100% DROP RATE : Why is My Inventory Always so Full? - Chapter 192

Chapter 192: Chapter 192 – Celestial Race
The barrier’s veil shimmered as they crossed the towering walls of Aurion. There were no alarms and no resistance. They only heard the quiet hum of the restrictions bending to let them through.

They had successfully… entered Aurion.

And what lay beyond the gate silenced them both.

The city wasn’t merely vast… it was alive. Layers upon layers of terraces stretched into the horizon, connected by floating bridges and spiraling platforms of light.

Towers of pale stone reached toward the clouds, etched with runes that glowed like constellations. Between them, translucent rivers flowed through the air, scattering prisms across the cobblestones below. The air itself was dense with energy. It was both warm and fragrant.

At the city’s heart stood the Dawnbinder Spire. It was a colossal tower crowned by a radiant disk that turned slowly above the clouds. Its light painted everything in hues of gold and amber.

Marie’s golden eyes went wide. “Luc… this place is unreal.”

Lucien’s gaze swept across the skyline. “It’s more organized than I expected.”

Marie blinked. “That’s your reaction? You’ve… really changed.”

He didn’t answer, only turned away. His movements are measured and colder than before. Something inside him has shifted but he didn’t notice.

“Let’s find an inn,” he said, summoning the Spatial Compass. The device spun in his hand. “That way.”

“Lead on, mister walking map.” She followed with a grin that faded when she saw how little he reacted.

They moved through bustling avenues lined with stalls and vibrant trees. Every race imaginable walked under the banners of the Dawnbinder. A group of winged merchants bartered in song while formidable craftsmen etched law runes into blades that sang faintly in their sheathes.

By the time they reached the quieter western tiers, dusk had deepened into a soft amber glow. There… built against a cascade of light descending from the upper city, stood a structure of silverwood. Calm energy rippled from its walls.

Etched above the entrance were the words. Luminous Rest.

The written language of the Big World was composed of runes. Lucien had already reached a level of proficiency where he could read most of them with ease. And when he encountered one he didn’t recognize, he could simply consult his Magic Book.

Inside the inn, it felt less like an inn and more like a sanctuary. Hallways flowed with soft illumination and every room was sealed by privacy wards. Some chambers radiated stable energy fields while others contained simple mortal comforts like beds, tables, basins.

The innkeeper was also a Luminarch. She was tall and ethereal. Her skin faintly glowed like dawnlight on polished glass. Her hair shimmered in hues of gold and silver. Despite her otherworldly grace, her smile was calm and welcoming.

“Welcome to the Luminous Rest, travelers,” she said. “How long will you be staying?”

Lucien met her gaze. “Just a day for now. How much for the room with privacy wards?”

“That would be five low-grade Spirit Crystals, sir.”

Lucien blinked, hiding a grimace. ‘That’s… steep,’ he thought. But as his eyes swept across the interior, he realized why. The place was indeed secure and privacy here was worth more than gold.

Lucien handed 5 low-grade Spirit Crystals for one room and the innkeeper offered them a key with a silent bow.

Their room overlooked the glowing cityscape. From the window, Aurion looked endless.

Lucien raised a hand, covering the place with another layer of barrier. “Let’s share our loot.”

Marie flopped down onto a cushion, eyes bright. “Finally. Let’s see how rich we’ve become.”

With a flick of Lucien’s fingers, dozens of storage rings appeared on the table. They clinked softly against one another. There were thirty-three in total.

Marie grinned. “That’s a lot of Nephralis and Varkhaals.”

Lucien didn’t respond immediately. His gaze narrowed on a cluster of rings near the center. Those rings pulsed faintly, resisting his probe.

“These ones are sealed,” he murmured. “Ascendant Realm domain arts.”

Marie whistled. “Figures. The high-ranking ones always have tricks.”

Lucien placed his hand over one of the rings.

“Good thing these are only basic seals,” he murmured. “The kind that won’t shatter just because they sense foreign energy…”

From the depths of his divine core, he drew out a wisp of Ashreth’s waning Essence. He guided it with precision, pressing a thin veil of it against the engraved runes.

The markings pulsed faintly, quivering as if in recognition. Then with a muted snap, the seal dissolved into ash.

The ring clicked open without resistance. He did the same to the others, one after another.

Marie leaned closer, eyes wide. “You used that fire again?”

“It works,” he said simply.

Once unsealed, they began exploring the contents by channeling energy through the rings… peering into their internal spaces.

Piles of Spirit Crystals glimmered in neat formations. Lowest, low, mid-grade and only a few of high-grade ones. There were also dozens of refined ores, spirit herbs, and talisman filled the space. There were even scrolls of techniques, fragmented law shards, condensed vitality vials, and even beast eggs floating in containment spheres.

There were also several spellbooks belonging to the Nephralis and Varkhaal races… even tomes discussing the very Laws they studied. The discovery made Lucien’s heart surge with excitement.

Some of the items were completely unfamiliar that even his Inspect failed to identify them. A few exuded a faint, unsettling aura… Cursed, perhaps.

Marie’s jaw dropped seeing all the items contained within. “This is… absurd. I could live in luxury for a decad with half of this.”

Lucien divided the loot without hesitation. “Half for each,” he said simply.

Marie blinked. “You’re serious? I can give you more, you know…. since you gave me my Gundam,” she teased.

Lucien shook his head. “You fought. You earned it.”

Her expression softened a little, surprise flickering in her eyes. “You’re acting strange, Luc.”

He didn’t look up from his work. “Strange how?”

“Colder. More… direct. Like something in you changed when you used that transformation skill.”

Lucien paused for a second… then continued sorting. “Maybe it did.”

Marie tilted her head, watching him for a moment longer. “Well,” she said at last, “as long as you’re still you.”

He didn’t answer and the quiet between them grew comfortable again. Outside, the city lights shimmered through the window.

Within their small room in the Luminous Rest, two disguised travelers shared spoils heavy with fate…

•••

Night deepened and the moon hung pale above the city’s towering spires.

Lucien left Marie resting in their rented room. The drops from the battle could wait, knowledge could not.

With the Spatial Compass in hand, he walked through the streets. The City of Aurion was still alive even in darkness.

His destination soon appeared before him. The Grand Library of Dawnbinder.

It was vast. An ocean of silver light flowed from its crystalline towers. The entrance stood open. It was guarded not by a person but by a single floating banner inscribed with radiant runes.

The words shimmered gently:

“Knowledge belongs to all, for truth unshared is truth denied.”

— Dawnbinder.

Lucien paused. A small smile tugged at his lips.

‘The Great Pathfinder Race truly lived up to their name.’

Inside, silence reigned. The air smelled faintly of parchment and ink. Countless tomes floated above tables, moving of their own accord to reorder themselves. The sight might have overwhelmed anyone else.

He exhaled, calming his thoughts. “So many… It’d take lifetimes to read them all.”

But he had an edge. The Spatial Compass.

It pulsed in his hand as he willed it to guide him. Without asking the librarian, he followed its direction.

“This item is so overpowered,” he muttered under his breath. “If only it could find the way back home…”

His voice faded. Every attempt to reach it had failed.

Not even a flicker of response.

So instead of chasing the impossible, he sought understanding.

If he was to survive and eventually return, he needed to know the world of the Thousand Races.

Hours passed. Time itself began to blur as Lucien devoured book after book. The ancient language of runes scrolled before his eyes.

He read about the lands beyond the horizon and at last, clarity began to form.

They were currently on the Western Continent, one of five great divisions of the Thousand Races Realm. And astonishingly… more than ten thousand years had passed since the Millennial War… the war that nearly shattered all creation.

Few remembered it now. Only the ancient races, those who had survived the endless slaughter, still carried its memory.

Among them stood the Celestial Race.

Lucien’s expression darkened slightly as he turned a page filled with golden ink.

The Celestials were described as the purest race under the heavens. The world’s arbiters, the hands that maintained balance when others fell into greed and chaos.

When the war for the Fragments of the Origin Core began, the Celestials alone refused to participate. They withdrew from the carnage, retreating to the Middle Continent where they built their own domain. It’s a sanctuary of order and law.

Now… while countless races still clashed and conspired, the Celestials stood apart. Uncorrupted, unchallenged and trusted by all.

If sects waged war, or kingdoms teetered on collapse, it was the Celestial Race who judged the matter.

Their verdicts were final and their neutrality was unquestioned.

No one dared to oppose them… both out of respect and fear.

Lucien closed the book slowly.

His gaze drifted to the window.

“Celestials…” he whispered. The word tasted both distant and familiar.

And in that stillness, his chest tightened.

The battlefield. His father. His mother.

The feeling that they were still out there.

His instincts told him one thing clearly. He had to find them.