[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-100-drop-rate-why-is-my-inventory-always-so-full":3,"chapter-100-drop-rate-why-is-my-inventory-always-so-full-100-drop-rate-why-is-my-inventory-always-so-full-chapter-564":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","100\\% DROP RATE : Why is My Inventory Always so Full?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},749863,994,"Chapter 564 - Competition","100-drop-rate-why-is-my-inventory-always-so-full-chapter-564",564,"\u003Cp>Lucien supervised everything with growing amusement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Middle Continent’s people were decisive in their purchases, aggressive in their competition, proud in their conduct, and sensitive to reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they followed the rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For today, that was enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien’s gaze moved toward the outer roads, where more visitors continued arriving even after the official opening had begun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumors were still flying through the Middle Continent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The early allies had been the first advertisements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now the first-day visitors would become the second wave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By tomorrow, the continent would be arguing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the end of the week, more would come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the end of the month, the Middle Branch would no longer be treated as a new territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien felt the shape of that future settle before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first day was not perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No opening of this size could be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the foundation held.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was what mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lootwell had given the Middle Continent what it wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prestige.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Challenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Status that could be earned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Power that could be purchased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowledge that could be pursued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Healing that could be trusted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rules that even the strong had to respect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And because the Middle Continent had tasted it, more and more would crave it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>•••\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next few days passed with surprising stability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A territory’s first day could survive on spectacle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The days after needed systems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the systems held.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tavian, Mirelle, and Auren took their roles seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the fourth day, their faces were known throughout the branch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tavian became the calm official people approached when schedules, rotations, personnel transfers, or Liberator-related matters needed order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mirelle became frighteningly good at handling disputes before they became public embarrassment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Auren took charge of movement records, district coordination, and the flow between the Middle Branch and the main territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three worked well together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien left the Middle Branch’s administrative work in their hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, after several more reviews, corrections, and late-night meetings, Lucien and the others returned to the main territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lootwell’s hidden heart welcomed them home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And, naturally, the first thing Lucien did was unleash chaos there too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>•••\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Echo Crucible opened for public use in the main territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the announcement spread through the main Lootwell territory, everyone moved toward the facility with suspicious urgency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien stood in the upper control chamber with Eirene and Vivian, watching the first wave enter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They look calmer than the Middle Continent visitors,\" Vivian said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They are not calmer,\" Lucien said. \"They are just too used to Lootwell’s impossibilities.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main territory’s Echo Crucible reacted differently from the Middle Branch’s version.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the main territory, people cared about improvement, grudges, curiosity, and the deeply Lootwell habit of turning every new system into both work and entertainment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Solar Concordium arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man entered the Echo Crucible with the expression of someone who had just found a temple built for his exact obsession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at the floor list.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then at the opponent catalog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then at the scoreboard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then at Lucien.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You made this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We did.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Solar Concordium’s eyes shone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed at the nearest available combat category and said, \"I want to try.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien had expected that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Choose an opponent, choose the environment, and choose whether you want suppressed strength or full strength.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Solar Concordium’s smile widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Suppressed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he entered the first chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The simulation formed around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A barren battlefield appeared, with cracked earth beneath his feet and a combat echo waiting at the other side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fight began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Solar Concordium laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because the opponent was weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the restriction worked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His strength was pressed down cleanly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For someone with the Law of Combat, that was not a limitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was paradise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He fought once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Won.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Changed the opponent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fought again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Won slower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Changed the environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chamber ejected him safely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Solar Concordium stood outside for one breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several nearby challengers saw that smile and quietly reconsidered their confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He entered again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within two hours, Solar Concordium had taken first place on several combat boards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he lost one ranking to someone in a narrow environment adaptation trial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at the scoreboard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The name above his own remained there, glowing with offensive calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien watched from the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Solar Concordium turned toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I dislike this board.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien said, \"Why?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Solar Concordium’s eyes burned brighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because it is correct.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he entered the chamber again and spent the next several hours reclaiming his place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, when Solar Concordium emerged from another chamber with torn clothes, sharper aura, and the look of a man who had just rediscovered several centuries of joy, Lucien spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There is another function you may want to know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Solar Concordium turned immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien continued, \"The Echo Crucible can only manifest opponents already recorded into its system.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Solar Concordium’s gaze sharpened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If someone willingly offers memories of opponents they have fought or beings they understand deeply enough, we can record and refine those experiences into combat echoes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For once, Solar Concordium became still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battle hunger remained, but something deeper appeared beneath it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost reverence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can fight them again?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If the memory is stable enough,\" Lucien said. \"And if the Origin Core accepts the record.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Solar Concordium was silent for several breaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It began low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then grew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fierce, joyous, battle-mad sound that made several nearby challengers step farther away without knowing why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come with me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They left the Echo Crucible and went to the Origin Core Shrine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shrine was quieter than the facility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Solar Concordium stood before the fragment and grew unusually solemn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien gestured toward the fragment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Place your hand there. Offer the memory willingly. Do not force it. The Origin Core will only take what you allow.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Solar Concordium placed his palm against it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first opponent Solar Concordium offered came from his distant past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old rivals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dead warriors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Monsters that had once forced him to bleed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Battles that had left marks deep enough for even time to respect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Origin Core accepted them one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the recording ended, Solar Concordium opened his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Done?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For now,\" Lucien said. \"The echoes need to be refined before they can be placed into the Echo Crucible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How long?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien smiled faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Impatient already?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Solar Concordium looked back toward the direction of the Echo Crucible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I want to fight them while I still remember what regret feels like.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That silenced Lucien for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will prepare a personal combat suite for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Solar Concordium stared at Lucien for several breaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then placed one hand over his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will not forget this kindness.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>•••\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few days later, Lucien made another decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, it was only practical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then it became entertaining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then it became dangerous in a way only harmless things could become dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He merged the scoreboards of the main territory and the Middle Branch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Lucien activated the link, the Origin Core network pulsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main territory’s scoreboard shimmered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Middle Branch’s scoreboard answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Names rearranged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rankings expanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Local first places became continental comparisons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reaction was immediate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the main territory, several people stared at the updated rankings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Middle Branch, several faction representatives did the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then both sides realized the same terrible truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their rankings were no longer safe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien and Seran watched the first reports come in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For several breaths, neither spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Seran started laughing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not polite laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the kind of laughter belonging to two men who had knowingly created a disaster and were pleased by its educational value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first wave of outrage came from the Middle Branch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Who is \"Definitely Not Marina,\" and why is she above my disciple?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main territory answered within minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Someone better at water-field survival than your disciple.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the first shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second came when a West Continent challenger named Stone-Toed Uncle beat a Middle Continent noble disciple in a rough terrain endurance trial and changed his displayed title to:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Still Standing, Unlike Certain Fancy Boots]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The defeated noble disciple responded by retaking the record and changing his display name to:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Boots Repaired, Uncle Buried]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The West Continent challengers loved this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Middle Continent challengers pretended to despise it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then joined enthusiastically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within a day, the scoreboards had become a battlefield of names.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The West Continent people were troublemakers by nature. Their insults were casual, quick, and shamelessly funny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Middle Continent people had more face, which meant their insults came dressed in elegance and stabbed harder because of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One West challenger lost a speed-clearing record and changed his name to:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Temporarily Allowing Young Masters To Feel Joy]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Middle Continent disciple replied by taking the record and displaying:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Your Charity Has Been Accepted And Found Lacking]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A healer ranking became even worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Clearwater Meridian healer from the Middle Branch took first place in a mass-casualty trial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Lootwell healer from the main territory beat her by four seconds and wrote:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Please Hydrate Before Challenging Me Again]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Clearwater healer retook the record the next day and wrote:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I Drank Water. You May Apologize.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marina saw the exchange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, without a word, entered the trial herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She took first place by a humiliating margin and left her display name as:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Enough.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The healer boards became silent for half a day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>•••\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rivalry grew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But something else grew with it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Communication.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It began with one West challenger doing something no one expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After losing and retaking a record three times against a Middle Branch disciple, he changed his display name to include his contact code.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Stone-Toed Uncle, Message Me If You Dare]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vivian saw it and stared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did he just put his contact information on the scoreboard?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien looked over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is that allowed?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is not forbidden.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the unexpected occured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Middle Continent disciple messaged him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their first exchange was reportedly hostile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their second was tactical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the third, they were arguing over environment choices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the fifth, they were sharing strategies on how to handle uneven terrain without wasting movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the next day, a group chat existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then a larger one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then community channels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The recorders began sending reports constantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, they expected factional insult networks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, they found something stranger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>West Continent challengers and Middle Continent challengers were exchanging strategies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They compared how different sect footwork handled swamp fields.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They argued over whether bandit-type echoes were harder than beast-type echoes at the same difficulty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They shared healer trial mistakes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They traded after-action report excerpts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They debated equipment loadouts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They praised each other’s techniques grudgingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then less grudgingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien read the report.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then leaned back in his chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmmm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vivian looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They are bonding.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Through insults?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vivian smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn’t it better this way? Everyone is getting along.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien could not argue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>•••\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The result shocked Lucien more than he expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had linked the scoreboards to increase competition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had not expected it to create social bridges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The communication devices made the rivalry portable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Echo Crucible gave people a shared language.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scoreboards gave them visible goals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The after-action reports gave them things to discuss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the ranking pressure gave them a reason to keep talking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Former strangers from different continents began recognizing each other’s names.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then their styles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then their habits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then their personalities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien sat in his office one evening, reading through the social pattern summaries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at the map showing communication activity between the main territory and the Middle Branch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien’s smile softened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who would have thought a scoreboard would do this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>•••\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, comparison followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the West Continent people and the Middle Continent people began communicating properly, they began comparing territories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, it was casual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then it became systematic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then it became another competition, because apparently everything became competition if left near Lootwell long enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Middle Branch people praised the branch’s scale, floating city, Echo Crucible, academy grounds, Celestial healing complex, and central chapel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The West people acknowledged all of that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then began listing what the main territory still had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ascension Spire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deeper Grand Archives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Magical Doors that could grant skills, spells, and knowledge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More mature markets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More specialized districts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More established chapel quest systems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More hidden internal facilities they refused to explain, which only made the Middle Continent people more interested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The West won that comparison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the Middle Continent people did not accept that peacefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Requests began arriving at the Middle Branch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Would it not be proper for a branch of such significance to possess its own Ascension Spire?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The Grand Archives, even in limited form, would greatly benefit continental cooperation.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The Magical Doors sound like an essential educational function rather than a luxury.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[If the Middle Branch is to represent Lootwell properly, should it not possess equal dignity in facilities?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien read that last one and laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Equal dignity.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kael nodded solemnly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is a buyer’s phrase pretending to be philosophy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is effective.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Very.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seran, sitting nearby, looked amused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They are jealous.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Obviously.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ascension Spire was difficult to copy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It required too much dungeon batteries, and dungeon cores. The Echo Crucible already consumed a large amount of essence. Building a second Ascension Spire at full scale would strain resources too much unless they gathered more dungeon batteries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Magical Doors were easier. Skill and spell acquisition systems could be expanded. Knowledge doors could be installed in phases.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Grand Archives, or at least a branch version, could be done quickly with restricted Law Books and controlled access.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chapel quest system could be deepened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien began sorting possibilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>•••\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within days, Lucien approved several expansions for the Middle Branch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the announcement went out, the branch erupted in satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Middle Continent people immediately began calling it proof that Lootwell listened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The West Continent people immediately began saying the Middle Branch had complained loudly enough to receive hand-me-downs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Middle Branch responded by saying the West was simply afraid of losing superiority once the new facilities opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The West replied that they would believe it when the Middle Branch survived the original Spire’s pressure floors without crying into their expensive sleeves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien read the exchange and placed one hand over his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vivian, sitting nearby, tried not to laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They are getting along.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They are insulting each other.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is how some people get along.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien lowered his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is sadly true.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",2438,"2026-06-02T12:11:00.450Z",1,"novelbin.me","b4a5a9858427e9651f2d9b7723d830c2b2c891c2670872b4966af9eb48901345","100-drop-rate-why-is-my-inventory-always-so-full-chapter-565","100-drop-rate-why-is-my-inventory-always-so-full-chapter-563",572,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002F100-drop-rate-why-is-my-inventory-always-so-full-cover.jpg"]