Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill

The creature, after losing one of its heads, did not weaken—instead, it grew stronger. Its anger transformed into raw power, and William could sense the shift in its aura.

"It's stronger now," he thought, tightening his grip on his sword.

Before he could react, the Cerberus lunged toward him. Mid-charge, it unleashed another ability. Its claws ignited with molten fire, turning them into even deadlier weapons.

But that wasn't all. Its saliva now dripped with a potent venom, capable of inflicting severe damage if it managed to sink its fangs into him.

"Should we help him?" the girl in plate armor asked.

She had been observing the battle, and like William, she sensed the shift in the Cerberus's aura the moment it roared after losing its head. The other adventurers noticed it too.

"Let him handle it," the former leader said. "He insisted on fighting alone—we should respect that."

While the women hadn't witnessed William's full strength, the ex-leader had. The memory of that night—when William had cut down several of his comrades—still sent shivers down his spine.

Deep down, he knew that if William fought at his full potential, the Cerberus stood no chance.

William was aware of this as well. Yet, he refused to rely on his transformation—not out of secrecy (he no longer cared about hiding his abilities), but because he didn't want to grow dependent on it.

Constant reliance on that power would make him weaker in the long run. What he truly sought was to refine his control over his black fire spells and sharpen his other combat skills.

When the imposing Cerberus charged with its fire-clad claws, William met it head-on. With Asura in hand, he slashed against the beast's attack.

A relentless exchange of blows followed. They clashed multiple times within seconds, dashing around the abandoned stone church.

Neither could land a solid hit. William's sword met the Cerberus's claws in rapid succession, turning the fight into a battle of endurance.

Who would tire first? Who would make the first mistake?

At first, William felt confident. His stamina held up well against the monster's relentless assault. In fact, he sensed that he had more endurance than the Cerberus. If the battle continued at this pace, he would eventually win.

Or so he thought.

His body-enhancing spells abruptly wore off. They didn't last forever, and the fight had been going on for a while.

But that wasn't the only problem.

The Cerberus was growing stronger as the fight dragged on, as if it were entering a battle trance.

Then it happened.

William got hit.

The fiery claws tore across his chest, shredding his clothes and leaving a deep, searing wound. His skin melted under the attack, exposing burned flesh beneath.

The pain was excruciating. Even with his formidable body, the damage was severe. If it had been a more fragile mage, the wound could have been fatal.

"He got hit," one of the girls gasped.

Everyone watching tensed up. They were all rooting for William to win.

Even the newly arrived adventurers, the ones who needed the portal open, hoped for his victory. Their entry into the hub depended on it.

"What should I do now?" William thought, staring at his injury.

If things continued as they were, the battle wouldn't end in his favor. For a brief moment, he considered using his demonic transformation.

But then something unexpected happened.

The System notified him of a sudden activation of his strange snake bloodline, unlocking its full potential due to the critical damage he had sustained.

[Vital attack received, bloodline activated]

[Increased healing speed +400%]

A surge of healing power coursed through him. The pain dulled instantly. His wound began closing at an astonishing speed, visibly regenerating before his eyes. Even his stamina was rapidly replenishing.

He had no idea how long this boost would last, but he intended to make full use of it.

"It's time for a suicidal attack!" he thought.

Gripping Asura tightly, William charged at the Cerberus. He abandoned all attempts at defense. His sole focus was dealing damage.

When the Cerberus slashed at his left arm, he didn't evade. He let the claws tear into him, but in return, he delivered a devastating slash.

Asura's cut burned through the beast's flesh, inflicting immense pain.

The last time he struck, a single slash had decapitated one of the monster's heads. His attacks carried overwhelming force.

"What's he doing?" the adventurers murmured in shock.

Every time the Cerberus landed a hit, William retaliated with equal or greater ferocity.

At first, the onlookers thought he had gone mad. But soon, they realized the brilliance of his strategy.

William's wounds healed faster than the Cerberus's.

Blow after blow, the creature bled more profusely. It grew visibly weaker. Meanwhile, William remained standing, his body seemingly untouched by the battle.

It was as if he hadn't even been fighting.

When the Cerberus realized this—and it was no fool—its fiery rage began to wane. The desperate will to fight was replaced with an undeniable truth.

It had lost.

William, seeing the chance to win appear before his eyes, attacked with even more ferocity than before and eventually killed the Cerberus.

[+3 levels]

[Drops: Cerberus Head, Cerberus Claws, Magma Tome]

Not only did he gain three levels, but he also obtained a few items, which seemed incredibly valuable.

He collapsed to the ground after killing the creature, finally resting after such a long fight. His bloodline began to wear off, and now, instead of feeling refreshed, he was overwhelmed with exhaustion.

Everyone who had been watching the fight ran toward William to check on him. The adventurers who were there just to use the portal simply thanked him after seeing he was all right and then passed through it.

As for the girls, they stayed behind, waiting for him to recover. The adventurers under his command did the same, afraid that he might do something to them.

Only after ten minutes did he recover enough to stand up. He thanked everyone for their support.

"Thank you for watching my back," he said. "We can enter the hub together now."

"The people in this hub will get scared when they see you," the girl in plate armor said. "You look like shit."

William's clothes were torn apart, and he was covered in blood. It was as if his skin had turned red!

Although his wounds had healed, the blood remained, making him look terrifying.

"I hope there's a good shower there—and a place to buy some clothes too," William said.

They stepped through the portal together. The same old feeling of traveling through portals—nothing new to William.

But what they saw on the other side? That was new.

An entire city, but unlike other cities, there were no ordinary citizens. The only people there were adventurers!

They came from all sorts of floors. Some were from much higher floors than William, yet they still stayed in this hub to rest.

There were shops, places to eat, events organized by adventurers, and much more.

What was truly fascinating, however, was how safe the city was. It had a wall, yet no gate—no one could leave.

As for the guards? They were stronger than anything William had ever seen. They simply stood there, moving only if someone tried to start a fight or kill inside the hub.

"This is incredible," he said. "I didn't think there would be so many people in this place."

The number of adventurers walking through the hub was surprisingly high, making William wonder if they were all from Demon Island.

At first, he had believed they were, based on what Jhen had said. But the girls he had met didn't look like the typical citizens of Demon Island. And now, seeing such a diverse crowd, William was starting to think there was more to this place than he had initially assumed.

But for now, it was just a guess.

"This is our first time here too," one of the girls said. "I thought it would be much smaller."

Everyone was eager to explore, and it was time for them to part ways. William and the girls had worked together to find the portal, but now, each of them had their own path to follow.

As for the adventurers William had encountered—the ones from the group he had killed a few of—they still wanted to work for him.

Apparently, the fear he had instilled in them was so overwhelming that they were too afraid to leave, even after he told them they were free to do whatever they wanted.

"We want to work for you," the ex-leader said. "This is our first time in the hub, but we're pretty good at gathering information. We can find out anything you need to know, master."

William was pleased. "Now that I think about it, you could be really useful in this place. Alright, go and gather as much information as you can. In the meantime, I'll be cleaning myself up and getting some new clothes."