Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill-Chapter 356: Growing Back a Leg

The monastery was shielded by barriers against evil creatures. But there was no way to distinguish between the good and the bad inside its walls.

Still, the priest and the nuns spared no effort to aid anyone who sought their sanctuary. They even helped those found wandering the streets, William included.

However, the priest was sensitive to various forms of energy. When William began to recover his demonic energy, the priest felt a disturbance.

William remained in his subterranean quarters. It was a blessing, keeping him away from the masses and allowing him to focus on his work.

"I need to suppress this demonic energy," he thought.

Before, suppressing his energy had been effortless. Now, his body was riddled with injuries, and the demonic energy craved to burst from his core, spreading to knit his wounds back together.

It was a good thing, certainly. But it couldn’t be so blatant. William needed to heal while remaining anonymous within the monastery walls.

If discovered, he would be defenseless. Against the priest and the sacred guards, he was at their mercy. It would be a gruesome end.

That was why he practiced every day, striving to contain his demonic energy while letting it flow internally—hidden—to mend his flesh.

It wasn’t easy, but with nothing else to do but heal and practice, he managed it after a few days.

One night, the priest called a meeting with the Captain of the Sacred Guards and Nilse. They convened in the priest’s office on the second floor.

"Are you feeling that strange fluctuation of energy as well?" he asked.

Both nodded. "Yes, Father," the Captain replied. "What do you make of it?"

The priest tapped his finger against his desk, deep in thought. "Perhaps some creature found a way in... Remember, the old monastery lies buried beneath us. The creature might be hiding down there."

The monastery had undergone renovations over the years, leaving remnants of the old structure in the basement.

As they discussed the energy and planned an expedition into the monastery’s basement, William was in his quarters, struggling to control his demonic energy. He succeeded.

"Fuck yeah! Finally," William celebrated internally.

The priest noticed the energy vanish. Nilse and the Captain did as well.

"That’s strange," the priest noted. "It vanishes just as we convene to deal with it."

Nilse, the most timid of the three, offered her opinion. "I think we should investigate the monastery as a whole, not just the basement," she said. "There might be a creature hiding among us. It doesn’t make sense to risk everyone’s lives."

They all knew of the powerful, intelligent magic beasts capable of deceiving humans with masterful skill. After the mutant monkey attack, everyone was on edge about what might come next.

It felt like a new threat appeared at the monastery’s gates every week.

"I agree," the Captain said. "Let’s start with a night patrol to avoid drawing attention. We don’t want to panic the civilians. Keep this discussion in this room."

As they spoke, the priest seemed lost, still trying to comprehend the energy’s sudden disappearance.

"Father?" the Captain asked, bringing him back to the present.

"Yes, yes. Do that. We must be discreet. If a creature is truly inside, it’s intelligent enough to bypass our barriers. We must be careful."

The Captain saluted and left. Nilse remained, staring at the priest.

"Is something troubling you, Nilse?"

Nilse seemed to have a lump in her throat. Gathering her courage, she spoke.

"Do you think William has something to do with it?" she asked. "He’s the only new person here. Before him, we never felt this kind of energy so close to the monastery."

She wasn’t the only one thinking it. The priest suspected William, too. But it could be a coincidence, and without proof, there was nothing they could do.

"You and he are close. Keep a close eye on him. If you notice anything strange, come to me."

"Of course, Father," Nilse said, bowing and leaving.

The next morning, after mastering the control of his demonic energy, William woke up feeling renewed.

Not only was the energy suppressed, but the healing process had accelerated significantly!

His burned arm had healed, and the missing section of his leg had regrown!

Only his other arm remained missing. He could feel the regeneration taking place rapidly in that area, giving him hope.

"It’s just a matter of time before the arm grows back, too."

William stood up and paced his room. He did a little hop, unable to hide the joy on his face.

Using a crutch had been miserable. William finally felt like things were returning to normal.

Nilse came to his room that morning. She always knocked first, waited a moment, and then entered, usually with food.

She did the same routine that day. William, however, was so focused on walking on his own two legs that he didn’t notice her arrival.

When Nilse looked at William’s legs and saw he was fully healed, she couldn’t believe her eyes. She blinked several times, trying to convince herself she wasn’t seeing an illusion.

"How is this possible?" Nilse asked, placing the food on the table.

William yelped. "Hey! You scared me. I didn’t even hear you come in."

He looked at his leg, then at Nilse. "I’ve always had a fast recovery rate. I guess resting here without much to do helped."

Even with a good recovery, regrowing body parts like that wasn’t normal. Few people had that kind of ability.

Adventurers usually used potions brewed by master alchemists to repair such injuries—potions worth a fortune.

Healing naturally? That was nothing short of miraculous.

The priest had arrived at that exact moment. Seeing William’s recovery, he spoke. "Now that you can walk, you can start helping with the monastery’s chores. I don’t want anyone loafing around here."

William nodded. With his recovery progressing so rapidly, it was only a matter of time before he left the monastery.

However, just because his leg was healed didn’t mean the rest of him was. The powerful magic from the paladin had taken a heavy toll on his internal organs. He was suffering from multiple debuffs, and his combat strength was on par with someone of a significantly lower level.

"Nilse, show him the tasks we need done. Since he likely has more physical strength than you, make sure he pulls his weight," the priest commanded.

"Yes, Father."

Naturally, William ate the food Nilse brought him first. Once done, they left the room and headed to the monastery’s main gate.

As he walked through the grounds, several people noticed he was no longer using a crutch. It was as if the color had returned to his face; he looked more energetic. Even some of the guards, who usually paid little attention to the sheltered residents, noticed the change. No one asked anything, of course, but William could hear the whispers circulating around him.

Nilse led him to the main gate, where several carriages were parked nearby.

"We’ve received new weapons and armor, as well as bags of mana stones. I need you to help carry them to the warehouse. You’ll have some guards assisting you," Nilse said.

"No problem," William replied.

She left after that. Then, a voice called out from inside one of the carriages. It was a young man, looking at William with disdain.

"You’re the one helping me unload this? Fuck, my assistant only has one arm."

The nearby guards heard this and began to laugh. William’s blood began to boil.