CHAPTER 68: MISUNDERSTANDING

Prana flowed out of Luke’s hand and assimilated into the portal. Slowly the portal started appearing on the wall as Shane and Adam gasped in shock when it appeared out of nowhere.

"What’s this?" Shane asked.

"This is probably how those bastards kidnapped the women and vanished them in plain sight!" Luke said.

"Y-you mean to say..."

"This is a portal! To where!?...We’ll find out after we go inside."

"But if they really did take the women through portals, then why is it still here? Shouldn’t they remove it after the work is done?" Shane asked in confusion.

"I don’t know. But there must be a reason why it’s still here!"

"Then there should be more portal from where others were abducted!" Shane jumped in realization.

"There must be!" Luke nodded.

"Let’s tell the others then! This is a big lead!"

"Thank you, young man!" Adam held Luke’s hand. "At least I now know where to look for my wife. I’ll move ahead, you two go tell the others, and try to save as many as you can!" Adam gave a soft smile. He then started moving towards the portal, ready to jump in.

"Wait!" Luke didn’t let go his hand and stopped him from moving ahead. "It’s dangerous to go alone! It’s an evil organization we’re dealing with!"

"I don’t care what they are. I just want to save my wife and child! I don’t care if I lose my life in the process! I used to be a mercenary, so don’t worry about me." He smiled at Luke and patted his arm, asking him not to worry, and then released his hand from Luke’s.

Adam was about to move inside when Luke called again. "Wait!"

"Shane! Go and bring the others! I’ll move with him! I can’t let him go alone!" Luke said.

"But how can..."

"We’ll just be wasting time with this! move fast! come after us with the others!"

Shane hesitated and wanted to stop him. but he then sighed, as he knew convincing Luke was not possible now. He nodded and rushed away, trying to find the others as soon as possible.

"Thank you! You didn’t need to but you still stayed! I don’t know how I’ll be able to repay this favor!

"You don’t need to. Let’s save your wife first!" he nodded at Adam and then both of them disappeared inside the portal, leaving the alley empty.

For a moment darkness spread in front of their eyes, and the next moment they were out in a dilapidated abandoned warehouse. Most of it’s walls broken and ceiling riddled with holes.

They heard the sounds of flowing water coming from the outside, they then turned their heads for a look through the holes of the wall.

They saw the Frostbane river that flows at the outskirts of the city. They concluded that this warehouse was located outside the main city at the edge of the river, making it difficult for anyone to notice.

Just then their eyes fell on a figure in front of them. There stood a young man with long braided black hair. His back was facing towards them and he was in a satin sheen golden long coat.

He turned around and was surprised seeing Luke and Adam appear out of nowhere.

"Did you come here through a portal?" the young man asked.

"We did! Did you too?" Luke asked.

"Yes! I was at the..."

"W-Why do you have that? That’s my wife’s anklet!" Adam’s eyes opened wide, his voice quivered, anger visible in his voice when he saw the young man holding a silver anklet in his hand.

"Who are you?" Luke’s brows creased as he asked in a threatening tone, he channeled mana into the black bracelets on his wrists, which then morphed into his gauntlets.

"Me? I’m...this...wait a minute...I found..." Before he could complete, suddenly Luke appeared in front of him, his arm stretched to the back, ready to land a punch.

The young man was surprised, he stood still as the punch came near, but there was no worry on his face, his eyes traced the path of Luke’s punch and he swiftly tilted his head sideways, evading the punch and jumped back to a distance.

"Hold on man! I think’s there’s a misunderstanding! Let me expl..."

"Who are you then? Tell me!"

"I’m not an evil person! I’m from the temple!"

"Show me the temple sigil then!" Luke relaxed a little hearing about the temple.

"Oh right! let me show it to you. It’s right...." He rummaged his coat pocket, but slowly black lines formed on his forehead, he couldn’t find the sigil.

"I probably forgot it at the inn! How about I show it to you when we’re in the city!"

"Show it to the devil in hell!" Luke suddenly appeared in front of him, his legs bent and an amber prana covered fist moving towards the young man’s face in an uppercut.

Luke appeared in such an instant that he couldn’t react in time. Sensing the power and danger packed in that punch, the young man didn’t idle anymore. Golden mana moved to the ring he wore in his right middle finger, the ring then morphed into a huge half a meter wide and three feet long broadsword, with a foot long hilt.

He moved the flat part of the sword between the path of the punch. Luke’s fist hit right on the blade and pushed the blade back, touching the body of the young man. The force behind the punch was so large that he couldn’t endure and was blasted away.

He broke the half broken wall while flying back as it crumbled and zoomed away to the distance, sliding along the surface of the river as water splashed out and stopped after rolling a few meters on the ground.

He was shocked to the core. The punch was so hard that it threw him away from one side of the river to the other.

Before he could take a breath, with a burning fist Luke came jumping towards him again.

But this time, he stopped holding back, a diamond shaped mark appeared on his forehead and glowed white. Golden mana covered the sword and turned white, glowing blindingly bright. It was like the sword was inside a sheath of light.

He moved his sword back, ready to swing at Luke as he was reaching closer. Just then a scream came from the warehouse.

"STOP!!!"

Luke was surprised as he recognized the voice, it was Ruby’s.

He swung his fist to the side while the young man also moved his sword away at the last moment.

BOOM!!!

Luke and the young man stood still while a huge conical area in the path of Luke’s punch was obliterated, trees uprooted and ground dug out. On the other hand, a trench had formed in the ground extending to the other side of the river, separating the river into two.

Ruby flew, levitating through the air and reached near them as she landed on the ground. Immediately she bent her back and bowed to the young man with the sword.

"Forgive this fools insolence your excellency! He doesn’t know who you are!"

Luke was shocked now, seeing Ruby like this he was now sure of one thing, that man wasn’t lying. He really was from the temple.

"Who are you?" Luke blurted the words out as he asked.

"You moron! that’s one of the saint candidates of the temple, Lord Raguel!" Ruby chided Luke, while giving the true introduction of the man in front.

Luke was shocked. Though he was not that familiar about the matters of the temple, he knew one thing that everyone knew; being a saint candidate was a major thing, as he could be the future saint of the temple, the leader of light and justice.

"No worries! It was just a misunderstanding!" Raguel gave a wide smile as he looked at Luke.

’Ah! Fuck!!’ Luke cursed inside, the consequences of attacking a saint candidate was immense, the whole temple, each and every member would be now after his life.