Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill

William landed near the edge of the forest, his sword already in hand, scanning the area with sharp, focused eyes.

It didn't take long.

Five figures burst from the trees in a panic—three men and two women, all carrying weapons, all looking desperate and furious.

"You bastard!" one of the men shouted. "You killed three of our companions—and the horses too!"

Hearing that, William allowed himself a faint smile."So my surprise attack worked after all. Good."

That only enraged them further. But despite the anger on their faces, none of them moved recklessly. They hesitated.

They were afraid.

William radiated power—and they could feel it.

The man who seemed to be the leader stepped forward slightly, though he didn't lower his guard. "Maybe we can talk," he offered. "Find a way to stop this from going further."

"And why would I want that," William said, his tone sharp, "when I'm the one with the advantage? Sounds like a pretty stupid idea to me."

His confidence was unshakable.

They were fewer now, and William knew that tilted the odds heavily in his favor.

These survivors weren't weak. They were skilled fighters, that much was clear. But William had power they hadn't seen yet. If he used everything—if he pushed himself fully—he could win. Even if it came at a cost.

And judging by the look in his eyes, he had already made peace with whatever that cost might be.

The leader of that group looked angry, but he took a deep breath and said, "Are you sure you want to fight? It will cost you. Even if you win, we will make sure your life is a living hell."

A threat. William looked at them with a smirk.

"Are you sure you can make my life a living hell, or are you just talking nonsense?"

It wouldn't surprise William if that leader was just making things up to mess with his head. In fact, that was pretty much guaranteed at this point.

William fearlessly marched forward with his sword in hand. His movements were fast.He looked for the one who seemed the weakest—or rather, the one who had taken the most damage from his fireballs.

That person was a man with a bow strapped to his back. His left leg was badly burned, making his movements sluggish.

The leader realized who William was going after and yelled.

"Watch out! He's coming for you, Denis!"

But even with that warning, it was too late. William increased his speed even more as he got closer, appearing in front of the man instantly.

Then, with his sword in hand and cold eyes staring into the soul of poor Denis, he attacked.But his arm didn't move the way he wanted. It froze in the air.

"What the fuck?"

The outcome of his first attack wasn't one he expected.

William looked down, realizing he had stepped into a trap placed by that guy named Denis.

Denis was the one with a smile on his face now.

"Eat this arrow, you bastard!"

Denis aimed his bow at William and shot at him directly, aiming for the neck.

William used all the strength he had to destroy the trap, and it worked.

When the arrow got close, he ducked down and avoided it.

Then, he used his sword to cut down the leg of that man.

In fact, the attack cut both of his legs.

The leader yelled again.

"Denis!!!"

As for Denis, he was on the ground, screaming.

The pain surging through his body was too much.

He was out of the fight for good.

Just like that, there was one less person to fight against William.

One more corpse.

The leader was really pissed about it. He decided to act.

With his own sword in hand, he ran toward William.

He activated some spells to enhance his body, creating an armor around him. Demonic energy surged too.

William was surprised by it. The leader of that group fought in a style similar to William's, and he even used body-enhancing magic.

It was strange to fight someone like that, but at the same time, exciting.

William confronted him.

The sound of swords colliding echoed through the plains. Both men were using everything they had to attack each other.

Although William could handle that man, the leader was starting to get the upper hand.

When confronted by that reality, William decided to use his own body-enhancing magic to keep up with him.

Both were now enhanced physically. They were equal in strength.

No one was getting the upper hand anymore.

But William was still just one man against a group.

The others weren't there to just watch.

Another man came to fight with William.

He now had to defend against the attacks of two of them, which was much harder.

It didn't take long for cuts to show up on his body.

And that wasn't even the worst part.

The woman in that group was channeling a spell—one that locked William's legs in place, rendering him unable to move. That was bad.

He tried to stand his ground, forcing himself to block the attacks coming from the two men fighting him. He managed to do it, but just barely.

Then, an arrow came from behind. It was enchanted, moving much faster than a regular one. The shot came from Denis, who was still alive—leaning against a tree, bow in hand, one last act of defiance in his broken state.

The arrow pierced through William's neck. A clean shot.

William froze. His sword slipped from his hand and clattered against the ground. The leader and the other man stopped their attacks. They simply stood there, staring at him.

The leader looked at him with pitiful eyes.

"He won't survive that arrow. What a shame. I thought he was stronger."

William's mind faded. He found himself drifting somewhere deep within, a vast space consumed by darkness. The only thing that felt remotely normal was the cold water touching his feet.

And then, in the distance, he saw them—two massive eyes, wide open, staring straight at him.

Eyes that resembled a snake's.

Red and ancient, pulsing with a pressure that gripped his soul.

Eyes that filled him with fear.