers] organization was made for you to lead.”

This prophecy thing again…

“Fine, I’ll help.”

Actually, I can refuse if I want. But I chose to help since I might gain something in that other world.

Soon, I would be facing against a Vampire God. I doubt my current strength is enough for that.

“Alright! I will be waiting for you then!”

After a few more details about the incident, Trask ended the video call and I patiently waited in the car.

Now...I wonder what this other world looks like?

Status

Name

Lucas

Level

12

Race

Human - Dragon

Gender

Male

Class

Wanderer

7

Stamina

8975

Mana

9025

Qi

100000000000

Spirit

1840

Cultivation

Peak Martial Emperor

STR

123

INT

121

SPD

122

DEX

120

VIT

119

LUK

207

Fire

56

Earth

17

Water

234

Wind

16

Light

271

Dark

66

Ice

12

Lightning

12

Holy

68

Space

16

Fame

24000

Rage

0

Charm

100

Titles

Light Hero of Darkness

Playboy King

Sealed

Elena Shenxue

Skills

Concoct

3.54%

Dragon’s Wrath

10.18%

Elemental Manipulation

Passive

Star Convergence

Passive

Spirit Formation

3.94%

Implosion Palm

7.51%

World Eyes

Passive

Smith

32.54%

Blink

8.51%

Stealth

7.02%

Heal

8.12%

Cure

1.12%

Triple Stab

3.25%

Successive Shots

2.45%

Hunter’s Mark

Passive