Leveling Up by Executing Monsters

As Lloyd observed the others, the two ’readers’ directly competing with him were also secretly observing him, quietly extending their inspiration while trying to avoid causing any power fluctuations in the air.

The Tier Four investigator was the first to start his train of thought:

’This guy... is this the super genius that Lord Shandu praised so highly? He looks so young, but there’s no trace of power emanating from him, which means his Tier isn’t very high. Probably below Tier Three. A bit on the low side.’

’He might have exceptionally outstanding talent, and he’s definitely very smart, but his youth also means a lack of experience. He’s bound to have some minor flaws like arrogance. In our ’game,’ that’s a fatal weakness.’

’Even if he’s some super genius, he can’t be a genius in every field, can he? Nothing to be afraid of.’

’This guy with the [Wisdom] system, on the other hand, looks formidable. And as it happens, [Wisdom] specializes in the Consciousness Realm, giving him an advantage the rest of us lack. He’ll probably be a very tough opponent...’

’But I’m an expert at breaking [Stories]! I have a talent for it that those two can’t possibly match, and what’s more, I have the help of my [Law]! It allows me to regain my sense of self at the fastest possible speed.’

’So... I can win!’

After this train of thought, a confident smile spread across the investigator’s face.

Meanwhile, the Tier Four scholar, after his own observations, was also making deductions and judgments in his mind:

’So this young man is the Lloyd that Master Alfred called the ’Bright Star’? Hmm, he certainly has a fine appearance. His Tier is a bit low, and he’s not yet emanating any fluctuations of power, which is actually a unique advantage for him.’

’If he obtains a power within the [Story] that is beyond his comprehension, he might just wake up from it. I wonder if Lady Inesha arranged for that kind of ’plot’?’

’Unfortunately, even if he does wake up quickly, it will likely be very difficult for him to escape the ’plot’s’ control. The [Veto] system, which is all-powerful in the real world, is not of much use inside a [Story]. If he wants to break it, it will definitely take a great deal of effort.’

’It will probably take him several hours, I’d guess?’

’So he shouldn’t be much of a threat to me. A genius is no big deal. Who here isn’t a genius, after all?’

’This investigator from the [Law] system, on the other hand, will likely be my main competitor. The [Law] system has an absolute advantage when it comes to maintaining self-Cognition...’

’Besides, the guy looks very experienced, so he’s definitely going to be very tricky to deal with.’

’But the power of [Law] is also difficult to utilize within a [Story]. When he eventually tries to break it, he’ll also have to expend a great deal of effort. It will definitely take him several hours, too.’

’I can still hold the advantage and the initiative. As long as I can recover my self-Cognition in time, I’m confident I can end the [Story] within two hours—a speed that neither of them can hope to match.’

’After all, this is the domain of thought and consciousness—the absolute home field for my [Wisdom] system!’

’So... I can win!’

After this train of thought, the scholar nodded to himself, his confidence soaring.

Just then, the three big shots finished their rather impolite pleasantries, and the butler took the lead to reiterate the rules of this ’wager’.

"The use of Holy Artifacts is forbidden, but Extraordinary Abilities and various potions may be used."

"Do not threaten the lives of the ’readers.’ No retaliation is permitted afterward, regardless of who wins or loses."

"No colluding to cheat in advance, no..."

"The final outcome will be decided by the time it takes to break the [Stories]. The ultimate winner is the one whose [Story] is solved by the fewest people and takes the longest to break."

After the rules were restated, this shocking wager involving three Tier Seven powerhouses officially began.

Everyone first entered the inn. Then, the three ’readers’ went to the second floor to choose their respective rooms, where they would begin their respective [Stories].

The three big shots, meanwhile, went to the third floor and sat down in a simple conference room that had been temporarily converted from a bedroom. From there, they would host their own [Stories] and supervise the actions of the other two.

"Same as usual?"

The butler sat down at a natural wood table, took out a standard six-sided die, and placed an exquisitely crafted card adorned with complex patterns face down on the table.

The card looked something like a greeting card or a postcard. It was the butler’s [Story].

"Ladies first."

The big shot named Olga also sat down nearby. He then placed a notebook face down on the table. That was his [Story].

"Heh~"

The big shot named Inesha grabbed the die, casually rolled it, and then placed her [Story]—a fairytale-style pop-up book—on the table.

Next, the three big shots took turns rolling the die to decide whose [Story] would go first.

......

Lloyd chose the room at the end of the left corridor. With one hand, he did a quick tidy-up and inspection, then pushed open the window for some fresh air.

His other, free hand was tightly clutching the Saint Statue in his pocket.

In addition to the somewhat spartan room before him, his vision also included lines of text and numbers on his panel.

According to the rules, the game had officially begun the moment he entered this room.

He would not be able to leave the room until he broke today’s [Story], or until time was up and he was rescued by the big shots.

So, upon entering the room, Lloyd, drawing on his previous experience, kept his panel constantly open.

And he tightly gripped his ’girl next door’ in his hand.

His ’girl next door’ was, of course, as gentle as ever, squeezing his hand back tightly, her palm warm and smooth.

After giving the room a quick inspection, Lloyd suddenly saw the panel before him blur and flicker, and a narrator’s voice promptly sounded in his ear:

"You are Tom, a folklorist who loves to travel and explore. You just arrived in this small town yesterday and participated in a lively festival..."

"You were fascinated by the festival. You became completely immersed in the celebratory atmosphere and had a wonderful time. There, you met a passionate and beautiful girl, and you firmly believe that this is the love you have been longing for..."

"She is hiding in your bed right now, and her father is anxiously searching for her..."

As the narrator spoke, a bulging, translucent veil appeared out of thin air on the previously empty bed, completely failing to conceal the hot, shapely curves beneath.

A stunning blonde woman was lying on the bed. Her beautiful face held a pitiful sorrow, and she stared hopefully at Lloyd as she spoke with a slight sob in her voice:

"Darling, my father is looking for me, but I don’t want to go home. I just want to be with you forever."

As she spoke, she licked her rosy lips, lowered her voice, and said in an incredibly seductive tone:

"Should we squeeze in another round?"

Lloyd nodded and walked to the bedside, as if he had completely immersed himself in the role of ’folklorist Tom’.

"Hmm..."

After looking down to carefully examine the ’love of his life’ before him, he continued:

"This probably isn’t the butler’s story. Otherwise, he would know that I prefer white hair..."

With that, he suddenly bellowed:

"In the name of Veto!"