SSS Awakening: I Can Create Skills By Will-Chapter 43: The One Who Stepped Forward

She was tall, slender, and perfectly proportioned, with long hair that flowed down her back like liquid silk, a rare deep silver-violet that shimmered under the hall’s lighting. Her eyes were an even rarer shade, a clear and luminous turquoise that somehow felt sharp and lazy at the same time.

Her features were refined, with high cheekbones, a delicate nose, and lips that looked soft even at a glance. Yet nothing about her appeared fragile.

Her figure was curvy in all the right places, a full chest, narrow waist, and smooth, powerful thighs beneath fitted combat attire. Every line of her body spoke of both beauty and strength.

The air around her felt different.

Not oppressive or crushing, but dense and controlled, like a predator calmly walking into a room of prey.

Male awakeners openly stared. Some swallowed. Some forgot to blink.

One muttered unconsciously, "Damn..."

Even several female awakeners stared in stunned silence, not with jealousy, but with awe.

She looked unreal, like someone who had stepped out of an illustration from a legendary tome, or an S-rank heroine from an old myth.

Arthur had seen beautiful women before.

In his past life, he had lived among luxury, among models, among women people would kill to touch.

Yet he still found himself thinking something he had not expected.

She’s absurdly beautiful.

Not in a cute way or an innocent way.

But in a dangerous way.

The kind of beauty that felt unfair.

The woman ignored the stares, ignored the whispers and the sudden tension, and walked forward with unhurried, confident steps as if none of it existed.

"I said," she repeated, her voice steady.

"I’ll take him."

The woman’s voice did not rise.

She did not repeat herself louder or feel the need to explain.

She simply stood there, calm and composed, as if what she had said was the most natural thing in the world.

The assessment hall fell into an odd stillness.

Not in shock. More like mild surprise mixed with familiarity.

The division commanders looked at her.

One with raised brows, others with lazy curiosity.

But none with real hostility.

It was clear that she was not a stranger here.

The Third Division commander, who had been so quick to reject Arthur earlier, barely reacted.

He leaned back in his chair and shrugged.

"Take him if you want."

There was no argument, no resistance.

No atom of care.

Arthur noticed that first.

They weren’t questioning her authority.

Which meant she had enough weight that challenging her was unnecessary.

One of the commanders from another division tilted his head.

"Aren’t you supposed to be out on mission?"

A few others nodded slightly.

"That’s right," another added.

"Your division was deployed."

But she yawned. Not exaggerated. Just a casual, sleepy yawn.

"We finished early," she said.

Then she added, as if talking about buying bread.

"Cleansed a mutating C rank monster dungeon. only losing two bronze squad members, but It was nothing special."

The awakeners listening felt a chill crawl up their spines.

A C rank dungeon.

Casualties

Finished early.

Those three phrases did not fit together in their understanding of the world.

Some of them had nearly died in an F-rank dungeon.

And she was talking about deaths and cleared dungeon like it was a daily routine.

Arthur caught the subtle reactions around him.

Some shoulders stiffening, throats swallowing, eyes lowering.

Not just fear exactly. More like a dawning awareness of how wide the gap truly was.

One of the commanders chuckled.

"Tch. You say that like it’s nothing."

She shrugged.

"It wasn’t a big deal."

The words were simple.

But coming from her, they carried weight.

Not from arrogance, or boasting.

it was just fact.

She turned her gaze toward the Third Division commander.

"Since you don’t want him, I’ll take responsibility."

As he waved his hand in response.

"Do whatever you want."

And It was over just like that.

Arthur blinked once.

That was it?

No formal protest or debate. No long discussion.

Only one sentence from her, and a lazy dismissal from him.

And his fate had shifted.

Some of the other commanders were not done, though.

The commander from the Second Division smirked.

"Figures."

Another leaned forward with interest.

"You always did have a soft spot for odd ones."

She shot him a flat look.

"Careful."

He laughed.

"I’m just saying. Your whole division is full of strange cases."

Someone else added, grinning.

"And let’s not forget. You’re the strangest one among them."

A few low chuckles spread across the commanders.

It was not malicious. It felt more like familiar teasing.

The woman clicked her tongue.

"Call me what you want," she said.

"But don’t lump my people into your jokes."

The tone was light.

But there was a clear edge beneath it.

The teasing commanders raised their hands in mock surrender.

"Alright, alright."

"Touchy as always."

Arthur caught something important.

They could joke with her. But they also knew when to stop.

Which meant she was not just another pretty face.

She was respected.

Feared, even.

One of the older commanders leaned back.

"Still, it’s funny."

"Two strange ones finding each other."

The woman smirked faintly.

"At least we’re useful."

And that ended the banter. As no one pushed further.

The awakeners, who had been quietly listening, felt another wave of realization hit them.

She was not just some random strong woman.

She was known and established.

She was someone who had walked a path similar to what Arthur was now stepping into.

Arthur’s curiosity grew.

They called her strange too. Yet she became a commander.

That alone told him everything he needed to know.

Whatever her class was. Whatever her situation had been.

She had forced her way upward. Not begging or waiting

She had simply taken fate into her own hands.

That resonated with him.

Finally she turned toward Arthur, As her eyes met his.

It wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t warm either. It felt neutral, but attentive.

"You."

Arthur straightened slightly.

"Yes?"

She nodded once.

"I’m Lyra."

"You’re assigned to my division."

"The Sixth Division."