100\% DROP RATE : Why is My Inventory Always so Full? Chapter 560 - Simulation

Another month elapsed.

And the item Lucien had requested was finally completed.

A simulation facility.

Initially, the concept seemed straightforward.

Then, as was typical, straightforward became outlandish once Lucien interacted with it.

The facility was situated close to the academy district of the Middle branch. Externally, it presented the appearance of a coliseum fused with a tower.

The inspiration for this structure stemmed from Lucien’s experiments involving the merged Origin Core fragments.

He was already aware that the Origin Core possessed the capability to record.

However, Lucien had significantly advanced this functionality.

His aim was to record experience.

And subsequently, to manifest it.

This is where the endeavor became intricate.

Memories are not pristine entities. A battle as recalled by an individual differs from the actual event.

Fear inflates details. Pride modifies narratives. Pain becomes indistinct. Instinct fills in gaps. Perception overlooks elements. Even Lucien’s own recollections are imperfect.

Yet, the Origin Core performed an astonishing feat.

It did not simply retain what Lucien remembered.

It interpreted the memory by considering law, causality, sensation, intent, and impact.

Following this, it refined the record.

It addressed incompleteness where the event's structure could be deduced. It stabilized movements Lucien had only witnessed once. It preserved abilities based on their observed effects rather than Lucien’s limited grasp of their underlying mechanics.

The outcome was far more than a mere illusion.

It was a combat echo.

Naturally, manifesting these echoes demanded essence.

A substantial quantity of essence.

Consequently, Lucien and Seran ventured into the void once more, gathering additional power sources from Echo Zones.

As the initial chamber was finally activated, Lucien decided to provide his own memories first.

He made contact with the Origin Core fragment, voluntarily contributing the records of his battles.

Severance. Convergence. Void monsters. Black Mass abominations. And numerous others.

The facility accepted these contributions.

Subsequently, it brought them to life.

Lucien confronted Severance initially.

He perished.

The chamber dissolved before actual death could claim him, and Lucien found himself outside the combat zone, his physical body intact but his pride wounded.

Without a word, Lucien re-entered.

Then, he died again.

Repeatedly.

Facing Convergence, the results proved even more dire.

Should Lucien refrain from utilizing his drops and instead rely solely on raw skill, adherence to law, and reaction time, his defeats far outnumbered his victories.

This fact unsettled him.

Not due to an aversion to losing.

It troubled him because the facility revealed something he had been actively avoiding.

Certain past victories had not been clear-cut triumphs.

They were the result of opportune timing, sheer luck, sheer desperation, unexpected strategy, and the unfair advantage of his own cheat ability converging at the precise right moment.

Lucien stood outside the chamber after experiencing his fifth loss against Convergence, his breathing deliberate.

Seran approached his side.

"You appear displeased."

"I am."

"With Convergence?"

"With myself."

Seran's smile faltered slightly.

Lucien gazed intently at the sealed chamber doors.

"I achieved victory before. But here, when I eliminate perfect conditions and re-examine the battle from a different perspective, I lose far too often."

"That is the very purpose of training."

Lucien nodded.

"Indeed."

Then, his smile returned, possessing a sharper edge this time.

"This signifies that this place functions as intended."

Lucien concurred.

It offered a method to confront formidable foes before encountering them in reality.

A means to experience death countless times in preparation, ensuring that actual demise would never occur.

•••

Lucien brought the Origin Core fragment to the simulation facility initially, facilitating a smoother assessment of the structure's functionalities.

The recording procedure adhered to a single principle.

Consent.

To accurately capture an individual's experience, that person had to manually touch the Origin Core fragment and offer the memory willingly.

Lucien established this rule as inviolable.

The inaugural test following Lucien’s input came from Anvil-Horn.

The elder Solhorn placed his hand on the Origin Core, a deep frown creasing his brow.

"What am I to recall?" he inquired.

Lucien responded with candidness, "The most formidable adversary you still wish to face."

Anvil-Horn fell silent.

Lilith stood nearby, her arms crossed, observing with keen attention.

For several moments, nothing transpired.

Then, the Origin Core pulsed with energy.

And an individual materialized.

A female.

A Solhorn.

Tall, formidable, radiating pride, and possessing a beauty that commanded reverence even in stillness. Her horns curved upward with ancient dignity. Her aura conveyed a warmth underlying her strength. In her hand, she held a weapon fashioned more for combat than for show, and her posture conveyed the bearing of someone who had never bowed her head to any unworthy being.

Anvil-Horn froze utterly.

Lilith remained motionless as well.

Lucien comprehended only too late.

The elder Solhorn's expression transformed dramatically.

For the first time in Lucien's acquaintance with him, Anvil-Horn appeared as though an inner part of him had been irrevocably broken.

"Wife..." he whispered, his voice trembling.

Lilith's lips parted in disbelief.

Her mother.

The mother she had never truly known.

The one who had tragically passed away during childbirth.

Among the Solhorns, such things were natural, accepted, yet cruel enough to inflict unending pain. Progeny of great strength demanded excessive resources, draining the mother's nutrients, vitality, and essence with frightening intensity. Many mothers did not survive the birth of exceptionally powerful children.

Lilith had been aware of this fact.

However, mere awareness was a far cry from firsthand experience.

The simulated woman turned her head, her gaze alighting upon Anvil-Horn, and then upon Lilith.

She was not truly alive, a truth universally acknowledged.

Yet, the Origin Core had refined the echo to such a degree that this small gesture carried profound weight.

Anvil-Horn's hands began to tremble.

Lilith remained perfectly still.

Lucien offered no words; there are moments when speech merely becomes inconsequential noise.

After a considerable pause, Anvil-Horn emitted a single, rough laugh.

His voice was coarse, bordering on fractured. "Of all the sights this place could conjure for me..."

His voice cracked on the final word.

Then, the simulated woman raised her weapon.

Anvil-Horn drew a sharp breath.

His grief did not dissipate, but it seemed to find a straighter path.

Lilith turned her eyes to Lucien, unable to fully conceal the emotions swirling within them.

Lucien spoke with gentle understanding, "Take all the time you need."

Anvil-Horn took a step forward.

"No."

He reached for his hammer, his voice regaining a measure of steadiness.

"She would have despised such a wait."

Lilith swallowed hard.

Then, she moved to stand beside him.

"Father."

Anvil-Horn regarded her, his gaze shifting from the opponent to his daughter.

Lilith's eyes remained fixed on the simulated woman.

"I wish to fight alongside you."

For a fleeting moment, Anvil-Horn's expression softened as he looked at his daughter.

"Good."

What transpired next was more than mere combat; it was a poignant reunion expressed through the clash of weapons.

Anvil-Horn let out a laugh amidst the fierce exchanges.

Lilith fought with a ferocity Lucien had never witnessed in their training sessions. It wasn't about victory, but about each parry and strike feeling like a dialogue with the woman whose bloodline, strength, and absence had profoundly shaped her existence.

The simulated Solhorn met their assault with a ruthless, practiced love, disrupting their rhythm, exploiting any openings, and forcing Anvil-Horn back with an almost forgotten intimacy. Her strikes against Lilith's guard ignited the younger Solhorn's Genesis Forging in response.

When the intense battle concluded, both Anvil-Horn and Lilith stood utterly spent.

A period of silence followed.

Then, Anvil-Horn turned to Lucien, his eyes tinged with red, a genuine smile gracing his lips.

"A commendable facility," he stated gruffly.

A faint smile touched Lucien's lips. "I'm pleased to hear that."

Anvil-Horn turned away abruptly.

Lilith, however, did not.

She held Lucien's gaze for a quiet moment, then offered a simple, heartfelt sentiment,

"Thank you."

It was understated, yet profoundly sufficient.

•••

Following this, a cascade of further records were presented, the ancient beasts' memories taking center stage.

Lucien anticipated recollections of terrifying encounters, an expectation met with grim accuracy.

Yet, a sliver of regret accompanied this fulfillment.

Astraea placed her hand upon the Origin Core and offered forth a memory from the devastating Millennia War.

The facility reverberated with the impact.

Subsequently, a form materialized within the combat arena – a monstrous entity, or perhaps more accurately, a horror cloaked in the flimsy guise of a physical body.

Astraea observed with clear delight.

"I detested this one."

The ensuing confrontation commenced.

Condoriano, Saber, and Kira entered the fray in unison, only to be defeated once more.

The observing ancient beasts grew remarkably subdued, then erupted into laughter, their excitement palpable.

This newfound thrill stemmed from the prospect of confronting such horrors repeatedly.

And again. And again.

They immediately began meticulously dissecting the creature's combat patterns: identifying the turning points of its instinct, the attacks that compelled commitment, the law fragments to which it showed vulnerability, the regeneration cycles susceptible to interruption, the deceptive feints within its movements, and the mental interference carried by its roars.

Lucien watched their intense study, his satisfaction deepening immensely.

This was precisely the outcome he had envisioned.

The ancient beasts were not simply re-experiencing past traumas; they were actively studying them, transforming harrowing nightmares into strategic preparation.

More terrifying adversaries followed: predators from the Millennia War, long-extinct battlefield abominations, void entities, and various devourer variants, among countless others.

Then, Noctryn inquired if the Covenant-Breaker could be included.

Lucien responded with a smile, "It has already been integrated."

A wave of unrestrained joy washed over the ancient beasts.

One of them cracked his knuckles audibly, proclaiming, "I've been eager to tear that thing asunder properly."

Seran observed the scene, remarking to Lucien, "They seem to be relishing this a bit too much."

Lucien watched as five ancient beasts entered a chamber together, intent on battling a simulated Covenant-Breaker. "They endured prolonged imprisonment," he murmured by way of explanation.

•••

Next, Eirene stepped forward.

She stood in silent contemplation before the Origin Core fragment for an extended period.

Several Lunarians were present, their unusual solemnity quickly catching Lucien's attention, signaling the non-casual nature of the impending memory.

Eirene gently touched the Origin Core, closed her eyes, and offered forth the memory of the most formidable benevolent being she knew.

The facility's ambient light dimmed, its simulated reality wavering slightly.

A figure materialized within the simulation field: hooded, humanoid, and unnervingly silent.

There was a complete absence of discernible fluctuations from him, a void that was precisely what made him so utterly terrifying.

There the figure stood, as if he had existed before the very idea of being noticed and never bothered to correct that fact.

Lucien's breath hitched for a fleeting moment.

He recognized that form.

He had seen it before within the Mural World.

The Human Ancestor.

The Lunarians present lowered their heads in profound reverence.

Lucien turned his gaze to Eirene.

"How do you know him?"

Eirene didn't reply instantly.

Her eyes remained fixed upon the cloaked individual.

When she finally spoke, her voice was remarkably soft.

"The Lunarians recall more than we often let on."

This was not a direct answer.

Yet, it wasn't a refusal either.

Lucien understood the unspoken cue and didn't press further.

The first to confront the Human Ancestor was Saber.

The battle concluded within nine breaths.

He couldn't even grasp how he had been defeated.

That was the most unsettling aspect.

One moment, he was launching an assault.

The very next, the simulation abruptly ended.

He found himself back outside the chamber, physically unharmed, staring blankly at his own hands.

"I didn't even perceive the strike."

Seran was the next to enter, as was almost expected.

He managed to last longer, a slight familiarity with the opponent's patterns seemingly aiding him.

However, the advantage was minimal.

Upon his exit, his expression was striking.

Lucien leaned in, curious.

"Well?"

Seran glanced back at the chamber entrance.

Then he looked at Lucien.

"It's the same as always. It felt like battling a multitude masquerading as a single entity."

Eirene offered a subtle nod.

Lucien's curiosity intensified. The way he phrased it was peculiar.

He then stepped inside himself.

The instant the simulation commenced, he grasped Seran's meaning.

The Human Ancestor moved just once.

Lucien perceived twelve potential courses of attack.

He managed to defend against five.

He successfully dodged three.

He prepared for two more.

Then, he realized the actual strike had not originated from any of the anticipated movements.

The simulation within the chamber concluded.

Lucien materialized outside once more.

In complete silence.

Seran's grin reappeared.

"Haha, I suppose you haven't managed to win yet..."

Lucien met his gaze.

"Perhaps not."

And just in that moment...

The Human Ancestor ascended to become the most formidable recorded adversary within the facility.

This was not due to his raw cultivation level overwhelming all others.

Even with adjusted parameters, he remained insurmountably difficult.

His threat was of a different nature.

He fought as if embodying the entirety of accumulated human experience.

Thousands of instincts, martial techniques, impromptu strategies, past failures, past triumphs, underhanded tactics, noble sacrifices, battlefield wisdom, and survival instincts were distilled into that single, quiet figure.

He didn't overpower his opponents.

He made them feel as if they were always a step behind.

Lucien observed him through the observation glass, experiencing a mixture of dread, admiration, and... a peculiar sense of recognition.

The facility had discovered its pinnacle.

At least, for the time being.