100% DROP RATE : Why is My Inventory Always so Full? - Chapter 219

Chapter 219: Chapter 219 – Bound Souls
Light drained from the Mirage Ruin.

One by one, the floating discs dimmed.

Then—

FWOOOOOSH.

The top ten contenders reappeared on the arena floor beside their respective groups.

The stadium exploded.

“THEY LIVED!”

“VERDANT VEIL’S BOY MADE IT AGAIN!”

“That crowned echo… my knees are STILL shaking!”

Lucien blinked as reality snapped back into place.

A half-second later—

“LUUUUUUUC!!”

Marie tackled him like a meteor in wolf form. Her arms locked around him so tightly that three vertebrae reconsidered their life choices.

“Wow! You ACTUALLY WALKED THROUGH THE RUIN LIKE YOU OWNED IT—!! I was cheering so hard I think I pulled a lung!”

Lucien winced.

“…I can feel your excitement through the bruises.”

Eirene stepped forward, serene as always, though her eyes shone with unmistakable pride.

“You did exceptionally well.”

A soft pause.

“And your Echo… it was magnificent. A true… sovereign, as I would describe it.”

The Verdant Veil members swarmed him next.

“Boss!!”

“You didn’t even waver!”

“I would’ve died! Twice!”

“No—three times! At the door!”

Lucien laughed lightly.

“Let’s not say that proudly.”

They only laughed harder.

Meanwhile—

The other top ten contenders’ factions were not laughing.

Their gazes split between Lucien and the black-robed group.

They watched from afar… wary, respectful, and with the lingering discomfort reserved for a potential future threat.

The five Obsidian Collegium scholars who had entered the arena together with them walked over to greet Lucien. They wore warm and genuine smiles.

“Wolf friend, we’ll see each other in the Final Trial,” the 4th scholar said.

They had been talking about Lucien earlier, about how formidable his Echo was. They had speculated what it truly represented, but still had no answer.

The only thing they were certain of was that Echoes were tied to their masters’ intent. And Lucien’s Echo… it hadn’t been tempted by treasure or lured by illusions at all.

It was clear as day to them—

Lucien was pure. Even their own fourth brother’s Echo still showed hesitation… but Lucien’s did not.

Lucien greeted them and simply smiled.

“Haha, please go easy on me.”

Across from him, the people from the Silent Monastery watched quietly.

The monk contender pressed his palms together toward Lucien in solemn acknowledgement. But one of the monks stared at him with a competitive gaze.

Just then—

SHIING.

A shimmer of starlight descended.

Lilith, Leader of the Star-Forge Cartel, strode toward him like a walking eclipse.

“Wolf boy,” she said with a wide and dangerous smile, “I will extend my offer again. I know for sure that you’re not truly part of Verdant Veil. Would you join my Cartel? I’ll give you ten times whatever the flower bitch gave you. Or… you can name your price. I don’t lack anything in my Cartel.”

Eirene stepped forward with a lethal smile.

“Horned mammal, that’s so impolite of you. Do you think you can get anything with money?”

Lilith’s eyes narrowed.

“Who are you calling a horned mammal, you flower bitch?”

“Is there any other person around?” Eirene replied sweetly.

The pressure they released made the nearby air quake.

Marie whispered, “Ohhhh, she’s MAD-mad…”

Lucien was honestly amused. Eirene clearly wasn’t very practiced at cursing… but she had still managed to send her message across perfectly.

He finally gave his answer.

“I’m sorry, sister. I just want to focus on the trial for now.”

Lilith studied him—

Then laughed.

“…HAHAHA. Very well. This is the second time you’ve rejected me. What a refreshing feeling. I’ve never been rejected before. I just might become addicted. I’ll surely… come again.”

She turned away as starlight trailed behind her.

The others who had seen their interaction exhaled collectively.

“He just rejected… a walking treasury…”

“Teach me, Sensei.”

“My resolve is papier-mâché compared to yours!”

Lucien sighed.

This day was too long.

Just then…

Golden sigils spiraled upward.

The sunlike voice of the Solar Concordium echoed:

[ The Trial of Echoed Intent is complete. ]

[ The final ten contenders are as follows. ]

Translucent windows appeared in the air, each bearing a face and its faction name.

• Lucien’s image (Verdant Veil)

• Lythrae (Lunareth Sect)

• Monk (Silent Monastery)

• Fourth Scholar (Obsidian Collegium)

• Black-Robed Woman (Mysterious Group)

• Spear Adept Sskavyrn (Independent)

• Star-Forge Prodigy (Star-Forge Cartel)

• Blazing Veil Son (Scarlet Sect)

• Dawnblade Disciple (Radiant Peaks)

• The Shaved-Head Traitor (Independent)

The moment the last face appeared, the entire arena erupted…

“BOOOOOOOOOOOOO—!!”

Even the translucent windows flickered, almost in disapproval.

Marie cupped her hands around her mouth and bellowed..

“BALD YOUR SOUL INSTEAD!!”

Eirene and Lucien both pinched the bridge of their nose at the same time.

Marie just shrugged.

“What? I just say what the people FEEL.”

•••

The arena went dark.

A colossal golden eye opened above the sky and the Solar Concordium’s voice echoed.

[ The Final Trial will now commence. ]

[ This will determine your Order of Entry into the Ancient Ruin. ]

[ And unlike the trials before… this one leaves no room for luck. ]

A ripple of unease rolled through the stadium as every spectator leaned forward.

[ Each contender will select one partner from their faction. ]

[ Those that don’t belong to a group may partner with any willing independent. ]

[ From this moment onward… your partner is your other half. ]

Marie squinted suspiciously.

“‘Other half’? That sounds dangerously metaphorical.”

Lucien said nothing… but his eyes narrowed.

The sky shifted again.

Golden lines drew themselves across the heavens. It formed two silhouettes joined at their ankles by a luminous chain.

Then—

The announcement crashed like thunder:

[ THE FINAL TRIAL — THE TRIAL OF THE BOUND SOULS ]

The stadium exploded.

“What the HELL is THAT?!”

“AN ASTRAL CHAIN? NO WAY!”

“This is gonna ruin friendships!”

“Tag-team trial?! LET’S GOOOOOO!”

“HAHA! RIP to the bald traitor!”

The Concordium voice lowered.

[ Each pair will be bound by an Astral Chain. ]

[ You may not separate more than ONE METER. ]

[ Attempt to break distance… and both will suffer backlash. ]

The crowd HOWLED.

“Oh this is EVIL— I LOVE IT!”

“This will destroy half the hot headed prodigies!”

“Imagine being stuck with someone you hate!”

“Someone check on the traitor—HA!”

Then the full rules unfurled like a divine decree:

The Battlefield Has Three Phases

Phase One — Beastwave

[ Work together to defeat manifested beasts. ]

[ Half coordination = guaranteed death. ]

Phase Two — Synergy Trials

[ Moving platforms, timed mechanisms, illusion traps. ]

[ Perfect timing required. ]

[ Failure = elimination. ]

Phase Three — The Final Sprint

[ All surviving pairs rush toward the Ascension Gate. ]

[ The path shifts constantly. ]

[ First pair across = first entry to the ruin. ]

[ Placements follow accordingly. ]

[ Fall together = eliminated. ]

[ Survive longer = higher ranking. ]

[ The Astral Chain tests synergy, trust, instinct… and the truth of your bond. ]

Marie punched the air with enough force to disperse clouds.

“This is SO COOL AND ALSO TERRIFYING… BUT MOSTLY COOL!”

Even Lucien felt his heartbeat sharpen.

This wasn’t brute force.

It was understanding, timing, coordination, and most of all… trust.

A trial that judged what power couldn’t fake.

The partner selection begins and pairs formed instantly.

• Lythrae chose a Moonlit Maiden from her sect.

• The Monk selected a Junior Brother, the same one who stared at Lucien with competitive gaze.

• The Fourth Scholar tapped the junior with the third eye.

• The Black-Robed Woman quietly paired with another hooded woman from her mysterious group.

• Sskavyrn chose a friend, another reptilian spearman.

• The Star-Forge Prodigy reached for Lilith… she accepted with a smirk.

• The Scarlet Son took his fiery sister.

• The Dawnblade Disciple paired with a Radiant Acolyte.

• The Shaved-Head Traitor reluctantly linked with a regretful independent already reconsidering his life choices.

Then—

Eyes fell on Lucien.

The Verdant Veil whispered…

“Surely he’ll pick Miss Eirene.”

“Or our twin-blade Ascendant!”

“Well… let’s trust his judgment.”

Lucien inhaled and called out to a name.

“…Marie.”

SILENCE.

The kind that echoed.

The Verdant Veil group erupted.

“WHY HER?!”

“You should’ve picked ME instead!”

“Wolf brother—are you ABSOLUTELY sure?!”

“Wolf brother PLEASE—”

Marie stomped the ground.

“HEY!! Why are you all doubting me?!”

Lucien simply smiled in complete confidence.

“She’s the one I trust the most here.”

BOOM.

Marie froze.

Her ears shot up and her tail attempted orbit.

Her eyes sparkled like someone just handed her the universe.

“Hmp. You heard him,” she said proudly. “Luc has better taste than ANY of you.”

The rest of Verdant Veil groaned in unison.

Eirene hid a chuckle behind her hand.

Still, Lucien’s reason was sound.

In this Bound Souls match, choosing the person you trust the most wasn’t just sensible, it was the winning move.

And Lucien…Lucien had already shown enough potential throughout the trials for Verdant Veil to believe he always had a plan hidden somewhere behind his calm eyes.

…

Just then…

Golden light descended.

The Astral Chain wrapped around Lucien and Marie, binding them in shimmering light.

The other factions stopped mid-step.

Because Lucien… despite choosing the least expected partner… looked utterly unconcerned.

As if he’d just made the most obvious choice in the world.

The Solar Concordium’s voice boomed.

[ Pairs confirmed. ]

[ The Trial of the Bound Souls… begins NOW. ]

Golden cracks split beneath their feet.

BOOOOOOOOOOOM—!!

Lucien seized Marie’s arm as the world inverted.

And they plummeted into a vast battlefield roaring with beasts, illusions, shifting platforms, storms…

…and nine other pairs ready to clash.