Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill
Chapter 266 - 266: Wildlands (1)

Everyone was on edge in that city. Even though the actual battles were happening far from there, the war still cast a shadow of fear over everyone's hearts.

The guards were prepared to fight to protect the citizens, working together to reinforce the city's security. Not only that, but they also had an entire evacuation protocol in place in case the enemy forces attacked. The citizens would flee through a network of underground tunnels.

William was surprised to learn all of that from the guard who had welcomed them and introduced them to the city.

"I really hope you can make this war go away," the guard said to Jhen. "We're already struggling after losing the royal family… and now this war…"

Jhen placed a hand on the guard's shoulder, offering him a reassuring smile. "We'll do our best. Just like you are."

The guard seemed comforted by her words.

Thanks to Jhen's status as a soldier with a special mission, the group was treated like VIPs. They were given a nice tavern to stay in — completely free — along with free meals for as long as they remained in the city. The guards had informed the local ruler about their situation, which explained the special treatment.

William took advantage of the downtime to practice more of his black fire spells, constantly pushing himself to grow stronger. His level had skyrocketed since their time in the dungeon, and he could feel just how much stronger he had become.

He was close to reaching level 50, with all his attributes above 120 and his intelligence nearing 600. Insanely high stats for someone not even level 50 yet — all thanks to the passive skill he had acquired long ago, combined with the benefits of his bloodlines.

The only thing he was still missing… was a class.

Fortunately, Jhen had already explained that to him. He would obtain a class once they reached the royal palace and completed a special training process there. The palace had a sacred area where members of the royal family trained, and it was there that he would not only receive his class but also gain additional bonuses.

That knowledge made the entire journey even more exciting for William. Reaching the palace felt like his next big step.

Because of that, the few days they spent in the city felt agonizingly slow to him. In reality, it was only three days — but to William, it felt like an eternity.

Every single day, his thoughts were filled with the urge to leave. But Jhen and Victoria needed time to rest and recover. Deep down, he knew he did too. It was just his growing anxiety that made him restless.

Jhen reminded him more than once, "This is the last city before the palace. We need to rest, stock up on supplies, and prepare. No need to rush."

They didn't have unlimited time to waste, true — but traveling without proper preparation was far riskier. William understood that… even if waiting was driving him crazy.

So, when the day finally came and they left the city on horseback, William couldn't hide his relief.

"We're finally out," William sighed. "I couldn't stand staying there any longer."

Jhen chuckled. "You say that now... but just wait. Once we reach the wildlands, you'll wish you were back in the city."

At first, William wasn't particularly worried. Their journey so far had been relatively peaceful, with barely any attacks from magical beasts.

But Jhen had been right.

Barely two hours after leaving the city, they entered a stretch of pure wilderness. Nothing but dense vegetation for miles — no cabins, no farms, no signs of civilization. Just untamed land… and, of course, beasts.

The first wave of attackers came from above — flying creatures that, at a glance, resembled vultures. But they were far bigger, their feathers pitch black, and their sharp beaks lined with teeth. Worse yet, they could cast spells.

One of them flapped its wings, unleashing a massive gust of wind. A wind-element spell. Strong enough to cause real damage — but in this case, it was clearly meant to knock them off their horses.

Neither William nor Jhen had defensive magic. Both were melee fighters. And Victoria… she didn't know any barrier spells either.

In short, they had no way to block it.

"Jump off the horses!" Jhen commanded instantly.

Without hesitation, all three leaped from their saddles, landing smoothly on the ground. The moment their feet hit the dirt, Jhen let out a sharp whistle — a signal for the horses to flee and hide until it was safe.

The flock of vultures — eight in total — swooped down, screeching with their jaws wide open, razor-sharp teeth ready to rip flesh apart.

It was a bizarre, terrifying sight.

William drew Asura, the sword that had accompanied him through so many battles.

Before engaging, he activated one of his buff spells: Swiftfoot.

Speed and agility — that's what mattered in this fight. He didn't bother using any of his other buffs. Burning too much mana right away would only leave him drained, and he knew better than to waste energy recklessly.

Victoria was, without a doubt, the weakest among them. Even after all the training with Jhen, her strength still couldn't compare to either of them.

But that didn't mean she was helpless.

Far from it — she was more than capable of handling one or two of those flying beasts on her own. And that's exactly what she did.

While William and Jhen drew most of the vultures' attention, Victoria focused on fighting the ones that broke formation.

"Stick close to the trees! They're clumsy on the ground," Jhen shouted.

Three vultures were diving straight toward William, beaks wide open, teeth gleaming, screeching like demons.

They were fast. Too fast.

William realized in a split second that he couldn't dodge all of them while trying to land a clean hit. Which left him with only one option.

"Screw it. All in."

He braced himself, waited until the vultures were right on top of him — and then launched forward like a missile. His blade arced through the air, glowing faintly with black fire.

The sword connected with the head of the lead vulture.

It didn't just slash.

It cleaved the beast in half — flesh, bone, and feathers splitting like wet paper.

But momentum was cruel.

While midair, William couldn't dodge.

The second vulture bit down on his left thigh — hard. Flesh tore. Blood gushed.

The third latched onto his shoulder, its teeth sinking deep, ripping a chunk out.

Pain flared — bright and hot.

But William didn't flinch.

He dropped his sword midair, twisted his body, and lunged — bare hands first — for the throat of the closest vulture.

His fingers locked around its neck like iron.

With a roar, he squeezed.

CRACK.

The creature's neck snapped.

Two down.

The third let go, flapping back in panic as William dropped to the ground, landing on one knee. He snatched Asura from the dirt without missing a beat, blood dripping from both his wounds.

Jhen's voice came sharp from nearby. "Are you alright?!"

She could see the injuries — deep, ugly bites, flesh mangled, bleeding heavily. Anyone else would be screaming.

But William answered with a grin.

"Don't worry. Give me half an hour… I'll be good as new."