Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill

The mount seemed like the perfect solution for William, who was already contemplating approaching Ben's friend to see if he could borrow it. He didn't want to steal it outright, as that would negatively impact his friends who were staying on the island. William wasn't that kind of person.

As soon as Ben's friend landed the enormous bird on the beach, William went to speak with him.

Up close, the bird was even larger than William had imagined, making him feel dwarfed by the majestic creature. It was truly a powerful flying mount.

"You're William, right?" the man said with a friendly smile. "I need to speak with you in private. Is that alright?"

Lincoln and the other students were present to see the mount, and upon hearing the man's request, they returned to the camp.

Once William and the man were alone, he revealed, "I'm one of the summoned heroes, just like Ben. He told me about you."

William hadn't expected to encounter another hero here. "Really?" he said, surprised. "Well, it's an honor to meet another one of us."

"Likewise," the hero replied. "I've come to invite you to train with us. I believe you could progress much faster that way."

They wanted William to join them, the heroes, but he knew it wasn't a good idea. Things were likely the same in the past, meaning the heroes were affiliated with the order of mages that Elric belonged to.

For some reason, William had a feeling he would suffer at their hands if he went, but it was still an opportunity to learn more about the heroes and Elric.

"Could we perhaps consider that later?" William asked. "I have some things I need to do first. I believe it's alright to wait a while, say a few years?"

William wanted to find the island where the demon race lived and learn more from them. He needed to understand his powers better.

The hero seemed to agree. "No problem, we have plenty of time. But try not to take longer than a decade. Remember, the threat of the demon lord is approaching."

"Right, of course," William replied. "And one more thing, do you think you could give me this mount? Or at least lend it to me for a while? I need to travel the world, and I think it would be very useful."

"Actually, I came here to give it to you," the hero said. "Your friends will receive another mount."

"Excellent!" William exclaimed.

In the end, he wouldn't need to steal or beg for the mount, which was a relief. With this bird, he could travel the oceans with ease.

The hero handed William a small whistle. "With this, you can control the bird," he explained. "It hunts for its own food, and it doesn't require frequent feeding."

He gave William a few more instructions before taking his leave. He, too, flew off, but unlike Ben, who used a mana carpet, this hero simply sprouted wings and soared into the sky.

William returned to the camp to share the news. "Apparently, that flying mount is for me," he told Lincoln. "But he'll be back soon with another one for you."

Lincoln frowned, puzzled. He couldn't understand why such a powerful man would gift such a valuable mount to William.

What made William so special? Despite his questions, Lincoln knew William wouldn't lie about it.

"Alright, I understand," Lincoln conceded. "Well, at least we'll have a way to leave the island when we need to. I think we'll have to go buy supplies soon."

Although the island provided water and creatures to hunt, they still needed other types of food. Lincoln wanted to start a farm, enabling them to stay on the island longer without relying on outside supplies.

But everything in its own time. Lincoln still needed to organize the site before they could begin planting.

William, however, had other plans. Though he enjoyed being with his friends and wanted to kill more monsters to gain experience, he knew he needed to venture out to become truly powerful.

His goal was the demon island Asura had mentioned. During the night, William prepared to leave. But before he departed, he decided to speak with his friends, Marcel and Denise.

"I'm leaving tonight," William announced.

Marcel had invited him into his cabin, expecting a friendly chat with his friend, not this bombshell.

"What?" he blurted out, stunned. "Is this a joke?"

"No, it's not," William replied, his voice firm. "There are places I need to go. It's important. I haven't told anyone else, just the two of you."

"But it's going to be dangerous. You know that," Marcel insisted, concern etched on his face.

Despite his desire to keep his friend safe, Marcel could see that nothing would sway William's decision. Accepting this, he offered his support and bid his friend farewell.

"Will you come back?" he asked, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Yes, definitely," William assured him. "This is just a temporary adventure. In the meantime, please stay strong. I wish I could go on adventures with you both."

Marcel and Denise embraced him, exchanging heartfelt goodbyes. Then, William slipped out of the cabin.

He couldn't linger. The longer he stayed, the greater the chance Lincoln would notice something was amiss.

William's goal was simple: reach his new mount and leave.

Under the cover of darkness, he made his way to the beach where the bird awaited him.

The path was relatively safe. William had spent several days clearing the area of magical creatures.

The bird itself also contributed to the area's safety. It was a powerful and intimidating beast, and no other magical creature on the island dared approach the beach.

As William approached the bird, it became agitated, ready to attack at any moment. He quickly used the whistle given to him by the hero, calming the magnificent creature.

He mounted the bird and soared into the night sky. Lincoln awoke to the sound, but it was too late. William was already gone.

"Which direction is this island?" William asked Asura in his mind.

"Southwest," Asura replied. "But it would be wise to return to the mainland and stock up on supplies first. Going straight there would be risky. It's a long journey."

Since William had left abruptly, he didn't have many supplies with him. According to Asura, it was unlikely he would encounter any islands along the way.

In that case, he would need to carry water and food. While fishing in the sea was possible, it was risky and time-consuming.

Therefore, it was best to be prepared with provisions.

William turned back and headed towards the nearest island. He lay down and took a nap, instructing Asura to wake him when they neared the island.

A few hours passed, around four in total, and William reached the island. The bird was incredibly fast and flew at an impressive altitude.

The cold at that height surprised William, and he decided to buy some new clothes in the city. Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire

He couldn't land just anywhere with such an enormous bird. William chose a secluded area on the island with dense vegetation, a place where the inhabitants wouldn't be alarmed by the sudden appearance of such a creature.

In fact, William doubted anyone would even see the bird. He arrived under the cover of darkness, maintaining a low profile.

William then made his way towards the city, where he had to wait a few hours for the shops to open.

Once the shops opened, he began his shopping spree. William focused on purchasing barrels of water and food – the essentials for his journey.

Goods on the island were relatively inexpensive, and he had some savings from the school and Jinra. So, he easily acquired everything he needed.

William also bought some fur-lined leather clothing. It was a bit more expensive since it wasn't typical attire for the island's hot climate.

But William needed those clothes to withstand the frigid temperatures at the high altitudes the bird could reach.

He managed to store most of his purchases in his inventory, which was a huge advantage. This allowed him to carry everything without cluttering the back of his mount.

Securing items on the bird's back would have been a challenge, so the inventory was a lifesaver.

After completing his shopping, he returned to his mount, climbed aboard, and soared off into the vast expanse of the sky.

His destination was set: the island Asura had revealed. According to the recovered memories, it was quite distant, located near another continent!

"I'm almost certain no one has explored that continent yet," Asura commented. "Perhaps you'll be the first to encounter people with a completely different culture."

The prospect of exploring such a new and uncharted territory thrilled William, but it was a long way off, requiring many days of travel.

Suddenly, his time in the past came to an end. Everything around him froze for a fleeting moment, and a portal materialized before him, pulling him inexorably inward.

William found himself back in the present, thrust once more into his quest to find the ingredients for the king's antidote.