Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill

All William had was his steel sword, his demonic sword, and the clothes on his back. His backpack with his supplies was gone. Not only that, but the magical tomes he had borrowed from the school's library were gone too.

"Damn it!"

He had brought the tomes to study during his time away from the school, as he didn't want to lose any practice time. What would he say to Tholfnir when he got back? That he had lost the precious tomes? And that was assuming he even made it back... Discover stories at empire

William walked a few steps and looked around. He was on the peak of a mountain. It was very tall, and freezing cold. The mountain had no discernible path leading up to it. The only way William had managed to get there was by griffin.

This meant it was essentially impossible for him to descend. What would he do in this situation?

The first thing William did was try to find a way down. He looked everywhere, but it was impossible. Even with his enhanced attributes, jumping from that location wasn't a good idea.

The demonic sword, wrapped in cloth and strapped to his back, woke up. "What happened, kid? Did someone trick you?"

William already had too many problems, and having that voice inside his head wasn't helping. "Yes, someone did. Why? Are you here to make fun of me?" William snapped.

"Of course not," the demonic sword replied, its hoarse voice shivering. "I just want to help you. If you die in this place without food, water, or from the cold, what will happen to me?" The demonic sword knew that William was the chosen one, so protecting him was exactly what it wanted to do.

In that situation, William wanted to understand why those students had done this to him. Was it envy? Or was there something else behind it?

There were so many questions that William didn't have answers to, and his mind was a complete mess. The students seemed to be very sure that William wouldn't return to the magic academy. The main reason for this was the fact that he was completely lost. He didn't even know if they had actually gone towards the location where the mission was supposed to be.

With the privileged view from above, William looked around and noticed only frozen forests and other mountains. He couldn't see a house or any sign of civilization. Where the hell was he?

"What should I do first?" William asked.

"First of all, explain to me what happened."

William told the demonic sword about the students who had invited him on the mission, and how they had gone to that mountain to camp for the night. The demonic sword laughed.

"This is strange. Did they show you the scroll with the details of the mission? You know it works just like the guild, where someone has to make a request."

"No, they didn't."

"So how do you know they are actually students?"

"I mean, how would they enter the academy without anyone noticing them?"

William was still young and naive, and the demonic sword had to explain things to him. "Look, there are skilled mages who specialize in illusion magic and can disguise themselves. What if they kidnapped real students and assumed their appearances to lure you?" the demonic sword suggested.

That possibility seemed more likely now that William thought about it, but what for? Why would they kidnap a student like him? A first-year who was still weak compared to the more advanced students at the school?n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The demonic sword didn't know the answer either. "Did Tholfnir say anything to you when you left? Considering he was the one who allowed you to go."

William tried to recall the conversation he had with Tholfnir. "Uh, yes. He said that if I don't get back in 15 days, he would come after me."

"This is not good, kid," the demonic sword said.

William didn't answer. He stood there, thinking about what it could mean. Apparently, the sword already had a guess, but William wanted to figure it out for himself.

"Tholfnir said he would come after me, meaning he would leave the school... Leaving the school?"

Things were starting to add up and make more sense to him. Tholfnir was one of the strongest mages in the kingdom, if not the strongest. No one would dare attack the academy with him there, but what if he left to search for his prodigy student? If there was anyone who could make Tholfnir leave the school unattended, it was William.

"Damn it!" William cursed, punching a nearby tree. "They want to lure Tholfnir out to do something to the school. Is it the kingdom that wants to go to war with us? Or maybe it's someone else?"

This wasn't good. William now had to find a way back to the magic academy in less than 15 days.

Now that he understood the situation, William didn't want to waste any time. He searched for a way down the mountain once again, and when he couldn't find one, it was time to take a risk.

"Enhanced Strength! Swiftfoot! Iron Skin!"

He cast all the body-enhancing magic he had, and then began climbing down the mountain. It was steep, tall, and dangerous. He had to jump a few times, and the impact on his body was devastating. At one point, he hit his left arm on a tree while descending, and the impact was so strong that it broke.

"Agggh, fuck!" William yelled in pain. His arm bent to the side, making it look grotesque. It was a severe injury, but one that could heal, and that was good enough for William.

It took him around six hours to reach the base of the mountain, not because he was slow, but because the mountain was so high. And he couldn't jump from just anywhere. William had to think carefully before each move, making sure he wouldn't fall to his death.

The first problem, descending the mountain, was solved. But what now? He had seen the surrounding area from the peak, and there was nothing there. No villages, no cities, nothing. William found himself in a snowy forest, surrounded by vegetation and animals. Snowflakes fell from the sky, landing on his hair and almost changing its color.

"Kid, even if you don't make it back to the academy in time, focus on surviving," the demonic sword advised. "If you can survive, then everything will be fine."

William sighed. He wanted to get back in time to avoid any possible danger, but the demonic sword was right. The priority should be surviving. That was what William needed to do.

With that thought in mind, William moved into the forest, looking for a source of water. He was thirsty after descending the mountain.

His left arm was useless at that point, so if anything attacked him, the fight would be fierce and difficult. Thankfully, because of the harsh winter, many animals and magical beasts were in caves and shelters, avoiding the weather.

While that was good for them, it was tough for William, who didn't have any shelter...

After walking for a while, he did find a source of water, a river flowing through the forest. But with it, came danger.