Reborn as an Extra with the SSS-Divine Debt System and my Past Skills

The air in the Dawn Village felt heavier that morning, though Lucian could not tell if it was his own fatigue or the burden of too many decisions made back-to-back.

He sat in his office, arms resting on the desk, when Jamie leaned against the wall with her usual grin.

Her presence was always a mix of casual charm and thinly veiled menace, as if she'd shoot first and laugh later.

Lucian exhaled slowly.

"Prepare a small team. I want elites only—those who have the brains and the hands to work with tech, not just swing a sword. We'll head to the scrap yard where the trash rain fell."

Jamie tilted her head.

"How small are we talking?"

"Five to Ten people. No more. I don't want chaos on the field. And I want Mira included."

Lucian replied without hesitation.

The grin widened, playful yet sharp.

"Only that much, huh? Guess I'll have to break a few hearts. People will kill to get on this one."

"Pick carefully. We need skill over enthusiasm."

Lucian said, leaning back.

Jamie saluted mockingly and left in long strides, boots tapping against the wooden floor. By the end of the day, she returned with a list of over twenty names.

All had volunteered, most of them eager to impress Lucian or desperate to seize the rumored treasures scattered in the junk.

In the end, however, Lucian struck out name after name until only five remained. Mira was on the list, as he had ordered. The others were hand-picked—quiet, dependable, precise.

He sent out the notice, and silence settled back over his office.

Not long after, a knock came. Lucian didn't look up.

"It's open."

The door creaked, and Luna stepped inside. Her silver hair caught the dim light, and her eyes held a storm she hadn't bothered to mask.

"Why wasn't I chosen? What am I lacking, Lucian?"

She asked directly.

Her voice was not sharp, but heavy, like the weight of someone who had been waiting too long for acknowledgment.

Lucian studied her for a moment before answering.

"Your skills are wasted in a junkyard. This isn't about combat. It's about precision. One wrong move, one spark, and our materials could be damaged or buried for good. You're a warrior, Luna, not a scavenger."

Her lips pressed into a thin line. She clearly wanted to argue, but he had already decided. The firmness in his tone left no room for persuasion.

"You're saying I'll just ruin things."

She muttered.

"I'm saying the risks outweigh the gains. That's final."

Lucian replied calmly.

Luna's shoulders stiffened. She opened her mouth, then closed it again.

For a moment, her eyes softened with disappointment, then hardened back into her usual stoicism.

"Understood."

She said, though her tone betrayed her dissatisfaction.

She turned and walked out, leaving Lucian with the faint echo of her boots. He knew her well enough to understand she wouldn't let it go so easily.

When he and the selected party left the next morning, Luna's absence gnawed at the back of his mind. He didn't need to wait long for confirmation.

Far behind them, he felt a familiar aura trailing. Subtle, but not subtle enough.

Verus caught her first. The man's voice was quiet but firm as he blocked her path.

"What are you doing, Luna?"

Her eyes flicked toward him, irritated.

"Move. I don't have time for this."

"You're following him."

Verus said flatly.

Luna didn't answer. She sidestepped, but Verus mirrored her movement.

"You think sneaking after him will help? He had reasons for leaving you behind."

He asked.

Her jaw tightened.

"I don't need a lecture. Either you follow me, or you get out of my way."

Verus sighed, rubbing his temple.

"You're impossible."

But even as he said it, he walked beside her. He knew she wouldn't stop, and if she insisted on following, then he had no choice but to make sure she didn't throw herself into danger alone.

Meanwhile, Jamie noticed the two shadows trailing at a distance. She nudged Lucian with a smirk.

"Want me to deal with the kids? I can make them vanish before they even realize it."

Lucian's eyes stayed ahead, voice even.

"No. Let them be. We've got more important things to worry about than chasing strays."

Jamie arched a brow, amused.

"Soft spot, huh?"

Lucian didn't answer. He only adjusted his cloak and kept walking toward the horizon, where the rusted edges of the junkyard began to rise like the skeleton of a long-dead beast.

The stench of oil and ash clung to the air, sharp enough to burn the throat.

The small team of five moved with trained silence, each step measured. Mira walked at the front with a map clutched in her hand, muttering coordinates under her breath.

Jamie followed at the rear, whistling a tune that didn't quite mask her watchfulness.

Behind them, far enough to think themselves hidden, Luna and Verus crept along the ridges of scrap metal.

The clang of shifting rust threatened to give them away, but somehow, they kept their trail.

Lucian, however, knew. He always knew.

For now, though, he let them play their game. There would be time to deal with it later.

By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, the group had reached the edge of the site.

Jagged towers of rusted steel loomed overhead, casting long, broken shadows.

The trash rain had left its mark—piles of wreckage stacked high, with scraps of twisted tech gleaming faintly among the ruins.

Lucian lifted a hand, signaling a halt. His voice dropped low.

"We move carefully. Collect what you can. No unnecessary risks."

The five nodded, slipping into the shadows of the yard like hunters on foreign ground.

Above them, the night sky stretched wide, scattered with faint stars—but down here, it was only rust, darkness, and the faint promise of forgotten treasures.

Lucian remained at the edge, eyes sharp. Somewhere behind, Luna and Verus crouched, watching.

And though she would never admit it out loud, Luna's chest tightened as she realized just how much distance still remained between her and Lucian—not in steps, but in trust.