100% DROP RATE : Why is My Inventory Always so Full? - Chapter 166

Chapter 166: Chapter 166 – Victory
When the Obsidian Tower vanished into Lucien’s divine energy core, the world fell silent.

The roaring storms stilled. The trembling earth calmed as if the land itself was holding its breath.

Above, the sea of shadows that had suffocated the sky… the Black Mass… began to shift. But this time, it did not churn with hate or hunger.

It parted.

The endless darkness unraveled like ink dissolving into clear water. Strands of shadow drifted upward. They thinned into pale mist before melting away entirely.

The process was neither violent nor abrupt. It was graceful and… almost mournful.

The Black Mass did not die. It departed.

The miasma in the air cleared up. The black haze thinned and at last, sunlight began to pierce through.

Gentle rays spilled from above and touched the scarred land below. The first light in what felt like an eternity.

For a moment, the soldiers simply stood there, gazing at the sight.

It was simply… beautiful.

The world beyond the Black Mass… their world… was bright, alive and breathtaking. They had almost forgotten how vivid the colors of the earth could be.

The blue of the sky. The gold of the sunlight. The green of the plains.

All of it looked right again.

And now they understood. Destroying the Black Mass had always been the right choice. Its existence had been a blemish. Something wrong and something that didn’t belong in the beauty of nature.

Some soldiers stared with wide eyes. The others broke into quiet sobs.

Then… one voice cried out.

“We did it!”

And like the breaking of a dam, the silence shattered.

Cheers erupted across the battlefield. Exhausted voices rose in triumph, laughter and cries mixing together.

They embraced one another, wept together, fell to their knees and shouted to the heavens. They had taken victory from the jaws of despair. Against impossible odds… they won.

Above them, Lucien hovered in the fading light. His aura was dim but steady. He watched the soldiers with a small smile. He then took a deep breath.

He could feel it within him. The Obsidian Tower that was now sealed inside his divine energy core… was quiet. It was bo longer thrumming with madness and no longer resisting inside him.

Lucien descended slowly. The ground met his boots with a soft thud. He lifted his gaze to the brightening sky and whispered, “It’s over.”

Behind him, the others approached. Clara’s white robes fluttered softly in the wind. It remained untarnished despite the blood that had drenched the earth. The members of the Spiritual Division moved beside her, forming a circle among the fallen.

They began their rituals in silence. They raised their hands and then… runes glowed faintly in the air.

A low hum resonated through the field. It was both solemn and tender. It wasn’t a chant of war but a hymn. A requiem for both victory and loss.

As their song spread, the soldiers bowed their heads.

Out of two hundred thousand who had marched into battle, only around one hundred and twenty thousand remained. They lose a great number, enough to form an army still… but in a war of this scale, it was still considered small.

In the Lootwell Division, about two thousand soldiers had fallen. The number struck Lucien deeply. His expression didn’t show it but inside… something in his chest tightened.

He looked over the rows of wounded and the still bodies being lined with care.

He couldn’t find the right words to say to the families of those who would never return.

What could he say that would make the loss lighter? Nothing could.

But one thing was certain. Lucien swore to himself that those who fought and fell here would not be forgotten. Their families would be cared for and their names would be honored.

The wind passed gently, carrying the soft hum of the Spiritual Division’s song through the plains.

And as the miasma fully cleared, sunlight touched every corner of the once-blighted land. Warmth returned. The smell of soil replaced the scent of rot. Life was breathing again.

Lucien closed his eyes for a moment, letting the light wash over his face.

When he opened them again, Edric was standing beside him. His armor was dented and scorched but his eyes gleamed with pride.

Edric chuckled softly. “You did it, nephew.”

Lucien shook his head. His gaze was distant.

“No, Uncle Ed. We did.”

Edric smiled faintly, saying nothing more. The two stood side by side in silence, watching as the sunlight reclaimed the sky.

And high above, where the Black Mass once ruled, the heavens gleamed clear and endless…

Peaceful at last.

Lucien’s voice was quiet but steady.

“You can rest now… all of you. The world is safe again.”

And for the first time since the clash began, there was peace.

•••

Lucien raised his hand and divine energy flowed from his fingertips. One by one, the fallen were touched by that glow. Their bodies lifted gently from the ground as they were enveloped by its radiance.

They vanished. Each one was drawn into his divine energy core. It’s a sacred place where no corruption could reach them. There, they would rest until their proper burial.

Edric approached Lucien quietly. “You’ve done enough, Nephew,” he said, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. “Let me handle what comes next. You should rest.”

Lucien glanced at him. “Rest can wait… but thank you, Uncle.”

Edric nodded. Then… He leaned toward King Midas and whispered a few words. The king listened in silence. His face showed a realization before turning to address the assembled soldiers.

“We will prepare accommodations for every soldier who came from other nations,” Midas declared. “They will rest, heal and be honored. And as for the fallen…” His voice steadied. “They will be given a burial worthy of their sacrifice.”

He paused, looking toward Lucien.

“At the very heart of the continent where our four nations meet, a monument shall rise. There, we will lay to rest all who gave their lives to save our world. A resting place not of sorrow but of unity.

But before we proceed, I must ask each sovereign of the nations. Do you agree with this? Will you stand with me in this endeavor, to grant our fallen heroes their rest upon our shared land?”

Augustus, Leo and the newly appointed representative of the Federation, the Elven Chief, exchanged solemn looks before stepping forward.

“We share the same sentiment,” Augustus declared.

“We agree. Our heroes deserve a grand burial worthy of their sacrifice.” Leo and the Elven Chief added.

The gathered soldiers also bowed their heads in agreement. Even through exhaustion, the weight of those words filled them with pride.

Lucien nodded in approval.

“That… is fitting,” he murmured. “They deserve to rest together. the heroes of every land.”

When all preparations were done, Lucien volunteered to bring everyone inside his Divine Energy Core once more. It would be safer and faster to travel that way. It would spare everyone the long and draining journey home.

They entrusted themselves to Lucien’s care with glowing eyes. The moment they appeared inside, their fatigue melted away.

Inside, they could finally breathe deeply. It was a place untouched by pain, hunger, or fear.

Meanwhile, Lucien boarded the airship alone.

The engines came alive with a low hum as it lifted from the scarred plains. Through the glass, the sky stretched wide and pale.

Lucien steered the wheel without thought. His hands moved on instinct alone. His eyes were distant.

The weight of lives lost clung to him like a shadow. They had won… but it did not feel like triumph.

And then at last, the capital came into view.

Lucien summoned the soldiers and released them upon the vast plains of the capital.

There, sunlight touched the land gently as they reappeared. The capital soldier’s faces brightened at the sight of home.

With a final glance at them, Lucien turned away and set off toward his own territory.

Everything after that felt like a blur. The hum of the airship. The faint whistle of the wind. The fading echoes of cheers behind him.

When his senses cleared, the familiar sight of Lootwell stretched before him.

The city gleamed under the sun and below, crowds had already gathered… waiting for their lord’s return.

The airship descended slowly.

And the moment Lucien stepped onto the landing platform, a blur of movement rushed toward him.

Vivian.

Without a word, she threw her arms around him. Her embrace was warm and trembling… but full of relief.

For a moment, Lucien froze. The heaviness in his chest broke apart like mist.

He exhaled softly. The war, the screams, the endless weight of command… All of it seemed to fade in that instant.

“I’m home,” he whispered.

Vivian pulled back slightly with her eyes glistening. “Welcome back, brother.”

Hearing his sister’s voice, everything suddenly felt worth it.

In that moment, Lucien remembered why he had even fought so hard. It was not for glory or recognition… but to protect the people who truly mattered to him.