100\% DROP RATE : Why is My Inventory Always so Full? Chapter 519 - Week

With only one week until the grand opening, Lootwell adopted an atmosphere akin to a civilization holding its breath, poised to speak.

The Market District was the most vivid testament to this palpable tension, already bustling with life even before any outsiders arrived.

Residents from every district converged there, their spirits alight with a vibrant, competitive fervor, having realized that prosperity was not merely something to be guarded, but a source of enjoyment.

The expansive avenues, winding between grand merchant halls and impressive display pavilions, teemed with activity. Stalls were arranged in elegant rows beneath high canopies fashioned from crafted stone and intricate metal latticework.

Waterways, clearly channeled through the district, mirrored the vibrant hues of banners, glowing lanterns, and the soft radiance emanating from enchanted windows.

Each district contributed its unique specialties to the vibrant scene.

And because the heart of the Lootwell people remained true to themselves—

they had transformed the entire endeavor into a grand competition.

Lucien overheard the spirited exchanges even before fully entering the central plaza.

"We will outsell the desert people by midday," a Lithren declared with unshakeable seriousness.

Across from him, a desert woman burst into laughter, right in his face.

"You folk polish rocks and dare to call it culture."

With a hand placed over his chest in feigned offense, the Lithren retorted, "We refine the very bones of the world. You peddle sand with misplaced confidence."

"That confidence," the desert woman shot back, "is precisely why we achieve profits."

Lucien found himself nearly laughing aloud.

This was precisely the kind of spirit he had envisioned for the place.

Competition devoid of animosity. Pride that did not lead to division. Distinct peoples learning to savor differences rather than harboring fear of them.

It imbued the market with a genuine sense of life.

Furthermore, the market district had been meticulously planned with the arrival of outsiders in mind.

It boasted wide guest avenues, public exchange halls, accessible contracting houses, supervised auction spaces, and magnificent inns constructed in unique architectural styles.

While the grand inns were certainly not inexpensive, their presence served a clear purpose, immediately communicating a vital message to future travelers:

Lootwell extended a welcome to visitors, but it did not exhibit desperate need for them.

Designated areas for future external tenants were already established, though not a single outsider would be permitted to occupy them without significant cost. Securing a permanent commercial stall within Lootwell would demand substantial investment, rigorous review, and an initial period of temporary occupancy only.

No element of the external commercial presence would be allowed to develop unchecked or establish roots carelessly.

During the initial discussions regarding this matter, several individuals had proposed that permanent outsider residency should be easily attainable for those possessing sufficient wealth.

Lucien had unequivocally rejected this notion from the outset.

Mere wealth alone did not sway him. Competence held importance. Temperament was crucial. Discipline mattered greatly. And compatibility was essential.

What's more, and perhaps more alarming to prospective applicants, Clara would be involved in the decision-making process.

Clara possessed an exceptional ability to discern character. Coupled with her Divine Sense, she was undoubtedly the ideal person for this role.

And, by some inexplicable means, she harbored an even more peculiar talent: individuals with malicious intent who fell under her influence often emerged surprisingly loyal. The exact mechanism behind this transformation remained an enigma, even to Lucien.

• • •

Next on the agenda was the tax structure.

In any other territory, this particular aspect might have been met with considerable opposition.

However, within Lootwell, it was embraced with a swiftness that was almost surprising.

Lucien had engineered the tax system to be equitable, transparent, and directly linked to tangible benefits for the citizens.

He imposed no tax on the mere act of existence.

Instead, he levied taxes on productive activities.

The citizens of Lootwell would not be burdened simply for residing there. The taxation would primarily target profitable gains, large-scale commercial transactions, premium rentals, contracted business activities, earnings from dungeons, and revenue streams generated from external sources.

Internal family dwellings, everyday living expenses, basic local commerce, and non-commercial work undertaken for self-sufficiency would remain lightly taxed or entirely exempt.

The underlying principles were straightforward.

Market tax would apply to significant sales. Lease tax would be imposed on the utilization of commercial stall spaces. Transit tax would be levied on external trade caravans. Service tax would cover fees for public institutions like the Spire, special transportation gates, guided district tours, and temporary accommodation halls.

An external access tax would be charged for any use of Lootwell’s premium facilities by outsiders.

Citizens who directly served Lootwell would receive regular salaries.

From civil officers and market supervisors to district wardens, shrine scribes, transport operators, barrier attendants, dungeon stewards, and public service healers, all would be compensated with stable wages adjusted according to their specific role, acquired skills, and level of responsibility.

When Lucien presented this proposal to a gathering of administrators, Kael, who had recently returned, fell into a contemplative silence for a few moments.

He then remarked, "That is precisely how merchants come to trust a governing state."

Lucien responded with a simple smile.

The populace readily accepted the tax structure because they could already envision the city's future.

Lootwell was destined for immense wealth.

And this prosperity would not be squandered on the indulgent whims of nobles. Instead, it would be reinvested into salaries, infrastructure development, fostering growth, acquiring resources, boosting production, ensuring defense, and enhancing collective strength.

This arrangement fostered a sense of participation rather than mere loss regarding taxation.

Precisely as Lucien had envisioned.

•••

Both the training grounds and the Ascension Spire were slated for public access.

A tower capable of simulating formidable monsters, honing combat instincts, refining coordinated battle synergy, and challenging practitioners on increasingly perilous floors was far more than a localized amenity.

It was a powerful draw for civilization.

This reality underscored why Lucien dedicated substantial effort to perfecting the safety protocols before its public unveiling.

The implemented protections were straightforward in their design yet uncompromising in their enforcement.

Each individual entering would be registered via entry array recognition. Every floor incorporated emergency extraction mechanisms. Should a participant's vital signs degrade below survivable levels, the floor would instantly disengage and return them to the ground level.

Lucien harbored no desire to permit the foolhardy to gain misplaced confidence before meeting their demise.

The public access fees for the Spire were also meticulously calibrated.

Outsiders faced a standard rate. Group access could be secured through team-entry licenses. Delegations from various Sects could arrange for supervised sessions at exorbitant costs.

This same philosophy was applied to the Doors as well.

Skillpedia. Magic Book. Monsterdex.

Lucien established an additional portal for the Monsterdex to alleviate congestion and prevent conflicts with beasts returning to their natural domains.

This new gateway was exclusively designated for the exploration of monsterology and the diverse Thousand Races.

Within its confines, individuals could acquire knowledge about monsters through visual and conceptual means. It also preserved living records pertaining to the Thousand Races.

This made it one of Lootwell's most perilous centers of learning.

Not due to its lethality, but because of its capacity for profound education.

Its usage was billed on an hourly basis.

The extent of an individual's learning within that hour was entirely contingent on their personal discipline and cognitive capacity.

The inhabitants of Lootwell had already demonstrated the potent effects of knowledge. Soon, outsiders would come to the same realization.

Skillpedia and Magic Book, conversely, had their pricing determined by rarity and the desired outcome. A single payment granted one attempt at acquiring a skill. Similarly, one payment allowed for one spellcasting attempt. The fee escalated with the rank of the skill or spell. The user would enter, make their selection, absorb the desired knowledge, and then be promptly transported back.

Lucien had no inclination to devalue true miracles by making them seem commonplace.

Knowledge would be accessible.

But not trivial.

•••

The chapel also stood accessible.

The chapel's purpose was to subtly bolster public order. Its members possessed the ability to heal, purify, mediate, and stabilize crowds and troubled minds with remarkable efficacy.

Under Clara's leadership, they had evolved into an entity both more compassionate and imposing than any conventional organization could achieve.

Clara retained complete discretion in recruiting individuals who resonated with her.

...

The remaining districts, in general, would remain accessible, but only in carefully controlled capacities.

Visitors were permitted to stroll, conduct trade, dine, rent venues, and explore designated zones.

However, the instant they instigated trouble, displayed aggression, interfered with active arrays, menaced citizens, or attempted unauthorized entry into restricted areas, the token system would be activated.

Breach. Expulsion. Recording. Blacklisting.

Lucien desired Lootwell to be a sanctuary of peace.

A place where individuals from disparate worlds, species, economic strata, and historical backgrounds could coexist without the pervasive cruelty of the larger world intruding upon every vulnerability.

Within Lootwell's confines, one's wealth or poverty would hold no sway before the law. Power or weakness would be irrelevant to access public services. Origin would be inconsequential when measured against the regulations that maintained the territory's integrity.

This form of equality would not always be absolute. Lucien was not so naive as to believe that any civilization achieved perfection merely by proclamation.

But its structural foundation would be tangible.

And that, in itself, offered more than most places provided.

•••

Inter-district transportation had also been refined to perfection.

This represented another domain where the Lunarians had left their indelible imprint.

Interconnected transit networks now efficiently linked the primary districts.

Ground-based vehicles traversed stabilized channel-roads with astonishing smoothness and velocity. Aerial transit routes connected elevated platforms, towers, and higher-level sectors. Internal transit arrays facilitated priority transfers. Water-based transit through Marina’s established systems provided an additional elegant layer where applicable.

Travel no longer felt like navigating a vast urban expanse.

It conveyed the sensation that the territory itself was actively facilitating your efficient movement.

Lucien found this development highly satisfactory.

•••

The Stillness Palace, meanwhile, remained concealed from ordinary perception.

It hovered at the nexus of all things yet remained unseen by those deemed unworthy of its presence, precisely as Lucien preferred.

One evening, he stood in solitude, the Jade Tablet held in his grasp, observing the entirety of the territory from its elevated vantage point.

The tablet responded seamlessly to his thoughts.

He navigated through districts, market thoroughfares, defensive perimeters, transit hubs, controlled access points, chapel sectors, Spire entrances, logistical movements, and preparations for commercial routes.

Nothing appeared amiss.

At least, nothing overtly problematic.