Leveling Up by Executing Monsters

Chapter 84: Chapter 84: The Watch Must Be Broken

An expenditure of tens of thousands, like the one Lloyd made today, was nothing for an ambitious Extraordinary Being. It was still in the "light spending" category.

There were far more expenses to burn through down the line. The higher the Tier, the more expensive it got—so costly that even a powerhouse on the level of the Chief Judge reminded young people to save money.

The only exception was if one was willing to lie flat, patiently applying for and waiting on resources to be slowly allocated from above.

Lloyd didn’t have the patience to wait a year and a half. As a progressive, well-educated young man, he naturally wanted to take the initiative into his own hands.

Therefore, he needed to make money—lots and lots of it. And this modification plan for the White Knight was a perfect opportunity.

He had even considered a detailed plan, which was certainly more complex than just selling the formula.

Of course, he would have to wait until he had verified the new plan’s effectiveness and feasibility before considering the next steps.

Andrew had promised to deliver the items within three days, so he had to wait patiently for now.

So, Lloyd went to the library again, planning to continue studying the [Reverse Divination] he hadn’t finished yesterday.

Meditis was at her favorite administrator’s desk again today, as drunk as ever, passed out on the table and fast asleep since early morning.

Lloyd hadn’t intended to disturb her, but as he walked past, he saw Meditis’s hand twitch, and a small, self-ringing bell appeared on the desk.

Lloyd smiled and accepted her kind gesture. Although he wasn’t planning on having an [Audience with the Saint] today, the bell was still excellent for studying.

He borrowed the books he wanted, returned to his office, set up the Orbit with practiced ease, and began his studies for the day.

[Ding! Skill Fragment +1]

[Ding! Skill Fragment +1]

[Ding! Sufficient skill fragments acquired. Skill level increased. Divination LV3→LV4]

Divination had leveled up again. In addition to his original [Simple Divination] and [Medium Divination] growing stronger, he had, as expected, gained the newly learned [Reverse Divination].

It was just that he had already stuffed the Black Knight into an anonymous letter and mailed it off, so he couldn’t use this new function just yet.

He could, however, try out the enhanced [Medium Divination] and check on his sister’s status.

Lloyd took out the antique pocket watch, wound the spring halfway, and waited for the three hands to spin two or three times before coming to a stop.

"Hmm... the results lean toward ’positive,’ ’busy,’ ’high-spirited,’ and... huh?"

The three hands, which had already stopped, suddenly began to spin erratically. They moved forward, then backward, their speed so fast they left afterimages.

After several seconds, the three hands finally settled down, stopping once again in their previous positions.

Lloyd frowned, rubbing his chin.

This was clearly some kind of Omen. It was the first time he had ever triggered an extra Omen while using [Medium Divination].

’How should I interpret this? Is my sister so busy she’s lost track of time?’

’No... an Omen should be interpreted optimistically. Maybe my sister is so happy and enjoying herself that she feels time flying by?’

’That’s not right either. That doesn’t seem right...’

Lloyd tried to interpret the Omen, making a great effort to think optimistically, but he couldn’t convince himself. The more he thought, the more anxious and worried he became.

Fortunately, he soon realized the problem. He shook his head forcefully, compelling himself to calm down.

’This won’t do. I’m committing two major taboos of Divination: being too impatient and too focused on the accuracy of the results...’

’As for this Omen... this stupid watch must be broken!’

With that, he stood up and buckled his favorite Short Sword-style Spiritual Blade to his waist. After another thought, he turned back, took the decorative Command Saber off the wall, and prepared to head over to the editorial department.

Rather than trust a Mysticism technique like Divination, it was better to confirm things with his own eyes.

Lloyd hurried to Weiya’s office, informed her he was heading out to find materials for his Tier advancement Orbit, and said his goodbyes.

"Alright, be safe," Weiya reminded him, not doubting him in the slightest or trying to stop him.

For someone in the position of Executioner, as long as they completed their daily duties—or had someone else complete them for them—no one would bat an eye if they spent the rest of their time getting completely wasted like Meditis.

"MEOW MEOW MEOW!"

The little kitten, which had been rolling around and acting cute, suddenly perked up. It waved its little paws at Lloyd, signaling for him to take it along.

Lloyd stuffed the kitten into his pocket and hurried to the editorial department where Evelor worked.

With the help of the "advanced subway," he quickly arrived at Old Locust Tree Street in the South City District.

It was an old street brimming with life. It was currently lunchtime, so the number of pedestrians had increased, and tantalizing aromas wafted from all directions.

Following the street signs, Lloyd soon found a small, three-story building. He then located an office on the second floor and saw his sister inside, her head buried in her work.

She then suddenly looked up, flicking the upright Dazed Hair on the top of her head.

"Huh? That’s strange."

Evelor tilted her head slightly, a cute, puzzled expression on her face, before turning her head to look.

"Yi? What are you doing here?"

"I suddenly missed you, so I came to see you. I also wanted to take a look at your editorial department," Lloyd said as he walked into the somewhat cramped office.

The room was originally quite spacious, but it was now cluttered with too many things—bookshelves, filing cabinets, and several storage lockers—leaving only enough space for five workstations.

Furthermore, aside from Evelor’s neatly organized desk, the other workstations were piled high with disorderly papers, an irritating sight to behold.

He also noticed the smell of incense and spotted common Orbit components like wooden boxes, small mirrors, and lit candles in the corners.

Their specific function was unclear, but his inspiration probe indicated no danger, showing a defensive tendency. It seemed to be the handiwork of the new security Advisor, Ms. Landis.

"Why are you the only one here, sis?" Lloyd asked again, then activated [Inspect].

Evelor’s Attributes showed no changes.

’Was the Omen from before really just a broken watch?’

’But something like [Divination] should inherently have a degree of foresight and precognition...’

"They all went out for lunch," Evelor said, then smiled happily and moved closer to Lloyd.

"Perfect, let’s go eat too, shall we? There are several great restaurants nearby."

The two went to a nearby restaurant. While waiting for their food, Evelor hesitated for a moment before asking in a low voice,

"Yi, are you... being bullied over there?"

Lloyd never expected her to ask that. He quickly explained, "Huh? How is that possible? My only worry now is that other people will complain about me bullying them."

"But... you suddenly came to find me, Yi..."

"Don’t overthink it, sis. I really just came to see you. I don’t have much work today, so I’m free."

"Oh..." Evelor nodded, not pressing the issue further.

But her large, emerald-green eyes noticed the Command Saber that Lloyd had leaned against the wall.

After the meal, Lloyd said he wanted to learn more about his sister’s work, so Evelor took him back to the editorial department.

Just as they reached the first-floor landing, the siblings suddenly stopped in their tracks.

"Eh? The atmosphere here feels a little..." Evelor’s slender brows furrowed, and she subconsciously tried to go upstairs.

But Lloyd was a step faster, blocking her path.

"Leave this to me. Sister, you go to the Holy Judgment Court chapel on the west street corner. Ask the Priests there to come as soon as possible."

Evelor didn’t argue or hold him back. She nodded decisively but added a reminder, "Okay. Yi, you have to be careful. If you see the candle in the corner go out, don’t stay long. You must leave immediately!"

With that, she ran off with a clatter of footsteps in the direction of the chapel.

Lloyd, holding his Short Sword and Command Saber, released a faint wisp of inspiration to envelop him, then ascended the stairs, step by cautious step.

He also brought up his system panel, keeping a close watch for any notifications.

Even the little kitten poked its head out of his pocket, scampered to the top of his head, and helped keep watch on their surroundings.

It was now afternoon, which should have been the brightest time of day. The small building’s doors and windows were open, allowing for excellent lighting. Yet, the light seemed to be blocked by something unseen, casting the entire building in shadow.

Lloyd’s inspiration constantly sent faint, stinging sensations, like chili paste being smeared on his skin—a sign of the unsettling atmosphere in the air.

As he walked up the steps one by one, that spicy sensation grew stronger.

However, his naked eye saw nothing, and the panel gave no alerts, meaning there was at least no strong Spiritual Contamination in the air.

Lloyd went to his sister’s editorial department first, standing outside the door to observe.

Four young people, two men and two women, were slumped over the four already messy workstations, seemingly taking a quick nap.

Lloyd rapped sharply on the door with the pommel of his blade.

No response...

He glanced again at the white candle in the corner.

As expected, it had gone out.

Lloyd didn’t go in, nor did he intend to wake his sister’s four subordinates.

He had no idea what he might be waking up...

Lloyd turned his head and looked at the other offices along the corridor.

This small building housed a number of small-scale companies and organizations from various industries: an accounting firm, a logistics company, a cosmetics agency, and so on.

The door to every office was open, and inside, people were slumped over or leaning back, sleeping. It seemed everyone had the good habit of taking a midday nap.

After checking the entire second floor, Lloyd still found nothing abnormal. He continued on to the third floor.

He only stopped when his inspiration suddenly sent a sharp,刺痛ing pain.

Looking up, he saw an ’antique’ shop. Inside, various tools and a batch of unfinished ’antiques’ were scattered about.

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