Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill-Chapter 343: It’s Never Easy for William

William stared at the Lich for a few seconds.

What do you mean by that?" he asked, frowning. "Brian didn't seem that powerful."

He had already observed Brian, even chased him the other day. To William, Brian hadn't looked like someone strong in combat.

The Lich, however, knew far more about Brian than William did.

"He's not as simple as he appears," the Lich insisted. "He can wield divine magic—especially dangerous against the undead and creatures of darkness. And he's skilled in magical formations. He may not be the strongest in direct combat, but he certainly has tricks that could cause you serious trouble."

The Lich seemed to know quite a lot about Brian, which was understandable. He had been imprisoned by him for a long time, tortured frequently.

Yet, despite what the Lich had said, William sensed there was more to the story.

"I think it's impossible that Brian captured you alone," William said.

The Lich let out a raspy laugh, his voice echoing through the dungeon.

"And what makes you think that?" the Lich asked.

"You must be strong—I can feel it. Even wounded and bound by all these spells, it's clear you're powerful. Who helped him? Was it the academy's Headmaster?" William pressed.

The first person that came to mind was the Headmaster. If anyone at the academy had a chance against a Lich, it would be him.

But what the Lich said next caught William completely off guard.

"The Headmaster was involved, yes… but it was someone else who captured me. Someone far stronger. But don't worry—this person isn't here," the Lich said.

For the Lich to call that person powerful—and for them to have captured him almost single-handedly—it could only mean they were truly a formidable mage.

William compared his own strength to the Lich's, and he wasn't entirely confident he could win in a fight. The creature might possess abilities that could catch him off guard.

"But then what do you recommend I do about Brian?" William asked, searching for a light at the end of the tunnel.

The Lich answered immediately, as if the response had been waiting on his tongue.

"You'll have to follow him again and strike before he arrives here. However, I have no idea how you'll extract the information needed to dismantle this magical barrier. The Headmaster will notice Brian's disappearance, and that could be troublesome."

In the end, the greatest problem wasn't defeating Brian. William had already noticed that Brian lacked sharp senses—he hadn't even realized he was being followed.

A surprise attack would be more than enough to finish him. But how would William obtain the information he needed? The Lich believed torture was the only way, yet William had other methods.

His demonic energy was the key! With it, William could invade Brian's mind and seize the knowledge he required. Even so, he would have to act quickly, and the chances of failure were high.

"I can extract the information, don't worry," William replied. "But what if the barrier demands something that takes too much time to acquire? That would alert the Headmaster. And besides, whether we like it or not, we'll have to flee right after freeing you."

"Yes, exactly. Have you been communicating with the cult?" the Lich asked.

The question caught William a little off guard. He knew the Lich was part of the cult, but he still had no idea how high his rank was within the necromancers' order.

"I spoke with them recently, but I think it's better to wait for more information. We can't rush this and ruin everything," William said.

Since he was already speaking with the Lich, William decided to ask about the professors from the academy of magic who had suddenly left, supposedly on a secret mission requested by the Headmaster.

Practically all of them had departed, or would be leaving soon. Only William had remained at the academy to carry out the investigation.

The Lich, who had seemed almost unshakable before, suddenly showed a change in demeanor.

"This is not good," the Lich said, tapping his long nails against the chains that bound his wrists. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

William had no idea what the Lich meant. He simply stayed silent, waiting for the creature to finish. There was no reason to interrupt.

"I think they're going after the one who captured me. That mage is… peculiar. He tends to vanish, and is very difficult to find. It seems Brian has finally realized he won't be able to extract any information from me."

If this mage was truly as strong as the Lich claimed, then William could face serious problems if he delayed too long in rescuing him.

"I'll speak with the cult and explain what's happening. When I can, I'll return here to talk with you," William said.

After that, he left, following the same path as before. Fortunately, Brian never appeared. The way was clear.

He easily returned to his room. Yet, even though he wanted to perform the spell to contact the cult, it was already too late. And while inside his room, he sensed someone approaching.

That was one of the benefits of his sharpened senses. At first, he thought it was a guard coming to speak with him. But to his surprise, the person who arrived at his room late at night was none other than the academy's Headmaster.

The moment William saw the Headmaster, he immediately thought of the worst. For an instant, he imagined he would have to fight him. The only explanation he could think of for the Headmaster being there so late was that he had discovered something about him.

"Professor William," the Headmaster said, his voice calm in the silence of the night, "may I come in?"

William smiled. "Of course. But tell me, what brings you here so late?"

Though the Headmaster seemed calm and not seeking trouble, William never lowered his guard. It was indeed strange for him to appear so late, only minutes after William had returned.

The Headmaster entered and sat down in one of the wooden chairs in the corner of the room, near the desk used for study.

"Something urgent has come up, and I'll have to step away from the academy for a while," the Headmaster said. "And as you know, all the professors are leaving as well. Of everyone, only you and the librarian will remain at the academy."

William walked over and sat on the bed, watching the Headmaster closely, still trying to understand what exactly he meant by all this.

"I'll need someone to take command of the academy for a time, and you're the only one here with real power and authority. I know it may be too much to ask, and I'll have to explain to my superiors why I'm placing you in this position, but please—would you consider it? I truly have no one else to entrust with the role."

William was pleased, though he had to hide his smile. He wasn't happy about taking command of the academy—that meant little to him.

What truly pleased him was that the Headmaster would be leaving, giving him the best possible chance to rescue the Lich. After so much misfortune, it finally seemed as though something was working in his favor.

But of course, not everything was so simple.

"Ah, one more thing. Tomorrow, a powerful mage is expected to arrive at the academy. But don't worry about him. He'll keep to himself. The reason he's coming here is something else entirely."

Deep down, William knew this mage was the very one the Lich had spoken of…