The God-Level Scavenger

The Abyss Below

The giant shadow snapped its jaw shut, swallowing Tariq's entire ledge in a single second.

A sharp, terrified cry echoed from the pit before cutting off completely. The air grew freezing cold as the massive beast turned its glowing yellow eyes up toward the edge where Amina and I stood. In our world, the deep mining pits beneath Sector 4 were not just old tunnels. They were ancient monster nests sealed away fifty years ago by the Elder Council to protect the inner city's energy reserves. When high-grade magic spilled into these dark depths, it woke up creatures that fed on raw magic cores.

"Kofi, run!" Amina said, grabbing my uninjured arm and pulling me back toward the narrow stone passage.

She didn't waste a single moment looking back to see if Tariq was dead. Amina never wasted energy on dead enemies or empty regrets. Her mind was already three steps ahead, calculating the survival path out of the collapsing mountain camp.

The giant beast slammed its massive black claws into the stone ledge, tearing the ground apart beneath us.

I grabbed Amina around the waist, pulling her close as I activated my skill.

Shadow Step.

My vision blurred into dark streaks as we glided ten feet backward into the stone tunnel, right as the entire cliff edge collapsed into the dark abyss. Rocks and heavy dust crashed down into the pit, blocking the creature's path upward for a few brief seconds.

We stumbled into the dark tunnel, catching our breath on the hard floor. Blood was still dripping from the cut on my right arm, soaking through my sleeve. My body hurt from using my skills back-to-back, but the extraction system inside my chest kept pushing energy through my veins.

"Is the beast following us?" Amina asked, her voice tight as she pulled a strip of fabric from her torn sleeve to wrap around my arm wound.

"The falling rocks locked the main shaft," I said, wincing slightly as she pulled the cloth tight. "But the noise will bring the rest of Tariq's guild guards from the upper market."

"Then we don't go up," Amina said, her bright eyes locking onto mine in the dim light. "We go deeper into the old council tunnels. The silver key I took opens the main gate to the wild lands beyond the sector wall."

"That gate has been locked for fifty years," I reminded her. "The city council tells everyone that the wild lands are filled with corrupted magic and toxic air."

Amina let out a short, cold laugh. "The council says that so nobody leaves their labor sectors. I read the secret records in Tariq's house while working as his servant. Outside the sector walls, there are free cities with their own markets and high-tier core academies. That is where we build our power."

I looked at her dirty face, seeing the fierce determination behind her eyes. She had suffered for three years under Tariq's family, waiting for the right moment to strike back and take her life into her own hands. She was not just trying to escape. She was planning her return to tear down the nobles who had enslaved her.

"Then lead the way," I said, checking the broadsword strapped to my back.

We moved fast through the winding stone passage. The air grew cooler, and old magic runes carved into the walls began to glow with a faint blue light. This was the ancient emergency path used by the original builders of Sector 4.

After twenty minutes of running, the narrow path ended at a massive iron door set directly into the mountain rock. The door was twenty feet high, covered in thick steel locks and ancient spell symbols.

"This is the gate," Amina said, stepping up to the central lock mechanism.

She inserted the silver key into the keyhole and turned it to the right. A loud metallic click echoed through the quiet tunnel, followed by the heavy sound of sliding iron bars inside the stone walls.

The massive iron door began to part, opening a small six-inch gap down the center.

Fresh, crisp air blew through the crack, carrying the smell of pine trees and open water—nothing like the stale, dusty air of Sector 4.

"It opened," I said, feeling a surge of hope in my chest for the first time since escaping the dungeon.

Before we could push the heavy door open further, a sudden cold wind swept down from the tunnel behind us.

The air pressure dropped instantly, making my ears pop.

A tall figure stepped out from the shadows of the passage, walking with slow, heavy steps. He wore long black robes embroidered with gold thread, and a golden crest of the Elder Council hung around his neck.

His face was covered in a silver mask, and he held a long, glowing staff that crackled with blue lightning.

"Amina of the house servant line," the masked man said, his voice flat and heavy like striking iron. "And Kofi, the illegal extraction user."

Amina froze, her face turning completely pale as she recognized the golden crest on his chest. "An Executioner Elder..."

"You have broken three high laws of the inner city," the Elder said, raising his lightning staff. "Stealing core secrets, releasing an S-rank prisoner, and attempting to breach the sector boundary. The Council has ordered your immediate core destruction."

I stepped in front of Amina, pulling my broadsword from my back and channeling my Iron Skin skill across my arms. "We aren't going back."

The Executioner Elder didn't even raise his weapon to block. He simply tapped his staff against the stone floor.

A wave of blue lightning exploded from the tip of his staff, blasting straight toward my chest before I could even activate Shadow Step.