Leveling Up by Executing Monsters

Jenkins’s question sent Hoyland into a silence that lasted a full ten minutes.

He then gave a helpless, bitter smile and answered:

"I don’t know... The truth is, I’m not afraid of the Judgment Court. I have many ways to ensure I stay alive. I’m not attached to my power or status, and I’d be willing to live a life of seclusion. What I’m truly afraid of... is my Mentor."

"I don’t know how to describe his power and his terror. I don’t even dare to mention his name. I only know that if he wants me dead, then there is no place in this world that is safe for me."

He then began to recount an experience he had before setting off for the Eternal City.

Before his departure, under orders from his terrifying Mentor, he had helped settle in a junior. The two were on good personal terms. This junior was also an outlaw who had come into contact with the Taboo System. Like Hoyland, he had even founded his own Association, and he was more favored and highly regarded by their Mentor.

But this junior was eventually exposed and ended up wanted and hunted by the Saint’s Grace Court. When Hoyland met him again, he had already begun to lose control and mutate, yet he still maintained a degree of Rationality. He was also tightly clutching an Ancient Book that emanated a sinister aura.

Again on his Mentor’s orders, Hoyland helped this junior set up a bizarre Orbit, placed the Ancient Book inside it, and began a disquieting ritual.

As the ritual proceeded, the junior’s condition deteriorated. He grew closer and closer to becoming a Demon, and the time he could maintain his Rationality became increasingly brief.

At that point, Hoyland finally broke. His junior’s fate filled him with terror and despair. He fled Radiant City in the dead of night and began searching for a way to escape his Mentor’s control.

He didn’t dare turn informant for the Judgment Court, as he would likely die in some inexplicable ’accident.’ He also didn’t dare seek refuge with other illegal factions, because he didn’t know if his Mentor’s other students were in those organizations...

What’s more, if his Mentor were to discover his desertion, no place in the world could protect him, and he would surely die a most miserable death.

Out of sheer desperation, he thought of the Eternal City. It was the first place to begin research into [Destiny] and [prophecy], its history predating even the founding of Radiant City, and it had gathered the most preeminent scholars in the field.

The answer he received, however, was to turn himself in and live in anonymity...

’If that would actually work, would I be in such a panic?’

Out of desperation, Hoyland made today’s visit—a move akin to a desperate patient trying any doctor they can find. This was his last lifeline.

Jenkins wrote down Hoyland’s account from beginning to end, filling three full pages. He reviewed it one last time, then began to manage expectations:

"Since you know the difference between the ’Option Sect’ and the ’Path Sect,’ then you should also be aware of the kind of answer I can give, as well as the price required to change a ’path,’ correct?"

"Of course! Of course! If you can find a path that will let me continue to live, I’m willing to pay any price for it!"

Hoyland replied without the slightest hesitation.

Jenkins nodded, then spoke again in a slightly hesitant tone:

"Hmm... but based on your description, your Mentor is a terrifyingly powerful individual..."

"Er... but if it’s just making a prophecy about my Destiny, he shouldn’t be able to detect that, right? After all, it’s the ’future,’ something that hasn’t happened yet. Even my Mentor can’t interfere with or influence that in advance, can he?"

"No, you’ve misunderstood. Of course he can’t interfere in advance. It’s just that, generally speaking, when a High-ranking Powerhouse is involved... it costs extra!"

"..."

...

Hoyland left a few gold bars as a deposit and then departed, apparently not at all afraid that Jenkins would report him.

And Jenkins, as expected, had no such intention. He even stopped his student’s attempt to file a report.

"We must remain impartial before Destiny to glimpse the results we desire. This is the primary prerequisite for conducting a [prophecy]."

After imparting this lesson, Jenkins went to his secret basement, took out his metal chessboard, and prepared to enter the [Chessboard] to conduct the prophecy.

This was a method he had verified countless times. It was safer, more convenient, and more private.

The methods of prophecy, unlike Divination, don’t require many tools or a Medium. In fact, many of the operations can be performed entirely inside one’s head, though the efficiency is lower.

After Jenkins entered the black-and-white chessboard, he first glanced to the side.

The mysterious ’spectator’ was not there.

Instead, a White Soldier chess piece had appeared behind him...

"Er... Hello?"

Jenkins froze for a moment, unsure of the situation, and simply offered a tentative greeting.

There was no response. Given its near-death state with its life hanging by a thread, a response was impossible, of course.

’Is this also a ritual arranged for it by the Supreme One?’

’No wonder a being like the Supreme One would suddenly intrude upon our seminar. It’s all for the sake of this White Soldier’s ritual.’

’Should I continue, then?’

After some hesitation, Jenkins decided to try it and see what would happen.

This chessboard already contained the aura and Spiritual Energy of a Supreme One and an Eighth Tier powerhouse. In theory, this should both enhance and protect the prophecy.

Jenkins then began the process, reading aloud Hoyland’s story that he had recorded earlier, word for word.

At the same time, he activated his Mysticism-related abilities and began what was known as a ’Destiny Calculation.’

His vision was immediately plunged into darkness, and he could vaguely sense a thin mist shrouding him.

This mist was also known as ’the haze of the future.’ When his calculation entered a critical phase and produced a valid conclusion, the mist would instantly dissipate, leaving a relatively clear image in his mind.

This was the standard procedure for a prophecy.

And given the efficiency of Jenkins’s ’Path Sect,’ this process could take up to a week. Because it could involve a High-ranking Powerhouse, which introduced uncertainty and danger, charging extra was a must!

But what Jenkins didn’t expect was that the words he was muttering were endlessly annoying the supreme Venerable he held in his heart.

...

"Seriously... what the hell is wrong with Old Zhan all of a sudden?"

Lloyd grumbled, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

After resting for a day, he had returned to his usual routine today.

After finishing his day job, he went to borrow the bell from Meditis, then entered the [Thought Realm], preparing for an [Audience with the Saint].

In the end, he didn’t learn anything, but he did hear Jenkins muttering endlessly...

Because he hadn’t ’started the broadcast,’ the seminar hadn’t been convened, so he couldn’t see the image on the Chessboard, only hear Jenkins’s voice coming from the screen.

And that screen was being held in the Tentacle Grass’s ’hands,’ propped on its ’shoulder,’ and was ’playing on a loop’ the tragic story of a fellow named Hoyland.

Lloyd listened patiently for a while and suddenly realized the name sounded a bit familiar.

And this fellow’s experiences gave him a strange sense of déjà vu.

He quickly tried his best to recall.

Finally, he found the name in the memories of the mole, Williams.

’This poor bastard is the leader of that "Free Style Association"?’

’And his "junior" and "Ancient Book"—weren’t those the guy who inexplicably committed suicide in front of me, and the "Book of Truth"?’

’As for that terrifying Mentor who kills without batting an eye, employs cruel methods, is connected to multiple dark and sinister forces, yet repeatedly claims he doesn’t want to kill anyone...’

Lloyd turned his head and looked at the blood-red sapling beside him.

’It can’t be that much of a coincidence, can it? In this vast world, there’s no way these things are all connected by pure chance, right?’

Lloyd suddenly found it rather amusing. He listened intently for a while longer and came to understand the gist of Hoyland’s experiences.

The man was willing to pay any price to break free from his Mentor’s control, but he was too much of a coward to betray him directly. So, after trying other methods, he had placed his final hope on the ethereal concept of [Destiny].

’How pathetic and laughable. If he hadn’t started down the path of illegality and crime in the first place, none of this would be happening.’

After repeating Hoyland’s story a few times to leave a deep impression on himself, Jenkins began the substantive Destiny Calculation and fell quiet, only occasionally blurting out words like ’future,’ ’Destiny,’ and ’path.’

Lloyd inferred from this that he was likely performing some kind of prophecy—he had once read about this kind of operation in books on Mysticism but hadn’t studied it in depth and was even a little repulsed by the idea.

According to what the books said, prophecy, unlike Divination, was a low-accuracy, ambiguous, and vague form of prediction, making it akin to the work of a charlatan.

As a Transmigrator, Lloyd only believed in the principle that "my fate is in my hands, not in the heavens’."

Even when he performed Divination, it was to find answers that already existed. As for the Omens that appeared, he gave them a mindlessly optimistic interpretation. So, naturally, he didn’t much believe in prophecy.

But that was his old way of thinking. Ever since his convenient Big Brother, and even the Veto Saint, had mentioned the word [Destiny], Lloyd’s opinion had changed. ’Perhaps there really is some credibility to this?’

’So what conclusion will Old Zhan come to? Could the Mentor this crime boss wants to escape from be the Advisor, who’s now nothing but a sapling?’

’Could I perhaps use my identity as the Supreme One to guide and intervene a little?’

Lloyd’s mind raced with a series of bold speculations.

’But no matter what, I should wait for Old Zhan to reach a conclusion...’

So, he gave an order to the Tentacle Grass:

"Keep an eye on his conclusion and notify me if there’s any progress. And mute it; don’t disturb my studies."

The Tentacle Grass hurriedly hid the screen it was carrying behind its back.

Lloyd then raised his head toward the Double Helix Tower to begin his scheduled studies.