Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill-Chapter 218: New Information about the King

The shops in the city were also run by adventurers. William realized this after speaking with the owner of a clothing store.

"It's a good way to earn some cash without risking our lives every day," the shop owner said. "You know, people get their clothes ripped apart quite often inside the dungeon."

It was a smart business niche. William noticed that the shop owner was quite open to conversation about various topics, so he decided to ask a few more questions.

What he really wanted to know was whether all the adventurers in the dungeon were from Demon Island.

They were not.

The shop owner, to William's surprise, was from the same kingdom he had been in—the one where Professor James resided and where the king was gravely ill.

"The place I come from is the Black Flame Kingdom," the shop owner said with a sigh. "But things aren't looking great."

William was shocked to hear that. He needed to know more.

"Is the king still alive? I know he's ill," William asked.

The shop owner looked at him in surprise. "How do you know that? Not many people are aware of the kingdom's situation. I only know because I hold a high position in the army."

"I was tasked with gathering the ingredients for the antidote to cure the king," William explained. "But… things happened, and now I'm on a different continent."

He deliberately avoided mentioning Demon Island. That place carried a heavy stigma—most people believed demons were long extinct and wanted nothing to do with them.

"Really? They sent a group to find you a few months ago," the man said. "I can return and tell them you're alive!"

William was relieved to have a way to let people know he was still alive. But what did that change? There was no way they could find the entrance to Demon Island.

"Can I go back with you or not?" William asked.

"No, unfortunately, you can't… You can only return through the same portal you used to enter. The only way back would be for you to return to the Black Flame Kingdom and use the same portal I did," the man explained.

"Damn it," William muttered.

"So where exactly are you? I can try to give them some directions," the man offered.

William couldn't give them an exact location, but maybe a general area would be enough. If they got close, all he could do was leave Demon Island and find them.

So, he described his whereabouts, mentioning the continent with the desert at its center and how he was far to the north, near a remote area.

When the man asked why he had gone so far north instead of staying in the central region to earn enough for a ship and crew—one of his original plans—William explained that he had been captured and sold as a slave, which had complicated things.

The man sympathized, giving him a reassuring pat on the back and offering a few kind words.

"I'll pass all of that on to the people in charge. And… who else did you say?"

"James. Professor James. He was staying in the palace with the king."

"Alright, I'll let him know too. Look, you don't have to pay for the clothes, and if you ever need anything, you can always find me here at the shop or at the Honeymoon Tavern," the man said.

The man seemed like a decent person who genuinely wanted to help. In fact, he had gotten quite excited upon learning that William was also from the Black Flame Kingdom.

"And how bad is the king?" William asked.

At that question, the man's expression darkened. "Really bad. And that's not the only problem. The Sartana Kingdom is winning the war, and apparently, a neighboring kingdom summoned heroes or something a while ago."

The Sartana Kingdom had been at war with the Black Flame Kingdom since the time William first arrived, but back then, neither side had the upper hand. That had apparently changed.

The summoned heroes were also a concern. According to the shopkeeper, the kingdom that summoned them wasn't planning to use their power to fight against the dark forces threatening the world. Instead, they intended to use them to conquer other kingdoms.

It was the first time someone had thought of using the summoned heroes that way. William pictured Master Elric in his mind and found himself unsurprised—he had always suspected the man's intentions weren't entirely noble.

Things were not looking good for the Black Flame Kingdom, and the fact that William couldn't do anything to help only made it worse.

His thoughts drifted to Gorn and his family, likely suffering because of the war. And what about all the other small villages that had no way to defend themselves against the enemy?

After getting his new clothes—fur ones, since that was the shop's specialty—and taking a much-needed shower in the store's bathroom, William stepped out feeling somewhat refreshed.

The shop owner locked up behind him. "I'll go tell them everything we talked about as soon as I can. Tomorrow, I'll be back, so stay in the hub if you can."

The man left, and shortly after, William met up with his thugs. They had some news.

"Apparently, there's a building we need to visit to get our enchanted rings," one of them said. "They allow us to use the other gates in this place, so we can travel between floors we've already cleared."

With the ring, William would be able to move freely between the floors he had passed through—including back to the Demon Island, since that was the portal he had originally used.

However, even with the ring, it was impossible for him to leave through other portals, like the one the shop owner would use to return to the Black Flame Kingdom.

The dungeon's mechanics were baffling. William still remembered the people on the island—the ones who looked eerily similar to humans from Earth. Could they have been the ones who built this entire place?

What was he missing? Deep down, he knew it would take a long, long time to uncover the truth.

For now, all he wanted to do was find the tavern the shop owner had mentioned and wait for him to return the next day…

The Honeymoon Tavern was well-known in the hub, and its prices weren't exactly cheap.

The good news? The dungeon had its own currency—coins that dropped from the monsters adventurers killed inside!

William hadn't known that. The system never notified him about earning coins, but when he checked his inventory, they were there.

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Relief washed over him. He had killed a lot of monsters during his time in the dungeon, and slaying the Cerberus had rewarded him with plenty more. He had more than enough to last for a long time.

"With such an easy way to earn coins, why do people even bother setting up shops here?" he wondered.

Adventurers set up shops mainly to pass the time and earn currency from others in exchange for their services. It was a way to make money while resting in the city—after all, no one could fight endlessly.

William booked a room for a few days. As soon as he entered the tavern, all eyes turned to him. It wasn't every day that a new face appeared in the hub, so the adventurers were naturally curious about his identity.

No one approached him, though. Ignoring the stares, William headed straight upstairs to his room.

The accommodations were surprisingly luxurious—a king-sized bed, a plush fur rug beside it, a spacious desk, and even a private bathroom.

It was far better than most of the taverns William had stayed in, further proving just how well-built the entire hub was.

After resting in his room for a few hours, he headed out to grab something to eat and explore the rest of the hub.

One particular building caught his attention—a massive castle situated in the upper part of the hub. Given that most establishments were run by adventurers, William couldn't help but wonder who had the power and influence to own a fortress like that.

As he approached, he quickly realized that the castle was heavily fortified. A towering wall surrounded it, blocking any view of what lay inside. Powerful-looking guards stood watch, preventing anyone from getting too close.

"This is a prohibited area," one of the guards said in a robotic tone. "You can't enter."

"Who lives here?" William asked.

The guard scoffed. "The ruler of the hub, who else? Now get lost."

William couldn't stop thinking about that response.

"The ruler of the hub… Could it be them?"

Memories of the strange people he had seen on that island flashed through his mind.

William couldn't think of anyone else who could be the rulers of the hub. Were they inside that castle, watching everything from above, laughing at the clueless adventurers who had no idea what was really going on?

A chill ran down his spine. He took a step back, knowing there was no point in challenging the guards. Their power was on an entirely different level. Even if every adventurer in the hub joined forces against a single one of them, they would still be utterly crushed.

With no other option, William turned away, feeling frustrated. He returned to his room, pushing aside his swirling thoughts. There was nothing he could do now.

Tomorrow, he would meet with the shop owner again. Maybe then, he'd have a better idea of how to move forward.