SSS Awakening: I Can Create Skills By Will-Chapter 39: The Weight of Talent

Arthur folded his arms loosely. So where would I fall?

His mana, his channels.

They were strange.

Yet he already fought better than most of these people.

Because his strength did not originate from mana.

It originated from intent.

Would the machine even read that?

Arthur’s lips twitched faintly.

If it spits out trash, fine.

If it spits out gold, fine.

I’ll climb either way.

A whisper came from beside him.

"What do you think you’ll get?"

Arthur glanced sideways at the messy-haired man from earlier.

Arthur shrugged. "Something."

The man forced a laugh.

"Yeah. Hopefully not ’go back to slums’ something."

Arthur met his eyes.

"You survived a mutated dungeon. You’re already past that."

The man stared at him, then nodded slowly.

"Right..."

Another name was called. Another result. Another quiet sorting.

And the line kept shrinking.

Arthur watched each person carefully, not to judge and not to compare, but to understand.

The system, and the structure.

This wasn’t about fairness. It was about efficiency.

And efficiency rewarded output.

Several more names passed.

Arthur realized his turn was getting close.

His fingers flexed unconsciously, but he wasn’t all nervous. He was more curious.

"Let’s see what rank you give me".

The explorer called the next name. And they were one step closer to his turn.

Arthur’s eyes sharpened, and his posture remained relaxed.

Whatever happened next, he would accept it.

And then he would break past it.

Because ranks only mattered to people who believed in ceilings.

And Arthur had stopped believing in ceilings when he awakened his system.

The assessment continued without pause as the explorer in charge lifted his voice once more and called out the next name.

A soft ripple went through the line when a young woman stepped forward.

Unlike most of the others, she did not hesitate.

She walked with quiet confidence, her back straight, her steps steady, as though she already knew she belonged there.

Murmurs followed behind her.

"That’s her..."

"She fought near the eastern corridor."

"I saw her arrows. She dropped two kobolds before they even got close."

Arthur’s gaze shifted toward the girl.

He recognized her too.

Not by name, but by memory.

She had been positioned a short distance away from him during the dungeon break, moving calmly even when things turned chaotic, loosing arrows with practiced rhythm instead of panic.

She hadn’t looked flashy, but she somehow made her attacks work.

That alone made an impression.

She’s different, Arthur thought.

Not because she was perfect, but because she looked... settled.

As if she already understood what kind of person she was.

The girl reached the machine and placed her palm against the smooth surface, channeling her mana the same way the others had.

The device hummed. Then went silent.

The pause stretched just long enough to tighten everyone’s nerves.

Arthur noticed the explorer’s eyes brighten slightly.

Before any words were spoken, people already sensed it.

The beep rang out.

Clear and sharp.

The explorer glanced at the panel, then lifted her head with a small smile.

"A Rank talent," he announced. "Class: Archer."

The hall exploded.

Voices clashed over each other.

Some gasped.

Some laughed.

Some cursed.

Arthur felt his heart jump despite himself.

An A rank.

This was the first one he had seen in person.

He watched the girl carefully.

She blinked once, and that was all.

There was no screaming, no jumping.

Just a slow breath, as if she were absorbing the weight of what those words meant.

Around her, the division commanders reacted very differently.

Several straightened in their seats.

Some leaned forward.

Others exchanged sharp glances.

"Well now," the fourth commander said with a low chuckle. "Looks like luck is finally evening out."

"Don’t get ahead of yourself," another commander replied. "You already walked away with a B rank earlier."

"That was fate," the fourth division commander said smugly. "Fate likes me."

A third commander scoffed. "You call stealing fate?"

The man grinned as he replied. "I call it winning."

Arthur noticed the fourth commander who had claimed the B rank earlier leaning back in his chair with crossed arms, looking far too satisfied.

"If she lands with me too," he added casually, "I might start believing I was blessed at birth."

Several commanders shot him looks that could kill.

"You’re insufferable," one muttered.

"Say that again after she picks," the man replied.

The explorer in charge raised his hand slightly.

"Random selection," he said calmly.

The girl nodded.

The same device used before activated again, but this time a faint projection formed in front of her.

Several glowing sigils rotated slowly in a circular pattern, each representing a division.

The girl extended a finger and touched one of the rotating lights.

And the projection collapsed.

The explorer glanced at the result.

For half a second, her expression shifted.

Then she read it aloud.

"Division One."

First came silence, then chaos.

"What?"

"You’ve got to be joking."

"That division isn’t even represented here!"

"That’s absurd."

Several commanders spoke at once.

Faces twisted with annoyance.

The smug commander who had earlier boasted about his luck froze.

Then slowly scowled. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"You’re telling me," one commander said sharply, "that the absent division gets an A rank talent?"

"That’s not fair."

"Run it again."

"It should be rerolled."

The hall filled with grumbling.

The commanders argued that an absent division commander had no right to receive such a valuable asset.

Another complained that this luck-based system was flawed.

Arthur noticed the girl standing quietly in the middle of it all, hands at her sides, eyes lowered slightly, waiting.

She did not look pleased.

But she did not look angry either.

She simply looked... patient.

Before the argument could escalate further, a man standing near the side stepped forward.

He wore the insignia of Division One on his chest.

"I’m a squad representative for Division One," he said. "Our commander is currently leading an active suppression mission. I am authorized to receive recruits in his absence."

Several commanders clicked their tongues.

"Convenient."

"Tch."