Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill

The man walked toward William and Matthew and waved his hand. With a single wave, Matthew collapsed to the ground.

"Done, he won't remember a thing," the man said. "Now it's your turn."

William knew he was no match for the man. Just by looking at him, he could tell the man was on an entirely different level.

In fact, William strongly suspected the man was one of the creators of the dungeon, if not the sole creator. They were even living in a modern house on one of the floors.

The man repeated the gesture on William. He also fell to the ground. It was as if a force was pinning him down, rendering him immobile.

William felt a sharp pain in his head, but his memories remained intact. The man couldn't erase them!

Matthew was unconscious, so William feigned unconsciousness as well.

The man snapped his fingers. William and Matthew vanished and reappeared on the beach. But it wasn't the island's beach; it was the beach near the city they had visited earlier!

William stood up, hoisted Matthew onto his shoulders, and headed toward the city. Staying on the beach outside the city would quickly attract monsters.

The guard at the gate was surprised to see them. He knew they had left with the fishermen, yet the fishermen hadn't returned.

"How are you here? I thought you left," the guard said.

"We did," William replied. "But we were teleported back here. May we come in?"

The guard quickly opened the gate and closed it behind them. He asked if Matthew was alright. William nodded and continued on.

He went straight to the restaurant where he had worked and stayed for the past few days. The owner had become a friend.

Upon seeing Matthew unconscious, the owner looked worried.

"What happened?"

"It's a long story, but he'll be fine. I just need to put him on a bed."

"Sure, sure. Go upstairs."

William placed Matthew on the bed in his room and waited. Matthew didn't appear injured, but William knew parts of his memory were gone.

Which parts had the man erased? Was it everything, or just some things?

William then heard Asura's voice in his head.

"He couldn't erase your memories, it seems, but he took your rat, Stuart. You didn't even notice."

"What?"

William looked for Stuart, but he was gone. The man had taken the rat.

A wave of sadness washed over William. He and Stuart had become good friends, but now someone had taken him. He didn't know what to do.

"You can't get him back," Asura said. "That person has god-like powers."

"Really?"

He could sense the man's power, but god-like powers? Who were they? William had many questions, and now, without his dear friend, things had become much worse.

William waited for Matthew to wake up. Matthew looked confused, his last memory being of them inside the restaurant! He had no recollection of the island.

"What island?" Matthew said. "I've never heard of it."

The memory wipe had erased everything about the island. William debated whether to tell Matthew the truth.

In the end, he decided against it. What purpose would it serve? Matthew couldn't do anything against those people, nor could William.

So, he fabricated a story about Matthew passing out and needing more rest. Matthew accepted it.

"I don't want to slow you down. You can continue to the next floor if you want. I'll stay here for a while."

The time for them to part ways had finally arrived. William was conflicted. Matthew was a good person and had been a great help.

William stayed that night at the restaurant. He planned to leave the following morning, before the fishermen returned and potentially mentioned the island, prompting Matthew to ask questions.

William left the city at dawn. The lingering sadness weighed heavily on him.

He wanted to return to the island, find Stuart, and learn more about those people, but he knew it was too dangerous. They would realize the memory wipe had failed and might take more drastic measures, even killing him.

It was too risky. All William could do was hope Stuart would survive.

"He's a cool rat, so maybe they'll keep him as a pet..." he thought.

William's next objective was to find the portal to the next floor. He had no information about its location, so he wandered aimlessly.

It couldn't be near the central city where he had first arrived, nor was it near the port city. It had to be somewhere else.

William hoped to encounter adventurers who might know the portal's location, but they were scarce.

The population on that dungeon floor was low. There were those in the fortress, but William was reluctant to return and speak with them.

His previous visit had been unsettling. They were strange, and after seeing the man with red eyes at night, William didn't want to risk returning.

Therefore, he had to search elsewhere.

The werewolves and werebears continued to attack William. But he was significantly stronger now. With his black fire spells, like the fireball or the black magma floor, he dispatched them easily.

Once, six beasts attacked him simultaneously! Even for William, this was a challenge. He emerged from the combat with a few scratches and bite marks, but nothing serious.

William saw only forest, nothing more. But he knew a portal had to be somewhere.

He spent the entire morning and early afternoon relentlessly fighting monsters while searching for the portal. But late in the afternoon, he found something.

It wasn't a portal, but a group of adventurers camping in the middle of the forest.

A group of three adventurers: all girls. One wore plate armor and wielded a two-handed weapon, while the other two wore robes and carried magical staves.

William cautiously approached them. When they noticed him, they immediately drew their weapons, preparing to attack. But when they saw he was alone, they relaxed slightly.

It would have been much worse if he had companions.

"Hello," William said. "Can you help me?"

The girl in plate armor stepped forward. "What do you want?"

She sounded stern, but William didn't take it personally.

"I'm looking for the portal to the next dungeon floor. Do you know where it is?" William asked.

The girls exchanged glances. "We're also looking for it. Hold on a second."

They held a quick, hushed conference. William could hear their whispers due to his heightened senses.

"Do you see how he's not injured, even traveling alone? I think he's strong and doesn't seem evil at all. Maybe we can let him join us."

"Are you sure? I mean, we're three, and he's just one, so we'll be safe if anything happens."

"I think it's a good idea, especially considering the rumors of other evil adventurers in this area. One more person in our group will help a lot."

William paid attention to their mention of evil adventurers causing trouble.

"This means the portal is nearby, I think," William thought. "They love to attack people while they fight the boss guarding the portal..."

It was a hunch, but William believed the portal wasn't far.

He waited for about three minutes before the girl in plate armor stepped forward to address him.

"We'll allow you to join us in searching for the portal, as it's vital for us to find a safe floor. So, please, sit with us."

William sat with them by the campfire.

"A safe floor? What do you mean?" he asked.

The girls were surprised. "You don't know? The next floor isn't packed with monsters. It's like a city hub for adventurers. There, you'll have access to a portal to exit the dungeon if you want, and return to the hub at any time. That's why getting to that floor is harder."

William had no idea such a place existed. It sounded too good to be true.

"That's awesome! I was thinking of leaving the dungeon for a while, and if we find this next floor, I can do that."

"We all want to leave for a while too, which is why we're actively searching for this portal. We want to return to our families for a bit."

"What region do you all live in?" William asked.

He assumed the girls were also from the demon kingdom. Jhen had mentioned that there were multiple dungeons across the demon island, so they could be from anywhere.

But that wasn't the case. The girls seemed reluctant to answer the question.

Eventually, one of them said, "We're from a faraway kingdom. I don't think you're from the same place, considering your... attire."

William could tell they were hesitant to share much information, so he didn't press them. They had been kind enough to include him in their group, so pushing them was unwise.

"I see. So, do you have any idea where the portal might be?"

"We do, yes. Let's move," the girl in plate armor said.

They got up and left the camp.