What's With This Drop Rate?

Inside the Tusuwon, blood flowed like a river. The thick, metallic scent of gore stung the nostrils. Muhong was covering the young boy’s eyes with her hand, her own gaze averted as her body trembled slightly. Though she was no stranger to taking a life, the sheer brutality of the scene before her made her blood run cold.

Having finished confirming his kills, Bukjin approached the corpse of Leader Oh.

"I almost forgot to pick up the items."

Bukjin leaned over and began rummaging through Leader Oh’s belongings.

"Death is far too light a punishment for the sins you've committed. It’s only right that you contribute your worldly wealth to a true gentleman like me to do some good in this world," Bukjin muttered to himself.

After a thorough search of the man who had spent his life playing with serpents, Bukjin found that aside from nine gold coins, the man carried nothing but useless junk.

"Dammit, this bastard is useless even in death!"

Bukjin was fuming. He felt like this entire subjugation mission was turning into a total failure. He did manage to find a manual on Leader Oh’s person, but it was a measly 1-star martial art.

Disappointed, Bukjin began looting the other corpses. Watching this, Muhong was at a loss for words.

The people of Unmong City didn't call Im Bukjin a lunatic and a madman for nothing... No sane person would act like this...

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

For a fleeting moment, Muhong felt as if it wasn't the wicked adventurers who ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had ambushed Bukjin, but rather Bukjin who was preying on them. She even found herself feeling a strange spark of pity for the dead men. To cross a madman like Bukjin meant that even these cutthroat bandits would be weeping on their way to the underworld.

Of course, this was simply their karma. This band of adventurers were demons in human skin. They had used Bukhwang Mountain as a base to commit every crime imaginable, their hands stained with the blood of countless innocents. In truth, a swift death was a mercy they didn't deserve.

"The bandits in this world are truly pathetic."

As he continued to search the bodies, Bukjin couldn't help but feel a surge of... well, pity.

They’re poor! They’re so damn poor! They were all just a bunch of beggars!

Bukjin had searched over thirty corpses, and all he had to show for it was about ten gold coins. Combined with what he took from Leader Oh, his total haul was a measly nineteen gold. There were no secret manuals, no high-quality weapons—nothing. The few manuals he did find were 1-star techniques, and most of those were incomplete.

The looting process took about half an hour. Bukjin stood up, stretched his back, and turned to look at the dazed Muhong. Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, he hurriedly hid the gold he was holding and spoke sharply.

"Finders keepers! Don't go getting any funny ideas."

Ever since he had been scammed out of 4,000 gold by that bizarre deity at the temple, Bukjin had become an absolute miser. Muhong simply shook her head with a helpless smile.

Checking the time, Bukjin realized it was about time for the poison he had released into the water supply to take full effect. He turned and began walking out of the Tusuwon.

"Go hide. I won't be able to protect you both in the chaos that's about to unfold."

"I want to help you," Muhong replied.

"Just take care of the kid. To be honest, you're not particularly strong or smart. And as for using a honey trap... well, let's just say you're not exactly the type. You'll just be a burden."

Without a backward glance, Bukjin vanished from the Tusuwon. Muhong’s face flushed bright red. His words were true, and she knew it. Her physique was a bit too... robust ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for a seduction scheme. But who in their right mind would say that to someone's face? She finally understood why everyone in the city called him a madman.

He really is a piece of work.

Stepping out into the streets, Bukjin saw adventurers staggering about, coughing up blood from their noses and mouths.

"H-help me!"

"The water... it's poisoned..."

Agonized screams filled the air. Bukjin, with a Ten Thousand Poison Resistance Pill tucked in his cheek, moved forward and began cutting down the reeling men. He prowled the streets, systematically executing every adventurer who was too incapacitated to fight. A trail of corpses followed in his wake.

The city was littered with the bodies of those who had succumbed to the poison. Some had died while trying to crawl over doorsteps; others lay slumped in alleys. After poisoning them and thinning their ranks with his blade, Bukjin moved on to the next phase: arson.

Though most of the buildings were made of earth and stone, preventing a massive inferno, the thick, acrid smoke billowing into the air added a layer of suffocating terror to the already chaotic nest.

"The Unmong Guards are attacking! It's a massacre!"

Bukjin roared at the top of his lungs, then activated an app on his phone.

The projection of spectral soldiers threw the bandit nest into total pandemonium.

"Do not panic!"

A booming voice cut through the noise. A powerful warrior in the Master Realm leaped onto the roof of a tall building, shouting orders to rally the men. Almost immediately, his eyes locked onto Bukjin, who was darting through the chaos.

He drew his sword and soared through the air, launching a strike at Bukjin. A crimson aura of Mystic Energy radiated from his body. He was a leader-class expert.

"Perfect timing!" Bukjin shouted.

Bukjin activated the Cloud-Stepping Rain movement technique. He vaulted into the air, meeting the enemy with the Doran Sword in his left hand and the Jeongi Sword in his right.

He’s just a Master Realm expert, isn't he? Nothing to fear! I'm in the Master Realm too!

Bukjin unleashed the killing move of the Jesujeon Sword Technique: Reverse Current.

The sound of crashing waves echoed through the air. An illusion of a massive, surging tide manifested from his Mystic Energy.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The rapid-fire collision of steel rang out. Brilliant sparks showered the air as their blades crossed at blinding speeds. The two figures blurred and then landed on the ground, back to back.

Three shallow gashes appeared on Bukjin’s left shoulder, waist, and thigh. Blood began to seep through his clothes. However, his Master Realm opponent appeared to be completely unscathed.

"Who... the hell are you?" the man asked, turning slowly with a murderous glare.

Bukjin didn't answer. The three wounds were bleeding heavily, and the intense pain brought a cold sweat to his brow. He gritted his teeth, muttering irritably.

"Dammit, that actually hurts..."

Bukjin quickly shifted the Jeongi Sword to his left hand and activated a technique on himself.

The wounds closed instantly. At that moment, a spray of blood erupted from the Master Realm warrior's neck.

"Gah...!"

With a strangled cry, the man dropped his sword. He clutched his throat with both hands, trying to stem the fountain of blood, but it was futile. His life was rapidly ebbing away.

One strike. It had only taken one strike. Bukjin had taken his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠life in that single exchange. With his final, fading consciousness, the man could only wonder: Who... who is this monster...

Bukjin continued to heal himself until every scratch was gone. Once fully recovered, he walked over and swung the Doran Sword, severing the man's head. Then, he plunged his blade into the man's heart for good measure. The Master Realm expert was now nothing more than a cold corpse.

After confirming the kill, Bukjin pulled on his leather gloves and began looting.

"This is bad! The Second Leader has been killed!"

"His head was cut off!"

"The Unmong Guards are here!"

The adventurers who had witnessed the clash from afar were paralyzed with terror. They didn't dare approach; instead, they turned and fled, screaming in panic.

A moment later.

"Dammit... this guy was a beggar too!"

Bukjin’s face was red with fury. The Second Leader? How can a man with a title like that be this poor?

He had only found seventy-eight gold coins on the man. Everything else was junk, and the martial arts manuals were bottom-tier trash. To Bukjin, they were worth less than dog shit.

"Unbelievable! What kind of beggar-king was this guy? How do you even become a leader with nothing to your name?"

Bukjin felt a heavy weight in his chest. The boss monsters in this dungeon have a terrible drop rate!

However, the fact that he had defeated the Second Leader in a single exchange gave him a massive boost in confidence. I'm going to tear this entire den of thieves apart.

Sword in hand, Bukjin rampaged through the bandit headquarters. Everywhere he went, fires erupted and adventurers fell. Of course, he never forgot to loot the bodies. It was easy work; most of them were already in a near-death state from the poison he had distributed earlier.

Don't blame me too much. I'm sacrificing my time to help you all turn over a new leaf. Think of it as me ending your wicked, useless lives so you can start over from scratch in the next one, Bukjin thought shamelessly.

As he harvested the lives of countless adventurers, he hypnotized himself into believing he was simply hunting monsters. By repeating this mantra, he soon became completely numb to the act of killing.

He carved a path straight to the palace at the center of the city. When he arrived at the palace square, he found about a dozen guards already slumped on the ground. They were dead, blood leaking from their faces.

Bukjin approached the palace gates. He checked the wind direction and grinned. The wind was blowing from the outside directly into the palace.

Bukjin began scattering the white powder of the Cheonhyang Samsosan. The wind carried the toxic dust deep into the palace. After emptying several sacks, he paused, thought for a moment, and then brought out three sacks of Yonghyeol Chungje to add to the mix.

Once the poison was fully dispersed, Bukjin stood before the palace gates and roared.

"You are all surrounded! It would be better for you to take your own lives and pay for your sins now! Anyone who faces me, the Heaven-Defying Blood Demon, will meet a truly horrific end!"

Standing before the gates, Bukjin continued to scream threats and intimidations, his voice echoing through the halls of the palace.