Chapter 7: I Have Quite a Lot of Confidence in My Learning Ability
Lloyd's adaptability was actually quite strong. After walking just a few steps on the street, he had mostly recovered.
To be fair, without any bias, that "subway" speed was truly fast—truly worthy of being cutting-edge "next-generation" technology.
It was just that for the humans of this era, it still seemed far too advanced...
Lloyd felt as though he had previously been tossed around inside the stomach of some gigantic monster before finally being spat out.
No wonder taking the "subway" even once could net him 50 points of [Madness Value]. This mode of transportation was quite the mental pollution; ordinary people taking it twice would probably go stark raving mad.
Yet, in order to save time, he would likely have to ride it frequently in the future...
"Oh well, I'll just treat it as farming madness, and besides, there are Skill Fragments to be had..."
Lloyd said quite optimistically, a trace of eager anticipation stirring in his heart.
"What will that skill be this time? Out-of-body experience? Separation of soul and body?"
Before officially acquiring the skill, he couldn't check what it specifically was, which gave it somewhat of a blind-box feel.
……………………
At that moment, Evrore was lying on the sofa, wearing only childish cartoon pajamas. Her long, white hair was draped casually behind her head, her delicate, well-rounded legs exposed, and her fair, flawless little feet kicked up high, looking like warm, soft jade that made one want to cup them in their hands and admire them closely.
She was flipping through a fashion magazine, looking somewhat absent-minded, checking the pocket watch beside her every few pages.
"Why isn't Xiao Yi back yet? Could a female coworker have asked him out on his very first day? Hmm... very likely! After all, Xiao Yi is so handsome, it's only natural that he'd be popular with the girls. But I wonder how far things have progressed? Are they already holding hands? Or could it be that they've already..."
As her imagination ran wild, her cute, pretty face flushed with a faint blush that made one want to gently take a bite.
Suddenly, the single strand of cowlick on her forehead stood straight up, and her pointy ears twitched as if she had sensed something.
The next second, Lloyd opened the door and walked in.
"Big sister, I'm back."
"Eh? So early?"
Evrore hurriedly slipped into her little rabbit slippers and trotted over to greet him.
"Hmm? It's 8:30, not that early, is it?"
Lloyd asked, looking somewhat puzzled.
"Didn't any girls invite you out for dinner?"
Evrore asked with a puzzled look of her own, then noticed her younger brother's new uniform. Her eyes instantly lit up, and she broke into a sweet smile.
"Xiao Yi looks so good in uniform."
"Ugh... Sister, you're going to make my head swell..."
Lloyd laughed awkwardly.
Ever since they were young, he seemed perfect in his sister's eyes. She was forever praising and encouraging him, always holding the highest expectations for him. The number of times she had scolded him could be counted on one hand, and she had never once been angry with him—her gentleness was practically out of bounds.
Although Lloyd couldn't bear to shatter his sister's fantasies, he hated deceiving her even more, so he answered truthfully:
"Today was just my first day, how could any girls invite me out? Besides, the people there gave me the feeling of being like... squid on an iron griddle? Everyone is just grinding away, competing so fiercely..."
With that, Lloyd shared his observations and experiences from the day with Evrore, omitting only the part about the game interface and stat allocation.
"So that's the atmosphere there. Even stricter than I anticipated! Will Xiao Yi have a very hard time? Will the pressure be too great?"
Standing on a small wooden stool while heating up dinner for Lloyd, Evrore asked with a worried expression.
"Not at all, I have quite a lot of confidence in my learning ability."
"Mm-hmm! Our Xiao Yi has had top-notch grades since he was a kid and has never given me anything to worry about."
Evrore said with a face full of pride.
During dinner, Lloyd brought up the topic of Evrore's day.
Evrore replied with a laugh that was neither a laugh nor a cry:
"Me? I was originally supposed to accompany Miss Desta to the east side of the city to collect some folklore stories, but the journey was just too far. Riding in the car took nearly the whole day, so we didn't have much time to collect any stories at all."
The City of Brilliance was enormous. Though called a city, it was actually an ultra-giant metropolitan circle. Including the surrounding villages and towns of various sizes, it accommodated over 50 million people, living in peace and contentment under the rule and Sanctuary of the Saint.
There were currently six such giant metropolitan circles in total. While that might not seem like much, it was already vastly better than during the most perilous times.
Moreover, according to news and newspaper reports, humanity was actively preparing to pioneer once again, clearing out the monsters in the wasteland and carving out a brand-new city.
Everything was developing in a better direction.
These six cities were currently governed by different Saints, with their followers organizing into various cults, much like the Radiant Cult.
While their doctrines and beliefs might have minor differences, their essence ultimately led to the same destination by different paths. They strictly worshipped no deities or Mysterious Entities; even toward the Saint, it was merely "following," and must never be elevated to the level of worship.
Once that boundary was crossed, the Holy Grace Inquisition—one of the Three Great Tribunals specializing in dealing with cultists and heretics—would come knocking on the door.
As the two of them chatted away, Lloyd suddenly thought of something and hurriedly asked:
"That's right, won't you guys be in some danger going out to investigate those folkloric legends?"
"Hehe, Xiao Yi, you can rest easy about that. By Miss Desta's side, it's definitely safe."
Evrore replied offhandedly.
Lloyd thought about it, and that was true indeed.
His sister's employer, the kind Miss Desta, possessed numerous virtues: aside from being beautiful, kind-hearted, and helpful, her greatest advantage by far was having a father who was a local real estate tycoon.
The upscale apartment the siblings currently lived in actually belonged to Miss Desta, rented to Evrore at a symbolic price.
Therefore, she was never short of bodyguards, security details, and safety advisors. Working as her private assistant could be described as both relaxing and safe.
Back then, it was thanks to her help across the board that the siblings were able to leave those hardships behind and live the lives they had today.
Because of this, Lloyd felt a heartfelt gratitude toward the kind Miss Desta and had resolved to repay her sincerely in the future.
And so, after chatting for a bit, the siblings turned in early. When the next day arrived, each had to busy themselves with their respective tasks.
As usual, Lloyd helped his sister comb her hair, exchanged a parting hug, and then stepped out the door.
Though still haunted by the "advanced subway" of the night before, he gritted his teeth, first taking the tram to the "stronghold" closest to their home—specifically, the Eighth District of the Holy Judgment Tribunal, where the subway could be caught.