Before he transmigrated, Lloyd was just a test-taking whiz from a small town. Outside of acing exams, his only other skills were reserved for the keyboard.
Then, an accident caused him to transmigrate from Earth, reborn as a baby in this new world.
Shortly after his parents in this world gave birth to him, they found and brought home Evelor, giving him an older sister in the hope that the two would grow up together.
One was a Transmigrator, the other was taken in. Though they shared no blood, their bond from childhood was exceptionally strong—tighter than that of any biological siblings.
Unfortunately, a sudden calamity later claimed the lives of their parents, leaving the young brother and sister to fend for themselves.
And Evelor's physical appearance became forever fixed at the age of twelve...
Yet this Calamity, which would have driven anyone else to despair, did not break the strong-willed girl. She took Lloyd's hand, forced a smile, and said gently,
"Don't be afraid. Your sister is still here."
And so, the two siblings began their arduous struggle to survive.
At first, they were able to stay in an orphanage. But after an encounter with a certain priest there, Evelor had to flee with her brother to protect him. Tightly holding his hand, they began to wander the vast streets of Radiant City.
To support her little brother, she worked tirelessly at odd jobs—digging through trash, shining shoes, assembling matchboxes. With her small hands, she earned a meager income. That, along with help from a few kind souls, was how she managed to raise both him and herself.
Lloyd wanted to help share the burden, but he was too young. He had no system, no special bloodline, not even a keyboard...
Life was nothing like the easy mode he'd read about in novels. He could only rely on his sister, enduring one hardship after another.
His status as a Transmigrator felt particularly ironic...
Even now, Lloyd refused to dwell on those memories.
It wasn't until a chance encounter with the kind Miss Desda that their lives finally started to improve.
Lloyd returned to a life that mirrored his trajectory on Earth: studying, taking exams, advancing through school, and finally, graduating from university and starting the job hunt.
Only to realize he'd majored in civil engineering...
He'd actually love to become an Extraordinary Being: to wield immense power, fight Demons, and protect the world. He'd enjoy the admiration of the masses, all sorts of privileges, and live a glorious, successful life.
But becoming an Extraordinary Being wasn't so simple. In line with the "with great power comes great responsibility" principle, the job was a high-risk profession.
The Demons they had to fight were exceptionally dangerous!!! And exceptionally vicious!!!
They weren't cannon fodder like goblins, Skeleton Soldiers, or Icefield Demon Wolves that you could slaughter at will.
Not only did they possess traits like strength, speed, cunning, and viciousness, but they also had an utterly unfair ability—[Spiritual Contamination].
Any form of contact with a Demon—whether through research, combat, killing, or even just observing them or hearing the sounds they made—would inflict Spiritual Contamination.
Enduring too much Spiritual Contamination in a short time would cause a person's consciousness to descend into chaos. They would slowly go mad, eventually plunging into an Abyss of insanity and transforming into an unspeakable Demon themselves.
For this reason, Demons had become the de facto Sovereigns of the world. They occupied most of its regions and had once pushed human civilization to the very brink of extinction.
Fortunately, humanity ultimately endured. After immense sacrifices, they established the current Extraordinary System, slowly regained their footing, and entered a stalemate with the Demons.
To this day, Demons still relentlessly attack humanity in countless ways, leading to frequent battles of all sizes. However, the overall situation was supposedly improving daily. The cities were growing safer, and humanity's control over the lands outside was expanding.
At least, that's what the newspapers and news reports claimed...
Given this reality, Lloyd had once given up on the path of an Extraordinary Being. He planned to live out his days in peace, take care of his sister, and complete the unambitious, slacker life he never got to finish back on Earth.
But just seven days ago, he ran into a "minor incident"—
While out looking for a job, a Demon had suddenly burst from a manhole cover. It devoured three people right in front of his eyes, splattering him head to toe in blood and viscera until he was drenched in scarlet.
Though it was a low-probability event, and the Demon was quickly dispatched by the Extraordinary Beings who arrived on the scene, the sudden, gory spectacle shook Lloyd to his core.
'This world, I fear, isn't as Prosperous and Contented as the papers proclaim. I need some power of my own.'
'Besides, I have a sister to protect...'
As it turned out, that bloody trauma had an unexpected side effect: it granted him an 'Attribute Panel.'
[Ding! Detected a rise in Madness Value. Attribute Panel activated.]
After muddling through this world for twenty years, he had finally unlocked his cheat. At last, he was a proper Transmigrator.
Lloyd spent some time studying the thing and discovered it seemed quite powerful. As long as he could acquire [Madness Value], he could level up, allocate attribute points, and grow progressively stronger.
According to the panel's description, [Madness Value] was derived from Spiritual Contamination, which in turn primarily came from Demons. This meant Lloyd had to seek contact with them.
But the city was safe most of the time. Finding a Demon wasn't easy...
Just as Lloyd was stewing over this problem, the black invitation letter appeared in his mailbox. The Holy Judgment Court was cordially inviting him to join, offering him a position as an 'Executor.'
As a military organization dedicated to fighting Demons, it would surely have no shortage of [Madness Value]. It was the perfect solution, delivered right to his door.
Lloyd, of course, made his decision without a moment's hesitation.
The Holy Judgment Court wasn't an easy place to get into. The entry requirements were high and the assessments were rigorous. Despite the danger of confronting Demons, the career prospects were vast and the future promising, making it a highly sought-after organization.
'Now that I have the Attribute Panel,' Lloyd thought, 'danger should be called opportunity.'
Of course, there was a price. In exchange for this opportunity, Lloyd had to remain absolutely silent about the "minor incident" a few days prior. He couldn't even tell his sister.
Radiant City would remain, to all appearances, a place of peace and prosperity. A place where its people were Prosperous and Contented.
And so, Lloyd boarded a tram. After a journey of more than two hours, filled with various transfers, he arrived in the southern suburbs of the city.
The area was desolate and undeveloped, surrounded by natural landscapes of mountains, forests, and streams.
The Holy Judgment Court was a massive organization, divided into dozens of districts that collectively guarded the vast Radiant City. The Eighteenth District, to which Lloyd was assigned, was situated in just such a location—a scenic spot nestled against the mountains and beside the water.
He continued toward a mountain range that, while not particularly high, snaked across the landscape like a giant python. He finally arrived at a valley blocked by a heavy iron gate.