SSS Awakening: I Can Create Skills By Will-Chapter 80: The Gap Between Strength

The loot he had gathered during the mission was more than enough to repay his debt. Not only that, he could still have some left for himself.

If any of them could see what was inside his storage, they would probably faint.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Without paying attention to his surroundings, he opened his system interface and checked his gains from the mission.

A familiar transparent screen appeared before him.

✦══════════════════════════════════════✦

❂ SOVEREIGN INTENT SYSTEM ❂

✦══════════════════════════════════════✦

⟦ Operation Summary — Goblin Dungeon Engagement ⟧

━━━ MONSTER ELIMINATION RECORD ━━━

• Goblin Stragglers (E-Rank) × 29 → +87 IP

• Goblin Warriors (E-Rank) × 42 → +126 IP

• Goblin Scouts (E-Rank) × 18 → +54 IP

• Goblin Spearmen (E-Rank) × 22 → +66 IP

• Goblin Casters (E-Rank) × 12 → +36 IP

━━━ BASE INTENT ACQUISITION ━━━

Total Base Intent: **369 IP**

⟬ Combat Modifiers Applied ⟭

→ Decisive Eliminations: +20%

→ Continuous Combat State: +15%

→ Near-Death Adaptation: +30%

━━━ BONUS INTENT GENERATED ━━━

Additional Gain: ×0.65 IP

━━━ OPERATION TOTAL ━━━

✦ Intent Points Acquired: 608.85 IP ✦

━━━ INTENT RESERVE STATUS ━━━

Previous Balance: 85.9 IP

✦ Current Intent Points: 694.75 IP✦

✦══════════════════════════════════════✦

Arthur blinked once.

Then he smiled wider.

"That much..."

His voice was barely a whisper, filled with genuine excitement.

This was more than he expected.

With this amount, he could strengthen multiple skills. He could refine his current abilities or even form new ones through focused intent. His growth would accelerate.

Opportunity.

That was all he saw.

The danger of the dungeon, the risk of death, the fear others felt.. all of it existed, yet what he felt most was the thrill of becoming stronger.

"This world really suits me", Arthur muttered excitedly

He closed the interface slowly, still smiling.

Around him, the explorers continued to watch, still whispering, still trying to understand him.

Arthur remained completely unaware of their scrutiny.

Or perhaps he simply did not care enough to notice.

Time passed slowly outside the dungeon.

Minutes stretched, then turned into hours. At first the bronze squad waited with excitement, but soon boredom settled in. Some sat on the ground, others leaned against their weapons, while a few simply stared at the dungeon gate in silence.

Then movement appeared.

The atmosphere changed instantly.

The bored bronze squad members straightened their backs as figures began to walk out from the dungeon entrance. The silver squad emerged first, their steps steady, their formation intact. Their armor still shone despite the battle they had clearly fought, and their expressions remained calm.

They did not look exhausted, instead they looked accomplished.

The silver squad captain stepped forward and saluted Commander Lyra. The gesture was sharp and respectful.

The commander acknowledged him with a small nod.

"Report," Lyra said.

Her voice was simple, yet it carried authority that made even the surrounding air feel heavier.

The silver captain began immediately.

"When we entered the dungeon, the mutation had progressed further than expected. The respawn frequency had nearly doubled compared to earlier estimates."

His words were clear, professional.

"We encountered irregular monster activity across multiple zones. Several rare variants appeared earlier than their natural cycle allows."

The captain continued without pausing.

"We also confirmed the presence of a hobgoblin acting as a central combat unit."

That statement caused the bronze squad to whisper among themselves.

"A hobgoblin?"

"We didn’t see anything like that."

"Are you serious?"

Their voices were low but filled with shock.

But Arthur remained quiet.

He recognized the part the captain had brought forward as proof. He had seen it himself. His expression did not change, though a small understanding settled within him.

So that was what it was.

The silver captain continued her report.

"The dungeon was fully cleared after the gold squad neutralized the source of the rapid mutation. After the threat was eliminated, we conducted a complete sweep of the dungeon and secured all remaining resources."

He paused slightly.

"There is no need for a follow up mission to reclaim loot."

The bronze squad fell silent.

Complete clearance.

No wasted movement.

No unfinished work.

Commander Lyra listened without interrupting. After the report ended, she nodded once.

"Well done."

That single praise seemed enough. The silver squad stepped aside and withdrew from the center.

The discussion had been brief, yet its impact was heavy.

The new explorers watched with complicated emotions. They had struggled desperately just to survive, yet these people spoke of clearing the entire dungeon like it was routine.

The difference in strength felt overwhelming.

One of the new explorers sighed quietly. "We’re not even close."

Another nodded. "Not even useful."

The truth was painful, but it also sparked determination.

Arthur also reflected quietly.

He had gained a lot during the mission, but hearing the report made him aware of something deeper.

He was still far from the peak of this world.

But instead of discouragement, excitement stirred in him.

That meant there was still so much more to climb.

The scene did not end there.

Soon after, the few gold squad members who had entered the dungeon stepped forward. Their presence alone created a subtle pressure. Even the silver squad gave them space without being told.

Their leader bowed respectfully to Commander Lyra before speaking.

"We have completed the investigation."

His voice was calm, but his gaze was sharp.

He explained the process they had taken to eliminate the source of the mutation. He described a hidden disturbance deep within the dungeon, the corrupted point where tainted generated unnaturally. The gold squad had sealed it, stabilizing the dungeon’s structure and stopping the abnormal respawn cycle.

Arthur listened carefully as he frowned slightly.

Why couldn’t I find it?

Even with his Sovereign’s Perception, he had not located anything like that. The realization made the gap between him and the gold squad painfully clear.

Experience.

Precision.

Understanding.

Their level was far beyond his current reach.

Arthur leaned slightly forward, pretending to stretch while actually straining to hear their conversation. Their voices lowered when the topic grew sensitive, but he still caught fragments.

He even tried reading their lips.

Certain words stood out.

"External interference."

"Foreign influence."

"Ritual traces."

The meanings were incomplete, but Arthur stored them carefully in his mind. Something was manipulating the dungeon. Something deliberate and obviously dangerous.