Leveling Up by Executing Monsters

Chapter 145: Chapter 145: Aftermath

Lloyd was left utterly speechless, startled and flustered by the Grand Judge’s erratic way of thinking.

But as if that wasn’t enough, the man continued to press him.

"Hm? What’s with that guilty look? Don’t tell me you don’t like women?"

"No, that’s not it. I already have a girl I like."

Lloyd hurriedly explained.

"Then I can rest easy. Remember to seize the opportunity, little bro. Get married quickly, and make sure you do it before Tier Five. That’s very important for us Extraordinary Beings!"

The Armored Knight added earnestly, then waved his hand and turned to leave with a flourish.

"I’ll leave the cleanup to you."

His figure flickered a few times before quickly vanishing from sight.

Lloyd and the Chief Judge were left behind to deal with the Advisors scattered all over the ground.

The Chief Judge, as if performing a magic trick, pulled a bottle of special spray fuel from beneath his black robes and handed it to Lloyd.

Lloyd was actually quite familiar with this type of fuel canister. He used it often, as it was the same kind used in Tower Nine to dispose of Demon corpses. It contained a hint of Veto’s aura, had a high combustion value, and ensured everything would be burned clean.

Then, the Chief Judge patiently used the power of Veto to eliminate the Spiritual Power still dissipating in the air. He then had Lloyd incinerate the Advisors on the ground one by one, not even leaving a speck of ash behind. With that, the battlefield was considered clean.

The Chief Judge said that the Saint’s Grace Court would handle any further cleanup.

As for the few red worms the Advisor had left behind, the Chief Judge neither mentioned nor asked about them. It was unclear if he was even aware of them.

Once they were finished, the two of them walked back to the Eighteenth District.

As they walked, the Chief Judge tried to smooth things over.

"His Excellency, the Grand Judge, has always been an optimistic, positive, and approachable leader. He doesn’t get bogged down in trivial matters. Not like me, always worrying over every little thing."

"I don’t disrespect him in the slightest. In fact, I found him exceptionally friendly."

Lloyd said quickly.

’He meant it, too.’

Although the Grand Judge’s style was cheerful and unrestrained, and he enjoyed acting like a buddy to his juniors, he didn’t feel like a high-ranking, powerful leader. He was more like the big brother next door who would drag you along to go wild.

But Lloyd didn’t feel the slightest bit of disrespect.

For one, he truly possessed the strength and bearing of a powerhouse. Facing a formidable enemy like the Advisor, he still worked hard to control the field and avoid harming innocents. Later, he went head-to-head with the Advisor, pinning down most of its power and attention, which created the final opening.

’It would be nice if his powers had some flashy visual effects, otherwise it’s hard for others to understand his methods.’

On the other hand, Lloyd felt that the Grand Judge probably knew more about him than he let on. He could vaguely sense it from some of the man’s subtle actions; he likely knew something.

For example, the Grand Judge had definitely seen the worms the Advisor left behind at the end. He had even called out to stop Lloyd.

But afterward, he didn’t say much about it. He didn’t even check on Lloyd’s mental state. Instead, he heaped praise on him, which was clearly an abnormal reaction...

’Was there a kind of tacit understanding between them?’

Lloyd also sensed that the Grand Judge very likely knew why the Saint had issued such a decree.

But he still said nothing, just pretending not to know...

’The minds of high-ranking powerhouses were truly hard to fathom, whether it was the Saint, the Grand Judge, or the Chief Judge right beside him.’

’In any case, there was no Batman in this world, so all the big shots had decided to become Riddlers...’

Lloyd sighed to himself, then heard the Chief Judge continue.

"You must commit the process of tonight’s battle to memory and analyze it thoroughly. Even if you don’t understand much of it now, you need to break down the parts that you can grasp. If you have any questions, you can come and discuss them with me..."

"A scene like this, a pure clash of abilities between those of a High Position without the use of Holy Artifacts, is a rare sight."

Lloyd nodded vigorously and then asked.

"So, normally, do High-ranking Powerhouses also rely heavily on Holy Artifacts?"

"It’s not to the point of ’dependence,’ but they are an important ’support.’ The reason the Advisor was so difficult to deal with was that we couldn’t use Holy Artifacts against him. Fortunately, due to the special nature of his life form, he couldn’t use Holy Artifacts either."

"That guy really was brutal..."

Lloyd nodded, a lingering fear in his heart.

’Although the Advisor seemed to have ’temporarily’ died at his own hands, Lloyd recalled the gentle touch on his back and the back of his hand, and the serene voice that had whispered in his ear. It felt more like the Advisor had ’temporarily’ died at the hands of the Saint, didn’t it?’

’But such details didn’t matter. In any case, he was the one who reaped the benefits.’

"Lloyd, the Grand Judge will likely arrange a commendation for you for this mission. However, the Advisor was no lone wolf. On the contrary, he had deep connections with numerous illicit factions. Therefore, we cannot make today’s events public. I hope you can understand," the Chief Judge added.

Lloyd nodded vigorously and said.

"That’s fantastic! My greatest virtues are humility and keeping a low profile. I don’t care about that kind of empty fame at all."

’He had been worried the Holy Judgment Court would prop him up as some young hero who killed the Advisor, turning him into a public target. If the Advisor had any close friends, students, or Claws and Fangs, wouldn’t they come for his head?’

’Them coming for his revenge would be one thing, but what if his sister got dragged into it...’

’Fortunately, the higher-ups had considered everything.’

’This was for the best. A tangible reward without the dangerous reputation.’

But his answer seemed to leave the Chief Judge at a loss for words. He stared blankly for a few seconds before changing the subject.

"After you advance to Tier Three, I plan to arrange for you to study at Mizkakotok University to receive more systematic and formal guidance."

"Huh? What about my job?"

As Lloyd spoke, he searched his memory and realized the name wasn’t unfamiliar.

He had seen it a few times in some textbooks, but not often. In his day-to-day life, he’d never even heard of this university. It obviously wasn’t located in Radiant City.

The Chief Judge explained.

"Don’t worry, you can choose to commute. You won’t need to leave the Eighteenth District. Besides, Mizkakotok University isn’t like a school in the ordinary sense. It’s more like a place such as the ’Dream Theater’."

"Another special Space separate from the real world?"

"Yes. It is also a precious legacy left behind by the pre-cataclysm civilization, so the opportunity to enter is extremely valuable. We might even need your ’Big Brother,’ His Excellency Demani, to help out."

"Your Excellency, Chief Judge, he’s been a bad influence on you."

"Haha, even I can crack a joke now and then."

. . . . . . . .

By the time the two returned to the Eighteenth District, it was already almost three in the morning.

The Chief Judge instructed Lloyd to return to Tower Nine and rest. He added that they wouldn’t be releasing any danger level 3 Demons into the tower tomorrow, so he should get plenty of rest and properly analyze the day’s events.

Then, he floated away, disappearing into the surrounding darkness.

Lloyd used the light from the surrounding streetlamps to hurry back to Tower Nine.

But as soon as he got near the entrance, he was stunned.

He saw Weiya sitting all alone on a chair, holding a sleeping kitten in her arms. She was staring anxiously toward the main gate, her beautiful face filled with worry and concern.

’She looked like a young wife, waiting for her husband to return home safely.’

The moment she saw Lloyd appear, she rushed over, throwing herself into his arms without a second thought. She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, pressing her forehead against his chest and nuzzling him repeatedly.

Lloyd froze for a moment, then instinctively wrapped his arms around Weiya’s delicate body. He rested his chin on the top of her head, secretly inhaling the faint fragrance of her hair.

Neither of them said a word. They just held each other tightly, as if this was a moment they had long been waiting for.

But after less than a minute, Lloyd felt a push against his chest.

He thought Weiya had pushed him, as if expressing some form of rejection. His heart instantly sank, and an ache of pain shot through him.

’Huh? Wait a second...’

’Then whose hands were those wrapped around my waist?’

"Ah?"

Weiya let out a small cry and looked up, her pretty face flushed red.

She also thought Lloyd had suddenly pushed her in the chest.

But when she looked, Lloyd’s hands were clearly resting on her shoulders...

’What was going on?’

Lloyd paused, then something suddenly occurred to him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Saint Statue.

The moment she saw the Lord Saint, Weiya instantly became serious. She quickly let go of Lloyd, turned her face to the side, and said with some embarrassment:

"It’s getting late. You should get some rest."

"Mm..."

Lloyd pouted, shoved the Saint Statue back into his pocket, took the kitten, and followed Weiya up to the eighth floor, where they went to their separate rooms to sleep.

Lloyd took a quick shower, flopped onto his bed, and pulled up his status panel.

He had been busy with other things before and hadn’t had a chance to properly take stock of his gains. He finally had a moment now.

Lloyd hadn’t gained much Madness Value from this operation, so he couldn’t add any points, and his four main Attributes remained unchanged. He focused on the parts that had improved:

[Mastered Skills: Focused Learning; Probe; Divination LV4; Dizziness Resistance LV5; Extraordinary Swordsmanship LV2; Twisted Realm LV6; Aggressive Speech LV3; Blessing Distortion LV4; Orbital Control (Twist) LV3]

[Unread Books: *Book of Truth, Volume 1*, Current Reading Progress: 20%]

Lloyd first looked at his core skill, [Twisted Realm].

The upgraded [Twisted Realm], in addition to its original three functions—Consciousness Distortion, Physical Distortion, and Ability Distortion—now had a new effect: Defensive Distortion.

Simply put, it was the same kind of effect the Advisor used to deflect the Grand Judge’s sword.

It required no special control, no lock-on with inspiration, not even a reaction. He just needed to activate [Twisted Realm] to gain this passive defensive effect.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!