100% DROP RATE : Why is My Inventory Always so Full? - Chapter 168

Chapter 168: Chapter 168 – Essence
Lucien followed Cielius through the door. He was curious about what had stirred such excitement in the old man. The air beyond shimmered faintly with restrained energy.

When Lucien stepped through, his breath caught.

The ground was carved with layer upon layer of intricate magic circles. They overlapped like constellations drawn in light. Each of them pulsed with rhythm, interlocking in perfect synchrony.

At a corner, two figures moved with precision.

The female figure wove shimmering threads of mana that intertwined to form new magic circles across the floor. Her hands moved like a seamstress of reality itself as she stitched one array to the next.

Beside her, the male figure formed complex hand seals in the air. His aura bent space as if holding the entire construct stable.

Lucien froze.

Cienna wasn’t using Dominion Circles… She was weaving magic circles directly from raw mana. That’s something he thought was impossible… Her control was frighteningly refined.

And Luke was amplifying and stabilizing her work with equal mastery. Their coordination was seamless as though they shared one mind.

Lucien glanced at the layers of magic circles. He couldn’t decipher what they were doing.

These weren’t written in the Magic Book. These were applications beyond written magic. It’s the culmination of knowledge only true geniuses possessed.

He muttered to himself. “Crap… Even with all my cheats, I’m a fool compared to them.”

Beside him, Cielius was nearly glowing with pride.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen them work together,” he said as he stroke his beard with delight. “Very good! Cienna is indeed my daughter. And that stubborn father of yours… Hah! I can finally scold him once this is done.”

Lucien chuckled faintly but his gaze drifted toward the center of the ritual.

There… Ashreth was writhing helplessly. His body convulsed. His mouth opened in a scream that made no sound. His form flickered between physical and ethereal, trapped in the layered matrix of circles.

Lucien exhaled sharply.

“Same method as mine, huh… I really am their child.”

Then the air shifted.

A sound like a lock clicking echoed through the chamber. The magic circles connected. Each one flared to life at once, forming a radiant network of light beneath their feet.

Lucien instinctively stepped back with Cielius.

Then… A blinding brilliance engulfed the room.

He narrowed his eyes as he channeled divine energy to see through the glare.

What he saw made his blood run cold.

The matrix of magic circles thrummed with power. It was… siphoning something from within Ashreth..

Then from Ashreth’s chest, something emerged…

A crystalline orb. It was pure white and no larger than a tennis ball. It hovered in the air.

Lucien’s eyes widened. He knew instantly what it was.

Ashreth’s Essence.

And that meant—

…

Ashreth’s body convulsed violently. His screams were still silent. They became distorted shapes of agony.

His form began to fracture. Light spilled from the cracks as if his very soul were breaking apart.

Then piece by piece… he dissolved. His body unraveled into embers that drifted into the air. There would be no rebirth, no resurrection. Ashreth was gone… utterly and forever.

Lucien clenched his fists. A frown shadowed his face.

‘Why… no drops?’ he thought. ‘There should’ve been something. My parents’ souls are bound to me… so it’s the same as me killing him?’

Then a chilling thought struck him.

‘Wait… could it be that the drops come from the essence of those I’ve slain?’

His breath quickened. He doesn’t know if that’s true but it was the only explanation that made sense.

The last traces of light dimmed. The circles vanished, leaving the floating essence glowing gently in the air.

Lucein stared at it with awe.

Essence born from the Origin Core was anything but ordinary. It was creation made tangible. The raw pulse of existence itself.

Though smaller than expected since Ashreth had burned much of his essence before, its energy still radiated immense power.

Such a thing could purify blighted lands, power cities for decades, or even bend the laws of reality if wielded correctly.

It was more than energy. It was a miracle condensed into a single sphere.

‘Well… I guess no drops could compare to this?’

He was in awe of his parents. They were mere figures of light now yet still formidable enough to extract the essence of a being.

Truly, it was unprecedented.

Beside him, Cielius nodded slowly. His eyes gleamed with pride and understanding.

A faint smile tugged at his lips as he stroked his beard. “Hmph… as expected of my bloodline,” he murmured.

Then… movement caught their eye.

The two figures approached them slowly. Luke froze when he spotted Cielius. In an instant, he hid behind Cienna like a child caught misbehaving.

Cielius only sighed. He vanished and reappeared right before him… grabbing Luke by the shoulder.

Silence hung for a second before the old man’s voice thundered…

“Now then, where should I even start? Hmmm…” He tapped his beard and his eyes narrowed. “Ah, yes! Why did you take my daughter without my permission again, you fool!”

Luke cowered instantly. Lucien couldn’t help but chuckle.

Then a gentle voice echoed directly in his mind.

[My son…]

Lucien turned. Cienna approached. Her steps were graceful. Her body shimmered like moonlight made flesh.

Her voice slipped directly into his mind.

Lucien was startled…

‘Of course… even without physical voices, they could still use magic to speak through thought.’

Cienna’s next words made him freeze.

[You’ve grown well…]

Lucien’s throat tightened. His breath was caught somewhere between disbelief and relief.

A storm of emotions crashed inside him, all tangled beyond words.

He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t even know what to feel.

After a long pause, he finally found his voice.

“Mother… I did.”

He didn’t even notice the tear that slipped down his cheek as he said it…

Cielius and Luke both paused, watching quietly. Then Luke broke the silence as he dashed on Lucien’s side.

He clung on Lucien’s shoulder.

[Boya! It’s almost your birthday. Take that damned Ashreth’s essence as our gift! That bastard finally got what he deserved—HAHAHA!]

Before Lucien could respond, Cienna’s magic instantly flared. Luke went flying sideways.

[Phrasing!] she scolded, crossing her arms.

Lucien couldn’t stop laughing.

It was strange.

This was the first time he’d ever truly spoken to them yet it felt like he’d known them his whole life…

Warmth filled the chamber.

For a moment, Lucien let himself forget everything. The battles, the losses, the destiny hanging over him.

For this one fragile instant, he was simply their son.

•••

Later that day…

At Luke’s request, Lucien called out to Sebas. After all, he was part of the family.

When Luke’s voice echoed through Sebas’ mind, the usually stoic old man broke into an unguarded smile.

“Luke!” he exclaimed. His composure melted away as he rushed forward.

Lucien couldn’t help but chuckle. They deserved this reunion.

Lucien excused himself first. He needed to take care of some things.

He grabbed the three corrupted dungeon cores again.

He wanted to purify them. But this time, he didn’t rely on the Essence of Purity.

Instead, he closed his eyes and extended his hand. He channeled energy directly from the fragment of the Origin Core.

The dungeon cores trembled, releasing a low hiss.

The air rippled as the corruption was forced out. Dark mist peeled away like smoke in a storm. Slowly, the light within began to change…

Lucien watched intently as the process completed.

The once-tainted dungeon cores now gleamed with clarity.

Lucien smiled faintly with satisfaction.

“Success,” he murmured.

Without delay, he teleported to the Gargoyle Castle-themed Dungeon. He decided to place the dungeon cores near each other.

The ground beneath him responded instantly. A barrier spread outward in geometric precision.

It enveloped the cores and the earth quaked gently.

The dungeon began its expansion…

With a single nod, he whispered, “That should do.”

…

His gaze then drifted upward. Toward the Obsidian Tower suspended in the void.

It loomed silently above. It looked tamed now but Lucien could feel it… That strange structure was still beyond his control.

He frowned.

He couldn’t comprehend what it truly was. Was it an artifact? A relic? Or something beyond either?

Every attempt to reveal its nature through Inspect ended in failure.

The only thing Lucien was certain of… was that it wasn’t forged by human hands. It was a creation of monsters.

Lucien sighed. There was no use overthinking it. The truth would show itself in time. He only had to be patient.

“And if it still refuses to obey me in the future,” he added with a dry smile, “then I’ll just turn it into a pig pen.”

He then began sorting through the countless drops he had collected from the war.

There were the drops from the corrupted monsters.

Next came the drops from Malrik and his companions.

And finally… the ones from the three Monster Lords.

Lucien gulped, staring at the mountain of treasures that shimmered before him.

A wry smile tugged at his lips.

“Could I even use all of this in my lifetime?”