Leveling Up by Executing Monsters

Having survived the ordeal, Elolo felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her. She didn’t want to move a muscle.

She knelt there on the ice-cold floor with her eyes closed, tightly hugging the octopus plushie. She rubbed her cheek against its soft fuzz again and again, and when she thought no one was watching, she stole a few secret kisses.

It brought her a profound sense of peace.

She gradually grew drowsier and drowsier, eventually drifting into a heavy sleep.

She didn’t know how much time had passed before her consciousness slowly began to stir. She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt as heavy as iron gates, refusing to budge.

Her mind felt fuzzy, caught in the hazy state between dream and reality, and she had no idea where she was.

A faint, muffled sound reached her ears, as if it were passing through a thick quilt, making it difficult to discern.

But amidst the noise, she managed to pick out a familiar voice, which was roaring in anger:

"Let her go! She’s my daughter!"

’Dad?’

The thought flashed through Elolo’s mind.

Then, a series of images floated before her eyes.

First, it was a young man in a white lab coat taking her, as a little girl, fishing by a lake.

The water was clear, but the fish were cunning; they just wouldn’t bite the hook...

"Daddy, why won’t the fishies bite the hook?"

"Ahem... Well, that’s obviously because your daddy is just too incredible! All the fishies are scared of me, so they don’t dare come near. Hahaha..."

Then it was the same young man in the white lab coat, holding her hand as they rode the Ferris wheel in their small town.

The amusement park was completely empty, without another soul in sight...

"Daddy, why is it just the two of us here?"

"Haha... Well... That’s because your daddy is a very powerful person, of course! Wherever I am, no one else dares to come close. So, this whole amusement park is open just for us. How about that? Your daddy’s pretty incredible, isn’t he?"

Later, the young man was sitting by the same lakeside where they had fished. A fishing rod was propped up at his feet, but the hook was bare, without even a trace of bait. He was completely absorbed in fiddling with a dark, clunky device in his hands.

Now much older, she watched him intently and asked with curiosity:

"Dad, what’s that in your hands?"

"This? It used to be a powerful weapon, but it’s been in disrepair for a long time and doesn’t work anymore. I’m trying to figure out how to fix it. But don’t you worry, I’ll definitely manage. After all, your dad is the most powerful person in the world!"

Yet another scene: the young man was crouching by her bed. As if performing a Magic trick, he pulled a fluffy octopus plushie from behind his back. He wiggled the plushie and spoke in a funny voice:

"RAWR RAWR! Lord Uther is coming to get Elolo!"

She giggled, snatching the plushie and hugging it tightly.

The young man then gently ruffled her hair and said with a smile:

"There now. With Lord Uther to keep you company, you can sleep soundly, okay? Just remember not to run around at night. And whatever you do, do not leave your room."

The scenes shifted again, flashing by one after another before finally settling on a single image—

A middle-aged man in a white lab coat sat in his study, staring at a large pile of filthy, dust-covered devices and scratching his head in frustration.

She, having just turned fifteen, peeked her head around the doorframe. She cautiously told him she had made some new friends, explaining how they all played as different pieces on a game board and had a wonderful time together.

The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment after hearing this. Then, his worried expression softened into a relieved smile, and he said in an earnest, heartfelt tone:

"I’m happy you’ve made new friends, but you must be careful. Don’t trust anyone too easily. If something feels wrong, leave that place immediately... Oh, and one more thing. Do not, under any circumstances, let Miss Xie Beileida or Madame Haima know about this. I mean it, absolutely do not!"

In the final image, it was again the young man in the white lab coat. He quietly slipped a shimmering Gold card into her hand, ruffled her hair, and said with a sigh of resignation:

"I’m not much use... I can’t help you much. I hope this invitation can help you. If you can... no, when you grow up, you must remember to go out and see the world. It’s a vast and wonderful place. You have to go see it..."

"Huh? But aren’t you a High-ranking Powerhouse, Dad?"

"Ahaha, yes, of course I am! Your dad is incredible! I’ll always protect you!"

As these images flashed through her mind, Elolo suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head, like the pricking of needles.

It hurt so much she wanted to cry, but she could feel no tears...

As the pain intensified, the images began to blur and distort, like photographs catching fire—fading, curling, and crumbling away until nothing but fine ash remained.

Then, she once again heard that familiar voice, now pleading desperately:

"No! Stop! I’m begging you! Please, spare my daughter! I’m her father! I’ll do anything for her!"

Elolo froze. A question suddenly surfaced in her mind:

’Dad...’

’What is that?’

Then, another voice reached her ears—one devoid of all emotion, as cold as a tomb:

"Researcher Number Five, your mental state has become unstable. You’ve forgotten that your daughter passed away long ago. And she... is not your personal property."

"You bastards! I’ll fucking kill you! AHHHHH! Gck..."

With the dull thud of a heavy body hitting the floor, a brief moment of silence fell.

About two minutes later, a voice finally broke the silence:

"Leader, this guy was carrying a prohibited Ancient Relic. It may possess some offensive capabilities."

"Oh? So that’s where the public funds he misappropriated went... No matter. Compared to the ’crimes against humanity’ and ’endangering public safety’ he has committed, ’misappropriation of public funds’ and ’dereliction of duty’ are trivial offenses."

"Will he be locked up in the ’High-Security Ward’ for life?"

"Perhaps. But we don’t have the authority to sentence him. That’s a matter for the Judgment Court... By the way, has that plushie been examined? Where did that dangerous power on it come from?"

"It’s currently under further investigation. It’s just..."

"’Just’ what? Spit it out! Don’t stammer!"

"Yes, sir. It’s just that the Divination Master in charge of divining its origin and purpose went mad... in a very bizarre way. He claimed he saw a colossal, sky-scraping giant with bulging muscles and a head shaped like a bucket. It was hoisting a heavy-duty steamroller to smash him, and then... he just completely lost his mind."

"Heh... Looks like some powerful player has taken an interest in us..."

"Probably not just any powerful player. After all, with Miss Xie Beileida’s combat prowess, any enemy below Tier Five is an easy kill. For them to take her out using just a plushie... it’s simply inconceivable."

"Then continue the investigation. Bring in some more experienced Divination Masters. We must determine the origin of this plushie."

"Yes, sir!"

"Leader, our process is complete. Elolo is back to being that clever, sensible, and adorably naive girl."

"Then send her back to her room... Right, remember to remove all the mirrors from her room. Only one mirror is to be left in the entire house, and from now on, she is only permitted to look at it under Miss Xie Beileida’s supervision."

"Understood!"

Elolo listened to their conversation in a daze, completely unable to understand what they were talking about.

She just felt that her mind was utterly empty. She didn’t want to think, and she didn’t want to remember.

And yet, subconsciously, she kept repeating to herself:

’Elolo, be strong... You have to be strong...’

...

She didn’t know how long had passed before she opened her eyes again to the familiar sight of the cartoon stars on her ceiling.

She sat up on the edge of her bed in a daze and noticed a brand-new, fluffy octopus plushie by her pillow. It wore a top hat and had a handlebar mustache, giving it an endearingly silly look.

Elolo tilted her head, staring at the plushie for a moment. Then she reached out, gave it a pinch, and shoved it onto the floor with a look of disgust.

Then she stuck out her dainty, pale feet and stomped on it forcefully a few times.

She felt such a toy was far too childish and unbefitting of a young lady like herself.

But for some unknown reason, a wave of sadness and grief welled up in her heart.

She paused, took her foot off the octopus plushie, picked it back up, and placed it beside her pillow once more.

Just then, Xie Beileida pushed the door open and walked in. With a stern expression, she said:

"Miss, it is time to wake up and have breakfast with the Master."

Elolo nodded and obediently sat down at the mirrorless vanity, allowing Miss Xie Beileida to style her hair and dress her, expertly combing the single, defiant cowlick on her head until it was perfectly curled and perky.

Next, with Miss Xie Beileida’s help, she put on an elegant ladies’ blazer and a pair of small shorts that revealed her long, smooth, and shapely legs. Adopting the standard, graceful gait of a proper lady, she followed the attendant to the dining hall.

A long dining table was set there, so long that if two people sat at opposite ends, they wouldn’t be able to make out each other’s faces.

Elolo sat at one end, looking at the middle-aged man far, far away at the other, his features a complete blur.

In truth, she had no idea who he was.

But the words came out of her mouth unbidden:

"Good morning... Dad."

"Mm. Eat your breakfast."

The reply drifted over from the far end of the table, laced with an emotion that felt foreign to Elolo.

’Was it called... indifference? Or maybe... dismissiveness? Disgust?’

Elolo wasn’t sure. She decided she would ask the well-informed Madame Haima about it later.

The silent breakfast ended quickly.

Her ’father’ on the opposite end dropped his utensils and napkin, commanding:

"I have matters to attend to. Make sure you study diligently with Madame Haima."

With that, he turned and left without a backward glance.

Miss Xie Beileida was busy cleaning up in the kitchen, leaving Elolo all alone in the vast, empty dining hall.

A beam of light streamed in from the window, falling upon her lovely cheek.

It looked like the morning sun, yet it felt cold, so cold that Elolo instinctively reached up to touch her face.

Her fingertips came away wet...

It wasn’t the sunlight that was cold, after all.

It was her own tears, streaming down her face for reasons she couldn’t comprehend.