Kael woke to the sound of birds—or at least something that sounded vaguely like birds. He sat up, blinking at the sun piercing through the ruined buildings of Ashvale. His body ached from yesterday's alley fight, but the soreness didn't matter. Not anymore.
He reached instinctively for the blade and the firearm, both resting neatly beside him. The weapons hummed softly, almost like they were alive, waiting for him to command them. The interface hovered nearby, glowing faintly.
[Daily Mission Available]
Kael frowned. Daily mission? He tapped it.
Mission 1: Survive for 24 hours using only merged materials. Reward: Resource Pack x5
Kael stared at the screen. A "mission"? This system was… more than he'd expected. He could feel the gears turning in his head—tons of potential. He could merge, upgrade, and… maybe even dominate.
Lumi bounced onto the rooftop above him. "Morning, sleepyhead! Ready for round two?"
Kael groaned. "I think I'm still recovering from yesterday's 'fun'."
"You mean your debut as Ashvale's Scrap King?" she teased. "I already started the rumor mill. People are calling you the Trash Demon now."
Kael rolled his eyes. "Trash Demon… really?"
"Yes! It's perfect! People fear you, respect you, and—most importantly—don't realize you're barely awake in the mornings." She grinned. "C'mon, I'll show you something."
---
Exploring Ashvale
Kael and Lumi walked through the streets, careful to avoid the bigger gangs. The city was a maze of collapsed buildings, scorched asphalt, and alleys filled with twisted metal. For someone like Kael—no ability until yesterday—every corner held danger.
Lumi, on the other hand, danced around obstacles, her illusions making it look like she was floating on air.
"So… you can make illusions," Kael said, watching a giant rainbow-colored dragon appear briefly before popping into a puff of smoke.
"Yeah! Not very strong in combat, but hilarious for distractions." She smirked. "You merge things, I mess with their heads. Together, we're unstoppable!"
Kael had to admit… the combination worked surprisingly well.
They reached a collapsed marketplace. Broken crates and metal scraps littered the ground. Kael knelt down, scanning the rubble. The system interface glowed in response.
[Select Materials]
He picked up a bent streetlamp, some broken glass, and a chunk of concrete. The materials hovered as streams of blue light wrapped around them. Slowly, a sleek crossbow formed in his hands, reinforced with glowing lines that pulsed faintly.
"Nice," Lumi said. "You've got style. Look at that thing—it's like… futuristic junk art!"
Kael couldn't help smiling. "I guess… I am the Scrap King."
---
Unexpected Encounter
Kael was testing his new crossbow when a low growl echoed from the shadows. He froze. The air smelled of damp earth and decay. Lumi's illusions flickered nervously.
"Something big," she whispered. "And hungry."
Kael scanned the alley. Two glowing red eyes reflected in the dim light. A beast—massive, four-legged, fur matted with dirt and blood—lurched forward. Its claws scraped the concrete, leaving deep grooves.
"Uh… okay," Kael muttered. "Let's… merge something."
He grabbed a pile of scrap metal, some broken glass, and a shattered crate. The system hummed, wrapping the materials in light. In seconds, a massive spiked mace appeared in his hands.
The beast lunged. Kael swung. The mace connected with a thunderous CRASH, sending the creature staggering back. Lumi giggled, creating dozens of tiny dragon illusions to confuse it.
Kael attacked again, merging debris into throwing knives mid-combat. The beast roared, finally retreating into the shadows.
Kael collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily. "This… is insane."
"You're insane," Lumi corrected, grinning. "And I love it."
---
Meeting the Mentor
Kael and Lumi were recovering in a safer part of the city when a figure approached from the shadows—a man, tall, muscular, and with a stern expression. His aura pulsed faintly red.
"You're the new system user, huh?" the man asked, voice rough.
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Uh… yeah. Who wants to know?"
"Name's Roxan. Rox for short. I've been watching." He stepped closer, eyeing Kael's weapons. "You've got potential. But raw power without control gets people killed."
Kael felt a chill. Rox radiated authority. He didn't need flashy abilities—just his presence was enough to command respect.
"I can handle myself," Kael said cautiously.
Rox smirked. "We'll see. Follow me if you want to survive Ashvale. The city's crawling with people who'd love to gut someone like you… and your little friend there." He glanced at Lumi, who waved cheerfully.
Kael hesitated, but something about Rox's confidence made him nod. Maybe… this was what he needed.
---
First Lesson
Rox led them to a small hideout in a half-collapsed building. Inside, there were weapons, makeshift training equipment, and a few other survivors—some powered, some not.
"Lesson one," Rox said, pointing to a set of training dummies. "Power is meaningless if you can't fight smart. Systems can give you tools, Kael. But strategy? That's earned."
Kael picked up his mace. He swung at the first dummy. It toppled. The second dummy, however, had hidden spikes—Kael's mace shattered halfway through, leaving him stunned.
"You overestimate your ability," Rox said. "Merge all you want—but think. Anticipate. Adapt."
Kael gritted his teeth. "Got it. Think before swinging."
Lumi whispered from the side, "Or we make more stuff and overwhelm them. Much more fun."
Rox didn't flinch at the comment, just shook his head. Kael realized this man had seen enough chaos to ignore humor in battle—but Lumi's laughter made him feel… human again.
---
A Taste of Survival
The next few hours were a whirlwind. Kael learned to merge quickly under pressure, using scrap to craft weapons and armor mid-fight. He even experimented with consumable pills—small doses of energy-enhancing concoctions he merged from chemical scraps.
By nightfall, Kael had crafted:
A reinforced mace with energy spikes
A lightweight crossbow with explosive bolts
Three healing pills
A smoke bomb made from oil scraps and shattered glass
He felt… unstoppable. Not invincible, but finally capable of holding his own.
Lumi clapped him on the back. "See? Told you the Trash Demon would rise!"
Kael laughed, exhausted but elated. "Trash Demon… yeah… it's growing on me."
Rox, standing in the corner, finally spoke. "You're going to need allies. Survival isn't just weapons or systems. It's trust, timing, and knowing who's worth fighting beside. Don't lose that."
Kael nodded. "I won't."
For the first time in his life, he felt a spark of confidence. Not the spark of a sixteen-year-old who woke up with some flashy ability. No… this spark was earned, carved from scraps and sweat.
And he had a system capable of turning the world's trash into tools of power.
Maybe being powerless wasn't the end. Maybe it was just the beginning.
---
Foreshadowing
As Kael drifted to sleep on a pile of rubble inside the hideout, the system interface hovered nearby, glowing faintly.
[New Event Detected: Unknown Signal]
Kael's eyes flickered open. He felt a shiver. Something beyond Ashvale, beyond the gangs and wild beasts, was reaching out to him.
The adventure was only beginning.