Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill

Chapter 196 - 196: Forbidden Zone (4) - Undead, and Demonic Sight

"Why are skeletons here?" William asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. "This isn't the kind of place you'd expect to find them."

Skeletons were typically found in dungeons, crypts, or tombs—places steeped in death and decay. Finding them in the middle of a forest was unusual, and it left William puzzled. The forbidden zone was full of mysteries, but this one seemed particularly out of place.

Sarah, however, had an answer. She had done extensive re

The chance that the campfire belonged to Kier was there, but the traces were old. Too old.

According to what the villager had said, Kier had passed through this area twenty days ago. There was no way he had been traveling this slowly. A mage as strong as him wouldn't need to linger—especially not in a dangerous place like this.

William clenched his jaw. If Kier had already moved far ahead, catching up to him was going to be a challenge.

Still, they had no choice but to keep moving forward, staying alert to avoid getting caught off guard by any roaming skeletons or other creatures lurking in the shadows.

Then, a sharp, piercing screech tore through the air.

William's head snapped up just in time to see a massive skeletal bird soaring above them. Its hollow eye sockets burned with an eerie blue light, its bones rattling with each wingbeat. But what truly sent a chill down his spine was the figure riding on its back—a skeleton draped in tattered purple robes, gripping a twisted scepter.

A lich.

Sarah's breath hitched. "Where should we hide? Most of the trees here are dead—there's no foliage for cover!"

Victoria looked equally panicked, her eyes darting around in search of shelter. William knew they had only seconds before the lich noticed them. If that happened, they were dead.

Or rather, they would have been—if not for Stuart.

The small magical rat poked his head out of William's pocket, his whiskers twitching with urgency. "Lean against the tree and stay still. I'll handle the rest."

Without hesitation, the trio pressed their backs against the lifeless trunks. Stuart scurried onto William's shoulder, his tiny paws glowing faintly as he worked his magic.

Almost instantly, their appearances began to shift, blending seamlessly with the decayed surroundings. Not just their bodies—their very presence faded, their auras dissolving into the air. To the naked eye, they were no longer there.

Or at least, that was the hope.

The lich hovered above them, its empty gaze sweeping the ground as if searching for something. For a tense moment, it lingered. The skeletal bird let out another bone-chilling screech, circling once before finally soaring off into the distance.

Only when the creature was completely out of sight did William let out the breath he'd been holding.

"That was close," Sarah muttered, rubbing her arms. "If it wasn't for your magical rat, we'd be in serious trouble."

Stuart puffed up proudly. "Right? I am the best." With that, he scurried back into William's pocket, clearly satisfied with himself.

But William's mind was still on the lich. "Was it looking for us?" he wondered aloud.

There was no way to be sure.

Sarah shook her head. "I don't know, but we should be extra careful. A lich like that is way out of our league."

No one disagreed.

The place was crawling with undead. No matter where they turned, there was always something—skeletal remains twitching back to life, eerie moans echoing in the distance, or the unsettling glow of hollow eye sockets watching from the shadows.

And as if things weren't bad enough, the lich returned.

William wasn't sure if it was the same one or a different one, but that hardly mattered. Either way, it made their journey exponentially harder. With the constant threat looming above, they had to slow down, moving carefully to avoid drawing attention.

It was suffocating.

Then, finally, they found something unexpected.

A fissure in the earth.

The crack in the terrain stretched deep, revealing a hidden world below. Unlike the decayed wasteland around them, the bottom of the crevice was… alive. Lush vegetation thrived in the depths, untouched by the corruption above. And even more astonishing, there were structures built into the walls—houses, carved directly into the rock. The craftsmanship was intricate, precise. Whoever had lived there had done so with skill and purpose.

Sarah was the first to speak. "I think this belonged to the demons. These buildings—they match descriptions I've read before."

William barely heard her.

A sharp, searing pain erupted in his skull, a sensation so overwhelming that his knees buckled beneath him. He barely registered the sensation of the cold ground against his hands as he collapsed. His vision blurred, his breath came in ragged gasps.

Something about this place…

It was calling to him.

And it hurt like hell.