SSS Awakening: I Can Create Skills By Will-Chapter 112: The Price of Fire

Their conversation felt more natural than before. The distance between staff and explorer had faded, replaced by something closer to familiarity.

Elena leaned forward slightly, curious.

"So... what surprise do you have for me today?"

Arthur waved a hand casually.

"Nothing special. Just the usual. Though I picked up something extra. Not sure if it’s worth anything."

He began placing the loot on the counter.

Monster cores, broken fragments, and various materials gathered during the battle. Compared to his previous haul, the amount was smaller. The spoils had been shared among many explorers, so he couldn’t keep much for himself.

Even so, it was still valuable.

Elena examined each item carefully, her fingers moving with practiced precision as she calculated their worth. Many of the cores were damaged, cracked from being used to stop the vine monster’s advance.

"These lost a lot of value," she said gently, "but they’re still usable."

Arthur nodded. "As long as they sell."

She smiled and continued her work, recording numbers and calculating the total yen he would receive. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Then Arthur reached into his storage pouch again.

"One more thing."

He placed a strange object onto the counter.

A dark core.

Unlike ordinary monster cores, this one was uneven and distorted. Its surface looked rough, almost like hardened flesh rather than crystal. Thin veins of black and deep crimson pulsed faintly inside, and a weak mist of tainted mana leaked from it like slow breathing.

The moment it appeared, the air around the counter grew heavy.

Anyone sensitive to mana felt it instantly.

Repulsive.

Unstable.

Wrong.

Elena’s smile vanished.

Her expression turned serious as she stared at the core.

"Where did you get this?"

Even nearby explorers glanced over, their faces tightening from the uncomfortable sensation it gave off.

Arthur shrugged casually.

"Found it lying around. Thought it looked strange."

She gave him a long, searching look, clearly unconvinced. But she did not press further.

Instead, she carefully picked up the core using a special cloth and quickly sealed it inside a reinforced container beneath the counter.

"That... might be more valuable than you think," she said quietly.

Arthur raised a brow. "Really?"

She nodded.

"It’s rare. Possibly for research or experimentation. The stronghold pays well for unusual materials like this."

Her tone lowered slightly.

"And it’s dangerous to leave it exposed."

Arthur chuckled softly. "Good thing I brought it here then."

She sighed.

"You really don’t treat dangerous things seriously, do you?"

He smiled.

"I do. I just don’t panic."

Elena shook her head, though a faint smile returned to her lips. She resumed calculating the total value of his items.

"This will take some time to evaluate," she said. "If the core is approved for research, you’ll receive compensation later."

Arthur nodded.

"That’s fine."

She tried to keep her expression calm, but inside she was restless.

She didn’t know what the true value of the core would turn out to be. No one could tell yet. Its energy was strange, dense, and far too pure for something that should have come from a D rank zone. It was a gamble. A dangerous one.

Still, she could not let it pass.

Rare opportunities didn’t knock twice, especially in a place like this.

So for now, she settled on what she could determine.

"For the rest of your loot," she said carefully, "the damaged D rank parts... we can offer fifteen yen."

Her voice carried the calm authority of someone used to trade, but her eyes watched him closely, measuring his reaction.

Even damaged monster parts still had value. Materials could be refined, broken cores could still be studied, and fragments were often more useful than people realized. She had calculated the amount carefully, neither cheating him nor being overly generous.

Arthur blinked.

Fifteen yen.

He had expected less.

Much less.

A quiet wave of relief passed through him, though he didn’t show it openly. His face remained composed, but inside he felt a weight lift from his chest.

"That’s... fine," he said simply.

She nodded, then handed him a small pouch filled with the exact amount she had calculated. The coins clinked softly as they shifted inside.

Arthur took it without complaint. No hesitation. No suspicion.

He trusted the numbers more than words.

"We’ll contact you once the core has been fully assessed," she added. "Its value may take time to determine."

Arthur gave a small nod. That was expected. Something like that couldn’t be priced overnight.

With that, he said his goodbyes.

This was the kind of connection he had hoped to build when he first entered the Exchange. A relationship based on mutual benefit.

He wasn’t worried she would cheat him.

So far, she had shown no sign of deception. Her eyes were steady, her calculations fair, and her interest genuine. That was enough.

Still, Arthur didn’t dwell on it.

His attention had already shifted.

He weighed the pouch in his hand as he walked away, feeling the reassuring heaviness of the coins. The small sound they made stirred a different kind of excitement within him.

Money meant options.

And options meant strength.

Then his thoughts drifted to his dagger.

The memory of its worn edge, the unstable heat it struggled to contain, the strain it showed every time he forced his fire through it.. all of it surfaced clearly in his mind.

Would this amount be enough to replace it?

He still had ten yen left from before. With this new payment, he might actually afford something worthwhile.

Arthur exhaled slowly.

There was no need to overthink.

His steps changed direction.

Instead of heading toward the route that led back to his dorm, he moved toward the weapons stalls. The path was familiar. The smell of metal, oil, and burning coal filled the air as merchants called out their wares and buyers argued over prices.

He soon recognized the stall where he had bought his previous dagger.

The merchant spotted him almost immediately.

"Ah, welcome back!" the man said with a wide smile, the kind that came naturally to someone who lived by trade. "How has the weapon served you?"

Arthur didn’t waste time with pleasantries.

"Good, but I need a new dagger," he said. "One that conducts fire better. And won’t break down over time."