SSS Awakening: I Can Create Skills By Will-Chapter 97: When Steel Meets Hunger

The bronze squads continued pushing forward while escorting civilians away from danger.

Families huddled together, trembling as explorers formed protective lines around them. Some carried injured survivors on their backs while still fighting.

"Keep moving!" Ryn ordered. "Safe zone ahead!"

Arthur helped guide a frightened child toward the evacuation camp, his voice gentle.

"You’ll be fine. Stay behind us."

The boy nodded weakly.

Moments later Arthur returned to the fight, expression calm again.

Time passed.

The squad fought wave after wave of monsters.

Bodies of Vine Beasts burned across the ground while shattered spider shells littered the battlefield. The air filled with smoke, heat, and the metallic scent of blood.

Arthur’s mana slowly drained, but his intent kept his output efficient.

Even Ryn noticed.

Every one of Arthur’s attacks was precise. Never wasteful. Never excessive.

Too controlled.

He’s still hiding his strength, Ryn thought while observing him between commands.

But he said nothing.

Despite their progress, something felt wrong.

The flow of monsters did not decrease.

If anything, it increased.

A distant rumble echoed from deeper within the forest, followed by an eerie vibration in the air.

Arthur frowned.

Even the silver and gold squads had not yet sealed the dungeon.

That meant the source remained active.

And the pressure was building.

Soon, new waves of monsters surged from multiple directions.

More Vine Beasts.

More spider creatures.

Larger and faster ones.

They crawled over the ruined walls and flooded into the stronghold like a living tide.

The bronze squads tightened around the civilians, forming defensive circles.

Fear spread among the refugees as the ground shook beneath the advancing swarm.

A woman sobbed quietly.

And a child screamed.

Ryn’s voice rose above the chaos.

"Hold positions! Protect the civilians!"

His commands were firm, unwavering.

The bronze squads stood their ground.

Arthur looked ahead at the endless movement of monsters gathering in the distance.

His eyes sharpened.

The real battle was still only beginning.

And the dungeon break was far from over.

The fight soon resumed the moment Ryn gave the command.

"Form up. Hold your lines. Fire users to the front. Don’t rush."

His voice cut through the tension, steady and sharp, and the bronze squads moved almost at once.

The first wave of monsters rushed toward them from the broken edges of the stronghold. Vine beasts dragged their heavy bodies across the ground, roots tearing through stone while thick tendrils whipped through the air like living blades. Behind them came the spider creatures, their armored bodies scraping against the debris, legs stabbing into the ground with frightening speed.

Arthur tightened his grip on his dagger.

It started.

The new explorers moved first, just as Ryn intended. They stepped forward with hesitation, fear clear in their eyes, yet they did not retreat. Skills activated clumsily, mana flaring unevenly as they attacked.

A vine beast lunged.

Its tendril snapped forward and wrapped around a young explorer’s arm, the force pulling him off his feet. He screamed as the vines tightened, thorns digging into his skin.

"Cut the vine, not the body!" Ryn shouted.

An experienced bronze squad member moved instantly, slicing the tendril at its base. Another followed with a precise strike, exposing the glowing core hidden inside the creature’s mass.

"Now! Core!"

The new explorer, trembling but listening, drove his weapon forward. The core shattered and the vine beast collapsed into a lifeless heap.

Ryn did not praise him. He simply moved on.

"Next one. Keep moving."

He allowed the new explorers to fight, correcting their stance, their timing, even their breathing in the middle of battle. When their attacks lacked power, the experienced members stepped in without hesitation, finishing what they started.

It was not chaos.

It was controlled struggle.

Fire users stepped forward under Ryn’s direction, flames bursting against the regenerating bodies of the vine beasts. The moment fire touched them, the creatures shrieked and recoiled, their regeneration slowing.

"Burn the roots. Don’t waste energy," Ryn instructed calmly.

Arthur watched the flow of battle while moving with the squad. He could see how Ryn guided every movement, how he positioned fighters to cover each other’s weakness, how he turned disorder into rhythm.

This is command, Arthur thought.

Not strength alone. Understanding.

A spider creature suddenly leapt from the side, its massive body crashing into the formation. Its sharp legs pierced through a bronze member’s shoulder, pinning him to the ground.

The man screamed.

Another spider fired a web that struck a fleeing civilian, the sticky threads tightening and dragging the victim toward its jaws.

Arthur moved.

A small flame formed in his palm and shot forward. The web ignited, burning through instantly as the civilian fell free. Without pause, Arthur stepped in and drove his dagger forward, his weapon layered with fire. The heated blade sliced through the spider’s joint, severing its leg.

The creature collapsed and the surrounding bronze members finished it.

Arthur stepped back quietly, as if nothing had happened.

But the watchers had seen.

Several explorers glanced at him, surprise flashing across their faces. They had already heard rumors about the exchange counter incident, and now they were witnessing his sudden use of fire element.

Arthur ignored their stares and continued his actions.

He limited his attacks to controlled fireballs and small explosions, each one just enough to destroy or weaken a target. When a vine beast threatened another new explorer, he shifted briefly, coating his dagger with flame and cutting through the tendrils in a single motion.

Mage and warrior.

He switched between roles without hesitation.

That alone drew attention.

Not flashy. Not excessive.

Just precise.

Ryn noticed.

Between issuing commands, the captain’s eyes often drifted toward Arthur. He had been instructed to monitor him, especially after learning of his sudden fire affinity. Yet what he saw did not match his expectations.

Every strike from Arthur carried only the exact power required. Nothing wasted. Nothing lacking.

Others might call it luck.

Ryn knew better.

He’s holding back.

His gaze lingered, sharp and measuring.

Arthur felt it but did not react. If anything, he found it amusing.

Let them watch.