I have a sovereign soul

Lake Ross

Federal Special Waste Treatment Station No. 115

Also known as the "Graveyard of Artifacts."

The growth of civilization had always been driven by the forces of magic. In the past, artifacts were elusive, but now, artifacts that could only be operated by magic had become common in every household. They became essential items in daily life, assisting people in living, traveling, studying, and working.

These artifacts made life easier, but they also generated a tremendous amount of waste—artifact waste and metal scraps.

Artifact waste often contained a considerable amount of residual magical energy, which could easily cause radiation contamination. The hieroglyphic formations that made up these artifacts were highly volatile, posing a risk of explosion. If left unchecked, artifact waste could cause severe environmental damage.

For this reason, "Special Waste Treatment Stations" were established around the perimeter of every federal city to process artifact waste.

Federal Special Waste Treatment Station No. 115 was located on the southern outskirts of the Federal Magic City, "Vast Sea."

Beneath the hazy yellow sky, a foul stench emanated from a polluted green swamp. A mountain of metallic shards jutted out of the swamp like the spine of a dinosaur. Shattered remnants of flying swords were scattered chaotically across the peak. Next to the swords lay a rusted crystal golem; the empty cavity of its eye revealed that its soul fire had long been extinguished. The only thing remaining was a gem-devouring insect that crawled out of its skull, cautiously surveying its surroundings in the "Graveyard of Artifacts," where danger lurked in every corner.

"Boom!"

Near another garbage mountain, the hieroglyphic formation of a discarded artifact began to collapse. The excess core energy erupted suddenly, sending half the mountain flying into the air.

Countless metal fragments scattered across the sky like a maiden tossing flowers, dispersing in every direction. The surrounding mountains triggered a chain reaction. Looking up, there was nothing but smoke and dust, forming a scene resembling a demonic dance covering the entire sky.

Here, life seemed forbidden. Only cockroaches and tiny worms could consider this place a paradise.

But…

Scott Walton remained hidden behind a garbage mountain, motionless. He licked his cracked lips, his red windproof jacket covered in dust, blending him seamlessly with his surroundings.

He cast a fleeting glance at the slowly rising mushroom cloud nearby. In his young, clear eyes, there was no trace of emotion, no flicker of sentiment.

He only retreated deeper into the pile of junk when the dust and metal shards rained down on his garbage shelter. At the same time, he put on his protective goggles, which covered half of his face.

"It's here!"

When the Insight Watch on his wrist began to vibrate, excitement flashed in the young man's eyes, and a sly smirk curled the corner of his lips.

3:52:38 PM, the routine garbage disposal time—also known among "cleaners" like Scott as party time!

The Insight Watch on his left wrist had been produced by the Knights, a well-known mage guild, five years ago. He had found it inside a garbage mountain and spent no less than three months repairing it.

It had an unusual function besides telling time—it could record unique vibration frequencies. When a distinct vibration spread through the area, it would notify the owner.

This feature was originally designed to alert hunters to the presence of powerful demonic beasts nearby.

However, after Scott modified it, the function was changed to alert him to the arrival of garbage ships.

Soon, accompanied by a faint humming sound, about ten black dots appeared on the northern horizon.

The smoke and dust from the explosions still covered the ground and obscured the sky, yet to disperse. The ten or so black dots blurred together, making them indistinguishable.

Scott raised his nose, then gently slid his finger over the glyph on the side of his protective goggles. A layer of blood-red tint spread across the lenses.

Through this red-tinted vision, the garbage ships hidden within the smoke became clearly visible.

The Insight Watch's scanning function also allowed him to lock onto the unique vibration frequency of a single garbage ship.

"Garbage Ship No. 546, I choose you!"

For sixteen years, from the moment of his birth until now, Scott had lived in the "Graveyard of Artifacts." He knew every inch of the land and every garbage ship in the sky as if they were the fingers on his hand.

Garbage Ship No. 546 was responsible for collecting waste from the Upper North Side of Spire City's inner district.

The Upper North Side was the most luxurious of the affluent districts, home to many powerful mages. The artifacts they discarded were the most valuable.

Many of these artifacts were still in good condition. The mages and wealthy elites discarded them carelessly—either because they had gone out of fashion or because a newer generation of artifacts had been released.

To Scott, this was not a garbage ship—it was a treasure ship filled with gold!

"Swoosh!"

Power surged from Scott's legs, propelling him forward like a launched projectile. He dashed wildly through the garbage mountains, vanishing into the smoke and dust, heading straight for Garbage Ship No. 546.

The surrounding mountains of garbage were on the verge of collapse.

The toxic swamp beneath Scott's feet bubbled ominously. He moved like the most agile monkey in the mountains and forests. From time to time, he applied force to specific points on a trash mountain, propelling himself dozens of meters with each step. His movements were like drifting clouds and flowing water, giving off a sense of calm.

"Scott, you bastard! You're here to fight me for food again!"

At that moment, nearly ten people emerged from behind the base of some garbage mountains. They wore clothes similar to Scott's, but unlike him, they didn't have advanced red goggles or an Insight Watch.

These people carried shovels and metal rods, approaching aggressively.

Like Scott, they relied on "Federal Special Waste Treatment Station No. 115" to survive as scavengers.

Wherever there was profit, there was competition. To high-level mages, discarded magical artifacts were nothing more than trash, but for those at the bottom, they were a hope for survival.

Scott was the scavenger best adapted to the Artifact Graveyard. Naturally, this made him the biggest thorn in the side of the other scavengers—an unbearable nuisance.

Scott, however, wasn't interested in getting along.

With a grin, he suddenly channeled power from his waist, twisting his body in an unnatural way. Without warning, he spun 180 degrees, dodging the shouty, fat young man with scrunched eyebrows. Seizing the opportunity, Scott used his foot to violently launch himself off the fat man's face, propelling his entire body 20 to 30 meters away.

"Bin, everyone's here to put food on the table. It's all about who's faster! You really should lose some weight!"

Bin's face turned red, his nose nearly sinking into his fat cheeks. His rage exploded. Unwilling to let it slide, he ordered his men to chase after Scott, leading them into the smoke- and dust-filled wasteland.

Since an explosion had just occurred, the area was extremely unstable. At any moment, dozens of trash mountains could collapse, forcing Bin's gang to slow down and watch helplessly as Scott vanished at lightning speed.

Seeing this, Bin couldn't stop himself from spitting in frustration.

"That damned brat! He really lives up to his reputation—he cares more about money than his own life! Damn it!"

Suddenly—BOOM!

A nearby trash mountain exploded, sending thousands of metal fragments and broken artifacts flooding through the air like a tidal wave!

Yet, in the midst of the chaos, Scott's excited voice rang out:

"This little thing really saved me!"

A shadow deeper than the night sky, a black streak like lightning, tore through the torrent of metal, carving a path.

It was rusty, its edge chipped, and it was completely black.

A massive handguard shaped like outstretched black wings adorned the hilt.

Scott, like a drowning man clutching a lifeline, hugged the black flying sword for dear life. Wrapping his body tightly around it, he soared through the sky.

---

High above, ten giant garbage ships had already appeared.

Each hundreds of meters long, these massive vessels were shaped like the legendary turtle that carried the world.

Their "shells" were densely inscribed with tens of thousands of glowing runes, pulsing with vibrant five-colored essence energy, keeping these 10,000-ton behemoths afloat despite gravity's pull.

"CRASH!"

The "giant turtles" opened their underbellies one by one.

A torrent of discarded metal parts and broken artifacts rained down, darkening the sky, slamming into the ground relentlessly.

In an instant, the entire area was engulfed in a storm of chaotic magical energy.

Even the 10,000-ton garbage ships swayed under the violent magical turbulence, forced to separate to minimize damage.

Bin's gang hesitated—afraid of being swallowed by the raging storm.

Scott, still clinging to the black flying sword, glided swiftly through the waves of magical energy, moving as smoothly as a mudfish.

Naturally, he didn't dare to face the raging storm head-on.

Instead, relying on 16 years of survival experience, he carefully maneuvered through the eye of the storm, searching for zones where the magical tides canceled each other out, creating pockets of calm—all to get as close as possible to the newly dumped artifact waste.

"The closer to the water, the earlier you bask in the moonlight."

---

Finally—

After nearly 10 minutes, the garbage ships let out deep mechanical roars, slowly turning around and retreating to their base. The smoke and dust began to settle.

Bin had just climbed onto the massive new garbage pile.

And there was Scott, already sitting comfortably at the peak, grinning down at him.

"Damn it!" Bin's face twitched with anger, but inside, his mind was a mess.

Scott had chosen this pile too cleverly. It wasn't the biggest, nor did it seem like it held the most materials.

Yet, there were dozens of trash mountains all around, all filled with priceless artifacts.

And among the scavengers—only two groups were present…

If Bin continued to fight Scott, other scavenger squads might swoop in and steal all the profits.

Faint silhouettes of other scavengers were already appearing in the distance. Excited shouts echoed from atop multiple garbage piles—others had already found valuable loot.

Not to mention...

Bin had heard rumors about Scott Walton.

He was a student at the Scarlet Ocean Guild's High School in Floating Spears City.

The Scarlet Ocean Guild was notorious, full of powerful elites and fearsome experts.

Scott might not have learned their most advanced techniques, but he was not someone to be handled with just fists and kicks.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have survived 16 years in the Artifact Graveyard, staying healthy, fast, and even earning the title "Garbage Hunter".

As Bin hesitated, a gust of wind blew past.

On reflex, he grabbed something cold—a broken crystal processor the size of his fist.

Scott chuckled warmly.

"Bin, we're all just trying to make a living. Last time, I stole a Star-Class processor from you. It's not like I slept with your mom, right? No need to go this far, man!"

He tossed the processor toward Bin.

"This one's from the Grand Dawn Guild. Latest model, capable of calculating over 4,000 telepathic thoughts per second. It's burnt out, but you could still sell it for 2,000 or 3,000 bucks. Consider it a token of respect. From now on, we're even. Deal?"

"You..." Bin was stunned, scratching his fat face in disbelief.

"Damn it! Look over there!" Scott suddenly pointed west.

A wave of scavengers was rapidly approaching, spreading in all directions, devouring the garbage piles at a terrifying speed.

Bin's face darkened.

After staring at Scott for a long time, he finally sighed and said:

"Alright, brat. You win this time!"

With scavengers swarming the area, Bin's team scattered, rushing toward different piles.

---

"Phew..."

Scott let out a long sigh, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Slumping against the garbage pile, he muttered:

"Damn… Every day is a fight for survival. When will I finally be strong enough to leave this filthy land?"

His gaze turned sharp.

"One day, when I find Horyang, I'll brag about the beachfront house I'll own!"

Adjusting his goggles, he rubbed his hands together, eyes gleaming.

Licking his lips, he rushed toward the fresh garbage pile!