The Almighty Garbage Collector: Reclaiming My Throne

The Shadow of the Enforcer

The stone staff slammed against the broken tile floor, sending a sharp shockwave through the entire showroom. The thick white smoke began to clear, revealing a massive old man with a long grey beard and glowing green eyes. He wore a dark traditional robe that looked out of place among the luxury cars.

"Who dares to touch the host of the system faction in my presence?" the old man asked, his voice shaking the remaining glass panels.

Before I could move, Ms. Alabi stepped in front of me, her eyes narrowing into two thin slits. She did not look at the old man with fear. Instead, her face filled with an intense, burning hatred that told me she had been waiting for this exact enemy for a very long time. This woman did not just rule corporations; she knew the hidden supernatural underworld of Lagos better than anyone.

"Elder Balogun," Ms. Alabi said, her voice dropping to a dangerous tone. "You finally crawled out of your dark hole. For twelve years, you and your shadow council have been using fake systems to drain the life force of the ancient bloodlines. You thought the Vance family was dead, but our Young Master is right here. Your illegal operation ends today.

"Ms. Alabi, you are just a worldly businesswoman," Elder Balogun said, holding his metallic staff higher. "You control banks, but my faction controls the hidden laws of destiny. The boy Babajide is our chosen chess piece. His system belongs to our grand design. If you interfere, the shadow council will wipe Alabi Global off the map by midnight.

I watched the interaction, my mind moving fast. The Scavenger System in my head began to send rapid red alerts.

[Warning! High-level entity detected. Elder Balogun belongs to the Soul-Stealing Syndicate.]

[The enemy staff contains thirty percent of your family’s stolen luck. If defeated, the Host can reclaim the First Seal of the Dragon Bloodline.]

The stakes were no longer just about Babajide or Ronke. This old man was the one who had engineered my family's downfall twelve years ago. He was the reason I had to pick up garbage while my sister starved in a hospital bed.

"Tunde, help me!" Babajide cried out from the floor. He tried to crawl toward Elder Balogun, but his body was too weak. "Master, please tell him to stop! He took my dealership! He blocked my signals! Kill him!

Elder Balogun looked down at Babajide with total disgust. He did not extend a hand to help the young billionaire. Instead, he raised his heavy staff and kicked Babajide square in the chest, sending him crashing into the front wheel of the sports car.

"Useless trash," Elder Balogun said, his green eyes flashing. "We gave you a high-level system, and you let a mere garbage collector corner you in a showroom. You are no longer needed.

Ronke let out a sharp gasp, covering her mouth as she watched her wealthy boyfriend get tossed around like an old rag by his own master. She looked at me, her eyes filled with terror, realizing that the world she thought she knew was completely fake.

Commander Okoro, who was still on his knees, suddenly stood up and drew a heavy machete from his belt. "Young Master Tunde, let me take his head for you! My men will shred this old sorcerer into pieces!

"Stay back, Okoro," I said, my voice cutting through the panic. "His staff is dangerous for ordinary people. You cannot touch him.

"Smart boy," Elder Balogun said, turning his gaze back to me. "Your Dragon Bloodline is only at Level 1. You just awakened it a few minutes ago. Even if you have the Scavenger System, you do not have enough energy to survive my staff. Give me your system voluntarily, and I might leave your sister alive.

"You mention my sister again, and I will tear your tongue out," I said, taking a firm step forward.

My bare feet left dusty prints on the marble floor, but with every step, the heavy feeling in the room grew stronger. The Scavenger System began to channel the raw power of my bloodline into my arms. I did not feel any poetic power humming under my skin; I just felt a hard, physical strength that made me feel like I could lift a truck.

Ms. Alabi did not try to stop me. She reached into her sharp designer suit and pulled out a small, sleek black device with a glowing blue button. "Young Master, I have already activated the anti-mystic frequency around this block. His staff cannot use external spiritual arrays. You only have to deal with his physical force."

"You treacherous woman!" Elder Balogun roared, his green eyes dimming slightly as the blue light from Ms. Alabi's device filled the air.

He swung his heavy metallic staff toward my head with incredible speed. The weapon moved so fast it created a loud whistling sound in the quiet room.

I did not jump back. I waited until the metal was just inches from my face, then I reached out with my bare right hand and grabbed the staff by its rough center.

The impact made a loud cracking sound, and the marble tiles beneath my feet split into dozens of pieces. But my hand did not break. The Level 1 Dragon Bloodline held the weapon completely still, locking it in place.

Elder Balogun’s face twisted in absolute shock. He tried to pull the staff back, but his arms shook with strain, and the weapon did not move a single millimeter.

"How can a garbage collector have this much physical power?" Elder Balogun gasped, his green eyes wide.

"Because this power belongs to my ancestors," I said, my voice cold.

I twisted my wrist with all my might. The heavy metal staff snapped in half with a loud bang, and a bright, golden light burst from the broken pieces, flying straight into my chest.

[System Notification: Stolen Luck recovered! Reclaiming the First Seal of the Dragon Bloodline!]

[Evolution initiated! Your current level is rising!]

Elder Balogun fell backward, spitting out a mouthful of dark blood as his connection to the staff was violently broken. He looked up at me, his face suddenly aging by thirty years in a matter of seconds. His skin became wrinkled, and his grey hair turned completely white.

"The shadow council... will never let you leave Lagos," Elder Balogun choked out, his hand shaking as he pointed toward the broken glass doors. "The supreme leader has already arrived at Apex Hospital. Your sister... is already in his hands!"

My phone instantly went black, the live video feed from Ife's room cutting off into total static.