Chapter 42: Chapter 42: How Have I Hit a Bottleneck Already?
A hero?
’I’d be lucky not to get myself on a wanted poster...’
Lloyd snarked to himself and got up to leave.
Weiya didn’t try to stop him. She just silently cradled the little kitten in her arms and reminded him,
"Don’t forget we’re having dinner tonight."
"I won’t."
Lloyd nodded and then ran over to the bulletin board to ’snag’ the keys.
A large crowd was still gathered there today, whispering and pointing.
When they noticed Lloyd approaching, someone immediately exclaimed,
"That’s him! That’s him!"
The crowd instantly fell silent, then consciously parted to make a path.
Lloyd found this very strange. He quickly glanced at the bulletin board and understood what was happening.
A commendation was posted on it, describing yesterday’s events with lavish praise and officially announcing the decision to make him an Executioner.
’I am indeed excellent, but this is still a bit embarrassing. After all, I’ve always been a reserved, humble, and low-key young man.’
Lloyd muttered to himself, then, under everyone’s watchful eyes, he took down two keys for Floor -3.
As soon as he’d walked a little further away, he immediately heard the buzz of discussion start up again.
"Who is this guy and what connections does he have? My family is pretty well-informed in the city, but I’ve never heard of him."
"Maybe he’s a live-in son-in-law for some wealthy family? He’s here to burnish his credentials so he looks more presentable when he marries into the family... Damn it! Why won’t any rich heiress take a fancy to me? I don’t want to work hard either!"
"You all say he’s just here to burnish his credentials, but he seems pretty strong to me. He took the keys for Floor -3 just like that, two at once. He looks like he’s going all out."
"Isn’t that to be expected? To marry into a wealthy family, good looks aren’t enough. You either need a special talent, or you need a *special talent*. Otherwise, what makes you worthy of their attention?"
Lloyd didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ’So I’ve gone from being someone with connections to a live-in son-in-law? What will they call me next? I don’t even want to imagine...’
The terribleness of gossip, this was it.
The more this happened, the more he dared not reveal his [Twist].
............
With Lloyd’s current condition, killing two danger-level 3 Demon Ghosts was naturally effortless. He finished the job cleanly and efficiently, perfectly removing the salvageable organs, which earned him some extra bounty money.
The only issue was the low amount of [Madness Value]. The two combined only earned him a little over 700 points, nothing compared to that danger-level 6 creature.
Fortunately, Lloyd wasn’t in a hurry. As long as he made gains and improved every day, that was enough. He would progress step by step and not rush his own development.
After leaving the holding cells, he followed his routine and went to the library to continue studying Demonology.
He stayed there until it was almost dark, then hurried over to the training grounds. Accompanied by the setting sun, he practiced [Swordsmanship] alone until his limbs were sore and he was drenched in sweat.
"Hah... that feels good. Another fulfilling day."
Lloyd nodded in satisfaction, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and called up his status panel, looking at the "Fuse?" prompt under the [Swordsmanship] skill.
He was actually quite curious about what would happen after fusing them.
But he was reluctant to give up [Precise Dissection].
That skill was incredibly useful for ’farming money.’ As long as he had sufficient knowledge of a Demon, he could get a successful check, perfectly remove the salvageable organs, and earn the bounty.
It was equivalent to saving him a massive amount of time and opportunities he would have spent practicing dissection. If this effect disappeared after fusion and he had to start practicing all over again, the loss would outweigh the gain.
’I’ll think about it after I’ve earned more money.’
Lloyd decided to put the matter aside for now. Just then, he heard a familiar set of footsteps.
Weiya walked over, holding the little kitten. The afterglow of the sunset cast a faint golden sheen on her, making her appear even more dazzling.
"You’re interested in Swordsmanship?"
Weiya noticed the practice sword in Lloyd’s hand and reached for it. She casually performed a beautiful flourish, then thrust the sword at a training dummy a few times.
Lloyd watched the details of her movements, clearly sensing that her mastery of Swordsmanship was much higher than his own. She hadn’t been affected at all and was still an expert swordswoman.
’It seems that gaining [Swordsmanship] from her was a form of [learning], not [stealing].’
"It’s mainly to stay in shape."
Lloyd answered Weiya’s question truthfully.
"That’s a great idea. During dinner, I can share some of my experience and tips on practice. Once you have a certain foundation, we can even discuss more advanced aspects together."
Weiya said this humbly. Her attitude toward Lloyd had clearly changed; it was no longer the formal, professional demeanor of a superior to a subordinate, but that of familiar colleagues.
After that, the two went to a mid-range restaurant in the South City District that claimed to be a ’century-old establishment’ and had a dinner that was neither extravagant nor shabby.
No alcohol, just soft drinks.
During the meal, they talked about Swordsmanship and their future work at the Judgment Court. It was mostly Weiya, as the senior, sharing her experiences, while Lloyd listened attentively.
Finally, Weiya remarked with a hint of regret,
"In this era, Swordsmanship is gradually declining. Compared to this ancient combat skill, people prefer to choose technology and Extraordinary Power... I haven’t met anyone interested in Swordsmanship in a very long time. I’m glad we have this common ground between us."
Lloyd nodded and replied very humbly,
"I’ll practice hard. An extra skill is never a burden."
And so, the dinner, which had a harmonious atmosphere yet maintained a certain distance, came to an end.
After that, Lloyd went through a period of peace. He continued to improve and grow stronger according to his routine, not causing any trouble himself nor encountering anyone else causing trouble.
By executing Demons, he gained a few more opportunities to add points to his stats, and he continued to follow his ’water bucket’ philosophy of all-around development.
[User: Lloyd]
[Status: Normal]
[Madness Value: 1152/2500, Max: 5500]
[Rationality: 55]
[Spiritual Power: 50]
[Inspiration: 30]
[Cognition: 50]
[System: Twist LV1]
[Mastered Skills: High-Efficient Learning; Probe; Divination LV3; Dizziness Resistance LV3; Precise Dissection LV3; Twisted Realm LV3; Swordsmanship LV3; Aggressive Speech LV1]
But for some reason, he hadn’t managed to obtain any skill fragments during this time. Only his Attributes had increased, not his skills.
This inevitably made Lloyd a little worried.
’I’ve only been involved in the realm of mystery and the Extraordinary for about a month, how have I already hit a bottleneck? This can’t be good, can it?’
’Although my Attributes are still growing steadily, without skills, Attributes are just the foundation. If I want to accomplish anything, I need skills to act as the towering skyscraper.’
’Should I start considering [Enlightenment]?’
