Leveling Up by Executing Monsters

Chapter 115: Chapter 115: More Good News Than Bad

Lloyd was naturally happy to see his [Orbital Control] had gotten stronger. He’d always had high hopes for this skill.

Although it now had a (Twist) suffix...

It wasn’t a big deal. He just had to be careful not to add random materials.

After taking stock of his gains, Lloyd also clarified his goal for the next phase—

To complete the third Transcendence of the [Twist] system as soon as possible.

The panel had specifically reminded him about this.

And he was currently very close to his third Transcendence.

He would wait until he got paid to buy a "Gushing Blood Spring." Before then, he would try to acquire "High-Risk Demon’s Nerve Endings" by salvaging scraps or getting them from the Dream Theater, using the advancement of his [Veto] system to complete his third [Transcendence].

Payday was next week, which was very soon.

As for right now, he’d first write the anonymous tip, fulfilling his duty as a concerned citizen.

Lloyd returned to his room, picked up a pen and paper, and wrote a not-so-detailed anonymous letter.

It only briefly described the situation in the Underground City: that a nefarious organization had taken root there, possibly possessed various dangerous items, and seemed to be conducting evil rituals that could affect many people.

Because he was involved, he couldn’t write in too much detail. He could only hope that the Saint’s Grace Court would take it seriously and put some effort into it.

If that place was left unchecked for a long time, allowing that crazy dance party to continue, it would likely become a major incident down the line...

At the same time, Lloyd also hoped that the situation down there today would be noticed by the police, who would then discover the people on the dance floor...

But then again, since an entire, massive sewer network had already been built there, it must have been a project with a huge investment of capital and manpower in its early years. Why was it abandoned halfway through?

After finishing the anonymous letter, Lloyd went out again to mail it, then found something to eat for a simple dinner.

Today was the launch day for his sister Evelor’s magazine. She had told him in advance that she would be home late and that he shouldn’t wait up for her.

But Lloyd, considering how tired his sister would surely be when she got back, carefully selected a few of her favorite desserts for her to replenish her sugar levels when she returned.

On the way, he also made a stop at a street-side newsstand.

"I’ll take one... no, two copies of *Incredible Folklore*."

Lloyd held up two fingers to the owner.

The owner rummaged through a large pile of magazines for a while, then finally shrugged and asked:

"This one you’re talking about, it’s not a popular magazine, is it?"

"Not yet, but if you don’t stock up now, you might not be able to order it in the future."

Lloyd warned him seriously before moving on to another newsstand.

But they didn’t have it either...

He went to two more, walking three streets away, before he finally managed to buy two copies.

That newsstand had only ordered three copies in total, showing a distinct lack of foresight.

Shaking his head, Lloyd stopped by the club, then locked himself in the basement to test his upgraded [Orbital Control] skill with cheap materials.

The effect was great. A practice Orbit that would have originally taken up half a table could now be shrunk down to a pattern the size of his palm.

But the Spiritual Energy it emitted was also severely reduced, meaning the Orbit’s effect was drastically weakened...

If he wanted to maintain the original effect while miniaturizing it, he would need to increase the cost and use better materials.

’Why is something like conservation of energy even a thing here?’

Lloyd grumbled in resignation.

It seemed that if he wanted to make big money with portable Orbits, he’d have to find ways to control costs himself, and also have Balderes work harder to see if it could be further optimized.

After practicing with the Orbits for a while, Lloyd waited until the club manager was busy swindling someone into a membership, then slipped out and headed home.

Then, he waited for his sister to come home while reading her magazine.

He ended up waiting a long, long time, but before his sister arrived, a message came from Weiya. The amethyst earring lit up again.

"Lloyd, are you asleep?"

"Not yet. I’m waiting for my sister to get home."

"I see... She must be really busy today... By the way, did you have any luck finding the materials this afternoon?"

"I did, but it’s so expensive..."

"Is it the ’Gushing Blood Spring’? How much are you short? I can lend you some money."

Weiya’s words warmed Lloyd’s heart. An involuntary smile spread across his face, and he felt the amethyst earring he was holding, originally hard and cold, suddenly become gentle and warm.

He almost said something rash.

But the words reached his lips, and he swallowed them back down.

’A pretty girl willing to proactively offer you money is a rare treasure in this world.’

’I have to cherish her!’

That restless impulse stirring in his heart had to be forcibly suppressed.

He was afraid that if he said certain things, he might never get a chance to speak with Weiya again...

"Lloyd? Why aren’t you saying anything?"

Seeing that Lloyd hadn’t answered, Weiya asked again, her voice urgent.

Lloyd quickly replied:

"It’s nothing, I was just calculating. Hmm... After running the numbers, I realized I just need to wait until my next paycheck. The bounties I’m earning now are quite substantial."

This wasn’t him bragging to Weiya; in fact, he was being rather modest.

On average, a Level -3 Demon earned him a bounty of three to four thousand, though the average was dragged down by those three Out of Control ones...

And so far this month, he had already killed over a hundred Level -3s, which would total an income of around 500,000.

Achieving a monthly income of half a million just two months into the job, putting him on par with the white-collar elites of the New City District, made Lloyd feel a little proud.

But the moment he thought about the prices of the Transcendence materials he’d need later, which easily started in the six figures, Lloyd couldn’t feel proud at all...

’The pricing is so unscientific! It’s outrageous!’

The key was, ordinary Extraordinary Beings advanced on a yearly basis, while he advanced on a weekly basis. The financial pressure was suddenly much greater...

Weiya had some idea of Lloyd’s income and continued:

"Lloyd, you execute so many Demons every day. Are you really not under any mental stress?"

"It’s no problem. Even the Chief Judge praised my talent."

"Mm, I believe that, but please don’t push yourself too hard. If you need my help, just ask."

Weiya said this, then lowered her voice and added softly:

"Or you could ask Meditis..."

’From her tone, did she sound a little reluctant?’

Lloyd smiled and replied:

"Mhm, don’t worry, I know my limits... By the way, have you read my sister’s magazine?"

"Yes, I read two more stories. They’re very interesting. I like the style."

"What a coincidence, I like it too. Looks like we have another topic in common?"

"Hehe, yes..."

A delicate laugh from Weiya came through the earring, making Lloyd’s heart feel ticklish. He wished he could see her smile in person.

She was already beautiful, but her smile was exceptionally so...

The two chatted for another ten-plus minutes about the stories in the magazine before reluctantly ending the call as it grew late.

’If only she had feelings for me in that way, too...’

Lloyd pouted and muttered to himself.

Just then, he heard the sound of a car braking downstairs. A moment later, he saw the front door open to reveal an exhausted Evelor.

Her head was hanging low, looking like she was about to fall asleep on her feet. Even the dazed hair on top of her head was drooping. She was carrying two food containers.

It wasn’t until she saw Lloyd approaching that she managed to perk up and force a smile.

"Sorry, Yi, for making you wait up so late for me."

"It’s okay, Sis. You worked hard today."

Lloyd said, taking the food containers from his sister’s hands and glancing at them curiously.

"It’s all some of your favorite desserts. I was afraid you’d be hungry and need to replenish your sugar, so I made a special detour to buy them."

Evelor explained.

Lloyd turned his head and glanced at the desserts he himself had bought, now sitting on the table.

When it came to caring for each other, the brother and sister were truly on the same wavelength.

Unfortunately, it was too late. Eating now would make it hard to sleep, so they’d just have to eat them together tomorrow morning.

Lloyd wasn’t worried about them going bad. Even after sitting out all night, they would surely still be sweet and delicious.

「...」

After the entire Radiant City had gradually fallen into slumber, there were still people who couldn’t sleep, relying on coffee to stay awake.

"Captain, the preliminary report is in."

A Saint’s Hunter wearing a fox mask ran up to a corner in the sewers, holding a few pages of documents.

The captain of the Fox Squad had set up a small charcoal stove here, on which a large pot of fragrant coffee was brewing, its aroma drifting far.

"Sit and talk."

The captain pointed to a broken slab of stone across from him, then poured his subordinate a cup of coffee with absolutely no sugar or milk.

He then picked up his own half-full cup, warming his hands while blowing on the constantly rising steam.

The subordinate didn’t rush to drink the coffee, instead delivering the bad news first:

"The bad news for now is that we haven’t found any clues about the perpetrator. The Divination also failed; it was interfered with by the powers of four systems: [Veto], [Wisdom], [Manifestation], and possibly [Twist]...

The Divination Master said that even if we killed him, he wouldn’t continue."

Only then did he carefully take a sip of coffee before relaying the good news:

"The good news is, the people who were caught up in it are mostly fine. No one died, and they’ve all been sent to Saint Yor Mental Hospital. According to their preliminary assessment, most are only suffering from Mild Madness, with only a few individuals in more serious condition...

Next, the Flying Bird Squad and the Black Bear Squad took the opportunity to bust a den of criminals. The preliminary judgment is that it’s the notorious ’Free Style’ Association. The relevant Spirit Communication is in progress, and we’ll have to wait until tomorrow for the results.

Lastly, there really wasn’t a pipe leak down here."

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