100\% DROP RATE : Why is My Inventory Always so Full?
Chapter 63 - Goosebumps

Chapter 63: Chapter 63 - Goosebumps

It had always been Edric’s deepest regret not being able to shield Maxim from the curse.

He blamed himself for what had happened.

So now, seeing that the curse had finally been lifted and Maxim had regained his strength, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Edric was the happiest he’d been in years.

Emotion welled up in him unrestrained.

It felt like the heaviest shackle in his heart had finally broken.

Lucien and Maxim gave him space, silently waiting for him to collect himself.

After a long breath, Edric stepped forward and placed both hands firmly on Maxim’s shoulders.

"Max... I don’t know how the young man pulled it off but one thing I’m certain of... you’ve never been wrong. Your instincts... your skill... they speak for themselves."

Then he turned to Lucien with eyes full of sincerity. He gave Lucien’s shoulder a heartfelt pat.

"Young man, thank you. Truly. Maxim has always been our greatest pride and now he’s back. And..."

His voice faltered. He took a moment, steadying himself.

When he looked at Lucien again, his expression had softened. His eyes were now warm and familiar.

"Since Max treats you like family then I will too. From now on, call me Uncle Ed. And know this. You’ll have our full support, whenever you need it."

Lucien gave a small smile. "Alright, Uncle Ed. Uncle Max has been good to me. Helping each other just feels right."

"Good, good!" Edric laughed with a hearty sound. "Now that I’m really looking at you, you’ve got the look of a leader. It must be fate that brought us together HAHA!"

The stern, composed man from earlier was nowhere to be found. In his place stood someone warm radiating a genuine joy that filled the room.

Lucien had been right there was no malice in Edric. Just like Maxim, his heart was kind and strong.

Suddenly, a memory resurfaced in Lucien’s mind. The unsettling vision he’d seen earlier with Divine Sense.

He looked at the two men as his expression turned serious.

"By the way, Uncles... are you sure everyone in this estate can be trusted?"

Both Maxim and Edric turned toward him.

They were caught off guard by the sudden question.

Maxim was the first to speak with his brows furrowing.

"What do you mean, Nephew? Did you... see something?"

Edric leaned in slightly, now fully attentive. Though... he was unsure of what Lucien was implying.

Maxim added, "As far as I know, all the servants here are old hands. Loyal ones. We haven’t brought in anyone new. So... there shouldn’t be any problem... I think?"

Lucien slowly shook his head.

"I can’t say for certain. But what I saw through my skill... it was something vile. Something malicious."

Edric’s eyes narrowed. There’s a quiet gleam of concern behind them.

"Can you tell us more, Nephew?"

Lucien choosed his words with care.

"I have a skill. It’s similar to Appraisal. Earlier, when we passed by the servants... I saw something I wasn’t meant to see."

As he spoke, Lucien quietly activated BURROWER’S EYE.

He scanned their surroundings to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

Once he was certain they were alone, he continued in a low voice.

"On the surface, they look ordinary. No trace of mana. No suspicious movements."

There was something in those servants. Something far bleaker than mere mana.

Lucien had felt it before.

It was the same oppressive presence he had sensed when he was cursed.

Terrifying and suffocating.

But this wasn’t just ordinary darkness or even the Dark Attribute.

It was something stronger.

A deeper force was at work in the estate... and he wasn’t ready to share that part just yet.

He kept his voice low as he continued.

"At first, nothing seemed off. They acted perfectly normal. Almost too perfect... But I’ve learned the hard way. Evil rarely shows itself at face value."

Maxim and Edric exchanged a look.

Then they swallowed hard.

"...Is that true, Nephew?" Maxim asked again. His voice was uncertain. "Those people... they’ve been around since I was a child. I—I can’t believe it."

He palmed his forehead, clearly shaken.

Lucien met his gaze.

"Uncle Max... Whether you believe me or not is your choice. But one thing I’ve come to understand. Evil wears masks and corruption paints itself in charm."

The words struck like a quiet thunderclap.

Both men stilled.

Edric nodded with a thoughtful glint in his eye. "Good phrase. Very good phrase."

Maxim’s expression darkened.

"...Thank you, Nephew. I believe you. It’s just..." He exhaled. "Overwhelming."

Then he straightened up and turned to Edric.

"Brother. Look after our nephew. I’ll handle them myself and return as soon as I’m done."

He gave Lucien’s shoulder a firm, appreciative pat.. then turned and walked away.

Now, only Lucien and Edric remained.

Edric was the first to speak.

"Don’t blame Maxim, boy HAHA. He’s been through a lot. And those people... well, they helped in taking care of him. But..." His smile faded and a glint of seriousness flickered in his eyes. "If they really did betray our family... then that can’t be forgiven."

Lucien simply shook his head. No words were needed. They shared the same sentiment.

Then as if remembering something, Lucien reached into his INVENTORY.

A faint glow pulsed from his palm as a small crystal appeared.

Essence of Purity.

Edric raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled.

"Uncle Ed," Lucien said, holding the crystal out, "as I promised Uncle Max... please touch this. Just a poke is enough."

Edric squinted at the glowing shard.

His expression was unreadable at first.

Then a wide grin slowly spread across his face as realization hit.

"Ahhh I see! HAHA boy, you’re trying to prank me, aren’t you?" he chuckled. "Let me guess, it zaps you when you touch it? HA! Reminds me of when Maxim and I were kids. He used to pull that kind of stunt all the time."

He patted his chest with pride. "But I’m close to Tier 8, you know. Even if it did zap me, I doubt I’d feel more than a tickle."

Lucien blinked, speechless. Edric really was the complete opposite of Maxim.

Edric continued full of nostalgia and mischief.

"But fine, I’ll humor you this time GAHAHA!"

He leaned forward, extending his index finger toward the crystal with playful dramatic flair...

Then... the moment Edric’s finger touched the crystal...

Something surged through him.

A rush.

For a fleeting second, it felt as if his soul had been pulled from his body. It floated in some vast expanse.

And then came the cleansing.

His very essence was being washed. Purified in every corner as if light itself was scrubbing away the years of hidden damage.

He stood frozen.

Wide-eyed.

Speechless.

Savoring the indescribable sensation.

Old scars that were once dormant and forgotten began to heal.

His aging cells began to pulse with new life.

Rejuvenating.

Reforming.

Thriving.

He felt... exhilarated.

And then it happened...

The realization hit him like a thunderclap.

"This is..."

He closed his eyes, tuning in to his mana flow.

He reached inward... and felt it.

A tug...

The wall he had struggled against for so long... was gone.

Completely, utterly gone.

And then he laughed...

A booming, wild laugh that echoed through the room.

"HAHAHAHA! How can this be?! The wall—the wall! The one I could never break... it’s gone! TIER 8... it’s in sight now! GAHAHAHA!!"

Lucien watched as Edric burst into thunderous laughter. The sound echoed through the room like a celebration and a war cry rolled into one.

He nearly covered his ears.

But before he could react further, a chill crept down his spine.

A deep, instinctive chill.

Because...

Edric turned to him.

His eyes gleamed with overwhelming joy and unfiltered emotion.

"HAHAHA! Nephew—our great nephew! You are a treasure of the Silvermine Family! No words can describe how I feel right now!"

Lucien’s instincts screamed.

Danger.

Something terrible was coming.

Then Edric crouched down in front of him.

And without hesitation... planted a kiss right on Lucien’s cheek.

Like one might kiss a precious, chubby baby.

Lucien’s entire body recoiled.

He struggled.

He squirmed.

He resisted with every ounce of strength he had.

But it was useless.

He couldn’t escape.

’FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. NO WAY. WHO THE HELL WANTS TO BE KISSED BY AN OLD MAN?! EWWWW—’

His thoughts were in full-blown panic mode as he flailed in horror.

But the kiss had landed.

And in that moment, something inside Lucien... broke.

Overwhelmed.

Humiliated.

Emotionally violated.

Then...

He fainted on the spot.

Thud.

"Eh?? Nephew?! What happened?!"

Edric blinked in surprise, genuinely confused.

•••

Lucien slowly woke up.

His eyes blinked open to an unfamiliar ceiling. He sat up, realizing he was lying on a soft bed. It was far softer than anything he was used to.

He glanced around.

The room was spacious and elegant. Ornate furniture lined the walls.

A warm lamp glowed in the corner. It was a magic tool powered by a mana core. The light pulsed gently like a heartbeat.

It was beautiful.

Then... a shiver crawled down his spine.

A memory surfaced.

His face twisted in horror as he remembered.

He instinctively hugged himself, trembling.

"...No. No. That didn’t happen. That was just a dream. A nightmare. Yes. Definitely a nightmare."

He shook his head, furiously clearing the cursed image from his mind.

Just as he was regaining composure, a sudden tug pulled at his core.

His Divine Energy surged on its own.

Then came the familiar sound...

[Ting!]

<You Leveled Up>

<Inventory +1>

<Congratulations: Level 40 Reached!>

[All future drops will now contain 3–4 items.]

Lucien’s eyes glowed.

Lucien’s eyes lit up.

"Oh-ho... Looks like my Skittles and Oreo didn’t slack off. Sebas and Clara, too."

He smiled in satisfaction.

The level up made sense. It had to be the work of his Job Skill: Extra Credit.

Even while unconscious, his team had been grinding. And thanks to their 100 loyalty... he reaped the rewards.

Another notification chimed softly in his mind.

[Ting!]

<Job Skill: Procrastinate has been unlocked>

< Drop Out >

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

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

• Job Skill: Auto-Collect — Automatically collects drops (effort is for people who didn’t drop out)

• Job Skill: Cram Session — Temporarily "copy" someone’s skill with reduced power

• Job Skill: Extra Credit — Gain experience from monsters defeated by allies with 100% loyalty (they did the work, you get the grade)

• Job Skill: Procrastinate — Temporarily delay a target’s next move. (let the future you deal with it) (NEW!)

...

Lucien grinned.

"Oh... Now that’s a job well done."

He was especially amused by the newly unlocked Procrastinate skill.

Delaying an enemy’s action in the heat of battle? That was practically cheating.

Perfect.

Even better, it suited his style.

It could be a life-saving grace in battle. It could buy him precious time to come up with a plan in the chaos of the unexpected.

He then opened his SKILLPEDIA with anticipation.

As expected, the interface was already updating.

Soon, he’d unlock 4-Star Skills.

He chuckled to himself.

"Alright... Let’s see how the kids are doing."

He wanted to observe how it was going on the other side.

Lucien relaxed into the bed and closed his eyes, reaching out with his mind.

His consciousness linked to the mini version of himself in the Lootwell territory.

It was like switching cameras in a game.

But just seconds into the connection...

He violently cut it off.

Lucien sat upright.

He breath sharply.

Goosebumps crawled up his arms like ice fingers.

His face twisted in disbelief.

"...WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL...?"