Leveling Up by Executing Monsters

The description from this Executioner, Jelas, left Lloyd completely stunned.

’Why is everything he says "mysterious," "sublime," "great," "solemn," "dizzying," and "suffocating"? Was he glanced at by the Saint or by an Evil God?’

’Oh, wait, this world doesn’t seem to have Evil Gods, does it? At least, I’ve never heard anyone mention them...’

In any case, Lloyd felt that the Saint Jelas described and the one he had met were like two completely different people.

’The Saint’s gaze was so gentle and serene, wasn’t it? She felt like a Childhood Sweetheart from next door, always by your side no matter what, someone who truly gets you, who understands you...’

’There was none of that high-and-mighty, terrifying, awe-inspiring presence. Instead, she was incredibly approachable, the kind of person who makes you want to just take her soft little hand and travel the world with her.’

’Uh... *ahem*, isn’t thinking this way a bit disrespectful to the Saint?’

Lloyd quickly shook his head, not daring to let his thoughts wander any further.

’So this Jelas... is there something wrong with him?’

But watching him give such a vivid, emotional description, and swearing up and down that he had failed the Saint’s expectations... it didn’t seem like he was lying.

’Is the Saint really that terrifying? Or could it be that he has a guilty conscience?’

’Could it be... this guy is a mole? Or does he just have something to hide?’

Moles or traitors appearing within the Legal System wasn’t exactly rare news. Even Lloyd himself had dealt with a mole before.

The Butler, according to his journals, had dealt with traitors from numerous systems and had even participated in hunting down a Tier Five traitor in a High Position.

So, just because someone chose a Legal System didn’t automatically make them a good person.

After all, not even the Saint could peer into a person’s thoughts and memories, let alone keep an eye on everyone within all the systems.

Especially for a system like the [Veto] System, where progression was slow and the costs were high, it was inevitable that some people would get crooked ideas.

Furthermore, the management methods of the current Six Great Sects were sometimes a bit too lax. They produced minor figures with their own selfish schemes, like the Military Supply Priest Andrew, as well as powerful individuals like the Butler and Lady Landis, who came from the Sects but had since left their organizations.

This was likely because the Sects weren’t about faith, but about shared ambitions and ideals. Their main principle was bringing together the like-minded, so they couldn’t implement harsh, high-pressure measures.

Of course, this looseness and freedom also meant that individuals often had to figure out how to learn and improve on their own, and they had to acquire the necessary resources for advancement themselves.

Power and obligation formed a delicate balance...

Perhaps it was because the current human civilization had clawed its way back from the brink of extinction, and its structure wasn’t a system of nation-states like on Earth. Instead, it was far more unified, more like a single entity.

After this series of rambling thoughts, Lloyd couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about Jelas. Jelas also seemed quite curious about him, so whether he was a mole or just had something to hide, Lloyd knew he had to be careful.

But without clear evidence, he couldn’t definitively label the man. He could only decide to be more observant.

And so, the airship drifted on. The idle chatter in the cabin continued, and Lloyd remained silent.

Around 8 PM, the airship began to descend. The previously taciturn Knight Commander and the particularly enthusiastic adjutant entered the cargo hold. They started calling everyone to line up one by one to draw lots for some unknown reason.

Lloyd was never one to fight for position, so he willingly got in line at the very back.

The people ahead of him quickly drew their lots. It turned out they were for assigning the "temporary prison cells" they would be responsible for, as well as their living quarters at the outpost.

Lloyd cared even less about this, so he ambled along at the back. But when it was finally his turn, the adjutant covered the cardboard box with his hand and said in a low voice:

"You’re in charge of Cell 1 and staying in Room 233."

As he spoke, he handed Lloyd two keys.

Lloyd froze for a moment. He wasn’t sure if all the lots had been drawn, leaving only this combination, or if they had made special arrangements for him.

But it wasn’t long before he stepped off the airship and understood everything.

The airship landed on a high plateau in a river valley. Below was a canyon with a nearly one-hundred-meter drop. Where a great, rushing river should have been, there was now only a dry riverbed completely overtaken by gravel and weeds.

On the opposite bank lay a mountainous region with complex terrain. In the darkness, one could make out endless ridges and dense, primordial forests. Their faint outlines looked like a colossal beast lying dormant in the shadows.

The terrain on this side of the valley, however, was relatively flat and already had the makings of a large military base. A vast area had been cordoned off with sandbags, fences, barbed wire, and concrete that hadn’t yet fully cured. A dozen or so towering watchtowers had also been erected.

Trenches were being dug around the perimeter, and bunkers and other fortifications were being constructed.

The place was far from finished. It was a bustling construction site, with all sorts of heavy machinery running at full power and an incessant, chaotic din. It almost made Lloyd think his university major might finally be useful.

Once it was completed, with its strategic location and solid defenses, it would be difficult to imagine the base ever falling.

Afterwards, it would likely serve as a foothold to gradually clear the surrounding area, expanding and taking control of territory bit by bit, carving out a larger living Space for humanity.

Of course, such long-term matters weren’t for Lloyd to worry about. He just needed to do his job, and that would be his contribution to humanity.

But for now, he needed to find his quarters, get settled, and then familiarize himself with the prison cell under his charge.

Lloyd started off walking toward the lodging area with the other twenty-something Executioners, but when he got there, he saw that the sign read "Lodging Area 5." His assigned Room 233 was nowhere in sight.

The living conditions here... looked pretty rough. They were prefabricated huts made of sheet metal, drafty and leaky, with four people crammed into each room. It all felt very "temporary," very much in the style of a civil engineering project.

Looking at these living conditions once again made Lloyd feel like he was about to put his university major to use.

He flagged down a random worker by the roadside and asked for directions to Room 233.

The worker gave him a hard look, then pointed toward the back of the residential area. He chuckled and teased,

"Never would’ve guessed. You look so young, but you’re some kind of big shot?"

"Hm? What do you mean by that?"

"Lodging Area 2 has the best conditions in this godforsaken place. Can’t compare to being in the city, of course, but it’s way better than anywhere else here. Only the big shots get to live over there...

Damn it, I get pissed just talking about it. Why the hell did I believe all the lies you big shots spout and end up in this godforsaken place?"