The God-Level Scavenger

No Turning Back

Captain Vance did not move his sword. The yellow light from the blade cast long, dancing shadows over old man Jalo’s pale face.

"I will say it one more time, rat," Vance said, his face totally calm. "Drop the weapon and cross your wrists behind your back. If you take one step away from that old man, I will slide this blade through his chest."

I looked down at Jalo, who was barely breathing. His hands were still clutching my ripped shirt, his fingers shaking against the fabric. If I dropped my sword, Vance would take me to Tariq, and we would both die anyway. If I fought him, Jalo might catch a stray blow from an A-rank warrior.

"Do not do it, Kofi," Jalo rasped, a fresh line of dark spit running down his chin. "Run. You have the bloodline now. You can survive outside the walls. Do not let them take it from you."

"Shut up, old man," Vance said, stepping closer. The heavy gold plates of his armor clanked together. "Your life is worth less than the scrap metal you collect. Kofi, your three seconds are up."

He brought his massive broadsword down in a blinding arc, targeting Jalo’s neck.

I did not drop my blade. I swung my dragon scale sword upward with all forty-five points of my strength, meeting his glowing metal mid-air.

A massive ringing sound exploded through the small courtyard. The force of the collision sent a wave of dust and loose dirt flying outward in every direction. The stone ground beneath my boots cracked, sinking down an inch into the soil. My arms throbbed from the sheer power of his blow, but I held my ground. I did not bend.

Vance’s eyes widened slightly behind his silver visor. "An F-rank scrapper blocking a direct strike from an A-rank commander? Tariq was right. You are hiding something dangerous."

"You have no idea what I am hiding," I said.

I pushed my blade upward, forcing his heavy broadsword back. I used the momentum to kick a heavy iron pipe lying near my foot straight toward his face. Vance deflected the pipe easily with his armored gauntlet, but the split-second distraction gave me exactly what I needed.

I leaned down, grabbed Jalo under his arms, and threw him behind a thick, reinforced iron stove that we used for melting scrap metal. It was the only object in the yard thick enough to stop a stray magical blast.

"Stay down!" I shouted.

Vance was already coming at me again. This time, his glowing sword moved in a horizontal circle, aiming to take my head off. The air around the blade grew intensely hot. I could feel the heat radiating off the metal before it even reached me. This was the signature skill of the central city guild, Fire Burst.

I activated my defensive skill instantly.

Iron Skin.

My skin dulled into that familiar gray color. I raised my left arm to block the side of his sword while driving my own blade toward his exposed ribs. The glowing broadsword slammed against my forearm. A shower of bright sparks flew into the air, and a sharp pain shot up to my shoulder, but my skin did not break. The D-rank skill held against his weapon, though the heat felt like it was roasting my skin from the inside.

My dragon scale blade struck the gold armor covering his side. The dark metal slid across the gold plate, leaving a deep, jagged gouge but failing to pierce through to his flesh.

Vance stepped back, looking down at the scratch on his armor. A dark, angry look covered his face. "You took an initiate’s skill. I recognize that gray hide. You are a thief who steals abilities."

"I take what belongs to me," I said, my chest rising and falling as I breathed hard.

"Let us see how much you can take before your body breaks," Vance said.

He raised his left hand toward the sky. A bright red signal flare shot up from his palm, exploding high above the smoke-filled slum sector. It turned the night sky bright red for a few seconds.

"My secondary squad is moving in," Vance said, a cruel smile touching his lips. "They have thirty high-grade fire glass spheres. If you do not drop your sword by the time they cross the main road, they will drop those spheres onto every remaining house in this sector. Hundreds of your people will burn to ash because you wanted to play hero.

My heart felt like it stopped beating. I looked past him toward the entrance of the alley. I could hear the heavy, rhythmic thud of combat boots approaching fast. There were at least twenty more soldiers coming, and they were bringing enough explosives to level the entire slum.

I could not fight Vance and protect the entire neighborhood at the same time. I needed more power, or I needed a distraction.

Suddenly, the small black radio attached to Vance’s belt began to chime. But it was not Tariq’s voice that came through. It was a clear, sharp female voice that made both of us freeze.

"Commander Vance," Amina’s voice spoke clearly from the speaker.

Vance did not take his eyes off me, but he reached down and pressed the button on his hip. "Lady Amina? Why are you using this line? I am currently neutralizing the target."

"Stop the attack on Sector 4 immediately," Amina ordered. Her voice sounded completely different from the soft, nervous tone she used when we were children. It was cold, sharp, and commanded absolute authority. "The Elder Council just discovered that Tariq lied about the treason charges. If you destroy that sector without council permission, your family guild will lose its trading license by tomorrow morning.

Vance choked on his breath, his face turning pale. "But... Young Master Tariq said—"

"Tariq is currently being detained by the council for questioning," Amina interrupted, her voice cutting through the speaker like a blade. "Pull your men back to the inner gate right now, or I will personally sign the order to strip your rank.

Vance stared at the radio, his jaw working silently. He looked up at me, then down at his damaged armor. He knew she was manipulating the situation, but he could not risk his entire career on Tariq’s personal grudge.

"Fine," Vance growled, lowering his sword. He pressed the radio button. "All squads, fall back to the inner wall. The operation is cancelled."

He turned around and walked out of the courtyard without looking back, his heavy boots fading into the smoke.

I dropped to my knees, the dragon scale blade slipping from my sweaty palm. The tension left my body all at once, leaving my muscles feeling weak and heavy. Amina had saved the sector. She had used her position in the inner city to trick the council and stop a massacre.

I rushed over to the iron stove and pulled Jalo out. He was still alive, but his breathing was getting shallower.

"We have to go, Kofi," Jalo whispered, his eyes rolling back slightly. "She... she lied to him.

"What?" I asked, leaning closer.

The radio..." Jalo gasped, his hand gripping my wrist with a sudden, terrifying strength. The council did not detain Tariq. I can hear the inner city alarm from here. Amina... she stole the council’s master key to send that message. 

She is running from the estate right now, and Tariq’s private guard is hunting her down!"