Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill-Chapter 192: The Seal is Broken

The moment William had been waiting for finally arrived. He walked through the bustling streets of the city, weaving through the haphazard crowd. The vendors shouted their wares, but he kept his head down, careful to avoid their gazes. The guards patrolled the streets, their eyes scanning the crowd, but William was a shadow in the midst of the chaos.

He moved like a ghost, unseen, unnoticed—a figure in the crowd, blending in effortlessly as if the city itself had forgotten him. Every step he took was lighter than the last, as if he were walking on air. He couldn't help but feel the rush of freedom in his veins, like a pirate spotting land after years lost at sea.

He had long dreamed of this moment. This was the day he'd finally escape. The day he would leave everything behind. As his feet carried him closer to the city gates, he couldn't stop the surge of relief that washed over him.

'I can't believe I'm finally leaving,' he thought, his heart pounding in his chest.

Despite the excitement, a nagging voice in the back of his mind warned him to be cautious. It was a persistent thought—an echo of the past. His mind kept looping back to Jonas, the cruel master who had kept him enslaved for so long. At any moment, he expected to hear Jonas's voice, cold and mocking, pulling him back into the darkness: "Do you really think a slave like you will ever be free?"

But with every step that took him farther away from the city, further from the place he had once called home, that voice grew fainter.

Jonas wasn't there. Jonas wasn't following him.

And that realization—slow and steady—brought a strange calm over William. Jonas had trusted him too much. That was his mistake. The chains that had bound him for so long were now nothing but memories, fading with every footfall that took him further from his old life.

Soon enough, he saw her—the woman who had come to rescue him. Victoria. She was waiting for him by the edge of the forest, a silhouette against the dimming sky. Her mount, the mighty dragon, was a sight to behold. Its scales shimmered in the fading light, its wings twitching with anticipation.

William's heart skipped a beat. He ran toward her, his feet pounding against the earth with urgency. He didn't know why, but seeing her—standing there, waiting for him—made him feel like the weight of the world was being lifted off his shoulders.

When he reached her, he forced himself to mask his surprise. He had to act as though he hadn't been waiting for this moment his entire life. He looked at her with an expression of awe, a playful smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"So, you're the one who came to rescue me? You're even more beautiful than I imagined," he said, his voice steady despite the pounding in his chest.

Victoria met his gaze and blushed slightly, her cheeks tinged with pink. William noticed the change in her demeanor, and for a brief moment, he allowed himself to appreciate the beauty that had been hidden behind her stoic exterior. She was as determined and fierce as she was elegant.

"Yes, it's me… Thank you, I guess. Anyway, we should leave quickly. We can't waste any time," she replied, her voice steady but with an edge of urgency.

But just as they were about to mount the dragon and ride off into the night, a troubling realization set in. William's body—a body that had carried him through the darkest of days—was still marked by the seal that Jonas had placed on him. The seal was more than just a symbol; it was a tracker, an unbreakable link between William and his former master. As long as it remained, they would be hunted.

"We can't leave yet," William said, his expression darkening. "The seal on my body—it's connected to Jonas. He'll know exactly where I am unless we destroy it first."

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From the folds of William's cloak, a small figure emerged, a creature no bigger than the palm of his hand. It was Stuart, a rat with an odd gleam in his eyes, his fur ruffled from his journey. He scurried forward and climbed up William's arm with ease, stopping at the crook of his elbow.

"Give me the blood," Stuart said, his voice soft but urgent. "With it, I can remove the seal."

Victoria didn't flinch. She had encountered strange magic before, but the sight of a rat speaking wasn't the strangest thing she had seen. Without a word, she grabbed the vial of blood. It contained the blood of the slave trader who placed the seal on William's body.

The rat grasped the vial with surprising dexterity and eyed it carefully. "This will do. But we need to be quick. If Jonas realizes what's happening, we'll have more than just the seal to worry about."

The process of breaking the seal was, in theory, straightforward. The most difficult part had already been accomplished: obtaining the blood of the slave trader who had placed the seal on William in the first place. With the flask of blood now in their possession, the rest was a matter of execution. Stuart, the magic pet rat, was the key to making it happen.

Stuart scurried onto William's shoulder, his tiny paws gripping firmly as he prepared to work his magic. The rat's eyes glowed faintly as he focused, his small body radiating a surprising amount of power. Using his magic, Stuart carefully placed a drop of the blood above the seal on William's body. The blood shimmered faintly, reacting to the latent energy of the seal.

Then, Stuart began to murmur in a strange, ancient language. The words were low and guttural, unlike anything William had ever heard. As Stuart chanted, glowing runes began to form in the air around them, hovering like fragments of light. Each rune was intricate, its lines and curves pulsing with energy. The sight was mesmerizing, but William knew better than to let his guard down. He could feel the tension building in the air, the magic growing stronger with every passing moment.

The runes completed their formation, floating in a perfect circle around William. Then, with a sudden burst of energy, they shot toward the seal on his body. The impact was immediate and excruciating.

William's body convulsed as a sharp, searing pain spread through him. It felt as though his very soul was being torn apart and stitched back together. He clenched his teeth, trying to stifle the scream that threatened to escape, but the pain was too much. A cry of agony echoed through the forest, startling birds from their perches and sending small creatures scurrying for cover.

Victoria, watching from a distance, felt her heart clench with worry. She wanted to rush to William's side, to help him in any way she could, but she knew better. Intervening now could disrupt the delicate process and make things worse. All she could do was wait and hope that everything would turn out alright.

The pain lasted for what felt like an eternity, but in reality, it was only a few moments. Gradually, the searing agony began to subside, replaced by a strange, tingling sensation. William gasped for breath, his body trembling as the last remnants of the seal dissolved. The runes faded, their light dimming until they vanished entirely.

Stuart, exhausted from the effort, slumped on William's shoulder. "It's done," the rat said weakly, his voice barely above a whisper. "The seal is broken."

William took a deep, shuddering breath, his body still trembling from the ordeal. But despite the lingering pain, he felt… free. The oppressive weight of the seal was gone, and with it, the restrictions on his magic. He could feel his power surging within him, unrestrained and ready to be used.

Victoria approached cautiously, her eyes filled with concern. "Are you alright?" she asked, her voice soft but urgent.

William nodded, though his movements were still shaky. "I'm fine," he said, his voice hoarse. "The seal is gone. We can move forward now."

Victoria let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Good. Let's get out of here before anyone notices."

They wasted no time. As soon as William regained his strength, they hopped onto the dragon's back, the massive creature spreading its wings and lifting them into the sky with a powerful gust of wind. Stuart, exhausted from the effort of breaking the seal, retreated into William's pocket, curling up to rest. The rat had done his part, and now it was time for the others to take the lead.

As the dragon soared through the air, William felt a surge of energy unlike anything he had experienced in a long time. Mana flowed freely through his body once again, unbound and unrestrained. It was a sensation he had almost forgotten—pure, unadulterated power. He clenched his fists, reveling in the feeling, but his joy was tempered by one glaring absence: his sword, Asura, was still in Victoria's possession.

It was a problem that had been weighing on his mind. Asura wasn't just a weapon; it was an extension of himself, a part of his soul. But taking it back from Victoria would risk betraying her trust, and William wasn't willing to do that. She had risked so much to help him, and he owed her more than a sudden act of deception.

To his relief, Asura chose that moment to awaken, its voice echoing in his mind. "You can still talk to her, acting as if you were the sword," Asura suggested. "And we can find another sword for her in the forbidden zone. In fact, we could even craft one ourselves and place a fragment of your soul in it. That way, she'll have a weapon of her own."

William raised an eyebrow, amused by Asura's abruptness. "Hello to you too, Asura. You just show up and start giving advice without even saying hi?"

Asura's tone was dry but playful. "Hi, William. It's been a while. And just so you know, even though I was asleep, I could still see and hear everything. So, no need to catch me up. But seriously, we need to speed things up. If we don't hurry, that Kier guy is going to get all the secrets for himself."

William sighed, his amusement fading as the urgency of their situation settled back in. "You're right. Time isn't on our side."