Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill-Chapter 354: Apocalypse?

One step at a time, William used his newfound cane to climb the staircase. The thump of wood on stone echoed through the cellar. It wasn’t a long climb, and he was soon at the top.

A double-door waited for him—tall and imposing. It wasn’t locked. Nilse had just left, and they wouldn’t lock him in, so William pushed the door open and stepped out.

He found himself in one of the monastery’s long hallways. People were walking there, and when they saw him, some gasped.

"Is he up already? How is that possible?" one murmured.

A child playing nearby stared at William, then looked up at the nun beside him. "Who is that?"

Some of the people in the monastery didn’t even know William existed. They had brought him in through a back entrance, hidden from most.

The nun smiled at the kid. "He’s someone we are taking care of."

William could hear their chatter but paid it no mind. His focus was on his surroundings, trying to figure out where he was and, more importantly, if it was safe.

"There are kids here and other wounded people... so it’s probably safe," he decided.

It wasn’t a guarantee, but it was a good sign. He leaned on the wooden cane and moved toward the exterior courtyard. Through the cellar window, he had only seen a small portion of it—a beautiful, peaceful place with green grass and flowers. It was exactly what he wanted in that moment.

It only took a few minutes to reach the courtyard. A refreshing breeze hit his face, and the scent of flowers filled his lungs. It reminded him of a garden on Earth; the scent wasn’t that different.

"What are you doing?!"

A voice yelled from behind him. William turned to see Nilse marching toward him, a bowl of soup in her hands. She stopped next to him, and for a moment, looked like she wanted to hit him, but she restrained herself.

"I told you not to leave your bed. You’re still recovering..."

William tried to ease her mind. "If I don’t move, I’ll get even worse. Look, I found this." He showed her the cane.

"Of course you found it, I was the one who put it there... Anyway, you need to eat."

"Is there a bench in this courtyard? I really like it here."

Nilse nodded and led the way. The courtyard was a famous place in the monastery. For those living there, the stone walls could be draining, and the nurses and other workers rarely had time to relax here. But for those who were staying to recover, like William, it was a sanctuary. He spotted others sitting on the wooden benches, some with powerful auras radiating from them.

Once they were sitting and William had his bowl, he asked Nilse a few things to understand what was going on.

"Are these wounded soldiers?"

"Yes. Some are adventurers, too. We give them temporary shelter until they’re well enough to leave."

"That’s kind of you. But how do you keep this place running? I’m being treated for free, and I imagine some of them don’t have money either."

"We live by donations. Most return to pay for their stay when they can. And it’s not like we need much. We have crops, our own water source, we make our own potions... Money isn’t a problem," she said.

The monastery was self-sustained, hidden in the mountains. With his questions answered, William shifted his focus to the soup. The hot soup embraced him the moment he tasted it, sending warmth through his body. It tasted like pork and vegetables.

"This is really good," he said. "Send my regards to the cook."

Nilse gave a proud smile. "I was the one who cooked it."

Not only had Nilse taken care of his bandages and given him the potion, but she’d also cooked for him. William didn’t know how to thank her.

"Really?" he said. "You have more talents than you think."

As they talked, a kid came running toward them.

"Sir," the kid said, "did you lose your arm and leg fighting the undead army? Are you a powerful soldier?"

William looked down at his own state. His arm had been missing for a while, and now a piece of his leg was gone. He wasn’t scared; he knew they would grow back eventually, but he needed to speed things up.

Nilse lectured the child. "The undead army is our army now. You cannot say things like that."

"I’m sorry..." the kid said, his head down. "I didn’t mean it."

William used his right hand to ruffle the kid’s hair. "I actually wounded myself fighting mythical creatures. There was even a dragon I fought once."

The kid didn’t buy it. "Stop it. There’s no such thing as dragons."

"Are you sure? Have you explored the whole land searching for them?"

The kid fell into a state of deep thought.

"I didn’t. " the kid started jumping with excitement, "are you being serious? Are there really dragons out there?"

William smiled and began to tell the boy some of his stories.

Nilse leaned in, clearly absorbed by William’s stories. For her, it was a welcome escape.

For William, it was a careful performance. He had to watch what he said, careful not to link himself to demons or the undead, and he certainly couldn’t reveal he might be a man out of time.

He had no idea how technology had progressed, but from what he’d seen and heard, it seemed the world had regressed. In fact, after his conversation with Nilse, he realized the world was likely less advanced than the one he remembered.

Apparently, the Lich who conquered the kingdom was just one symptom of a larger crisis.

"As far as I know," Nilse said, her voice low, "we’re facing a systematic problem all over the kingdom. Creatures are mutating, becoming stronger than they should be. Some have even destroyed whole cities. If that wasn’t enough, the air itself is becoming toxic. Only those with powerful mana can withstand it."

William frowned. It sounded like the start of an apocalypse. "Did the heroes fail to stop the demon lord?" he wondered.

"Is this area affected?" he asked.

"Most cities and even villages have magical barriers to protect those without strong mana," she explained. "This monastery is safe, but the moment you step outside its barrier, things start getting bad."

The barriers were powered by mana stones. That was why the Lich had been using human workers to mine them.

And it wasn’t just happening in their kingdom. All kingdoms were desperate for mana, stripping the earth for it. The price had skyrocketed, and the miners who did the grueling work saw their wages rise with it. Miners had become the most critical workers in every kingdom. Without them, the cities would fall.

This wasn’t the future William had been hoping for. He’d thrown himself through time for personal gain, but had landed in a world falling apart. At least he’d escaped the paladins trying to murder him. It was a small victory.

As they were talking, a man came rushing toward them from the monastery hallway. He wore plate armor and a blue cape, and carried a sword and shield—one of the monastery’s holy warriors.

"Sister Nilse," he said, his voice urgent, "our scouts have spotted a group of beasts approaching. Please, get everyone inside and up to the second floor."