Leveling Up by Executing Monsters

Seeing the man getting more and more worked up, Lloyd quickly scurried away. He followed the direction the man pointed and found his quarters for the next seven days.

It was supposedly ’accommodations for a VIP’, but the conditions were truly spartan. It was just a bare, crude brick-and-tile house furnished with only the most basic pieces. There was no bathroom, let alone a balcony or kitchen; it barely looked like it could offer shelter from the elements.

Still, it was much better than one of the sheet-metal sheds where several people were crammed into a single room. At least it was a private room.

’I guess this trip is also a chance to experience life on a construction site.’

Lloyd smiled. It was nothing he couldn’t handle.

Back when he and his sister were homeless, they had even crammed into a dog kennel. A little hardship like this was nothing to him.

He set down the pack he was carrying, gave the room a quick once-over, and then hurried off to familiarize himself with the temporary prison cell he was assigned to.

Guided by a chaotic jumble of signs and directions from various workers and Crusaders along the way, Lloyd found the so-called ’Processing District’ on the other side of the construction site.

The area was another scene of feverish activity. On one side, workers were busy erecting buildings and laying bricks; on the other, they were digging pits into the earth.

Each of these pits was a temporary prison cell. Their layout looked haphazard, but if one were to connect them with lines, they seemed to form a specific pattern.

Cell 1, which Lloyd was responsible for, was situated right in the middle of the others, a seemingly special position.

When he climbed inside for a look, the Space was surprisingly large. The lighting and ventilation were also unexpectedly good. It was equipped with several high-wattage electric lamps, guaranteeing the entire cell could be lit without any blind spots. The floor and walls had received a simple coat of paint and some treatment, and the standard Orbits used to suppress Demons were already carved into them.

All the necessary tools—chains, steel spikes, a recovery bin, and a Spiritual Blade—were ready and waiting. Though crude overall and incomparable to the facilities at Tower Nine, it was serviceable enough and ready for use at a moment’s notice.

This room prepared for Demons was far better than the living quarters for people. It was probably the most complete facility on the site. Clearly, the higher-ups placed great importance on this matter and didn’t want to waste any of the Demons they would soon encounter.

An undertaking like the Great Expansion was a long and massive project. It was indeed necessary to gather as many resources as possible, avoid waste, and establish a virtuous cycle of ’acquiring resources, recycling them, and reinvesting them into the expansion.’ Otherwise, with humanity’s current meager reserves, they couldn’t afford any reckless squandering.

And Demons were both humanity’s mortal enemy and a vital resource.

After inspecting his work station, Lloyd strolled around the entire area, as if he were a genuine construction worker. He even skillfully applied knowledge from his university days to help a few workers set some lines, which gave him the feeling of fitting right in with the crew.

As evening fell, he went to the public bathhouse to take a shower before returning to his room to sleep.

As he was about to enter his room, he saw someone standing outside room ’232’ next door, trying to open the door with a key. They used a bit too much force and accidentally snapped it.

Then, the person simply gripped the lock, wrenched it hard, and opened the door through purely physical means.

Lloyd took a closer look at the brute and realized it was the taciturn Knight Commander. ’His name is Korall, right?’

The other man noticed Lloyd observing his... unique method of opening the door. He turned his head, revealing a stern, unsmiling face, and slowly nodded.

’Uh... is he hinting that I shouldn’t tell anyone about this?’

’Don’t worry, my lips are sealed.’

Lloyd thought, nodding back in response.

...

At six o’clock sharp the next morning, a series of wake-up bells echoed across the construction site. The workers and guards who had been busy all night began their shift change, maintaining round-the-clock operations.

Lloyd got himself ready and stepped out of his room, just in time to see Knight Commander Korall emerging as well. Korall was staring into the distance with a grave expression.

Lloyd followed his gaze and saw a bustling area where many people were gathered. ’Are they getting breakfast?’

Then, the Knight Commander turned back, looked at Lloyd with the same serious expression, and asked:

"???"

Lloyd: "???"

’Is this guy a mute? Can he not talk or something?’

As Lloyd was grumbling to himself, he suddenly felt that something wasn’t right.

’Huh? Wait, how did I know he said three question marks?’

He then realized that a speech bubble had appeared over the man’s head, filled with three question marks, just like a scene out of a comic book.

But the speech bubble wasn’t physically there; it only appeared in Lloyd’s field of vision.

’[Wisdom] system?’

Lloyd immediately thought of the Chief Judge’s abilities, recalling his unique way of ’speaking’.

’Looks like this Knight Commander Korall is also an Extraordinary Being who practices both [Veto] and [Wisdom]. He must be a pretty powerful guy, then?’

’But still... do you people from the [Wisdom] system all have a problem with talking normally? You just have to insist on speaking directly inside people’s heads, don’t you?’

’And for that matter, if you’re going to use a speech bubble, why not just fill it with actual words? What are you even trying to say with just question marks?’

Lloyd couldn’t help but complain internally again. Then he saw a musical note pop into the Knight Commander’s speech bubble, as if he were humming a little tune. The man then brushed past him and headed downstairs.

Lloyd quickly used [Inspect] on his retreating back.

His [Rationality], [Spiritual Power], and [Cognition] were all, without exception, ’??’. His [inspiration], however, was a pitiful 55...

A stat distribution very characteristic of the Holy Judgment Court. It was well-suited for fighting Demons, but in a PvP situation against outlaws, his insufficient [inspiration] would likely get him suppressed by his opponent.

As for his mental state, it was, without a doubt, ’Mild Madness’.

’Why else would he communicate using speech bubbles?’

’But considering he’s on the front lines fighting Demons and he’s a dual-system user, for his madness to only be at this level means he’s very strong. His [Rationality] must be incredibly high.’

’But then again, why did both the Chief Judge and this Knight Commander choose the [Veto] + [Wisdom] combination? Is there something special about this pairing?’

’Suddenly, my own [Twist] + [Veto] combination feels rather niche.’

As his mind wandered, Lloyd went to line up for breakfast. He got a fried egg sandwich, wolfed it down, and headed over to the prison cells to get ready for work.

Several Priests in black robes were standing guard, while a few Scholars of Saint Favor in white coats hurried back and forth. They would periodically check their pocket watches before scribbling on the charts hanging around their necks, as if they were recording some kind of data.

Lloyd didn’t see any other Executioners around and assumed he was the first to arrive. But as he drew closer, he spotted the star player, Jelas, at the edge of the area. The man had arrived even earlier than he had.

’Looks like all the hype from everyone around him is putting a lot of pressure on him, huh? Forcing him to look even more diligent?’

’Or is he actually a mole with an ulterior motive?’

Jelas didn’t notice Lloyd. He was cradling a wooden Saint Statue and facing toward Radiant City, praying in a low voice.

After several minutes, he took a few deep breaths and rubbed his face vigorously. He then noticed someone nearby observing him from the shadows.

But as the star player, he seemed accustomed to this. He showed no sign of being bothered, simply offering a slight smile and a nod by way of greeting.

He then gave Lloyd a careful look, as if committing to memory the face of the guy who had arrived just as early as he had.

Lloyd nodded back in acknowledgment, then retracted his gaze and the wisps of inspiration he had sent out.

’Nothing seems out of place for now...’

’But that Saint Statue in his hands... it’s just...’

’Tasteless!’

I don’t know where he got that Saint Statue, but it had been sculpted into the image of a sexy woman with a voluptuous figure, alluring curves, and disheveled clothing. She was striking a seductive pose, completely devoid of any saintly dignity. It looked more like one of those lewd figurines from Earth.

It was true that almost no one had ever seen the Veto Saint’s true face, and the Sect had never explicitly restricted depictions of the Saint, allowing the populace to create all sorts of derivative works.

But few would actually imagine the Saint this way, let alone craft a statue of it.

It was utterly sacrilegious!

’Looks like there might really be something wrong with this guy...’

Lloyd’s internal alarm bells rang a little louder. He even felt a slight urge to plant a [Seed of Distortion] in the guy.

’It’s just that while his behavior was disrespectful, he wasn’t technically breaking any rules, so it wasn’t a good time to make a move...’

Just then, one of the Scholars of Saint Favor walked past Lloyd. Noticing him standing outside Cell 1, the scholar asked:

"Are you responsible for this one?"

Lloyd nodded.

The man quickly looked him up and down, then unabashedly released a flicker of inspiration to probe him before nodding.

"Not bad. You’re a capable one. With you in charge of Cell 1, it’ll be a great relief for us."

As he spoke, he pulled a vial of emerald-green potion from his white coat and handed it over, adding a kind reminder:

"But don’t try to be a hero. Your priority is stability. If you encounter one that’s too inconvenient to salvage, just kill it quickly and forget about recovery. And before every execution, you must check the integrity of the surrounding Orbits... In short, nothing can be allowed to go wrong here! If you run into danger, drink this."

Lloyd was a bit taken aback as he listened. He accepted the vial, feeling a unique Spiritual Energy emanating from within it, carrying a faint hint of [Veto].

"It can boost your Rationality and Spiritual Power for a short time. It might help you, but don’t just drink it carelessly. The side effects are pretty nasty."

The scholar continued to explain.