Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill

Chapter 146 Many Places to Explore

After that interrogation, William returned to the streets of that small village. One of the fishermen, Bran, went to talk to him.

"Is there anything we can help you with? Do you know the region?" Bran asked.

He couldn't even imagine what William had been through being on the high seas like that. Bran just wanted to give William a helping hand.

"Actually, I lived on an island, and I don't know this region very well… To be honest, I don't know anything," William answered.

His story of how he ended up there was already basically a lie, so he wanted to avoid telling too many lies and ending up being discovered.

'I can't say I came from another continent… That will have to do.' He thought.

Bran didn't seem to find anything strange about what William had said.

"I understand," Bran said, placing his hand on William's shoulder, "but don't worry. I can help you. Come."

Bran led the way to his house, where his wife and young son were waiting. They found it strange that Bran brought a stranger to their home, but after they realized who it was, they were no longer worried.

Actually, Bran's son was very curious. "I heard that you survived on the high seas for days, and won against several magical beasts? Is it true?"

William looked at Bran, and saw him smiling. "Yes, little one. I had to fight for days, and when I needed help, your father showed up. He is a great man."

Bran's wife was making fried fish for them. William took the opportunity to eat something with them and chat. Bran was willing to tell William all the things he needed to know.

"Saltwind is quite small and is on the edge of the continent, as you can see," Bran said, "but the central part is very developed, however it is not easy to walk there."

"And why is that?" William asked.

He had no idea what this new continent he was exploring was like. In his mind, it was supposed to be similar to what he was used to.

Considering that he arrived by the beach, and saw a green forest around him, that's what he thought, but things weren't exactly like that.

"Well, it's a big desert. It is not easy to walk there," Bran said.

"A desert? Quite different from what I'm seeing around here," William said.

"The central part of the continent is more desert-like, and the rest of the continent is similar to what you see around here."

William wasn't expecting to find a desert continent. Asura, in his mind, told him, "This continent must be where the demonic race lived. From what I know, many battles took place here and the vegetation ended up being compromised."

"Seriously?"

That might be a good sign. Although the demonic race at that time was practically extinct, William might have a chance to find someone or some information about them.

Who knows, even find some magic? He wanted to learn fire and black fire magic, since both were elements that he would certainly have a very high affinity for.

"And is it very dangerous to travel across the continent, Bran? I mean, if I want to explore other regions? At the moment I don't know where to go. I just wanted to start making some money and travel around…" William asked. Discover hidden stories at My Virtual Library Empire

Bran was a fisherman who spent most of his time either in Saltwind or at sea, but he had a lot of information. During his travels, he ended up talking to many people, so he was someone who knew the continent.

"Look, it's a bit dangerous, yes," Bran said, "magical beasts are everywhere when you're outside the protected cities. But with caution and traveling with help, you can go to various places. Now, about making money, well, it depends on what you know how to do."

"Is there any job where I can gain levels by hunting monsters and money at the same time?" William asked.

Bran was a little surprised to hear that. "It makes sense that you survived so long in the middle of the ocean. Of course you are strong… Well, there is. There are many people hiring warriors to clear regions infested with magical beasts. You can join the army too, a personal guard, open a shop to sell the bodies of the beasts you hunted… anyway, many possibilities."

William had many possibilities. He knew that he wasn't a super strong person, but he already considered himself minimally decent. What he wanted most at that moment was to increase his strength, get money, and with that leave the continent and return from where he came.

He needed to warn the king about what had happened. William knew that he couldn't stay on that continent for long, but would he be able to find a means of transportation to leave there in time?

"I understand. Well, thank you very much for all the tips," William thanked Bran.

"You can sleep here tonight, and continue your journey tomorrow. Or you can even stay longer if you want."

Bran was indeed a very generous person, but William didn't plan on staying there long.

Were the pirates and mermen still after him? If so, it wasn't a good idea to stay there in that village full of innocents, as that could bring trouble for them.

Therefore, he just wanted to rest and leave that place as quickly as possible, and that's exactly what he did. William spent the night at Bran's house, eating various good things they prepared for him.

The time he spent there was very well spent, but the next morning, it was time for William to leave that place and continue his journey.

The village was quite simple so they didn't have any kind of mount to offer William, like horses. He would have to walk.

Bran at least gave him a map. It wasn't a complete map, but it had at least the nearest towns.

"In these towns you will be able to find better maps," Bran said, "be careful, friend."

William said goodbye to Bran and his family, thanking them for all their help, and then set off on the only road near that village.

"So, where are we going now?" asked Stuart.

The little mouse had been hiding in William's pocket all this time, only coming out when no one was around.

"I have no idea," said William, "maybe one of these nearby towns to find a better map, I just don't know how I'm going to pay for one. They probably use a different kind of currency here."

"But in a bigger city you can certainly find some work to earn some money," Stuart reminded him, "especially someone with your strength, and with my intelligence."

"Oh, stop it," William said, rolling his eyes, "you meant with my strength and my intelligence, right?"

"Idiot."

Traveling without any means of transportation was quite tedious, time-consuming and tiring. Because of this, William was already quite sure that it would take a long time to reach the nearest town.

For hours and hours the only thing he saw was the stones of the road and the dense vegetation around him. The sound of some unknown creatures was also heard by him from time to time, but nothing came and tried to attack him.

However, he also didn't see any type of construction, like a tavern or a house in the middle of nowhere. There came a time, near the end of the day, when he had to stop.

"We're going to have to stop here," William told Stuart, "I still need to get food for us, and if it gets too late at night it will be difficult."

"Right, makes sense. I can help you with my magic to make fire, and also track prey for us. But where are we going to sleep?"

"On the ground."

"Mercy…"

William went into the forest and looked for a better place to sleep. He knew very well that sleeping near the road was not a good idea. You never know when someone with bad intentions would pass by the road at night.

But without a tent or anything like that, it was hard to find a good place to sleep. There was no cave nearby, which meant William would have to sleep in the open.

"I can camouflage us during the night," Stuart said, "so we can sleep without fear."

"Seriously?"

Stuart was proving to be a very useful magical pet, and William was beginning to understand why someone as strong as Jinra had that little mouse as a pet.

He didn't seem to be strong in direct combat—in fact he seemed to be quite weak—but he was very useful, and for William that was enough.

"Let's go after something to eat first," said William.

William and his pet rat then began to track down some creature that could be hunted that night. They didn't want something too big, but rather something ideal for everyone to eat and have nothing left over.