Leveling Up by Executing Monsters

Chapter 127: Chapter 127: A Meeting Tonight

When Lloyd took the elevator back to the first floor and the doors opened, he saw Weiya pacing back and forth outside, looking extremely anxious.

The little kitten was perched on her head, constantly looking left and right, appearing just as frantic.

The moment she saw Lloyd appear, she rushed over and asked with great concern:

"How did it go?"

Lloyd smiled and nodded.

"Everything went smoothly."

"Mew! Mew!"

The little kitten meowed plaintively as it leaped directly from Weiya’s head onto Lloyd’s, then began rubbing its head against his incessantly.

"Thank you both for your concern."

Lloyd said, turning his head to glance to the side.

Just in time to see a flash of a white lab coat disappear around the corner.

’In Tower Nine, there aren’t many people who like to wear lab coats, are there?’

"The Chief Judge is also very concerned about your progress. He’s waiting for you in your office," Weiya added as a reminder.

"Oh? I’ll head over then."

"Okay, let’s talk again tonight."

Lloyd trotted back to his office. He found the door open and the Chief Judge, clad in a black robe, floating inside, looking at a painting on the wall.

It depicted a pair of small, scrawny siblings in tattered clothes, holding hands as they wandered a street lined with towering skyscrapers. All around them were well-dressed, upper-class people rushing past, none of them paying any mind to the pitiful brother and sister.

In terms of technique, such as the coloring and linework, it wasn’t very skillful—it was even a bit crude. The subject matter and theme were also very common, the kind of topic that had been painted to death.

All in all, its artistic merit wasn’t high. It wasn’t really worthy of being hung on a wall.

"I bought this two days ago. The artist is a young painter who can barely afford to eat..."

Lloyd said, walking over to the Chief Judge’s side to explain.

He had seen the painter the night before last while passing the used book market outside the club. The man didn’t even have a stall in the market; he could only squat by the roadside to sell his paintings. The hunger was plain on his face, and his eyes held a ravenous gleam as he watched the passersby.

Lloyd had been a little afraid the man might actually start eating people on the street, so he bought this artistically mediocre painting and hung it in his office as a decoration.

It wasn’t that he particularly liked it or related to it. While he and his sister had struggled for all those years, they had also received a great deal of kindness and help.

’And yet the Chief Judge’s assessment of the painting is actually quite good?’

"I can sense that this is a very inspired painter. Though his technique is still raw, if he is given time to hone it, he will surely achieve something great."

’The Chief Judge really has the potential to be a teacher,’ Lloyd thought. ’He sees something and immediately wants to encourage it.’

"Yes, I hope he can make it through," Lloyd said, adding a silent thought in his heart:

’Just don’t end up like that one master from Earth who only sold a single painting in his entire life...’

"Alright, let’s talk about you."

The Chief Judge floated around to face him. His gentle, refined voice once again sounded in Lloyd’s mind, its tone holding clear relief and joy as he continued with his praise:

"Excellent. As expected, you do not disappoint."

Lloyd answered humbly,

"That’s my greatest strength."

The Chief Judge then gave him a few more pieces of advice regarding his future improvement. The gist was to study hard and continue solidifying his foundation.

It was all stuff from the handbook, but more detailed. He suggested Lloyd focus on "Demonology" and "Audience with the Saint." If he had the energy, he could also learn more about "Materials Science."

However, regarding Mysticism, especially Divination, the Chief Judge’s advice was not to get too involved.

Additionally, he recommended Lloyd learn more about ’PvP’ and said he would borrow some combat records from the Saint’s Grace Court for him to study.

"I’m not worried about the speed of your progress. Rather, I’m worried about whether you can protect yourself."

The Chief Judge said earnestly.

Lloyd took the opportunity to ask,

"Is that why you recommended that place to me?"

"Yes. It’s a good place to broaden your horizons and accumulate experience."

"But I feel like that place is full of suspicious points. I get the sense it’s hiding some ulterior secret."

"Mm, I think so too, actually. That’s a consensus many people share... In fact, the investigation into that place has never stopped. Every Sect in every city has invested a considerable amount of power into it, yet to this day, it remains shrouded in mist."

The Chief Judge’s tone gradually relaxed as he spoke, and he added,

"Of course, you can rest assured that it’s safe most of the time, as long as you don’t get addicted or take unnecessary risks... Naturally, if you get the chance to earn points there, it can also greatly relieve financial pressure. It would be even better if you could obtain precious points."

"Oh? Precious points?"

Lloyd pressed on like a Newbie, pretending he didn’t know what precious points were.

The Chief Judge explained simply,

"They’re a special type of point that’s very difficult to obtain. It requires a bit of luck and can be exchanged for items that are very useful to Ascenders and Deputies."

’Ascenders... Deputies... Aren’t those just Tier Seven and Eighth Tier?’

Lloyd finally understood why he couldn’t make sense of the exchange list for precious points. It was because they were for a level far beyond his own...

He mused internally, but continued to ask in the tone of a Newbie:

"Er... If it’s stuff that Tier Seven and Eighth Tier experts need, then these precious points must be incredibly hard to get, right?"

"Yes. I’ve tried a few times before, but... I might not be very good at games..."

The Chief Judge answered frankly, adding another reminder,

"In any case, you can go to that place, but you must not get addicted, and you absolutely must pay attention to your safety."

"Yes, I understand."

Their conversation ended there. The Chief Judge slowly floated out of the room but quickly vanished in the hallway. Lloyd didn’t even notice how he disappeared.

’Is it possible that the Chief Judge who appeared in the office wasn’t even his real body?’

............

"Sis, lately... has anyone been causing trouble at your editorial department? No one’s bullying you, right?"

Lloyd asked while having dinner with Evelor. He then rolled up his sleeve, revealing biceps that had faintly grown a bit larger.

"No, Landis comes over often, so everyone else in the building is pretty scared of us..."

Evelor said, then tilted her head and asked in confusion,

"Yi, why are you rolling up your sleeves? Are you hot?"

Lloyd pouted and rolled his sleeve back down, explaining,

"It’s nothing. I was just thinking that if anyone was bullying you, I could stand up for you."

"That won’t happen. Everyone in the department takes good care of me, and the people in the building are all very friendly. You don’t have to worry about that, Yi... What about you? Are you getting along well with your colleagues?"

"It’s going great. I hear they mention me often in private, and their opinions of me are pretty good."

Lloyd answered truthfully.

This was actually true. The Executors did indeed discuss and mention him often.

Especially in the prison cells. Before they used their knives, they would shout:

"The evil-despising Senior Lloyd!!!"

And only then would they thrust the knife in, as if they were shouting a slogan.

Lloyd had no idea why this was happening and had even specifically discussed it with Weiya.

Weiya had explained it like this:

"It seems it was started by an Executor who really admires you. He’s usually timid and cowardly and didn’t even dare to enter the prison cells, so he was often mocked for it...

Then one day, he finally worked up the courage, took a key to Level -2, and drew a lot of attention. Everyone followed him, expecting to see him make a fool of himself.

But then he shouted, ’I’m going to despise evil just like Senior Lloyd!’ and successfully carried out the execution on Level -2, stunning all the onlookers.

After that, others started to imitate him. It’s been about half a month now, right? The slogan has gradually been simplified to what you heard."

At the time, after hearing this, Lloyd had asked, not knowing whether to laugh or cry,

"What have I done to deserve this? Shouting my name doesn’t actually have any tangible effect, does it?"

"It doesn’t provide any tangible help, no, but it does help them muster their courage. That’s the power of a hero and a role model."

Weiya explained with a slight smile, her tone filled with admiration.

Lloyd, however, found it both funny and exasperating, feeling as if a strange pressure had been placed on his shoulders.

’But there’s nothing to be done. As an ambitious and outstanding young man, this is a burden I must bear...’

’I have to keep working hard. I absolutely cannot let them down!’

After dinner, Lloyd accompanied Evelor in reviewing a few submissions, all of which were unremarkable works. He then claimed to be sleepy.

Then he returned to his room, chatted with Weiya for a little over ten minutes, claimed to be sleepy again, and then returned to the Thought Realm.

Today, it was time to hold a ’Human Future Conference’.

’I wonder if those guys managed to get tickets to the ’Dream Theater’?’

Lloyd released the Tentacle Grass, had it project a screen, and then pressed the ’Start Broadcast’ button.

The figures of four chess pieces gradually appeared on the black and white board.

But unlike before, there were some changes to the four pieces.

The Black Soldier now had a nightcap with a fluffy ball on its head; the Black War Chariot was wearing a suit; the White Knight had on a pair of artisan-style overalls; and the White Bishop had a short, pink skirt.

Yet their forms were still those of chess pieces. Wearing these clothes, they suddenly looked somewhat comical and cute.

"Pfft... They even have outfits now? What’s next, are they going to wear fan badges?"

Lloyd found it rather funny, but the four people on the chessboard felt a surge of anxiety.

They had also noticed that something new had been added to their appearances.

And these new things happened to be the very clothes they were currently wearing in reality...

This very likely meant that their state in the real world was also under the control of this Supreme One...

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