Chapter 8: Yao-gui
Sector 8 was not nearly as large as Sector 18. It looked more like a slightly oversized chapel, with a minimal staff mainly responsible for routine maintenance and transit duties.
The "subway entrance" was even more abstract—was it really a man-tall, dark green mail slot?
"Remember this frequency. I'll only demonstrate once."
The guiding Cleric said this, tapping the mail slot a few times with a heavy *thud, thud, thud*, whereupon it parted down the middle to reveal an opening.
"I have a feeling I'll end up crawling into a trash can sooner or later..."
Lloyd muttered casually.
Unfortunately, the Cleric overheard him.
"Hm? That's a pretty good idea. Worth considering..."
"No, wait! I was just joking."
Lloyd waved his hands dismissively and hurriedly squeezed into the mail slot.
Ten minutes later, Lloyd was "spat" out...
"Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough!"
He felt as though his brains had been rattled right out of his skull.
Fortunately, the system prompt spoke up in time to comfort him:
[Ding! Madness Value +50, Skill Fragment +1]
This time, however, there was no kind-hearted soul to lend him a hand. He could only press his hands against his knees and gasp heavily for breath.
As he panted, Lloyd heard a restrained, dainty gasp from behind him:
"Cough..."
He looked back, and it was actually that cold and stunning Inquisitor Viya!
Her condition was much better than Lloyd's, though her exquisite face was slightly pale.
"Morning..."
Lloyd offered a very strained greeting.
Viya gave him a cold glance, then spoke in a strictly businesslike tone:
"You'll get used to it after riding it a few times. This is a very important mode of transportation for us, but if it takes you too long to recover, you can go to the Prayer Room on the sixth floor for treatment."
With that, she left on her own, without offering a helping hand or waiting for him.
After recovering for a good while, Lloyd muttered with a trace of regret:
"Such a shame she's so pretty..."
……………………
When Lloyd arrived at Tower No. 9, he found a group of Enforcers just like himself gathered around a public notice board, whispering to one another. From time to time, someone would step forward to take a key from it.
Approaching closer, he saw that the notice board was hung with numerous keys, each corresponding to numbers like "114" or "201". Every key corresponded to a cell in the basement levels, and a sticky note was attached next to each one, bearing some brief information.
These were the Monsters that the Enforcers needed to execute.
Participation was voluntary as well, but it offered evaluation scores and bonuses as incentives.
Before long, the keys starting with "1" were taken one by one. The ones starting with "2" and "3"—representing Monsters of danger levels 2 and 3 confined to the -2 and -3 levels—remained untouched for the time being.
Lloyd observed for a little longer and saw a burly, square-jawed, tough-guy-styled Enforcer walk over and pluck the key for cell "201".
Immediately, someone nearby spoke up:
"As expected of Senior Buster, picking the most troublesome one on level -2 right off the bat. Would you mind letting us observe?"
"I don't mind, but don't get in my way, or there won't be a next time."
The tough guy said coldly.
After a moment's thought, Lloyd quickly followed along, deciding not to rush to the library to continue reading.
As an educated and progressive young man, one had to grasp both theory and practice.
Two fellow Enforcers noticed that he looked unfamiliar, like a newcomer, and whispered back and forth for a moment, though they neither greeted him nor asked any questions, maintaining their cold indifference.
Lloyd followed in silence as well, walking with them into Cell 201.
The moment he stepped inside, he felt a strange atmosphere in the air. His eardrums and skin began to prickle slightly, and a rapid sequence of prompts rang in his ears:
[Ding! Madness Value +1]
[Ding! Madness Value +1]
The feeling of leveling up just by breathing had returned!
The Promised Land, truly the Promised Land.
Lloyd was quite happy—until he caught sight of the Monster bound within the cell:
A cockroach the size of an adult human...
Its limbs had undergone a certain degree of mutation, the antennae on its head looked as sharp as lances, and the bristles covering its body writhed frantically like tentacles. Its original mouthparts had transformed into something resembling a human mouth, complete with a set of teeth, yet entirely exposed to the air without the cover of lips or skin, pulled back into a wide, gaping grin.
Southern-born though he was, Lloyd had certainly never seen a specimen of this magnitude, and he instantly felt his scalp tingle. The prompt sounds in his ear turned into an unbroken chorus.
[Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Madness Value +++++]
It wasn't just this newcomer who felt uncomfortable; the other Enforcers present were also grimacing and turning pale.
Even the tough guy Buster furrowed his brow tightly, letting out a cold snort as he said:
"Hmph—just as expected of a Level 2 Monster, the [Yao-gui]. Even looking directly at it inflicts Mental Pollution..."
With that, he turned his head back to address the others who had come to observe:
"I'm about to start. You'd all better not push yourselves."
Two of them shook their heads on the spot, choosing to retreat. Clutching their heads and mouths, they fled outside, leaving only Lloyd and one other person standing.
The tough guy gave the remaining two a serious look, as if committing their faces to memory.
Then he strode over to the tool rack at the side, picked up a small dagger, and channeled some Spirit Power into it. The blade began to flicker slightly, emitting a sharp, chilling gleam.
According to the manual, its formal name was [Psionic Blade]. Depending on the amount of Spirit Power injected into it, it would exhibit varying degrees of flexibility and sharpness. It was not only the primary tool for Enforcers to execute Monsters, but also an essential weapon for frontline combat personnel.
The long saber Viya had used to slay Monsters the other day was simply a plus-sized version of this item.
Having prepared his tools, the tough guy returned to the side of the giant cockroach.
The giant cockroach had several chains driven through its body, pinning it firmly to the wall, while white steel spikes the thickness of two fingers were hammered into several key points, carved with complex patterns and designs.
Similar patterns and designs could be seen everywhere on the surrounding walls and floor, collectively forming a set of Rituals that sealed the Monster and rendered it incapable of resistance.
The burly man took a deep breath, held it, and brought his blade down.
Accompanied by a splatter of dark green blood, a lance-like tentacle was cleanly and decisively sliced off.
Lloyd instantly felt an invisible wave wash over him, and a prompt followed closely in his ear:
[Ding! Madness Value +10]
So he didn't even need to do the dirty work himself—observing someone else's execution could also yield Madness Value?
Energized at once, he watched with even greater focus, closely studying the tough guy's technique as he butchered the Monster with the casual skill of a master chef.
Truth be told, it was rather stress-relieving.