SSS Awakening: I Can Create Skills By Will-Chapter 82: The Weight of a Surprise

The receptionist repeated the same process again and again with the same polite expression. Her voice remained steady, her posture unchanged. Watching her work so methodically, one could almost believe she was a machine designed only for this task.

Arthur recognized her immediately.

She was the same receptionist who had handled his previous exchange.

Her long dark hair was tied neatly behind her head, and her sharp eyes missed nothing that passed across the counter. Every motion was clean and practiced.

The line slowly shortened.

Arthur watched quietly, studying the process while also observing the reactions of the explorers ahead of him. Some received small rewards and looked slightly disappointed, while others showed open excitement.

Their emotions were simple, honest.

It made the atmosphere feel real.

Soon, Arthur found himself nearing the front.

His heartbeat rose slightly. He was not worried about the result, yet the anticipation remained.

He reviewed his mental calculations once more.

It should be enough.

More than enough.

Lost in thought, he almost missed the call.

"Next."

He raised his head.

It was his turn.

Arthur stepped forward quickly.

The receptionist looked at him carefully, and then her eyes widened slightly with recognition. A small smile formed on her face.

"Oh," she said lightly. "The new explorer who surprised me last time. What surprise do you have for me today?"

Her tone carried a hint of amusement.

Arthur chuckled softly.

"That sounds like pressure," he replied. "But I’ll try not to disappoint."

He paused briefly before adding, "Arthur. I don’t think I introduced myself properly last time."

She nodded with interest.

"Elena," she replied. "I handle most exchanges here. Nice to finally know your name."

Her response was natural, friendly, and professional at the same time.

Arthur appreciated that.

Building relationships had always been useful in his previous life. A simple connection could open unexpected doors, and there was no harm in starting early.

"Well then, Elena," he said with a playful smile, "let’s see how this goes."

She gestured toward the counter.

"Please show your materials."

Their brief exchange did not go unnoticed.

Murmurs rose from the line behind Arthur.

"Why is she talking to him like that?"

"They know each other?"

"Hmph."

Envious glances followed him, but Arthur ignored them completely. Their opinions did not concern him.

They had not even seen what he brought yet.

Arthur reached toward his storage device.

Then he began unloading his loot.

One item appeared on the counter.

Then another.

Then another.

Goblin cores.

Sharp fangs.

Monster claws.

Tattered equipment pieces.

Mutation cores that carried faint traces of unstable energy.

The pile grew steadily.

Arthur moved at a calm, deliberate pace, placing each item carefully as if he had all the time in the world.

Behind him, the murmurs grew louder.

"Wait... how much does he have?"

"That’s not normal."

"It’s still going?"

Shock spread across the line.

The counter was slowly being filled, yet Arthur showed no sign of stopping. His movements remained relaxed, almost casual, as if this was completely ordinary.

Some explorers stared with wide eyes.

Some clenched their fists.

Some finally understood.

"He has a storage device..."

"He must be the one who cleared those camps."

"That’s why there was barely any loot left."

Their voices were hushed but filled with disbelief.

Arthur heard them, yet he continued calmly. Their realization did not matter to him now.

Elena, however, seemed to understand the situation immediately.

A faint smile appeared on her lips as she watched the growing pile.

"So that’s the surprise," she said softly.

There was genuine interest in her eyes now.

She remained professional, yet she could not hide her curiosity. Even for someone who handled exchanges daily, this amount of loot from a new explorer was unusual.

Arthur continued unloading.

The pile became larger.

Then larger still.

The counter was nearly covered, yet he still had more.

The watching explorers felt their hearts tighten with every new item that appeared. Some looked like they were physically hurt by the sight.

Meanwhile, Arthur remained calm, placing the final pieces down with steady hands.

He looked up at Elena.

"That should be everything."

She glanced at the massive collection before her, then back at him. Her composed expression softened into a small amused smile.

"I see," she said. "This will take a moment."

Her fingers moved toward the materials, ready to begin the evaluation.

Behind Arthur, the line stood frozen in stunned silence, their eyes fixed on the overwhelming pile of loot before the counter.

And Arthur simply waited, relaxed and satisfied, already looking forward to the result of his hunt.

The calculation had only just begun.

Elena’s expression slowly changed.

At first she had her usual calm look, the same professional face she showed every explorer. But as she continued counting the materials in front of her, that calmness began to crack.

The heap simply refused to end.

She picked a goblin core, recorded it, placed it aside, then moved to the next. Claws, fangs, broken weapons, mutation cores, more cores, and then even more.

Her hands moved quickly, but the pile didn’t shrink fast enough.

Behind Arthur, the explorers watched with tight expressions.

Each new item felt like another stab to their hearts.

"How much did he even kill..."

"That’s not possible..."

"Was he hunting the whole time?"

Their murmurs carried both disbelief and pain. Some of them could barely look at the counter anymore.

Elena paused briefly, glancing at Arthur before continuing her work.

"You’re going to make quite a lot from this haul," she said honestly.

Her voice remained professional, but the faint amazement was clear.

Arthur leaned slightly forward and replied in a low voice.

"I hope so."

There was excitement in his tone, but also a trace of anxiety. The attention he had drawn was heavier than he expected.

He could feel the gazes.

Not just from the explorers.

Even Captain Ryn was watching.

Arthur glanced sideways for a moment. Ryn’s expression had shifted several times since the counting began. First skepticism, then surprise, and now something quieter. Something sharper.

He said nothing, yet his silence spoke loudly.