100\% DROP RATE : Why is My Inventory Always so Full? Chapter 769 - Minimum Requirement

Lucien had barely returned to Lootwell when someone came looking for him.

He had expected reports.

Perhaps another request from the void expedition, or an update from the Monster Small World.

Instead, he found Alanthuriel waiting for him.

That alone was enough to erase most of Lucien’s remaining good mood.

Alanthuriel rarely appeared without reason.

And whenever he did, the reason tended to involve things Lucien would have preferred not to know existed.

Lucien approached him and bowed his head slightly.

"Senior Alan."

Alanthuriel nodded. He was in his human form.

His gaze rested on Lucien longer than usual.

Lucien felt that gaze pass over more than his outward appearance. Space around Alanthuriel remained calm, but Lucien had become sensitive enough after his breakthrough to notice the subtle movement of Time and Space around the Abyssal Entity.

For several seconds, Alanthuriel said nothing.

Then he gave a small nod of approval.

"Good."

Lucien waited.

"You have enough strength now to survive what comes next."

Lucien’s expression immediately changed.

That was not the congratulation he had been hoping for.

He had only just reached Extinction Grade.

He had fought Void Entities afterward and returned feeling considerably more confident than before.

Apparently, Alanthuriel had taken one look at that achievement and concluded that Lucien had finally reached the minimum requirement for not dying.

That was deeply discouraging.

Lucien stared at him.

"Senior Alan, that sounded much worse than I think you intended."

"It was intended exactly as I said it."

Lucien almost sighed.

Of course it was.

Alanthuriel studied him again before continuing.

"Your connection to the universe has become even more defined. That matters more than the increase in strength itself."

Lucien’s attention sharpened.

Alanthuriel raised his gaze slightly, as though looking beyond Lootwell and into something much farther away.

"The Abyss cannot simply erase you without consequence anymore."

Lucien fell silent.

"Your existence has become too entangled with too many things. Laws. Worlds. Authority. Your Core has also grown beyond being a simple internal realm, and your Law has established connections that extend beyond your body."

Alanthuriel looked back at him.

"You have become difficult to replace."

Lucien did not know whether that was comforting.

It sounded more like being informed that he had become expensive enough that destroying him would damage the furniture.

Alanthuriel apparently noticed the expression on his face.

"Do not misunderstand me. Difficult to replace does not mean difficult to kill."

That was much less comforting.

Lucien’s thoughts immediately returned to something he had never forgotten.

Oblivion.

He still remembered Oblivion turning its gaze toward him and killing him with that alone.

There had been no battle, no exchange of attacks, and no clever counter.

His prepared life-saving measure was the only reason he had survived at all.

Extinction Grade had changed him tremendously.

Lucien doubted it had changed that memory into something harmless.

Oblivion is one of the Arch-Lords of the Abyss.

And the Abyss had already proven willing to cooperate with others when their interests aligned.

Convergence had been involved before.

There was nothing preventing another arrangement.

Lucien rubbed his forehead.

He had spent the previous day being pleased that the void finally felt more comfortable.

Apparently, the universe considered that excessive happiness.

•••

Alanthuriel did not allow him much time to complain internally.

"I came because there is something you need to know."

Lucien’s hand stopped.

He already disliked the direction of the conversation.

There was a particular tone powerful ancient beings used whenever they were about to say something that would ruin several months of planning.

Alanthuriel had just used it.

Lucien considered asking him not to continue.

That would accomplish nothing.

So he waited.

Alanthuriel’s expression became more serious.

"The Prime Continuum will soon be unlocked."

Lucien closed his eyes.

’There it was.’

For several breaths, he said nothing.

Then he exhaled slowly.

"How soon?"

"Close enough that you should no longer treat it as a distant possibility."

Lucien opened his eyes again.

He had known that the Prime Continuum was being forced open and that the locked Parallel Timelines would eventually return.

Alanthuriel had been monitoring Space and Time precisely because of that.

The Key of the Prime Continuum remained tied to the problem.

But knowing something would eventually happen and hearing that the barrier was nearly gone were two very different experiences.

Lucien looked away.

The Black Mass was approaching the point Aurelia had warned him about.

The Prime Continuum was approaching release.

Both threats had spent years developing separately.

Now they seemed determined to mature together.

Lucien sighed.

"Of course they are."

Alanthuriel glanced at him.

Lucien continued before he could respond.

"It would have been unreasonable for the universe to schedule them separately."

For the first time since arriving, Alanthuriel’s expression softened slightly.

Only slightly.

•••

"You do not need to view the opening of the Parallel Timelines as entirely negative."

Lucien looked back at him.

That was unexpected.

Alanthuriel continued.

"The current universe is heavily constrained by dominant causality."

Lucien listened carefully.

"When the Prime Continuum opens, that dominance will weaken."

Alanthuriel’s voice remained calm, but Lucien could feel the weight behind every word.

"The future will become less linear."

Lucien frowned.

Alanthuriel gave him time to think.

Lucien understood the basic implication first.

Right now, causality created enormous momentum.

Choices led into consequences.

Consequences narrowed possibilities.

The farther events progressed, the more difficult it became to escape certain outcomes once enough causes had accumulated behind them.

If Parallel Timelines began interacting with one another, that structure would no longer remain as rigid.

More futures could exist simultaneously.

More causal routes could compete.

Events that had previously been almost inevitable might become merely probable.

Lucien’s eyes narrowed.

"That means the future becomes harder to predict."

"Yes."

"For everyone."

Alanthuriel nodded.

Lucien became thoughtful.

That was not automatically good.

Aurelia’s divinations could become less reliable.

Long-term planning would become more difficult.

Enemies would gain access to possibilities that did not currently exist.

But the same would be true for him.

More importantly, anything depending on a fixed future would lose part of its advantage.

Lucien’s thoughts immediately returned to the Abyss.

Alanthuriel noticed.

"Causality losing dominance creates danger, but it also creates freedom."

Lucien remained silent.

That word mattered.

Freedom.

A future that could no longer be forced as easily along one line.

A timeline that could branch instead of narrowing.

For someone whose entire Law revolved around adaptation and living systems becoming something beyond their original purpose, Lucien found the concept disturbingly compatible.

That thought did not comfort him either.

•••

Alanthuriel continued.

"As for the Abyss cultivating what it considers the best timeline, you do not need to fear that plan as much as you once did."

Lucien immediately focused on him.

Alanthuriel paused.

"Though I will probably need your help."

Lucien froze.

He had been feeling increasingly intelligent throughout the conversation.

That feeling vanished.

"Senior Alan."

"Yes?"

"How exactly am I supposed to help you deal with the Abyss?"

Alanthuriel shook his head.

"You will understand when the time comes."

Lucien stared at him.

That answer was becoming painfully common among ancient beings.

Alanthuriel ignored the look.

"What matters now is that you continue building strength."

Lucien’s expression slowly became serious again.

"There are things I can prepare in advance. There are things you can prepare. Neither of us benefits from forcing the intersection before it becomes necessary."

Lucien understood that much.

Knowing something too early could be dangerous when causality itself was still involved.

The Abyss was not merely another enemy faction whose plans could be copied into a report and distributed among administrators.

Lucien had already seen enough to know that information itself could sometimes become part of a trap.

Still, he disliked being told he would eventually assist with something capable of casually involving Oblivion.

Alanthuriel added one final sentence.

"We have little time left to waste."

Lucien believed him.

Unfortunately.