The God-Level Scavenger: Infinite Evolution System

Chapter 5: The Shattered Scale

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 has... shifted."

The receptionist swiped the card. Her eyes widened slightly as the screen flashed red. "Lucian Thorne. Survivor of the Blue Falcon incident? You’re the one who dragged Captain Miller out?"

The whispers in the lobby died down instantly. All eyes turned toward him. The "Blue Falcon incident" was the top news in the city—a Rank-D team nearly wiped out, leaving their Captain crippled and their Tanker dead. And here was the sole survivor, the lowly scavenger.

"Follow me," she said, her tone shifting from mockery to morbid curiosity. "The Director will want to see this."

Lucian was led to a soundproof testing chamber in the basement. It was filled with "Mana Pylons"—enormous obsidian pillars designed to absorb and measure a Hunter’s output.

Director Han, a sharp-faced man with graying temples and a Rank-B aura, stood by the observation window. He looked at Lucian with the eyes of a scientist examining a lab rat.

"Miller says a monster killed Borris and saved him," Han said, his voice echoing through the intercom. "But the mana signatures we picked up from the portal exit didn't match the Abyssal Sentinel. They were... hungrier."

Lucian stood in the center of the pylons. "I wouldn't know. I was just trying to stay alive."

"We’ll see. Step up to the Prime Pylon. Release every drop of mana you have. Don't hold back, or the Association will revoke your license for filing a false claim."

Lucian walked toward the black pillar.

[Warning: High-Level Mana Sensors detected.] [Would you like to activate 'Scavenger’s Domain: Masking Mode'?]

No, Lucian thought. If I show too little, I’m just a scavenger again. If I show too much, I’m a freak they’ll want to dissect. Give me exactly enough to be 'Elite'.

[Processing... Adjusting Mana Output to: Rank C (Peak).]

Lucian placed his palm on the cold obsidian.

"Start," Han commanded.

Lucian didn't scream. He didn't flex. He simply opened the gates.

The 'Harvester’s Fang' on his back hummed in response. A surge of dark, predatory energy flowed from Lucian’s core, through his arm, and into the pylon. For a second, the air in the room grew cold. The lights flickered.

Vrummmmm.

The pylon began to glow. First dim blue (Rank F), then bright green (Rank E), then a steady, pulsing yellow (Rank D).

The Director leaned forward. "He’s already past his limit. How is an F-Rank scavenger—"

The yellow turned into a violent, burning orange.

Creeeeeak.

The reinforced glass of the observation booth began to spider-web. The mana sensors on the walls began to hiss, smoke rising from their circuits.

"Rank C..." Han whispered, his eyes trembling. "He’s hitting the Peak C threshold. Stop! Stop the test!"

Lucian pulled his hand back. The orange glow faded instantly, leaving the pylon scorched and cracked.

Silence filled the room.

[Ding! Hidden Feat Accomplished: 'The Broken Scale'.] [Gained: 1,000 Exp.] [Gained: Title 'Anomaly' (Passive: Increases Luck when dealing with high-rank NPCs).]

"Rank C," Director Han stepped into the chamber, his professional mask crumbling. "Lucian Thorne... two days ago you were a mana-less scavenger. Now you have the output of a Guild Lieutenant. What happened in that dungeon?"

"I found things," Lucian said, his voice steady. "Things the Blue Falcon was too 'elite' to notice. I recycled their mistakes."

Han looked at the cracked pylon, then back at Lucian. "A Rank-C license carries weight. It means you can lead your own team. It means you get a 500,000 credit signing bonus. But it also means the 'Big Four' guilds will be watching you."

"Let them watch," Lucian said, draped in his tattered cloak. "I have no intention of joining them."

"Then what do you want?"

Lucian looked at the 'Marketplace of the Abyss' icon flickering in the corner of his vision. He needed more high-grade materials. He needed the 'trash' of the elite.

"I want 'Solo Clearance' for the Sector 7 Exclusion Zone," Lucian said.

Han froze. "Sector 7? That’s an abandoned battleground. It’s filled with corrupted mana and broken artifacts from the Great Convergence. There’s nothing there but literal garbage and undead monsters."

"Exactly," Lucian smiled. "One man’s garbage is another man’s goldmine."

As Lucian walked out of the Association building with his new silver Rank-C badge, a black sedan pulled up to the curb. The window rolled down, revealing a woman with hair like spun silver and eyes as cold as ice.

Elena Vance. The 'Ice Queen' of the Vanguard Guild—the top-ranked guild in the country.

"Lucian Thorne," she said, her voice like a knife. "My scouts told me someone just broke a Prime Pylon. I didn't expect it to be Miller’s little errand boy."

Lucian stopped, his hand resting instinctively on the hilt of his hidden dagger. "I’m busy, Ms. Vance."

"Miller is awake," she continued, ignoring his coldness. "He’s telling anyone who will listen that you’re a demon. That you 'ate' Borris. The Association thinks he’s just traumatized, but I know Miller. He’s a coward, but he’s not a liar."

She stepped out of the car, her Rank-A aura flaring slightly, putting pressure on the surrounding air. "Tell me the truth, and I might protect you from the 'Black Viper' gang. They’re looking for the man who crippled their debt collectors."

Lucian didn't flinch under her pressure. He stepped closer, entering her personal space. The 'Scavenger’s Domain' skill pulsed faintly.

"I don't need protection, Elena," Lucian whispered. "And tell Miller that if he keeps talking... I’ll come back to recycle what’s left of his tongue."

He walked past her, his cloak fluttering in the wind.

Elena Vance stood frozen for a moment. She looked at her hand—it was trembling. Not from cold. From fear. "Director," she said into her earpiece. "Cancel my meetings. I want a full surveillance team on Lucian Thorne. He’s not a Hunter. He’s something else entirely."

Meanwhile, Lucian was already blocks away, his mind focused on the System notification that had just popped up.

[Ding! 'Marketplace of the Abyss' is now accessible.] [New Item Available for Trade: 'The Tome of the Void Smith'.] [Requirement: 10,000 High-Grade Mana Shards.]

"Sector 7," Lucian muttered, his eyes burning with greed. "I’m going to harvest that entire graveyard."