8:20 PM arrived just like that, and Lloyd was once again "spat out" by the black wardrobe from last night.
The kind Cleric from yesterday didn't come to help, leaving him leaning against the wall, coughing repeatedly.
"Cough, cough, cough, cough!!!"
[Ding ~ Madness Value +50, Skill Fragment +1]
[Sufficient Skill Fragments acquired. Skill unlocked — Vertigo Resistance, LV1]
Huh? Finally got a skill?
But why does it have to be something like this?
Where was the soul-leaving-the-body and body-spirit separation he had imagined?
Lloyd muttered internally, feeling his condition recovering much faster than last night, even with enough spare energy to complain.
Without rushing to check the skill description, he applied his points first.
5 points each to [Spirit Power] and [Inspiration] — start adding!
[Ding ~ Stat allocation complete]
[User: Lloyd]
[Status: Normal]
[Madness Value: 0/500, Max: 1700]
[Sanity: 17]
[Spirit Power: 11]
[Inspiration: 8]
[Cognition: 14]
[System: Incomplete Enlightenment]
[Acquired Skills: Efficient Learning; Divination LV1; Vertigo Resistance LV1]
This was the Madness Value he had accumulated through studying Monsterology knowledge all morning and afternoon, combined with a ride on the "subway," which just barely added up to enough for two stat increases, so he applied them all at once.
With the further increase in [Spirit Power], he felt another shift in the strength within his body, like a thin layer of liquid wrapping around him—warm and very comfortable.
And as [Inspiration] increased, he heard a low sob whispering by his ear:
"Hiss~ Hiss~ Father Mad, even if I am 99% in the wrong, does he have zero faults at all?"
Followed by the rather helpless voice of the kind Cleric from last night:
"It is truly regrettable that your relationship has reached this point, but as the scriptures say, the brilliance of humanity lies in its ability to face the cruel reality head-on... Of course, you needn't worry too much. The city's welfare and security measures are quite comprehensive nowadays. You only need to complete the declaration to secure a job and a subsidy to raise the child."
Following the direction of the voice, Lloyd looked over and saw a narrow confessional where Father Mad was conversing with a weeping woman.
Out of consideration for personal privacy, the confessional was soundproofed, leaking only very faint sounds, but under the enhancement of his Inspiration, Lloyd heard every word clearly.
"Hiss~ A job? My mansion is gone, my jewelry is gone, my steam car is gone, and I still have to raise that brat? I don't even know who his biological father is!"
"Please be optimistic. The noble qualities of mankind are forged and made brilliant precisely through hardship... Furthermore, I must remind you that abandoning a child is a serious crime. You wouldn't want to deal with the Holy Grace Court, would you?"
"Heh, you're all cut from the same cloth, not a single good one among you. Hell is empty, and the devils are walking the earth."
With that, a woman dressed like a wealthy socialite kicked open the door of the confessional and stormed off in a huff.
Father Mad also walked out, wearing a wry smile, and noticed Lloyd, waving at him.
"Looks like being a cleric isn't an easy job either?"
"Not a cleric, a psychological counselor... This woman got pregnant out of wedlock without knowing who the father was, then married a prominent barrister, and later... well, never mind, it's just mundane trivia that happens every day."
After exchanging a few brief words of casual chat, Lloyd was in a rush to head home. As he walked, he summoned his panel to check out his newly acquired skill—
[Vertigo Resistance (LV1) — A passive enhancement to physical fitness. Can resist physiological vertigo to a certain extent, but cannot resist physical vertigo like a heavy blow to the head. Continue training to increase skill level.]
Below it, a line of fine print provided supplementary explanation:
"Sometimes, fainting is actually a form of self-protection."
Overall, this skill was slightly more practical than the previous [Divination]—at least it came in handy when riding the "subway."
……………………
Just like that, Lloyd spent three days in a routine, steadily improving peace.
Every day started with waking up to comb his sister's hair, then rushing off to Sector 18 to observe Buster executing monsters and learn some techniques and methods from him.
Buster remained as blunt as ever; what he knew, he shared without reservation, and what he didn't know, he never made up. He openly stated that he favored Lloyd's talent and prospects, hoping that once both of them were promoted to Clerics, they could form a mutually supportive relationship.
How should he put it? Getting along with someone like this wasn't actually a bad feeling, but if one wanted to forge a deep friendship, it might be a little difficult...
Regardless, in this generally indifferent Sector 18, he was someone who could make Lloyd feel the warmth of human affection. He could barely be considered a friend, right?
Once the executions were over, Lloyd followed his original plan and headed to the library, focusing his research on Monsterology in the hope of getting the hang of it soon enough to execute monsters himself.
After all, the moment a monster was killed, the mental pollution suffered was the most intense.
At night, Lloyd returned home as usual, chatting with his sister, helping out with chores, and occasionally joking around just like they used to when they were kids.
When this day arrived, the moment Lloyd was spat out by the subway, he coughed while silently reciting in his heart:
3 points to [Sanity], 2 points to [Inspiration]—start adding!
[Ding ~ Stat allocation complete]
[User: Lloyd]
[Status: Normal]
[Madness Value: 0/1000, Max: 2000]
[Sanity: 20]
[Spirit Power: 20]
[Inspiration: 20]
[Cognition: 20]
[System: Incomplete Enlightenment]
[Acquired Skills: Efficient Learning; Divination LV1; Vertigo Resistance LV2]
This was his harvest over the past few days, giving himself a balanced, well-rounded aesthetic.
Then, a prompt sounded by his ear again:
[Ding ~ Inspiration threshold reached. Skill unlocked — Investigate]
[Investigate — Upon activating the skill, displays the quantified attribute values of the target individual. Only effective on humans, and only effective on attributes within the range of Inspiration.]
Huh? Adding points actually rewarded skills too?
A wave of unexpected delight surged in Lloyd's heart.
Just like [Efficient Learning], this skill was acquired directly without needing to collect skill fragments, and it looked even more practical than those two.
However, it also lacked skill levels, meaning there was no room for improvement, and there was no supplementary fine print beneath the skill description. The difference was obvious.
"Can't really say which is better or worse, can we? Let's find someone to test it on first."
As Lloyd muttered to himself softly, he heard a restrained, dainty gasp from behind him:
"Cough, cough! Hu~ hu~"
Turning around, it was that cold and aloof Inquisitor Viya.
Talk about perfect timing—let me see what you look like beneath the mask of that cold and glamorous Inquisitor!
[Investigate], activate!