SSS Awakening: I Can Create Skills By Will-Chapter 99: When the Line Begins to Break

Watching Captain Veylor, Arthur understood why so much responsibility had been placed on him.

He was far beyond what a normal bronze captain should be.

Around Veylor, his squad responded with equal discipline. They rotated positions smoothly, covering each other’s blind spots while striking down approaching monsters. Their defense barely wavered despite the growing pressure.

Arthur watched with quiet respect.

Experience builds monsters too.

On another side of the defense, Ryn continued directing his own bronze squad. Unlike Veylor, who dominated the battlefield with sheer presence, Ryn focused on coordination.

"Close the gap."

"Shield up."

"Don’t chase, let them come."

His attention remained on group performance. He corrected mistakes immediately and stepped in whenever someone faltered, ensuring their defensive line remained stable.

Under his command, their area held firm.

But the situation was getting worse.

The monsters kept increasing.

Not only in number.

They were changing.

Vines that were once easy to cut now grew thicker and harder. Severed tendrils regenerated almost instantly, writhing back together with disturbing speed. The spider creatures moved faster than before, their shells tougher, their strikes more precise.

"Something’s wrong," one explorer cursed as his blade failed to cut through a vine.

Another screamed as a spider’s leg tore through his armor, leaving a deep wound across his chest.

Blood soaked the ground.

The battlefield descended into brutal chaos.

A bronze member was caught by multiple vines at once. They wrapped around his limbs and torso before tightening with a sickening crack. His scream ended abruptly.

Another was dragged screaming into a cluster of spiders, their jaws tearing into flesh while the others kept advancing.

The air filled with shouts, curses, and the wet sound of battle.

"Why haven’t the silver squads sealed it yet?" someone yelled desperately.

"Where are the gold squads?!"

No answer came.

Only more monsters.

Arthur could feel the growing pressure around them. The formation that once felt stable now trembled under the relentless assault. Even the experienced bronze members began to struggle.

He could not lay low anymore.

His fire output increased.

A larger flame formed in his palm before shooting forward, exploding against a charging vine beast. The blast burned through its outer layers and slowed its regeneration.

He moved constantly, stepping in whenever a squad member fell into danger. His dagger flashed with fire intent, slicing through vines and cutting spider joints with precise efficiency.

Ryn noticed.

Each time Arthur acted, the pressure on their formation eased slightly. The squad stabilized, their movements becoming smoother again.

Ryn gave a small nod of acknowledgment before shouting new orders.

"Tighten formation! Rotate positions!"

The group shifted instantly, adjusting to the next wave.

Arthur continued fighting, but his focus extended beyond the immediate battle.

Something felt off.

Using his Sovereign’s perception, he sensed strange distortions in the flow of mana around them. The energy within the monsters was not normal. It felt heavier. Tainted.

Like something was pulling them here.

Not just the civilians.

Not just the noise from their battle.

Something deeper.

The mutations also felt unnatural. The dungeon alone should not cause this level of change so quickly. The mana carried a dark thickness that disturbed even the surrounding air.

Arthur frowned slightly.

Something is feeding them.

Something more than just the dungeon.

But he pushed the thought aside.

He did not have the luxury to investigate. Not while his squad was struggling to survive.

He focused instead on the mission.

As he relieve the pressure, while protect their line of defense.

His decision was immediate.

Arthur stepped forward.

His intent shifted.

Threads of invisible force spread from him like a net. Intent Weave activated, pinning nearby monsters in place. Several vine beasts froze mid-motion, their tendrils stiffening as if bound by unseen chains.

"Now," Arthur muttered.

He moved through them like a shadow.

His dagger struck with Execution intent, piercing exposed cores with brutal precision. One after another, vine beasts collapsed while spider creatures lost their balance as their joints were dismantled.

Crack.

Slice.

Boom.

The sounds of destruction followed every movement.

A spider lunged toward a wounded explorer.

Arthur appeared between them, his blade coated in fire. With one swift motion, he severed the creature’s leg and drove the weapon into its head.

The explorer stared at him in shock.

Arthur only said, "Stay focused."

Then he moved again.

His actions began to change the flow of the battlefield. Where he stepped, danger vanished. Where monsters gathered, destruction followed.

Explorers around him felt the pressure easing and fought harder.

Even Ryn looked briefly surprised.

He’s increasing his output.

Arthur’s presence grew sharper, his movements faster, his control more precise. Fire flared around him in controlled bursts while invisible force restrained approaching threats.

The battlefield roared with sound.

Boom!

Crack!

Screech!

Explosions of flame burned through vines. Spider shells shattered under precise strikes. The ground trembled beneath the constant clash.

Yet despite their efforts, the horde did not slow.

More monsters kept coming.

The defensive line trembled again as a massive group approached, larger and more aggressive than anything before. Their mutated forms radiated unstable mana, their movements driven by pure hunger.

Even the strongest bronze members hesitated. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Arthur stood at the front, breathing slowly.

This still isn’t enough.

He could feel it clearly.

If the pressure continued rising, their formation would collapse.

Ryn shouted new commands behind him, his voice tense but steady. The squad prepared for the next impact, yet the fear in their eyes revealed the truth.

They were reaching their limit.

Arthur’s gaze hardened.

He had been holding back.

Maintaining his control while testing his limits.

But now the battlefield demanded more.

His intent deepened.

The air around him trembled slightly as his presence sharpened. Flames flickered stronger in his palm, their heat distorting the space around them.

The monsters charged.

But Arthur stepped forward. he wasn’t done yet.

The battlefield was loud, filled with screams, clashing steel, and the wet sound of monsters tearing through anything in their path, yet around him something began to change.

As he walked calmly through the chaos.