SSS Awakening: I Can Create Skills By Will-Chapter 61: Predator in the Camp

Arthur had already gone far beyond that point.

After dealing with the goblins earlier, he simply chose a path that felt right and moved forward without hesitation. The corridor he picked curved deeper into the dungeon’s belly, its air heavier and thick with mana.

He continued gathering whatever loot he could find, though not without some frustration.

"So much space," he muttered, glancing at the branching tunnels behind him. "And I can only take one path."

He clicked his tongue softly. Choosing one direction meant losing chances elsewhere. The thought of his debt lingered at the back of his mind.

But he shook his head.

"There was no point complaining. Move faster instead."

With that decision made, he increased his pace.

The storage device made everything easier. Materials vanished into it with a simple flow of mana, leaving his body light and free. He no longer worried about weight or space, which meant he could focus completely on speed and efficiency.

And speed brought results.

Goblins appeared often. Too often.

He fought them whenever they crossed his path, ending each encounter quickly, collecting their cores, and moving on. At first he barely thought about it, but after a while even he noticed the pattern.

They were spawning faster than they should.

His instincts whispered a warning, but he did not stop. The monsters were still manageable, and each fight brought intent points and resources.

So he continued.

Time passed quietly in the dungeon. Minutes blended into an hour, then more. Arthur moved like a shadow through the tunnels, collecting materials, fighting monsters, and pushing deeper without realizing how far he had gone.

Along the way he encountered different kinds of goblins.

Goblin warriors with crude armor and jagged blades.

Goblin spearmen that fought in groups and tried to corner him.

Goblin archers that hid behind broken stone and fired from a distance.

And once, a goblin caster that muttered strange sounds while shaping unstable mana.

That last one surprised him.

He killed it quickly, but the sight lingered in his mind.

"This isn’t normal," he said quietly after the fight.

The air itself felt heavier the deeper he went. The mana around him was thick, almost sticky, and carried a faint sense of corruption. It clung to the skin and pressed against his senses.

Still, he did not retreat.

If anything, the feeling stirred something inside him. A mix of caution and excitement.

The memory of his last dungeon experience surfaced, making his heart beat faster. That same tension filled his chest again. Danger and opportunity always walked together.

"Mutation," he whispered. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

The thought didn’t frighten him. It thrilled him.

As he continued forward.

The tunnels eventually widened, and the air grew warmer. Strange noises drifted from ahead, low chatter mixed with the crackle of fire.

Arthur slowed his steps.

Carefully, he moved forward and peered around a jagged stone wall.

Then he froze.

Before him stood something he had never expected to see in an E rank dungeon.

A camp.

Not a random gathering of monsters, but an organized settlement built inside the dungeon itself. Rough huts made of bone and broken stone formed a circle around several burning fires. Weapons were stacked in piles. Crude banners hung from sharpened stakes.

Goblins moved everywhere.

Not just a few, but dozens.

He spotted goblin warriors patrolling the edges, their armor pieced together from scavenged metal. Spearmen stood in small groups, watching the surroundings. Archers rested on elevated rocks, eyes scanning the tunnels.

Near the center, a goblin caster drew strange markings on the ground while muttering in a harsh language.

They were working together.

Living together.

Organized.

Arthur’s eyes narrowed.

"So this is what mutation looks like."

The scene was unsettling, yet fascinating. These creatures were no longer acting like simple monsters driven by instinct. They behaved with purpose, almost like a primitive society.

The mana here was thicker than anywhere else he had been. It pulsed through the air, heavy and tainted, feeding the creatures below.

And the goblins he had fought earlier were all here again. The warriors, the spearmen, the archers, even more casters moving among them.

A full force.

Yet none of them had noticed him.

Arthur leaned against the stone wall, watching quietly, studying their movements, their patterns, their weaknesses. The scale of the camp should have made anyone retreat.

But he did not even consider running.

Instead, a slow smile spread across his face.

His heart beat faster, not from fear, but from anticipation.

"Now this," he whispered, gripping his dagger, "is worth something."

The thought of danger stirred excitement in his chest. The opportunity for growth, for intent points, for experience, for resources, all stood before him in one place.

He watched the camp again, eyes sharp, mind calculating.

Then he smirked. He definitely wasn’t leaving.

Arthur stayed hidden behind the jagged stone wall, as he watched the goblin camp with sharp eyes.

He did not move for a long time.

Rushing in would be foolish. And the number alone made that clear. Even if they were only E rank monsters, there were too many of them, and now they moved with structure, with order. This was no longer simple hunting.

Still, he could not afford to wait.

If the dungeon had truly started mutating, then others would soon notice. Stronger squads would arrive, commanders could intervene, and whatever opportunity stood before him now would vanish.

Arthur exhaled slowly.

"First come, first served," he muttered.

His eyes swept across the camp again.

He studied everything.

The patrol routes of the goblin warriors. The archers’ positions on the rocks. The casters near the center who seemed more guarded than the rest. The spearmen who moved in pairs, rotating positions every few minutes.

He noticed the blind spots between every patrol, the moments when patrols crossed and left gaps, the timing of their movements. He even observed how the goblins reacted to small sounds, how quickly they reacted, and how long before they relaxed again.