Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill
Chapter 267 - 267: Wildlands (2)

Jhen wasn't just standing around watching the vultures either. She was strong. In fact… she was even stronger than William.

Her movements were swift, and her sword strikes were precise. She knew how to use several demon techniques—skills William still had yet to learn.

It didn't take long for her to finish off the vultures. William was covered in blood, but he stayed calm. There was no pain. His accelerated healing would have him back to normal in just a few minutes.

That was one of his greatest trump cards. Very few people could recover as fast as he could.

Once the vultures were dealt with—and the EXP they gave was actually quite good, much to William's satisfaction—they went to retrieve the horses.

The horses had fled into the forest, taking cover to avoid the aerial attacks, and it worked. They were completely unharmed, waiting patiently for Jhen to come get them.

Mounting back up, they continued their journey. But it didn't take long for new creatures to appear.

A group of bears emerged. But these weren't ordinary bears. Their fur was a chaotic mix of colors, and the most disturbing part was the ten crimson eyes glaring from their faces. On top of that, their claws dripped with a venom so potent it was visibly sizzling in the air.

"These bears are weaker than the vultures from before," Jhen informed them, "but that doesn't mean they're weak. Victoria, be careful with their venom."

Jhen was fully confident the venom wouldn't affect William, thanks to his regeneration. Or at least… not the way it would affect anyone else.

Still, venom or not, those bears were dangerous. The moment they spotted the group, they charged. They were slower than the vultures, obviously, but still alarmingly fast for creatures their size.

Jhen commanded the horses to retreat to safety while the three of them dismounted and prepared for battle.

William was already nearly fully healed. The injuries from the last fight wouldn't hold him back.Sword in hand, he picked one of the bears as his target and charged head-on. He wasn't about to waste time.

But this time, he decided to use one of his stronger weapons to end the fight faster—and avoid getting torn up again.

In his left hand, he conjured a sphere of black fire. A powerful one. It was the spell he currently had the most mastery over.

The heat radiating from it was immense. The fireball grew larger and larger, quickly reaching a terrifying size.

Even Jhen was surprised when she saw it.

William hurled the fireball directly at the bear charging toward him. The explosion was massive—the area of effect so large that it hit several other bears nearby.

The impact shook the ground, leaving a crater in the middle of the road. Black flames spread out, consuming the monsters caught within.

In a single attack, William had wiped out a huge portion of the group.

That was the power of his magic.

And he was more than satisfied with the result.

After that devastating attack, there were only a few bears left for Jhen and Victoria to deal with. The fight became much easier.

Of course, between the two, Victoria struggled the most since she was still weaker. But facing those bears turned out to be great training for her.

Jhen kept giving her pointers throughout the fight—telling her when to dodge, where to aim, and how to move more efficiently.

William chose to stay back and not interfere. He could tell this was an important step in Victoria's training, and there was no reason to get in the way.

Eventually, the two of them managed to finish off the remaining bears. Victoria didn't get hit by any venomous attacks, which was definitely a good thing.

With the path clear, they resumed their journey, heading toward the palace that once belonged to the royal family who ruled over the Demon Island.

Several days passed. Magical beasts attacked them constantly along the way, but none of them were strong enough to cause any real trouble.

And then… they finally saw it. The place they had been searching for all this time. The abandoned palace.

Well… not so abandoned after all. In fact, it was far better protected than William had expected.

Near the palace, the noble family currently ruling over the Demon Island had built a small village to house their soldiers and servants.

The number of people there was… impressive. Even Jhen—who already had some intel about the place—was surprised.

"They've reinforced security around here," she said, frowning. "There weren't this many people before."

This was bad. Breaking into the palace had already been a difficult task… but now, with this level of security, it would be even worse.

Was the war the reason security had increased so much? Both Jhen and William found themselves wondering that.

It definitely seemed like the most plausible explanation.

"And now? What do we do?" Victoria asked.

The three of them were observing the palace from a safe distance, far enough to avoid being spotted.

Jhen, while visibly concerned at first, quickly regained her composure.

"We stick to the plan," she said. "Remember what I told you? Most of them avoid spending time inside the castle because of the traps. Getting in is the hardest part, but once we're inside… we'll be fine."

The heavy security wasn't necessarily to guard the inside—it was there to stop anyone from entering in the first place.

When the demon royal family was overthrown, they activated countless traps throughout the palace—traps that were nearly impossible to disable. Worse, most of them could reset and trigger multiple times.

In other words, the noble family that had taken over couldn't actually explore most of the palace.

Up until now, they'd only managed to disarm traps in a few specific rooms—and that was it. Fully clearing the place? That would take them years.

"And how exactly are we supposed to get in without being seen?" William asked, frowning. "Look at how many guards are patrolling that place."

That was the real problem. Before, when security was lighter, there were gaps—small windows during shift changes where someone could slip through unnoticed. But now? With more than triple the number of guards? William wasn't feeling very optimistic.

Despite that, Jhen remained calm. That's when she dropped something he hadn't expected—a secret she had kept all this time.

"I used to work in that palace," Jhen said. "I know a way in. A way they'll never see coming. Trust me."

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