Leveling Up by Executing Monsters

Chapter 71: Chapter 71: The Action Begins

With the Chief Judge’s briefing concluded, a flurry of intense preparations began.

First, the Priest from the Joyful Sect gathered everyone to bestow the blessing of [Shelter].

"You must stand as one, weathering this storm together. Support one another, know one another, and walk toward the future together. Learn to endure suffering, share joy, and embrace each other..."

Lloyd’s brow furrowed as he listened from the side. ’There’s something off about this guy’s prayer,’ he thought. ’It has an... improper feel to it that’s hard to describe.’

The man had white hair and a white beard, giving him a venerable, respected appearance, yet he somehow radiated an aura of complete unreliability...

After the brief ceremony, Lloyd felt an invisible force descend upon him, blanketing his entire body. It felt like he had donned a suit of transparent, unseen armor—solid and sturdy, yet without the slightest hint of weight or substance.

Then, the corners of his mouth pulled into a grin, and he let out two involuntary chuckles.

Beside him, Meditis also suddenly let out a cold, sharp giggle.

It wasn’t just the two of them. Everyone present erupted in various kinds of laughter, one after another, instantly enlivening the serious atmosphere. The heavy weight that had been pressing on their hearts seemed to lighten.

The unreliable old Priest was smiling too. "That’s more like it," he continued.

"Facing danger and adversity with a smile—that is the true essence of [Joy]. And bringing happiness and laughter to others—that is the true meaning of [Shelter]."

’There’s something wrong with what he just said,’ Lloyd thought, ’but I can’t quite put my finger on what it is...’

Taking advantage of everyone being gathered together, he decided to [Investigate] them one by one to see if there were any powerhouses on the team.

After casting the skill and taking a closer look at the results, he couldn’t help but exclaim internally, ’Holy crap!’

Everyone but him was in a state of [Mild Madness]. ’They’re all at least a little bit crazy,’ he thought. ’It’s like this church has turned into a psychiatric ward.’

’Hard to say if the Chief Judge planned it this way on purpose...’

In terms of Attributes, Meditis was still the strongest—

[Target: Meditis]

[Status: Mild Madness]

[Rationality: ??]

[Spiritual Power: ??]

[Inspiration: 30]

[Cognition: 38]

Her [Rationality] and [Spiritual Power] were both still listed as ’??’, which meant their values were higher than Lloyd’s own 40 points in [Inspiration].

’She really does have a kind of numerical beauty to her...’

In comparison, the stats of the other two Executors were far inferior. Their highest Attribute, [Rationality], was 40, while the rest hovered around 30.

As for the scholars from the Saint’s Favor Court, their [Rationality] and [Cognition] were most prominent, both around 20. Their other two Attributes were much lower, hovering around 10.

The remaining four Executors were weaker still. Their highest Attributes, [Rationality] and [Inspiration], were around fifteen, while their other two were pitifully in the single digits.

Looking at it this way, the people here were clearly divided into several tiers of strength. Lloyd had no idea why the Chief Judge had arranged the team this way; he hadn’t offered any explanation.

Lloyd continued to watch as the scholars from the Saint’s Favor Court got busy. They opened the equipment cases they’d brought and began distributing gear to twelve of the people present.

Not everyone present was to enter the -7th floor of Tower Three. The actual operational team consisted of only four Executioners in grey uniforms, four Executors in blue uniforms, and four scholars from the Saint’s Favor Court.

The rest would remain here, meditating before the shield sculpture.

This was another of the Chief Judge’s arrangements, and again, he offered no explanation for its reason or purpose.

Lloyd soon received his set of gear.

First was a metal faceplate, solid silver-white. Its surface was polished to a mirror shine and had a slight curve, making it act like a mild funhouse mirror, reflecting a slightly distorted image.

But it didn’t have a single slit or opening. It would be impossible to see anything while wearing it, which made it seem particularly strange.

Next was a small wooden stick to bite down on, a pair of earplugs with the texture of modeling clay, an X-shaped pendant, and two weapons shaped like flashlights.

"This is called a [Spiritual Light Blade]. Inject some Spiritual Power into it, and it will form an invisible blade. It’s used for cutting things you can’t see..."

A scholar from the Saint’s Favor Court gave Lloyd a simple explanation of how to use the ’flashlight’ and then added a special warning:

"Be careful not to hurt yourself. Don’t try to cut anything hard, and definitely don’t inject too much Spiritual Power. In short, be extremely careful not to break it. This thing is expensive!"

Lloyd nodded seriously and picked it up to test its feel.

It was as light as a glow stick and felt terrible in his hand.

Once the intense preparations were complete, the Chief Judge’s voice once again echoed in their minds:

"Begin."

With the KA-CHUNK of massive gears turning, a heavy iron gate slowly rose. The way into Tower Three was open, revealing a dim and gloomy interior.

A gust of damp, cold air rushed out to meet them, tinged with the smell of dust.

The place had been sealed for a year, uncleaned and unmaintained, so it naturally lacked the clean and tidy appearance of the other towers. The original evacuation must have been hasty, as papers and other debris were scattered across the floor.

Fortunately, there were no other strange sights or smells, and Lloyd received no system notifications. This indicated that the Spiritual Contamination here wasn’t as severe as he had imagined.

He was a little disappointed. ’I thought I’d be able to level up a few times on this mission...’

"Heh. Looks like your Tower Three was in a pretty sorry state back then."

The Executioner with the triangular eyes and sinister face sneered. He glanced at the other Executioner beside him, who had the appearance of a farmer, and then stepped into the tower first.

A scholar following behind him reminded them:

"The power grid should be intact. We’ll restore it first."

With that, he followed them inside, carrying a silver briefcase.

The Chief Judge had ordered the twelve-person squad to move as one, so the group first made their way to the electrical room. As the main breaker was thrown, the tower’s interior was flooded with light, banishing the gloom.

"Once you enter the elevator, you will no longer be able to hear my voice. So, I will remind you one last time: Don’t Think Too Much, Don’t Ask Too Much. Follow the schedule precisely."

The Chief Judge continued, then paused for a moment before his voice sounded in Lloyd’s mind alone:

"Whatever you may find in that cell, do not hesitate for even a second. Remember that."

Lloyd pressed his lips together and nodded, though he had no idea if the Chief Judge could see him.

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