The "Frostfall Estate" wasn't a house. It was a fortress disguised as a palace.
As the limousine passed through the massive iron gates, Kael stared out the window. He saw manicured gardens, patrol golems marching in perfect synchronization, and a main building that looked like it had been carved from a single block of white marble.
This was the seat of power for the country's strongest Hunter.
The car stopped. A butler in a pristine tuxedo opened the door.
"We have arrived, My Lady."
Seraphina stepped out, her expression once again unreadable. The vulnerability she had shown in the car was locked away behind walls of ice.
"Alfred," she said to the butler. "Prepare the Guest Wing. Kael will be staying with us indefinitely."
Alfred, an elderly man with a monocle and eyes sharp as daggers, looked at Kael. His gaze swept over Kael's muddy boots and torn cleaner uniform with barely concealed disgust.
"As you wish, My Lady. Shall I have his... rags... burned?"
"He will need new clothes," Seraphina nodded. She turned to Kael. "I have to deal with the Council. The failure of the dungeon raid and Gareth's incompetence will cause a political storm. I won't be able to see you until dinner."
She paused, then added in a lower voice, only for him to hear.
"Don't run away. And don't die."
With that, she swept into the mansion, followed by a entourage of maids and secretaries.
Kael was left alone with the butler.
"Follow me, sir," Alfred said stiffly. "I will show you to the showers. Then, I suppose we must find you something to wear."
Kael cleared his throat. "Actually, Alfred... Seraphina mentioned I could visit the disposal facility? The one for broken equipment?"
Alfred raised an eyebrow. " The Scrap Warehouse? Why would you want to go there? It is filled with hazardous jagged metal and failed enchantments."
"Hobby," Kael lied effortlessly.
Alfred sighed, clearly thinking Kael was insane. "Very well. It is located behind the training grounds. But do not blame me if you cut yourself on a rusty blade."
Ten minutes later, Kael stood before a massive hangar door.
The sign read: [HAZARDOUS MATERIALS - AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY].
Alfred had left him there, refusing to enter such a "dirty" place. Kael pushed the heavy door open and slipped inside.
The smell of rust and old magic hit him immediately.
It was breathtaking.
Piles and piles of broken weapons, shattered armor plates, and cracked magical staves reached the ceiling. This was the trash of the "Frostfall Guild." When an elite hunter broke their sword, they didn't fix it—they threw it away and bought a new one.
To anyone else, this was a junkyard.
To Kael, it was a bank vault with the door left open.
"Jackpot," he whispered.
He walked up to the nearest pile. A massive greatsword, broken in half, lay on top. It was dull and pitted with acid.
He placed his hand on the cold metal.
[Item Detected: "Titan's Blade (Rank B) - Broken"]
[Recycle?]
"Yes."
Shhh...
The massive steel blade didn't just break down; it dissolved into particles of blue light that flowed into Kael's chest.
[DING]
[Recycling Successful.]
[Obtained: 150 System Points.]
[Obtained: "Refined Titanium Chunk" x2]
Kael's eyes widened. 150 points for one sword?
He looked at the mountain of trash in front of him. There were thousands of items here.
He began to run.
He touched a shattered shield. [+80 SP].
He grabbed a handful of broken arrows. [+20 SP].
He found a cracked mage staff made of elderwood. [+200 SP].
It was a frenzy. The System notifications chimed like a slot machine that wouldn't stop winning.
[Total System Points: 1,450]
[Total System Points: 3,200]
[Total System Points: 5,600]
After an hour, Kael collapsed on a clear patch of floor, sweating but grinning like a maniac. The pile of trash in the corner had vanished completely.
He checked his balance.
[Current SP: 6,850]
"I'm rich," he laughed breathlessly. "I'm actually rich."
He opened the System Shop.
Now, the items that seemed expensive before were within reach. He scanned the list. He needed something to ensure his survival. Seraphina protected him, yes, but Gareth wanted him dead. He couldn't rely on a woman to fight all his battles.
His eyes landed on a skill book.
[Skill Book: Shadow Step (Rank A)]
Description: Allows the user to slip into the shadow dimension and reappear up to 5 meters away instantly. Consecutive uses drain stamina rapidly.
Cost: 5,000 SP
It was expensive. It would take most of his points. But a teleportation skill was the ultimate lifesaver for a squishy fighter like him.
"Buy it."
[Transaction Complete.]
[Learning Skill...]
A black, leather-bound book materialized in his hand. As soon as he touched it, it turned into smoke and shot into his forehead.
ARGH!
Kael clutched his head as knowledge flooded his brain. He saw diagrams, felt muscle memories that weren't his, and understood the geometry of shadows.
When the pain subsided, he stood up.
He looked at a shadow cast by a shelf about four meters away. He focused.
Step.
Whoosh.
The world blurred into grayscale for a millisecond.
When Kael blinked, he was standing by the shelf. He looked back at where he had been standing just a second ago.
"Incredible," he whispered.
But he wasn't done. He had 1,850 SP left.
He scrolled down to the Consumables section. He needed to fix his body. His F-Rank constitution was weak; even with the stats from Seraphina, his bones felt brittle under the new power.
[Basic Body Tempering Solution]
Description: A painful medicinal bath that burns away impurities and strengthens bone density and muscle fibers.
Cost: 1,500 SP
"Perfect."
He bought the solution. A small glass vial containing a bubbling red liquid appeared in his inventory.
Just as he was about to inspect it, the hangar door creaked open.
"Hey! You there!"
Kael shoved the vial into his pocket and turned around.
Three men in guard uniforms walked in. They didn't look like house security. They wore the insignia of the "Steel Dragons"—Gareth's men.
The leader, a burly man with a scar across his nose, smirked while tapping a baton against his palm.
"The Butler said the new 'guest' was playing in the trash," the guard sneered. "Vice-Commander Gareth sends his regards."
They locked the door behind them.
"Accidents happen in hazardous warehouses all the time," the guard said, his knuckles cracking. "Like a pile of scrap falling on a clumsy cleaner."
Kael looked at the three men. They were all Rank D or C. Before today, they would have terrified him.
But Kael looked at the shadow stretching out from the guard's boots.
He smiled.
"You're right," Kael said. "Accidents happen."
[Skill Activated: Shadow Step]
Kael vanished.