100\% DROP RATE : Why is My Inventory Always so Full? Chapter 564 - Competition

Lucien observed the unfolding events with considerable amusement. The inhabitants of the Middle Continent demonstrated a keen aptitude for decisive transactions, vigorous competition, unyielding pride, and a delicate sensitivity to their public image. However, they adhered to the established rules. For the present circumstances, that was sufficient.

Lucien’s attention then shifted towards the peripheries, where a continuous stream of visitors kept arriving, even after the official commencement. Whispers and rumors continued to propagate throughout the Middle Continent. The initial group of allies served as the first wave of advertisements. Now, the visitors on this inaugural day would form the subsequent surge. By the following day, debates would ignite across the continent. Within the week, the influx would intensify. By the end of the month, the Middle Branch would cease to be regarded as a newly established territory.

Lucien could vividly perceive the shape of this impending future solidifying before him. The first day was not without its minor imperfections; no undertaking of this magnitude could possibly achieve absolute flawlessness. Nevertheless, the fundamental structure remained sound. That was the crucial element. Lootwell had successfully provided the Middle Continent with precisely what it craved: Prestige, Advantage, Challenge, Opportunity, Status attainable through effort, Power procurable through commerce, Knowledge available for diligent pursuit, Healing that could be relied upon, and Rules that even the most formidable individuals felt compelled to respect. And with the Middle Continent having experienced a taste of these offerings, the desire for more would undoubtedly grow.

• • •

The subsequent few days unfolded with an unexpected degree of stability. While a newly established territory might thrive on initial spectacle, the days that followed demanded robust systems. Fortunately, the implemented systems proved to be exceptionally effective. Tavian, Mirelle, and Auren embraced their designated responsibilities with utmost seriousness. By the fourth day, their faces had become familiar throughout the entire branch.

Tavian emerged as the composed point of contact for individuals seeking order concerning schedules, rotations, personnel transfers, or matters pertaining to the Liberators. Mirelle displayed a formidable talent for resolving disputes before they escalated into public embarrassments. Auren took charge of meticulously managing movement records, coordinating between districts, and overseeing the logistical flow between the Middle Branch and the primary territory. The synergy between the three was remarkable. Lucien entrusted the entire administrative burden of the Middle Branch to their capable hands.

Thus, following several additional reviews, necessary adjustments, and late-night strategic meetings, Lucien and his companions made their return to the main territory. Lootwell’s secluded core warmly welcomed them back. And, as might be expected, the very first action Lucien initiated was to unleash a controlled wave of chaos within its confines as well.

• • •

The Echo Crucible was officially opened for public access within the main territory. The instant the announcement reverberated throughout the primary Lootwell domain, every individual converged upon the facility with a palpable sense of urgency. Lucien, accompanied by Eirene and Vivian, observed from the elevated control chamber as the initial group of visitors entered.

“They appear considerably more composed than the visitors in the Middle Continent,” Vivian remarked. “They are not calmer,” Lucien countered. “They are simply too accustomed to the inherent impossibilities that Lootwell regularly presents.” The Echo Crucible in the main territory functioned distinctively from its Middle Branch counterpart. Here, the populace was driven by a desire for self-improvement, a need to settle old scores, sheer curiosity, and the uniquely Lootwellian inclination to transform every novel system into both a demanding task and an engaging form of entertainment.

Then, Solar Concordium made his appearance. He entered the Echo Crucible with an expression akin to that of a devotee discovering a sacred edifice meticulously constructed for his singular passion. His gaze swept over the rankings, then the catalog of potential opponents, subsequently the overall scoreboard, and finally settled upon Lucien. “You conceived of this.” Lucien offered a knowing smile. “Indeed, we did.”

Solar Concordium’s eyes gleamed with excitement. Pointing towards the nearest available combat category, he declared, “I wish to participate.” This was precisely what Lucien had anticipated. “You may select your opponent, the designated environment, and decide whether you prefer your strength to be suppressed or unleashed in its entirety.” Solar Concordium’s smile broadened. “Suppressed.”

He then stepped into the initial chamber. The simulation materialized around him, depicting a desolate battlefield with cracked earth stretching beneath his feet, and a combat echo awaiting him on the opposing side. The duel commenced. And Solar Concordium let out a laugh. It wasn't out of amusement at the opponent's weakness, but rather at the precise efficacy of the suppression. His strength was cleanly dampened. For an individual possessing the Law of Combat, this was not a restriction but a veritable paradise. He engaged in a single bout and emerged victorious. He switched his opponent. He fought again, a more protracted victory this time. He altered the environmental conditions and suffered a defeat. The chamber safely ejected him.

Solar Concordium stood outside for a single, contemplative breath. Then, a smile spread across his face. Several nearby challengers, witnessing this expression, quietly reassessed their own confidence. He re-entered the chamber. And then again. And again. Within the span of two hours, Solar Concordium had secured the top position on multiple combat leaderboards. Subsequently, he relinquished one ranking to an individual who excelled in an adaptation trial within a confined environment. He fixated on the scoreboard. The name positioned above his own remained there, radiating an aura of defiant tranquility.

Lucien observed the scene unfold from his vantage point. Solar Concordium turned his gaze towards him. “I find this particular leaderboard displeasing.” “And why is that?” Lucien inquired. Solar Concordium’s eyes burned with intensified fervor. “Because it is accurate.” He then re-entered the chamber, dedicating the subsequent several hours to resolutely reclaiming his former position.

Soon after, Solar Concordium emerged from a chamber, his attire tattered and his aura noticeably sharper. He radiated an immense relief, as if he had rediscovered joy spanning centuries.

"There is another function you may find useful," Lucien stated.

Solar Concordium immediately turned his attention to Lucien.

"The Echo Crucible," Lucien explained, "can only reproduce opponents that are already cataloged within its system."

Solar Concordium's eyes narrowed, his gaze intensifying.

"How is that possible?" he inquired.

"If an individual willingly shares memories of opponents they've battled, or beings they comprehend profoundly, these experiences can be recorded and refined into combat echoes," Lucien replied.

For a moment, Solar Concordium stood perfectly still. His expression shifted dramatically.

While the hunger for battle still lingered, a profound sense of something deeper surfaced beneath it, bordering on sheer reverence.

"I... I can face them again?" he breathed.

"Provided the memory is sufficiently stable," Lucien confirmed, "and if the Origin Core deems the record acceptable."

Solar Concordium remained silent for several drawn-out breaths. Then, a laugh erupted from him.

It began as a low rumble, gradually escalating into a fierce, ecstatic, battle-crazed sound that caused several nearby challengers to instinctively distance themselves, unsure of the reason why.

Lucien offered a slight shake of his head. "Come with me."

They departed from the Echo Crucible and proceeded to the Origin Core Shrine.

The shrine exuded an atmosphere of greater tranquility compared to the bustling facility.

Standing before the sacred fragment, Solar Concordium assumed an uncharacterably solemn demeanor.

Lucien gestured towards the fragment. "Place your hand upon it. Offer the memory willingly. Do not force it. The Origin Core will only accept what you permit."

Solar Concordium gently placed his palm against the fragment's surface.

The first opponent Solar Concordium offered stemmed from his distant past.

Subsequently, another memory was presented.

And then another.

Long-standing rivals.

Fallen warriors.

Monstrous beings that had once pushed him to the brink of defeat.

Battles that had etched marks so deep, even the passage of time could not erase them.

One by one, the Origin Core accepted each offering.

As the recording process concluded, Solar Concordium opened his eyes.

"Is it finished?"

"For now," Lucien responded. "The echoes require refinement before they can be utilized within the Echo Crucible."

"How long will that take?"

Lucien offered a faint smile. "Already impatient?"

"Yes," Solar Concordium affirmed.

He glanced back in the direction of the Echo Crucible.

"I wish to face them while the sensation of regret is still fresh in my mind."

This statement momentarily silenced Lucien. He then gave a slow nod.

"I shall arrange a personalized combat suite for you."

Solar Concordium gazed at Lucien for several sustained breaths before placing a hand over his chest.

"I shall not forget this profound kindness."

•••

Several days later, Lucien arrived at a crucial decision.

Initially, it was a matter of mere practicality.

Subsequently, it evolved into an source of entertainment.

Then, it escalated into a peculiar form of danger, the kind that only seemingly innocuous things could precipitate.

He proceeded to merge the scoreboards of the main territory and the Middle Branch.

Upon Lucien's activation of the link, the Origin Core network surged with energy.

The main territory's scoreboard began to shimmer.

The Middle Branch's scoreboard responded in kind.

Names shifted and rearranged themselves.

Rankings expanded and evolved.

What were once local accolades transformed into continental comparisons.

The immediate aftermath was palpable.

Within the main territory, numerous individuals stared, perplexed, at the newly updated rankings.

Simultaneously, in the Middle Branch, several faction representatives mirrored this reaction.

Both sides swiftly arrived at the same grim realization: their hard-earned rankings were no longer secure.

Lucien and Seran observed the initial reports flooding in.

For a considerable duration, neither uttered a word.

Suddenly, Seran burst into laughter.

Lucien joined him, his laughter echoing.

It wasn't polite laughter; it was the unrestrained amusement of two individuals who had deliberately orchestrated a monumental disruption and took immense pleasure in its educational ramifications.

The first wave of vocal outrage emanated from the Middle Branch.

[Who is "Definitely Not Marina," and why has she surpassed my disciple in rank?]

Within minutes, the main territory provided a sharp retort.

[Someone demonstrably superior in water-field survival than your esteemed disciple.]

This exchange marked the initial salvo.

The second strike came when a challenger from the West Continent, known as Stone-Toed Uncle, outperformed a Middle Continent noble disciple in a grueling terrain endurance trial. He promptly updated his displayed title to:

[Still Standing, Unlike Certain Fancy Boots]

The defeated noble disciple retaliated by reclaiming the record and altering his display name to:

[Boots Repaired, Uncle Buried]

This escalating feud delighted the West Continent challengers.

Meanwhile, the Middle Continent challengers feigned disdain for the spectacle, yet eagerly participated.

Within a single day, the scoreboards had transformed into a fierce battleground of taunts and titles.

The inhabitants of the West Continent, by nature provocateurs, delivered insults that were casual, swift, and shamelessly droll.

The Middle Continent's populace, valuing 'face' above all, cloaked their barbs in elegance, rendering their verbal assaults all the more potent.

One West challenger, losing a speed-clearing record, amended his name to:

[Temporarily Allowing Young Masters To Feel Joy]

A Middle Continent disciple swiftly responded by re-securing the record and displaying:

[Your Charity Has Been Accepted And Found Lacking]

The rankings for healers devolved into an even more chaotic and ludicrous state.

A healer from the Clearwater Meridian, specifically from the Middle Branch, achieved the top rank in a large-scale trial involving many casualties.

A healer from Lootwell, hailing from the main territory, surpassed her by a mere four seconds and posted the message:

[Remember to Hydrate Before Challenging Me Again]

The next day, the Clearwater healer reclaimed the record and responded with:

[I have drunk water. You may now offer your apology.]

Marina observed this exchange.

Then, without uttering a sound, she entered the trial herself.

She secured first place with an astonishing margin, leaving her display name as:

[Enough.]

A silence fell over the healer boards for a considerable duration.

•••

The competition intensified.

However, a new element began to emerge alongside it.

Communication.

It all started when a challenger from the West unexpectedly initiated something novel.

After consecutively losing and then regaining a record three times against a disciple from the Middle Branch, he altered his display name to include his contact information.

[Stone-Toed Uncle, Feel Free to Message Me If You Dare]

Vivian saw this and was taken aback.

"Did he just put his contact details on the public scoreboard?"

Lucien glanced over.

"Indeed."

"Is that even permitted?"

"There is no rule against it."

What followed was entirely unforeseen.

The disciple from the Middle Continent responded to his message.

Their initial interaction was reportedly quite contentious.

Their second exchange focused on strategy.

By the third conversation, they were debating the best environmental choices for the trial.

By the fifth, they were openly sharing tactics on how to traverse uneven ground without squandering precious movement.

By the following day, a group chat had formed.

Then another emerged.

Soon after, a larger one was created.

Finally, community channels began to appear.

The official recorders started submitting a constant stream of reports.

Initially, they anticipated the creation of networks dedicated to inter-factional insults.

Instead, they discovered something far more peculiar.

Challengers from the West Continent and those from the Middle Continent were actively exchanging strategies.

They were comparing how different sect footwork techniques performed in swampy terrain.

Debates arose regarding whether bandit-type echoes posed a greater challenge than beast-type echoes at the same difficulty level.

They shared their mistakes during healer trials.

They exchanged excerpts from their after-action reports.

They discussed their preferred equipment loadouts.

Initially, they offered grudging praise for each other’s techniques.

This gradually evolved into more sincere commendations.

...

Lucien reviewed the report.

Then, he leaned back in his seat.

"Hmmm."

Vivian looked up from her work.

"What is it?"

"They are forming bonds."

"Through mutual insults?"

"Precisely."

Vivian broke into a smile.

"Isn't this a positive development? Everyone seems to be getting along."

Lucien found himself unable to disagree.

•••

The outcome of this situation surprised Lucien more than he had anticipated.

His intention in linking the scoreboards was to ignite greater competition.

He had never foreseen that it would foster social connections between factions.

Yet, that is precisely what occurred.

The communication devices effectively made the rivalry portable.

The Echo Crucible provided participants with a shared operational language.

The scoreboards presented them with clear, visible objectives.

The after-action reports offered tangible subjects for discussion.

And the pressure of the rankings gave them a compelling reason to continue their interactions.

Individuals who were once strangers from different continents began to recognize each other’s names.

Subsequently, they started identifying their distinct playing styles.

Following that, they recognized their recurring habits.

Ultimately, they began to understand each other’s personalities.

...

One evening, Lucien was in his office, perusing the latest summaries of social interaction patterns.

He observed the map displaying the communication activity between the main territory and the Middle Branch.

A gentle smile touched Lucien’s lips.

"Who could have possibly imagined that a scoreboard would lead to this outcome?"

•••

Naturally, comparisons soon followed.

This development was entirely predictable.

Once the inhabitants of the West Continent and the Middle Continent established effective communication, the inevitable step was to compare their respective territories.

Initially, these comparisons were casual and lighthearted.

However, they soon became more structured and systematic.

Ultimately, this evolved into yet another competition, as it seemed that anything left in proximity to Lootwell eventually transformed into a contest.

The residents of the Middle Branch proudly highlighted their branch’s vast scale, its magnificent floating city, the advanced Echo Crucible, the expansive academy grounds, the state-of-the-art Celestial healing complex, and their central chapel.

The individuals from the West Continent acknowledged all these impressive features.

Then, they proceeded to enumerate the valuable assets that the main territory still possessed.

Chief among these was the Ascension Spire.

They also mentioned the deeper, more extensive Grand Archives.

Furthermore, they noted the presence of Magical Doors, capable of bestowing skills, spells, and profound knowledge.

The main territory boasted more developed markets.

It also contained more specialized districts catering to specific needs.

Additionally, it featured more established chapel quest systems designed to guide cultivators.

Finally, there were more enigmatic internal facilities, the specifics of which they deliberately withheld, only heightening the curiosity of those from the Middle Continent.

In this particular comparison, the West Continent emerged victorious.

At least, for the time being.

The Middle Continent residents did not accept this outcome placidly.

Requests began to be submitted to the Middle Branch administration.

[Would it not be appropriate for a branch of such considerable importance to be equipped with its own Ascension Spire?]

[Even a limited version of the Grand Archives would significantly enhance inter-continental cooperation.]

[The Magical Doors sound less like a luxury and more like an essential component for educational purposes.]

[If the Middle Branch is intended to represent Lootwell adequately, should it not possess comparable dignity in terms of its facilities?]

Lucien read this final request and burst into laughter.

"Equal dignity."

Kael nodded with utmost seriousness.

"That is the language of a demanding buyer attempting to disguise their desires as a philosophical argument."

"Nevertheless, it is quite persuasive."

"Undeniably so."

Seran, who was seated nearby, watched with evident amusement.

"They are experiencing envy."

"That much is obvious."

Lucien let out a sigh.

Replicating the Ascension Spire proved to be a formidable challenge. It demanded an excessive quantity of dungeon batteries and dungeon cores; the Echo Crucible had already depleted a significant amount of essence. Constructing a second, full-scale Ascension Spire would place an unbearable strain on resources without a substantial increase in dungeon batteries.However, the Magical Doors presented a more manageable undertaking. Systems for acquiring skills and spells could be readily expanded, and knowledge doors could be implemented incrementally.A branch of the Grand Archives, at the very least, could be established swiftly, utilizing restricted Law Books and maintaining controlled access.The chapel's quest system also offered potential for further development.Lucien commenced evaluating these various options.•••Within a span of mere days, Lucien gave his approval for several expansions to the Middle Branch.Upon the dissemination of the announcement, the branch buzzed with widespread contentment.The inhabitants of the Middle Continent swiftly declared this as irrefutable evidence that Lootwell was attentive to their needs.Conversely, the residents of the West Continent immediately asserted that the Middle Branch had vociferously complained enough to warrant receiving hand-me-downs.The Middle Branch retaliated by proclaiming that the West harbored fears of relinquishing their superiority once the new facilities became operational.The West retorted, stating they would only believe these claims once the Middle Branch could endure the pressure floors of the original Spire without dissolving into tears upon their expensive sleeves.Lucien, perusing this exchange, brought a hand to his face.Vivian, seated nearby, struggled to suppress a chuckle."They are getting along just fine, wouldn't you say?""They are actively insulting one another.""That's precisely how certain individuals manage to get along."Lucien lowered his hand, a wry expression on his face."Sadly, that is indeed the truth."