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

The junkyard sprawled before them like a rusted graveyard. Towers of broken machines leaned at odd angles, their twisted frames glinting under the weak light.

The air reeked of oil, ash, and something sourer, like decay that refused to fade.

The moment they set foot inside, a low growl rippled through the piles of junk. Yellow eyes blinked in the shadows, dozens—no, hundreds—of them.

Shapes slithered between heaps of scrap, claws scraping against steel, wings rustling like dry paper.

Jamie drew in a sharp breath, her usual grin wiped clean.

"Tch. I've scouted this dump more times than I care to count. Never—never—have I seen this many monsters here. Something's drawing them in."

Mira's hand tightened around her staff.

"A nest?"

Jamie shook her head.

"No nest. This is too organized. Look at them—holding back, circling. It's like they're waiting."

Lucian narrowed his eyes. He extended his senses outward, feeling through the stench of rust and blood.

For a moment, it was only the familiar pressure of mana and the restless pulse of monsters. Then, like a blade, something stabbed back.

Divine energy.

It rammed into his chest, sharp and merciless, flooding his mind with static. His system chimed—not its usual calm chime, but an ugly shriek of distortion.

[—zzzt—Warning… interference detected… zzzt—]

The sound scraped inside his skull. His vision blurred, colors bending and warping. He stumbled forward, barely aware that his knees threatened to give out.

When he opened his eyes, he wasn't standing anymore. He was leaning against something soft and steady.

"Lucian. What happened? You almost collapsed."

Mira's voice was low but urgent. Her hand gripped his shoulder, her eyes wide with worry.

The fog in his mind cleared enough for him to straighten.

"I'm fine."

He said, though his tone came out harsher than intended. He forced himself upright, stepping back from her touch.

"It's nothing."

Mira frowned but didn't press further.

Lucian glanced at the shadows brimming with monsters, then back at his group.

"Listen carefully. There's something inside this junkyard… something far more dangerous than beasts. Stay sharp. If you're careless, it'll kill you before you even know it's there."

Jamie muttered a curse under her breath.

"Just what I needed. A field full of monsters, and now some mystery thing hiding in the middle."

She twirled her gun in her fingers before tucking it into place.

"Fine. I'll scout the way. If there's anything nastier than these mongrels, I'll sniff it out first."

Lucian gave her a short nod.

"Go."

Jamie crouched low, then darted forward. Her movements were quick, precise, almost playful in how she slipped past clawed hands reaching from the shadows.

She vanished into the maze of steel, leaving the others to wait.

Minutes passed like hours. Growls echoed, but none dared approach. Then a soft whistle cut through the air—Jamie's signal. Safe passage.

They moved quickly, weaving through the wreckage until they reached a clearing. The monsters kept their distance, pacing the edges but never stepping closer.

Here, the mechanical staff began their work.

The four chosen engineers spread out, hands brushing across rusted hulls and shattered engines, prying apart layers of scrap in search of salvageable parts.

Sparks flickered, and the metallic clang of tools filled the tense silence.

Lucian crouched, picking up a twisted piece of circuitry. Normally, he would have joined them—his knowledge of ancient tech was sharp enough to outpace most—but the stabbing ache of divine energy hadn't left him.

It pulsed, steady, relentless, calling to him from deeper within the yard.

He clenched the scrap metal in his hand before tossing it aside. No. He couldn't ignore it. Not this.

Rising to his feet, he turned to his party.

"Mira. Jamie."

They both looked up instantly.

"I'm leaving you in charge of the salvage. The moment anything feels wrong, you pull everyone out. No hesitation."

Mira's brows furrowed.

"You're going alone?"

"Yes. What's waiting inside is tied to me. If I bring you along, you'll only get caught in it."

His tone left no room for argument.

Jamie let out a low whistle.

"So it's personal, huh? Should've guessed. Fine, boss. We'll play babysitter."

Mira bit her lip but nodded.

"We'll hold here. Just… don't vanish on us."

Lucian allowed himself the ghost of a smile.

"I won't."

He turned toward the darker stretch of junkyard, where the piles grew taller, denser, and the air carried that faint sharpness of divinity.

Each step he took was heavier than the last, as though the energy itself was pushing him back, warning him away.

Behind him, he heard the faint voices of the crew—Jamie's laughter, Mira's steady instructions, the scrape of tools.

Normal sounds, fragile in their normalcy. Sounds he intended to protect, even if the thing waiting ahead demanded everything from him.

Jamie leaned against a rusted engine block, arms crossed, watching Lucian's figure disappear into the shadows. She clicked her tongue.

"Every damn time. He walks off like it's the easiest thing in the world."

Mira crouched by a half-buried panel, running her hands across its surface. Her voice was quiet.

"It's not easy for him. He just doesn't let us see it."

Jamie raised a brow, amused.

"You care too much."

"And you care too little."

Mira countered, not looking up.

Jamie chuckled, but her eyes flickered once more to the shadows.

"Maybe. Or maybe I just know he'll come back. He always does. Lucian is strong…stronger than any of us. And I also get the feeling that he's hiding his strength from us all."

But Mira didn't answer. She only tightened her grip on the panel, hoping Jamie's words were true.

Lucian's steps carried him deeper into the yard. The growls of monsters faded, as if even they refused to cross into this territory.

The static in his head returned, sharper now, almost rhythmic, pulsing in time with his heartbeat.

[—zzzt…System interference increasing… divinity signature detected…]

His hands curled into fists.

Whatever waited ahead wasn't a coincidence. It was planted here, meant to draw him in.

And he intended to find out why.