Ben’s power was truly awe-inspiring. He effortlessly blocked Malkor’s spell with a shimmering magic shield.

“Damn it,” Malkor cursed, his frustration evident.

He made no further attempts to escape. The last time had been futile. He knew Ben’s illusions were formidable, and fleeing was likely not an option.

Ben prepared to retaliate. His body underwent a startling transformation. His arms morphed into those of a fearsome beast, his height surged by at least six meters, and his frame bulged with muscle.

He had become a creature, a behemoth resembling a giant tiger that walked on two legs.

William gaped in astonishment. He had never imagined Ben possessed such an ability.

Malkor, too, was taken aback. He braced himself to launch another black fire spell, but Ben was too fast.

In the blink of an eye, Ben appeared before Malkor, slashing at him with his claws. The blow sliced deep into Malkor’s torso, sending him flying into a tree.

Blood gushed from the wound. Malkor was grievously injured. At that moment, Lincoln arrived.

Seeing the monstrous creature near William, Lincoln shouted, “William, look out!”

“It’s alright, Lincoln,” William assured him. “He’s a friend, a mage who’s helping us.”

“What?” Lincoln exclaimed in confusion.

Ben transformed back into his human form and then used magic-inhibiting shackles to restrain Malkor, ensuring he couldn’t escape.

“What was that transformation?” Lincoln asked, his curiosity piqued. “Are you one of those mages who can shapeshift into beasts?”

Such magic was rare, practiced only by a select few known as druids who lived in a specific part of the kingdom.

Lincoln assumed Ben was one of these druids. William had initially thought the same, but the truth was far more intriguing.

“I didn’t actually transform into a beast,” Ben explained. “It was merely another one of my illusions.”

“What?” William gasped, astounded. “But it seemed so real!”

“Well, what can I say?” Ben remarked with a shrug. “I’m one of the most skilled illusionists in the kingdom. Now that Malkor is apprehended, I’ll return with him. He needs to be imprisoned as soon as possible.”

“And how do you plan to leave the island?” Lincoln inquired. “We arrived on flying mounts, but this villain destroyed them.”

“Ah, yes, I understand,” Ben replied. “Well, I’ll simply fly on my own. Would you like me to arrange for some mounts to be sent here for you? I believe I can manage that.”

“That would be fantastic,” Lincoln said, relieved.

Before taking Malkor away, however, they needed to locate Ron. Ben skillfully extracted the information from Malkor’s mind using his mind control magic.

These spells took time to cast, but with Malkor restrained and injured, they had all the time in the world.

Once they knew where Ron was hidden, Ben led the way. They found him in a cave tucked away in a remote corner of the island. He was dirty and bruised but alive.

Ron was overcome with relief when they rescued him, tears welling up in his eyes.

“You’ll be alright, Ron,” Lincoln comforted him. “Come with us back to the camp.”

He still couldn’t believe he was finally being rescued. Ron trembled the entire way back to the camp, only calming down once they arrived.

There, he saw Malkor. Rage surged through Ron. Ben, noticing this, offered, “Want to punch him to vent some anger?”

Of course, Ron accepted the offer. He strode towards Malkor, looked him in the eye, and delivered a powerful punch to his face. Not just one, but three solid blows.

Malkor’s mana was restricted by the shackles, leaving his body fragile. Ron’s punches broke his nose and one of his teeth.

Malkor didn’t utter a word after receiving those punches to the face. He was utterly defeated, lacking the strength to retaliate. Besides, in his current situation, cursing Ron would only lead to more blows, and who would want that?

Ben then bid them farewell, promising to arrange for flying mounts. “I believe I can secure at least one large flying mount for you all,” he said. “Either a friend of mine will bring it, or I will personally deliver it. It should arrive within fifteen days.”

“Thank you, my friend,” Lincoln replied, shaking Ben’s hand.

Waiting fifteen days was hardly an inconvenience. They had ample supplies to sustain them, and there was still much to build.

With that, Ben demonstrated one of the reasons he was a summoned hero. His power was truly remarkable.

He conjured a mana carpet, shimmering with a purplish hue, and stepped onto it. Malkor lay bound on the same carpet, and the two of them soared into the sky.

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William and the others waved goodbye to Ben. He had undoubtedly saved them from the dark mage and helped rescue Ron.

“Come, Ron,” one of the students said. “I’ll prepare something for you to eat.”

Everyone worked together to help Ron, an act that strengthened the bonds between the students. They began to understand that on this island, if something went wrong, they only had each other to rely on.

The best way to thrive was to work together, united by their common purpose. William had previously clashed with one particular student—the one who had insulted him and complained incessantly—but after this incident, the student ceased his disruptive behavior, and a sense of peace settled over the group.

After two days at the camp, William resumed his mission to cull the island’s magical beasts. He had recovered physically and mentally, and a sense of calm had returned to the group, though the lingering fear of another attack remained.

It was only after this period of relative peace that they truly realized the immediate danger had passed. They could finally relax without the constant dread of a dark mage lurking in the shadows.

The magical beasts were now their sole concern, and William was determined to address the issue.

He returned to the same hunting grounds as before. With his sword in hand, he faced a variety of creatures, from terrestrial and aquatic to those that soared through the air.

William also grew more discerning, learning to avoid certain types of plants. He had once leaned against a tree to rest, only to discover it was a sentient, predatory species that attempted to ensnare him with its branches.

Fortunately, the tree wasn’t powerful enough to hold him, and he managed to escape its grasp. But the experience served as a valuable lesson, teaching him to be more vigilant in the future.

Despite facing numerous magical creatures and gaining experience, William couldn’t shake a growing sense of anxiety.

He had finally reached level 25, the threshold that allowed him to acquire a class. But to do so, he needed to find a mentor.

This was the source of his unease. Unlike the other heroes, who had access to the finest mentors capable of granting them special hero-exclusive classes, William was alone.

How would he ever obtain a unique class?

One day, while lost in contemplation on the beach, Asura’s voice echoed in his mind.

“I believe I’ve recovered some memories now that you’ve grown stronger,” Asura stated. “And I think there’s an island in this region where a demon civilization still exists.”

“What?” William exclaimed in surprise.

Asura had previously mentioned that the best types of magic for William to learn were fire or dark fire—he had a natural affinity for them due to his demonic heritage—but in Aethel’s present time, the demon civilization had vanished.

Perhaps it still existed somewhere in the world, but William didn’t know its location. However, in the past, it seemed things were different.

“Are you sure?” William asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Yes, I’m certain,” Asura confirmed. “But you’ll have to abandon this construction project. They might even think you deserted the school and never allow you to return. Are you willing to take that risk?”

The decision weighed heavily on William. He had hoped to leave without being expelled. Could he persuade Lincoln to let him go? Or perhaps speak to Headmaster Grant about it?

Returning to the camp that day, William had a serious conversation with Lincoln.

“I need to leave for a while,” he began, “possibly even years. Do you think that would be grounds for expulsion?”

Lincoln was taken aback. “Leave for years?” he echoed. “Where do you need to go?”

Hesitation clouded the professor’s features.

“There are some personal matters I need to attend to,” William explained vaguely. “I’ve been trying to avoid them for as long as possible, but I can’t anymore.”

William braced himself for a harsh response, but Lincoln surprised him with his leniency. “Our school already has few students,” he said, “and you’re one of our best. We can’t afford to lose you. I believe Grant will understand. But how will you leave? We still don’t have a flying mount.”

“I was thinking of using the mount to return to the nearest city and taking a boat from there,” William explained. “That would be much faster for you. I don’t want to leave and steal your only means of transport.”

And so it was decided. A few days later, one of Ben’s friends arrived with an enormous flying mount—a magnificent bird with six wings.

The sheer size and power of the creature startled Lincoln.

“My god,” he breathed, “this beast is worth a fortune. It can fly so high that it can travel directly to the mainland without worrying about the perils of the ocean.”

William’s ears perked up at this information.

‘Perhaps stealing this mount wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all,’ he mused, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep