Chapter 3: Leveling Up!
Two Tribunal clerics stood before him, wearing the signature black, robe-like uniforms with fitted waists that gave them a sharp and efficient appearance.
After a round of questioning, verification, and a body search, one of the clerics opened a small access door for Lloyd, while the other kindly offered a reminder:
"Report to Tower No. 9. Follow the road signs, don't wander off, and don't listen to those strange noises."
With that, he gave Lloyd's shoulder a firm pat.
"Welcome to the abyss of madness. From the moment you step through this door, madness will accompany you every step of the way. Try your best to adapt... May the Radiant Light be with you."
"Thank you, may the Radiant Light shine upon you," Lloyd replied in kind, imitating the gesture.
The moment he entered this valley, he felt a wave of dizziness. There seemed to be something invisible in the air, piercing his eardrums and brain, bringing a faint, tingling pain.
A faint, unintelligible murmur still lingered at the edge of his hearing, enticing him to listen closer.
But it was quickly drowned out by a series of notification chimes:
[Ding! Madness Value +1]
[Ding! Madness Value +1]
[Ding! Madness Value +1. You can check the box in the bottom right corner to mute duplicate notifications.]
[Tip: Attribute points can be obtained once your Madness Value accumulates to a certain stage.]
Hehe, all it takes is breathing to gain "experience"! This really is the promised land I was meant to come to!
A wave of smug joy washed over Lloyd. For a moment, he forgot to manage his expression, letting his lips curl into an eerie arc as his steps grew brisk.
This scene did not escape the notice of the two black-robed clerics. They exchanged glances, then watched Lloyd's receding figure as they muttered among themselves:
"This guy... a bit weird? Is he actually smiling? And he looks... excited?"
"Hn. Usually, newcomers are either completely disillusioned with shattered hopes and ashen faces, or jumping around screaming for their moms. Who would've thought someone could be this excited?"
"Damn, could this guy be some kind of freak?"
"Or maybe some rich kid who's already completed his Transcendent Enlightenment and came here just to pad his resume."
The interior of the valley was vast and quiet, with towering white giant towers standing everywhere. In a cheerful mood, Lloyd walked at a leisurely pace, taking a little time to locate Tower No. 9.
On his way there, he seized the opportunity to review the panel descriptions and even completed his first stat allocation:
3 points to [Sanity], 2 points to [Cognition]. Leveling up!
[Ding! Stat allocation complete. Attributes have been updated.]
[User: Lloyd]
[Status: Normal]
[Madness Value: 0/100, Maximum Capacity: 500]
[Sanity: 5]
[Spirit Power: 1]
[Inspiration: 3]
[Cognition: 6]
[Transcendent System: Incomplete Enlightenment]
[Mastered Skill: Efficient Learning]
These first five attribute points felt practically handed to him on a silver platter. Lloyd had only stayed here for 100 seconds, and he had already accumulated the 100 Madness Value required for his stats.
Probably a newbie protection period?
The [Madness Value] showed 0/100, meaning he currently only needed to acquire 100 points to level up again. It was quite effortless—just breathing was enough.
Following the panel's advice, Lloyd had invested his points into [Sanity] and [Cognition].
As the primary attribute ranked first, [Sanity] was naturally the most crucial, directly determining the upper limit of Madness Value Lloyd could contain.
Once that limit was exceeded, his status would change from [Normal] to [Mild Madness], and then gradually deteriorate into [Complete Madness], until he eventually degenerated into a Monster.
Although the panel could absorb and transform [Madness Value], suffering an excessively strong burst of mental pollution that exceeded his tolerance limit would plunge him into unconsciousness, brain fog, and even a loss of sanity. That would paralyze the panel's operations, making it impossible to dissipate the madness and plunging him into raving insanity amidst his blackout and delirium.
Therefore, [Sanity] was vital.
The same held true for ordinary people: mental pollution within the threshold of one's sanity could still be cured and dispelled through various means, but once it exceeded the limit of sanity and plunged someone into madness, the process became irreversible. It was like sinking into a bottomless quagmire—one could only struggle and mitigate the effects, never truly escape.
[Spirit Power] was a type of transcendent force in this world, serving as the fundamental dividing line between ordinary people and Transcendents. One had to possess sufficient Spirit Power to pass through Transcendent Enlightenment, enter those Transcendent Systems, and ascend as a Transcendent.
Lloyd's current [Spirit Power] was 1, which was the level of an ordinary person. He would need to accumulate a bit longer before undergoing Transcendent Enlightenment.
With the panel around, that would certainly be a breeze.
[Inspiration] was sometimes referred to as "Spirit Vision" or a Transcendent's "intuition." It allowed people to see things that were otherwise invisible and hear things that were otherwise inaudible. If it was strong enough, it could even trigger effects like sudden strokes of insight or danger prediction.
At the same time, it possessed functions such as perception scouting, guiding power, driving Holy Relics, and remote-controlling Rituals. It was an attribute just as important as [Spirit Power].
Yet, it was also a dangerous double-edged sword. One might accidentally see things they shouldn't see or hear things they shouldn't hear, leading to all sorts of unpredictable consequences...
[Cognition] referred to the efficiency and upper limit of receiving knowledge. Without enough cognition, mastering high-end knowledge was exceedingly difficult.
Of course, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. In this world, the higher-end the knowledge, the more dangerous it usually was...
As for the final categories of [Transcendent System] and [Skills], neither could be directly upgraded with points; they required Lloyd's own hard work.
Just like how he had mastered the ability [Efficient Learning] through his past experiences of studying and taking exams to get into university.
This could further enhance his learning efficiency. Coupled with 6 points in [Cognition], back on Earth, that would have been enough to breeze through the bar exam and advanced programming all in one go.
His studying hadn't been in vain.
After finishing his first stat allocation, Lloyd couldn't help a surge of emotion:
Even with the panel, as a progressive youth who had received higher education, he couldn't rely on it entirely, nor could he slack off himself. If he wanted to carve out a future for himself, he still had to rely on his own sweat and hard work!
He then thought of Evrore and continued in his heart:
Sister, I've grown stronger! I can protect you even better now!
With that, he stepped into the dozen-story-tall white tower before him and found a remarkably striking beauty in the first-floor office.
Her gray eyes were sharp and vivid, and her silvery-gray long hair was tied into a brisk, high ponytail. She wore the same robe-style black uniform, with a short hem and a high slit that revealed her knee-high boots and top-tier black silk stockings. At the boot line and hem, a flash of black remained, impossible to tear one's eyes away from.
Beneath the lights, that patch of black emitted a delicate sheen and a silky texture, as alluring as chocolate.
In short, the uniform and black stockings were stunning and feast-for-the-eyes.
Only her stern expression and rigid demeanor screamed of a rigid, by-the-book, unapproachable type.
Though she sat there quietly, she felt like a solitary orchid perched on a dangerous cliff, dropping the temperature in the office by a few degrees.
"Hello, Inquisitor Viya, we meet again."
Lloyd greeted her.
"Hello, Enforcer Lloyd. Please sit,"
she replied flatly.
The two had crossed paths once before during that "little accident."
At the time, this breathtaking Inquisitor had appeared in the nick of time, wielding a slender standard-issue straight saber and cleanly cleaving that Monster in half.
Amidst the spraying dark-green blood, Lloyd had caught a glimpse of her cold, striking face.