100\% DROP RATE : Why is My Inventory Always so Full? Chapter 2 - Drop

[CONDITIONS MET]

[System Initializing...]

Lucien shot up abruptly.

The room stood empty around him. He swept his gaze across it, questioning whether he'd imagined everything.

Right below him, a subtle glow drew his notice.

A see-through cube throbbed with a gentle gray light, floating just above the ground.

He bent down for a closer look. Beside the odd item lay the bee he'd smacked earlier.

Lucien stared in awe at the cube, drawn to the small, sparkling star spinning inside it.

Driven by curiosity, he extended his hand and grasped the cube.

A robotic chime resounded, mimicking a cascade of system alerts.

[Ting!]

[Drops are deposited in the Inventory]

Shock hit him as the cube in his grip vanished abruptly.

[You killed a Bee. You gained 1 copper coin]

[Achievement: First Blood!]

[Reward: System Interface can now be Accessed]

Lucien's eyes sparkled with excitement.

[Opening System Interface...]

A radiant panel materialized in front of him in mid-air.

***

< STATUS >

< INVENTORY >

< ??? (inherited) > (Conditions not met)

< ??? (inherited) > (Conditions not met)

< ??? > (Conditions not met)

< ??? > (Conditions not met)

***

'This is it! My cheat! AHA!' Lucien grinned. 'I can solve the territory’s problems faster than I thought.'

In his previous life, he'd devoured fantasy novels featuring 'cheat abilities' and 'systems.' Owning one himself? That surpassed his wildest dreams. Thrill surged through him.

Yet, a sense of incompleteness lingered. The system remained partially locked.

He selected STATUS and INVENTORY for now. Two screens popped up next to each other.

****

—STATUS—

Name: Lucien Lootwell ♂

Age: 12 years old

Race: Human (Reincarnated)

Job: Drop Out

Level: 1

Title/s:

• Young Lord of Lootwell (Charisma +10)

Skill:

• Drop Rate: MAX

Charisma: 10

***

***

—INVENTORY—

Assets:

• 1 copper coin

Inventory Slots (10):

• High-Quality Honey x1

***

Lucien blinked at the display, his emotions flipping suddenly.

'What the f*ck is ’Drop Out’? Are you mocking me for not finishing college?' he snarled, stung by the harsh echo of his old life.

Almost vengefully, Lucien tapped the job title on the screen.

Instantly, a detailed explanation appeared.

***

< Drop Out >

Description: Everyone thought you dropped out of life... but everything else dropped for you.

Job Skill: Drop Rate: MAX (Passive) – All defeated or subjugated living targets yield 100% item drops.

***

His annoyance dissolved into shocked quiet. Then a wide smile broke out.

'Wait... max drop rate? This goes beyond a cheat. This is a goldmine! If I can’t make it big with this, who the hell can?'

Eyes shining, he scanned the screens again.

'So that bee dropped a copper coin and honey, huh? Money and honey, rich and runny. I couldn’t ask for more, life will be sweeter than before!'

Elation overtook Lucien, making even his words rhyme.

Endless possibilities raced through his mind. Armed with such ability, he could produce resources, boost the Barony’s economy... perhaps rescue it entirely?

'What if I took down stronger enemies? Monsters? Bandits? Haha... not bad. Not bad at all!!!'

Before anything, though, he required a complete overview of the territory's situation.

Lucien settled down, steadied his breathing, and summoned.

'Sebastian, please come in.'

Sebas stepped inside and responded,

'Young master, I’m Seba— Oh no! What happened to your cheeks? Please, allow me to fetch the medicine kit.'

'No need. This is a badge of honor,' Lucien replied, dismissing him with a wave. 'Instead, Sebastian, I want a full report of everything that’s happened since the disaster began. Leave nothing out.'

Concern etched Sebas's face as he paused briefly, then started narrating the tale.

•••

Lucien remained motionless, taking in each detail.

'I smell a conspiracy.'

Once prosperous despite its size, the Lootwell Barony lay between eastern forests and western mountains.

With roughly 350 residents, its fertile fields and ore-laden mines ensured self-sufficiency in its secluded spot.

Lootwell Manor rose to the south, Lucien's residence.

Disaster struck without warning.

Sebas explained it all started a month prior.

A catastrophe hit the mine, claiming every miner's life. Sole survivor: the manager.

Mystery shrouded the event until dusk, when frantic families hunted for kin. Then the manager staggered back, injured and fading.

He described a sudden explosion that entombed the rest. Luck placed him near the exit.

Guards probed the site come morning, but colossal rocks sealed the entrance, forcing a shutdown.

Crops soon failed next; soil grayed, yields perished, stores shrank. Famine loomed.

The monthly merchant had just departed; Lucien held no grudge—the Barony hid in a remote corner.

Lucien's father, the Baron, had foreseen trouble. Enchanted storehouses held preserved rations via Anti-decay Magic. Generous and sharp, he shared them with all.

Reserves wouldn't endure. He dispatched ten vassals to Coalheart Barony for ten carriage-loads of food, funding lavish anti-decay spells too—draining the coffers dry.

The trip demanded a full week there and back by wagon.

Their garden shifted from blooms to edibles.

The Baron prayed it sufficed... until a fix emerged.

Vassals overdue after a week.

Calamity followed.

Baron and Baroness succumbed to a bizarre ailment, wasting away daily before perishing.

Lucien plunged into coma.

Decline accelerated; servants dwindled to four.

Sister Vivian assumed interim rule, departing for academy in two weeks.

Rations tightened under her watch.

Despair drove many away; about 200 lingered.

...

Fists balled tight in Lucien's grip.

Pieces refused to fit. Timing. Order. Coalheart's quiet. Parents' abrupt end.

Sabotage reeked in the air.

His gaze sharpened.

Answers beckoned.

•••

Lucien snuck from the manor, dashing toward the mountains. Though compact, the Barony stretched vast to his childlike build.

'Damn, my tiny legs... I can’t wait to grow up,' he grumbled, sweat beading on his forehead.

The mine was his goal. Personal inspection called.

After a taxing half-hour, he reached it.

Enormous rocks barricaded the entry. Yet something rang false.

An explosion inside—why boulders at the mouth? The path sloped down, no heights above for falls.

Lucien neared the pile, intent on an experiment.

'Store.'

Instantly, a boulder disappeared.

Success! It entered his INVENTORY.

Assuming a plot, publicity spelled danger. He cleared merely enough rocks to squeeze past unseen.

'Perfect. My tiny body’s finally good for something.' He smirked under his breath.

Silently, he entered.

No shadows awaited.

The passage widened into a radiant cave. Glowing crystals illuminated the walls softly.

The mine had transformed utterly.

'Oh crap. It all makes sense now...'

Heart racing, he inhaled sharply.

'This isn’t just a simple sabotage.'

He gazed into the luminous void beyond.

'A dungeon, huh.'