SSS Awakening: I Can Create Skills By Will-Chapter 101: Stand and Fight

The massive vine beast kept moving.

Slow.

Heavy.

Unstoppable.

Its twisted body dragged across the broken ground as thick vines crushed stone and snapped fallen structures like dry sticks. Corpses of monsters and explorers alike were pulled into its mass, absorbed without resistance as its size continued to grow.

The pressure alone made breathing hard.

For a moment, fear ruled the battlefield.

Then a voice shattered it.

"Stand your ground!"

Captain Veylor stepped forward, his presence erupting like a storm. His voice carried across the battlefield, sharp and commanding, cutting through panic like a blade.

"No one is coming to save us!"

His words struck harder than the monster’s pressure.

"This is the battlefield! This is where we fight and survive with our own hands!"

Mana surged from his body, heavy and steady, pressing outward like a shield that pushed back the creeping fear.

"If you run, you die tired. If you stand, you live or you die with meaning. So choose!"

He pointed his weapon toward the advancing vine beast.

"Steel your hearts! Face it like explorers!"

Silence followed.

Then something shifted.

The bronze explorers tightened their grips on their weapons. Their shaking hands steadied, their breathing slowed, and the fear in their eyes hardened into resolve.

The new explorers still trembled, but they did not step back. Their knuckles turned white around their weapons, yet they stood.

Arthur watched quietly.

Simple words.

But heavy with experience.

A man who had faced death too many times to count.

Beside him, one of the new explorers swallowed hard. "We’re really doing this..."

Ryn moved quickly after Veylor’s speech, already issuing instructions. His mind had clearly been working since the moment the creature appeared.

"Formation three! Defensive spread!"

His voice was calm but urgent.

"Protect the civilians first. Maintain distance from the main body. Avoid direct entanglement with its vines. If you get caught, you will not be saved in time."

His eyes swept across the squad.

"We survive first. Victory comes later."

Arthur listened and found himself impressed again.

Clear analysis.

Fast decision making.

No wasted words.

Now he understood even more why the commander trusted this man.

Ryn did not stop there.

"I will join the captains to stall the monster," he said. "Vice captain, take command here."

As a seasoned explorer stepped forward immediately, accepting the role without hesitation.

Ryn continued, "Support from range. Target weakened sections only. Do not act alone."

Then he turned.

Without another word, he rushed forward, cutting through lesser monsters as he moved toward the massive vine beast.

Arthur watched him go.

Reliable.

Decisive.

Not just a strategist, but a fighter.

The other captains were already moving as well.

Five figures advanced toward the towering monster.

Captain Veylor led the charge.

They looked small compared to the creature.

But the pressure around them was anything but.

Arthur remained at the defensive line, monitoring everything. His eyes moved across the battlefield, observing patterns, searching for irregularities, waiting for the moment something felt truly wrong.

Yet even while observing, he continued fighting.

He did not know what a true D rank monster felt like. Yet strangely, he felt no fear toward the creature.

Only curiosity.

For now, he focused on his task and let the captains handle the main battle.

The clash began soon after.

The five captains launched their attacks almost simultaneously.

Veylor moved first.

His body blurred forward, weapon coated in dense mana as he struck the vine beast’s outer layer. The impact exploded with force, slicing through several thick vines at once.

But the creature barely reacted.

The severed vines writhed, then regenerated immediately.

Another captain followed with a crushing strike that shattered part of the creature’s body, sending fragments flying across the battlefield.

Ryn joined moments later.

His fighting style was direct and efficient. His blade moved with precise control, cutting through weak points while avoiding the snapping vines that lashed toward him.

The remaining captains attacked from different angles.

One used heavy shockwave strikes that blasted open sections of the creature’s body.

Another unleashed long ranged mana attacks that pierced deep into its core structure.

The last moved with incredible speed, carving through regenerating vines faster than they could reform.

The battlefield trembled with each exchange.

Boom!

Crack!

The air screamed under the weight of their power.

For the first time, the massive vine beast reacted.

It stopped moving.

Its body twisted violently as it released a storm of vines in all directions. The attacks were brutal and relentless, each strike capable of crushing a human instantly.

One captain was struck directly and thrown across the ground, crashing through broken stone.

Gasps erupted from the explorers.

But the man stood again.

Bleeding.

Yet smiling.

They were not holding back. They could not afford to.

Arthur understood their intention.

They were not just fighting to kill.

They were fighting to give hope.

To show strength, and to remind everyone watching that the battle was not lost.

The explorers and civilians stared in awe as the captains pushed forward again, their attacks growing more intense.

Hope returned.

"They’re pushing it back!"

"It’s working!"

Even Arthur admitted they were doing far better than expected.

The captains adapted quickly, coordinating without words. One created openings while another targeted exposed sections. They forced the creature to divide its attention, slowing its advance toward the camp.

Gradually, the battle shifted.

From stalling.

To wounding.

From wounding. To finding a way to kill.

Perhaps it was not truly a D rank boss.

Perhaps it was only an abnormal mutation.

It did not matter.

If it could die, they would kill it.

The captains gathered their strength for a final assault.

Mana surged violently around them.

Arthur narrowed his eyes.

They’re going all out.

Veylor shouted, "Now!"

The five captains launched a coordinated attack.

Blinding light erupted as their combined power struck the creature’s core. Explosions tore through its body, severing massive sections as the ground shook under the impact.

The battlefield fell silent.

Dust and smoke filled the air as everyone watched.

Waiting. And Praying.