Chapter 3: The Legendary Scrap
The next week, the city buzzed with news of Arin's exploits. Rumors of a Scavenger defeating dungeon monsters alone had spread across the academy, and most students treated him as a curiosity—some with awe, some with ridicule.
Kael, still furious from their previous encounter, had spent every waking moment training for the next trial, determined to humiliate Arin.
The Council of Classes, a group of stern elders overseeing the Soul Awakening, had taken notice. They arranged a Special Trial Dungeon, designed for top-tier students. Only the strongest could pass—warriors with legendary swords, mages with destructive spells, assassins with unmatched speed.
And yet, Arin, the "Trash King," was invited.
Inside the Dungeon
The moment Arin stepped into the massive, shadow-filled dungeon, he felt a vibrating energy in the walls, the pulse of something ancient and powerful. Broken statues and ruined weapons littered the halls, seemingly useless to anyone else.
"Perfect," Arin muttered. "This is my kind of place."
Within minutes, elite students clashed with a Guardian Beast—a massive chimera with three heads: a dragon's, a lion's, and a serpent's. Fire, lightning, and poison spewed from its mouths, flattening warriors and scaring mages into retreat. Kael was at the front, swinging his sword with all his strength, but the beast dodged effortlessly.
Arin, observing carefully, began scavenging pieces of broken armor and shattered shields from fallen students. Each fragment shimmered, responding to his touch. He combined them, and a strange mechanical exoskeleton formed around him, lightweight but powerful.
"Now let's see what trash can really do," he whispered.
The Battle
The chimera lunged at Arin. The exoskeleton absorbed the fire blast from the dragon head and even redirected the force into a spinning shield that knocked back the beast. Arin pulled a shard from a shattered sword—it floated in front of him and, with a flick, slashed across the lion head, stunning it.
The serpent's venom sprayed, but Arin's scavenged armor absorbed it, converting the poison into a glowing energy that fueled the shards circling him. Every scrap he touched became a weapon, trap, or shield.
Other students watched in shock as Arin, the Scavenger, defeated the chimera alone—not by raw strength, but by ingenuity and creative use of items.
The Legendary Scrap
When the chimera finally fell, a piece of its scale glimmered on the floor. Arin bent down and picked it up—it was unlike anything he had ever seen. The moment he touched it, he felt a surge of power flowing into him.
A Legendary Item… awakened.
His exoskeleton absorbed the scale, reshaping into a brilliant set of armor, each piece hums with hidden abilities. Even the shards circling him now glowed brighter, moving with intelligence as if alive.
Arin grinned. "This… this changes everything."
Aftermath
When the students left the dungeon, whispers followed Arin. He had defeated the trial dungeon's Guardian Beast, scavenged every scrap of value, and unlocked a legendary item no one else could obtain.
Kael clenched his fists. "I'll never lose to him again. No matter what."
Arin, meanwhile, simply adjusted his new armor, a mischievous smile playing across his face. Let them underestimate me. That makes it all the more fun.
From that day on, Arin wasn't just a Scavenger. He was a legend in the making, a boy who could turn the world's trash into weapons, armor, and opportunity.
The Trash King had truly begun his rise—and nothing would stand in his way.