Leveling Up by Executing Monsters

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Couldn’t Bear to Destroy Such Beauty

Black Knight?

Lloyd toyed with the chess piece. It felt smooth and warm to the touch, exquisitely crafted as if from some kind of soft jade.

It also emitted a faint wisp of Spiritual Energy, about the same intensity as the monocle Desda had given him. It could only be considered an artisan craft, not yet reaching the level of a Spiritual Object.

Why would someone keep a single piece like this in a bank’s safe deposit box?

’How strange. Is it supposed to be a hint about something?’

Lloyd pondered this for a moment, then set down the Black Knight piece and opened the letter.

It contained a very simple message:

"Hello. No matter who you are, if you are reading this letter, it means I am already dead. If you could, please help me deliver this check to my wife, Anna, and tell her I’m sorry...

As for the chess piece, if you feel it’s useful to you, please keep it. If not, feel free to dispose of it as you see fit."

At the bottom was an address and a signature:

Stilote

Lloyd had heard this name from the Thought Demon before. It must be the real name of that Executioner.

He picked up the check again. It was already made out for the amount of 300,000 Universal Coins.

’Hmm... the address he left is also in the South City District, but it’s a bit far. I’ll deliver it for him tomorrow.’

Lloyd felt no greed for the money and decided without a moment’s hesitation to return it.

’This letter... he must have left it before heading out on his mission, right? Isn’t it a bit too short?’

As he mused, Lloyd read the letter over again carefully, word by word. He even held it up to the light and used his inspiration to inspect it, hoping to find some hidden message.

But he found nothing...

It was just a simple final testament written with the most ordinary paper and ink.

’Was it because he had a carefree personality? Or was he so confident that he didn’t think anything would happen to him?’

’Neither seems quite right. If he were truly confident, he wouldn’t have left a suicide note at all...’

’And even while completely under the Thought Demon’s control, he still remembered his wife’s smile. That image was even the clearest among all the decipherable scenes. It shows he truly loved his wife...’

’In that case, this letter shouldn’t be so brief. He should have at least left some words for his wife.’

Lloyd analyzed the situation, then picked up the chess piece once more.

He had also seen this kind of chess piece in Stilote’s memories, but it had been much larger.

And the description of this piece in his final letter was also strange. What did he mean by ’if you feel it’s useful to you’?

Lloyd continued to recall the words Stilote had spoken to him with his last shred of Rationality—

"If you can hear my words and manage to get out of here alive, remember to go to Locker #611 at Champagne Avenue 8, West City District. It might just save your life."

Connecting the dots, Lloyd began to guess at the other man’s intentions.

First, Stilote must have known he was going to face a Thought Demon, and possibly even knew it in advance.

When they took action a year ago, they likely adopted the same operational model as today.

The entire operational procedure was practiced and smooth, with meticulous details and a schedule timed to the second. They had even trained the Executor responsible for providing Spiritual Vision in advance. This clearly wasn’t some spur-of-the-moment idea from the Chief Judge, but rather a proven and effective method with a history of success.

Yet, despite such a thorough and detailed plan, it had ultimately failed...

Lloyd didn’t know what his other three colleagues had encountered in the other cells. He didn’t ask, and he probably wouldn’t have gotten an answer if he had.

He could only guess that they, too, had encountered the previous Executioners from the failed mission...

But how were the four previous Executioners wiped out? Could the Thought Demon attack four people simultaneously?

Lloyd had no way of knowing, not even how to begin guessing. Whether it was the Chief Judge or the other participants, everyone was extremely tight-lipped about this kind of operation. It was difficult to grasp the full picture from his perspective alone.

He didn’t even know the condition of the Executor who had been his partner...

’I was attacked by the Thought Demon. Could my partner, who shared my Spiritual Vision, have been affected too?’

’It’s just so frustrating. There are so many questions, but you can’t ask, can’t inquire, can’t investigate. Dealing with such an unreasonable Demon is the worst.’

Lloyd grumbled to himself and went back to pondering Stilote’s fate.

After his team was annihilated, he had struggled on, holding onto the last shred of his Rationality until, a year later, the second team came in to clean up.

Stilote must have remembered what kind of preparations were made for this type of operation. He also knew the characteristics and dangers of the Thought Demon, which was why he specifically emphasized the prerequisite: ’If you can hear my words’.

And the ’lifeline’ he left for Lloyd was probably the Black Knight piece.

It was very likely the reason he was able to hold on for so long.

That’s why he left that strange phrase in his final letter, ’if it’s useful to you’—

If the person who received his effects was a colleague, and not a complete fool, they should realize the special nature and importance of this chess piece. In that case, the piece would definitely be useful;

If some unrelated person found the letter, a single chess piece like this would have no collection value whatsoever.

But the next problem was this: Lloyd had carefully examined the piece, even risking the use of his inspiration and Spiritual Vision to probe it inside and out, yet he still couldn’t find anything special about it.

It really was just an ordinary piece of craftsmanship.

’What am I missing? If I really get into trouble, how is this thing supposed to save my life?’

Lloyd’s train of thought hit a dead end.

’Forget it. Maybe I’m just overthinking this. Considering the social reality that every Extraordinary Being is a little bit mad, this could all just be his fantasy. He probably held on for so long through his own willpower and strength.’

’But no matter what, I should still be grateful to him. My knowledge about the Thought Demon very likely came from his bequest.’

’Even at the very end of his life and Rationality, he was still thinking of helping me find a chance to survive. Whether it’s useful or not, that was a very ’Knight-like’ and righteous act.’

Lloyd finally concluded his thoughts, tucking the letter, check, and chess piece away securely. He planned to return them all to Stilote’s wife tomorrow.

As for the questions he couldn’t figure out, he decided to just let them go.

Don’t overthink it. Don’t Ask Too Much. He would deliver the items tomorrow, and then the matter would be closed.

...

The next morning, instead of rushing to the Eighteenth District, Lloyd took Stilote’s belongings and went to the address left in the final letter.

Soon, he arrived in front of a flower shop.

Through the display window, Lloyd saw Mrs. Anna, the woman he had ’met once’ in the Memory Fragments. She was holding a swaddled baby, a gentle smile on her face as she softly hummed a lullaby.

"Little baby, grow up fast, Daddy will be home soon..."

Lloyd’s heart suddenly clenched. His legs felt as if they were filled with lead, and he couldn’t take a step.

He desperately wanted to turn and leave. He would rather face a hundred Thought Demons and giant cicadas than step into this flower shop...

Before he could make up his mind, Mrs. Anna inside the shop spotted him. Cradling the baby, she hurried over and called out to him:

"Welcome! Are you looking for..."

As she spoke, she noticed Lloyd’s gray uniform. Her body stiffened slightly, and her expression flickered and changed.

But she only froze for a second before smiling again and greeting him warmly:

"I recognize that uniform. You must be one of Stilote’s colleagues, right? Please, come in. I’ll go make some coffee for you."

Mrs. Anna ushered Lloyd into the flower shop, placed the swaddled bundle into a nearby crib, and then hurried off to the kitchen.

While she was gone, Lloyd braced himself, mulling over what to say next as he quickly scanned the flower shop.

It was warm, elegant, exquisite, and full of charm, indicating that Mrs. Anna was the kind of person who was earnest and passionate about life.

Judging by her expression, demeanor, and attitude toward life, she probably didn’t know what had happened to her husband yet. The Judgment Court must have maintained strict confidentiality, likely lying that Stilote was away on a mission.

It was people like her who would find such devastating news the hardest to accept...

’Should I tell her the truth? Or just leave the things and go?’

Even if her happiness was based on a lie, he couldn’t bear to shatter such a beautiful scene...

While Lloyd was still hesitating, Mrs. Anna returned, holding a steaming, fragrant cup of coffee.

After setting down the coffee, she picked up the swaddled bundle again and started making small talk with Lloyd:

"Are you here to see my husband? I haven’t seen you before. Are you a new colleague of his?"

"Uh... well..."

Lloyd’s expression was strained. He felt awful.

Mrs. Anna immediately sensed something was wrong. The smile vanished from her face as she asked urgently:

"You look so troubled... Did something happen to my husband?"

"No... He’s just..."

Lloyd was still struggling, unable to bring himself to tell the truth, hoping to just gloss over it.

But Mrs. Anna was extremely perceptive. Tears were already welling in her eyes as she choked out:

"He... he just promised me yesterday that he would take a day off for the baby’s one-month celebration..."

"What?"

Those words left Lloyd stunned.

Mrs. Anna was still wiping her tears while rocking the bundle in her arms, as if comforting her baby.

But Lloyd couldn’t hear a baby crying...

He quickly glanced at the swaddled bundle.

Inside was a doll with a vacant expression. It was missing an eye, revealing a dark, empty socket.

Its face was fixed in a stiff, wooden smile that was utterly horrifying...

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