100\% DROP RATE : Why is My Inventory Always so Full?
Chapter 77 - Wings of Atonement

Chapter 77: Chapter 77 - Wings of Atonement

"Impossible. I don’t believe this."

Lucien clutched his head, eyes wide in disbelief.

They were currently inside the academy dungeon.

Normally, students weren’t permitted inside without special authorization. But thanks to his Free Pass Token, Lucien had been allowed entry alongside Vivian and the Silvermine guards.

Yet none of that mattered right now.

They were on the first floor and Lucien stood frozen as he watched Vivian gleefully massacre a horde of slimes.

She was grinning like a Yandere straight out of a twisted novel.

That wasn’t what shocked him, though.

No, what truly left him dumbfounded... were the slimes themselves.

He narrowed his eyes and stepped closer, inspecting the translucent creature wriggling helplessly in Vivian’s grasp.

"These can’t be real. No way. These are impostors!" he said, staring at the slime twitching weakly in Vivian’s grasp. "Slimes aren’t this pathetic!"

The poor thing trembled weakly. Its fragile mana core was visibly suspended inside its jelly-like body.

It didn’t fight back.

It didn’t resist.

It looked like it had already accepted death.

These weren’t the slimes Lucien knew.

No resistance. No skills.

At best, it could manage a sluggish tackle... maybe dodge once or twice if lucky.

Lucien instinctively used INSPECT... but the result only deepened his despair.

They were slimes.

Legitimate ones.

No illusions, no disguises.

And yet... they were nothing like the ones he knew from the Lootwell Dungeon.

The ones that could adapt, evolve, cast skills...

These? These were glorified blobs.

Lucien’s heart sank.

To him, slimes were supposed to be powerful. They were his first true opponents... his first real teachers in combat.

But these? These weren’t monsters.

They were just... fodder.

’...Just wobbling sacks of disappointment.’

"Brother, the mana cores are helpful! Come gather some with me," Vivian called out eagerly. "They can help us get stronger. Let’s not waste this opportunity!"

Lucien blinked, finally understanding why Vivian had been so enthusiastic about slaughtering the slimes.

It wasn’t for the thrill.

It was for the mana cores.

He sighed and shook his head with a small smile. Of course, she was being practical.

’I should give her a bunch later... I have more than enough.’

He crouched beside a fading slime and plunged his hand into its jelly-like body, pulling out the exposed core.

As soon as it left the creature, the rest of its body collapsed into a puddle and melted into the floor.

Lucien held the core up to the light.

Another sigh escaped his lips.

It was weak. Pathetically weak.

There was no thrill in this.

No danger.

No challenge.

He studied the core, unimpressed.

"Even the mana density inside is pitiful... What the hell are these slimes?"

His thoughts drifted to the mana core grading system.

• Level 1–20 → Lowest-grade mana cores

• Level 21–40 → Low-grade

• Level 41–60 → Mid-grade

• Level 61–80 → High-grade

• Level 81–100 → Highest-grade

Of course, Boss monsters could sometimes break the pattern... dropping higher-grade cores despite their level.

But even among cores of the same grade, mana density still varied.

A Level 1 and a Level 20 slime might both drop "Lowest-grade" cores but the latter would always contain more mana.

These slimes, though?

They were barely on the scale.

Lucien scowled slightly as he compared them to the slimes from Lootwell Dungeon... slimes that dropped cores packed with mana. Enough to actually matter.

But here?

"This floor is a joke..." he muttered. "Lootwell slimes could eat these for breakfast."

Lucien quietly observed Vivian as she energetically farmed slimes a short distance away.

She had grown skilled in using Light Magic.

Her Light Needle spells flew with precision. Of course, given how slow these slimes were, even a blindfolded rookie might hit their marks.

Still, Vivian took it seriously.

After each kill, she would pause and whisper a small thanks to the creature, promising to put its mana core to good use.

Lucien couldn’t help but chuckle.

"Don’t rush, Sis. We’re here to train, remember?" he called out with a grin. "I’ve got plenty of mana cores. I’ll share some later... so don’t go on a full-blown slime massacre."

Vivian froze mid-spell, her cheeks coloring slightly.

She glanced back at him, unsure if he was teasing or judging her.

Lucien just shook his head, amused.

Still... he was completely over it.

The slimes here only dropped one thing.

Slime Residue.

He’d already slain more than ten and not a single uncommon or rare item had dropped.

Not even the iconic Slime Plushie...

’Tch. So they’re the kind of mobs that only drop common loot, huh?’

Lucien sighed and slouched slightly. The disappointment sinked in.

He missed the slimes back in Lootwell Dungeon. At least those were challenging.

Even the damn bees from his garden dropped better loot than this.

’Sigh... Even the bees gave honey. These just give regret.’

Suddenly...

Lucien’s instincts flared.

"Sis! Get behind me—now!"

Vivian didn’t hesitate.

As she moved, the Silvermine guards immediately reacted... though their eyes widened in surprise.

Lucien had sensed the threat before they did.

They quickly formed a defensive line in front of the siblings, conjuring a wind shield in an instant.

And then... they saw it.

A barrage of fire and ice projectiles came screaming toward them.

The attacks slammed into the wind shield, crashing against it with a violent boom before dispersing into fading sparks.

A voice echoed across the dungeon floor.

"Young Master Thornel... You didn’t mention there would be Tier 7 guards."

Another voice followed, tense.

"This changes everything. Are you sure about this?"

Vivian’s eyes widened as she saw the two men standing in the distance.

Her voice trembled.

"No way! Those two... They’re professors!"

Lucien narrowed his eyes and spotted them clearly now.

Thornel’s faction. Coalheart stood among them.

And leading the assault... two men in academy professor uniforms... both radiating the oppressive mana of Tier 7 mages.

Lucien’s expression darkened.

This wasn’t some petty student feud anymore.

This... was an ambush.

Just then...

Thornel’s voice rang out with arrogance and command.

"You don’t have to kill them. Just hold the guards back. We’ll handle the two. My family will make sure you’re well compensated."

The eyes of the two professors lit up at those words. Their hesitation completely vanished.

Lucien’s gaze sharpened.

"Tch. So even the professors can be bought... The academy is not as clean as I thought."

Without missing a beat, Lucien leaned towards the Silvermine guards and whispered something quickly under his breath.

The guards exchanged looks, clearly surprised and hesitant.

But then they saw the confidence in Lucien’s eyes.

They nodded.

The professors began moving, trying to draw the guards’ attention away from the siblings.

The guards willingly took the bait and intercepted them without delay.

Now, only Lucien and Vivian remained.

A moment later, Thornel’s group emerged. Ten students with Coalheart walking smugly at his side.

Lucien’s eyes glowed faintly as he cast a quick INSPECT.

Their tiers ranged from Tier 3 to Tier 5.

Thornel, surprisingly, sat at the top as a Tier 5.

But Lucien could tell. There was no true strength behind that rank. It wasn’t earned through battle or discipline.

’Elixirs,’ Lucien thought with a scoff. ’He bought his way up the ladder.’

This wasn’t a threat. This was just noise.

Thornel stepped forward with a sneer.

"Ha! You’re doomed. Acting all high and mighty when you’re just a Baron. Boy, you’ve picked the wrong person to mess with."

Lucien blinked at him... then let out a soft chuckle.

’That line was so cringe, it wouldn’t even make it into my collection of cool comebacks,’ he thought, unimpressed.

Beside him, Vivian clutched his arm protectively.

"Don’t worry, Brother," she said firmly. "I’ll protect you."

Thornel’s face twisted in anger.

Seeing the two of them so calm and dismissive only fueled his rage.

He raised his hand. Mana gathered rapidly around him as he began chanting an Intermediate Fire Spell.

But then—

Lucien raised a hand. His voice was sharp and clear.

"Procrastinate."

The effect was immediate.

Thornel froze.

The swirling mana around him stilled mid-air, flickering uncertainly.

His eyes glazed over as he slipped into a sudden, bizarre state of introspection.

"Wait... Who am I? Why am I pushing myself so hard? Is there even a deadline for any of this?"

He looked like a man reevaluating his entire life plan on the spot.

Coalheart, visibly confused, gave him a sharp nudge.

Thornel blinked hard and snapped out of it.

"You! What the hell did you do to me?!" he demanded, glaring at Lucien.

Lucien just smiled.

"Just a little taste of my job skill. First time using it, actually." He tapped his temple. "Seems pretty effective."

It was.

But Lucien noted the drawback immediately.

He could only target one enemy at a time.

And Thornel hadn’t come alone.

Thornel’s face twisted with fury.

"All of you... Attack!" he barked.

Ten students surged forward at once.

Spells charging.

Weapons raised.

Lucien’s eyes flicked over the group.

’Oops. Can’t stop them all.’

He crouched slightly, preparing to unleash something devastating...

But before he could move, Vivian stepped in front of him.

"I’ll take care of them, Brother."

Lucien blinked.

She stood tall and unshaken. Her voice was soft but resolute.

He paused.

The earlier slime hunt hadn’t revealed much of her real strength. But this... this might be the moment.

Lucien slowly straightened. A faint smile formed on his lips.

"Alright," he said, giving her a small nod of approval. "Show them what you’ve got, sis."

Despite his usual overprotectiveness, Lucien didn’t interfere.

This was her fight and he knew she needed to stand on her own.

Besides...

He had already read her skill description in SKILLPEDIA.

There was nothing to worry about.

Just then...

The air shifted.

Bursts of mana surged around them.

Violent and chaotic.

Fire. Water. Earth. Wind. Dark.

The elemental spells took shape mid-air. Their combined energy crackled like a storm waiting to explode.

They launched... all aimed at them.

Vivian stood her ground.

Calmly, she clasped her hands together and closed her eyes.

The moment before impact... she began to glow.

So bright, it was almost blinding.

The dungeon was bathed in radiant light.

Most had to shield their eyes.

But not Lucien.

With Divine Energy flowing through his gaze, he watched everything clearly.

And what he saw stole his breath.

Golden light unfurled behind Vivian.

Wings.

Wings made of light spread from her back.

It formed a dome and it expanded outward, encasing her in a barrier of divine radiance.

And then—

BOOM!

The spells slammed into the light all at once.

Explosions rocked the chamber.

Smoke and light colliding in the aftermath.

Thornel’s group who were still squinting from the blinding flash, flinched at the sound.

Thornel, however, scoffed.

"That’s what you get for humiliating me!" he sneered, confident that the attacks had done their job.

But then...

The blinding light faded.

And there they were.

Vivian and Lucien.

Completely unharmed.

The smoke cleared around them like parted curtains.

Then it happened.

The folded golden wings behind Vivian began to spread.

Slowly and majestically.

Until they were fully unfurled in the air.

And..

She flew.

Gracefully and effortlessly.

Vivian rose above the ground, suspended by the radiance of her wings.

Her expression was unlike anything they’d seen before.

Anger creased her brow. Her eyes were blazing with righteous fury.

"You dare try to hurt my brother?"

Her voice rang out.

Clear.

Resolute.

Fierce.

"Then you’ll have to face me first!"

The words echoed across the dungeon floor like divine judgment.

Thornel and his group froze in place.

Their spells had failed.

Their bravado shattered.

And now, before them stood a girl glowing like a celestial judge... with golden wings spread in defiance.

It was the first time any of them had seen Vivian truly angry.

Even Lucien stood speechless for a moment...

Then burst into laughter.

A bold and proud laughter echoed through the dungeon walls.

"No wonder she’s called an angel!" he grinned wide.

His eyes glowed with pride.

He looked up at his sister, hovering like an angel.

And in that moment, he recalled the description of her skill.

***

Skill (Active/Passive): ★★★★★

Illustration: A pair of golden angelic wings made of light, surrounded by a holy aura.

Name: Wings of Atonement

Description:

• Active – Summons the Wings of Atonement, granting the ability to fly freely. While active, all Light-element spells increase significantly in effectiveness.

• Passive – Grants immunity to status abnormalities and debuffs. When the user is in immediate danger, the wings will automatically manifest, shielding the host and granting momentary invulnerability.

***

"She’s not even affected by my Sovereign Aura," he added with a soft chuckle.

"My sister really is incredible."