"Please, Captain... my leg. I think it’s snapped."Lucian Thorne lay splayed on the freezing stone floor, his trembling fingers clawing at Captain Miller’s combat boots. Fresh, hot blood seeped from his crushed calf—the result of a Hobgoblin’s mace he had taken while shielding the team’s retreat.Miller didn’t move to help. Instead, he looked down, his eyes filled with the kind of disgust one might reserve for a smear of filth on a luxury shoe."Don’t touch me with your filthy hands, Trash," Miller hissed. He flicked his foot, sending Lucian’s fingers slamming back onto the jagged stone."But Captain... I carried all your potions. I stayed awake every night to guard the camp..." Lucian coughed, a thick, metallic crimson staining his lips. "You can’t leave me here. This is a Rank-D Dungeon. I’m just a Rank-F!"Behind Miller, the rest of the 'Blue Falcon' squad stood like statues. Sarah, the team’s Healer, clutched her staff, her eyes darting away. She looked guilty, but she didn’t take

"Lucian! What are you doing?! Get away from him!" Sarah’s scream was shrill, nearly drowned out by the thunderous footsteps of the Abyssal Sentinel.Lucian didn't even glance at her. He stood over Borris, the man who had crushed his leg only an hour ago. The Tanker’s breathing was a wet, ragged rattle. His armor—the Pride of the Blue Falcon—was now just twisted scrap metal."You... you're supposed to be... dead..." Borris wheezed, blood bubbling at the corners of his mouth."I was," Lucian whispered, his voice devoid of warmth. "But I found a new job. And right now, Borris... you’re just raw material."Lucian placed his hand on Borris’s chest.[Target: Hunter 'Borris' (Rank D - Tanker).] [Condition: Near-Death (Life Force 2%).] [Would you like to 'Recycle'? (Y/N)]"Yes."[Recycle Successful!] [Gained: 1,200 Exp!] [Gained: Permanent Stat Boost: +15 Vitality, +10 Strength.] [Gained: Skill 'Indomitable Will' (Rank D - Passive).] [Gained: 1x Fragment of Earth Mana.]Underneath Lucian’s pa

The Hunter Association Headquarters was a monolith of glass and reinforced steel that pierced the smog of Sector 1. It was a place of prestige, where the air smelled of expensive cologne and high-grade mana.Lucian stood in the lobby, his tattered Scavenger’s Cloak draped over his shoulders. He looked like a smudge of grease on a silk sheet. Every Hunter walking by—clad in shining chrome armor or silk mage robes—gave him a wide berth, their faces twisted in instinctive disgust."Next," a receptionist sighed, not even looking up from her holographic terminal.Lucian stepped forward. "I’m here for a Rank Re-evaluation."The receptionist paused, her gaze traveling slowly from Lucian’s muddy boots to his calm, dark eyes. She let out a short, mocking puff of air. "Re-evaluation? The Scavenger’s Guild is in Sector 4, kid. This is for active combatants.""I have my temporary license," Lucian said, placing a cracked plastic card on the counter. "I survived a Rank-D dungeon collapse. My mana h

"Let... go... of... me!"The Black Viper Mage thrashed, his purple lightning flickering like a dying candle. But Lucian’s grip on his skull was like an iron vice. The dark energy of the 'Scavenger’s Domain' flowed through Lucian’s arm, acting as a parasitic siphon that bypassed the Mage’s magical defenses.[Extraction in progress: 45%... 70%... 95%...]"Stop! Please!" the Mage shrieked. He could feel his very soul being pulled through a straw. His memories, his hard-earned mana, even his basic motor functions were being stripped away and converted into raw, digital data."You called these people trash," Lucian whispered, leaning in so close that the Mage could see the swirling void in his golden eyes. "But at least trash can be recycled. You? You’re just... pollution."[Extraction Complete!] [Gained: 4,000 Exp!] [Gained: Permanent Stat Boost: +20 Intelligence, +15 Mana.] [Gained: Rare Skill: 'Chain Lightning (Corrupted)'.]The Mage’s body didn't dissolve. Instead, it slumped to the fl

The silence in Sector 7 was absolute. The choking purple haze had been sucked dry, leaving behind an impossible sight: a three-kilometer radius that had once been littered with the remains of the Abyssal Behemoth was now spotlessly clean. Not a single bone, drop of blood, or shard of crystal remained.Lucian Thorne stood in the center of the crater, his cloak fluttering softly. In his mind, the System notifications chimed relentlessly, sounding like a slot machine hitting the jackpot.[Ding! 'The Great Harvest' has concluded.] [Total Mana Shards Recycled: 2,500,000!] [Gained: 1x Heart of the Behemoth (S-Rank Material).] [Gained: 1x Skill Book: 'Void Step' (Rank S).] [Gained: Permanent Stat Boost: +40 Strength, +45 Agility, +50 Intelligence.][Level Up! Level 28 -> Level 45!]Lucian closed his eyes. The heat rushing through his veins wasn't just energy anymore—it was raw, unadulterated power capable of crushing steel with a mere squeeze. His vision could now pierce through concrete, an