Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill
Chapter 281 - 281: Royal Demon Palace (14) - Turning into a FULL BEAST

Even Jhen's appearance had changed. Her hair had grown slightly longer, taking on an even deeper shade of black, and dark veins had appeared around her eyes. Black veins that gave her a somewhat terrifying look.

For the first time in a long while, William took a step back.

He wasn't the kind of person to retreat—not even against enemies stronger than him.

But this time, it was instinct. He didn't even think about it—it just happened.

The moment he realized what he'd done, he scolded himself mentally.

"What the hell are you afraid of, William? Get in there already!" he thought.

He tightened his grip on his sword and stepped forward again.

That's when Jhen made her first move after powering up like that—and well, the power she unleashed was nothing short of terrifying.

Her movements were now so fast that William couldn't keep up. It was like she left shadows behind as she moved, mirages from how fast she was going.

"This is bad!" William realized.

Jhen suddenly appeared in front of him—and this time, she didn't strike just once or twice, but multiple times.

Her attacks came so fast that William couldn't dodge them. The sheer number of slashes overwhelmed his demonic armor. It shattered.

With his armor gone, William was left vulnerable. The attacks tore into his body directly. He was slashed all over—it was a miracle he hadn't lost a limb.

"What do you think of that, huh?" Jhen said. "Starting to understand how wide the gap between us really is?"

The fight was going downhill fast. William had known Jhen was stronger, but he'd believed that with his secret powers—like his demonic transformation—he could at least hold his ground. Clearly, that wasn't the case.

From a distance, Victoria watched in fear, helpless. She knew that if William died, it would only be a matter of time before she met the same fate. Jhen wouldn't let either of them live.

Seeing how things were unfolding before his eyes, the royal king finally acted.

"Jhen, I'm willing to talk," the king said. "But if that's off the table, then I'll fight. I might be wounded—but don't mistake that for weakness!"

As he spoke, he began gathering his own demonic energy. The ground beneath him cracked under the pressure. The sheer force of his energy whipped up gusts of wind, tugging at his hair and clothes.

He was ready to transform—just like Jhen and William had.

Jhen felt the surge of power and paused for a moment.

"Your strength is impressive, considering your wounds," she said. "But like I told you—I'm still better."

This time, Jhen ignored William, who lay bloodied on the ground, and charged straight at the king.

The king transformed as well. Demonic energy enveloped his body, forming a dark armor—but unlike William and Jhen, who relied on their own weapons, the king conjured a spear from his energy.

It looked sharp. Deadly. Powerful.

The clash between them was extraordinary. Each strike unleashed shockwaves of raw energy, tearing through everything nearby—trees were shredded, the ground cracked open, and even the royal house crumbled under the force.

William, still on the ground, felt like a mere spectator—powerless and broken. He watched it all, his hands trembling.

"The king is strong," he thought, "but he can't win…"

Despite the king's immense power, it wasn't enough. Jhen was simply too much. So once again, it fell on William to find a way to win.

But how?

After their earlier fight, William had a haunting realization—even if he pushed himself further, even if he used one of his most dangerous abilities like the Hero's Limit, he would still lose.

That was terrifying. If not even that would work… what else did he have?

He had no more aces up his sleeve. Nothing left that could surprise Jhen. No last-second trick to turn the tide.

His only hope now was that the king could weaken her—at least a little.

But even that hope faded quickly. Jhen began to dominate the fight, slowly pushing the king back. He couldn't keep up. He was powerful, yes—but Jhen was relentless.

And then it happened.

A clean, brutal hit. Jhen's blade slashed through the air and severed the king's left arm.

He collapsed, blood pouring from the wound, his demonic armor fading into nothing. It was over.

Jhen looked down at him, indifferent. "I'll finish you off later," she said coldly. "This isn't the right time."

Then she turned.

Her eyes locked on William.

He forced himself to stand. His body ached, covered in wounds—but thanks to his fast healing, he was slightly better than before.

Not enough.

And even if he was fully healed… it wouldn't matter.

He still wouldn't be strong enough to win.

The royal princess had considered helping—but just like she had with Kier and Victoria, Jhen had already restrained her with ease.

There was no cavalry coming. No one else to turn to.

It was just William… and her.

"Ready to lose against me again?" Jhen sneered, eyes cold. "You already look like hell—and it's only going to get worse."

She boredly drove her weapon into the ground and said, "Last time, you won with your brute strength. But let me show you… even in your own field, I can still crush you."

She was challenging him—to a fistfight.

William's mind raced. He knew a sword fight with her was suicide. So, despite his battered body, he took the gamble. He planted his sword in the ground beside hers.

"Good, good," Jhen's eyes flashed with excitement, a cruel smile spreading. "This is what I've been waiting for."

She charged.

William held his ground, dropping into a fighting stance, muscles coiled, eyes sharp—waiting for the perfect moment.

Back on Earth, William had trained in martial arts, but it felt useless here—against magic, demon energy, and lethal weapons. Until now.

As Jhen closed in, William ducked swiftly, closing the gap.

He grabbed her torso with a powerful grip and executed a swift, fluid throw.

The move was lightning fast, catching Jhen completely off guard—she had never seen anything like it.

When her body slammed into the ground, the impact was devastating.

A massive crater cracked open beneath her.

Despite the force of William's throw, Jhen didn't flinch. Her demonic energy armor absorbed every ounce of the impact. To her, it was as if William hadn't landed a single hit.

Now it was her turn.

Without hesitation, Jhen unleashed a barrage of brutal punches against William's back. Each strike landed with devastating power—far beyond the first time they clashed fist-to-fist. She had grown stronger, fiercer.

William gritted his teeth, trying desperately to endure the pain, still clinging to her body. He hoped to shift to a grappling hold, aiming to use ground fighting to turn the tables. That seemed to be his best chance.

But the pain was overwhelming.

His ribs cracked audibly, and in one savage twist, Jhen broke his right arm.

She shoved him away effortlessly and rose, towering over the battered William.

"I'll give you one last punch," she said coldly, "and I'm certain it'll be your last."

Her demonic armor faded away, the energy gathering solely in her fist—a concentrated, lethal strike meant to finish him.

William looked up, eyes locking onto the swirling power in her hand.

This was the end.

"I'll lose just like that, it seems," he thought bitterly.

He felt miserable. He was someone summoned from another world, a hero granted powers no one else could imagine, yet here he was, about to be defeated by someone without any special title or blessing. That realization cut deeper than any wound.

The punch slammed into William's gut with a thunderous force. The ground beneath them shattered and exploded, creating a pit so deep it swallowed the light.

Jhen leapt back just in time, narrowly avoiding the chasm she'd created.

At the bottom of the abyss lay William… or what was left of him.

His body had been beaten to a pulp, barely recognizable—just pieces left of what once was him.

But despite the damage, his consciousness remained. That was all thanks to his incredible healing speed.

Yet, was that a blessing or a curse? In that moment, William was sure his healing factor wasn't helping him. It was only making him suffer longer.

Then, something caught his attention. He wasn't lying on the ground like he should be, but inside a small pool of blood.

"A pool of blood?" he thought.

His mind flashed back to what he knew about this place—the pools of blood were said to help people improve their bloodline.

But how would improving his bloodline help now? He was about to die.

Just then, a notification appeared in front of him:

[User is in contact with the blood of the first demon]

[Your body is recovering fast, and you'll soon transform]

William felt his body healing at an unbelievable rate. His arms and legs rebuilt themselves; the shredded flesh and broken bones began knitting back together. He no longer looked like a meat pulp. The healing speed was unlike anything he had ever experienced.

Then, the blood in the pool shifted, turning black—like the demon energy he wielded—and it began to cover his body.

From the darkness, a creature made entirely of demon energy emerged—tall, muscular, with sharp teeth glinting menacingly.

William was inside the creature, at its center, unable to move freely, but somehow controlling the beast's body.

"I—I turned into a beast!" he realized.

Suddenly, Jhen's face appeared in front of him. He wanted revenge.

With his new, long arms and razor claws, William clawed his way out of the pit like a demon rising from the underworld.