Leveling Up by Executing Monsters

Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Audience with the Saint

Lloyd held the small bell in his hands, stunned for a few seconds before he managed to say:

"Uh... thank you!"

"Heehee~ No need to thank me. It’s only because you finish all my work for me every day. I’d hate to owe you a favor..."

The Drunkard spoke in that same sarcastic tone, adding:

"Oh, right. You have to give it back to me every time you’re done. Don’t you dare take it home! I’m the worst woman in the world, you know. Very petty."

"Okay."

Lloyd agreed, then said once more:

"Thank you for your help, Senior Meditis."

She didn’t say anything else, just went back to chugging her booze, GLUG GLUG GLUG.

Holding the small bell, Lloyd walked out of the library, his thoughts turning to the Drunkard.

’She might be a loon, always with a bottle in her hand, talking in that sarcastic way that makes her hard to communicate with. And she’s always calling herself the ’worst woman,’ but she doesn’t have the great figure a bad woman should. She’s short, and you can’t even tell her front from her back.’

’But when the library was attacked before, she was the first one to step up, and she even shielded me behind her.’

’Later, after Weiya’s incident, she came to visit me and even did a hands-on checkup before leaving.’

’Then there was my promotion ceremony. She attended that too, leaving behind some not-so-pleasant congratulations.’

’And finally today, she lent me this valuable little bell for free...’

’This is the worst woman in the world?’

’She’s actually a really good person, isn’t she? Too bad she has a mouth...’

Lloyd made the comment, unsure whether to laugh or cry. He decided he wouldn’t call her "Drunkard" anymore.

’If I get the chance in the future, maybe I can make some physical contact with her and alleviate some of her madness.’

He had actually asked Weiya about Meditis before, but Weiya had just given him a few perfunctory answers without saying much. He had never seen the two of them interact on a normal day, either. It was clear they didn’t get along.

’Whatever. I should stay out of women’s affairs. Better to just focus on my studies and get stronger.’

Lloyd shook his head and went to the quartermaster’s office to request some cheap Orbit materials like incense, candles, and potions.

Then he returned to his office and, following the memories of the traitor Williams, began to set up the Orbit.

[Intense Concentration] had to be easy to pick up to have become the most popular Orbit of the day. Besides, with the help of his [Orbital Control], Lloyd set it up with practiced ease in just a few moves.

The lit incense and candles were placed in their corresponding positions. Then, he used a potion containing a trace amount of Spiritual Energy to dilute a pale blue ink, which he used to draw several simple patterns on the floor and walls.

Then, he sprinkled crushed Memory Flower petals and placed the small bell in the very center of his desk.

Finally, with some reluctance, he opened the deepest compartment of his file cabinet, took out the Saint Statue that only had the silhouette of a young girl, and placed it next to the bell.

And with that, the simple Orbit was set up.

Unfortunately, his understanding of this Orbit wasn’t deep enough yet, so he couldn’t make it portable.

Next, Lloyd adjusted his chair to get into the most comfortable and relaxed sitting position possible. He then gently flicked the small bell on his desk and infused it with a bit of Spiritual Power.

The entire Orbit began to activate, and the small bell started spinning like a top.

A faint ringing immediately sounded in Lloyd’s mind. His mood relaxed, but his focus sharpened. All stray thoughts were cast aside, leaving only one idea—

Learn, learn seriously, learn with focus!

He then guided his consciousness back into his [Thought Realm] and began his first [Audience with the Saint].

It was the same apocalyptic scene as before: dim, desolate, and lonely. The Spiral Towers still stood tall, and in the dim light, they seemed to be slowly rotating and twisting.

The only different color was beneath Lloyd’s feet—that same patch of lush green grass, blooming with unnamable blue and white wildflowers and dotted with a few coral-like decorations.

Under the influence of the Orbit, Lloyd was in no mood to admire the scenery. He sat down cross-legged and looked up at the nearest double-helix Spiral Tower.

Pure white and deathly gray, light gauze and bandages—two colors and two textures twisted and intertwined like a DNA structure, winding their way upward.

Lloyd stared at it for a few seconds and gradually heard two sounds in his ears.

In his left ear, there was a soft murmur, somewhat like a woman’s voice, whispering gently by his ear.

In his right ear, however, was a bizarre muttering—low, hoarse, and indistinct, with a strange quality to it.

The two sounds drifted into his ears and converged in his mind, gradually merging into fragments of words.

This caused Lloyd to feel a slight stinging pain in his brain, but it was tolerable—just a mild discomfort, like he hadn’t slept well.

Then, the system panel decided to join the fun and began to chime with notifications:

[Ding~ Madness Value +1]

[Ding~ Skill Fragment +1]

A dozen or so seconds later, another set arrived:

[Ding~ Madness Value +1]

[Ding~ Skill Fragment +1]

Under the combined effect of these three sounds, Lloyd felt his head start to itch, as if it were about to grow another brain.

His eardrums also felt itchy, as if something were gently scratching them.

His skin began to itch too, as if little bugs were crawling all over it.

He gradually began to lose track of time. Even the thought of ’studying hard’ was gone from his mind; he was simply, greedily, absorbing the influx of knowledge.

He didn’t know how much time had passed until a sharp, piercing ring suddenly echoed in his ears, jolting his eyes open and pulling him from the [Thought Realm] back to reality.

"Hah... hah... Three hours have already passed?"

Lloyd first glanced at his pocket watch, then looked around him.

The incense and candles had burned out. The patterns drawn on the walls and floor had dried up and vanished. The small bell on the desk was no longer spinning, lying there quietly.

As for the Saint Statue directly facing him, it still only had the silhouette of a young girl, with no facial features or other details. And yet, it seemed to exude a gentle gaze, calmly observing him.

Lloyd’s previously relaxed mood instantly tensed up. His mind involuntarily started racing. ’Should I say hello?’

But after two seconds, the gaze vanished.

Lloyd immediately let out a long sigh of relief.

’Looks like the Saint noticed me again this time...’

’But it seems she still didn’t discover anything. Her gaze was as gentle as ever.’

’I guess I passed this time, too.’

Lloyd quickly and respectfully placed the Saint Statue back into the deepest part of the file cabinet and locked it tightly.

Only then did he call up the panel and review the messy pile of notifications from before.

The Madness Value increase wasn’t much, only a dozen or so points in total—hardly enough for a mosquito to bite.

He had also gained a dozen or so skill fragments, which combined into a skill:

[Sufficient skill fragments acquired. Skill unlocked—Veto Declaration (Twist), LV1]

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