Leveling Up by Executing Monsters

Chapter 89: Chapter 89: Money-Making Plan

Evelor got home a little late today. She didn’t have time to chat with Lloyd, instead burying her head in a huge pile of manuscripts at her desk, trying to make up for the time she’d lost that afternoon.

Lloyd took the opportunity to head out, saying he wanted to rent a basement to make it easier to practice some Mysticism techniques.

When Evelor heard this, she quickly grabbed her cartoon teddy bear wallet and asked:

"Yi, do you have enough money? Do you need your big sister to help you out?"

Lloyd smiled and waved his hand.

"No, no, my income is more than enough to cover my expenses. You should just save your money, sis."

"Alright then. I’ll save up my money, and when you get married someday, Yi, I’ll buy you a new house."

"What a coincidence. I was also planning to save up and buy my sister a new house."

"Hee hee, then let’s see who can save up enough first."

After a bit of playful banter, the siblings went about their own business.

Lloyd left the house and headed for the next street over, deliberately choosing a route that was a little bit farther. On the way, he happened to pass the street corner where he first met Weiya—the same place where he was attacked by a Demon.

Although Weiya had saved him in time back then, the experience had left its mark on him. So much so that whenever he was out and about near his home, he would subconsciously avoid that spot.

But things were different now.

"Why don’t you try crawling out of there again?"

Lloyd spoke with a faint smile as he stared at the sewer manhole where the Demon had previously burst out.

Soon, he arrived in front of the Mysticism club he had scouted out earlier. He looked up at the rather unique sign:

*Don’t Ask Too Much*

That was the name of the club, clearly taken from Guideline #0.

The place was quite large, with three floors above ground and two below. It occupied an entire street corner, giving it a rather grand appearance.

Across from the main entrance was the used book market Lloyd often mentioned. Diagonally across from the back entrance was the church he passed on his way home from work. Flanked by a bustling commercial street on one side and a food street on the other, the location could be considered prime real estate.

’The owner of this place must be quite the character.’

Lloyd pushed open the door and was greeted by a magnificent, splendidly decorated hall. The ceiling was adorned with exquisite painted frescoes and a massive crystal chandelier. A plush red carpet lay underfoot, and the surrounding walls were hung with portraits, likely of famous club members.

Sofas and coffee tables were scattered throughout the hall, where well-dressed people chatted in small groups of two or three. The atmosphere was reminiscent of a high-end establishment like a Cigar Club.

A manager wearing a monocle and dressed like a private butler saw Lloyd and hurried over to greet him.

"How may I be of service to you?"

"I need a room suitable for practicing Orbits. A quiet basement would be best, but it needs to have good ventilation and lighting."

Lloyd stated his requirements.

"You certainly have a good eye, sir. Not only do we have the kind of space you’re looking for, but we also offer a wide range of supporting services... Why don’t we sit down and discuss it?"

The manager then presented Lloyd with the prices and services, laying out a dazzling array of ’combo packages’ and trying to persuade him to sign up for a membership to enjoy a discount.

Lloyd glanced at the price list. The lowest-tier membership required a monthly fee of 5,000 Universal Coins, while renting the cheapest basement cost only 10,000 a month.

’Good thing I’ve seen plenty of these sales tactics back on Earth, or I might have actually fallen for it.’

"Alright, that’s enough. Just show me these two rooms."

Lloyd pointed to the cheapest row on the price list.

"Very well, please follow me."

The manager showed no signs of looking down on him, his enthusiasm undiminished. He led Lloyd downstairs to see the rooms, and Lloyd ended up choosing one of them.

After Lloyd finished the payment and registration, the manager placed a key and a user manual in his hand and once again tried to persuade him:

"I’m confident that after a few more visits, you’ll grow to love the atmosphere here and will definitely join us... Although you’re from the Holy Judgment Court, we have many channels and conveniences that even the Sects don’t. In fact, quite a number of Sect members have chosen to join us as well."

"Yes, yes, I’ll consider it."

Lloyd took the key and left without another word.

’It’s not like I’ll be coming here every day...’

After entering the basement, Lloyd closed the door and took out his materials and a newly purchased music box from his coat. He didn’t start right away, however, instead flipping through the safety manual first.

It mainly emphasized various safety regulations and related legal clauses. If he caused any trouble, he would not only be liable for damages and associated costs but also face legal responsibility.

"Looks like this place has a powerful figure in charge, too. Maybe someone like Miss Desda’s new security Advisor?"

With that, Lloyd tossed the manual aside and walked over to the lab bench.

Although he had chosen the cheapest basement, the conditions were anything but poor. It was spacious, well-ventilated, and had perfect lighting that illuminated every corner without being harsh on the eyes.

The facilities were also more than adequate. There was a lounge, a private bathroom, a lab bench with a set of common tools for processing materials like crucibles, beakers, and droppers, and even appliances like a freezer and a blender.

The rent wasn’t cheap, but the money was clearly well-spent. Compared to the more expensive options, it just lacked some unnecessary support services and high-end equipment. In any case, Lloyd was quite satisfied.

He then began to recall the knowledge he had ’borrowed’ and started the procedure.

First, soak the Intelligent Worms in Spiritual Ink. Light the incense. Add the Dream Flower Juice in nine separate batches...

The Bottled Thoughts must first be activated with a simple Orbit; otherwise, it’s just a solidified, flocculent mass. This is the key to making the music box play on its own...

Wind the music box. The soaked Intelligent Worms will have a stress reaction to the sound it produces. Be sure to pay attention to the traces they leave in the Spiritual Ink...

Lloyd recalled the steps as he began to work.

His [Orbital Control] skill played a crucial role at this moment. It not only ensured the precision of his every step but also made his technique appear practiced and skilled, not at all like a novice attempting it for the first time.

About an hour later, Lloyd reached the final step. He dripped the last of the Dream Flower Juice into the Bottled Thoughts, then mixed it with the Spiritual Ink containing the Intelligent Worms.

The Bottled Thoughts, which had originally had the texture of a viscous, flocculent substance, had now completely liquefied. It turned a dreamlike blue, and within it, several translucent, crystalline threads could be seen flowing slowly, converging into tiny, exquisite symbols.

Even ignoring its function, it was beautiful and aesthetically pleasing enough to be a decorative piece.

Placing this jar of Bottled Thoughts into the music box, which had already undergone several processing steps, turned it into a music box that could play on its own, possessing an effect similar to the exorbitantly priced bell.

When placed within the complete [Intense Concentration] Orbit, the tiny symbols formed by the Thought Worms in the bottle began to flow again, causing the Orbit to activate.

Given Lloyd’s understanding of [Intense Concentration], no further testing was needed. He would bet his reputation on it—this thing would absolutely work, and its effects wouldn’t be much worse than the original.

The one area where it truly couldn’t compare to the bell was its Durability. According to the White Knight’s own assessment, this alternative method only had a lifespan of just over 50 hours, a mere one-fifth of the original...

But this was exactly what Lloyd wanted.

’If it’s too durable, how am I supposed to make money?’

’This method is nothing short of brilliant. That White Knight is truly a formidable character. I really shouldn’t underestimate the heroes of this world...’

Lloyd gave it a very high evaluation.

Now that he had confirmed the method was effective, he could start seriously thinking about how to make money.

Of course, as a progressive young man with a higher education, Lloyd never considered plagiarizing someone’s design to sell. Nor did he plan to just sell this music box directly. That would just be earning a small amount of dirty money.

He was thinking about making money together with everyone, for the long term, and happily.

His ideal plan was to first contact the White Knight and see if he could optimize the design further and lower the cost. Then, using his own [Orbital Control], he would try to miniaturize and make portable the popular [Intense Concentration] Orbit.

Currently, [Intense Concentration] could only be used in a fixed location after prior setup, and it would only be effective for a set period of time.

Lloyd hoped to optimize away all these drawbacks, integrating the entire Orbit into something the size of a music box so that one could enjoy its effects anytime, anywhere, simply by opening the box.

At the same time, it would be a consumable. Once the effect was used up, you’d have to get a new one.

’Now that would be a truly powerful product with market competitiveness. That’s how you make real money.’

He would set the price in a range that directly addressed the user’s pain points—making it stress-free to buy, pleasant to use, and not painful to discard.

At the same time, he would also ask his sister and Miss Desda if they were interested. Ideally, they could help him handle the problems of funding, production, promotion, sales, and management.

Lloyd certainly didn’t think he had the time or energy to handle all that himself.

He would also consider bringing in that Black Soldier and Black War Chariot.

On one hand, it was because the ownership of this modified plan had already been sold to him by the White Knight, so it was only right to include them. On the other hand, he naturally wanted to sell his product to the whole world, so the wider the distribution channels, the better.

If everyone could successfully establish trust and cooperation, then they could subsequently launch more portable Orbits with other functions, earn even more money, and achieve financial freedom sooner.

However, these were all just Lloyd’s preliminary ideas. There were still many details to work out, and he still had to solve the biggest problem right in front of him—

How was he going to contact the White Knight and convince him to join?

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