Leveling Up by Executing Monsters

Lloyd had no idea what was going on and quickly asked about it, only to find that Wald didn't know the specific details either...

He had only heard that it was related to Forgetfulness?

"It's not just Chief Judge Tirtus. Many powerhouses from the Wisdom system are involved. It must be some kind of directive from the Wisdom Saint, right? Perhaps they're hunting down the remnants of Forgetfulness? But with a mobilization of this scale, there's probably some other intention behind it, wouldn't you say?"

Wald could only speculate as he spoke.

'He really was the good guy Lloyd took him for. He never spoke in riddles and was always eager to share this kind of information with him.'

"A Saint gave the order? Alright... I hope everything goes smoothly for Chief Judge Tirtus and he returns safely."

Lloyd said sincerely.

"You can rest assured on that point. Lord Tirtus is a dual-system High-ranking Powerhouse, one of our Sect's absolute top combatants. Many people believe he's the next Grand Judge, so you don't need to worry about him."

Wald was quite optimistic, his face filled with awe and admiration whenever he mentioned the Chief Judge.

"That's true..."

Lloyd nodded. He remembered his Big Brother once saying that after he retired, he'd let the Chief Judge take over the position of Grand Judge. That alone was enough to prove how incredibly powerful the Chief Judge was.

He then changed the subject, asking,

"By the way, do Saints often issue such large-scale directives?"

"Of course not."

Wald shook his head and patiently explained,

"Actually, regardless of which Saint, they rarely issue such large-scale commands. Most of the time, they only communicate with a select few individuals. The Veto Saint we follow, for instance, has never issued a directive of this scale."

With that, he turned to look toward Radiant City and remarked with a sigh,

"If a directive of this level is issued, it must be for something incredibly important. That's why I hope we never have to receive one."

Lloyd nodded as well, thinking to himself:

'A Saint's command carries immense authority for the Extraordinary Beings within their system. It's basically something you have to execute.'

'I wonder if this is what Jenkins is always talking about—the "shackles of the Saints"?'

"By the way, how are you feeling today? Are you up for an execution?"

Wald asked, changing the subject.

'The "execution" he was referring to clearly wasn't the low-intensity work in the other cells. It was a crucial, high-stakes mission, like the one involving Human Wall Shandu.'

Lloyd nodded emphatically and replied,

"Never been better!"

"Good. Get ready. Korall will be bringing someone over in a little while."

And so, Lloyd quickly ate his breakfast and hurried to Cell Block One, the one he was in charge of.

Before he went in, the scholar at the door handed him a bottle of a dark green potion. Just like last time, he reminded Lloyd not to drink it recklessly and to store it properly.

'The guy was actually pretty nice, but he loved shining his flashlight in people's eyes. Every one of the twenty-odd Executioners here had been dizzied by him. Rumor had it they'd developed a conditioned reflex to feel dizzy at the mere sight of him.'

'Fortunately, he didn't flash my eyes today. Maybe he was afraid it would affect my condition for the upcoming dissection? He let me enter the cell completely unscathed.'

Lloyd prepared himself in the cell. After waiting a short while, he heard footsteps approaching from outside.

There was no conversation, however. The newcomers were silent as they came to stand before Lloyd.

Beside the reserved Knight Commander stood an elderly man with salt-and-pepper hair and beard, dressed in the fashion of Radiant City—a full suit, complete with a somewhat flamboyantly purple tie. He was scrutinizing Lloyd carefully through a monocle.

Then he turned to look at the Knight Commander beside him. Neither of them spoke a word, seemingly communicating with just a look.

Lloyd couldn't stand the silence any longer and spoke up,

"Need me to tell a joke to lighten the mood?"

In response, an old, somewhat arrogant voice resounded in his mind:

"Oh? It seems your inspiration isn't potent enough to hear our conversation. That's a good thing, I suppose."

Then another voice, young and resonant, spoke in his mind:

"Lloyd, this is Master Alfred from the Silent Sect."

This was the first time Lloyd had heard his "roommate" from next door speak. He couldn't help but remark:

"So you can do more than just use speech bubbles, huh?"

'Now he finally understood why the city of the Wisdom system was called the "City of Serenity."'

'If everyone communicates telepathically, it'd be weirder if it *wasn't* serene...'

But Knight Commander Korall's reply was somewhat unexpected:

"Oh? Speech bubbles? You mean like in a comic book? So that's the image my communication creates in your mind... It seems my proficiency with the Wisdom system hasn't improved much after all."

His tone then became apologetic as he explained,

"If one's inspiration isn't strong enough, or if they haven't spent much time with me, they won't be able to perceive my expressions. No wonder you never tried to communicate with me before..."

"I've told you before, you are simply not cut out for the Wisdom system. You should just focus on following your Veto Saint."

the old man said in a mocking tone, holding nothing back.

But the Knight Commander remained steadfast:

"I know, Teacher Alfred. I truly don't have much of a talent for Wisdom, but I don't want to give up. After all, it's the system that best complements Veto, and it's very suitable for my current position."

'Oh? So they have a history? And their relationship might be quite close?'

Lloyd picked up on this detail in their exchange.

'He also noted what the Knight Commander had said. So there really was a way to combine the Wisdom and Veto systems?'

'Is it because Veto lacks the ability to interfere with the Consciousness Realm, while Wisdom specializes in exactly that?'

While Lloyd was mulling this over, he 'heard' the old man speak again:

"Heh. Immature Conscious Communication just makes you look like a clown to others... Suit yourself. It's not like you're my student anymore."

As he spoke, he reached for a Storage Bag at his waist—the same model as Lloyd's—and took out a silver briefcase. He placed it on the workbench in front of Lloyd, then abruptly changed the topic:

"Let's get down to business. I'm in a hurry to join an expedition, yet I'm wasting my time here on trivialities..."

His tone was laced with distrust. He scrutinized Lloyd through his monocle, but he didn't release his inspiration to probe him. He simply asked:

"You're very young, and perhaps quite talented, I'll grant you that. Enough for that brute Demani to swallow his pride and ask me for a letter of recommendation...

But my standards have always been exceptionally strict—harsh, even. If you fail to earn my approval, I won't be doing Demani any favors."

Upon hearing this, Knight Commander Korall quickly stepped forward to support his roommate from next door:

"Lloyd is the most talented young man in our Holy Judgment Court. His skill in dissection has already reached a master's level, and he has earned the recognition and praise of Lord Shandu from the City of Order."

But the old man wasn't buying it. He even rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking exasperated, and said in a sardonic tone:

"Oh! Shandu! Saints above! He's a brute whose name I'd rather not even speak... My former student, do you honestly believe I care for the opinion of a brute like that?"

Lloyd frowned as he listened from the side.

'Is there something wrong with the social climate over in the City of Serenity? Does everyone there have a superiority complex?'

'The White Knight, Balderes, was always calling people 'mediocre,' and now this old man was calling everyone a 'brute.' It seemed they looked down on everybody.'

While complaining internally, Lloyd saw the old man fish two exquisite little boxes out of his Storage Bag. They were emitting a somewhat familiar Spiritual Energy.

The old man continued,

"My generosity corresponds to my strict standards. These contain the core materials for a Veto system user to advance to Tier Five, and they are top-quality, brimming with Spiritual Energy. If you can meet my requirements, they are yours. Furthermore, I will give you a fair evaluation in my letter of recommendation."

The two boxes made both Lloyd and Korall's eyes widen. They likely hadn't expected the man to be so incredibly wealthy.

'As the most popular system at the moment, Veto's Tier Five advancement was the most critical Transcendence. The price of its core materials could no longer be measured in mere money.'

'Lloyd had taken a look around the trading hall on the club's second floor before. The five core materials needed for the Tier Five advancement were almost exclusively bartered. No one even talked about money anymore.'

'The items used for these trades were either core materials for other systems, Holy Artifacts with special functions, or something like the deed to a large mansion...'

'If Lloyd could get his hands on these two boxes and wasn't planning on advancing to Tier Five, he could move straight into a mansion.'

'Of course, the advancement was a must. The mansion could wait.'

'Compared to the Storage Bag and the twice-used Tier 5 Holy Artifact that Shandu had previously offered, this old man, despite his harsh words, was offering far, far too much...'

Lloyd was naturally determined to get his hands on those two boxes.

If he could obtain these two materials, in addition to the one promised by his butler Randolph, he would have three of the five materials needed for his Tier Five advancement.

Although he was still a little ways off from Tier Five, it was always best to be prepared.

Therefore, he absolutely could not let these two materials slip through his fingers!

At this, Lloyd was instantly energized. He nodded and replied humbly,

"Excellent. I, too, hold myself to a strict standard. In that case... I invite you to witness the art of 'dissection.'"