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

Everyone was in awe.

The airship cut through the skies at such speed that the horizon blurred. Below, the landscape shifted every second.

Mountains, rivers and forests flashed past as though the world itself was rushing to meet them.

Edric who was wide-eyed with excitement, bombarded Lucien with questions like a curious child.

Lucien only chuckled, amused by his reaction. Without hesitation, he handed Edric a set of blueprints.

For both small and medium-sized airships.

It wasn't a sudden decision.

Lucien had planned this all along. Handing the design to the Silvermines was a clever way to avoid unnecessary attention.

If the invention was tied to their prestigious name instead of his own as a Baron, it would save him from countless questions and trouble.

"Max! GAHAHA! Let's make dozens of these in our territory!" Edric roared, already imagining the possibilities. Maxim beside him, looked equally eager.

In his excitement, Edric nearly lunged forward to kiss Lucien again. But Lucien reacted swiftly.

He tilted the controls with a risky maneuver that made the entire airship shudder.

Edric stumbled, gripping the rail for balance. With a sheepish grin, he had no choice but to stay put.

Lucien smirked and focused forward, steering the vessel toward his own lands. They had already crossed vast distances. It would not be too long now before they arrive in his territory.

Meanwhile…

Elunara finally took the time to introduce the children under her care.

Three boys and two girls, all between the ages of thirteen and sixteen.

Lucien immediately recognized two of them. One was the boy who had once tried to pick his pocket at the noble's market. The other was the girl who sold delicious street food.

A quiet chuckle escaped him as he noticed their wide, sparkling eyes fixed on the airship. They all bowed politely and Lucien returned the gesture with a respectful nod.

Curiosity stirred. Without delay, Lucien activated INSPECT.

His eyes widened.

Three of the children carried locked skills.

This was only the second time he had seen such a phenomenon... Vivian being the first.

'Could it be… a restriction tied to bloodline?' he wondered.

For the girl, he had a solution. The royal jelly.

But for the boys, it was different. Their locked skills remained a mystery and Lucien had no idea how to unseal them.

Finally, Elunara turned to Lucien. Her expression was heavy as she spoke of fate.

She let out a long sigh.

"After the day I asked for your protection… there has been a shift. I can no longer see beyond a certain point in time. Tell me, young man. Did you do something significant after that?"

Lucien's mind turned over the past days.

Only one thing stood out... the time he had dismantled the bleak magic circles inside the dungeon.

He fell into silence.

'Could it be connected?'

Elunara's voice broke through his thoughts.

"That change could bring fortune… or disaster. It all depends on what follows."

Her words lingered in the air before she added softly, "At the very least, the original fate of this world has already begun to shift."

Lucien narrowed his eyes. "What does that mean?"

Elunara hesitated. She looked as though she were carefully measuring what she could reveal... and what she must withhold.

At last, she spoke. "Would you believe me… if I told you that this world's original fate was destruction?"

The words hit Lucien like a hammer. His throat tightened and he swallowed hard.

Silence hung heavy between them.

And Elunara went on.

"But now… I cannot see past a certain point in the future. It's as if everything has been blacked out. Fate is ever-shifting yet this… this should not be possible. The only explanation I can think of… is you."

Lucien swallowed hard.

'Did I change the fate of the world just by destroying those bleak magic circles?'

He frowned, shaking his head.

'No… those circles reeked of miasma, yes. They were dangerous. But powerful enough to end the world? I can't believe that. Well, I don't really know if it's capable of that.'

Frustration gnawed at him. Elunara refused to elaborate on what she meant by "destruction."

His mind ran wild with possibilities.

Would it be a catastrophe like the extinction of the dinosaurs?

A monstrous calamity?

An invasion from beyond?

Each time he pressed, Elunara remained silent.

Lucien let out a long breath. "…Then tell me this. You said the children you care for carry great fates. What did you mean by that?"

At last, a faint smile touched Elunara's lips.

"That has to do with the time when the world faces destruction. If it cannot be stopped… these children will become the beacons of light."

Then Elunara began to tell a story. It was short... perhaps even a little embellished... but Lucien sensed it was her way of skirting around fate without revealing too much.

She spoke of five names. The same names of the children she was taking care of.

Robin, the Hand that Steals.

Anya, the Hearth that Feeds.

Seren, the Hand that Shapes.

Elias, the Path that Guides.

Ronan, the Blade that Defends.

Together, they were destined to become the beacons of humanity when the world stood at the brink of ruin.

Lucien's eyes gleamed as he listened.

The tale was bold, almost fantastic but when he looked at the children and at the hidden potential revealed by his INSPECT... he knew there was truth in Elunara's words.

These children carried greatness within them.

But Elunara did not go further.

Her expression grew weary. "If I speak more, fate will claim its toll. My very life force will be drained. That… is the debt I must pay."

Lucien fell silent.

This wasn't simple at all. Fate, destruction and now children destined to stand against it all... he was entangled in something far greater than he had imagined.

•••

Suddenly, Lucien caught sight of something in the distance.

A chariot... flying through the air. He eased back on the controls, slowing the airship.

His eyes narrowed as he focused on its riders.

When recognition struck, his expression darkened into something cruel.

"Everyone, hold on," he warned. "Enemies ahead. You may feel the tremor."

But instead of alarm, curiosity pulled the others.

Edric, Maxim, Elunara and Cielius. They walled toward the front.

There, clear as day... were Dorian and Harold.

A heavy silence fell.

Lucien wasted no time.

His hands gripped the levers and with a mechanical grind, the airship's ballistae swung into position. The air hummed as they charged and magic surged through their frames.

Then—

FWOOOM!

The first barrage ripped through the sky, streaking straight into the chariot. The impact was devastating.

Wood splintered.

Metal shattered.

The entire vehicle was torn apart midair.

Everyone aboard the airship was stunned. This titan wasn't just a vessel... it was a weapon. And a terrifyingly powerful one at that.

But to two... shock turned into excitement.

"GAHAHAH! A perfect hit!" Edric roared.

"Excellent shot, Nephew," Maxim added with a cold grin.

Both men were merciless when it came to the Golddust.

Below, the shattered chariot crashed into the earth, breaking apart in a storm of splinters and twisted metal.

From the smoke staggered two bloodied figures.

"Ugh… w-what happened?!" Harold groaned as he dragged his battered body across the dirt.

"Gahh! Cough! Cough! Who—who dares?!" Dorian bellowed. Fury twisted his face as he clutched at his dangling, broken arm.

They were dazed and overwhelmed.

One moment they had been soaring through the skies. The next, there was a deafening boom and now they were sprawled helplessly on the ground.

Then the truth sank in.

This was no accident.

A massive shadow stretched over them, blotting out the sun.

Dorian's breath hitched. "W-what… what is that?!"

Above, the airship loomed like a predator. The ballistae shifted with a mechanical grind. Their ominous gaze now fixed on the two men below.

Every instinct in Dorian screamed danger.

And then—

FWOOOM!

Another barrage tore through the sky, raining down with unrelenting force.

"Block it!" Dorian snapped.

Both he and Harold scrambled to conjure defensive spells, erecting barriers of shadow and flame.

But the projectiles struck with overwhelming power. The barriers shattered like glass and the impact slammed into them with bone-crushing force.

A heavy dread settled over Dorian and Harold.

This wasn't just an attack. It was sabotage.

The strange war-machine looming above them was terrifying enough but the sheer force of its projectiles made it clear this was no ordinary foe.

"W-wait! Do you know who I am?!" Dorian roared, desperation leaking into his voice. "How dare you—!"

Silence answered him.

Then—

A distorted voice carried down from the airship...

"Nyenyenye~"

The childish taunt cut deeper than any blade. It was pure humiliation.

Dorian's face twisted in rage with his veins bulging. Harold, barely standing, staggered to his side.

Grinding his teeth, Dorian fumbled into his robes and pulled out a small talisman etched with spatial runes.

Without hesitation, he seized Harold's arm and activated the talisman in his grip.

A flare of light enveloped them...

...and in an instant, both men were gone.

On the airship, the group stared in shock at the sudden disappearance.

Cielius narrowed his eyes, recognizing the flicker of magic."A space-attributed talisman," he muttered.

The others nodded grimly. It meant they hadn't escaped far... just displaced a few miles at most.

But Lucien wasn't about to let them slip away so easily.

With a wave of his hand, a strange artifact materialized before him.

"Spatial Compass," Lucien muttered coldly. His eyes narrowed as he fed divine energy into it. "Show me the path to those two ugly men who just escaped."

The compass pulsed with light. Its needle spun wildly for a moment then snapped into place, pointing in a fixed direction.

Lucien's lips curved into a dark smile. "Found you."

He pulled the titan into motion. The massive airship tilted as it followed the compass' lead.

Cielius remained silent at his side.

In truth, he had already sensed where Dorian and Harold had fled. His mastery over the elements gave him awareness of such things. But instead of speaking, he simply watched his grandson.

His expression softened with pride.

'Sigh… to think my grandson inherited that Luke's trait…' he mused, shaking his head. Yet there was no disappointment in his eyes... only a complicated fondness.

Soon, the titan loomed over its quarry.

Below, in the shadow of the colossal vessel, stood Dorian and Harold...

Both bloodied.

Battered.

Barely holding themselves together.

They froze as the massive silhouette swallowed the light above them.

"H-how?!" Harold's voice cracked in disbelief. "So soon?!"

Dorian staggered to his feet, glaring upward with bloodshot eyes. "Who the hell are you?! Why are you antagonizing my family?!"

Their furious cries echoed across the battlefield.

And in response—

The titan's speakers crackled, before a mocking voice boomed once again...

"Nyenyenye~"

Back in the airship…

"Nephew, can you let me try?" Edric asked with excitement.

"Ahem, ahem… me as well, if possible, Nephew," Maxim added, barely hiding his eagerness.

Lucien chuckled and stepped aside, gesturing grandly. "Go ahead. Have your fun."

The titan's weapon systems roared to life again, now under Edric and Maxim's control. To them, it was no longer combat but sport.

Merciless.

Gleeful.

Without restraint.

Projectiles rained down like a storm.

Elunara forced a calm smile but it trembled at the edges. Her gaze lingered on Lucien.

'This… must not be an enemy… He must not be…' she thought as unease coiled in her chest.

Below, Dorian struggled to keep pace. Talismans flashed in his bloodied hands.

Each time the barrage struck, he activated another, teleporting them a short distance away. But the titan would simply turn.

The Spatial Compass guided them relentlessly and another volley followed.

The cycle repeated.

Again and again.

Until the airship was filled with laughter.

Edric's wild, Maxim's booming, Lucien's satisfied.

Meanwhile on the ground, Dorian and Harold were at their limit.

Exhaustion carved into their faces.

Their bodies battered.

Their talismans depleted.

Dorian's fury had long burned out, leaving only despair.

"Enough…" he muttered, broken. He no longer had the strength to rage... only the desire for the nightmare to end.

But then—

Harold moved.

Dark miasma surged around him, spilling like smoke from his pores. The rings on his fingers trembled violently and a grotesque gargoyle pattern writhed to life upon their surface.

"Harold… what are you—?" Dorian gasped.

The air twisted.

The rings drank deeply of their blood, sucking it with a sinister hunger.

Above, Cielius stiffened. His face darkened as recognition struck. The pressure in the air was too familiar… too dangerous.

"No…" Lucien felt it too.

And then—

In an instant, both Harold and Dorian vanished.

The battlefield fell silent.

Lucien's Spatial Compass spun madly, its needle jerking in every direction before collapsing into a useless whirl.

Even Cielius expanded his senses for miles, yet found nothing... only the lingering weight of something oppressive.

Shock gripped everyone aboard.

The hunt had been broken by something far darker than mere talismans.

"They might've teleported into a dungeon…" Cielius suggested.

Realization dawned across their faces.

That's the only explanation.

Lucien's eyes narrowed but he didn't press further. To chase blindly into the unknown would be folly.

With no other choice, the group turned their attention back to their path. The titan stirred.

The gears and runes hummed as it resumed its steady advance through the skies.