Chapter 54 - The First Adventure - The Tower (Part One)

The night was still young, and Lucas sneaked back into his room, making sure to not wake up anyone asleep. He sat on top of his bed and began to analyze every piece of information on the paper that he had received. After thirty minutes, he let out a yawn. "Time to go to bed, I guess", he thought as he stretched his body and laid on his comfortable bed.

"Well, this life isn't so bad after all", he thought as he looked back to his journey since he left the palace. "I wonder how Mother and Father are doing. Let's just hope that Sam isn't stirring up some trouble again", he thought as his eyes drifted to sleep.

The alarm on his phone rang, waking Lucas up and he began to do his Daily Tasks, and he wanted to complete them as quickly as possible. "Let's train my Aura today. I have to reach Eighty percent integration in my whole body. And I am beginning to see some improvements", he thought as he was running.

He felt the improvements as his time to complete the tasks was getting shorter and shorter. "Well, after the system levels up again, I wonder what surprises await me. I just have to make sure that I catch up to the numbers before that happens", he thought as he began to circulate his Aura through his body.

He began to fuse it into his bones, one by one. Once it reached eighty percent, he stopped and jumped to the next bone. And just like this, he had completed his arms and feet. "Next is the upper torso", he thought as he was about to inject some Aura into it, he heard a sweet voice from behind him.

"Good Morning. What are you doing so early up in the morning?", she asked. Lucas turned around and saw Emilia walk towards him in her pajamas. The pajamas were loose-fitting, but they couldn't cover her beauty in it. It only accentuated her beauty. Lucas wanted to look at her for a long time, take in that beautiful sight when he remembered something.

"I'm sitting here without a shirt!", he panicked as he began to look around for his shirt. He was about to jump when he saw her come near him. "What's that weird smell? And that thing that is sticking along your body?", she asked as she neared him. Lucas knew what she was talking about in an instant, and he ran from the spot.

"That's embarrassing", he thought as he went into his room, and slammed the door shut. He peeked from the window, only to see Emilia smile sweetly at him. "Just how in the world did she escape from my perception?", he began to think about the fact that she appeared out of nowhere.

"She is strong. Stronger than me. Then why is she hiding this fact?", he thought as he undressed, ready to take a deep dive in the scented bath he had prepared. He went near the bath, and he dipped himself in it. The fatigue from the amount of Aura he had been injecting took over him, and he felt himself fall asleep.

"Is this the reason why Master asked me to do it at night that time?", he thought as his eyelids began to feel droopy? He closed his eyes and immediately began to snore. The door of the bath opened, and in came Emilia. "Well, a normal bath won't suffice to clear off the residue that can be stuck. Thus, I added some herbs that will help in cleaning that up. You can thank me later", she whispered as she watched his face.

Her face began to turn red, as she realized where she was standing. "I should leave. If he finds out that I have been here while he was like that... Kyah!", she let out a scream, only to find no one behind her. "Strange. Strange indeed", she thought as she took a look at Lucas's handsome face one last time.

Although Lucas was feeling fatigued, he heard what Emilia was muttering. He smiled after he heard what she had done. "We have known each other for just a day or two, and yet she is doing this much? What is her motive?", he began to ponder as he fell asleep.

After about an hour, he woke up from his nap and found himself feeling fresh. "It's like the fatigue has just vanished", he thought as he walked out of the tub, wrapping a fresh towel around his waist. He then looked himself in the mirror and made himself ready for the upcoming adventure.

After getting ready, everyone gathered in Robert's room, and he began to address the meeting. "Everyone, today we will be attempting at history's one of the most famous and yet difficult challenges. We shall overcome this difficulty, and maybe, we can deepen our bonds. Creating a friendship", he said as he looked at the others.

"The leader for this one, and all the other expeditions we, as a party shall undertake will be Lucas Smith. I shall be the Vice-Captain, just in case the leader isn't present. As you all may remember, he was the only one who analyzed his pros and cons before he got into a fight. Thus proving that he is indeed capable of being a leader", he said, and everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

Lucas was taken aback by this development. He didn't know what to feel, and some warm feeling began to spread through his heart. He looked at every one of them and their eyes shone in agreement with Robert's statement. Lucas sighed. "I shall try to be a competent leader to this team", he said as he stood up.

Lucas then placed the paper and information he had studied last night and began his explanation on the types this portal has taken shape. "So far, this Portal has taken the Maze, which we may also know as the Puzzle Mode. Then there is the Survival Mode, which seems to be its favorite. And last but not least, It has also taken the form of the Tower Mode, in which a person has to clear the floors that are in the tower", he said as he showed them the paper.

"But what if it takes a combined mode?", he asked, voicing out his suspicion. Everyone nodded their heads. They had to be prepared for the worst after all. This is the unknown. Lucas began to explain a theory he had come up with during the night.

"So, the thing I have been thinking about are combinations of our strengths and weaknesses that this Portal could exploit beneficially. If I remember everyone's battle prowess, Tobias has the highest points in that regard. If it comes down to a Survival Mode against monsters, how long do you think you can last?', he asked Tobias.

Tobias began to think and he answered. "I have lasted about two hours of the continuous onslaught of monsters in a simulation in the school. In real life though, I think it will at most an hour and thirty minutes", he replied. "Then we will fight in shifts, making sure that only two people take on the wave. I will analyze the pattern that they are attacking, and if it's a Puzzle Type, I have the confidence to solve it", he said.

Everyone looked at him in awe. "It hasn't been two days, and he could already analyze us to this extent. He is extremely gifted in the brains department", thought Robert, smirking at his thoughts of making him the leader. He knew he made the right choice as soon as he saw the way he was handling the situation. Lucas continued his theory.

"If it is a Tower-type, then we will have to find the weaknesses of the monsters that are spawned in it, and attack accordingly. We have Lightning, Fire, Ice, and an All-Round Mage. I want to know the elements Robert and Michelle can control", he asked. "I can control Wind, but I am not too proficient in it. Thus, I use it as a medium alongside my Katana", he said.

"I can use the Element Darkness. It's one of the rare elements out there, and it's really hard for me to control it yet. Thus, I never use it, keeping it locked inside me", she said with her head down. "Maybe we could use that to our advantage", thought Lucas as he began to think deeply about the possible scenarios in which the element would be useful.

"Now that we have adequate information, we can be prepared before we enter the Portal. And let's get some potions from the Alchemist's Store near this Inn", said Lucas as he turned around. They left towards the store and bought the potions that were needed.

Robert had quite a lot of funds in his hands, and thus they ended up buying the highest grade of Strengthening, Stamina, Recovery, Healing, and Mana Potions.. "Let's go, everyone", said Lucas as he moved towards the place where the Portal was located.